Vehicle rear structure

Abstract

A vehicle rear structure includes a battery case that houses one or more battery cells therein, a first device disposed on an upper side in a vehicle up-down direction of a rear portion of the battery case, a second device disposed on an upper side in the vehicle up-down direction of the first device, and a heat radiating member disposed between the first device and the second device in the vehicle up-down direction and having thermal conductivity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the rear structure of a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-023219 discloses a vehicle equipped with a battery pack in which multiple battery cells are connected in series or parallel and housed in a battery casing.

[0003] In addition, various devices, including heat dissipation equipment, are installed in the space between the upper rear part of the vehicle where the battery casing housing the battery cells is located and the rear seats. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in the structure for dissipating heat from these devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides a rear structure of a vehicle that enables heat dissipation from the device.

[0005] The vehicle rear structure disclosed in the first embodiment includes: a battery housing that houses one or more battery cells; a first device disposed on the upper side of the vehicle's vertical direction at the rear of the battery housing; a second device disposed on the upper side of the vehicle's vertical direction of the first device; and a heat dissipation component disposed between the first device and the second device in the vehicle's vertical direction, and having thermal conductivity.

[0006] In the rear structure of the vehicle disclosed in the first embodiment, a heat dissipation component with thermal conductivity is provided between the first device and the second device in the vertical direction of the vehicle, so that heat dissipated from the first device and the second device can be dissipated through the heat dissipation component.

[0007] The second embodiment of the vehicle rear structure disclosed herein comprises, based on the first embodiment, a box-shaped equipment base that houses the first device and is open on the upper side of the vehicle, wherein the heat dissipation component is mounted on the upper end of the equipment base.

[0008] In the rear structure of the vehicle disclosed in the second embodiment, a heat dissipation component is installed on the upper end of a box-shaped equipment base on which the first device is mounted. Therefore, the first device is housed in a box consisting of the equipment base and the heat dissipation component, thereby enabling the heat enveloping the inside of the box to be dissipated efficiently through the heat dissipation component.

[0009] The third embodiment of the vehicle rear structure disclosed herein is configured such that, based on the configuration described in the first or second embodiment, the heat dissipation component is made of aluminum, and the second device is mounted on the upper surface of the vehicle in the vertical direction.

[0010] In the rear structure of the vehicle disclosed in the third embodiment, the heat dissipation component is made of aluminum and a second device is mounted on its upper surface, thus enabling efficient dissipation of heat emitted from the second device through the heat dissipation component.

[0011] The rear structure of the vehicle disclosed in the fourth embodiment is configured such that, based on the configuration described in any of the second embodiments, the base of the aforementioned equipment is made of aluminum.

[0012] In the rear structure of the vehicle disclosed in the fourth embodiment, the equipment base is made of aluminum, so that heat dissipated from the first device can be dissipated through the equipment base, and heat dissipated from the second device can also be dissipated through the heat dissipation component.

[0013] The rear structure of the vehicle disclosed herein has the excellent effect of dissipating heat emitted from the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating the main parts of a vehicle's rear structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a side cross-section showing an example of the rear structure of a vehicle according to one embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Hereinafter, the vehicle rear structure according to the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Components indicated by the same reference numerals in the various drawings refer to the same component. Unless otherwise specified in the description, each component is not limited to one, and multiple components may exist.

[0017] Furthermore, descriptions of components and reference numerals that are repeated in the various figures are sometimes omitted. Moreover, this disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments; it can be implemented by omitting components, replacing them with different components, combining one embodiment and various modifications, etc., as appropriate, within the scope of the purpose of this disclosure.

[0018] (Vehicle structure)

[0019] Figure 1 This is a perspective view schematically showing the main parts of a vehicle 10 with a rear structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 This is a side section showing an example of the rear structure of a vehicle. Arrows FR, UP, and RH in the figure represent the forward, upward, and rightward directions of vehicle 10, respectively.

[0020] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a battery pack 12 is provided at the center of the vehicle 10 in the longitudinal direction. The battery pack 12 is located at the lower part of the vehicle. In addition, as an example, the upper surface of the battery pack 12 forms the passenger compartment floor, therefore, in this embodiment of the vehicle 10, no floor panel is provided.

