Vehicle Charging Gun Holder-Ejector Release to Prevent Panel Collisions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional charging guns for electric vehicles require users to manually fix and disconnect a hook from the charging port, leading to potential collisions and damage due to excessive force, and increasing the overall time required for charging.
Innovation Solution
A charging gun disconnecting apparatus with a housing on the vehicle panel and a pushing unit inside the vehicle, featuring a holder and ejector mechanism that automatically releases the coupling between the charging gun and the housing, preventing collisions and reducing user intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a user manually disconnects the hook from the charging port, then the charging gun can be separated from the vehicle, but the user and the hook may collide with the vehicle panel due to excessive force, causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the automatic disconnecting apparatus with holder and ejector) between the user and the hook. The user simply presses a button inside the vehicle, and the intermediary mechanism automatically performs the disconnection by pushing the holder and ejector outward to release the hook from the charging port, eliminating the need for the user to directly manipulate the hook and avoid collision damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service disconnection where the vehicle's own mechanism (actuator-driven ejector system) performs the disconnection operation automatically. The user initiates the process by pressing a button, but the actual mechanical work of separating the charging gun is performed by the vehicle's automated pushing unit, making the system serve itself rather than requiring manual force from the user.
2Ease of operation
If a user manually disconnects the hook from the charging port, then the charging gun can be separated from the vehicle, but the overall time required for charging operation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The disconnecting mechanism is pre-positioned and ready for operation. The holder and ejector are already in place within the housing, and the actuator is pre-configured to drive the disconnection sequence. When the user presses the button, the pre-positioned mechanism immediately executes the disconnection without requiring the user to manually manipulate components, significantly reducing the time required for the charging operation to complete.
3Extent of automation
If an automatic pushing unit is introduced to disconnect the charging gun, then collision damage is prevented and user convenience is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automatic disconnecting apparatus is segmented into distinct functional modules: the housing that provides structural support and guides movement, the holder that directly engages with the charging gun hook, the ejector that applies the pushing force, and the actuator that drives the ejector. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function and simplifies the overall design by distributing complexity across multiple specialized parts rather than requiring a single complex mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A charging gun disconnecting apparatus including a housing disposed on a panel of a vehicle and coupled to a charging gun and a pushing unit disposed inside the vehicle and disposed inside the housing. The pushing unit includes a holder coupled to a hook of the charging gun and configured to move and to protrude to the outside of the panel of the vehicle and an ejector that protrudes to the outside of the panel together with the holder, the holder being movably disposed inside the holder to release a coupling between the charging gun and the housing while moving to the outside of the holder in a same direction in which the holder moves.