JP2012243391A - Charge connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a charge connector that can be reliably prevented from being unexpectedly detached from a device side inlet.SOLUTION: The charge connector has a first swing arm swinging around a shaft fixed to a body part as a center, a detachment-prevention hook that can project from an insertion part, and a first energization member energizing the detachment-prevention hook to be projected. Furthermore, the charge connector has a solenoid 50, timer relay means 63, and switch means 61, and is provided with a presser piece holding the detachment-prevention hook under a projecting condition corresponding to an advance of a plunger 51 of the solenoid 50. The solenoid 50 is driven for a predetermined time defined by the timer relay means 63. When the plunger 51 advances to a proper position, a power source PS and the solenoid 50 are conducted by the switch means 61 even after the predetermined time has elapsed, so that the detachment-prevention hook is held to project from the insertion part.

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging connector for connecting to an inlet of a device including a storage battery and supplying power to the storage battery of the device. In particular, the present invention relates to a charging connector that can reliably prevent the charging connector from being inadvertently disconnected from the apparatus side inlet.

  In recent years, due to growing environmental awareness, electric vehicles (typically, electric vehicles) equipped with storage batteries (batteries) and driven by motors using the electric power (typically electric vehicles) have been widely used. The expansion of the charger is planned. In addition, standardization of quick chargers for electric vehicles is being promoted for the spread of electric vehicles (for example, Japan Electric Vehicle Standard (JEVS)).

  A technique related to a charging connector on the charger side is described in Patent Document 1, for example. In this method of using the charging connector, the leading end of the charging connector is inserted into the vehicle-side inlet (device-side inlet), and then the charging connector is further gripped to complete the fitting to the vehicle-side inlet. At this time, when the charging connector is inserted, the hook protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the tip, engages with the recess provided on the inner peripheral surface of the vehicle-side inlet, and the charging connector and the vehicle-side inlet are locked. The Further, in the fitted state, the release lever is locked by energization driving of a so-called solenoid (mechanism component including an electromagnetic coil, a plunger, and a spring), thereby preventing the release lever from being erroneously operated during power feeding. On the other hand, when the charging connector is removed from the vehicle-side inlet, energization of the solenoid is stopped and the release lever is unlocked by the end of power feeding. Next, the release lever is operated to retract the hook that engages with the recess on the inner peripheral surface of the vehicle-side inlet, and the charging connector is pulled out from the vehicle-side inlet with the engagement released (Patent Document 1 (paragraph 0023-)). 0026))).

JP-A-7-192802

  The charging connector is desired to be excellent in safety and operability. However, the conventional charging connector as described in Patent Document 1 has the following problems.

  To prevent the charging connector from coming out of the vehicle side inlet during power feeding, the release lever for releasing the engagement between the charging connector hook and the recessed portion of the vehicle side inlet is locked by energizing the solenoid, and the release lever is operated. Is prohibited, the lock is released by stopping the energization, and the operation of the release lever is allowed. At this time, the LED lamp provided on the charging connector is turned on according to the driving of the solenoid for locking, the LED lamp is turned off by driving the solenoid for releasing the lock, and the user is informed of the lock and its release. The In other words, regardless of whether the solenoid plunger is advanced to a predetermined position and the release lever is securely locked, the release lever operation is prohibited and permitted depending on whether the solenoid is driven or not. Yes. The outline of this problem will be described with reference to the schematic diagram of FIG. This schematic diagram shows a state where the power source PS of the charger and the charging connector are connected. The solenoid 50 and the LED lamp 5 are connected in parallel to this power source. Here, as shown in FIG. 14A, in the state where the hook 11P (a part of a member integrated with the hook) and the through holes of the release lever 80 overlap each other, if the plunger 51 penetrates both through holes, The operation of the release lever 80 is prohibited, and the state where the hook 11P is also engaged with the concave portion of the vehicle side inlet is maintained. However, as shown in FIG. 14B, when the plunger 51 is advanced in a state where each through hole is shifted, the plunger 51 is not penetrated into only one through hole, or in some cases, through both through holes ( Even though the hook 11P is not properly locked together with the release lever 80, the LED lamp 5 is lit and it is mistaken as if the hook 11P is locked. Therefore, there is a need for a technique that can detect that the plunger 51 has advanced to an appropriate position and can reliably engage and disengage the hook 11P of the charging connector and the concave portion of the vehicle side inlet.

  Further, in the above-described prior art, the engagement state between the hook of the charging connector and the concave portion of the vehicle side inlet is indirectly prevented by using the lock of the release lever. Therefore, if a trouble such as impact, vibration, or damage to the part that protrudes the hook ("leaf spring 38" in Patent Document 1) occurs such that the retaining hook retracts regardless of the operation of the release lever, It is impossible to prevent the engagement state between the hook of the connector and the concave portion of the vehicle side inlet from being released. Therefore, the charging connector may be inadvertently disconnected from the vehicle-side inlet during power feeding, which is problematic in terms of safety.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and one of its purposes is to reliably detect that the plunger of the solenoid has advanced to an appropriate position, and the charging connector is inadvertently disconnected from the apparatus side inlet. An object of the present invention is to provide a charging connector that can reliably prevent this.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a charging connector that can directly prevent the engagement between the hook of the charging connector and the concave portion of the apparatus side inlet.

