Charging inlet

Abstract

To provide a charging inlet excellent in design and having quiet performance which is not deteriorated.SOLUTION: A charging inlet for inserting and extracting a charging connector for charging a battery of a vehicle comprises: a housing fixed to a body of the vehicle; a cover which is another body from the housing; and a rubber ring for attaching the cover to the housing. The housing includes: a plurality of cylindrical parts protruding from a housing main body in a first direction and provided with a terminal on an inner side; and a plurality of outer walls partially disposed along an imaginary circle surrounding a formation region of the plurality of cylindrical parts and protruding from the housing main body in the first direction. The cover includes: a cover main body that is visible when the charging connector is inserted and covers a part of the housing main body excluding the formation region; and an attachment piece provided to extend from the cover main body in a second direction. The attachment piece is located between two adjacent outer walls along an imaginary circle, and the rubber ring is provided along an outer surface of the outer wall and an outer surface of the attachment piece.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charging inlet. [Background technology]

[0002] To charge the battery installed in a vehicle such as an electric vehicle, a charging inlet is provided in part of the vehicle's body. A charging connector (charging gun) that connects to an external power source is connected to the charging inlet, and the battery is charged through the charging inlet. Patent Document 1 discloses a charging inlet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-219312 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When not in use, i.e., when the vehicle is running, the charging inlet is covered by a door, for example, of the same color as the vehicle body. When charging, the door is opened and the charging connector is connected to the charging inlet. While charging inlets are used in this way, there are cases where it is desirable to enhance their commercial value by incorporating design innovations.

[0005] In the case of electric vehicles, because of their high noise reduction performance, even slight vibrations and other abnormal noises can be annoying to passengers. For this reason, it is particularly important to minimize abnormal noise in electric vehicles. Even if design improvements are made to the charging inlet, care must be taken to ensure that it does not cause abnormal noise.

[0006] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a housing main body (inlet main body) is provided with a plurality of protruding cylindrical portions (terminal accommodating portions), and the periphery of these cylindrical portions is covered with a plate-shaped mask member. A cavity seal made of an elastic member is attached to the outer periphery of the cylindrical portions, and the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 is characterized in that the mask member is attached to the housing main body after the cavity seal is attached to the cylindrical portions. The mask member is only attached to the housing main body by a locking claw, and is not pressed against the housing main body by the cavity seal. Therefore, the mask member may vibrate and repeatedly come into contact with the housing main body when the vehicle is running, potentially generating abnormal noise.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a charging inlet that has an excellent design and does not reduce noise levels. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The charging inlet of the present disclosure is a charging inlet for inserting and removing a charging connector to charge a vehicle battery, and includes: a housing having a housing main body fixed to a body of the vehicle; a cover that is separate from the housing main body; and a rubber ring for attaching the cover to the housing. When the direction in which the charging connector is removed is defined as a first direction and the direction in which the charging connector is inserted is defined as a second direction, the housing has a plurality of tubular portions protruding from the housing main body in the first direction and having terminals provided on the inside, and a plurality of outer walls that are partially arranged along an imaginary circle that surrounds the formation areas of the plurality of tubular portions and protrude from the housing main body in the first direction. The cover has a cover main body that is visible when the charging connector is inserted and covers a portion of the housing main body excluding the formation area, and an attachment piece that extends from the cover main body in the second direction. The attachment piece is located between two adjacent outer walls along the imaginary circle, and the rubber ring is provided along the outer surfaces of the outer walls and the outer surfaces of the attachment pieces. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain a charging inlet that has an excellent design and does not reduce noise levels. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a vehicle equipped with a charging inlet and a charging station. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the charging inlet. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the charging inlet shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of the housing. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cover as seen from the rear. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the arrangement of the mounting pieces and the outer wall when the cover is attached to the housing. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the upper mounting piece and the outer walls on both sides thereof. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the charging inlet. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the charging inlet shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the charging inlet. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the charging inlet shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] <Summary of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> The following provides an outline of embodiments of the present disclosure. (1) A charging inlet of this embodiment is a charging inlet into which a charging connector is inserted and removed to charge a vehicle battery, and includes: a housing having a housing main body fixed to a body of the vehicle; a cover that is separate from the housing main body; and a rubber ring for attaching the cover to the housing. When the direction in which the charging connector is removed is defined as a first direction and the direction in which the charging connector is inserted is defined as a second direction, the housing includes a plurality of tubular portions that protrude from the housing main body in the first direction and have terminals provided on the inside thereof, and a plurality of outer walls that protrude from the housing main body in the first direction and are partially arranged along an imaginary circle that surrounds formation areas of the plurality of tubular portions. The cover includes: a cover main body that is visible when the charging connector is inserted and that covers a portion of the housing main body excluding the formation areas; and an attachment piece that extends from the cover main body in the second direction. The attachment piece is located between two adjacent outer walls along the imaginary circle, and the rubber ring is provided along outer surfaces of the outer walls and the attachment piece.

