Vehicle

Abstract

To provide a technique for avoiding strong contact of a brake unit with an electrical unit disposed in a front compartment.SOLUTION: A vehicle may include: a battery; an electrical unit disposed in a front compartment and electrically connected to the battery; and a brake unit disposed in the front compartment and located behind the electrical unit in a vehicle front-rear direction. The brake unit may be disposed adjacently to the electrical unit at a position offset to one side in a vehicle right-left direction with respect to the electrical unit. One of the electrical unit and the brake unit may be provided with a protector covering a range adjacent to the other thereof. A portion of the protector, extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, may be provided with an inclined surface displaced to the one side in the vehicle right-left direction as it goes toward a vehicle front.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle. The vehicle includes a battery and a charger for charging the battery. The charger is disposed in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-41868 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If the charger is arranged in the front compartment of the vehicle body, the brake unit, which is also arranged in the front compartment, may be adjacent to the charger. In this case, there is a risk that the brake unit will come into strong contact with the charger when a vehicle collision occurs. It is not preferable for the brake unit to come into strong contact with the charger that is electrically connected to the battery. It is necessary to prevent the brake unit from coming into strong contact with not only the charger but also other electric units that are electrically connected to the battery.

[0005] The present specification provides a technique for preventing the brake unit from coming into strong contact with the electric unit arranged in the front compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The technology disclosed in this specification is embodied in a vehicle. In a first aspect of the technology, the vehicle may include a vehicle body having a front compartment, a battery, an electric unit disposed in the front compartment and electrically connected to the battery, and a brake unit disposed in the front compartment and located rearward of the electric unit in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The brake unit may be disposed adjacent to the electric unit at a position offset to one side in the vehicle transverse direction with respect to the electric unit. One of the electric unit and the brake unit may be provided with a protector covering an area adjacent to the other one. A portion of the protector extending in the vehicle transverse direction may be provided with an inclined surface that displaces toward the one side in the vehicle transverse direction as it approaches the front of the vehicle.

[0007] In the above-mentioned vehicle, for example, when a vehicle collision occurs, there is a risk that the brake unit will come into contact with the electric unit. However, a protector is provided on one of the electric unit and the brake unit in an area adjacent to the other, preventing direct contact between the two. Furthermore, a side of the electric unit is provided with an inclined surface that displaces toward one side in the left-right direction of the vehicle as it approaches the front of the vehicle, on a portion of the protector that extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. As a result, when the electric unit and the brake unit approach each other in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the inclined surface provided on the protector guides the two units to move away from each other in the left-right direction of the vehicle. As a result, strong contact between the electric unit and the brake unit is prevented.

[0008] In a second aspect of the present technology, in addition to the first aspect, the electric unit may have an AC charger that charges the battery using an external AC power source, and a casing that houses the AC charger. The protector may be fixed to an outer surface of the casing. With this configuration, when the AC charger is placed in the front compartment, it is possible to prevent the brake unit from coming into strong contact with the casing that houses the AC charger.

[0009] In a third aspect of the present technology, in addition to the second aspect, the casing may have a rear surface located on the rear side in the vehicle longitudinal direction and a side surface located on the one side in the vehicle transverse direction. The protector may be provided from the rear surface to the side surface of the casing. With this configuration, the protector can effectively cover an area of ​​the casing of the electric unit that is likely to come into contact with the brake unit.

[0010] In a fourth aspect of the present technology, in addition to the third aspect, the protector may have an upper edge portion, a lower edge portion, and an intermediate portion located between the upper edge portion and the lower edge portion. The upper edge portion and the lower edge portion are each fixed in contact with the casing, and the intermediate portion may form the inclined surface by being at least partially separated from the casing. With this configuration, the protector has a rib shape in which the intermediate portion is raised relative to the upper edge portion and the lower edge portion, thereby exhibiting high rigidity.

[0011] In a fifth aspect of the present technology, in addition to the fourth aspect, the middle portion of the protector may protrude from the upper edge portion and the lower edge portion to form the inclined surface. With this configuration, the inclined surface of the protector can be made relatively wide compared to the size of the entire protector. This effectively prevents the brake unit from coming into strong contact with the electric unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a vehicle. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a main part of the vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the protector attached to the charging unit. [Figure 6] 6 is an end view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5, showing the configuration of the protector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS EXAMPLES

[0013] With reference to the drawings, a vehicle 10 will be described. The vehicle 10 is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). However, the vehicle 10 is not limited to a plug-in hybrid vehicle, and may be another type of electric vehicle such as a battery electric vehicle (BEV) or a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV).

