JP2000113934A - Connector device for charging electric automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector device miniaturizable as a whole of a connector and excellent in lock releasing operability, for charging an electric automobile. SOLUTION: When projection and recess fitting parts 70 of both connector 13, 14 are fitted together, three locking parts 71 arranged around each of the fitting parts 70 are elastically deformed, and then restored when fitting is finished completely to accomplish a locking condition. In this case, the locking parts 71 are arranged partially in the circumference around each of the projection and recess fitting parts 70, so that the size of the connector can be reduced as against a conventional one provided with a sleeve surrounding the whole circumference of a projection-recess fitting part. In addition, the locking parts 71 are arranged so as to divide the circumference around the projection/recess fitting part 70 into three sections equally, so that centering of the fitting parts 70 can be carried out by elastic reaction force of the locking parts 71 in fitting. A top locking part 71A is arranged just above the projection/recess fitting part 70 so as to resist moment force applied by self-weight of the connector.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric vehicle charging connector device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an example of this type of connector device, one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 6-44301 is known. As shown in FIG. 13, this connector device includes a power supply side connector 1 and a power reception side connector 2, and is formed by inserting a cylindrical portion 4 provided in the power supply side connector 1 into a circular recess 3 provided in the power reception side connector 2. Both connectors 1 and 2 are connected.

[0003]

By the way, the connector measures described above include a so-called J in order to keep the connector connected.
A slot mechanism is provided. That is, a J-slot 6 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the power supply side connector 1. When the power supply side connector 1 is pressed against the power reception side connector 2 and rotated, for example, clockwise, the circular recess 3 of the power reception side connector 2 is formed.
The cam projections 5 formed in the openings of the first and second connectors enter the rear side of the J-slot 6 to prevent the two connectors 1 and 2 from coming off. But,
In the above-described J-slot mechanism, a difficult operation of rotating the connector is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide an electric vehicle charging connector device capable of easily locking and unlocking both connectors.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a vehicle-side connector and a power-supply-side connector for charging an electric vehicle by a charging power supply device are connected to each other in a substantially horizontal direction. In the electric vehicle charging connector device provided with the concave-convex fitting portion having a circular cross-section to be fitted into the connector, three lock portions for holding the concave-convex fitting portion in the fitted state are provided around the concave-convex fitting portion. Approximately three equal parts, one of which is arranged at a position directly above the concave and convex fitting portion, is provided, and the lock portion is engaged with the other side by being elastically displaced in the radial direction of the concave and convex fitting portion. It is characterized by having a lock arm that can be engaged and disengaged.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the connector device for charging an electric vehicle according to the first aspect, a lock arm of a top lock portion of the three lock portions, which is disposed immediately above the concave / convex fitting portion, and a mating side. The engagement surface with the connector is inclined perpendicularly to the fitting direction of the two connectors or on a side where the fitting is deepened, and the top lock portion includes a release operation portion for displacing the lock arm in the release direction. The other two lock portions are characterized in that the engagement surface between the lock arm and the counterpart is inclined so as to engage the lock arm in the disengagement direction.

[0007]

<Operation and effect of the invention><Invention of claim 1> When the two connectors are pressed against each other in the horizontal direction, the lock arms of the three lock portions provided around the concave-convex fitting portion are elastically displaced and both the lock arms are displaced. When the connector is completely fitted, it is restored and engaged with the mating side. As described above, since the two connectors can be locked in the coupled state only by pressing them, the workability is superior to that of the conventional one in which the connectors are rotated and locked. In addition, since the locking portions are equally arranged around the concave-convex fitting portion, the concave-convex fitting portion can be centered by the elastic force of the locking portion at the time of fitting. In addition, since one lock portion is disposed right above the concave / convex fitting portion, it can counter the moment force due to the weight of the connector.

<Invention of claim 2> Since the engagement surface between the lock arm of the top lock portion and the mating side is perpendicular to the fitting direction of the two connectors or inclined to the side where the fitting is deepened, the weight of the connector is reduced. The engagement is not released even if a strong pulling force is applied to the top lock portion by the resulting moment. In addition, since the other two lock portions have a semi-lock structure and are disengaged when pulled strongly, only the top lock portion needs to be unlocked, and the unlocking operability is excellent.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, a receiving portion 12 that can be opened and closed by, for example, a lid 11 is formed on the outer side of the vehicle body of the electric vehicle EV, and a vehicle-side connector 13 is disposed inside the receiving portion 12. In addition, at the end of the charging cable 15 extending from the power supply device 60, a power supply side connector 14 is provided.
The connectors 13 and 14 constitute the connector device for charging an electric vehicle according to the present embodiment.

