JP7558869B2 - Lid device for vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle lid device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a lid device used in an electric vehicle. This lid device has a storage recess in which a power supply connector is attached, on the vehicle interior side of a charging port on a vehicle body panel. The storage recess is provided with an outer power supply lid that releasably closes the charging port, and an inner connector lid that releasably closes the connection port of the power supply connector. A biasing member is attached to the power supply lid, and by manually rotating the power supply lid to the closed position, the biasing member biases the connector lid against the connection port, preventing water from entering the power supply connector.

Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-193315

There is a demand for electrically opening and closing the power supply lid. However, in the lid device of Patent Document 1, when the power supply lid is in the closed state, the connector lid is biased by a biasing member, so a high-torque motor must be used to open and close the power supply lid. Such motors are expensive, so there is room for improvement in terms of cost for the lid device of Patent Document 1.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a vehicle lid device that can ensure the waterproofing of the power supply connector and reduce costs by reducing the torque of the motor for opening and closing the lid.

The present invention provides a vehicle lid device comprising: a cylindrical first storage section disposed on the vehicle interior side so as to surround a charging port of a vehicle body panel; an outer lid attached within the first storage section so as to be movable between a closed position in which the charging port is blocked and an open position in which the charging port is open; a drive mechanism including a motor that moves the outer lid to the closed position and the open position; a second storage section having a cylindrical peripheral wall provided along the axis of the first storage section so that an end located toward the charging port is located within the first storage section; a power supply connector attached to the second storage section so that at least a connection port is located within the second storage section; an inner lid attached between the charging port and the power supply connector so as to be rotated between a closed position in which communication between the charging port side and the power supply connector side through the peripheral wall is blocked and an open position in which the inner lid rotates from the closed position toward the power supply connector side and communicates between the charging port side and the power supply connector side; and a biasing member that biases the inner lid to the closed position. Here, the second storage section having a cylindrical peripheral wall 23 arranged along the axis of the first storage section includes both a configuration in which the axis of the first storage section and the axis of the peripheral wall of the second storage section extend parallel to each other, and a configuration in which they extend in intersecting directions.

An outer lid that closes the charging port by a drive mechanism including a motor is placed inside the first housing, a power supply connector is placed in a second housing provided inside the first housing, and an inner lid is attached between the charging port and the power supply connector. Therefore, even if water gets into the first housing, the inner lid prevents water from entering the power supply connector side inside the second housing, ensuring the waterproofing of the power supply connector.

Because the inner lid is biased to the closed position by a biasing member, the drive mechanism only needs to electrically open and close the outer lid. This allows the drive motor to have low torque. Low-torque motors are less expensive than high-torque motors, so the costs associated with electrically opening and closing the outer lid can be reduced.

The inner lid, which is biased to the closed position by the biasing member, can be rotated to the open position by being pressed from outside the vehicle. This makes it possible to accommodate automatic charging of electric vehicles. Specifically, after the outer lid is rotated by the drive mechanism to open the charging port, the charging plug is inserted into the charging port from outside the vehicle, and the charging plug presses and rotates the inner lid, thereby automatically connecting the charging plug to the power supply connector. After charging is complete, the charging plug can be pulled out, causing the inner lid to be rotated to the closed position by the biasing force of the biasing member, and the outer lid to be rotated to the closed position by the drive mechanism.

The vehicle lid device of the present invention ensures that the power supply connector is waterproof, and costs can be reduced by reducing the torque of the motor used to open and close the lid.

1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle lid device according to a first embodiment of the present invention in an open state; Cross-sectional view of line II-II in Figure 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 , showing the vehicle lid device in a closed state. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 , illustrating the vehicle lid device in a charging state; Cross-sectional view of line VV in Figure 2. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle lid device of FIG. 1 . FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of FIG. 2 . An inclined view of the outer lid. Cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 5 . FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a vehicle lid device according to a second embodiment in an open state. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 11 . Cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in Figure 11. 14 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 13 showing a charging state of the vehicle lid device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5 , showing a vehicle lid device according to a modified example.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
1 and 2 show a vehicle lid device (hereinafter, abbreviated as "lid device") 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The lid device 10 includes a power supply connector 15 to which a charging plug 5 is detachably connected, and is attached to a side panel (vehicle body panel) 1 of an electric vehicle.

