Structure of the charging connector.

Abstract

Invention details;

Description

Charging port structure

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging port structure for a vehicle.

[0002] A conventional charging port structure includes a flat guide member disposed around a vehicle's charging port. The guide member is configured to deform to cover the charging port when subjected to an external impact. This prevents unintended charging after a vehicle collision, for example, and can prevent problems caused by charging (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] International Publication No. 2012 / 153413

[0004] On the other hand, the charging port lid can deform even without being subjected to external force or impact load. For example, when charging externally in the hot sun, the resin portion of the lid is likely to soften, and the lid may deform due to thermal creep. In this case, the lid will not close properly, and if you try to close it forcibly, there is a risk of damage to the lid and the structure around the charging port. In particular, when the lid hinge arms and hinges are made of resin, there is a problem in that such problems due to thermal creep are easily apparent.

[0005] One of the objectives of the present invention, which was devised in light of the above-mentioned problems, is to provide a charging port structure that allows the lid position to be corrected with a simple configuration. However, other objectives of the present invention are not limited to this objective. The other objectives of the present invention are to achieve the effects derived from the configurations shown in the "Description of Embodiments" below, which are not obtainable with conventional technologies.

[0006] The disclosed charging port structure is a charging port structure that includes a side-opening lid that closes the opening of a vehicle's charging port in an openable and closable manner, and includes a rib formed on the hinge arm of the lid and protruding along the extension direction of the hinge arm, and a rib receiving portion that is provided on the inside of the opening, formed opposite the hinge arm, and that abuts against the rib during the lid closing process to cooperate with the rib to push the lid upward when the relative position of the lid to the opening drops when the lid is opened.

[0007] According to the disclosed charging port structure, the position of the lid can be corrected with a simple configuration.

[0008] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle to which a charging port structure according to an embodiment is applied; 2 is an exploded perspective view for explaining the charging port structure of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1; 3 is a perspective view of the lid shown in FIG. 2; 4 is a perspective view of the bracket shown in FIG. 2; and 5 is a bottom view of the lid shown in FIG. 3. (A) is a cross-sectional view of a rib and a rib receiving portion, and (B) to (D) are side views thereof. (A) to (C) are side views of a guide and a guide receiving portion.

[0009] [1. Configuration] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle 10 to which a charging port structure according to an embodiment is applied. The vehicle 10 is provided with a charging port 11 that incorporates a connection terminal 20 (charging connector) for external charging. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the charging port 11 is located at the rear of a side portion of the vehicle 10. Alternatively, the charging port 11 may be located on a front side portion (fender portion), rear surface (rear hatch portion), or front surface (hood portion) of the vehicle 10. The on-board battery is charged by connecting a charging gun or a charging cable to the connection terminal 20 of the charging port 11. The on-board battery is a secondary battery that stores power to be supplied to the traction motor and various auxiliary machinery mounted on the vehicle 10.

[0010] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the charging port 11. The charging port 11 includes an opening 13 formed in an outer panel 12, a bracket 14 that defines a storage section for accommodating the connection terminal 20 inside the opening 13, and a side-opening lid 15 that can open and close the opening 13. The bracket 14 is a resin member that extends from the edge of the opening 13 inward in the vehicle width direction and is fixed to the outer panel 12. The bracket 14 is erected in a cylindrical shape from the outer panel 12 toward the inside of the vehicle 10 to surround the periphery of the connection terminal 20 and form a storage section. The outer end of the bracket 14 in the vehicle width direction is formed as an insertion hole with a shape corresponding to the opening 13 (e.g., a rectangular shape with rounded corners). Meanwhile, the cross-sectional shape of the inner end 19 in the vehicle width direction is formed in a shape that surrounds the connection terminal 20 (e.g., a gourd shape).

[0011] The lid 15 is a cover-like member that is rotatably supported by the bracket 14 and that opens and closes the opening 13 of the charging port 11. The lid 15 is composed of a sheet metal outer member formed into a plane large enough to cover the opening 13, and a resin inner member that covers the back surface of the outer member. The inner member is provided with a hinge arm 16 that is rotatably supported on the bracket 14 via a hinge 18. The hinge arm 16 is an arm-like member that extends from one side (the upper left end in FIG. 3 ) on the back surface of the lid 15 toward the inside of the opening 13 (inside the storage portion). The hinge 18 is provided at the end of the hinge arm 16 that is farther from the lid 15.

