Trigger structure for circuit, electronic lock and socket assembly

Abstract

To provide a trigger structure for a circuit, an electronic lock, and a socket assembly which are simple in structure, have high robustness of mechanical and electrical contact, and are in the form of a single component.SOLUTION: The trigger structure includes a conductive connector 101 electrically connected to the circuit and having a plurality of conductive pads 30 and a plurality of conductive wires 40 electrically connected to the plurality of conductive pads, respectively, and an elastic conductive sheet 102. The elastic conductive sheet includes a fixed part 103 partially grounded, a pair of wing parts 104 extending in the longitudinal direction of the fixed part, and a cantilever part 105 connected between the pair of wing parts. The fixing portion is connected between the pair of wing portions. One of the pair of wing portions is disposed such that at least a portion thereof is in electrical contact with the corresponding conductive pad under the action of a pressing force, while the other is disposed so as to be separated from the corresponding conductive pad, and the pair of wing portions are connected to the fixing portion via the cantilever portion.SELECTED DRAWING: FIG. 1 (a)

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a trigger structure for a circuit, an electronic lock, and a socket assembly, and in particular to a trigger structure for a circuit, an electronic lock, and a socket assembly that functions as a position detection device, for example, in the technical field of new energy vehicle charging equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditional fuel-powered vehicles emit large amounts of pollutants, posing a significant problem of air pollution. To protect the environment and reduce air pollution, the automotive industry is currently focusing its development of new energy vehicles on electric vehicles, since they directly use electrical energy and do not emit any pollutants. To facilitate charging, electric vehicles are currently equipped with a charging socket that matches a charging gun to charge the onboard battery. Correspondingly, electric vehicles are usually charged at charging stations equipped with a charging plug (also called a charging gun). To charge, the electric vehicle can be charged by directly inserting the charging plug into the charging socket of the electric vehicle.

[0003] For example, according to national standards, when charging an electric vehicle, the charging plug must be securely locked into the electric vehicle's charging socket and cannot be removed from the electric vehicle's charging socket during charging, in order to prevent the charging gun and the charging socket from accidentally separating during charging and ensure safety during charging.

[0004] In the prior art, charging plugs are typically equipped with electronic locks. The electronic locks include a mechanical latch structure and a drive device. The drive device is, for example, a motor operating under the control of an electronic lock circuit triggered by a trigger structure functioning as a position detection device, and is controlled to move the mechanical latch structure. During charging, the mechanical latch structure of the charging plug is locked to the charging socket of the electric vehicle, and the electronic lock circuit of the charging plug is triggered to move and hold the mechanical latch structure in the locked position, preventing the mechanical latch from being accidentally unlocked from the locked state or resetting the mechanical latch structure to return to the retracted state.

[0005] Typically, in the prior art, the mechanical latch structure in the electronic lock usually includes a movable element, a lock pin fixed to the movable element, and a tow rope connected to the movable element. When the movable element is moved to the locked position, the position detection device detects that the movable element is in the locked position. This triggers a circuit, which controls the motor to advance the lock pin to engage with the pin hole of the charging gun inserted into the charging socket, preventing the charging gun from being removed from the charging socket. When the movable element is moved to the unlocked position, the position detection device detects that the movable element is in the unlocked position. This triggers a circuit, which controls the motor to retract the lock pin to separate from the pin hole of the charging gun inserted into the charging socket, allowing the charging gun to be removed from the charging socket. In addition, if the electronic lock malfunctions and the movable element cannot be automatically moved from the locked position to the unlocked position, the tow rope can be pulled to return the movable element to the unlocked position, thereby achieving manual unlocking.

[0006] In conventional electronic locks, two microswitches operating in opposite directions are typically installed in the housing of the electronic lock to accurately determine the position of the mover. When the mover moves to the locked position, one of the two microswitches is pressed by the mover, turning on the first position detection subcircuit and turning off the second position detection subcircuit. When the mover moves to the unlocked position, the other of the two microswitches is pressed by the mover, turning on the second position detection subcircuit and turning off the first position detection subcircuit. In this way, the real-time position of the mover can be detected. However, using two microswitches simultaneously is costly and bulky, resulting in increased cost and volume for the electronic lock. At the same time, using two microswitches reduces the robustness and reliability of the entire system. Furthermore, in some applications, the shape and size of the installation space do not allow for excessive redundant components, which limits the use of multiple (e.g., two) microswitches as circuit triggers in conventional electronic locks.

[0007] In the prior art, an improved electronic lock circuit trigger structure is desired, for example, to replace the conventional microswitch with a single component with a simple structure, reduce the volume, improve the robustness and reliability of the entire mechanical and electrical contact structure, reduce costs, and improve the load capacity of the microswitch. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present disclosure aims to provide a trigger structure for a circuit, an electronic lock and a socket assembly that is simple in structure, has high robustness in mechanical and electrical contact, and is in the form of a single component, thereby solving at least one of the above problems and deficiencies existing in the prior art.

[0009] To achieve the above object, the present disclosure is realized by the following technical solutions.

