Auto-eject charging plug

Abstract

When a fire breaks out while charging an electric vehicle, the electric vehicle must be immersed in a water tank to completely extinguish the fire. To immerse the electric vehicle in the water tank, the electric vehicle must be removed from a parking lot and moved to the water tank for immersing, or must be covered with a mobile water tank made in the parking lot. However, this work may not be possible when a charging plug is still plugged into the electric vehicle. In order to remove the electric vehicle which has caught fire, or to cover the electric vehicle with the mobile water tank or a mobile fire-smothering blanket, the charging plug needs to have an auto-eject function. Furthermore, in the case of a mobile charger, this function is also necessary in order to move to another electric vehicle for charging after the end of charging. The present invention provides a charging plug having an auto eject function that automatically ejects the plug in the event of a fire during charging or at the end of charging by using a release means for releasing a locking means provided on the charging plug or on an electric vehicle charging inlet and a separation means for separating a charging gun.

Description

Auto-eject charging plug

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging plug, and more particularly, to a charging plug having an auto-eject function that automatically ejects the plug when a fire occurs during charging or when charging is terminated.

[0002] The content described below merely provides background information related to the present embodiment and does not constitute prior art.

[0003] Recently, the market for battery-powered electric vehicles is growing rapidly with the aim of drastically reducing fossil fuel use due to climate change caused by pollution from fossil fuels.

[0004] Accordingly, the electric vehicle charging market is growing rapidly, and the installation of EV chargers in building parking lots is also spreading. However, fires frequently occur at EV charging stations, often due to battery overcharging or internal malfunctions.

[0005] One effective method for extinguishing fires in electric vehicles is to cover them with suffocating fire blankets to block oxygen. However, over time, hydrogen generated within the battery can cause secondary fires, preventing complete extinguishment. Therefore, the only known method of complete extinguishment is to submerge the burning electric vehicle in a tank of water.

[0006] To submerge an electric vehicle in a tank, you must either remove the vehicle from the parking lot and transfer it to the tank, or create a portable tank in the parking lot and cover it, but this may not be possible if the charging plug is plugged into the vehicle.

[0007] Therefore, a function that automatically disconnects the charging plug is necessary to remove a burning electric vehicle or cover it with a mobile water tank or mobile suffocating blanket. Furthermore, this function is also necessary for mobile chargers to move to another electric vehicle after charging is complete.

[0008] In the case of conventional electric vehicle charging systems, it is common for the user to directly unplug the charging plug from the electric vehicle's charging inlet when charging is complete.

[0009] Meanwhile, if a fire breaks out while an electric vehicle is charging, the vehicle must be removed from the parking lot and submerged in a tank, or a portable tank constructed in the parking lot and covered with water to extinguish the fire. However, this may not be possible if the charging plug is still plugged into the vehicle.

[0010] The present invention has been devised in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to enable rapid work to extinguish fires in electric vehicles by implementing a charging plug having an auto-eject function that automatically removes the plug when a fire occurs during charging of an electric vehicle.

[0011] In addition, in the case of the present invention, the charging plug is implemented so that the plug can be automatically removed even when charging is completed, thereby providing an environment in which the vehicle owner or another person can naturally move the charging plug of the electric vehicle charger to another charging location and recharge without having to directly remove the charging plug in a mobile electric vehicle charging system, thereby maximizing the convenience of charging.

[0012] In order to achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides a charging plug for an electric vehicle charger,

[0013] A charging plug body; a charging connector formed by protruding from the charging plug body on one side of the charging plug body and detachably coupled to a charging inlet of an electric vehicle; and a charging cable connected to the charging connector and providing a charging current supplied from the electric vehicle charger.

[0014] A locking means for preventing the detachment of the charging connector when the charging connector is coupled to the charging inlet is provided in either the charging inlet of the electric vehicle or the charger plug body.

[0015] It is characterized in that the plug is automatically pulled out when necessary by using a release means for releasing the locking means and a separation means for separating the charging connector from the charging inlet.