[0012] 3, the overall shape of the hinge arm 16 is gently curved to connect the lid 15 and the hinge 18. The hinge 18 is located inside the vehicle 10 relative to the opening 13 and away from the edge of the opening 13 (for example, in a position that is not visible from the outside of the vehicle 10 when the lid 15 is open). The curved shape of the hinge arm 16 prevents interference between the hinge arm 16 and the edge of the opening 13 when the lid 15 is opened or closed. In order to ensure the rigidity and strength of the lid 15 and the hinge arm 16, reinforcing structures such as ridges and grooves may be formed on the surfaces of these components.

[0013] A linear rib 1 protrudes from the surface of the hinge arm 16. The position of the rib 1 is set, for example, at the lower part of the hinge arm 16. In the example shown in Fig. 3, the rib 1 protrudes downward in a linear manner from the lower end surface 17 (lower surface portion) of the hinge arm 16 and is formed protruding along the extension direction of the hinge arm 16. Meanwhile, a rib receiving portion 2 is formed on the bracket 14 corresponding to the rib 1. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the rib receiving portion 2 protrudes from the bracket 14 at a position that will be the lower part of the hinge arm 16 supported by the hinge 18.

[0014] The rib receiving portion 2 is a portion that cooperates with the rib 1 to push the lid 15 upward when, for example, the relative position of the lid 15 with respect to the opening 13 (bracket 14) drops due to thermal deformation of the hinge arm 16. The rib receiving portion 2 is provided inside the opening 13 at a position below the rib 1 during the process of closing the lid 15, and is provided opposite the lower end surface 17 of the hinge arm 16. This allows the rib 1 on the lowered lid 15 side to abut against the rib receiving portion 2. Note that when the relative position of the lid 15 with respect to the bracket 14 has not dropped, the rib receiving portion 2 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the rib 1. As a result, for example, when the hinge arm 16 is not thermally deformed, the rib 1 and the rib receiving portion 2 are not in contact with each other, as shown in FIG. 6A .

[0015] 3 and 5, the overall shape of the rib 1 is formed to be an arc when the lid 15 is viewed in a direction parallel to the rotation axis C (rotation center) of the lid 15. That is, the rib 1 extends in an arc shape that is approximately coaxial with the rotation axis C of the lid 15. The two-dot chain line in FIG. 5 represents the arc corresponding to the extension direction of the rib 1. By thus aligning the shape of the rib 1 with the rotation center of the lid 15, the position of the contact point between the rib 1 and the rib receiving portion 2 hardly changes when the relative position of the lid 15 with respect to the bracket 14 is lowered, regardless of the rotation state of the lid 15, and the function of the rib receiving portion 2 in lifting the lid 15 is stabilized.

[0016] The shape of the rib 1 in this embodiment is set so that the amount of upward movement of the lid 15 increases as the lid 15 is closed while in contact with the rib receiving portion 2. The protruding dimension of the rib 1 based on the lower end surface 17 of the hinge arm 16 is set so that it is larger on the lid 15 side than on the hinge 18 side. In the example shown in FIG. 6B, the protruding dimension H １ is the smallest, and the protrusion dimension H ２is set to be the largest. Moreover, the protruding dimension gradually increases from the hinge 18 side toward the lid 15 side. As a result, the rib lower surface 5 (the lower end surface of the rib 1) becomes a surface that is inclined relative to the lower end surface 17 of the hinge arm 16. In other words, the rib 1 has the rib lower surface 5 as an inclined portion that is formed to gradually increase in size toward the lid 15 side in the extension direction of the hinge arm 16.

[0017] A rib support surface 6 is formed at the upper end of the rib receiving portion 2. The rib support surface 6 is a planar portion that comes into contact with the rib undersurface 5 when the relative position of the lid 15 with respect to the bracket 14 drops, and is arranged to face the rib undersurface 5. In the example shown in Figure 6(B) , in a cross section along the extension direction of the rib 1, the rib support surface 6 is arranged so as to be perpendicular to the wall-like rib receiving portion 2 that stands upright from the bracket 14, and the rib receiving portion 2 and the rib support surface 6 are connected to form an L-shaped cross section as a whole. The rib support surface 6 is formed into a smooth surface that can slide over the rib undersurface 5.

