JP2012209100A - Power feeding plug lock device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a power feeding plug lock device of simple structure.SOLUTION: An operation button 27 is provided which is operated when switching lock/unlock of a power feeding plug lock device 23, and a lock bar 31 is connected to the operation button 27. The lock bar 31 is turned mechanically as far as a lock position by pressing the operation button 27, so that a power feeding plug is locked in an inlet. When the locked state is to be fixed, a cylinder key 38 is turned to the lock position using a mechanical key. A behavior of the operation button 27 is regulated by a movement regulation part 44 of the cylinder key 38, to fix the locked state of the power feeding plug lock device.

Description

  The present invention relates to a power plug locking device that locks a power plug connected to an article such as a vehicle, for example, to prevent unauthorized removal of the power plug.

  In recent years, with increasing awareness of environmental issues, for example, hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles have been widely used as vehicles with low carbon dioxide emissions. These vehicles are driven by the driving force of the motor by rotating the motor with the electric power of the battery. Therefore, the battery must be charged every time when the battery is running for a long distance and the remaining amount of the battery is reduced (see Patent Document 1, etc.).

  By the way, since battery charging is accompanied by the electrolytic reaction of a compound or ion with the battery cell which is a component of a battery, there exists the present condition that charging time takes comparatively long. Therefore, if the user leaves the vehicle while the battery is being charged, there is a possibility that the power will be stolen by a third party changing the power plug. Therefore, in a vehicle that can be charged by a battery, it is considered to mount a lock device so that the power plug is not pulled out from the vehicle illegally when the power plug is connected to the vehicle.

JP-A-9-161898

  However, even if this type of power plug lock device is installed, if the power plug lock device has a complicated structure, it leads to an increase in the size of the device and an increase in cost, and the possibility of widespread use is low. turn into. Therefore, there has been a development need for a power supply plug lock device having a simple structure.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a power supply plug lock device capable of simplifying the structure.

  In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, when a power supply plug is connected to an inlet, a power supply plug that prevents unauthorized removal of the power supply plug by locking a lock member on the inlet side to the power supply plug. In the plug lock device, the operation means for operating when the lock member is switched to the lock position, and the operation means when the lock member is mechanically moved together with the operation means by the operation of the operation means to be locked. Is held at the locked position, and the movement of the position holding mechanism that holds the locked state and the operation means after the lock operation can be restricted, and the operation means can be operated until authentication with the user is established. The gist of the present invention is to provide an unauthorized release preventing means for preventing unauthorized release of the locked state by restricting the operation.

  According to the configuration of the present invention, for example, when the operating means is operated in the lock direction, the lock member mechanically takes the locked position in conjunction with this operation, and the power plug lock device takes the locked state. Then, the lock state is fixed by restricting the movement of the operation means after the lock state is switched by the unauthorized delegation prevention means. For this reason, the lock can be illegally released by a simple structure that restricts the movement of the operation means. As a result, the power supply plug lock device can have a simple structure.

  In the present invention, the unauthorized release preventing means includes a cylinder lock and a movement restricting portion attached to a rotor of the cylinder lock, and when the cylinder lock is turned to a lock position by a mechanical key, the movement restriction is provided. The gist is that the portion is locked to the operation means to restrict the operation of the operation means. According to this configuration, the structure of the unauthorized release preventing means is a structure using a general-purpose part called a cylinder lock, which contributes to simplification of the structure of the power supply plug lock device.

  The gist of the present invention is that when the unauthorized release preventing means is not functioning, the lock member is alternately locked and unlocked every time the operating means is operated. According to this configuration, since the lock / unlock of the power plug lock device is alternately switched every time the operation means is operated, the lock / unlock can be switched simply by operating the operation means. . Further, if the lock / unlock is alternately switched every time the operation means is operated, it can be said that the switching operation is easy in terms of feeling.

  According to the present invention, the structure of the power supply plug lock device can be simplified.

