Motor vehicle

Abstract

To provide a motor vehicle which has a simple structure, has a small number of restrictions on the layout, and enables high voltage power lines to be arranged so as to shield magnetism and dust.SOLUTION: A motor vehicle 1 includes: a battery 10 provided at the vehicle body 2 side and configured to supply electric power through a plurality of high voltage power lines 11 including a first line 11P and a second line 11N; an electric device 20 which is provided at the wheel 3 side and to which the electric power supplied from the battery 10 is input; and a suspension device 4 which supports the wheel 3 onto the vehicle body 2 and absorbs vibration input from the wheel 3. The suspension device 4 includes: a first spring 41 formed of a conductive material, configured to absorb vibration, and forming a part of the first line 11P; a second spring 42 formed of a conductive material, formed separately from and having no contact with the first spring 41 to absorb vibration, and forming a part of the second line 11N; and a shield member 43 which is provided so as to cover outer peripheries of the first spring 41 and the second spring 42.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle configured so that power is supplied from a battery mounted on the vehicle body side to electrical devices mounted on the wheel side. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known automobiles configured to supply power from a battery mounted on the vehicle body to electrical devices mounted on the wheels. For example, in an electric automobile equipped with an in-wheel motor, power is supplied from a battery mounted on the vehicle body to the in-wheel motor mounted inside the wheel hub using a high-voltage power line. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a wiring structure for routing a high-voltage power line along a suspension device between the vehicle body and the wheels. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology in which a coil spring of a suspension device disposed between the vehicle body and the wheel is used as a conductor to transmit a detection signal from a sensor built into the wheel to the vehicle body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-125013 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-338112 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a structure in which high-voltage power lines are routed in a location where a suspension device is disposed, as in Patent Document 1, the high-voltage power lines are prone to bending, which may cause fatigue fracture of the power lines. Furthermore, if the high-voltage power lines are routed in a way that makes it difficult for them to bend, layout restrictions may arise. Furthermore, when a technique such as that disclosed in Patent Document 2 in which a coil spring of a suspension device constitutes part of a conductor is applied to a high-voltage power line, measures against the generation of magnetism are required.

[0005] The present invention was conceived in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and one of its objectives is to provide a vehicle with a simple configuration with few layout restrictions and with high-voltage power lines that can be shielded from magnetism and dust. However, this objective is not limited to this. Another objective of the present invention is to achieve effects that cannot be obtained by conventional technologies, which are derived from the various configurations shown in the detailed description of the invention below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The disclosed automobile can be realized as the following disclosed embodiments (application examples), which solve at least part of the above-mentioned problems. Each of the embodiments from embodiment 2 onwards is an embodiment that can be selected as an additional option, and each of the embodiments can be omitted. None of the embodiments from embodiment 2 onwards discloses an embodiment or configuration that is essential to the present invention.

[0007] Aspect 1. The disclosed automobile includes a battery mounted on the vehicle body and supplying power via a plurality of high-voltage power lines including at least a first line and a second line, an electric device mounted on the wheel side and receiving the power from the battery, and a suspension device supporting the wheel relative to the vehicle body and absorbing vibrations input from the wheel. The suspension device includes a first spring formed of a conductive material, absorbing the vibrations and forming part of the first line, a second spring formed of a conductive material, arranged separately from and out of contact with the first spring, absorbing the vibrations and forming part of the second line, and a shield member disposed to cover the outer peripheries of the first spring and the second spring, magnetically isolating the first spring and the second spring from the outside and preventing dust from entering from the outside.

[0008] Aspect 2. In an aspect including the above aspect 1, the suspension device preferably comprises: rubber bushings formed of an insulating material, which are arranged at one end of the first spring and the second spring on the vehicle body side and the other end on the wheel side; a first terminal block arranged between the rubber bushings and each of the one end and the other end of the first spring, and connects the first spring to the other part of the first wire; and a second terminal block arranged between the rubber bushings and each of the one end and the other end of the second spring, and connects the second spring to the other part of the second wire.

[0009] Aspect 3. In an aspect including Aspect 1 above, it is preferable that the first spring and the second spring are both coil springs, the outer diameter of one of the first spring and the second spring is set smaller than the inner diameter of the other, and the one of the first spring and the second spring is arranged coaxially inside the other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The disclosed vehicle has a simple configuration with few layout restrictions, and high-voltage power lines can be routed so as to be shielded from magnetism and dust. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a suspension device provided in the automobile shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a modified example of the automobile shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An automobile as an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is merely an example, and is not intended to exclude various modifications or application of techniques not explicitly stated in the embodiment. Each configuration of the present embodiment can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the spirit thereof. Furthermore, it is possible to select and / or combine as needed.

