Lid freeze prevention mechanism

Abstract

This lid freeze prevention mechanism comprises a recessed portion (14) inside which a charging port is disposed, and a lid (16) for opening and closing an opening (1410) of the recessed portion (14), and is provided with a heater (18) that heats an opening outer peripheral portion (56) of an outer panel (12) surrounding the opening (1410) on the outside of the opening (1410) by passing electricity to the opening outer peripheral portion (56), the passage of electricity to the heater (18) being controlled by a heat generation control unit (42). In the event that an outer surface (1602B) of the lid (16) and an outer surface (1202) of the outer panel (12) are covered with a layer of ice and the lid (16) is frozen, the temperature of the opening outer peripheral portion (56) is raised by the heat generated by the heater (18), thereby allowing the layer of ice to be reliably melted, which is advantageous in terms of reliably unfreezing the lid (16) in a low-temperature environment.

Description

Lid anti-freeze mechanism

[0001] The present invention relates to a lid anti-freeze mechanism.

[0002] Electric vehicles powered solely by a motor, or motor-driven vehicles such as plug-in hybrid vehicles capable of external charging or power supply, are equipped with a power supply port for charging the battery. Vehicles powered by an internal combustion engine are equipped with a fuel filler port for filling with fossil fuels. The power filler port and fuel filler port are located inside recesses formed in the exterior panels of the vehicle body, and the opening of the recess is opened and closed by a lid. In such vehicles, freezing of moisture between the edge of the lid and the edge of the opening during snowfall or rainfall in a low-temperature environment can make it difficult to open and close the lid. To address this issue, a lid anti-freeze mechanism has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). The mechanism includes a heater that heats at least one of the edge of the opening or the edge of the lid, thereby removing the freezing between the edge of the lid and the edge of the opening, thereby enabling the lid to be opened and closed.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 6417861

[0004] However, in low-temperature environments, for example, even at temperatures below 0°C, supercooled rain (freezing rain) that is not frozen may freeze onto the vehicle body, forming an ice layer (known as "freezing rain"). In this case, a wide layer of ice forms on the outer surface of the lid and the outer surface of the exterior panel surrounding the opening, covering the lid and the exterior panel. In this case, while the heating method using the heater in the above-mentioned prior art can defrost the area between the edge of the lid and the edge of the opening, it is difficult to melt the layer of ice that covers the lid and the exterior panel widely, raising concerns that the lid may become unable to be opened or closed. Therefore, some kind of improvement is needed. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a lid anti-freeze mechanism that is advantageous for reliably defrosting the lid in low-temperature environments.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, one embodiment of the present invention is a lid anti-freeze mechanism including: a recess formed in an outer plate constituting a vehicle body and having at least one of a fuel filler port or a charging port disposed therein; and a lid that opens and closes an opening of the recess, the mechanism comprising: a heater disposed on an outer periphery of the outer plate surrounding the opening on the outside of the opening and configured to heat the opening outer periphery when energized; and a heat generation controller that controls energization of the heater. Also, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a central axis of the opening intersects with a vertical direction, the heaters include a first heater disposed above the opening outer periphery located above the opening, and a second heater disposed separately from the first heater and below the opening outer periphery located below the opening, the heat generation controller independently controlling energization of the first heater and the second heater. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention further includes an outside air temperature detection unit that detects the outside air temperature and a lower temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the lower part of the outer periphery of the opening where the second heater is provided, and the heat generation control unit turns on the first heater when the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection unit is below a first predetermined temperature at which the lid is expected to freeze, turns on the second heater when the temperature of the lower part of the outer periphery of the opening detected by the lower temperature detection unit is below the first predetermined temperature or below a second predetermined temperature that is lower than the first predetermined temperature, and stops turning on the first heater and the second heater when the first heater and the second heater are turned on and the temperature of the lower part of the outer periphery of the opening