Electronic lock and charging dock

Abstract

A electronic lock having a box body 11 that features a moving block 2 and a locking pin 14 fixed to the block and extending from the box body that moves between a lock and unlocking position. There is

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. CN20251013833 l.X filed on February 7, 2025 in the State Intellectual Property Office of China, the whole disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic lock and a charging dock comprising the electronic lock. Description of the Related Art In the prior art, when the charging gun is plugged into the charging dock, an electronic lock needs to be installed on the charging dock to prevent accidental detachment of the charging gun from the charging dock. Usually, the electronic lock has a locking pin that can be moved between a locking position and an unlocking position. When the electronic lock is moved to the locking position, the locking pin engages with the pin hole in the charging gun to lock the charging gun to the charging dock. When the electronic lock is moved to the unlocking position, the locking pin disengages from the pin hole in the charging gun to allow the charging gun to be removed from the charging dock. In the prior art, the electronic lock is equipped with micro switches for detecting the position of the locking pin. However, the cost of micro switches is relatively high, and a circuit board for installing micro switches is also required. In addition, micro switches have a large volume and short lifespan, which seriously affects the performance of the entire electronic lock. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to overcome or alleviate at least one aspect of the above mentioned disadvantages. According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic lock. The electronic lock comprises: a box body; a moving block which is installed in the box body in a movable manner; a locking pin fixed to the moving block and extending from the box body, capable of moving between a locking position and an unlocking position together with the moving block; a driving device installed in the box body for driving the moving block and the locking pin to move between the locking position and the unlocking position; a pair of detection terminals fixed to the inner side of the box body; and a conductive member which is installed on the moving block to be able to move together with the moving block. When the moving block is moved to the locking position, the conductive member is moved to a bridging position in electrical contact with the pair of detection terminals to electrically connect the pair of detection terminals. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when the locking pin is moved to the locking position, the locking pin is adapted to engage with a pin hole in a charging gun to lock the charging gun to a charging dock; when the locking pin is moved to the unlocking position, the locking pin disengages from the pin hole in the charging gun to allow the charging gun to be pulled out from the charging dock. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when the moving block is moved to the locking position, the conductive member is moved to the bridging position; when the moving block is not moved to the locking position, the conductive member is not in contact with at least one of the pair of detection terminals, causing the pair of detection terminals to be in an electrically separated state. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a mounting hole is formed in the moving block, and the conductive member is a lower ball that is rollably installed in the mounting hole, a part of the lower ball is exposed from the lower opening of the mounting hole for electrical contact with the pair of detection terminals. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electronic lock further comprises: an upper ball which is rollably installed in the mounting hole of the moving block; and an elastic member located in the mounting hole and compressed between the upper ball and the lower ball, for applying contact pressure to the lower ball. The upper ball and the lower ball rotate on their own in the mounting hole while moving together with the moving block. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when the moving block is moved to the locking position, the lower ball is moved to the bridging position; when the moving block is not moved to the locking position, the lower ball is not in contact with at least one of the pair of detection terminals, causing the pair of detection terminals to be in an electrically separated state. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the box body has a bottom wall and a top opening opposite to the bottom wall, the pair of detection terminals are fixed to the inner side of the bottom wall of the box body, and a track groove extending along the longitudinal direction of the box body is formed on the inner side of the bottom wall of the box body; when the moving block moves between the locking position and the unlocking position, the lower ball rolls along the track groove. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the detection terminal has a contact end for electrical contact with the lower ball, and the contact ends of the pair of detection terminals are respectively located on both sides of the track groove; when the lower ball is moved to the bridging position, the lower ball makes electrical contact with the contact ends of the pair of detection terminals simultaneously. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the contact ends of the pair of detection terminals is smaller than the diameter of the lower ball, so that the lower ball can make electrical contact with the contact ends of the pair of detection terminals simultaneously; the detection terminal also has an extension part connected to the contact end, and the distance between the extension parts of the pair of detection terminals is greater than the diameter of the lower ball, so that the lower ball cannot make electrical contact with the extension parts of the pair of detection terminals at the same time. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electronic lock further comprises a top cover which is installed on the top opening of the box body, a rib plate extending along the longitudinal direction of the box body is formed on the inner side of the top cover, and a groove cooperating with the rib plate is formed on the top surface of the moving block, the groove penetrates the upper opening of the mounting hole, and the upper ball is at least partially located in the upper opening of the mounting hole, with the rib plate resting against the upper ball. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a sliding groove is formed on the bottom surface of the moving block, and a sliding rail extending along the longitudinal direction of the box body is formed on the inner side of the bottom wall of the box body, the sliding rail cooperates with the sliding groove to guide the moving block to move between the locking position and the unlocking position along the longitudinal direction of the box body. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the box body is injection molded onto the pair of detection terminals, so that the box body and the pair of detection terminals become an integral piece. