Vehicle

Abstract

There is provided a vehicle having a battery, a charging inlet, a charging unit configured to convert electric power supplied from outside to the charging inlet and supply the converted electric power to the battery, an engine, and a ventilation flow path connected to a crankcase of the engine, the charging unit being configured to charge the battery. The air exchange flow path has a specific portion disposed along the surface of the charging unit.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] The vehicle disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-185513 has a ventilation flow path connected to the engine's crankcase. The ventilation flow path exhausts blowby gas from the crankcase. The vehicle also has an electric heater that heats the ventilation flow path. In cold climates, moisture can freeze inside the ventilation flow path and cause blockage. The vehicle disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-185513 suppresses moisture freezing within the ventilation flow path by heating the ventilation flow path with the electric heater after the engine is started. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In the vehicle disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-185513, an electric heater is activated after the engine is started. Consequently, the ventilation flow path may be cold immediately after the engine is started. Consequently, blowby gas may flow into the cold ventilation flow path immediately after the engine is started, potentially causing moisture to freeze within the ventilation flow path. Therefore, this specification proposes a vehicle that suppresses moisture freezing within the ventilation flow path immediately after the engine is started.

[0004] The method disclosed in this specification relates to a vehicle comprising a battery, a charging inlet, a charging unit, an engine, and a ventilation flow path. The charging inlet is configured to convert power supplied from an external source to the charging inlet and supply the power to the battery, thereby charging the battery. The ventilation flow path is connected to the crankcase of the engine. The ventilation flow path has a specific portion disposed along the surface of the charging unit.

[0005] In the vehicle of the above aspect, the specific portion may extend along any one of a front surface, a rear surface, a right side surface, a left side surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface of the charging unit.

[0006] In the vehicle of the above embodiment, the ventilation flow path may or may not be equipped with a PCV (Positive Crank Case Ventilation) valve. Furthermore, in the vehicle of the above embodiment, the ventilation flow path may include two systems: a first ventilation flow path equipped with a PCV valve and a second ventilation flow path not equipped with a PCV valve. In this case, the ventilation flow path may be one of the two systems, or both.

[0007] The vehicle according to the above embodiment may further include an intake air flow path, the intake air flow path being arranged along the front surface of the charging unit and connected to the air intake of the engine. Furthermore, the specific portion of the ventilation air flow path may extend along the side surface of the charging unit, or the front end of the specific portion may be connected to the intake air flow path.

[0008] According to the vehicle having the above-described structure, the connection portion between the ventilation flow path and the intake flow path can be heated efficiently.

[0009] In the vehicle of the above aspect, the engine and the charging unit may be arranged in an engine room of the vehicle in a vehicle width direction.

[0010] The vehicle of the above aspect may further include a power supply outlet disposed in a vehicle cabin of the vehicle. The charging unit may be configured to convert the power output from the battery and supply the converted power to the power supply outlet.

[0011] According to the vehicle configured as described above, the ventilation flow path can be heated by the charging unit while the vehicle is traveling.

[0012] In the vehicle of the above aspect, the specific portion may be arranged at a position overlapping with the charging unit in a height direction.

[0013] In the vehicle of the above aspect, the specific portion may extend to an end portion of the charging unit.

[0014] According to the vehicle described above, the battery is charged by the charging unit while the vehicle is stopped. Because the charging unit operates with power supplied from the outside via the charging inlet, it can operate while the vehicle is stopped. As the charging unit operates while the vehicle is stopped, it generates heat. Because a specific portion of the ventilation flow path is arranged along the surface of the charging unit, the heat generated by the charging unit heats the specific portion of the ventilation flow path. Thus, in this vehicle, the heat generated by the charging unit can be used to preheat the ventilation flow path while the vehicle is stopped. This prevents moisture from freezing within the ventilation flow path during engine startup. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like elements, and wherein:

[0016] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a vehicle as an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 2 Observed from the top Figure 1A top view of the front compartment is shown.

[0018] Figure 3 Yes Figure 2 Diagram of the configuration of components at the positions of line III-III.

[0019] Figure 4 is with Figure 1 The battery connections are shown in the circuit diagram of the electrical circuit.

[0020] Figure 5 It is stored in Figure 4 The circuit diagram of the bidirectional charging circuit in the charging unit is shown.