The power supply side connector 14 is shown in its entirety in FIG. 2, and has a primary coil unit 17 held on the front surface of a primary case 16 made of aluminum alloy, and a resin cover 18 provided on the back surface of the primary case 16. And a resin case 19 provided with screws, and a handle portion 20 extending from a rear end of the resin case 19 to an upper surface of the primary case 16.
In a curved shape.

The primary coil unit 17 includes a primary core 21
And the primary coil 22. The primary core 21 is made of ferrite, and has a shape in which a cylindrical portion 21B protrudes from the center of the disk portion 21A as shown in FIG.

The primary coil 22 is wound around a primary bobbin 23 in advance and its outer surface is covered with a coil cover 24, and the primary bobbin 23 is fitted on the cylindrical portion 21B. A lead wire (not shown) extending from the primary coil 22 extends to the rear side of the primary case 16 via the disk portion 21A of the core 21 and the through holes 25A and 25B formed in the inner surface of the primary case 16 for charging. It is connected to a charging cable 15 (see FIG. 5) extending from the power supply device 60. As a result, the primary power supply 2
2 can be excited by flowing a high-frequency current.

The primary case 16 includes two connectors 13 and 14.
The aluminum plate A2 is superimposed on the front surface of the aluminum block A1 which is flat in the joining direction of the above, and both corners of the upper surfaces thereof are chamfered. A circular recess 27 is formed in the primary case 16 at a joint surface 26 with the vehicle-side connector 13. Then, the disk portion 21A of the core 21 is fitted into the back side of the circular concave portion 27, and the cylindrical portion 21B
Project forward from the joint surface 26. Disk part 21A
Is accommodated in the rear half of the circular concave portion 27, and a cylindrical wall 42 protruding from the front surface of the vehicle-side connector 13 is fitted into the open half of the circular concave portion 27.

On the other hand, the vehicle-side connector 13 is
The secondary case 30 made of an aluminum alloy is shown in FIG.
And a secondary coil unit 31 held therein. The secondary coil unit 31, as shown in FIG.
The secondary core 32 is also made of ferrite, and has a shape in which one end of a cylindrical body 32A is closed by a back wall 32B. The secondary coil 33 is wound around a secondary bobbin 34 and
The primary coil 22 is fitted into the hollow core portion of the secondary bobbin 34. A lead wire (not shown) of the secondary coil 33 is connected to an electric wire provided on the back surface of the secondary case 30 through through holes 35A and 35B formed in the inner wall 32B of the secondary core 32 and the inner wall of the secondary case 30. It is extended to a housing 36, where it is connected to an electric wire extending from a charging circuit for charging a power battery (not shown) of the electric vehicle EV. Then, the high-frequency electromotive force induced in the secondary coil 33 is rectified, and the power battery is charged.

The secondary case 30 is provided with the electric wire accommodating portion 36 behind a main body portion 37 having the same cross-sectional shape as the primary case 16 and a panel 38 (see FIG. ). As shown in FIG. 4, a concave portion 41 is formed in a joint surface 40 of the main body portion 37 with the primary case 16, and a cylindrical wall 42 protrudes forward from an opening edge thereof. Then, as shown in FIG.
1 are fitted, and the front end surface thereof and the front end surface of the cylindrical wall 42 are assembled in a flush state.

Now, the circular recess 27 of the power supply side connector 14 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, three lock portions 71 are provided on the concave / convex fitting portion 70, which is composed of the cylindrical wall 42 of the vehicle-side connector 13, so that three circumferential portions are equally arranged in the circumferential direction. The lock portion is disposed at a position directly above the concave / convex fitting portion 70 (hereinafter, this lock portion is referred to as a “top lock portion 71A”). The detailed structure of the top lock portion 71A is shown in FIGS.
The detailed structure of these (hereinafter, referred to as “lower lock portion 71B”) is shown in FIGS. Hereinafter, while the structure common to the top lock portion 71A and the lower lock portion 71B will be described, different structures will be specifically described. The same reference numerals are given to the respective drawings in advance for the common structure.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 12, the lock portion 71 includes a lock arm 72 disposed on the power supply side connector 14.
Is engaged with a lock claw 73 arranged on the vehicle-side connector 13. The power supply side connector 14 is provided with a lock housing chamber 74 that is depressed on the inner peripheral surface of the circular recess 27 of the primary case 16 and communicates with the back side of the circular recess 27. The lock arm 72 is connected to the connector 13,
14 is formed in a long plate shape extending in the fitting direction, is housed in the lock housing chamber 74, and a tip portion is disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the circular concave portion 27 (see FIG. 3). It is rotatably supported by a pin 75 (see FIGS. 7 to 12). A compression coil spring 76 is provided at the back of the lock storage chamber 74 so as to push the rear end of the lock arm 72 upward in FIGS. 7 to 12. As a result, the lock arm 72 is held in a horizontal position with its middle portion abutting against the inner wall of the lock storage chamber 74, and the compression coil spring 76 is compressed and deformed when the distal end portion is pushed upward in FIG.