[0012] According to this embodiment, the cover body is visible when an operator inserts a charging connector into the charging inlet, and since the cover body covers part of the housing body, a charging inlet with excellent design is obtained. The cover's mounting piece is located between the two outer walls of the housing, and the mounting piece is fastened with a rubber ring, attaching the cover to the housing. Although the cover is separate from the housing, the rubber ring suppresses vibration of the cover, so the vehicle's noise reduction performance is not affected.

[0013] (2) Preferably, the outer surface of the attachment piece is located farther from the formation area in a direction perpendicular to the imaginary line along the first direction than the outer surface of the outer wall. In this case, the elastic force of the rubber ring can generate a force that urges the attachment piece of the cover toward the center of the charging inlet, which is on the formation area side. In other words, the rubber ring has an increased effect of tightening the attachment piece of the cover toward the center. This makes it possible to more effectively suppress vibration of the cover.

[0014] (3) Preferably, the attachment pieces are provided at four locations in an area where the imaginary circle intersects with two axes that are perpendicular to an imaginary line along the first direction and perpendicular to each other. In this case, the force of the rubber ring aligns the cover with the center of the charging inlet that is on the forming area side. In other words, the cover is centered.

[0015] (4) Preferably, the rubber ring contacts both the outer surface of the outer wall and the outer surface of the mounting piece. With this configuration, the outer wall and the mounting piece are fastened together by the rubber ring, and the cover is attached to the housing.

[0016] (5) Preferably, a gap is provided between the cover and the housing, so that before the rubber ring is attached, the cover can be displaced relative to the housing in a direction perpendicular to an imaginary line along the first direction, and after the rubber ring is attached, relative displacement of the cover relative to the housing in a direction perpendicular to the imaginary line along the first direction is suppressed. In this case, the gap facilitates the work of assembling the cover to the housing. After the work, the cover can be displaced relative to the housing before the rubber ring is attached, but after attachment, the cover is positioned and attached to the housing by the rubber ring.

[0017] (6) Preferably, the cover has an engaging portion that engages with the housing. In this case, the rubber ring can be attached to the cover and the housing after the cover is temporarily fixed to the housing by the engaging portion. This improves the workability of assembling the charging inlet.

[0018] (7) Preferably, the cover has a guide piece extending from the cover body in the second direction, and the housing has a hole for guiding and inserting the guide piece. In this case, when the cover is brought close to the housing in the second direction and attached, the guide piece can be guided and inserted into the hole, thereby positioning the cover relative to the housing. This makes it easy to attach the cover to the housing.

[0019] (8) Preferably, in the charging inlet of (7), the guide piece is not in contact with the rubber ring. In this case, the attachment piece and the guide piece of the cover function independently.

[0020] (9) Preferably, a drainage channel is provided below the cover and the housing to allow water to pass from the internal space formed between the cover and a part of the housing to the outside. In this case, even if rainwater or the like seeps in between the housing and the cover, the rainwater can be discharged from the drainage channel.

[0021] <Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure> Hereinafter, details of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any manner.

[0022] [Overall configuration of charging inlet 10] 1 is an explanatory diagram of a vehicle 5 equipped with a charging inlet 10, and a charging station 1. The charging inlet 10 is provided in a part of the body 7 of the vehicle 5, such as an electric vehicle, and is used to charge a battery (secondary battery) 6 installed in the vehicle 5. A door 9 is provided on the body 7, and opening the door 9 exposes the charging inlet 10 to the outside.

[0023] The charging station 1 includes a charging connector 4 and a converter 3. The charging connector 4 is also called a charging gun. The converter 3 is connected to an external power source 2 and the charging connector 4. When the charging connector 4 is connected to a charging inlet 10, a charger 8 installed in the vehicle 5 charges the battery 6 using energy from the external power source 2. In this way, the charging inlet 10 is a device into which the charging connector 4 is inserted and removed in order to charge the battery 6 of the vehicle 5. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the charging inlet 10.