  A charging connector according to the present invention is for connecting to an inlet of a device including a storage battery to supply power to the storage battery of the device from a charger, and includes a main body portion and an insertion portion provided on a distal end side of the main body portion. . This insertion part is inserted into the inlet on the apparatus side. The charging connector includes a first swing arm, a retaining hook, a first urging member, a solenoid, a pressing piece, a timer relay means, and a switch means. The first swing arm extends from the main body portion side to the insertion portion side, and swings about an axis fixed to the main body portion. The retaining hook is provided in a front portion on the insertion portion side from the shaft of the first swing arm, and can protrude from the insertion portion. The first biasing member biases the first swing arm so that the retaining hook protrudes. The solenoid has a plunger, moves the plunger in one direction when energized, and returns the plunger to its original position when de-energized. The presser piece holds the retaining hook of the first swing arm in a protruding state in response to the advancement of the plunger. The timer relay means causes the solenoid to operate for a predetermined time by inserting the insertion portion into the inlet and conducting with the charger side. When the plunger has advanced to an appropriate position within a predetermined time defined by the timer relay means, the switch means continues to connect the charger side and the solenoid, and operates the solenoid even after the predetermined time has elapsed. .

  In the charging connector of the present invention, when the insertion portion is inserted into the device side inlet, the retaining hook protrudes and engages with a recess provided on the inner peripheral surface of the device side inlet. Further, when the engagement between the retaining hook and the recess of the apparatus side inlet is released, a release member is provided and the release member may be used. The release member is in contact with a rear portion opposite to the front portion of the first swing arm, and pushes the first swing arm in a direction opposite to the biasing direction by the first biasing member. Has the headquarters. The retaining member is brought into contact with the rear portion of the first swing arm, and the first swing arm is swung to retract the retaining hook.

  Here, when the insertion portion is inserted into the inlet and the power source and the solenoid on the charger side are brought into conduction, the plunger is advanced. As the plunger advances, the timer relay means starts timing. The timer relay means drives the solenoid for a set predetermined time to advance the plunger, and cuts off the energization to the solenoid after the predetermined time has elapsed. On the other hand, the switch means detects that the plunger has advanced to an appropriate position within the predetermined time. Along with this detection, the switch means makes the power supply on the charger side and the solenoid conductive, and operates the solenoid even after the predetermined time has elapsed. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably realize that the plunger has advanced to an appropriate position, in other words, holding the retaining hook in the protruding state. Therefore, the engagement of the retaining hook with the concave portion of the inlet is reliably held, and the charging connector can be prevented from being accidentally dropped from the inlet. Conversely, if the plunger does not advance to an appropriate position within a predetermined time, the power source and the solenoid on the charger side are not conducted by the switch means, and the plunger is returned to the original position as the predetermined time elapses. That is, the engagement state of the retaining hook with the recess of the inlet cannot be maintained, and it can be recognized that the fitting between the charging connector and the inlet is inappropriate.

  As one form of the charging connector of the present invention, the solenoid and the switch means are connected in series, and the timer relay means constitutes a bypass circuit that bypasses the switch means in the middle of the solenoid and the charger side To do.

  According to this configuration, the solenoid can be driven in a conductive state by the timer relay means before the operation of the switch means. On the other hand, the switch means is operated by driving the solenoid. After a predetermined time specified by the timer relay means has elapsed, the switch means is driven in a conductive state. Therefore, these operations can be realized with a simple circuit configuration, and it is not necessary to separately add a signal line for switch means to the power supply.

  As one form of the charging connector of the present invention, there is provided a display means for displaying that the retaining hook is held in a protruding state in synchronization with the operation of the solenoid.

  According to this configuration, the operating state of the solenoid can be confirmed by the display means. That is, if a predetermined display is performed on the display means after the lapse of a predetermined time specified by the timer relay means, the plunger is advanced to the proper position, the switch means is operated, and the retaining hook is held in the protruding state. Can be confirmed. As the display means, an appropriate light emitting means such as an LED can be suitably used. More specifically, the LED is turned on when the solenoid is operated, and the LED is turned off when the solenoid is stopped.

  As one form of the charging connector of the present invention, the presser piece is in contact with the surface of the front portion of the first swing arm opposite to the side from which the retaining hook protrudes in conjunction with the plunger. To advance to.

  According to this configuration, the presser piece advances so as to contact the front portion of the first swing arm in conjunction with the plunger of the solenoid. Then, with the retaining hook protruding from the insertion portion, the solenoid moves forward so that the presser piece comes into contact with the front portion of the first swing arm, so that the retaining hook is not retracted from the insertion portion. The swing of one swing arm can be restricted. That is, it is possible to directly prevent the retaining hook from being retracted from the insertion portion. Therefore, even if the user accidentally operates the release member, or the trouble such as impact, vibration, or breakage of the first biasing member that protrudes the retaining hook, the retaining hook does not retract, It is possible to reliably prevent the engagement state between the retaining hook and the concave portion of the apparatus side inlet from being released. Therefore, for example, during power feeding, the charging connector does not inadvertently come off from the apparatus side inlet, and the safety is excellent.

  The charging connector of the present invention can prevent the retaining hook from being retracted from the insertion portion by operating the pressing piece or regulating the operation of the pressing piece in response to the advancement of the solenoid plunger. At that time, the timer relay means and the switch means can surely bring the plunger to the proper position. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the engagement state between the retaining hook and the concave portion of the apparatus side inlet from being released. For example, it is possible to reliably prevent the charging connector from being accidentally disconnected from the apparatus side inlet during power feeding. Can be prevented.

