JP6421466B2 - Vehicle charging cable - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging cable for connecting a vehicle and an external power source during external charging.

  Conventionally, many electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles are equipped with a running battery that can be charged by an external power source. The external power source used for charging the battery for traveling is roughly classified into a quick charging facility and a normal charging facility depending on the power supply capacity. The rapid charging facility is a three-phase AC power facility, which is installed in service stations on gas stations and highways. On the other hand, ordinary charging equipment is a single-phase AC power supply equipment, and is installed in car dealers, commercial facilities, parking lots, and the like. Also, since the normal charging voltage is equivalent to the voltage of low-voltage power supplied to ordinary households, normal charging using a household outlet (for example, a dedicated outlet for vehicle charging connected to a residential distribution board) is also possible. Has been done.

  The rapid charging facility and the normal charging facility include an electronic control device for confirming the connection state and the charging state with the vehicle. However, many general household outlets do not incorporate such an electronic control device. For this reason, it is recommended to use a charging cable with a control box (electronic control device) called CCID (Charge Circuit Interrupt Device) for normal charging using a household outlet. This control box has a function as a breaker for detecting the connection state to a vehicle and an outlet, the presence or absence of electric leakage, and disconnection, and interrupting power supply in an emergency.

  By the way, since the size of the control box is relatively large with respect to the diameter of the charging cable and has a weight, the connection portion with the charging cable tends to be twisted. For example, after normal charging by a household outlet is completed, a charging cable may be wound up so that it can be easily stored. At this time, due to the twist of the charging cable, an unreasonable force acts on the connection portion with the control box, and there is a possibility that disconnection or electric leakage is likely to occur.

  In view of this, it has been studied to make the charging cable rotatable around the longitudinal axis with respect to the control box. For example, it is conceivable to connect the charging cable and the control box with a male / female connector so that the charging cable is not twisted (see Patent Document 1). Alternatively, it is conceivable to attach slip rings to these connection points. By using these methods, it becomes possible to eliminate the twist of the charging cable.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-26066

  However, the charging cable for the vehicle includes not only a power line for supplying power but also a signal line for transmitting the voltage of the external power source and the presence or absence of electric leakage to the vehicle side. There are many wires. For this reason, in the connection using the male and female connectors, it is difficult to establish an appropriate circuit connection for all of the plurality of conductive wires. Further, as described in, for example, Patent Document 1, when the structure is such that the conductor and the covering material are structurally separated and the male and female connectors and the conductor are integrally rotated with respect to the covering, Although the concentration of twist on the surface is alleviated, the twist itself cannot be absorbed or eliminated.

  If a slip ring is attached to the connection point between the charging cable and the control box, the twist itself can be absorbed and eliminated. However, the twisting of the charging cable occurs only when the charging cable is wired in the preparation stage of charging or when the charging cable is stored after the charging is completed, and the twisting always occurs during external charging. is not. On the other hand, the slip ring is a component for energizing and supplying power to a rotating body such as a motor and a rotor. For this reason, incorporating a slip ring into the charging cable not only increases the cost, but also over-specs in terms of performance.

  One of the objects of the present invention was devised in view of the above-described problems, and provides a charging cable for a vehicle that can eliminate twisting of the charging cable while establishing circuit connection with a simple configuration. That is. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to this purpose, and is an operational effect that is derived from each configuration shown in “Mode for Carrying Out the Invention” to be described later. Can be positioned as a purpose.

(1) The vehicle charging cable disclosed herein includes a plurality of first conductors connected to the external power source side and a plurality of first conductors connected to the vehicle side during external charging for charging the vehicle with an external power source. It is a charging cable with built-in two conductors. The charging cable includes a fixed portion to which one of the first conductor and the second conductor is connected and a rotating portion to which the other conductor is connected, and the first conductor and the second conductor. The rotary contact is connected to be freely rotatable.
In addition, a rotation position sensor that detects a rotation position of the rotation portion with respect to the fixed portion at the rotation contact is provided. In addition, there is provided a switch circuit which is interposed on each of the one conductors and selects one of the one conductors and switches the energization state based on the rotational position detected by the rotational position sensor. .
Further, the switch circuit switches the energization state so as to restore the deviation of the connection combination of the first conductor and the second conductor due to the rotation contact rotating.

Na us may comprise a control device which controls the switch circuit based on has been the rotational position detected by the rotational position sensor.

