Center console

Abstract

To provide a center console which can protect a high voltage cable.SOLUTION: A center console 12 is applied to a vehicle 10 in which: a high voltage cable 32 is extended and arranged in a vehicle longitudinal direction at an in-vehicle side of a floor panel 16; and a part of the high voltage cable 32 is positioned between a rear seat cushion 14 and a console box 20. The center console 12 includes: a protective covering 50 which is connected with a lower part of the console box 20 at a rear side of the vehicle to cover a part of the high voltage cable 32 from above. The protective covering 50 includes: a resin cover with an inclined outer surface rising and inclining from the vehicle rear side to the vehicle front side; and a sheet plate cover which is positioned between the resin cover and a part of the high voltage cable 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a center console of a vehicle, and more particularly to a center console provided with a cover for protecting a high-voltage cable.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, electric vehicles such as battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have been known. In an electric vehicle, electric power from a battery is supplied to a drive motor via a power control unit (PCU). The battery and the PCU are connected by a high-voltage cable.

[0003] In addition, an automobile includes a center console disposed between a driver's seat and a passenger seat. The center console is configured to be continuous, for example, from a center cluster in the front of the passenger compartment. The center console includes a console box. A console end panel facing the rear of the vehicle, for example, is disposed in the console box. The console end panel includes, for example, an air outlet for air conditioning for rear seat passengers. An example of the console box is shown in Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In some electric vehicles, the battery is arranged at the rear of the vehicle body, the PCU and the drive motor are arranged at the front of the vehicle body, and high-voltage cables are arranged to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. These high-voltage cables may be arranged on the inner side of the floor panel inside the vehicle. If these high-voltage cables are arranged at the center in the vehicle width direction, most of the high-voltage cables are arranged and protected under structures such as the console box and the rear seat cushion. However, the part of the high-voltage cable arranged between the console box and the rear seat cushion remains unprotected. Therefore, a structure that can protect the high-voltage cable arranged between the console box and the rear seat cushion is desired.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to enable protection of a high-voltage cable arranged between a console box and a rear seat cushion.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A center console according to the present invention is a center console applied to a vehicle in which a high-voltage cable extends and is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle on the inner side of the floor panel inside the vehicle, and a part of the high-voltage cable is located between a rear seat cushion and a console box, and is connected to the lower part of the console box at the rear of the vehicle and includes a protective cover that covers the part of the high-voltage cable from above. The protective cover includes a resin cover having an inclined outer surface that rises and inclines from the rear of the vehicle toward the front of the vehicle, and a sheet metal cover located between the resin cover and the part of the high-voltage cable.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the high-voltage cable can be protected by the protective cover. In addition, since the protective cover (resin cover) has an inclined outer surface, it is possible to prevent passengers from placing their feet on it and staying, or placing luggage on it. Also, the strength of the protective cover can be increased by the sheet metal cover, and electromagnetic waves generated from the high-voltage cable can be blocked.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The same reference numerals are given to the same elements in all the drawings, and redundant explanations are omitted. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the terms indicating directions and orientations such as front, rear, left, right, up, and down represent the directions and orientations related to the vehicle. In each figure, the direction of arrow FR represents the front, the direction of arrow UP represents the upper side, and the direction of arrow LH represents the left side.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the high-voltage cable 32 inside the vehicle. In the figure, the console box 20 inside the vehicle and the seat cushion 14 of the rear seat (referred to as the rear seat cushion 14) are schematically shown. The vehicle 10 is a four-wheel drive automobile and an electric vehicle. The vehicle 10 includes a battery 30 (schematically shown) disposed at the rear part of the vehicle body and a PCU and a drive motor (both not shown) disposed at the front part of the vehicle body. The battery 30 and the PCU are connected by a high-voltage cable 32. In this vehicle 10, three high-voltage cables 32 are arranged extending in the front-rear direction. The high-voltage cable 32 is a cable for high DC voltage.

[0012] One of the three high-voltage cables 32 is branched into two. One of the two high-voltage cables 32a is connected to the input terminal 47 of the inverter 46 (see Fig. 2(B)) in the console box 20. The inverter 46 converts the high-voltage DC power input to the input terminal 47 into low-voltage AC power (AC100V) and supplies the AC power to the output terminal 48. An AC100V outlet 84 is arranged on the console end panel 36, and AC power is supplied from the output terminal 48 of the inverter 46 to the outlet 84 (connected between the output terminal 48 and the outlet 84 by a cable). Thus, a passenger sitting in the rear seat can plug in the plug of an electrical device to the outlet 84 and use the electrical device.

