EP4017758A1

EP4017758A1 - Electric charging device for a motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: EP4017758A1
Application number: EP20746102.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Michael Joosten; Fatih ÖZDOGAN
Original assignee: Kiekert AG
Current assignee: Kiekert AG
Priority date: 2019-08-21
Filing date: 2020-07-15
Publication date: 2022-06-29
Also published as: CN114450189A; DE102019122418A1; WO2021032235A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric charging device for a motor vehicle (1), in particular an electric or hybrid motor vehicle. The charging device comprises a charging socket (2) on the motor vehicle side and a charging plug (3) on the charging station side, or vice versa. In addition, a motorised locking element (4) that can be moved by a drive (5, 6) is provided for releasably locking the charging plug (3) in the charging socket (2). The drive (5, 6) is arranged in a housing (7, 8), from which the locking element (4) reaches the adjustment path (S) that can be varied by the drive (5, 6). An actuating element (12, 12') which can be manually actuated with the aid of a tool (11) is provided for unlocking the locking element (4) in the event of an emergency. According to the invention, the actuating element (12, 12') is indirectly and/or directly connected to the locking element (4) inside the housing (7, 8).

Description

description

Electric charging device for a motor vehicle

The invention relates to an electric charging device for a motor vehicle, in particular an electric or hybrid motor vehicle, with a motor vehicle-side charging socket and a charging column-side charging plug, or vice versa, and with a motor-driven locking element for releasable locking of the charging plug in the charging socket, the Drive is arranged in a housing, from which the locking element emerges with a travel that can be varied by the drive, and wherein an actuating element that can be actuated manually with the aid of a tool is provided for emergency unlocking of the locking element.

Batteries in electric or hybrid vehicles must be regularly supplied with electrical energy. This is done with recourse to a charging infrastructure, which typically includes one or more charging stations. For the charging process with electrical energy, the charging plug of the charging station is generally coupled to the charging socket on the motor vehicle side. However, the reverse can also be used. The charging column is then equipped with the charging socket, whereas the charging plug is implemented on the vehicle side.

The releasable locking of the charging plug in relation to the charging socket is necessary in order, for example, to avoid health hazards for users. This is because high voltage is generally used at this point, which can amount to several 100 V. In addition, the locking ensures that only previously identified users draw the energy made available by the charging station lawfully and that misuse is prevented. For this purpose, there is usually a An identification of the operator and an authorization check with the aid of an identification signal take place, as is basically described in WO 2010/149426 A1.

In the prior art according to CN 2029695855 U, the adjustment of the locking element is typically carried out with the aid of an electric motor drive. The electric motor drive itself is composed of an electric motor and a downstream, often multi-stage transmission. The multi-stage gear in turn works on the locking element via a cam.

In addition, solutions are known in the prior art according to DE 102011 10809 A1, in which a locking device is implemented that works with a mechanical bolt. The mechanical bolt can be operated by an electric motor. In this way, the mechanical bolt engages in grooves on the charging plug and thus ensures that the plug or charging plug is locked with the aid of the locking device inside the charging socket.

Another locking device, in particular for a charging plug, has become known from the generic DE 102011 050783 A1. In this case too, an electromechanical drive is provided for the locking element, with the aid of which a change between a locking position and an unlocking position of the locking element can be made. In addition, an emergency release for an emergency is already addressed. As part of the emergency release, the locking means is transferred from a locking position to its unlocking position.

Such an emergency or an emergency release is required, among other things, if the vehicle electronics or the drive for the locking element or locking means fails. As a result, the charging plug cannot removed from the vehicle. As a result, it is hardly possible to continue driving or to tow the vehicle.

In DE 10 2011 050 783 A1, a pulling means is ultimately used for the emergency unlocking, with the aid of which at least part of the locking element can be moved in an emergency. The traction means can be a rope, a Bowden cable or a rod or a lever which ends in the vehicle interior, so that it can be operated by a user in an emergency. In this respect, the traction means, for example in connection with a lever, represents the previously mentioned tool and, as a result, an actuating element that can be manually acted upon. In addition, in the case described, the emergency release can practically only be carried out from the interior of the motor vehicle - and not from the outside. This is problematic when the motor vehicle can no longer be opened.

For this purpose, the further generic prior art according to DE 10 2013 222 509 A1 proposes a charging module for charging electrical storage media in electrically driven motor vehicles. A manually operable Notentriegelungsvorrich device is provided with the aid of an actuating element, with the aid of which the locking element can be transferred into its unlocking position. In addition, a tool is addressed by means of which a manual actuation force can be transmitted to the actuation element of the emergency release device.