  (2) It is preferable that the second conductor is formed longer than the first conductor. In this case, it is preferable that the one conducting wire is the first conducting wire and the other conducting wire is the second conducting wire. That is, it is preferable that the first conducting wire having a relatively short cable length is connected to the fixed portion, and the second conducting wire having a relatively long cable length is connected to the rotating portion.

(3) It is preferable that the said rotation contact arrange | positions the contact of said 1st conducting wire and said 2nd conducting wire at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the said rotation part. For example, the rotating part is formed in a cylindrical shape or a columnar shape, and the contact points are arranged on the outer surface at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The specific shape of the rotating part may be, for example, a cylindrical shape (columnar shape) or a rectangular tube shape (rectangular columnar shape).
(4) It is preferable that the rotating contact has an elastic member that urges the first conducting wire and the second conducting wire in directions close to each other. Specific examples of the elastic member include a leaf spring, a coil spring, and conductive rubber.

(5) It is preferable to provide a lock mechanism that restrains the rotation of the rotating unit according to the state of external charging.
Note that the control device may control an operating state of the lock mechanism in accordance with an execution state of the external charging. For example, when the external charging is being performed, the control device operates the lock mechanism to restrain the rotation of the rotating unit, and when the external charging is not being performed, the control device is configured to lock the locking mechanism. It can be considered that the rotation of the rotating portion is allowed (restraint is released) by controlling it to be inactive.

  As a specific example of the locking mechanism, a mechanism that engages a groove formed in the rotating portion with a claw formed on the outer periphery of the rotating portion can be considered. In this case, it is preferable that the groove is recessed from the peripheral surface of the rotating part toward the inside in the radial direction. Moreover, it is preferable that the said nail | claw part engages with the said groove part and prevents rotation of the said rotation part. In addition, it is preferable to provide an actuator that moves the claw portion in the advancing and retracting direction with respect to the groove portion.

(6) The charging cable for another vehicle disclosed herein includes a plurality of first conductors connected to the external power supply side and a plurality of connections connected to the vehicle side during external charging for charging the vehicle with an external power supply. A charging cable having a second conductive wire built therein, comprising a fixed portion to which one of the first conductive wire and the second conductive wire is connected and a rotating portion to which the other conductive wire is connected, A rotating contact that rotatably connects the first conducting wire and the second conducting wire, a rotational position sensor that detects a rotational position of the rotating portion with respect to the fixed portion at the rotating contact, and an interposition on the one conducting wire, respectively. And a switch circuit that selects one of the one conductors to switch the energization state based on the rotational position detected by the rotational position sensor, and the rotation according to the state of external charging. Part rotation Includes a locking mechanism for the bundle, the.
(7 ) The lock mechanism restrains the rotation of the rotating portion when both ends of the charging cable are inserted into the external power source and the vehicle, and releases the restraint when either of the both ends is removed. Is preferred.
For example, both ends of the charging cable are provided with a charging gun that is inserted into an inlet of the vehicle and a plug that is inserted into an outlet of the external power source.
It is preferable to control the operation and non-operation of the lock mechanism in accordance with the inserted state.

  According to the vehicle charging cable disclosed herein, the twist of the cable can be eliminated while establishing a circuit between the external power supply and the vehicle. Further, the structure in the cable is simple, and necessary and sufficient performance can be obtained without cost, and cost performance can be improved.

It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the charging cable which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows typically the internal structure of a charging cable. (A) is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the structure of the rotating contact, (B) is a sectional view showing the sectional structure of the rotating contact. (A)-(C) are the schematic diagrams for demonstrating the structure and operation | movement of a locking mechanism. (A) is a circuit diagram showing the structure of a switch circuit, and (B) is a table showing combinations of connection states in the switch circuit. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of control by a control apparatus.

  A vehicle charging cable as an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is merely an example, and there is no intention of excluding various modifications and technical applications that are not explicitly described in the following embodiment. Each configuration of the present embodiment can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the spirit of the present embodiment, and can be selected or combined as necessary.

[1. External charging system]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an externally charged state of the vehicle 20 using the charging cable 25 according to the embodiment. The vehicle 20 is an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle that travels with electric power stored in an in-vehicle traveling battery 21. The traveling battery 21 can be charged with power generated by a vehicle-mounted motor generator or regenerative power, and can also be charged with power from an external power source. The charge amount and charge / discharge state of the traveling battery 21, whether or not charging is necessary, and the like are mainly controlled by the in-vehicle control device 22. The in-vehicle control device 22 is an LSI in which a microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an auxiliary storage device, an interface device and the like are integrated. Devices and embedded electronic devices.