[0024] The directions related to the charging inlet 10 of the present disclosure are defined below. The direction (first direction) in which the charging connector 4 (see FIG. 1) is removed from the charging inlet 10 is defined as "forward," and the direction (second direction) in which the charging connector 4 is inserted into the charging inlet 10 is defined as "rear." In other words, when the door 9 (see FIG. 1) is opened, the front of the charging inlet 10 is exposed. The "upper and lower" directions of the charging inlet 10 are defined when the charging inlet 10 is fixed to the body 7 of the vehicle 5. When the charging operator looks at the charging inlet 10 fixed to the body 7, the left-hand side is defined as "left," and the right-hand side is defined as "right."

[0025] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of charging inlet 10 shown in Figure 2. Charging inlet 10 includes housing 11, which is fixed to body 7 of vehicle 5 (see Figure 1), cover 12, and rubber ring 13 for attaching cover 12 to housing 11. Cover 12 is a decorative cover that can hide functionally shaped portions (concave and convex portions) such as ribs 36 formed on housing 11. Each component of charging inlet 10 will be described below.

[0026] [About Housing 11] The housing 11 is made of synthetic resin and manufactured by injection molding. The housing 11 has a housing main body 14 fixed to a body 7 of a vehicle 5 (see FIG. 1), a plurality of cylindrical portions 15, and a plurality of outer walls 17. The housing main body 14 has a flat plate portion 31 and a cylindrical hood portion 32 with a bottom. The plate portion 31 has fixing portions 33 at four locations that are fixed to the body 7 of the vehicle 5. The fixing portions 33 are fixed to the body 7 by bolts not shown. A plurality of outer walls 17 are provided on the plate portion 31. The hood portion 32 is provided in the center of the plate portion 31 and penetrates the plate portion 31. The hood portion 32 is open toward the front. A plurality of cylindrical portions 15 are provided inside the hood portion 32.

[0027] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the housing 11 has four tubular portions 15. Each of the four tubular portions 15 protrudes forward from the bottom plate 34 of the hood portion 32. Each tubular portion 15 has a hollow shape and a terminal 35 disposed therein. The tubular portion 15 serves as a terminal housing that houses the metal terminal 35. The charging inlet 10 has, as the terminals 35, two power terminals 35a and 35b for power supply and two signal terminals 35c and 35d for signals. The power terminals 35a and 35b are terminals for supplying power to the battery 6 (see FIG. 1 ) and are connected to a power supply cable (not shown). The signal terminals 35c and 35d are terminals used to communicate information such as the charge level of the battery 6 between the charger 8 (see FIG. 1 ) and the charging station 1 and are connected to a signal cable (not shown) that connects to the charger 8.

[0028] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the housing 11 has four outer walls 17. The outer walls 17 are walls that protrude forward from the plate portion 31 of the housing main body 14. The outer walls 17 are arc-shaped. The outer walls 17 are provided at four locations on the plate portion 31: the upper left, upper right, lower left, and lower right. As shown in FIG. 4, the four outer walls 17 are arranged along an imaginary circle K1, which is an oval shape. FIG. 4 is a view of the housing 11 as seen from the front, and the imaginary circle K1 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. The imaginary circle K1 is an imaginary circle that is set at a position spaced apart from the hood portion 32 in all directions.

[0029] As described above, four tubular portions 15 are provided inside the hood portion 32. In other words, the area inward from the hood portion 32 is the formation area 16 of the four tubular portions 15 (see FIG. 2). The four outer walls 17 are partially arranged along an imaginary circle K1 that surrounds the formation area 16 of the four tubular portions 15. A rib 36 is provided between the outer walls 17 and the front of the hood portion 32. Note that the arrangement of the outer walls 17 can be changed as long as they are arranged along the imaginary circle K1, and the number of outer walls 17 can also be changed.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4, the upper left outer wall 17 and the upper right outer wall 17 each have a recess 37 recessed toward the forming area 16. A protrusion 38 is provided in the recess 37. An engaging portion 24 (see FIG. 5) of the cover 12, which will be described later, engages with the protrusion 38. Note that the outer wall 17 on which the recess 37 is provided may also be the lower left or lower right outer wall 17. In this embodiment, the cover 12 engages with the housing 11 at three locations via the engaging portions 24. For this purpose, the housing 11 has an auxiliary wall 40 at its lower part, and the auxiliary wall 40 has a recess 39 formed therein recessed toward the forming area 16. The auxiliary wall 40 is a wall that protrudes forward from the plate portion 31. A protrusion 38 with which the engaging portion 24 engages is provided in the recess 39.

[0031] In Figure 4, the upper left outer wall 17 and the upper right outer wall 17 each have a hole 19 into which a guide piece 25 (see Figure 5) of the cover 12, which will be described later, is inserted. The hole 19 functions when the cover 12 is attached to the housing 11. This function will be explained later. The hole 19 is formed between a part of the outer wall 17 and a part of the hood portion 32, and is a hole that opens forward.