The block diagram of the vehicle of one Embodiment. The perspective view which shows an external appearance when connecting an electric power plug to an inlet. The side view which shows the external appearance when connecting an electric power plug to an inlet. The perspective view of an electric power feeding plug lock device. The disassembled perspective view of an electric power plug locking device. The schematic diagram which shows schematically the motion which a position holding mechanism takes. (A) is the perspective view which looked at the cylinder lock from the front side, (b) is the perspective view which looked at the cylinder lock from the back side. The perspective view of the electric power supply plug lock apparatus of an unlocked state. The side view which shows the lock bar of an unlocked state. The perspective view of the electric power supply plug lock apparatus of a locked state. The side view which shows the lock bar of a locked state. (A)-(c) is a transition diagram which shows the process of operating a cylinder lock to a locked position. The schematic diagram explaining the structure of the unauthorized release prevention means of another example.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a power supply plug lock device embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, a hybrid system (hereinafter simply referred to as a vehicle 1) is provided with a hybrid system 4 that generates power for turning wheels using an engine 2 and a motor 3. The hybrid system 4 is provided with a battery 5 as a power source for the motor 3. The vehicle 1 is also provided with a charging system 6 that charges the battery 5 with an external power source. The charging system 6 uses, for example, a charging stand installed in a corner of a city or a commercial commercial power source as a charging facility 7, and connects a power supply plug 9 provided at the tip of a charging cable 8 of the charging facility 7 to the vehicle 1. The battery 5 is charged.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a power receiving connector 11 is provided on the side wall of the vehicle body 10 as a connection location of the power supply plug 9. The power receiving connector 11 is stored in a storage chamber 13 that is opened and closed by a laterally open lid 12. The power receiving connector 11 is provided with an inlet 14 having electrical connection terminals (power terminals, control terminals, etc.). The inlet 14 is provided with a plug connection detection sensor 15 that detects that the power supply plug 9 is completely inserted.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the power supply plug 9 is on the power supply side of the charging system 6 and has an electrical connection terminal similar to the inlet 14. A lock arm 17 is swingably attached to the plug main body 16 of the power supply plug 9 as a retaining member at the time of connection. The lock arm 17 can be swung in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction with the center in the longitudinal direction as a rotation shaft 18. The lock arm 17 has a claw portion 19 at the tip and an operation portion 20 at the base exposed to the outside of the plug body 16. The lock arm 17 is provided with a biasing member 21 that constantly biases the lock arm 17 toward the closing side at a position near the operation unit 20.

  When connecting the power supply plug 9 to the power receiving connector 11, the power supply plug 9 is inserted straight into the inlet 14 in the insertion direction (the −Y axis direction in FIG. 3). At this time, when the claw portion 19 comes into contact with the protrusion 22 of the inlet 14, the lock arm 17 is guided by the inclined surface 22 a and goes up the protrusion 22. When the power supply plug 9 is completely inserted into the inlet 14, the lock arm 17 swings to the closing side by the urging force of the urging member 21. For this reason, the nail | claw part 19 is hooked on the protrusion 22, and the electric power feeding plug 9 is prevented from falling to the inlet 14. FIG.

  When the hybrid system 4 confirms that the power supply plug 9 is completely inserted into the inlet 14, the hybrid system 4 causes the power supply plug 9 (charging facility 7) to charge the battery 5. When the hybrid system 4 confirms that the battery 5 is fully charged, the hybrid system 4 causes the power supply plug 9 to finish charging. When the power supply plug 9 is removed from the inlet 14 after the charging is finished, the operation unit 20 is pushed to swing the lock arm 17 to the open side and away from the protrusion 22. In this state, the power supply plug 9 is removed from the vehicle 1 by pulling it straight out from the inlet 14.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the power receiving connector 11 is provided with a power plug locking device 23 that prevents unauthorized removal of the power plug 9 connected to the inlet 14. The power supply plug lock device 23 of this example can be mechanically switched between lock and unlock by manual operation, and when locked, the lock is locked by using a cylinder lock to lock the lock. It is intended to prevent the release.