  The charging cable 25 is used for external charging (normal charging) using a household outlet. One end of the charging cable 25 is provided with a charging gun 28 that is connected to an inlet 23 that is a power intake port of the vehicle 20, and the other end is a plug that is connected to an outlet 24 that is a source of external power. 29 is provided. At the time of external charging, both ends of the charging cable 25 are connected to the inlet 23 and the outlet 24. The power supplied from the outlet 24 is low-voltage power for general households (single-phase alternating current 100 to 200 [V] in Japan, and single-phase alternating current 100 to 250 [V] if overseas is included).

  A control box 30 called a CCID (Charge Circuit Interrupt Device) is interposed in the middle of the power supply path from the plug 29 of the charging cable 25 to the charging gun 28. The control box 30 is an electronic control device that executes various types of information processing related to the external power supply and the charging cable 25. Here, for example, the power supply state of the external power supply, the power supply voltage, the leakage in the charging cable 25, the presence or absence of disconnection, and the like are detected. A specific function of the control box 30 is set in accordance with a national standard, an industrial standard, an international standard, or the like of a destination of the vehicle 20. In the present embodiment, among the functions of the control box 30, a function for eliminating the twisting of the charging cable 25 while establishing the circuit connection between the charging gun 28 and the plug 29 will be mainly described.

[2. Control box]
An internal configuration of the control box 30 is schematically shown in FIG. The control box 30 includes a control device 11, a charging circuit 12, and a switch circuit 13. Further, as a structure for eliminating the twist of the charging cable 25, a rotating contact 3, a rotation position sensor 10, and a lock mechanism 14 are provided. The rotary contact 3 is a connector that rotatably connects a conductive wire connected to the external power supply side and a conductive wire connected to the vehicle 20 side.

  Here, in the power supply path from the plug 29 to the charging gun 28, a portion closer to the plug 29 than the rotary contact 3 (a conductive wire connected to the external power supply side) is referred to as a first conductive wire 1. Further, the portion on the charging gun 28 side relative to the rotating contact 3 (the conducting wire connected to the vehicle 20 side) is referred to as the second conducting wire 2. The first conducting wire 1 and the second conducting wire 2 are names when a plurality of conducting wires included in the charging cable 25 are classified in the extending direction. The first conductor 1 is a conductor connected to the external power source (to the external power source side) when the vehicle 20 is externally charged, and the second conductor 2 is connected to the vehicle 20 (to the vehicle 20 side). Is a conducting wire. In the present embodiment, the second conducting wire 2 is longer than the first conducting wire 1. The first conducting wire 1 and the second conducting wire 2 are connected to each other through the rotary contact 3 inside the control box 30.

  Moreover, the some conducting wire contained in the charging cable 25 is classified according to the role and function, and each of the power line 31, the ground line 32, and the signal line 33 is defined. The power line 31 is a power supply conductor, the ground line 32 is a grounding conductor, and the signal line 33 is an information transmission conductor for external charging. Two power lines 31 and one ground line 32 are wired between the plug 29 of the charging cable 25 and the charging circuit 12 of the control box 30. These conducting wires 31 and 32 are wired so as to pass through the charging circuit 12, the switch circuit 13 and the rotating contact 3.

  On the other hand, a signal line 33 is wired between the control device 11 of the control box 30 and the charging gun 28. At least one signal line 33 is provided, and two signal lines 33 are illustrated in FIG. The signal line 33 is not routed through the charging circuit 12 but is routed from the control device 11 to the charging gun 28 via the switch circuit 13 and the rotating contact 3. Information is exchanged between the in-vehicle control device 22 and the control device 11 of the control box 30 via a signal line 33.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the number of conductive wires inside the charging cable 25 is three from the plug 29 to the charging circuit 12. Further, the number of conductive wires input to the switch circuit 13 is a total of five wires including three wires input from the charging circuit 12 and two wires input from the control device 11. The number of conductive wires from the switch circuit 13 to the charging gun 28 is five. Therefore, the number of conducting wires passing through the rotary contact 3 and the switch circuit 13 is five.

  The control device 11 is an LSI device or an embedded electronic device in which a microprocessor such as a CPU and MPU, a ROM, a RAM, an auxiliary storage device, an interface device, and the like are integrated, like the on-vehicle control device 22. The control device 11 performs control for eliminating twisting of the charging cable 25 while establishing a circuit connection between the charging gun 28 and the plug 29. Here, the connection state of the switch circuit 13 is controlled according to the rotation state of the rotary contact 3. In addition, the control device 11 has a check function and a breaker function for feeding voltage, electric leakage, and disconnection.