[0032] [About Cover 12] The cover 12 is made of synthetic resin and manufactured by injection molding separately from the housing 11. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the cover 12 is a separate body from the housing 11 (housing main body 14). The cover 12 has one cover main body 21 and multiple attachment pieces 22. The cover main body 21 is a plate-shaped portion with a thickness in the front-to-rear direction and a hole in the center. The cover main body 21 has an outer peripheral contour shape that is larger than the imaginary circle K1 in both smaller dimensions. When the cover 12 is attached to the housing 11, as shown in FIG. 2, the cover main body 21 covers part of the housing main body 14 from the front, except for the formation areas 16 of the four tubular portions 15 of the housing 11. The formation areas 16 are not covered by the cover main body 21 and are open to the front. Each part of the charging connector 4 (see FIG. 1) is connected to the tubular portions 15 of the formation areas 16, and the mating terminals of the charging connector 4 are electrically connected to the terminals 35, thereby charging the battery 6.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the front portion of the hood portion 32 and the fixing portion 33 of the housing main body 14 are not covered by the cover main body 21. When an operator inserts the charging connector 4 into the charging inlet 10 while the charging inlet 10 is fixed to the body 7 of the vehicle 5 (see FIG. 1), the cover main body 21 is visible to the operator. The front surface 21a of the cover main body 21 is a decorative surface, and it is preferable that the front surface 21a be textured, for example, to enhance the design. In contrast, the housing main body 14 is not textured. Because the cover 12 and the housing 11 are separate members, it is easy to apply decoration such as texture to the cover 12.

[0034] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cover 12 as seen from the rear. The mounting pieces 22 extend rearward from the plate-shaped cover body 21. In this embodiment, the cover 12 is provided with the mounting pieces 22 at four locations: top, bottom, left, and right. As described above (see FIG. 4), the housing 11 has four outer walls 17, which are spaced apart along the imaginary circle K1. Therefore, a missing region 45 is formed between two adjacent outer walls 17, 17 along the imaginary circle K1. The mounting pieces 22 shown in FIG. 5 are provided in this missing region 45. The mounting pieces 22 are located between the two adjacent outer walls 17, 17 along the imaginary circle K1. A rib 48 is provided on the rear surface of the cover 12 to reinforce the cover body 21.

[0035] When the cover 12 is attached to the housing 11, the attachment pieces 22 and the outer wall 17 are arranged alternately along an imaginary circle K1, as shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the arrangement of the attachment pieces 22 and the outer wall 17 when the cover 12 is attached to the housing 11. In Figs. 5 and 6, the imaginary line that passes through the formation region 16 and runs along the front-to-rear direction is designated by the symbol "Q1."

[0036] As will be explained later (see FIG. 7), rubber ring 13 is provided along outer surface 18 of outer wall 17 and outer surface 23 of mounting piece 22, and elastically deforms in the radial direction when attached. The elastic restoring force of rubber ring 13 presses cover 12 from above, below, left, and right through mounting piece 22, and cover 12 is attached in a centered state relative to housing 11 (see FIG. 6). This centered state is the completed attachment state.

[0037] The four mounting pieces 22 and the four outer walls 17 are arranged along a common imaginary circle K1. However, in this embodiment, in the state where the mounting is completed, the mounting pieces 22 protrude farther from the formation area 16 than the outer walls 17 (see FIG. 7). In other words, the outer surfaces 23 of the mounting pieces 22 are located at a position farther from the formation area 16 by a small distance than the outer surfaces 18 of the outer walls 17 in the direction perpendicular to the imaginary line Q1.

[0038] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the upper mounting piece 22 and the outer walls 17, 17 on either side of it in the completed mounting state. The outer surface 23 of the mounting piece 22 and the outer surface 18 of the outer wall 17 are not arranged on the same plane (same curved surface), and the outer surface 23 of the mounting piece 22 protrudes outward beyond the outer surface 18 of the outer wall 17. When the center of the forming area 16 (see FIG. 6) is used as a reference, there is a dimensional difference between the outer surface 23 of the mounting piece 22 and the outer surface 18 of the outer wall 17. In other words, when the center of the forming area 16 (see FIG. 6) is used as a reference, the distance from that reference to the outer surface 23 of the mounting piece 22 is greater. The dimensional difference is, for example, less than 1 millimeter. The outer surfaces 23 and 18 are the surfaces facing radially outward when the center of the forming area 16 is used as a reference.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 7, a gap e is provided between the mounting piece 22 and each of the outer walls 17, 17 on both sides thereof. As a result, a gap e is provided between the cover 12 and the housing 11. The gap e facilitates the work of assembling the cover 12 to the housing 11. Before the rubber ring 13 is attached (see FIG. 6), the cover 12 can be displaced relative to the housing 11 in directions perpendicular to the imaginary line Q1, i.e., in the left-right and up-down directions. In the completed attachment state where the rubber ring 13 is attached, displacement of the cover 12 due to the gap e is suppressed (limited). In FIG. 7, the rubber ring 13 (a ring portion 51, described later) is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

