Switch structure and power supply device

Abstract

The switch structure (SS) is provided with: a disconnecting switch (14) capable of disconnecting the battery module (12) from the drive system (40) by manual operation; and a control box (13) arranged between the driver seat (D) and the passenger seat (P), and the cut-off switch (14) is arranged on the passenger seat (P) side in the control box (70).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a switch structure and a power supply device, and particularly to an installation structure of a service disconnect switch that disconnects a battery from a high-voltage system by manual operation. Background Art

[0002] An automobile is equipped with a service disconnect switch (SD switch) that mechanically disconnects a high-voltage battery circuit by manual operation (see Patent Document 1). This SD switch is switched between on and off by manual operation when inspecting, repairing, or replacing components such as high-voltage components and inverters.

[0003] In this prior art, the SD switch is disposed under the vehicle body floor. To operate the SD switch, an operator removes the center control box in the passenger compartment, then removes the cover that closes the rod operation hole in the vehicle body floor, and operates the SD switch on the lower side of the vehicle body floor from the rod operation hole (see paragraphs

[0041] , FIGS. 10, and 11 of Patent Document 1).

[0004] Prior Art Documents

[0005] Patent Documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-240476 Summary of the Invention

[0007] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] In such prior art, since the SD switch is disposed under the vehicle body floor, there is a problem that it is difficult for an operator to operate the SD switch and the workability is poor.

[0009] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a switch structure and a power supply device that can improve workability.

[0010] Means for Solving the Problems

[0011] The present invention solves the above problems by disposing a disconnect switch inside a control box on the passenger seat side.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, since the disconnect switch is disposed inside the control box on the passenger seat side, workability can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 is a top view showing a vehicle frame, a battery pack, and a steering mechanism in the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a vehicle frame, a floor, and a control box in the present invention.

[0016] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the state in which the floor panel and the control box are removed from the vehicle starting from Figure 2 and is a perspective view showing the vehicle body, the battery pack, the DCDC converter, and the cooling mechanism of the vehicle of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a cross section along the Figure 3 IV-IV line.

[0018] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a cross section along the Figure 3 V-V line.

[0019] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the cut-off switch of the switch structure of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 7 illustrates when Figure 6 the lever portion of the cut-off switch is operated as shown, and is a perspective view of the operation of the switch portion of the cut-off switch. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The vehicle 1 in the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a top view showing the frame 50, the battery pack 10, and the steering mechanism 80 of the vehicle 1 in the present embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the frame 50, the carpet 60, and the control box 70 of the vehicle 1 in the present embodiment. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the state in which the carpet 60 and the control box 70 are removed from the vehicle 1 starting from Figure 2 and is a perspective view showing the frame 50, the battery pack 10, the DCDC converter 20, and the cooling mechanism 30 of the vehicle 1. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a cross section along the Figure 2 IV-IV line, Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a cross section along the Figure 3 V-V line.

[0022] The vehicle 1 in the present embodiment is, for example, an electric vehicle. As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the vehicle 1 includes a frame 50, a carpet 60, a control box 70 (see Figure 2 ), a steering mechanism 80, and a floor panel 90. As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 3 , the frame 50 includes at least side beams 51 and a plurality of cross beams 52 fixed to the side beams 51.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2As shown, the carpet 60 forms the floor surface of the vehicle compartment. The carpet 60 is disposed on the cross beam 52 of the frame 50 and extends along the vehicle width direction (the left - right direction in the figure) inside the side beam 51. As Figure 4 shown, the carpet 60 has an opening 61 formed in the central portion in the vehicle width direction, extending across the driver's seat D side and the passenger seat P side.

[0024] In addition, the driver's seat refers to Figure 1 the seat on one side provided with a steering mechanism 80 including a steering device (not shown) provided inside the vehicle compartment, an accelerator pedal (not shown), and a brake pedal (not shown). The passenger seat refers to the seat adjacent to the driver's seat. In this embodiment, the left front seat of the vehicle 1 is the driver's seat, but it is not limited thereto. The right front seat can also be the driver's seat, and the left front seat can also be the passenger seat.