detected by the lower temperature detection unit is above a third predetermined temperature at which the lid is expected to unfreeze.In addition, one embodiment of the present invention further includes an outside air temperature detection unit that detects the outside air temperature, and a lower temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the lower part of the outer periphery of the opening where the second heater is provided, and the heat generation control unit turns on the first heater when the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection unit is below a first predetermined temperature at which the lid is expected to freeze, turns on the first heater and the second heater when the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection unit is below a second predetermined temperature that is even lower than the first predetermined temperature, and stops turning on the first heater and the second heater when the first heater and the second heater are turned on and the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection unit is above a third predetermined temperature at which the lid is expected to unfreeze. In one embodiment of the present invention, the heat generation control unit stops the power supply to the first heater and the second heater when the first heater and the second heater are energized and the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection unit is higher than the first predetermined temperature and is equal to or higher than a fourth predetermined temperature at which the lid is expected to be unfrozen. In another embodiment of the present invention, the heater temperature when the first heater is energized is higher than the heater temperature when the second heater is energized.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle includes a recess in which a charging port is disposed, a lid that opens and closes the opening of the recess, a heater that heats the outer periphery of the opening by passing current through the outer periphery of the opening of an outer plate that surrounds the opening, and a heat generation control unit that controls the passage of current through the heater. Therefore, even if the outer surface of the lid and the outer surface of the outer plate are covered with a layer of ice and the lid freezes, the heat generated by the heater can increase the temperature of the outer periphery of the opening, reliably melting the ice layer, which is advantageous for reliably unfreezing the lid in a low-temperature environment. Furthermore, if a first heater is provided above the outer periphery of the opening located above the opening, and a second heater is provided separately from the first heater and below the outer periphery of the opening located below the opening, and the heat generation control unit independently controls the power supply to the first heater and the second heater, the first heater is energized before the second heater, and the ice on the lower periphery of the opening can be melted by using the water from the ice on the upper periphery of the opening melted by the first heater, which is advantageous in saving power by reducing the power supply to the second heater. Furthermore, if an outside air temperature detection unit and a lower temperature detection unit are provided, the heat generation control unit can accurately start the power supply to the first heater based on the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection unit, accurately start the power supply to the second heater based on the temperature of the lower periphery of the opening detected by the lower temperature detection unit, and accurately stop the power supply to the first and second heaters, which is advantageous in reliably defrosting the lid while saving power to the first and second heaters. Furthermore, providing an outside air temperature detection unit and a lower temperature detection unit is advantageous in that the heat generation control unit can accurately start and stop the power supply to the first and second heaters based on the outside air temperature and accurately stop the power supply to the first and second heaters based on the temperature of the lower outer periphery of the opening detected by the lower temperature detection unit, which is more advantageous in saving power consumed by the first and second heaters. Furthermore, if the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection unit is higher than the first predetermined temperature T1 and is equal to or higher than the fourth predetermined temperature T4 at which the lid is expected to be unfrozen, the heat generation control unit can stop the power supply to the first and second heaters, which can utilize the high outside air temperature to unfroze the lid, which is advantageous in reducing power consumption by the first and second heaters.Furthermore, if the heat generation control unit is configured to make the heater temperature of the first heater higher when powered than the heater temperature of the second heater when powered, the water from the ice on the upper periphery of the opening that has been melted by the first heater can be used to efficiently melt the ice on the lower periphery of the opening, which is advantageous in reducing the power consumption of the second heater.

