Vehicle charging port structure

Abstract

To reduce an opening / closing load of a lid and inhibit water from scattering on a terminal of a charging inlet.SOLUTION: A vehicle charging port structure 100 includes: an opening 15 formed in a body 12; a charging inlet 20 having a recess part 21a into which a charging connector is inserted; and a lid 30 for opening and closing the recess part 21a and the opening 15. The vehicle charging port structure 100 comprises a water-stopping member 40 which is attached to the lid 30 and inserted into the recess part 21a along an inner surface of the recess part 21a when the opening 15 is closed. The water-stopping member 40 is attached to the lid 30 so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to a direction of insertion into the recess part 21a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the structure of a vehicle charging port into which a charging connector is inserted.

Background Art

[0002] An electric vehicle that charges a battery by an external charging device and drives a motor with the power supplied from the battery for running is used. Such an electric vehicle is provided with a charging port into which a charging connector is inserted. The charging port is composed of a lid provided on the body and a charging inlet attached to an opening inside the lid. When the charging connector is inserted into the charging inlet, charging is performed from an external charging device to the battery.

[0003] In a charging port having such a structure, water or sand may enter the inside of the charging inlet from around the lid provided on the body. For this reason, a structure is used in which an inner lid for preventing water and sand from entering the inside of the charging inlet is provided at the opening portion of the charging inlet (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in order to prevent water and sand from entering the inside of the inner lid, a structure in which a rubber seal lip is provided around the inner lid and the lid and the inner lid are integrally opened and closed has been considered. In this case, there is a problem that the opening and closing load of the lid becomes large.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to suppress water splash on the terminals of the charging inlet while reducing the opening and closing load of the lid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle charging port structure of this disclosure includes an opening formed in the body, a charging inlet mounted inside the opening and having a recess into which a charging connector is inserted, and a mechanism for opening and closing the recess and opening of the charging inlet. Furthermore, the surface facing the opening when closed has a bracket with mounting holes. A vehicle charging port structure comprising a lid, wherein a water-stopping member is attached to the lid and inserted into the recess along the inner surface of the recess of the charging inlet when the opening is closed, The water-stopping member comprises a top cover, a projection provided on the upper surface of the top cover, the projection having an outer dimension smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting hole and a height greater than the plate thickness of the bracket, and a locking member attached to the upper end of the projection, the projection having an outer dimension larger than the mounting hole. The aforementioned water-stopping member is The aforementioned projection fits into the mounting hole, and the bracket is sandwiched between the upper cover and the locking member. The aforementioned bracket It is characterized by being attached to [a certain object].

[0008] As described above, since the water-sealing member is inserted along the inner circumferential surface of the recess of the charging inlet, the vehicle charging port structure of this disclosure can reduce the opening and closing load of the lid while suppressing water from reaching the center of the recess where the connection terminals are provided. Furthermore, with the above configuration, even if there is a misalignment between the charging inlet and the water-sealing member, The water-stopping member moves in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, The water-sealing member can be easily inserted into the recess along the inner surface of the charging inlet.

[0009] In the vehicle charging port structure of the present disclosure, the water-sealing member may have a tapered surface on the outer circumferential surface of the tip portion that is inclined such that its outer dimensions become smaller towards the tip.

[0010] This allows the water-sealing member to be easily inserted into the recess along the inner surface of the charging inlet, even if there is a misalignment between the charging inlet and the water-sealing member.

[0011] In the charging port structure of the present disclosure, the charging inlet includes a set of connection terminals comprising a plurality of connection terminals protruding from the bottom surface of the recess, and when the water-sealing member is inserted into the recess, the tip of the water-sealing member may extend toward the bottom surface from the respective tip surfaces of each connection terminal, and the tip of the water-sealing member and the respective tip surfaces of each connection terminal may overlap in the insertion direction.

