Vehicular external charging port support structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicular external charging port support structure which can suppress weight of a port bracket supporting a port unit from increasing and improve rigidity of the port bracket.SOLUTION: A vehicular external charging port support structure comprises: a radiator support member 24 which is disposed in a vehicle to support an upper part of a radiator 30 and is supported by a vehicle body skeleton member; a frame member 14 which is disposed in the vehicle, positioned below the radiator support member and supported by the vehicle body skeleton member; and a port bracket 35 which supports port units 50, 55 for external charging, an upper part of which is connected with a first connection part of the radiator support member and a lower part of which is connected with a second connection part 17 of the frame member. The second connection part is, when viewed from the vehicle side, positioned directly under the first connection part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a support structure for an external charging port for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] The electric vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 listed below has an openable charging lid at the front of the vehicle body. When the charging lid is opened, a charging port (port unit) at the front of the vehicle body is exposed. This charging port is supported by a port bracket fixed to a body structural member. By connecting a connector at the end of a charging cable to the charging port, power from a power source located outside the vehicle can be supplied to a battery installed in the electric vehicle via the charging cable and the charging port. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-189075 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If the port bracket has low rigidity, it becomes difficult to smoothly connect and disconnect the charging cable connector to and from the charging port. Therefore, the port bracket must have high rigidity. In order to increase the rigidity of the port bracket in Patent Document 1, for example, the port bracket itself must be made larger. However, if the port bracket is made larger, its mass increases, which increases the weight of the electric vehicle.

[0005] Taking the above facts into consideration, the present invention aims to provide an external charging port support structure for a vehicle that can increase the rigidity of the port bracket while suppressing an increase in the mass of the port bracket that supports the port unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The external charging port support structure for a vehicle of claim 1 comprises a radiator support member that is provided on a vehicle, supports an upper part of a radiator, and is supported by a vehicle body frame member; a frame member that is provided on the vehicle, positioned below the radiator support member, and supported by the vehicle body frame member; and a port bracket that supports a port unit for external charging, and has an upper part connected to a first connection part of the radiator support member and a lower part connected to a second connection part of the frame member, wherein the second connection part is located directly below the first connection part when viewed from the side of the vehicle.

[0007] In the vehicle external charging port support structure of claim 1, an upper portion of a port bracket supporting an external charging port unit is connected to a first connection portion of a radiator support member that supports an upper portion of a radiator and is supported by a vehicle body frame member, and a lower portion of the port bracket is connected to a second connection portion of a frame member that is positioned below the radiator support member and is supported by the vehicle body frame member. In this way, the port bracket is supported at both ends by the radiator support member that is supported by the vehicle body frame member and the frame member that is supported by the vehicle body frame member. Therefore, even if the mass of the port bracket is small, the rigidity of the port bracket can be increased.

[0008] Furthermore, when viewed from the side of the vehicle, the second connection portion is located directly below the first connection portion. That is, when viewed from the side of the vehicle, the port bracket is approximately parallel to the vertical direction of the vehicle. Therefore, compared to when the port bracket is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the vehicle when viewed from the side of the vehicle, the overall length of the port bracket is shorter, and the port bracket has high rigidity.

[0009] Furthermore, since the support structure for an external charging port for a vehicle has a small longitudinal dimension, the support structure for an external charging port for a vehicle according to claim 1 can prevent the longitudinal dimension of the vehicle from increasing.

[0010] The external charging port support structure for a vehicle of claim 2 is the same as claim 1, in that the fixed portion of the radiator support member is fixed to a bracket fixed to the dash panel of the vehicle, the upper portion of the port unit is fixed to the first connection portion using a bolt, and the distance from the first connection portion to the fixed portion is shorter than the distance from the first connection portion to the radiator support portion, which is the part of the radiator support member that supports the upper portion of the radiator.

[0011] In the external charging port support structure for a vehicle of claim 2, the fixed position of the radiator support member relative to the bracket and the fixed position (first connection portion) of the port bracket relative to the radiator support member are close to each other, making it easier to stabilize the fixed state between the port bracket and the radiator support member (first connection portion).