[0021] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram showing an intake system of an engine included in the vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Figure 1 The vehicle 10 shown in the present embodiment is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). In each figure, direction FR indicates the front of the vehicle, direction RR indicates the rear of the vehicle, direction LH indicates the left of the vehicle, direction RH indicates the right of the vehicle, direction UP indicates the upper direction of the vehicle, and direction DW indicates the lower direction of the vehicle.

[0023] The vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 12. A cab 12c and a front engine compartment 12a located in front of the cab 12c are provided within the vehicle body 12. The cab 12c is configured to accommodate passengers. The vehicle body 12 includes a floor panel 12b and an instrument panel 12d. The floor panel 12b forms the floor of the cab 12c. The instrument panel 12d is located between the cab 12c and the front engine compartment 12a. The vehicle 10 has front wheels 14f and rear wheels 14r.

[0024] The vehicle 10 includes a battery 16. The battery 16 is disposed below the floor panel 12b. The battery 16 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, a lithium-ion battery or an all-solid-state battery.

[0025] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a transaxle 20 and an engine 50 are disposed within the front engine compartment 12a. The transaxle 20 incorporates a travel motor 20a and a reduction gear. The travel motor 20a is connected to a pair of front wheels 14f via the reduction gear. The engine 50 is a heat engine that generates power by burning fuel and is not particularly limited to a gasoline engine, a diesel engine, or a hydrogen engine. The engine 50 is connected to the pair of front wheels 14f via a reduction gear (not shown). The engine 50 and the travel motor 20a cooperate to drive the pair of front wheels 14f.

[0026] Figure 4 1 shows an electrical circuit connected to the battery 16 and the driving motor 20a. Figure 4 As shown, the vehicle 10 has a system main relay 48 , a PCU (ie, Power Control Unit) 22 , a charging unit 30 , a charging inlet 42 , and a power supply outlet 40 .

[0027] The PCU 22 is connected to the driving motor 20a. In addition, the PCU 22 is connected to the battery 16 via the system main relay 48. The PCU 22 converts the DC power supplied from the battery 16 into AC power and supplies the AC power to the driving motor 20a, thereby operating the driving motor 20a. The PCU 22 controls the torque and rotation speed of the driving motor 20a by controlling the amplitude and frequency of the AC current supplied to the driving motor 20a. Figure 3 As shown, the PCU 22 is arranged in the front engine compartment 12a and is arranged above the travel motor 20a.

[0028] A charging inlet 42 is provided on the vehicle body 12 . The charging inlet 42 is located in a position accessible from outside the vehicle body 12 . An external AC power source 46 can be connected to the charging inlet 42 . The external AC power source 46 is, for example, a commercial power source for a household. In this embodiment, the charging inlet 42 is connected to the external AC power source 46 via a cable. However, in other embodiments, the charging inlet 42 may be connected to the external AC power source 46 wirelessly.

[0029] The power outlet 40 is located in the cab 12c. Electrical devices can be connected to the power outlet 40. The power outlet 40 outputs AC power to the electrical devices. Examples of the electrical devices include home appliances, personal computers, smartphones, and tablet computers.

[0030] The charging unit 30 is connected to the battery 16 via the system main relay 48. In addition, the charging unit 30 is connected to the charging inlet 42 and the power supply outlet 40. The charging unit 30 is capable of performing charging actions and power supply actions. When the vehicle 10 stops and the charging inlet 42 is connected to the AC power supply 46, the charging unit 30 performs a charging action. In the charging action, the charging unit 30 converts the AC power supplied from the AC power supply 46 to the charging inlet 42 into DC power, and supplies the DC power to the battery 16, thereby charging the battery 16. In addition, when the vehicle 10 is in a state where the ignition is turned on, the charging unit 30 performs a power supply action. In the power supply action, the charging unit 30 converts the DC power supplied from the battery 16 into AC power, and supplies the AC power to the power supply outlet 40. As Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the charging unit 30 is arranged in the front engine compartment 12a. The charging unit 30 is arranged above the PCU 22. In the front engine compartment 12a, the engine 50 and the charging unit 30 are arranged in the vehicle width direction.

