Vehicle front part structure

Abstract

To increase safety of a passenger by preventing an auxiliary device from going backward at the time of a front collision of a vehicle.SOLUTION: Front structure of a vehicle V includes: an inverter 10V disposed within a compartment R1 at a front part of the vehicle; and a brake booster 26 disposed behind the inverter 10V at a position overlapping the inverter 10V as viewed in the vehicle front-rear direction. A protector 60 is attached to a rear end portion of the inverter 10V at a portion facing a brake booster 26. The protector 60 includes a guide portion 66 having an inclined surface 66a that comes into contact with the brake booster 26 in accordance with the rearward movement of the inverter 10V to displace the brake booster 26 upward as the inverter 10V moves backward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a front structure of a vehicle in which a driving motor and a power conversion device that converts electric power are provided in a front space of the vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and other electrically powered vehicles are well known, and are equipped with a traction motor and a power converter in the front compartment of the vehicle. The power converter converts electric power between the battery and the traction motor in an orthogonal direction.

[0003] In order to reduce loss of power supplied to the traction motor and from the standpoint of space efficiency, the power conversion device is often disposed above the traction motor.

[0004] With this structure, in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle (called a vehicle head-on collision), the power conversion device may move backward together with the traction motor and interfere with (crash into) the accessories located behind it, potentially damaging the power conversion device and the accessories. Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a protector is provided in the power conversion device to prevent damage to the power conversion device (power control unit) due to such a collision, and more specifically to prevent damage to the connector provided at the upper rear of the power conversion device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-111420 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the event of a frontal collision, if the power conversion device and the traction motor move backward and collide with the accessories, the accessories may move backward. In this case, the accessories may move backward together with the dash panel behind them and enter the passenger compartment.

[0007] Therefore, from the viewpoint of passenger protection, it is desirable to be able to prevent the auxiliary equipment from moving backward even if a situation occurs in which the power conversion device collides with the auxiliary equipment. However, Patent Document 1 does not mention any structural improvements of this kind.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to prevent auxiliary equipment from moving backward in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle in a front structure of a vehicle equipped with a driving motor and a power conversion device, thereby further improving the safety of occupants. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and is a front structure of a vehicle comprising: a power conversion device arranged in a compartment at the front of the vehicle and converting power between a driving motor and a battery; and an auxiliary device arranged behind the power conversion device in the compartment and overlapping with the power conversion device when viewed in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle; and characterized in that a guide member having an inclined surface is attached to at least one side of the power conversion device and the auxiliary device, facing the other side, which abuts against the other side as the power conversion device retreats in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, thereby displacing the auxiliary device relatively upward.

[0010] Note that "converting power" means converting at least one of the power variables, such as voltage, current, frequency, phase, and number of phases, into a different form. For example, this means converting between DC power and AC power, or converting voltage up or down.

[0011] With this configuration, when the power converter moves backward during a frontal collision, the auxiliary equipment moves relatively upward along the inclined surface of the guide member attached to at least one of the power converter and the auxiliary equipment, preventing the auxiliary equipment from moving backward and entering the vehicle interior, thereby improving the safety of occupants.

[0012] In the vehicle front structure, for example, the guide member is attached to a rear end of the power conversion device, and the inclined surface is an inclined surface that slopes upward in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0013] According to this configuration, the guide member is attached to the rear end of the power converter, which prevents direct collision between the power converter and the auxiliary equipment, making the power converter less susceptible to damage and advantageously preventing electrical leakage and other problems that may result from damage to the power converter.

[0014] In this case, the power conversion device includes a circuit unit that converts power and a conversion device housing in which the circuit unit is housed, and is fixed to the top of a drive device including the motor via the conversion device housing, and the guide member can be configured to be attached to the conversion device housing.

[0015] With this configuration, the power converter is fixed to the drive unit, which has a relatively high rigidity, via the converter housing, which improves the support rigidity of the guide member attached to the power converter. Therefore, when the power converter moves backward, the accessories can be more reliably displaced relatively upward along the guide member (inclined surface).

[0016] In this case, the conversion device housing may include a lower housing fixed to the drive device and an upper housing connected to the lower housing, and the guide member may be attached to the lower housing.

[0017] With this configuration, the collision load between the power converter and the auxiliary equipment is input to a position on the converter housing closer to the drive unit, so that the collision load can be quickly dispersed from the converter housing to the drive unit, thereby suppressing damage to the power converter and the guide member.

[0018] In this case, the lower housing can have a fastening portion around its periphery that is thicker than other portions and is fastened to the drive device by a fastening member, and the guide member can be attached to the fastening portion or a portion adjacent to the fastening portion.

[0019] With this configuration, the guide member is attached to the fastening portion of the lower housing that is in close contact with the drive unit or a portion adjacent to the fastening portion, which is a strong portion of the lower housing, so that the collision load can be more reliably transmitted to the drive unit via the lower housing, and damage to the power conversion unit and the guide member is more effectively suppressed.

[0020] In addition, in a configuration in which the guide member is attached to the conversion device housing, the conversion device housing can have a first wall portion having a surface facing the accessory in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and a second wall portion extending forward in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle from one end of the first wall portion, and the guide member can be attached to the first wall portion in an area including the one end.

[0021] In this configuration, the guide member is attached to one end of the first wall, which has a relatively high bearing strength in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, i.e., a region including the rear end portion of the second wall extending in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. This allows the collision load to be received and dispersed by the second wall, which is advantageous in suppressing deformation of the converter housing and, ultimately, damage to the power converter.

