Mounting structure for junction box of vehicle

Abstract

To protect a junction box against a load toward the junction box.SOLUTION: A mounting structure of a junction box of a vehicle includes a sheet metal 30 facing a junction box 20 in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The metal plate 30 has a first portion 41 facing the junction box 20, and a second portion 42 extending to the side opposite to the junction box 20 above the first portion 41 in the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This specification discloses a mounting structure for a junction box of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles equipped with an electric motor for vehicle propulsion are known. The electric motor is driven by power output from a battery pack. Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle equipped with a battery pack in which a junction box and a battery module are adjacent to each other. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-228526 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An improved structure for protecting the junction box against loads directed at the junction box is desired.

[0005] This specification discloses a mounting structure for a junction box of a vehicle that can protect the junction box against loads directed toward the junction box. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The mounting structure for a junction box of a vehicle disclosed in this specification is characterized by comprising a metal plate facing the junction box in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, the metal plate having a first portion facing the junction box and a second portion extending above the vehicle above the first portion on the opposite side of the junction box.

[0007] According to this configuration, the first and second portions of the metal plate receive the load directed toward the junction box from the longitudinal direction of the vehicle or from the side of the vehicle, thereby preventing the junction box from deforming.

[0008] In the mounting structure of a junction box for a vehicle according to the present disclosure, the metal plate may be part of an equipment box in which the junction box is disposed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the technology disclosed in this specification, the junction box can be protected from a load directed toward the junction box. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a top view schematically illustrating the equipment box and the battery stack. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the component box taken along line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the component box. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In all drawings, equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, terms indicating directions and orientations, such as front, rear, left, right, up, down, etc., refer to directions and orientations relative to the vehicle. In each of the drawings described below, the arrow FR points forward, the arrow UP points upward, and the arrow LH points leftward.

[0012] 1 is a top view that schematically shows an equipment box 14 and a battery stack 16. The equipment box 14 and the battery stack 16 are mounted on a vehicle 10 such as an automobile. The vehicle 10 is, for example, a hybrid electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, an electric vehicle, or the like. The vehicle 10 is equipped with an electric motor (not shown) for driving the vehicle, and power is supplied to the electric motor from the battery stack 16.

[0013] The component box 14 and the battery stack 16 are arranged, for example, under a seat, under the floor of the vehicle compartment, at the rear of the vehicle, etc. In this embodiment, the component box 14 and the battery stack 16 are arranged adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction of the vehicle) as shown in FIG.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the component box 14 taken along line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a portion of the component box 14 as viewed from direction B in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the component box 14 includes a front wall 30, a rear wall 32, an upper wall 34, a lower wall 36, a left wall, and a right wall. The component box 14 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Note that the left and right walls of the component box 14 are not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 3 shows only the front wall 30, the lower wall 36, and the front portions of the upper wall 34 of the component box 14. Also, FIG. 3 shows only one of the two wire harnesses 22 (see FIG. 2).

[0015] A junction box 20 (J / B) is disposed within the component box 14. The junction box 20 houses, for example, electrical terminal connections, fuses, electronic devices that control the battery stack 16, and the like. The junction box 20 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The junction box 20 is fixed to a bottom wall 36 of the component box 14.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 3, the vehicle 10 includes a wire harness 22 (W / H) extending from the battery stack 16 (see Fig. 1). The wire harness 22 is connected to an upper surface 20a of the junction box 20. Note that the junction box 20 may also be connected to a wire harness extending from another electric circuit.

[0017] Each wall of the component box 14 is formed from sheet metal. As shown in Fig. 2, the front wall 30 has an L-shaped cross section due to an upper portion 50 being bent outward. The front wall 30 (sheet metal) has a first portion 41 facing the junction box 20, and a second portion 42 extending above the first portion 41 to the opposite side (front side) of the junction box 20. The rear wall 32 has a shape that is symmetrical to the front wall 30 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the upper wall 34 includes a front upper wall 34-1 and a rear upper wall 34-2. The front portion of the front upper wall 34-1 is bent downward, forming a hook-shaped cross section. A lower portion 60 of the front upper wall 34-1 (referred to as the hook-shaped lower portion 60) is recessed inside an upper portion 50 of the front wall 30 (referred to as the L-shaped upper portion 50). The front upper wall 34-1 also has two protruding portions 70a, 70b formed by bending a metal plate on its upper surface. The two protruding portions 70a, 70b each protrude upward. The protruding portion 70b on the center side of the component box 14 is connected to the protruding portion 70c of the rear upper wall 34-2.