[0013] In the following description, the forward direction of the vehicle is referred to as the forward direction (front of the vehicle), and the opposite direction is referred to as the rearward direction (rear of the vehicle). The forward direction of the vehicle is referred to as the forward direction when the vehicle is moving forward, and as the rearward direction when the vehicle is moving backward. Furthermore, left and right are defined based on the state in which the vehicle is facing forward. The left and right directions are perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle. The direction perpendicular to both the front-to-rear direction and the left and right directions of the vehicle is defined as the up and down direction. The up and down direction is defined based on the state in which the vehicle is stopped on a flat road surface.

[0014] [1. Configuration] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram including a cross section of a portion of an automobile 1 according to this embodiment (specifically, the surrounding portion including the left wheel 3) cut vertically along the center of rotation of the left wheel 3. The automobile 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a plurality of wheels 3 (for example, four) including a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels, but FIG. 1 illustrates one of the plurality of wheels 3, the left wheel 3, and only shows a portion including the left wheel 3, omitting the others. Note that the configuration described below can also be applied to the other wheels 3.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the automobile 1 according to this embodiment includes a battery 10 provided on the body 2 side (vehicle body side) of the automobile 1, an electrical device 20 provided on the wheel 3 side, and a suspension device 4 that supports the wheel 3 relative to the body 2 (vehicle body) and absorbs vibrations input from the wheel 3.

[0016] The battery 10 is a power supply device that supplies power via a plurality of high-voltage power lines 11 including at least a first line and a second line. The high-voltage power lines 11 shown in Fig. 1 include a P line (one of the first line and the second line) 11P, which is a positive high-voltage power line 11, and an N line (the other of the first line and the second line) 11N, which is a negative high-voltage power line 11. That is, the automobile 1 of this embodiment is provided with two high-voltage power lines 11P, 11N.

[0017] The electric device 20 is a device that is powered by power supplied from the battery 10. In this embodiment, an in-wheel motor built into the wheel 5 of the wheel 3 is taken as an example of the electric device 20. Hereinafter, it will be referred to as the "in-wheel motor 20." The in-wheel motor 20 is a drive source that provides the wheel 3 with driving force for running. This in-wheel motor 20 is configured as a motor-inverter unit that integrates a motor and an inverter into an integrated unit.

[0018] The automobile 1 of this embodiment is an electric automobile, a hybrid automobile (HEV, Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or a plug-in hybrid automobile (PHEV, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) equipped with an in-wheel motor 20 as a drive source. A plug-in hybrid automobile is a hybrid automobile that allows external charging of the battery 10 or external power supply from the battery 10. A plug-in hybrid automobile is provided with a charging port (inlet) for inserting a charging cable that supplies power from external charging equipment, and a receptacle (outlet) for external power supply.

[0019] The battery 10 of this embodiment is a driving battery that supplies driving power to the in-wheel motor 20, and is a high-voltage battery that can supply power at a high voltage of several hundred volts. The battery 10 is mounted at any location on the body 2, for example, on or under the floor of the passenger compartment. One in-wheel motor 20 of this embodiment is mounted on each wheel 3 of the automobile 1. Note that the in-wheel motor 20 may be mounted on each of the four wheels 3 of the automobile 1, or on a pair of front wheels or a pair of rear wheels.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, the wheel 3 is disposed below and outboard of the body 2 in the left-right direction, and is supported by the body 2 via a pair of upper and lower arms 6 that are installed between the wheel 3 and the body 2. The arm 6 is an arm-shaped member for supporting the wheel 3 and the in-wheel motor 20 relative to the body 2, and includes an upper arm 6U disposed above and a lower arm 6L disposed below.

[0021] One end of the arm 6 (the end on the left in the drawing) is swingably connected to the body 2, and the other end of the arm 6 (the end on the right in the drawing) is swingably connected to a support part 7, which is a member on the wheel 3 side. The support part 7 rotatably supports a shaft 9 of an in-wheel motor 20 via a bearing 8, and rotation of the in-wheel motor 20 causes the wheel 3 to rotate relative to the support part 7.

[0022] The suspension devices 4 of this embodiment are interposed between the body 2 and the wheels 3, with one device provided for each wheel 3. The upper end of the suspension device 4 is attached to the downward-facing surface of the body 2 via an upper case body 44, and the lower end is attached to the upper surface of the lower arm 6L via a lower case body 45. Vibrations input to the wheels 3 are input to the suspension device 4 via the lower arm 6L and absorbed. The suspension devices 4 may be mounted on each of the four wheels 3 of the automobile 1, or on a pair of front wheels or a pair of rear wheels.