At the tip of the lock arm 72, an engagement projection 77 is provided in the circular recess 27 so as to project inward. When the engagement protrusion 77 is viewed from the front in the fitting direction (not shown), the ridge at the tip of the engagement protrusion 77 forms an arc corresponding to the inner peripheral surface of the circular recess 27, and the ridge is circular 27 protrudes slightly inward from the inner peripheral surface. The front side of the engaging projection 77 forms a tapered surface 78 that protrudes inside the circular concave portion 27 toward the depth side of the circular concave portion 27. The rear side of the engagement projection 77 forms an engagement surface 79 that is engaged with the lock claw 73, and the engagement surface 79 is a top lock portion 71.
A and the lower lock portion 71B have different structures. That is, the engaging surface 79A of the top lock portion 71A is
As shown in FIG. 10, the engagement surface 79B of the lower lock portion 71B is positioned outside the circular recess 27 toward the back in the engagement direction, as shown in FIG. It has a tapered shape that is recessed.

On the other hand, the locking claw 73 is
1 has an upright piece 82 at its rear end to form an L-shape as a whole.
The upright piece 82 is fixed to the vehicle-side connector 13 in a state of being housed in the cutout portion 80 (see FIG. 4) formed in the vehicle. An engagement projection 83 is formed at the tip of the main body 81 toward the outside of the cylindrical wall 42. When the engagement projection 83 is viewed from the front in the fitting direction (not shown), the engagement projection 83
The ridge line at the tip of the circle has an arc shape corresponding to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 42, and this ridge line slightly protrudes outside the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 42. The front side of the engagement projection 83 is a curved surface 8.
4, the rear side of the engagement projection 83 forms an engagement surface 85 which is engaged with the lock arm 72. And the engagement surface 8
5 also has a different structure between the top locking portion 71A and the lower locking portion 71B. That is, the top locking portion 71
7A, the engaging surface 85A of the lower lock portion 71B is perpendicular to the fitting direction.
As shown in FIG. 10, the tapered shape is a tapered shape that is recessed outside the circular concave portion 27 toward the far side in the fitting direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, the handle portion 20 of the power supply side connector 14 is provided with a lever 86 for unlocking the top lock portion 71A. As shown in FIG. 7, the front portion of the handle portion 20 is bent at substantially 90 degrees, and the lever 86 is accommodated in a slit 87 opened inside the bent portion. Lever 8
6 has an L-shape along the bent portion, and can be tilted around a pin 87A penetrating the corner thereof. An operating piece 90 of the lever 86 extending from the pin 87A to the lower left side in FIG. 7 abuts on the rear end of the lock arm, and an operating piece 89 extending from the pin to the right in FIG. It is urged by a spring (not shown) so as to have a posture protruding below the horizontal portion. Then, when the operation piece 89 is pulled up (see FIG. 10), the action piece 90 pivots downward, and the rear end of the lock arm 72 is pushed down. The engagement with the lock claw 73 is released.

Immediately below the concave / convex fitting portion 70 on the front surfaces of the connectors 13 and 14, as shown in FIG.
A guide piece 43 and a guide recess 44 for zero phase adjustment are provided. A tapered surface 44A is formed on the opening side of the guide recess 44, and when the two connectors 13 and 14 are coupled in a slightly shifted state, the tapered surface 44A is formed.
The guide piece 43 is slid into and guided by A, whereby the connectors 13 and 14 are corrected to the normal phase.

The configuration of the present embodiment is as described above, and the operation will be described next. When charging the electric vehicle EV, the lid 11 of the receiving portion 12 is opened, and the vehicle-side connector 13 accommodated therein is connected to the power-side connector 14 provided in the power supply device 60. To connect the two connectors 13 and 14, the power supply side connector 14 is moved in the horizontal direction, and the cylindrical portion 2 of the primary core 21 around which the primary coil 22 is wound.
1B is made to enter the air core portion of the secondary coil 33 provided in the vehicle-side connector 13. Then, when the cylindrical portion 21 </ b> B has deepened, the cylindrical wall 42 protruding from the front surface of the vehicle-side connector 13 enters into the circular concave portion 27 depressed in the front surface of the power-side connector 14. For example,
With the locking claw 73 of the top locking portion 71A as a mark, the handle portion 20 of the power supply side connector 14 is arranged on the coaxial line, and the power supply side connector 14 is pushed in.
It is easy to match the phases of 3 and 14. Then, each lock part 71
The engagement projections 77 and 83 of the lock arm 72 and the lock claw 73 provided on the front end of the lock arm 72 abut against each other. At this time, even if both connectors 13 and 14 are pressed in a slightly displaced state, the tapered surface 4 of the guide recess 44 provided below the uneven fitting portion 70
The guide piece 43 slides on 4A, and the connectors 13 and 14 are corrected to the normal phase.