[0040] The positional relationship between the outer surface 23 of the mounting piece 22 and the outer surface 18 of the outer wall 17, and the gap e between the mounting piece 22 and the outer wall 17, as explained in Figure 7, also apply to the relationship between the left and right mounting pieces 22 and the outer walls 17, 17 on either side, and the relationship between the lower mounting piece 22 and the outer walls 17, 17 on either side.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 5, the cover 12 has guide pieces 25 extending rearward from the cover main body 21. The guide pieces 25 are provided in two locations, one on each of the left and right sides of the cover main body 21. As described above (see FIG. 4), the housing 11 is provided with holes 19 for guiding and inserting the guide pieces 25. The guide pieces 25 have inclined surfaces 49 that reduce the overall size as they extend rearward. These guide pieces 25 allow the guide pieces 25 to be guided and inserted into the holes 19 when the cover 12 is attached by bringing it close to the housing 11. As a result, the cover 12 can be easily attached to the housing 11.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 5, the cover 12 has an engaging portion 24 that engages with the housing 11. The engaging portion 24 extends rearward from the cover main body 21. The engaging portions 24 are provided in three locations on both the left and right sides of the cover main body 21 and at the bottom. The engaging portion 24 has a claw 47 that engages with the protrusion 38 (see FIG. 4) of the housing 11. When the cover 12 is attached to the housing 11, the claw 47 is located behind the protrusion 38. If the cover 12 attempts to move forward, the claw 47 comes into contact with the protrusion 38, preventing the cover 12 from moving forward. In other words, the cover 12 cannot be removed from the housing 11. When the cover 12 is attached to the housing 11, the engaging portion 24, including the claw 47, elastically deforms to clear the protrusion 38. This allows the cover 12 to be attached.

[0043] One engaging portion 24 and one guide piece 25 are provided adjacent to each other on each of the left and right sides of cover 12. Guide pieces 25 are guided by holes 19, and cover 12 is attached to housing 11. Then, engaging portions 24 engage with protrusions 38 that are part of housing 11, and cover 12 is temporarily fixed to housing 11. After this temporary fixation, rubber rings 13 are attached to the outside of mounting pieces 22 and outer wall 17, thereby permanently fixing cover 12 to housing 11.

[0044] [Regarding rubber ring 13] The rubber ring 13 is made of synthetic rubber. The rubber ring 13 is generally annular. As described above (see FIG. 7), the rubber ring 13 is provided along the outer surface 18 of the outer wall 17 and the outer surface 23 of the mounting piece 22. The rubber ring 13 (see FIG. 3) has a ring portion 51 that contacts the outer wall 17 and the mounting piece 22.

[0045] Before the rubber ring 13 is attached to the outer wall 17 and the mounting pieces 22, the inner peripheral contour shape of the ring portion 51 is smaller than the contour shape of an imaginary annular surface passing through the outer surfaces 23 of the four mounting pieces 22. Furthermore, before the rubber ring 13 is attached, the inner peripheral contour shape of the ring portion 51 is smaller than the contour shape of an imaginary annular surface passing through the outer surfaces 23 of the four outer walls 17. Therefore, when fitted onto the outer wall 17 and the mounting pieces 22, the rubber ring 13 (ring portion 51) elastically deforms in the radially expanding direction, and the rubber ring 13 comes into contact with both the outer surfaces 18 of the outer wall 17 and the outer surfaces 23 of the mounting pieces 22. The rubber ring 13 is in close contact with the outer surfaces 18 of the outer wall 17 and the outer surfaces 23 of the mounting pieces 22.

[0046] [Drainage structure of charging inlet 10] As shown in FIG. 6 , a groove 42 is formed in the lower part of the housing main body 14. In this embodiment, the groove 42 is formed in two places on both sides of the auxiliary wall 40. The groove 42 is formed so as to penetrate from the inside to the outside of the imaginary circle K1. The groove 42 opens at the lower surface 14b of the housing main body 14. When the cover 12 is attached to the housing 11, a space is formed between the cover 12 (the lower mounting piece 22) and a groove bottom surface 43 of the groove 42 facing forward. This space serves as the drainage channel 20. Even if water, such as rainwater, enters the internal space formed between the cover 12 and a part of the housing 11 covered by the cover 12, the water is discharged to the outside through the drainage channel 20.