[0021] On both sides of the battery pack 12 in the vehicle width direction, there is a pair of left and right side beams 15 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction. The side beams 15 are skeleton components with a generally rectangular closed cross-section. The battery pack 12 is mounted on the side beams 15 using fasteners (not shown).

[0022] The front end of the side beam 15 is connected to the front module 20. On the other hand, the rear end of the side beam 15 is connected to the rear module 30. The front module 20 and the rear module 30 are integrally formed, for example, by casting.

[0023] The front module 20 may be configured to include, for example, a front bulkhead section 21, a suspension tower section 23, and a front longitudinal beam section 25.

[0024] The front bulkhead 21 extends in both the width and vertical directions of the vehicle, separating the interior space from the exterior space. The front longitudinal beams 25 extend from both ends of the front bulkhead 21 in the width direction towards the front of the vehicle, forming the load path in the event of a frontal collision. A pair of left and right suspension towers 23 are provided, configured to support suspension components (not shown) separately.

[0025] At the center of the side beam 15 in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, a first crossbeam 22 and a second crossbeam 24, serving as crossbeam components, are provided. The first crossbeam 22 and the second crossbeam 24 extend above the battery pack 12 along the vehicle width direction and are mounted between the left and right side beams 15. Furthermore, a front-row vehicle seat (not shown) is installed on the first crossbeam 22 and the second crossbeam 24.

[0026] On the other hand, a third crossbeam 26, which serves as a transverse component, is provided on the rear side portion of the side beam 15 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The third crossbeam 26 also extends above the battery pack 12 along the vehicle width direction and is mounted between the left and right pair of side beams 15.

[0027] like Figure 2 As shown, the third crossbeam 26 is formed by overlapping two metal sheets. Specifically, the third crossbeam 26 is formed to have a crossbeam body 26A and a reinforcing member 26B, with the outer reinforcing member 26B covering the inner crossbeam body 26A.

[0028] More specifically, the crossbeam body 26A is engaged with the reinforcement 26B in a state where it is positioned inside the reinforcement 26B, and the reinforcement 26B is in Figure 2The side sectional view shown forms a hat-shaped section that is open on the lower side. The lower ends of the main beam 26A and the reinforcement 26B are bent in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and overlap each other.

[0029] (Battery pack)

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, a battery pack 12 for storing electricity supplied to the motor of the vehicle 10 is provided at the lower part of the vehicle 10. The battery pack 12 is configured to include a battery housing 14 formed in the shape of a box and a plurality of battery cells 16 housed within the battery housing 14. The battery housing 14 is configured to include an upper housing 14A forming the upper part of the battery housing 14 and a lower housing 14B forming the lower part of the battery housing 14.

[0031] The upper housing 14A and the lower housing 14B are formed as plates extending in the front-back and left-right directions, with the vertical direction as the thickness direction. A plurality of battery cells 16 are arranged between the upper housing 14A and the lower housing 14B in a front-back arrangement.

[0032] The upper housing 14A is a cover disposed above and covering the battery cell 16, and as described above, its upper surface forms the vehicle floor. An opening (not shown) is formed at the rear end of the upper housing 14A in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. This opening communicates with the opening 42D of the device base 42 (described later), allowing the internal space of the battery pack 12 to communicate with the internal space of the device housing 40 (described later).

[0033] Alternatively, the battery pack 12 may consist solely of an upper cover that covers the top of the battery cells 16. In this case, a component supporting the battery cells 16 from below may be provided instead of the lower housing 14B.

[0034] (Equipment casing)

[0035] An equipment housing 40 for storing various devices is disposed on the upper side of the vehicle compartment R, above the battery housing 14. The equipment housing 40 includes an equipment base 42 and a cover 44 that serves as a heat dissipation component. The equipment base 42 is a box-shaped frame formed on the upper side of the vehicle, i.e., open at the top.

[0036] The device base 42 is disposed on the upper surface of the upper housing 14A of the battery housing 14, and has a lower wall portion 42A extending along the upper housing 14A, a rear wall portion 42B extending upward from the rear end of the lower wall portion 42A, and a front wall portion 42C extending upward from the front end of the lower wall portion 42A. An opening 42D is formed at the rear side of the lower wall portion 42A for wire harnesses or the like (not shown) to pass through. In addition, the device base 42 has a front flange portion 42E extending forward from the upper end of the front wall portion 42C, and a boss portion 42F protruding downward from the front side of the front flange portion 42E.

