JPH10117405A - Connector holder for charging electric vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector holder for charging an electric vehicle which enables preventing a careless fall-off or to prevent foreign particles from attaching to the connecting parts of a magnetic core with counterpart magnets by properly holding the connector for charging the elective vehicle when not in use. SOLUTION: A connector holder for charging, provided with permanent magnets 32 large enough to cover surfaces 17, 18 on the magnetic core 11 of a connector 10 for charging to be contacted with the secondary cores on the side of an electric vehicle EV, is mounted on a wall surface W. It securely holds the connector 10 for charging, when it is not in use. Because the connecting parts of a magnetic core 11 with the secondary cores are converted by the permanent magnets 32, it is possible to prevent foreign particles, including dust, from attaching to the magnetic core 11 when the connector 10 for charging is not in use and consequently to magnetically secure firm connections with the secondary cores in the next charging.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a holder for holding an electric vehicle charging connector in a predetermined position.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, non-contact type charging systems utilizing electromagnetic induction have been developed as charging systems for electric vehicles.
One example is disclosed in JP-A-5-258962. This means that a secondary unit with a secondary coil wound around a magnetic core is placed on the vehicle body side of the electric vehicle, and a charging connector with the primary coil wound around the magnetic core is set here for electromagnetic coupling. In this state, charging is performed by causing an alternating current to flow through the charging connector to generate power on the secondary unit side.

[0003]

By the way, in this type of charging system, the primary and secondary magnetic cores form a closed-loop magnetic circuit during charging by their coupling surfaces contacting each other. Is removed from the electric vehicle, the coupling surfaces of the magnetic cores are both exposed. If the coupling surfaces of these magnetic cores become dirty, or foreign matter collides and becomes scratched, an appropriate magnetic circuit cannot be formed when they are set on the electric vehicle side, causing problems such as reduced efficiency and heat generation. May occur. In particular, on the charging connector side, which is likely to be handled outdoors when attached to the end of a long electric wire, it is desirable to take sufficient measures to prevent accidental dropping or attachment of foreign matter. The fact is that they have not yet been fully considered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to appropriately hold a charging connector for charging an electric vehicle when it is not in use and drop the connector inadvertently. An object of the present invention is to provide a holder for charging an electric vehicle, which can prevent foreign substances from adhering to a joint with a counterpart.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

<Invention of claim 1> A holder for an electric vehicle charging connector according to the invention of claim 1 for achieving the above object,
For holding a charging connector for charging the electric vehicle by being electromagnetically coupled to the secondary unit on the electric vehicle side on a wall or the like, the magnet adsorbed on the magnetic core of the charging connector is provided on the wall or the like. The feature is that it is attached to the fixed side of. <Invention of claim 2> According to the invention of claim 2, in the invention of claim 1, the magnet is one of the magnetic cores of the charging connector.
It is characterized in that it is set in such a size that it is attracted to the joint with the secondary unit on the electric vehicle side and covers almost the entire area of the joint.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the holder case according to the first or second aspect, wherein the holder case has an opening for accommodating the magnet and allowing the charging connector to enter therein. And a wiping member for wiping a coupling portion of the magnetic core of the charging connector with the electric vehicle side is provided on an introduction path from the opening of the holder case to the magnet. <Invention of claim 4> The invention of claim 4 is the invention of claim 3, wherein the dust collecting device for sucking air around the wiping member to collect dust and the charging connector having entered the holder case. It is characterized by further comprising detecting means for detecting, and timer means for operating the dust collecting device for a predetermined time on condition that the detecting means detects the entry of the charging connector.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the holder for holding the charging connector includes the magnet that is attracted to the magnetic core, the charging connector includes the magnetic core. Utilizing this fact, it is possible to reliably hold the magnetic force. In addition, because it is holding by magnetic force,
Holding is possible by simply pressing against the magnet of the holder, and when removing it, it is only necessary to pull hard, and the holding operation is easier than a hook type or the like. In the invention of claim 2,
Since the magnet is set to a size that covers the entire area of the coupling surface of the magnetic core with the secondary unit, the coupling surface is not exposed when the charging connector is held in the holder. It is possible to reliably prevent foreign matter from adhering.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the magnet is housed in the holder case, the tip of the charging connector attracted to the magnet is also covered by the holder case, and the protection thereof is more reliable. become. Moreover, in the process of attracting the charging connector to the magnet, the tip of the magnetic core is rubbed by the wiping member, so that the foreign matter attached to the magnetic core can be reliably removed. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the charging connector is inserted into the holder case, the dust collector operates only for a predetermined time, so that dust and the like removed by the wiping member are collected in the dust collector. , From the periphery of the wiping member. For this reason, the wiping member is also kept clean, and the cleaning ability of the joining surface of the magnetic core is maintained for a long time.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

