Connector holding device and charge / discharge system

Abstract

To provide a connector holding device which prevents a cable from coming into contact with the ground and becoming dirty and reduces a burden on a user when moving a connector.SOLUTION: A connector holding device 100 for holding a connector 210 with a cable drawn out from a charging / discharging device for an electric motor vehicle includes a housing 110, a connector holding portion 120 provided in an upper portion of the housing 110 and holding the connector 211, a cable holding portion 130 provided in a middle portion of the housing 110 and holding a cable 212, and a wheel portion 140 provided in a lower portion of the housing 110 and allowing the housing 110 to move.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector holding device and a charging / discharging system for an electric vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional charging system is known, for example, from Patent Document 1. The charging system described in Patent Document 1 includes a charging device (charging stand) equipped with a cable-attached connector, and a grip attached to the outer periphery of the middle part of the cable. The grip has a gripping portion and is configured so that when the grip is placed on the ground, the gripping portion is positioned upward. This configuration can prevent the gripping portion from coming into contact with the ground and becoming dirty.

[0003] However, the charging system described in Patent Document 1 cannot prevent the cable from coming into contact with the ground and becoming dirty. Furthermore, when charging an electric vehicle using the charging system described in Patent Document 1, the user must move the system while holding the grip portion of the grip with one hand and the connector with the other. Therefore, the charging system described in Patent Document 1 has the problem of imposing a heavy burden on the user when moving the connector. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-179756 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its objective is to provide a connector holding device and a charging / discharging system that prevents the cable from coming into contact with the ground and becoming dirty, and reduces the burden on the user when moving the connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the connector holding device according to the present invention comprises: A connector holding device for holding a cable-attached connector drawn out from a charging / discharging device for an electric vehicle, The housing and a connector holder provided on an upper portion of the housing and holding the connector of the cable-attached connector; a cable holding portion provided in a central portion of the housing and holding a cable of the cable-attached connector; and a wheel portion provided at the bottom of the housing to enable the housing to be moved.

[0007] In this configuration, the cable holder is provided in the center of the housing, which prevents the cable from coming into contact with the ground and becoming dirty. Also, in this configuration, the connector holder is provided in the upper part of the housing and the wheels are provided in the lower part of the housing, which eliminates the need for the user to carry the connector by hand, thereby reducing the burden on the user when moving the connector.

[0008] In the connector holding device, The connector holding portion is a connector holder that forms a storage space for storing the tip end of the connector; The connector holder includes: The connector may be configured to include a latch receiving portion that receives a latch portion that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the tip end portion of the connector and holds the connector.

[0009] In the connector holding device, The cable holding portion is The cable holder can be provided with a through hole that penetrates in the front-to-rear direction, and configured so that the cable can be inserted into the through hole from above or below, and configured so that the cable is held when inserted into the through hole.

[0010] In the connector holding device, The housing includes: a pair of left and right sidewalls extending in a vertical direction with the connector holding portion and the cable holding portion sandwiched therebetween; The wheel portion is a placing portion that forms a placing surface between the pair of left and right side wall portions; a plurality of legs extending radially outward from the mounting portion beyond the pair of left and right sidewall portions; and a plurality of wheels provided at the lower ends of the plurality of legs.

[0011] In the connector holding device, The housing includes: a first opening formed between the pair of left and right side wall portions and between the connector holding portion and the cable holding portion; The vehicle may further include a second opening formed between the pair of left and right side wall portions and between the cable holding portion and the wheel portion.

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, the charge / discharge system according to the present invention comprises: A charging / discharging system for an electric vehicle including a charging / discharging device and a connector holding device, The charging / discharging device is A connector with a cable; a device main body that performs a winding operation for winding the cable of the cable-attached connector and a drawing operation for drawing out the cable, The connector holding device The housing and a connector holder provided on an upper portion of the housing and holding the connector of the cable-attached connector; a cable holding portion provided in a central portion of the housing and holding the cable; and a wheel portion provided at the bottom of the housing to enable the housing to be moved.