[0016] In addition, in the present invention, the charging plug is characterized in that it is provided with a damage-preventing cover made of a cushion material that wraps around the charging plug body, thereby preventing damage and breakage of the charging plug due to collision with an adjacent vehicle or object when the charging connector is separated from the charging inlet.

[0017] According to the present invention, a charging plug having an auto-eject function that automatically pulls out the plug when a fire occurs during charging of an electric vehicle is implemented, thereby enabling work to be carried out quickly to extinguish a fire in an electric vehicle.

[0018] In addition, in the case of the present invention, the charging plug is implemented so that the plug can be automatically removed even when charging is complete, thereby providing an environment in which the electric vehicle charger that has completed charging can be naturally moved to another charging location and recharged without the vehicle owner or another person having to directly remove the charging plug in a mobile electric vehicle charging system, thereby having the effect of maximizing the convenience of charging.

[0019] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a conventional electric vehicle charging system.

[0020] Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of a rail-mounted electric vehicle charging system.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the shape of a charging plug having an auto-eject function according to the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining the shape of a charging plug having an auto-eject function according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating the internal structure and operation of a charging plug having an auto-eject function of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating the internal structure and operation of a charging plug having an auto-eject function according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 7 is a drawing showing an overheat detection means provided on a charging plug according to the present invention.

[0026] Figure 8 is a drawing showing a damage prevention cover provided on a charging plug according to the present invention.

[0027] Figure 9 is a drawing for explaining the reel winding process of the charging plug according to the present invention.

[0028] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The following detailed description is merely exemplary and merely illustrates preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a conventional electric vehicle charging system.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional electric vehicle charging system includes a plurality of electric vehicle chargers (110) installed on a parking space having at least one parking space, and the plurality of electric vehicle chargers (110) are configured to charge electric vehicles (120) parked on their respective corresponding parking spaces.

[0031] At this time, the user can pull the charging cable (111) wrapped around the electric vehicle charger (110) to move the charging plug (112) closer to the inlet position of the electric vehicle, and connect it to the inlet of the electric vehicle to proceed with charging the electric vehicle (120).

[0032] Charging systems utilizing conventional fixed chargers, such as this one, suffer from limitations in space and number of chargers. Furthermore, once charging is complete, electric vehicles must be removed promptly. Otherwise, fines are incurred, placing significant stress on users.

[0033] For example, since an electric vehicle that has been fully charged must unplug its charging plug before another electric vehicle can be charged, the charger user must receive a call and unplug their electric vehicle as soon as charging is complete.

[0034] To address these issues, a rail-mounted electric vehicle charging system has been proposed, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Meanwhile, Fig. 2 (a) and (b) illustrate the shape of the rail-mounted electric vehicle charging system viewed from different directions.

[0035] The rail-mounted electric vehicle charging system illustrated in FIG. 2 is an improvement over the problems of the conventional rail-mounted electric vehicle charging system, and is configured to include a plurality of electric vehicle chargers (200), a plurality of charging spots (210), a power terminal (220) provided at each charging spot, an AC / DC converter, a connecting means (232) for connecting the output terminal of the AC / DC converter (230) and the power terminal or another power terminal adjacent to the power terminal, a moving means (250), a system controller, and a remote server device.

[0036] Unlike conventional rail-mounted electric vehicle charging systems in which the electric vehicle charger (200) moves directly along the rail, this rail-mounted electric vehicle charging system is moved by a mobile vehicle and moved to the parking location of the electric vehicle (120) to be charged. More specifically, the electric vehicle charger (200) is moved by a mobile vehicle (250) to a predetermined charging spot, and then, it is placed on the charging spot and its input terminal is connected to a power terminal provided at the charging spot to receive power, thereby performing the charging function.

[0037] Here, the rail on which the moving means (250) moves can be arranged so that there is no physical interference between the electric vehicle charger installed at the charging spot and the moving means moving another electric vehicle charger.

