JP2011253672A - Power supply plug lock device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a power supply plug lock device which can prevent a power supply plug connected to an inlet from being unplugged in an unauthorized manner without permission, and can also simplify the plugging/unplugging operation of the power supply plug in/from the inlet.SOLUTION: When a power supply plug 10 is connect to an inlet part 5, a lock device 40 provided on the inlet part 5 locks the power supply plug 10 in the inlet part 5 so as to inhibit unauthorized unplugging by a third party. When a pin 21 of an engagement claw 20 of the power supply plug 10 climbs over an engagement part 33 and a lock bar 45 as a result of being housed in a housing part 22 and is guided in a lock position in a recess 43, the lock bar 45 engages with the pin 21 of the engagement claw 20 to bring the lock device 40 into the locked state. When the engagement state with the engagement claw 20 is released by retracting the lock bar 45, the lock device 40 is brought into the unlocked state.

Description

  The present invention relates to a power supply plug lock device that is connected to a power receiving connector and charges a battery.

  In recent years, for the purpose of suppressing exhaust gas from vehicles to a small extent, each vehicle manufacturer has become very high in the development of electric vehicles (including hybrid vehicles) driven by motors. In such an electric vehicle, each time the remaining amount of power of the battery, which is a power source of the vehicle, decreases, the battery must be charged at, for example, a home or a desk lamp. However, various charging systems that can be handled easily will be provided (for example, see Patent Document 1). As an example of this case, for example, a power receiving connector (inlet) that can be connected to a power supply connector (power supply plug) connected to a commercial power source in the home is provided in the vehicle, and when the user returns home, the power supply plug is connected to the inlet of the parked vehicle. It is assumed that the vehicle battery is charged by sending commercial power to the vehicle.

JP-A-9-161898

  By the way, even though it is said that rapid charging technology has been developed for battery charging of an electric vehicle, there is a current situation that requires a relatively long time compared to gasoline supply of a gasoline vehicle. In particular, when a user charges a battery at home, it is rare that a general household is equipped with a device for high-speed charging, so a charging plug connected to the household power supply is connected to the inlet of the vehicle to start charging. In many cases, the vehicle is left in that state for a long time. In this case, for example, there is a possibility that the power plug is removed from the vehicle being powered and attached to the inlet of another vehicle and the power plug may be stolen, or the power plug itself may be stolen. There has been a demand for development of a technique for preventing the plug from being illegally removed.

  In addition, when a mechanism for preventing unauthorized removal of the power plug is provided in the inlet, it is meaningless if the connection / extraction operation of the power plug becomes troublesome. Therefore, when inserting the power plug into the inlet or pulling out the power plug from the inlet, there is a need to simplify these operations.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and its purpose is to prevent unauthorized removal of the power plug connected to the inlet without permission, and to insert and remove the power plug with respect to the inlet. An object of the present invention is to provide a power supply plug lock device that can simplify the above.

In the following, means for achieving the above object and its operational effects will be described.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the power supply plug is connected to the inlet, the locking claw of the power supply plug is locked to the inlet and is prevented from coming off, and the locking state is released. And a power supply plug lock device capable of detaching the power supply plug from the inlet, wherein a pin that is movable relative to the locking claw is provided on the locking claw, and when the power supply plug is inserted into the inlet, When the pin moves to the locking claw side, insertion of the power supply plug is allowed, and when the power supply plug is inserted into the inlet to the back, the pin is attached to a lock member that is movably provided in the inlet. Is locked and takes a locked state, and when the lock member is retracted from the pin, the locked state between the pin and the lock member is released. Further comprising a click mechanism is set to its gist.

  According to this configuration, when the power supply plug is connected to the inlet, the pin provided on the locking claw moves over the lock member, and after overcoming, the pin is locked to the locking claw, and the locking mechanism is Take the locked state. For this reason, the power supply plug connected to the inlet does not need to be removed from the inlet by a third party. Further, when the lock member is retracted from the engaging claw in the locked state, the engagement with the engaging claw is released, and the lock mechanism is unlocked. For this reason, when a regular user pulls out, a power feeding plug can be removed from an inlet.

  Moreover, since the pin which is a latching location to the inlet is provided so as to be movable with respect to the latching claw, when the power plug is inserted into and removed from the inlet, the pin moves by itself so as to avoid the lock member. Therefore, when the power supply plug is inserted into and removed from the inlet, it is not necessary to operate the locking claw. Therefore, the operation at the time of inserting and removing the power supply plug can be simplified.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the power supply plug lock device according to the first aspect, the lock member is always located at a lock position where the lock member is engaged with the engagement claw, and the engagement claw is pulled out from the inlet. The main point is to retract from the locking claw only at this time.

  According to this configuration, when the power supply plug is connected to the inlet, the lock member is positioned in advance at the lock position where the lock member is engaged with the engagement claw. Therefore, when the engagement claw is inserted, the pin of the engagement claw Is locked to the lock member to be locked. For this reason, the lock mechanism can be brought into the locked state without confirming that the locking claw is positioned at the position where the locking claw is locked with the lock member. Further, since the lock member only needs to be retracted when the locking claw is pulled out from the inlet, the number of movements of the lock member can be reduced.

  The gist of the invention described in claim 3 is that, in the power supply plug lock device according to claim 1 or 2, the locking claw is fixedly attached to the main body of the power supply plug.

