JP2017021929A - Charge cable lock device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a charge cable lock device capable of making difficult illegal extraction of a charge cable at locking.SOLUTION: A lock mechanism 24 of a charge cable lock device 23 includes: a pair of lock members 25; a pair of locking grooves 27 by which the lock member pair 25 is locked; and a pair of slits 28 through which the lock member pair 25 passes when moving to the locking groove pair 27. When the lock is operated, the lock member pair 25 performs linear movement to a mutually approaching direction. At this time, the lock member 25 is engaged with the locking groove pair 27 of the charge connector 15 through the slits 28 of an inlet 7, so as to lock the charge connector 15 in the circumferential direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging cable lock device for locking a charging cable to an inlet.

  Conventionally, in the case of, for example, a plug-in hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, charging of an on-board battery is performed by connecting a charging connector (power supply plug) at the tip of a charging cable extending from a charging facility to an inlet provided on the vehicle body. This is done by turning on a power switch provided on the cable. Further, it has been studied to provide a lock device (lock mechanism) for locking the charging cable to the inlet so that the charging cable connected to the vehicle body is not stolen. As this type of locking device, for example, a device that locks to an inlet by pressing a lock arm provided at the tip of a charging cable from above in a state of being locked to a locking protrusion of the inlet is well known (patent) Reference 1 etc.).

JP 2012-07953 A

  However, the lock device of the cited document 1 has a structure in which the locking claw of the lock arm caught on the locking protrusion of the inlet is locked at one point by the lock member from above. Therefore, when an operation of pulling out the charging connector so as to turn it forcibly is performed, there is a problem in that it is disadvantageous with respect to the oblique disconnection. Therefore, there has been a need for technology development that makes it difficult for unauthorized charging of the charging cable to occur during locking.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a charging cable lock device that can prevent unauthorized removal of a charging cable during locking.

  The charging cable lock device that solves the above problem is configured such that the charging connector provided at the tip of the charging cable can be locked to the inlet on the charging side, and the charging connector is connected to the inlet. At this time, a lock mechanism for locking the charging connector to the inlet in the circumferential direction is provided by a locking member that can be locked to the charging connector.

  According to this configuration, the charging connector connected to the inlet is locked in the circumferential direction of the charging connector by the locking member of the locking mechanism. Accordingly, even when the charging connector is forcibly removed from the inlet when it is locked and the charging connector is forcibly turned, the connection between the inlet and the charging connector is maintained. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for unauthorized charging of the charging cable to occur during locking.

  In the charging cable locking device, it is preferable that the locking member is operated in a direction intersecting with the attaching / detaching direction of the charging connector. According to this configuration, when the charging connector is locked in the circumferential direction by the lock member, the movement to be taken by the lock member is simple.

  In the charging cable locking device, it is preferable that a plurality of the locking members are provided and the charging connector is locked in the circumferential direction by the plurality of locking members. According to this configuration, since the charging connector is fixed to the inlet with the plurality of locking members, the charging connector can be firmly locked to the inlet.

  In the charging cable lock device, it is preferable that the lock mechanism switches a plurality of the lock members to a lock position or an unlock position by an operation via a link mechanism. According to this configuration, since the lock member is operated using the link mechanism, it is possible to ensure a sufficient moving distance of the lock member within a limited space.

  In the charging cable lock device, it is preferable that the plurality of locking members are held in the inlet so as to sandwich the charging connector, thereby locking the charging cable to the inlet. According to this configuration, since the charging connector is held by the inlet so as to be sandwiched by the plurality of locking members, it is more advantageous to firmly lock the charging connector to the inlet.

  In the charging cable locking device, the locking member passes through a slit provided in one of the inlet and the charging connector and engages in a locking groove provided in the other of the charging member during locking operation, thereby Preferably, the connector is locked to the inlet. According to this configuration, when the lock member is locked in the locking groove and becomes locked, the lock member is also locked in the slit. Thus, it is more advantageous to securely lock the charging connector to the inlet.