In the following description, the front-to-rear direction in which side panel 1 extends is referred to as the X direction, the direction that intersects with side panel 1 is referred to as the Y direction, and the up-down direction in which side panel 1 extends is referred to as the Z direction. In each figure, the X direction arrow indicates the front side, and the opposite direction to the arrow is the rear side. The Y direction arrow indicates the inside of the vehicle, and the opposite direction to the arrow is the outside of the vehicle. The Z direction arrow indicates the top side, and the opposite direction to the arrow is the bottom side.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a charging port 2 is formed on a side panel 1. When viewed from the Y direction, the charging port 2 in this embodiment is rectangular, but the shape can be changed as necessary.

Referring to Figures 2 to 4, the lid device 10 is a double-lid type in which an outer lid 30 that covers the charging port 2 and an inner lid 40 that covers the vehicle exterior side of the power supply connector 15 are arranged on a housing member 20 that houses the power supply connector 15. The lid device 10 further includes a drive mechanism 35 for electrically opening and closing the outer lid 30.

The outer lid 30 in the closed state shown in FIG. 3 is rotated to the open position shown in FIG. 2 by the drive mechanism 35, and the charging plug 5 is inserted into the charging port 2. As a result, the inner lid 40 in the closed position is rotated to the open position shown in FIG. 4 by the pressure of the charging plug 5, and the charging plug 5 can be connected to the connection port 15a of the power supply connector 15. When the charging plug 5 is pulled out, the inner lid 40 is rotated to the closed position shown in FIG. 2 by the biasing force of the biasing member 45, and the outer lid 30 is rotated to the closed position shown in FIG. 3 by the drive mechanism 35.

The configuration of the lid device 10 is described in detail below.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the housing member 20 is disposed on the vehicle interior side of the charging port 2 of the side panel 1. The housing member 20 includes a cylindrical first housing portion 21 that surrounds the charging port 2, and a cylindrical second housing portion 22 provided within the first housing portion 21. In this embodiment, the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 22 are integrally molded from resin. However, the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 22 may be provided separately and assembled together.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the first storage section 21 has a rectangular cylindrical peripheral wall 21a extending in the Y direction, and an outer lid 30 is rotatably attached inside.

The peripheral wall 21a has a pair of side wall portions 21b, an upper wall portion 21c, and a lower wall portion 21d. The pair of side wall portions 21b are spaced apart in the X direction, and all extend along the YZ plane. The upper wall portion 21c and the lower wall portion 21d are spaced apart in the Z direction, and all extend along the XY plane. Both ends of the upper wall portion 21c in the X direction are connected to the upper ends of the side wall portions 21b, and both ends of the lower wall portion 21d in the X direction are connected to the lower ends of the side wall portions 21b.

The outer end of the peripheral wall 21a on the charging port 2 side is provided with a flange portion 21e that protrudes outward along the XZ plane. The flange portion 21e is disposed on the inner surface side of the side panel 1 so as to surround the charging port 2, and is fixed to the side panel 1 by a well-known fixing means.

As shown most clearly in FIG. 5, each of the pair of side wall portions 21b has two shaft holes 21f, 21g. The drive shaft 37 of the outer lid 30 is attached to the first shaft hole 21f, and the rotation shaft 32 of the outer lid 30 is attached to the second shaft hole 21g. The first shaft hole 21f is provided above the second storage portion 22. The second shaft hole 21g is provided below the upper end of the second storage portion 22 and faces the second storage portion 22 in the X direction. The two shaft holes 21f, 21g are provided at the same intermediate position in the Y direction, which is the direction in which the axis A of the peripheral wall 21a extends.

5 and 6, the second storage section 22 includes a rectangular cylindrical peripheral wall 23 extending in the Y direction along the axis A of the first storage section 21, a partition wall 24 provided within the peripheral wall 23, and an end wall 25 provided at the end of the peripheral wall 23 on the vehicle interior side. Here, the peripheral wall 23 (second storage section 22) extending along the axis A of the first storage section 21 (peripheral wall 21a) includes both a configuration in which the axis A of the first storage section 21 and the axis of the second storage section 22 extend parallel to each other and a configuration in which they extend in intersecting directions. A configuration in which the axes of the storage sections 21 and 22 extend parallel to each other is effective because it makes it easier to connect the charging plug 5 to the power supply connector 15 during automatic charging, which will be described later. When the axes of the storage sections 21 and 22 are configured to intersect, it is effective to position the outer end in the Y direction at the top and the inner end in the Y direction at the bottom, as this improves the ease of manually connecting the charging plug 5 to the power supply connector 15.

2, the outer end 23h of the peripheral wall 23 located on the charging port 2 side is located inside the first housing portion 21, and the inner end (end wall 25) located on the opposite side protrudes from the first housing portion 21. Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, the peripheral wall 23 has a pair of side wall portions 23a, an upper wall portion 23b, and a lower wall portion 23c. Of these, the pair of side wall portions 23a has a first portion 23a1 located on the lower wall portion 23c side, a second portion 23a2 located on the upper wall portion 23b side, and a third portion 23a3 connected to the first portion 23a1 and the second portion 23a2.