[0018] 6C shows a state in which the rib lower surface 5 of the rib 1 and the rib support surface 6 of the rib receiving portion 2 come into contact with each other when the lid 15 is closed in a state in which the relative position of the lid 15 with respect to the bracket 14 has been lowered due to thermal deformation of the hinge arm 16. At this time, the position of the lower end surface 17 of the hinge arm 16 is such that it protrudes upward from the rib support surface 6 by a distance H １ After that, as the lid 15 is gradually closed, the lid 15 gradually moves upward. Finally, as shown in FIG. 6D, the position of the lower end surface 17 of the hinge arm 16 reaches a maximum upward protrusion dimension H from the rib support surface 6. ２ The position will be moved by the same amount.

[0019] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, a guide 3 is provided on the back side (inside) of the lid 15, protruding toward the storage compartment, which is the closing direction of the lid 15. The guide 3 has a general shape of a flattened column with a quadrant cross section, as shown in Figure 3, for example. Alternatively, the guide 3 may have a flattened column with a quadrangular cross section (for example, a rectangle or trapezoid with one or more rounded corners). Furthermore, when the lid 15 is attached to the vehicle 10, the lower surface of the guide 3 is formed into a smoothly curved surface. Hereinafter, this curved portion will be referred to as the guide lower surface 7.

[0020] The guide 3 is disposed on the other side of the lid 15 opposite the side to which the hinge arm 16 is connected (the lower right end in FIG. 3 ). Correspondingly, a guide receiving portion 4 is formed on the bracket 14. In the example shown in FIG. 4 , the guide receiving portion 4 is recessed at a position on the bracket 14 opposite the side on which the hinge 18 is disposed (the side farther from the hinge 18). The guide receiving portion 4 is disposed at a position where it will come into contact with the guide 3 during the process of closing the lid 15, and is shaped to engage with the guide 3 when the lid 15 closes the charging port 11. This restricts downward movement of the lid 15 relative to the opening 13.

[0021] The guide 3 in this embodiment is configured so that the upward movement of the lid 15 increases as the lid 15 is closed while in contact with the guide receiving portion 4. As shown in FIG. 7A , in this embodiment, the guide lower surface 7 (the lower end surface of the guide 3) is curved and bulges downward, allowing the guide support surface 8 to come into contact with this guide lower surface 7. The thickness, which is the vertical dimension of the guide 3 shown in FIG. 7A , is configured to increase from the inside to the outside of the vehicle 10. The guide lower surface 7 is also configured as a smoothly inclined curve. The guide support surface 8 is a planar portion that comes into contact with the guide lower surface 7 when the relative position of the lid 15 with respect to the bracket 14 drops, and is positioned opposite the guide lower surface 7. The guide support surface 8 is formed as a smooth surface that can slide relative to the guide lower surface 7. The positional relationship between the guide support surface 8 and the guide lower surface 7 is set so that, for example, when the lid 15 is closed while the rib support surface 6 is in contact with the rib lower surface 5, the guide support surface 8 comes into contact with the guide lower surface 7.

[0022] 7(B) shows a state in which the guide lower surface 7 of the guide 3 and the guide support surface 8 of the guide receiver 4 come into contact when the lid 15 is closed in a state in which the relative position of the lid 15 with respect to the bracket 14 has been lowered due to thermal deformation of the hinge arm 16. That is, the lid 15 is lifted upward by the rib 1 and the rib receiver 2, resulting in contact between the guide lower surface 7 and the guide support surface 8. Thereafter, as the lid 15 is gradually closed, the lid 15 gradually moves upward. Finally, as shown in FIG. 7(C), the entire guide 3 is inserted into and engaged with the inside of the guide receiver 4.

[0023] [2. Function and Effect] (1) As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the charging port structure described above is provided with a rib 1 and a rib receiving portion 2. The rib 1 protrudes (stripe-like from the hinge arm 16) along the extension direction of the hinge arm 16 of the lid 15, and the rib receiving portion 2 is formed inside the opening 13 (in this embodiment, on the bracket 14 that supports the hinge arm 16). Furthermore, when the relative position of the lid 15 with respect to the opening 13 (bracket 14) drops, the rib receiving portion 2 abuts against the rib 1 during the process of closing the lid 15, thereby working together with the rib 1 to push the lid 15 upward.

