JPH04124774U - Electric vehicle charging outlet - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To reduce the operating force when inserting and removing the plug 16 into the receptacle 1 of an electric vehicle charging outlet, and to prevent galvanic corrosion and leakage of the connection terminal 4 portion. [Structure] A drain hole 13 communicating between the inside and outside is formed on the lower end side of the inner peripheral surface of the recess 2a of the receptacle 1 mounted on the vehicle 7 side. Fitting shaft part 1 of plug 16 fitted into recess 2a
A circumferential annular groove 20 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of 7. A positioning groove 21 that communicates with the circumferential groove 20 from the fitting end surface 17a side is formed on the lower surface side of the fitting shaft portion 17.

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea]

0001

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an improvement of a charging outlet for electric vehicles.

0002

[Conventional technology]

A receptacle as a charging outlet near the fuel filler port of a gasoline-powered vehicle. A cable is installed at the charging station, etc., and is connected to the power source. By connecting the plug to the receptacle, the battery mounted on the electric vehicle can be connected. There is a method that charges the battery.

0003 The structure of these receptacles and plugs is shown in Figure 3. The receptacle 101 includes a bottomed cylindrical body 102 and an outer periphery of the open end of the cylinder 102. A mounting flange portion 103 protruding from the surface and a recess 102 of the cylindrical body 102 A plurality of male connection terminals 104 protruding from the bottom 102b side in a, and a cylindrical body. 102, and an opening/closing lid 105 that freely closes the opening end surface 102c. , was mounted on the vehicle side via the mounting flange portion 103. and each male connection The connecting terminals 104 are respectively connected to the battery mounted on the vehicle.

0004 On the other hand, the plug 107 is removably fitted into the recess 102a of the receptacle 101. The fitting shaft portion 108 to be inserted and the opening end surface 102c side in the fitted state of the fitting shaft portion 108 and an abutting stepped portion 109 which is in an abutting shape. In addition, the fitting shaft portion 108 has a front The connection holes 110 into which each male connection terminal 104 is inserted by the insertion operation are correspondingly duplicated. A male connection terminal 104 is inserted into each connection hole 110 to connect it. Female connection terminals (not shown) each having a shape are provided. and each female connection The terminals are each connected to the power supply side.

[0005] Further, a positioning protrusion 112 is protruded from the upper part of the inner circumferential surface of the recess 102a. On the upper surface side of the corresponding fitting shaft part 108, positioning along the axial direction of the fitting shaft part 108 is provided. A groove 113 is formed, and the positioning groove 113 is aligned with the positioning protrusion 112. By fitting the fitting shaft portion 108 into the recess 102a, each male connecting terminal 1 04 and the insertion hole 110 were configured to be aligned.

[0006] Furthermore, an O-ring 115 is attached to the open end surface 102c of the cylinder 102. Normally, the inner surface of the opening/closing lid 105 is in contact, and during charging, the contact is on the plug 107 side. The abutment surface 109a of the contact portion 109 is configured to abut against each other to ensure waterproofness. Ta.

[0007]

[Problem that the idea aims to solve]

However, when it rains, the fitting shaft part 108 of the plug 107 is not connected to the receptacle. If charging is performed without fully fitting into the recess 102a of 101, the contact stage The contact surface 109a of the part 109 does not come into close contact with the O-ring 115, and there is sufficient waterproofness here. rainwater is not obtained, and the rainwater flows into the positioning groove 113 on the top surface side, the inner peripheral surface of the recess 102a, and the fitting shaft part. 108 and rises into the recess 102a due to capillary action etc. through the space between the two Rainwater enters from the side and adheres to the connection terminal 104 part, causing the electricity in the connection terminal 104 part to deteriorate. There was a risk of eclipse or electrical leakage. Also, due to long-term use, O-ring 115 A similar problem occurred when the device was detached or damaged.

