Motor vehicle with thermal management system and connectable transport container

Abstract

Motor vehicle (10) with at least a partially electric drive (12) and a thermal management system (14) configured to condition interior air (IL) of the motor vehicle (10) and / or to condition at least one electric vehicle component (16) associated with the electric drive (12), in particular a battery storage unit, wherein the thermal management system (14) is detachably coupled to at least one separate transport container (20) such that conditioned air can be introduced into a container interior (28) by a respective air supply section (30) and extracted from the container interior (28) by a respective air discharge section (32), characterized in that the air introduced into the container interior (28) has an air temperature of less than 0°C, in particular less than -5°C, or the air introduced into the container interior (28) has an air temperature of more than 50°C.and that a pressure equalization device (40) is assigned to the air supply section (30) and / or the air discharge section (32) in order to equalize an air pressure difference generated due to air temperature differences between the temperature inside the container (28) and the temperature inside the vehicle.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a motor vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1 with at least a partially electric drive and a thermal management system configured to condition the interior air of the motor vehicle and / or to condition at least one electrical vehicle component associated with the electric drive, in particular a battery storage unit. The invention further relates to a transport container for such a motor vehicle, which can be coupled to or is coupled to the thermal management system.

[0002] Various transport containers, especially thermal boxes, are known from the prior art, which can be carried and connected in a motor vehicle for the purpose of cooling transported goods such as beverages or food.

[0003] A transport container of the type mentioned is known, for example, from the subsequently published DE 10 2021 127 001 A1. A transport container permanently coupled to a thermal management system is known, for example, from CN 1 03 453 630 A.

[0004] For example, US 3 505 830 A shows a cooling box with an air inlet and an air outlet, the air inlet being connectable to an air vent in the interior vehicle trim by means of a flexible hose.

[0005] From DE 40 31 029 A1 a cooling box is known which can be arranged in a separate cooling device, wherein the cooling device can be installed or is installed in a motor vehicle and has its own cooling unit.

[0006] Finally, DE 40 28 658 A1 discloses a cooling box that can be arranged in a vehicle-mounted lower section, wherein active thermocouples are arranged in the lower section for conditioning the cooling box and wherein interior air flows through the lower section, which is improved by means of an ionizer.

[0007] Reference is also made to DE 10 2020 204 510 A1, DE 42 15 136 A1 and DE 100 14 728 A1.

[0008] In well-known motor vehicles with so-called thermoboxes, the cooling capacity is usually provided via a separate cooling system for the thermobox, or cooled air that is actually intended for interior air conditioning is diverted and used.

[0009] The object underlying the invention is seen as being to provide a motor vehicle with a transport container in which the above disadvantages can be avoided.

[0010] This problem is solved by a motor vehicle and a transport container with the features of the respective independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments with expedient further developments are specified in the dependent patent claims.

[0011] A motor vehicle with at least a partial electric drive and a thermal management system is proposed, which is configured to condition the interior air of the motor vehicle and / or to condition at least one electrical vehicle component associated with the electric drive, in particular a battery storage unit, wherein the thermal management system can be coupled to a separate transport container, such that conditioned air can be introduced into a container interior by a respective air supply section and extracted from the container interior by a respective air discharge section, and wherein the thermal management system is configured to cool the air to be introduced into the container interior to an air temperature of less than 0°C, in particular less than -5°C, and is configured to heat the air to be introduced into the container interior to an air temperature of more than 50°C.

[0012] For vehicles that are at least partially electrically powered, which can also be referred to as hybrid vehicles or electric vehicles, a thermal management system is required. This system is used for conditioning, i.e., heating or cooling, vehicle components and / or vehicle areas. Such a thermal management system typically includes at least one refrigeration unit, which can optionally also operate as a heat pump. Furthermore, such a thermal management system may also include coolant circuits that are thermally connected to the refrigeration unit or the refrigerant circuit via appropriate heat exchangers.

[0013] Integrating a transport container, especially a thermal box, into the thermal management system enables efficient cooling or heating of the container. Furthermore, depending on the structure and / or settings of the thermal management system, synergies can also be exploited to efficiently cool or heat the transport container.

[0014] In the motor vehicle, the air supply section and the air discharge section can each have a sealing element designed to close the air supply section and the air discharge section when the transport container is not connected. This prevents conditioned air intended for the transport container from escaping into the vehicle interior.

[0015] In this vehicle, the air intake and exhaust sections can be located in a rear area of ​​the vehicle, particularly between the rear seats or in the trunk. This allows a transport container, for example, to be placed between two rear seats or in the trunk and connected to the thermal management system.

[0016] Alternatively, the air supply section and the air exhaust section can be located in a front area of ​​the vehicle, in particular between the front seats, in the area of ​​the glove box or in a front trunk of the vehicle.

[0017] The vehicle's thermal management system is designed to compensate for pressure differences caused by variations in air temperature between the temperature inside the tank and the temperature inside the vehicle. A pressure equalization device or valve is assigned to the air supply section and / or the air discharge section.