[0007] Fig. 1 is a side view of a lid anti-freeze mechanism according to a first embodiment, as seen from the vehicle width direction. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lid anti-freeze mechanism of Fig. 1 taken along a plane perpendicular to the vehicle longitudinal direction. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system for the lid anti-freeze mechanism according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is an operation flowchart of the lid anti-freeze mechanism according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is an operation flowchart of the lid anti-freeze mechanism according to the second embodiment. Fig. 6 is an operation flowchart of the lid anti-freeze mechanism according to the third embodiment. Fig. 7 is an operation flowchart of the lid anti-freeze mechanism according to the fourth embodiment.

[0008] First Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a lid anti-freeze mechanism of the present invention is described for a vehicle equipped with a charging port, such as an electric vehicle powered only by a motor, or a plug-in hybrid vehicle capable of external charging or external power supply.

[0009] As shown in FIG. 1, the lid anti-freeze mechanism of this embodiment is configured to include a recess 14, a lid 16, a heater 18, and, as shown in FIG. 3, an outside air temperature detection unit 24, a lower temperature detection unit 26, an operation switch 28, a power source 30, a control device 40, etc.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1 , the recess 14 is formed in an outer panel 12 that constitutes the vehicle body 10. In this embodiment, the recess 14 is formed in a portion of the outer panel 12 that constitutes one side surface of the vehicle body 10 in the vehicle width direction. The recess 14 may be provided in the front or rear of the vehicle body 10, and the location of the recess 14 is not limited. The recess 14 includes a bottom wall 1402 that is elongated in the vehicle longitudinal direction and a peripheral wall 1404 that rises from the periphery of the bottom wall 1402 and connects to the outer panel 12. In this embodiment, when viewed in the vehicle width direction, the opening 1410 of the recess 14 has an elliptical shape that is elongated in the vehicle longitudinal direction and faces outward in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the central axis of the opening 1410 intersects with the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 2 , a lid accommodating recess 58 is provided around the entire periphery of the opening 1410 at the end of the peripheral wall 1404 on the opening 1410 side, and an annular seal member 44 is provided around the entire periphery of an intermediate bottom wall 5802 of the lid accommodating recess 58.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, first and second charging ports 46 and 48 are provided on bottom wall 1402 inside recess 14, aligned in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. First charging port 46 is connected to a normal charging gun for normal charging, and second charging port 48 is connected to a rapid charging gun for rapid charging. Waterproof and dustproof connector caps 50 and 52 are provided on first and second charging ports 46 and 48, respectively, via hinges so that they can be opened and closed.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1 , the lid 16 opens and closes the opening 1410 of the recess 14 and includes a lid main body 1602 having an oval shape with the same contour as the opening 1410. If the surface of the lid main body 1602 facing the recess 14 is defined as an inner surface 1602A and the opposite surface is defined as an outer surface 1602B, a lid edge portion 1604 is provided that rises from the outer peripheral edge of the lid main body 1602 toward the inner surface 1602A of the lid main body 1602. In this embodiment, the lid 16 is connected to the peripheral wall 1404 of the recess 14 located at the front of the vehicle via a hinge 54 at a location near one longitudinal end of the lid main body 1602. The lid 16 is provided so as to be swingable about the rotation axis of the hinge 54 extending in the vertical direction between an open position shown in FIG. 1 in which the opening 1410 is opened and a closed position shown in FIG. 2 in which the opening 1410 is closed. An upright piece 1610 is provided that stands up from a portion of the inner surface 1602A of the lid body 1602 located inside the lid edge portion 1604 and opposite the hinge 54. This upright piece 1610 is provided with a locking hole 1612 that engages with and disengages a locking claw 1420 provided on the peripheral wall 1404, and engagement of the locking claw 1420 with the locking hole 1612 locks the lid 16 in a closed position that closes the opening 1410. Note that when the lid 16 is locked, a release mechanism (not shown) is provided in the recess 14 that releases the lock by pushing the portion of the lid 16 opposite the hinge 54 toward the recess 14, allowing the lid 16 to swing slightly toward the open position, thereby enabling the lid 16 to swing to the open position. As shown in Fig. 1, if the portion of the outer plate 12 surrounding the opening 1410 on the outside is defined as the opening periphery 1202 of the outer plate 12, then, when the lid 16 is in the closed position with the lid 16 accommodated in the lid accommodating recess 58, the outer surface 1602B of the lid main body 1602 and the opening periphery 56 extend on approximately the same plane as each other. Also, as shown in Fig. 2, when the lid 16 is in the closed position, the lid edge 1604 abuts the sealing member 44 without any gaps, thereby sealing the lid 16 and the recess 14 and providing dustproofing and waterproofing to the first charging port 46 and the second charging port 48 inside the recess 14.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the heater 18 is disposed in the opening outer periphery 56 of the outer panel 12 and heats the opening outer periphery 56 by being energized. In this embodiment, the heater 18 includes a first heater 20 and a second heater 22. The first heater 20 is disposed in an upper portion of the opening outer periphery 56 located above the opening 1410, and is provided in a band-like region of approximately uniform width extending along the contour of the upper half of the opening 1410. The second heater 22 is disposed separately from the first heater 20 and is disposed in a lower portion of the opening outer periphery 56 located below the opening 1410, and is provided in a band-like region of approximately uniform width extending along the contour of the lower half of the opening 1410. As shown in FIG. 2 , the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 are disposed at the edge of the opening 1410, in other words, at locations away from the seal member 44, thereby protecting the seal member 44 from heat generated by the first heater 20 and the second heater 22. The first and second heaters 20, 22 may be provided on the outer surface 1202 side of the outer plate 12, but providing the first and second heaters 20, 22 on the inner surface 1204 side of the outer plate 12 as shown in Fig. 2 is advantageous in terms of protecting the first and second heaters 20, 22 from sunlight, precipitation, and snow. As the first and second heaters 20, 22, various conventionally known heating elements that generate heat when electricity is passed through them can be used, such as an insulating coated electric heating wire bent in a zigzag pattern or a sheet heater (planar heating element).

[0014] Next, the configuration of the control system will be described with reference to Figure 3. The outside air temperature detection unit 24 detects the outside air temperature and supplies the detected outside air temperature to the control device 40. The outside air temperature detection unit 24 is provided at an appropriate location on the vehicle body 10, such as near the front bumper (not shown). Various conventionally known temperature sensors, such as a thermistor, can be used as the outside air temperature detection unit 24.

[0015] The lower temperature detection unit 26 detects the temperature of the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56 and supplies the lower temperature to the control device 40. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the lower temperature detection unit 26 is attached by overlapping it on the surface of the second heater 22 located opposite the outer plate 12, but the lower temperature detection unit 26 only needs to be able to detect the temperature of the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56, and may be attached to any location below the opening outer periphery 56 near the second heater 22. As with the outside air temperature detection unit 24, various conventionally known temperature sensors such as a thermistor can be used as the lower temperature detection unit 26.

