Vehicle

Abstract

To suppress an impact on an electric circuit inside a casing of a relay unit caused by damage to the casing.SOLUTION: A vehicle may comprise: a vehicle body; a plurality of wheels which support the vehicle body; a motor which drives at least one of the plurality of wheels; a battery which is electrically connected to the motor; a relay unit which is electrically connected to the battery; and at least one electric unit which is electrically connected to the relay unit. The relay unit may have a casing, at least one relay arranged inside the casing, a first electric circuit which is arranged inside the casing and electrically connects the battery to one end of the at least one relay, and a second electric circuit which is arranged inside the casing and electrically connects the at least one electric unit to the other end of the relay. The first electric circuit may be located closer to an inside of the vehicle in a width direction of the vehicle than the second electric circuit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to vehicles.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a relay unit mounted on a vehicle. The relay unit electrically connects between the vehicle's battery and a plurality of in-vehicle loads.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a vehicle collision occurs, there is a risk that a part of the vehicle body or other adjacent in-vehicle units may come into contact with the above-described relay unit. At this time, it is desirable to suppress the influence on the electric circuit inside the casing due to damage to the casing of the relay unit. This specification provides a technology that can at least partially solve this problem.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The technology disclosed in this specification is embodied in a vehicle. This vehicle may include a vehicle body, a plurality of wheels supporting the vehicle body, a motor driving at least one of the plurality of wheels, a battery electrically connected to the motor, a relay unit electrically connected to the battery, and at least one electrical unit electrically connected to the relay unit. The relay unit may include a casing, at least one relay disposed within the casing, a first electrical circuit disposed within the casing and electrically connecting the battery to one end of the at least one relay, and a second electrical circuit disposed within the casing and electrically connecting the at least one electrical unit to the other end of the relay. The first electrical circuit may be located closer to the inside of the vehicle than the second electrical circuit in the vehicle's left-right direction.

[0006] In the above-described vehicle, a relay is provided within the relay unit, and the electrical circuit within the relay unit is divided into a first electrical circuit and a second electrical circuit with the relay as a boundary. The first electrical circuit electrically connected to the battery is located closer to the inside of the vehicle than the second electrical circuit in the vehicle's left-right direction. According to such a configuration, even when the casing of the relay unit is damaged from the side of the vehicle, the influence on the first electrical circuit is suppressed. On the other hand, although there is a possibility of affecting the second electrical circuit, the second electrical circuit can be electrically disconnected from the battery by the relay.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] In a first aspect of the present technology, as described above, a vehicle may include a vehicle body, a plurality of wheels supporting the vehicle body, a motor driving at least one of the plurality of wheels, a battery electrically connected to the motor, a relay unit electrically connected to the battery, and at least one electrical unit electrically connected to the relay unit. The relay unit may include a casing, at least one relay disposed within the casing, a first electrical circuit disposed within the casing and electrically connecting the battery to one end of the at least one relay, and a second electrical circuit disposed within the casing and electrically connecting the at least one electrical unit to the other end of the relay. The first electrical circuit may be located inside the vehicle more towards the inside of the vehicle than the second electrical circuit in the vehicle left - right direction.

[0009] In a second aspect of the present technology, in addition to the above - described first aspect, the vehicle body may have a wheel house that houses one of the plurality of wheels. In this case, at least one surface of the casing in the relay unit may face the wheel house in the vehicle left - right direction. According to such a configuration, when a collision occurs in the vehicle, there is a possibility that the relatively rigid wheel house may contact the relay unit. In this case, the possibility that the casing of the relay unit is damaged becomes even higher. However, by adopting the present technology, the influence on the first electrical circuit due to the damage of the casing is suppressed.

[0010] In a third aspect of the present technology, in addition to the above - described first aspect or second aspect, the relay unit may be disposed within a rear compartment located at the rear of the vehicle body. However, in another aspect, the relay unit may be disposed within a front compartment located at the front of the vehicle body, or may be disposed below the floor panel of the vehicle body.