[0018] In such a vehicle, it is also conceivable that multiple air supply and exhaust sections are provided, allowing several transport containers to be connected. Such a concept could be considered, for example, for larger vehicles, particularly delivery vehicles, in which, for instance, multiple refrigerated or heated deliveries to different customers in different transport containers are to be made.

[0019] A transport container, in particular a thermal box, for a motor vehicle described above is also proposed, wherein the transport container has an air inlet coupling point and an air outlet coupling point on a container wall, in particular on a container bottom, which can be coupled or are coupled to the air supply section and the air discharge section of the thermal management system.

[0020] The transport container can be equipped with a sealing element at both the air inlet and air outlet connections to fluidically isolate the container's interior from the environment when not connected to the thermal management system. This allows the transport container to be removed from or moved to the vehicle while maintaining a substantially constant temperature inside. In other words, for example, a transport container cooled or heated to a specific temperature by the thermal management system can be removed from the vehicle without allowing ambient air to enter the container or conditioned air from the container's interior to escape into the environment.

[0021] The transport container can be equipped with at least one pressure equalization device designed to compensate for air pressure differences arising from temperature variations between the container interior and the vehicle interior. For example, a pressure equalization valve can be provided in a container wall. Alternatively, such a pressure equalization device can be combined with a condensate drain provided in the transport container.

[0022] The transport container can be equipped with at least one securing device for the transported goods and / or at least one partition device for the transported goods. This allows the transported goods to be securely held. Furthermore, it is conceivable to create different temperature zones within the interior of the transport container by means of a partition device.

[0023] The interior of the transport container is designed to be cooled to a temperature below 0°C, in particular below -5°C, and to be heated to a temperature above 50°C. In particular, the transport container can also be designed to allow deep-freeze temperatures down to -20°C or holding temperatures up to 70°C.

[0024] In this context, it should be noted that several transport containers are provided for a motor vehicle, in particular a transport container that is specially equipped for cooling the container contents or transported goods, and a separate transport container that is specially equipped for heating the container contents or transported goods.

[0025] Furthermore, it is possible to provide transport containers of different dimensions, in particular with different container volumes, each transport container having similarly arranged air inlet coupling points and air outlet coupling points, so that a kind of standardized coupling with the thermal management system (air supply section or air discharge section) is enabled.

[0026] A transport container as described above can also be conditioned outside the vehicle. For example, it is possible to connect the transport container to an external system for conditioning its internal temperature using the air inlet and outlet connections. This allows the container to be cooled or heated before transport, so that during transport, only the desired temperature needs to be maintained inside the container, which is particularly energy-efficient. Furthermore, a transport container can also be stored in a larger space where it is cooled or heated before or after transport by vehicle.

[0027] Further advantages and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the figures. These show: Fig. 1 simplified and schematically represents a motor vehicle with a transport container coupled to a thermal management system; Fig. Figure 2 simplifies and schematically depicts the motor vehicle with the transport container, which is not coupled to the thermal management system.

[0028] In Fig. Figure 1 shows a simplified and schematic representation of a motor vehicle 10 as a dashed rectangle. The motor vehicle 10 has at least a partially electric drive 12, which is also only shown as a schematic rectangle.

[0029] The motor vehicle 10 further comprises a thermal management system 14, which is configured to condition the interior air IL of the motor vehicle, as illustrated by the corresponding contour arrow. Furthermore, the thermal management system 14 is configured to condition at least one electrical vehicle component 16 associated with the electric drive 12. The electrical vehicle component 16 can be, for example, a battery storage unit, an electrical control unit, or the like.

[0030] The thermal management system 14 can be coupled to, or is coupled with, a separate transport container 20, which is located in Fig. 1 is illustrated in a simplified and schematic sectional view.

[0031] The transport container 20 can also be referred to as a thermal box. It essentially consists of a container base 22, container walls 24, and a container lid 26, which together define an interior space 28. The container lid 26 is, for example, positively and / or force-fitted to the container walls 24. Alternatively, instead of a container lid, the flap(s) for opening the container can also be located on the sides.

[0032] The thermal management system 14 is coupled to the transport container 20 such that conditioned air can be introduced into the container interior 28 via an air supply section 30 and extracted from the container interior 28 via an air discharge section 32. The thermal management system is configured to cool the air introduced into the container interior 28 to an air temperature of less than 0°C, in particular less than -5°C. Furthermore, it is also configured to heat the air introduced into the container interior 28 to an air temperature of more than 50°C.

[0033] The transport container 20 has a container wall, in particular an air inlet coupling point 34 and an air outlet coupling point 36 at the container bottom 22. As can be seen from the Fig. As can be seen in Figure 1, these can be coupled or are coupled to the air supply section 30 and the air discharge section 32 of the thermal management system 14.

[0034] While in the Fig. Figure 1 shows the coupled state of the transport container 20 in the motor vehicle 10. Fig. 2 a state in which the transport container 20 is removed from or inserted into the motor vehicle 10, but is not coupled to the thermal management system 14. In the Fig. 2. The same reference symbols will be used as in the Fig. 1 is used. Accordingly, the above description refers to Fig. 1 also in relation to the Fig. 2. Validity.