[0013] In order to provide the outlet 84 (power source) at the rear of the console box 20 in this way and to provide structures such as the propeller shaft, differential gear, fuel tank, etc. at the required positions, the three high-voltage cables 32 are arranged on the vehicle interior side of the floor panel 16.

[0014] The vehicle 10 includes a floor panel 16, a center console 12, and a rear seat cushion 14. The floor panel 16 includes a tunnel portion 18 that extends longitudinally in the center of the vehicle width direction. The center console 12 is arranged on the tunnel portion 18. The center console 12 includes a console box 20 at the rear. The rear seat cushion 14 is arranged on a slightly raised portion of the rear floor panel 16.

[0015] The high-voltage cable 32 is arranged above the floor panel 16 and below the center console 12 and the rear seat cushion 14. Most of the high-voltage cable 32 is arranged and protected under structures such as the console box 20 and the rear seat cushion 14. However, the portion of the high-voltage cable 32 arranged between the console box 20 and the rear seat cushion 14 (shown by a solid line in Fig. 1) remains as an unprotected portion, so that portion is covered with a protective cover 50.

[0016] In FIG. 2, (A) is a perspective view of a part of the center console 12, (B) is an exploded perspective view of a part of the center console 12, and (C) is an exploded perspective view of the protective cover 50. The center console 12 includes a console box 20, a console end panel 36, a protective cover 50, a console bracket 40, and an inverter 46.

[0017] The console end panel 36 is connected to the upper rear part of the console box 20, and the protective cover 50 is connected to the lower rear part of the console box 20. The console end panel 36 includes an outlet 84. The protective cover 50 is a part that extends the lower part of the center console 12 (console box 20) backward.

[0018] The console bracket 40 and the inverter 46 are arranged inside the console box 20. The console bracket 40 is formed in a box shape. The inverter 46 is housed inside the console bracket 40. The console bracket 40 includes a top plate 42 and four legs 45 (three legs 45 are shown in FIG. 2(B)). The top plate 42 has connection parts 43a, 43b, 43c. The four legs 45 are fixed to the floor panel 16.

[0019] The console box 20 includes connection parts 22a, 22b, and those connection parts 22a, 22b are respectively connected to the connection parts 43a, 43b of the console bracket 40. Thereby, the console box 20 is supported by the floor panel 16 via the console bracket 40. Also, the protective cover 50 includes a connection part 66, and that connection part 66 is connected to the connection part 43c of the console bracket 40.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2(C), the protective cover 50 includes a resin cover 52 and a sheet metal cover 54. The resin cover 52 includes a stepped portion 60, a top plate 56, and left and right side plates 58 (only one side plate 58 is shown in FIG. 2(C)). The lower end of the console end panel 36 is disposed on the stepped portion 60. The top plate 56 includes an inclined outer surface 62 that slopes upward from the rear to the front, and a rear outer surface 64 provided behind the inclined outer surface 62.

[0021] The sheet metal cover 54 is a plate-shaped metal member disposed on the back side of the top plate 56 of the resin cover 52. The sheet metal cover 54 has a shape that contacts the back sides of the inclined outer surface 62 and the rear outer surface 64 of the top plate 56 (the same inclination as the inclined outer surface 62 and the rear outer surface 64). The sheet metal cover 54 is fastened to the resin cover 52 with screws 72 (three). There is a portion on the back side of the resin cover 52 where the screws 72 are screwed in.