  In the charging cable locking device, the charging cable includes a lock arm that is prevented from coming out of the inlet by being locked to a locking protrusion of the inlet to which the charging connector is connected. It is preferable to provide a concave relief portion into which the lock arm can enter when the locked state is reached. According to this configuration, when the lock member is in the locked state, the lock arm can be pressed and fixed by the relief portion of the lock member, which is more advantageous for firmly locking the charging connector to the inlet. Become.

  In the charging cable lock device, it is preferable that the lock mechanism is an electric type that operates the lock member with an actuator. According to this configuration, since the user does not need a key operation or the like to operate the lock mechanism, it is possible to ensure user convenience.

  According to the present invention, unauthorized removal of the charging cable at the time of locking can be made difficult to occur.

The perspective view of the charging system apparatus of one Embodiment. The perspective view which shows the structure of a charging cable lock apparatus. The block diagram which shows the outline of a locking mechanism. The perspective view which shows the structure of a link mechanism. The electrical block diagram of a charging cable lock apparatus. (A), (b) is an operation figure when connecting a charge connector to an inlet. Explanatory drawing when a locking member act | operates to a locking direction. (A), (b) is an operation | movement figure when a lock mechanism switches to a locked state. Explanatory drawing which shows the allowance for a locking member.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the charging cable lock device will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, for example, a battery-equipped vehicle 1 such as a plug-in hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle can charge a battery (not shown) of the vehicle 1 by an external charging facility (housing power source, charging station, etc.). A charging system 2 is provided. In this case, a lid 5 that opens and closes a power feeding port 4 provided in the vehicle body 3 is provided on the side wall of the vehicle body 3. The power feeding port 4 is provided with an inlet 7 to which a charging cable 6 extending from the charging facility can be connected. The inlet 7 is disposed in a hole 9 that is recessed in the power supply port frame 8 inside the power supply port 4. The inlet 7 is provided with a cylindrical frame portion 10, and a terminal portion 11 is disposed inside the frame portion 10.

  The charging cable 6 includes a cable line 14 and a charging connector 15 disposed at the tip of the cable line 14. A cylindrical connection portion 16 serving as a connection port with the inlet 7 is provided at the tip of the charging connector 15. When connecting the charging connector 15 to the inlet 7, the connecting portion 16 is inserted into the gap between the frame portion 10 and the terminal portion 11. When the charging connector 15 is connected to the inlet 7, a terminal portion (not shown) provided inside the connecting portion 16 is electrically connected to the terminal portion 11 of the inlet 7.

  The charging cable 6 (charging connector 15) is provided with a lock arm 17 that prevents the charging cable 6 (charging connector 15) from coming out of the inlet 7 by being locked to the inlet 7 to which the charging connector 15 is connected. The lock arm 17 includes a locking claw 18 provided at the tip and an operation unit 19 that is operated when the lock arm 17 is operated. The lock arm 17 can be rotated about a fulcrum by pushing the operation unit 19. The frame portion 10 of the inlet 7 is provided with a locking projection 20 on which the locking claw 18 is hooked. When the charging connector 15 is connected to the inlet 7, the locking claw 18 of the lock arm 17 is locked to the locking protrusion 20, so that the charging connector 15 is prevented from coming off from the inlet 7.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the charging system 2 includes a charging cable lock device 23 that can lock the charging cable 6 (charging connector 15) to the inlet 7 on the charging side. When the charging connector 15 is connected to the inlet 7, the charging cable lock device 23 of the present example intersects with the attaching / detaching direction of the charging connector 15 (direction of arrow A1 in FIG. 2) (direction of arrow A2 in FIG. 2). A lock mechanism 24 that locks the charging connector 15 to the inlet 7 in the circumferential direction is provided by a lock member 25 that can be actuated at the same time. The lock mechanism 24 includes the above-described lock member 25, the link mechanism 26 that operates the lock member 25, the locking groove 27 that locks the lock member 25, and when the lock member 25 moves to the locking groove 27. And a slit 28 passing therethrough.

