Patent Description:
Electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles often have an electric charge port for charging an electric battery with an external power source. The charge port is typically externally mounted, thereby allowing easy access as well as the possibility to lock the passenger compartment while the vehicle is being charged. A charge port door, or charge port flap, usually covers the charge port and must be opened to access the charge port to charge the battery.

The opening and closing of the charge port door may be fully automated by the means of a mechanism assembly comprising one or more electric actuators. The mechanism is configured to transform the movement of the actuator by means of different linkages, among which arms or levers. The kinematic of the actuation mechanism may be configured to multiply the movement generated by the actuator. When an intense load is applied on the charge port door, for instance by an ill-intentioned person, the load exerted on the door is, due to the kinematic of the mechanism, multiplied towards the actuator. Therefore an intense load exerted on the charge port door can break the actuator. Such a situation must of course being avoided as much as possible.

Documents <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT> disclose examples of charge port door assemblies known in the art.

An object of the invention is to provide a charge port door assembly equipped with an actuation system for automatically opening and/or closing the charge port door, the actuation system being configured to safe the actuator when a high intensity load is exerted on the door, for example in case of a break-in attempt.

To this end, the invention relates to a charge port door assembly for a vehicle, comprising:.

Thus, the charge port door assembly is protected against breakage and damage of the actuation system: thanks to the tilting member, the actuation system is able to withstand the loads that are transmitted to the actuation system when a very intense force is exerted on the door, for example during a break-in attempt. In such a case, the tilting lever moves to an extended configuration, thereby letting the door move from its closed position towards its open position without inducing excessive loads on the actuation system, and in particular on the actuator. The tilting member according to the invention therefore provides a safety feature that prevents breakage of the actuation system, and in particular of the actuator, in case a very intense force is exerted in the door, for example during a break-in attempt.

The charge port door assembly may comprise the following features, considered either alone or in any technically possible combination:.

When the actuation arm is in the first position and the tilting lever is in the blocking position, the door is in the closed position, and, when the actuation arm is in the first position and the tilting lever is in the extended position, the door is in the open position.

When the tilting lever is in the blocking position, a bearing surface of the tilting lever bears on a corresponding bearing surface of the first lever.

The elastic biasing device is configured to allow the tilting lever moving from the blocking position when the tilting lever is subjected to a load which is higher than a specified load.

The specified load is lower than a load likely to damage the actuation system, and in particular the actuator.

The specified load is higher than a maximum load to which the tilting lever is subjected during normal operation of the actuation system.

The elastic biasing device is a spring, for example a coil torsion spring.

The spring rate of the spring is such that the tilting lever reaches the extended position when the tilting lever is subjected to a load, the value of which is lower than the value of a load likely to damage the actuation system, and in particular the actuator.

The actuator is an electric rotary actuator.

The linkage includes a second lever, each of the first and second levers being hinged at one end to the support and being hinged at an opposite end to the door, the first and second levers being configured as a parallelogram mechanism.

The actuation arm is rotatably coupled at a first end to the tilting lever and is rotatably coupled at a second end to an actuation lever, the actuation lever being fixedly coupled to the output member of the actuator.

The actuation system includes a mechanical actuation device, the mechanical actuation device comprising a mechanical link, such as a Bowden cable or a rod, connected to the tilting lever.

The actuation system includes a mechanical actuation device, the mechanical actuation device comprising a mechanical link, such as a Bowden cable or a rod, connected to the actuation lever.

The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising a charge port mounted on a support and a charge port door assembly as disclosed above.

<FIG> illustrates a vehicle <NUM> having at least one electric propulsion motor, such as an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The vehicle is equipped with a charge port (not shown) configured to be connected to a charge plug when the car needs to be charged. The vehicle <NUM> is also equipped with a charge port door assembly <NUM> according to the invention, in order to cover and protect the charge port when the latter is not in use.

<FIG> illustrate a first embodiment of a charge port door assembly according to the invention.

The charge port door assembly <NUM> comprises a door <NUM> moveable between a closed position (shown in <FIG>), in which the door blocks access to the charge port, and an open position (shown in <FIG>), in which the door permits access to the charge port.

The charge port door assembly <NUM> is mounted onto a charge port support (not shown) which is fixed relative to the vehicle <NUM>. In its closed position, the door <NUM> is flush with an outer surface of an exterior panel 1a of the vehicle <NUM>, for example a front fender 1a as shown in <FIG>. In its open position, the door <NUM> uncovers an opening in the panel 1a, thereby allowing access to the charge port.