[0010] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, the present disclosure provides a trigger structure for an electronic lock circuit, comprising: a conductive connector electrically connected to the circuit and having a plurality of conductive pads and a plurality of conductive wires electrically connected to the plurality of conductive pads, respectively; and an elastic conductive sheet. The elastic conductive sheet has a fixed portion, a portion of which is grounded, a pair of wings extending in the longitudinal direction of the fixed portion, and a cantilever portion connected between the pair of wings. The fixed portion is connected between the pair of wings. One of the pair of wings is positioned so that at least a portion of it electrically contacts the corresponding conductive pad when a pressing force is applied, while the other is positioned so as to be spaced apart from the corresponding conductive pad, and the pair of wings is connected to the fixed portion via the cantilever portion.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, the pair of wings are symmetrically positioned about the cantilever.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, the cantilever portion is bent from the fixed portion toward the pair of wing portions and extends in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction of the fixed portion.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, the cantilever portion extends laterally from a lateral side edge at the longitudinal center of the fixed portion, is bent toward the pair of wing portions, and is connected between the pair of wing portions.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, each wing portion has a corresponding bent conductive contact portion located between its free end and the cantilever portion, and in a first state in which the pair of wings are not subjected to force, the cantilever portion is angled relative to the pair of wings in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical direction of the fixed portion, and each conductive contact portion is spaced apart from the corresponding conductive pad that it faces.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, each wing has a straight portion extending between the conductive contact portion and the cantilever portion.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment, when the trigger structure is attached in a predetermined position relative to the circuit, the fixed portion is fixed relative to the circuit, the conductive contact portion of each wing portion is arranged to be bent toward a corresponding conductive pad, and the pair of wings are pressed toward the fixed portion so that the straight portion of each wing portion is essentially parallel to the surface of the fixed portion.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, in a second state in which one of the pair of wing portions is subjected to a pressing force toward the fixed portion, the pair of wing portions rotate around the cantilever portion, and the corresponding conductive contact portion of one of the wing portions is pressed toward the corresponding conductive pad and makes electrical contact with it, while the corresponding conductive contact portion of the other wing portion moves away from the corresponding conductive pad and separates.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, when the application of the pressure force is stopped, the pair of wings rotates around the cantilever portion and returns to the first state.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment, a bottom surface of the fixed portion, which is remote from the pair of wings, is provided with a conductive contact that is grounded.

[0020] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides an electronic lock including a housing, the aforementioned trigger structure in which the conductive connector and the fixed portion of the elastic conductive sheet are fixedly attached to the housing, a moving element movably attached to the housing and arranged to move between a locked position and an unlocked position, and a lock pin fixed within the housing and extending to the outside of the housing through a pin hole on the housing. When the moving element is moved to the locked position, one of the pair of wing portions is pressed by a moving base so that at least a portion of the wing portion electrically contacts the corresponding conductive pad facing the moving element, and the other wing portion is moved away from the corresponding conductive pad facing the moving element. When the moving element is moved to the unlocked position, the other of the pair of wing portions is pressed by the moving base so that at least a portion of the wing portion electrically contacts the corresponding conductive pad facing the moving element, and the one wing portion is moved away from the corresponding conductive pad facing the moving element.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment, the electronic lock further includes a drive unit mounted within the housing, and a transmission unit mounted within the housing, positioned between the drive unit and the moving element, and connected in a transmissive manner between the drive unit and the moving element.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, the transmission is arranged to convert rotary motion output from the drive into linear motion, causing the translator to translate between a locked position and an unlocked position.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment, the housing includes a groove, and the trigger structure is secured in place in the housing by inserting the fastener into the groove.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment, the elastic conductive sheet further includes a first stopper portion, which has opposite ends along the longitudinal direction bent toward the corresponding one of the pair of wings of the fixing portion and is disposed to abut against an inner wall of the groove along the longitudinal direction.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment, the elastic conductive sheet further includes a second stopper portion having a first tab extending from an edge of the fixing portion opposite the cantilever portion and bent toward the pair of wing portions at an acute angle with a first direction in which the fixing portion is inserted into the groove.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment, the elastic conductive sheet further includes a third stopper portion. The third stopper portion includes a plurality of second tabs extending from both lateral edges of the fixing portion in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction toward the pair of wings and bent toward the pair of wings at an obtuse angle with the first direction. The second tabs on each lateral edge are distributed symmetrically with respect to the cantilever portion. In an exemplary embodiment, the moving element has a tip portion to which the locking pin is fixed, and an extension portion extending from the tip portion and having a protrusion, the protrusion being arranged to press one of the pair of wing portions when the moving element is moved to the locked position, and the protrusion being arranged to press the other of the pair of wing portions when the moving element is moved to the unlocked position.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment, the elastic conductive sheet further includes a fourth stopper portion, which includes two free ends of the pair of wings bent toward the fixing portion.

[0028] In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a socket assembly for inserting a charging gun for charging, the socket assembly comprising a charging socket and the aforementioned electronic lock attached to the charging socket. When the moving element is moved to the locked position, the lock pin engages with the charging gun inserted in the charging socket to prevent the charging gun from being removed from the charging socket. When the moving element is moved to the unlocked position, the lock pin separates from the charging gun inserted in the charging socket to allow the charging gun to be removed from the charging socket.