  The power supply plug lock device 23 is provided with a case 24 for storing various components. The case 24 includes a first case 24a that forms a main body portion, and a second case 24b on the front side that closes the opening of the first case 24a. The case 24 is firmly attached and fixed to the inlet 14 by fixing the first case 24 a to the inlet 14 by a plurality of locking members 25.

  The case 24 is provided with a lock mechanism 26 as a mechanism part of the power plug lock device 23. In the case of this example, an operation button 27 that is operated when switching the locking / unlocking of the locking mechanism 26 is attached to the case 24 so as to be linearly movable in the apparatus depth direction (Y-axis direction in FIG. 4). A cylindrical button storage portion 28 is formed in the first case 24a. When the first case 24a and the second case 24b are assembled, the button storage portion 28 is closed by the lid portion 24c of the second case 24b. . The operation button 27 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and is housed in the button housing portion 28 so as to be capable of linear reciprocation in a state of being prevented from being detached from the case 24. The operation button 27 corresponds to an operation unit.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a position holding mechanism 30 that holds the position (lock position) of the operation button 27 that has been pushed is provided on the back surface of the operation button 27. As shown in FIG. 6, when the operation button 27 at the protruding position (unlock position) is pushed and moved linearly in the back (arrow K1 direction), the position holding mechanism 30 is caused by the members engaging each other. The operation button 27 is held at the lock position. In this state, when the operation button 27 is pushed back again once again, the locking of the position holding mechanism 30 is released. Accordingly, the operation button 27 is linearly moved forward (in the direction of the arrow S1) by the urging force of the urging member of the position holding mechanism 30 and returned to the original protruding position (unlock position).

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first case 24 a has a substantially cylindrical lock bar 31 capable of restricting the opening operation of the lock arm 17. It is attached so that it can rotate around. The lock bar 31 is slidably accommodated in a storage chamber 33 of a lock bar mounting portion 32 formed at an end (upper part) of the first case 24a. In the lock bar 31, a connecting protrusion 34 formed at the end is locked in a long hole 35 formed near the base of the operation button 27. Accordingly, when the operation button 27 moves linearly (in the direction of arrow K1 in FIG. 5), the lock bar 31 rotates in the locking direction (in the direction of arrow K2 in FIG. 5), and the operation button 27 moves forward (in the direction of arrow S1 in FIG. 5). When moving linearly in the direction), the lock bar 31 rotates in the unlocking direction (the direction of arrow S2 in FIG. 5). The lock bar 31 corresponds to a lock member.

  The lock bar 31 is formed with a thin portion 36 by hollowing out a part of a cylinder in a triangular cross section. For this reason, the lock bar 31 is in an unlocked state when the thin portion 36 is positioned above the lock arm 17, and the pivot position where the thin portion 37 is positioned above the lock arm 17 is unlocked. If it takes, it will be in a locked state.

  A cylinder lock 38 that prevents unauthorized release of the lock state of the lock mechanism 26 is attached to the lower portion of the case 24. The cylinder lock 38 is accommodated in a cylinder accommodating portion 39 provided at the lower end of the second case 24b. The cylinder lock 38 has a rotor 40 and a rotor case 41. If the mechanical key 43 inserted into the key hole 42 is a regular one, the internal tumblers (not shown) are aligned, and the rotor 40 is inserted into the rotor case 41. It is possible to rotate with respect to. The cylinder lock 38 constitutes an unauthorized release preventing means.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a movement restricting portion 44 that can be locked to the operation button 27 that takes the locked position is provided on the back surface of the rotor 40. The movement restricting portion 44 is plate-shaped and has a length protruding outward in the radial direction of the cylinder lock 38 (rotor case 41), and can rotate integrally with the rotor 40. Further, a locking protrusion 45 that can lock the movement restricting portion 44 is provided on the back surface of the operation button 27. The locking protrusion 45 is an annular wall protruding in the radial direction of the operation button 27. The movement restricting portion 44 and the locking protrusion 45 constitute an unauthorized release preventing means.

  A cutout groove 46 that guides the rotation of the movement restricting portion 44 is provided through the peripheral wall of the cylinder housing portion 39. A cutout groove 47 that guides the rotation of the movement restricting portion 44 is also provided in the peripheral wall of the button storage portion 28.