[0016] The operation switch 28 is a switch that the user turns on to activate the lid anti-freeze mechanism when freezing of the lid 16 is expected, such as during snowfall or rainfall in a low-temperature environment, and is provided in an appropriate location, such as on the dash panel, inside the vehicle. In the following description, "freezing of the lid 16" refers to a state in which a layer of ice forms on the outer surface 1602B of the lid 16 (lid body 1602) and the outer surface 1202 of the outer panel 12 around the opening 1410, covering the lid 16 and the outer panel 12, making it difficult to open or close the lid 16. The power source 30 supplies power to the first and second heaters 20 and 22 to energize them and generate heat, and is constituted, for example, by an auxiliary battery mounted on the vehicle.

[0017] The control device 40 includes a ROM for storing and memorizing the control program and the like, a RAM as an operating area for the control program, a storage unit such as an EEPROM for rewritably storing various data, and an interface unit for interfacing with peripheral circuits, etc. The control device 40 is connected to the outside air temperature detection unit 24, the lower temperature detection unit 26, the operation switch 28, the first heater 20, the second heater 22, and the power source 30. The control device 40 executes the control program to function as a heat generation control unit 42 that controls the energization of the heater 18, and in this embodiment, independently controls the energization of the first heater 20 and the second heater 22. More specifically, the heat generation control unit 42 energizes the first heater 20 when the outside air temperature Tout detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24 is equal to or lower than a first predetermined temperature T1 (Tout≦T1) at which the lid 16 is expected to freeze. The heat generation control unit 42 may energize the second heater 22 when the temperature TU of the lower portion of the opening outer periphery 56 detected by the lower temperature detection unit 26 is equal to or lower than a first predetermined temperature T1 (TU≦T1), or may energize the second heater 22 when the temperature TU is equal to or lower than a second predetermined temperature T2 that is lower than the first predetermined temperature T1 (TU≦T2, T2<T1). The heat generation control unit 42 also stops energizing the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 when the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 are energized and the temperature TU of the lower portion of the opening outer periphery 56 detected by the lower temperature detection unit 26 is equal to or higher than a third predetermined temperature T3 (TU≧T3), at which the lid 16 is expected to be unfrozen. The third predetermined temperature T3 is higher than the first predetermined temperature T1 and the second predetermined temperature T2 (T3>T1, T3>T2). In addition, the heat generation control unit 42 may set the heater temperature when the first heater 20 is energized to be the same as the heater temperature when the second heater 22 is energized, or may set the heater temperature when the first heater 20 is energized to be higher than the heater temperature when the second heater 22 is energized.

[0018] Next, the operation of the lid anti-freeze mechanism of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 4. First, when the driver of the vehicle anticipates that the lid 16 will freeze, such as during snowfall or rainfall in a low-temperature environment, the driver turns on the operation switch 28 (step S10). The lid anti-freeze mechanism may be activated while the vehicle is running, stopped, or parked.

[0019] When the operation switch 28 is turned on, the heat generation control unit 42 determines whether the outside air temperature Tout detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24 is equal to or lower than a first predetermined temperature T1 (Tout≦T1), at which the lid 16 is expected to freeze (step S12). The first predetermined temperature T1 is, but is not limited to, a temperature between 0°C and approximately 0°C. If the determination in step S12 is negative, the following processing is skipped and the process ends. If the determination in step S12 is positive, the heat generation control unit 42 energizes the first heater 20 (step S14). As a result, the first heater 20 generates heat, which increases the temperature of the upper portion of the opening periphery 56 located above the opening 1410, and eventually melts the layer of ice that has formed across the upper portion of the opening periphery 56 and the upper portion of the lid 16. The water from the melted ice layer flows downward along the outer surface 1602B of the lid 16 and the opening periphery 56 on both sides of the lid 16, and eventually reaches the lower part of the lid 16 and the lower part of the opening periphery 56. If the temperature TU of the lower part of the opening periphery 56 rises as a result of the melted water reaching the lower part of the lid 16 and the lower part of the opening periphery 56, the ice layer formed across the lower part of the opening periphery 56 and the lower part of the lid 16 will melt.