  The charging circuit 12 includes a relay circuit that controls connection / disconnection of the power line 31, a power supply voltage detection circuit, a disconnection detection circuit, and the like. Information on the supply voltage and the presence / absence of disconnection is transmitted to the control device 11, and the connection / disconnection state of the relay circuit is controlled accordingly. The control device 11 and the charging circuit 12 are arranged in the control box 30 on the first conductor 1 side with respect to the rotary contact 3.

  The switch circuit 13 is a circuit interposed between the rotating contact 3 and the charging circuit 12 on the first conducting wire 1, and is connected between the first conducting wire 1 on the external power source side and the first conducting wire 1 on the rotating contact 3 side. The combination of connections is switched. As shown in FIG. 2, five conductive wires (two power lines 31, a ground line 32, and two signal lines 33) are connected to the external power supply side (charging circuit 12 side) of the switch circuit 13, and the switch circuit. Similarly, five lead wires are connected to the 13 rotating contact 3 side. The switch circuit 13 functions to change the connection pattern between these conductors. The combination of connections to be switched here is managed by the control device 11. A specific circuit structure will be described later.

  The rotating contact 3 is a contact that rotatably connects the second conducting wire 2 to the first conducting wire 1, and the first conducting wire 1 and the second conducting wire 2 face the surface of the arbitrarily shaped shaft body and the outer periphery thereof. Are arranged and formed. Here, the structure of the rotary contact 3 is illustrated in FIG. The rotating contact 3 is provided with a fixed portion 4 to which the first conducting wire 1 is connected and a rotating portion 5 to which the second conducting wire 2 is connected. The rotating part 5 is configured such that, for example, the second conducting wire 2 is wired inside a polygonal columnar rotating part base 6 (shaft body) formed of an insulator, and the contact 7 corresponding to each of the second conducting wires 2 is exposed to the side surface. Is provided. The contact 7 is disposed in the vicinity of the center of the side surface of the rotating unit base 6 (position away from the ridge line between the side surfaces).

  On the other hand, the fixed portion 4 places the contact 8 connected to the first conducting wire 1 at a position facing the contact 7 of the rotating portion 5 and elastically biases the contact 8 against the side surface of the rotating portion base 6. A plate spring 9 (elastic member) is provided. The leaf spring 9 is formed in a plate shape having a surface substantially parallel to the side surface of the rotating portion base 6, and an elastic force is applied to press the contact 8 toward the contact 7, so that the contacts 7, 8 are moved in the proximity direction ( Energize in directions close to each other.

  A cross-sectional view of the contact 8 on the first conductor 1 side and the contact 7 on the second conductor 2 side is shown in FIG. These contact points 7 and 8 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotating part base 6, and are arranged in the vicinity of the center on the side surface of the rotating part base 6. The fixed portion 4 is fixed so as not to rotate with respect to the case of the control box 30, and the rotating portion 5 is supported rotatably with respect to the fixed portion 4. Further, the rotating shaft of the rotating unit 5 is provided so as to coincide with the cylinder axis C of the rotating unit base 6. On the other hand, the leaf springs 9 are arranged so as to surround the peripheral surface of the rotating part base 6 from the outside and are connected to each other. The leaf springs 9 may be fixed to the case of the control box 30 without connecting the leaf springs 9 to each other. Further, instead of the leaf spring 9, an elastic member such as a coil spring or conductive rubber may be used.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the rotation unit 5 is provided with a lock mechanism 14 and a rotation position sensor 10. The lock mechanism 14 is a mechanism that restrains the rotation of the rotating unit 5 (the rotating unit base 6) according to the situation. The rotating part base 6 shown in FIG. 3 (A) has a groove part 15 that is recessed from the circumferential surface toward the inside in the radial direction. A lock member 16 having a claw portion 17 that engages and fits with the groove portion 15 is provided on the outer periphery of the groove portion 15.

  Specific operations of the lock mechanism 14 are shown in FIGS. One end of the lock member 16 is pin-joined to the case of the control box 30 so as to be rotatable with respect to the fixing. The other end of the lock member 16 is attached with a spring 19 that biases the lock member 16 in a direction approaching the rotating portion base 6. As shown in FIG. 4 (A), by engaging the claw portion 17 inside the groove portion 15, the urging force of the spring 19 acts so as to press the groove portion 15 and the claw portion 17. The rotation of 6) is fixed (temporarily locked).

