Patent Publication Number: US-2022234454-A1

Title: Charging inlet

Description:
This nonprovisional application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-011918 filed on Jan. 28, 2021 with the Japan Patent Office, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a charging inlet. 
     Description of the Background Art 
     As a charging inlet of a vehicle, an inlet compatible with an alternating-current (AC) charging connector and a direct-current (DC) charging connector has been known. For example, inlets complying with the Combined Charging System (CCS, which is also called “combo”) standard have been known. It has been considered to provide such a vehicle with an AC charging function as an option. 
     An inlet not having an AC charging function as an option has only a DC charging function. 
     Thus, a system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2020-065394 is configured to provide a notification about whether a charging inlet supports both AC charging and DC charging or supports only DC charging. 
     SUMMARY 
     However, in the charging inlet provided in the above-mentioned system, an AC charging connector can be physically connected thereto. 
     Thus, a user may feel confusion since charging cannot be started even though the charging connector has been able to be connected. 
     The present disclosure has been made in view of the above-described problems. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a charging inlet capable of physically blocking connection of an AC charging connector. 
     A charging inlet according to the present disclosure, to which a charging connector provided external to a vehicle is connected, includes: a housing; and a terminal unit provided in the housing. The terminal unit includes a first DC pin, a second DC pin, a first communication pin, a second communication pin, and a ground pin. The housing includes a blocking member. When an AC charging connector is to be connected to the charging inlet, the blocking member interferes with at least one of a first AC terminal, a second AC terminal, a third AC terminal, and a neutral point terminal that are provided in the AC charging connector, to block connection between the AC charging connector and the charging inlet. The housing is provided with: a first terminal hole provided at a position corresponding to the first AC terminal; a second terminal hole provided at a position corresponding to the second AC terminal; a third terminal hole provided at a position corresponding to the third AC terminal; and a fourth terminal hole provided at a position corresponding to the neutral point terminal. The blocking member is provided in at least one of the first terminal hole, the second terminal hole, the third terminal hole, and the fourth terminal hole. 
     The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present disclosure when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram schematically showing a vehicle  1  equipped with an inlet  6  according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing inlet  6 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view showing a terminal hole  32 , a blocking component  25 , and a configuration around them. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view showing a charging connector  7 . 
         FIG. 5  is a front view showing an AC/DC charging connector  8 . 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view showing a blocking component  25 A as a first modification of blocking component  25 . 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view showing a blocking component  25 B as a second modification of blocking component  25 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following describes a charging inlet according to the present embodiment with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 7 . The same or substantially the same components among the components shown in  FIGS. 1 to 7  will be denoted by the same reference characters and the description thereof will not be repeated. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram schematically showing a vehicle  1  equipped with an inlet  6  according to the present embodiment. Vehicle  1  includes a body  2 , a battery  4 , a cover  5 , and inlet  6 . 
     Battery  4  is a chargeable and dischargeable secondary battery and mounted in body  2 . Battery  4  is a lithium ion battery, for example. Cover  5  is provided on a side surface of body  2 . Body  2  is provided with an opening that is opened and closed by cover  5 . Cover  5  is opened to thereby expose inlet  6 . Battery  4  is charged in the state where charging connector  7  is connected to inlet  6 . 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing inlet  6 . Inlet  6  includes a resin housing  10  and a terminal unit  11 . 
     Resin housing  10  includes a base plate  20 , mounts  21 ,  22 , and a bottom plate  24 . Mounts  21  and  22  are formed to protrude from bottom plate  24 . Base plate  20  is provided with an insertion groove  23  formed to surround the outer circumference of mounts  21  and  22 . 
     Mount  21  is provided with a plurality of terminal holes  30  to  36 . Mount  22  is provided with a plurality of terminal holes  37  and  38 . 
     Terminal unit  11  includes a communication pin (a first communication pin)  40 , a communication pin (a second communication pin)  41 , a ground pin  42 , and DC pins  47 ,  48 . 