  The lock member 25 is disposed on the inlet 7 side, and a plurality (a pair in this example) is provided so as to sandwich the inlet 7 (charging connector 15). In the case of this example, among the pair of lock members 25, one side is a first lock member 25a and the other side is a second lock member 25b, which are symmetrical. The lock member 25 of this example locks the charging connector 15 in the circumferential direction (substantially the entire circumference) by the first lock member 25a and the second lock member 25b. The lock mechanism 24 switches the position of the plurality of lock members 25 (the first lock member 25a and the second lock member 25b) to the lock position or the unlock position by the operation via the link mechanism 26.

  The first lock member 25a includes a lock engagement portion 31a that is a portion to be locked, and an arm portion 32a that extends from the lock engagement portion 31a. The lock engaging portion 31a is formed in a substantially arc shape in accordance with the cylindrical shape of the charging connector 15 (inlet 7). Similarly to the first lock member 25a, the second lock member 25b also includes a lock engagement portion 31b and an arm portion 32b. The first lock member 25 a and the second lock member 25 b lock the charging cable 6 to the inlet 7 by holding the charging connector 15 so as to be sandwiched between the inlets 7 by the lock engaging portions 31 a and 31 b.

  When the first lock member 25a and the second lock member 25b move between the lock position and the unlock position, they slide in the direction of arrow A2 in FIG. That is, when the lock position is set, the first lock member 25a and the second lock member 25b slide in a direction approaching each other, and when the lock position is set, the first lock member 25a and the second lock member 25b are set to each other. Slide to move away. When the first lock member 25a and the second lock member 25b are switched to the locked position, they are exposed to the outside of the power supply port frame 8 through a pair of cutout portions 8a (see FIG. 1: only one side shown) provided in the power supply port frame 8. Good.

  The lock engaging portion 31a of the first lock member 25a includes a concave relief portion 33 into which the lock arm 17 can enter when the first lock member 25a is in a locked state. The escape portion 33 is formed in a shape that bypasses a part of the lock engaging portion 31a. The escape portion 33 may serve to pass the lock arm 17 so that the lock arm 17 does not come into contact when the charging connector 15 is connected to the inlet 7.

  The slit 28 is formed in the frame portion 10 of the inlet 7. The slits 28 in this example are formed by cutting out the frame portion 10 of the inlet 7, and a pair of slits 28 is provided in accordance with the two first lock members 25 a and second lock members 25 b. In this example, the side through which the first lock member 25a passes is referred to as a first slit 28a, and the side through which the second lock member 25b passes is referred to as a second slit 28b. The pair of slits 28 are disposed opposite to each other across the center of the inlet 7 and are formed in an arc shape along the circumferential direction of the inlet 7.

  The locking groove 27 is formed in the connection portion 16 of the charging connector 15. The locking groove 27 of this example is formed by cutting out the connection portion 16 of the charging connector 15 and is provided in a pair according to the two first lock members 25a and second lock members 25b. In the case of this example, the side on which the first lock member 25a is locked is referred to as a first locking groove 27a, and the side on which the second lock member 25b is locked is referred to as a second locking groove 27b. The pair of locking grooves 27 are disposed opposite to each other across the center of the charging connector 15 and are formed in an arc shape along the circumferential direction of the charging connector 15.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the link mechanism 26 includes a link main body 36, a connecting portion 37 connected to the actuator 39, and a pair of protrusions 38 locked to the lock member 25. In the link mechanism 26 of this example, a gear-shaped connecting portion 37 is disposed at the center of the link main body 36 and is rotated about an axis La of the connecting portion 37 by an actuator 39 such as a motor with the connecting portion 37 as a fulcrum. In the link mechanism 26, a protrusion 38 provided at a position near the end of the link main body 36 is engaged with the long hole 40 of the lock member 25. In the case of this example, one protrusion 38a is locked in the long hole 40a of the first lock member 25a, and the other protrusion 38b is locked in the long hole 40b of the second lock member 25b. The link mechanism 26 may be arranged so as to be hidden (contained) inside the power supply port frame 8.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a guide 35 is provided for guiding the movement of the lock member 25 when it moves in the lock direction or the unlock direction. The guide 35 of this example is preferably formed in a part of the power supply port frame 8. The lock member 25 linearly moves in the lock direction along the guide 35 when the link mechanism 26 rotates in one direction by driving the actuator 39. Further, the lock member 25 linearly moves in the unlocking direction along the guide 35 when the link mechanism 26 rotates in the other direction by driving the actuator 39.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the charging cable lock device 23 includes a control unit 42 that controls the operation of the charging cable lock device 23. The control unit 42 operates the link mechanism 26 through the actuator 39 to switch between the locked state and the unlocked state of the charging cable 6 (charging connector 15). That is, the lock mechanism 24 of this example is an electric type that operates the lock member 25 by the actuator 39.