[0022] The sheet metal cover 54 includes a connecting portion 66 that is connected to the connecting portion 43c of the console bracket 40 (see FIG. 2(B)). When a load is applied from above the protective cover 50, the sheet metal cover 54 transmits the load to the floor panel 16 via the console bracket 40 by the front portion 70a (connecting portion 66), and is fastened to the resin cover 52 by the portions 70b and 70c and fastened to the floor panel 16 by the clips 74 attached to the resin cover 52, so that the load is transmitted to the floor panel 16. There is a portion on the back side of the resin cover 52 that receives the clips 74. The sheet metal cover 54 is positioned between the resin cover 52 and the high-voltage cable 32 (see FIG. 1). The high-voltage cable 32 is positioned between the portions 70b and 70c.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the operation and effect of the protective cover 50. In the figure, the console bracket 40 and the sheet metal cover 54 are omitted, and the carpet 90 under the protective cover 50 is shown.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3(A), since the space between the center console 12 and the rear seat cushion 14 is relatively narrow, it is impossible to place the feet 100a (equivalent to 26 cm). Note that FIG. 3(A) shows that the feet 100a cannot be placed as shown in the figure. Further, in FIG. 3(B), two feet 100b, 100c (both equivalent to 26 cm) are shown, and these show a state where the feet 100b, 100c are slightly tilted left and right when viewed from above.

[0025] Here, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the function and effect of the protective cover 50 will be described. As described above, the protective cover 50 is connected to the lower rear part of the console box 20 (see FIG. 2(A)), has a continuous design surface (resin) from the console end panel 36, and includes a sheet metal cover 54 that covers the high-voltage cable 32 on the inside.

[0026] The protective cover 50 can block electromagnetic waves so that the electromagnetic waves generated from the high-voltage cable 32 do not affect the passengers, protect the high-voltage cable 32 from external forces, and further ensure the design quality. The external force is, for example, a load generated by the getting on and off of passengers, the movement inside the vehicle cabin, the loading and unloading of luggage, etc. In particular, the sheet metal cover 54 plays a role in blocking the electromagnetic waves of the high-voltage cable 32 and protecting the high-voltage cable 32 from external forces.

[0027] As described above, the protective cover 50 includes an inclined outer surface 62 and a rear outer surface 64. As shown in FIG. 3, the angle θ (referred to as the upper surface angle θ) formed by the inclined outer surface 62 with respect to the rear outer surface 64 is approximately 40 degrees. By having the inclined outer surface 62 on the protective cover 50, it is possible to prevent passengers from placing their feet on the protective cover 50 and staying, or placing luggage on the protective cover 50.

[0028] Further, by having the upper surface angle θ on the protective cover 50, as shown by the foot 100b in FIG. 3(B), when a passenger moves from the front seat to the rear seat, the foot 100b will contact two locations on the protective cover 50 (refer to the two thick arrows), and the load applied to the protective cover 50 can be dispersed.

[0029] Also, as shown in FIG. 3(B), the console end panel 36 connected to the inclined outer surface 62 of the protective cover 50 is provided with a recessed portion 38 recessed forward. Therefore, as shown by the leg 100c in FIG. 3(B), when the occupant sitting in the rear seat moves in the left-right direction, the occupant can move in the left-right direction without placing the leg 100c on the protective cover 50.

[0030] According to the embodiment described above, it is possible to ensure the protection and convenience of the occupant, protect the high-voltage cable 32, and also ensure the designability.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0031] 10 Vehicle, 12 Center console, 14 Rear seat cushion (seat cushion), 16 Floor panel, 18 Tunnel portion, 20 Console box, 22a, 22b Connection portion, 30 Battery, 32, 32a High-voltage cable, 36 Console end panel, 38 Recessed portion, 40 Console bracket, 42 Top plate, 43a, 43b, 43c Connection portion, 45 Leg, 46 Inverter, 47 Input terminal, 48 Output terminal, 50 Protective cover, 52 Resin cover, 54 Sheet metal cover, 56 Top plate, 58 Side plate, 60 Step portion, 62 Inclined outer surface, 64 Rear outer surface, 66 Connection portion, 70a, 70b, 70c Portion, 72 Screw, 74 Clip, 84 Power outlet, 90 Carpet, 100a, 100b, 100c Leg.

Claims

【Claim 1】 A center console applied to a vehicle in which a high-voltage cable extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle inside the floor panel, and a part of the high-voltage cable is located between the rear seat cushion and the console box, comprising a protective cover connected to the lower rear part of the console box in the vehicle and covering the part of the high-voltage cable from above, wherein the protective cover includes a resin cover having an inclined outer surface that rises and inclines from the rear of the vehicle toward the front of the vehicle, and a sheet metal cover located between the resin cover and the part of the high-voltage cable. The center console is characterized by the above.

Images