[0012] The external charging port support structure for a vehicle described in claim 3 is the same as claim 2, except that an engagement hole is formed in the first connection portion, and an engagement protrusion is provided on the port bracket that engages with the engagement hole to restrict the port bracket from moving relative to the radiator support member in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle by more than a predetermined distance.

[0013] In the support structure for an external charging port for a vehicle according to claim 3, when the engagement hole provided in the first connection portion engages with the engagement protrusion, the port bracket is restricted from moving relative to the radiator support member in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle by more than a predetermined distance. Therefore, the support structure for an external charging port for a vehicle according to claim 3 can temporarily hold the port bracket by the radiator support member so that the port bracket does not move relative to the radiator support member in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle by more than the predetermined distance. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] As described above, the external charging port support structure for a vehicle according to the present invention has the excellent effect of being able to increase the rigidity of the port bracket while suppressing an increase in the mass of the port bracket that supports the port unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a vehicle external charging port support structure according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the vehicle external charging port support structure as viewed from the right side of the vehicle. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle external charging port support structure as viewed from the left side of the vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the support structure for an external charging port for a vehicle. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the left end portion of the upper radiator support and the upper portion of the port bracket. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the left end of the upper radiator support and the upper portion of the port bracket in a separated state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] An embodiment of a vehicle external charging port support structure 10 (hereinafter referred to as the port support structure 10) according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Arrows FR, LH, and UP shown in the drawings indicate the front, left, and top sides, respectively, of the vehicle.

[0017] A vehicle (not shown) equipped with the port support structure 10 includes a vehicle body 11 (see FIG. 2) having a pair of left and right side members (body frame members) 12 (see FIG. 4), crash boxes (not shown) provided at the front ends of the left and right side members 12, and metal bumper reinforcements (frame members) 14 fixed to the front ends of the left and right crash boxes. Specifically, the bumper reinforcements (frame members) 14 are supported by the side members (body frame members) 12 via the crash boxes. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the bumper reinforcements 14 include a main body 15 having a generally arc-shaped planar shape that protrudes forward, a pair of arm portions 16 extending left and right from the main body 15, and a bracket support portion (second connection portion) 17 connected to the left arm portion 16. The left and right arm portions 16 are fixed to the left and right side members 12, respectively. Two through holes 18A and 18B are provided near the upper ends of the bracket support portion 17. Furthermore, two nuts (not shown) located immediately behind the through holes 18A and 18B are fixed to the rear surface of the bracket support portion 17. In the present embodiment, the bumper force 14 is formed by separately manufacturing the main body portion 15, the arm portion 16, and the bracket support portion 17, and then welding the main body portion 15, the arm portion 16, and the bracket support portion 17 together. However, the bumper force 14 including the main body portion 15, the arm portion 16, and the bracket support portion 17 may also be integrally molded by, for example, press molding.

[0018] The vehicle has a dash panel (body frame member) (not shown). A pair of left and right metal upper brackets (brackets) 20 (see FIG. 4) are fixed to this dash panel. The cross section of upper bracket 20 is hat-shaped, and a through-hole 21 is formed in a front plate portion 20A. A nut (not shown) is provided on the rear surface of front plate portion 20A, positioned immediately behind through-hole 21. Furthermore, a pair of upper and lower connecting pieces 20B of upper bracket 20 are fixed to the dash panel.

