EV Charging Socket Break Member for Load Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing charging socket technologies for electric vehicles are not designed to handle large loads applied to the charging opening, leading to deformation of the vehicle body and potential electric leakage when high currents are passed through the connector during charging.

Innovation Solution

A charging socket with a break member that separates from the fixed part when a predetermined load is applied, reducing the load on the vehicle body and preventing deformation, and a bracket with breakable sections that release the charging opening from the vehicle body to mitigate excessive loads.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the charging opening is rigidly fixed to the vehicle body, then the structural strength is improved, but the vehicle body deforms and electric leakage occurs when large loads are applied

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidvehicle body deformation and electric leakage

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The bracket is divided into a fixed part (rigidly connected to vehicle body) and a movable part (connected to charging opening), with a breakable section connecting them. This segmentation allows the fixed part to maintain structural strength while the movable part can move independently to prevent vehicle body deformation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The breakable section acts as an intermediary element between the fixed part and movable part. It transmits loads from the charging opening to the fixed part under normal conditions, but breaks when excessive loads are applied, thereby protecting the vehicle body from deformation and electric leakage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a breakable connection is used between the charging opening and vehicle body, then the protection against excessive load is improved, but the reliability of the charging socket connection deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection against excessive loadVSAvoidcharging socket connection reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The breakable section is pre-designed with a specific breaking strength lower than the vehicle body's承受能力. This preliminary design ensures that when excessive loads are applied, the breakable section will break first to protect the vehicle body, while under normal operating loads, the connection remains reliable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If the bracket is designed with a breakable section, then the ease of detecting abnormal conditions is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveabnormal condition detectionVSAvoidbracket structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The breakable section is designed to change color (from black to white) when it breaks, providing a clear visual indicator of abnormal conditions. This color change mechanism simplifies abnormal condition detection without requiring complex sensing or monitoring systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

Data Source

PatentUS10992081B2Charging socket and bracket for charging socket

Publication Date: 2021.04.27 SUBARU CORP

AI summary

A charging socket includes a fixed part, a charging opening, and a break member. A fixed part is configured to be fixed to an electric vehicle. A charging opening is to be inserted to a power feeding connector for charging a battery of the electric vehicle. A break member is configured to break and separate the charging opening from the fixed part when a predetermined amount or more of load is applied to the charging opening.