[0031] The charging unit 30 includes a housing 30a and a bidirectional charging circuit 30b housed in the housing 30a. Figure 5 As shown, the bidirectional charging circuit 30 b includes an isolation transformer 36 and conversion circuits 31 to 33 .

[0032] The isolation transformer 36 includes a core 36c, a primary coil 36a, and a secondary coil 36b. The primary coil 36a and the secondary coil 36b are wound around the core 36c.

[0033] The conversion circuit 31 is connected to the charging inlet 42 and the power supply outlet 40 via the filter circuit 34. The conversion circuit 31 includes a plurality of switching elements 31a. A freewheeling diode is connected in parallel to each switching element 31a.

[0034] The conversion circuit 32 is connected to the conversion circuit 31. The conversion circuit 32 is also connected to the primary coil 36a of the isolation transformer 36. The conversion circuit 32 includes a plurality of switching elements 32a. A freewheeling diode is connected in parallel to each switching element 32a.

[0035] The converter circuit 33 is connected to the secondary coil 36b of the isolation transformer 36. The converter circuit 33 is also connected to the battery 16 via the system main relay 48. The converter circuit 33 includes a plurality of switching elements 33a. A freewheeling diode is connected in parallel to each switching element 33a.

[0036] Figure 5 The right-pointing arrow in the figure shows an overview of the charging operation. During charging, AC power is supplied to charging inlet 42. Conversion circuit 31 converts the AC power supplied from charging inlet 42 into DC power. Conversion circuit 32 converts the DC power output by conversion circuit 31 into high-frequency AC power, causing AC current to flow through primary coil 36a. This causes AC current to flow through secondary coil 36b. Conversion circuit 33 converts the AC power supplied from secondary coil 36b into DC power, which is then supplied to battery 16. Battery 16 is thus charged.

[0037] Figure 5The left-pointing arrow in FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of the power supply operation. During power supply operation, DC power is supplied from battery 16 to conversion circuit 33. Conversion circuit 33 converts the DC power supplied from battery 16 into high-frequency AC power, causing the AC current to flow through secondary coil 36b. Consequently, the AC current flows through primary coil 36a. Conversion circuit 32 converts the AC power supplied from primary coil 36a into DC power. Conversion circuit 31 converts the DC power output from conversion circuit 32 into AC power and supplies the AC power to power outlet 40.

[0038] As described above, the charging unit 30 (ie, the bidirectional charging circuit 30 b ) can selectively perform a charging operation and a power supply operation.

[0039] Figure 6 The intake system of the engine 50 is schematically shown. Figure 6 As shown, the engine 50 has a combustion chamber 52 and a crankcase 54. The crankcase 54 is arranged in a crankcase 55 and accommodates a crankshaft 56. The crankcase 54 is separated from the combustion chamber 52 by a piston 53. Engine oil is stored in the crankcase 54. An intake port 58 and an exhaust port 59 are provided in the combustion chamber 52. The vehicle 10 has an intake air flow path 60, a first ventilation air flow path 61, and a second ventilation air flow path 62. The intake air flow path 60 is connected to the intake port 58 of the engine 50. The intake air flow path 60 supplies air to the intake port 58. The first ventilation air flow path 61 and the second ventilation air flow path 62 are connected to the crankcase 54 of the engine 50. The first ventilation air flow path 61 and the second ventilation air flow path 62 ventilate the crankcase 54. Here, the "first ventilation air flow path" and the "second ventilation air flow path" are each an example of the "ventilation air flow path" of the present disclosure.

[0040] The intake flow path 60 includes an intake manifold 63, a throttle body 64, an intake duct 65, and an air filter 66. The downstream end of the intake manifold 63 is connected to the intake port 58 of the engine 50. The upstream end of the intake manifold 63 is connected to the downstream end of the intake duct 65 via the throttle body 64. A throttle valve is provided within the throttle body 64. The intake duct 65 is sometimes referred to as an intake pipe or an intake hose. An air filter 66 is provided at the upstream end of the intake duct 65. Air drawn in from outside the vehicle 10 flows into the intake flow path 60 via the air filter 66. As indicated by arrow 100, air is supplied to the intake port 58 via the intake flow path 60.

