Electric vehicle charging connector assembly

An electric vehicle charging connector assembly for charging a power battery provided in a body of an electric vehicle from an external power source via a charging power circuit thereby powering the electric vehicle, the connector assembly comprising:

• a) a vehicle side connector housing provided on the body of the electric vehicle;
• b) vehicle side terminals enclosed in the vehicle side connector housing;
• c) a power source side connector housing configured to be mated with and unmated from the vehicle side connector housing;
• d) power source side terminals enclosed in the power source side connector housing to be electrically connected to the respective vehicle side terminals when the power source side connector housing is mated with the vehicle side connector housing;
• e) a lock provided in the power source side connector housing;
• and
• f) a protecting switch provided in the charging power circuit, said switch being operatively connected to said lock so as to close when the lock has been operated under a predetermined condition.

An electric vehicle charging connector assembly for use in externally charging a power battery provided in a body of an electric vehicle, thereby powering the electric vehicle, the connector assembly comprising:

• a vehicle side connector housing provided on the body of the electric vehicle;
• vehicle side terminals enclosed in the vehicle side connector housing;
• a power source side connector housing configured to be mated with and unmated from the vehicle side connector housing;
• power source side terminals enclosed in the power source side connector housing to be electrically connected to the respective vehicle side terminals when the power source side connector housing is mated with the vehicle side connector housing;
• a lock provided in the power source side connector housing, said lock being switchable between a locking state and an unlocking state;
• the power source side connector housing and the vehicle side connector housing having an engagement mechanism that is movable by an operator of the charging connector assembly, while said lock remains in said unlocking state, between a first state in which the engagement mechanism holds said power source and vehicle side connector housings in a mating engagement and a second state in which said power source and vehicle side connector housings are released from being in mating engagement;
• and
• a preventing mechanism, operatively connected between said engagement mechanism and said lock, for preventing the engagement mechanism, once having been moved to said first state, from being moved from the first state to said second state when said lock is thereafter switched from said unlocking state to said locking state.