[0012] This effectively prevents water from splashing onto the center of the recess where the connection terminals are located. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] This disclosure reduces the opening and closing load of the lid while suppressing water from getting onto the terminals of the charging inlet. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a side view of a vehicle to which the vehicle charging port structure of the embodiment is installed. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows a cross-section AA of the vehicle charging port structure. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is an elevation view showing the vehicle charging port structure with the lid removed, illustrating the connection terminals of the charging connector and the recess into which the charging connector is inserted. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a plan view of the water-stopping member, showing the water-stopping member inserted into the charging connector. [Figure 5] Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view (AA) of the vehicle charging port structure, illustrating the state in which the water-sealing member is inserted along the inner surface of the charging inlet when the lid is closed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Hereinafter, the vehicle charging port structure 100 of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle charging port structure 100 is composed of a charging inlet 20, a lid 30, and a water stop member 40. In addition, the arrows FR, UP, and RH shown in each figure indicate the front side, upper side, and right side of the vehicle 10, respectively. Also, the opposite directions of the arrows FR, UP, and RH indicate the rear side, lower side, and left side. Hereinafter, when simply explaining using the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions, unless otherwise specified, it shall indicate the front and rear in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10, the left and right in the left-right direction, and the up and down in the up-down direction.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an opening 15 is formed in the body 12 of the vehicle 10. Inside the opening 15, a charging inlet mounting portion 13 recessed toward the inner side in the vehicle width direction is formed. The charging inlet 20 is fixed to the bottom plate 14 of the charging inlet mounting portion 13 with bolts 51. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the charging inlet 20 is composed of a main body 21 and two connection terminals 25.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the main body 21 is made of resin and is composed of an annular portion 27, a bottom plate 22, and a flange portion 29 protruding outside the annular portion 27. The annular portion 27 is composed of a C-shaped partial cylindrical portion 27a and a flat plate portion 27b. The annular portion 27 is open toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction. The bottom plate 22 is connected to the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the annular portion 27. The inner surface of the annular portion 27 and the upper surface of the bottom plate 22 constitute a recess 21a of the main body 21. Also, the upper surface of the bottom plate 22 constitutes the bottom surface 21b of the recess 21a. A charging connector (not shown) is inserted into the recess 21a.

[0018] Two connection terminals 25 are provided on the bottom surface 21b of the recess 21a. The connection terminal 25 is composed of a sleeve 23 and a female terminal 24. The sleeve 23 is a resin cylindrical member protruding outward in the vehicle width direction from the bottom surface 21b of the recess 21a. The female terminal 24 is a metal terminal fitted into the inner surface of the sleeve 23. The female terminal 24 is provided with a male terminal receiving hole 24a into which a male terminal (not shown) provided on a charging connector (not shown) is inserted at the center. As shown in FIG. 2, the two connection terminals 25 are arranged side by side in the recess 21a of the main body 21. There is a gap 28 between each connection terminal 25 and the inner surface of the annular portion 27. Also, the two connection terminals 25 constitute one connection terminal set 26.

[0019] A bolt hole 50 is provided in the flange portion 29 of the main body 21. The charging inlet 20 is fixed to the bottom plate 14 of the charging inlet mounting portion 13 by a bolt 51 passed through the bolt hole 50. Also, a drain hole 52 for discharging water that has entered the recess 21a to the outside is provided in the annular portion 27.

[0020] The lid 30 is a member for opening and closing an opening 15 formed in the body 12 of the vehicle 10. The lid 30 is composed of a main body 31, a bracket 32, and a hinge 35. The main body 31 is a plate member rotatably attached to the body 12 by the hinge 35. As shown in FIG. 5, the main body 31 rotates around the hinge 35 to open and close the opening 15. The bracket 32 is a folded plate member attached to the inner surface of the main body 31 in the vehicle width direction. The bracket 32 is provided with a mounting hole 33 for mounting a water stop member 40 to be described later.

[0021] The water-stopping member 40 consists of a top cover 41, an insertion part 42, a boss 45, and a locking member 46. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the top cover 41 is a disc with a missing top. The insertion part 42 is an annular member that extends from the top cover 41 along the inner surface of the recess 21a of the charging inlet 20 toward the bottom surface 21b. The insertion part 42, like the annular part 27 of the charging inlet 20, consists of a C-shaped partial cylindrical part 42a and a flat plate part 42b. The outer surface of the partial cylindrical part 42a is shaped to conform to the inner surface of the partial cylindrical part 27a. The outer surface of the flat plate part 42b is shaped to conform to the inner surface of the flat plate part 27b. As shown in Figure 2, when the insertion part 42 is inserted into the recess 21a, its tip 43 extends toward the bottom surface 21b by a length Z greater than the outer tip surface in the vehicle width direction of each connection terminal 25. As a result, when the insertion portion 42 is inserted into the recess 21a, the tip of the insertion portion 42 and the tips of each connection terminal 25 overlap by a length Z in the insertion direction. The outer circumferential surface of the tip of the insertion portion 42 is provided with a tapered surface 44 that slopes so that its outer dimensions become smaller as it moves inward in the vehicle width direction.

[0022] The boss 45 is a projection located in the center of the upper surface of the top cover 41 that fits into the mounting hole 33 of the bracket 32. The outer diameter of the boss 45 is smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting hole 33. Also, the height of the boss 45 is greater than the plate thickness of the bracket 32. A locking member 46 is attached to the upper end of the boss 45. The size of the locking member 46 is larger than the mounting hole 33. Therefore, the water-stopping member 40 is attached to the bracket 32 ​​so that it is movable in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, sandwiching the bracket 32 ​​between the top cover 41 and the locking member 46.