[0022] In addition, in a configuration in which a guide member is attached to a converter housing, the guide member may include a main body portion having the inclined surface and a leg portion fixed to the converter housing, and the main body portion may be configured to be spaced apart from the converter housing.

[0023] With this configuration, the collision load between the guide member and the auxiliary equipment is input from the main body to the converter housing via the legs. That is, the collision load is prevented from being input directly to the converter housing from the part where the collision load is input (i.e., the main body). Therefore, the converter housing is less likely to be damaged by the collision load, which is advantageous in avoiding damage to the power converter.

[0024] In this case, the leg portion may have a portion that extends forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction along a direction perpendicular to the inclined surface.

[0025] With this configuration, the collision load input to the main body is efficiently transmitted to the converter housing, which allows the collision load to be quickly transmitted to the drive device, which is more advantageous in reducing damage to the power converter.

[0026] In the above-described configuration, the accessory may have a sloped surface that slopes upward toward the front and faces the sloped surface of the guide member in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0027] With this configuration, when the guide member and the accessory collide, the inclined surfaces of the same type (inclined surfaces rising to the front) come into contact with each other, which allows the accessory to be smoothly displaced relatively upward, which is advantageous in preventing the accessory from moving backward.

[0028] In each of the above-described configurations, for example, the accessory is a brake booster. Since the brake booster is disposed near the feet of the occupant, there is a risk that the brake booster may retract into the vehicle interior in the event of a frontal collision, thereby injuring the occupant's lower legs. Therefore, each of the above-described configurations is particularly useful when the accessory is a brake booster. [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] According to the present invention as described above, in a front structure of a vehicle equipped with a driving motor and a power conversion device, it is possible to prevent the auxiliary equipment from moving backward in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, thereby further improving the safety of occupants. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle to which the present invention is applied; [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a powertrain including an inverter. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a power supply path from a battery. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inverter (with a protector). [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view of the inverter (with a protector). [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the inverter (with a protector); [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the inverter (with the protector provided). [Figure 9] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the inverter alone with the protector removed, where FIG. 1A is a perspective view and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the inverter. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a rear view of the inverter with the cover removed from the opening (service hole). [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a rear view (plan view from the rear) of the lid. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part showing the mounting structure of the protector (baffle plate). [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the behavior of a powertrain (inverter) and a brake booster during a vehicle frontal collision. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating transmission of a collision load. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This embodiment shows the present invention by way of example, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment except for its essential configuration.

[0032] [Vehicle V configuration] Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle V to which a front structure according to the present invention is applied, and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the vehicle V. In the drawings used in the following description, "FR" indicates the front of the vehicle, "RR" indicates the rear of the vehicle, "LH" indicates the left side of the vehicle, "RH" indicates the right side of the vehicle, "UP" indicates the top of the vehicle, and "LO" indicates the bottom of the vehicle. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, "front-rear direction" refers to the front-rear direction of the vehicle V.

[0033] 1 is a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) that uses an engine 10E and a motor 10M as a driving source for traveling (i.e., a driving source for wheels W). However, the vehicle according to the present invention is not limited to a hybrid electric vehicle, and may be an electric vehicle (EV).

[0034] The vehicle V has a powertrain 10 including an engine 10E, a motor generator 10M, a transaxle 10T, an inverter 10V, etc. The powertrain 10 is disposed in a compartment R1 (also referred to as a powertrain room) provided at the front of the vehicle V. More specifically, in a plan view, the powertrain 10 is disposed in a space surrounded by a pair of left and right front side frames 12 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a front cross member 14 connecting the front end portions of the front side frames 12 in the vehicle width direction, and a dash panel 16. The dash panel 16 is a partition wall that separates the compartment R1 from the passenger compartment R2.

[0035] The motor generator 10M (hereinafter referred to as the motor 10M) is a three-phase, three-wire AC motor that rotates upon receiving a supply of three-phase AC power, and includes an output shaft connected to the engine 10E via an electromagnetic clutch (not shown), a rotor having permanent magnets arranged around the output shaft, and a stator core arranged on the outer periphery of the rotor and having a plurality of teeth each having a coil wound around it. The plurality of coils are composed of a U-phase coil, a V-phase coil, and a W-phase coil, and currents of different phases are supplied to the coils of each phase.

[0036] The transaxle 10T is connected to the motor 10M and includes a transmission that reduces the speed of the rotation input from the motor 10M, and a differential gear that further distributes the rotation reduced by the transmission to the left and right wheels W. The rotational driving force generated by the engine 10E and the motor 10M is output from the differential gear to the drive shaft 11 and transmitted to the wheels W.

[0037] The vehicle V according to this embodiment is, for example, a parallel hybrid electric vehicle, and by turning the electromagnetic clutch on and off, the vehicle can run using only the driving force of the motor 10M, using both the driving forces of the motor 10M and the engine 10E, or using only the driving force of the engine 10E. Furthermore, when the vehicle V is decelerating, the motor 10M generates electricity using the rotational force of the wheels W.

[0038] A battery 20 is disposed under the floor of the passenger compartment R2, which is partitioned behind the compartment R1 with the dash panel 16 in between. The battery 20 exchanges power with the motor 10M. When the motor 10M functions as a driving source for traveling, the battery 20 supplies power to the motor 10M. In this case, direct current power is supplied via a DC-DC converter 22 provided in a power supply path between the battery 20 and the motor 10M. On the other hand, when the motor M functions as a generator during deceleration of the vehicle V, the battery 20 stores the power generated by the motor 10M.