  When the cylinder lock 38 takes the rotation position of the unlock position, the movement restricting portion 44 takes a separated position away from the operation button 27. Therefore, the operation button 27 can be freely operated. On the other hand, when the cylinder lock 38 is turned approximately 90 degrees from the unlocked position to take the locked position, the movement restricting portion 44 takes the locking position where it is caught by the locking protrusion 45 of the operation button 27. For this reason, it becomes impossible to operate the operation button 27, and unauthorized unlocking of the lock is prevented. The mechanical key 43 inserted into the key hole 42 of the cylinder lock 38 can be removed from the cylinder lock 38 regardless of whether the cylinder lock 38 is in the locked position or the unlocked position.

Next, operation | movement of the electric power feeding plug lock apparatus 23 of this example is demonstrated using FIGS. 8-12.
8 and 9 show the power plug lock device 23 in the unlocked state. At this time, the operation button 27 takes a protruding position (initial position) where the knob portion 29 protrudes outward by the urging force of the urging member of the position holding mechanism 30. Further, the lock bar 31 takes a rotation position (unlock position) in which the thin portion 36 faces the protruding portion 22, and the thin portion 36 is effective. That is, the power plug lock device 23 is unlocked. Therefore, the lock arm 17 can be swung, and the power supply plug 9 can be freely connected to / removed from the inlet 14.

  At this time, since the cylinder lock 38 should be operated to the unlock position, the movement restricting portion 44 takes the separated position. Therefore, the operation button 27 is not subjected to position restriction by the movement restricting unit 44, and the lock operation / unlock operation of the operation button 27 is permitted.

  After the power supply plug 9 is connected to the inlet 14, in order to put the power supply plug lock device 23 in the unlocked state into the locked state, the operation button 27 in the protruding position is resisted against the urging force of the urging member of the position holding mechanism 30. Then push it back (lock direction). At this time, the operation button 27 moves linearly in the back direction (arrow K1 direction in FIG. 8), and the lock bar 31 rotates in the lock direction (arrow K2 direction in FIG. 8) with this movement.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, when the operation button 27 is pushed all the way down, the lock bar 31 is rotated approximately 90 degrees in the lock direction. At this time, the meat-equipped portion 37 of the lock bar 31 takes a rotation position (lock position) in which the meat-bearing portion 37 faces the protrusion 22, and the meat-equipped portion 37 becomes effective. That is, the opening operation of the lock arm 17 locked to the protrusion 22 of the inlet 14 shifts to a state where it is restricted by the meat portion 37 of the lock bar 31, and the power supply plug lock device 23 is locked.

  When the operation button 27 is pushed to the back, the position holding mechanism 30 is switched to the position holding state, and the operation button 27 is held at the lock position. That is, the operation button 27 maintains the state of the locked position where it is pushed deeply into the back. For this reason, the lock bar 31 is held at the rotation position of the lock position, and the lock state of the power plug lock device 23 is maintained.

  In order to lock this state after the lock bar 31 is turned to the lock position, as shown in FIG. 12A, the mechanical key 43 for the cylinder lock 38 is inserted into the cylinder lock 38, and the state shown in FIG. As shown in b), the rotor 40 is rotated approximately 90 degrees counterclockwise by the mechanical key 43 to the locked position. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12C, when the rotor 40 rotates to the locked position, the movement restricting portion 44 takes the locking position where the locking protrusion 45 is hooked, so that the locked state is fixed. After the lock is switched, the mechanical key 43 is removed from the cylinder lock 38 and held at hand. This prevents unauthorized locking by a third party, so there is no problem even if the vehicle 1 leaves.

  To unlock the locked cylinder lock 38 after charging, the mechanical key 43 is reinserted into the locked cylinder lock 38, and the rotor 40 is rotated approximately 90 degrees clockwise to the unlock position. . As a result, the movement restricting portion 44 moves away from the locking protrusion 45 and takes a separated position, so that the operation restriction of the operation button 27 is released. That is, the operation in the unlocking direction of the operation button 27 at the lock position is permitted.