[0038] Due to this, the means of transportation (250) has the advantage of being able to move to another charging spot by jumping over another charging spot even if another electric vehicle charger is already connected and fixed on one charging spot when moving an electric vehicle charger, so that all mobile electric vehicle chargers can be moved to a desired location and charged freely.

[0039] According to this structure, in the case of the rail-mounted mobile electric vehicle charging system of FIG. 2, when a charging request is received from a specific charging spot and there are no remaining electric vehicle chargers and there is an electric vehicle charger that has completed charging but has the charging plug plugged into the electric vehicle, when the person requesting the charging disconnects the charging plug from the electric vehicle, the disconnected electric vehicle charger is moved to the specific charging spot via a mobile device to proceed with charging. This means that an electric vehicle that has completed charging does not need to be moved to another space.

[0040] That is, in the case of the rail-mounted electric vehicle charging system of Fig. 2, there is an advantage in that it creates an environment in which others can unplug the charging plug even after charging is complete, so that the user can charge another electric vehicle without having to immediately remove the vehicle.

[0041] However, although these rail-mounted charging systems are said to be improved over conventional charging systems, the inconvenience of having to have the car owner or someone else come and unplug the charging plug when charging is complete remains.

[0042] Meanwhile, in recent electric vehicle charging systems, in addition to the convenience of charging efficiency as mentioned above, research is being conducted on methods to more quickly and effectively extinguish fires that occur during electric vehicle charging.

[0043] Currently, the only known method of completely extinguishing a fire is to submerge the burning electric vehicle in a tank. Similarly, submerging an electric vehicle requires either removing it from the parking lot and transferring it to the tank, or constructing a portable tank in the parking lot and covering it. However, this may not be possible if the charging plug is still plugged into the vehicle.

[0044] For example, in the case of a fire occurring in the electric vehicle charging system illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, there is great difficulty in removing the electric vehicle in question or covering it with a mobile water tank or mobile suffocating fire blanket, as the user must directly unplug the charging plug.

[0045] Accordingly, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention proposes a charging plug that supports an auto-eject function that automatically pulls out the plug when a fire occurs during charging or when charging is finished, without the user or another person having to directly pull out the charging plug.

[0046] Fig. 3 is a drawing illustrating the external appearance of a charging plug according to the present invention. Fig. 3 (a) illustrates the formation of a conventional charging plug, and Fig. 3 (b) illustrates the shape of a charging plug according to the present invention.

[0047] Meanwhile, FIG. 3 illustrates that the charging plug (300) according to the present invention is configured based on the American-European 'combo' method, which is one of the unified standards, and thus has a form in which both AC slow charging and DC rapid charging are possible with a single charging plug, but the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0048] For example, the charging plug (300) according to the present invention can be applied not only to the American / European 'Combo (TYPE1)' method, but also to the Japanese 'CHAdeMO' method or the Renault 'AC 3-phase' method.

[0049] Referring to (a) and (b) of FIG. 3, the charging plug (300) according to the present invention can be implemented basically by including a charging plug body (310), a charging connector (320), a charging cable (330), and a locking means (340), similar to the conventional charging plug (112).

[0050] The charging plug body (310) serves as a kind of housing to accommodate and protect the charging connector (320), charging cable (330), and locking means (340).

[0051] The charging plug body (310) may preferably be formed in a gun shape to facilitate fastening of the charging plug (300) to the charging inlet formed in the electric vehicle.

[0052] Meanwhile, in the present invention, the charging plug (300) can be applied to the rail-mounted electric vehicle charging system illustrated in FIG. 2. Here, the electric vehicle charger is movably installed on the ceiling of a parking space, and accordingly, the charging plug body according to the present invention can be implemented in a shape in which the handle of the charging plug body bends upward, unlike a conventional charging plug, as illustrated in FIG. 4. This has the effect of allowing the user to naturally connect the charging plug (300) coming down from the ceiling to the electric vehicle charging inlet without twisting or bending.