[0039] The inverter 10V is disposed above the motor 10M and the transaxle 10T and is connected to the motor 10M. The inverter 10V is a power conversion device that converts DC power from the battery 20 into AC power and supplies it to the motor 10M. Specifically, the inverter 10V converts the DC power supplied from the battery 20 via a DC circuit including a DC-DC converter 22 into three-phase AC power and supplies it to the motor 10M.

[0040] In addition, when the vehicle V is decelerating and the motor 10M functions as a generator, the inverter 10V converts the AC power (regenerative power) generated by the motor 10M into DC power and supplies it to the battery 20 via a DC circuit including the DC-DC converter 22.

[0041] 1 and 2, the vehicle V is also provided with a battery 24 for supplying power to electrical components provided in various parts of the vehicle V, in addition to the battery 20 for supplying power to the motor 10M. That is, the vehicle V is provided with an auxiliary battery 24 in addition to the traction battery 20 that supplies power for traveling. The auxiliary battery 24 has a lower nominal voltage than the traction battery 20.

[0042] For example, the driving battery 20 is a lithium ion battery or a nickel metal hydride battery with a nominal voltage of 24V or more, and the auxiliary battery 24 is a lead battery or a lithium ion battery with a nominal voltage of 12V.

[0043] The battery 24 for the accessories is disposed above the inverter 10V. Specifically, the battery 24 is disposed in a position in a plan view so as to cover from above an attachment portion (protector attachment portion 47) of the inverter 10V for a protector 60 (described later).

[0044] A brake booster 26 is disposed behind the powertrain 10 in the compartment R1, specifically behind the inverter 10V. The brake booster 26 is an example of an accessory disposed behind the inverter 10V in the compartment R1. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower part of the brake booster 26 is located at approximately the same height as the inverter 10V. In other words, when viewed in the front-rear direction, the brake booster 26 is disposed in a position where its lower part overlaps with the inverter 10V.

[0045] The brake booster 26 is a booster device that amplifies the brake pedal operation force (depression force) applied by the occupant and transmits it to the brake unit (master cylinder). The brake booster 26 includes a booster body 27 and an input unit 28 for inputting the occupant's depressing force to the booster body 27.

[0046] The booster body 27 is fixed via a bracket to the front surface of the dash panel 16 (the side surface on the compartment R1 side), and the input portion 28 protrudes through an opening formed in the dash panel 16 to the feet of the driver in the vehicle interior R2. A brake pedal (not shown) is connected to the input portion 28.

[0047] The vehicle V is further equipped with a PCM (Powertrain Control Module) 25. The PCM 25 is a controller that comprehensively controls the powertrain 10 including the motor 10M and the engine 10E.

[0048] [10V inverter placement] Fig. 3 is a plan view of the powertrain 10 including the inverter 10V. As shown in Fig. 3, the powertrain 10 includes, from the right side of the vehicle, an engine 10E, a motor 10M, and a transaxle 10T.

[0049] The engine 10E is, for example, a multi-cylinder reciprocating engine, and is disposed in a so-called transverse orientation with the crankshaft extending in the vehicle width direction. The motor 10M is disposed adjacent to the left side of the cylinder block of the engine 10E. The motor 10M has a motor housing 80 that forms its outer shell. The motor housing 80 is joined to the cylinder block, thereby assembling the motor 10M to the engine 10E.

[0050] The transaxle 10T has a transaxle housing 90 that forms its outer shell. The transaxle housing 90 is joined to the motor housing 80, thereby assembling the transaxle 10T to the motor 10M.

[0051] The motor housing 80 and the transaxle housing 90 are made of a highly rigid metal material such as aluminum die-cast, or a highly rigid resin material such as carbon fiber reinforced resin, etc. Therefore, the motor 10M and the transaxle 10T are a highly rigid drive device that uses the motor 10M as a drive source.

[0052] The inverter 10V is disposed in an upper portion of the powertrain 10, straddling the motor 10M and the transaxle 10T.

[0053] The inverter 10V has an inverter housing 40 (corresponding to the "converter housing" of the present invention) that forms its outer shell. The inverter housing 40 is made of a metal material or a resin material such as carbon fiber reinforced resin. The inverter housing 40 is joined to the upper part of the motor housing 80 and the upper part of the transaxle housing 90, so that the inverter 10V is integrally assembled with both the motor 10M and the transaxle 10T. In other words, the inverter 10V is fixed to the upper part of the highly rigid drive device.

[0054] 4 is a diagram showing the electrical connection between the battery 20 and the powertrain 10. The battery 20 is connected to the powertrain 10 via a DC-DC converter 22. DC power from the battery 20 is supplied to the inverter 10V via the DC-DC converter 22, converted into AC power, and supplied to the motor M. When the vehicle V decelerates, the AC power generated by the motor 10M is converted into DC power by the inverter 10V and supplied to the battery 20 via the DC-DC converter 22.

[0055] The inverter 10V and the DC-DC converter 22 are connected via a DC wiring LN1 made up of a wire harness routed in the vehicle body and a DC wiring LN2 routed inside the motor housing 80. The DC wiring LN1 and the DC wiring LN2 are connected to each other by a connector CN2 provided at the rear of the motor housing 80. A predetermined range of the DC wiring LN2, including the end on the inverter 10V side, is configured as a bus bar. The bus bar is fastened to a terminal block 33 of a DC input / output unit 32 (described later) in the inverter 10V, thereby connecting the DC wiring LN2 to the inverter 10V.