2 is a left rear perspective view schematically showing the vehicle charging connector according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged top view of a main part schematically showing the vehicle charging connector according to the first embodiment. 3 is a left side view schematically showing the internal structure of the vehicle charging connector according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a left rear perspective view schematically showing the internal structure of the vehicle charging connector according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a right rear perspective view schematically showing the internal structure of the vehicle charging connector according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a principal part expanded left view which shows typically the initial state of the fitting mechanism in the charging connector for vehicles which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a principal part expansion right view which shows typically the initial state of the fitting mechanism in the charging connector for vehicles which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a principal part expansion right view which shows typically one state of the fitting mechanism in the charging connector for vehicles which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a principal part expansion left view which shows typically one state of the fitting mechanism in the charging connector for vehicles which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a principal part expansion left view which shows typically another state of the fitting mechanism in the charging connector for vehicles which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a principal part expanded left view which shows typically another state of the fitting mechanism in the charging connector for vehicles which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a principal part enlarged top view typically shown in order to demonstrate the state of the slide switch in the vehicle charging connector which concerns on Embodiment 1, (A) shows the position of the slide switch in an initial state, (B) Indicates the position of the slide switch in the retracted position. The mechanism relevant to the operation | movement of the solenoid in the charging connector for vehicles which concerns on Embodiment 1 is shown typically, (A) is a block diagram of each member, (B) is a schematic equivalent circuit diagram of each member. The relationship between a solenoid, a hook and a release lever in a conventional vehicle charging connector is shown, (A) is a schematic configuration diagram of a state where the solenoid plunger has advanced to an appropriate position, and (B) has not been able to advance the plunger to an appropriate position. It is a general | schematic enlarged block diagram in the case.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, a case where the device including the storage battery is an electric vehicle (specifically, an electric vehicle) and the charging connector is a vehicle charging connector will be described as an example. In the figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same parts.

(Embodiment 1)
A vehicle charging connector (hereinafter sometimes referred to simply as “charging connector”) 100 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to an electric vehicle inlet (vehicle side inlet) (not shown) to supply power to the storage battery of the electric vehicle. Used. The charging connector 100 is attached to the tip of a cable 200 extending from a charger (not shown), and is covered with a split aluminum alloy cover (right cover and left cover). The charging connector 100 includes an L-shaped main body portion 1, an insertion portion 2 provided at the front end of the main body portion 1, and a handle portion 3 formed on the back surface of the main body portion 1, from the rear end of the main body portion 1. Cable 200 is introduced. The insertion portion 2 is a portion to be inserted into the vehicle side inlet, and a notch 41 is formed so that the retaining hook 11 is exposed from the outer peripheral surface (see FIG. 2). The handle portion 3 is C-shaped, and is formed such that one end side extends along the upper surface of the main body portion 1 and the other end side is connected to the rear end of the main body portion 1. A part of the slide switch 4 is disposed so as to be exposed on the upper surface of the handle portion 3, and an LED lamp 5 (display means) is embedded below the rear surface of the handle portion 3.

  The internal structure of the charging connector 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 6 show the state where the left cover is removed, and FIGS. 5 and 7 show the state where the right cover is removed. In each figure, the state before the charging connector 100 is inserted into the vehicle inlet and fitted (initial state). Is shown. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the main body 1 is provided with a cable 200 and stores mechanical parts and mechanism parts to be described later. The insertion portion 2 stores a terminal (not shown), and the terminal is stored in the terminal case 70. Hereinafter, a fitting mechanism for fitting the charging connector 100 to the vehicle-side inlet will be described, and a mechanism for surely locking the fitting mechanism using a solenoid 50 described later will be described. The terminals are arranged in accordance with a standard such as JEVS G 105-1993, and the description thereof is omitted here.

  The charging connector 100 includes a first swing arm 10, a retaining hook 11, and a first urging member 12 (see FIGS. 4 and 6). The first swing arm 10 extends from the main body portion 1 side to the insertion portion 2 side and swings about a shaft 13 fixed to the main body portion 1. The retaining hook 11 is provided at a front portion of the first swing arm 10 on the insertion portion 2 side from the shaft 13 and can protrude from the insertion portion 2. The first urging member 12 urges the first swing arm 10 so that the retaining hook 11 protrudes.

  In this example, the first swing arm 10 is a rod-shaped member, and a hole through which the shaft 13 is inserted is formed at the center, and is supported by the shaft 13 so as to be swingable. The retaining hook 11 is provided at the distal end of the first swing arm 10 and protrudes radially outward (upward) from the notch 41 (see FIG. 2) formed in the insertion portion 2. Is possible. The retaining hook 11 protrudes from the upper surface of the front end portion of the front portion of the first swing arm 10 and is formed in a wedge shape having an inclined surface inclined toward the front end side of the first swing arm 10. The retaining hook 11 is located at a position corresponding to a recess provided on the inner peripheral surface of the vehicle-side inlet when the insertion portion 2 is securely inserted into the vehicle-side inlet. The position of the retaining hook 11 is on the front side of the insertion portion 2 with respect to a projection 21 provided on a second swing arm 20 described later. On the other hand, the rear part on the opposite side of the front part of the first swing arm 10 across the shaft 13 is bent in an L shape, and the rear end part protrudes radially inward (downward) of the main body part 1. Yes.

  In this example, a torsion spring is used for the first biasing member 12 (see FIG. 4). Specifically, the torsion spring 12 is disposed concentrically with the shaft 13, one end of the torsion spring 12 is fixed to the first swing arm 10, and the other end is fixed to the main body 1. The first swing arm 10 is urged in the direction of swinging (turning) so that the retaining hook 11 provided at the tip of the first swing arm 10 protrudes from the insertion portion 2. A torsion spring 12 is attached. The swing of the first swing arm 10 by the first urging member 12 is allowed until the front portion of the arm 10 contacts the inner peripheral surface of the main body 1.