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the description, explain certain principles related to the disclosed embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1(a)] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a trigger structure for a circuit according to an embodiment; FIG. [Figure 1(b)] 1 is a schematic diagram of a trigger structure for a circuit according to an embodiment, and a schematic front view thereof; [Figure 1(c)] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of a trigger structure for a circuit according to an embodiment, and a schematic rear view. [Figure 1(d)] 1 is a schematic diagram of a trigger structure for a circuit according to an embodiment, and a schematic left side view. FIG. [Figure 1(e)] 1 is a schematic diagram of a trigger structure for a circuit according to an embodiment, and a schematic right side view. FIG. [Figure 1(f)] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of trigger structures for circuits according to embodiments, and schematic plan views. [Figure 1(g)] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of trigger structures for circuits according to embodiments, and schematic bottom views. [Figure 1(h)] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a trigger structure for a circuit according to an embodiment, showing a perspective schematic diagram of an initial state in which the trigger structure is not subjected to force from an elastic conductive sheet. [Figure 1(i)]1(h) is a schematic perspective view of a trigger structure for a circuit according to an embodiment, showing the trigger structure in an initial state where it is not subjected to the force of an elastic conductive sheet, at a different viewing angle from FIG. [Figure 2(a)] 2 is a schematic perspective view of an electronic lock according to an embodiment having the trigger structure shown in FIG. 1, and the top cover of the housing has been omitted for ease of viewing. [Figure 2(b)] 2 is a schematic diagram of an electronic lock according to an embodiment having the trigger structure shown in FIG. 1, and is a schematic front view in which the top cover of the housing has been omitted for ease of viewing. [Figure 2(c)] 2 is a schematic diagram of an electronic lock according to an embodiment having the trigger structure shown in FIG. 1, and is a schematic rear view in which the top cover of the housing has been omitted for ease of viewing. [Figure 2(d)] 2 is a schematic diagram of an electronic lock according to an embodiment having the trigger structure shown in FIG. 1, and is a schematic left side view, with the top cover of the housing omitted for ease of viewing. [Figure 2(e)] 2 is a schematic diagram of an electronic lock according to an embodiment having the trigger structure shown in FIG. 1, and is a schematic right side view, with the top cover of the housing omitted for ease of viewing. [Figure 2(f)] 2 is a schematic diagram of an electronic lock according to an embodiment having the trigger structure shown in FIG. 1, and is a schematic plan view in which the top cover of the housing has been omitted for ease of viewing. [Figure 2(g)] 2 is a schematic diagram of an electronic lock according to an embodiment having the trigger structure shown in FIG. 1, and is a schematic bottom view in which the top cover of the housing has been omitted for ease of viewing. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a circuit schematic diagram of the electronic lock of FIG. 2 according to the embodiment. [Figure 4(a)] 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a socket assembly into which a charging gun is inserted for charging, with the locking pin blocking member removed longitudinally for clarity; FIG. [Figure 4(b)]1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a socket assembly into which a charging gun is inserted for charging, showing a schematic front view with the locking pin blocking member removed longitudinally for clarity; FIG. [Figure 4(c)] 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a socket assembly into which a charging gun is inserted for charging, and is a schematic rear view, with the locking pin blocking member removed longitudinally for clarity. [Figure 4(d)] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a socket assembly into which a charging gun is inserted for charging, showing a schematic left side view with the locking pin blocking member removed longitudinally for clarity. [Figure 4(e)] 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a socket assembly into which a charging gun is inserted for charging, and is a schematic right side view, with the locking pin blocking member removed longitudinally for clarity. [Figure 4(f)] 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a socket assembly into which a charging gun is inserted for charging, the schematic plan view showing the locking pin blocking member removed longitudinally for clarity; FIG. [Figure 4(g)] 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a socket assembly into which a charging gun is inserted for charging, showing a schematic bottom view with the locking pin blocking member removed longitudinally for clarity; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to drawings provided as specific examples of the present disclosure so that those skilled in the art can implement the present disclosure. It should be noted that the following drawings and examples are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure to a single embodiment, and other embodiments may be possible by replacing some or all of the described or illustrated elements. Furthermore, in cases where known components can be used partially or completely to implement some elements of the present disclosure, only the portions of the known components necessary for understanding the present disclosure will be described, and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components will be omitted so as not to confuse the present disclosure. Unless otherwise specified herein, those skilled in the art will understand that an embodiment described as being implemented by software is not limited thereto and may include an embodiment implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware, and vice versa. In this specification, an embodiment showing a singular component is not limiting. Unless explicitly described herein, the present disclosure includes other embodiments having multiple identical components, and vice versa. Furthermore, the applicant does not define any term in this specification or claims to have a special meaning unless explicitly described. Additionally, this disclosure includes present and future known equivalents of the known components illustrated herein.

[0032] Unless otherwise specified, the terms "bottom" and "top," "top" and "bottom" in the content of this disclosure are all relative concepts. Also, the term "corresponding" in the content of this disclosure is used in a one-to-one sense to refer to a correspondence between cooperating parts. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a trigger structure for a circuit according to an embodiment, in which FIGS. 1(a) to 1(g) are a schematic perspective view, front view, rear view, left side view, right side view, plan view, and bottom view, respectively, and FIGS. 1(h) and 1(i) are schematic perspective views of the trigger structure in its initial state, at different viewing angles, when it is not subjected to the force of the elastic conductive sheet.

[0033] According to the overall technical concept of the present disclosure, for example, as shown in FIG. 1 , there is provided a trigger structure 10 for an electronic lock circuit applied to the field of electric vehicle charging, comprising a conductive connector 101 and an elastic conductive sheet 102. The conductive connector 101 is electrically connected to the circuit and has a plurality of conductive pads 30 (e.g., a common ground conductive pad PiN3, a left conductive pad PiN4, and a right conductive pad PiN5 shown in the drawing) and a plurality of conductive wires 40 electrically connected to each of the plurality of conductive pads 30. In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in the drawing, the elastic conductive sheet 102 has, for example, a fixed portion 103, a portion of which is grounded, a pair of wings 104 extending in the vertical direction of the fixed portion 103, and a cantilever portion 105 connected between the pair of wings 104. The fixed portion 103 is connected between the pair of wings 104. One of the pair of wing portions 104 is positioned so that at least a portion thereof is in electrical contact with the corresponding conductive pad 30 due to the application of a pressing force, while the other is positioned so as to be spaced apart from the corresponding conductive pad 30, and the pair of wing portions 104 are connected to the fixed portion 103 via the cantilever portion 105.

