Vehicle

Abstract

To provide a technology which enables reduction of the number of components, has a simple structure, and enables an electric device to be stored efficiently in a vehicle space.SOLUTION: A vehicle 2 includes: an electric device 40 housed between a seat 4 and a floor panel 8; and a cover 30 having a cavity 32 which is configured to cover the upper side and the lateral side of the electric device 40 below the seat 4 and expose the lower side of the electric device 40 to the floor panel 8, the cover 30 fixed to the floor panel 8.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a vehicle, and more particularly to a vehicle having electrical equipment mounted underneath the vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In a vehicle, for example, a battery module is sometimes mounted below a floor panel below a rear seat. It is disclosed that a charger for charging the battery module with power from an external power source is mounted above the floor panel (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-68403 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Generally, the charger is housed in a case with a cooling device that uses a liquid refrigerant to prevent overheating. The case consists of a lower case and an upper case, and is sealed to prevent leakage from the cooling device.

[0005] However, housing the charger in a case and mounting it on the vehicle increases the number of parts in the vehicle, which increases costs and may also reduce work efficiency when inspecting the charger.

[0006] The present specification provides a technology for reducing the number of parts, using a simple structure, and efficiently accommodating electrical equipment in a vehicle space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The technology disclosed in this specification is embodied in a vehicle including an electrical device housed between a seat and a floor panel of the vehicle, and a cover fixed to the floor panel, the cover having a cavity configured to cover an upper and side portion of the electrical device below the seat and expose a lower portion of the electrical device to the floor panel.

[0008] According to this vehicle, the cover is fixed to the floor panel, and the cover defines a storage space for electrical equipment between the underside of the seat and the floor panel. Since a lower case is not provided as in the conventional vehicle, the number of parts can be reduced. Furthermore, since a lower case is not provided, the installation and removal of electrical equipment is simplified. Furthermore, the storage space for electrical equipment is reduced, and the electrical equipment can be efficiently stored under the seat. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a charger is housed between the underside of a rear seat and a floor panel of a vehicle. FIG. [Figure 2] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a liquid-tight seal between the lower edge of the cover covering the charger and the floor panel. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The vehicle disclosed in this specification may include electrical equipment housed between a seat and a floor panel of the vehicle, and a cover fixed to the floor panel, the cover having a cavity configured to cover the upper and sides of the electrical equipment below the seat and expose the lower side of the electrical equipment to the floor panel.

[0011] In one embodiment of the vehicle, the cover has a substantially flat top wall, and the electrical equipment is secured to the top wall and accommodated in the cavity. In this manner, the electrical equipment is secured to the floor panel when the cover is secured directly or indirectly to the floor panel. Note that "substantially flat" here means that there may be some irregularities, such as reinforcing beads, that do not interfere with securing the electrical equipment.

[0012] In one embodiment of the vehicle, a seal member is provided on the floor panel at a portion corresponding to the lower edge of the cover, and the lower edge is pressed against the seal member to form a liquid-tight seal between the lower edge and the floor panel. This facilitates a liquid-tight seal between the floor panel and the lower part of the cover. As a result, even if a liquid leak occurs in or near an electrical device, leakage of liquid outside the cover on the floor panel is suppressed or avoided.

[0013] In one embodiment of the vehicle, the cover includes a bracket extending obliquely upward from the lower edge and fixed to a cross member of the vehicle, thereby making it possible to easily fix the cover to the floor panel.

[0014] In one embodiment of the vehicle, the electrical device includes a charger, and a secondary battery module is housed under the floor panel. This allows the charger to be efficiently housed under the seat near the battery module. This also prevents leakage around the charger from reaching the secondary battery module.

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle disclosed in this specification will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification, the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," and "right" refer to the upper, lower, front, rear, left, and right sides of a vehicle, respectively, and are indicated as UP, DW, FR, and RR in the drawings. In addition, in this specification, a vehicle refers to a so-called electric vehicle equipped with a secondary battery pack as a drive battery or the like, and may include hybrid vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, and solar cars.

[0016] Fig. 1 shows the state in which the charger 40 is housed between the underside of the rear seat 4 of the vehicle 2 and the floor panel 8, and Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the liquid-tight seal between the lower edge 35 of the cover 30 that covers the charger 40 and the floor panel 8. Note that in Fig. 1, cross sections of the rear seat 4, battery pack 20, on-board charger 40, cooling device 44, relay box 50, etc. are omitted.

[0017] 1, in a vehicle 2, a rear seat 4 is arranged in the interior of the vehicle 2 together with a front seat (not shown). The rear seat 4 has a seat portion 4a on which an occupant sits, as well as a backrest portion that supports the occupant's back and a headrest that supports the occupant's head (neither of which are shown).