[0014] Here, the direction FR in the drawings indicates the front in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the direction RR indicates the rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The direction LH indicates the left in the vehicle lateral direction (or width direction), and the direction RH indicates the right in the vehicle lateral direction. The direction UP indicates the upper side in the vehicle vertical direction, and the direction DW indicates the lower side in the vehicle vertical direction. In this specification, the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the rear side in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the left side in the vehicle lateral direction, the right side in the vehicle lateral direction, the upper side in the vehicle vertical direction, and the lower side in the vehicle vertical direction may be simply referred to as the front side, the rear side, the left side, the right side, the upper side, and the lower side, respectively. Similarly, the vehicle longitudinal direction, the vehicle lateral direction, and the vehicle vertical direction may be simply referred to as the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the upper-upper direction, respectively.

[0015] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 12 and a plurality of wheels 14f, 14r. The vehicle body 12 is made of a metal such as a steel-based material or an aluminum-based material. The plurality of wheels 14f, 14r support the vehicle body 12. The plurality of wheels 14f, 14r include a pair of front wheels 14f located at the front of the vehicle body 12 and a pair of rear wheels 14r located at the rear of the vehicle body 12. The pair of front wheels 14f are located on the left and right sides of the vehicle body 12, respectively. The pair of rear wheels 14r are located on the left and right sides of the vehicle body 12, respectively.

[0016] Inside the vehicle body 12, a cabin 12c and a front compartment 12f located in front of the cabin 12c are defined. The cabin 12c is configured to allow a user to board. The vehicle body 12 has a floor panel 12b and a dash panel 12d. The floor panel 12b defines the floor of the cabin 12c. The dash panel 12d is interposed between the cabin 12c and the front compartment 12f.

[0017] The vehicle 10 includes a battery 16, an engine 18, a traction motor 20, a power control unit (PCU) 22, a charging unit 24, a brake unit 42, a charging inlet 38, and a power supply outlet 40.

[0018] The battery 16 is disposed under the floor panel 12b. The battery 16 has one or more secondary battery cells and is configured to be chargeable and dischargeable. The secondary battery cell is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a lithium ion battery cell or an all-solid-state battery cell.

[0019] The engine 18 is disposed in the front compartment 12f. The engine 18 is a heat engine that generates power by burning fuel, and may be, but is not limited to, a gasoline engine, a diesel engine, a hydrogen engine, or the like. The engine 18 is connected to a pair of front wheels 14f via a reduction gear 19 and a power split mechanism (not shown). The engine 18 drives the pair of front wheels 14f.

[0020] The traveling motor 20 is disposed in the front compartment 12f. The traveling motor 20 is connected to the battery 16 via the PCU 22. The traveling motor 20 is connected to the pair of front wheels 14f via a reduction gear 19. The traveling motor 20 drives the pair of front wheels 14f using power supplied from the battery 16. However, the traveling motor 20 is not limited to the pair of front wheels 14f, and it is sufficient if the traveling motor 20 drives at least one of the multiple wheels 14f, 14r.

[0021] The PCU 22 is disposed in the front compartment 12f. The PCU 22 is connected to the battery 16 via a system main relay 48. The PCU 22 is disposed between the battery 16 and the traveling motor 20. The PCU 22 includes an inverter, a converter, and the like. The PCU 22 controls the power supplied from the battery 16, and supplies drive power to the traveling motor 20.

[0022] The charging inlet 38 is configured so that the external AC power supply 2 can be attached and detached. The external AC power supply 2 is, for example, a commercial power supply for home use. The charging inlet 38 receives charging power for charging the battery 16 from the external AC power supply 2. The charging inlet 38 in this embodiment is connected to the external AC power supply 2 via a cable. However, in another embodiment, the charging inlet 38 may be connected to the external AC power supply 2 wirelessly.

[0023] The power supply outlet 40 is disposed within the cabin 12c. The power supply outlet 40 is configured to allow an electric device to be attached and detached. The power supply outlet 40 outputs AC power to the electric device. The electric device here includes, for example, a home appliance, a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, and the like.