[0023] In the automobile 1, a pair of high-voltage power lines 11, a P line 11P and an N line 11N, are laid between the battery 10 on the body 2 side to supply power to the in-wheel motor 20 on the wheel 3 side. Part of the P line 11P and the N line 11N between the battery 10 and the in-wheel motor 20 (specifically, the part where the suspension device 4 is arranged between the body 2 and the wheel 3) is made up of the suspension device 4, and the other part is made up of power lines (cables).

[0024] The structure of the suspension device 4, which also functions as a high-voltage power line 11, will be described below. In addition to the basic function of absorbing vibrations from the wheels 3, the suspension device 4 also forms part of a high-voltage power line 11 for supplying power from a battery 10 provided on the body 2 side to an in-wheel motor 20 provided on the wheel 3 side.

[0025] Specifically, the suspension device 4 is provided with two springs as part of the high-voltage power line 11: a first spring 41 (one of the first and second springs) that forms part of the P line 11P, and a second spring 42 (the other of the first and second springs) that forms part of the N line 11N. The first spring 41 and the second spring 42 are separate bodies and are arranged out of contact with each other. In FIG. 1, to clearly distinguish between the first spring 41 and the second spring 42, the first spring 41 is shown by a solid line and the second spring 42 is shown by a dashed line.

[0026] Both the first spring 41 and the second spring 42 are made of a conductive material and are capable of transmitting electric power. The first spring 41 passes electric power as part of the P line 11P, and the second spring 42 passes electric power as part of the N line 11N. Furthermore, the first spring 41 and the second spring 42 have elasticity that causes them to compress and deform in response to a load in the vertical direction, generating a repulsive force, and absorbs vibrations input to the wheel 3.

[0027] The first spring 41 and the second spring 42 in this embodiment are formed of coil springs, and are disposed in a position in which their respective center lines extend in the vertical direction between the body 2 side and the arm 6 side. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the first spring 41 is located inside (on the center line side, radially inside) the second spring 42, and they are disposed concentrically.

[0028] Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the suspension device 4. As shown in Fig. 2, the first spring 41 and the second spring 42 are arranged so as not to contact each other, and therefore the outer diameter Φ1 of the first spring 41 is set to be smaller than the inner diameter Φ2 of the second spring 42. If the outer diameter Φ1 of the first spring 41 is not uniform in the vertical direction, the outer diameter Φ1 of the maximum dimension is set to be smaller than the inner diameter Φ2. If the inner diameter Φ2 of the second spring 42 is not uniform in the vertical direction, the inner diameter Φ2 of the minimum dimension is set to be larger than the outer diameter Φ1.

[0029] The outer peripheries of the first spring 41 and the second spring 42 are covered with a shield member 43. The shield member 43 is a shielding member that magnetically insulates the first spring 41 and the second spring 42 from the outside and prevents dust from entering from the outside. The shield member 43 is made of a material that can block magnetism and prevent dust from entering. Dust that is shielded by the shield member 43 can include, for example, dirt, dust particles, sand, and pebbles.

[0030] For example, the shield member 43 is formed in a cylindrical shape that covers the entire outer periphery except for the upper and lower end sides of the first spring 41 and the second spring 42. In this case, the shield member 43 preferably has elasticity and a shape (for example, a bellows shape) that can deform following the elastic deformation of the first spring 41 and the second spring 42.

[0031] An upper case body 44 is provided on the upper end side of the first spring 41 and the second spring 42, and a lower case body 45 is provided on the lower end side. The upper case body 44 is a casing that covers the upper end of the suspension unit 4, and is connected to the body 2. The lower case body 45 is a casing that covers the lower end of the suspension unit 4, and is connected to the lower arm 6L.

[0032] Furthermore, rubber bushings 46 made of an insulating material are disposed at the upper ends (one end on the body 2 side) and lower ends (the other end on the wheel 3 side) of the first spring 41 and the second spring 42. The rubber bushings 46 are disposed between the upper ends of the first spring 41 and the second spring 42 and the upper case body 44, and are configured to be electrically insulated from the body 2 side and the arm 6 side when current is applied to the first spring 41 and the second spring 42. The rubber bushings 46 on the upper end side and the lower end side have the same configuration, except that they are provided symmetrically above and below.

