VEHICLE CHARGING PORT

The vehicle charging port of the present disclosure includes an opening formed in a body, a charging inlet having a recess into which a charging connector is inserted, and a lid for opening and closing the recess and the opening. The vehicle switching port comprises a water-stopping member inserted into the recess along the inner surface of the recess when the opening is closed, wherein the water-stopping member is movable in a direction orthogonal to the direction of insertion into the recess.

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-67268 filed on Apr. 17, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety including the specification, claims, drawings, and abstract.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle charging port into which a charging connector is inserted.

BACKGROUND

A battery electric vehicle is used in which a battery is charged by an external charging device, and a motor is driven by electric power supplied from the battery to travel. A charging port into which a charging connector is inserted is provided in such a battery electric vehicle. The charging port includes a lid provided in the body and a charging inlet attached to an opening in the lid. When the charging connector is inserted into the charging inlet, the battery is charged from an external charging device.

In the charging port having such a structure, water or sand may enter the inside of the charging inlet from the periphery of the lid provided in the body. Therefore, for example, WO2012/060009A1 discloses a structure in which an inner lid is provided in an opening portion of a charging inlet. The inner lid prevents water or sand from entering the interior of the charging inlet.

SUMMARY

In order to prevent water or sand from entering the inside of the inner lid, a rubber seal lip is provided around the inner lid, and the lid and the inner lid are integrally opened and closed. In this case, there is a problem that the opening/closing load of the lid becomes large.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present disclosure to reduce the opening/closing load of the lid and to suppress the application of water to the terminal of the charging inlet.

The vehicle charging port of the present disclosure including an opening formed in the body, a charging inlet mounted inside the opening and having a recess into which a charging connector is inserted, a lid that opens and closes the opening and the recess of the charging inlet, a water-stopping member attached to the lid, wherein the water-stopping member is inserted into the recess along an inner surface of the recess of the charging inlet when the opening is closed, and the water-stopping member is attached to the lid so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to a direction of insertion into the recess.

Since the water-stopping member is inserted along the inner circumferential surface of the concave portion of the charging inlet, water can be prevented from being applied to the center of the concave portion where the connection terminal is provided while reducing the opening/closing load of the lid. Further, according to the vehicle charging port of the present disclosure, even when there is a positional shift between the charging inlet and the water-stopping member, the water-stopping member can be easily inserted into the recess along the inner surface of the charging inlet.

In the vehicle cutting port of the present disclosure, the water-stopping member may include a tapered surface on an outer circumferential surface of a distal end portion, the tapered surface inclined such that an outer dimension thereof becomes smaller toward a distal end.

Thus, even when there is a positional shift between the charging inlet and the water-stopping member, the water-stopping member can be easily inserted into the concave portion along the inner surface of the charging inlet.

In the vehicle cutting port of the present disclosure, the charging inlet may include a connection terminal set including a plurality of connection terminals protruding from a bottom surface of the recess, and with the water-stopping member inserted into the recess, a tip of the water-stopping member extends further toward the bottom surface beyond a plurality of top surfaces of the plurality of the connection terminals, and a tip portion of the water-stopping member and a tip portion of each of the connection terminals overlap each other.

Thus, it is possible to reliably suppress water from being applied to the center of the concave portion where the connection terminal is provided

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the opening/closing load of the lid and suppress water hanging on the terminal of the charging inlet.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, a vehicle charging port100according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown inFIG.1, the vehicle charging port100includes a charging inlet20, a lid30, and a water-stopping member40. Arrows FR, UP, and RH shown in the drawings indicate the front side, the upper side, and the right side of the vehicle10, respectively. The opposite directions of the arrows FR, UP, and RH indicate the rear side, the lower side, and the left side. Hereinafter, in the case of simply using the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction, unless otherwise specified, the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction of the vehicle10are indicated.

As shown inFIGS.1and2, an opening15is formed in the body12of the vehicle10. Inside the opening15, a charging inlet mounting portion13recessed inward in the vehicle width direction is formed. The charging inlet20is fixed to the bottom plate14of the charging inlet mounting portion13by bolts51. As shown inFIGS.2and3, the charging inlet20includes a main body21and two connection terminals25.

As shown inFIGS.2and3, the main body21is made of resin, and includes an annular portion27, a bottom plate22, and a flange portion29protruding outward from the annular portion27. The annular portion27includes a C-shaped partial cylindrical portion27aand a flat plate portion27b. The annular portion27is open toward the outside in the vehicle width direction. The bottom plate22is connected to the inner side of the annular portion27in the vehicle width direction. The inner surface of the annular portion27and the upper surface of the bottom plate22form a recess portion21aof the main body21. The upper surface of the bottom plate22constitutes a bottom surface21bof the recess portion21a. A charging connector (not shown) is inserted into the recess portion21a.

