Search

DE-102024210915-A1 - Connectors and methods for assembling a connector

DE102024210915A1DE 102024210915 A1DE102024210915 A1DE 102024210915A1DE-102024210915-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a connector (1) for connecting to a device for extracting energy from the device, comprising an outer housing (8) with a base element (9), a cover element (10) and an interior (11), wherein the cover element (10) is arranged to rotate from a first, closed position (S1) to a second, open position (S2) relative to the base element (9) about an axis of rotation (A) on an outer housing element (86), wherein the cover element (10) has a cover fastening section (19) and the outer housing element (86) has an outer housing fastening section (20), wherein the cover fastening section (19) has a cover hollow axis (21) in a first axis configuration, wherein the outer housing mounting section (20) has an axle (23) passing through the cover hollow axle (21), and an axle stub (29) with an axle stub recess (30), and a bearing block (31) with a bearing block recess (32), wherein the lid hollow axle (21) has a wall opening (33) in a hollow axle wall (22) on its side facing the axle stub (29), wherein the axle (23) is guided through the bearing block recess (32), the cover hollow axle (21) and the axle stub recess (30), and/or wherein the cover fastening section (19) in a second axis configuration has a cover axis (38) with a first cover axis diameter (DAD1), wherein the outer housing mounting section (20) has a bearing (39) with a bearing diameter (DL), wherein the cover axis (38) is rotatably mounted in the bearing (39).

Inventors

  • Jayapalan Vignesh
  • Vinod Vakade

Assignees

  • Robert Bosch Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241113

Claims (13)