According to this configuration, it is not necessary to provide the locking claw so as to be rotatable with respect to the power supply plug, so that the connection structure between the locking claw and the power supply plug can be simplified.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the power supply plug lock device according to any one of the first to third aspects, the inlet is provided with a protrusion as a locking point of the locking claw, and the power supply When the plug is connected to the inlet, the pin passes over both the protrusion and the lock member and is locked to the lock member, and the lock member is positioned between the protrusion and the locking claw. Thus, the gist is that the lock member takes a locked state.

  According to the same configuration, when the third member forcibly pulls out the power supply plug in the locked state where the lock member and the locking claw are locked, the protrusions apply the load applied to the locking member from the locking claw. Since it supports, it becomes possible to reduce the load concerning a lock member.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the power plug locking device according to the fourth aspect, the pin that is in contact with the protrusion is pulled out when the power plug connected to the inlet is pulled out from the inlet. The gist of the present invention is to provide a pull-out side guiding means for guiding while being housed in the pawl.

  According to this configuration, when the power plug is pulled out from the inlet, the pin is housed by the pull-out side guide means, so that the protrusion of the protrusion by the locking claw can be more reliably performed.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can prevent that the electric power plug connected to the inlet is removed illegally without permission, and simplification of the insertion / extraction operation of the electric power plug with respect to the inlet.

The block diagram which shows the structure of a vehicle and a charging system. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows schematic structure of an electric power plug. The front view which shows schematic structure of an inlet part. The perspective view which shows schematic structure of an inlet part. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows schematic structure of an inlet part. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows when a power feeding plug is connected to an inlet part. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows when a power feeding plug is connected to an inlet part. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the locked state which the electric power plug connected to the inlet part, and the latching claw engaged with the engaging member. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the unlocking state which the electric power feeding plug connects to an inlet part, and the latching claw is not engaging with the engaging member. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows when a power feeding plug is removed from an inlet part. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows when a power feeding plug is connected to an inlet part. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the locked state which the electric power plug connected to the inlet part, and the latching claw engaged with the engaging member.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in a power supply plug lock device for a plug-in hybrid vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, a hybrid vehicle 1 is provided with a hybrid system 3 that outputs a combination of driving forces of an engine and a motor as a driving source for driving wheels 2. The hybrid system 3 has a mode in which only the engine power is mechanically transmitted to the drive wheels 2, a mode in which power is generated by the engine power and a motor is driven, and the drive wheels 2 are directly driven by both the engine and the motor. The vehicle travels in various modes: a driving mode and a mode in which only the motor travels without using the engine.

  The hybrid system 3 is connected to a battery 4 that supplies electric power to the motor. The battery 4 can not only charge the battery 4 with the electric power generated by the power of the engine, but also can charge the battery 4 with night power from an external power source 61 of the vehicle 1, for example, a household outlet.

  The vehicle 1 is equipped with an electronic key system 70 capable of performing vehicle operations such as door locking / unlocking without the driver actually operating the vehicle key. In the electronic key system 70, an electronic key 80 capable of transmitting a key-specific ID code by wireless communication is used as a vehicle key. The electronic key system 70 transmits a request signal Srq from the vehicle 1 as an ID code reply request. When the electronic key 80 receives the request signal Srq, the electronic key 80 includes its own ID code in response to the request signal Srq. In this system, the ID code signal Sid is returned to the vehicle 1 by the narrow-band wireless communication, and when the ID code of the electronic key 80 matches the ID code of the vehicle 1, the door lock is unlocked or executed. The electronic key system 70 corresponds to a wireless authentication system, and the electronic key 80 functions as a communication terminal.

  The electronic key system 70 will be described below. The vehicle 1 is provided with a verification ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 71 that performs ID verification when performing narrow-area wireless communication with the electronic key 80. The verification ECU 71 includes an outside LF transmitter 72 embedded in each door of the vehicle 1 and capable of transmitting an LF (Low Frequency) band signal to the outside of the vehicle, and an LF band radio signal embedded in the vehicle under the floor of the vehicle. An in-vehicle LF transmitter 73 capable of transmitting, and a UHF receiver 74 embedded in a vehicle body or the like behind the vehicle and capable of receiving a UHF (Ultra High Frequency) band radio signal are connected. The verification ECU 71 includes a memory 71a in which an ID code is stored as a unique key code.

  On the other hand, the electronic key 80 is provided with a communication control unit 81 as a control unit for performing wireless communication with the vehicle 1 according to the electronic key system 70. The communication control unit 81 includes a memory 81a in which an ID code is stored as a unique key code. The communication control unit 81 is connected to an LF receiving unit 82 capable of receiving an LF band signal transmitted externally and a UHF transmission unit 83 capable of transmitting a UHF band signal in accordance with a command from the communication control unit 81. Yes.

  The verification ECU 71 transmits a request signal Srq from the out-of-vehicle LF transmitter 72 or the in-vehicle LF transmitter 73 to the electronic key 80 using an LF band radio wave, and attempts to establish so-called smart communication. When the verification ECU 71 receives the ID code signal Sid from the electronic key 80 as a response to the request signal Srq, the verification ECU 71 executes smart verification as ID verification. When the collation ECU 71 confirms that the smart collation with the electronic key 80 outside the vehicle, that is, the collation outside the vehicle, is established, it permits or executes door lock locking / unlocking by a door lock device (not shown). The verification ECU 71 permits the start of the hybrid system 3 when it is confirmed that the smart verification with the electronic key 80 in the vehicle, that is, the vehicle verification is established.