[0033] Furthermore, first terminal blocks 47 are disposed between the upper and lower ends of the first springs 41 and the rubber bushings 46, respectively. The upper first terminal block 47 is a connector that connects the upper end of the first spring 41 to the other portion of the P wire 11P (the cable located on the body 2 side in this embodiment). The lower first terminal block 47 is a connector that connects the lower end of the first spring 41 to the other portion of the P wire 11P (the cable located on the wheel 3 side in this embodiment). Each first terminal block 47 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape having one end that is connected by being fitted onto the upper and lower ends of the first springs 41 from the outside (radially outside), respectively, and the other end to which the other portion of the P wire 11P is connected. The upper and lower first terminal blocks 47 have a common configuration except that they are arranged symmetrically in the vertical direction.

[0034] Further, second terminal blocks 48 are disposed between the upper and lower ends of the second spring 42 and the rubber bushings 46. The upper second terminal block 48 is a connector that connects the upper end of the second spring 42 to the other portion of the N wire 11N (the cable located on the body 2 side in this embodiment). The lower second terminal block 48 is a connector that connects the lower end of the second spring 42 to the other portion of the N wire 11N (the cable located on the wheel 3 side in this embodiment).

[0035] Each second terminal block 48 is formed in a cylindrical shape having, for example, one end that is connected by being fitted from the outside (radially outward) to the upper end and the lower end of the second spring 42, respectively, and the other end to which the other part of the N wire 11N is connected. The inner diameter of each second terminal block 48 is set larger than the outer diameter of each first terminal block 47, and each first terminal block 47 is arranged concentrically inside each second terminal block 48. The upper and lower second terminal blocks 48 have the same configuration except that they are arranged symmetrically above and below.

[0036] [2. Actions and Effects] (1) The above-described automobile 1 includes a battery 10 provided on the body 2 side, an electric device 20 (in-wheel motor) provided on the wheel 3 side, and a suspension device 4 that supports the wheel 3 relative to the body 2, and power from the battery 10 is supplied to the electric device 20 via a high-voltage power line 11 including at least a first line and a second line (in this embodiment, a P line 11P and an N line 11N). Here, the above-described suspension device 4 includes a first spring 41 that forms part of the P line 11P and a second spring 42 that forms part of the N line 11N. Therefore, according to the automobile 1, power can be supplied from the body 2 side to the wheel 3 side through the first spring 41 and the second spring 42, so that it is not necessary to place a power line at the position where the suspension device 4 is disposed.

[0037] Furthermore, the suspension device 4 described above includes a shield member 43 that covers the outer peripheries of the first spring 41 and the second spring 42. This makes it possible to shield the first spring 41 and the second spring 42 from magnetism generated when electricity is applied thereto, and also to prevent dust from entering from the outside.

[0038] For example, Patent Document 1 listed in the background art section has issues such as the risk of power line breakage and layout restrictions. In addition, it is necessary to provide a magnetic shield for the power line and a dust shield for the spring separately, which leads to the problem of complicated device configuration. In contrast, according to the above-described automobile 1, the first spring 41 and the second spring 42 also function as the high-voltage power line 11 and are provided with the shielding member 43, so that the "high-voltage power line" itself is not necessary at the position where the suspension device 4 is disposed. Therefore, the high-voltage power line 11 can be routed with a simple configuration, with fewer layout restrictions, and so as to be shielded from magnetism and dust.

[0039] (2) Furthermore, in the above-described automobile 1, rubber bushings 46 are disposed at the upper and lower ends of the first spring 41 and the second spring 42, and a first terminal block 47 is disposed between the upper and lower ends of the first spring 41 and the rubber bushings 46, respectively, and a second terminal block 48 is disposed between the upper and lower ends of the second spring 42 and the rubber bushings 46, respectively. Therefore, the body 2 side and the wheel 3 side are insulated from the first spring 41 and the second spring 42 by the rubber bushings 46, and high-voltage power can be applied to the first spring 41 and the second spring 42 via the terminal blocks 47, 48.

[0040] (3) In addition, in the above-described automobile 1, the first spring 41 and the second spring 42 are both coil springs, the outer diameter Φ1 of the first spring 41 is set smaller than the inner diameter Φ2 of the second spring 42, and the first spring 41 is disposed concentrically inside the second spring 42. This allows the suspension device 4 having the two springs 41, 42 to be configured compactly, and layout restrictions can be reduced.

