FR2980141A1 - Hybrid vehicle i.e. car, has trap doors placed adjacent to each other and opened in reversed manner such that mechanical units block one of trap doors when other trap door is opened, to prevent opening of former trap door and vice versa - Google Patents

Abstract

The vehicle has a thermal engine associated with a fuel tank. An electric motor is associated with a battery that is connected with an electric connection base (7). A neck (9) of the tank and the base are accessible from exterior of the vehicle via two different trap doors (5), respectively. The trap doors are placed adjacent to each other and are opened in reversed manner such that mechanical units (15, 16) e.g. strips, block one of the trap doors when the other trap door is opened, so as to prevent opening of the former trap door and vice versa.

Description

The invention is in the field of hybrid type vehicles comprising both a heat engine and an electric motor for its propulsion. More specifically, the invention relates to the charging of electricity and / or fuel of such vehicles.

On hybrid type vehicles, the connection base for the connection of an electric battery charging device is often placed at the front of the vehicle, as for example in document EP2116405, or the opposite of the passenger compartment relative to the filler neck of the fuel tank. To minimize the changes caused by the presence of an access door to the battery charging means on the body parts design, it has been sought an implantation of said hatch which is close to the access door to the door. Fuel tank. It should be noted that, for safety reasons, it is preferable not to perform the electric power charging operations simultaneously with the operations of filling the fuel tank. That is why this implementation of access to the fuel tank and the charging socket must be accompanied by means for deterring or preventing their simultaneous use. Various systems have already been proposed for this purpose in the prior art.

For example, the document US20100133024 discloses a security system that does not allow the opening of the access door to the fuel tank when the access door to the electrical outlet for the load is open and vice versa. For this purpose, the hatches have elements for detecting their opening and elements for holding the hatch which is not open in the closed position. The implementation of this solution therefore involves the mounting of various mechanical devices, electrical and sensors, which increases the cost, the risk of failure and additional power consumption. There is therefore a need for a simpler and more economical solution.

Document JP2008-162543 proposes a single hatch for access to the fuel tank and the electric power charging socket. The electric charging socket is pivotally mounted. It is placed in front of the opening of the tank for recharging electrical energy to prevent access. Alternatively, it retracts to release access to the tank opening. It is also possible to place the plug on the flap of the tank access hatch. This solution has the disadvantage of involving a complicated assembly. On the other hand, the mounting of the charging electrical socket, or connection base on a pivoting mobile element reduces the durability of the charging device which may deteriorate after a number of uses.

JP2010-208529 proposes to simply have the connection base to a source of electrical energy and the neck of the fuel tank side by side in two non-parallel planes so that the connection of one prohibits the use of the other by bulk. This solution has the disadvantage of modifying the accessibility data of the neck of the tank or the connection base which are placed in a housing deeper in the bodywork than in the usual configurations. Indeed the walls of said housing are sinking towards each other towards the inside of the vehicle to obtain the desired angle. By seeking to prohibit the simultaneous use of a mobile socket and a fuel dispensing gun, this solution therefore modifies the conditions of access to the connection base and the tank neck from outside the vehicle. This can cause some discomfort to the user when connecting the socket to the base or filling the tank. In addition, it is necessary to add a flap between the neck and the socket if you want to protect the electric plug socket or connection base, any fuel projections.

The object of the invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by proposing a new hybrid vehicle having means for deterring or preventing the simultaneous recharging of fuel and electrical energy and which does not have the drawbacks of the art. prior. For this purpose, the invention proposes a hybrid vehicle comprising a heat engine associated with a fuel tank having a neck for its filling, an electric motor associated with a battery connected to a connection base for charging electricity by connection with a mobile socket, said tank neck and said connection base being each accessible from the outside of the vehicle by means of two separate access hatches, the vehicle being remarkable in that the hatches access to the neck of the tank and the base connected to each other and in that the access hatches of the tank neck and the connection base are arranged adjacent to one another and are in inverted openings so that a mechanical means integral with the hatch, when opened causes the blocking of the other hatch to prevent opening and vice versa. Preferably, the mechanical means of the hatch is a tongue.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tongue is fixed on the hinge of the hatch. According to another embodiment of the invention, the tongue is fixed at right angles to the hinge of the hatch, by means of a support bracket, fixed in extension of the hinge towards the adjacent hatch. Optionally, the surface of the support opposite to that on which the tab is attached constitutes a contact surface. Advantageously, the tongue has its horizontal axis located in the plane located at the junction of the two hatches. Preferably, the face of the tongue is positioned at 90 degrees to the trap surface. Preferably, the tongue has its end end at right angles and forms a contact surface. Advantageously, the hatches being closed, the faces of the tabs of the hatches are parallel to each other.