[0047] The position of the grooves 43 forming the drainage channel 20 and the number of grooves 43 can be changed. Also, instead of forming the grooves 43 on the housing main body 14 side, a notch (not shown) may be provided below the cover 12, and the drainage channel may be formed by the notch. As described above, it is sufficient that the drainage channel 20 is provided below the space between the cover 12 and the housing 11. The drainage channel 20 allows water to pass from the internal space formed between the cover 12 and the part of the housing 11 covered by the cover 12 to the outside.

[0048] [Second embodiment of charging inlet 10] Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the charging inlet 10, and Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the charging inlet 10 shown in Fig. 8. One of the differences between the second embodiment and the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 (first embodiment) is the extent to which the cover 12 covers the housing 11. Also, the second embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 (first embodiment) in the shape of the tubular portion 15 that houses the signal terminals 35c, 35d. The second embodiment has a larger number of tubular portions 15 than the first embodiment.

[0049] In the charging inlet 10 shown in FIG. 2, the cover 12 covers the entire periphery of the formation area 16 of the multiple tubular portions 15. In contrast, in the charging inlet 10 shown in FIG. 8, the cover 12 covers both the left and right sides and the lower area of ​​the formation area 16 of the multiple tubular portions 15, but does not cover the upper area. In other words, the housing main body 14 is partially exposed from the upper part of the central opening provided in the cover 12. This is because, in the second configuration, the latch portion 61 with which the charging connector 4 (see FIG. 1) engages is provided on the upper part of the hood portion 32 that defines the formation area 16. In other words, this is because, when the charging connector 4 is connected to the charging inlet 10, part of the charging connector 4 penetrates the upper part of the cover 12.

[0050] 8 and 9, the charging inlet 10 in the second embodiment also includes a housing 11 having a housing main body 14 fixed to the body 7 of the vehicle 5 (see FIG. 1), a cover 12 that is separate from the housing main body 14, and a rubber ring 13 for attaching the cover 12 to the housing 11. The same components in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions of the same components will be omitted here. The charging inlet 10 in the second embodiment includes the same components as the charging inlet 10 in the first embodiment.

[0051] [Third Form of Charging Inlet 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the charging inlet 10, and FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the charging inlet 10 shown in FIG. 10. Similar to the second embodiment, one difference between the third embodiment and the embodiment (first embodiment) shown in FIG. 2 is the extent to which the cover 12 covers the housing 11. In the charging inlet 10 shown in FIG. 10, the cover 12 covers both the left and right sides and the lower area of ​​the region 16 where the multiple tubular portions 15 are formed, but does not cover the upper area. In other words, the housing main body 14 is partially exposed from the upper part of the central opening provided in the cover 12. This is because, similar to the second embodiment, the latch portion 61 that engages with the charging connector 4 (see FIG. 1) is provided at the upper part of the hood portion 32.

[0052] Furthermore, charging inlet 10 of the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment (see FIG. 2) and the second embodiment (see FIG. 8) in that it further includes cylindrical portion 15 that accommodates ground terminal 35e in addition to cylindrical portions 15 that accommodate power terminals 35a and 35b for power supply. Furthermore, the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment and the second embodiment in the shape of cylindrical portion 15 that accommodates signal terminals 35c and 35d for signals.

[0053] 10 and 11, the charging inlet 10 in the third embodiment also includes a housing 11 having a housing main body 14 fixed to the body 7 of the vehicle 5 (see FIG. 1), a cover 12 that is separate from the housing main body 14, and a rubber ring 13 for attaching the cover 12 to the housing 11. The same components in the first and third embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions of the same components will be omitted here. The charging inlet 10 in the third embodiment includes the same components as the charging inlet 10 in the first embodiment.

[0054] [Regarding the charging inlet 10 of each of the above forms] Charging inlet 10 in each of the first, second, and third forms is a device into which charging connector 4 is inserted and removed to charge battery 6 of vehicle 5 (see FIG. 1 ). Charging inlet 10 includes housing 11 having housing main body 14, cover 12 that is separate from housing main body 14, and rubber ring 13 for attaching cover 12 to housing 11.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 3, 9, and 11, the housing 11 has multiple tubular portions 15 protruding forward from the housing main body 14 and multiple outer walls 17 protruding forward from the housing main body 14. The tubular portions 15 are terminal accommodating portions with terminals 35 provided therein. The outer walls 17 are partially disposed along an imaginary circle K1 that surrounds a formation region 16 of the multiple tubular portions 15. The cover 12 has a cover main body 21 and an attachment piece 22 extending rearward from the cover main body 21. The cover main body 21 is visible when inserting the charging connector 4 and covers a portion of the housing main body 14 excluding the formation region 16. The attachment piece 22 is located between two adjacent outer walls 17, 17 along the imaginary circle K1. The rubber ring 13 is provided along an outer surface 18 of the outer wall 17 and an outer surface 23 of the attachment piece 22.