[0024] With this structure, for example, if the lid 15 moves downward due to thermal deformation of the hinge arm 16, the lid 15 can be lifted and moved closer to the correct position during the process of closing the lid 15. Therefore, a charging port structure that can correct the position of the lid 15 with a simple configuration can be provided, and damage to the lid 15 and the area around the charging port 11 can be prevented.

[0025] (2) In the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the rib 1 extends in an arc shape that is approximately coaxial with the rotation center of the lid 15. This allows the contact position between the rib 1 and the rib receiving portion 2 to be approximately constant when the lid 15 is closed, stabilizing the function of the rib receiving portion 2 to lift the lid 15. Furthermore, because the contact position of the rib 1 with the rib receiving portion 2 hardly changes, the size of the rib receiving portion 2 can be reduced, improving the moldability and design freedom of the bracket 14 and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0026] (3) In the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6B, the rib 1 is formed in a shape that increases the amount of upward movement of the lid 15 as the lid 15 is closed. This allows the lid 15 to be gradually lifted during the process of closing the lid 15, and the position of the lid 15 can be corrected without strain. In addition, the correction load is distributed over a relatively wide range of the hinge arm 16, which prevents damage to the lid 15 and the hinge arm 16.

[0027] (4) In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6B , a rib support surface 6 is formed on the rib receiving portion 2. The rib support surface 6 is formed in a surface shape that abuts against the lower end of the rib 1 (rib lower surface 5). By supporting the lower end of the rib 1 with a surface in this manner, the pressure acting between the rib lower surface 5 and the rib support surface 6 can be reduced, making it easier to lift the lid 15. Furthermore, by supporting the lower end of the rib 1 with a relatively wide area, it is possible to prevent the rib 1 from falling off the rib receiving portion 2, and the function of the rib receiving portion 2 to lift the lid 15 can be stabilized.

[0028] (5) As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the charging port structure described above includes a guide 3 and a guide receiving portion 4. The guide 3 protrudes from the lid 15 toward the closing direction of the lid 15. The guide receiving portion 4 is positioned to abut against the guide 3 during the lid 15 closing process and is configured to regulate the relative position of the lid 15 (e.g., engage with the guide 3) when the lid 15 closes the charging port 11. If the rib 1 and the rib receiving portion 2 are considered a "first lid lifting structure," the guide 3 and the guide receiving portion 4 are considered a "second lid lifting structure." Adding such a lid lifting structure can more reliably move the lid 15 closer to the correct position, thereby enhancing the effect of correcting the position of the lid 15. The corrective load of the second lid lifting structure is distributed throughout the lid 15, thereby preventing damage to the lid 15 or the hinge arm 16.

[0029] (6) In the above embodiment, when the relative position of the lid 15 with respect to the bracket 14 drops, the rib receiving portion 2 pushes the lid 15 upward at least to a position where the guide 3 can abut against the guide receiving portion 4. In other words, after the first lid lifting structure pushes the lid 15 upward, the second lid lifting structure pushes the lid 15 further upward. This increases the upward push-up dimension of the lid 15, thereby improving the position correction effect of the lid 15.

[0030] (7) In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7A , the guide 3 is shaped so that the amount of upward movement of the lid 15 increases as the lid 15 is closed. This allows the lid 15 to be gradually lifted during the lid 15 closing process, even with the second lid lifting structure, and the position of the lid 15 can be easily corrected. Therefore, a charging port structure that allows the position of the lid 15 to be corrected with a simple configuration can be provided, and damage to the lid 15 and the area around the charging port 11 can be prevented.

[0031] [3. Modifications] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative, and are not intended to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly described in the present embodiments. Various modifications of the configurations of the present embodiments can be implemented without departing from the spirit of the present embodiments. Furthermore, modifications can be selected or combined as needed.

[0032] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the rib 1 is formed on the lower end surface 17 of the hinge arm 16, but the position where the rib 1 is formed is not limited to the lower end surface 17 of the hinge arm 16. By at least providing the rib 1 in a stripe-like shape protruding from the hinge arm 16 and forming the rib receiving portion 2 that can come into contact with the rib 1 on the bracket 14 side in advance, it is possible to obtain the same functions and effects as those of the above-described embodiment.