  Further, in this example, a through portion 14 is formed in the front portion of the first swing arm 10 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). In this example, the through portion 14 is a through hole. However, the through portion may be a notch in which a part of the front portion of the first swing arm 10 is cut out in addition to the through hole.

  The charging connector 100 of this example includes a second swing arm 20, a protrusion 21, and a second urging member 22 (see FIGS. 5 and 7). The second swing arm 20 extends from the main body 1 side toward the insertion portion 2 and swings about a shaft 13 fixed to the main body 1. The projecting portion 21 is provided in a front portion of the second swing arm 20 on the insertion portion 2 side from the shaft 13 and can project from the boundary between the main body portion 1 and the insertion portion 2. The second urging member 22 urges the second swing arm 20 so that the protrusion 21 protrudes.

  In this example, the second swing arm 20 is a rod-shaped member, and a hole through which the shaft 13 is inserted is formed at the center, and is supported by the shaft 13 so as to be swingable. That is, the first swing arm 10 and the second swing arm 20 are supported on the same shaft 13. The first swing arm 10 and the second swing arm 20 are arranged in parallel on the left and right. The protrusion 21 is provided at the distal end of the second swing arm 20 and can protrude radially outward (upward) of the insertion portion 2 from a notch 42 (see FIG. 2) formed in the insertion portion 2. It is. The protrusion 21 protrudes from the upper surface of the front end portion of the front portion of the second swing arm 20 and is formed in a wedge shape having an inclined surface inclined toward the front end side of the second swing arm 20. The protrusion 21 is located at a position where it comes into contact with the periphery of the vehicle-side inlet when the insertion portion 2 is securely inserted into the vehicle-side inlet. On the other hand, the rear portion on the opposite side of the front portion of the second swing arm 20 across the shaft 13 is bent in an L shape, and the rear end portion protrudes radially inward (downward) of the main body 1. Yes.

  In this example, a torsion spring is used for the second urging member 22 (see FIG. 5). Specifically, the torsion spring 22 is disposed concentrically with the shaft 13, one end of the torsion spring 22 is fixed to the second swing arm 20, and the other end is fixed to the main body 1. Then, the second swing arm 20 is twisted so as to urge the second swing arm 20 in the swinging (turning) direction so that the protruding portion 21 provided at the tip of the second swing arm 20 protrudes from the insertion portion 2. A spring 22 is attached. Oscillation of the second oscillating arm 20 by the second urging member 22 is allowed until the front portion contacts the inner peripheral surface of the main body 1.

  Further, the charging connector 100 swings the first swing arm 10 in the direction opposite to the biasing direction by the first biasing member 12, and releases the engagement between the retaining hook 11 and the concave portion of the vehicle side inlet. A release member (here, slide bar 30) is provided. The slide bar 30 is parallel to the extending direction of the first swing arm 10 and extends further rearward than the rear portion opposite to the front portion of the first swing arm 10. It can slide in the direction. The slide bar 30 is in contact with the rear portion of the first swing arm 10 and pushes the first swing arm 10 in a direction opposite to the biasing direction by the first biasing member 12. 32.

  In this example, a pressing portion 32 is provided at the distal end portion of the slide bar 30, and the slide switch 4 is connected to the rear end portion on the opposite side. The pressing portion 32 is formed in a wedge shape having an inclined surface that protrudes from the upper surface of the distal end portion of the slide bar 30 and is inclined toward the distal end side (see FIGS. 4 and 6). When the slide rod 30 (slide switch 4) advances toward the insertion portion 2 (forward), the pressing portion 32 contacts the rear end portion of the first swing arm 10 and the rear end of the first swing arm 10 By pushing up the part, the first swing arm 10 can be swung in the direction opposite to the biasing direction by the first biasing member 12. As a result, the retaining hook 11 is lowered and the retaining hook 11 is retracted from the insertion portion 2 to release the engagement between the retaining hook 11 and the concave portion of the vehicle side inlet.

  Further, in this example, a third urging member 31 that urges the slide bar 30 in the retreating direction is provided, and the slide bar 30 is abutted against the rear portion of the second swinging arm 20 to provide a third urging member. A stop portion 33 is provided to prevent retreat by 31.

  The stopper portion 33 is formed in a single piece protruding from the pressing portion 32 provided at the distal end portion of the slide rod 30 toward the second swing arm 20 side, and has an upper surface inclined toward the distal end side. (See FIGS. 5 and 7). When the slide bar 30 moves forward, the upper surface of the stopper 33 is inclined, so that the rear end of the second swing arm 20 can be pushed up and passed. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the stopper 33 is held against the rear end of the second swing arm 20, so that the slide rod 30 can be prevented from being biased by the third biasing member 31. Retreat is prevented. That is, the slide rod 30 (slide switch 4) is fixed in a state of being slid (pushed) toward the second swing arm 20 side, that is, the insertion portion 2 side. When the insertion portion 2 is inserted into the vehicle-side inlet, the protrusion 21 provided at the tip of the second swing arm 20 is brought into contact with the periphery of the vehicle-side inlet and pushed into the second swing arm. The second swing arm 20 swings so that the rear end of the 20 moves up. As a result, the contact state between the contact portion 33 and the second swing arm 20 is released, and the slide rod 30 is retracted to the retreat limit by the urging force by the third urging member 31.