Next, the operation of the charging cable lock device 23 will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 6A, when the charging cable 6 is not connected to the inlet 7, the charging cable lock device 23 is in the unlocked state. When the charging cable lock device 23 is in the unlocked state, the first lock member 25a and the second lock member 25b are separated from the locking groove 27 and the slit 28, and are in a state of being separated from each other. Thereby, it is permitted to connect the charging cable 6 to the inlet 7. In the unlocked state, the lock member 25 may be housed inside (inside) the power supply port frame 8 in whole or in part.

  As shown in FIG. 6 (b), when the charging cable 6 is connected to the inlet 7, the engaging claw 18 of the lock arm 17 passes through the hole 33a of the escape portion 33 of the first lock member 25a. The pawl 18 does not come into contact with the first lock member 25a. When the charging cable 6 is completely inserted into the inlet 7 and the hand is released from the operation portion 19 of the lock arm 17, the lock arm 17 is rotated to the closed side by the urging force of the urging member (not shown). The locking claw 18 is locked to the locking protrusion 20 of the inlet 7.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the control unit 42 confirms that the conditions of the lock operation are met in the unlocked state, the lock member 25 starts the lock operation by the operation of the actuator 39 on the lock side. The start condition of the lock operation may be, for example, that the vehicle door is locked, that is, door lock interlocking. Further, an operation unit (for example, a lock operation unit) for locking a charging cable provided in the power supply port 4 or in the vehicle may be operated, or a button may be operated (lock operation) with an electronic key of the vehicle 1.

  During the locking operation, the link mechanism 26 rotates in the locking direction (the direction of the arrow C1 in the figure). At this time, the projection 38a of the link mechanism 26 pushes the inner wall surface of the long hole 40a of the first lock member 25a downward in the drawing, so that the first lock member 25a is closed (in the direction of arrow A2-1 in the figure). Moving. Further, when the projection 38b of the link mechanism 26 pushes the inner wall surface of the long hole 40b of the second lock member 25b upward in the drawing, the second lock member 25b moves in the closing direction (arrow A2-2 direction in the figure). . Thus, when the link mechanism 26 rotates in the lock direction, the first lock member 25a and the second lock member 25b slide and move so as to approach each other.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, when the movement of the lock member 25 in the lock direction is started, the first lock member 25a moves into the first slit 28a, and the second lock member 25b is moved to the second slit. Take action to enter 28b. Further, the base portion of the locking claw 18 of the lock arm 17 is gradually sandwiched by the escape portion 33 of the first lock member 25a.

  As shown in FIG. 8B, when the first lock member 25 a is moved by the maximum stroke, the lock engagement portion 31 a of the first lock member 25 a is engaged with the first engagement groove 27 a of the charging connector 15. In addition, when the second lock member 25 b is moved by the maximum stroke, the lock engagement portion 31 b of the second lock member 25 b is engaged with the second engagement groove 27 b of the charging connector 15. Further, the escape portion 33 is locked by pressing the base of the locking claw 18 of the lock arm 17 from above. When the first lock member 25a and the second lock member 25b are engaged with the first engagement groove 27a and the second engagement groove 27b and take the lock position, the lock state is switched. Therefore, the charging connector 15 cannot be removed from the inlet 7, and security against theft of the charging cable 6 is ensured.