  1. Connector (1) configured for connection to a mating connector (2) of a device, in particular a vehicle (3) or an energy storage system or a power storage system or a power supply system or a wallbox, for drawing energy from an energy source, in particular an energy storage device (4), the device comprising: -- a longitudinal axis (L); -- a transverse axis (Q) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (L); -- an outer housing (8) comprising a base element (9), a cover element (10), and an interior (11), whereby a first connection (12) for connection to the mating connector (2) of the device is provided on an outer surface of the outer housing (8), wherein a second connection (13) for connection to a consumer connector (15) of a consumer (16), in particular connected to a cable (14), is provided in the interior (11) of the outer housing (8), in particular wherein the second connection (13) is rotatable relative to the first connection (12), whereby the cover element (10) is rotatable or hinged relative to the base element (9) about an axis of rotation (A) from a first, closed position (S1) to a second, open position (S2), whereby the cover element (10) is arranged on an outer housing element (86) of the outer housing (8), in particular on the base element (9) or a further cover element (85) of the outer housing (8), in particular wherein the cover element (10) The outer housing element (86), in particular the base element (9) or the further cover element (85), has an outer housing mounting section (20), whereby the cover mounting section (19) has a cover hollow axle (21) in a first axial configuration, whereby the cover hollow axle (21) has, in particular, a hollow axle wall (22) that is closed at least partially around its circumference, whereby the outer housing mounting section (20) has an axle (23), in particular a detachable axle, with an axle diameter (DA), which extends through the cover hollow axle (21), whereby the outer housing mounting section (20) has an axle stub (29) with an axle stub diameter (DS) and with an axle stub recess (30), whereby the outer housing mounting section (20) a bearing block (31) with a bearing block recess (32), which is spaced apart, in particular, from the axle stub (29), whereby the cover hollow axle (21) has, at least partially, a wall opening (33) in a hollow axle wall (22) on its side facing the axle stub (29) and is supported, in particular, in the area of the wall opening (33) on the axle stub (29), whereby the wall opening (33) has, in particular, an opening width (B) that is less than the axle stub diameter (DS), whereby the axle (23) is guided through the bearing block recess (32), the cover hollow axle (21), and the axle stub recess (30), whereby the axle (23) is supported, in particular, in the axle stub recess (30) and the bearing block recess (32). is, and/or whereby the cover mounting section (19) in a second axis configuration has a cover axis (38) with a first cover axis diameter (DAD1), wherein the outer housing mounting section (20) has a bearing (39) with a bearing diameter (DL), wherein the cover axis (38) is rotatably mounted in the bearing (39), whereby the bearing (39) has a bearing insertion opening (43) with a bearing insertion opening width (BL) that is smaller than the bearing diameter (DL) and, in particular, smaller than the first cover axis diameter (DAD1), in particular, wherein the bearing insertion opening (43) is substantially perpendicular to the cover axis (38), whereby the cover axis (38) is inserted into the bearing (39) through the bearing insertion opening (43), whereby the outer housing mounting section (20) a bearing block (31) spaced apart, in particular from the bearing (39), with a bearing block recess (32), whereby the cover element (10) has a cover fastening structure (40), in particular a cover arm (41), with a cover fastening structure opening (42), wherein the axis (23) is guided through the bearing block recess (32) and the cover fastening structure opening (42), whereby the cover fastening structure (40) is rotatably mounted on the axis (23) by means of the cover fastening structure opening (42), in particular wherein the cover axis (38) has a second cover axis diameter (DAD2) which is smaller than the bearing insertion opening width (BL).
  2. Connector (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the cover element (10) is rotatably or hingeably attached to the outer housing mounting section (20) in the cover mounting section (19), in particular being detachably attached without damage.
  3. Connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover element (10) is a locking element (17) comprising, wherein the outer housing element (86), in particular the base element (9) or the further cover element (85), has a counter-locking element (18), in particular designed to be complementary to the locking element (17), wherein the locking element (17) is arranged on the cover element (10) such that it couples with the counter-locking element (18) in a holding position (SH) different from the first position (S1), in particular in the second position (S2), so that the cover element (10) is held in the holding position (SH) without external force.
  4. Connector (1) according to one of the two preceding claims, whereby the locking element (17) is arranged on or in the cover mounting section (19), whereby the counter-locking element (18) is formed on the outer housing element (86), in particular on the base element (9) or on the further cover element (85), in the area of the outer housing mounting section (20).
  5. Connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, whereby the locking element (17) is designed as a projection (24), in particular with a rounded or chamfered edge, whereby the counter-locking element (18) is designed as a recess (25), in particular with a rounded or chamfered edge, whereby the projection (24) engages in the recess (25) when the holding position (SH) is reached, or whereby the locking element (17) is designed as a locking element recess, in particular with a rounded or chamfered edge, whereby the counter-locking element (18) is designed as a counter-locking element projection, in particular with a rounded or chamfered edge, whereby the counter-locking element projection engages in the locking element recess when the holding position (SH) is reached.
  6. Connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector (1) is designed such that, during normal connection with the mating connector (2), the cover element (10) is displaced against gravity (G) when moving from the first position (S1) to the second position (S2).
  7. Connector (1) according to the preceding claim, whereby the second connection (13) is designed to be rotatable relative to the first connection (12) about the longitudinal axis (L) of the connector (1), in particular rotatable by at least 90°, preferably by at least 180°, and/or whereby the second connection (13) is designed to be rotatable relative to the first connection (12) about the transverse axis (Q) of the connector (1), in particular rotatable by at least 30°, preferably by at least 45°.
  8. Connector (1) according to the preceding claim, in which the second connection (13) can be rotated relative to the first connection (6) such that, when the consumer connector (15) is inserted into the second connection (13), the cover element (10) can be mounted on the base element (9) without a gap, in particular in the case of a straight cable exit of the consumer connector (15) and in the case of an angled cable exit of the consumer connector (15).
  9. Connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which a seal (26) is provided between the base element (9) and the cover element (10), and/or in which a slot (27) for the passage of the cable (14) of the consumer connector (15) is provided in the base element (9) and/or in the cover element (10), in which, in particular, a slot seal (28) is provided in the slot (27).
  10. Connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, whereby the first connection (12) is configured for connection to a high-voltage energy system of the device, in particular of the vehicle (3), and/or whereby the first connection (12) is selected from the group comprising: Type 1 connector, Type 2 connector, Type 3A connector, Type 3C connector, CHADEMO connector, CCS COMBO TYPE 1 connector, CCS COMBO TYPE 2 connector, GB/T connector, Supercharger connector.
  11. Connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, whereby the second terminal (13) is configured for connecting a consumer connector (15) for a low-voltage network, in particular for voltages from 90V to 440V, and/or whereby the second terminal (13), in particular configured as a socket, is selected from the group comprising: Type A, Type B, Type C, Type D, Type E, Type F, Type G, Type H, Type I, Type J, Type K, Type L, Type M, Type N, CEE, USB-A, USB-C.
  12. Connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector (1) is configured to carry currents of at least 1A or to transmit at least 5A or at least 10A or at least 16A or at least 20A.
  13. Method for assembling a connector (1) according to Claim 1 , comprising the following steps: -- Providing (100) an outer housing element (86), in particular a base element (9) or a further cover element (85); -- Providing (200) a cover element (10); -- Providing (300) an axle (23); -- in the first axle configuration ---- Mounting (400) the cover element (10), in particular captive mounting of the cover element (10), to the outer housing element (86) by clipping or sliding the cover hollow axle (21) in the area of the wall opening (33) onto the axle stub (29), ---- Inserting (500) the axle (23) along an assembly direction (M) into the bearing block recess (32), into the cover hollow axle (21) and into the axle stub recess (30), ---- in particular securing (600), in particular reversible securing (600), the axle (23) in or on the bearing block recess (32) and/or in or on the axle stub recess (30) against the axle (23) being pulled out of the axle stub recess (30) and/or out the cover hollow axle (21) and/or from the bearing block recess (32), and/or -- in the second axle configuration ---- mounting (400) the cover element (10), in particular captive mounting of the cover element (10), on the outer housing element (86) by inserting the cover axle (38) into the bearing (39) through the bearing insertion opening (43), in particular in a third position (S3) in which the cover axle (38) with the second cover axle diameter (DAD2) passes the bearing insertion opening (43) and which is in particular different from the first position (S1) and from the second position (S2); ---- inserting (500) the axle (23) along an assembly direction (M) into the bearing block recess (32) and into the cover fastening structure opening (42); ---- in particular securing (600), in particular reversible securing (600), the axis (23) in or on the bearing block recess (32) and/or in or on the cover fastening structure opening (42) against the axis (23) being led out of the cover fastening structure opening (42) and/or out of the bearing block recess (32).