Continuing with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the first portions 23a1 of the pair of sidewalls 23a are spaced apart in the X direction and extend along the YZ plane. The second portions 23a2 of the pair of sidewalls 23a are spaced apart in the X direction and extend along the YZ plane. The first portions 23a1 are spaced apart from the sidewalls 21b of the first storage section 21, and the second portions 23a2 are spaced apart from the sidewalls 21b of the first storage section 21 by a larger distance than the first portions 23a1. The third portions 23a3 of the pair of sidewalls 23a each extend along the XY plane. The outer end of the third portion 23a3 in the X direction is connected to the upper end of the first portion 23a1, and the inner end of the third portion 23a3 in the X direction is connected to the lower end of the second portion 23a2.

The upper wall portion 23b and the lower wall portion 23c are spaced apart in the Z direction and both extend along the XY plane. Both ends of the upper wall portion 23b in the X direction are connected to the upper end of the second portion 23a2 of the side wall portion 23a, and both ends of the lower wall portion 23c in the X direction are connected to the lower end of the first portion 23a1 of the side wall portion 23a.

The upper wall portion 23b is located below and spaced apart from the upper wall portion 21c of the first storage portion 21. A gap portion 26 for disposing the outer lid 30 is formed between the upper wall portion 23b of the second storage portion 22 and the upper wall portion 21c of the first storage portion 21. The lower wall portion 23c is located above and spaced apart from the lower wall portion 21d of the first storage portion 21. However, the lower wall portion 23c of the second storage portion 22 may be integral with the lower wall portion 21d of the first storage portion 21. In other words, one lower wall portion may be shared by the two storage portions 21 and 22.

2, the outer end 23h of the peripheral wall 23 on the charging port 2 side is inclined from the lower wall portion 23c toward the upper wall portion 23b in a direction away from the charging port 2. 5 and 6, the outer ends of the side wall portion 23a and the bottom wall portion 23c are provided with protruding pieces 23d that protrude toward the peripheral wall 21a of the first housing portion 21. The part of the protruding piece 23d that protrudes from the first part 23a1 of the side wall portion 23a is connected to the side wall portion 21b of the first housing portion 21. The part of the protruding piece 23d that protrudes from the lower wall portion 23c is connected to the lower wall portion 21d of the first housing portion 21. As a result, the peripheral wall 23 is integral with the peripheral wall 21a. The part of the protruding piece 23d that protrudes from the second part 23a2 and the third part 23a3 of the side wall portion 23a is positioned with a gap from the side wall portion 21b of the first housing portion 21.

Referring to FIG. 2, an elastic piece 23e is provided at the outer end of the upper wall portion 23b on the charging port 2 side, protruding upward in the Z direction and inward in the Y direction. The elastic piece 23e has an arc-shaped cross section with a center of curvature on the lower wall portion 23c side, and elastically supports the outer lid 30.

Referring to FIG. 5, the second portions 23a2 of the pair of side wall portions 23a each have an axial hole 23f. The axial hole 23f is provided at a position corresponding to the second axial hole 21g of the first storage portion 21 in the X direction, and the rotation shaft 32 of the outer lid 30 is attached to the axial hole 23f.

Referring to FIG. 6, the lower wall portion 23c of the peripheral wall 23 is provided with a water passage hole 23g that penetrates the lower wall portion 23c in the Z direction and connects the inside and outside of the second storage portion 22. The water passage hole 23g is formed at the lowest position of the lower wall portion 23c.

7 and 8, the lower wall portion 23c is located below the opening 24a and the power supply connector 15 described later. The upper surface of the lower wall portion 23c has two inclined surfaces 23c1 and 23c2. The first inclined surface 23c1 located on the partition wall 24 side is inclined downward from the partition wall 24 toward the end wall 25 (power supply connector 15). The second inclined surface 23c2 located on the end wall 25 side is inclined downward from one of the pair of side wall portions 23a toward the other. A V-shaped groove is defined by the two inclined surfaces 23c1 and 23c2 having different inclination angles and inclination directions. The groove bottom 23c3 of this groove extends linearly from a corner on one side in the X direction located on the partition wall 24 side to a corner on the other side in the X direction located on the end wall 25 side in the lower wall portion 23c, which is rectangular when viewed from above, and is inclined downward. The aforementioned water passage hole 23g is formed at the lowest position of this groove bottom 23c3 (inclined surfaces 23c1, 23c2).