[0037] Furthermore, the front end of the equipment base 42 is fixed to the third crossbeam 26 by threading a bolt (not shown) inserted from the top side into the front flange portion 42E and the boss portion 42F of the equipment base 42 with a nut (not shown) provided on the third crossbeam 26.

[0038] In this embodiment, as an example, such as Figure 2 As shown, the device base 42 is formed such that the upper end of the rear wall portion 42B is located below the upper end of the front wall portion 42C. Furthermore, in Figure 1 The diagram of the step difference between the rear wall portion 42B and the front wall portion 42C is omitted.

[0039] The material of the device base 42 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of improving the heat dissipation performance of heat-generating devices such as the relay and junction box 34 described later, it is preferably made of aluminum. That is, the material of the device base 42 is preferably a material with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum. In addition, it is more preferable to be a die-cast part (casting) formed by casting aluminum or the like. Furthermore, the device base 42 does not necessarily have to be a casting; it can also be formed from sheet metal (such as aluminum or stainless steel), resin, etc. Even if the device base 42 is formed from sheet metal, resin, etc., heat will still be dissipated from heat-generating devices such as the relay and junction box 34 to the device base 42.

[0040] The cover 44, in a top view, overlaps with the seat cushion 46 (described later) at the lower side of the seat cushion 46 in the vehicle vertical direction and the upper side of the battery casing 14 in the vehicle vertical direction. Specifically, the cover 44 is a sealing member that blocks the opening (open portion) at the upper end of the device base 42, and is fixed to the device base 42 using a fastening member (not shown). The cover 44 has an upper wall portion 44A extending in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, a rear wall portion 44B extending downward from the rear end of the upper wall portion 44A, and a rear flange portion 44C extending rearward from the lower end of the rear wall portion 44B. In addition, the cover 44 has an upper protrusion 44D protruding upward from the middle portion of the upper wall portion 44A in the front-rear direction.

[0041] The cover 44 has thermal conductivity and is preferably made of a material with high thermal conductivity; for example, it is made of aluminum. Alternatively, the cover 44 can also be made of a sheet of metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel) or a resin with the same rigidity as a metal. Even if the device base 42 is made of a sheet of metal or resin, heat will be dissipated from the heat-generating device such as the relay to the device base 42. Furthermore, the cover 44 can also be formed from a die-cast part (casting) formed by casting aluminum or the like.

[0042] By mounting the cover 44 to the device base 42 from the top, a first device configuration space 32 is formed between the cover 44 and the device base 42. A junction box 34, serving as a first device, is disposed in this first device configuration space 32. Specifically, the cover 44 engages with the device base 42 at its lower end, forming a device housing 40 that houses the junction box 34. Furthermore, the junction box 34 is supported on the upper surface of the lower wall portion 42A of the device base 42 and is fixed to the lower wall portion 42A of the device base 42 via a fixing member (not shown in the figure).

[0043] Inside junction box 34, although not shown in the diagram, are relays and auxiliary devices. Auxiliary devices include, for example, a PDU (Power Distribution Unit) and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The relays and auxiliary devices are connected to and electrically connected to the battery pack 12 via wiring (not shown). These heat-generating devices, such as the relays, are driven by power supplied from the battery pack 12 and sometimes generate heat during operation.

[0044] The device housing 40, which houses the junction box 34, is partially disposed above the upper housing 14A of the battery pack 12. As an example, "partially disposed" means that the battery pack 12, which extends along the vehicle's longitudinal and width directions, is disposed in a portion of the vehicle's longitudinal direction (e.g., the rear side).

[0045] (Auxiliary machine cover)

[0046] The auxiliary cover 50 is made thinner than the equipment base 42 and cover 44 by stamping or other processes on steel plates. Here, the auxiliary cover 50 of this embodiment has a segmented structure in the vehicle width direction (for example, a structure divided into three parts). The bending stiffness of the auxiliary cover 50 in the vehicle vertical direction is set to be lower than the bending stiffness of the equipment base 42 and cover 44 in the vehicle vertical direction. Furthermore, the auxiliary cover 50 includes an upper wall portion 50A disposed opposite to the upper wall portion 44A of the cover 44 in the vertical direction, and a front wall portion 50B extending downward from the front end of the upper wall portion 50A.

