US 5,751,135 AGranted

Charging connector for electric vehicle

AssigneeYazaki Corporation

InventorsHirotaka Fukushima, Toshiaki Hasegawa

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Abstract

In a charging connector device for an electric vehicle composed of a power supplying connector and a power receiving connector, an indicator lamp of a two color type is set in an illumination chamber within a case body of the power supplying connector. One color of the two colors is used for illumination. The power supplying connector includes a locking lever and a microswitch. When both connectors are provisionally coupled with each other, a securing piece at the one end of the locking lever runs over a securing protrusion of the power receiving connector so that the pressing potion at the other end of the locking lever presses a switch spring of the microswitch to be turned off, thereby giving rise to no energization of the charging connector device. When both connectors are completely coupled with each other, the lever is elastically restored by the action of a coil spring, thus energizing the connector device.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A charging connector device for an electric vehicle comprising a power supplying connector and a power receiving connector,

said power supplying connector comprising a single indicator lamp set in an illumination chamber which is disposed on said power supplying connector, said indicator lamp including two LEDs which emit two different colors such that a first LED emits one color during standby when said power supplying connector is connected to a charger and a second LED emits another color during charging, respectively,
wherein said power supplying connector further comprises:
a microswitch having a contact with a switch spring so as to allow energization of the connector device;
a locking lever having a securing piece at its first end and a pressing portion at its second end opposite to said first end, and an intermediate portion between said first end and said second end being axially supported, said pressing portion being engageable with said switch spring of said microswitch;
and
said power receiving connector including a securing protrusion being engageable with said securing piece when both connectors are completely coupled with each other,
wherein when said power supplying connector and said power receiving connector are completely coupled with each other, said charging connector device is energized.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/753,497Filed 26 Nov 1996
Priority: JP 7-31293730 Nov 1995
Granted: 12 May 1998
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

H02J 7/751
Characterised by the mechanical construction: concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
B60L 53/16
Conductive energy transfer: connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
B60L 53/65
Monitoring or controlling charging stations: involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
H01R 13/6272
Latching means integral with the housing: comprising a single latching arm