Charging inlet with nose-suppressing cap closing mechanism
A charging inlet includes an inlet body, a DC socket cap (inlet cap) configured to occlude a DC socket area (occlusion area) of a penetration hole in a housing to make the occlusion area to be openable and closable and to cover a DC socket (mechanical portion) of a socket portion (connection mechanism) in an occlusion state; and a connection portion, characterized in that the DC socket cap (inlet cap) includes a cap body portion, and an inlet abutment portion which is a projection locally provided at a position separating from the connection portion in a facing portion of the inlet body, wherein the inlet abutment portion comes into contact with the inlet body earlier than any other portion in the cap body portion when the cap body portion rotates to reach the occlusion state.
1 . A charging inlet, comprising:
an inlet body comprising:
a housing including an outer wall, the outer wall including a penetration hole;
a connection mechanism configured to connect with a mating connector for charging, the connection mechanism being accommodated in the housing to be exposed from the penetration hole;
an inlet cap configured to occlude an occlusion area forming at least part of the penetration hole in the housing to make the occlusion area to be openable and closable and to cover a mechanical portion of the connection mechanism that is positioned in the occlusion area during an occlusion state; and
a connection portion configured to connect a portion of a circumferential edge of the inlet cap to the outer wall of the housing in a hinge-connection style;
wherein the inlet cap comprises
a plate-shaped cap body portion configured to face the occlusion area and a peripheral surface of the occlusion area on an external surface of the outer wall in the occlusion state; and
an inlet abutment portion that is a projection provided in a facing portion of the cap body portion at a position separated from the connection portion, the facing portion configured to face the peripheral surface, and
wherein the inlet abutment portion comes into contact with a portion of the inlet body earlier than any other portion of the cap body portion when the cap body portion rotates to reach the occlusion state, the portion of the inlet body being outside of the penetration hole.
2 . The charging inlet according to claim 1 , wherein in the occlusion state, while the portion of the circumferential edge is connected to the outer wall in the hinge-connection style and the inlet abutment portion comes into contact with the inlet body, the cap body portion faces the occlusion area and the peripheral surface in a non-contact state in which a gap between the cap body portion with the mechanical portion of the connection mechanism and the peripheral surface is formed.
3 . The charging inlet according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet abutment portion is provided at the farthest position from the connection portion in the facing portion to sandwich the mechanical portion therebetween with the connection portion in the occlusion state.
4 . The charging inlet according to claim 1 ,
wherein the connection mechanism is accommodated in the housing in a state in which a gap is formed between an inner circumferential edge of the penetration hole and the mechanical portion,
an annular entrance rib wall is provided at an inner side of the facing portion in the cap body portion, the entrance rib wall configured to enter the gap so as to surround the mechanical portion in the occlusion state, and
the inlet abutment portion has a shape raising in a semi-cylindrical form extending from a circumferential surface of the entrance rib wall toward a circumferential side of the cap body portion.
5 . The charging inlet according to claim 1 ,
wherein the inlet body further comprises an edge rib wall that protrudes from the peripheral surface of the inlet body, outside of the penetration hole, along an edge of the occlusion area, and
the inlet abutment portion comes into contact with a tip edge of the edge rib wall when the occlusion state is reached.
6 . The charging inlet according to claim 5 , wherein the inlet abutment portion has a shape raising in a semi-cylindrical form extending from a center side toward an outer circumferential side of the cap body portion in the facing portion with a direction intersecting with the tip edge of the edge rib wall as a longitudinal direction, in the occlusion state.
7 . A charging inlet, comprising:
an inlet body comprising:
a housing including an outer wall, the outer wall including a penetration hole;
a connection mechanism configured to connect with a mating connector for charging, the connection mechanism being accommodated in the housing to be exposed from the penetration hole;
an inlet cap configured to occlude an occlusion area forming at least part of the penetration hole in the housing to make the occlusion area to be openable and closable and to cover a mechanical portion of the connection mechanism that is positioned in the occlusion area during an occlusion state; and
a connection portion configured to connect a portion of a circumferential edge of the inlet cap to the outer wall of the housing in a hinge-connection style;
wherein the inlet cap comprises
a plate-shaped cap body portion configured to face the occlusion area and a peripheral surface of the occlusion area on an external surface of the outer wall in the occlusion state; and
an inlet abutment portion that is a projection provided in a facing portion of the cap body portion at a position separated from the connection portion, the facing portion configured to face the peripheral surface,
wherein the inlet abutment portion comes into contact with the inlet body earlier than any other portion of the cap body portion when the cap body portion rotates to reach the occlusion state,
wherein the inlet body further comprises an edge rib wall that protrudes from the peripheral surface of the inlet body along an edge of the occlusion area,
wherein the inlet abutment portion comes into contact with a tip edge of the edge rib wall when the occlusion state is reached, and
wherein the inlet abutment portion has a shape raising in a semi-cylindrical form extending from a center side toward an outer circumferential side of the cap body portion in the facing portion with a direction intersecting with the tip edge of the edge rib wall as a longitudinal direction, in the occlusion state.
8 . A charging inlet, comprising:
an inlet body comprising:
a housing including an outer wall, the outer wall including a penetration hole;
a connection mechanism configured to connect with a mating connector for charging, the connection mechanism being accommodated in the housing to be exposed from the penetration hole;
an inlet cap configured to occlude an occlusion area forming at least part of the penetration hole in the housing to make the occlusion area to be openable and closable and to cover a mechanical portion of the connection mechanism that is positioned in the occlusion area during an occlusion state; and
a connection portion configured to connect a portion of a circumferential edge of the inlet cap to the outer wall of the housing in a hinge-connection style;
wherein the inlet cap comprises
a plate-shaped cap body portion configured to face the occlusion area and a peripheral surface of the occlusion area on an external surface of the outer wall in the occlusion state; and
an inlet abutment portion that is a projection provided in a facing portion of the cap body portion at a position separated from the connection portion, the facing portion configured to face the peripheral surface,
wherein the inlet abutment portion comes into contact with the inlet body earlier than any other portion of the cap body portion when the cap body portion rotates to reach the occlusion state,
wherein the connection mechanism is accommodated in the housing in a state in which a gap is formed between an inner circumferential edge of the penetration hole and the mechanical portion,
wherein an annular entrance rib wall is provided at an inner side of the facing portion in the cap body portion, the entrance rib wall configured to enter the gap so as to surround the mechanical portion in the occlusion state, and
wherein the inlet abutment portion has a shape raising in a semi-cylindrical form extending from a circumferential surface of the entrance rib wall toward a circumferential side of the cap body portion.