The well-known emergency release is generally accessible from the outside with a geöff designated flap to cover the charging socket. However, the actuating element is a pivot lever which is connected to the locking element and which is attached to the outside of a housing which accommodates the drive and the locking element. In addition, a through-hole closed by a thin separating layer made of a plastic film Let opening provided for the tool. The separating layer or passage opening temporarily closes an additional guide. The guide is directed towards the actuating element or the pivot lever and is used for the defined translational movement of the tool. This again results in a relatively high construction effort. In addition, the guide in the known teaching according to DE 102013222509 A1 must be adapted to the tool to be used as well as to the motor vehicle itself, which makes universal emergency unlocking difficult. The invention aims to provide a remedy here overall.

The invention is based on the technical problem of developing such a Ladevor direction for a motor vehicle so that the design effort is reduced and the emergency unlocking can be performed flexibly and easily on site using various available tools.

To solve this technical problem, the invention proposes in a generic electric charging device for a motor vehicle that the actuating element is connected directly and / or indirectly to the locking element inside the housing.

In this context, the actuating element can be connected to the drive and / or the housing. As a result, the locking element for emergency unlocking is acted upon indirectly. In this context, it has proven useful if the actuating element is designed, for example, as a crank mounted in a recess in the housing. This crank can then for its part engage in a recess in the locking element and thereby ensure that the locking element is indirectly acted upon with the aid of the actuating element. The crank in question and exemplarily mounted in the recess of the housing is still and invented duly arranged as an actuator unchanged in the interior of the housing.

In this context, the design can be made, for example, in such a way that the recess is provided in a lower housing part for the mounting of the actuating element designed as a crank, which in turn is overlapped by a hood or an upper housing part. In principle, the recess receiving the actuating element can also be implemented as a component of the housing in or on a web in the interior of the housing.

As an alternative or in addition, however, it is also possible for the actuating element to be designed as a molded or molded part on a transmission as part of the drive. In this case, too, the locking element is acted upon indirectly. As already explained above, the drive or electromechanical drive is typically composed of an electric motor and a downstream single or multi-stage gear. The procedure can be such that one of the gears of the gear unit is equipped with the molding, which in turn defines the actuating element, with the aid of which the locking element for emergency locking is indirectly applied.

This can be done independently of this and, if necessary, additionally

Actuating element also for the direct application of the

Serve locking element and be designed for the case that the actuating element is designed as a component of the locking element. Here it has been proven that the actuating element is designed as a projection or recess provided integrally on the locking element. That is to say, in this case, the actuating element is again an integral molding or a projection or also an indentation or a recess, which, however, is not indirect as in the case of the previously described one Acting on the locking element is realized, for example, on a gear wheel, but in the case of direct loading it is an integral part of the locking element. That is to say, the projection or the recess as the actuating element is defined on or in the locking element directly during manufacture. This is achieved particularly easily in that the locking element is advantageously made of plastic, consequently the actuating element can be defined as an integral part of the locking element directly during the plastic molding process or plastic injection molding process.

Comparable advantages arise in the event that, as an alternative or in addition, the gearbox following the electric motor is also made of plastic. Because then a corresponding molding or molding on the gear or on the gear wheel can again be defined without any problems in the context of a plastic injection molding process for the gear wheel in question. The same naturally also applies in the event that the transmission is made of metal.

All the embodiments described above have in common that the actuating element is arranged in the area of a temporarily closed opening in the housing. In fact, the actuating element is located in the direction of view of this temporarily closed opening behind the opening, namely according to the invention in the interior of the housing. In order to realize the temporarily closed opening in detail, the opening is characterized by a closure and / or a destructible area of reduced wall thickness.

Since the housing is typically designed as a plastic housing, the area of the opening with reduced wall thickness can be defined again and again easily during the manufacturing process for the housing or plastic housing. That means, in the area of the opening one becomes simple and grippingly reduce the wall thickness of the housing, for example to a wall thickness which is only half the original wall thickness. The wall thickness can preferably be only a third or even only a tenth of the usual wall thickness of the housing or plastic housing, so that this area of reduced wall thickness can be easily destroyed with the aid of the tool for emergency unlocking, in order to gain access to the actuating element located behind it.