[0019] The vehicle further includes a metal radiator support upper (radiator support member) 24 extending in the left-right direction. The radiator support upper 24 includes a base 25 extending in the left-right direction and generally perpendicular to the up-down direction, a front flange 26 connected to the front edge of the base 25 and generally perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and an attachment piece (fixed portion) 27 extending upward from the rear edge of the left side of the base 25. A notch 25C is formed on the left side of the front edge of the base 25, where the front flange 26 is not provided. The attachment piece 27 is provided with a through-hole 28. Furthermore, through-holes 29A and 29B are formed in a left end (first connection portion) 25L of the base 25. Furthermore, two nuts (not shown) are provided on the underside of the base 25, located directly below the through-holes 29A and 29B. As shown in Figure 6, the through holes 28, 29A, and 29B of the radiator support upper 24 are positioned on a straight line L1 in a plan view. Furthermore, an engagement hole 29C that is rectangular in a plan view and is located to the right of the through holes 29A and 29B is provided in the left end 25L (first connection portion) of the base 25. The front-to-rear dimension LF1 of the engagement hole 29C is greater than its left-to-right dimension. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, a part of the bracket support portion 17 is positioned directly below the base 25 (left end 25L) of the radiator support upper 24 when viewed from the left-to-right direction.

[0020] The left end portion (mounting piece 27) of the radiator support upper 24 is fixed to the left upper bracket 20 by threading the male threaded portion of the bolt 22 (see FIG. 4 ) inserted from the front into the through hole 28 of the mounting piece 27 and the through hole 21 of the left upper bracket 20 with the nut fixed to the rear surface of the left upper bracket 20 and bringing the head of the bolt 22 into contact with the front surface of the mounting piece 27. Furthermore, the right end portion of the radiator support upper 24 is fixed to the right upper bracket 20 by threading the male threaded portion of the bolt 22 inserted from the front into a through hole (not shown) provided in the right end portion of the radiator support upper 24 and the through hole 21 of the right upper bracket 20 with the nut fixed to the rear surface of the right upper bracket 20 and bringing the head of the bolt 22 into contact with the front surface of the right end portion.

[0021] A radiator support lower (not shown) is provided at the lower end of the front of the vehicle. The vehicle further includes a radiator support upper 24 and a fan (not shown) provided behind the radiator support lower.

[0022] A substantially rectangular parallelepiped radiator 30 shown in Figures 1 to 3 is placed on the upper surface of the radiator support lower. A fan is located immediately behind the radiator 30. As shown in Figure 4, the radiator 30 includes a core portion 31, a lower tank 32, and an upper tank 33. The lower tank 32 is fixed to the radiator support lower, and the upper tank 33 is fixed to a radiator support portion 25S, which is a portion of the base portion 25 of the radiator support upper 24 excluding both left and right ends.

[0023] A straight line CL indicated by a dashed dotted line in Fig. 1 indicates the center position of the vehicle in the left-right direction when viewed from the front. A straight line CLR indicated by a dashed dotted line in Fig. 1 indicates the center position of the radiator 30 in the left-right direction when viewed from the front. As is clear from Fig. 1, the straight line CLR is located to the right of the straight line CL.

[0024] 1, a metal port bracket 35 is provided between the left end of the radiator support upper 24 and the bracket support portion 17. As shown in Fig. 4, the port bracket 35 includes a base portion 36 which is a flat plate that is approximately perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction, a curved connecting portion 36A that is provided at the upper end of the base portion 36 and is curved in side view and has a smaller left-to-right width than the base portion 36, a supported portion 37 that extends rearward from the upper end of the curved connecting portion 36A and is approximately perpendicular to the up-down direction, and an engaging protrusion 38 that is provided on the right edge of the supported portion 37.

[0025] 6, engaging projection 38 includes side piece portion 39 extending rightward from the right edge portion of supported portion 37, hanging portion 40 extending downward from the right edge portion of side piece portion 39, and retaining portion 41 extending forward from the lower end portion of hanging portion 40. A front-to-rear dimension LF2 of the lower end portion of hanging portion 40 including retaining portion 41 is shorter than a front-to-rear dimension LF1 of engaging hole 29C.

[0026] 4, a first mounting recess 45 and a second mounting recess 46, both of which have an open left edge, are formed side by side in the base 36. Furthermore, through holes 48A and 48B are formed in the lower end of the base 36. Furthermore, through holes 49A and 49B are formed in the supported portion 37.

