JP5424419B2 - Charging connector holding structure of electric vehicle charging device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging connector holding structure of a charging device for an electric vehicle.

As a charging device for an electric vehicle for charging an electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid car, or the like, there is a device having a housing incorporating a distribution control device and a cable having a charging connector at the tip.
When charging the electric vehicle, the charging connector is removed from the electric vehicle charging device and connected to a connector provided in the electric vehicle.
When not in use, the charging connector is held by a charging connector holding portion provided in the charging device.

  Examples of the charging connector holding portion include those described in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2. These charging connector holding portions described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are configured to fit the charging terminal portion at the tip of the charging connector into a cylindrical connector housing portion. Therefore, the charging terminal portion must be aligned with and fitted to the cylindrical connector housing portion, and there is a problem that the housing operation of the charging connector is troublesome.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-122714 JP 2010-263665 A

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a charging connector holding structure for a charging device for an electric vehicle that can hold the charging connector easily and accurately.

Horizontal charging connector holding structure for an electric vehicle charging apparatus according to the present invention, provided with a space portion on the rear side of the charging connector mounting portion, to engage the locking claw provided at the tip portion of the charging connector rotatably A shaft portion is provided so that the charging connector can engage the locking claw with the horizontal shaft portion from a plurality of vertical angles, and the engaging claw after the engagement is used with the horizontal shaft portion as a fulcrum. A basic invention is characterized in that the charging connector is held by the charging connector mounting portion so as to be rotatable between the plurality of upper and lower angles by rotating .

  The charging connector mounting portion preferably includes a guide portion corresponding to the upper portion of the connector main body of the charging connector and a guide portion corresponding to the lower portion of the connector main body. The charging connector mounting portion includes a horizontal guide portion corresponding to when the charging connector is mounted from the horizontal direction and a diagonally downward direction guide portion corresponding to the charging connector mounting portion when mounted from the diagonally downward direction. Is preferred. Further, the charging connector may be rotatable about the front horizontal shaft portion between the upper mounting direction and the lower mounting direction.

  Further, the charging connector mounting portion is formed of a bent plate material, the back side partitioned by the plate material is used as a space portion, the charging material receiving hole for supporting the lower portion of the charging connector on the plate material, and the charging connector A horizontal shaft portion is formed above the receiving hole.

  Further, the plate material is formed in a substantially U-shape, and is provided with a locking claw hooking hole for hooking the tip of the locking claw on the upper plate surface of the plate material, and a charging connector receiving hole on the lower plate surface, It is preferable that the charging connector receiving hole is formed from the lower plate surface to the upper plate surface of the plate material.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the upward movable distance of the charging connector in a state of being held in the locking claw catching hole is larger than the engagement depth between the locking claw catching hole and the locking claw.

  In the charging connector holding structure of the charging device for an electric vehicle according to the present invention, the charging connector can be mounted on the charging connector mounting portion by engaging the locking claws at a plurality of vertical angles with respect to the horizontal shaft portion. It is easy.

Further, the charging connector mounting portion includes a guide portion corresponding to the upper portion of the connector main body of the charging connector and a guide portion corresponding to the lower portion of the connector main body. It will be something.
In addition, the charging connector mounting portion is provided with a horizontal guide portion corresponding to when the charging connector is mounted from the horizontal direction and a diagonally downward direction guide portion corresponding to when the charging connector is mounted from the diagonally downward direction. Therefore, the guide portion can be easily mounted.

  Further, the charging connector can be rotated between the upper mounting position and the lower mounting position with the front horizontal shaft portion as a fulcrum, so that the charging connector can be moved by its own weight even when the charging connector is mounted at the upper mounting position. It is automatically mounted at the lower mounting position, and can be mounted at the lower mounting position where the protruding distance from the front surface of the mounting charging connector mounting portion can be reduced regardless of the mounting position at the time of mounting.

Moreover, since the charging connector receiving hole and the horizontal shaft portion are formed in the plate material having the back side as the space portion, the charging connector mounting portion can be configured with a single component, and the manufacturing cost can be suppressed.
Further, the plate material is bent in a substantially U-shape, and the upper plate surface thereof is provided with a locking claw hooking hole, the lower plate surface is provided with a charging connector receiving hole, and the charging connector in a state of being held in the locking claw hooking hole. Since the upward movable distance is larger than the engagement depth between the latching claw catching hole and the latching claw, the latching claw catching hole and the latching claw can be moved without pressing the operation portion of the charging connector. The engagement can be released.

The schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state which mounted | wore the charging connector in the upper mounting position in Embodiment 1. FIG. The front view which shows the state which mounted | wore the charging connector in the upper mounting position in Embodiment 1. FIG. The schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the process which mounts a charge connector in an upper mounting position in Embodiment 1. FIG. The perspective view which shows the state which mounted | wore the charging connector in the lower mounting position in Embodiment 1. FIG. The schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state which mounted | wore the charging connector in the lower mounting position in Embodiment 1. FIG. The front view which shows the state which mounted | wore the lower mounting position in the charging connector in Embodiment 1. FIG. The schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the process which mounts a charge connector in a lower mounting position in Embodiment 1. FIG. The perspective view which shows the state which removed Embodiment 1 from the charge connector. FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a modification of the horizontal shaft portion in the first embodiment. It is a perspective view of the charging device for electric vehicles which employ | adopted the charging connector holding structure of Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a perspective view of the charging device for electric vehicles which employ | adopted the charging connector holding structure of Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a perspective view of the charging connector holding structure of Embodiment 2. It is a state figure which the latching claw hooking hole and the latching claw engaged. It is a state figure which canceled engagement of a latching claw hooking hole and a latching claw. It is principal part sectional drawing of FIG. It is principal part sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a charging connector holding structure according to a modification of the second embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to a charging connector holding structure provided in the illustrated wall-mounted charging device for an electric vehicle.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a charging device main body, and the charging device main body 1 stores a power distribution control device (not shown) in a storage portion 11 formed in an upper portion. In addition, a charging connector mounting portion 3 for storing a charging connector 2 formed by being recessed from the front plate portion 12 toward the rear plate portion 13 is provided at the lower portion of the charging device main body 1. Moreover, the side surface outer periphery of the charging device main body 1 is used as the charging cable winding part.

  The charging connector mounting portion 3 is expanded toward the front opening 31 so that the charging connector 2 can move up and down. Further, a space 32 formed on the back side of the charging connector mounting portion 3 is provided with a horizontal shaft portion 4 with which a locking claw 21 provided on the charging connector 2 is engaged. The charging connector 2 can be mounted on the charging connector mounting portion 3 by engaging the locking claw 21 with the horizontal shaft portion 4 at a plurality of vertical angles with respect to the horizontal shaft portion 4. . In addition, the size of the front side of the space portion 32 is set such that the tip of the charging connector 2 can be fitted. Thus, the charging connector mounting portion 3 is expanded from the front side of the space portion 32 toward the front opening 31 side.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 5, and 7, when the charging connector 2 is mounted on the charging connector mounting portion 3 from the horizontal direction, it corresponds to the upper portion of the connector main body 20 of the charging connector 2. When mounting from the horizontal direction guide part 3a and diagonally downward, the diagonally downward direction guide part 3b corresponding to the lower part of the connector main body 20 of the charging connector 2 is provided. That is, the horizontal guide portion 3a is formed so that the ceiling surface of the charging connector mounting portion 3 is horizontal, and the diagonally downward guide portion 3b is formed to be inclined downward with the bottom surface of the charging connector mounting portion 3 facing the opening 31 side. It is a thing.

  Further, the charging connector 2 is rotatable between the upper mounting position and the lower mounting position with the horizontal shaft portion 4 as a fulcrum. In other words, a configuration in which the locking claw 21 is rotatably engaged with the horizontal shaft portion 4 is adopted, and as described above, the charging connector mounting portion 3 has a front surface so that the charging connector 2 can move up and down. It is assumed that it is expanded toward the opening 31 side. In addition, the side part of the charging connector mounting part 3 is an inclined side part that is expanded toward the front opening 31 so that the charging connector 2 can be regulated even when the charging connector 2 is directed to the left and right.

  The charging connector 2 is provided with a locking claw 21 at the upper end of the outer surface of the connector body 20 provided with a charging terminal (not shown) at the tip, and a grip portion 22 is formed in a square shape at the base end of the connector body 20. It is bent and connected continuously. Further, the charging cable 5 is connected to the charging terminal through the grip portion 22. The locking claw 21 is normally urged in a closing direction for maintaining the engaged state with the horizontal shaft portion 4 by urging means (not shown) such as a spring. Further, the locking claw 21 is interlocked with an operation part (not shown) provided in the grip part 22, and when the operation part is pressed, the locking claw opens against the biasing means and the horizontal axis The engagement with the part 4 is released.

