Secondary Lock for Electric Vehicle Charging Receptacle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric vehicle charging receptacles face challenges in convenient and stable assembly, particularly in ensuring safety performance during charging operations.
Innovation Solution
A secondary lock and receptacle design featuring a lock body with a longitudinal insertion direction, a locking portion for block-fitting with the receptacle housing, and a terminal retaining portion to securely hold a connecting terminal, allowing for pre-assembled integration and easy transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a traditional receptacle assembly method is used, then the assembly process requires multiple separate components and steps, but this increases assembly complexity and time consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the lock body, locking portion, and terminal retaining portion into a single integrated secondary lock component. This merging of previously separate assembly elements into one unified structure reduces the number of parts and assembly steps, directly improving assembly efficiency while reducing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The secondary lock is designed as a pre-assembled integrated unit that can be manufactured and prepared in advance. This preliminary integration allows the component to be ready for final installation as a single unit, reducing on-site assembly complexity and time while maintaining all necessary functional elements
2Reliability
If the receptacle uses a simple locking mechanism, then the structure is simpler, but the safety performance and prevention of accidental disconnection is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into distinct functional portions: a locking portion for securing the receptacle housing and a terminal retaining portion for holding the connecting terminal. This segmentation allows each portion to specialize in its specific safety function while together providing comprehensive security against accidental disconnection
Solution Approach 2:
The lock body is designed with movable capability between different positions to engage or disengage the locking mechanism. This dynamic design allows the system to transition between locked and unlocked states while maintaining structural integrity and safety performance throughout the movement cycle
3Ease of manufacture
If the receptacle components are assembled separately, then each component can be manufactured independently, but this increases the number of parts and assembly steps required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the lock body, locking portion, and terminal retaining portion into a single integrated secondary lock that can be manufactured as one unit. This combining of elements reduces the total number of separate parts from multiple components to a single assembly unit, simplifying the overall system while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure discloses a secondary lock and a receptacle. The secondary lock may be mounted to a receptacle housing. The secondary lock has a lock body, a locking portion and a terminal retaining portion. The lock body has a longitudinal insertion direction. The locking portion is protrudingly arranged on the lock body to be configured for being longitudinally block-fittable with the receptacle housing. The terminal retaining portion is arranged on the lock body to be configured for being block-fittable with a connecting terminal along an axial direction of the connecting terminal. The secondary lock according to the present disclosure may be pre-assembled on the receptacle housing to be integrally retained and conveniently transported.