[0053] The charging connector (320) is a portion for detachably connecting with the charging inlet of an electric vehicle, and is formed by including a plurality of terminals (AC terminal: 322, DC terminal: 324) protruding from the charging plug body (310) on one side of the inside of the charging plug body (310).

[0054] The plurality of terminals are electrically connected to an external power source through a charging cable (330) at one end, and are electrically connected to a charging inlet of an electric vehicle at the other end. The plurality of terminals may be implemented in a form having a 7-pin combo structure when the charging plug (300) is implemented in the American / European 'combo (TYPE 1)' method as shown in FIG. 3, and when implemented according to another standard method, they may be manufactured in a form having various specifications such as an AC 5-pin structure, an AC 7-pin structure, a DC 5-pin combo structure, and a CHAdeMO structure.

[0055] The charging cable (330) electrically connects the mobile electric vehicle charger body and the charging plug (300) to charge the electric vehicle's battery.

[0056] The charging cable (330) is inserted through the inner side of the charging plug body (310) and connected to the charging connector (320), and provides charging current supplied from the mobile electric vehicle charger.

[0057] The charging cable (330) may include an electric line (including for DC and AC) and a communication line.

[0058] In the rail-mounted electric vehicle charging system of Fig. 2, the charging cable (330) may be implemented in a manual manner in which it is manually released by the user, or in an automatic manner in which it is automatically released by a separately provided driving unit.

[0059] In the case of the manual method, the user of the electric vehicle can charge the electric vehicle (120) by pulling the charging cable (330) wound around the electric vehicle charger to bring the charging gun closer to the inlet position of the electric vehicle and connecting it to the inlet of the electric vehicle.

[0060] In the case of an automatic method, the charging cable (330) may be implemented in a manner in which it is automatically released and lowered by a separately provided driving unit. In this case, it is preferable that the charging cable be automatically lowered to the vehicle height of the electric vehicle and then operated manually by the user.

[0061] Likewise, the charging cable (330) may be implemented to automatically roll up when the charging plug (300) is disconnected from the charging inlet of the electric vehicle, and details thereof will be described later in FIG. 9.

[0062] The locking means (340) performs a function to prevent the charging connector (320) from being detached from the charging inlet when the charging connector (320) is coupled to the charging inlet. Meanwhile, in the following description of the locking means (340), it is exemplified that the locking means (340) is provided on the charger plug body, but it is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, in another embodiment, the locking means may be provided on the charging inlet, and in this case, the basic operating principle and shape of the locking means may be the same as or similar to the case where the locking means described below is provided inside the charging plug. In this case, the locking means may preferably be released under the control of an electric vehicle controller provided in the electric vehicle.

[0063] The locking means (340) is formed in a bar shape and can be implemented in a form that elastically engages with a catch groove provided on the charging inlet. To this end, the locking means (340) is formed with a catch protrusion protruding from an end positioned adjacent to the protruding position of the charging connector (320).

[0064] In the present invention, the locking means (340) may be configured so that when the charging connector (320) is connected to the charging inlet, the inner surface (ex: catching projection, 342) facing the charging inlet is formed to be inclined so as to facilitate connection with the locking means (ex: catching groove) provided on the charging inlet.

[0065] Meanwhile, a button (350) for manually controlling the operation of the locking means (340) may be provided on the charging plug body (310). This button (350) can be manually operated by a user to release the locking means (340) when the release means (400) is broken.

[0066] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating the internal structure of a charging plug for supporting an auto-eject function according to the present invention. Hereinafter, in explaining the internal structure of the charging plug according to the present invention, the external shape of the charging plug (300) illustrated in FIG. 4 is described as a basic form, but it is not necessarily limited thereto, and even if the external shape of the charging plug (300) is implemented as in FIG. 3, it may have the same internal structure.

