Lid control device

Abstract

To suppress water ingress into a charging inlet with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A lid control device for controlling a lid that opens and closes an opening of a lid box housing a charging inlet of a vehicle body includes: a rainfall detection unit capable of detecting rainfall; and a lid drive unit configured to displace the lid between an open position where the opening is opened and a closed position where the opening is closed. In a state where the lid is at the open position and a charging plug is connected to the charging inlet from the outside of the vehicle, when rainfall is detected by the rainfall detection unit, the lid drive unit displaces the lid to a half-closed position that is closer to the closed position than the open position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a lid control device for controlling a lid of a charging inlet of a vehicle body.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric vehicle that can be charged by an external power source. According to this Document 1, this electric vehicle includes a charging port having a charging connector in a recess formed in the body, an air blowing portion provided at the charging port, and a blowing means for supplying air to the air blowing portion. And, water ingress into the charging port due to raindrops during charging is suppressed by the blowing of air.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] According to the above-described technology, it is necessary to provide a blowing means in the vehicle in order to suppress water ingress into the charging port, so the configuration becomes complicated. This specification provides a technology for suppressing the water ingress while solving this problem.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] This specification discloses a lid control device for controlling a lid that opens and closes an opening of a lid box that houses a charging inlet of a vehicle body. The lid control device includes a rainfall detection unit capable of detecting rainfall, and a lid drive unit that displaces the lid between an open position that opens the opening and a closed position that closes the opening. When the lid is in the open position and rainfall is detected by the rainfall detection unit while a charging plug is attached to the charging inlet from outside the vehicle, the lid drive unit displaces the lid to a semi-closed position closer to the closed position than the open position.

[0006] According to the above configuration, when the lid control device detects rainfall while the lid is in the open position and a charging plug is attached to the charging inlet from outside the vehicle, the lid control device displaces the lid to the semi-closed position. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the charging inlet from being wetted by raindrops.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] With reference to the drawings, this embodiment will be described. Each drawing is merely an example, and this embodiment is not limited to the illustrated content. Also, since each drawing is an example, the illustrated shape may not be accurate or a part may be omitted.

[0009] FIG. 1 simply shows a main part of an electric vehicle 10 according to this embodiment. The electric vehicle 10 is, for example, a battery electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, and includes a battery (not shown) that can be charged and discharged by an external power source, and a driving motor (not shown) that receives power supply from the battery.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the electric vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 12, a lid box 14, and a lid 20. The lid box 14 has an opening 14a on the outer surface of the vehicle body 12 and houses a charging inlet 16 inside. The charging inlet 16 is a charging port to which a charging plug 32 of a charger is detachably configured. The specific form of the charging plug 32 and the charging inlet 16 is not particularly limited.

[0011] The lid box 14 is made of an insulating material such as a resin material. The position of the lid box 14 on the vehicle body 12 is not particularly limited. For example, the lid box 14 is located at the rear of the front fender. The lid 20 is attached to the vehicle body 12 or the lid box 14 via, for example, a hinge or an arm.

[0012] Furthermore, according to FIG. 1, the electric vehicle 10 includes a rainfall detection unit 22, an ECU 24, and an actuator 26. The rainfall detection unit 22, the ECU 24, and the actuator 26 are collectively referred to as a lid control device 28. The ECU is an abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit. The ECU 24 is one of the various ECUs mounted on the electric vehicle 10 and is, for example, an ECU for controlling the charging of the battery. The rainfall detection unit 22 is a means capable of detecting rainfall and is, for example, a rain sensor using an infrared LED and a photodiode. The rain sensor can detect rainfall, that is, raindrops. The position of the rain sensor is not particularly limited. For example, the rain sensor is installed at a predetermined position on the front glass.

[0013] The actuator 26 includes a motor or the like for driving the lid 20, and displaces the lid 20 between an open position for opening the opening 14a and a closed position for closing the opening 14a. In the example of FIG. 1, although only a part of the lid 20 is shown, it is in the closed position. When the lid 20 is in the closed position, the outer surface of the lid 20 is disposed substantially flush with the outer surface of the vehicle body 12. A detection signal from the rainfall detection unit 22 is input to the ECU 24. The actuator 26 displaces the lid 20 in response to a command from the ECU 24. The ECU 24 and the actuator 26 are collectively referred to as the lid drive unit 30.

[0014] FIG. 2 shows, in a flowchart, the processing executed by the lid control device 28. FIG. 3 simply shows, by a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1, the state in which the lid 20 is displaced. In FIG. 3, the lid 20 in the open position is shown by a solid line, and the lid 20 in the semi-closed position is shown by a two-dot chain line. Further, in FIG. 3, a charging plug 32 is attached to the charging inlet 16 from the outside of the vehicle.

[0015] First, the ECU 24 as the lid drive unit 30 determines in step S100 whether a charging plug 32 is attached to the charging inlet 16 and charging of the battery has been started. If charging has started, the process proceeds from the "Yes" determination in step S100 to step S110. Note that in the determination in step S100, it is necessary that the lid 20 is in the open position. Usually, the user displaces the lid 20 to the open position and then attaches the charging plug 32 to the charging inlet 16. Therefore, the ECU 24 may consider that the "Yes" determination result in step S100 simultaneously satisfies the condition that the lid 20 is in the open position. Alternatively, the ECU 24 may start the determination in step S100 after detecting that the lid 20 is in the open position via a sensor (not shown) that detects the position and orientation of the lid 20.