  An electromagnetic solenoid 18 (actuator) for fixing the position of the lock member 16 is provided in the vicinity of the lock member 16. The electromagnetic solenoid 18 is an actuator that moves the magnetic pole in the forward / backward direction according to the presence / absence of energization, and is fixed (locked) so that the lock member 16 does not move in the energized state, and is unlocked in the non-energized state. It functions to allow movement of the lock member 16.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the tip of the magnetic pole is separated from the lock member 16 when the electromagnetic solenoid 18 is not energized. When the rotating part base 6 tries to rotate, the lock member 16 moves in a direction away from the rotating part base 6 against the urging force of the spring 19, and the claw part 17 is detached from the groove part 15. At this time, a moderation feeling (temporary lock feeling) according to the urging force of the leaf spring 9 and the spring 19 is given to the rotation of the rotating portion base 6. Thereby, it becomes easy to stop the rotation of the rotating part base 6 at a rotation angle such that the contacts 7 and 8 are just in contact with each other, and the connection stability of the contacts 7 and 8 is improved.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4C, when the electromagnetic solenoid 18 is energized, the tip of the magnetic pole comes into contact with the lock member 16 or the tip of the magnetic pole is pressed against the lock member 16. As a result, the claw portion 17 of the lock member 16 is crimped to the groove portion 15, and the lock member 16 cannot move even if the rotating portion base 6 tries to rotate, and the fitting state between the claw portion 17 and the groove portion 15 is maintained. Is done.

  The rotational position sensor 10 detects the rotational position (relative rotational angle) of the second conductor 2 with respect to the first conductor 1 at the rotary contact 3. In other words, the rotational position sensor 10 detects the rotational position of the rotating portion 5 with respect to the fixed portion 4 of the rotating contact 3. The specific type of sensor is arbitrary. For example, a lattice disk in which different slits are formed at different positions in the circumferential direction is fixed to the rotating part base 6, and the rotational position of the rotating part base 6 is detected based on the shape of the slit. A rotary encoder can be applied. Information on the rotational position detected here is transmitted to the control device 11.

  A circuit configuration of the switch circuit 13 is illustrated in FIG. The switch circuit 13 includes five switches 41 in order to switch the combination of connections between the five conductors I to V on the charging circuit 12 side (external power supply side) and the five conductors A to E on the rotary contact 3 side. ~ 45 are provided. These switches 41 to 45 are five-contact switches, and the contact positions of the respective switches 41 to 45 are switched in conjunction with each other.

  Each conducting wire I to V on the charging circuit 12 side is branched into five, and each branch is connected to one contact position in each of the five switches 41 to 45. For example, the connection destination branched from the conductor I to five is connected to each of the first switch 41, the fifth switch 42, the fourth switch 43, the third switch 44, and the second switch 45. Similarly, one contact position is assigned to each switch 41 to 45 so that the branch destination of the conducting wire II does not overlap with the branch destinations of the other conducting wires I and III to V.

Each conducting wire A to E on the rotating contact 3 side is connected to each switch 41 to 45. That is, the connection position selected by the switch 41 is connected to the conductor A, and the connection position selected by the switch 42 is connected to the conductor B.
FIG. 5B illustrates a combination of conductive wires corresponding to the contact positions of the switches 41 to 45. For example, the combination of connections when the contact position is No. 1 is a combination of a lead I and a lead A, a lead II and a lead B, a lead III and a lead C, a lead IV and a lead D, a lead V and a lead E.

  The operation state of the lock mechanism 14 and the contact positions of the switches 41 to 45 are controlled by the control device 11. The lock mechanism 14 is activated or deactivated according to the state of external charging. Further, the contact positions of the switches 41 to 45 are controlled based on the rotational position of the second conductor 2 detected by the rotational position sensor 10.

  In the present embodiment, the operation and non-operation of the lock mechanism 14 are determined based on the connection state of the charging gun 28 and the plug 29 provided at both ends of the charging cable 25. The condition for operating the locking mechanism 14 is that the plug 29 is connected to the outlet 24 (that is, external power is supplied), and the charging gun 28 is inserted into the inlet 23 of the vehicle 20. On the contrary, if at least one of the charging gun 28 and the plug 29 is removed, the lock mechanism 14 is inactivated.