[0033] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment illustrates a structure in which the rib receiving portion 2 and the guide receiving portion 4 are formed on the bracket 14, the bracket 14 may be omitted. In this case, by forming the rib receiving portion 2 and the guide receiving portion 4 inside the accommodation portion, it is possible to obtain the same functions and effects as in the above-described embodiment. It is also possible to omit the guide 3 and the guide receiving portion 4. By forming at least the rib 1 on the hinge arm 16 of the lid 15 and providing the rib receiving portion 2 at a position facing the rib 1 on the inside of the opening 13, it is possible to push the lid 15 upward during the process of closing the lid 15, and to appropriately correct the position of the lid 15 with a simple configuration.

[0034] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the rib 1 is formed in a shape such that the amount of upward movement of the lid 15 increases as the lid 15 is closed while in contact with the rib receiving portion 2 (see FIGS. 6A to 6D), but the rib receiving portion 2 may be formed in a shape such that the amount of upward movement of the lid 15 increases as the lid 15 is closed while in contact with the rib 1. In this case, for example, the rib support surface 6 of the rib receiving portion 2 is an inclined portion formed so that it gradually becomes larger toward the lid 15 in the extension direction of the hinge arm 16.

[0035] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the guide 3 is formed in a shape such that the amount of upward movement of the lid 15 increases as the lid 15 is closed while in contact with the guide receiving portion 4 (see FIGS. 7A to 7C), but the guide receiving portion 4 may be formed in a shape such that the amount of upward movement of the lid 15 increases as the lid 15 is closed while in contact with the guide 3. In this case, for example, the guide support surface 8 of the guide receiving portion 4 is an inclined portion formed so as to extend upward as it moves toward the inside in the vehicle width direction.

[0036] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-173575 filed on October 14, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0037] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Rib 2 Rib receiving portion 3 Guide 4 Guide receiving portion 5 Rib lower surface (inclined portion) 6 Rib support surface 7 Guide lower surface 8 Guide support surface 10 Vehicle 11 Charging port 12 Outer panel 13 Opening 14 Bracket 15 Lid 16 Hinge arm 17 Lower end surface (lower surface portion) 18 Hinge 19 End 20 Connection terminal

Claims

DEPCT6614 / 06 / 25661. The structure of the charging socket in relation to the side opening is designed to close the vehicle's charging socket opening in a manner that allows for opening and closing. A rib is provided on the hinge arm of the cover and extends along the length of the hinge arm. An area for containing the rib is provided within the opening, facing the hinge arm and designed to push the cover upward along with the rib by attaching it to the rib during the closing process, in the event that the relative position of the cover relative to the opening is lowered when the cover is opened.

2. The structure of the charging socket in relation to Allegation 1 where the rib extends in a curved shape, significantly aligned with the center of rotation of the cover.

3. The structure of the charging socket in relation to Allegation 1 or 2 where the rib is designed so that the amount of upward displacement of the cover increases when the cover is closed in a position where the rib is attached to the area for containing the rib. 4.The structure of the charging socket under any one of the claims in Cases 1-3 where the rib extends downward from the lower end surface of the hinge arm and the rib housing area faces the lower end surface of the hinge arm, with the rib housing area attached to the lower end of the rib in the event that the relative position of the cover relative to the opening is shifted lower and where the rib has a beveled area which is provided so that the protruding dimension of it gradually increases toward the cover in the elongated direction of the hinge arm.

5. The structure of the charging socket under any one of the claims in Cases 1-4 where the rib housing area has a planar rib support surface attached to the lower end of the rib. 6.The structure of the charging slot under any one of the claims 1 through 5, which also includes a guide element protruding from the rear surface of the lid toward the closing direction of the lid and an area for holding the guide element which is structured to make contact with the guide element during the closing process and limits the relative position of the lid relative to the opening area in the condition that the lid is closing the opening area.

7. The structure of the charging slot under claim 6 where the guide element is placed at the end of the lid opposite the hinge arm.

8. The structure of the charging slot under claim 6 or 7 where the teeth and the area for holding the teeth push the lid up to a position where the guide element can at least make contact with the area for holding the guide element in the event that the relative position of the lid relative to the opening area is shifted lower. 9.

10. The structure of the charging socket under any of the claims in Cases 6 through 8 where the thickness dimension of the guide element is defined to be beveled in a smooth manner to increase the size from the inside to the outside of the vehicle and where the guide element is made in a shape in which the cover has an increasing upward displacement when the cover is closed;