Referring to Figures 2 and 6, the partition 24 is provided in the peripheral wall 23 so as to be spaced apart from the charging port 2. The partition 24 has an opening 24a that is larger than the outer shape of the charging plug 5.

Referring to Figures 5 and 8, the partition wall 24 is provided with a pair of mounting portions 24c for mounting the inner lid 40. The pair of mounting portions 24c are provided at positions facing each other in the X direction of the opening edge 24b that defines the opening 24a. Each mounting portion 24c includes a base 24d and a pair of bearing portions 24e. The base 24d protrudes from the partition wall 24 and extends along the YZ plane. The bearing portions 24e are provided at both ends of the base 24d in the Z direction, and each extends along the XY plane. The rotation shaft 43 of the inner lid 40 is attached to the bearing portions 24e.

Referring to FIG. 8, the end wall 25 extends along the XZ plane and is connected to the Y-direction inner ends of the pair of side wall portions 23a, the upper wall portion 23b, and the lower wall portion 23c. The end wall 25 is provided with a mounting hole 25a for mounting the power supply connector 15. The connection port 15a is inserted into the mounting hole 25a from the inside in the Y direction, and the power supply connector 15 is screwed to the end wall 25. As a result, the power supply connector 15 is mounted to the second housing portion 22 so as to be located on the opposite side of the partition wall 24 from the charging port 2, and the connection port 15 is located within the second housing portion 22. However, the entire power supply connector 15 may be disposed within the second housing portion 22.

Referring to FIG. 4, the end wall 25 is positioned at a distance in the Y direction from the inner lid 40 in the open position. In other words, the distance from the partition wall 24 to the end wall 25 is set so that the connection port 15a of the power supply connector 15 is positioned outside the rotation range of the inner lid 40. More specifically, the distance from the partition wall 24 to the end wall 25 is greater than the dimension in the Y direction of the inner lid 40 in the open state, including the attachment portion 24c. This makes it possible to prevent the inner lid 40 from interfering with the power supply connector 15.

Referring to Figures 1 and 6, the outer lid 30 is attached to the inside of the first storage section 21 and to the outside of the second storage section 22 so that it is allowed to rotate between the closed position shown in Figure 3 and the open position shown in Figures 2 and 4. The outer lid 30 includes a flat lid section 30a and a pair of bearing sections 30d provided on both sides of the lid section 30a in the X direction.

In the closed position shown in FIG. 3, the lid portion 30a blocks the charging port 2, and in the open position shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the lid portion 30a is in a position that intersects with the side panel 1. More specifically, in the closed state shown in FIG. 3, the lid portion 30a is in a position that extends along the XZ plane along the side panel 1, blocking the charging port 2. In the open state shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the lid portion 30a is in a position that extends along the XY plane, with a portion of it protruding from the charging port 2 and the remainder being located within the gap portion 26, opening the charging port 2. The rotation angle of the lid portion 30a from the closed position to the open position is approximately 90 degrees.

Referring to Figures 3 and 9, a blocking portion 30b that blocks the inclined outer end 23h of the second storage portion 22 is protruding from the inner surface of the lid portion 30a that faces the second storage portion 22 in the closed position. The elastic piece 23e of the second storage portion 22 is pressed against this blocking portion 30b, so that the outer lid 30 is elastically supported by the elastic piece 23e. A protrusion 30c that blocks a part of the inner end of the internal gear portion 39 described later is protruding from each end of the blocking portion 30b in the X direction.

Referring to FIG. 3, the bearing portion 30d is provided in a portion that is located above the lid portion 30a when the outer lid 30 is in the closed position. Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 9, the bearing portion 30d protrudes from the lid portion 30a in a generally circular shape and is disposed between the side wall portion 21b of the first storage portion 21 and the second portion 23a2 of the side wall portion 23a of the second storage portion 22. The bearing portion 30d is provided with an axial hole 30e through which the rotating shaft 32 passes.

Two rotating shafts 32 are arranged on both sides of the housing member 20, and as shown in FIG. 5, the rotating shafts 32 pass through the second shaft hole 21g of the first housing section 21, the shaft hole 30e of the outer lid 30, and the shaft hole 23f of the second housing section 22 in that order. This allows the bearing section 30d (outer lid 30) to be rotatably attached to the first housing section 21 and the second housing section 22. However, the bearing section 30d may be rotatably attached to the first housing section 21 without providing the shaft hole 23f in the second housing section 22, or the bearing section 30d may be rotatably attached to the second housing section 22 without providing the second shaft hole 21g in the first housing section 21.