[0020] Next, the heat generation control unit 42 determines whether the temperature TU of the lower portion of the opening outer periphery 56 detected by the lower temperature detection unit 26 is equal to or lower than a second predetermined temperature T2 that is lower than the first predetermined temperature T1 (TU≦T2, T2<T1) (step S16). Note that in step S16, the heat generation control unit 42 may also determine whether the temperature TU of the lower portion of the opening outer periphery 56 detected by the lower temperature detection unit 26 is equal to or lower than the first predetermined temperature T1 (TU≦T1). If the result of step S16 is negative, the water melted by the heat generated by the first heater 20 reaches the lower portion of the lid 16 and the lower portion of the opening outer periphery 56, causing the temperature TU of the lower portion of the opening outer periphery 56 to rise. This melts the layer of ice formed across the lower portion of the opening outer periphery 56 and the lower portion of the lid 16, thereby unfreezing the lid 16. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S22, where the power supply to the first heater 20 is stopped. If step S16 is positive, it is assumed that the heat generated by the first heater 20 has not sufficiently melted the ice, or that even when the water melted by the heat generated by the first heater 20 reaches the lower part of the lid 16 and the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56, the temperature TU of the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56 is still low, and an ice layer has formed at least over the lower part of the lid 16 and the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56. Therefore, the heat generation control unit 42 energizes the second heater 22 in addition to energizing the first heater 20, and melts the ice layer formed over the lower part of the lid 16 and the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56 by the heat generated by the second heater 22 (step S18).

[0021] Next, the heat generation control unit 42 determines whether, with the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 energized, the temperature TU of the lower portion of the opening outer periphery 56 detected by the lower temperature detection unit 26 is equal to or higher than a third predetermined temperature T3 (TU≧T3), at which the lid 16 is expected to be unfrozen (step S20). If the result in step S20 is negative, it is assumed that the layer of ice formed across the lower portion of the lid 16 and the lower portion of the opening outer periphery 56 has not yet melted, so the process returns to step S20 and continues energizing the first and second heaters 20, 22. If the result in step S20 is positive, it is assumed that the layer of ice formed across the lower portion of the lid 16 and the lower portion of the opening outer periphery 56 has been melted by the heat generated by the second heater 22, and the lid 16 has been unfrozen. Therefore, the process stops energizing the first and second heaters 20, 22 (step S22), and the series of operations ends.

[0022] According to the present embodiment, the vehicle includes a recess 14 in which the first and second charging ports are disposed, and a lid 16 that opens and closes an opening 1410 of the recess 14. The heater 18 is provided outside the opening 1410 and heats the opening periphery 56 of the outer panel 12 that surrounds the opening 1410 by passing current through the opening periphery 56. The heat generation control unit 42 controls the current flow to the heater 18. Therefore, even if the outer surface 1602B of the lid 16 and the outer surface 1202 of the outer panel 12 are covered with a layer of ice and the lid 16 freezes, the heat generated by the heater 18 can raise the temperature of the opening periphery 56, thereby reliably melting the ice layer. This is advantageous for reliably unfreezing the lid 16 in a low-temperature environment. Furthermore, when the heater 18 is provided on the edge of the lid 16 as in the conventional case, a cable for supplying power to the heater 18 must be routed between the vehicle body 10 and the swinging lid 16, which is disadvantageous in that the wiring becomes complicated and requires a lot of effort. In contrast, in the present embodiment, there is no need for cable wiring to the lid 16, which is advantageous in simplifying the wiring and facilitating the work when providing the first and second heaters 20, 22 on the outer periphery 56 of the opening of the outer panel 12. Furthermore, if the heater 18 is provided on the edge of the lid 16 as in the conventional case, there is a concern that the heat of the heater 18 will deteriorate the seal member 44 provided on the edge of the opening 1410. However, in the present embodiment, the first and second heaters 20, 22 are disposed on the edge of the opening 1410, while the first and second heaters 20, 22 are disposed at locations away from the seal member 44, which is advantageous in protecting the seal member 44 from the heat of the heater 18.

[0023] In addition, in this embodiment, the central axis of opening 1410 intersects the vertical direction, heater 18 includes first heater 20 disposed above opening outer periphery 56 located above opening 1410, and second heater 22 disposed separately from first heater 20 below opening outer periphery 56 located below opening 1410, and heat generation control unit 42 independently controls the energization of first heater 20 and second heater 22. Therefore, by energizing first heater 20 before second heater 22, the ice at the bottom of opening outer periphery 56 can be melted by using the water from the ice at the top of opening outer periphery 56 melted by first heater 20, and therefore suppressing the energization of second heater 22 is advantageous in terms of power saving.

[0024] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first heater 20 can be energized accurately based on the outside air temperature Tout detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24, the second heater 22 can be energized accurately based on the temperature TU of the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56 detected by the lower temperature detection unit 26, and the first and second heaters 20, 22 can be energized accurately stopped, which is more advantageous in terms of reliably unfreezing the lid 16 while reducing power consumption of the first and second heaters 20, 22.