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the driving device comprises: a motor; and a transmission mechanism connected between the output shaft of the motor and the moving block. The transmission mechanism is used to convert the rotational motion of the output shaft of the motor into linear motion of the moving block along the longitudinal direction of the box body. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the transmission mechanism is a gear transmission mechanism. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the transmission mechanism comprises: a first helical gear which is installed on the output shaft of the motor; a second helical gear which meshes with the first helical gear; a first spur gear which is coaxially connected to the second helical gear; a second spur gear which meshes with the first spur gear; a third spur gear which is coaxially connected to the second spur gear; a fourth spur gear which meshes with the third spur gear; a fifth spur gear which is coaxially connected to the fourth spur gear; and a rack which meshes with the fifth spur gear. The rack is directly formed on the moving block or fixed to the moving block. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the transmission mechanism further comprises: a first installation shaft which extends along the height direction of the box body and its upper and lower ends are respectively rotatably installed on the bottom wall of the box body and the top cover; a second installation shaft which extends along the height direction of the box body and its upper and lower ends are respectively rotatably installed on the bottom wall of the box body and the top cover; and a third installation shaft which extends along the height direction of the box body and its upper and lower ends are respectively rotatably installed on the bottom wall of the box body and the top cover. The second helical gear and the first spur gear are fixedly mounted on the first installation shaft, the second spur gear and the third spur gear are fixedly mounted on the second installation shaft, and the fourth spur gear and the fifth spur gear are fixedly mounted on the third installation shaft, the output shaft of the motor extends along the longitudinal direction of the box body, so that the output shaft of the motor is perpendicular to the first installation shaft. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the moving block comprises: a longitudinal part extending along the longitudinal direction of the box body; and a transverse part which extends along the transverse direction of the box body and is vertically connected to the front end of the longitudinal part. The rack is formed on or fixed to the longitudinal part of the moving block, and the mounting hole is formed in the transverse part of the moving block. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electronic lock further comprises a pair of connection terminals which are fixed to the inner side of the bottom wall of the box body and electrically connected to the motor, for connecting the motor to a power source. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the box body is injection molded onto the pair of detection terminals and the pair of connection terminals, so that the box body, the pair of detection terminals and the pair of connection terminals become an integral piece. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the box body has front and rear side walls that are opposite in its longitudinal direction, and a mating part is formed on the outer side of the rear side wall of the box body, the mating part has an insertion cavity suitable for mating with a connector; the detection terminal has a first pin for electrical connection to a detection circuit, and the connection terminal has a second pin for electrical connection to the power source, the first pin and the second pin extend into the insertion cavity of the mating part for electrical connection with the connector inserted into the insertion cavity. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the box body has front and rear side walls that are opposite in its longitudinal direction, and the locking pin passes through the front side wall of the box body, an installation recess is formed on the outer side of the front side wall of the box body; the electronic lock further comprises a sealing ring accommodated in the installation recess, wherein the sealing ring is fitted onto the locking pin and radially compressed between the inner wall surface of the installation recess and the locking pin, for achieving sealing between the locking pin and the box body. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a horizontal hole is formed in the front end surface of the moving block, and a vertical hole connected to the horizontal hole is formed in the top surface of the moving block; an insertion hole corresponding to the vertical hole is formed in the rear end of the locking pin, and the rear end of the locking pin is inserted into the horizontal hole; the electronic lock further comprises a pin inserted into the vertical hole and the insertion hole to fix the locking pin to the moving block. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a connecting ear is formed on the box body and / or the top cover, and a connecting hole is formed in the connecting ear to allow a threaded fastener to pass through, so that the electronic lock can be fastened to the charging dock through the threaded fastener. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a charging dock. The charging dock comprises: a housing; a charging terminal, set in the housing, for mating with a mating terminal of a charging gun inserted into the housing; and the above electronic lock fastened to the housing. When the locking pin is moved to the locking position, the locking pin is adapted to engage with the pin hole in the charging gun to lock the charging gun to the charging dock; when the locking pin is moved to the unlocking position, the locking pin disengages from the pin hole in the charging gun to allow the charging gun to be pulled out from the charging dock. In the aforementioned exemplary embodiments according to the present invention, the use of conductive member installed in the moving block instead of traditional micro switches simplifies the position detection mechanism of the electronic lock and reduces costs. In addition, in the aforementioned exemplary embodiments according to the present invention, the ball installed in the moving block is used instead of traditional micro switches. Due to the small volume and wear resistance of the ball, the present invention can reduce the volume of electronic lock and extend its lifespan. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other features of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows an illustrative perspective view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows an illustrative perspective view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with the top cover removed; Figure 3 shows an illustrative exploded view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 shows an illustrative perspective view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention when viewed from one side, with the moving block in the locking position; Figure 5 shows an illustrative perspective view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the other side, with the moving block in the locking position; Figure 6 shows an illustrative perspective view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the bottom, with the moving block in the locking position; Figure 7 shows an illustrative exploded view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with the moving block in the locking position; Figure 8 shows a transverse sectional view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with the moving block in the locking position; Figure 9 shows an illustrative perspective view of the box body of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the lower ball is in a bridging position electrically connected to a pair of detection terminals; Figure 10 shows a transverse sectional view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with the moving block in the locking position; Figure 11 shows an illustrative exploded view of the moving block and locking pin of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12 shows an illustrative perspective view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with the moving block in the unlocking position; Figure 13 shows an illustrative exploded view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with the moving block in the unlocking position; Figure 14 shows an illustrative perspective view of the box body of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the lower ball is in a position where it cannot be electrically connected to a pair of detection terminals; and Figure 15 shows an illustrative perspective view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the rear. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE IVENTION Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter in detail with reference to the attached drawings, wherein the like reference numerals refer to the like elements. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiment set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are schematically shown in order to simplify the drawing. According to a general concept of the present invention, there is provided an electronic lock. The electronic lock comprises: a box body; a moving block which is installed in the box body in a movable manner; a locking pin fixed to the moving block and extending from the box body, capable of moving between a locking position and an unlocking position together with the moving block; a driving device installed in the box body for driving the moving block and the locking pin to move between the locking position and the unlocking position; a pair of detection terminals fixed to the inner side of the box body; and a conductive member which is installed on the moving block to be able to move together with the moving block. When the moving block is moved to the locking position, the conductive member is moved to a bridging position in electrical contact with the pair of detection terminals to electrically connect the pair of detection terminals together with one another. According to another general concept of the present invention, there is provided a charging dock. The charging dock comprises: a housing; a charging terminal, set in the housing, for mating with a mating terminal of a charging gun inserted into the housing; and the above electronic lock fastened to the housing. When the locking pin is moved to the locking position, the locking pin is adapted to engage with the pin hole in the charging gun to lock the charging gun to the charging dock; when the locking pin is moved to the unlocking position, the locking pin disengages from the pin hole in the charging gun to allow the charging gun to be pulled out from the charging dock. Figure 1 shows an illustrative perspective view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows an illustrative perspective view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with the top cover 12 removed; Figure 3 shows an illustrative exploded view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 shows an illustrative perspective view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention when viewed from one side, with the moving block 2 in the locking position; Figure 5 shows an illustrative perspective view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the other side, with the moving block 2 in the locking position; Figure 6 shows an illustrative perspective view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the bottom, with the moving block 2 in the locking position; Figure 7 shows an illustrative exploded view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, where the moving block 2 is in the locking position; Figure 8 shows a transverse sectional view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with the moving block 2 in the locking position; Figure 9 shows an illustrative perspective view of the box body 11 of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the lower ball 32 is in a bridging position electrically connected to the pair of detection terminals 4; Figure 10 shows a transverse sectional view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with the moving block 2 in the locking position; Figure 11 shows an illustrative exploded view of the moving block 2 and locking pin 14 of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12 shows an illustrative perspective view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, where the moving block 2 is in the unlocking position; Figure 13 shows an illustrative exploded view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, where the moving block 2 is in the unlocking position; Figure 14 shows an illustrative perspective view of the box body 11 of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the lower ball 32 is in a position where it cannot be electrically connected to the pair of detection terminals 4; Figure 15 shows an illustrative perspective view of an electronic lock according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the rear. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an electronic lock is disclosed. The electronic lock comprises: a box body 11, a moving block 2, a locking pin 14, a driving device 5, a pair of detection terminals 4, and a conductive member 3. The moving block 2 is installed in the box body 11 in a movable manner. The locking pin 14 is fixed to the moving block 2 and extends from the box body 11, and can move together with the moving block 2 between a locking position and an unlocking position. The driving device 5 is installed in the box body 11, used to drive the moving block 2 and the locking pin 14 to move between the locking position and the unlocking position. The pair of detection terminals 4 are fixed to the inside of the box body 11. The conductive member 3 is installed on the moving block 2 to be able to move together with the moving block 2. When the moving block 2 is moved to the locking position, the conductive member 3 is moved to a bridging position that is in electrical contact with the pair of detection terminals 4 simultaneously, to electrically connect the pair of detection terminals 4. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, when the locking pin 14 is moved to the locking position, the locking pin 14 is adapted to engage with a pin hole in a charging gun (not shown) to lock the charging gun to a charging dock (not shown). When the locking pin 14 is moved to the unlocking position, it disengages from the pin hole in the charging gun to allow the charging gun to be pulled out of the charging dock. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, when the moving block 2 is moved to the locking position, the conductive member 3 is moved to the bridging position. When the moving block 2 is not moved to the locking position, the conductive member 3 is not in contact with at least one of the pair of detection terminals 4 (for example, the conductive member 3 is only in contact with one of the pair of detection terminals 4 or not in contact with either of the pair of detection terminals 4), causing the pair of detection terminals 4 to be in an electrically separated state. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, a mounting hole 20 is formed in the moving block 2, and the conductive member 3 is a lower ball 32 that can roll and be installed in the mounting hole 20. A part of the lower ball 32 is exposed from the lower opening of the mounting hole 20 for electrical contact with the pair of detection terminals 4. However, please note that the conductive member 3 of the present invention is not limited to the lower ball 32 shown in the diagram, and can also be a non rolling component with a smooth arc-shaped contact bottom surface to reduce sliding friction. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, the electronic lock further comprises an upper ball 31 and an elastic member 33. The upper ball 31 is installed rollably in the mounting hole 20 of the moving block 2. The elastic member 33 is located in the mounting hole 20 and compressed between the upper ball 31 and the lower ball 32, used to apply contact pressure to the lower ball 32. The upper ball 31 and the lower ball 32 rotate on their own in the mounting hole 20 while moving together with the moving block 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the elastic member 33 may be a coil spring. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, when the moving block 2 is moved to the locking position, the lower ball 32 is moved to the bridging position. When the moving block 2 is not moved to the locking position, the lower ball 32 is not in contact with at least one of the pair of detection terminals 4, causing the pair of detection terminals 4 to be in an electrically separated state. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, the box body 11 has a bottom wall and a top opening opposite to the bottom wall, and the pair of detection terminals 4 are fixed to the inner side of the bottom wall of the box body 11. However, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, for example, the pair of detection terminals 4 can be fixed to the side wall of the box body 11. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, a track groove 101 extending along the longitudinal direction Y of the box body 11 is formed on the inner side of the bottom wall of the box body 11. When the moving block 2 moves between the locking position and the unlocking position, the lower ball 32 rolls along the track groove 101. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, the detection terminal 4 has a contact end 41 for electrical contact with the lower ball 32, and the contact ends 41 of the pair of detection terminals 4 are respectively located on both sides of the track groove 101. When the lower ball 32 is moved to the bridging position, it simultaneously makes electrical contact with the contact terminals 41 of the pair of detection terminals 4. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, the distance between the contact ends 41 of the pair of detection terminals 4 is smaller than the diameter of the lower ball 32, so that the lower ball 32 can make electrical contact with the contact ends 41 of the pair of detection terminals 4 simultaneously. The detection terminal 4 also has an extension part 42 connected to the contact terminal 41. The distance between the extension parts 42 of the pair of detection terminals 4 is greater than the diameter of the lower ball 32, so that the lower ball 32 cannot make electrical contact with the extension parts 42 of the pair of detection terminals 4 at the same time. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, the electronic lock further includes a top cover 12. The top cover 12 is installed on the top opening of the box body 11. A rib plate 121 extending along the longitudinal direction Y of the box body 11 is formed on the inner side of the top cover 12. A groove 23 is formed on the top surface of the moving block 2 to cooperate with the rib plate 121. The groove 23 penetrates the upper opening of the mounting hole 20, and the upper ball 31 is at least partially located in the upper opening of the mounting hole 20, with the rib plate 121 resting against the upper ball 31. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, a sliding groove 211 is formed on the bottom surface of the moving block 2, and a sliding rail 111 extending along the longitudinal direction Y of the box body 11 is formed on the inner side of the bottom wall of the box body 11. The sliding rail 111 cooperates with the sliding groove 211 to guide the moving block 2 to move along the longitudinal direction Y of the box body 11 between the locking position and the unlocking position. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, the box body 11 is injection molded onto the pair of detection terminals 4, making the box body 11 and the pair of detection terminals 4 an integrated piece. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, the driving device 5 includes a motor 50 and a transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism is connected between the output shaft 51 of motor 50 and the moving block 2. The transmission mechanism is used to convert the rotational motion of the output shaft 51 of the motor 50 into a linear motion of the moving block 2 along the longitudinal direction Y of the box body 11. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, the transmission mechanism can be a gear transmission mechanism or other suitable transmission mechanism. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, the transmission mechanism includes a first helical gear 52, a second helical gear 53, a first spur gear 54, a second spur gear 55, a third spur gear 56, a fourth spur gear 57, a fifth spur gear 58, and a rack 59. The first helical gear 52 is installed on the output shaft 51 of the motor 50. The second helical gear 53 meshes with the first helical gear 52. The first spur gear 54 is coaxially connected to the second helical gear 53. The second spur gear 55 meshes with the first spur gear 54. The third spur gear 56 is coaxially connected to the second spur gear 55. The fourth spur gear 57 meshes with the third spur gear 56. The fifth spur gear 58 is coaxially connected to the fourth spur gear 57. The rack 59 meshes with the fifth spur gear 58. The rack 59 is directly formed on the moving block 2 or fixed to the moving block 2. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, the transmission mechanism further includes a first installation shaft 510, a second installation shaft 520, and a third installation shaft 530. The first installation shaft 510 extends along the height direction Z of the box body 11 and its upper and lower ends are respectively rotatably installed on the bottom wall of the box body 11 and the top cover 12. The second installation shaft 520 extends along the height direction Z of the box body 11 and its upper and lower ends are respectively rotatably installed on the bottom wall of the box body 11 and the top cover 12. The third installation shaft 530 extends along the height direction Z of the box body 11 and its upper and lower ends are respectively rotatably installed on the bottom wall of the box body 11 and the top cover 12. The second helical gear 53 and the first spur gear 54 are fixedly mounted on the first installation shaft 510, the second spur gear 55 and the third spur gear 56 are fixedly mounted on the second installation shaft 520, and the fourth spur gear 57 and the fifth spur gear 58 are fixedly mounted on the third installation shaft 530. The output shaft 51 of motor 50 extends along the longitudinal direction Y of box body 11, so that the output shaft 51 of motor 50 is perpendicular to the first installation shaft 510. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, the moving block 2 includes a longitudinal part 21 and a transverse part 22. The longitudinal part 21 extends along the longitudinal direction Y of the box body 11. The transverse part 22 extends along the transverse direction X of the box body 11 and is vertically connected to the front end of the longitudinal part 21. The rack 59 is formed on or fixed to the longitudinal part 21 of the moving block 2, and the mounting hole 20 is formed in the transverse part 22 of the moving block 2. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, the electronic lock also includes a pair of connection terminals 500. The pair of connection terminals 500 are fixed to the inner side of the bottom wall of the box body 11 and electrically connected to the motor 50, used to electrically connect the motor 50 to a power source. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, the box body 11 is injection molded onto the pair of detection terminals 4 and the pair of connection terminals 500, so that the box body 11, the pair of detection terminals 4, and the pair of connection terminals 500 become an integrated piece. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, the box body 11 has front and rear side walls that are opposite in its longitudinal direction Y. A mating part 112 is formed on the outer side of the rear side wall of the box body 11, and the mating part 112 has an insertion cavity 110 suitable for mating with a connector. The detection terminal 4 has a first pin 43 for electrical connection to a detection circuit, and the connection terminal 500 has a second pin 501 for electrical connection to the power source. The first pin 43 and the second pin 501 extend into the insertion cavity 110 of the mating part 112 for electrical connection with the connector inserted into the aforementioned insertion cavity 110. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, the box body 11 has front and rear side walls that are opposite in its longitudinal direction Y. The locking pin 14 passes through the front side wall of the box body 11, and an installation recess 115 is formed on the outer side of the front side wall of the box body 11. The electronic lock also includes a sealing ring 15 accommodated in the installation recess 115, which is fitted onto the locking pin 14 and radially compressed between the inner wall surface of the installation recess 115 and the locking pin 14, to achieve sealing between the locking pin 14 and the box body 11. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, a horizontal hole 201 is formed in the front end surface of the moving block 2, and a vertical hole 202 connected to the horizontal hole 201 is formed in the top surface of the moving block 2. An insertion hole 141 corresponding to the vertical hole 202 is formed in the rear end of the locking pin 14, and the rear end of the locking pin 14 is inserted into the horizontal hole 201. The electronic lock also includes a pin 203, which is inserted into the vertical hole 202 and the insertion hole 141 to fix the locking pin 14 to the moving block 2. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in the illustrated embodiment, a connecting ear 13 is formed on the box body 11 and / or the top cover 12, and a connecting hole is formed in the connecting ear 13 to allow a threaded fastener (not shown) to pass through, so that the electronic lock can be fastened to the charging dock through the threaded fastener. As shown in Figures 1 to 15, in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a charging dock (not shown) is also disclosed. The charging dock includes a housing (not shown), a charging terminal (not shown), and the aforementioned electronic lock. The charging terminal is set in the housing for mating with a mating terminal (not shown) of a charging gun (not shown) inserted into the housing. The electronic lock is fastened to the housing. When the locking pin 14 is moved to the locking position, the locking pin 14 is adapted to engage with a pin hole in the charging gun to lock the charging gun to the charging dock. When the locking pin 14 is moved to the unlocking position, it disengages from the pin hole in the charging gun to allow the charging gun to be pulled out of the charging dock. The locking and unlocking processes of the aforementioned electronic lock will be explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. After the charging gun is mated with the charging dock, the driving device 5 drives the moving block 2 and the locking pin 14 to move from the unlocking position shown in Figure 12-14 to the locking position shown in Figure 7-9. At this time, the locking pin 14 extends and engages with the pin hole in the charging gun to lock the charging gun to the charging dock; When the detection circuit detects that the charging gun has been mated with the charging dock and the locking pin 14 has been moved to the locking position, the control circuit controls the power source to supply power to the charging gun and charging dock to charge the rechargeable battery; After completing the charging and cutting off the power source, the driving device 5 drives the moving block 2 and the locking pin 14 to move from the locking position shown in Figure 7-9 to the unlocking position shown in Figure 12-14. At this time, the locking pin 14 retracts and disengages from the pin hole in the charging gun to allow the charging gun to be pulled out of the charging dock. It should be appreciated for those skilled in this art that the above embodiments are intended to be illustrated, and not restrictive. For example, many modifications may be made to the above embodiments by those skilled in this art, and various features described in different embodiments may be freely combined with each other without conflicting in configuration or principle. Although several exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents. As used herein, an element recited in the singular and proceeded with the word "a" or "an" should be understood as not excluding plural of said elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. Furthermore, references to "one embodiment" of the present invention are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments 5 "comprising" or "having" an element or a plurality of elements having a particular property may include additional such elements not having that property.