  In addition, when the front end of the locking claw 21 is pushed into the horizontal shaft portion 4 in a closed state, a guide surface 21a provided below the front end of the locking claw 21 is pressed by the horizontal shaft portion 4 and biasing means is provided. When the horizontal shaft portion 4 is opened upward against the locking claw 21, the locking claw 21 is closed by the biasing means and can be automatically engaged without operating the operation portion. The position of the horizontal shaft portion 4 is a position where the guide of the horizontal direction guide portion 3a corresponding to the upper portion of the connector main body 20 of the charging connector 2 faces, and an obliquely downward direction corresponding to the lower portion of the connector main body 20 of the charging connector 2. The position where the guidance of the guide part 3b is made.

  Since the charging connector 2 can be moved up and down when the charging connector 2 is mounted on the charging connector mounting portion 3, the charging connector 2 can be moved up and down. A plurality of vertical angles with respect to the horizontal shaft portion 4 provided in the space portion 32 provided on the back side of the charging connector mounting portion 3, that is, the tip of the charging connector 2 is positioned from the opening 31 on the front surface of the charging connector mounting portion 3. If pushed in without matching, the locking claw 21 is automatically engaged with the horizontal shaft portion 4 and the charging connector 2 is mounted on the charging connector mounting portion 3. Thus, the charging connector 2 can be easily mounted on the charging connector mounting portion 3 regardless of the height and posture of the charging operator.

  Further, the charging connector mounting portion 3 is provided with a horizontal guide portion 3a corresponding to when the charging connector 2 is mounted from the horizontal direction and a diagonally downward guide portion 3b corresponding to the charging connector mounting portion 3 when mounting from the diagonally downward direction. The mounting method of the charging connector 2 to the charging connector mounting portion 3 is as follows.

  First, when the charging connector 2 is mounted on the charging connector mounting portion 3 from the horizontal direction, the charging connector 2 is held in the horizontal direction by holding the holding portion 22 of the charging connector 2 as shown in FIG. Put in 3. Then, while the charging connector 2 is guided by the horizontal guide portion 3a formed of the ceiling surface of the charging connector mounting portion 3 such as the upper outer surface of the charging connector 2 and the upper end surface of the locking claw 21, the charging connector mounting portion 3 is mounted. Get closer to. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1, the locking claw 21 automatically engages the horizontal shaft portion 4, and the charging connector 2 is mounted on the charging connector mounting portion 3.

  As described above, the charging connector 2 can be rotated around the front horizontal shaft portion 4 as a fulcrum between an upper mounting position where the charging connector 2 is mounted from the horizontal direction and a lower mounting position where the charging connector 2 is mounted from an obliquely downward direction which will be described later. 5, the charging connector 2 is rotated to the lower mounting position by its own weight as shown in FIG. 5, and the grip portion 22 hangs down, and the protruding distance from the front surface of the charging connector mounting portion 3 is small. Become.

  Next, when the charging connector 2 is mounted on the charging connector mounting portion 3 from the diagonally downward direction, the charging connector 2 is charged from the diagonally downward direction by holding the gripping portion 22 of the charging connector 2 as shown in FIG. Insert into connector mounting part 3. Then, the lower outer surface of the charging connector 2 approaches the mounted state while being guided by the obliquely downward guide portion 3b formed of the bottom surface formed to be inclined downward toward the opening 31 side of the charging connector mounting portion 3. Thereafter, the locking claw 21 automatically engages with the horizontal shaft portion 4, and the charging connector 2 is shown in FIG. 5 at the lower mounting position where the lower outer surface is supported by the diagonally downward guide portion 3 b of the charging connector mounting portion 3. Mounted as shown. In this case, since the gripping portion 22 is in a suspended state, the charging connector mounting portion 3 is mounted with a small protruding distance from the front surface.

  Subsequently, when removing the charging connector 2 from the lower mounting position of the charging connector mounting portion 3, the gripping portion 22 is gripped with fingers and the operation portion is pressed to open the locking claw 21 to engage with the horizontal shaft portion 4. If it is unraveled, the charging connector 2 slides on the diagonally downward guide portion 3b supporting the outer surface of the lower part thereof and moves diagonally downward. Therefore, if the charging connector 2 is pulled forward, the charging connector 2 will be detached. .

  Further, if the charging connector 2 is rotatable between the upper mounting position and the lower mounting position with the horizontal shaft portion 4 as a fulcrum, the charging connector 2 is moved to a plurality of positions above the lower mounting position. In other words, the removal operation may be performed by rotating to a position where the removal work by the charging worker is easy.

