Vehicular charge port door with powered actuator

A vehicular charge port closure system, the vehicular charge port closure system comprising:

• a cover panel disposed at a charge port of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular charge port closure system, wherein the cover panel is movable between (i) a closed position where the cover panel conceals the charge port of the vehicle and (ii) an opened position where the cover panel is positioned to allow access to a charging connector of the charge port;
• an actuator that is electrically operable to move the cover panel between the closed position and the opened position;
• wherein the actuator comprises an electrically operable motor that, when the actuator is electrically operated to move the cover panel between the closed position and the opened position, rotates an output gear about an axis of rotation;
• wherein an output element of the actuator is connected to the cover panel, and wherein the output element, as the cover panel moves between the closed position and the opened position, pivots about the axis of rotation;
• wherein, when the electrically operable motor of the actuator is electrically operated to rotate the output gear to move the cover panel between the closed position and the opened position, the output element pivots about the axis of rotation to move the cover panel between the closed position and the opened position;
• and
• wherein, when the electrically operable motor of the actuator is electrically operated to rotate the output gear, the electrically operable motor provides a constant torque output, and wherein the actuator comprises a variable torque profile so that, as the electrically operable motor of the actuator is electrically operated to rotate the output gear, the output element provides a non-constant torque output at the cover panel.

A vehicular charge port closure system, the vehicular charge port closure system comprising:

• a cover panel disposed at a charge port of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular charge port closure system, wherein the cover panel is movable between (i) a closed position where the cover panel conceals the charge port of the vehicle and (ii) an opened position where the cover panel is positioned to allow access to a charging connector of the charge port;
• an actuator that is electrically operable to move the cover panel between the closed position and the opened position;
• wherein the actuator comprises an electrically operable motor that, when the actuator is electrically operated to move the cover panel between the closed position and the opened position, drives a gear train of the actuator;
• wherein an output shaft of the actuator is coupled to the cover panel, and wherein, as the cover panel moves between the closed position and the opened position, the output shaft moves together and in tandem with the cover panel;
• wherein the gear train of the actuator is coupled to a rack that extends along a longitudinal axis of the actuator, and wherein the rack is coupled to the output shaft and moves with the output shaft along the longitudinal axis as the cover panel moves between the closed position and the opened position;
• and
• wherein, when the electrically operable motor of the actuator is electrically operated to drive the gear train, the gear train of the actuator drives the rack to move the output shaft along the longitudinal axis to move the cover panel between the closed position and the opened position.