Referring to FIG. 10, the drive mechanism 35 includes a motor 36, a drive shaft 37, a gear 38, and an internal gear portion 39, and rotates (moves) the outer lid 30 to the open position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 and the closed position shown in FIG. 3.

Referring to Figures 5 and 8, the motor 36 is an electric drive means equipped with an output part 36a capable of forward (open drive) and reverse (close drive). The motor 36 is attached to the outside of one of the pair of side wall parts 21b so that the output part 36a coincides with the first shaft hole 21f of the housing member 20. The motor 36 is electrically connected to the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of the electric vehicle, and is driven to open or close by a command from the ECU that detects the operation of an open/close switch (not shown) provided on the electric vehicle.

Continuing to refer to Figures 5 and 8, the drive shaft 37 is attached to the output portion 36a of the motor 36 so as not to be rotatable relative to the output portion 36a. The drive shaft 37 passes through a pair of first shaft holes 21f of the first housing portion 21 in the X direction and is installed between a pair of side wall portions 21b. Referring to Figure 9, the bearing portion 30d of the outer lid 30 is provided with an insertion groove 30f through which the drive shaft 37 is inserted. The insertion groove 30f is an arc shape having a center coinciding with the axis of the shaft hole 30e.

Referring to Figures 5, 9, and 10, two gears 38 are used, each of which is attached so as not to rotate relative to the drive shaft 37. As shown most clearly in Figure 9, a circular recess 39a recessed outward in the X direction is provided on the opposing surfaces of the pair of bearing parts 30d of the outer lid 30, and each of the gears 38 is disposed within this recess 39a.

9 and 10, the internal gear portion 39 is formed in a recess 39a provided in each of a pair of bearing portions 30d of the outer lid 30. More specifically, the center of the recess 39a coincides with the axis of the shaft hole 30e, and the diameter of the recess 39a is larger than the diameter of the insertion groove 30f. The internal gear portion 39 that meshes with the gear 38 is provided in a part of the peripheral wall 39b of this recess 39a. The angular range (approximately 150 degrees) that forms the internal gear portion 39 is wider than the rotation angle (approximately 90 degrees) of the lid portion 30a. A part of the inner end of the internal gear portion 39 (peripheral wall 39b) is covered by the blocking portion 30b and the protrusion 30c.

2 to 4, the inner lid 40 is attached between the charging port 2 and the power supply connector 15, and is disposed within the peripheral wall 23 of the second housing 22 in this embodiment. The inner lid 40 can rotate between a closed position (see FIGS. 2 and 3) in which the communication between the charging port 2 side and the power supply connector 15 side through the peripheral wall 23 is blocked, and an open position (see FIG. 4) in which the inner lid 40 rotates toward the power supply connector 15 side and communicates between the charging port 2 side and the power supply connector 15 side. More specifically, the inner lid 40 is disposed on the opening edge 24b of the opening 24a so that the inner lid 40 can rotate between a closed position in which the opening 24a of the partition wall 24 is closed, and an open position in which the opening 24a is opened. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 5, the inner lid 40 is a double-opening type having a pair of opening/closing bodies 41, each of which is biased to the closed position by a biasing member 45. A seal portion 42 is provided on the outer periphery of each of the pair of opening/closing bodies 41.

Referring to Figures 5 and 8, each of the pair of opening/closing bodies 41 is molded from resin into a line-symmetrical shape and is attached to mounting parts 24c provided at opposing positions on the opening edge 24b of the partition wall 24. Each opening/closing body 41 is slightly smaller than the shape obtained by dividing the opening 24a of the partition wall 24 in half at the center in the X direction.

Each opening/closing body 41 is provided with a pair of mounting pieces 41a located between a pair of bearing parts 24e of the mounting part 24c. The opening/closing body 41 is rotatably attached by passing one rotation shaft 43 through the pair of bearing parts 24e and the pair of mounting pieces 41a. More specifically, the opening/closing body 41 can rotate horizontally toward the power supply connector 15 around the rotation shaft 43 extending in the Z direction.

Referring to Figures 1, 5 and 8, the seal portion 42 is made of rubber and is attached to the outer periphery of the opening/closing body 41 so as to surround the opening/closing body 41. The seal portion 42 protrudes outward from the outer periphery of the opening/closing body 41. When the pair of opening/closing bodies 41 are in the closed position, the tip portions (opposing portions) 42a of the pair of seal portions 42 located on the opposite side to the mounting piece 41a abut against each other. Also, when the pair of opening/closing bodies 41 are in the closed position, the outer periphery 42b other than the tip portions 42a abuts against the opening edge 24b of the partition 24, sealing between the opening/closing body 41 and the opening edge 24b of the partition 24.