[0067] The charging plug (300) according to the present invention is provided with a release means (400) for releasing a locking means (340) inside the charging plug body (310), a separation means (410) for separating a charging connector (320) from a charging inlet, and a controller (420) for controlling the operation of a device included in the charging plug (300), thereby supporting an auto-eject function for automatically removing the plug.

[0068] Meanwhile, in the process of explaining the internal structure of the charging plug, the controller (420) is exemplified as being included within the charging plug, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the controller (420) may be included within the body of an electric vehicle charger. In this case, various devices included within the charging plug may receive control commands for operation through communication with the controller (420).

[0069] The release means (400) is the first means for supporting the auto-eject function, and performs the function of releasing the locking means (340) engaged in the engaging groove on the charging inlet before automatically separating the charging connector (320) from the charging inlet.

[0070] The release means (400) according to the present invention may be configured to include a magnetic body attached to the opposite side of a button (350) for manually releasing the locking means (340), and an electromagnet (402) corresponding to the magnetic body. Here, the electromagnet (402) may have, for example, a plurality of conductor coils built in, and generate magnetic force by applying voltage to both ends of the conductor coils.

[0071] Accordingly, the release means (400) can be implemented to unlock by pulling the button (350) by the magnetic force generated from the electromagnet (402). That is, the release means (400) can release the locking means (340) by pulling the button (350) by the magnetic force generated from the electromagnet (420), thereby causing the button (350) to operate as if it were being manually pressed by a human hand.

[0072] In this regard, a support (404) for supporting an electromagnet (402) and a locking means (340) may be installed inside the charging plug body (310) in conjunction with the locking means (340), and a support means (406) that serves as a fulcrum so that the locking means (340) can be pulled in a lever manner according to the operation of the button (350) by the electromagnet (420).

[0073] Meanwhile, the release means (400) selectively applies voltage to the electromagnet (402) when the electric vehicle charging is completed or when a fire occurs during the electric vehicle charging, depending on the operation of the controller (420). At this time, the controller (420) can recognize whether the electric vehicle charging is completed through communication with the remote server device (270) or the electric vehicle charger (200) within the rail-mounted electric vehicle charging system, and can recognize whether a fire has occurred through the overheat detection means (500) described below.

[0074] The separation means (410) is a second means for supporting the auto-eject function, and performs the function of separating the charging connector (320) connected to the charging inlet in a state in which the locking means (340) is released through the release means (400).

[0075] The separation means (410) according to the present invention includes at least one piston-shaped push pin (412) that protrudes in the direction of the position of the charging inlet, and when charging of the electric vehicle is completed, the push pin (412) can be implemented so that it moves forward in the direction of the position of the charging inlet to push the charging inlet and separate the charging connector (320) connected to the charging inlet.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 5, the separation means (410) includes a spring (413) that is formed to protrude in the direction of the position of the charging inlet from the charging plug body, and the spring (413) is compressed when the charging connector is coupled to the charging inlet, and when the locking means (340) is released, it expands to push out and separate the charging inlet.

[0077] The spring (413) may be implemented in a form connected to the push pin (412). More specifically, it may be implemented in a structure in which a cylindrical hole (411) is made in the charging gun plug body (310), a cylindrical spring (413) is inserted into the cylindrical hole (411), and the push pin (412) is inserted. In this structure, the push pin (412) normally exists in a protruding state due to the expansion of the spring (413), and when the charging plug is connected, it goes in toward the charging plug body, and the spring (413) is in a compressed state, and when the locking means (340) is released, the spring (413) expands to push out the charging inlet so that it can be separated.

[0078] Meanwhile, in the present invention, the spring (413) may be configured as a multi-stage spring. For example, the spring (413) may be configured as one or more springs connected to the push pin (412), thereby allowing the pressure to gradually increase depending on the depth to which the charging plug is engaged.

[0079] FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating the internal structure and operation of a charging plug having an auto-eject function according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] Meanwhile, a charging plug with an auto-eject function according to another embodiment of the present invention has a difference in the configuration for driving the separation means (410).