[0027] A first port unit (port unit) 50 and a second port unit (port unit) 55 are detachably attached to the port bracket 35. As shown in FIG. 4 , the first port unit 50 has a main body 51, a port 52 provided on the front surface of the main body 51, and a cable 53 extending from the rear surface of the main body 51. The second port unit 55 has a main body 56, a port 57 provided on the front surface of the main body 56, and a cable 58 extending from the rear surface of the main body 56. The end of the cable 53 opposite the main body 51 and the end of the cable 58 opposite the main body 56 are connected to the battery. The port 52 and the port 57 have different shapes (structures). Therefore, the type of connector of a charging cable detachable from the port 52 and the type of connector of a charging cable detachable from the port 57 are different from each other. In other words, the type of power source capable of supplying power to the battery via port 52 is different from the type of power source capable of supplying power to the battery via port 57.

[0028] The first port unit 50 can be attached to the port bracket 35 with the front surface of the main body 51 in contact with the rear surface of the base 36 and the port 52 positioned in the first mounting recess 45. The second port unit 55 can be attached to the port bracket 35 with the front surface of the main body 56 in contact with the rear surface of the base 36 and the port 57 positioned in the second mounting recess 46.

[0029] Next, a method for connecting the port bracket 35 integrated with the first port unit 50 and the second port unit 55 to the bumper reinforcement 14 and the radiator support upper 24 will be described.

[0030] First, while gripping the port bracket 35 with his or her hand, the worker inserts the lower end of the engaging projection 38 into the engaging hole 29C from above, positions the lower end of the base 36 immediately before the top of the bracket support part 17, and places the curved connecting part 36A in the notch 25C of the radiator support upper 24, and then places the supported part 37 on the upper surface of the left end part 25L of the radiator support upper 24. This causes the lower end (retaining part 41) of the engaging projection 38 to pass downward through the engaging hole 29C.

[0031] At this time, cables 53 and 58 bend as shown in FIG. 3 . That is, cables 53 and 58 undergo elastic deformation from their free state. Therefore, the forward force generated by cables 53 and 58 is transmitted to port bracket 35 via main bodies 51 and 56. Therefore, if the worker's hand is away from port bracket 35, this forward force causes port bracket 35 to move forward relative to radiator support upper 24. Then, the front edge of hanging portion 40 contacts the front edge of engagement hole 29C, restricting further forward movement of port bracket 35 relative to engagement hole 29C. At this time, through hole 49A in supported portion 37 and through hole 29A in radiator support upper 24 are not completely concentric, and through hole 49B and through hole 29B are also not completely concentric. However, through hole 49A and through hole 29A partially overlap each other in the vertical direction, and through hole 49B and through hole 29B partially overlap each other in the vertical direction.

[0032] When an operator manually moves the port bracket 35 a small distance relative to the upper radiator support 24, the through holes 49A and 29A become completely concentric, and the through holes 49B and 29B become completely concentric, as shown in Fig. 5. In this state, the bolt 60A shown in Fig. 4 is inserted into the through holes 49A and 29A, and the male thread portion of the bolt 60A is screwed into the nut fixed to the underside of the base 25. The bolt 60B is inserted into the through holes 49B and 29B, and the male thread portion of the bolt 60B is screwed into the nut fixed to the underside of the base 25. When the heads of the bolts 60A and 60B are brought into contact with the upper surface of the supported portion 37, the supported portion 37 is fixed to the left end of the base 25.

[0033] When the supported portion 37 is fixed to the left end of the base 25 in this manner, the through hole 48A of the port bracket 35 and the through hole 18A of the bracket support portion 17 become completely concentric, and the through holes 48B and 18B become completely concentric. In this state, the bolt 61A shown in FIG. 4 is inserted into the through holes 48A and 18A, and the male thread portion of the bolt 61A is screwed into the nut fixed to the rear surface of the bracket support portion 17. Furthermore, the bolt 61B is inserted into the through holes 48B and 18B, and the male thread portion of the bolt 61B is screwed into the nut fixed to the rear surface of the bracket support portion 17. Furthermore, when the heads of the bolts 61A and 61B are brought into contact with the front surface of the base 36, the lower end of the port bracket 35 is fixed to the bracket support portion 17.