Continuing to refer to Figures 5 and 8, the biasing members 45 are attached to the rotation shafts 43 of the pair of opening and closing bodies 41, respectively, and bias the opening and closing bodies 41 to the closed position. A kick spring can be used as the biasing member 45. However, the biasing member 45 can be modified as necessary as long as it is configured to bias the opening and closing bodies 41 to the closed position.

Next, an example of the operation of the lid device 10 will be described.

When the electric vehicle is parked at a designated position in the charging station and the open/close switch is operated, the ECU detects this switch operation and drives the lid device 10 to open. This causes the motor 36 to rotate in the forward direction, and the rotational force of the motor 36 is transmitted to the gear 38 via the drive shaft 37, causing the gear 38 to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 10. The rotational force of the gear 38 is transmitted to the internal gear portion 39, causing the outer lid 30, which is in the closed position shown in FIG. 3, to rotate to the open position shown in FIG. 2.

Then, the charging plug 5 is inserted into the charging port 2. As a result, the charging plug 5 is pressed, causing the opening/closing body 41 in the closed position to rotate against the biasing force of the biasing member 45 to the open position shown in FIG. 4. As the charging plug 5 is subsequently inserted, the charging plug 5 is connected to the connection port 15a of the power supply connector 15, and charging begins.

When charging is completed, the charging plug 5 is pulled out of the charging port 2 (power supply connector 15). This causes the pair of opening and closing bodies 41 to rotate to the closed position shown in FIG. 2 by the biasing force of the biasing member 45. The ECU also drives the lid device 10 to close. This causes the motor 36 to rotate in the reverse direction, and the rotational force of the motor 36 is transmitted to the gear 38 via the drive shaft 37, causing the gear 38 to rotate clockwise in FIG. 10. This rotational force of the gear 38 is transmitted to the internal gear portion 39, causing the outer lid 30, which is in the open position shown in FIG. 2, to rotate to the closed position shown in FIG. 3.

The lid device 10 configured in this manner has the following features:

The outer lid 30 that closes the charging port 2 by a drive mechanism 35 including a motor 36 is disposed in the first housing 21, the power supply connector 15 is disposed in the second housing 22 provided in the first housing 21, and the inner lid is attached between the charging port 2 and the power supply connector 15. Therefore, even if water gets into the first housing 21, the inner lid 40 prevents water from entering the power supply connector 15 side in the second housing 22, ensuring the waterproofing of the power supply connector 15.

Since the inner lid 40 is biased to the closed position by the biasing member 45, the drive mechanism 35 only needs to electrically open and close the outer lid 30. This allows the drive motor 36 to have a low torque. Since a low-torque motor 36 is less expensive than a high-torque motor, the costs associated with electrically opening and closing the outer lid 30 can be reduced.

The inner lid 40, which is biased to the closed position by the biasing member 45, can be rotated to the open position by pressure from outside the vehicle. This makes it possible to automatically charge an electric vehicle. Specifically, after the outer lid 30 is rotated by the drive mechanism 35 to open the charging port 2, the charging plug 5 is inserted into the charging port 2, and the charging plug 5 presses and rotates the inner lid 40, so that the charging plug 5 can be automatically connected to the power supply connector 15. After charging is completed, the charging plug 5 can be pulled out, so that the inner lid 40 is rotated to the closed position by the biasing force of the biasing member 45, and the outer lid 30 can be rotated to the closed position by the drive mechanism 35.

A partition 24 is provided within the peripheral wall 23 of the second storage section 22, and the inner lid 40 is attached to the opening edge 24b of the partition 24. The inner lid 40 attached within the partition 23 does not interfere with the outer lid 30 attached within the first storage section 21. This makes it possible to prevent malfunctions caused by interference between the two lids 30, 40.

The inner lid 40 has a pair of opening/closing bodies 41 arranged at opposing positions on the opening edge 24b of the opening 24a. Therefore, the space required to open and close the opening/closing body 41 is smaller than when a single opening/closing body 41 is used. This allows the entire lid device 10, including the second storage section 22, to be made smaller.

The pair of opening/closing bodies 41 can rotate horizontally around a rotation axis 32 that extends vertically (Z direction). Therefore, the load due to the weight or the like acts evenly on the pair of opening/closing bodies 41, so that the opening and closing operation of the pair of opening/closing bodies 41 can be stabilized.

A seal portion 42 is provided on the outer periphery of each of the pair of opening/closing bodies 41. When the pair of opening/closing bodies 41 are in the closed position, the opposing portions 42a of the pair of seal portions 42 abut against each other. The seal portion 42 also abuts against the opening edge 24b of the opening 24a. This significantly prevents water from entering the second storage section 22 from inside the first storage section 21 beyond the partition wall 24.