  As described above, the charging connector 2 is not rotatable about the horizontal shaft portion 4 between the upper mounting position and the lower mounting position, and the distal end shape of the charging connector 2 and the back of the charging connector mounting portion 3 As a structure that can hold the shape of the space portion provided on the side in a mounting state from two directions of the horizontal direction and the diagonally downward direction, the structure may be mounted from two directions of the horizontal direction and the diagonally downward direction. In this way, the charging connector 2 can engage the locking claw 21 with the horizontal shaft portion 4 at a plurality of vertical angles with respect to the horizontal shaft portion 4.

  Further, the charging connector mounting portion 3 is provided with a horizontal guide portion 3a corresponding to when the charging connector 2 is mounted from the horizontal direction, but the horizontal guide portion 3a is further directed upward from an oblique upper side. It is good also as what can be equipped. Moreover, it is good also as what can mount | wear from the downward direction by extending the diagonally downward direction guide part 3b below.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 8, 1, 4, etc., the horizontal shaft portion 4 is a column having a circular cross section in which both ends are supported on both side walls of the space portion 32 formed on the back side of the charging connector mounting portion 3. However, the cross-sectional shape may be a polygonal columnar shape or a rectangular plate shape. Furthermore, the horizontal shaft portion 4 may be a bowl-shaped head having a distal end with a base end supported on one side wall surface of the space portion 32. In addition, since the load of the charging connector 2 and a part of load of the charging cable are applied, the material of the horizontal shaft portion is preferably made of a strong metal.

(Modification of Embodiment 1)
FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a modification of the horizontal shaft portion 4. The horizontal shaft portion 4 shown in (a) is a column having a circular cross section. The horizontal shaft portion 4 shown in FIG. 6B is a hook shape of a plate material provided from the back side of the space portion 32, and engages with the locking claw 21 with the tip side facing upward or obliquely upward. Is. When the charging connector 2 is rotatable, the tip side acts as a fulcrum and rotates. The horizontal shaft portion 4 shown in (c) is provided with a hole portion that engages with the locking claw 21 inside a plate member provided from the back side of the space portion 32. In the case where the charging connector 2 is rotatable, the side portion on the near side of the hole acts as a fulcrum and rotates. In addition, the horizontal shaft portion 4 may be a substantially U-shaped metal fitting, and the support location may be any of the ceiling surface, bottom surface, and both side wall surfaces of the space portion 32.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a charging device for an electric vehicle adopting the charging connector holding structure of the second embodiment. In the charging device for an electric vehicle shown in FIG. 10, the casing 6 includes an outlet portion 7 for connecting the charging cable 5 and a charging connector 2 provided at the tip of the charging cable 5 when not connected to the electric vehicle. It is equipped with a charging connector mounting portion 3 for holding, mainly when charging using an in-vehicle charging cable, after disconnecting only the charging connector for the car, and the plug portion of the charging cable remains plugged into an outdoor outlet at home Suitable for keeping the charging cable outdoors. Here, the in-vehicle charging cable is a type designed to disconnect the vehicle charging connector and the plug portion after charging and to store the charging cable in the trunk of the electric vehicle. A charging cable. Moreover, the outlet part 7 can also use the existing outdoor outlet in a general house, for example. In this case, as shown in FIG. 11, a casing 6 having a hole 8 for attaching an outdoor outlet covers the outdoor outlet so as to have the same configuration as the charging device for an electric vehicle shown in FIG. be able to.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the charging connector mounting portion 3 is configured by bending a plate material 30 into a substantially square shape, and the inner corner formed by bending is set as the back plate 9 in the housing 6. A space formed between the back plate 9 and the plate material 30 is used as the space portion 32.
That is, the back side partitioned by the plate material 30 is used as the space portion 32.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the upper plate surface 10 of the plate member 30 is provided with a locking claw hooking hole 11 for hooking the tip of a locking claw 21 and the lower plate surface 12 is charged for supporting the lower end of the charging connector. A connector receiving hole 13 is provided, and a plate side portion located between the locking claw catching hole 11 and the bent side 14 formed by the bending is used as the horizontal axis portion 4, and the horizontal axis portion 4 is the center. The charging connector 2 is configured to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The charging connector receiving hole 13 is formed from the lower plate surface 12 to the upper plate surface 10 of the plate member 30 and supports the tip plug portion 15 of the charging connector 2 at the lower end portion as shown in FIG. 2 has a function of suppressing the swinging of 2.

  At the upper end portion of the upper plate surface 10 and the lower end portion of the lower plate surface 12, attachment surfaces 16 to the back plate 9 are formed by bending the end portions of the respective surfaces. Each of the attachment surfaces 16 includes a fixing portion 17 that is fixed to the back plate 9.