[0011] In a fourth aspect of the present technology, in addition to the above-described third aspect, the relay unit may be located below the luggage room within the rear compartment. According to such a configuration, even when the arrangement of the relay unit is restricted in a relatively narrow space, the influence on the first electric circuit due to damage to the casing is suppressed.

[0012] In a fifth aspect of the present technology, in addition to any one of the first to fourth aspects described above, the relay may be maintained in an open state during the running of the vehicle. According to such a configuration, for example, even when a collision occurs in the vehicle and the second electric circuit is exposed to the outside, the second electric circuit can be surely disconnected from the battery.

[0013] In a sixth aspect of the present technology, in addition to any one of the first to fifth aspects described above, the at least one electric unit may include a charging inlet to which an external DC power source is detachably connected.

[0014] In a seventh aspect of the present technology, in addition to any one of the first to sixth aspects described above, the vehicle may further include an air-conditioning compressor. In this case, the air-conditioning compressor may be connected to the first electric circuit of the relay unit. That is, the relay unit may have a function of relaying between the battery and the air-conditioning compressor.

[0015] In an eighth aspect of the present technology, in addition to any one of the first to seventh aspects described above, the vehicle may further include an auxiliary battery and a DC-DC converter. In this case, the auxiliary battery may be connected to the first electric circuit of the relay unit via the DC-DC converter. And the DC-DC converter may be capable of converting the DC power from the battery into DC power of a low voltage (for example, 30 volts or less) supplied to the auxiliary battery. That is, the relay unit may have a function of relaying between the battery and the auxiliary battery.

[0016] In a ninth aspect of the present technology, in addition to any one of the first to eighth aspects described above, the vehicle may further include a power supply outlet and a power conversion circuit for power supply. In this case, the power supply outlet may be connected to the first electric circuit of the relay box via the power conversion circuit. And the power conversion circuit may be capable of converting the DC power from the battery into AC power supplied to the outside from the power supply outlet. That is, the relay box may have a function of relaying between the battery and the power supply outlet.

[0017] Hereinafter, representative and non-limiting specific examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This detailed description is merely intended to show those skilled in the art the details for implementing preferred examples of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Also, the additional features and inventions disclosed below can be used separately or together with other features and inventions to provide a further improved vehicle.

[0018] Also, the combinations of features and steps disclosed in the following detailed description are not essential for implementing the present invention in the broadest sense, and are described only for the purpose of explaining representative specific examples of the present invention. Furthermore, the various features of the above and below representative specific examples, as well as the various features described in the independent and dependent claims, do not have to be combined as described in the specific examples here or in the order listed when providing additional and useful embodiments of the present invention.

[0019] All features described in this specification and / or the claims are intended to be disclosed separately and independently of each other as limitations to the initial disclosure and the claimed specific matters, apart from the configurations of the features described in the examples and / or claims. Furthermore, all descriptions regarding numerical ranges and groups or populations are made with the intention of disclosing intermediate configurations as limitations to the initial disclosure and the claimed specific matters.

Examples

[0020] Referring to the drawings, the vehicle 10 of the embodiment will be described. The vehicle 10 of this embodiment is a battery electric vehicle (BEV). However, the vehicle 10 is not limited to a BEV, and may be other types of electric vehicles such as a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

[0021] Here, the direction FR in the drawings indicates the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the opposite direction indicates the rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Also, the direction LH indicates the left in the left-right direction (or width direction) of the vehicle, and the opposite direction indicates the right in the left-right direction of the vehicle. And the direction UP indicates the upper side in the up-down direction of the vehicle, and the opposite direction indicates the lower side in the up-down direction of the vehicle. In this specification, the front side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the rear side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the left side in the left-right direction of the vehicle, the right side in the left-right direction of the vehicle, the upper side in the up-down direction of the vehicle, and the lower side in the up-down direction of the vehicle may be simply referred to as the front side, the rear side, the left side, the right side, the upper side, and the lower side, respectively.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 12 and a plurality of wheels 14f, 14r. The vehicle body 12 is made of a metal such as a steel-based material or an aluminum-based material, for example. The plurality of wheels 14f, 14r support the vehicle body 12. The plurality of wheels 14f, 14r includes a pair of front wheels 14f located at the front of the vehicle body 12 and a pair of rear wheels 14r located at the rear of the vehicle body 12. The pair of front wheels 14f are respectively located on the left and right of the vehicle body 12. The pair of rear wheels 14r are respectively located on the left and right of the vehicle body 12.

