Electric Vehicle Connector Automatic Engagement Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electricity-supplying connectors for electric vehicles require complex operations involving a lever to completely lock the connectors, increasing the complexity of attachment.
Innovation Solution
An electricity-supplying connector design that uses engaging members and an indicator member to simplify the attachment process, allowing the connector to engage by insertion alone, with the indicator member moving from a charging-disabled to a charging-enabled position to confirm complete engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a lever mechanism is used to completely lock the electricity-supplying connector to the electricity-receiving connector, then the locking reliability is improved, but the operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the lever mechanism from the engagement process, removing the complex manual operation step. The connector body is designed with automatic engagement features that eliminate the need for the lever, thereby reducing operational complexity while maintaining reliable locking through the engagement protrusions and grooves.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector body automatically engages with the electricity-receiving connector through its own structural features (engagement protrusions and grooves) without requiring external lever operation. The design enables self-locking capability where the connector body itself performs the locking function during insertion, improving ease of operation while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If multiple engaging members are used to ensure complete engagement, then the engagement reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the engagement function into multiple segments: the connector body has engagement protrusions that engage with corresponding grooves in the electricity-receiving connector. This segmentation allows reliable engagement through distributed contact points rather than a single complex mechanism, achieving reliability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector body structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides electrical connection, mechanical engagement through protrusions and grooves, and positioning alignment. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining engagement reliability.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
An electricity-supplying connector (1) comprising: an engagement mechanism (11) (*2) for engaging with an electricity-receiving connector (2) of an object to be charged, the engagement mechanism having a pair of engaging members (13, 14); and an indicator member (16) that in a case where the engagement mechanism has engaged with the electricity-receiving connector, disengages from the engagement mechanism and moves from a charging-disabled position (P1) to a charging-enabled position (P2), thereby indicating that engagement is complete, wherein, in a case where the electricity-supplying connector is attached to the electricity-receiving connector (2) while the indicator member (16) is held in the charging-disabled position (P1) by engaging with the one engaging member (13), the one engaging member (13) and the indicator member (16) disengage after the other engaging member (14) and the indicator member (16) have engaged while the electricity-supplying connector is being attached to the electricity-receiving connector, and in a case where the electricity-supplying connector and the electricity-receiving connector continue to be attached and completely engage, the other engaging member (14) and the indicator member (16) disengage.