Claims

1. An electronic lock, comprising:a box body (11);a moving block (2) which is installed in the box body (11) in a movable manner;a locking pin (14) fixed to the moving block (2) and extending from the box body (11), capable of moving between a locking position and an unlocking position together with the moving block (2);a driving device (5) installed in the box body (11) for driving the moving block (2) and the locking pin (14) to move between the locking position and the unlocking position;a pair of detection terminals (4) fixed to the inner side of the box body (11); anda conductive member (3) which is installed on the moving block (2) to move together with the moving block (2),wherein when the moving block (2) is moved to the locking position, the conductive member (3) is moved to a bridging position in electrical contact with the pair of detection terminals (4) to electrically connect the pair of detection terminals (4).

2. The electronic lock according to claim 1,wherein when the locking pin (14) is moved to the locking position, the locking pin (14) is adapted to engage with a pin hole in a charging gun to lock the charging gun to a charging dock;wherein when the locking pin (14) is moved to the unlocking position, the locking pin (14) is adapted to disengage from the pin hole in the charging gun to allow the charging gun to be pulled out from the charging dock.

3. The electronic lock according to claim 1 or 2,wherein when the moving block (2) is moved to the locking position, the conductive member (3) is moved to the bridging position;wherein when the moving block (2) is not moved to the locking position, the conductive member (3) is not in contact with at least one of the pair of detection terminals (4), causing the pair of detection terminals (4) to be in an electrically separated state.

4. The electronic lock according to claim 1, 2 or 3,wherein a mounting hole (20) is formed in the moving block (2), and the conductive member (3) is a ball (32) that is rollably installed in the mounting hole (20), a part of the ball (32) is exposed from the lower opening of the mounting hole (20) for electrical contact with the pair of detection terminals (4).