[0034] By arranging them in this manner, a "seesaw" structure can be realized in the elastic conductive sheet 102, in which the pair of wings 104 can rotate around the cantilever portion 105 therebetween, moving toward or away from the corresponding opposing conductive pad 30. Thus, when a pressing force is applied to one of the pair of wings 104, the one wing 104 moves toward the corresponding opposing conductive pad 30 due to the pressing force, and at least a portion of the one wing 104 comes into electrical contact with the corresponding conductive pad 30, while the other wing 104 moves away from the corresponding opposing conductive pad 30 and separates from the conductive pad 30. This achieves triggering of a circuit including the conductive pad 30 in electrical contact with the one wing 104, and maintains disconnection of a circuit including the conductive pad 30 separated from the other wing 104. Conversely, when a pressing force is applied to the other wing 104 of the pair of wing portions 104, the other wing portion 104 moves toward the opposing corresponding conductive pad 30 due to the action of the pressing force, and at least a portion of the other wing portion 104 electrically contacts the opposing corresponding conductive pad 30, while the one wing portion 104 moves away from the opposing corresponding conductive pad 30 and separates from the conductive pad 30. This achieves triggering of a circuit including the conductive pad 30 in electrical contact with the other wing portion 104, and maintains disconnection of a circuit including the conductive pad 30 separated from the one wing portion 104. As a result, instead of a conventional dual microswitch trigger device, reliable bidirectional triggering with a simple structure can be achieved by using the trigger structure 10, which is a single component with a simple structure, while also saving space and controlling costs.

[0035] Also, as an example, the pair of wings 104 are typically arranged symmetrically with respect to the cantilever 105. This results in the same movement of one wing 104 due to the same degree of pressing force, and the pair of wings 104 located on both sides of the cantilever 105 rotate to the same degree relative to the cantilever 105, i.e., the triggers for the two circuits are equivalent.

[0036] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in the drawings, the cantilever portion 105 is bent from the fixed portion 103 toward the pair of wing portions 104 and extends in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction of the fixed portion 103. In a further embodiment, as shown in the drawings, the cantilever portion 105 extends laterally from a lateral side edge at the longitudinal center of the fixed portion 103, is bent towards the pair of wing portions 104, and is connected between the pair of wing portions 104.

[0037] With the cantilever portion 105 thus positioned, when a pressure is applied to one of the pair of wings 104, the wing 104 receiving the pressure moves toward the opposing conductive pad 30, causing the cantilever portion 105 to deflect toward the fixed portion 103. Therefore, a small pressure can cause the one wing 104 to move more widely, facilitating triggering of the corresponding circuit. At the same time, the other wing 104 not receiving the pressure tends to move toward the opposing conductive pad 30 as the cantilever portion 105 deflects. However, this tendency is countered by an opposite tendency for the other wing 104 to move away from the opposing conductive pad 30 due to the "see-saw" motion of the pair of wings 104 relative to the cantilever portion 105 on the elastic conductive sheet 102, thereby canceling out the other wing 104's tendency to move. This keeps the other wing portion 104 and the corresponding conductive pad 30 spaced apart, and prevents the circuit including the conductive pad 30 corresponding to the other wing portion 104 from being triggered.

[0038] In an exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure, each wing 104 further includes a corresponding bent conductive contact portion 106 located between the free end and the cantilever portion 105. In a first state in which the pair of wings 104 receives no force, the cantilever portion 105 forms an angle with respect to the pair of wings 104 in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical direction of the fixed portion 103, and each conductive contact portion 106 is spaced apart from the corresponding conductive pad 30 it faces. This first state is an initial state in which none of the pair of wings 104 receives any force. At this time, each conductive contact portion 106 of the pair of wings 104 is spaced apart from the corresponding conductive pad 30 it faces. Then, all circuits connected to all conductive pads 30 are in an untriggered state in which they are disconnected.

[0039] In a further embodiment, for example, as shown in the drawings, each wing 104 has a straight portion 107 extending between the conductive contact portion 106 and the cantilever portion 105. Also, as an example, when the trigger structure 10 is attached to a predetermined position relative to the circuit, the fixed portion 103 is fixed to the circuit, the conductive contact portion 106 of each wing 104 is arranged to be bent toward the corresponding conductive pad 30, and the pair of wings 104 are pressed toward the fixed portion 103 so that the straight portion 107 of each wing 104 is essentially parallel to the surface of the fixed portion 103. At this time, both of the pair of wings 104 are pressed so that the straight portion 107 is parallel to the surface of the fixed portion 103, and the trigger structure 10 is securely held in place by the pressing.

[0040] In another further embodiment, for example, in a second state in which one of the pair of wing portions 104 is subjected to a pressing force toward the fixed portion 103, the pair of wing portions 104 rotate around the cantilever portion 105, and the corresponding conductive contact portion 106 of one of the wing portions 104 is pressed toward the corresponding conductive pad 30 and makes electrical contact with it, and the corresponding conductive contact portion 106 of the other wing portion 104 moves away from the corresponding conductive pad 30 and separates. In other words, in this case, one of the pair of wing portions 104 moves toward the corresponding opposing conductive pad 30 due to the application of a pressing force, causing the conductive contact portion 106 of the one wing portion 104 and the conductive pad 30 to come into electrical contact with each other, triggering the circuit connected to the conductive pad 30, while the conductive contact portion 106 of the other wing portion 104 and the opposing conductive pad 30 move away from each other due to the aforementioned "seesaw" type rotation and still maintain their separated, untriggered state.