<First Embodiment> Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows a state of charging the electric vehicle EV. Electric car E
A receiving portion 2 that can be opened and closed by, for example, a lid 1 is formed outside the vehicle body of the V, and a secondary unit 20 described below is disposed here. A charging connector 10 can be inserted into the receiving portion 2, and the charging connector 10 is connected to a charging power supply device 50 installed in, for example, a parking lot via a charging power cable 51.

As shown in FIG. 2, the charging connector 10 is formed by winding a primary coil 12 around a magnetic core 11, which is housed in a synthetic resin charging connector housing 14 provided with a handle 13. It is the structure which was done. The magnetic core 11 is made of, for example, ferrite and formed in an L-shaped side cross section, and one side (upper side) of the L shape protruding toward the distal end has a circular cross section 1 with a circular cross section.
1A, and the other side of the L-shape orthogonal to this is a prism 11B having a rectangular cross section. The tip surface 17 (joining portion) of the cylindrical portion 11A is perpendicular to the mounting direction A of the charging connector 10, and the joining surface 1 on the side surface of the prism 11B.
8 (joining portion) is also perpendicular to the mounting direction A.

The magnetic core 11 and the primary coil 1
Reference numeral 2 is housed in a protective case 15 made of synthetic resin. The protective case 15 has two openings 15A for exposing the distal end surface 17 of the cylindrical portion 11A and the distal end side surface of the prismatic portion 11B of the magnetic core 11. 15B are provided. On the other hand, the secondary unit 20 installed in the receiving portion 2 of the electric vehicle EV has a secondary core 2 having the same configuration as the magnetic core 11 and the primary coil 12 that constitute the charging connector 10.
1 and a secondary coil 22. The output terminal of the secondary coil 22 is connected to a charging circuit for charging a power storage device (not shown), and the power storage device can be charged by rectifying the AC electromotive force induced in the secondary coil 22. .

FIG. 3 shows a charging connector holder 30 according to the present embodiment. This is because the supporting member 31 formed of a synthetic resin has a substantially L-shaped side cross section.
And two permanent magnets 32. A mounting piece 34 extends upward and downward from the support member 31 and is fixed to the wall surface W of the parking lot with a screw 35 that is screwed therethrough. In the upper and lower portions of the support member 31, a circular holding concave portion 36 that opens toward the side opposite to the wall surface W is formed, and a circular step portion 32A of the permanent magnet 32 is formed here.
Are fitted and fixed by bonding or the like.

The distal end of the permanent magnet 32 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the attracting surface 32B at the distal end thereof is larger than the diameter of the distal end surface 17 of the cylindrical portion 11A of the magnetic core 11 and the coupling surface 18 on the side surface of the prism 11B. It is formed in a somewhat large substantially square shape. Thus, when the charging connector 10 is held by the charging connector holder 30, each of the suction surfaces 32B
Cover the entire area of the distal end face 17 and the coupling face 18 of the magnetic core 11.