     Communication pins  40  and  41  are disposed inside terminal holes  30  and  31 , respectively. Ground pin  42  is disposed inside terminal hole  33 . DC pins  47  and  48  are disposed inside terminal holes  37  and  38 , respectively. 
     Terminal holes  30 ,  31 ,  32 ,  34 ,  35 , and  36  are disposed to surround terminal hole  33 . Terminal holes  30  and  31  are disposed above terminal hole  33  and arranged in the lateral direction. Terminal holes  32 ,  33 , and  34  are arranged in the lateral direction. Terminal holes  32  and  34  are disposed with terminal hole  33  interposed therebetween. Terminal holes  35  and  36  are disposed below terminal hole  33  and arranged in the lateral direction. 
     Inlet  6  is a charging connector complying with CCS (Combined Charging System) as one of EV fast charging standards. Inlet  6  is a DC charging inlet and does not support AC charging. 
     In general, in the inlet supporting DC charging and AC charging, an AC charging pin is provided inside each of terminal holes  32 ,  35 , and  36  while a neutral point pin is provided inside terminal hole  34 . 
     In inlet  6  in the present embodiment, blocking components  25 ,  27 ,  28 , and  29  are provided inside terminal holes  32 ,  34 ,  35 , and  36 , respectively. Specifically, blocking components  25 ,  27 ,  28 , and  29  fill terminal holes  32 ,  34 ,  35 , and  36 , respectively. 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view showing terminal hole  32 , blocking component  25 , and a configuration around them. In the example shown in  FIG. 3 , blocking component  25  fills terminal hole  32 . Blocking component  25  is formed of an insulating material such as resin. Note that terminal holes  34 ,  35  and  36  are also filled with blocking components  27 ,  28 , and  29 , respectively. 
       FIG. 4  is a front view showing charging connector  7 . Charging connector  7  complies with CCS as one of EV fast charging standards. Note that CCS is a charging method proposed as a standard by Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN) e.V. Charging connector  7  serves as a DC charging connector and does not have an AC charging function. 
     Charging connector  7  includes a terminal unit  50  and a resin housing  51 . Terminal unit  50  includes a plurality of tubular terminals. Specifically, terminal unit  50  includes communication terminals  60 ,  61 , a grounding terminal  62 , and DC terminals  67 ,  68 . Communication terminal  60  is a “CP Pin”, through which the information about the current that can be supplied by electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE: a charging station) is transmitted to vehicle  1 . Communication terminal  61  is a “PP pin”, through which the EVSE is notified that vehicle  1 . is connected. Through DC terminals  67  and  68 , the direct current supplied from the EVSE is supplied to vehicle  1 . 
     Communication terminals  60 ,  61 , grounding terminal  62 , and DC terminals  67 ,  68  each are formed in a tubular shape. Resin housing  51  includes a plurality of tubular portions  70  to  72 ,  77 , and  78 , a base plate  80 , and frame portions  81 ,  82 . Base plate  80  is formed in a plate shape. Each of tubular portions  70  to  72 ,  77 , and  78  is formed to be hollow. 
     Communication terminals  60  and  61  are disposed inside tubular portions  70  and  71 , respectively. Grounding terminal  62  is disposed inside tubular portion  72 . DC terminals  67  and  68  are disposed inside tubular portions  77  and  78 , respectively. 
     The plurality of tubular portions  70  to  72 ,  77 ,  78  and frame portions  81 ,  82  are formed to rise from base plate  80 . Frame portion  81  is formed to surround tubular portions  70  to  72 . Frame portion  82  is formed to surround tubular portions  77  and  78 . 
     When charging connector  7  is connected to inlet  6 , communication pins  40  and  41  of inlet  6  are inserted into communication terminals  61  and  60 , respectively, of charging connector  7 , and ground pin  42  is inserted into grounding terminal  62 . This allows communication between vehicle  1  and the EVSE. In this case, tubular portions  70 ,  71 , and  72  are inserted into terminal holes  31 ,  30 , and  33 , respectively, of inlet  6 . 
     DC pins  47  and  48  of inlet  6  are inserted into DC terminals  68  and  67 , respectively. Thereby, DC power is to be supplied from the EVSE through DC pins  47  and  48  and their respective DC terminals  68  and  67  to vehicle  1 . 