[0025] As Figure 2 and Figure 4 shown, a control box 70 is disposed between the driver's seat D and the passenger seat P so as to cover the opening 61. The lower part of the control box 70 is detachably fixed to the carpet 60 by a fastener (not shown). In addition, the control box 70 in this embodiment opens downward.

[0026] As Figure 3 shown, the vehicle 1 further includes a power supply device PS composed of a battery pack 10, a DCDC converter 20, and a cooling mechanism 30.

[0027] As Figure 4 shown, the battery pack 10 is disposed under the floor of the vehicle compartment (below the carpet 60). More specifically, the lower member 111 of the battery pack 10 is disposed below the carpet 60, and the upper member 112 of the battery pack 10 is disposed inside the control box 70. In addition, as Figure 1 and Figure 4 shown, the battery pack 10 is disposed on the bottom plate 90.

[0028] The battery pack 10 includes a module housing 11, a plurality of battery modules 12, a junction box 13, a cut - off switch 14, and a battery controller 15.

[0029] The module housing 11 is a housing for mounting the components constituting the battery pack 10. A plurality of battery modules 12, a junction box 13, a cut - off switch 14, and a battery controller 15 are provided in the module housing 11.

[0030] The module housing 11 has a lower member 111, an upper member 112, and a plurality of brackets 113. The lower member 111 is a hollow frame and houses a plurality of battery modules 12 and a junction box 13 inside. The module housing 11 has an opening 111a in a substantially central region of the upper surface.

[0031] An upper member 112 is arranged in a manner covering the opening 111a. The upper member 112 is located inside the control box 70 and is a plate-shaped member protruding upward in imitation of the shape of the control box 70. The upper member 112 constitutes a part of the upper surface of the module housing 11. The upper member 112 in the present embodiment is an example of the "convex portion" in the present invention.

[0032] A cut-off switch 14 is arranged at an opening 112a on the side surface of the upper member 112. On the other hand, a battery controller 15 is arranged at an opening 112b on the upper surface of the upper member 112.

[0033] As Figure 1 shown, a plurality of brackets 113 extend from the side surface of the module housing 11 in a manner overlapping the cross beam 52. By fixing these brackets 113 to the cross beam 52 with fasteners such as bolts (not shown), the battery pack 10 is fixed to the cross beam 52.

[0034] As Figure 4 shown, a plurality of battery modules 12 are mounted inside a lower member 111 of the module housing 11. Although not particularly shown, in the battery module 12, a plurality of battery cells are stacked on top of each other, and adjacent battery cells are electrically connected to each other via a bus bar or the like.

[0035] The plurality of battery modules 12 are electrically connected to a junction box 13 via wirings 121. The junction box 13 is arranged between the plurality of battery modules 12 and is arranged below the upper member 112 inside the lower member 111. The junction box 13 is a device for electrically branching the wirings 121 of the battery modules 12.

[0036] As Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, the junction box 13 is electrically connected to the cut-off switch 14 via a wiring 131. As Figure 4 shown, the cut-off switch 14 is arranged at an opening 112a on the side surface of the upper member 112 on the passenger seat P side. Thus, the cut-off switch 14 is arranged on the passenger seat P side inside the control box 70.

[0037] The cut-off switch 14 constitutes a switch structure SS, which can cut off the battery module 12 from the electronic components in the high-voltage system ( Figure 5 the drive system 40) by the manual operation of an operator during the assembly of the vehicle 1, during the maintenance of the vehicle 1, in an emergency, etc. In the present embodiment, by cutting off the electrical connection between the junction box 13 and the battery controller 15 with the cut-off switch 14, the battery module 12 is electrically cut off from the electronic components in the high-voltage system. In addition, the electronic components in the high-voltage system are equivalent to the DCDC converter 20 and / or the electronic components such as the drive system that are electrically connected to the battery module 12.

[0038] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of the cut-off switch 14 of the switch structure SS of the present embodiment. Figure 7 This is to illustrate as Figure 6 a perspective view showing the operation of the switch portion 142 when the rod portion 141 of the cut-off switch 14 is operated as shown.