Advantageously, a hatch being open, the faces of the tongues are perpendicular to each other, the contact surface of the tongue of the open hatch being opposite the contact surface of the support, mechanically preventing the opening of the adjacent hatch . Optionally, the hatches for access to the neck of the tank and / or the connection base have closure / opening means preferably in the form of an electromagnetic latch, which can be controlled from the dashboard of the vehicle. Preferably, the closing / opening means of the access hatches are configured to allow the opening of only one trapdoor at a time.

It will be understood, from reading the definition that has just been given, that the implementation of the invention consists in arranging adjacently the access hatches to the connection base for recharging electrical energy and fuel tank neck so that the opening of a hatch prevents the opening of the other, to avoid any risk of incidents that could result from the simultaneous opening of the hatches, allowing access to the base of connection and at the fuel tank neck.

The invention will be clearly understood and other aspects and advantages will become clear from reading the following description given by way of example with reference to the appended figures in which: FIG. 1 shows a general view of a vehicle showing FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary arrangement according to the invention of a connection base and a reservoir neck, FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the interior of the vehicle body closed hatches and the implementation of the electrical connection base and the neck of the fuel filler pipe of the tank, equipped according to the invention. FIG 4 shows a perspective view of the interior of the vehicle body, the hatch providing access to the electrical connection base, in the closed position and the hatch providing access to the neck of the fuel filler pipe of the tank; , in open position and blocking the opening of the access door to the electrical connection base according to the invention. Reference will firstly be made to FIG. 1 showing a hybrid vehicle 1 according to the invention. This vehicle 1 has 15 in a known manner a heat engine fueled by a reservoir. A first access hatch 3 allows access from the outside to the neck of said tank for filling. It also presents an electric motor powered by a battery.

A second access hatch 5 provides access from the outside of the vehicle to the connection base associated with said battery for charging electricity. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the two access hatches 3, 5 are located on the body 2 of the vehicle and 25 are arranged adjacent one another. Preferably, the access doors 3, 5 of said connection base and said neck are contiguous and form a double door giving access to a common housing where both the connection base and the filler neck of the tank are arranged. According to the invention illustrated in Figure 2, the hatches 3, 5 are arranged to be one above the other. The hatches 3, 5 of accessibility to the connection base 7 and the neck 9 of the fuel tank are therefore distinct from each other. So that it is possible to have access only to the connection base 7 or the neck 9 of the fuel tank. When the hatches 3, 5 are arranged one above the other, those skilled in the art will benefit from the fact that the access hatch 5 to the connection base 7 for recharging electrical energy is disposed above the access hatch 3 to the neck 9 of the fuel tank. This arrangement makes it possible to minimize the risk of fuel projection on the connection base 7. The connection base 7 is intended to receive a male mobile electrical plug connected to a power cable. The electrical outlet is connected by its cable to a power source and its connection to the base 7, or socket, recharges the vehicle battery. There are several types of electrical connectors that can be used in the context of the invention. The invention is intended for hybrid vehicles whose electrical mobile socket needs to be oriented in a specific way in the base 7 for its connection. The invention consists in taking advantage of this specific orientation to use the electrical socket as an instrument for blocking the access hatch 3 to the fuel tank and / or as a sealing element for the neck 9 of said tank. FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the interior of the bodywork 2 of the vehicle, the hatches 3, 5 of access 30 closed and the implantation of the base 7 of electrical connection and the neck 9 of the conduit 10 of fuel filling of the tank, equipped according to the invention. In the figure, we see hinges 11, traps 3, 5 mounted antagonistically so that the hatches 3, 5 open in the opposite direction. At the end of the hinges 11, 12, in the direction of the junction between the two doors 3, 5, supports 13, 14 are fixed. These supports 13,14 are therefore mounted on the hinges 11, 12 and are connected to the rotational movement of the hinges 11, 12 during the opening of the hatches 3,5. The supports 13, 14 are square-shaped 13a, 14a so that the branches are at the same level and facing away from each other. The end of the brackets receives tabs 15, 16 whose median longitudinal axis is in the plane of junction of the hatches 3, 5. The ends of the tongues 15, 16 ends at right angles to create a contact surface 17, 18 In this configuration where the hatches 3, 5 are closed, the faces 15a, 16a of the tongues 15, 16 are parallel to each other. The ends 13b, 14b of the supports 13, 14 opposite the ends of the brackets 13a, 14a form a contact surface. FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the interior of the bodywork 2 of the vehicle, the hatch 5 providing access to the base 7 for electrical connection, in the closed position and the hatch 3 providing access to the neck 9 of the fuel filling of the tank, in the open position and blocking the opening of the access hatch 5 to the base 7 of electrical connection, according to the invention. In this view, the hatch 3 (not visible) allowing access to the neck 9 refueling is open, while the hatch 5 allowing access to the base 7 for connecting a mobile socket from outside the vehicle is closed and its opening is not possible mechanically. Indeed, during the opening of the hatch 3, the rotation of the hinge 11, has caused the rotation of the support 13 and also the tongue 15 of an angular rotation of 90 degrees. This rotational movement has the effect of placing the contact surface 17 of the tongue 15 connected to the hatch 3, facing the contact surface 14b of the support 14 fixed on the hinge 12 (not visible) allowing the rotation of the hatch 5. A functional clearance is provided between the contact surfaces 14b, 17 so as to achieve successively and alternately the opening of the doors 3, 5 without mechanical friction. In this configuration where a hatch 3, 5 is open, the faces 15a, 16a of the tongues 15, 16 are perpendicular to each other. It is understood that when the hatch 3 refueling is open, the opening of the access hatch 5 to the base of the electrical outlet is impossible because the rotation of the hinge 12 of the hatch 5, causes the rotation of the support 14 whose surface 14b comes into positive contact on the surface 17 and allowing the rotation of the hinge 12 and therefore the opening of the hatch 5. The two opening mechanisms of the hatches 3, 5 being strictly identical but with openings Inverted, the opening of a hatch 3, 5 implies that the other hatch 3, 5 adjacent to its blocked opening. Of course, it goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiment more specifically described and shown with reference to the accompanying drawings; on the contrary, it embraces all the variants.

