JPH06302358A - Charge connector safety device for electric vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure a safe and proper charging work for an electric vehicle. CONSTITUTION:A lever 9 fitted to a charger side connector 2 is operated using the grip 8 thereof to aid the complete coupling thereof to a vehicle side connector 1 via a pull-in plate 12. Also, when this mechanism for coupling assistance displaces the connector 2 to 8 position for complete coupling to the connector 1, a switch 22 on the grip 8 of the lever 9 closes, thereby enabling power to be supplied to a charging circuit. According to this construction, a charging process is not allowed, unless the connectors 2 and 1 are in completely coupled state.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a charge connector for an electric vehicle, and more particularly to a safety device therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Practical application of electric vehicles is expected in the near future. In this case, the problem of charging the battery is indispensable, and the charging connector is one of the important issues to be considered. In this case, the charge connector is the vehicle-side connector connected to the vehicle battery,
It will consist of a charger-side connector that is connected to the charger via a cable, but with such a charge connector, when charging work, both connectors should be fitted properly. It is desirable that energization be started after the state is set.

[0003]

That is, in the above-mentioned charge connector, one of the concerns is that charging is performed while the mating state of both connectors is incomplete. There must be.
If charging is started with incomplete mating, abnormal heat may be generated due to the lack of proper contact between the terminals of both connectors, and if the connectors are misaligned, the terminals may be misaligned. There is also the problem that the arc will fly and cause oxidation problems, and there is even the risk of electric shock.

The present invention has been devised and devised in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a safety device for a charge connector capable of safely and reliably performing charging work.

[0005]

The structure of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is a vehicle-side connector fixed to a vehicle body and a charger-side connector which can be inserted into and operated on the vehicle-side connector. This charger-side connector has a fitting assisting mechanism for displacing the connector to the complete fitting position while assisting the fitting operation of both connectors by levering the lever attached to the connector. Switch means for enabling the charging circuit to be energized by the fitting assist mechanism when either of the connectors on the charger side is in the completely fitted position. It is characterized by being provided.

[0006]

[Function] The vehicle-side connector is fitted into the charger-side connector and the lever is gripped and operated, whereby the fitting assist mechanism assists the fitting force of both connectors. Then, when the lever is grasped and operated to the end, both connectors are completely fitted. Also, when the lever is completely grasped and operated in this way,
Since the fitting assist mechanism closes the switch means, the circuit can be energized.

[0007]

The effects of the present invention are as follows. Since the fitting assisting operation of the fitting assist mechanism is performed by gripping the lever, that is, charging can be performed only when both connectors are in a completely fitted state, charging work can be performed in a normal state. . Therefore, there is no abnormal heat generation and a situation in which an arc flies is avoided in advance.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the vehicle-side connector 1 and the charger-side connector 2 as a whole. First, the vehicle-side connector 1 will be described. Has been. These are terminals for charging which are connected to the battery 4 or terminals for various signal lines for detecting a fitting state. The housing 3 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and a pair of protrusions 5 project from a part of the outer peripheral surface (only one side is shown in FIG. 1).

On the other hand, the charger side connector 2 will be described.
The connector 2 on this side has a gun-type main body 6 for facilitating the fitting operation, and a cylindrical connector housing 7 is provided on the tip side thereof. Various terminals corresponding to the vehicle-side connector 1 are incorporated therein, and when the both connectors 1 and 2 are fitted to each other, electrical connection between the corresponding terminals of both connectors 1 and 2 is made. It is possible. Then, in order to obtain a complete fitting state of both connectors 1 and 2 and to realize this with a light operating force, in this example, a fitting assist for assisting the fitting operation of both connectors 1 and 2 is performed. The mechanism is set.

A grip 8 is provided on the rear portion of the main body 6, and an upper end side of a grippable lever 9 is supported on an upper portion of the grip 8 portion. The lever 9 is mounted so as to be swingable about the support pin 10, and a torsion spring (not shown) is attached to the support pin 10 to urge the lever 9 in the returning direction.

On the other hand, the outer peripheral portion of the connector housing 7 is covered by the front cover 11 with a predetermined gap all around, and the left and right side portions of the cover 11 are expanded along the length direction. Has been issued. And
A pair of pull-in plates 12 for engaging the both projections 5 of the vehicle-side connector 1 to perform a pull-in operation are arranged here. The both pull-in plates 12 assist the fitting of the both connectors 1, 2. It becomes a component of the fitting assist mechanism for That is, the window portions 13 for detachably engaging the protrusions 5 respectively penetrate through the leading ends of the two pull-in plates 12, and the rear portion extends beyond the front cover 11 and then extends along the wall surface of the main body 6. It bends and extends further rearward. Further, both of the pull-in plates 12 can be guided by a guide piece 14 so as to be able to move forward and backward along the length direction of the main body 6.

Further, as a mechanism for moving the two retracting plates 12 back and forth, in this example, the two retracting plates 1 are used.
The lever 2 and the lever 9 are linked through the following gear mechanism.

That is, a pair of left and right sector gears 15 are attached to the support pin 10 of the lever 9 and can swing in conjunction with the grip operation of the lever 9. Further, both sector gears 15 mesh with a pair of left and right first gears 16 rotatably attached to the main body 6, and the first gear 16 has a pair of left and right second gears 17 adjacent thereto.
Are engaged with each other. Furthermore, this second gear 17
Engages with rack teeth 18 engraved on the rear ends of both pull-in plates 12. In this embodiment, the pulling strokes of the two pulling plates 12 when the lever 9 is gripped to the end are the same as those of the connectors 1, 2
Is set so as to obtain a normal fitting state (a state in which corresponding terminals are completely fitted to each other: a completely fitted state).