When the power connector 14 is further pushed in, the tapered surface 78 provided on the front surface of the engagement projection 77 of the lock arm 72 and the curved surface 84 provided on the front surface of the engagement projection 83 of the lock claw 73 are formed. Upon sliding contact, the tip of the lock arm 72 is lifted, and the compression coil spring 76 is elastically deformed.
Here, since the three lock portions 71 are equally arranged in the circumferential direction of the concave-convex fitting portion 70, the circular concave portion 27 and the cylindrical wall 42 are formed by the elastic reaction force of the compression coil spring 76 via the lock arm 72. Aligned. Then, when the cylindrical wall 42 is fitted to the inside of the circular concave portion 27, the engaging protrusion 77 of the lock arm 72 rides over the engaging protrusion 83 of the lock claw 73, and the two engaging protrusions 77 The engaging surfaces 79 and 85 provided on the rear side engage with each other (see FIGS. 8 and 11). At this time, the tip of the cylindrical portion 21B of the primary core 21 abuts against the back wall 32B of the secondary core 32, and the tip of the secondary core 32 abuts on the disk portion 21A of the primary core 21 (see FIG. 6). . Thereby, both cores 21, 3
The connectors 13 and 14 are locked in a state where a closed-loop magnetic circuit that penetrates the primary coil 22 and the secondary coil 33 is formed by 1.

In this state, when the charging start switch of the charging power supply device 60 is turned on, the high-frequency magnetic flux excited by the primary coil 22 is linked to the secondary coil 33 to generate an electromotive force. The power storage device of the electric vehicle EV can be charged.

Since charging of an electric vehicle takes longer time than refueling of a gasoline-powered vehicle, the power supply side connector 14 receives a moment force for a long time due to the weight of the power supply side connector 14 and the charging cable 15. . However, the top locking portion 71A disposed directly above the concave-convex fitting portion 70 has the engaging surfaces 79A, 85 perpendicular to the fitting direction.
Since A is configured to engage with each other, the engagement is not released even if it is pulled by the moment force.

Now, when the charging is completed, the power supply side connector 1
4 is disconnected from the vehicle-side connector 13 as shown in FIG.
As shown in (5), the operation piece 89 of the lever 86 may be lifted by gripping the horizontal part of the handle portion 20. Then, the operation piece 90 of the lever 86 rotates downward, the rear end of the lock arm 72 is pushed down, and the front end of the lock arm 72 tilts in the disengagement direction, and the engagement of the top lock 71A is performed. Is released. Then, the power supply side connector 14 is strongly pulled in the horizontal direction. Here, the engagement surfaces 79B, 85B of the two engagement protrusions 77, 83 provided on the lower lock portion 71B.
Has a tapered shape, so that when it is strongly pulled, as shown in FIG. 12, the engagement surfaces 79B and 85B are in sliding contact, the tip of the lock arm 72 is lifted, and the engagement is released. As a result, the engagement of all the lock portions 71 is released, and the connectors 13 and 14 are disconnected.

As described above, according to the electric vehicle charging connector device of the present embodiment, the connector can be locked in the connected state only by pressing the two connectors 13 and 14, so that the workability is improved as compared with the conventional device which rotates and locks the connector. Excellent.
In addition, since the lock portions 71 are arranged so as to be evenly distributed around the concave-convex fitting portion 70, the lock portions 7
The centering of the concave-convex fitting portion 70 can be performed by the elastic force of 1. Further, the top lock portion 71A is disposed right above the concave / convex fitting portion 70, and furthermore, its engagement surfaces 79A, 85A
Since the connector is perpendicular to the fitting direction of the connector, the engagement is not released even when the top lock portion 71A is strongly pulled by the moment force due to the weight of the connector. In addition, since the other two lower lock portions 71B have a semi-lock structure and are disengaged when pulled strongly, only the top lock portion 71A needs to be unlocked, and the unlocking operability is excellent. In addition, the lock release structure of the connector can be simplified.