  The plug-in hybrid vehicle 1 charges the battery 4 with a plug-in charging system 60. The charging system 60 charges the battery 4 by connecting a power supply plug 10 provided in an external power source 61 such as a house or a charging stand to the vehicle 1. The power supply plug 10 is connected to an AC (commercial power) 200 V as an external power supply 61 via the connection cable 12. The connection cable 12 is provided with a charge on / off switch 62 that is operated when charging is started.

  An inlet portion 5 is attached to the vehicle 1 as a connection destination of the power supply plug 10 in the vehicle 1. The inlet portion 5 is a connector part into which the power supply plug 10 is inserted, and is mounted on the front side surface of the vehicle body, for example, like an oil filler port of a gasoline vehicle. The inlet unit 5 converts the AC voltage sent from the power supply plug 10 into a DC voltage by the converter 6 and sends it to the battery 4 of the vehicle 1 to charge the battery 4 with electric power. The inlet portion 5 can be charged when the power supply plug 10 is fitted to the inlet portion 5 and authentication is established by the electronic key 80 carried by the user.

  The vehicle 1 is provided with a charging ECU 75 that performs control related to charging. The charging ECU 75 can communicate with the verification ECU 71 via an in-vehicle LAN (Local Area Network) 76, and the verification result of the ID verification can be confirmed from the verification ECU 71. The charge ECU 75 confirms that ID verification is established and that the power supply plug 10 is fitted in the inlet portion 5 as a charge start condition.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a connection cable 12 is connected to the base end 11 a of the main body 11 of the power supply plug 10. The main body 11 of the power supply plug 10 is formed with a grip portion 13 that is held by a user. A cylindrical fitting portion 14 to be fitted to the inlet portion 5 is provided at the tip 11 b of the main body 11 of the power supply plug 10. A plurality of connection terminals 15 that electrically connect the power supply plug 10 to the inlet portion 5 are provided inside the fitting portion 14. The connection terminal 15 includes a power terminal 15a serving as a power transmission path, a signal terminal 15b serving as a communication path for various signals, and the like.

  The power supply plug 10 is provided with a locking claw (lock arm) 20 that locks the power supply plug 10 to the inlet portion 5 when the power supply plug 10 is inserted into the inlet portion 5. The locking claw 20 is formed in a shape extending along the longitudinal direction of the power supply plug 10 and is exposed and fixed to the upper portion of the tip 11b of the power supply plug 10.

  A pin 21 serving as a portion to be locked to the inlet portion 5 is attached to the locking claw 20 at a lower end of the locking claw 20 so as to reciprocate in the vertical direction. Specifically, a storage portion 22 that stores the pin 21 is formed inside the tip of the locking claw 20. The pin 21 is provided with a retaining portion 21 a that is located inside the storage portion 22 and prevents the pin 21 from being detached from the storage portion 22. The pin 21 is attached in a state where the retaining portion 21a of the pin 21 is positioned inside the storage portion 22 and the tip of the pin 21 is exposed to the outside. A pin urging spring 23 that urges the pin 21 downward, in other words, the engaging claw 20 toward the fitting portion 14 is attached to the upper surface of the retaining portion 21 a of the pin 21. The pin 21 is fixed to the upper surface of the inner wall of the storage portion 22 via a pin biasing spring 23.

  The locking claw 20 of the present embodiment does not extend to the grip portion 13 side of the power supply plug 10 and does not include an operation unit for operating the locking claw 20 by the user. That is, the locking device 40 of the present embodiment has a structure in which the user does not have to operate the locking claw 20 when inserting or pulling out the power supply plug 10 with respect to the inlet portion 5.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a connection terminal 35 is provided inside the insertion port 31 of the inlet portion 5 as a connection destination of the connection terminal 15 provided in the fitting portion 14 of the power supply plug 10. The connection terminal 35 includes a power terminal 35a serving as a power transmission path, a signal terminal 35b serving as a communication path for various signals, and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 4, an engagement portion 33 is formed on the outer peripheral surface upper portion 32 of the inlet portion 5 with the engagement claw 20 of the power supply plug 10 as an engagement destination. The engaging portion 33 functions as a protrusion. The engaging portion 33 protrudes at a position where the pin 21 collides when the locking claw 20 is inserted and pulled out. In addition, the two surfaces of the engaging portion 33 in the insertion / removal direction of the power supply plug 10 are inclined insertion sides in which the pin 21 moves into the storage portion 22 when the pin 21 collides when the locking claw 20 is inserted and withdrawn. A slope 33a and a pull-out side slope 33b are formed. The insertion-side inclined surface 33a functions as the insertion-side guiding means, and the extraction-side inclined surface 33b functions as the extraction-side guiding means. The inlet portion 5 is fixed to the vehicle 1 with a bolt 95.

  The pin 21 of the locking claw 20 has a protruding state (solid line in FIG. 2) that engages with the engaging portion 33, and a stored state in which the pin 21 of the locking claw 20 is stored in the storage portion 22 when the engaging portion 33 is moved over (two in FIG. 2). (Dotted line). The pin 21 is in a protruding state in a normal state. When the power supply plug 10 is inserted into and removed from the inlet portion 5, the pin 21 is pushed up by the engaging portion 33 against the urging force of the pin urging spring 23, so Move.