[0039] As Figure 6 shown, the cut-off switch 14 in the switch structure SS has a rod portion 141 and a switch portion 142. The rod portion 141 is a movable part directly operated by an operator. The rod portion 141 in the present embodiment is set to be able to move in the vertical direction, and as shown in the upper figure of Figure 6 it is arranged to extend upward in the initial position (on position).

[0040] The switch portion 142 is a part that switches the on / off of the electrical connection in conjunction with the movement of the rod portion 141. The switch portion 142 includes a rod-side switch portion 143 and a circuit-side switch portion 144.

[0041] The rod-side switch portion 143 is a part that is physically connected to the rod portion 141 and operates in conjunction with the operation of the rod portion 141. As shown in the lower figure of Figure 6 the present embodiment, the rod-side switch portion 143 is set to float upward contrary to the rod portion 141 when the rod portion 141 is tilted downward.

[0042] As Figure 7 shown, the rod-side switch portion 143 includes a clamping portion 143a and a connecting portion 143b. The clamping portion 143a is a part clamped between the rod portion 141 and the connecting portion 143b and is made of a non-conductive material. The connecting portion 143b is arranged at the top of the clamping portion 143a and is made of a conductive material such as metal. As shown in the upper figure of Figure 7 the present embodiment, the connecting portion 143b is not particularly limited, but has a substantially U-shaped shape, and when the rod portion 141 is in the on position, it contacts both the battery-side conductor 144a and the controller-side conductor 144b of the circuit-side switch portion 144 to electrically connect the two.

[0043] The circuit-side switch portion 144 includes a battery-side conductor 144a and a controller-side conductor 144b. The battery-side conductor 144a in the present embodiment is electrically connected to the wiring 131 on the side of the junction box 13, and the controller-side conductor 144b is electrically connected to the wiring 151 on the side of the battery controller 15.

[0044] As Figure 6 the upper figure and Figure 7As shown in the figure above, when the rod portion 141 is in the on position, the connecting portion 143b contacts both the battery-side conductor 144a and the controller-side conductor 144b of the circuit-side switch portion 144, thereby electrically connecting the two. On the other hand, when the rod portion 141 is moved downward from above so that the rod portion 141 is in the off position, the rod-side switch portion 143 floats upward in conjunction with the rod portion 141, and the connecting portion 143b separates from the battery-side conductor 144a and the controller-side conductor 144b. As a result, the electrical connection between the battery-side conductor 144a and the controller-side conductor 144b is released, and the electrical connection between the junction box 13 and the battery controller 15 is released. As a result, the battery module 12 is disconnected from the electrical components of the high-voltage system.

[0045] In the present embodiment, by moving the rod portion 141 downward from above, the battery module 12 can be disconnected from the electrical components of the high-voltage system. Therefore, the operator can operate the rod portion 141 from the initial position of the rod portion 141 to disconnect the cut-off switch 14 only by lowering the hand downward. If the vehicle 1 has such a cut-off switch 14, the operator does not need to reach further, for example, to pull the rod portion 141 from the inside to the front side, etc., so the workability can be improved.

[0046] In addition, as Figure 1 shown, the rod portion 141 of the cut-off switch 14 is inclined in the vehicle width direction (the left-right direction in the figure) of the vehicle 1 when viewed from above, and is also inclined in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 1, and extends toward the door on the passenger seat P side. That is, the rod portion 141 is located between the vehicle width direction and the front-rear direction of the vehicle 1 when viewed from above, and the extending direction of the rod portion 141 is not parallel to either the vehicle width direction or the front-rear direction on the passenger seat P side, but is inclined toward the door on the passenger seat side. In this way, the rod portion 141 is inclined toward the door on the passenger seat side and is not parallel to the vehicle width direction when viewed from above, so that the rod portion 141 does not interfere with the seat track for arranging the seat, and thus the workability can be improved. In addition, since the rod portion 141 extends obliquely toward the door on the passenger seat side with respect to the front-rear direction when viewed from above, the operator can easily operate the rod portion 141 from the passenger seat side without interference from the steering device and the pedal, so the workability can be improved.

[0047] As Figure 4 shown, the battery controller 15 is connected to the cut-off switch 14 via a wiring 151. The battery controller 15 is provided at an opening 112b on the upper surface of the upper member 112 of the module housing 11. The battery controller 15 is a computer (ECU) that controls charging and discharging of the battery module 12, etc.