Two connection terminals25are provided on the bottom surface21bof the recess portion21a. The connection terminal25includes a sleeve23and a female terminal24. The sleeve23is a cylindrical member made of resin and protruding outward in the vehicle width direction from the bottom surface21bof the recess portion21a. The female terminal24is a metal terminal fitted to the inner surface of the sleeve23. The female terminal24is provided at the center with a male terminal receiving hole24ainto which a male terminal (not shown) provided in a charging connector (not shown) is inserted. As shown inFIG.2, the two connection terminals25are arranged side by side in the recess portion21aof the main body21. There is a gap28between each connection terminal25and the inner surface of the annular portion27. The two connection terminals25constitute one connection terminal set26.

Bolt holes50are formed in the flange portion29of the main body21. The charging inlet20is fixed to the bottom plate14of the charging inlet mounting portion13by a bolt51inserted through the bolt hole50. The annular portion27is provided with a drain hole52for draining the water entering the recess portion21ato the outside.

The lid30is a member for opening and closing an opening15formed in the body12of the vehicle10. The lid30includes a main body31, a bracket32, and a hinge35. The main body31is a plate member rotatably attached to the body12by a hinge35. As shown inFIG.5, the main body31rotates around the hinge35to open and close the opening15. The bracket32is a folded plate member attached to the inner surface of the main body31in the vehicle width direction. The bracket32is provided with a mounting hole33for mounting a water-stopping member40, which will be described later.

The water-stopping member40includes an upper lid41, a insertion portion42, a boss45, and a lock member46. As shown inFIGS.2and4, the upper lid41is a disk with a chipped upper portion. The insertion portion42is an annular member extending from the upper lid41toward the bottom surface21balong the inner side surface of the recess portion21aof the charging inlet20. Similarly to the annular portion27of the charging inlet20, the insertion portion42includes a C-shaped partial cylindrical portion42aand a flat plate portion42b. The outer surface of the partial cylindrical portion42ahas a shape along the inner surface of the partial cylindrical portion27a. The outer surface of the flat plate portion42bhas a shape along the inner surface of the flat plate portion27b. As shown inFIG.2, when the insertion portion42is inserted into the recess portion21a, the distal end43of the insertion portion42extends toward the bottom surface21bby a length Z from the distal end surface of each of the connection terminals25on the outer side in the vehicle width direction. Thus, when the insertion portion42is inserted into the recess portion21a, the distal end portion of the insertion portion42and the distal end portion of each connection terminal25overlap each other by the length Z in the insertion direction. On the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion of the insertion portion42, a tapered surface44is provided which is inclined such that the outer dimension thereof becomes smaller toward the inner side in the vehicle width direction

The boss45is a protrusion which is provided at the center of the upper surface of the upper lid41and fits into the mounting hole33of the bracket32. The outer diameter of the boss45is smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting hole33. The height of the boss45is greater than the thickness of the bracket32. A lock member46is attached to the upper end of the boss45. The size of the lock member46is larger than that of the mounting hole33. Accordingly, the water-stopping member40is attached to the bracket32so as to sandwich the bracket32between the upper lid41and the lock member46and to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the insertion direction.

Next, the opening and closing operation of the lid30will be described with reference toFIG.5. As shown inFIG.5, the lid30rotates around the hinge35to open and close the opening15. When the lid30is rotated around the hinge35to close the opening15as shown by an arrow91inFIG.5, the distal end43of the insertion portion42moves toward the recess portion21aof the charging inlet20as shown by arrows93and94inFIG.5. When the tapered surface44comes into contact with the inner surface of the recess portion21a, the water-stopping member40moves in a direction orthogonal to the insertion direction with respect to the bracket32, as indicated by an arrow92inFIG.5. Thereby, the outer side surface of the insertion portion42is positioned along the inner side surface of the recess portion21a. When the lid30is further closed, the insertion portion42is inserted into the recess portion21aalong the inner side surface of the recess portion21a. At this time, the insertion portion42is inserted into the gap28between the inner side surface of the recess portion21aand the outer side surface of the connection terminal set26. When the lid30closes the opening15, as shown inFIG.2, the distal end of the insertion portion42and the distal end of each connection terminal25overlap each other in the insertion direction by a length Z. The upper lid41covers the upper surfaces of the recess portion21aand the connection terminals. When the lid30is closed, the lid30covers the recess portion21aof the charging inlet20.

Thus, when water enters the inside of the opening15from the outside, the water passes between the outer surface of the insertion portion42and the inner surface of the recess portion21aand enters the recess portion21a. Then, the water entering the recess portion21ais discharged to the outside of the charging inlet20through the drain hole52. Therefore, it is possible to suppress water entering the opening15from the outside from entering the inside of the connection terminal25.

Further, since the outer side surface of the insertion portion42can be aligned with the inner side surface of the recess portion21aby the tapered surface44of the distal end portion of the insertion portion42, the lid30can be smoothly opened and closed even when the positions of the lid30and the charging inlet20vary.