[0056] The motor 10M and the inverter 10V are connected by an AC wiring LN3. A predetermined range of the AC wiring LN3, including at least the end on the inverter 10V side, is configured as a bus bar. The bus bar is fastened to a terminal block of an AC input / output unit 38 (described later) in the inverter 10V, thereby connecting the AC wiring LN3 to the motor 10M.

[0057] [Configuration of 10V inverter] 5 to 8 are diagrams showing the inverter 10V with a protector 60 (described later) attached, with Fig. 5 being a perspective view, Fig. 6 being a side view (side view from the left), Fig. 7 being a plan view, and Fig. 8 being a rear view, all of which show the inverter 10V. Fig. 9 is a diagram of the inverter 10V with the protector 60 removed, with (a) being a perspective view and (b) being a rear view, each of which shows the inverter 10V. Fig. 10 is a rear view of the inverter 10V with a cover 50 (described later) for an opening 48 removed.

[0058] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the inverter 10V has an inverter housing 40 that is elongated in the front-rear direction and has a generally rectangular shape in plan view, and a protector 60 is attached to the rear end of the inverter housing 40.

[0059] The inverter housing 40 includes a dish-shaped upper housing 42 having a top surface and a peripheral wall extending downward from its periphery, and a dish-shaped lower housing 44 having a bottom surface and a peripheral wall extending upward from its periphery. The upper housing 42 and the lower housing 44 are assembled together in the vertical direction to form the inverter housing 40. As described above, the inverter housing 40 is made of a metal material or a resin material such as carbon fiber reinforced resin.

[0060] The inverter housing 40 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the housing 40) has a plurality of fastening portions 46 formed on its peripheral wall, more specifically, on the peripheral wall of the lower housing 44. The fastening portions 46 are portions of the peripheral wall of the lower housing 44 that are formed to be thicker than other portions. Bolts B1 (fastening members) are threaded through holes formed in the fastening portions 46 into threaded holes in the motor housing 80 and the transaxle housing 90, and fastened to the motor 10M and the upper portion of the transaxle 10T, thereby fixing (fastening) the inverter 10V to the motor 10M and the upper portion of the transaxle 10T.

[0061] A plurality of PCM connectors CN11, CN12 that protrude upward are provided on the upper housing 42. The PCM connectors CN11, CN12 are connectors for connecting the PCM 25 to the 10V inverter via electrical wiring.

[0062] 7, the inverter 10V includes a DC input / output unit 32, a smoothing unit 34, a power module unit 36, and an AC input / output unit 38, which are housed in a housing 40. The DC input / output unit 32, the smoothing unit 34, the power module unit 36, and the AC input / output unit 38 are arranged in this order from the rear to the front of the vehicle V. The DC input / output unit 32, the smoothing unit 34, the power module unit 36, and the AC input / output unit 38 correspond to the "circuit unit" of the present invention.

[0063] An opening (not shown) is provided on the underside of the front end portion of the lower housing 44. The AC wiring LN3 made of a bus bar is inserted into the housing 40 through this opening and fastened to the terminal block of the AC input / output unit 38 with bolts. This fastening connects the AC wiring LN3 to the inverter 10V. Note that reference numeral 58 in FIG. 5 denotes a cover that closes the opening leading to the connection portion between the AC input / output unit 38 and the AC wiring LN3, and is fixed to the upper housing 42.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 7, in a plan view of the inverter 10V, a partial region (referred to as a right-side region ArR) at the right end of the rear end of the housing 40 protrudes further rearward than the remaining region (referred to as a left-side region ArL) at the rear end of the housing 40. The DC input / output unit 32 is accommodated in this protruding portion 40a. An opening (not shown) is provided on the underside of the protruding portion 40a, i.e., on the underside of the portion of the lower housing 44 that corresponds to the protruding portion 40a. The DC wiring LN2 made of a bus bar is inserted into the protruding portion 40a through this opening.

[0065] The DC wiring LN2 passes through the upper wall of the motor housing 80, is inserted into the protrusion 40a through the opening not shown, and is fixed (fastened) to the terminal block 33 of the DC input / output unit 32 with a bolt B5. This fastening connects the DC wiring LN2 to the inverter 10V.

[0066] A horizontally long oval opening 48 is provided in the rear wall 44a of the lower housing 44 at the protrusion 40a. The opening 48 is a service hole (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the service hole 48) for accessing the terminal block 33, i.e., the electrical connection portion between the DC input / output unit 32 provided inside the inverter 10V and the DC wiring LN2. The service hole 48 opens rearward, and therefore provides a path for accessing the terminal block 33 in the front-to-rear direction. In other words, by inserting a tool through the service hole 48 from the rear, the bolt B5 of the terminal block 33 can be attached or detached.

[0067] As shown in Fig. 9, the service hole 48 is closed by a plate-shaped lid 50. Fig. 11 is a rear view (a plan view seen from the rear) showing the lid 50 alone.