[0013] In the charging / discharging system, The device body of the charging / discharging device is a pull-out portion at an upper portion from which the cable is pulled out; The drawer portion is It can be configured to rotate horizontally to change the direction in which the cable is drawn out. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector holding device and a charging / discharging system that prevent the cable from coming into contact with the ground and becoming dirty, and that reduces the burden on the user when moving the connector. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a connector holding device according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1A is a perspective view of the connector holding device when the connector is not being held, FIG. 1B is a front view of the connector holding device, and FIG. 1C is an enlarged view of the cable holding portion. [Figure 3] 1A is a view showing the connector of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a view for explaining a latch portion of the connector of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a front view showing a charging / discharging system according to the present invention. [Figure 5] 5A, 5B, and 5C are diagrams showing a charge / discharge device according to the present invention, in which (A) is a perspective view, (B) is a right side view, and (C) is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line CC' in FIG. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are perspective views for explaining the draw-out portion of the charging / discharging device according to the present invention, where FIG. 1A is a view when the rotation angle of the draw-out portion is 0°, and FIG. 1B is a view when the rotation angle of the draw-out portion is 45°. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a connector holding device and a charge / discharge system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] [Connector retention device] 1 shows a perspective view of a connector holding device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Connector holding device 100 holds connector 211 and cable 212 of cable-attached connector 210 drawn out from a charging / discharging device for an electric vehicle (e.g., an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle).

[0018] The connector holding device 100 comprises a housing 110, a connector holding section 120 provided on the upper part of the housing 110, a cable holding section 130 provided in the middle part of the housing 110, and a wheel section 140 provided on the lower part of the housing 110.

[0019] 2 shows the connector holding device 100 in a state where it is not holding the connector 211 and the cable 212. In FIG. 2, (A) is a perspective view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is an enlarged view of the cable holding portion 130.

[0020] Housing 110 includes a left side wall 111, a right side wall 112, and a connecting wall 113. Left side wall 111 and right side wall 112 correspond to the "pair of left and right side walls" of the present invention.

[0021] The left side wall 111 and the right side wall 112 are provided on the left and right side surfaces of the housing 110, respectively, and are formed in a flat plate shape. Grips 114 and 115 are formed on the upper ends of the left side wall 111 and the right side wall 112 at positions higher than the connecting wall 113. A user can hold the grips 114 and 115 to move the connector holding device 100. The shapes of the left side wall 111 and the right side wall 112 are not limited to flat plates and can be changed as needed, for example, to curved plates. The shapes of the grips 114 and 115 can also be changed as needed.

[0022] The connecting wall portion 113 is provided between the left side wall portion 111 and the right side wall portion 112, and connects the left side wall portion 111 and the right side wall portion 112. The connecting wall portion 113 has a connector holding portion 120 provided at the top and a cable holding portion 130 provided at the middle.

[0023] A first opening 116 that penetrates in the front-rear direction is formed between the connector holding portion 120 and the cable holding portion 130. A second opening 117 that penetrates in the front-rear direction is formed below the cable holding portion 130. The vertical dimension of the first opening 116 is larger than the vertical dimensions of the connector holding portion 120 and the cable holding portion 130. The vertical dimension of the second opening 117 is larger than the vertical dimension of the first opening 116. In addition, the second opening 117 extends to the lower end of the connecting wall portion 113. The first opening 116 and the second opening 117 enable the housing 110 to be made lighter, thereby improving stability during movement.

[0024] The connector holding portion 120 is a connector holder provided on the upper portion of the connecting wall portion 113. The connector holder forms a storage space for storing the connector 211.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3(A), connector 211 includes main body 213 and connecting portion 214. Main body 213 has a resin exterior, and cable 212 is connected to the side opposite connecting portion 214. Connecting portion 214 also has a resin exterior, and is connected to a charging port of the electric vehicle. Connecting portion 214 is provided with latch portion 215, and main body 213 is provided with lever portion 216 (release button) for operating latch portion 215. Latch portion 215 is, for example, a latch portion compatible with charging (e.g., rapid charging) defined by the CHAdeMO standard. In other words, connector 211 is a charge / discharge connector that complies with the CHAdeMO standard.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3(B), latch portion 215 includes connecting portion 215a connected (directly or indirectly) to lever portion 216, and protruding portion 215b provided at the tip of connecting portion 215a. Protruding portion 215b is formed with a contact surface 215c. Latch portion 215 switches between a first state (the state shown in FIG. 3(B)) in which protruding portion 215b protrudes from outer peripheral surface 214a of connecting portion 214 and functions as a retainer for preventing removal from the charging port of the electric vehicle, and a second state in which protruding portion 215b does not protrude from outer peripheral surface 214a. In this embodiment, when lever portion 216 is not operated, latch portion 215 is in the first state, and when lever portion 216 is operated (in this embodiment, lever portion 216 is pressed down), latch portion 215 is in the second state.