[0056] According to each of the above-described forms of charging inlet 10, as shown in Figures 2, 8, and 10, cover body 21 is visible when an operator inserts charging connector 4 into charging inlet 10, and the cover body 21 covers part of housing body 14, resulting in a charging inlet 10 with an excellent design. The mounting piece 22 of the cover 12 is positioned between the two outer walls 17, 17 of the housing 11, and the mounting piece 22 is fastened by the rubber ring 13, and the cover 12 is attached to the housing 11. Although the cover 12 is separate from the housing 11, the rubber ring 13 suppresses vibration of the cover 12, and the noise reduction performance of the vehicle 5 is not reduced.

[0057] In each of the above embodiments, the attachment structure of the cover 12 to the housing 11 is not a structure that relies on screws, for example, so that no space for screws is required and an increase in the number of screw parts is prevented. In each of the above embodiments, the cover 12 is not only temporarily fixed to the housing 11 by the engaging portion 24 (see, for example, FIG. 5 ), but also fastened and fixed (fully fixed) to the housing 11 by the rubber ring 13. If the cover 12 is only temporarily fixed, it may vibrate and repeatedly come into contact with the housing 11, which may cause abnormal noise. However, the rubber ring 13 suppresses the vibration of the cover 12, preventing the cover 12 from repeatedly coming into contact with the housing 11, making it possible to suppress the generation of abnormal noise.

[0058] In each of the above embodiments (representatively illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7), the outer surface 23 of the mounting piece 22 is located farther from the formation area 16 in a direction perpendicular to the imaginary line Q1 along the front-to-rear direction than the outer surface 18 of the outer wall 17. This allows the elastic force of the rubber ring 13 to generate a force that urges the mounting piece 22 toward the center of the charging inlet 10, which is on the formation area 16 side. In other words, the rubber ring 13 has an increased ability to fasten the mounting piece 22 to the center.

[0059] The rubber ring 13 provides a fastening force for the cover 12 to the housing 11, making it possible to more effectively suppress vibration of the cover 12. The rubber ring 13 contacts both the outer surface 18 of the outer wall 17 and the outer surface 23 of the mounting piece 22. The rubber ring 13 fastens the outer wall 17 and the mounting piece 22, and the cover 12 is attached to the housing 11.

[0060] Because a gap e (see FIG. 7) is provided between the cover 12 and the housing 11, the cover 12 can be displaced relative to the housing 11 in a direction perpendicular to the imaginary line Q1 before the rubber ring 13 is attached. However, after the rubber ring 13 is attached, the relative displacement of the cover 12 relative to the housing 11 in a direction perpendicular to the imaginary line Q1 is suppressed. After the operation of assembling the cover 12 to the housing 11, the cover 12 can be displaced relative to the housing 11 before the rubber ring 13 is attached, but after attachment, the cover 12 is positioned and attached to the housing 11 by the rubber ring 13.

[0061] In each of the above embodiments (representatively described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 ), the attachment pieces 22 are provided at four locations in a region where an imaginary circle K1 intersects with a first axis Z in the up-down direction, which is perpendicular to an imaginary line Q1 along the front-rear direction, and a second axis X in the left-right direction, which is perpendicular to the imaginary line Q1. Specifically, the attachment pieces 22 are provided at four locations, top, bottom, left, and right, at intervals along the imaginary circle K1. Therefore, the force of the rubber ring 13 aligns the cover 12 with the center of the charging inlet 10, which is on the formation region 16 side. In other words, the cover 12 is centered. Even if a gap is formed between the cover 12 and the hood portion 32, the gap tends to be uniform, resulting in a good appearance.

[0062] The arrangement of the mounting pieces 22 can be changed, as can the arrangement of the outer wall 17 of the housing 11. However, it is preferable that the mounting pieces 22 are provided at four locations in the area where the imaginary circle K1 intersects with each of two axes that are perpendicular to the imaginary line Q1 and perpendicular to each other. By centering the cover 12 with respect to the housing 11, it is possible to prevent deterioration in appearance due to misalignment of the cover 12.