As part of a reusable solution, the temporarily closed opening in question is closed, for example, with a rubber stopper, a screw cap, a glued-on film, etc. as a closure. Either way, the tool is inserted into the housing through the opening in such a way that the actuating element can be acted upon with its help. As a result of this, the locking element, which is usually in its locked position, can be transferred into its unlocked position in the course of the emergency unlocking. This applies both in the event that the locking element for emergency unlocking is acted upon indirectly and also when the locking element for emergency unlocking is directly acted upon.

As a result, an electric charging device for a motor vehicle is made available, which is characterized by a structurally simple structure and opens up the possibility of witnessing the emergency unlocking of the locking element with very differently designed work. The invention is based on the knowledge that - in contrast to the prior art according to DE 102011 050783 A1 or also according to DE 102013222509 A1 - no complex constructions are necessary. In particular, an emergency release from the vehicle interior is dispensed with. This is because if the vehicle electronics fail overall, access to the vehicle interior is generally not possible or only possible with difficulty. Logically, the invention offers a Notentriege development that succeeds directly from the outside. This is because the drive and the movable locking element together with the housing accommodating both components are generally arranged in the region of a recess in the motor vehicle body that is closed by a type of "tank flap" and is therefore in principle accessible from the outside. In this recess, which is closed with the aid of the flap, there is the charging socket and in its immediate vicinity the housing that accommodates the drive and the locking element. Since the emergency unlocking typically only has to be carried out when the charging plug cannot be unlocked from the charging socket, i.e. the locking element cannot be moved from its locking position to the unlocking position by motor, this corresponds to a functional position in which the recess is accessible and the flap is open is. Because in such a case the charging plug is plugged into the charging socket.

According to the invention, the housing accommodating the drive and the locking element is standardized in that, in contrast to the prior art according to DE 10 2013 222 509 A1, neither an additional guide for the tool nor the separating layer closing the passage opening are required. Both the guide and the separating layer require special structural designs on the motor vehicle in the area of the recess closed by the flap. The invention expressly dispenses with such motor vehicle-specific interpretations because the actuating element of the housing is located inside the housing that accommodates the drive and the locking element and is otherwise accessible to the tool if necessary through the temporarily closed opening in the housing. That is to say, the electrical charging device according to the invention can be attached or installed universally and without additional adaptation to the motor vehicle equipped with it. Another advantage of Flinzu is that different tools can be used for emergency unlocking. For example, you can work with a simple screwdriver, which engages under a projection on the Riegelele element as an actuating element for emergency unlocking and thereby transfers the locking element from its locked position to the unlocked position. The temporarily closed opening or its opening edge may be used in this context as an abutment for attaching the screwdriver.

As an alternative to this, the actuating element can also be an integral part of a gear wheel of the drive. In this projection, which is equipped with a hexagonal hollow hole, for example, an Allen key can be used for emergency unlocking if necessary. This means that any adaptation to the respective tool used for emergency unlocking generally takes place at the manufacturer's end by designing the actuating element accordingly. Additional adaptations on the motor vehicle side are not required.

As a result, the overall design effort is significantly reduced compared to the prior art. As a result, reduced costs can also be expected. In addition, a universal solution will be presented that can be used independently of the vehicle. This is where the main advantages can be seen.

In the following the invention is explained in more detail with reference to a drawing showing only one embodiment; show it:

Fig. 1 the electric charging device in a first embodiment pers perspective and partially in section,

FIG. 2 shows a detail from FIG. 1, Fig. 3 shows another second embodiment variant in perspective and

4 shows the object according to FIG. 3 in the open state.

In the figures, an electric charging device for a motor vehicle 1, which is only indicated in FIG. 1, is shown. The motor vehicle 1 is an electric or flybridge motor vehicle. The motor vehicle 1 is equipped with a charging socket 2 on the motor vehicle side. In addition to the charging socket 2 on the motor vehicle side, the charging device also includes a charging plug 3 on the charging column side. As indicated in FIG. 1, the charging plug 3 can be releasably locked in the charging socket 2. A locking element 4 is used for this purpose.

The locking element 4 is moved by a motor 5, 6. The electromechanical drive 5, 6 is essentially composed of an electric motor 6 and a single or multi-stage gear 5 connected downstream thereof. The transmission 5 is equipped with various gear wheels 5, which can be seen in FIG. 4, for example. According to the exemplary embodiment, the end gear wheel 5 engages with the aid of a pin Z in a recess 4 ‘of the locking element 4, as can best be seen in FIG.