  Here, a compression spring is used for the third biasing member 31. Specifically, one end of the compression spring 31 is fixed to the support plate 43 fixed to the main body 1, and the other end is fixed to the slide switch 4. A compression spring 31 is attached so as to urge the slide rod 30 (slide switch 4) in the backward direction, that is, in the direction opposite to the insertion portion 2 side.

  Further, the charging connector 100 includes a solenoid 50. This solenoid 50 has a plunger 51. The plunger 51 is moved in one direction by an electromagnetic coil (not shown) built in when energized and driven, and the plunger 51 is moved by a spring (not shown) built in when not energized. Return to the original position. In this example, the solenoid 50 is arranged behind the first swing arm 10 and on the opposite side of the virtual extension of the second swing arm 20 with the slide bar 30 in between, and in parallel with the slide bar 30. (See FIGS. 4 and 5). Further, the plunger 51 moves toward the insertion portion 2 side in parallel with the extending direction of the first swing arm 10 (here, the horizontal direction). In the initial state, it is not energized. The arrangement position of the solenoid 50 is not particularly limited. For example, the first swing arm 10 is disposed on the side opposite to the side from which the retaining hook 11 protrudes, and the plunger 51 is moved in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the first swing arm 11. It is done. However, in that case, it is difficult to secure an installation space for the solenoid. This is because the insertion portion 2 stores terminals that are electrically connected to the terminals of the vehicle-side inlet, and the main body portion 1 is provided with the cable 200. On the other hand, when the solenoid 50 is disposed behind the first swing arm 10, it is easy to secure a space for installing the solenoid 50.

  A connecting portion 52 is attached to the distal end of the plunger 51 in the moving direction, and a pressing piece 53 is provided at the distal end portion. The connecting portion 52 has a plate-like piece extending toward the moving direction of the plunger 51, and a bent portion that protrudes upward from the tip side of the plate-like piece and extends below the front portion of the first swing arm 10. (See FIGS. 4 and 6). A presser piece 53 extending toward the insertion portion 2 (the retaining hook 11) is provided at the distal end of the connecting portion 52 (see FIG. 6). In this example, the presser piece 53 has an inclined surface that is inclined so that the thickness thereof becomes thinner toward the insertion portion 2 (the retaining hook 11) on the upper surface facing the front portion of the first swing arm 10. . The presser piece 53 is located at a position facing the through hole 14 formed in the front portion of the first swing arm 10 when the solenoid 50 is in a non-energized state, that is, when the plunger 51 is in the original position. When the hook 11 is pushed in, the hook 11 is inserted into the through hole 14 formed in the first swing arm 10 in a loosely fitted state. On the other hand, when the solenoid 50 is energized and the plunger 51 moves toward the insertion portion 2 with the retaining hook 11 protruding from the insertion portion 2, the presser piece 53 advances to the retaining hook 11 side, It is located at a position where it comes into contact with the lower surface of the front portion of the first swing arm 10 opposite to the side from which the retaining hook 11 protrudes. At this time, the presser piece 53 is displaced from the through hole 14 formed in the first swing arm 10. Then, when the front portion of the first swing arm 10 abuts against the presser piece 53, the swing of the first swing arm 10 is restricted so that the retaining hook 11 is not retracted from the insertion portion 2. That is, the state where the retaining hook 11 protrudes from the insertion portion 2 is maintained.

  For driving the solenoid 50, a substrate CB to which a limit switch 61 (switch means) and a timer relay means 63 are connected is used (see FIG. 13). When the charging connector is inserted into the vehicle side inlet, the power source PS on the charger side and the circuit including the solenoid 50 are brought into conduction.

  This power supply PS is different from the main power supply for the charger to supply power to the storage battery of the vehicle, and the charging connector and the vehicle side inlet are electrically connected, so that communication is performed between the charger and the vehicle. This is a separate power source for sending a signal that the electrical connection is completed to the stand side. Here, a 12V power source PS is used.

  As shown in FIG. 13A, the substrate CB includes a solenoid 50 and an LED lamp 5 connected in parallel to the power source PS. Further, a limit switch 61 is connected in series to both the parallel 50 and 5. The limit switch 61 has a dog, and is turned on when the dog is pushed by the plunger 51 of the solenoid 50 that has advanced to an appropriate position, thereby connecting the power source PS to the solenoid 50 and the LED lamp 5.

  On the other hand, the timer relay means 63 constituting the circuit on the substrate CB includes a timer element 63A and a relay 63B as shown in FIG. The timer element 63A turns on the relay 63B for a set predetermined time to connect the solenoid 50 (LED lamp 5) to the power source PS, and the plunger 51 (FIG. 13A) before the limit switch 61 is turned on. To work. More specifically, the timer relay means 63 forms a circuit that bypasses between the limit switch 61 and the solenoid 50 (LED lamp 5) with respect to the power source PS. The predetermined time set in the timer element 63A may be appropriately selected depending on, for example, the value of the connected resistor and the voltage of the capacitor. Before the limit switch 61 is turned on by the timer relay means 63, the solenoid 50 is driven for a predetermined time, and when the limit switch 61 is turned on as the solenoid 50 is driven, after the predetermined time has elapsed, Then, the power supply PS, the solenoid 50 and the LED lamp 5 are made conductive by a circuit via the limit switch 61.

  Next, the operation of the fitting mechanism in the operation of inserting the charging connector 100 into the vehicle-side inlet and the operation of pulling out from the vehicle-side inlet will be described in detail mainly with reference to FIGS.