[0041] In this embodiment, the first ventilation flow path 61 is formed by a PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) hose. The upstream end of the first ventilation flow path 61 is connected to the crankcase 54. A PCV valve 61a is provided at the connection between the first ventilation flow path 61 and the crankcase 54. The downstream end of the first ventilation flow path 61 is connected to the intake manifold 63.

[0042] In this embodiment, the second ventilation flow passage 62 is formed by a PCV hose. The downstream end of the second ventilation flow passage 62 is connected to the crankcase 54. The upstream end of the second ventilation flow passage 62 is connected to the intake duct 65.

[0043] During the operation of the engine 50, blow-by gas flows from the combustion chamber 52 through the gap between the piston 53 and the cylinder to the crankcase 54. As described below, the first ventilation flow path 61 and the second ventilation flow path 62 discharge the blow-by gas from the crankcase 54 to the intake flow path 60. When the engine 50 is operating at low output (for example, in an idling state or a low-speed driving state), the pressure in the intake manifold 63 is low, so the PCV valve 61a is open. Therefore, Figure 6 As shown by arrow 102, blow-by gas flows from the crankcase 54 to the intake manifold 63 via the first ventilation flow path 61. In addition, as the blow-by gas flows in the first ventilation flow path 61, air flows from the intake duct 65 to the crankcase 54 via the second ventilation flow path 62, as shown by arrow 104. The blow-by gas discharged to the intake manifold 63 is delivered to the combustion chamber 52 together with the air. When the engine 50 is operating at high output, the pressure in the intake manifold 63 is high, so the PCV valve 61a is closed. When the pressure in the crankcase 54 increases in this state, as shown by arrow 104, the PCV valve 61a is closed. Figure 6 As shown by arrow 106, the blow-by gas flows back into the second ventilation flow path 62. That is, the blow-by gas flows from the crankcase 54 through the second ventilation flow path 62 to the intake duct 65. The blow-by gas exhausted to the intake duct 65 is delivered to the combustion chamber 52.

[0044] Figure 2 The configuration of the second ventilation flow path 62 and the intake flow path 60 in the front engine compartment 12a is shown. As described above, the second ventilation flow path 62 is composed of a PCV hose. The second ventilation flow path 62 extends from the connection portion 62a relative to the engine 50 along the vehicle width direction toward the charging unit 30. The second ventilation flow path 62 is bent at a bend 62b near the charging unit 30, and extends from the bend 62b along the right side surface (i.e., the surface on the right RH side) of the outer shell 30a of the charging unit 30 toward the front of the vehicle. Hereinafter, the portion of the second ventilation flow path 62 that extends along the side surface of the charging unit 30 is referred to as a specific portion 62c. The specific portion 62c extends to the end in front of the charging unit 30. In addition, in other embodiments, the direction in which the specific portion 62c extends is not limited to the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the specific portion 62c may also extend along the vehicle width direction or the up-down direction. As Figure 3 As shown, the specific portion 62c is arranged at a position overlapping with the charging unit 30 in the height direction and is arranged between the engine 50 and the charging unit 30. There is no shielding provided between the specific portion 62c and the right side of the charging unit 30, and the specific portion 62c is directly opposite to the right side of the charging unit 30. Figure 2 As shown, the intake duct 65 is located in front of the charging unit 30, extending along the front surface (i.e., the surface on the front FR side) of the charging unit 30 and in the vehicle width direction. Similar to the specific portion 62c of the second ventilation flow path 62, the intake duct 65 is located at a position that overlaps with the charging unit 30 in the height direction. The front end (i.e., the connecting portion 62d) of the specific portion 62c is connected to the intake duct 65. Therefore, the entire specific portion 62c, from the curved portion 62b to the connecting portion 62d, is located near the charging unit 30.

[0045] In cold regions, the ventilation flow path reaches a low temperature while the vehicle is stopped. Then, when the engine is started and blowby gas flows through the ventilation flow path, moisture in the blowby gas within the ventilation flow path may freeze, blocking the ventilation flow path. In contrast, in the vehicle 10 of this embodiment, as described below, moisture within the second ventilation flow path 62 is prevented from freezing.