[0027] Connector holding portion 120 (connector holder) is provided with a latch receiving portion (not shown) on the inner peripheral surface side that forms the storage space, which receives abutment surface 215c of latch portion 215 in the first state and holds connector 211. When removing connector 211 from the storage space of connector holding portion 120, the user presses down lever portion 216 to set latch portion 215 to the second state, thereby releasing the retention of latch portion 215 by the latch receiving portion, and thus connector 211 can be easily removed.

[0028] The connector holding portion 120 of this embodiment holds the connection portion 214 of the connector 211 so that the connection portion 214 of the connector 211 faces horizontally. Note that the connector holding portion 120 may hold the connection portion 214 of the connector 211 so that the connection portion 214 of the connector 211 faces diagonally upward or diagonally downward.

[0029] The cable holding part 130 is provided in the central part (the center in the vertical direction) of the connecting wall part 113. As shown in Fig. 2(C), the cable holding part 130 is composed of a through hole 131 that is formed in the central part of the connecting wall part 113 and penetrates in the front-to-rear direction, an opening / closing plate 132 that opens and closes the lower side of the through hole 131, and a fixing pin 133 that fixes the opening / closing plate 132 in a closed state.

[0030] When the fixing pin 133 is removed, the opening / closing plate 132 rotates in the direction of the arrow to an open state, and the lower side (the second opening 117 side) of the through-hole 131 is opened. This allows the user to insert the cable 212 into the through-hole 131 from below. With the cable 212 inserted into the through-hole 131, when the opening / closing plate 132 is closed and the fixing pin 133 is attached, the cable 212 is held in place.

[0031] Although the through hole 131 in this embodiment is formed so that the lower side of the central portion of the connecting wall portion 113 is open, it may also be formed so that the upper side of the central portion of the connecting wall portion 113 is open. When the upper side is open, the opening / closing plate 132 is provided above the through hole 131 so as to open and close the upper side of the through hole 131. In this embodiment, the length of the cable 212 is approximately 6.0 m, and in FIG. 1, the length from the position where the cable is held by the cable holding portion 130 to the tip of the connector 211 is approximately 1.0 m.

[0032] The wheel unit 140 is provided at the bottom of the housing 110. As shown in Figures 2(A) and (B), the wheel unit 140 includes a mounting portion 141, a plurality of (four in this embodiment) legs 142, and a plurality of (four in this embodiment) wheels 143.

[0033] The mounting portion 141 forms a mounting surface between the left side wall portion 111 and the right side wall portion 112 and below the connecting wall portion 113. When inserting or removing the connector 211 from the connector holding portion 120, the user can place their feet on the mounting surface of the mounting portion 141 to restrict the movement of the connector holding device 100.

[0034] The legs 142 extend radially outward from the mounting portion 141 beyond the left side wall 111 and the right side wall 112. In this embodiment, two legs 142 are formed by bending a single plate member, but one leg 142 may be formed from a single member. The number of legs 142 may also be five or more.

[0035] Wheels 143 are provided at the lower ends of legs 142. Wheels 143 may be swivel casters that can swivel, or may be fixed casters that cannot swivel. Wheels 143 may also be provided with stoppers that stop the rotation of wheels 143, or in the case of swivel casters, may be provided with stoppers that stop the rotation and swivel.

[0036] As described above, in connector holding device 100 according to this embodiment, cable holding section 130 is provided in the center of housing 110, so it is possible to prevent cable 212 from coming into contact with the ground and becoming dirty. Furthermore, in connector holding device 100 according to this embodiment, connector holding section 120 is provided in the upper part of housing 110, and wheel section 140 is provided in the lower part of housing 110, so the user does not need to move connector 211 by hand, and the burden on the user when moving connector 211 can be reduced.

[0037] [Charging and discharging system] 4 shows a charging / discharging system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The charging / discharging system 1 is a V2H (Vehicle to Home) system that supplies battery power from an electric vehicle to a load in a house. The charging / discharging system 1 includes the connector holding device 100 described above, a charging / discharging device 200 that corresponds to the operation unit of the V2H system, and a power conversion device 300 that corresponds to the power conversion unit of the V2H system.

[0038] While the charging / discharging device 200 and the power conversion device 300 are stationary and are used by placing them in a fixed location, the connector holding device 100 is configured to be movable as described above. Furthermore, the charging / discharging device 200 and the power conversion device 300 are equipped with electric circuit components, but the connector holding device 100 is not equipped with electric circuit components.

[0039] The power conversion device 300 includes electric circuit components 301 housed in a housing. The electric circuit components 301 are, for example, an AC / DC conversion circuit including a switching element, a DC / DC conversion circuit including a switching element, and a control circuit that controls the AC / DC conversion circuit and the DC / DC conversion circuit. The power conversion device 300 is connected to a first line L1, a second line L2, and a third line L3.