[0068] The lid 50 is made of an insulating material such as resin. As shown in FIG. 11 , the lid 50 includes a substantially rectangular lid main body 51 that covers the service hole 48, four fixing projections 52 that extend outward from the lid main body 51, and two temporary fastening projections 56. The fixing projections 52 are used to fix the lid 50 to the housing 40 (lower housing 44) and are provided at the four corners of the lid main body 51. On the other hand, the temporary fastening projections 56 are used to temporarily fasten (temporarily place) the lid 50 to the housing 40 prior to fastening the lid 50. The temporary fastening projections 56 are provided adjacent to each of the upper two fixing projections 52, between the upper two fixing projections 52.

[0069] 10, four screw holes 49a corresponding to the fixing projections 52 and a pair of temporary fastening pins 49b corresponding to the temporary fastening projections 56 are provided around the service hole 48 in the rear wall 44a. The pair of temporary fastening pins 49b are provided parallel to each other and protrude rearward from the rear wall 44a, and extend in the direction in which the lid 50 is attached and detached, i.e., in the front-to-rear direction.

[0070] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the lid 50 is fixed (fastened) to the rear wall 44a by inserting the temporary fixing pin 49b into the pin hole 56a provided in the temporary fixing protrusion 56 and threading the bolt B4 into the screw hole 49a through the through hole 52a provided in the fixing protrusion 52.

[0071] When attaching the lid 50, the temporary fixing pin 49b can be inserted into the pin hole 56a of the temporary fixing protrusion 56, thereby temporarily fixing (placing) the lid 50 on the protrusion 40a before fastening with the bolt B4. This contributes to improving the assembly of the inverter 10V.

[0072] The temporary locking pins 49b and the pin holes 56a are configured so that when the lid 50 is moved in the forward and backward directions along the pair of temporary locking pins 49b with almost no tilt, the lid 50 can be attached to and detached from the temporary locking pins 49b.

[0073] Of the four fixing protrusions 52, the upper two fixing protrusions 52 have a different configuration from the other (lower two) fixing protrusions 52. That is, as shown in Fig. 11, the upper two fixing protrusions 52 are provided with extensions that extend further outward from the positions of the through holes 52a, and bosses 54 are provided at the ends of the extensions.

[0074] The boss portion 54 is a portion to which a protector 60, which will be described later, is attached. The boss portion 54 protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the fixing projection portion 52, and the fixing projection portion 52 is provided with a screw hole 54a for fixing the protector.

[0075] The region of the fixing projection 52 closer to the boss 54 than the through hole 52a is configured to have lower rigidity than the other portions. Specifically, a portion of the extended portion is made thinner than the other portions, or the extended portion includes a fragile portion with a notch formed therein, thereby configuring the region of the fixing projection 52 closer to the boss 54 than the through hole 52a to have lower rigidity. With this configuration, when a load equal to or greater than a specified value is applied to the protector 60 fixed to the boss 54, the portion of the fixing projection 52 including the boss 54 will deform or separate from the other portions, thereby preventing damage to the lid 50.

[0076] A protector 60 is attached to the rear end of the housing 40. The protector 60 is a member that protects the inverter 10V and prevents the brake booster 26 from moving backward when the inverter 10V interferes with (collides with) the brake booster 26. The protector 60 also has the function of preventing people from inadvertently accessing the terminal block 33 of the DC input / output unit 32.

[0077] 12 and 13 show the protector 60 alone, with FIG. 12 showing the protector 60 in a rear view (plan view as seen from the rear) and FIG. 13 showing the protector 60 in a side view (left side view).

[0078] 5 to 8, 12 and 13, the protector 60 includes a guide portion 66 and a baffle plate 62. The guide portion 66 has a function of guiding the brake booster 26 upward to prevent the brake booster 26 from moving backward in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle.

[0079] The guide portion 66 is a rectangular member made of a metal plate, and has an inclined surface 66a that faces rearward and diagonally upward and is raised toward the front. The inclined surface 66a is a guide surface that guides the brake booster 26 upward when it collides with the brake booster 26. The inclined surface 66a is a flat surface, and in this example, the inclination angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane is set to, for example, 45°. The guide portion 66 is joined to the fixing portion 63c (described later) of the baffle plate 62 via legs 67.

[0080] The baffle plate 62 is made of a metal plate and extends from the right end to the left end along the rear end surface of the housing 40. The baffle plate 62 has, in order from the right side in the vehicle width direction, a cover portion 63a, a connecting portion 63b, and a fixing portion 63c.

[0081] The cover portion 63a faces the lid 50 from behind, thereby covering a portion of the lid 50. The fixed portion 63c faces the rear wall 44c of the lower housing 44 from behind in the left side area ArL (see FIG. 7) of the housing 40. The fixed portion 63c is disposed forward of the cover portion 63a. The connecting portion 63b is a portion between the cover portion 63a and the fixed portion 63c, and extends obliquely forward from the left end of the cover portion 63a in a plan view and connects to the right end of the fixed portion 63c. In other words, the protector 60 has a generally crank-shaped shape in a plan view.

[0082] As described above, the guide portion 66 is joined to the fixed portion 63c of the baffle plate 62 via the leg portion 67. The leg portion 67 is a three-dimensional press-formed member made of, for example, a metal plate. As shown in Fig. 13, the leg portion 67 includes a plate-shaped support portion 67a that extends diagonally forward and downward from the guide portion 66 along the plane perpendicular direction (approximately normal direction) of the inclined surface 66a in a side view.