The power supply connector 15 is positioned outside the rotation range of the inner lid 40. In other words, the power supply connector 15 is positioned at a distance from the inner lid 40 in the open position. Therefore, even if water seeps in from inside the first storage section 21 to the inside of the partition wall 24 of the second storage section 22, the adhesion of water to the power supply connector 15 can be suppressed.

The peripheral wall 23 is provided with water holes 23g that connect the inside and outside of the second storage section 22. Therefore, even if water enters the inside of the inner lid 40 in the second storage section 22 from inside the first storage section 21, the water can flow out to the outside through the water holes 23g without accumulating in the second storage section 22. Therefore, for example, water accumulated near the edge of the inner lid 40 in winter can be prevented from freezing and causing problems when opening and closing the inner lid 40.

The water passage hole 23g is formed at the lowest position of the inclined surface 23c1 of the lower wall portion 23c. Therefore, even if water gets inside the partition wall 24 of the second storage portion 22, it can be reliably drained to the outside.

The outer lid 30 is rotatably attached within the first storage section 21, and the outer lid 30 rotates between the closed position and the open position by the driving force of the motor 36 transmitted to the bearing section 30d via the drive shaft 37, gear 38, and internal gear section 39. In this way, the outer lid 30 is rotated by the rotation of the drive shaft 37, which is separate from the rotation shaft 32 of the outer lid 30, so that the opening and closing of the outer lid 30 can be stabilized compared to when the driving force is directly transmitted to the rotation shaft 32 to rotate it.

Other embodiments and modifications of the present invention will be described below, but in these descriptions, points that are not specifically mentioned are the same as those in the first embodiment. In the drawings referred to below, elements that are the same as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals.

Second Embodiment
11 to 14 show a lid device 10 of a second embodiment. This lid device 10 differs from the lid device 10 of the first embodiment in that a pair of opening/closing bodies 41 constituting an inner lid 40 are of a double-opening type that rotates vertically. The second embodiment also differs from the first embodiment in that a lower wall portion 21d of the first storage portion 21 and a lower wall portion 23c of the second storage portion 22 are integrated and configured as a single wall.

Referring to FIG. 12, the partition 24 of the housing member 20 is provided with a pair of mounting portions 24c for respectively mounting the pair of opening/closing bodies 41 of the inner lid 40. The pair of mounting portions 24c are provided at positions facing each other in the Z direction of the opening edge 24b that defines the opening 24a. The base 24d of each mounting portion 24c protrudes from the partition 24 and extends along the XY plane. The bearing portions 24e of each mounting portion 24c are provided at both ends of the base 24d in the X direction, and each extends along the YZ plane.

11 and 12, each opening/closing body 41 is slightly smaller than the shape obtained by dividing the opening 24a of the partition wall 24 in half at the center in the Z direction. The opening/closing body 41 is provided with a pair of mounting pieces 41a located between a pair of bearing parts 24e of the mounting part 24c. The opening/closing body 41 is rotatably attached by passing one rotation shaft 43 through the pair of bearing parts 24e and the pair of mounting pieces 41a. More specifically, the opening/closing body 41 can rotate vertically toward the power supply connector 15 side around the rotation shaft 43 extending in the X direction (horizontal direction) between the closed position shown in FIG. 13 and the open position shown in FIG. 14.

In the lid device 10 of the second embodiment configured in this manner, as in the first embodiment, the outer lid 30 and the inner lid 40 ensure that the power supply connector 15 is waterproof, and costs can be reduced by reducing the torque of the motor 36 for opening and closing the outer lid 30. In addition, the inner lid 40, which is biased to the closed position by the biasing member 45, can be rotated to the open position by being pressed from outside the vehicle. This makes it possible to accommodate automatic charging of electric vehicles.

The vehicle lid device 10 of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the inner lid 40 may be composed of only one opening/closing body. In this case, it is preferable that the inner lid 40 has an attachment portion 24c on the upper side of the opening 24a as shown in the figure, and is rotatable vertically by a horizontally extending rotation shaft 43. In this way, compared to when attachment portions 24c are provided on the lower side of the opening 24a in the Z direction or on both sides in the X direction, the opening 24a can be reliably closed without using a biasing member 45 with a strong biasing force, and water ingress into the interior of the partition wall 24 of the second storage section 22 can be effectively prevented.

The upper surface of the lower wall portion 23c of the second storage portion 22 may be flat without having the inclined surfaces 23c1 and 23c2. In addition, the lower wall portion 23c may not have a water passage hole 23g.

