Charging flap system for a motor vehicle
A charging flap system with a charging flap movable between a closed position closing a vehicle charging port and an opened position exposing the port. An electric drive unit moves the charging flap between the opened and closed positions, an electronic control unit controls the drive unit, a blocking device locks or releases the charging flap when closed, and a monitoring device detects a locked or non-locked state of the charging flap when closed. A monitoring system is associated with the electronic control unit and has a control function for the control unit and a monitoring function for the blocking device that interact with one another such that the control function moves the charging flap in the direction of the opened position when the charging flap is closed. The monitoring function records parameters allows the locked or non-locked state of the charging flap to be detected when closed.
1 . A charging flap system for a motor vehicle having a charging port on a side thereof, comprising:
a charging flap movable between a closed position closing the charging port and an opened position exposing the charging port;
an electric drive unit that moves the charging flap between the opened position and the closed position;
an electronic control unit for controlling the drive unit;
a blocking device for locking or releasing the charging flap in the closed position, the blocking device having a blocking state preventing substantial movement of the charging flap when in the closed position to define a locked state of the charging flap, the blocking device having an unblocked state allowing movement of the charging flap when in the closed position to define a non-locked state of the charging flap;
a monitoring device for detecting the locked state or the non-locked state of the charging flap in the closed position; and,
a monitoring system associated with the control unit and comprising the monitoring device, the monitoring device comprising a control function for the control unit and a monitoring function for the blocking device that interact with one another such that the control function moves the charging flap in a direction of the opened position when the charging flap is in the closed position, and the monitoring function records, in a time-dependent manner, at least one parameter allowing detection of the locked or non-locked state of the charging flap in the closed position.
2 . The charging flap system according to claim 1 , further including a sensor system that detects a change in position of the charging flap after activation of the control function and is connected to the control unit.
3 . The charging flap system according to claim 2 , further including a force sensor associated with the charging flap and coupled to the monitoring function to transmit force values to the monitoring function in a time-dependent manner, the monitoring function recording the force values as the at least one parameter.
4 . The charging flap system according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring function is configured to record at least one current change parameter of the drive unit as the at least one parameter in a time-dependent manner.
5 . The charging flap system according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one current change parameter comprises a current level change evaluable by the control unit of the drive unit.
6 . The charging flap system according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one current change parameter comprises a change in a current ripple evaluable by the control unit of the drive unit.
7 . The charging flap system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit comprises a memory and is configured as a data processing system, and the control function and the monitoring function are integrated into a data processing program stored in the memory of the control unit.
8 . The charging flap system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is coupled to a drive control of the motor vehicle such that starting of the drive control is blocked when the non-locked state of the charging flap is detected in the closed position of said charging flap.
9 . The charging flap system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one parameter comprises at lease one electric parameter.
10 . The charging flap system according to claim 1 , wherein the blocking device comprises an electrically operable blocking device.
11 . The charging flap system according to claim 1 , wherein the blocking device has a component movable between locked and unlocked positions respectively defining the blocked and unblocked states of the blocking device.
12 . The charging flap system according to claim 11 , wherein the component comprises a locking pin and the charging flap comprises a receptacle sized to receive the locking pin, the locking pin being engaged with the receptacle in the blocked state of the blocking device and disengaged with the receptacle in the unblocked state of the blocking device.
13 . A charging flap system for a motor vehicle having a charging port on a side thereof, comprising:
a charging flap movable between a closed position closing the charging port and an opened position exposing the charging port;
an electric drive unit that moves the charging flap between the opened position and the closed position;
an electronic control unit for controlling the drive unit;
a blocking device for locking or releasing the charging flap in the closed position;
a monitoring device for detecting a locked state or a non-locked state of the charging flap in the closed position; and
a monitoring system associated with the control unit and comprising the monitoring device, the monitoring device comprising a control function for the control unit and a monitoring function for the blocking device that interact with one another such that the control function moves the charging flap in a direction of the opened position when the charging flap is in the closed position, and the monitoring function records, in a time-dependent manner, at least one current change parameter of the drive unit allowing detection of the locked or non-locked state of the charging flap in the closed position, wherein the at least one current change parameter comprises a current phase change evaluable by the control unit of the drive unit.
14 . A charging flap system for a motor vehicle, the charging flap system comprising:
a charging flap;
an electric drive unit operatively connected to the charging flap to move the charging flap between a closed position and an open position, the charging flap in the closed position closing the charging port and in the open position exposing the charging port;
a blocking device cooperating with the charging flap to lock or release the charging flap in the closed position, the blocking device having a blocking state preventing substantial movement of the charging flap when in the closed position to define a locked state of the charging flap, the blocking device having an unblocked state allowing movement of the charging flap when in the closed position to define a non-locked state of the charging flap; and
an electronic control unit connected to and controlling the drive unit, the electronic control unit comprising a monitoring system configured to detect the locked or non-locked state of the charging flap in the closed position, the monitoring system comprising a control function for the control unit and a monitoring function for the blocking device, the control function moving the charging flap in a direction of the open position when the charging flap is in the closed position, and the monitoring function comprising recording at least one parameter in a time-dependent manner to permit detection of the locked or non-locked state of the charging flap in the closed position.
15 . The charging flap system according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one parameter comprises at least one electric parameter.
16 . The charging flap system according to claim 14 , wherein the blocking device comprises an electrically operable blocking device.
17 . The charging flap system according to claim 14 , wherein the blocking device has a component movable between locked and unlocked positions respectively defining the blocking and unblocked states of the blocking device.
18 . The charging flap system according to claim 17 , wherein the component comprises a locking pin and the charging flap comprises a receptacle sized to receive the locking pin, the locking pin being engaged with the receptacle in the blocking state of the blocking device and disengaged with the receptacle in the unblocked state of the blocking device.