[0024] The charging unit 24 is disposed in the front compartment 12f. The charging unit 24 is electrically connected to the battery 16 via a first cable 17 and a system main relay 48. The first cable 17 has a first connector 17a. The first connector 17a is configured to be detachable from the charging unit 24. The charging unit 24 is electrically connected to the charging inlet 38 via a second cable 39. The second cable 39 has a second connector 39a. The second connector 39a is configured to be detachable from the charging unit 24. The charging unit 24 is connected to the power supply outlet 40 via a third cable 41. The third cable 41 has a third connector 41a. The third connector 41a is configured to be detachable from the charging unit 24.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the charging unit 24 includes a bidirectional charger 28, a casing 26, and a protector 36. The bidirectional charger 28 is a type of power converter. The bidirectional charger 28 is configured to convert AC power supplied from the external AC power source 2 into DC power for charging the battery 16. In addition, the bidirectional charger 28 is configured to convert DC power supplied from the battery 16 into AC power supplied to the power supply outlet 40. The bidirectional charger 28 is accommodated in the casing 26. The protector 36 is attached to the casing 26. The casing 26 is made of metal. The metal constituting the casing 26 may be, for example, an aluminum-based metal or a steel-based metal.

[0026] The brake unit 42 is disposed in the front compartment 12f. The brake unit 42 is disposed adjacent to the rear side of the charging unit 24. The brake unit 42 is disposed offset to the left side of the charging unit 24. The brake unit 42 has a hydraulic device 44 including a brake master cylinder and the like. The hydraulic device 44 is mechanically connected to a brake pedal (not shown), and generates high pressure in hydraulic oil in the hydraulic device 44 in response to an operation applied to the brake pedal. The hydraulic device 44 has a housing 46. The housing 46 holds the hydraulic oil in a liquid-tight manner. Since the high pressure of the hydraulic oil acts on the housing 46, the housing 46 has a relatively high rigidity. The housing 46 is made of a metal. The metal constituting the housing 46 may be, for example, an aluminum-based metal or a steel-based metal.

[0027] The configuration of the charging unit 24 will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 4 to 6. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the casing 26 of the charging unit 24 is a housing member. The casing 26 has a casing body 30 and a cover 31. The casing body 30 has an opening 30a that opens upward. The casing body 30 has a bottom wall 32 and a peripheral wall 34 that extends upward from the periphery of the bottom wall 32. The upper end of the peripheral wall 34 forms the opening 30a. The cover 31 is a member that covers the opening 30a of the casing body 30. The cover 31 is fixed to the peripheral wall 34 by using a plurality of bolts 50. The outer surface of the peripheral wall 34 has a front surface 34a located on the front side, a rear surface 34b located on the rear side, a left side surface 34c located on the left side, and a right side surface 34d located on the right side. Each of the left side surface 34c and the right side surface 34d extends from the front surface 34a to the rear surface 34b. A recess 34c1 is formed in the left side surface 34c in an area adjacent to the brake unit 42.

[0028] The charging unit 24 has a protector 36. The protector 36 is a bent plate-like member. The protector 36 is made of metal. The protector 36 is attached to the peripheral wall 34. The protector 36 is fixed to the rear surface 34b of the peripheral wall 34 using a plurality of bolts 52 (two in this embodiment). The protector 36 is provided from the rear surface 34b to the left side surface 34c of the peripheral wall 34. The protector 36 has an upper edge portion 36a, a lower edge portion 36b, and a middle portion 36c. The upper edge portion 36a includes an upper edge 36e of the protector 36. The lower edge portion 36b includes a lower edge 36f of the protector 36. The middle portion 36c is located between the upper edge portion 36a and the lower edge portion 36b. The upper edge portion 36a and the lower edge portion 36b are fixed in contact with the outer surfaces (i.e., the rear surface 34b and the left side surface 34c) of the peripheral wall 34. The vertical dimension of the protector 36 is approximately equal to the vertical dimension (i.e., the height) of the peripheral wall 34. An upper edge 36e of the upper edge portion 36a is located at the upper end of the peripheral wall 34, and a lower edge 36f of the lower edge portion 36b is located at the lower end of the peripheral wall 34.

[0029] The middle portion 36c of the protector 36 has an inclined surface 37. The inclined surface 37 is provided on a portion of the middle portion 36c that extends in the front-rear direction. The inclined surface 37 is displaced leftward as it moves forward. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the middle portion 36c is partly separated from the peripheral wall 34 to form the inclined surface 37. With this configuration, the protector 36 has a rib shape in which the middle portion 36c is raised relative to the upper edge portion 36a and the lower edge portion 36b, thereby exerting high rigidity. In a modified example, the whole of the middle portion 36c may be separated from the peripheral wall 34.