[0041] Furthermore, for example, when the application of the pressing force is stopped, the pair of wings 104 rotate around the cantilever 105 and return to the first state. In other words, when the pressing force acting on one of the wings 104 is released, the pair of wings 104 themselves return to their original position relative to the cantilever 105, causing a return rotation in the opposite direction to the "see-saw" rotation. The elastic return action of the cantilever 105 causes the entire elastic conductive sheet 102 to return to its initial first state. Compared to the prior art, the trigger structure 10 in the present disclosure, which is self-returnable in response to forces acting on different wings 104, essentially achieves a bidirectional automatic return function, and is superior to currently commonly used dual microswitches, which cannot achieve such bidirectional automatic return.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure, for example, a grounded conductive contact 108 is provided on the bottom surface of the fixed part 103, away from the pair of wings (104). The conductive contact 108 is in electrical contact with the PiN 3. By installing in this manner, the conductive contact 108 is also brought into close contact with and electrically connected to the corresponding ground conductive pad by the press-fitting of the fixed part 103, thereby realizing reliable grounding of the fixed part 103.

[0043] In a typical example, the elastic conductive sheet 102 is integrally formed from a metal material, which simplifies the manufacturing process. Furthermore, metals are resistant to yield and have a strong current carrying capacity, so they can generally withstand instantaneous contact currents of 1A to 2A, far exceeding the rated contact current of about 0.1A that a typical microswitch can withstand. Therefore, they have the ability to withstand surges, for example.

[0044] The trigger structure 10 for an electronic lock circuit applied to the electric vehicle charging field based on the above-described configuration achieves technical advantages superior to prior art solutions in this field (e.g., dual microswitches installed in opposite directions). Specifically, the elastic conductive sheet 102 achieves a "seesaw" structure in which the pair of wings 104 can rotate around the cantilever 105 between them, moving toward or away from their corresponding opposing conductive pads 30. This allows the trigger structure 10, a single component with a simple structure, to achieve reliable bidirectional triggering while saving space and controlling costs, instead of the conventional dual microswitch trigger device. Furthermore, the combined effect of the seesaw rotation and the deflection of the cantilever 105 allows the one wing 104 to move more widely with a small pressing force, facilitating contact between the conductive contact portion 106 of the pressed wing 104 and the opposing conductive pad 30, triggering the corresponding circuit. Meanwhile, the other wing 104, which is not subjected to the pressing force, tends to move toward the opposing conductive pad 30 as the cantilever 105 bends. This tendency of movement is opposed to and offset by the opposite tendency of the other wing 104 to move away from the corresponding conductive pad 30 due to the "see-saw" motion of the pair of wings 104 of the elastic conductive sheet 102 relative to the cantilever 105. This maintains the separation between the other wing 104 and the corresponding conductive pad 30, preventing triggering. Furthermore, when the pressing force acting on one wing 104 is released, the pair of wings 104 themselves return to their original position relative to the cantilever 105, causing a return rotation in the opposite direction to the "see-saw" rotation. Due to the elastic return action of the cantilever 105, the entire elastic conductive sheet 102 returns to its initial first state. The trigger structure 10, which is capable of automatically returning to its original position in response to any of the forces acting on the different wing portions 104, substantially realizes a bidirectional automatic return function.

[0045] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an electronic lock according to an embodiment having the trigger structure shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 2(a) to Fig. 2(g) are a schematic perspective view, front view, rear view, left side view, right side view, plan view, and bottom view, respectively, and the top cover of the housing has been omitted for ease of viewing. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic circuit of the electronic lock of Fig. 2 according to an embodiment.

[0046] 2 and 3 , the present disclosure further provides an electronic lock 1 including a housing 11, the aforementioned trigger structure 10 in which the conductive connector 101 and the fixed portion 103 of the elastic conductive sheet 102 are fixedly attached to the housing 11, a moving element 12 movably attached to the housing 11 and arranged to move between a locked position and an unlocked position, and a lock pin 13 fixed within the housing 11 and extending to the outside of the housing 11 through a pin hole 110 on the housing 11. In a specific embodiment, for example, when the moving element 12 is moved to the locked position, one wing 104 of the pair of wings 104 is pressed by a moving base so that at least a portion of the one wing 104 electrically contacts the corresponding conductive pad 30 facing the moving element 12, and the other wing 104 is moved away from the corresponding conductive pad 30 facing the moving element 12. When the movable member 12 is moved to the unlocked position, the other wing portion 104 of the pair of wing portions 104 is pressed by the movable base so that at least a portion thereof electrically contacts the corresponding conductive pad 30 facing it, and the one wing portion 104 is moved away from the corresponding conductive pad 30 facing it.

[0047] For example, as shown in FIG. 3, switches S1 and S2 are essentially equivalent to locking and unlocking actions, which are actions that apply pressure to the left and right wings of the figure, respectively.

[0048] 2 and 3, in the illustrated embodiment, by installing in this manner, the electronic lock 1 of the present disclosure can conveniently trigger two corresponding circuits with the single trigger structure 10 when switching between the locked and unlocked positions, thereby realizing the locking and unlocking functions of the electronic lock 1. As a result, compared to the conventional double microswitch circuit trigger device that is installed in the opposite direction, the "seesaw" rotation of the trigger structure 10 and the elastic bending action of the cantilever portion 105 realize a bidirectional self-resetting circuit trigger structure 10 with a simpler structure and less space.

[0049] Preferably, in an exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure, for example, as shown in the drawings, the electronic lock 1 further includes a drive unit 14 mounted within the housing 11, and a transmission unit 15 mounted within the housing 11, disposed between the drive unit 14 and the moving element 12, and connected so as to be capable of transmitting power between the drive unit 14 and the moving element 12. In a further embodiment, the transmission unit 15 is disposed to convert the rotational motion output from the drive unit 14 into linear motion, and causes the moving element 12 to translate between a locked position and an unlocked position.