     In this case, tubular portions  70 ,  71 ,  72 ,  77 , and  78  of charging connector  7  are inserted into terminal holes  31 ,  30 ,  33 ,  38  and  37 , respectively. Also, frame portions  81  and  82  are inserted into insertion groove  23 . 
       FIG. 5  is a front view showing an AC/DC charging connector  8 . AC/DC charging connector  8  serves as a charging connector supporting both DC charging and AC charging. The DC charging function of AC/DC charging connector  8  complies with CCS as one of EV fast charging standards. In the present embodiment, AC/DC charging connector  8  is presented as one example of the AC charging connector. 
     AC/DC charging connector  8  has a configuration similar to that of charging connector  7 . In addition to the configuration of charging connector  7 , AC/DC charging connector  8  further includes AC terminals  63 ,  64 , and  65 , a neutral point terminal  66 , and tubular portions  73  to  76 . 
     AC terminals  63 ,  64 , and  65  are disposed inside tubular portions  73 ,  74 , and  75 , respectively, and neutral point terminal  66  is disposed inside tubular portion  76 . 
     According to AC/DC charging connector  8 , in the case where a charging inlet provided in a vehicle supports both. DC charging and AC charging, AC/DC charging connector  8  is connected to this charging inlet, and thereby, the vehicle can be charged with DC charging or AC charging. 
     When AC/DC charging connector  8  is to be connected to inlet  6  in this case, terminal hole (the first terminal hole)  34  shown in  FIG. 2  is provided at the position corresponding to AC terminal (the first AC terminal)  63  shown in  FIG. 5 . Terminal hole (the second terminal hole)  36  is provided at the position corresponding to AC terminal (the second AC terminal)  64 . Terminal hole (the third terminal hole)  35  is provided at the position corresponding to AC terminal (the third AC terminal)  65 . Terminal hole  32  (the fourth terminal hole) is provided at the position corresponding to neutral point terminal  66 . 
     Terminal holes  32 ,  34 ,  35 , and  36  are filled with blocking components  25 ,  27 ,  28 , and  29 , respectively. Accordingly, when AC/DC charging connector  8  is to be connected to inlet  6 , blocking components  25   27 ,  28 , and  29  interfere with neutral point terminal  66 , AC terminals  63 ,  65 , and  64 , respectively. As a result, AC/DC charging connector  8  cannot be connected to inlet  6 . 
     Thus, since connection of AC/DC charging connector  8  to inlet  6  is suppressed in this way, the user can immediately recognize that inlet  6  is not compatible with AC/DC charging connector  8 . 
     In the present embodiment, a blocking component is provided in each of terminal holes  32 ,  34 ,  35 , and  36  but may be provided in at least one of terminal holes  32 ,  34 ,  35 , and  36 . 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view showing a blocking component  25 A as a first modification of blocking component  25 . Blocking component  25 A is formed to block an opening of terminal hole  32 . Thereby, insertion of tubular portion  76  and neutral point terminal  66  of AC/DC charging connector  8  shown in  FIG. 5  into terminal hole  32  can be suppressed. 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view showing a blocking component  25 B as a second modification of blocking component  25 . Blocking component  25 B is formed in a tubular shape and provided inside terminal hole  32 . Blocking component  25 B can also suppress insertion of tubular portion  76  and neutral point terminal  66  of AC/DC charging connector  8  shown in  FIG. 5 . Thus, a blocking component employed in this case may be formed in various shapes. 
     It the present embodiment, AC/DC charging connector  8  is presented as one example of the AC charging connector, but does not need to have a DC charging function. For example, the AC charging connector not having a DC charging function is not provided with frame portion  82 , tubular portions  77  and  78 , and DC terminals  67  and  68  that are shown in  FIG. 5 . Connection of such an AC charging connector to inlet  6  can also be suppressed by blocking components  25 ,  27 ,  28 ,  29 , and the like. 
     Although the present disclosure has been described and illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the scope of the present disclosure being interpreted by the terms of the appended claims.