[0083] The leg portions 67 are joined by welding to the rear surface of the fixed portion 63c of the baffle plate 62 and to the lower surface of the guide portion 66 (the surface opposite to the inclined surface 66a). This results in the guide portion 66 and the baffle plate 62 being integrally configured. The leg portions 67 may also be configured to be integrally molded with the fixed portion 63c of the baffle plate 62 by press working. In this example, the guide portion 66 and the leg portions 67 correspond to the "guide member" of the present invention, and the guide portion 66 corresponds to the "main body" of the present invention.

[0084] 5 to 7, when the protector 60 is fixed to the housing 40, the guide portion 66 is disposed to the left of the protruding portion 40a of the housing 40, i.e., in the left side area ArL. The rear end of the guide portion 66 is located at approximately the same position as the rear end of the protruding portion 40a, and the upper end of the guide portion 66 is located at approximately the same position as the upper end of the protruding portion 40a.

[0085] The guide portion 66 thus arranged is located in front of the booster body 27 of the brake booster 26 in a plan view, as shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2, the guide portion 66 is located below the booster body 27, more specifically, at the same height as an inclined surface 27a (described below) of the booster body 27.

[0086] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 9, the protector 60 is fixed to a protector attachment portion 47 provided in the left side area ArL of the housing 40.

[0087] The protector attachment portion 47 is provided across a gap from the rear wall 44c of the lower housing 44 in the left side area ArL. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 9, fastening portions 46 are provided at the rear end portion of the left-most side wall 44d of the lower housing 44 and at the right end of the rear wall 44c of the lower housing 44 in the left side area ArL, more precisely, at the corner portion between the rear wall 44c and the side wall 44b of the lower housing 44 at the protruding portion 40a. As described above, the fastening portion 46 is a portion of the peripheral wall of the lower housing 44 that is formed thicker than other portions.

[0088] The protector mounting portion 47 is provided in a bridge shape so as to straddle these two fastening portions 46. Then, bolts B2 are threaded into a pair of screw holes 47a formed in the protector mounting portion 47 through a pair of through holes 64b formed in the fixing portion 63c of the baffle plate 62. As a result, the protector 60 is fixed to the protector mounting portion 47.

[0089] The protector mounting portion 47 is a wall portion (corresponding to the "first wall portion" of the present invention) provided on the housing 40 (lower housing 44) that faces the brake booster 26 (booster body 27). The left end (one end) of the protector mounting portion 47 is connected to the rear end of the side wall 44d (corresponding to the "second wall portion" of the present invention) at the left end of the lower housing 44 via the fastening portion 46. Therefore, the guide portion 66 is attached to the protector mounting portion 47 via the fixing portion 63c in an area including the left end of the protector mounting portion 47, i.e., the rear end of the side wall 44d.

[0090] An inlet port 45A for a refrigerant (e.g., cooling water) made of a pipe material is provided at the lower rear end of the lower housing 44 in the left side area ArL, and a similar outlet port 45B is provided at the front end of the lower housing 44 in the left side area ArL. These ports 45A, 45B are inlets and outlets for the refrigerant that communicate with cooling passages provided within the housing 40. The refrigerant is introduced into the housing 40 through the inlet port 45A, flows in a serpentine manner within the housing 40, and is discharged from the outlet port 45B. The refrigerant circulates within the housing 40 in this manner, thereby cooling the power module section 36 and the like.

[0091] The inlet port portion 45A extends along the lower surface of the lower housing 44, passing below the protector mounting portion 47, and to the rear of the protector mounting portion 47. The lower side portions of the protector mounting portion 47 and the baffle plate 62 (fixing portion 63c) fixed to the protector mounting portion 47 are each formed to be recessed upward to avoid the inlet port portion 45A.

[0092] The protector 60 is also fixed to the lid 50. Specifically, a through hole 64a corresponding to the boss portion 54 of the lid 50 is formed in the cover portion 63a of the baffle plate 62. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 14, a bolt B3 is threaded through the through hole 64a into the screw hole 54a of the boss portion 54. This fixes the cover portion 63a to the lid 50. Note that FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a main part of the inverter 10V, showing the mounting structure of the protector 60 (cover portion 63a of the baffle plate 62).

[0093] When the cover portion 63a is fixed to the lid 50, the cover portion 63a faces the rear of the lid 50, and therefore, the cover portion 63a is positioned to block access to the lid 50. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the cover portion 63a covers approximately the upper half of the lid 50 from the rear, thereby hiding the two upper bolts B4 that secure the lid 50. With this configuration, the lid 50 cannot be removed directly, and access to the terminal block 33 requires removing at least the baffle plate 62. This prevents the lid 50 from being accidentally removed to access the terminal block 33.

[0094] Furthermore, to remove the baffle plate 62, it is necessary to remove not only the cover portion 63a fixed to the lid 50 but also the fixed portion 63c fixed to the protector mounting portion 47. In this case, the fixed portion 63c is fixed to the protector mounting portion 47, which is located further forward than the lid 50 fixed to the rear end of the protrusion 40a. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, a guide portion 66 is disposed above the fixed portion 63c fixed to the protector mounting portion 47, making it impossible to directly see the fixed portion 63c when viewed from above. Therefore, it is difficult to access the fixed portion 63c through the opening of the compartment R1. Therefore, these points also prevent the lid 50 from being inadvertently removed to access the terminal block 33.

[0095] [Brake Booster 26 Configuration] As described above, the brake booster 26 includes a booster body 27 fixed to the dash panel 16 via a bracket, and an input portion 28 for inputting the pedal force of the occupant to the booster body 27.