[0081] More specifically, the separating means (410) includes a driving means composed of a rack-and-pinion and a motor (416), and can advance the push pin (412) toward the position of the charging inlet through the driving means. Here, the rack-and-pinion is a linear actuator type composed of a linear gear (rack, 414) that operates to convert a rotational motion into a linear motion and a circular gear (pinion, 415) that meshes with the linear gear (rack) 414, and when the pinion is rotated through the motor (416), the rack is linearly driven, and the rack is linearly driven and the pinion is driven to rotate. At this time, a guide means (418) for guiding the path of the push pin (412) that advances by the driving means as described above may be included inside the charging plug body (310).

[0082] At this time, the driving means for operating the separation means (410) may receive driving power for driving from the electric vehicle charger body. For example, a separate cable may be additionally connected from the electric vehicle charger body to the charging plug to provide driving power to the driving means.

[0083] In another embodiment, the driving means may be provided with the output voltage of the charging plug as a driving power source for driving.

[0084] Meanwhile, a driving means included in the separation means (410), for example, a motor (416), may include a deceleration means (not shown) connected to the driving means to reduce the rotation speed, and in this case, the deceleration means can be used to control the moving speed of the push pin (412) moving forward in the direction of the position of the charging inlet, thereby preventing damage from occurring due to a strong collision when the push pin (412) moves forward and comes into contact with the charging inlet.

[0085] In addition, the charging plug may include a position sensor (419) arranged adjacent to the separation means and configured to determine the current position of the push pin according to the operation of the driving means. In the case of the position sensor (419), it is possible to determine whether the push pin (412) is completely removed or completely retracted according to the operation of the driving means, thereby enabling more precise control of the driving means.

[0086] In the structure as above, the separation means (410) drives the driving means when charging of the electric vehicle is completed or when a fire occurs during charging of the electric vehicle according to the operation of the controller (420). Preferably, the controller (420) can give a control command to the release means (400) first, and then give a control command to the separation means (410) after a certain period of time has elapsed.

[0087] In this way, in the case of the operation of the release means (400) and the separation means (410) according to the present invention, an auto-eject function can be implemented that allows the charging plug to be automatically removed when a fire occurs during charging or when charging is terminated. This has the effect of enabling the rapid transport of the electric vehicle in which a fire has occurred by automatically separating the charging plug from the electric vehicle in which a fire has occurred during charging, thereby enabling the rapid extinguishment of the fire.

[0088] In addition, in the case of the rail mobile charging system, the convenience of charging can be maximized by providing an environment in which the electric vehicle charger that has completed charging can be naturally moved to another charging location and recharged without the vehicle owner or others having to directly unplug the charging plug.

[0089] Meanwhile, in the process of explaining the internal structure of the charging plug according to the present invention, it was exemplified that a release means for releasing the locking means and a separation means for separating the charging connector from the charging inlet are included inside the charging plug, but this is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, in another embodiment, at least one of the release means and the separation means may be provided on the charging inlet, and in this case, the charging plug may be implemented so that the plug is automatically pulled out when necessary using the corresponding means. Here, the basic operating principles and shapes of the release means and the separation means may be the same as or similar to those when the corresponding means are provided inside the charging plug.

[0090] Likewise, in this case, the controller (420) may preferably be installed on the electric vehicle, and, similar to the case where the controller is installed on the charging plug, the controller may operate to automatically separate the charging gun by operating the release means and the separation means when charging of the electric vehicle is completed or when a fire occurs during charging of the electric vehicle. To this end, a detection sensor may be installed on the electric vehicle to detect the completion of charging of the electric vehicle or the occurrence of a fire during charging of the electric vehicle.

[0091] As illustrated in (a) of Fig. 7, an overheat detection means (500) may be provided on the charging plug according to the present invention. Preferably, the overheat detection means (500) may be provided on a plurality of terminals within the charging connector.