[0050] In a more specific embodiment, for example, the driving device 14 is a motor as shown in the figure. The transmission device 15 includes, for example, a first transmission member 151, a second transmission member 152, and a third transmission member 153 as shown in the figure. The first transmission member 151 has a first bevel gear portion 1512 and a second spur gear portion 1513 that are provided coaxially and integrally with each other about a first transmission shaft 1511 (the first transmission shaft 1511 is essentially perpendicular to the output shaft of the motor as shown, for example). The first bevel gear portion 1512 is meshed with an output bevel gear that is fitted onto the output shaft of the motor for transmission connection. The second transmission member 152 has a second transmission shaft 1521, and a third spur gear portion 1522 and a fourth spur gear portion 1523 that are coaxially and separately fitted onto both ends of the second transmission shaft 1521 (the second transmission shaft 1521 is parallel to the first transmission shaft 1511, for example, as shown in the figure). The third spur gear portion 1522 of the second transmission member 152 is meshed with and connected to the second spur gear portion 1513 of the first transmission member 151. The third transmission member 153 has a fifth spur gear portion 1532 and a sixth spur gear portion 1533 that are provided coaxially and integrally with each other about a third transmission shaft 1531 (the third transmission shaft 1531 is, for example, substantially parallel to the first transmission shaft 1511 and the second transmission shaft 1521). The fifth spur gear portion 1532 is meshed with the fourth spur gear portion 1523 for power transmission connection.

[0051] Also, in an exemplary embodiment, as shown in the drawings, for example, the third transmission member 153 is attached to the moving element 12 (for example, realized by fitting the sixth spur gear portion 1533 into the moving element 12).

[0052] For example, as shown in the drawings, the housing 11 has a groove 111. The trigger structure 10 is attached to the housing 11 at a predetermined position by inserting the fixing portion 103 into the groove 111.

[0053] Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, for example, the elastic conductive sheet 102 further includes a first stopper portion 1091. The first stopper portion 1091 has both ends along the vertical direction that are bent toward the corresponding one of the pair of wing portions 104 of the fixing portion 103, and is arranged to abut against the inner wall of the groove 111 along the vertical direction. By providing the first stopper portion 1091, the elastic conductive sheet 102 is caused to abut against the inner wall of the groove 111 along the vertical direction in the groove 111 by the fixing portion 103, thereby preventing all rotation of the fixing portion 103 and all translation along the vertical direction, and ultimately preventing all vertical movement of the elastic conductive sheet 102.

[0054] Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, for example, the elastic conductive sheet 102 further includes a second stopper portion. The second stopper portion extends from an edge of the fixing portion 103 opposite the cantilever portion 105 and includes a first tab 1092 bent toward the pair of wing portions 104 at an acute angle with a first direction in which the fixing portion 103 is inserted into the groove 111. By providing the second stopper portion, the first tab 1092 of the second stopper portion forms an acute angle with the first direction of insertion. Therefore, after the fixing portion 103 is inserted into a predetermined position, the first tab 1092 of the second stopper portion abuts against the inner wall of the groove 111, preventing the fixing portion 103 from slipping out.

[0055] Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, for example, the elastic conductive sheet 102 further includes a third stopper portion. The third stopper portion extends from both side edges of the fixing portion 103 in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction toward the pair of wing portions 104 and includes a plurality of second tabs 1093 bent toward the pair of wing portions 104 at an obtuse angle with the first direction. The second tabs 1093 on each side edge are distributed symmetrically with respect to the cantilever portion 105. By providing the third stopper portion, the plurality of second tabs 1093 of the third stopper portion form an obtuse angle with the first direction of insertion. Therefore, when the fixing portion 103 is inserted into the groove 111, all of the plurality of second tabs 1093 of the third stopper portion bend in response to the insertion operation and do not hinder such insertion. Furthermore, when the fixing portion 103 is inserted into a predetermined position, all movement of the fixing portion 103 to separate from the groove 111 is inhibited, ensuring reliable positional restriction in the first direction of insertion.

[0056] In an exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure, for example, as shown in the drawings, the moving element 12 has a tip portion 121 to which the lock pin 13 is fixed, and an extension portion 122 extending from the tip portion 121 and having a protrusion, the protrusion being arranged to press one of the pair of wing portions 104 when the moving element 12 is moved to the locked position, and to press the other of the pair of wing portions 104 when the moving element 12 is moved to the unlocked position. By providing the protrusion, the protrusion can be brought into contact with and press one of the pair of wing portions 104 by translational movement of the moving element 12 along the longitudinal direction, thereby applying a pressing force to one side of the “see-saw” type rotation structure of the elastic conductive sheet 102.

[0057] Furthermore, in a more specific embodiment, for example, as shown in the drawings, the third transmission member 153 is attached to the mover 12 by fitting the sixth spur gear portion 1533 into the mover 12. Essentially, by providing a tooth-shaped groove 111 that matches the tooth shape of the sixth spur gear portion 1533 in the extension portion 122, the translation of the mover 12 along the vertical direction can be regarded as equivalent to rack and pinion transmission between the second transmission member 152 and the third transmission member 153.

[0058] In a further embodiment, preferably, as shown in the drawings, the elastic conductive sheet 102 further includes a fourth stopper portion 1094. The fourth stopper portion 1094 includes two free ends of the pair of wings 104 that are respectively bent toward the fixed portion 103. The fourth stopper portion 1094 limits the movement range of the protrusion on the moving element 12 and prevents the protrusion from moving along the vertical direction, preventing the moving element 12 from moving completely away from the elastic conductive sheet 102 and resulting in a trigger failure, i.e., preventing the moving element 12 from applying a pressing force to the pair of wings 104.