  First, in an initial state before the insertion portion 2 is inserted, the retaining hook 11 and the projection portion 21 protrude from the insertion portion 2 by urging by the first urging member 12 and the second urging member 22 (FIG. 6, FIG. 7). In addition, the stopper 33 is stopped against the rear end of the second swing arm 20, so that the slide rod 30 is prevented from retreating against the urging by the third urging member 31. Therefore, the slide switch 4 connected to the rear end portion of the slide bar 30 is fixed in a state of being slid (pushed) to the insertion portion 2 side.

  Here, on the upper surface of the cover on which the slide switch 4 slides, a portion that is exposed when the slide switch 4 is pushed in and is not exposed when the slide switch 4 is retracted to the retreat limit is used for the display unit 45. (See FIGS. 4 and 5). For example, the display unit 45 is painted with a color different from the surroundings, so that the slide switch 4 is pushed in by the color, that is, the stopper 33 is held against the rear end of the second swing arm 20. Thus, it is possible to easily visually determine that the slide bar 30 is prevented from moving backward (see FIG. 12A).

<Insert operation>
When the insertion portion 2 is inserted into the vehicle-side inlet, the retaining hook 11 first comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the vehicle-side inlet, and the retaining hook 11 is pushed against the urging by the first urging member 12. . Since the retaining hook 11 has an inclined surface, even if it protrudes from the insertion portion 2, it can be easily inserted into the vehicle-side inlet.

  Next, when the insertion portion 2 is inserted to the back of the vehicle side inlet, the projection portion 21 comes into contact with the peripheral edge of the vehicle side inlet, and the projection portion 21 is pushed against the urging force of the second urging member 22 (see FIG. 8). Since the protruding portion 21 has an inclined surface, even if it protrudes from the insertion portion 2, it can be easily inserted until the main body portion 1 hits the vehicle-side inlet. Then, when the protruding portion 21 is pushed, the second swing arm 20 swings so that the rear end portion of the second swing arm 20 rises, so that the stopper 33 and the second swing arm 20 are moved. And the slide bar 30 is retracted to the retreat limit by the urging by the third urging member 31 (see FIGS. 8 and 9). At this time, the retaining hook 11 is positioned at a position corresponding to a recess provided on the inner peripheral surface of the vehicle-side inlet, and protrudes from the insertion portion 2 due to the biasing by the first biasing member 12. As a result, the retaining hook 11 is normally engaged and locked in the recess of the vehicle-side inlet, so that the charging connector 100 and the vehicle-side inlet are completely engaged. Thus, the operation for inserting the charging connector 100 into the vehicle-side inlet is completed. At this time, electrical connection between the terminals is also established between the charging connector 100 and the vehicle-side inlet.

  Here, on the upper surface of the slide switch 4, the portion that is not exposed when the slide switch 4 is pushed in and is exposed when the slide switch 4 is retracted to the retreat limit can be used for the display unit 46 ( (See FIGS. 4 and 5). For example, it is easy to visually indicate that the slide switch 4 (slide bar 30) has been retracted to the retreat limit depending on the character or color, for example, by displaying characters on the display unit 46 or painting a color different from the surroundings. (See FIG. 12B).

  Further, with the retaining hook 11 protruding and locked in the recess of the vehicle side inlet, the solenoid 50 is energized to drive the first swing arm below the front portion of the first swing arm 10. The presser piece 53 is advanced to a position shifted from the through hole 14 formed in 10 (see FIG. 10). As a result, the front portion of the first swing arm 10 abuts against the presser piece 53, so that the swing of the first swing arm 10 is restricted with the retaining hook 11 protruding from the insertion portion 2. That is, the retaining hook 11 is locked. Therefore, the retaining hook 11 does not retract from the insertion portion 2, and the engagement between the retaining hook 11 and the concave portion of the vehicle side inlet can be reliably prevented from being released. In this example, the terminal case 70 is provided with a guide groove 54 (see FIG. 4) for horizontally guiding the plate-like piece of the connecting portion 52 that connects the plunger 51 and the presser piece 53 of the solenoid 50. Since the connecting part 52 can be moved along the line 54, it is easy to advance the presser piece 53 to an accurate position in the horizontal direction. Further, since the upper surface of the presser piece 53 is inclined, the presser piece 53 is likely to advance so as to contact the lower part of the front portion of the first swing arm 10. While the solenoid 50 is energized, the LED lamp 5 (see FIG. 1) is lit.

  A more detailed driving procedure of the solenoid 50 will be described with reference to FIG. 13 including the relationship with the limit switch 61 and the timer relay means 63.

  When the charging connector 100 is inserted into the vehicle-side inlet, the electrical connection between them is established, and a charging signal is input to the timer relay means 63 accordingly. This charging signal may be a charging signal when a power supply switch (not shown) of the charger is operated and power supply is commanded from the main power supply to the storage battery of the vehicle, or even if the power supply switch is not operated. The charging signal may be obtained when the connector is inserted into the vehicle side inlet and the electrical connection by the sub power source is established. In this example, the former is used. Thereby, it is possible to reliably prevent the user from accidentally pulling out the charging connector 100 from the vehicle side inlet during power feeding, or the charging connector 100 from falling out of the vehicle side inlet.

  When the charging signal is input to the timer relay means 63, the timer relay means 63 starts measuring time. Along with the start of timing, the power source PS, the solenoid 50 and the LED lamp 5 are turned on via the timer relay means 63. This conduction is performed only for a predetermined time set in the timer element 63A. Meanwhile, the plunger 51 of the solenoid 50 is advanced and the LED lamp 5 is turned on.