5. The electronic lock according to claim 4, wherein the ball is a lower ball (32) and the electronic lock further comprises:an upper ball (31) which is rollably installed in the mounting hole (20) of the moving block (2); andan elastic member (33) located in the mounting hole (20) and compressed between the upper ball (31) and the lower ball (32), for applying contact pressure to the lower ball (32),wherein the upper ball (31) and the lower ball (32) rotate on their own in the mounting hole (20) while moving together with the moving block (2).

6. The electronic lock according to claim 5,wherein when the moving block (2) is moved to the locking position, the lower ball (32) is moved to the bridging position;wherein when the moving block (2) is not moved to the locking position, the lower ball (32) is not in contact with at least one of the pair of detection terminals (4), causing the pair of detection terminals (4) to be in an electrically separated state.

7. The electronic lock according to claim 4, 5 or 6,wherein the box body (11) has a bottom wall and a top opening opposite to the bottom wall, the pair of detection terminals (4) are fixed to the inner side of the bottom wall of the box body (11), and a track groove (101) extending along the longitudinal direction (Y) of the box body (11) is formed on the inner side of the bottom wall of the box body (11);wherein when the moving block (2) moves between the locking position and the unlocking position, the lower ball (32) rolls along the track groove (101).

8. The electronic lock according to claim 7,wherein the detection terminal (4) has a contact end (41) for electrical contact with the lower ball (32), and the contact ends (41) of the pair of detection terminals (4) are respectively located on both sides of the track groove (101);wherein when the lower ball (32) is moved to the bridging position, the lower ball (32) makes electrical contact with the contact ends (41) of the pair of detection terminals (4) simultaneously.

9. The electronic lock according to claim 8,wherein the distance between the contact ends (41) of the pair of detection terminals (4) is smaller than the diameter of the lower ball (32), so that the lower ball (32) can make electrical contact with the contact ends (41) of the pair of detection terminals (4) simultaneously;wherein the detection terminal (4) also has an extension part (42) connected to the contact end (41), and the distance between the extension parts (42) of the pair of detection terminals (4) is greater than the diameter of the lower ball (32), so that the lower ball (32) cannot make electrical contact with the extension parts (42) of the pair of detection terminals (4) at the same time.

10. The electronic lock according to claim 7, 8 or 9, further comprising:a top cover (12) which is installed on the top opening of the box body (11),wherein a rib plate (121) extending along the longitudinal direction (Y) of the box body (11) is formed on the inner side of the top cover (12), and a groove (23) cooperating with the rib plate (121) is formed on the top surface of the moving block (2),wherein the groove (23) penetrates the upper opening of the mounting hole (20), and the upper ball (31) is at least partially located in the upper opening of the mounting hole (20), with the rib plate (121) resting against the upper ball (31).

11. The electronic lock according to claim 7, 8, 9 or 10,wherein a sliding groove (211) is formed on the bottom surface of the moving block (2), and a sliding rail (111) extending along the longitudinal direction (Y) of the box body (11) is formed on the inner side of the bottom wall of the box body (11), the sliding rail (111) cooperates with the sliding groove (211) to guide the moving block (2) to move between the locking position and the unlocking position along the longitudinal direction (Y) of the box body (11).

12. The electronic lock according to any preceding claim,wherein the box body (11) is injection molded onto the pair of detection terminals (4), so that the box body (11) and the pair of detection terminals (4) become an integral piece.

13. The electronic lock according to any preceding claim, wherein the driving device (5) comprises:a motor (50); anda transmission mechanism connected between the output shaft (51) of the motor (50) and the moving block (2),wherein the transmission mechanism is used to convert the rotational motion of the output shaft (51) of the motor (50) into linear motion of the moving block (2) along the longitudinal direction (Y) of the box body (11).

14. The electronic lock according to claim 13, wherein the transmission mechanism is a gear transmission mechanism.

15. The electronic lock according to claim 14, wherein the transmission mechanism comprises:a first helical gear (52) which is installed on the output shaft (51) of the motor (50);a second helical gear (53) which meshes with the first helical gear (52);a first spur gear (54) which is coaxially connected to the second helical gear (53);a second spur gear (55) which meshes with the first spur gear (54);a third spur gear (56) which is coaxially connected to the second spur gear (55);a fourth spur gear (57) which meshes with the third spur gear (56);a fifth spur gear (58) which is coaxially connected to the fourth spur gear (57); anda rack (59) which meshes with the fifth spur gear (58),wherein the rack (59) is directly formed on the moving block (2) or fixed to the moving block (2).