  As shown in FIG. 9, when the charging cable locking device 23 is in the locked state, the first locking member 25a is engaged with the charging connector 15 in the region of the engagement allowance E1 (two places) shown in the drawing, The two lock members 25b are engaged with the charging connector 15 in the region of the allowance E2 shown in the drawing. Thus, it can be seen that the charging connector 15 is firmly fixed to the inlet 7 because the charging connector 15 is locked to the lock member 25 with the allowances E1 and E2 in the circumferential direction of the charging connector 15. Therefore, even if the charging connector 15 is operated so as to be twisted, it is ensured that it is difficult to remove.

  In addition, when the unlock operation conditions are met in the locked state, the unlock operation of the lock member 25 is started by the operation of the actuator 39 on the unlock side. The start condition of the unlocking operation may be, for example, that the vehicle door is unlocked, that is, the door unlocking interlock. In addition, an operation unit (for example, unlock operation unit) for locking the charging cable provided in the power supply port 4 or the inside of the vehicle may be operated, or a button may be operated (unlock operation) with the electronic key of the vehicle 1. Good. Note that the unlocking operation of this example only takes the reverse procedure of the locking operation, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

According to the configuration of the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the charging cable locking device 23, the charging connector 15 connected to the inlet 7 is locked in the circumferential direction of the charging connector 15 by the lock member 25. As a result, even if the charging connector 15 is forcibly removed from the inlet 7 and the charging connector 15 is forcibly turned when locked, the connection between the inlet 7 and the charging connector 15 is maintained. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for unauthorized charging of the charging cable 6 to occur during locking.

(2) Since the charging connector 15 is fixed to the inlet 7 in the circumferential direction, it is possible to improve the anti-slip load.
(3) The lock member 25 operates in a direction that intersects the attaching / detaching direction of the charging connector 15. Therefore, when the charging connector 15 is locked in the circumferential direction by the lock member 25, the movement to be taken by the lock member 25 is simple.

  (4) A plurality of lock members 25 are provided, and the charging connector 15 is locked in the circumferential direction by the plurality of members. Therefore, the charging connector 15 can be securely locked to the inlet 7.

  (5) The lock mechanism 24 switches the position of the plurality of lock members 25 to the lock position or the unlock position by the operation via the link mechanism 26. Therefore, since the lock member 25 is operated to lock / unlock using the link mechanism 26, a sufficient moving distance of the lock member 25 can be ensured within a limited space.

  (6) The plurality of locking members 25 are held in the inlet 7 so as to sandwich the charging connector 15. Therefore, it becomes more advantageous to firmly lock the charging connector 15 to the inlet 7.

  (7) The locking member 25 locks the charging connector 15 to the inlet 7 by engaging with the engaging groove 27 through the slit 28 during the locking operation. As a result, when locked, the lock member 25 is also engaged with the slit 28, that is, a large allowance for locking can be obtained. Therefore, it becomes more advantageous to firmly lock the charging connector 15 to the inlet 7.

  (8) The lock member 25 includes a concave relief portion 33 into which the lock arm 17 can enter when the lock member 25 is in the locked state. Therefore, at the time of locking, the lock arm 17 can be pressed and fixed by the relief portion 33 of the lock member 25, which is more advantageous for firmly locking the charging connector 15 to the inlet 7.

  (9) The lock mechanism 24 is an electric type that operates the lock member 25 by the actuator 39. Therefore, since the user does not need a key operation or the like to operate the lock mechanism 24, the convenience of the user can be ensured.

Note that the embodiment is not limited to the configuration described so far, and may be modified as follows.
A sensor for detecting the lock position and the unlock position may be provided.
-A latching groove | channel is good also as not only a recessed part but a hole.