[0030] The intermediate portion 36c of the protector 36 protrudes further than the upper edge portion 36a and the lower edge portion 36b to form an inclined surface 37. The intermediate portion 36c protrudes forward further than the upper edge portion 36a and the lower edge portion 36b. In a modified example, the intermediate portion 36c may protrude rearward further than the upper edge portion 36a and the lower edge portion 36b.

[0031] In the vehicle 10 of this embodiment, for example, when the vehicle 10 collides, there is a risk that the brake unit 42 may come into contact with the charging unit 24. However, the charging unit 24 is provided with a protector 36 in an area adjacent to the brake unit 42, and direct contact between the two units 24, 42 is prevented. Furthermore, on the left side surface 34c of the charging unit 24, a portion of the protector 36 extending in the front-rear direction is provided with an inclined surface 37 that displaces leftward as it moves forward. As a result, when the charging unit 24 and the brake unit 42 approach each other in the front-rear direction, the inclined surface 37 provided on the protector 36 guides the two units 24, 42 to move away from each other in the left-right direction. As a result, strong contact between the charging unit 24 and the brake unit 42 is prevented.

[0032] In the vehicle 10 of the present embodiment, the protector 36 is fixed to the outer surface of the casing 26 of the charging unit 24. With this configuration, when the bidirectional charger 28 is placed in the front compartment 12f, it is possible to prevent the brake unit 42 from coming into strong contact with the casing 26 that houses the bidirectional charger 28. The bidirectional charger 28 is an example of an "AC charger" according to the present technology.

[0033] In the casing 26 of the charging unit 24 in this embodiment, the protector 36 is provided from the rear surface 34b to the left side surface 34c of the casing 26. With this configuration, the range of the casing 26 of the charging unit 24 that is likely to come into contact with the brake unit 42 can be effectively covered by the protector 36.

[0034] In the protector 36 of this embodiment, the middle portion 36c may protrude from the upper edge portion 36a and the lower edge portion 36b to form the inclined surface 37. With such a configuration, the inclined surface 37 of the protector 36 can be made relatively wide compared to the overall size of the protector 36. This effectively prevents the brake unit 42 from coming into strong contact with the charging unit 24.

[0035] Here, the charging unit 24 is an example of an "electrical unit" according to the present technology. The electric unit is not limited to the charging unit 24, and may be another electric unit electrically connected to the battery 16. The left side in the left-right direction of the vehicle is an example of "one side in the left-right direction of the vehicle" according to the present technology.

[0036] The protector 36 may be provided on the brake unit 42 instead of the charging unit 24. Even in this configuration, when the charging unit 24 and the brake unit 42 approach each other in the front-rear direction, the inclined surface provided on the protector can guide the two units 24, 42 to move away from each other in the left-right direction. As a result, the brake unit 42 is prevented from coming into strong contact with the charging unit 24. However, from the viewpoint of protecting the charging unit 24 electrically connected to the battery 16, it is preferable that the protector 36 be provided on the charging unit 24. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 10: vehicle, 12: body, 12f: front compartment, 14f, 14r: wheels, 16: battery, 18: engine, 24: charging unit, 26: casing, 28: bidirectional charger, 34b: rear surface, 34c: left side surface, 36: protector, 36a: upper edge portion, 36b: lower edge portion, 36c: middle portion, 37: inclined surface, 42: brake unit

Claims

1. A vehicle body having a front compartment; A battery; an electric unit disposed in the front compartment and electrically connected to the battery; a brake unit disposed in the front compartment and positioned rearward of the electric unit in a vehicle front-rear direction; Equipped with the brake unit is disposed adjacent to the electric unit at a position offset to one side in a vehicle left-right direction with respect to the electric unit, One of the electric unit and the brake unit is provided with a protector that covers an area adjacent to the other of the electric unit and the brake unit, a portion of the protector extending in the vehicle front-rear direction is provided with an inclined surface that is displaced toward the one side in the vehicle left-right direction toward the front of the vehicle; vehicle.

2. The electric unit includes an AC charger that charges the battery using an external AC power source, and a casing that houses the AC charger; The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the protector is fixed to an outer surface of the casing.

3. the casing has a rear surface located on a rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction and a side surface located on the one side in the vehicle left-right direction, The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the protector is provided across from the rear surface to the side surface of the casing.

4. The protector has an upper edge portion, a lower edge portion, and an intermediate portion located between the upper edge portion and the lower edge portion, the upper edge portion and the lower edge portion are fixed to and in contact with the casing, The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the intermediate portion is spaced apart from the casing to form the inclined surface.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the intermediate portion of the protector protrudes beyond the upper edge portion and the lower edge portion to form the inclined surface.

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