[0023] Next, the opening and closing operation of the lid 30 will be described with reference to Figure 5. As shown in Figure 5, the lid 30 rotates around the hinge 35 to open and close the opening 15. As shown by arrow 91 in Figure 5, as the lid 30 is rotated around the hinge 35 to close the opening 15, the tip 43 of the insertion part 42 moves toward the recess 21a of the charging inlet 20, as shown by arrows 93 and 94 in Figure 5. When the tapered surface 44 contacts the inner surface of the recess 21a, the water-stopping member 40 moves toward the bracket 32 ​​in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, as shown by arrow 92 in Figure 5. As a result, the outer surface of the insertion part 42 is positioned along the inner surface of the recess 21a. As the lid 30 is further closed, the insertion part 42 is inserted into the recess 21a along the inner surface of the recess 21a. At this time, the insertion part 42 is inserted into the gap 28 between the inner surface of the recess 21a and the outer surface of the connection terminal assembly 26. When the lid 30 closes the opening 15, as shown in Figure 2, the tip of the insertion part 42 and the tips of each connection terminal 25 overlap by a length Z in the insertion direction. The top cover 41 also covers the recess 21a and the upper surface of each connection terminal. When the lid 30 is closed, the lid 30 covers the recess 21a of the charging inlet 20.

[0024] As a result, when water enters the opening 15 from the outside, the water passes between the outer surface of the insertion part 42 and the inner surface of the recess 21a and enters the recess 21a. The water that enters the recess 21a is then discharged to the outside of the charging inlet 20 through the drain hole 52. Therefore, it is possible to prevent water that enters the opening 15 from the outside from entering the inside of the connection terminal 25.

[0025] As described above, the vehicle charging port structure 100 is configured such that the water-sealing member 40 is inserted along the inner surface of the recess 21a and covers the upper surface of the connection terminal 25, thus eliminating the need for a rubber sealing lip. This reduces the opening and closing load of the lid 30 while suppressing water from splashing onto the connection terminal 25.

[0026] Furthermore, the tapered surface 44 at the tip of the insertion portion 42 allows the outer surface of the insertion portion 42 to be aligned with the inner surface of the recess 21a, so that the lid 30 can be opened and closed smoothly even if there is variation in the position of the lid 30 and the charging inlet 20. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0027] 10 Vehicle, 12 Body, 13 Charging inlet mounting section, 14 Bottom plate, 15 Opening, 20 Charging inlet, 21, 31 Main body, 21a Recess, 21b Bottom surface, 22 Bottom plate, 23 Sleeve, 24 Female terminal, 24a Male terminal receiving hole, 25 Connection terminal, 26 Connection terminal set, 27 Annular section, 27a, 42a Partial cylindrical section, 27b, 42b Flat plate section, 28 Gap, 29 Flange section, 30 Lid, 32 Bracket, 33 Mounting hole, 35 Hinge, 40 Water-stopping member, 41 Top cover, 42 Insertion section, 43 Tip, 44 Tapered surface, 45 Boss, 46 Locking member, 50 Bolt hole, 51 Bolt, 52 Drain hole, 100 Vehicle charging port structure.

Claims

1. An opening formed in the body, A charging inlet having a recess into which a charging connector is inserted, which is mounted inside the opening, A vehicle charging port structure comprising: a lid that opens and closes the recess and the opening of the charging inlet, and having a bracket with mounting holes on the surface facing the opening when closed, The lid is equipped with a water-stopping member that, when the opening is closed, is inserted into the recess along the inner surface of the recess of the charging inlet, The aforementioned water-stopping member is The device comprises a top cover, a projection provided on the upper surface of the top cover, the projection having an outer dimension smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting hole and a height greater than the plate thickness of the bracket, and a locking member attached to the upper end of the projection, the projection having an outer dimension larger than the mounting hole. The water-stopping member is attached to the bracket such that the projection fits into the mounting hole, the bracket is sandwiched between the top cover and the locking member, and the member is movable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of insertion into the recess. A vehicle charging port structure characterized by the following.

2. A vehicle charging port structure according to claim 1, The aforementioned water-stopping member has a tapered surface on the outer circumferential surface of its tip portion that slopes so that its outer dimensions become smaller towards the tip. A vehicle charging port structure characterized by the following.

3. A vehicle charging port structure according to claim 1 or 2, The charging inlet includes a set of connection terminals consisting of a plurality of connection terminals protruding from the bottom surface of the recess, When the water-stopping member is inserted into the recess, the tip of the water-stopping member extends from the tip surface of each of the connection terminals toward the bottom surface, and the tip of the water-stopping member and the tip of each of the connection terminals overlap in the insertion direction. A vehicle charging port structure characterized by the following.

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