[0059] As an exemplary embodiment, for example, as shown in the drawings, in the socket assembly, the housing 11 further has a blocking member 114 fitted onto the lock pin 13 and attached to the outer wall surface of the side wall of the housing 11 so as to block the gap between the lock pin 13 and the hole wall of the pin hole 110.

[0060] In yet another embodiment, for example, as shown in the drawings, the closing member 114 has a main body 1141 and a plurality of connecting legs 1142. The main body 1141 has a pin insertion hole 1140 through which the lock pin 13 is inserted. The plurality of connecting legs 1142 are connected to the main body 1141. A plurality of insertion holes 1143 are formed in the outer wall surface of the side wall of the housing 11. The plurality of connecting legs 1142 are inserted into the plurality of insertion holes 1143, respectively. The hole wall of the pin insertion hole 1140 in the closing member 114 is tightly fitted onto the lock pin 13, and the main body 1141 is in close contact with the outer wall surface of the side wall of the housing 11. In this way, the closing member 114 can reliably seal the gap between the lock pin 13 and the pin hole 110.

[0061] Also, as an example, in the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of (four in the illustration) positioning holes are formed in the main body 1141 of the closing member 114 around the pin insertion hole 1140. A plurality of (four in the illustration) protruding positioning posts are correspondingly formed around the pin hole 110 on the outer wall surface of the side wall of the housing 11. The protruding positioning posts are inserted into the plurality of positioning holes, respectively, and guide the closing member and the pin so that they match with each other, and then correctly attach them to the housing 11.

[0062] As an exemplary embodiment, for example, as shown in the drawings, in the socket assembly, the housing 11 is located at one end of the moving element 12 opposite to the tip 121 for fixing the lock pin 13, and further has a cable through-hole 112 for guiding the passage of a cable (the cable is used, for example, for electrical connection), and a rope through-hole 113 for passing a towing rope (the towing rope is used, for example, to manually return the moving element 12 to the unlocked position, thereby achieving manual unlocking).

[0063] Furthermore, since the electronic lock 1 provided in another aspect of the present disclosure has the above-described trigger structure 10, it is believed that it also has the advantages of the above-described trigger structure 10 for an electronic lock circuit. A detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0064] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a socket assembly into which a charging gun is inserted for charging, and Figures 4(a) to 4(g) are a schematic perspective view, front view, rear view, left side view, right side view, plan view, and bottom view, respectively, and the blocking member of the lock pin has been removed along the vertical direction for easier viewing.

[0065] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, as shown in Fig. 4, the present disclosure further provides a socket assembly for inserting a charging gun for charging, the socket assembly comprising a charging socket and the above-described electronic lock 1 attached to the charging socket. In an exemplary embodiment, for example, when the moving element 12 is moved to the locked position, the lock pin 13 engages with the charging gun inserted in the charging socket to prevent the charging gun from being removed from the charging socket. When the moving element 12 is moved to the unlocked position, the lock pin 13 separates from the charging gun inserted in the charging socket to allow the charging gun to be removed from the charging socket.

[0066] Furthermore, since the socket assembly provided in another aspect of the present disclosure has the trigger structure 10 for the electronic lock circuit and the electronic lock 1, it is believed to also have the advantages of the trigger structure 10 and the electronic lock 1. A description thereof will be omitted here.

[0067] The trigger structure 10 for the circuit, the electronic lock 1, and the socket assembly for inserting the charging gun for charging in the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure can be used to charge electric vehicles or other electrically powered devices. The above description is illustrative and not restrictive. Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the drawings, the embodiments disclosed in the drawings are intended to exemplify preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0068] Therefore, as can be understood by those skilled in the art, all of the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art can improve them, and as long as no structural or theoretical contradiction occurs, the structures described in each embodiment can be modified or freely combined, and these changes fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. The breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be limited only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents. It should be noted that the word "comprises" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the words "a" or "one" do not exclude a plurality. Moreover, reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. a conductive connector (101) electrically connected to the circuit and having a plurality of conductive pads (30) and a plurality of conductive wires (40) electrically connected to the plurality of conductive pads (30), respectively; an elastic conductive sheet (102); The elastic conductive sheet (102) a fixed part (103) partly grounded; a pair of wing portions (104) extending in the longitudinal direction of the fixing portion (103); a cantilever portion (105) connected between the pair of wings (104), The fixed portion (103) is connected between the pair of wings (104), One of the pair of wing portions (104) is arranged so that at least a portion thereof is brought into electrical contact with the corresponding conductive pad (30) by the action of a pressing force, while the other is arranged so as to be spaced apart from the corresponding conductive pad (30); The pair of wing portions (104) are connected to the fixed portion (103) via the cantilever portion (105). A trigger structure (10) for an electronic lock circuit.

2. The pair of wing portions (104) are arranged symmetrically with respect to the cantilever portion (105). The trigger structure (10) of claim 1.

3. The cantilever portion (105) is bent from the fixed portion (103) toward the pair of wing portions (104) and extends in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction of the fixed portion (103). The trigger structure (10) of claim 1.

4. The cantilever portion (105) extends laterally from a lateral side edge at a central portion along the longitudinal direction of the fixing portion (103), is bent toward the pair of wing portions (104), and is connected between the pair of wing portions (104). The trigger structure (10) according to claim 3.

