POWER FEEDING PLUG LOCKING DEVICE

• US 20120083148A1
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: KAHARA, Keiji, KATAGIRI, Toshiharu, HIRASHITA, Takahiro, NISHIMOTO, Keigo, INOUE, Tomohiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,753,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/304
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6275 Latching arms not integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/639 Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A power feeding plug locking device that locks a power feeding plug to a power feeding inlet. The power feeding inlet is arranged in a machine including a door that can be locked. The locking device includes a lock mechanism of which operational state is shifted between a lock state and an unlock state. The lock mechanism prohibits removal of the power feeding plug from the inlet in the lock state and allows removal of the power feeding plug from the inlet in the unlock state. An operation unit is operated when switching the operational state of the lock mechanism between the lock state and the unlock state. A door lock state confirmation unit confirms whether the door of the machine is locked. A controller controls the operational state of the lock mechanism based on the operation of operation unit whether the door is locked.

Claims

1. A power feeding plug locking device that locks a power feeding plug to a power feeding inlet, wherein the power feeding inlet is arranged in a machine including a door that can be locked, the power feeding plug locking device comprising:

a lock mechanism of which an operational state is shifted between a lock state and an unlock state, wherein the lock mechanism prohibits removal of the power feeding plug from the inlet in the lock state and allows removal of the power feeding plug from the inlet in the unlock state;

an operation unit operated when shifting the operational state of the lock mechanism between the lock state and the unlock state;

a door lock state confirmation unit that confirms whether the door of the machine is locked; and

a controller that controls the operational state of the lock mechanism based on operation of the operation unit and whether the door is locked.

2. The power feeding plug locking device according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls operation of the lock mechanism if the power feeding plug is connected to the inlet.

3. The power feeding plug locking device according to claim 1, wherein the controller shifts the lock mechanism to the lock state when the door is locked, and the controller shifts the lock mechanism to the unlock state when the operation unit is operated and the door is unlocked.

4. The power feeding plug locking device according to claim 1, further comprising a lid that opens and closes the inlet, wherein the operation unit is arranged near a power feeding connector in the inlet and is exposed to the exterior when the lid opens the inlet.

5. The power feeding plug locking device according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that notifies a user of completion of the operation of the lock mechanism when the lock mechanism is shifted from the lock state to the unlock state or when the lock mechanism is shifted from the unlock state to the lock state.

6. The power feeding plug locking device according to claim 1, further comprising a protector that covers the inlet while exposing a receptacle of the inlet to which the power feeding plug is connected, wherein the operation unit is arranged on the protector.

7. The power feeding plug locking device according to claim 1, wherein

the power feeding plug includes a hook that can be hooked to the inlet,

the lock mechanism includes a lock member that moves between a lock position and an unlock position,

the lock member restricts movement of the hook and prohibits removal of the power feeding plug at the lock position, and

the lock member permits movement of the hook and allows removal of the power feeding plug at the unlock position.

8. The power feeding plug locking device according to claim 1, wherein

the machine includes a communication master that performs wireless communication with a communication terminal carried by a user and verifies the communication terminal, and

the door is locked and unlocked when the verification is successful.

9. The power feeding plug locking device according to claim 1, wherein

the operation unit is an unlock switch operated when shifting the operational state of the lock mechanism from the lock state to the unlock state, and

the controller allows the lock mechanism to shift to the unlock state when the door lock state confirmation unit that confirms an unlock state of the door and the unlock switch is operated.

10. The power feeding plug locking device according to claim 1, wherein the machine is a vehicle, and the door is a vehicle door.