The number of teeth of the first and second gears 16 and 17 is the same in this example, but the gear ratio may be changed in order to make the pulling operation lighter. A rear cover 19 that covers the gear mechanism portion is attached to the main body 6.

By the way, in this example, a mechanism is provided that allows charging only when both connectors 1 and 2 are completely fitted. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, a charging control unit 20 (for example, a relay circuit) that controls opening and closing of a charging circuit between the vehicle-side connector 1 and the vehicle-mounted battery 4.
Is intervening. On the other hand, the grip 2 is interposed between the charging control unit 20 and the power supply 21 for supply, and the switch 2 that outputs an operation output to the charging control unit 20.
2 is incorporated. The switch 22 has a fixed contact 22a.
And a movable contact 22b that is assembled so as to be able to be pushed in and returned from the surface facing the lever 9. The movable contact 22b is biased in the returning direction by a spring 22d wound around a mounting shaft 22c, is always separated from the fixed contact 22a, and is in a state where the lever 9 is completely gripped to the end (complete fitting of the connector). Only in the combined state), the fixed contact 22a can be contacted. However, in this example, the convex portion 23 is formed on the lever 9 side so that the movable contact 22b can be easily pressed.

As shown in FIG. 5, the two retracting plates 12 normally have a slightly expanded tip end side and interfere with the protrusions 5 when the charger side connector 2 is pushed into the temporary fitting position. I try not to. However, when the lever 9 is gripped at the temporary fitting position and the two pull-in plates 12 are slightly retracted, the closing operation is performed in the following manner. That is, as shown in the drawing, the two retracting plates 12 are each formed with a raised portion 25, which normally rides on the wall surface of the housing 7 that faces the raised portion 25. The wall of 7 is designed to be closed in a groove 26 formed in a predetermined length range.

Next, the function and effect of the present example configured as described above will be specifically described. When fitting both connectors 1 and 2, the grip 8 is grasped and the charger side connector 2 is held.
Adapt to the vehicle side connector 1 and push in as it is. Then, the levers 9 are lightly grasped while the connectors 1 and 2 are pushed and fitted to an appropriate depth position (temporary fitting position), and the lead-in plates are held by the sector gear 15 and the first and second gears 16 and 17. Slightly retract through the meshing of.
As a result, the window portions 13 of the two pull-in plates 12 engage with the protrusions 5 of the vehicle-side connector 1. In addition, lever 9
When you operate the grip and operate to the end, both connectors 1
Is in a completely fitted state in which the corresponding terminals are connected in a proper state. Then, when in this completely fitted state, the convex portion 23 of the lever 9 pushes the movable contact 22b to contact the fixed contact 22a, and the switch 22 is closed. As a result, an operation output signal is issued to the charging control unit 20, and the charging control unit 20 closes the charging circuit and enters a state in which the power source 30 can charge the battery 4.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the charging circuit is closed and charging is possible only after the connectors 1 and 2 are completely fitted together. Even you can't do this. Therefore,
Since the charging is started after the terminals are always in the proper fitting state, there is no risk of generating abnormal heat or sparks during this period, and the charging work can be performed safely.

Further, by adopting a switch interlocking with a mechanism for realizing complete fitting as in this example, a special detecting means for detecting the complete fitting state is omitted and the entire structure is simplified. There is also the effect of making it natural. In addition, since the retracting plate 12 is moved forward and backward while utilizing the lever action of the lever 9, there is an advantage that fitting and withdrawing can be easily performed.

Thus, when charging is completed, the lever 9 is released. As a result, when the lever 9 is returned in the returning direction by the torsion spring (not shown), the gear mechanisms rotate in the opposite directions to the above, and the two retractable plates 1 are rotated.
2 moves forward from the retracted position. Then, when both of the pull-in plates 12 reach near the forward end thereof, the raised portion 25 becomes the groove portion 2.
By riding from 6, each of them forcibly expands. Therefore, the engagement between the two pull-in plates 12 and the vehicle-side connector 1 is released, the two connectors 1 and 2 are returned to the half-fitted state, and are withdrawn together with the body 6.

The present invention can be modified in various ways,
For example, the following modifications are possible. In this example, the switch is provided on the grip portion, but it may be set to a position that is closed when the pull-in plate is displaced to the completely fitted position, that is, it is possible to detect that the completely fitted state is achieved. If it is a thing, its format and position do not matter. In addition, various modes can be considered for the fitting assist mechanism for assisting the fitting, and the mechanism for displacing the pull-in plate is not limited to the gear type, but a part thereof is engaged with the lever to grasp the lever. Alternatively, the drawing plate may be displaced by utilizing. Further, contrary to the retracting method as in this example, the fitting may be assisted by pushing out.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing both vehicle-side and charging-side connectors.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state before fitting.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a completely fitted state.

FIG. 4 is a circuit configuration diagram of a charging circuit

FIG. 5 is a plan sectional view showing a state of the pull-in plate in a normal state, broken away.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a relationship between a convex portion and a groove portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2 ... Connector 4 ... Battery 8 ... Grip 9 ... Lever 12 ... Retracting plate (fitting assist mechanism) 22 ... Switch

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Tsutomu Tanaka 1-14 Nishisuehiro-cho, Yokkaichi-shi, Mie Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd. (72) Eiji Saijo 1-14 Nishisuehiro-cho, Yokkaichi-shi, Mie Sumitomo Denso Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle-side connector fixed to a vehicle body, and a charger-side connector that can be fitted into and operated by the vehicle-side connector, the charger-side connector being attached to the connector. A fitting assisting mechanism for assisting the fitting operation of both connectors by the lever gripping operation and displacing them to the complete fitting position by the lever operation is provided on the charger side connector. A safety device for a charge connector for an electric vehicle, comprising switch means for enabling the charging circuit to be energized by the fitting assist mechanism when the connector is in a completely fitted position.