Electric vehicle charging-socket flap device compatible with pedestrian impacts

1. An electric vehicle charging-socket flap device, comprising:

a frame comprising a peripheral sidewall, an aperture which extends through the frame, and a housing which is coupled to the peripheral sidewall adjacent to the aperture, the housing having a bottom wall connected to the peripheral sidewall to define an internal region, and an upper orifice that exposes said internal region;

a mobile gate coupled to the frame and forming a flap which closes the aperture of the frame, the mobile gate comprising an articulation element which is made in one piece with the mobile gate and is accommodated in the housing; and

a cover which closes the upper orifice of the housing, wherein the cover is mounted on the upper orifice of the housing so as to be separated from the upper orifice on at least one edge of the upper orifice, in a position in which the upper orifice is kept closed on the housing and the cover being kept separated from the at least one edge of the upper orifice by a retaining element of the cover which permits the cover to be displaced in a damped manner toward the at least one edge of the upper orifice in event of an impact of a pedestrian on an area of a wall of a body of the vehicle covering the charging-socket flap device.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the retaining element is configured to restore the cover from a position in abutment against the upper orifice to a position separated from the at least one edge of the upper orifice where free displacement of the articulation element may be carried out.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a force exerted by the retaining element for retaining or restoring the cover such that it is separated from the upper orifice of the housing is adjusted to a value sufficient to dampen impact of the pedestrian, on the flap device.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the retaining element comprises at least one leaf spring fixed to a part the cover or to the at least one edge of the upper orifice and in engagement with the corresponding at least one edge of the upper orifice or the corresponding part of the cover, respectively.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the retaining element is selected from an arrangement of a shock-absorbing actuator or a brake connected to the cover and to the upper orifice of the housing, or a seal of foam or elastomeric material interposed between the cover and the upper orifice of the housing.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the closed position, the retaining element retains the cover separated from the at least one edge of the upper orifice of the housing by a distance sufficient to absorb displacement clearance of the articulation element in the housing.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein on at least one part of its periphery the cover comprises a skirt surrounding the at least one edge of the orifice of the housing when the cover is in the closed position.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the cover is guided in its displacement in a damped manner toward the at least one edge of the upper orifice of the housing, via at least one opening, or two opposing lateral openings of the skirt of the cover, each cooperating with a corresponding guide element of the housing slidably mounted in the opening.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the guide element forms an end-of-travel element of the cover at one end of the aperture in the separated position of the cover on the upper orifice of the housing, and an end-of-travel stop element of the cover at the other end of the aperture in event of the impact.

10. A vehicle comprising an electrical charging-socket flap device as claimed in claim 1 .