[0035] From the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 It is evident that the air supply section 30 and the air discharge section 32 each have a closing element 38 which is designed to close the air supply section 30 and the air discharge section 32 when the transport container 20 is not coupled, which is particularly evident from the Fig. 2 is evident.

[0036] Within the motor vehicle 10, the air supply section 30 and the air discharge section 32 can be arranged in a rear area of ​​the motor vehicle 10, in particular between rear seats or in a trunk of the motor vehicle 10. From the illustration of the Fig. 1 and Fig. Figure 2 shows a simplified trunk floor 42 on which the transport container 20 can be supported or is supported. As can be seen from the figures, the air supply section 30 and the air discharge section 32 extend through the trunk floor 42 so that they are accessible from its upper side.

[0037] As an alternative to the trunk floor, the transport container can also be connected to other structural components, e.g., side surfaces of an interior trim panel, with the air supply and exhaust being arranged accordingly on / in the respective component. In addition to the fluid coupling between the transport container 20 and the thermal management system 14, the transport container can also be connected to other vehicle components, which is illustrated in simplified terms by the rectangle 60 and the connection points 62. For example, the transport container 20 can also be connected to seat backrests and / or interior trim elements of the vehicle 10.

[0038] The thermal management system 14 is designed to compensate for an air pressure difference generated by air temperature differences between the temperature inside the container 28 and the temperature inside the vehicle. For this purpose, a pressure equalization device 40 can be assigned to the air supply section 30 and / or the air discharge section 32, for example a pressure equalization valve or the like, which is in fluid communication with the interior or a body cavity of the vehicle.

[0039] From the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 It is further evident that a respective sealing element 44 is arranged on the transport container 20 at the air inlet coupling point 34 and at the air outlet coupling point 36 in order to fluidically separate the container interior 28 from the environment in the state not coupled to the thermal management system 14, which is particularly evident from the Fig. 2 is evident.

[0040] The transport container 20 can be assigned at least one pressure equalization device 46, which is designed to equalize an air pressure difference generated by air temperature differences between the temperature inside the container 28 and the temperature inside the vehicle. Such a pressure equalization device 46, for example in the form of a pressure equalization valve, can be provided, for instance, in a container wall 24.

[0041] The transport container 20 may contain at least one fastening device 50 for transported goods and / or at least one partition device 52 for transported goods. A fastening device 50 may, for example, be a bottle holder or a strap for securing transported goods, or the like. The partition device 52 may, for example, be a vertical or horizontal partition that divides the interior of the container 28 into different compartments.

Claims

[1] Motor vehicle (10) with at least a partially electric drive (12) and a thermal management system (14) configured to condition interior air (IL) of the motor vehicle (10) and / or to condition at least one electric vehicle component (16) associated with the electric drive (12), in particular a battery storage unit, wherein the thermal management system (14) is detachably coupled to at least one separate transport container (20) such that conditioned air can be introduced into a container interior (28) by a respective air supply section (30) and extracted from the container interior (28) by a respective air discharge section (32), characterized by, that the air introduced into the interior of the container (28) has an air temperature of less than 0°C, in particular less than -5°C, or that the air introduced into the interior of the container (28) has an air temperature of more than 50°C, and that a pressure equalization device (40) is assigned to the air supply section (30) and / or the air discharge section (32) in order to equalize an air pressure difference generated due to air temperature differences between the temperature in the interior of the container (28) and the temperature in the interior of the vehicle. [2] Motor vehicle (10) according to claim 1, wherein the air supply section (30) and the air discharge section (32) each have a closing element (38) which is configured to close the air supply section (30) and the air discharge section (32) when the transport container (20) is not coupled. [3] Motor vehicle (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air supply section (30) and the air discharge section (32) are arranged in a rear area of ​​the motor vehicle (10), in particular between rear seating devices or in a trunk (42) of the motor vehicle (10). [4] Transport container (20), in particular a thermal box, for a motor vehicle (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transport container (20) has an air inlet coupling point (34) and an air outlet coupling point (36) on a container wall (22, 24), in particular on a container bottom (22), which can be coupled or are coupled to the air supply section (30) and the air discharge section (32) of the thermal management system (14), characterized by , that the interior of the container (28) is designed to be cooled to a temperature of less than 0°, in particular less than -5°C, and is designed to be heated to a temperature of more than 50°C. [5] Transport container (20) according to claim 4, wherein a respective closure element (44) is arranged at the air inlet coupling point (34) and at the air outlet coupling point (36) to fluidically separate a container interior (28) from the environment in the state not coupled with the thermal management system (14). [6] Transport container (20) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the transport container (20) is associated with at least one pressure equalization device (46) which is designed to equalize an air pressure difference generated due to air temperature differences between the temperature inside the container (28) and the temperature inside the vehicle. [7] Transport container (20) according to one of claims 4 to 6, wherein at least one fastening device (50) for transported goods and / or at least one separating device (52) for transported goods is arranged in the interior of the container (28).

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