[0025] Furthermore, if the heat generation control unit 42 sets the heater temperature of the first heater 20 when energized higher than the heater temperature of the second heater 22 when energized, the ice on the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56 can be efficiently melted by using the water from the ice on the upper part of the opening outer periphery 56 melted by the first heater 20, which is advantageous in reducing the power consumption of the second heater 22. It goes without saying that the above-mentioned effect achieved by setting the heater temperature of the first heater 20 when energized higher than the heater temperature of the second heater 22 when energized is also achieved in the second to fourth embodiments described below.

[0026] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The basic configuration of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. The only difference from the first embodiment is the control of the first and second heaters 20 and 22 by the heat generation control unit 42. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment. The second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and differs from the first embodiment in that the heat generation control unit 42 stops the power supply to the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 when the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 are energized, the outside air temperature Tout detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24 is higher than the first predetermined temperature T1, and the outside air temperature Tout is equal to or higher than a fourth predetermined temperature T4 (Tout≧T4>T1) at which the lid 16 is expected to be unfrozen.

[0027] The following description will be made with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 5. Note that the same steps in FIG. 5 as those in FIG. 4 are assigned the same step numbers, and their description will be omitted. That is, steps S10 to S18 are the same as those in FIG. 4. In step S24, it is determined whether at least one of the following conditions is met: (1) the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 are energized, and the temperature TU of the lower portion of the opening outer periphery 56 detected by the lower temperature detection unit 26 is equal to or higher than a third predetermined temperature T3 at which the lid 16 is expected to be unfrozen (TU≧T3); or (2) the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 are energized, and the outside air temperature Tout detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24 is higher than the first predetermined temperature T1 and equal to or higher than a fourth predetermined temperature T4 at which the lid 16 is expected to be unfrozen (Tout≧T4>T1). If step S24 is negative, i.e., if neither of the above conditions (1) nor (2) is met, it is assumed that the layer of ice formed on the lower portion of the lid 16 and the lower portion of the opening periphery 56 has yet melted, so the process returns to step S24 and the first and second heaters 20, 22 continue to be energized. If step S24 is positive, i.e., if either of the above conditions (1) or (2) is met, that is, if condition (1) (TU≧T3) is met, the heat generated by the second heater 22 has melted the layer of ice formed on the lower portion of the lid 16 and the lower portion of the opening periphery 56. If condition (2) (Tout≧T4>T1) is met, the outside air temperature equal to or higher than the fourth predetermined temperature T4 has melted the layer of ice formed on the lower portion of the lid 16 and the lower portion of the opening periphery 56. Therefore, when either of the above conditions (1) or (2) is met, it is assumed that the layer of ice formed over the lower part of the lid 16 and the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56 melts, and the lid 16 is unfrozen, so the power to the first and second heaters 20, 22 is stopped (step S26), and the series of operations is terminated.

[0028] According to the second embodiment, not only is the same effect as that of the first embodiment achieved, but when the outside air temperature Tout detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24 is higher than the first predetermined temperature T1 and is equal to or higher than the fourth predetermined temperature T4 at which the lid 16 is expected to be unfrozen (Tout≧T4>T1), the power supply to the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 is stopped.This makes it possible to unfreeze the lid 16 by utilizing the high outside air temperature, which is advantageous in reducing the power consumption of the first heater 20 and the second heater 22.

[0029] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6 . The third embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in that the heat generation control unit 42 starts energizing the first and second heaters 20, 22 based on the outside air temperature Tout detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24. That is, the power generation control unit energizes the first heater 20 when the outside air temperature Tout detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24 is equal to or lower than a first predetermined temperature T1 (Tout≦T1) at which the lid 16 is expected to freeze. Furthermore, when the outside air temperature Tout detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24 is equal to or lower than a second predetermined temperature T2 (Tout≦T2, T2<T1), which is lower than the first predetermined temperature T1, the power generation control unit energizes the first heater 20 and the second heater 22. In addition, when the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 are energized and the outside air temperature Tout detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24 is equal to or higher than a third predetermined temperature T3 (Tout≧T3) at which the lid 16 is expected to be unfrozen, the energization of the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 is stopped.

[0030] The following description will be given with reference to the flowchart in Figure 6. First, when the driver of the vehicle turns on the operation switch 28 (step S30), the heat generation control unit 42 determines whether the outside air temperature Tout detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24 is equal to or lower than a first predetermined temperature T1 at which the lid 16 is expected to freeze (step S32). If the determination in step S32 is negative, the following processing is skipped and the process ends. If the determination in step S32 is positive, the heat generation control unit 42 energizes the first heater 20 (step S34). As a result, the first heater 20 generates heat, melting the layer of ice formed across the upper part of the opening outer periphery 56 and the upper part of the lid 16, and the melted water travels along the outer surface 1602B of the lid 16 and the opening outer periphery 56 on both sides of the lid 16, eventually reaching the lower part of the lid 16 and the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56.As a result, when the temperature TU of the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56 rises, the layer of ice formed across the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56 and the lower part of the lid 16 melts, just like in the first and second embodiments.