Next, the operation and effect of this embodiment configured as described above will be described. In order to charge the electric vehicle EV, the charging connector 10 is inserted into the receiving portion 2 of the electric vehicle EV, and the charging power supply device 50 is turned on. Then, an alternating current is caused to flow through the primary coil 12 of the charging connector 10 by the charging power supply device 50, whereby an electromotive force is induced in the secondary coil 22 of the secondary unit 20 of the electric vehicle EV, and based on this, an electric vehicle is generated. The power storage device for the EV is charged. After the charging, the charging power supply device 50 is turned off and the charging connector 10 is pulled out of the receiving portion 2 of the electric vehicle EV, whereby the charging operation is completed.

After completion of the charging operation, the charging connector 10
Connector holder 3 provided on a wall of a parking lot, for example.
It is kept at 0. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 3, the tip of the charging connector 10 is applied to the charging connector holder 30 from the direction B (the direction perpendicular to the wall surface W). Then
The magnetic core 11 of the charging connector 10 is attracted by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet 32 of the charging connector holder 30, and the distal end face 17 of the cylindrical portion 11 </ b> A of the magnetic core 11 is attached to the attraction surface 32 </ b> B of the upper permanent magnet 32. 11B is attracted to the attracting surface 32B of the lower permanent magnet 32 (FIG. 4).
See). As a result, the magnetic core 11 and thus the charging connector 10 are securely held by the charging connector holder 30, and the charging connector 10 does not fall to the floor and is not damaged. In addition, since the distal end of the permanent magnet 32 is set to a size that covers the entire distal end surface 17 and the coupling surface 18 of the magnetic core 11 that are the coupling portion with the secondary core 21, the charging connector 10 is When the magnetic core 11 is held by the charging connector holder 30,
Is connected to the secondary core 21 by the permanent magnet 32. Therefore, when the charging connector 10 is not used, dust and the like can be prevented from adhering to the magnetic core 11, and a reliable magnetic coupling state with the secondary core 21 can be ensured at the next charging.

<Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition,
In the present embodiment and the first embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

In the present embodiment, the charging connector holder 3
0 is housed in the holder case 40. The holder case 40 is formed in a box shape with an open front surface made of a synthetic resin.
Can be inserted. From the front opening 41 to the permanent magnet 3
A brush 42 corresponding to a wiping member is provided upright on the path (corresponding to the introduction path of the present invention) leading from the inner wall surface of the holder case 40 toward the inner space. The brush 42 is formed by implanting a large number of synthetic resin bristles into a circular base 42A, and protrudes from the upper, lower, left, and right inside the holder case 40 toward the introduction path of the charging connector 10. When 10 is inserted into holder case 40, tip surface 17 and coupling surface 18 of magnetic core 11 are wiped by brush 42 in the process.

On the other hand, a dust collecting device 43 is provided at a lower portion in the holder case 40. Although not shown in detail, this includes a suction fan driven by a motor and a dust collection filter, and sucks air near the brush 42 through the duct 44 to collect dust. Further, a connector detection switch 45 corresponding to a detecting means is provided on the inner upper surface of the holder case 40, and when the actuator 45A is pressed by the inserted charging connector 10, the attachment of the charging connector 10 can be detected. . The signal from the connector detection switch 45 is provided to a timer device 46 serving as a timer means. When the entry of the charging connector 10 is detected, the dust collection device 43 is then turned on for a few minutes, for example. It is designed to work.

