Electric Vehicle Charging Port Lid Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric-powered vehicles lack convenience in using both power receiving cords and inlets for charging, as they are not designed to facilitate easy selection and use, leading to potential interference and difficulty in charging processes.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle is equipped with a power receiving port that includes a pullout type power receiving cord and a power receiving inlet, where the pullout hole is positioned to avoid lid interference, along with a switch to select between the inlet and cord for charging, and sensors to determine the best charging method based on voltage and connection signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If both power receiving cord and power receiving inlet are provided in the vehicle, then charging versatility is improved, but device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates due to interference between components
Solution Approach 1:
The power receiving port is segmented into distinct functional zones: the power receiving inlet is positioned in one region while the pullout hole for the power receiving cord is positioned in another region. This spatial segmentation prevents interference between the two charging components, allowing both to be provided in the vehicle (improving versatility) while maintaining ease of operation by eliminating component interference.
2Device complexity
If power receiving inlet and pullout hole are positioned close together, then device complexity is reduced, but ease of operation deteriorates due to lid interference with cord extraction
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning relationship between the power receiving inlet and pullout hole is optimized in the port structure. The pullout hole is positioned at a specific location relative to the joint that opens the lid, ensuring that when the lid is opened, it does not interfere with the extraction of the power receiving cord from the pullout hole. This dimensional arrangement resolves the contradiction by allowing the components to be integrated (reduced complexity) while ensuring operational ease through proper spatial relationship.
3Ease of operation
If power receiving cord is made pullout type, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential disconnection issues
Solution Approach 1:
The power receiving cord is designed as a pullout type where the cord is nested within the power receiving port structure. The cord can be extracted from the pullout hole for convenient connection to external power sources, yet remains associated with the port structure. This nested design provides ease of operation through simple pullout motion while maintaining reliability by keeping the cord integrated with the port assembly rather than being completely separate.
Data Source
AI summary
A power receiving port includes an inlet, a pullout hole for a pullout type cord, and a selector switch. Inlet is connectable with a charging cable provided outside a vehicle. Pullout type cord is pulled out from pullout hole so as to be connectable to a socket of a power source outside the vehicle. In power receiving port, pullout hole is provided at a position where a distance between the pullout hole and a joint openably combining a lid with power receiving port is more than a distance between the inlet and the joint. Selector switch is to select whether to use inlet or pullout type cord by a user.