[0018] The seat bottom 4a is supported from below by a seat frame 6. The seat frame 6 is fixed to a floor cross member 10 and a cross member 12 located behind it. The floor cross member 10 extends along the width direction of the vehicle 2 and is fixed to the floor panel 8 or the like. The cross member 12 also extends along the width direction of the vehicle 2 and is fixed to the floor panel 8 or the like. The seat frame 6 is fixed, for example, by screws or the like to the tops 10a, 12a of the floor cross member 10 and the cross member 12, respectively.

[0019] A battery pack 20 is mounted under the floor panel 8. The battery pack 20 is formed, for example, by modularizing multiple secondary battery cells and housing them in a specified case. Known secondary batteries such as lithium-ion batteries and nickel-metal hydride batteries can be used as the secondary battery. The battery pack 20 supplies power to a motor (not shown) for driving the vehicle 2. Power generated by the motor using an on-board charger 40 or regenerative braking is supplied to the battery pack 20. The battery pack 20 is disposed at least below the floor panel 8 below the rear seat 4. The battery pack 20 may be large enough to cover an area further expanded below the floor panel 8.

[0020] The battery pack 20 is connected to a relay box 50 (described later) by a cable 22 that passes through an opening 8a in the floor panel 8.

[0021] A cover 30 is attached between the seat portion 4a of the rear seat 4 and the battery pack 20, and between the floor cross member 10 and the cross member 12. The cover 30 houses an on-board charger (hereinafter simply referred to as the charger) 40. The floor cross member 10 and the cross member 12 are examples of the cross member disclosed in this specification.

[0022] Here, the charger 40 will be described. The charger 40 is housed below the seat portion 4a of the rear seat 4. The charger 40 is not particularly limited, but for example, receives power from an external power supply facility and converts it into a current and voltage compatible with the battery pack 20. The charger 40 may be configured to be able to supply power externally. The charger 40 is disposed above the battery pack 20, sandwiching the floor panel 8 between the floor cross member 10 and the cross member 12. The charger 40 is an example of an electrical device disclosed in this specification.

[0023] The charger 40 includes a casing 42 that houses a connector for connecting to an external power supply facility, an AC / DC converter, a step-up DC / DC converter (none of which are shown), and a cooling device 44. The cooling device 44 is intended to perform cooling using a liquid medium such as water. The cooling device 44 circulates the liquid medium within the charger 40 or in its vicinity, and exchanges heat between the liquid medium and heat originating from the charger 40. The cooling device 44 includes, for example, a plurality of recessed flow paths 46 formed above the casing 42 of the charger 40. The flow paths 46 are configured so that the liquid medium is supplied from a cooling system, circulated, and finally returned to the cooling system.

[0024] The cover 30 has a cavity 32 that covers the top and sides of the charger 40 over the entire periphery and exposes the bottom of the charger 40 to the floor panel 8. In other words, the cover 30 has a shape similar to an upside-down container that opens downward. The cover 30 is not particularly limited, but is formed from, for example, a metal material, a resin material, or the like. The cover 30 has a substantially flat top wall portion 33 and a cylindrical side wall portion 34 that surrounds the outer periphery of the top wall portion 33. A lower edge 35 of the side wall portion 34 has a peripheral shape that surrounds the periphery of the charger 40.

[0025] A seal member 36 is provided on the floor panel 8 in a portion corresponding to the lower edge 35. The seal member 36 is attached to the floor panel 8 in a pattern corresponding to the peripheral shape of the lower edge 35. For example, if the lower edge 35 has a substantially rectangular peripheral shape, the seal member 36 is also attached to the floor panel 8 so as to form a substantially rectangular peripheral shape. The seal member 36 is formed from an elastic material such as various elastomer materials such as rubber and thermoplastic elastomers, or resin materials.

[0026] 2, the seal member 36 has a recessed shape that corresponds to, for example, the tip or a part of the tip of the lower edge 35. The lower edge 35 abuts against the recessed shape of the seal member 36 and is pressed against the floor panel 8, thereby creating a liquid-tight seal between the lower edge 35 and the floor panel 8.

[0027] 1, a portion of the lower edge 35 is provided with brackets 37, 38. The bracket 37 has an extending portion 37a that extends toward the floor cross member 10 and an attachment portion 37b that abuts along the top 10a of the floor cross member 10. The bracket 38 has an extending portion 38a that extends diagonally rearward and an attachment portion 38b that extends toward the top 12a of the cross member 12.

[0028] The bracket 37 is fixed to the top 10a of the floor cross member 10 at the mounting portion 37b, for example, by screws. The bracket 38 has a mounting portion 38b that abuts along the top 12a of the cross member 12. The bracket 38 is fixed to the top 12a of the cross member 12 at the mounting portion 38b, for example, by screws. An opening through which the cable 22 passes is appropriately provided in the mounting portion 38b. The brackets 37, 38 fix the cover 30 so that the lower edge 35 can be pressed against the seal member 36 to form a liquid-tight seal.