Description

Field of invention The invention relates to a connector and a method for assembling a connector. State of the art The present invention relates to a connector, in particular a connector designed as a “Vehicle-To-Load” (V2L) connector, and a method for assembling such a (V2L) connector. Connectors known from the prior art are designed as V2L connectors or V2L connector adapters. In the course of vehicle electrification, it is sometimes possible not only to charge the vehicle's energy storage device (e.g., a battery) with energy (e.g., electrical energy), but also to draw energy from this energy storage device (e.g., up to 400V and/or up to 30A, typically approximately 100V to 240V and/or up to 20A or even up to 25A, although these values may vary depending on the country), particularly via the vehicle's charging socket or charging port. In other words, the energy can not only be used internally within the vehicle (e.g., to power the vehicle's electrical system or to drive the vehicle), but it can also be used to operate external (especially electrical) consumers ("Vehicle-to-Load"), to transfer this energy to another vehicle ("Vehicle-to-Vehicle," V2V), to feed this energy into the power grid ("Vehicle-to-Grid," V2G), or to feed this energy into a residential unit or a home's electrical system ("Vehicle-to-Home," V2H). For ease of reading, all these and other energy extraction options will be referred to as "Vehicle-to-Load" (V2L) in the following text; the other possibilities (V2V, V2G, V2H, etc.) are also included. It is understood that standard cigarette lighter sockets (e.g. in the interior of the vehicle) are not to be understood under the term V2L, nor are the (permanently installed) sockets in the interior of some vehicles that are available as accessories or special equipment, into which, for example, a EURO plug or a USB plug can be inserted. In many cases, energy is drawn from the energy storage system in a V2L application by inserting a connector into the vehicle's charging port (usually located on the vehicle's exterior). However, the mechanical connection of this vehicle-side charging port (e.g., Type 2 connector) is often incompatible with standard connectors (e.g., Schuko plugs or Europlugs) of electrical devices (e.g., lamps, lawnmowers, grills, etc.). Therefore, to utilize a vehicle's V2L capability, connectors designed as adapters (V2L adapters or V2L connector adapters) are available. These connectors feature a housing with a first connector for the vehicle, specifically its charging port, and a second connector for connecting to the device's electrical connector. The second connection is, for example, also permanently attached to the connector housing or connected to the first connection via a longer cable that leads away from the connector housing at one end; in the latter case, the second connection can be located on another connector housing, which in turn is connected to another end of the cable. From the US 2023 / 0137396 A1 A V2L cable system is known which has a first connector for coupling to a vehicle and a second connector or a multi-connector connected to it via a longer cable for connecting one or more consumers, so that an adapter system for V2L applications is realized overall. From the CN 109177778 A A V2L connector adapter with two connections (vehicle-side first connection and consumer-side second connection) in a single connector housing is known. Disclosure of the invention The invention is based on the understanding that such known connectors or cable systems, especially for V2L applications, are not particularly well suited for outdoor use under all conceivable weather conditions. In particular, operation in damp conditions (rain, snow, splashing water, etc.) poses a significant challenge with regard to operational reliability. Using a longer cable to connect the second terminal on the consumer side can help to relocate the second terminal outside the area exposed to moisture; however, such a cable requires a relatively large amount of storage space. Furthermore, the invention is based on the understanding that access to the second terminal on the consumer side is, in some cases, very difficult. This is difficult, depending on the design of the consumer-side connector. One design might be, for example, a straight connector exit where the connector pins run approximately along the direction of a connected cable or line. Another design might be, for example, an angled connector exit where the connector pins run at an angle to the connected cable (e.g., rotated 90°). Furthermore, the invention is based on the understanding that conventional V2L connectors are prone to energy theft or the theft of a connected device. If the vehicle owner leaves the vehicle with the V2L connector plugged in, an unauthorized third party can easily connect their own device (possibly by first disconnecting the owner's electrical appliance) and illicitly draw energy from the vehicle's energy s