  The charging system 60 is provided with a lock device 40 that prohibits unauthorized removal of the power supply plug 10 connected to the inlet portion 5. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, a lock mechanism (electric lock mechanism) 41 is attached to the inlet portion 5 as a mechanism portion of the lock device 40. The lock mechanism 41 is provided with a case 42 that houses various components of the lock mechanism 41. The case 42 is formed integrally with the inlet portion 5. In the case 42, a recessed portion 43 through which the locking claw 20 is passed when the locking claw 20 is engaged with and disengaged from the engaging portion 33 is formed above the inlet portion 5. The recess 43 functions as an engagement space in which the locking claw 20 engages with the inlet portion 5.

  An upper wall 44 that guides the movement of the pin 21 inserted into the recess 43 is formed above the engagement portion 33 of the recess 43. The height L of the space formed by the engaging portion 33 and the upper wall 44 is the same as the height H from the lower end to the upper surface of the locking claw 20 in a state where the pin 21 is housed in the housing portion 22. (See FIGS. 2, 5, and 7).

  In the case 42, an elongated bar-like lock bar 45 capable of restricting the withdrawal of the locking claws 20 is attached so as to be linearly reciprocable along the apparatus width direction (Y-axis direction in FIG. 3). The lock bar 45 enters and exits the case 42 through a through hole 46 penetrating in the apparatus width direction Y on the side wall of the recess 43. The lock bar 45 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the surface of the engagement portion 33 that faces the pull-out side inclined surface 33b is inclined. The lock bar 45 protrudes into the recess 43 in contact with the pull-out side inclined surface 33b. The lock bar 45 functions as a lock member. The lock bar 45 cooperates with the upper wall 44 to sandwich the locking claw 20, thereby restricting the extraction of the locking claw 20.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a solenoid 47 serving as a drive unit that is a drive source of the lock mechanism 41 is accommodated in the case 42. The solenoid 47 is a self-holding solenoid, and is energized only when the lock bar 45 is moved between the unlock position and the lock position, and is not normally energized. When the solenoid 47 is supplied with a reverse current (release current), the lock bar 45 protrudes out of the solenoid 47 and the lock bar 45 is energized by a spring (not shown) that biases the lock bar 45 out of the solenoid 47. 47 is held in a locked position protruding from 47. The lock bar 45 protruding from the solenoid 47 is positioned in the recess 43 by inserting the through hole 46. On the other hand, when a forward current is supplied to the solenoid 47, the lock bar 45 is attracted into the solenoid 47 and held at an unlocked position in the solenoid 47 by a permanent magnet (not shown) provided in the solenoid 47.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the power supply plug 10 is not connected to the inlet portion 5, the lock bar 45 protrudes from the solenoid 47, and the lock bar 45 is positioned in the recess 43 by the solenoid 47. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, when the pin 21 of the latching claw 20 gets over the lock bar 45, the lock bar 45 is positioned between the pin 21 of the latching claw 20 and the engaging portion 33, and The pawl 20 is located between the lock bar 45 and the upper wall 44. Therefore, the movement of the pin 21 is restricted, and the lock mechanism 41 is locked. The contact surface between the pin 21 and the lock bar 45 at the time of locking is a surface substantially orthogonal to the insertion / removal direction of the power supply plug 10.

  On the other hand, when a forward current is supplied to the solenoid 47 from the locked state, the lock bar 45 advances straight from the inside of the recess 43 into the solenoid 47 by the solenoid 47. The lock bar 45 is held by a permanent magnet in the solenoid 47. Therefore, the lock bar 45 is separated from the pin 21, the movement restriction of the pin 21 is released, and the lock mechanism 41 takes the unlocked state shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 10, a plug insertion detection unit 36 that detects whether or not the locking claw 20 has been completely inserted into the recess 43 is provided in the back of the recess 43. The plug insertion detection unit 36 has a structure that does not directly contact the pin 21. Specifically, the plug insertion detection unit 36 is provided with a transmission plate 37 that extends from above the plug insertion detection unit 36 to the front of the lock bar 45 so as to be movable up and down.

  A spring 38 is attached to the lower surface of the transmission plate 37 to urge the transmission plate 37 upward, in other words, to the pin 21 side. The transmission plate 37 is fixed to the lower surface of the inner wall of the recess 43 via a spring 38, and is set at a position where the pin 21 contacts when the locking claw 20 is inserted into the recess 43. The urging force of the spring 38 is set smaller than the urging force of the pin urging spring 23. As shown in FIG. 8, when the pin 21 gets over the lock bar 45 and comes into contact with the upper surface of the transmission plate 37, the pin 21 is not stored in the storage portion 22 and moves down the transmission plate 37. It is for pressing to.

  The switch of the plug insertion detector 36 is turned on by the transmission plate 37 that has moved downward as the pin 21 is positioned. Therefore, it can be detected that the pin 21 is located in the back of the recess 43. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, when the lock bar 45 moves to the unlock position and the pin 21 is pulled out, the pin 21 is separated from the transmission plate 37. Then, the transmission plate 37 is returned to the original position by the spring 38.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the inlet portion 5 is provided with a lock ECU 77 as a control unit of the lock mechanism 41. The lock ECU 77 is connected to the in-vehicle LAN 76 and can exchange various information with various ECUs. The lock ECU 77 switches the operation state of the lock mechanism 41 to a locked state or an unlocked state by energizing the solenoid 47. The lock ECU 77 is connected to a plug insertion detection unit 36 and a solenoid 47 provided in the lock mechanism 41 of the inlet unit 5.