<Second Embodiment> The electric vehicle charging connector device of the present embodiment has the same basic structure as the vehicle-side connector 13 and the power supply-side connector 14 of the first embodiment (see FIG. 2). Only the point is different. That is, the power supply side connector of the present embodiment is held by the robot and can be freely displaced within a small range with respect to the robot. Further, of the two connectors, each of the three lock portions arranged around the concave and convex fitting portion has the same semi-lock structure as the lower lock portion 71B of the first embodiment. Further, optical communication elements for exchanging data are embedded in the joint surfaces of both connectors.

To charge the electric vehicle, the electric vehicle is parked near the robot, and a predetermined start switch is turned on. Then, the position of the vehicle side connector is detected by the photoelectric sensor, and the robot presses the power supply side connector against the position. At this time, the lock arm is elastically displaced during the fitting process of both connectors, and the elastic reaction force causes the power supply side connector to be slightly displaced with respect to the robot so that the two connectors are aligned with each other. Be combined. Then, the charging is performed while transmitting and receiving the charging information by the optical communication element. During charging, the drive motor of the robot is mechanically locked, and the locks of both connectors are also engaged, so that even if the cable of the power supply connector is pulled, both connectors will be disconnected. It won't.

<Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
In addition to the following, various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. (1) In the above embodiment, the engagement surfaces 79A and 85A of the top lock portion 71A are perpendicular to the fitting direction. However, for example, the engagement surfaces of the engagement protrusions may be engaged with the mating side. May be inclined so as to increase the depth. (2) Although the lock arm 72 is configured to be elastically displaced by the compression coil spring 76, the lock arm itself may be configured to have flexibility and elastically deform. (3) In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a connector device using electromagnetic induction has been described. However, the present invention is applied to a so-called conductive type connector device in which terminal fittings housed in both connectors are electrically connected. Is also good.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vehicle side connector and a power supply side connector.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a power supply side connector.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle-side connector.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing a detached state of both connectors.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing a connection state of both connectors.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing a state in which a top lock portion is detached.

FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing an engagement state of a top lock portion.

FIG. 9 is a side sectional view showing a process of disengaging the top lock portion.

FIG. 10 is a side sectional view showing a detached state of a lower lock portion.

FIG. 11 is a side sectional view showing an engagement state of a lower lock portion.

FIG. 12 is a side sectional view showing a process of disengaging the lower lock portion.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a conventional connector device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 ... Vehicle side connector 14 ... Power supply side connector 60 ... Charging power supply device 70 ... Concavo-convex fitting part 71 ... Lock part 71A ... Top lock part 71B ... Lower lock part 72 ... Lock arm 73 ... Lock claw 78 ... Taper surface 79 , 85 ... engagement surface EV ... electric vehicle

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (Reference) H02J 7/00 301 H01F 23/00 B (71) Applicant 000005326 Honda Motor Co., Ltd. 2-1-1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan No. 1 (72) Inventor Kuki Heiji 1-7-10 Kikuzumi, Minami-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture Inside Harness Research Institute, Inc. (72) Inventor Tomio Iwamoto 1-7-10, Kikuzumi, Minami-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture (72) Inventor Kiyotaka Hayashi 1-4-1 Chuo, Wako-shi, Saitama F-term (reference) in Honda R & D Co., Ltd. 5E021 FA08 FB07 FB20 FB21 FC01 FC31 FC36 HA07 HB15 HC09 HC31 HC37 5G003 AA01 BA01 FA03 FA06 GB08 5H105 BB05 CC19 5H115 PG04 PI16 PO09 PO14 PO16 UI40

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An electric vehicle charging apparatus comprising: a vehicle-side connector for charging an electric vehicle by a charging power supply device; In the connector device for use, three lock portions for holding the concave-convex fitting portion in a fitted state are arranged approximately equally around the concave-convex fitting portion, and one of them is a true one of the concave-convex fitting portion. The lock portion is provided at an upper position, and the lock portion includes a lock arm capable of engaging and disengaging with a mating side by being elastically displaced in a radial direction of the concave-convex fitting portion. A connector device for charging an electric vehicle. 2. An engagement surface between the lock arm and a mating side of a top lock portion of the three lock portions which is disposed immediately above the concave / convex fitting portion is perpendicular to a fitting direction of the two connectors. Alternatively, the top lock portion is provided with a release operation portion for displacing the lock arm in the disengagement direction, and a release operation portion for displacing the lock arm in the disengagement direction is provided on the top lock portion. The electric vehicle charging connector device according to claim 1, wherein an engagement surface with a mating side is inclined so as to engage the lock arm in a disengagement direction.