  Next, whether or not the limit switch 61 is turned on is determined by the advanced state of the plunger 51. When the plunger 51 advances to the proper position, the plunger 51 presses the dog of the limit switch 61 and turns on the switch 61. In that case, the power source PS, the solenoid 50, and the LED lamp 5 are conducted through the limit switch 61 that is turned on, and the driving of the solenoid 50 (progress of the plunger 51) and the lighting of the LED lamp 5 are continued. In this case, if a predetermined time set in the timer element 63A elapses, conduction between the power source PS via the timer relay means 63 and the solenoid 50 and the LED lamp 5 is interrupted, but via the limit switch 61 The power supply PS is continuously connected to the solenoid 50 and the LED lamp 5. For this reason, the solenoid 50 is maintained in a proper advanced state, and the presser piece 53 comes into contact with the front portion of the first swing arm 10 so that the retaining hook 11 protrudes from the insertion portion 2. The retaining hook 11 is locked (FIG. 10).

  On the contrary, unless the plunger 51 has advanced to the proper position, the limit switch 61 is not turned ON. That is, if the predetermined time elapses without the limit switch 61 being turned on, the advancement of the plunger 51 has not been properly performed for some reason. In this case, the electrical connection between the power source PS, the solenoid 50 and the LED lamp 5 via the timer relay means 63 is cut off as the predetermined time elapses. Further, since the limit switch 61 is not turned on unless the plunger 51 is advanced to an appropriate position, the power source PS, the solenoid 50, and the LED lamp 5 are not conducted through the limit switch 61. For this reason, the solenoid 50 is inactivated and the LED lamp 5 is also turned off. By turning off the LED lamp 5, it becomes clear that the presser piece 53 does not hold the retaining hook 11 in a state protruding from the insertion portion 2, that is, the fitting between the charging connector and the vehicle side inlet is not appropriate. .

<Pullout operation>
The energization of the solenoid 50 is stopped, and the presser piece 53 is returned to the original position (that is, below the through hole 14 formed in the first swing arm 10) (see FIG. 9). Thereby, the lock state of the retaining hook 11 is released. Stopping energization of the solenoid 50 can be performed, for example, when power supply from the charger (main power supply) to the vehicle is terminated. In addition, the energization from the sub power source PS to the solenoid 50 may be stopped by performing an appropriate operation separately from stopping the power supply from the main power source. When the energization is stopped, the plunger 51 of the solenoid 50 is returned to the original position, and the limit switch 61 is also turned off accordingly. That is, the presser piece 53 is returned to a position corresponding to the penetrating portion 14 of the first swing arm 10, and the retaining hook 11 is not held in a state of protruding from the insertion portion 2.

  Next, the slide switch 4 is pushed into the insertion portion 2 side (forward) to advance the slide rod 30 and bring the pressing portion 32 into contact with the rear end portion of the first swing arm 10 (see FIG. 11). The pressing portion 32 abuts on the rear end portion of the first swing arm 10 and pushes up the rear end portion of the first swing arm 10, thereby moving the first swing arm 10 to the first biasing member 12. It is swung in the direction opposite to the biasing direction by. At this time, since the pressing portion 32 has an inclined surface, it is easy to push up the rear end portion of the first swing arm 10. Then, when the retaining hook 11 is lowered and the retaining hook 11 is retracted from the insertion portion 2 (see FIG. 11), the engagement state between the retaining hook 11 and the concave portion of the vehicle side inlet is released.

  In this state, by pulling out the charging connector 100 from the vehicle side inlet, the pulling out operation of the charging connector 100 from the vehicle side inlet is completed. After completion of the pulling-out operation, the slide bar 30 is retracted by the urging force of the third urging member 31 until the abutment portion 33 is stopped against the rear end portion of the second swing arm 20, and the initial position is reached. Return to (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

  The charging connector 100 according to Embodiment 1 described above has the following effects.

  The timer relay means 63 drives the solenoid 50 for a set predetermined time to advance the plunger 51. After the predetermined time elapses, the energization to the solenoid 50 is cut off, and the limit switch 61 applies the predetermined time. It is detected that the plunger 51 has advanced to an appropriate position. Accordingly, the plunger 51 can be advanced to an appropriate position, and the retaining hook 11 can be reliably held in the protruding state. Therefore, the engagement of the retaining hook 11 with the concave portion of the inlet is securely held, and the charging connector 100 can be prevented from being accidentally dropped from the inlet.

  The solenoid 50 and the limit switch 61 are connected in series, and the timer relay means 63 constitutes a bypass circuit that bypasses the limit switch 61 in the middle of the circuit between the power source PS and the solenoid 50. Therefore, before the operation of the limit switch 61, the solenoid 50 can be driven in a conductive state by the timer relay means 63. On the other hand, the limit switch 61 is operated by driving the solenoid 50. After a predetermined time specified by the timer relay means 63 has elapsed, the limit switch 61 is driven in a conductive state. Therefore, these operations can be realized with a simple circuit configuration, and there is no need to separately add a signal line of the limit switch 61 to the power source PS.

  Synchronized with the operation of the solenoid 50, the LED lamp 5 is displayed to indicate that the retaining hook 11 is held in the protruding state. It can be confirmed that the stop hook 11 is held in a protruding state.