Claims (9)

REVENDICATIONS1. Hybrid vehicle (1) comprising a heat engine associated with a fuel tank having a neck (9) for filling it, an electric motor associated with a battery connected to a connection base (7) for charging electrical energy by connection with a mobile socket, said tank neck (9) and said connection base (7) being each accessible from the outside of the vehicle 1 by means of two distinct access hatches (3, 5), the vehicle (1) being characterized in that the hatches (3, 5) for access to the neck (9) of the tank and to the connection base (7) are arranged adjacent to one another and are in inverted openings so that a means mechanical (15, 16) integral with the hatch (3, 5) at its opening causes the blocking of the other hatch (3, 5) to prevent its opening and vice versa. 2. Hybrid vehicle (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that the mechanical means of the hatch (3, 5) is a tongue (15, 16). 3. Hybrid vehicle (1) according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the tongue (15, 16) is fixed on the hinge of the door (3, 5). 4. Hybrid vehicle (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the tongue (15, 16) is fixed at right angles to the hinge (11, 12) of the hatch (3, 5), by means of a bracket (13, 14) square, fixed in extension of the hinge (11, 12) towards the adjacent door (3, 5). 5. hybrid vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the surface of the support (13, 14) opposite to that on which is fixed the tongue (15, 16) constitutes a contact surface . 6. Hybrid vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tongue (15, 16) has its horizontal median axis located in the plane at the junction of the two doors (3, 5). 7. Hybrid vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the face of the tongue (15, 16) is positioned at 90 degrees relative to the surface of the hatch (3, 5). 8. Hybrid vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tongue (15, 16) has its end end square and forms a contact surface (17,18). 9. Hybrid vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hatches (3, 5) being closed, the faces (15a, 16a) of the tabs (15, 16) of the hatches (3, 5). are parallel to each other. Hybrid vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a hatch (3, 5) being open, the faces (15a, 16a) of the tongues (15, 16) are perpendicular to each other, the contact surface (17, 18) of the tongue (15, 16) of the open flap (3, 5) lying opposite the contact surface (13b, 14b) of the support (13, 14), which mechanically prevents the opening of the flap (3, 5) adjacent. Hybrid vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hatches (3, 5) for access to the neck (9) of the tank and / or to the connection base (7) have each closing / opening means preferably in the form of an electromagnetic latch, which can be controlled from the dashboard of the vehicle.