[0046] In the vehicle 10 of this embodiment, when an external power source is connected to the charging inlet 42 while the vehicle is stopped, the battery 16 is charged by the charging unit 30. During the charging operation, the charging unit 30 (particularly the switching elements 31 a - 33 a and the isolation transformer 36) generates heat. This heat also heats a specific portion 62 c of the second ventilation flow passage 62, located along the surface of the charging unit 30. Consequently, when the engine 50 is subsequently started and blow-by gas flows through the second ventilation flow passage 62, freezing of moisture within the second ventilation flow passage 62 is suppressed. In particular, in this embodiment, since the intake flow passage 60 is located along the front surface of the charging unit 30 and the specific portion 62 c is connected to the intake flow passage 60 at its front end, the entire specific portion 62 c, including the connection portion 62 d, is heated by the charging unit 30. The front end of the specific portion 62 c (i.e., the connection portion 62 d) is the most downstream portion of the blow-by gas exhausted from the engine 50 and is the portion where the blow-by gas is most likely to cool. According to the configuration of this embodiment, the connection portion 62d can be heated by the charging unit 30, thereby effectively suppressing freezing of the connection portion 62d. Thus, according to the vehicle 10 of this embodiment, freezing of water in the second ventilation flow path 62 can be suppressed immediately after the engine 50 is started.

[0047] Furthermore, in the vehicle 10 of this embodiment, the charging unit 30 supplies power to the power supply outlet 40 while the vehicle is running. Therefore, the charging unit 30 generates heat even while the vehicle is running, thereby preventing the second ventilation flow path 62 from freezing.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the second ventilation flow path 62 is arranged along the surface of the charging unit 30. However, the first ventilation flow path 61 may be arranged along the surface of the charging unit 30 instead of the second ventilation flow path 62. In this case, freezing of moisture within the first ventilation flow path 61 can be suppressed. Alternatively, both the first ventilation flow path 61 and the second ventilation flow path 62 may be arranged along the surface of the charging unit 30. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, no shielding member is provided between the specific portion 62 c and the charging unit 30. However, various components (not shown) may be arranged between them as long as heat transfer from the charging unit 30 to the specific portion 62 c is possible.

[0049] In addition, in the above embodiment, the specific portion 62c of the second ventilation flow path 62 extends along the right side of the charging unit 30, but the specific portion 62c may also extend along other surfaces (e.g., the front surface, rear surface, left side, upper surface, or lower surface) of the charging unit 30. Alternatively, Figure 2 The configuration is rotated 90 degrees or 180 degrees. In addition, in the present embodiment, the vehicle is a FF vehicle (ie, front engine front drive), but the vehicle may also be other drive systems.

[0050] The above has described in detail the disclosed embodiments of this specification, but these are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of protection sought. The technologies described in the scope of protection sought include various modifications and variations of the specific examples illustrated above. The technical elements described in this specification or the drawings exert technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the technical solutions at the time of application. In addition, the technologies illustrated in this specification or the drawings achieve multiple purposes simultaneously, and achieving one of the purposes itself has technical practicality.

Claims

1. A vehicle, characterized in that: have: Battery; Charging port; a charging unit configured to convert power supplied from the outside to the charging inlet and supply the converted power to the battery, thereby charging the battery; engine; as well as The ventilation air flow path is connected to the crankcase of the engine, wherein: The ventilation flow path has a specific portion arranged along a surface of the charging unit.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that The specific portion extends along any one of a front surface, a rear surface, a right side surface, a left side surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface of the charging unit.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The ventilation flow path is provided with a PCV valve, ie, a positive crankcase ventilation valve.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The ventilation flow path includes two systems: a first ventilation flow path and a second ventilation flow path. The first ventilation flow path is provided with a PCV valve, while the second ventilation flow path is not provided with a PCV valve.

5. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that It also includes an intake air flow path, which is arranged along the front surface of the charging unit and connected to the air intake of the engine, wherein The specific portion of the ventilation air flow path extends along a side surface of the charging unit, and A front end of the specific portion is connected to the intake air flow path.

6. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The engine and the charging unit are arranged in an engine compartment of the vehicle in a vehicle width direction.

7. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The vehicle further includes a power supply outlet disposed in a cabin of the vehicle, wherein the charging unit is configured to convert the power output from the battery and supply the converted power to the power supply outlet.

8. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The specific portion is arranged at a position overlapping with the charging unit in a height direction.

9. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The specific portion extends to an end portion of the charging unit.

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