  By causing the presser piece 53 to advance below the front portion of the first swing arm 10 by the solenoid 50, the retaining hook 11 is directly prevented from being retracted from the insertion portion 2. Therefore, even if a problem such as an impact, vibration, or damage to the first biasing member 12 that causes the retaining hook 11 to protrude occurs, the retaining hook 11 does not retract, and the recesses between the retaining hook 11 and the vehicle side inlet It is possible to reliably prevent the engaged state from being released. Therefore, for example, it is possible to reliably prevent the charging connector from being inadvertently disconnected from the vehicle-side inlet during power feeding.

  Further, the solenoid 50 is disposed behind the first swing arm 10 and the plunger 51 moves in the horizontal direction toward the insertion portion 2 so that the presser piece 53 is positioned below the front portion of the first swing arm 10. It is easy to secure the installation space for the solenoid 50 by adopting the configuration to advance.

  In addition, there is provided a second swinging arm 20 provided with a protrusion 21 that can project from the boundary between the main body 1 and the insertion portion 2, and when the insertion portion 2 is inserted deep into the vehicle side inlet, (Slide switch 4) retracts to the retract limit. Therefore, it can be confirmed whether or not the insertion into the vehicle-side inlet has been performed reliably depending on whether or not the slide rod 30 (slide switch 4) has been retracted to the retreat limit. Therefore, even an inexperienced user can confirm the state of the slide rod 30 (slide switch 4), so that it can be securely inserted into the vehicle-side inlet and prevents the charging connector 100 from being half-fitted. can do. In addition, by providing the display units 45 and 46, the user can easily determine that the slide bar 30 (slide switch 4) has been retracted to the retreat limit, and the insertion into the vehicle side inlet is reliably performed. It can be easily confirmed whether or not.

  Insertion operation into the vehicle-side inlet may be an operation of simply inserting the insertion portion 2 of the charging connector 100 into the vehicle-side inlet. Compared to the charging connector (insertion + holding the lever) described in Patent Document 1 described above, Intuitive and easy to operate. In addition, the internal structure (fitting mechanism) of the charging connector 100 has a simple structure with a small number of parts, so it is highly reliable, and can be reduced in size, facilitated maintenance, and reduced in cost. Furthermore, by arranging the slide switch 4 on the upper surface of the handle portion 3, the pulling operation from the vehicle side inlet can be performed with one hand.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the charging connector of the present invention is applied to a vehicle charging connector and connected to the vehicle-side inlet to supply power to the vehicle storage battery has been described as an example. In addition, for example, an inlet of a power storage device mounted on a moving body such as a ship other than a vehicle, a submersible craft, or an aircraft, or an inlet of a power storage device installed in a home, a building, a factory, or the like is the same as the vehicle-side inlet described above. The present invention can also be applied to a shape having a recess on the inner peripheral surface of the inlet.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, a release lever used in a conventional charging connector may be used as the presser piece. In addition, the forms of the first swing arm, the second swing arm, and the slide bar can be changed as appropriate. The first urging member, the second urging member, and the third urging member are not limited to the torsion spring and the compression spring, but may be rubber, for example, and the type of the spring can be changed as appropriate. . When changing the type of the spring, the arrangement of the spring may be appropriately changed according to the purpose. Furthermore, the arrangement of the solenoid and the moving direction of the plunger can be changed as appropriate.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a charging connector for connecting to an inlet of a device including a storage battery and supplying power to the storage battery of the device, and can be suitably used for, for example, a charger for an electric vehicle.

100 Vehicle charging connector (charging connector)
200 cables
1 Body part 2 Insertion part 3 Handle part
4 Slide switch 5 LED lamp (display means)
10 First swing arm
11 Retaining hook 12 First biasing member (torsion spring)
13 shaft 14 penetration (through hole) 11P hook
20 Second swing arm
21 Projection 22 Second biasing member (torsion spring)
30 Slide bar (release member)
31 Third biasing member (compression spring)
32 Pushing part 33 Stopping part
41,42 Notch 43 Support plate 45,46 Display
50 solenoid
51 Plunger 52 Connection
53 Presser piece 54 Guide groove
61 Limit switch (switch means)
63 Timer relay means 63A Timer element 63B Relay
70 Terminal case
80 Release lever
PS power supply (sub power supply) CB board

Claims (4)

A charging connector for connecting to an inlet of a device including a storage battery and supplying power from a charger to the storage battery of the device,
The main body,
An insertion portion provided on a distal end side of the main body portion and inserted into the inlet;
A first swing arm that extends from the main body portion side to the insertion portion side and swings about an axis fixed to the main body portion;
A retaining hook provided at a front portion of the first swing arm on the insertion portion side from the shaft, and capable of protruding from the insertion portion;
A first biasing member that biases the first swing arm so that the retaining hook protrudes;
A solenoid that has a plunger, moves the plunger in one direction when energized, and returns the plunger to its original position when de-energized;
In response to the advance of the plunger, a presser piece that holds the retaining hook of the first swing arm in a protruding state;
Timer relay means for operating the solenoid for a predetermined time by inserting the insertion portion into the inlet and conducting with the charger side;
Switch means for continuously connecting the charger and the solenoid when the plunger has advanced to an appropriate position within a predetermined time defined by the timer relay means, and operating the solenoid even after the predetermined time has elapsed; A charging connector comprising: The solenoid and the switch means are connected in series,
2. The charging connector according to claim 1, wherein the timer relay means constitutes a bypass circuit that bypasses the switch means in the middle of the solenoid and the charger side.   3. The charging connector according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display that the retaining hook is held in a protruding state in synchronization with the operation of the solenoid.   2. The presser piece advances in conjunction with the plunger so as to abut on a surface of the front portion of the first swing arm that is opposite to a side on which a retaining hook projects. The charge connector as described in any one of -3.

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