According to the above configuration, when the charging connector 10 is inserted into the holder case 40 and is attracted to the permanent magnet 32 after charging the electric vehicle EV, the magnetic core 1 is charged in the process.
The tip end surface of the brush 1 is always wiped by the brush 42. Therefore, even if dust or foreign matter adheres to the tip end surface of the magnetic core 11, the dust or foreign matter is immediately removed by the brush 42, and a clean surface state is always maintained. In addition, since the dust collecting device 43 is operated only for a certain period of time by attaching the charging connector 10, dust and the like blown off by the brush 42 are multiplied by the air flowing into the opening 44 </ b> A of the duct 44 and sucked by the dust collecting device 43. That is, dust and the like are not accumulated near the brush 42, and the cleaning ability of the brush 42 is maintained for a long time.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and for example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. (1) In each of the above embodiments, the permanent magnet is used as the magnet of the holder. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration using an electromagnet may be used. In this case, if the configuration is such that the insertion of the charging connector is detected and the electromagnet is energized, the electromagnet can be energized only when necessary and power is not wasted. (2) Further, even when a permanent magnet is used, the magnet is not limited to a general sintered ferrite or magnetic alloy. For example, a rubber magnet obtained by kneading ferrite powder into rubber or plastic,
Plastic magnets may be used, and they are suitable for protecting the magnetic core joint surface of the charging connector.

(3) The wiping member is not limited to a brush, but may be made of a fibrous material such as felt or a flexible material such as rubber, and may be rotated or moved to join the magnetic core. May be wiped off. Furthermore, these wiping members are attached to the tip surface of the permanent magnet,
The configuration may be such that these wiping members are in contact with the joint surface of the magnetic core when the charging connector is held. Of course, when a brush is used, the brush may be arranged so as to be inclined toward the insertion side (front opening 41 side) of the charging connector so that the tip surface of the magnetic core can be more reliably wiped. Good.

(4) The detecting means of the charging connector is not limited to the mechanical switch shown in the second embodiment.
Non-contact switches such as a photoelectric switch and a proximity switch can also be used. (5) The position where the holder is attached is not limited to the wall surface of the parking lot, but may be a dedicated post for holding a connector standing on the ceiling surface or the floor surface of the parking lot. As shown by a chain line, the housing of the charging power supply device 50 may be used. (6) In the second embodiment, the dust and the like attached to the brush are sucked by the dust collecting device 43. However, the dust and the like may be discharged to the outside of the holder case by blowing air from the duct. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state before a charging connector is connected to a side surface of an electric vehicle in a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a state before connecting a charging connector to a receiving portion in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view before a charging connector and a charging connector holder are combined in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view when the charging connector and the charging connector holder are combined in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of a charging connector holder according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Charging connector 11 ... Magnetic core 12 ... Coil 17 ... Tip surface (joining part) 18 ... Joint surface (joining part) 20 ... Secondary unit 30 ... Charging connector holder (holder of electric vehicle charging connector) 32 ... Permanent magnet (magnet) 40 ... Holder case 41 ... Opening 42 ... Brush (wiping member) 43 ... Dust collecting device 45 ... Connector detection switch (detecting means) 46 ... Timer device (timer means) EV ... Electric vehicle W ... Wall surface

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification symbol FI H02J 7/00 301 H01F 23/00 B (72) Inventor Toshiro Shimada 1-3-1 Shimaya, Konohana-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Sumitomo Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A charging unit for charging the electric vehicle, which is electromagnetically coupled to a secondary unit on the electric vehicle side, to hold the charging connector on a fixed side such as a wall surface. A holder for an electric vehicle charging connector, wherein a magnet to be attracted to a magnetic core is provided on a fixed side such as the wall surface. 2. The magnet is attracted to a coupling portion of the magnetic core of the charging connector with the electric vehicle, and
2. The holder for an electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1, wherein the holder is set to have a size covering substantially the entire area of the coupling portion. And a holder case accommodating the magnet and having an opening for allowing the charging connector to enter the interior thereof, wherein the charging path is provided in an introduction path from the opening of the holder case to the magnet. The holder for an electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a wiping member for wiping a coupling portion of the magnetic core of the connector for connection with the electric vehicle. 4. A dust collecting device for sucking air around the wiping member to collect dust, detecting means for detecting that the charging connector has entered the holder case, and the detecting means comprising a charging connector. 4. A holder for an electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 3, further comprising timer means for operating said dust collecting device for a predetermined time on condition that entry of the vehicle is detected.