[0008] Furthermore, the shaft portion of the plug 107 fits into the recess 102a of the receptacle 101. In order to prevent damage to the connection terminal 104 due to looseness when fitting and removing the connection terminal 108, The gap between the inner circumferential surface of the recess 102a and the outer circumferential surface of the fitting shaft portion 108 is very narrow. Because of this structure, when inserting the plug 107, the inside of the recess 102a is There are few air escape routes, and the air pressure inside the recess 102a increases with the insertion operation. Therefore, it was extremely difficult to perform the insertion operation, and a large amount of operating force was required. And vice versa , when the plug 107 is removed or removed, the inside of the recess 102a becomes negative pressure, and similarly It had the disadvantage of requiring a large amount of operating force.

[0009] Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has been developed to improve the connection of the plug to the receptacle. In addition to reducing the operating force required during mating and unmating operations, it also effectively removes rainwater that has entered during charging. An electric vehicle charging converter designed to prevent electrolytic corrosion and leakage of connection terminals by draining water. The purpose is to provide cents.

0010

[Means to solve the problem]

The technical means to achieve the above purpose is a receptacle installed on the vehicle side. , a plug connected to the power supply side, and the plug is inserted into the recess of the receptacle. Insert the input shaft removably, and connect the receptacle side connection terminal and the plug side connection terminal interchangeably. In a charging outlet for an electric vehicle that is connected to a A drainage hole communicating with the inside and outside is formed on the lower end side of the surface, and a circumferential ring is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting shaft portion. A circumferential groove having a shape of A communicating groove is formed on the lower end of the inner circumferential surface of the recess from the bottom side of the recess or is inserted into the recess. It is formed on the lower surface side of the input shaft and at least one side from the insertion end surface side. At the point.

[0011]

[Effect]

According to the present invention, when inserting the shaft portion of the plug into the recess of the receptacle, The air in the recess is smoothly discharged to the outside through the drain hole, communication groove, and circumferential groove. This prevents air pressure from increasing in the recessed area, reducing operating force. Also plastic When removing the fitting shaft of the receptacle from the recess of the receptacle, be sure to check the drainage hole and circumferential groove. Since air is smoothly sucked into the recess through the communication groove and the communication groove, negative pressure is created inside the recess. It is difficult to operate, and the operating force is reduced.

0012 On the other hand, from the open end side of the recess, check the distance between the inner circumferential surface of the recess and the outer circumferential surface of the fitting shaft. Even if rainwater intrudes through the shaft, the intruding rainwater will form on the outer circumferential surface of the fitted shaft. It is guided downward by the circumferential groove, and then through the communication groove formed on the downward side. Water drains from the drain hole, which prevents rainwater from adhering to the connection terminal area. Electrical corrosion and electrical leakage of the connection terminals are prevented.

[0013]

【Example】

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained based on the drawings. , 1 is a receptacle, which, as in the conventional case, includes a cylindrical body 2 with a bottom and an open end of the cylinder 2. The mounting flange portion 3 is provided on the outer circumferential surface in a radially extending manner, and the concave portion of the cylinder body 2 is The portion 2a has a plurality of pin-shaped male connection terminals 4 (five in this example) from the bottom portion 2b side. is provided in a protruding manner along the axial direction of the cylinder body 2.

[0014] A groove 2d in the circumferential direction is formed in the open end surface 2c of the cylinder 2, and an O-ring is formed in the groove 2d. A ring 5 is attached by fitting or adhesive in an outwardly projecting manner.

[0015] The mounting flange portion 3 has bolt insertion holes 3a for fastening bolts to the vehicle 7 side. A plurality of supporting pieces 3b are formed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction, and are located on the upper side. A pair of protrusions are provided on the left and right sides. Then, a pair of left and right opening/closing lids 9 are installed between each support piece 3b. The loose pieces 9a are inserted, and each supporting piece 3b and each mounting piece 9a are inserted in the left and right directions. The opening/closing lid 9 can be freely rotated around the axis of the connecting shaft 10 by the connecting shaft 10 penetrating in the direction. Supported. In addition, a coil is attached to the outer periphery of the connecting shaft 10 located between both mounting pieces 9a. A spring 11 is wound around the open/close lid 9 at the open end of the cylinder body 2, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. It is configured to be constantly urged to rotate in the direction of the surface 2c.