The door <NUM> is attached to the support by means of an actuation system <NUM>. The actuation system <NUM> is configured for automatically moving the door from its closed position to its open position and inversely. To this end, the actuation system <NUM> includes a linkage <NUM> and an actuator <NUM>. The actuator <NUM> is fixed relative to the support of the charge port and is for example an electric rotary actuator.

The linkage <NUM> connects the door <NUM> to the support. The linkage <NUM> includes a lever parallelogram. More particularly, the linkage <NUM> includes a first lever <NUM> and a second lever <NUM>. The first lever <NUM> is hinged at one end <NUM> to the support and is hinged at an opposite end <NUM> to the door <NUM>. In the embodiment of <FIG> and <FIG>, the first lever <NUM> comprises two connecting arms 22a, 22b, each of the connecting arms having an end 222a, 222b hinged to the door <NUM>. The second lever <NUM> is hinged at one end <NUM> to the support and is hinged at an opposite end <NUM> to the door <NUM>. The first lever <NUM> and the second lever <NUM> are thus configured as a parallelogram mechanism (or parallelogram four-bar linkage), which allows maintaining a constant orientation of the door <NUM> during its motion. It will however being understood that the actuation system could be configured to achieve a different kind of movement for the door without departing from the scope of the invention.

The linkage <NUM> comprises an actuation lever <NUM> and an actuation arm <NUM>. The actuation lever <NUM> is fixedly coupled, at a first end <NUM>, to a rotating output shaft <NUM> of the actuator <NUM>, and is rotatably coupled, at an opposite, second end <NUM>, to the actuation arm <NUM>. The actuation arm <NUM> is therefore rotatably coupled, at a first end <NUM>, to the first actuation lever <NUM>, and is rotatably coupled, at an opposite, second end <NUM>, to a tilting member <NUM>, which is connected to the first lever <NUM>. The tilting member <NUM> includes a tilting lever <NUM> and an elastic biasing device <NUM>, such as a coil torsion spring <NUM>. The tilting lever <NUM> is rotatably coupled to the first lever <NUM> and is rotatably coupled to the actuation arm <NUM>. The elastic biasing device <NUM>, or spring <NUM>, is connected at a first end to the first lever <NUM> and is connected at a second end to the tilting lever <NUM>. The tilting lever <NUM> is moveable relative to the first lever <NUM> between a blocking position and an extended position. The elastic biasing device <NUM> is configured to bias the tilting lever <NUM> towards the blocking position, in which the tilting lever <NUM> cannot rotate relative to the first lever <NUM>. The linkage <NUM> is thus configured to transmit, during normal operating of the door assembly, the rotational movement of the output shaft <NUM> of the actuator <NUM> to the first lever <NUM>, via the actuation lever <NUM>, the actuation arm <NUM>, and the tilting member <NUM>.

As the tilting lever <NUM> is biased by the elastic biasing device <NUM>, the tilting lever <NUM> may rotate relative to the first lever <NUM>, from its blocking position to its extended position (or to any intermediate position) only if the tilting lever is subjected to a load opposite and higher than the load exerted by the spring <NUM>. In such a case, as shown in <FIG>, the rotation of the tilting lever <NUM> will result in the rotational movement of the first lever <NUM>, in particular when a high intensity force is exerted on the door <NUM> when the actuator <NUM> is not energized. In an embodiment, the tilting member <NUM> is configured to allow the door <NUM> moving from its closed position to its open position without involving any movement of the actuation arm <NUM>. More particularly, the tilting member <NUM> is configured to let the first lever <NUM> rotate upon application of a pulling force on the door <NUM>, the pulling force inducing on the tilting lever <NUM> a load having an intensity higher than a specified intensity, in particular when the actuator <NUM> is not energized. Of course, the tilting member <NUM> is configured not to let the first lever <NUM> rotate when it is subjected only to loads generated during normal actuation of the charge port door assembly. This is achieved thanks to the tuning of the value of the spring rate of the elastic biasing device <NUM>. In particular, the spring rate value is such that the elastic biasing device will allow the tilting lever <NUM> moving from the blocking position when subjected to a load lower than a load likely to damage or break the actuation system, and in particular the actuator <NUM>. The tilting member <NUM> according to the invention therefore provides a safety feature that prevents breaking of the actuation system, and in particular of the actuator <NUM>, in case a very intense force is exerted in the door <NUM>, for example during a break-in attempt.