[0023] Inside the vehicle body 12, a cabin 12c, a front compartment 12f, and a rear compartment 12r are defined. The front compartment 12f is located at the front of the vehicle body 12. The rear compartment 12r is located at the rear of the vehicle body 12. The cabin 12c is configured to allow passengers to board. The cabin 12c is located between the front compartment 12f and the rear compartment 12r. The vehicle body 12 has a floor panel 16, a dash panel 18, and a plurality of wheel houses 20. The floor panel 16 defines the floor of the cabin 12c. The dash panel 18 is interposed between the cabin 12c and the front compartment 12f. Each wheel house 20 houses a corresponding one of the plurality of wheels 14f, 14r. A pair of wheel houses 20 that house the front wheels 14f are located at both ends in the left-right direction of the front compartment 12f. A pair of wheel houses 20 that house the rear wheels 14r are located at both ends in the left-right direction of the rear compartment 12r.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, a seat 22 on which the passengers of the vehicle 10 sit is arranged in the cabin 12c. The seat 22 is a rear seat arranged at the rear of the cabin 12c. The rear compartment 12r is located behind the seat 22. An upper part of the rear compartment 12r further defines a luggage room 12r1. The vehicle body 12 has a luggage floor board 24 arranged in the rear compartment 12r. The luggage floor board 24 defines the floor of the luggage room 12r1.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the vehicle 10 includes a battery unit 26, a motor unit 28, a power control unit (PCU) 30, a relay unit 32, a charging inlet 40, an auxiliary battery 42, a DC-DC converter 44, an air-conditioning compressor 46, a compressor inverter 48, a power supply outlet 50, and a power supply inverter 52.

[0026] The battery unit 26 has a casing 26a, a battery 26b, and a system main relay 26c, and is configured to be chargeable and dischargeable. Inside the casing 26a, the battery 26b and the system main relay 26c are accommodated. The battery 26b has one or more secondary battery cells. The secondary battery cells are not particularly limited, and may be, for example, lithium ion battery cells or all-solid-state battery cells. The battery unit 26 is disposed under the floor panel 16.

[0027] The motor unit 28 is electrically connected to the battery 26b via the PCU 30 and the system main relay 26c. The motor unit 28 is connected to a pair of front wheels 14f via a speed reducer (not shown). The motor unit 28 has a traveling motor that drives a pair of front wheels 14f using the electric power supplied from the battery 26b. However, the motor unit 28 is not limited to a pair of front wheels 14f, and may drive at least one of a plurality of wheels 14f, 14r. The motor unit 28 may be disposed in the front compartment 12f.

[0028] The PCU 30 is electrically connected to the battery 26b and the motor unit 28, respectively. The PCU 30 includes an inverter, a converter, and the like. The PCU 30 controls the supplied power between the battery 26b and the motor unit 28. Alternatively, when the vehicle 10 decelerates, the PCU 30 controls the regenerative power supplied from the motor unit 28 to the battery 26b. Although not particularly limited, the PCU 30 may be disposed in the front compartment 12f and above the motor unit 28.

[0029] The relay unit 32 is electrically connected to the battery 26b via the system main relay 26c. Further, a plurality of electric units 40, 44, 48, 52 are electrically connected to the relay unit 32, respectively. The relay unit 32 electrically relays between the battery 26b and the plurality of electric units 40, 44, 48, 52. Although not particularly limited, the plurality of electric units 40, 44, 48, 52 include a charging inlet 40, a DC-DC converter 44, a compressor inverter 48, and a power supply inverter 52. The relay unit 32 is located within the rear compartment 12r, and more specifically, is disposed below the luggage room 12r1. The relay unit 32 is disposed between a pair of wheel houses 20 in the left-right direction. More specifically, at least one outer peripheral surface of the relay unit 32 faces the wheel house 20. Specifically, the relay unit 32 is closer to the wheel house 20 compared to other electric units 44, 48, 52, etc. disposed within the rear compartment 12r.

