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EP-4526161-B1 - RECHARGING UNIT FOR AN ELECTRICALLY POWERED MOTOR VEHICLE

EP4526161B1EP 4526161 B1EP4526161 B1EP 4526161B1EP-4526161-B1

Inventors

  • BIANCO, Leonardo
  • BRUNO, SALVATORE
  • CARBONE, Gaetano
  • DELMONTE, Maurizio
  • ESPOSITO, GIOVANNI
  • MASTRANTUONO, Guiscardo
  • ROMANIELLO, Fabiana

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230515

Claims (9)

  1. A recharging unit (1) for recharging one or more batteries of an electrically powered motor vehicle (V), permanently provided on board said motor vehicle (V), wherein said recharging unit (1) comprises: - an electrical connector (2) carried by a charging cable (3), provided for connection to an external electrical socket; - a hollow supporting and containment body (4) configured for receiving said charging cable (3) and said electrical connector (2), wherein said hollow supporting and containment body (4) defines a cavity (5), a proximal portion (6), and a distal portion (7), wherein said proximal portion (6) has an opening (8) from which it is possible to take said electrical connector (2) out manually; and - a receiving seat (11) provided for receiving and fixing the electrical connector (2) in a resting position when the connector (2) does not have to be used to carry out a recharging operation, wherein said receiving seat (11) is set in the proximity of the opening (8) and is substantially shaped so as to reproduce in negative the shape of the electrical connector (2), wherein said receiving seat (11) is set inside a head portion (13) of the body (4), projecting from a lateral wall of the head portion (13) substantially perpendicular to the opening (8).
  2. The recharging unit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the supporting and containment body (4) defines a substantially S-shaped tubular body.
  3. The recharging unit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the supporting and containment body (4) is made up of two half-shells (4', 4") that can be coupled together by mutual-fixing means.
  4. The recharging unit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said supporting and containment body (4) comprises an inner coating layer (15) applied over the inner surface of the body (4) so as to obtain a layer of acoustic insulation and friction reduction, set between the charging cable (3) and the material of which the body (4) is made.
  5. The recharging unit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the charging cable (3) is a coiled cable that, in a resting position, assumes a coiled pattern substantially coaxial with the hollow supporting and containment body (4).
  6. The recharging unit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a further electrical connector (9) supported by said hollow supporting and containment body (4) on said distal portion (7), wherein said further electrical connector (9) is connected to said charging cable (3) at an end (10) opposite to said electrical connector (2) and is configured for receiving a corresponding connector element for connection to respective electronic components for managing the batteries of the motor vehicle (V).
  7. The recharging unit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the supporting and containment body (4) has at least one drainage opening (17) provided for preventing any collection of stagnant water inside the body (4), wherein said at least one drainage opening (17) is provided in a bottom area of the distal portion (7).
  8. The recharging unit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of lighting sources (18), for example LEDs, for lighting up the area from which the electrical connector (2) can be taken out and/or for representing the current state of charge of the batteries of the motor vehicle.
  9. An electrically powered motor vehicle comprising a recharging unit (1) for recharging one or more batteries, which is permanently provided on board said motor vehicle (V), wherein said recharging unit (1) comprises: - an electrical connector (2) carried by a charging cable (3), provided for connection to an external electrical socket, - a hollow supporting and containment body (4) configured for housing said charging cable (3) and said electrical connector (2), wherein said hollow supporting and containment body (4) defines a cavity (5), a proximal portion (6), and a distal portion (7), wherein said proximal portion (6) has an opening (8) from which it is possible to take said electrical connector (2) out manually; and - a receiving seat (11) provided for receiving and fixing the electrical connector (2) in a resting position, when the connector (2) does not have to be used to carry out a recharging operation, wherein said receiving seat (11) is set in the proximity of the opening (8) and is substantially shaped so as to reproduce in negative the shape of the electrical connector (2), characterized in that said receiving seat (11) is set inside a head portion (13) of the body (4), projecting from a lateral wall of the head portion (13) substantially perpendicular to the opening (8).

Description

Field of the invention The present invention relates to a recharging unit for recharging one or more batteries of an electrically powered motor vehicle, permanently provided on board the motor vehicle. Prior art Document US 2011/139521 discloses a recharging unit for recharging one or more batteries of an electrically powered motor vehicle, permanently provided on board said motor-vehicle, wherein said recharging unit comprises an electrical connector carried by a charging cable, provided for connection to an external electrical socket, a hollow supporting and containment body configured for receiving said charging cable and said electrical connector, wherein said hollow supporting and containment body defines a cavity, a first portion, and a second portion, wherein said first portion has an opening from which it is possible to take said electrical connector out manually and a receiving seat provided for receiving and fixing the electrical connector in a resting position when the connector does not have to be used to carry out a recharging operation, wherein said receiving seat is set in the proximity of the opening and is substantially shaped so as to reproduce in negative the shape of the electrical connector. As is known in the sector in question, recharging of a battery pack of an electrically powered vehicle is obtained by means of electrical connectors configured for guaranteeing safe and effective charging. According to the recharging equipment, the connectors may be of a traditional type, for example sockets for domestic use, or else connectors for industrial use. Usually, the first solution is used in areas where access is reserved to the owner of the motor vehicle, whereas the second solution is preferable in the public sphere. One of the most widespread solutions regards provision of recharging columns that include inside them an electrical-connection cable and a connector provided with electrical terminals for connecting up to a corresponding connector element on board the motor vehicle. The present invention stems from the desire to provide a solution for carrying out an operation of recharging an electric or hybrid vehicle that will be relatively simple to implement, of low cost, and compatible with the overall dimensions and installation spaces available on board the motor vehicle. Object of the invention The object of the present invention is to provide a recharging unit of the type indicated at the start of the present description that will have a relatively simple and low-cost structure, at the same time enabling the recharging operations to be carried out in an intuitive and effective way. A further object of the invention is to provide a modular recharging unit that can be adapted for different types of recharging connectors. A further object of the invention is to provide a unit of the type referred to above that will be compatible with the overall dimensions and installation spaces available on board the motor vehicle, for example in the area of the engine compartment. Summary of the invention With a view to achieving one or more of the aforesaid objects, the subject of the invention is a unit for recharging one or more batteries of an electrically powered motor vehicle, permanently provided on board said motor vehicle, wherein said recharging unit comprises: an electrical connector carried by a charging cable, provided for connection to an external electrical socket;a hollow supporting and containment body configured for receiving said charging cable and said electrical connector, wherein hollow supporting and containment body defines a cavity, a proximal portion, and a distal portion, wherein said proximal portion has an opening from which it is possible to take said electrical connector out manually; anda receiving seat provided for receiving and fixing the electrical connector in a resting position, when the connector does not have to be used to carry out a recharging operation, wherein said receiving seat is set in the proximity of the opening and is substantially shaped so as to reproduce in negative the shape of the electrical connector. Further characteristics of the invention are specified in the annexed dependent claims. Brief description of the drawings Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the ensuing description with reference to the annexed drawings, which are provided purely by way of non-limiting example and in which: Figures 1A and 1B are, respectively, a general perspective view of a motor vehicle and a perspective view at an enlarged scale of an area of the motor vehicle where a recharging unit according to a preferred embodiment is mounted;Figures 2 and 3 are, respectively, a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of the recharging unit according to a preferred embodiment; Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views at an enlarged scale, which represent various components illustrated in Figures 2 and 3;Figure 6 is a further perspect