The tilting member <NUM> is shown more in detail in <FIG>. The tilting lever <NUM> is connected to the first lever <NUM> at a first end <NUM> and is connected to the actuation arm <NUM> at an opposite, second end <NUM>. At its first end <NUM>, the tilting member <NUM> comprises a connecting part <NUM> having a circular opening 324a configured to receive a shaft <NUM> of the first lever <NUM>, for example a tube-shaped shaft. The spring <NUM> is arranged around the shaft <NUM>. A first end of the spring <NUM> is fixed relative to the first lever <NUM> and an opposite, second end of the spring <NUM> is fixed relative to the tilting member <NUM>. For example the first and second ends of the spring <NUM> can be inserted into corresponding bores provided in the first lever <NUM> and in the tilting lever <NUM>. At its second end <NUM>, the tilting lever <NUM> comprises a connecting part <NUM> having at least one circular opening 326a configured to receive a connecting part for connecting the actuation arm <NUM>. The tilting lever <NUM> also includes a bearing surface <NUM>, configured to contact and bear on a corresponding bearing surface <NUM> of the first lever <NUM> when the tilting lever <NUM> is in the blocking position, thereby preventing relative rotation of the first lever <NUM> and the tilting lever <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates an embodiment of a charge port door assembly <NUM> according to the invention, wherein there is provided a mechanical actuation device <NUM> for opening or closing the door <NUM> in case the actuation system <NUM> is not functioning, for example in case of failure of the actuator <NUM>. The mechanical actuation device <NUM> includes a mechanical link <NUM>, such as a Bowden cable or a rod, connected to a connecting part <NUM> provided on the tilting lever <NUM>. The connecting part <NUM> is configured in such a way that the connecting point with the mechanical link <NUM> is positioned at a distance D from the pivot point between the first lever <NUM> and the tilting lever <NUM>, thereby providing a lever arm allowing tilting of the tilting lever <NUM> when exerting a load F' on the mechanical link <NUM>. When exerting a pulling load F' on the mechanical link <NUM>, the tilting lever <NUM> will rotate and lead the rotation of the first lever <NUM> from a first position A (corresponding to the closed position of the door <NUM>) to a second position B (corresponding to the open position of the door <NUM>). The mechanical actuation <NUM> thus allows opening the door <NUM> with no loads (or with loads as low as possible) transmitted to the actuator <NUM>, in case of failure of the actuation system (for example when the vehicle's battery is discharged).

Claim 1:
A charge port door assembly (<NUM>) for a vehicle (<NUM>), comprising :
- a charge port door (<NUM>);
- an actuation system (<NUM>), configured to move the charge port door (<NUM>) between a closed position, in which the door (<NUM>) is intended to cover a charge port of a vehicle (<NUM>) and to remain flush with an outer surface of the vehicle (<NUM>), and an open position, in which the door (<NUM>) is intended to permit access to the charge port, the actuation system (<NUM>) comprising a linkage (<NUM>) connecting the door (<NUM>) to a support intended to be fixed relative to the vehicle (<NUM>), and an actuator (<NUM>) configured to actuate the linkage (<NUM>) to move the door (<NUM>),
the linkage (<NUM>) comprising at least a first lever (<NUM>) rotatably coupled to the door (<NUM>), the actuation system (<NUM>) further comprising at least an actuation arm (<NUM>) being directly or indirectly connected at a first end (<NUM>) to an output member (<NUM>) of the actuator (<NUM>), and connected at an opposite, second end (<NUM>) to a tilting member (<NUM>), the actuation arm being movable between a first position corresponding to the closed position of the door (<NUM>) and a second position corresponding to the open position of the door (<NUM>),
characterized in that
the tilting member (<NUM>) comprising a tilting lever (<NUM>) and an elastic biasing device (<NUM>), the tilting lever (<NUM>) being rotatably coupled to the actuation arm (<NUM>), and being rotatably coupled to the first lever (<NUM>), so as to be moveable relative to the first lever (<NUM>) between a blocking position and an extended position, the elastic biasing device (<NUM>) being configured to bias the tilting lever (<NUM>) towards the blocking position.