[0030] The charging inlet 40 is located at the rear of the vehicle body 12. The charging inlet 40 is connected to an external DC power source via the cable 2. The connector 4 of the cable 2 is detachably configured for the charging inlet 40. The external DC power source is, for example, a charging station or the like. The charging inlet 40 receives charging power for charging the battery 26b from the external DC power source.

[0031] The auxiliary battery 42 has secondary battery cells and is configured to be chargeable and dischargeable. The rated voltage of the auxiliary battery 42 is approximately 12 volts. The auxiliary battery 42 is connected to various control systems and other auxiliary devices of the vehicle 10 and supplies power to them. The secondary battery cells are not particularly limited and may be, for example, lithium-ion battery cells or all-solid-state battery cells. The auxiliary battery 42 is disposed below the luggage room 12r1 of the rear compartment 12r.

[0032] The DC-DC converter 44 is connected to the auxiliary battery 42. The auxiliary battery 42 is electrically connected to the relay unit 32 via the DC-DC converter 44. The DC-DC converter 44 is configured to be able to convert the DC power from the battery 26b into DC power of a low voltage (for example, 30 volts or less) supplied to the auxiliary battery 42. The DC-DC converter 44 is disposed below the luggage room 12r1 of the rear compartment 12r.

[0033] The air-conditioning compressor 46 is a device that compresses refrigerant gas in the air-conditioning heat pump circuit mounted on the vehicle 10. The air-conditioning compressor 46 is connected to the relay unit 32 via the compressor inverter 48. The compressor inverter 48 is configured to be able to convert the DC power from the battery 26b into AC power supplied to the air-conditioning compressor 46. The compressor inverter 48 controls the operation of the air-conditioning compressor 46 by adjusting the power supplied to the air-conditioning compressor 46. The compressor inverter 48 is disposed below the luggage room 12r1 of the rear compartment 12r.

[0034] The power supply outlet 50 is configured such that an electrical device can be detachably attached thereto. The power supply outlet 50 outputs DC power to the electrical device. Although not particularly limited, the power supply outlet 50 is configured to be able to supply high-power electricity, for example, of 600 watts or more and 1500 watts or less. Examples of the electrical devices here include home appliances (for example, a dryer, a water heater, etc.), a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, and the like. The power supply outlet 50 is disposed in the cabin 12c.

[0035] The power supply inverter 52 is connected to the power supply outlet 50. The power supply inverter 52 is connected to the relay unit 32 via the power supply inverter 52. The power supply inverter 52 is configured to be able to convert the DC power from the battery 26b into AC power supplied to the outside from the power supply outlet 50. The power supply inverter 52 is disposed below the luggage room 12r1 of the rear compartment 12r. Here, the power supply inverter 52 is an example of the "power conversion circuit for power supply" in the present technology.