  On the other hand, the condition for switching the contact positions of the switches 41 to 45 is only that the plug 29 is connected to the outlet 24. That is, the contact position can be switched at an arbitrary timing as long as at least external power is supplied. However, if the lock mechanism 14 is in operation, the rotational position detected by the rotational position sensor 10 does not change, and switching of the contact positions of the switches 41 to 45 is unnecessary. Therefore, the contact positions of the switches 41 to 45 may be switched when the lock mechanism 14 is inactive.

[3. flowchart]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a control procedure performed by the control device 11. When the plug 29 of the charging cable 25 is inserted into the outlet 24, the control device 11 is powered on and this flow is executed.
In step S1, the electromagnetic solenoid 18 is turned off. The lock mechanism 14 is in a state where the lock member 16 is not locked in the initial state. In subsequent step S <b> 2, the rotational position sensor 10 detects the rotational position of the rotary contact 3, and the information is transmitted to the control device 11.

  In step S3, in the control device 11, a control signal based on the rotational position of the rotary contact 3 is output from the control device 11 to the switch circuit 13, and the contact positions of the five switches 41 to 45 are switched simultaneously. That is, even if the combination of the connection between the lead wires I to V on the charging circuit 12 side and the lead wires A to E on the rotary contact 3 side is shifted due to the rotation of the rotary contact 3, the switch circuit 13 is switched and the correct connection is made. It becomes a combination.

  In step S <b> 4, the control device 11 determines whether or not the charging gun 28 is connected to the inlet 23 of the vehicle 20. This determination may be determined from, for example, a voltage change of the signal line 33 or may be determined when communication with the in-vehicle control device 22 is established. If this condition is not satisfied, the process returns to step S2, and the detection of the rotational position and the switching of the switch circuit 13 are continued. This corresponds to a state where, for example, the charging cable 25 is routed to prepare for external charging.

  On the other hand, when the condition of step S4 is satisfied, the condition for operating the lock mechanism 14 is satisfied, so the routine proceeds to step S5, where the electromagnetic solenoid 18 is energized. As a result, the lock mechanism 14 is activated, and the movement of the lock member 16 is restrained. In the subsequent step S6, external charging is performed. Since the lock mechanism 14 remains activated during the external charging, the rotation contact 3 is also prevented from rotating.

  In step S7, it is determined whether or not an external charging termination condition is satisfied. For example, this condition is not satisfied until the traveling battery 21 is fully charged, the process returns to step S6, and external charging is continued. On the other hand, this condition is satisfied when the battery is fully charged, and the process proceeds to step S8 where external charging is terminated.

  In step S <b> 9, it is determined whether the charging gun 28 has been removed from the inlet 23 of the vehicle 20. This determination can also be made based on the voltage change of the signal line 33, as in step S4. If this condition is not satisfied, the process returns to step S8 and the operating state of the lock mechanism 14 is maintained. On the other hand, when this condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S10, and the electromagnetic solenoid 18 is turned off.

  Thereby, the lock | rock of the locking member 16 is cancelled | released and the rotation contact 3 will be in the state which can rotate freely. Therefore, even when the charging cable 25 is wound and stored, the twist of the connection portion between the charging cable 25 and the control box 30 is eliminated. When the plug 29 is removed prior to the charging gun 28, the control device 11 is not energized and the electromagnetic solenoid 18 is de-energized. Thereby, the lock | rock of the locking member 16 is cancelled | released and the rotation contact 3 will be in the state which can rotate freely. Therefore, as in the case described above, the twist of the connection portion between the charging cable 25 and the control box 30 is eliminated.

[4. Action, effect]
(1) In the charging cable 25 described above, the first conductor 1 and the second conductor 2 are rotatably connected via the rotary contact 3, and the switch circuit 13 is interposed on the first conductor 1. Further, the control device 11 controls the combination of connection of the switch circuit 13 in accordance with the rotation position of the second conductor 2 with respect to the first conductor 1 at the rotating contact 3 (that is, the rotation position of the rotor 5 with respect to the fixed portion 4). Is done. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the switch circuit 13 selects one of the conductors I to V on the side of the first conductor 1 that is formed in a plurality of branches, It functions so that it may connect with the conducting wires A-E. By connecting the conductors I to V exclusively to each of the conductors A to E, the combination of the energized states between the first conductor 1 and the second conductor 2 is switched.