  Therefore, the operation button 27 at the lock position is pushed again to the back to release the position holding state of the position holding mechanism 30. At this time, the operation button 27 linearly moves forward (in the direction of arrow S1 in FIG. 4) to the urging member of the position holding mechanism 30 by the urging force. As a result, the lock bar 31 also rotates in the unlocking direction (the direction of the arrow S <b> 2 in FIG. 4). Therefore, the power plug lock device 23 is unlocked, and the power plug 9 can be removed.

  As described above, in the present example, the lock bar 31 is mechanically turned to the lock position by pushing the operation button 27, and the power supply plug 9 is locked to the inlet 14. When the lock state is fixed, the cylinder lock 38 is turned to the lock position by the mechanical key 43 and the movement restricting portion 44 of the cylinder lock 38 restricts the movement of the operation button 27, thereby Fix the locked state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unauthorized release of the lock by a third party. Further, since the lock can be illegally released by a simple configuration that restricts the movement of the operation button 27, the structure of the power supply plug lock device 23 can be simplified.

According to the configuration of the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The lock state of the power supply plug lock device 23 can be fixed by pushing the operation button 27 and mechanically locking the lock bar 31 and then rotating the cylinder lock 38 to the lock position. . For this reason, since the locked state cannot be released unless the user possesses the regular mechanical key 43, unauthorized unlocking by a third party can be prevented. Further, since the locked state can be fixed by stopping the movement of the operation button 27 with the cylinder lock 38, the structure of the power supply plug lock device 23 can be simplified.

(2) Since the locked state is fixed using a general-purpose component called the cylinder lock 38, it contributes to the simplification of the structure of the power supply plug lock device 23.
(3) Every time the operation button 27 is operated, the lock / unlock of the power plug lock device 23 is alternately switched. Therefore, the lock / unlock can be switched by simply repeating the push operation of the operation button 27. . It can also be said that it is easy to switch between locking and unlocking sensuously.

  (4) Since the mechanical key 43 can be removed from the cylinder lock 38 regardless of whether the cylinder state is in the locked position / unlocked position, the mechanical key 43 can be connected to the cylinder even when the power plug locking device 23 is unlocked. The lock 38 can be removed. Therefore, the vehicle 1 will not run with the mechanical key 43 being inserted into the cylinder lock 38.

Note that the embodiment is not limited to the configuration described so far, and may be modified as follows.
The mechanical key may be shared with a key used in a vehicle key system (for example, a key used during door lock locking / unlocking operation or engine start / stop operation). In this case, since it is not necessary to have a separate key for each system, convenience can be improved.

  The power supply plug lock device 23 may be retrofitted to the inlet 14. In this case, even if the inlet 14 not provided with the power supply plug lock device 23 is provided, it is convenient for a user who desires to install the power supply plug lock device 23 because it can be retrofitted.

  The unauthorized release prevention means is not limited to the structure using the cylinder lock 38. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, a structure in which the pin 52 is pulled out by the actuator 51 may be adopted. In this case, when the operation of the unauthorized release preventing means is interlocked with the door lock of the vehicle door, when the vehicle door is locked, the pin 52 is protruded to stop the operation button 27 so that the locked state is set. When the vehicle door lock is unlocked and the vehicle door lock is unlocked, the operation of the operation button 27 is permitted by retracting the pin 52. The actuator 51 and the pin 52 constitute an unauthorized release preventing means.

-The shape of the movement control part 44 and the latching protrusion 45 is not limited to plate shape, It can change suitably to another shape.
The unauthorized release prevention means is not limited to a structure that locks the movement restricting portion 44 to the locking protrusion 45, and may be a structure that hooks the movement restricting portion 44 in the groove of the operation button 27, for example.

  -It is not limited to the structure where lock / unlock of the lock bar 31 is alternately switched every time the operation button 27 is operated. For example, when the operation button 27 is in the locked state, when the vehicle door is unlocked, the position holding mechanism 30 is released by an actuator or the like, and the operation button 27 is automatically returned to the unlock position. Good.