[0036] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the details of the configuration of the relay unit 32 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the relay unit 32 is electrically connected to the battery 26b via the system main relay 26c and the first cable 54. The first cable 54 has a first connector 54a. The first connector 54a is configured to be detachable from the relay unit 32. The relay unit 32 is connected to the charging inlet 40 via the second cable 56. The second cable 56 has a second connector 56a. The second connector 56a is configured to be detachable from the relay unit 32. The relay unit 32 is connected to the DC-DC converter 44 via the third cable 58. The third cable 58 has a third connector 58a. The third connector 58a is configured to be detachable from the relay unit 32. The relay unit 32 is connected to the compressor inverter 48 via the fourth cable 60. The fourth cable 60 has a fourth connector 60a. The fourth connector 60a is configured to be detachable from the relay unit 32. The relay unit 32 is connected to the power supply inverter 52 via the fifth cable 62. The fifth cable 62 has a fifth connector 62a. The fifth connector 62a is configured to be detachable from the relay unit 32.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 4, the relay unit 32 has a casing 34. The casing 34 is made of a metal such as an aluminum-based material. The casing 34 generally has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and has an upper surface and a lower surface (not shown), and a front side surface 34s1, a left side surface 34s2, a rear side surface 34s3, and a right side surface 34s4 disposed therebetween. The right side surface 34s4 of the casing 34 faces the wheel house 20 located at the right end of the vehicle body 12. The casing 34 has a first connector port 34a, a second connector port 34b, a third connector port 34c, a fourth connector port 34d, and a fifth connector port 34e. Although it is an example, the first connector port 34a is located on the front side surface 34s1 of the casing 34. The second connector port 34b is located on the rear side surface 34s3 of the casing 34. The third connector port 34c and the fourth connector port 34d are located on the left side surface 34s2 of the casing 34. The fifth connector port 34e is located on the upper surface of the casing 34 and is not shown in FIG. 4.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the first connector port 34a is configured such that the first connector 54a of the first cable 54 is detachable, and is electrically connected to the battery 26b via the system main relay 26c and the first cable 54. The second connector port 34b is configured such that the second connector 56a of the second cable 56 is detachable, and is electrically connected to the charging inlet 40 via the second cable 56. The third connector port 34c is configured such that the third connector 58a of the third cable 58 is detachable, and is electrically connected to the DC-DC converter 44 via the third cable 58. The fourth connector port 34d is configured such that the fourth connector 60a of the fourth cable 60 is detachable, and is electrically connected to the inverter for compressor 48 via the fourth cable 60. The fifth connector port 34e is configured such that the fifth connector 62a of the fifth cable 62 is detachable, and is electrically connected to the power supply inverter 52 via the fifth cable 62.

[0039] The relay unit 32 has an electric circuit unit 35 inside the casing 34. The electric circuit unit 35 has a pair of relays 36, a first electric circuit 37, and a second electric circuit 38. The first electric circuit 37 is electrically connected to each one end of the pair of relays 36, and the second electric circuit 38 is electrically connected to each other end of the pair of relays 36. That is, inside the relay unit 32, the first electric circuit 37 is electrically connected to the second electric circuit 38 via the pair of relays 36.

[0040] The pair of relays 36 is arranged between the first electric circuit 37 and the second electric circuit 38. The first electric circuit 37 is arranged in the left side portion of the casing 34 and is located between the pair of relays 36 and the left side surface 34s2 of the casing 34 in plan view. The second electric circuit 38 is arranged in the right side portion of the casing 34 and is located between the pair of relays 36 and the right side surface 34s4 of the casing 34 in plan view. Thereby, in the vehicle 10, the first electric circuit 37 is located closer to the inside of the vehicle in the left - right direction than the second electric circuit 38.

[0041] The first electric circuit 37 has a pair of bus bars 37a connected to the first connector port 34a. As described above, the battery 26b is electrically connected to the first connector port 34a via the system main relay 26c and the first cable 54. When the vehicle 10 is running, the system main relay 26c is closed, and the motor unit 28 is electrically connected to the battery 26b. When the system main relay 26c is closed, the first connector port 34a is electrically connected to the battery 26b via the system main relay 26c. As a result, during the running of the vehicle 10, a high voltage from the battery 26b is applied to the first electric circuit 37, and the first electric circuit 37 is maintained in an energized state. Therefore, the first electric circuit 37 is electrically connected to the battery 26b and electrically connects the battery 26b to each one end of the pair of relays 36.