  The plug insertion detection unit 36 monitors whether or not the power supply plug 10 is completely inserted into the inlet unit 5, that is, whether or not the pin 21 is positioned at the locking position of the recess 43. When the plug insertion detection unit 36 detects that the pin 21 is positioned at the locking position of the recess 43, the plug insertion detection unit 36 outputs a detection signal to the charging ECU 75 and the lock ECU 77. The lock ECU 77 determines that the lock mechanism 41 is in the locked state after confirming that ID verification is established and that the pin 21 is located at the lock position. When the charge ECU 75 confirms that ID verification is established and that the lock device 40 is in the locked state, the charge ECU 75 performs a charge operation.

  In addition, the charging system 60 can remove the power supply plug 10 from the inlet portion 5 on the condition that the ID verification is established by the electronic key system 70 and the removal switch 78 provided in the vehicle 1 is operated. To do. In this case, the vehicle 1 is provided with a removal switch 78 that is operated when removing the power supply plug 10, and an operation signal is output to the lock ECU 77 when operated. When the lock ECU 77 confirms that the ID verification is established and that the removal switch 78 is operated, the lock ECU 77 switches the lock device 40 to the unlocked state and permits the removal of the power supply plug 10. When the locking device 40 is unlocked, the lock ECU 77 switches to the locked state after a lapse of a certain time after the locking claw 20 is pulled out of the recess 43, and prepares for the next connection of the power supply plug.

  The lock ECU 77 is provided with a verification result acquisition unit 77 a that acquires the result of ID verification from the verification ECU 71. When the detection signal is input from the plug insertion detection unit 36, the verification result acquisition unit 77a inquires of the verification ECU 71 and acquires the ID verification result. In addition, the collation result acquisition part 77a functions as a collation result acquisition means.

  The lock ECU 77 is provided with a lock mechanism control unit 77 b that controls the operation of the lock mechanism 41. When the lock mechanism 41 is in the locked state, the lock mechanism control unit 77b stops energization of the solenoid 47 and unlocks the lock mechanism 41 on condition that ID verification is established when an operation signal is input from the removal switch 78. Switch to the locked state. Further, when the lock mechanism 41 is in the unlocked state, the lock mechanism control unit 77b is fixed when the power plug 10 is pulled out from the inlet unit 5, that is, when no detection signal is input from the plug insertion detection unit 36. After the elapse of time, the solenoid 47 is energized to switch the lock mechanism 41 to the locked state.

Next, an operation that is performed when the battery 4 is charged by the power supply plug 10 and an operation of the lock device 40 will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, as shown in FIG. 6, when the power supply plug 10 is inserted into the inlet portion 5, the lock device 40 is locked. Then, the position is adjusted so that the pin 21 enters the concave portion 43, and the power supply plug 10 is inserted in the back along the axial direction of the inlet portion 5 in this state. At this time, the pin 21 is pushed into the back side of the recess 43 while the lower end of the pin 21 is in contact with the insertion-side inclined surface 33 a of the engaging portion 33.

  When the power supply plug 10 is inserted, the pin 21 is pushed by the insertion side inclined surface 33 a and the pin 21 is stored in the storage portion 22. For this reason, insertion of the locking claw 20 into the recess 43 is allowed. Therefore, when the power plug 10 is inserted, the pin 21 can be lifted using the insertion-side inclined surface 33 a of the engaging portion 33, so that the pin 21 can be inserted into the recess 43.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7, when the pin 21 rides over the insertion-side inclined surface 33 a of the engaging portion 33, it is positioned on the upper surface of the engaging portion 33. At this time, the height H from the lower end of the pin 21 to the upper surface of the locking claw 20 is substantially the same as the length L from the upper surface of the engaging portion 33 to the upper wall 44. When the pin 21 is further inserted into the recess 43, the pin 21 passes through the upper surface of the lock bar 45 and falls from the lock bar 45 by the biasing force of the pin biasing spring 23. When the locking claw 20 is further inserted into the back, the lower end of the pin 21 is positioned on the upper surface of the transmission plate 37.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when the power supply plug 10 is inserted all the way into the inlet portion 5, the connection terminal 15 on the power supply side and the connection terminal 35 of the inlet portion 5 are connected. At this time, the upper surface of the locking claw 20 is in contact with the upper wall 44. Then, the pin 21 is locked to the lock bar 45, and the locking claw 20 is sandwiched between the lock bar 45 and the upper wall 44, so that the locking claw 20 is locked out.

  When the power supply side connection terminal 15 and the connection terminal 35 of the inlet portion 5 are connected, the lock ECU 77 acquires a connection signal via the signal terminal 35b, and the power supply plug 10 and the inlet portion 5 are connected. Recognize that. If the pin 21 is normally engaged with the lock bar 45, the lock ECU 77 inputs a detection signal from the plug insertion detection unit 36. At this time, the collation result acquisition unit 77a inquires the collation ECU 71 about the result of ID collation establishment. If ID collation is established at this time, the collation result acquisition unit 77a obtains an ID collation establishment notification. When the charging on / off switch 62 is turned on in this locked state, a current flows from the power supply plug 10 into the inlet portion 5 and charging of the battery 4 is started.

  When the locking claw 20 is in the locked state, for example, a third party or the like tries to remove the power supply plug 10 from the inlet portion 5. At this time, even if it is attempted to extract the locking claw 20 to the outside of the recess 43, the locking claw 20 is sandwiched between the lock bar 45 and the upper wall 44, so that the extraction is restricted. As a result, even if the power plug 10 is forcibly pulled out, the power plug 10 cannot be removed from the inlet portion 5. Here, when the locking claw 20 is pulled in the apparatus front direction X, the load F is applied to the lock bar 45, but the engaging portion 33 that contacts the lock bar 45 supports the lock bar 45. The applied load can be reduced.

