Charging flap arrangement for a motor vehicle

1 . A charging flap arrangement for a motor vehicle having a charging recess fixed thereto, comprising:

a charging flap movable between a closed position at least partially disposed within the charging recess and an open position relative to the charging recess fixed to the vehicle and having a peripheral edge and an edge section forming part of the peripheral edge;

a multi-joint kinematic mechanism connecting the charging flap to the charging recess;

a drive system for actuating the multi-joint kinematic mechanism; and

an additional mechanical lock disposed to act between the charging flap and the charging recess, the additional mechanical lock being mechanically force-coupled to the multi-joint kinematic mechanism such that the additional mechanical lock is, before the charging flap reaches the closed position, forcibly moved into a locked position by the multi-joint kinematic mechanism, the edge section of the charging flap, when the additional mechanical lock is in the locked position, locked to an adjacent edge area of the charging recess by the additional mechanical lock.

2 . The charging flap arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the multi-joint kinematic mechanism has a lever arm drivable by the drive system, and a forced coupling member co-rotating with the lever arm for forced coupling with the additional mechanical lock in an area of a swivel joint fixed to the charging flap, said forced coupling member being movable into an operative connection with the additional mechanical lock in a force transmitting manner depending on a swivel position of the lever arm.

3 . The charging flap arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein the forced coupling member comprises a force transmitting member comprising a thrust piece or an eccentric element or a gear segment.

4 . The charging flap arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein a rotary movement of the lever arm and a transmission of force from the forced coupling member to the additional mechanical lock are synchronized with one another such that the additional mechanical lock is not moved into the locked position until the edge section of the charging flap, the edge section being disposed adjacent to the additional mechanical lock, comes into contact with the adjacent edge area of the charging recess during a closing movement of the charging flap.

5 . The charging flap arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the additional mechanical lock is mounted on the charging flap.

6 . The charging flap arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein the additional mechanical lock has at least one locking bolt mounted in a linearly movable manner on the charging flap.

7 . The charging flap arrangement according to claim 6 , wherein the adjacent edge area of the charging recess has a locking receptacle complementary to the at least one locking bolt.

8 . The charging flap arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the additional mechanical lock directly engages the adjacent edge area of the charging recess when in the locked position to lock the edge section of the charging flap to the adjacent edge area of the charging recess.

9 . The charging flap arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein the adjacent edge area of the charging recess includes a locking receptacle, and at least one locking bolt of the additional mechanical lock being engaged with the locking receptacle when the additional mechanical lock is in the locked position.

10 . A charging flap arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a charging flap movable between a closed position and an open position relative to a charging recess fixed to the vehicle;

a multi-joint kinematic mechanism;

a drive system for actuating the multi-joint kinematic mechanism;

an additional mechanical lock acting between the charging flap and the charging recess and mounted on the charging flap, the additional mechanical lock being mechanically force-coupled to the multi-joint kinematic mechanism such that the additional mechanical lock is, before the charging flap reaches the closed position, forcibly moved into a locked position in which the charging flap is positively locked at at least one edge section of the charging flap relative to an adjacent edge area of the charging recess, the additional mechanical lock having at least one locking bolt mounted in a linearly movable manner on the charging flap; and

a reset spring, the at least one locking bolt being permanently spring-loaded by the reset spring toward an unlocked position of the additional mechanical lock.

11 . A charging flap arrangement for a motor vehicle having a charging recess defined in a body of the vehicle, the charging flap arrangement comprising:

a charging flap having an outer periphery defining a peripheral edge and an edge section forming part of the peripheral edge;

a multi-joint kinematic mechanism operatively connected to the charging flap and configured to move the charging flap between a closed position and an open position, the charging flap in the closed position being at least partially disposed within the charging recess and closing off the charging recess of the motor vehicle and in the open position allowing access to the charging recess of the motor vehicle, the multi-joint kinematic mechanism including a lever arm;

a drive system operatively connected to the multi-joint kinematic mechanism and the lever arm thereof for actuating the multi-joint kinematic mechanism; and

a mechanical lock mounted on and movable relative to the charging flap and disposed to cooperate between the charging flap and an adjacent edge of the charging recess of the motor vehicle, the lever arm being disposed to transmit force to the mechanical lock such that the mechanical lock, before the charging flap reaches the closed position, is forcibly moved by the lever arm into a locked position with the adjacent edge of the charging recess of the motor vehicle, the edge section of the charging flap, when the mechanical lock is in the locked position, being locked to the adjacent edge of the charging recess by the mechanical lock.

12 . The charging flap arrangement according to claim 11 , wherein the lever arm has a first end portion pivotably connected to the motor vehicle for rotational movement relative thereto and a second end portion forming a lever arm extension, the lever arm extension being pivotably connected to the charging flap and rotating with the lever arm, the lever arm extension acting on the mechanical lock when the charging flap is in an intermediate position, the intermediate position of the charging flap being located between the open position and the closed position and closer to the closed position than to the open position.