As a result, the locking element 4 can be moved with the aid of the drive 5, 6 for releasable locking of the charging plug 3 in the charging socket 2, in its longitudinal direction L indicated by a double arrow in FIG Using the drive 5, 6 transfer from an unlocked position shown in solid lines to a locked position shown in dash-dotted lines and vice versa. In the locked position of the locking element 4, the charging plug 3 is locked in the charging socket 2. Around the charging plug 3 To unlock with respect to the charging socket 2, the locking element 4 must be transferred into its unlocked position shown in solid lines.

The locking element 4, together with the drive 5, 6, is at least partially received in a housing 7, 8, which in the exemplary embodiment is a plastic housing. The housing 7, 8 is composed of a lower housing shell 8 and an upper housing shell 7. The design can also be made in accordance with the illustration in FIGS. 3 and 4 such that the upper housing shell 7 or the upper housing part overlaps the lower housing shell 8 or the lower housing part.

The locking element 4 can be moved out of the housing 7, 8 to a greater or lesser extent in relation to an opening 10 of the housing 7, 8 closed by a seal 9. Corresponding to this is an actuating path S drawn in FIG. 1, which is varied by the drive 5, 6. The travel S is set between the unlocking position and the locking position of the locking element 4. Here, the locking element 4 emerges more or less from the housing 7, 8 or its opening 10.

According to the invention, an emergency unlocking of the locking element 4 is now also implemented. This emergency unlocking of the locking element 4 is carried out with the aid of a tool 11 which, in the context of the variant according to FIGS. 1 and 2, is a screwdriver. In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the tool 11 is designed as an indicated Allen key. With the help of the tool 11, an actuating element 12, 12 'is acted upon. According to the invention, the actuating element 12, 12 ‘is located in the interior of the housing 7, 8. In addition, the actuating element 12, 12‘ is indirectly and / or directly to the

Locking element 4 connected. In the variant as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the actuating element 12 is formed as a projection 12 provided integrally on the locking element 4. As an alternative to this, a recess can also be provided on the locking element 4. As a result, the locking element 4 can be acted upon directly with the aid of the actuating element or projection 12. This is achieved in that the tool 11 or the screwdriver in the variant according to FIGS. 1 and 2 engages under the projection 12 designed as an actuating element 12 as shown and, starting from the locking position shown in phantom, moves the locking element 4 into the unlocking position shown in solid lines, after Embodiment moved upwards.

In the variant according to FIGS. 3 and 4, the actuating element 12 'there works indirectly on the locking element 4. In fact, in this variant, the actuating element 12' is connected to the drive and / or the housing 7, 8. In the context of the detailed illustration according to FIG. 4, it can be seen that the actuating element 12 'is designed as a crank 12' mounted in a recess 13 of the housing 7, 8, specifically the lower housing shell 8. This crank 12 ′ also has a projection on the tool side, which according to the exemplary embodiment is designed as a hollow hexagon for the engagement of an Allen key as tool 11. The crank or the actuating element 12 'engages the locking element side with a pin in a recess of the locking element 4, so that with the help of the tool 11 or the Allen key in the example, the actuating element 12' or the crank 12 'is rotated and in this way the The locking element 4 can be transferred manually with the aid of the tool 11 as desired during the emergency unlocking from its locking position shown in dash-dotted lines into the unlocking position shown in solid lines. Not shown is the further possibility of applying the tool 11 or specifically a slotted screwdriver, for example, to a recess as an actuating element 12 'on the gear wheel 5 and in this way to ensure the emergency unlocking of the locking element 4. The gear wheel 5 can just as well be equipped with a molding as an actuating element 12 '. All these variants in the context of the representation according to FIGS. 3 and 4 have in common that - in contrast to the implementation variant according to FIGS. 1 and 2 - the relevant actuating element 12 'is not arranged directly on the locking element 4 or on the Locking element 4 is formed, but rather the movement of the actuating element 12 'is transmitted indirectly to the locking element 4 for emergency unlocking. This can be done by means of the crank 12 ′ shown in FIG. 4, by molding onto or into the gear wheel 5 or by acting on the output shaft of the electric motor 6 in some other way.

The two embodiment variants according to FIGS. 1, 2 on the one hand and 3, 4 on the other hand have in common that the respective actuating element 12, 12 'is arranged in the area of a temporarily closed opening 14 of the housing 7, 8. In fact, the actuating element 12, 12 'is in a front view of the opening 14 in question in the housing 7, 8 behind the opening 14, specifically in the interior of the housing 7, 8. The opening 14 is now temporary, that is, only for a certain time , locked.