[0040] The first line L1 includes a DC power line and a control line for V2H, and connects the electric circuit components 301 of the power conversion device 300 to the charging / discharging device 200. The DC power line of the first line L1 transmits DC power between the power conversion device 300 and the charging / discharging device 200. The control line of the first line L1 transmits control signals and various information required for control between the power conversion device 300 and the charging / discharging device 200.

[0041] The second line L2 includes a plurality of control lines other than those for V2H, and connects the electric circuit components 301 of the power conversion device 300 to a power supply unit (not shown) (for example, a power conditioner and auxiliary devices). The power conditioner is, for example, a power conditioner for a solar power generation device and / or a power conditioner for a stationary storage battery. The auxiliary devices are, for example, communication devices such as an indoor remote control and a wireless LAN router configured to be able to communicate with the charging / discharging device 200 and the power conditioner. The second line L2 transmits control signals and various information required for control between the power conversion device 300 and the power supply unit.

[0042] The third line L3 includes an AC power line and connects the electric circuit components 301 of the power conversion device 300 to the power supply unit. The third line L3 transmits AC power between the power conversion device 300 and the power supply unit. The AC power supplied from the power conversion device 300 to the power supply unit is supplied to loads (e.g., electrical appliances) in the house connected to the power supply unit. The AC power supplied from the power supply unit to the power conversion device 300 is converted into DC power by the electric circuit components 301 and supplied to the battery of the electric vehicle via the charging / discharging device 200.

[0043] The charging / discharging device 200 includes a cable-attached connector 210 and a device main body 220 that performs a winding operation to wind up the cable 212 of the cable-attached connector 210 and a drawing operation to draw out the cable 212. In this embodiment, the height of the device main body 220 is approximately 2.0 m, and the length of the cable 212 is approximately 6.0 m. In contrast, the height of the connector holding device 100 is approximately 1.1 m.

[0044] 5 shows each part of the cable-attached connector 210 and the device main body 220. In Fig. 5, (A) is a perspective view, (B) is a right side view, and (C) is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line CC' in Fig. 4.

[0045] Device body 220 includes a front wall 221, a rear wall 222, a storage wall 223, an operation panel 224, and a connector holder 225. The upper ends of front wall 221, rear wall 222, and storage wall 223 form a drawer section 230 that can rotate horizontally.

[0046] The front wall 221 is provided on the front side of the device body 220. The rear wall 222 is provided on the back side of the device body 220. The storage wall 223 is provided between the front wall 221 and the rear wall 222, and connects the front wall 221 and the rear wall 222. A storage opening 226 for storing the cable 212 wound up vertically is formed in the storage wall 223. The storage opening 226 is a through-hole that penetrates in the left-right direction.

[0047] The operation panel 224 is a touch panel configured to be operable by the user, and is provided on the front wall portion 221. The operation panel 224 includes, for example, a start / stop button for starting / stopping charging / discharging of the electric vehicle, an automatic driving button for automatically charging / discharging the electric vehicle during a preset time period, a mode switching button for switching between driving modes (manual driving mode and automatic driving mode), a connector lock button for locking / unlocking the connector 211 connected to the charging port of the electric vehicle, a charging indicator lamp that lights up / blinks during charging, and a discharging indicator lamp that lights up / blinks during discharging. Note that illustration of the various buttons and lamps is omitted.

[0048] The connector holder 225 is provided below the operation panel 224, and forms a storage space for storing the connector 211. The connector holder 225 of this embodiment has the same configuration as the connector holding portion 120 (connector holder) of the connector holding device 100, and is provided at approximately the same height as the connector holding portion 120.

[0049] Pull-out section 230 is made up of the upper ends of front wall section 221, rear wall section 222, and storage wall section 223. As shown in Fig. 5(C), the upper end of storage wall section 223 is provided with pulley 231 that winds and pulls out cable 212, and pulley storage section 232 that stores pulley 231 and is configured to be horizontally rotatable.

[0050] The pulley storage section 232 is connected to the upper end of the front wall section 221 and the upper end of the rear wall section 222. The pulley storage section 232 also has a rotation mechanism (not shown) at its lower end that rotates horizontally. In the draw-out section 230, the pull-out direction of the cable 212 is variable as the pull-out section 230 rotates horizontally by 360°. The draw-out section 230 of this embodiment can rotate horizontally by 360°, and therefore, for example, the rotation angle can be set to 0° as shown in FIG. 6(A) or 45° as shown in FIG. 6(B).