  -The charge start conditions of the battery 5 can be changed suitably. For example, the charging start condition may be that the plug connection detection sensor 15 detects the insertion of the power supply plug 9 into the inlet 14 and ID verification with the electronic key of the vehicle 1 is established.

-You may stop charge of the battery 5 by turning off the switch in a vehicle.
The structure of the lock mechanism 26 is not limited to that described in the embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate.

  The lock member is not limited to the lock bar 31 that is positioned above the lock arm 17 and takes a locked state. For example, the lock member may be composed of a plurality of parts. For example, the lock bar 31 may regulate the swing operation of the lock arm 17 via a predetermined member (for example, a boot-shaped locking lever that pivots about an axis).

  The lock bar 31 is not limited to the one in which the cylindrical member rotates at its own position. For example, the lock bar 31 may be one that linearly moves between the lock position / unlock position, or one that the fan-shaped member rotates about the root.

The shape of the lock bar 31 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be a rectangular parallelepiped shape, for example.
The operation means is not limited to a push operation type, and may be a rotary type that rotates a lever, or a knob that slides in a horizontal direction.

The position holding mechanism 30 is not limited to the one described in the embodiment, and may be a structure using a heart cam or the like, for example.
The power supply plug lock device 23 may be configured such that the lock bar 31 is inserted into the hole of the power supply plug 9 and locked.

-Vehicle 1 is not limited to a hybrid vehicle, For example, the electric vehicle which drive | works only with a motor may be sufficient.
The power supply plug lock device 23 is not limited to being applied to the vehicle 1 and may be applied to other devices and devices.

Next, technical ideas that can be grasped from the above-described embodiment and other examples will be described below together with their effects.
(A) In Claim 2 or 3, the cylinder lock can be pulled out at both the locked position and the unlocked position. According to this configuration, for example, the key can be removed from the cylinder lock when the power plug locking device is in the unlocked state.

  (B) In any one of claims 2 and 3 and the technical idea (A), the mechanical key is shared with a key used for a key system of a vehicle. According to this configuration, the key system and the power supply plug lock device do not have to have individual keys, so that convenience can be improved.

  (C) In any one of claims 1 to 3 and the technical ideas (a) and (b), the inlet can be retrofitted. According to this configuration, even if an inlet that does not include the power supply plug lock device is provided, a user who desires to mount the power supply plug lock device can be retrofitted, and convenience is improved.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 ... Power supply plug, 14 ... Inlet, 23 ... Power supply plug locking device, 27 ... Operation button as an operation means, 30 ... Position holding mechanism, 31 ... Lock bar as a lock member, 38 ... Cylinder which comprises an unauthorized release prevention means Lock, 40... Rotor, 43. Mechanical key, 44. Movement restricting portion constituting unauthorized release preventing means, 45. Locking protrusion constituting unauthorized release preventing means, 51. Actuator constituting unauthorized release preventing means, 52. Pin that constitutes a means for preventing unauthorized release.

Claims (3)

When the power plug is connected to the inlet, the power plug lock device that prevents unauthorized removal of the power plug by locking the inlet-side locking member to the power plug,
Operating means for operating when the lock member is switched to the lock position;
A position holding mechanism for holding the locked state by holding the operating means at the locked position when the locking member is mechanically moved together with the operating means by the operation of the operating means to be locked; ,
An unauthorized release preventing means capable of restricting the movement of the operation means after a lock operation and preventing the unauthorized release of the locked state by restricting the operation of the operation means until authentication with a user is established; A power supply plug lock device comprising: The unauthorized release preventing means includes a cylinder lock and a movement restricting portion attached to a rotor of the cylinder lock. When the cylinder lock is turned to a locked position by a mechanical key, the movement restricting portion The power supply plug lock device according to claim 1, wherein the power supply plug lock device is engaged with the device to restrict the operation of the operation device. 3. The power supply plug according to claim 1, wherein when the operation unit is operated when the unauthorized release prevention unit is not functioning, locking and unlocking of the lock member are alternately switched. Locking device.

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