[0029] The charger 40 is housed in the cavity 32 of the cover 30. The upper part of the charger 40 is fixed to the inner surface (the surface facing the cavity 32) of the top wall 33 of the cover 30. This allows the charger 40 and the cover 30 to be handled as a unit. The casing 42 of the charger 40 may be fixed to the top wall 33, but for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a cooling device 44 provided above the charger 40 may be fixed to the top wall 33. The fixing method is not particularly limited.

[0030] Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, the charger 40 may be fixed via a known heat insulating material 45 in order to ensure the cooling effect of the cooling device 44.

[0031] 1, when the charger 40 is fixed to the inner surface of the top wall portion 33 in the cavity 32, the charger 40 may be accommodated with a predetermined distance of clearance above the surface of the floor panel 8. This facilitates the work of attaching the charger 40 together with the cover 30 as a unit.

[0032] A relay box 50 is mounted on the top wall 33 of the cover 30. The charger 40 and the relay box are connected by a cable 48 through an opening appropriately provided in the top wall 33.

[0033] Next, we will explain the effects of the housing structure for the charger 40 in the vehicle 2. According to the above structure, the cover 30 that covers the top and sides of the charger 40 is used to house and secure the charger 40. Because it is no longer necessary to use a case consisting of a lower cover and an upper cover and to use parts to join the upper and lower covers as in the conventional structure, it is possible to reduce the number of parts compared to the conventional structure.

[0034] Furthermore, since the charger 40 can be fixed to the floor panel 8 using only the cover 30 and a liquid-tight seal can be established, the height along the vertical direction of the vehicle 2 required to accommodate the charger 40 can be reduced, allowing the charger 40 to be accommodated efficiently.

[0035] Furthermore, when installing the charger 40, it is sufficient to simply remove and attach the cover 30 to which the charger 40 has been attached in advance to the vehicle 2. This simplifies the installation work of the charger 40. This also makes it easier to perform tasks such as replacing and maintaining the charger 40 or its peripheral components. Simply by removing the cover 30 from the vehicle 2, it becomes possible to access the charger 40 and its peripheral components. This simplifies tasks such as replacing and maintaining the charger 40 or its peripheral components.

[0036] Furthermore, when cover 30 is attached, lower edge 35 is pressed and fixed to seal member 36. This easily establishes a liquid-tight seal on floor panel 8. Even if leakage of the liquid medium that cools charger 40 occurs, it is prevented from reaching battery pack 20 arranged below floor panel 8.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the fixing structure of the cover 30 is such that the brackets 37, 38 are attached to the floor cross member 10 and the cross member 12 and then fixed to the floor panel 8, but this is not limited to this. The cover 30 may be indirectly fixed to the floor panel 8 by being attached to a structural element on the floor panel 8 in this way, or may be directly attached and fixed to the floor panel 8. The fixing structure of the cover 30 is configured appropriately depending on the surrounding structure of the vehicle 2 to which the cover 30 is attached, etc.

[0038] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the charger 40 is shown as an example of an electrical device, but the electrical device may be any electrical device that is cooled by a liquid medium, such as a converter such as a DC / DC converter or a power converter such as an inverter.

[0039] Although the embodiments have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples exemplified above. The technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technology exemplified in this specification or drawings simultaneously achieves multiple objectives, and achieving one of these objectives itself has technical utility. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 2 vehicle, 4 rear seat, 4a seat portion, 6 seat frame, 8 floor panel, 10 floor cross member, 12 cross member, 20 battery pack, 22 cable, 30 cover, 32 cavity, 33 top wall portion, 34 side wall portion, 36 sealing member, 37, 38 bracket, 40 charger, 42 casing, 44 cooling device, 45 heat insulating material, 46 flow path, 48 cable, 50 relay box

Claims

1. an electrical device housed between a seat and a floor panel of the vehicle; a cover that is fixed to the floor panel and has a cavity configured to cover the upper and side portions of the electrical equipment below the seat and expose a lower portion of the electrical equipment to the floor panel; A vehicle equipped with:

2. the cover having a generally flat top wall; The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical equipment is fixed to the top wall portion and housed in the cavity.

3. a seal member provided on the floor panel at a portion corresponding to a lower edge of the cover; The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the lower edge is pressed against the seal member to form a liquid-tight seal between the lower edge and the floor panel.

4. 4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the cover includes a bracket extending obliquely upward from the lower edge and fixed to a cross member of the vehicle.

5. the electrical device includes a charger; The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein a secondary battery module is accommodated below the floor panel.

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