For this purpose, the opening 14 may in the specific case be closed by a closure 15, this closure 15, for example as a rubber stopper, can be removed if necessary in order to ensure access to the actuating element 12, 12 'via the opening 14. This is shown by the variant embodiment according to FIGS. 3 and 4. In the context of the embodiment variant according to FIGS. 1 and 2, the procedure is such that the opening 14 is temporarily closed again, not at this point by a closure 15, but in the form of an area 16 with reduced wall thickness. This area 16 with reduced wall thickness is involved around an area of the housing 7, 8, specifically the lower housing shell 8, which has a reduced wall thickness compared to the rest of the housing 7, 8 outside the opening 14. In fact, this area 16 with a reduced wall thickness may be equipped with a wall thickness which is less than half, preferably even less than a tenth of the wall thickness of the rest of the housing 7, 8 outside the opening 14. Such an area 16 with reduced wall thickness can be defined in the housing 7, 8 without any problems because the housing 7, 8 or the components 7, 8 are each plastic injection molded parts. The locking element 4 is also typically designed as a plastic injection-molded part.

In order to open the area 16 with reduced wall thickness, it can simply be pierced or destroyed using the tool 11, as shown in FIG. As a result, the actuating element 12 there is accessible in the form of the projection 12 connected to the locking element 4. In this embodiment variant, the projection 12 is in fact molded onto the locking element 4 made of plastic. In any case, the actuating element 12 is accessible in this case, so that the tool 11 or the screwdriver in the context of this variant can engage under the appropriately designed projection 12, so that the locking element 4 from its locked position shown in phantom to the unlocked position shown in solid lines with the help of the tool 11 can be transferred. For this purpose, a lower edge of the opening 14 may function as an abutment for the tool 11 in the exemplary embodiment. As a result of this emergency unlocking, the locking element 4 can be brought into its unlocking position, so that the charging plug 3 can then be removed from the charging socket 2. All of this succeeds without any problems and as it were seen from the outside of the motor vehicle 1. Because in the locked state, the charging socket 2 receiving and usually closed with a flap recess in the motor vehicle body of the motor vehicle 1 is accessible. For this purpose, the flap in question and not shown is open in the locked position and the charging plug 3 is in its locked state in the charging socket 2, that is, with the locking element 4 in the locked position. Starting from this, the emergency unlocking can then be carried out as described.

Reference number

1 motor vehicle

2 charging socket 3 charging plug

4 locking element

4 ‘recess

5 gears

6 Electric motor 7 Upper housing shell

8 lower housing shell

9 seal

10 opening

11 tool 12, 12 “actuator

13 recess

14 opening

15 clasp

16 area (reduced wall thickness)

Z spigot

L lengthwise

S travel

Claims

1. Electric charging device for a motor vehicle (1), in particular an electric or hybrid motor vehicle, with a motor vehicle-side charging socket (2) and a charging plug-side charging plug (3), or vice versa, and with a motor-driven drive (5, 6) that can be moved Locking element (4) for releasable locking of the charging plug (3) in the charging socket (2), the drive (5, 6) being arranged in a housing (7, 8) from which the locking element (4) is carried by the drive (5 , 6) variable travel (S) appears, and an actuating element (12, 12 ') that can be actuated manually with the aid of a tool (11) is provided for the emergency unlocking of the locking element (4), so that the actuating element ment (12, 12 ') in the interior of the housing (7, 8) is connected indirectly and / or directly to the locking element (4).

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the

Actuating element (12, 12 ‘) is connected to the drive (5, 6) and / or the housing (7, 8) and acts indirectly on the locking element (4) for emergency unlocking.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the

Actuating element (12, 12 ‘) is designed as a crank (12‘) mounted in a recess (13) of the housing (7, 8), which crank engages in a recess of the locking element (4).

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the actuating element (12, 12 ') is designed as a molding on or on a gear (5) as part of the drive (5, 6).

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the actuating element (12, 12 ‘) is designed as part of the locking element (4) for its immediate application.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the

Actuating element (12, 12 ‘) is designed as a projection (12) or recess integrally provided on the locking element (4).

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the actuating element (12, 12 ‘) is arranged in the region of a temporarily closed opening (14) of the housing (7, 8).

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the opening (14) is temporarily closed by a closure (15) and / or a destructible wall-thickness-reduced area (16).

9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the housing (7, 8) is designed as a plastic housing.

10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the locking element (4) and / or the gear (5) is made of plastic.