[0016] Furthermore, the lower end side of the inner circumferential surface of the recess 2a located on the bottom 2b side of the cylinder 2 has internal and external communication. A water drain hole 13 is formed in the shape, and a recess 2a located on the open end side of the cylinder body 2 A positioning protrusion 14 is provided protruding from the lower end side of the inner peripheral surface.

[0017] On the other hand, the plug 16 is removably fitted into the recess 2a of the receptacle 1, as in the conventional case. The fitting shaft portion 17 to be inserted and the O-ring on the opening end surface 2c in the fitted state of the fitting shaft portion 17. 5 and a contact step portion 18 having a contact surface 18a that is brought into close contact with the contact surface 18a. So The fitting shaft portion 17 has a connection in which each male connection terminal 4 is fitted by the fitting operation. A plurality of holes 19 (in the present invention, five holes) are formed in correspondence with each other. The female connection terminals (not shown) which are connected by the insertion of the male connection terminal 4 are connected to each other. It is arranged as follows. Each female connection terminal is connected to the power supply side. .

[0018] Further, a circumferential annular groove 20 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting shaft portion 17 in the direction of the axis of the fitting shaft portion 17. A plurality of them are formed spaced apart in the direction. Further, on the lower surface side of the fitting shaft portion 17, a fitting end surface 1 is provided. A positioning groove 21 is formed along the axial direction from the 7a side, and the positioning groove 21 The groove 21 constitutes a communicating groove that straddles each of the circumferential grooves 20 and communicates with the circumferential grooves 20 .

[0019] In addition, in order to facilitate the insertion and removal operation of the insertion shaft portion 17 of the plug 16 during charging, As shown in FIG. 1, the receptacle 1 is normally placed with its open end facing toward the vehicle 7 slightly upward. It is installed as a slope.

[0020] The embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above, and when charging a battery, The opening/closing lid 9 is opened against the biasing force of the coil spring 11, and the positioning projection 14 is opened. With the positioning grooves 21 aligned, insert the fitting shaft portion 17 of the plug 16 into the receptacle. What is necessary is just to insert it into the recessed part 2a of 1 along the axial direction. At this time, the positioning protrusion Guided by the section 14 and the positioning groove 21, each male connection terminal 4 position and each connection hole 19 position The location is matched. Also, there is a gap between the inner circumferential surface of the recess 2a and the outer circumferential surface of the fitting shaft portion 17. Although it has a very narrow fitting structure, it is difficult to insert the fitting shaft part 17. Therefore, the air in the recess 2a is removed from the drain hole 13, the positioning groove 21 and the positioning groove 21. The air is smoothly discharged to the outside through the circumferential groove 20 communicating with the groove 21, and the air pressure inside the recess 2a is It is possible to effectively prevent the rise of the material and reduce the operating force required during the insertion operation.

[0021] In addition, there may be poor adhesion between the contact surface 18a of the contact step portion 18 and the O-ring 5, or the O-ring 5 may Due to rain during charging, the inner peripheral surface of the recess 2a and the inserted shaft 17 may be damaged due to detachment, loss, damage, etc. This is a case where rainwater enters through the gap between the outer surface and the outer surface due to capillary action. Also, the penetration by capillary phenomenon was cut off at the position where the circumferential groove 20 was formed, and the water penetrated here. Rainwater is guided downward along the circumferential groove 20, and then passes through a positioning hole formed on the lower surface. The water flows down through the groove 21 and is drained from the drain hole 13. Therefore, the fitting shaft portion 1 It is possible to prevent rainwater from entering from the upper side to the fitting end surface 17a of 7, and the male connection is made here. Rainwater is prevented from adhering to current-carrying parts such as the terminal 4, and the male connection terminal 4 and female connection terminal part It can prevent electrical corrosion and electrical leakage. Furthermore, a plurality of circumferential grooves 20 are formed spaced apart in the axial direction. Therefore, the effect of preventing rainwater from entering can be more reliably demonstrated.