  FIG. 13 shows a state diagram in which the locking claw catching hole 11 and the locking claw 21 are engaged, and FIG. 14 shows a state diagram in which the engagement between the locking claw catching hole 11 and the locking claw 21 is released. Show. 15 shows a cross-sectional view of the main part of FIG. 13, and FIG. 15 shows a cross-sectional view of the main part of FIG.

  The charging connector receiving hole 13 is formed such that the held end plug portion 15 of the charging connector 2 can move up and down in the charging connector receiving hole 13.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the locking claw catching hole 11 and the locking claw 21 are engaged, and the tip plug portion 15 of the charging connector 2 is held at the lower end portion of the charging connector receiving hole 13. In this state, as shown in FIG. 15, the movable distance B above the tip plug portion 15 in the charging connector receiving hole 13 is larger than the engagement depth A of the locking claw catching hole 11 and the locking claw 21. It is configured to be large. According to this configuration, it is possible to engage with the locking claw catching hole 11 without pressing the operation portion 22a provided on the gripping portion 22 only by moving the tip plug portion 15 upward in the charging connector receiving hole 13. Since the engagement with the claw 21 can be released, the gripping part 22 re-gripping operation and the like for the purpose of pressing the operation part when the charging connector is removed becomes unnecessary, and the workability of the charging connector removal work is achieved.
In the present embodiment, the plate member 30 is formed by being bent in a substantially square shape. However, as shown in the modification shown in FIG. 17, the plate member 30 is formed by only the lower plate surface 12, and the charging connector receiving hole is formed. The upper side portion of 13 may be the horizontal shaft portion 4.
Furthermore, it is good also as what formed the board | plate material in circular arc shape and formed the latching claw hooking hole which hooks the front-end | tip part of a latching claw on a board | plate material, and the charging connector receiving hole which supports the front-end | tip lower part of a charging connector.

  Each of the above-described embodiments is of the charging connector holding structure provided in the wall-mounted electric vehicle charging device, but the charging connector holding structure according to the present invention is provided in the stand-type electric vehicle charging device. Of course, the electric vehicle charging device may be provided in a separate housing instead of being integrated with the electric vehicle charging device.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Charging connector 21 Locking claw 3 Charging connector mounting part 32 Space part 3a Horizontal direction guide part 3b Diagonal downward direction guide part 4 Horizontal axis part 5 Charging cable 6 Case 7 Outlet part 8 Hole part for outdoor outlet attachment 9 Back plate DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Upper board surface 11 Locking claw hooking hole 12 Lower board surface 13 Charging connector receiving hole 14 Bending edge 15 Tip plug part 16 Mounting surface 17 Adhering part 30 Plate material 32 Space part

Claims (7)

While providing a space portion on the back side of the charging connector mounting portion, providing a horizontal shaft portion that engages a locking claw provided at the tip portion of the charging connector in a rotatable manner,
The charging connector can engage the locking claw with the horizontal shaft from a plurality of vertical angles ,
The charging connector is held by the charging connector mounting portion so as to be rotatable between the plurality of vertical angles by rotating the engaging claw after the engagement with the horizontal shaft portion as a fulcrum. A charging connector holding structure for an electric vehicle charging device.   The charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the charging connector mounting portion includes a guide portion corresponding to an upper portion of a connector main body of the charging connector and a guide portion corresponding to a lower portion of the connector main body. Connector holding structure.   The said charging connector mounting part was provided with the horizontal direction guide part corresponding when mounting the said charging connector from a horizontal direction, and the diagonally downward direction guide part matched when mounting from diagonally downward direction. The charging connector holding structure of the charging device for electric vehicles of 1.   The charging connector holding structure of the charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the charging connector is rotatable about the front horizontal shaft portion between the upper mounting direction and the lower mounting direction. The charging connector mounting portion is composed of a bent plate material, and the back side partitioned by the plate material is a space portion,
A charging connector receiving hole for supporting a lower portion of the charging connector,
The charging connector holding structure of the charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a horizontal shaft portion is formed above the charging connector receiving hole. The plate material is bent in a substantially square shape, and includes a latching claw hooking hole for hooking the tip of the latching claw on the upper plate surface of the plate material, and a charging connector receiving hole on the lower plate surface,
6. The charging connector holding structure for a charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the charging connector receiving hole is formed from the lower plate surface to the upper plate surface of the plate material. The electric distance according to claim 6, wherein an upward movable distance of the charging connector in a state of being held in the locking claw catching hole is larger than an engagement depth between the locking claw catching hole and the locking claw. Charging connector holding structure for a car charger.