[0051] In charging / discharging system 1 according to this embodiment, charging / discharging device 200 stores cable 212 in a wound state and can pull out only the required length from pull-out portion 230. Furthermore, because pull-out portion 230 is located higher than cable holding portion 130 of connector holding device 100, it is possible to prevent cable 212 from coming into contact with the ground and becoming dirty when connector 211 is moved using connector holding device 100. Furthermore, in charging / discharging system 1 according to this embodiment, pull-out portion 230 is configured to be horizontally rotatable, so that when connector 211 is moved by connector holding device 100, the pull-out direction of cable 212 from pull-out portion 230 can be changed in conjunction with the position of connector holding device 100.

[0052] In this embodiment, a separate V2H system in which the charging / discharging device 200 and the power conversion device 300 are separate has been described as an example, but the charging / discharging device 200 may house the electrical circuit components 301 of the power conversion device 300 to form an integrated V2H system.

[0053] Although the embodiments of the connector holding device and the charge / discharge system according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

[0054] The connector holding device of the present invention is a connector holding device that holds a connector with a cable pulled out from a charging / discharging device for an electric vehicle, and can be modified in configuration as appropriate as long as it comprises a housing, a connector holding section provided at the top of the housing that holds the connector of the connector with a cable, a cable holding section provided in the middle of the housing that holds the cable of the connector with a cable, and wheel sections provided at the bottom of the housing that allow the housing to be moved.

[0055] For example, the connector holding device may be configured so that the cable holding portion is slidable in the up and down direction.

[0056] The configuration of the charging / discharging device according to the present invention can be modified as appropriate, provided that it comprises a connector with a cable and a device main body that performs a winding operation to wind up the cable of the connector with a cable and a drawing operation to draw out the cable.

[0057] For example, the charging / discharging device according to the present invention may be a charging device that only charges electric vehicles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1. Charging and discharging system 100 Connector retention device 110 Case 120 Connector holder 130 Cable holder 131 Through hole 132 Opening and closing plate 133 Fixing pin 140 Wheel section 200 Charging and discharging equipment 210 Cable with Connector 211 Connector 212 Cable 220 Device body 224 Operation Panel 225 Connector Holder 230 Drawer section 231 Pulley 232 Pulley storage section 300 Power conversion device 301 Electrical circuit parts

Claims

1. A connector holding device for holding a cable-attached connector drawn out from a charging / discharging device for an electric vehicle, The housing and a connector holder provided on an upper portion of the housing and holding the connector of the cable-attached connector; a cable holding portion provided in a central portion of the housing and holding a cable of the cable-attached connector; and a wheel portion provided at a lower portion of the housing to enable the housing to be moved. A connector holding device characterized by:

2. The connector holding portion is a connector holder that forms a storage space for storing the tip end of the connector; The connector holder includes: a latch receiving portion that receives a latch portion that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the tip end of the connector and holds the connector; 2. The connector retention device according to claim 1.

3. The cable holding portion is The cable is held by the through hole that penetrates in the front-rear direction and is configured so that the cable can be inserted into the through hole from above or below.

2. The connector retention device according to claim 1.

4. The housing includes: a pair of left and right sidewalls extending in a vertical direction with the connector holding portion and the cable holding portion sandwiched therebetween; The wheel portion is a placing portion that forms a placing surface between the pair of left and right side wall portions; a plurality of legs extending radially outward from the mounting portion beyond the pair of left and right sidewall portions; a plurality of wheels provided at the lower ends of the plurality of legs; 2. The connector retention device according to claim 1.

5. The housing includes: a first opening formed between the pair of left and right side wall portions and between the connector holding portion and the cable holding portion; a second opening formed between the pair of left and right side wall portions and between the cable holding portion and the wheel portion; The connector retention device of claim 4 further comprising:

6. A charging / discharging system for an electric vehicle including a charging / discharging device and a connector holding device, The charging / discharging device is A connector with a cable; a device main body that performs a winding operation for winding the cable of the cable-attached connector and a drawing operation for drawing out the cable, The connector holding device The housing and a connector holder provided on an upper portion of the housing and holding the connector of the cable-attached connector; a cable holding portion provided in a central portion of the housing and holding the cable; and a wheel portion provided at a lower portion of the housing to enable the housing to be moved. A charging and discharging system characterized by the above.

7. The device body of the charging / discharging device is a pull-out portion at an upper portion from which the cable is pulled out; The drawer portion is Rotate horizontally to change the direction in which the cable is drawn out 7. The charging / discharging system according to claim 6.

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