Charging connector

• US 8,905,768 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2011
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Hara, Nobuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Amy Cohen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imas, Vladimir
• Application Number:
  US13/699,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20130095678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 439/136, 439/34, 439/142, 296/97.22
• US Class Current: 439/136
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/447 Shutter or cover plate
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5213 Covers
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A charging connector having a connector connection section disposed within an opening in the vehicle to which a plug is connected; an outer lid section which covers the opening; a resin arm which is pivotably supported within the opening and is bent so as to bypass the opening; and an outer lid hinge which allows the arm to pivot in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane formed by the opening. The arm has an extended section which describes a circular arc centering on the outer lid hinge, and also has a base section (root section). The portion of the opening which is located near the arm is substantially circular-arc-shaped.

Claims

1. A charging connector which charges a battery mounted on a vehicle from an external power supply through an opening portion formed to the vehicle, the charging connector comprising:

a connector connecting portion which is arranged in an inside of the opening portion and to which a plug of a cable for charging the battery of the vehicle is connected;

an outer lid member that covers the opening portion from an outside of the vehicle;

an arm made of resin axially supported on the inside of the opening portion, bent to detour an edge of the opening portion, and connected to the outer lid member;

an outer lid hinge located in the inside of the opening portion so as to pivot the arm in a plane substantially orthogonal to a plane formed by the opening portion; and

an inner lid member, wherein the arm includes an extending portion connected to the outer lid member to draw an arcuate shape with the outer lid hinge being a center thereof and a base portion that couples the extending portion and the outer lid hinge,

the opening portion is formed in a substantially arcuate shape at least in a vicinity of the arm and, in a vertical cross section taken along a plane formed by the opening portion, an outer surface of the extending portion opposing to an edge of the opening portion curves so as to be protruded toward the outer lid hinge and an inner surface of the extending portion on the connector connecting portion side curves so as to be recessed toward the outer lid hinge, the outer surface of the extending portion being formed in an arcuate shape extending along a shape of an inner circumference of the opening portion, and

the inner lid member is disposed on an opposite side of the inner lid hinge with the connector connecting portion being interposed therebetween so as to seal the connector connecting portion in the inside of the opening position.

2. The charging connector according to claim 1, wherein, in the vertical cross section cut taken the plane formed by the opening portion, the inner surface of the extending portion is formed in an arcuate shape extending along a circle concentric with the connector connecting portion.

3. The charging connector according to claim 1, wherein the comprising an inner lid member that seals a connector connecting portion in the inside of the opening portion, wherein a distance from the plane formed by the opening portion to the outer lid hinge is set substantially equal to a distance from the above-mentioned plane to the inner lid member and equal to a locking portion for locking the inner lid member to the connector connecting portion.