[0019] The rear upper wall 34-2 has a shape symmetrical with respect to the front and rear of the front upper wall 34-1, except for the protruding portion 70c on the central side of the component box 14. As shown in FIG. 2, the protruding portion 70c of the rear upper wall 34-2 has a bent front end and is positioned below the protruding portion 70b of the front upper wall 34-1.

[0020] In the component box 14, the front wall 30, the lower wall 36, and the rear wall 32 may be formed by bending a single metal sheet. The front wall 30 and the front upper wall 34-1, the front upper wall 34-1 and the rear upper wall 34-2, and the rear upper wall 34-2 and the rear wall 32 may be joined together using screws, adhesive, or the like.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3 , the wire harness 22 is disposed inside the hook-shaped lower portion 60 of the front upper wall 34-1. A hole 64 through which the wire harness 22 passes is formed in an inner wall 62 of the hook-shaped lower portion 60. A resin material 65 is disposed around the edge of the hole 64 to prevent damage to the outer circumferential surface of the wire harness 22. The wire harness 22 passes from the junction box 20 through the hole 64 of the hook-shaped lower portion 60, enters the hook-shaped lower portion 60, and exits the component box 14 through an opening 66 at the right end of the hook-shaped lower portion 60. It is preferable that a hole through which the wire harness 22 passes is also provided in the right wall (not shown) of the component box 14.

[0022] Although the front wire harness 22 has been described above, the rear wire harness 22 has a similar configuration. As shown in Fig. 2, the rear wire harness 22 is disposed inside the hook-shaped lower portion 60 of the rear upper wall 34-2.

[0023] According to the embodiment described above, the second moment of area of ​​the component box 14 can be increased by the L-shaped upper portion 50 of the front wall 30 (or the rear wall 32) and the hook-shaped lower portion 60 of the front upper wall 34-1 (or the rear upper wall 34-2). This can prevent the component box 14 from being crushed when a load F1 (see FIGS. 1 and 3) is applied from the side of the vehicle. This can prevent the junction box 20 inside the component box 14 from being deformed, thereby protecting high-voltage components.

[0024] In addition, the wire harness 22 is stored inside the sheet metal structure of the component box 14 (inside the hook-shaped lower part 60 of the front upper wall 34-1 or the hook-shaped lower part 60 of the rear upper wall 34-2), thereby protecting the wire harness 22 and suppressing electric leakage of the wire harness 22.

[0025] 2, the L-shaped upper portion 50 of the front wall 30 and the hook-shaped lower portion 60 of the front upper wall 34-1 protrude forward, thereby increasing rigidity against a load F2 input from the front of the vehicle. Similarly, the L-shaped upper portion 50 of the rear wall 32 and the hook-shaped lower portion 60 of the rear upper wall 34-2 protrude rearward, thereby increasing rigidity against a load F3 input from the rear of the vehicle. The input loads F2 and F3 directed toward the junction box 20 are received by the first portion 41 and the second portion 42 of the sheet metal, thereby protecting the junction box 20.

[0026] 2, the front upper wall 34-1 of the component box 14 is provided with protruding portions 70a and 70b, and the rear upper wall 34-2 is provided with protruding portions 70a and 70c, thereby increasing rigidity against a load F4 input from above the vehicle and preventing the component box 14 from bending or collapsing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 10 vehicle, 14 equipment box, 16 battery stack, 20 junction box, 20a upper surface, 22 wire harness, 30 front wall (sheet metal), 32 rear wall, 34 upper wall, 34-1 front upper wall, 34-2 rear upper wall, 36 lower wall, 41 first part, 42 second part, 50 upper part (L-shaped upper part), 60 lower part (hook-shaped lower part), 62 inner wall, 64 hole, 65 resin material, 66 opening, 70a, 70b, 70c protruding part.

Claims

[Claim 1] a metal plate facing the junction box in the vehicle longitudinal direction; The sheet metal is a first portion facing the junction box; a second portion extending above the vehicle from the first portion to the opposite side from the junction box, Vehicle junction box mounting structure.

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