5. Each wing (104) has a corresponding folded conductive contact (106) located between its free end and said cantilever (105); In a first state in which the pair of wing portions (104) is not subjected to a force, the cantilever portion (105) forms an angle with respect to the pair of wing portions (104) in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical direction of the fixing portion (103), and each conductive contact portion (106) is spaced apart from a corresponding conductive pad (30) that faces the cantilever portion (105). A trigger structure (10) according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. Each wing (104) has a straight portion (107) extending between the conductive contact portion (106) and the cantilever portion (105). Trigger structure (10) according to claim 5.

7. When the trigger structure (10) is attached to a predetermined position relative to the circuit, the fixed portion (103) is fixed to the circuit, the conductive contact portion (106) of each wing portion (104) is arranged to be bent toward the corresponding conductive pad (30), and the pair of wing portions (104) are pressed toward the fixed portion (103) so that the straight portion (107) of each wing portion (104) is essentially parallel to the surface of the fixed portion (103).

7. The trigger structure (10) of claim 6.

8. In a second state in which one of the pair of wing portions (104) is subjected to a pressing force toward the fixed portion (103), the pair of wing portions (104) rotate around the cantilever portion (105), and the corresponding conductive contact portion (106) of one of the wing portions (104) is pressed toward the corresponding conductive pad (30) and makes electrical contact with it, while the corresponding conductive contact portion (106) of the other wing portion (104) moves away from the corresponding conductive pad (30) and separates therefrom. Trigger structure (10) according to claim 5.

9. When the application of the pressing force is stopped, the pair of wing portions (104) rotate around the cantilever portion (105) and return to the first state.

9. The trigger structure (10) of claim 8.

10. A conductive contact (108) to be grounded is provided on a bottom surface of the fixed portion (103) away from the pair of wing portions (104). The trigger structure (10) of claim 1.

11. a housing (11); The trigger structure (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the conductive connector (101) and the fixed portion (103) of the elastic conductive sheet (102) are fixedly attached to the housing (11); a mover (12) movably attached to the housing (11) and arranged to move between a locked position and an unlocked position; a lock pin (13) fixed in the housing (11) and extending to the outside of the housing (11) through a pin hole (110) on the housing (11); When the moving element (12) is moved to the locked position, one of the pair of wing portions (104) is pressed by a moving base so as to electrically contact at least a portion of the pair of wing portions (104) with the corresponding conductive pad (30) facing the pair of wing portions (104), and the other wing portion (104) is moved away from the corresponding conductive pad (30) facing the pair of wing portions (104); When the moving element (12) is moved to the unlocked position, the other wing portion (104) of the pair of wing portions (104) is pressed by a moving base so as to electrically contact at least a portion of the other wing portion (104) with the corresponding conductive pad (30) facing the other wing portion (104), and the one wing portion (104) is moved away from the corresponding conductive pad (30) facing the other wing portion (104). Electronic lock (1).

12. a drive unit (14) mounted within the housing (11); and a transmission device (15) mounted within the housing (11), disposed between the driving device (14) and the moving element (12), and connected in a transmissive manner between the driving device (14) and the moving element (12). Electronic lock (1) according to claim 11.

13. The transmission device (15) is arranged to convert the rotational motion output from the drive device (14) into linear motion, and moves the moving element (12) in a parallel direction between a locked position and an unlocked position. Electronic lock (1) according to claim 12.

14. The housing (11) is provided with a groove (111), The trigger structure (10) is attached to the housing (11) in a predetermined position by inserting the fixing portion (103) into the groove (111). Electronic lock (1) according to claim 13.

15. The elastic conductive sheet (102) further has a first stopper portion (1091), The first stopper portion (1091) has both ends along the vertical direction that are bent toward the corresponding wing portion (104) of the pair of wing portions (104) of the fixing portion (103), and is arranged to abut against the inner wall of the groove (111) along the vertical direction. Electronic lock (1) according to claim 14.

16. The elastic conductive sheet (102) further has a second stopper portion, The second stopper portion has a first tab (1092) extending from an edge of the fixing portion (103) opposite to the cantilever portion (105), and bent toward the pair of wing portions (104) at an acute angle with a first direction in which the fixing portion (103) is inserted into the groove (111). Electronic lock (1) according to claim 15.

17. The elastic conductive sheet (102) further has a third stopper portion, The third stopper portion has a plurality of second tabs (1093) extending from both side edges of the fixing portion (103) in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction toward the pair of wing portions (104) and bent toward the pair of wing portions (104) at an obtuse angle with the first direction, The second tabs (1093) on each side edge are symmetrically distributed about said cantilevered portion (105); 17. Electronic lock (1) according to claim 16.

18. The moving element (12) is a tip portion (121) to which the lock pin (13) is fixed; an extension portion (122) extending from the tip portion (121), having a protrusion, and arranged so that when the moving element (12) moves to the locked position, the protrusion presses one of the pair of wing portions (104), and when the moving element (12) moves to the unlocked position, the protrusion presses the other of the pair of wing portions (104), An electronic lock (1) according to any one of claims 11 to 17.

19. The elastic conductive sheet (102) further has a fourth stopper portion (1094), The fourth stopper portion (1094) has two free ends of the pair of wing portions (104) that are bent toward the fixed portion (103), Electronic lock (1) according to claim 18.

20. A charging socket and and an electronic lock (1) according to any one of claims 11 to 19 attached to the charging socket, When the moving element (12) moves to the locked position, the lock pin (13) engages with the charging gun inserted into the charging socket, preventing the charging gun from being removed from the charging socket; When the moving element (12) moves to the unlocked position, the lock pin (13) separates from the charging gun inserted into the charging socket, allowing the charging gun to be removed from the charging socket. A socket assembly into which the charging gun is inserted for charging.

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