[0022] Next, after charging is completed, etc., insert the fitting shaft portion 17 of the plug 16 into the recess of the receptacle 1. When performing removal operation from inside the part 2a, the drain hole 13, the circumferential groove 20, and the positioning groove 2 External air is smoothly sucked into the recess 2a through 1, creating negative pressure inside the recess 2a. This can be effectively prevented and the operating force required during removal/extraction operations can be reduced.

[0023] In addition, in the embodiment, the male connection terminal 4 is provided on the receptacle 1 side, and the plug 16 The figure shows a structure with a female connection terminal on the side, but it is not possible to have a female connection terminal on the receptacle 1 side. Alternatively, the male connecting terminal 4 may be provided on the plug 16 side. Also positioning A structure in which the groove 21 is also used as a communication groove that communicates each circumferential groove 20 and the drain hole 13 with each other. However, it does not include a positioning structure using positioning protrusions 14 and positioning grooves 21. It is also possible to have a structure without this. Furthermore, the positioning groove 21 as a communication groove is inserted into the plug. Although the structure provided on the 16 side is shown, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. A communication groove 2 is provided on the lower end side of the circumferential surface and communicates with the drain hole 13 from the bottom part 2b side along the axial direction. 2 may be provided on the receptacle 1 side, or the plug 16 side and the receptor A structure may be adopted in which grooves 21 and 22 are provided on both sides of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, the circumferential groove 20 Although a plurality of structures are shown, a single structure may be formed, and there is no limitation in any way. Ma The shape of the circumferential groove 20 may also be V-shaped or the like, and is not limited in any way.

[0024]

[Effect of the idea]

According to the present invention, in a charging outlet for an electric vehicle, the recess of the receptacle A water drain hole is formed on the lower end side of the inner peripheral surface, and a circumferential annular periphery is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft where the plug is inserted. A groove is formed, and a communication groove is formed that makes the drain hole and the circumferential groove communicate with each other. This means that when the shaft of the plug is inserted into and removed from the recess of the receptacle, The air inside the recess is smoothly discharged through the drain hole, communication groove, and circumferential groove. Since air is smoothly sucked into the recess, the operating force can be reduced. Also, the insertion shaft Even if rainwater enters through the gap between the outer circumferential surface of the recess and the inner circumferential surface of the recess, the circumferential groove The connecting end Prevents rainwater from adhering to the child parts, and prevents galvanic corrosion and electrical leakage at the connection terminals. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Receptacle 2a recess 2b Bottom 4 Male connection terminal 7 Vehicle 13 Drain hole 16 Plug 17 Fitting shaft part 17a Fitting end surface 20 Circumferential groove 21 Positioning groove 22 Speed groove

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Claim 1: Consists of a receptacle attached to the vehicle side and a plug connected to the power source side, the insertion shaft of the plug is removably inserted into the recess of the receptacle, and the connection terminal on the receptacle side and the plug are connected to each other. In a charging outlet for an electric vehicle that performs charging by connecting side connection terminals to each other, a drainage hole communicating with the inside and outside is formed on the lower end side of the inner peripheral surface of the recess, and a circumferentially annular drain hole is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting shaft portion. A communication groove is formed on the lower end side of the inner circumferential surface of the recess from the bottom side of the recess, or a communication groove that connects the drain hole and the peripheral groove to each other during the insertion/removal operation of the fitting shaft portion is formed. A charging outlet for an electric vehicle, characterized in that it is formed on at least one of the insertion end surfaces of the lower surface of the shaft.