The outer lid 30 is not limited to being rotatably attached to the housing member 20, and can be modified as necessary as long as it is configured to open and close the charging port 2.

The second storage section 22 is configured so that the end wall 25 side protrudes from the first storage section 21, but the inner end side including the end wall 25 may also be located within the first storage section 21.

The peripheral wall 21a of the first storage section 21 and the peripheral wall 23 of the second storage section 22 are not limited to a rectangular tubular shape, but may be a polygonal tubular shape with more than a square, or a cylindrical shape, and the cross-sectional shapes of these may be changed as necessary.

The inner lid 40 may be attached to the peripheral wall 23 of the second storage section 22 or the peripheral wall 21a of the first storage section 21 so as to close the outer end 23h of the second storage section 22.

1 Side panel (body panel)
2 Charging port 5 Charging plug 10 Vehicle lid device 15 Power supply connector 15a Connection port 20 Housing member 21 First housing portion 21a Peripheral wall 21b Side wall portion 21c Upper wall portion 21d Lower wall portion 21e Flange portion 21f First shaft hole 21g Second shaft hole 22 Second housing portion 23 Peripheral wall 23a Side wall portion 23a1 First portion 23a2 Second portion 23a3 Third portion 23b Upper wall portion 23c Lower wall portion 23c1 First inclined surface 23c2 Second inclined surface 23c3 Groove bottom 23d Projection piece 23e Elastic piece 23f Shaft hole 23g Water passage hole 23h Outer end 24 Partition wall 24a Opening 24b Opening edge 24c Mounting portion 24d Base portion 24e Bearing portion 25 End wall 25a Mounting hole 26 Cavity portion 30 Outer lid 30a Lid portion 30b Closing portion 30c Projection portion 30d Bearing portion 30e Shaft hole 30f Insertion groove 32 Rotating shaft 35 Drive mechanism 36 Motor 36a Output portion 37 Drive shaft 38 Gear 39 Internal gear portion 39a Recess 39b Peripheral wall 40 Inner lid 41 Opening/closing body 41a Mounting piece 42 Seal portion 42a Tip portion (facing portion)
42b Outer periphery 43 Rotation shaft 45 Pressing member A Axis of first housing portion

Claims (10)

a cylindrical first housing portion disposed on an inner side of the vehicle so as to surround a charging port of a vehicle body panel;
an outer lid attached to the first housing portion so as to be movable between a closed position that closes the charging port and an open position that opens the charging port;
a drive mechanism including a motor for moving the outer lid to the closed position and the open position;
a second housing portion having a cylindrical peripheral wall provided along an axis of the first housing portion such that an end of the second housing portion facing the charging port is positioned within the first housing portion;
a power supply connector attached to the second housing so that at least a connection port is located within the second housing;
an inner lid attached between the charging port and the power supply connector so as to be able to rotate between a closed position in which communication between the charging port side and the power supply connector side through the peripheral wall is blocked and an open position in which the inner lid rotates from the closed position toward the power supply connector side and communicates between the charging port side and the power supply connector side;
and a biasing member that biases the inner lid to the closed position. The second housing portion is provided in the peripheral wall so as to be spaced apart from the charging port, and has a partition wall having an opening formed therein;
The inner lid is attached to an opening edge of the opening.
The vehicle lid device according to claim 1 . The vehicle lid device according to claim 2, wherein the inner lid has a pair of opening/closing bodies attached to opposing positions on the opening edge of the opening. The vehicle lid device according to claim 3, wherein a seal portion is provided on the outer periphery of each of the pair of opening and closing bodies. The vehicle lid device according to claim 4, wherein when the pair of opening/closing bodies are in the closed position, the opposing portions of the pair of sealing portions abut against each other. The vehicle lid device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein when the pair of opening/closing bodies are in the closed position, the seal portion abuts against the opening edge of the opening. The vehicle lid device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the power supply connector is disposed outside the rotation range of the inner lid. The vehicle lid device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the peripheral wall is provided with a water passage hole that connects the inside and outside of the second storage section. the peripheral wall has a lower wall portion located below the power supply connector,
the lower wall portion has an inclined surface that is inclined downward from the inner lid side toward the power supply connector side,
The vehicle lid apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the water passage hole is formed at a lowest position of the inclined surface of the lower wall portion. the outer lid has a bearing portion rotatably attached to at least one of the first housing portion and the second housing portion,
The drive mechanism includes:
a drive shaft attached to an output of the motor;
A gear attached to the drive shaft;
an internal gear portion provided in the bearing portion and meshing with the gear;
A vehicle lid device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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