[0034] When the port bracket 35 is connected to the bumper reinforcement 14 and the upper radiator support 24 in this manner, the port bracket 35 is approximately parallel to the vertical direction in a side view as shown in Figure 2. In other words, the port bracket 35 is approximately parallel to the radiator 30 in a side view. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the port bracket 35 is located on the left side of the radiator 30 in a front view.

[0035] 2, an opening 11A is formed at the front end of the vehicle body 11, located immediately in front of the port portion 52 and the port portion 57. The vehicle body 11 is further provided with a lid 11B that can open and close the opening 11A.

[0036] Of the configuration described above, the bumper reinforcement 14, the radiator support upper 24, the port bracket 35, and the bolts 60A, 60B, 61A, and 61B are components of the support structure 10.

[0037] (Action and effect) Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0038] In the port support structure 10 of this embodiment, the upper portion of the port bracket 35, which supports the first and second port units 50 and 55 for external charging, is connected to the left end (first connection portion) 25L of the radiator support upper 24, which supports the upper portion of the radiator 30 and is supported by a vehicle body frame member (dash panel). The lower portion of the port bracket 35 is connected to the bracket support portion (second connection portion) 17 of the bumper reinforcement 14, which is located below the radiator support upper 24 and supported by a vehicle body frame member (side member 12). In this manner, the port bracket 35 is supported at both ends by the radiator support upper 24, which is supported by the vehicle body frame member, and the bumper reinforcement 14, which is also supported by the vehicle body frame member. Therefore, even if the mass of the port bracket 35 is small, the rigidity of the port bracket 35 can be increased. This allows for smooth attachment and detachment of the connectors of the charging cables 53 and 58 to and from the port portions 52 and 57.

[0039] Furthermore, when viewed from the side of the vehicle, a portion of the bracket support portion (second connection portion) 17 is located directly below the left end portion (first connection portion) 25L of the upper radiator support 24. In other words, when viewed from the side of the vehicle, the port bracket 35 is approximately parallel to the vertical direction of the vehicle. Therefore, the overall length of the port bracket 35 is shorter than when the port bracket 35 is inclined relative to the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the vehicle when viewed from the side of the vehicle. Therefore, the rigidity of the port bracket 35 is higher than when the port bracket 35 is inclined relative to the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0040] Furthermore, because the port bracket 35 is substantially parallel to the vertical direction of the vehicle when viewed from the side of the vehicle, the front-to-rear dimension of the port support structure 10 is small. Therefore, the port support structure 10 can prevent the front-to-rear dimension of the vehicle from increasing.

[0041] Furthermore, the distance from the left end (first connection portion) 25L of the radiator support upper 24 to the left-side mounting piece (fixed portion) 27 is shorter than the distance from the left end 25L to the left end of the radiator support portion 25S of the radiator support upper 24. That is, the mounting piece 27, which is the fixing position of the radiator support upper 24 to the upper bracket 20, is close to the left end (first connection portion) 25L of the base 25, which is the fixing position of the radiator support upper 24 to the port bracket 35. This makes it easier to stabilize the fixing state between the port bracket 35 (supported portion 37) and the radiator support upper 24 (left end portion 25L) using the bolts 60A and 60B.

[0042] Furthermore, when the engagement hole 29C provided on the left end portion 25L of the base portion 25 engages with the engagement protrusion 38 of the port bracket 35, the port bracket 35 is restricted from moving relative to the radiator support upper 24 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle by more than a predetermined distance. Therefore, the radiator support upper 24 can temporarily hold the port bracket 35 so that the port bracket 35 does not move relative to the radiator support upper 24 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle by more than a predetermined distance. Therefore, although the forward force generated by the cables 53, 58 acts on the port bracket 35 via the main bodies 51, 56 due to the bending of the cables 53, 58 as described above, the worker can easily fix the upper portion of the port bracket 35 to the radiator support upper 24 using the bolts 60A, 60B.