[0042] The first electric circuit 37 further includes a pair of busbars 37b connected to the third connector port 34c. Thereby, the first electric circuit 37 is electrically connected to the DC-DC converter 44 via the third cable 58 connected to the third connector port 34c. The first electric circuit 37 further includes a pair of busbars 37c connected to the fourth connector port 34d. Thereby, the first electric circuit 37 is electrically connected to the compressor inverter 48 via the fourth cable 60 connected to the fourth connector port 34d. The first electric circuit 37 further includes a pair of busbars 37d connected to the fifth connector port 34e. Thereby, the first electric circuit 37 is electrically connected to the power supply inverter 52 via the fifth cable 62 connected to the fifth connector port 34e.

[0043] The second electric circuit 38 has a pair of busbars 38a connected to the second connector port 34b. As described above, the charging inlet 40 is electrically connected to the second connector port 34b via the second cable 56. Therefore, the second electric circuit 38 is electrically connected to the charging inlet 40 and electrically connects the charging inlet 40 to the other ends of the pair of relays 36.

[0044] The pair of relays 36 are opened and closed, for example, by an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle 10. When the pair of relays 36 are in the open state, the second electric circuit 38 is disconnected from the first electric circuit 37. When the pair of relays 36 are in the closed state, the second electric circuit 38 is electrically connected to the first electric circuit 37 and electrically connected to the battery 26b. As described above, the charging inlet 40 is electrically connected to the second electric circuit 38. Therefore, for example, when the battery 26b of the vehicle 10 is charged, the pair of relays 36 are closed. On the other hand, during the running of the vehicle 10, the pair of relays 36 are maintained in the open state. Note that the number of relays 36 is not limited to two. The control device may control the connection / disconnection between the second electric circuit 38 and the first electric circuit 37 using a single or three or more relays 36.

[0045] When a collision (e.g., a side collision or a rear collision) occurs with the vehicle 10 described above, there is a risk that the relay unit 32 may come into contact with a part of the vehicle body 12 such as the wheel house 20 of the vehicle 10 or another in-vehicle unit adjacent thereto. At this time, it is also assumed that the electric circuit inside the casing 34 of the relay unit 32 is exposed to the outside due to damage to the casing 34. Since the battery 26b is electrically connected to the relay unit 32, it is desirable to avoid the exposure of the electric circuit electrically connected to the battery 26b to the outside even if the casing 34 is damaged.

[0046] Regarding this point, in the vehicle 10 of the present embodiment, a pair of relays 36 are provided inside the relay unit 32, and the electric circuit inside the relay unit 32 is divided into a first electric circuit 37 and a second electric circuit 38 with the pair of relays 36 as a boundary. The first electric circuit 37 electrically connected to the battery 26b is located closer to the inside of the vehicle than the second electric circuit 38 in the left-right direction. According to such a configuration, even when the casing 34 of the relay unit 32 is damaged from the side of the vehicle (in the present embodiment, the right side), the exposure of the first electric circuit 37 to the outside of the casing 34 is suppressed. On the other hand, although there is a risk that the second electric circuit 38 may be exposed to the outside of the casing 34, the second electric circuit 38 can be electrically disconnected from the battery 26b by the pair of relays 36. In particular, in the vehicle 10 of the present embodiment, the pair of relays 36 are maintained in an open state during traveling. Thereby, since the second electric circuit 38 is maintained in a non-energized state, the safety of the vehicle 10 can be improved even when the second electric circuit 38 is exposed due to a collision of the vehicle 10.

[0047] In the vehicle 10 of the present embodiment, the relay unit 32 is disposed between a pair of wheel houses 20 in the left - right direction. According to such a configuration, when a collision (for example, a right - side collision or a rear - end collision) occurs to the vehicle 10, the relatively rigid wheel house 20 may come into contact with the relay unit 32. In this case, the possibility that the casing 34 of the relay unit 32 is damaged becomes even higher. However, by adopting the present technology, the first electric circuit 37 is avoided or suppressed from being exposed to the outside of the casing 34. Thereby, since the possibility of contact between the first electric circuit 37 to which a high voltage is applied and is in an energized state and the peripheral members or the passengers of the vehicle 10 can be reduced, the safety of the vehicle 10 can be improved.