[0063] In each of the above embodiments, the cover 12 has a guide piece 25 extending rearward from the cover main body 21 (see FIG. 5). The housing 11 has a hole 19 for guiding and inserting the guide piece 25 (see FIG. 6). Therefore, when the cover 12 is brought close to the housing 11 for attachment, the guide piece 25 can be guided and inserted into the hole 19. This makes it easy to attach the cover 12 to the housing 11. The hole 19 is located inside the imaginary circle K1, and the guide piece 25 inserted into the hole 19 does not come into contact with the rubber ring 13. Therefore, the attachment piece 22 and the guide piece 25 of the cover 12 function independently.

[0064] 〔others〕 The outer peripheral contour shape of the housing 11 and the hood portion 32 of the housing 11 may have a shape other than that shown in the drawings. Furthermore, the hood portion 32 may have a holding portion (not shown) for holding a cable to be connected to the terminal 35. Although the above description has been given of the case where the attachment pieces 22 are provided at four locations (top, bottom, left, and right), it is preferable that there are at least four locations. Note that the attachment pieces 22 may be provided at two or three locations spaced apart from one another along the imaginary circle K1.

[0065] The above-described embodiments are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the above-described embodiments, and includes all modifications within the scope equivalent to the configurations described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1 charging station 2 External power supply 3 Converter 4 Charging connector 5 vehicles 6 Battery 7. Body 8 charger 9 Doors 10 Charging inlet 11. Housing 12 Cover 13 Rubber ring 14 Housing body 14b Bottom side 15 Cylinder part 16 Formation area 17 Exterior Wall 18 Exterior 19 Hole 20 Drainage Channel 21 Cover body 21a Front 22 Mounting piece 23 Exterior 24 Engagement part 25 Guide piece 31 Board part 32 Food Section 33 Fixed part 34 Bottom plate 35 terminals 35a, 35b power terminals 35c, 35d signal terminal 35e Ground terminal 36 Ribs 37 Recess 38 Protrusion 39 Recess 40 Auxiliary wall 42 Groove 43 Groove bottom surface 45 Missing Area 47 Nails 48 Ribs 49 Slope 51 Ring section 61 Latch section K1 Virtual Circle Q1 Virtual line e Gap

Claims

1. A charging inlet for inserting and removing a charging connector to charge a vehicle battery, a housing having a housing main body fixed to the body of the vehicle; a cover that is separate from the housing body; a rubber ring for attaching the cover to the housing; Equipped with When the direction in which the charging connector is removed is defined as a first direction and the direction in which the charging connector is inserted is defined as a second direction, The housing includes: a plurality of cylindrical portions projecting from the housing body in the first direction and having terminals provided on the inside thereof; a plurality of outer walls that are partially disposed along an imaginary circle that surrounds an area where the plurality of cylindrical portions are formed and that protrude from the housing main body in the first direction; and The cover is a cover body that is visible when the charging connector is inserted and that covers a part of the housing body excluding the forming area; an attachment piece extending from the cover body in the second direction; and the attachment piece is located between two adjacent outer walls along the imaginary circle, The rubber ring is provided along the outer surface of the outer wall and the outer surface of the mounting piece. Charging inlet.

2. The charging inlet according to claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the attachment piece is located farther from the forming region in a direction perpendicular to an imaginary line along the first direction than the outer surface of the outer wall.

3. 3. The charging inlet according to claim 1, wherein the attachment pieces are provided at four locations in an area where the imaginary circle intersects with each of two axes that are perpendicular to an imaginary line along the first direction and are perpendicular to each other.

4. The charging inlet according to claim 1 , wherein the rubber ring is in contact with both an outer surface of the outer wall and an outer surface of the mounting piece.

5. a gap is provided between the cover and the housing, so that before the rubber ring is attached, the cover can be displaced relative to the housing in a direction perpendicular to an imaginary line along the first direction; The charging inlet according to claim 1 , wherein, after the rubber ring is attached, relative displacement of the cover with respect to the housing in a direction perpendicular to an imaginary line along the first direction is suppressed.

6. The charging inlet according to claim 1 , wherein the cover has an engaging portion that engages with the housing.

7. the cover has a guide piece extending from the cover body in the second direction, The charging inlet according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is provided with a hole for guiding and inserting the guide piece.

8. The charging inlet according to claim 7 , wherein the guide piece is not in contact with the rubber ring.

9. 9. The charging inlet according to claim 1, wherein a drainage channel is provided at a lower position between the cover and the housing to allow water to pass out of an internal space formed between the cover and a portion of the housing.

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