-The number of the lock members 25 may be one, or may be three or more.
The lock member 25 is not limited to a movement that slides in the vertical direction, and may be a movement that moves in the horizontal direction, for example. Further, the lock member 25 may lock the charging connector 15 in the circumferential direction while rotating.

  The shape of the first lock member 25a is not limited to the shape having the arc-shaped lock engaging portion 31a and the linear arm portion 32a, but may be any other shape as long as the charging connector 15 can be locked in the circumferential direction. It is possible to change. The same applies to the second lock member 25b.

The lock range of the lock member 25 may be the entire circumference or a part of the circumferential direction.
The lock member 25 is not limited to the structure via the link mechanism 26, and can be appropriately changed to another mechanism.

The lock member 25 is not limited to the lock mode in which the charging connector 15 is sandwiched between the pair of members, and may be locked anywhere as long as the locking member 25 is locked in the circumferential direction of the charging connector 15.
-When the lock member 25 is in the locked state, a part of the lock member 25 may be formed (hooked) on the power supply port frame 8.

The lock mechanism 24 is not limited to the structure in which the lock member 25 is locked to the locking groove 27 via the slit 28, and may be a structure that is locked only to the charging connector 15, for example.
When the connecting portion 16 of the charging connector 15 has a larger diameter than the frame portion 10 of the inlet 7, the slit 28 may be provided in the charging connector 15 and the locking groove 27 may be provided in the inlet 7.

The escape portion 33 is not limited to having the role of pressing the lock arm 17 from above, but may simply pass through a part of the lock arm 17.
The charging connector 15 may not include the lock arm 17. In this case, the escape portion 33 can be omitted from the first lock member 25a.

-The lock operation may be electric and the unlock operation may be realized by a mechanical structure. Of course, the reverse pattern can also be adopted.
The lock mechanism 24 is not limited to an electric type, and may be a mechanical type that operates the lock member 25 with a user's operation force.

  The charging target is not limited to the vehicle 1 and can be changed to another device or device.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 7 ... Inlet, 6 ... Charge cable, 15 ... Charge connector, 17 ... Lock arm, 20 ... Locking protrusion, 23 ... Charge cable lock apparatus, 25 ... Lock member, 25a ... 1st lock member, 25b ... 2nd lock member , 26 ... link mechanism, 27 ... locking groove, 27a ... first locking groove, 27b ... second locking groove, 28 ... slit, 28a ... first slit, 28b ... second slit, 33 ... relief part, 39 ... Actuator, A1 ... Attachment / detachment direction of charging connector, A2 ... Direction intersecting with attachment / detachment direction of charging connector.

Claims (8)

In the charging cable lock device capable of locking the charging connector provided at the tip of the charging cable to the inlet on the charging side,
A charging cable locking device comprising: a locking mechanism that locks the charging connector to the inlet in a circumferential direction by a locking member that can be locked to the charging connector when the charging connector is connected to the inlet. . The charging cable locking device according to claim 1, wherein the locking member operates in a direction intersecting with a direction in which the charging connector is attached / detached. The charging cable locking device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the locking members are provided, and the charging connector is locked in the circumferential direction by a plurality of the locking members. The charging cable lock device according to claim 3, wherein the lock mechanism switches the position of the plurality of lock members to a locked position or an unlocked position by an operation via a link mechanism. The charging cable locking device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the plurality of locking members are held in the inlet so as to sandwich the charging connector, thereby locking the charging cable to the inlet. The locking member locks the charging connector to the inlet by passing through a slit provided in one of the inlet and the charging connector and locking in a locking groove provided in the other of the inlet and the charging connector during the locking operation. The charging cable lock device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The charging cable includes a lock arm that is prevented from coming out of the inlet by being locked to a locking protrusion of the inlet to which the charging connector is connected,
The charging cable lock device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lock member includes a concave relief portion into which the lock arm can enter when the lock member is in a locked state. The charging cable lock device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lock mechanism is an electric type that operates the lock member with an actuator.