16. The electronic lock according to claim 15,wherein the transmission mechanism further comprises:a first installation shaft (510) which extends along the height direction (Z) of the box body (11) and its upper and lower ends are respectively rotatably installed on the bottom wall of the box body (11) and the top cover (12);a second installation shaft (520) which extends along the height direction (Z) of the box body (11) and its upper and lower ends are respectively rotatably installed on the bottom wall of the box body (11) and the top cover (12); anda third installation shaft (530) which extends along the height direction (Z) of the box body (11) and its upper and lower ends are respectively rotatably installed on the bottom wall of the box body (11) and the top cover (12);wherein the second helical gear (53) and the first spur gear (54) are fixedly mounted on the first installation shaft (510), the second spur gear (55) and the third spur gear (56) are fixedly mounted on the second installation shaft (520), and the fourth spur gear (57) and the fifth spur gear (58) are fixedly mounted on the third installation shaft (530),wherein the output shaft (51) of the motor (50) extends along the longitudinal direction (Y) of the box body (11), so that the output shaft (51) of the motor (50) is perpendicular to the first installation shaft (510).

17. The electronic lock according to claim 15 or 16,wherein the moving block (2) comprises:a longitudinal part (21) extending along the longitudinal direction (Y) of the box body (11); anda transverse part (22) which extends along the transverse direction (X) of the box body (11) and is vertically connected to the front end of the longitudinal part (21),wherein the rack (59) is formed on or fixed to the longitudinal part (21) of the moving block (2), and the mounting hole (20) is formed in the transverse part (22) of the moving block (2).

18. The electronic lock according to any one of claims 13 to 17, further comprising:a pair of connection terminals (500) which are fixed to the inner side of the bottom wall of the box body (11) and electrically connected to the motor (50), for connecting the motor (50) to a power source.

19. The electronic lock according to claim 18,wherein the box body (11) is injection molded onto the pair of detection terminals (4) and the pair of connection terminals (500), so that the box body (11), the pair of detection terminals (4) and the pair of connection terminals (500) become an integral piece.

20. The electronic lock according to claim 18 or 19,wherein the box body (11) has front and rear side walls that are opposite in its longitudinal direction (Y), and a mating part (112) is formed on the outer side of the rear side wall of the box body (11), the mating part (112) has an insertion cavity (110) suitable for mating with a connector;wherein the detection terminal (4) has a first pin (43) for electrical connection to a detection circuit, and the connection terminal (500) has a second pin (501) for electrical connection to the power source, the first pin (43) and the second pin (501) extend into the insertion cavity (110) of the mating part (112) for electrical connection with the connector inserted into the insertion cavity (110).

21. The electronic lock according to any preceding claim,wherein the box body (11) has front and rear side walls that are opposite in its longitudinal direction (Y), and the locking pin (14) passes through the front side wall of the box body (11), an installation recess (115) is formed on the outer side of the front side wall of the box body (11);wherein the electronic lock further comprises a sealing ring (15) accommodated in the installation recess (115), wherein the sealing ring (15) is fitted onto the locking pin (14) and radially compressed between the inner wall surface of the installation recess (115) and the locking pin (14), for achieving sealing between the locking pin (14) and the box body (11).

22. The electronic lock according to any preceding claim,wherein a horizontal hole (201) is formed in the front end surface of the moving block (2), and a vertical hole (202) connected to the horizontal hole (201) is formed in the top surface of the moving block (2);wherein an insertion hole (141) corresponding to the vertical hole (202) is formed in the rear end of the locking pin (14), and the rear end of the locking pin (14) is inserted into the horizontal hole (201);wherein the electronic lock further comprises a pin (203) inserted into the vertical hole (202) and the insertion hole (141) to fix the locking pin (14) to the moving block (2).

23. The electronic lock according to any preceding claim,wherein a connecting ear (13) is formed on the box body (11) and / or the top cover (12), and a connecting hole is formed in the connecting ear (13) to allow a threaded fastener to passthrough, so that the electronic lock can be fastened to the charging dock through the threaded fastener.

24. A charging dock, comprising:a housing;a charging terminal, set in the housing, for mating with a mating terminal of a charging gun inserted into the housing; andthe electronic lock according to any one of claims 1-23, fastened to the housing,wherein when the locking pin (14) is moved to the locking position, the locking pin (14) is adapted to engage with the pin hole in the charging gun to lock the charging gun to the charging dock;wherein when the locking pin (14) is moved to the unlocking position, the locking pin (14) disengages from the pin hole in the charging gun to allow the charging gun to be pulled out from the charging dock.A

Images