[0016] In step S110, the ECU 24 determines whether rainfall has been detected based on the input from the rainfall detection unit 22. If rainfall is detected by the rainfall detection unit 22, the ECU 24 proceeds from the "Yes" determination in step S110 to step S120. On the other hand, if no rainfall is detected by the rainfall detection unit 22, the ECU 24 proceeds from the "No" determination in step S110 to step S130.

[0017] In step S120, the ECU 24 outputs a command to the actuator 26 to displace the lid 20 from the open position to the semi-closed position. The semi-closed position is closer to the closed position than the open position. The semi-closed position can also be said to be a position on the closed position side with respect to the open position, and can also be said to be a position close to the charging plug 32 to the extent that it does not interfere with the charging plug 32 attached to the charging inlet 16. According to FIG. 3, the lid 20 is in a posture where it is bounced upward above the opening 14a in the open position, and becomes the semi-closed position by moving downward from the open position. The ECU 24 proceeds from step S120 to step S130.

[0018] When the ECU 24 proceeds from "No" in step S110 to step S130, naturally, the current position of the lid 20 is maintained at the open position. In step S130, the ECU 24 determines whether the charging of the battery is completed. If the charging is not completed, the ECU 24 proceeds from the "No" determination in step S130 to step S110. If the lid 20 is already in the semi-closed position when the ECU 24 determines "Yes" in step S110, the semi-closed position of the lid 20 is maintained as it is.

[0019] On the other hand, if the charging is completed, the ECU 24 ends the flowchart of FIG. 2 from the "Yes" determination in step S130. After the ECU 24 determines "Yes" in step S130, if the charging plug 32 is removed from the charging inlet 16, the ECU 24 may output a command to the actuator 26 to displace the lid 20 from the semi-closed position to the closed position to close the opening 14a.

[0020] According to this embodiment, the lid control device 28 that controls the lid 20 for opening and closing the opening 14a of the lid box 14 that houses the charging inlet 16 of the vehicle body 12 includes a rainfall detection unit 22 capable of detecting rainfall and a lid drive unit 30 that displaces the lid 20 between an open position where the opening 14a is opened and a closed position where the opening 14a is closed. When rainfall is detected by the rainfall detection unit 22 while the lid 20 is in the open position and the charging plug 32 is attached to the charging inlet 16 from outside the vehicle, the lid drive unit 30 displaces the lid 20 to a semi-closed position closer to the closed position than the open position. When the lid 20 is in the semi-closed position, it suppresses raindrops from hitting the charging inlet 16 more than when it is in the open position. According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress water ingress into the charging inlet 16 due to rainfall with a simpler configuration than before.

[0021] The rainfall detection unit 22 is not limited to a rain sensor attached to the window glass or the vehicle body 12 of the electric vehicle 10. For example, the rainfall detection unit 22 may be means for acquiring weather information from the outside via wireless communication available to the electric vehicle 10 and detecting the presence or absence of rainfall based on the current position of the vehicle body 12 and the weather information. During the running of the electric vehicle 10, the lid drive unit 30 does not displace the lid 20 from the closed position regardless of the detection result of rainfall by the rainfall detection unit 22.

[0022] Inside the lid box 14, an indicator 34 for notifying the user of the charging status of the battery, such as lighting, blinking, extinguishing, or the emission color, during or after charging is provided at a position where it is easily visible without being hidden by the charging plug 32. In the example of FIG. 3, in order to ensure the visibility of the indicator 34, the indicator 34 is provided at a position where it is easily visible from the outside even when the lid 20 is in the semi-closed position.

[0023] At a predetermined position above the charging inlet 16, a configuration is also conceivable in which a shielding portion that can protrude to the outside from inside the lid box 14 or the outer surface of the vehicle body 12 and functions as a rain shield for the charging inlet 16 is provided separately from the lid 20. When the lid 20 is in the open position and the charging plug 32 is attached to the charging inlet 16 from the outside of the vehicle, and rainfall is detected by the rainfall detection unit 22, the ECU 24 may cause the shielding portion to protrude to the outside from inside the lid box 14 or the outer surface of the vehicle body 12 to serve as a rain shield for the charging inlet 16. In addition, a waterproof member may be provided to fill the gap between the lid 20 in the semi-closed position and the charging plug 32, or the gap between the shielding portion that has protruded as described above and the charging plug 32 to prevent the charging inlet 16 from being flooded.

Explanation of Signs

[0024] 10: Electric vehicle, 12: Vehicle body, 14: Lid box, 14a: Opening, 16: Charging inlet, 20: Lid, 22: Rainfall detection unit, 24: ECU, 26: Actuator, 28: Lid control device, 30: Lid drive unit, 32: Charging plug, 34: Indicator

Claims

Claim 1 A lid control device for controlling a lid that opens and closes an opening of a lid box that houses a charging inlet of a vehicle body, comprising: a rainfall detection unit capable of detecting rainfall; a lid drive unit that displaces the lid between an open position where the opening is open and a closed position where the opening is closed; and When the lid is in the open position and a charging plug is attached to the charging inlet from outside the vehicle, and rainfall is detected by the rainfall detection unit, the lid drive unit displaces the lid to a semi-closed position closer to the closed position than the open position. A lid control device.

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