[0092] In the case of the present invention, when the temperature of the charging connector rises above a certain value through the overheat detection means (500), it is determined that there is a risk of fire, and the auto eject function is controlled to be executed by sequentially controlling the release means and the separation means through the controller.

[0093] In another embodiment, the overheat detection means (500) may be provided on the inner wall surface of the charging plug body (310), as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 7. In this case, the temperature of the charging plug body (310) is measured through the overheat detection means (500), and if the measured temperature rises above a certain value, it is determined that there is a fire risk, and the release means and the separation means are sequentially controlled through the controller to control the auto-eject function to be executed.

[0094] In another embodiment, the controller controls the auto-eject function to be executed by automatically pulling out the plug by issuing a command to the release means and the separation means when a fire is detected from an external (e.g., electric vehicle) fire detection means.

[0095] Meanwhile, if the charging connector is automatically separated from the charging inlet by the auto-eject function of the charging plug (300) as described above, the charging plug may collide with a nearby vehicle or object during separation, causing damage or breakage. This can be a bigger problem in that it can even result in casualties if there are people around the electric vehicle.

[0096] In order to compensate for the above problem, the charging plug (300) according to the present invention is provided with a damage prevention cover (600) made of a cushion material that surrounds the charging plug body, thereby preventing damage and breakage of the charging plug due to collision with a nearby vehicle or object when the charging connector is separated from the charging inlet.

[0097] For example, referring to FIG. 8, in the present invention, the damage prevention cover (600) may preferably be configured flexibly by having a wrinkled exterior. More specifically, according to the structure described above, when the charging connector is coupled to the charging inlet, the damage prevention cover (600) may be partially rolled up by external pressure as shown in FIG. 9 (a), and when separated, it may be implemented in a form that unfolds again to completely enclose the charging plug (300) as shown in FIG. 9 (b).

[0098] In a case of this structure, the damage prevention cover (600) has the effect of protecting external objects from the charging plug without interfering with the connection between the charging inlet and the charging connector.

[0099] Meanwhile, although not illustrated in FIG. 8, a soft cushioning means may also be provided on the charging cable (330) connected to the charging plug according to the present invention. Similarly, the cushioning means has the effect of preventing damage or breakage to nearby vehicles or objects due to the hard charging cable when the charging connector is separated from the charging inlet.

[0100] FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining the reel winding process of a charging plug according to the present invention. Meanwhile, (a), (b), and (c) of FIG. 9 are drawings showing the state of a charging plug during charging of an electric vehicle in a rail-mounted electric vehicle charging system, and upon completion of charging.

[0101] First, looking at (a) of FIG. 9, in the case of the present invention, when the electric vehicle charger is moved to the parking position of the electric vehicle, the user pulls the charging cable wound on the electric vehicle charger to move the charging plug (300) closer to the inlet position of the electric vehicle, and connects it to the inlet of the electric vehicle, thereby charging the electric vehicle (120).

[0102] Afterwards, looking at (b) of Fig. 9, when charging of the electric vehicle is completed or a fire occurs during charging of the electric vehicle, the connection between the charging plug and the charging inlet is automatically released according to the auto plug-out function without the vehicle owner or another person having to directly pull out the charging plug.

[0103] Finally, referring to Fig. 9 (c), the charging cable (330) is implemented so that the charging plug is separated from the charging inlet and automatically rises, and in addition, the charging plug is also wound up together with the electric vehicle charger. This has the effect of enabling the electric vehicle charger, which has completed charging in a rail-mounted electric vehicle charging system, to naturally move to another charging location and begin charging again. In addition, in the event of an electric vehicle fire, the charging plug coupled to the electric vehicle charging inlet is automatically separated, thereby enabling the work to extinguish the electric vehicle fire to proceed quickly.