[0096] 2, the booster body 27 has a generally box-like shape and is fixed to the dash panel 16 with its front end pointing slightly upward. A sloped surface 27a that faces forward and diagonally downward is formed at the lower front end of the booster body 27. The sloped surface 27a is a flat surface that faces the sloped surface 66a of the guide portion 66 of the protector 60 from the rear.

[0097] [Behavior of the powertrain 10 and the brake booster 26 during a vehicle frontal collision] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the behavior of the powertrain 10 (inverter 10V) and the brake booster when a vehicle frontal collision occurs.

[0098] In the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle V, the inverter 10V moves backward together with the powertrain 10 (arrow A), and the inverter 10V collides with (interferes with) the brake booster 26 located behind the protector 60. More specifically, the inverter 10V first collides with the brake booster 26 via the inclined surface 66a of the guide portion 66. Because the inclined surface 66a of the guide portion 66 is an inclined surface that slopes upward toward the front, when the guide portion 66 collides with the brake booster 26, the brake booster 26 is displaced upward (arrow B), and the powertrain 10 is displaced downward (arrow C). In this case, the inclined surface 27a at the lower front end of the booster body 27 comes into contact with the inclined surface 66a of the guide portion 66, causing the powertrain 10 and the brake booster 26 to displace relative to each other along the inclined surfaces 27a, 66a.

[0099] As a result of the brake booster 26 being displaced upward in this manner, the brake booster 26 is prevented from moving backward together with the dash panel 16 and intruding into the passenger compartment R2.

[0100] 16 is a diagram showing the transmission of load when the inverter 10V (guide portion 66) collides with the brake booster 26. When the guide portion 66 collides with the brake booster 26, the collision load is input to the guide portion 66.

[0101] Because the guide portion 66 itself is not fixed to the housing 40, the collision load is transmitted to the housing 40 via the leg portion 67 and the fixed portion 63c (protector 60). In this case, because the leg portion 67 is provided with a support portion 67a extending in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the inclined surface 66a, the load component in the direction perpendicular to the surface is quickly transmitted to the housing 40 via the support portion 67a and dispersed to the motor 10M and the transaxle 10T (see the solid arrows in FIG. 16).

[0102] Furthermore, the guide portion 66 is fixed to the lower housing 44 via the leg portion 67 and the fixing portion 63c at the left end of the protector mounting portion 47, i.e., at the rear end of the side wall 44d extending in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, the collision load is transmitted to and dispersed by the side wall 44d extending in the front-to-rear direction of the housing 40 and having a relatively high strength (see the dashed arrow in FIG. 16).

[0103] [effect] As described above, in the front structure of vehicle V according to this embodiment, protector 60 is attached to the rear end of inverter 10V provided in powertrain 10, and protector 60 is provided with guide portion 66 having an inclined surface that displaces brake booster 26 upward, specifically, an inclined surface 66a that rises toward the front. Therefore, in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, as described above, guide portion 66 comes into contact with brake booster 26, displacing brake booster 26 upward. This prevents brake booster 26 from retracting and entering passenger compartment R2, thereby improving the safety of occupants.

[0104] Furthermore, since the inverter 10V and the brake booster 26 collide with each other via the guide portion 66 (protector 60), there is no direct collision between the inverter 10V and the brake booster 26. Therefore, compared to when the inverter 10V and the brake booster 26 collide directly, the powertrain 10 is less likely to be damaged, and electrical leakage and the like due to such damage can be effectively avoided.

[0105] Furthermore, in this embodiment, inverter 10V is fixed to the upper part of motor 10M and transaxle 10T via its housing 40, and guide portion 66 is attached to housing 40 via fixing portion 63c. In other words, because housing 40 is fixed to motor 10M and transaxle 10T, which have relatively high rigidity, the support rigidity of guide portion 66 attached to inverter 10V is improved. Therefore, the brake booster 26 can be displaced upward more reliably while the collision load with the brake booster 26 is received by guide portion 66.

[0106] In particular, the housing 40 includes a lower housing 44 fixed to the motor 10M and the transaxle 10T, and an upper housing 42 coupled thereto, and the guide portion 66 (fixed portion 63c) is fixed to the lower housing 44. In other words, the collision load with the brake booster 26 is input to a position in the housing 40 closer to the motor 10M and the transaxle 10T. Therefore, the collision load with the brake booster 26 can be more quickly distributed from the housing 40 (lower housing 44) to the motor 10M and the transaxle 10T, and as a result, damage to the inverter 10V and the guide portion 66 can be effectively avoided.

[0107] In this case, in this embodiment, the lower housing 44 is fastened to the motor 10M and the transaxle 10T by fastening portions 46 that are formed to be thicker than other portions, and the guide portion 66 (fixed portion 63c) is attached to a protector attachment portion 47 that is provided in a bridge shape between the two fastening portions 46. In other words, it can be said that the guide portion 66 (fixed portion 63c) is essentially attached to the fastening portions 46. Therefore, the collision load with the brake booster 26 can be more reliably transmitted to the motor 10M and the transaxle 10T via the lower housing 44, which is advantageous in avoiding damage to the inverter 10V and the guide portion 66.

[0108] As described above, in this embodiment, the lower housing 44 includes the protector mounting portion 47 having a surface facing the brake booster 26, and the side wall 44d connected to the left end of the protector mounting portion 47 via the fastening portion 46. The guide portion 66 (fixing portion 63c) is attached to the protector mounting portion 47 in an area including the left end. Therefore, the collision load with the brake booster 26 can be received and dispersed by the side wall 44d of the housing 40 having a relatively high strength, i.e., the side wall 44d extending in the front-rear direction. This is advantageous in suppressing deformation of the housing 40 due to the collision load and, ultimately, damage to the inverter 10V.