[0048] In the vehicle 10 of the present embodiment, the relay unit 32 is located below the luggage room 12r1 in the rear compartment 12r. As can also be understood from FIGS. 1 and 3, the space located below the luggage room 12r1 is narrower compared to other spaces, and various electric units are arranged in that space. Even when the arrangement of the relay unit 32 is restricted in such a relatively narrow space, the first electric circuit 37 is avoided or suppressed from being exposed to the outside of the casing 34. However, the position of the relay unit 32 is not limited to being below the luggage room 12r1 in the rear compartment 12r. The relay unit 32 may be arranged in the luggage room 12r1, may be arranged in the front compartment 12f, or may be arranged below the floor panel 16.

[0049] In the vehicle 10 of the present embodiment, the power supply outlet 50 is arranged in the cabin 12c. However, in a modified example, the position of the power supply outlet 50 may not be in the cabin 12c, but may be in the luggage room 12r1.

[0050] The charging inlet 40 in this embodiment is an example of the "electrical unit" in this technology. However, the "electrical unit" in this technology, that is, the electrical unit connected to the second electrical circuit 38, is not limited to the charging inlet 40 and may be various other types of electrical units. In this case, the electrical unit may be an electrical unit not assumed to be used during the running of the vehicle 10. For example, a power supply outlet arranged in a space other than the cabin 12c (for example, the luggage room 12r1) corresponds to an example of the "electrical unit" in this technology when it is assumed not to be used during the running of the vehicle 10. Also, in this embodiment, the case where the second electrical circuit 38 is exposed from the casing 34 is taken as an example of the collision, but the degree of the collision is not limited to this. According to this technology, regardless of the degree of the collision in the vehicle 10, the influence of the collision on the first electrical circuit 37 can be reduced.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0051] 2: Cable of external DC power supply, 4: Connector, 10: Vehicle, 12: Vehicle body, 12r: Rear compartment, 12r1: Luggage room, 14f: Front wheel, 14r: Rear wheel, 20: Wheel house, 26: Battery unit, 26b: Battery, 28: Motor unit, 32: Relay unit, 34: Casing, 36: Relay, 37: First electrical circuit, 38: Second electrical circuit, 40: Charging inlet, 42: Auxiliary battery, 44: DC-DC converter, 48: Converter for compressor, 50: Power supply outlet, 52: Inverter for power supply

Claims

1. A vehicle body, a plurality of wheels supporting the vehicle body, a motor for driving at least one of the plurality of wheels, a battery electrically connected to the motor, a relay unit electrically connected to the battery, and at least one electrical unit electrically connected to the relay unit, wherein the relay unit includes: a casing, at least one relay disposed within the casing, a first electrical circuit disposed within the casing and electrically connecting the battery to one end of the at least one relay, and a second electrical circuit disposed within the casing and electrically connecting the at least one electrical unit to the other end of the relay, wherein the first electrical circuit is located inside the vehicle, closer to the interior of the vehicle than the second electrical circuit in the left - right direction of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle body has a wheel house for accommodating one of the plurality of wheels, wherein at least one surface of the casing in the relay unit faces the wheel house in the left - right direction of the vehicle. The vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the relay unit is disposed within a rear compartment located at the rear of the vehicle body.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the relay unit is located below the luggage room within the rear compartment.

5. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the relay is maintained in an open state during running of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one electrical unit includes a charging inlet to which an external DC power source is detachably connected.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an air - conditioning compressor, wherein the air - conditioning compressor is connected to the first electrical circuit of the relay unit.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary battery and a DC - DC converter, wherein the auxiliary battery is connected to the first electrical circuit of the relay unit via the DC - DC converter, and the DC - DC converter is capable of converting DC power from the battery into low - voltage DC power supplied to the auxiliary battery.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply outlet and a power conversion circuit for power supply. ​ ​ ​ The power supply outlet is connected to the first electric circuit of the relay unit via the power conversion circuit, The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the power conversion circuit can convert DC power from the battery into AC power supplied to the outside from the power supply outlet.

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