  On the other hand, when the charging of the battery 4 is completed, the process moves to the operation of removing the power supply plug 10 from the inlet portion 5, and the user operates the removal switch 78. At this time, if the authorized user performs the removal work of the power supply plug 10, the ID verification should be established by the electronic key 80 possessed by the authorized user. Therefore, in this case, the verification result acquisition unit 77a acquires the ID verification establishment notification when inquiring the verification ECU 71 about the ID verification establishment result.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the lock ECU 77 supplies a forward current to the solenoid 47 when the verification result acquisition unit 77 a acquires the ID verification establishment notification from the verification ECU 71. Thereby, the lock bar 45 is accommodated in the solenoid 47, and the lock bar 45 does not exist from the inside of the recess 43. Therefore, the unlocked state in which the engagement state between the lock bar 45 and the pin 21 is released is obtained.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 10, when the power supply plug 10 is pulled out, the lower end of the pin 21 is pushed by the pulling-side slope 33 b and the pin 21 is stored in the storage portion 22. For this reason, extraction of the locking claw 20 from the recess 43 is allowed. When the power supply plug 10 is pulled out, the pin 21 can be lifted using the pull-out side inclined surface 33 b of the engaging portion 33, so that the locking claw 20 can be pulled out from the recess 43. The pin 21 is pulled out to the outside of the recess 43 without being locked to the lock bar 45. As a result, the power supply plug 10 can be removed from the inlet portion 5.

  In this embodiment, when the power supply plug 10 is inserted into the inlet portion 5, the locking claw 20 is pushed by the insertion-side inclined surface 33 a of the engaging portion 33, and the pin 21 is stored in the storage portion 22. Then, it rides on the upper surface of the engaging portion 33. Then, after climbing the engaging portion 33, it passes through the upper surface of the lock bar 45, falls from the lock bar 45 by the urging force of the pin urging spring 23, and can be engaged with the lock bar 45. Therefore, when connecting the power supply plug 10 to the inlet portion 5, the pin 21 can be locked to the lock bar 45 without particularly operating the locking claw 20.

  When the power supply plug 10 is completely inserted into the inlet portion 5, the lock bar 45 and the pin 21 are engaged. At this time, the latching claw 20 is located between the lock bar 45 and the upper wall 44 and is in a locked state in which movement is restricted. Therefore, the power plug 10 cannot be removed from the inlet part 5 without permission by a third party, and the power plug 10 can be prevented from being stolen. In addition, with the simple configuration of forming the upper wall 44 in the recess 43 of the inlet portion 5, it is possible to regulate the withdrawal of the locking claw 20 in cooperation with the lock bar 45.

  Further, when the power supply plug 10 is removed from the inlet portion 5, a forward current is supplied to the solenoid 47 and the lock bar 45 is accommodated in the solenoid 47 from the recess 43. Then, the pin 21 is released from the engagement state by the lock bar 45 and becomes unlocked. Therefore, when the locking claw 20 is pulled out, the pin 21 is pushed by the pulling-side slope 33 b of the engaging portion 33, and the pin 21 is stored in the storage portion 22. As a result, the locking claw 20 is removed from the engaging portion 33. break away. Therefore, the power supply plug 10 can be removed from the inlet portion 5 by simply pulling out the power supply plug 10.

As described above, according to the embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) When the pin 21 that can move up and down is provided on the locking claw 20 and the power supply plug 10 is connected to the inlet portion 5, the pin 21 is locked to the lock bar 45 and the locking claw 20 is connected to the lock bar 45. The power supply plug 10 is locked to the inlet portion 5 by being sandwiched between the upper wall 44. For this reason, it can prevent removing from the inlet part 5 without permission by a third party. Further, when the power plug 10 is inserted into and removed from the inlet portion 5, the pin 21 moves over the engaging portion 33 by itself, so that the power plug 10 is removed from the inlet portion 5 without particularly operating the locking claw 20. Can be inserted. Therefore, the insertion / removal operation of the power supply plug 10 can be simplified.

  (2) Since the lock bar 45 is positioned at the unlock position only when the locking claw 20 is pulled out from the recess 43, the pin 21 is locked to the lock bar 45 when the locking claw 20 is inserted into the recess 43. Then, the withdrawal of the locking claw 20 is automatically regulated. Therefore, the lock mechanism 41 can be locked without the user performing a lock operation.

(3) Since the locking claw 20 is formed integrally with the main body 11 of the power supply plug 10, the configuration can be simplified.
(4) When the power supply plug 10 is pulled out from the inlet portion 5, the locking claw 20 has to get over the engagement portion 33, so that the power supply plug 10 can be prevented from easily falling out of the inlet portion 5. Further, when the locking claw 20 is to be pulled out in the locked state, the engaging portion 33 supports the lock bar 45 from the rear, so that the load applied to the lock bar 45 can be reduced.

  (5) Since the insertion side inclined surface 33a is provided in the engaging portion 33, the insertion operation of the pin 21 into the storage portion 22 is guided by the insertion side inclined surface 33a. Accordingly, the pin 21 can easily climb over the engaging portion 33 and can overcome the operation force during insertion.