[0109] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the guide portion 66 of the protector 60 is separated from the housing 40, and the collision load is input to the housing 40 via the leg portion 67 and the fixing portion 63c. Therefore, the housing 40 is less likely to be damaged by the collision load, which is also advantageous in terms of suppressing damage to the inverter 10V.

[0110] In this case, the leg 67 is provided with the support portion 67a extending forward along the direction perpendicular to the surface of the inclined surface 66a (guide portion 66), and as described above, the load component of the collision load in the direction perpendicular to the surface is quickly transmitted to the housing 40 via the support portion 67a and dispersed to the motor 10M and the transaxle 10T, which is more advantageous in suppressing damage to the inverter 10V.

[0111] In this embodiment, an inclined surface 27a is provided at the lower front end of the brake booster 26 (booster body 27), and when the guide portion 66 collides with the brake booster 26, the inclined surfaces 27a and 66a come into contact with each other. This allows the brake booster 26 to be displaced upward more smoothly.

[0112] [Modifications, etc.] The front structure of the vehicle V described above is one example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and its specific configuration can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the following configurations can also be applied.

[0113] (1) Although not specifically mentioned in the embodiment, the housing 40 may be configured such that the lower housing 44 has higher rigidity than the upper housing 42. As described above, the collision load input from the guide portion 66 is transmitted to the upper housing 42. Therefore, this configuration is a rational configuration in which the rigidity of only the portion of the housing 40 that receives the collision load is increased, and damage to the housing 40 can be avoided.

[0114] (2) In the embodiment, the protector 60 including the baffle plate 62 and the guide portion 66 is fixed to the housing 40, thereby providing the guide portion 66 on the inverter 10V. However, only the portions of the protector 60 corresponding to the guide portion 66 and the leg portion 67 may be directly attached to the protector attachment portion 47. With this configuration, the inverter 10V including the guide portion 66 can be made compact while still maintaining the function of preventing the brake booster 26 from moving backward.

[0115] (3) In the embodiment, the inclination angle θ of the inclined surface 66a of the guide portion 66 is 45°, but this is just an example and can be changed as appropriate depending on the specific position and shape of the brake booster 26. In this case, if the positions of the lower front end of the dash panel 16 and the guide portion 66 (and the inverter 10V) are relatively close in the vertical direction, the inclination angle θ can be set to be smaller than 45°.

[0116] (4) In the embodiment, the inverter 100 is used as an example of a power conversion device, but the present invention can also apply devices other than inverters as power conversion devices. For example, a DC-DC converter can also be used as a power conversion device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] V vehicle R1 compartment R2 cabin 10 Powertrain 10E engine 10M motor 10T transaxle 10V inverter (power conversion device) 16 Dash Panel 20 Battery 26 Brake booster 27 Booster body 27a Slope 40 Inverter housing 60 Protector 62 Baffle plate 66 Guide part (guide member / main body part) 66a Slope 67 Legs 67a Support part

Claims

1. a power conversion device disposed in a compartment at the front of the vehicle and converting power between the driving motor and the battery; an auxiliary device disposed in the compartment behind the power conversion device and overlapping with the power conversion device as viewed in the vehicle front-rear direction, A front structure of a vehicle, characterized in that a guide member having an inclined surface is attached to at least one side of the power conversion device and the auxiliary equipment, facing the other side, and contacts the other side as the power conversion device moves backward during a frontal collision of the vehicle, thereby displacing the auxiliary equipment relatively upward.

2. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, the guide member is attached to a rear end portion of the power conversion device, The front structure of a vehicle, wherein the inclined surface is an inclined surface that rises upward in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 or 2, the power conversion device includes a circuit unit that converts power and a converter housing that houses the circuit unit, and is fixed to an upper portion of a drive device that includes the motor via the converter housing; The front structure of a vehicle, wherein the guide member is attached to the converter housing.

4. The vehicle front structure according to claim 3, the converter housing includes a lower housing fixed to the driver and an upper housing coupled to the lower housing; The front structure of a vehicle, wherein the guide member is attached to the lower housing.

5. The vehicle front structure according to claim 4, the lower housing has a fastening portion formed around its periphery to be thicker than other portions and fastened to the drive device by a fastening member; The front structure of a vehicle, wherein the guide member is attached to the fastening portion or a portion adjacent to the fastening portion.

6. The vehicle front structure according to claim 3, the converter housing includes a first wall portion having a surface facing the auxiliary device in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a second wall portion extending forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction from one end of the first wall portion, The guide member is attached to the first wall portion in a region including the one end.

7. The vehicle front structure according to claim 3, the guide member includes a body portion having the inclined surface and a leg portion fixed to the converter housing; The vehicle front structure, wherein the main body is spaced apart from the converter housing.

8. The vehicle front structure according to claim 7, The front structure of a vehicle, wherein the leg has a portion that extends forward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle along a direction perpendicular to the inclined surface.

9. The vehicle front structure according to claim 2, The front structure of a vehicle, wherein the auxiliary device has a front-rising inclined surface that faces the inclined surface of the guide member in the vehicle front-rear direction.

10. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 or 2, 10. A front structure of a vehicle, wherein the auxiliary device is a brake booster.

Images