  By such switching control of the switch circuit 13, the switch circuit 13 can restore the misalignment of the connection generated at the rotary contact 3 while absorbing and eliminating the twist of the charging cable 25 at the rotary contact 3. That is, the twist of the charging cable 25 can be eliminated while establishing an external charging circuit between the external power source and the vehicle 20. Further, the structure inside the charging cable 25 is simple, and necessary and sufficient performance can be obtained without incurring high costs, and cost performance can be improved.

  (2) In particular, in the present embodiment, the second conductor 2 that is longer than the first conductor 1 is connected to the rotating portion 5, and the first conductor 1 that is shorter than the second conductor 2 is connected to the fixed portion 4. It is possible to eliminate the twist of the connection portion between the charging cable 25 on the second conductor 2 side and the control box 30 that is relatively easily twisted.

(3) In the rotating contact 3 of the charging cable 25 described above, the contacts 7 and 8 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotating portion 5 as shown in FIGS. Thereby, it is possible to easily distribute the elastic force acting on the contacts 7 and 8 and to rotate the rotating portion base 6 smoothly. Therefore, the twist of the charging cable 25 can be easily eliminated.
In addition, since the shape of the rotating part base 6 is a polygonal column, it is possible to easily stop the rotating part base 6 from rotating at such a rotation angle that the contacts 7 and 8 are just in contact with each other, and the rotation operation is moderated. And the connection stability of the contacts 7 and 8 can be improved. In addition, what is necessary is just to make the shape of the rotation part base 6 into the column shape which has the number of surfaces according to the number of wiring in the charging cable 25. FIG. For example, if the number of wirings is N, it may be an M prismatic shape (N ≦ M).

(4) The rotary contact 3 is provided with a leaf spring 9 that urges the two contacts 7 and 8 in the proximity direction. Thereby, the fixing | fixed part 4 can be elastically supported by the rotation part 5, and the rotation stability and attitude | position stability of the rotation part base 6 can be improved. Further, it is possible to easily eliminate the twist of the charging cable 25.
Moreover, since the shape of the rotating part base 6 is a polygonal column and the positions of the contacts 7 and 8 are set near the center on the side surface, the urging force of the leaf spring 9 gives a moderate feeling of moderation to the rotating operation. Given. That is, the urging force of the leaf spring 9 is minimized at the rotation angle at which the contacts 7 and 8 are just in contact with each other, and the rotation angle of the rotating portion base 6 can be stabilized. Therefore, the connection stability of the contacts 7 and 8 can be improved. Such a moderation feeling of the rotational operation is given not only by the urging force of the leaf spring 9 but also by the urging force of the spring 19 attached to the lock member 16. Therefore, the action of the spring 19 also contributes to improving the connection stability of the contacts 7 and 8.

  (5) The charging cable 25 is provided with the lock mechanism 14 that restrains the rotation of the rotary contact 3. The operation state of the lock mechanism 14 is controlled according to the state of external charging. For example, during the external charging, the lock mechanism 14 is actuated to restrain the rotation operation of the rotary contact 3. Thereby, the circuit connection between the external power supply and the vehicle 20 during external charging can be more reliably maintained, and the stability of charging control can be improved.

  (6) Regarding the operating condition of the lock mechanism 14, in the above-described embodiment, the operation and non-operation of the lock mechanism 14 are determined based on the connection state of the charging gun 28 and the plug 29. For example, in a state where the charging gun 28 is not connected to the inlet 23, the lock mechanism 14 is deactivated. Thereby, the twist which may arise accompanying the routing operation | work of the charging cable 25 and the winding operation | work at the time of accommodation can be eliminated reliably.

[5. Modified example]
Regardless of the above embodiment, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Each structure of this embodiment can be selected as needed, or may be combined appropriately.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the number of wires in the charging cable 25 is five has been described, but the specific number of wires is not limited to this. In the above-described embodiment, the rotary contact 3 is formed in a polygonal column shape. However, the rotary contact 3 may be formed in a cylindrical shape (columnar shape), an elliptical cylindrical shape (elliptical cylindrical shape), or a rectangular cylindrical shape. By controlling the switch circuit 13 so as to restore at least the deviation of the connection combination that may be caused by the rotation of the rotary contact 3, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

In the above-described embodiment, the rotary contact 3 and the switch circuit 13 are provided on the vehicle side of the charging circuit 12. However, the rotary contact 3 and the switch circuit 13 may be provided on the external power supply side of the charging circuit 12. good. In this case, since it is not necessary to switch the connection of the signal line 33, the number of contacts and the number of switches can be reduced as compared with the above-described embodiment.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the lock mechanism 14 that mechanically restrains the rotation of the rotating contact 3 is illustrated, but in addition to or instead of this, the mechanism that electromagnetically restrains the rotation of the rotating contact 3. May be provided. For example, an electromagnet may be built in the rotating unit base 6 and the rotation of the rotating unit base 6 may be locked by controlling the direction of the electromagnetic field around the rotating unit base 6.