[0041] [3. Other] The car 1 described above is an example. For example, the automobile 1 is not limited to a structure in which the lower arm 6L is disposed below the suspension device 4, and may be a structure in which the axle is disposed below the suspension device 4. Furthermore, the inverter of the in-wheel motor 20 is not limited to being provided on the wheel 3 side. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, an inverter device 50 separate from the in-wheel motor 20' (electrical device) may be provided on the body 2 side. In this case, the weight on the wheel 3 side, i.e., the lower end side of the suspension device 4', can be reduced.

[0042] Furthermore, the high-voltage power line 11 is not limited to one including two power lines, a P line 11P and an N line 11N, but may be a three-phase line including three power lines (a U-phase line 11U, a V-phase line 11V, and a W-phase line 11W) as shown in Fig. 3. In this case, the battery 10 provided on the body 2 side supplies power to the in-wheel motor 20' provided on the wheel 3 side via the U-phase line 11U (e.g., a first line), a V-phase line 11V (e.g., a second line), and a W-phase line 11W (e.g., a third line) as high-voltage power lines.

[0043] Furthermore, in this case, suspension device 4' may have three springs, U-phase spring 49U, V-phase spring 49V, and W-phase spring 49W, arranged concentrically, corresponding to U-phase wire 11U, V-phase wire 11V, and W-phase wire 11W. Like first spring 41 and second spring 42, U-phase spring 49U, V-phase spring 49V, and W-phase spring 49W are each formed of a conductive material, absorb vibrations, and form a part of U-phase wire 11U, V-phase wire 11V, and W-phase wire 11W, respectively. Note that, since there are three power lines in FIG. 3, three terminal blocks are also provided. The rest of the configuration is the same as that shown in FIG. 1.

[0044] 3, as in the above-described embodiment, power can be supplied from the body 2 to the wheels 3 through the U-phase springs 49U, V-phase springs 49V, and W-phase springs 49W, eliminating the need to arrange power lines at the location where the suspension device 4' is located. This allows for a simple configuration with fewer layout restrictions, and the high-voltage power lines 11 (11U, 11V, 11W) can be routed so as to shield against magnetism and dust.

[0045] Furthermore, the arrangement of first spring 41 and second spring 42 in suspension unit 4, or U-phase spring 49U, V-phase spring 49V, and W-phase spring 49W in suspension unit 4', is not limited to a concentric arrangement. For example, multiple springs may be arranged in parallel in the front-to-rear or left-to-right direction. Furthermore, suspension unit 4 is not limited to a configuration including rubber bushing 46, first terminal block 47, and second terminal block 48, and may be a configuration in which rubber bushing 46, first terminal block 47, and second terminal block 48 are omitted, or a configuration in which rubber bushing 46, first terminal block 47, and second terminal block 48 are omitted. [Industrial Applicability]

[0046] This application is applicable to the automobile manufacturing industry. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1. Automobiles 2 Body (car body) 3 wheels 4,4' suspension system 10 Battery 11 High-voltage power lines 11N N Line (either the first or second line) 11P P line (the other of the first and second lines) 11U U phase line (first line) 11V V phase line (second line) 11W W phase line (third line) 20,20' In-wheel motor (electrical equipment) 41 First Spring 42 Second Spring 43 Shielding material 46 Rubber bushing 47 First terminal block 48 Second terminal block 49U U-phase spring (first spring) 49V V-phase spring (second spring) 49W W-phase spring (third spring)

Claims

1. a battery provided on the vehicle body side and supplying power via a plurality of high-voltage power lines including at least a first line and a second line; an electric device provided on a wheel side and receiving the electric power supplied from the battery; a suspension device that supports the wheels with respect to the vehicle body and absorbs vibrations input from the wheels, The suspension device comprises: a first spring formed of a conductive material, absorbing the vibration and forming a part of the first wire; a second spring formed of the conductive material, arranged separately from and in no contact with the first spring, for absorbing the vibrations and forming a part of the second wire; a shield member that is provided to cover the outer periphery of the first spring and the second spring, magnetically insulating the first spring and the second spring from the outside and preventing dust from entering from the outside. A motor vehicle characterized by:

2. The suspension device comprises: rubber bushings made of an insulating material and disposed at one end of the first spring and one end of the second spring on the vehicle body side and the other end on the wheel side, respectively; a first terminal block disposed between the one end and the other end of the first spring and the rubber bushing, the first terminal block connecting the first spring to the other portion of the first wire; a second terminal block disposed between the one end and the other end of the second spring and the rubber bushing, and connecting the second spring to the other portion of the second wire; 2. A vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that:

3. the first spring and the second spring are both coil springs, The outer diameter of one of the first spring and the second spring is set smaller than the inner diameter of the other, The first spring and the second spring are concentrically disposed inside the other spring.

3. A motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that:

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