[0047] Furthermore, by mounting the auxiliary cover 50 to the cover 44 from the top, a second device configuration space 36 is formed between the auxiliary cover 50 and the cover 44. A charging device 38, serving as a second device, such as a two-in-one charging device, is disposed in front of the upper protrusion 44D in this second device configuration space 36. In this embodiment, the charging device 38 is supported on the upper surface of the upper wall portion 44A of the cover 44 in the vehicle longitudinal direction, specifically on the upper surface of the upper wall portion 44A forward of the upper protrusion 44D, and is fixed to the upper surface of the upper wall portion 44A of the cover 44 via a fixing member (not shown in the figure). Additionally, as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the cover 44 is disposed between the junction box 34 and the charging device 38.

[0048] (Seat cushions, etc.)

[0049] A seat cushion 46, forming part of the rear seat of the vehicle, is provided on the upper side of the auxiliary cover 50. The seat cushion 46 is located on the upper side of the vehicle's vertical direction at the rear of the battery housing 14. In addition, a carpet 48 is provided on the lower side of the seat cushion 46, which covers the equipment housing 40 and the third crossbeam 26 from the front side.

[0050] Furthermore, the vertical distance between the cover 44 at the front end of the charging device 38 and the seat 46 is set to be wider than the vertical distance between the cover 44 at the rear end of the charging device 38 and the seat 46. Also, the vertical distance between the cover 44 and the seat 46 increases from the rear end of the charging device 38 toward the front end of the charging device 38.

[0051] (Functions and effects)

[0052] Next, the effects of this implementation method will be explained.

[0053] In the rear structure of the vehicle according to this embodiment, in the vertical direction of the vehicle, a cover 44, which is a heat dissipation component with thermal conductivity, is provided between the junction box 34, which is the first device, and the charging device 38, which is the second device, so that the heat emitted from the junction box 34 and the charging device 38 can be dissipated through the cover 44.

[0054] In addition, in the rear structure of the vehicle in this embodiment, a cover 44 is installed on the upper end of the box-shaped equipment base 42 on which the junction box 34 is placed. Therefore, the junction box 34 is housed in the box composed of the equipment base 42 and the cover 44, and the heat enveloping the inside of the box can be dissipated efficiently through the cover 44.

[0055] In addition, in the rear structure of the vehicle in this embodiment, the cover 44 is made of aluminum and the charging device 38 is mounted on its upper surface. Therefore, the heat emitted from the charging device 38 can be efficiently dissipated through the cover 44.

[0056] Furthermore, in the rear structure of the vehicle in this embodiment, the device base 42 is made of aluminum, thus allowing heat dissipation from the junction box 34 and from the charging device 38 to dissipate via the cover 44. In other words, heat dissipation from both the junction box 34 and the charging device 38 can be achieved through the device base 42.

[0057] Furthermore, in the rear structure of the vehicle in this embodiment, the charging device 38, which serves as the second device, is supported on the upper surface of the device housing 40, which houses the junction box 34, which is the first device. Therefore, a new base for supporting the charging device 38 is not required. As a result, the increase in the number of components can be suppressed.

[0058] Furthermore, in the rear structure of the vehicle in this embodiment, the charging device 38 is fixed to the upper wall 44A, which is located on the upper side of the front side of the cover 44. This allows for easy maintenance of the charging device 38 from the R side of the vehicle compartment.

[0059] Furthermore, it is also possible to omit or modify some of the components of this embodiment described above.

[0060] The above describes one embodiment of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above. Of course, various modifications can be made in addition to the above without departing from its spirit.

Claims

1. A rear structure of a vehicle, wherein, The rear structure of the vehicle includes: The battery casing houses one or more battery cells. The first device is disposed on the upper side of the vehicle's vertical direction at the rear of the battery housing; The second device is installed on the upper part of the vehicle in the vertical direction of the first device; as well as A heat dissipation component is disposed between the first device and the second device in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and has thermal conductivity.

2. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 1, wherein, It has a box-shaped equipment base that houses the first device and is open on the top side of the vehicle. The heat dissipation component is installed on the upper end of the device base.

3. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 1, wherein, The heat dissipation component is made of aluminum and the second device is mounted on the upper surface of the vehicle in the vertical direction.

4. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 2, wherein, The base of the device is made of aluminum.

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