[0031] Next, the heat generation control unit 42 determines whether the ambient temperature Tout detected by the ambient temperature detection unit 24 is equal to or lower than a second predetermined temperature T2 (Tout≦T2, T2<T1), which is lower than the first predetermined temperature T1 (step S36). If the result of step S36 is negative, the water melted by the heat generated by the first heater 20 reaches the lower part of the lid 16 and the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56, raising the temperature TU of the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56. This melts the layer of ice formed across the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56 and the lower part of the lid 16, thereby unfreezing the lid 16. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S42, where the power supply to the first and second heaters 20, 22 is stopped. If the result of step S36 is positive, the ambient temperature Tout is low, being equal to or lower than the second predetermined temperature T2. Therefore, it is assumed that a layer of ice has formed across the lower part and the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56, regardless of the heat generated by the first heater 20. Therefore, the heat generation control unit 42 energizes the second heater 22 in addition to energizing the first heater 20, and the layer of ice formed over the lower part of the lid 16 and the lower part of the opening outer periphery 56 is melted by the heat generated by the second heater 22 (step S38).

[0032] Next, the heat generation control unit 42 determines whether, with the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 energized, the outside air temperature Tout detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24 is equal to or higher than a third predetermined temperature T3 (Tout≧T3), at which the lid 16 is expected to be unfrozen (step S40). If the result in step S40 is negative, it is assumed that the layer of ice formed on the lower part of the lid 16 and the lower part of the opening periphery 56 has not yet melted, so the process returns to step S40 and continues energizing the first and second heaters 20, 22. If the result in step S40 is positive, it is assumed that the layer of ice formed on the lower part of the lid 16 and the lower part of the opening periphery 56 has melted due to the heat generated by the second heater 22, and the lid 16 has been unfrozen. Therefore, the process stops energizing the first and second heaters 20, 22 (step S42), and the series of operations ends.

[0033] According to the third embodiment, not only can the same effects as those of the first embodiment be achieved, but it is also advantageous in accurately starting the supply of electricity to each of the first and second heaters 20, 22 based on the outside air temperature Tout detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24, and since the supply of electricity to the first and second heaters 20, 22 can be accurately stopped based on the outside air temperature Tout detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24, it is more advantageous in reducing power consumption of the first and second heaters 20, 22.

[0034] Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. The fourth embodiment is a modified example of the third embodiment, and differs from the third embodiment in that the heat generation control unit 42 stops the power supply to the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 when the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 are energized and the outside air temperature Tout detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24 is higher than the first predetermined temperature T1 and is equal to or higher than a fourth predetermined temperature T4 at which the lid 16 is expected to be unfrozen.

[0035] The following description will be made with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 7. Note that the same steps in FIG. 7 as those in FIG. 6 are assigned the same step numbers, and their description will be omitted. That is, steps S30 to S38 are the same as those in FIG. 6. In step S44, it is determined whether at least one of the following conditions is met: (1) the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 are energized, and the temperature TU of the lower portion of the opening outer periphery 56, detected by the lower temperature detection unit 26, is equal to or higher than a third predetermined temperature T3 at which the lid 16 is expected to be unfrozen (TU≧T3); or (2) the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 are energized, and the outside air temperature Tout, detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24, is higher than the first predetermined temperature T1 and is equal to or higher than a fourth predetermined temperature T4 at which the lid 16 is expected to be unfrozen (Tout≧T4>T1). If step S44 is negative, i.e., if neither of the above conditions (1) nor (2) is met, it is assumed that the layer of ice formed on the lower part of the lid 16 and the lower part of the opening periphery 56 has yet melted, so the process returns to step S44 and continues to energize the first and second heaters 20, 22. If step S44 is positive, i.e., if either of the above conditions (1) or (2) is met, it is assumed that the layer of ice formed on the lower part of the lid 16 and the lower part of the opening periphery 56 has melted due to heat generated by the second heater 22, or that the layer of ice formed on the lower part of the lid 16 and the lower part of the opening periphery 56 has melted due to an outside air temperature Tout equal to or higher than the fourth predetermined temperature T4. Therefore, it is assumed that the layer of ice formed on the lower part of the lid 16 and the lower part of the opening periphery 56 has melted and the lid 16 has been unfrozen, so the process stops energizing the first and second heaters 20, 22 (step S46), and the series of operations ends.

[0036] According to the fourth embodiment, not only can the same effects as those of the third embodiment be achieved, but also, when the outside air temperature Tout detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 24 is higher than the first predetermined temperature T1 and is equal to or higher than the fourth predetermined temperature T4 at which the lid 16 is expected to be unfrozen (Tout≧T4>T1), the power supply to the first heater 20 and the second heater 22 is stopped.Therefore, when the high outside air temperature can be used to unfreeze the lid 16, the first and second heaters 20, 22 are stopped, which is advantageous in reducing power consumption.

