Vehicle Charging Lid Hinge Arm for Rainwater Shielding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle lid device allows rainwater to directly drop onto the supply port when the lid is opened due to a gap between the box and the lid, exposing the supply port to external water ingress.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle lid device with a hinge arm that extends in a plate shape to cover the gap between the box and the lid when opened, with both ends of the hinge arm located on the outer sides relative to the periphery of the supply port, preventing water from reaching the supply port.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a pair of arms hinge structure is used to open/close the lid, then the lid can be opened to expose the supply port, but a gap between the box and lid is exposed above the opening allowing rainwater to directly drop onto the supply port
Solution Approach 1:
A cover member is introduced as an intermediary component between the box and the environment. This cover member selectively covers the opening when the lid is opened, blocked by the lid when closed, and partially covers when partially opened, thereby preventing water ingress while maintaining the operational functionality of the hinge structure
Solution Approach 2:
The cover member is designed to dynamically adjust its position and coverage area based on the lid's opening state. It moves between covering the opening when the lid is open, being blocked when the lid is closed, and partially covering when partially open, providing adaptive protection against water ingress throughout the entire opening/closing cycle
2Ease of operation
If the lid is opened to allow access to the supply port, then energy supply operation is enabled, but the supply port becomes exposed to external water through the gap above the opening
Solution Approach 1:
The cover member serves as a protective intermediary that remains positioned to cover the opening even when the lid is opened for energy supply operations. It only retracts or is blocked when the lid moves, thereby maintaining waterproof protection during access operations while allowing necessary human interaction for charging/fueling
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a cover member is added to prevent water ingress, then waterproofing is improved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cover member is merged with the existing hinge mechanism, utilizing the same rotational axis and mounting structure. The cover member shares the hinge's degrees of freedom and is integrated into the existing mechanical framework, adding waterproofing functionality without creating a separate independent mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The cover member serves multiple functions: it prevents water ingress when the lid is open, is passively blocked when the lid is closed, and provides partial protection during partial opening. A single component thus addresses waterproofing across all operational states without requiring separate mechanisms for each state
Data Source
AI summary
This vehicle lid device includes: a box attached to a vehicle-body side surface portion, and including a storage space storing a vehicle-energy supply port, a communication hole for the storage space and a vehicle-body deep side to communicate with each other, and an opening for exposing the supply port to a vehicle-body outside; a lid to open/close between opening-closed/opened positions; and an open/close mechanism interposed between the box and the lid, for opening/closing the lid relative to the box about an axis line on an upper-periphery side of the opening. The open/close mechanism includes a plate-shaped hinge arm extending in a direction including an axial direction of the axis line, and covering a box-lid gap formed above the opening in a lid-opened state. Both axial-direction ends of the hinge arm are respectively located on axial-direction outer sides relative to axial-direction periphery ends of the supply port or the communication hole.