[0043] Furthermore, the line CLR, which is the center position of the radiator 30 in the left-right direction in a front view, is located to the right of the line CL, which is the center position of the vehicle in the left-right direction in a front view. Furthermore, a notch 25C capable of receiving the curved connection portion 36A of the port bracket 35 is provided at the left end of the base 25 of the radiator support upper 24. Therefore, the port bracket 35 can be disposed on the left side of the radiator 30 so that the distance in the front-rear direction between the rear surface of the radiator 30 and the front surface of the port bracket 35 does not become large. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the port bracket 35 is disposed on the left side of the radiator 30 so that the front flange portion 26 and a part of the port bracket 35 (the curved connection portion 36A) overlap in a side view.

[0044] The port support structure 10 according to the embodiment has been described above, but the design can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0045] For example, the bumper reinforcement 14 does not need to include the bracket support portion 17. In this case, the lower portion of the port bracket 35 is connected to a portion (second connection portion) of the bumper reinforcement 14 that is located directly below the left end portion 25L (first connection portion) of the base portion 25 of the radiator support upper 24 when viewed from the left-right direction.

[0046] The port bracket 35 may be made up of a plurality of members fixed to one another.

[0047] The lower end of the port bracket 35 may be connected to a suspension member, which is a frame member, instead of the bumper reinforcement 14.

[0048] When the radiator support lower is a frame member, the lower end of the port bracket 35 may be connected to the radiator support lower instead of the bumper reinforcement 14.

[0049] When the radiator support lower is a frame member, the radiator support lower and the radiator support upper 24 may be integrally formed, and the lower end of the port bracket 35 may be connected to the radiator support lower.

[0050] When the radiator support lower is a frame member, the radiator support lower, the radiator support upper 24, the radiator fan shroud, and the port bracket connected to the radiator support lower and the radiator support upper 24 may be integrally molded from resin.

[0051] The radiator 30 may be fixed to the lower and upper radiator supports 24 so that the straight line CLR is located to the left of the straight line CL, and the port bracket 35 may be located to the right of the radiator 30 when viewed from the front. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 10. External charging port support structure for vehicle (port support structure) 12 Side members (body frame members) 14 Bumper Force (frame member) 17 Bracket support part (second connection part) 20 Upper bracket (bracket) 20A front plate part 20B Connection piece 24 Radiator support upper (radiator support member) 25L Left end (first connection part) 25S Radiator support 27 Mounting piece (fixed part) 29C Engagement hole 30 Radiator 35 Port Bracket 38 Engagement protrusion 50 1st port unit (port unit) 55 Second port unit (port unit) 60A 60B Volts

Claims

1. a radiator support member provided in the vehicle, supporting an upper portion of the radiator and supported by a vehicle body frame member; a frame member provided on the vehicle, positioned below the radiator support member and supported by the vehicle body frame member; a port bracket that supports an external charging port unit, the upper portion of which is connected to the first connection portion of the radiator support member and the lower portion of which is connected to the second connection portion of the frame member; Equipped with The support structure for an external charging port for a vehicle, wherein the second connection portion is located directly below the first connection portion when viewed from the side of the vehicle.

2. a fixed portion of the radiator support member is fixed to a bracket fixed to a dash panel of the vehicle; the upper portion of the port unit is fixed to the first connection portion using a bolt; 2. The external charging port support structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the distance from the first connection portion to the fixed portion is shorter than the distance from the first connection portion to a radiator support portion, which is a portion of the radiator support member that supports the upper portion of the radiator.

3. an engagement hole is formed in the first connection portion; 3. The external charging port support structure for a vehicle as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the port bracket is provided with an engagement protrusion that engages with the engagement hole to restrict the port bracket from moving relative to the radiator support member in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle by more than a predetermined distance.

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