[0104] As described above, the present specification and drawings have disclosed embodiments of the present invention. Although specific terms have been used, they are used in a general sense only to easily explain the technical content of the present invention and to aid understanding of the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modifications based on the technical concept of the present invention are possible in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0105]

[0106] [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 110, 200: Electric vehicle charger 111, 330: Charging cable

[0108] 112, 300: Charging plug 120: Electric vehicle

[0109] 210: Charging spot 220: Power terminal

[0110] 230: AC / DC converter 232: connecting means

[0111] 240: Fixed fixture 242: Rail

[0112] 250: Transportation 280: Energy storage device

[0113] 310: Charging plug body 320: Charging connector

[0114] 322: AC terminal 324: DC terminal

[0115] 340: Locking means 342: Hook

[0116] 350: Button

[0117] 400: Release means 402: Electromagnet

[0118] 404: Support 406: Supporting means

[0119] 410: Separating means 411: Cylindrical hole

[0120] 412: Millpin 413: Spring

[0121] 414: Rack 415: Pinion

[0122] 416: Motor 418: Guide means

[0123] 419: Position sensor 420: Controller

[0124] 500: Overheat detection means 600: Breakage prevention cover

Claims

1. For the charging plug of the electric vehicle charger, Charging plug body; A charging connector formed by including a plurality of terminals formed by protruding from the charging plug body on one side of the charging plug body and detachably coupled to a charging inlet of an electric vehicle; It is connected to the above charging connector and comprises a charging cable that provides charging current supplied from the electric vehicle charger. A locking means for preventing the detachment of the charging connector when the charging connector is coupled to the charging inlet is provided in either the charging inlet of the electric vehicle or the charging plug body. A charging plug having an auto-eject function, characterized in that the plug is automatically pulled out when necessary using a release means for releasing the locking means and a separation means for separating the charging connector from the charging inlet.

2. In paragraph 1, The above locking means and the above releasing means are provided inside the charger plug body, A charging plug with an auto-eject function, characterized in that the release means is configured to include a magnetic body attached to the opposite side of a button that releases the locking means by manually pressing the locking means and an electromagnet corresponding to the magnetic body, and is implemented to release the lock by pulling the button by a magnetic force generated from the electromagnet.

3. In paragraph 1, The above locking means is provided in the charging inlet of the electric vehicle, A charging plug with an auto-eject function, characterized in that when a fire occurs or charging is terminated, the electric vehicle controller controls the release means to release the locking means.

4. In paragraph 1, The above separation means is provided inside the charger plug body, A charging plug having an auto-eject function, characterized in that it includes at least one piston-shaped push pin protruding in the direction of the position of the charging inlet from the charging plug body, and the push pin is implemented such that it moves forward in the direction of the position of the charging inlet to push the charging inlet and the charging connector fastened to the charging inlet is separated.

5. In paragraph 4, The above separation means A charging plug having an auto-eject function, comprising a driving means including a rack-and-pinion and a motor connected to the above-mentioned push pin, characterized in that the driving means is used to advance the push pin toward the position of the charging inlet.

6. In paragraph 5, The above driving means A charging plug having an auto-eject function, characterized in that the driving power for driving the driving means is provided from the output voltage of the electric vehicle charger or the charging plug.

7. In paragraph 4, The above-mentioned pin is configured to include a spring provided in the above-mentioned charging plug body. In normal times, the above-mentioned pin exists in a protruding state due to the expansion of the above-mentioned spring, and when the above-mentioned charging plug is connected, it goes in toward the above-mentioned charging plug body. A charging plug with an auto-eject function, wherein the spring is compressed and when the locking means is released, the spring expands to push out and separate the charging inlet.

8. In paragraph 1, The above charging plug body A charging plug with an auto-eject function, characterized in that a damage prevention cover made of a cushion material is provided to cover the charging plug body to prevent damage and breakage of the charging plug due to collision with an adjacent vehicle or object when the charging connector is separated from the charging inlet.

9. In paragraph 8, The above breakage prevention cover A charging plug having an auto-eject function, characterized in that the exterior is formed in a wrinkled shape, and when the charging connector is coupled to the charging inlet, it is pushed by external pressure and when it is separated, it unfolds again to completely wrap the charging plug.

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