[0048] As Figure 5As shown, at least a part of the battery controller 15 is exposed to the outside of the module housing 11 through the opening 112b, and is electrically connected to the DCDC converter 20 located outside the module housing 11 via the wiring 152.

[0049] The DCDC converter 20 is a device for converting direct current to direct current. The DCDC converter 20 is electrically connected to a drive system 40 such as an inverter and a motor. Although not particularly limited, the inverter, drive motor, etc. are arranged in the engine hood in front of the vehicle.

[0050] As Figure 5 shown, a cooling mechanism 30 is provided behind the upper member 112 of the module housing 11. The cooling mechanism 30 cools the junction box 13 and the DCDC converter 20.

[0051] The cooling mechanism 30 includes a fan 31, an upper duct 32, and a lower duct 33. The fan 31 is provided behind the upper member 112 of the module housing 11 and blows air into the interiors of the upper duct 32 and the lower duct 33.

[0052] As Figure 3 shown, the upper duct 32 is provided above the upper member 112 and the battery controller 15 and extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1. The upper duct 32 is a hollow cylindrical member and blows air from the fan 31 to the DCDC converter 20. As Figure 3 shown, inside the control box 70, the battery controller 15 and the upper duct 32 are arranged in a vertically aligned manner, whereby the cut-off switch 14 can be arranged in the space below the battery controller 15 and the upper duct 32, and inside the control box 70, the space occupied by the battery controller 15, the upper duct 32, and the cut-off switch 14 can be made space-saving.

[0053] On the other hand, as Figure 5 shown, the lower duct 33 is provided so as to enter the inside of the module housing 11 and extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1. The lower duct 33 is a hollow cylindrical member and blows air from the fan 31 to the junction box 13.

[0054] As described above, in the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment, since the cut-off switch 14 is arranged on the passenger seat P side inside the control box 70, the workability when the operator operates the cut-off switch 14 can be improved.

[0055] Description of Reference Numerals

[0056] 1. Vehicle; PS, Power supply device; 10, Battery pack; 11, Module housing; 111, Lower side member; 112, Upper side member; 113, Bracket; 12, Battery module; 121, Wiring; 13, Junction box; 131, Wiring; SS, Switch structure; 14, Disconnect switch; 141, Rod portion; 142, Switch portion; 143, Rod side switch portion; 143a, Clamping portion; 143b, Connecting portion; 144, Circuit side switch portion; 144a, Battery side conductor; 144b, Controller side conductor; 15, Battery controller; 151, 152, Wiring; 20, DCDC converter; 30, Cooling mechanism; 31, Fan; 32, Upper duct; 33, Lower duct; 40, Drive system; 50, Frame; 51, Side beam; 52, Cross beam; 60, Carpet; 61, Opening; 70, Control box; 80, Steering mechanism; 90, Floor panel.

Claims

1. A switch structure, wherein, the switch structure includes a cut-off switch capable of cutting off a battery module from an electrical component in a high-voltage system by manual operation, and the cut-off switch is arranged on the co-driver side inside a control box disposed between the driver's seat and the co-driver's seat of a vehicle.

2. The switch structure according to claim 1, wherein, the cut-off switch has a rod portion capable of moving in the vertical direction, and by moving the rod portion downward from above, the cut-off switch cuts off the battery module from the electrical component in the high-voltage system.

3. The switch structure according to claim 2, wherein, when viewed from above, the rod portion is not parallel to the vehicle width direction of the vehicle, not parallel to the vehicle front-rear direction, and is inclined toward the door on the co-driver side.

4. A power supply device having the switch structure according to claim 1, wherein, the power supply device further includes: a battery controller for controlling the battery module; a DCDC converter; and a duct for supplying air to the DCDC converter, and inside the control box, the battery controller and the duct are arranged in a vertically aligned manner.

5. The power supply device according to claim 4, wherein, the power supply device further includes a module housing for accommodating the battery module therein, the upper surface of the module housing has a convex portion located inside the control box, and the cut-off switch is provided on the side surface of the convex portion.

Images