  (6) Since the pulling side inclined surface 33b is provided in the engaging portion 33, the pulling side inclined surface 33b guides the storing operation of the pin 21 into the storing portion 22. Accordingly, the pin 21 can easily climb over the engaging portion 33 and can overcome the operation force during pulling out.

  (7) Since the locking claw 20 is sandwiched between the upper wall 44 formed in the recess 43 and the lock bar 45 in the locked state without a gap, the movement of the locking claw 20 can be reliably controlled. For this reason, the latching claw 20 can be guided to the lock position with a simple configuration in which the upper wall 44 is formed in the concave portion 43 of the inlet portion 5, and can be reliably prevented from coming off.

  (8) The lock ECU 77 supplies a forward current to the solenoid 47 to cause the lock bar 45 to protrude into the recess 43, and supplies a reverse current to the solenoid 47 so that the lock bar 45 is moved from the recess 43. The solenoid 47 is accommodated. Therefore, the lock state of the lock device 40 can be switched by an electrical process of switching energization of the solenoid 47. Further, if the position of the lock bar 45 is switched by an electrical process, it is not necessary to require a user's operation force when switching between lock and unlock.

  (9) Charging is started not only on whether the power supply plug 10 is connected to the inlet 5 but also on the condition that ID verification using the electronic key 80 is established. At the time of extraction, the lock bar 45 is switched to the unlock position on condition that ID collation using the electronic key 80 is established. For this reason, since it is not necessary to perform arbitrary charging by a third party, for example, security can be enhanced.

In addition, the said embodiment can be implemented with the following forms which changed this suitably.
-In above-mentioned embodiment, although the engaging part 33 was provided, the structure which abbreviate | omitted the engaging part 33 may be employ | adopted. For example, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, when the power supply plug 10 is connected to the inlet portion 5, the locking claw 20 is inserted into the recess 43 and is positioned at the lock position. At this time, the upper surface of the locking claw 20 and the upper wall 44 of the recess 43 come into contact with each other. Then, the lock bar 45 protrudes into the recess 43 by the solenoid 47 and is engaged with the locking claw 20. At this time, the latching claw 20 is located between the lock bar 45 and the upper wall 44 and is in a locked state in which the movement of the latching claw 20 is restricted, as in the above embodiment. When the power supply plug 10 is pulled out from the inlet portion 5, the lock bar 45 is accommodated in the solenoid 47 from the recess 43 by the solenoid 47. And the latching claw 20 is pulled out from the inside of the recessed part 43, without the latching claw 20 rotating. According to such a configuration, the locking claw 20 can be easily inserted into the recess 43.

-In above-mentioned embodiment, although the latching claw 20 was integrally formed with the main body 11 of the electric power feeding plug 10, it is good also as another member.
In the above embodiment, the locking claw 20 is fixed to the power supply plug 10, but the power supply plug 10 may be provided with a rotation shaft so as to be rotatable.

In the above embodiment, the solenoid 47 is not limited to a self-holding solenoid, and other solenoids such as a push solenoid and a pull solenoid can be used.
In the above embodiment, the lock bar 45 is driven by the solenoid 47, but the lock bar 45 may be driven not only by the solenoid 47 but also by other driving means such as a motor.

  In the above embodiment, the lock bar 45 is moved in the apparatus width direction (Y-axis direction in FIG. 3), but the lock bar 45 may be moved in the apparatus vertical direction (Z-axis direction in FIG. 3). Further, the movement direction of the lock bar 45 can be arbitrarily set as long as the movement of the pin 21 can be restricted without being limited to the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction.

In the above embodiment, the lock bar 45 is not limited to a member that reciprocates in a straight line, and may be a rotating member that rotates around an axis, for example.
In the above embodiment, the shape of the lock bar 45 is not limited to a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and other shapes such as a flat plate shape can be adopted.

In the above embodiment, the urging member that pushes the pin 21 downward is not limited to a spring, and for example, an elastic material can be used.
-In the said embodiment, it is good also as the direction which turned the locking device 40 upside down with respect to embodiment by arrange | positioning the latching claw 20 below with respect to the fitting part 14, ie, the pin 21, upward. .

  In the above-described embodiment, whether or not the operator of the power supply plug 10 is correct is performed based on the collation result of the ID collation of the electronic key system between the vehicle 1 and the electronic key 80. However, the power supply plug 10 is provided with a communication means capable of wireless communication with the electronic key 80, and the power supply plug 10 directly verifies the ID with the electronic key 80 to authenticate whether the operator of the power supply plug 10 is correct. May be performed. The communication means may be an antenna and a transmitter / receiver similar to those of the vehicle 1, or may be an immobilizer amplifier if the electronic key provided with the transponder is the other party.

In the above embodiment, ID verification by wireless communication is also performed at the start of charging. However, ID verification by wireless communication may be omitted and only verification by a mechanical key may be performed.
In the above embodiment, the locking claw 20 is provided on the upper portion of the fitting portion 14 of the power supply plug 10, but the locking claw may be provided on the upper and lower sides of the fitting portion 14 as well as on one side. Good.

In the above embodiment, the electronic key system 70 may employ, for example, an immobilizer system that uses a transponder as an ID code source.
In the above embodiment, the frequency of the radio wave used in the electronic key system 70 is not necessarily limited to LF or UHF, and other frequencies can be used. Further, the frequency when radio waves are transmitted from the vehicle 1 to the electronic key 80 and the frequency when radio waves are returned from the electronic key 80 to the vehicle 1 are not necessarily limited to different ones, and these may be the same frequency.