  In the above-described embodiment, the control device 11 controls the operation state of the lock mechanism 14 and the contact positions of the switches 41 to 45. However, the functions of the control device 11 are the lock mechanism 14 and the switch circuit 13, respectively. It is also possible to omit the control device 11 by incorporating the control device 11 therein. For example, the switch circuit 13 having a function of switching the contact positions of the switches 41 to 45 based on the rotational position detected by the rotational position sensor 10 may be used. Or what is necessary is just to use the lock mechanism 14 with the function which restrains rotation of a rotation contact according to the implementation state of external charging.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the switch circuit 13 is disposed on the first conductor 1, but the switch circuit 13 may be disposed on the second conductor 2. For example, the second conductor 2 is connected to the fixed portion 4 of the rotating contact 3 and the first conductor 1 is connected to the rotating portion 5, and the arrangement positions of the fixing portion 4 and the rotating portion 5 in the axial direction of the charging cable 25. Can be reversed. In this case, by providing the switch circuit 13 on the second conducting wire 2 connected to the fixed portion 4, it is possible to obtain a structure that has the same effect as the above-described embodiment.

  In the above-described embodiment, the charging cable 25 used for normal charging is illustrated. However, the rotating contact 3 may be applied to any position of the charging cable for quick charging to eliminate the twisting of the charging cable. Good. For example, if the rotary contact 3 is provided at the base end of the charging cable for quick charging (the base on the quick charging facility side), the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st conducting wire 2 2nd conducting wire 3 Rotating contact 4 Fixed part 5 Rotating part 7, 8 Contact 9 Leaf spring (elastic member)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Rotation position sensor 13 Switch circuit 14 Lock mechanism 25 Charging cable 30 Control box

Claims (7)

A charging cable incorporating a plurality of first conductors connected to the external power source side and a plurality of second conductors connected to the vehicle side during external charging for charging the vehicle with an external power source,
Consists of a fixed part to which one of the first conductor and the second conductor is connected and a rotating part to which the other conductor is connected, and rotatably connects the first conductor and the second conductor. Rotating contact
A rotational position sensor for detecting a rotational position of the rotating portion relative to the fixed portion at the rotating contact;
A switch circuit that is interposed on each of the one conductors and selects one of the one conductors and switches the energization state based on the rotational position detected by the rotational position sensor ;
The vehicle is characterized in that the switch circuit switches the energized state so as to restore the deviation of the connection combination of the first conductor and the second conductor due to the rotation of the rotating contact. Charging cable. The second conductor is formed longer than the first conductor,
The one conducting wire is the first conducting wire;
The vehicle charging cable according to claim 1, wherein the other conducting wire is the second conducting wire. 3. The vehicle charging cable according to claim 1, wherein the rotating contact is formed by arranging contacts of the first conducting wire and the second conducting wire at equal intervals in a circumferential direction of the rotating portion. 4. The vehicle charging cable according to claim 1, wherein the rotating contact includes an elastic member that urges the first conducting wire and the second conducting wire in directions close to each other. 5. . The vehicle charging cable according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a lock mechanism that restrains rotation of the rotating portion according to an implementation state of the external charging.   A charging cable incorporating a plurality of first conductors connected to the external power source side and a plurality of second conductors connected to the vehicle side during external charging for charging the vehicle with an external power source,
  Consists of a fixed part to which one of the first conductor and the second conductor is connected and a rotating part to which the other conductor is connected, and rotatably connects the first conductor and the second conductor. Rotating contact
  A rotational position sensor for detecting a rotational position of the rotating portion relative to the fixed portion at the rotating contact;
  A switch circuit that is interposed on each of the one conductors, and selects one of the one conductors to switch the energization state based on the rotational position detected by the rotational position sensor;
  A locking mechanism that restrains rotation of the rotating unit according to an implementation state of the external charging;
A charging cable for a vehicle, comprising: The locking mechanism restricts rotation of the rotating part when both ends of the charging cable are inserted into the external power source and the vehicle, and releases the restriction when either of the both ends is removed. The charging cable for a vehicle according to claim 5 or 6.

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