[0037] 4 to 7 illustrate a case in which the lid 16 is thawed and the heater 18 is turned off after the operation switch 28 is turned on. However, if it is desired to continue thawing the lid 16 for a long period of time, for example, while the vehicle is parked, stopped, or in motion, the series of processes in the flowcharts of FIGS. 4 to 7 may be periodically repeated. In this case, to prevent waste of the power supply 30, for example, the series of processes may be forcibly terminated when the remaining charge of the power supply 30 falls below a predetermined value, or a timer may be used to measure the time during which the series of processes is repeatedly executed, and the series of processes may be forcibly terminated when the measured time exceeds a predetermined time.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to a vehicle having a charging port, but the present invention can of course also be applied to gasoline vehicles, diesel vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and plug-in hybrid vehicles having a fuel filler port, in which case the lid opens and closes the opening of the recess in which the fuel filler port is located.

[0039] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the above-described embodiments may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0040] This application is based on a Japanese patent application (Patent Application No. 2023-208166) filed on December 11, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0041] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Vehicle body 12 Outer panel 1202 Outer surface 1204 Inner surface 14 Recess 1402 Bottom wall 1404 Peripheral wall 1410 Opening 1420 Locking claw 16 Lid 1602 Lid body 1602A Inner surface 1604B Outer surface 1604 Lid edge 1610 Upright piece 1612 Locking hole 18 Heater 20 First heater 22 Second heater 24 Outside air temperature detection unit 26 Lower temperature detection unit 28 Operation switch 30 Power supply 40 Control device 42 Heat generation control unit 44 Seal member 46 First charging port 48 Second charging port 50 Connector cap 52 Connector cap 54 Hinge 56 Outer periphery of opening 58 Lid accommodating recess 5802 Intermediate bottom wall

Claims

1. A lid anti-freeze mechanism comprising: a recess formed in an outer plate that constitutes a vehicle body, with at least one of a fuel filler port or a charging port located inside; and a lid that opens and closes an opening of the recess, characterized in comprising: a heater that is located on the outer periphery of the opening of the outer plate surrounding the opening on the outside, and heats the outer periphery of the opening when electricity is applied; and a heat generation control unit that controls the flow of electricity to the heater.

2. The anti-freezing mechanism for a lid as described in claim 1, characterized in that the central axis of the opening intersects with the vertical direction, the heater comprises a first heater arranged on the upper part of the opening outer periphery located above the opening, and a second heater arranged separately from the first heater and on the lower part of the opening outer periphery located below the opening, and the heat generation control unit independently controls the supply of electricity to the first heater and the second heater.

3. An anti-freezing mechanism for a lid as described in claim 2, further comprising an outside air temperature detection unit which detects the outside air temperature, and a lower temperature detection unit which detects the temperature of the lower part of the outer periphery of the opening where the second heater is provided, wherein the heat generation control unit: turns on the first heater when the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection unit is equal to or lower than a first predetermined temperature at which the lid is expected to freeze; turns on the second heater when the temperature of the lower part of the outer periphery of the opening detected by the lower temperature detection unit is equal to or lower than the first predetermined temperature, or equal to or lower than a second predetermined temperature which is lower than the first predetermined temperature; and stops turning on the first heater and the second heater when the first heater and the second heater are turned on and the temperature of the lower part of the opening detected by the lower temperature detection unit is equal to or higher than a third predetermined temperature at which the lid is expected to unfreeze.

4. A lid anti-freeze mechanism as described in claim 2, further comprising an outside air temperature detection unit which detects the outside air temperature, and a lower temperature detection unit which detects the temperature of the lower part of the outer periphery of the opening where the second heater is provided, wherein the heat generation control unit: turns on the first heater when the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection unit is equal to or lower than a first predetermined temperature at which the lid is expected to freeze; turns on the first heater and the second heater when the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection unit is equal to or lower than a second predetermined temperature which is even lower than the first predetermined temperature; and stops turning on the first heater and the second heater when the first heater and the second heater are turned on and the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection unit is equal to or higher than a third predetermined temperature at which the lid is expected to unfreeze.

5. A lid anti-freeze mechanism as described in any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the heat generation control unit stops the flow of electricity to the first heater and the second heater when the first heater and the second heater are energized and the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection unit is higher than the first predetermined temperature and is equal to or higher than a fourth predetermined temperature at which the lid is expected to be unfrozen.

6. The lid freeze prevention mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the heater temperature when the first heater is energized is higher than the heater temperature when the second heater is energized.

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