In the above embodiment, user authentication is not necessarily limited to key authentication using the electronic key 80, and other authentication such as biometric authentication may be applied.
In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the inlet portion 5 of the plug-in hybrid vehicle 1, but the present invention is not limited to the plug-in hybrid vehicle and may be applied to an inlet portion of an electric vehicle.

  -In above-mentioned embodiment, if the locking device 40 of this example is not necessarily applied only to the vehicle 1, if the apparatus and apparatus which have a rechargeable battery are used, the employer will not be specifically limited.

Next, a technical idea that can be grasped from the above embodiment will be described together with its effects.
(A) In the power supply plug lock device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, an urging force that urges the pin toward the lock member between the pin and a storage portion that stores the pin. When the power plug is connected, when the pin passes over the lock member and passes through the lock member, the pin jumps out to the lock member side by the urging force of the urging member and engages with the lock member. A power supply plug lock device.

  According to this configuration, the pin can always be urged toward the lock member by the urging member, and when passing through the lock member, the pin is reliably protruded from the locking claw and locked with the lock member. Is possible.

  (B) In the power supply plug lock device according to any one of claims 4 and 5 and the technical idea (a), the pin that is in contact with the protrusion when the power supply plug is connected to the inlet. A power supply plug lock device comprising insertion side guide means for guiding while being housed in the locking claw.

  According to this configuration, when the power supply plug is connected to the inlet, the pin is accommodated by the insertion-side guide means, so that the protrusion by the locking claw can be more reliably performed.

  (C) In the power supply plug lock device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and technical ideas (a) and (b), the master device on which the inlet is mounted is connected to a communication terminal by wireless communication. When a wireless authentication system for performing ID verification of a communication terminal is provided and the power supply plug is connected to the inlet, the ID verification result of the wireless authentication system is determined based on whether the operator of the power supply plug is correct. A power supply plug lock device comprising authentication result acquisition means for acquiring an authentication result.

  According to this configuration, since the authentication result acquisition unit acquires the ID verification result of the wireless authentication system, it is not necessary to provide the lock mechanism with a new authentication result for authenticating whether or not the operator is correct. . For this reason, it is not necessary to complicate the configuration.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle as a master device, 2 ... Drive wheel, 3 ... Hybrid system, 4 ... Battery, 5 ... Inlet part as an inlet, 6 ... Converter, 10 ... Feed plug, 11 ... Main body, 12 ... Connection cable, 13 ... Grip part, 14 ... fitting part, 15 ... connection terminal, 16 ... rotating shaft, 20 ... locking claw, 21 ... pin, 21a ... pin retaining part, 22 ... storage part, 23 ... pin biasing spring, 31 ... Insertion port, 32 ... upper part of outer peripheral surface, 33 ... engagement part, 33a ... insertion inclined surface, 33b ... extraction inclined surface, 35 ... connection terminal, 36 ... plug insertion detection part, 37 ... transmission plate, 38 ... spring, 40 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Locking device, 41 ... Lock mechanism, 42 ... Case, 43 ... Recess, 44 ... Upper wall, 45 ... Lock bar as lock member, 46 ... Through-hole, 47 ... Solenoid as drive means, 60 ... Charging system, 61 ... External power 62 ... Charge on / off switch, 70 ... Electronic key system as a wireless authentication system, 71 ... Verification ECU, 72 ... External LF transmitter, 73 ... In-vehicle LF transmitter, 74 ... UHF receiver, 75 ... Charge ECU, 76 ... In-vehicle LAN, 77 ... lock ECU, 77a ... collation result acquisition unit, 77b ... lock mechanism control unit, 78 ... removal switch, 80 ... electronic key as communication terminal, 81 ... communication control unit, 82 ... LF reception unit, 83 ... UHF transmitter.

Claims (5)

When a power supply plug is connected to the inlet, a locking claw of the power supply plug is locked to the inlet and is prevented from coming off, and when the unlocking operation is performed, the power supply plug is removed from the inlet. A power supply plug lock device that can be removed,
A pin that is movable relative to the locking claw is provided on the locking claw, and when the power supply plug is inserted into the inlet, the pin is moved toward the locking claw so that the power supply plug is inserted. When the power plug is inserted into the inlet as far as it will go, the pin is locked by a lock member that is movably provided at the inlet, and the lock member is retracted from the pin. Then, the power supply plug lock device is provided with a lock mechanism in an unlocked state in which the lock between the pin and the lock member is released. In the electric power supply plug lock device according to claim 1,
The power supply plug lock device according to claim 1, wherein the lock member is always located at a lock position where the lock claw is engaged with the engagement claw, and retracts from the engagement claw only when the engagement claw is pulled out from the inlet. In the electric power supply plug lock device according to claim 1 or 2,
The power supply plug lock device, wherein the locking claw is fixedly attached to a main body of the power supply plug. In the electric power supply plug lock device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The inlet is provided with a protrusion as a locking point of the locking claw, and when the power plug is connected to the inlet, the pin passes over the protrusion and the lock member and engages with the lock member. The power supply plug lock device is characterized in that the lock member is locked when the lock member is positioned between the protrusion and the locking claw. The power supply plug lock device according to claim 4,
When the power plug connected to the inlet is pulled out from the inlet, there is provided pull-out side guide means for guiding the pin that is in contact with the protrusion while being housed in the locking claw. Power supply plug lock device.

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