Undercover for electric vehicle

Abstract

To suppress deterioration of cooling performance of a radiator during stop charging, and to suppress deterioration of aerodynamic characteristics during vehicle traveling.SOLUTION: The under cover 40 includes a cover body 41 and a seal piece 46. An exhaust port 45 is formed in the cover main body 41. The exhaust port 45 is provided downstream of the cooling fan 22. A seal piece 46 is disposed in the exhaust port 45. The sealing piece 46 is made of an elastic material. A front end 46A of the seal piece 46 is coupled to the cover body 41. A rear end side 46B of the sealing piece 46 extends beyond a rear edge side 45B of the exhaust port 45. Further, the 46B of the rear end of the sealing piece 46 rides on the 44B of the outer surface of the cover body 41. Further, the 46B of the rear end of the sealing piece 46 urges the 44B of the outer surface of the cover body 41 upward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Disclosed herein is an undercover for an electric vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a charging control device for an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle includes a battery pack and a charger. The electric vehicle also includes a plug for external charging. When the socket of the external charger is inserted into the plug, the charger for the electric vehicle starts up and charges the battery pack.

[0003] The motor compartment, which houses the rotating electrical machine, is also equipped with a radiator and a cooling fan. The charger and battery pack are connected to cooling pipes. During charging, the charger and battery pack are cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the cooling pipes. The returning refrigerant is then heat-exchanged in the radiator.

[0004] When charging externally, the vehicle is stopped, meaning that no wind enters the motor compartment. Therefore, the cooling fan is driven to circulate air through the radiator.

[0005] Patent Document 2 also discloses a heat dissipation structure for an undercover. The undercover is provided with a ventilation opening. Furthermore, an opening / closing cover is provided at the ventilation opening. The opening / closing cover closes the ventilation opening when it receives wind from driving. Meanwhile, in traffic jams, etc., the opening / closing cover rotates due to its own weight. The rotation opens the ventilation opening. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-81704 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-59814 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] This specification discloses an undercover for an electric vehicle that can suppress a decrease in the cooling performance of a radiator while the vehicle is stopped and charging, and can suppress a decrease in aerodynamic characteristics while the vehicle is traveling. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This specification discloses an undercover for an electric vehicle. The undercover is disposed at the bottom of a motor compartment. The motor compartment houses a radiator and a cooling fan. The radiator exchanges heat with a refrigerant. The refrigerant flows through a charger. The cooling fan passes air through the radiator. The undercover includes a cover body and a sealing piece. The cover body covers a bottom opening of the motor compartment. An exhaust port is formed in the cover body. The exhaust port is located downstream of the cooling fan. A sealing piece is disposed at the exhaust port. The sealing piece is made of an elastic material. A front end of the sealing piece is connected to the cover body. A rear end of the sealing piece extends beyond the rear edge of the exhaust port. Furthermore, the rear end of the sealing piece rides on the outer surface of the cover body. Furthermore, the rear end of the sealing piece biases the outer surface of the cover body upward.

[0009] With the above configuration, the exhaust port is blocked by the biasing force of the sealing piece. When the air pressure downstream of the cooling fan becomes higher than atmospheric pressure due to the operation of the cooling fan, the sealing piece is pushed up against the biasing force, thereby opening the exhaust port. Furthermore, while the vehicle is running, the air pressure in the motor compartment and the air pressure below the undercover can be considered to be equivalent, so the exhaust port remains blocked.

[0010] In the above configuration, the front end of the seal piece may be joined to the front edge of the exhaust port.

[0011] According to the above configuration, it is possible to avoid a step structure between the front end of the seal piece and the cover main body.

[0012] In the above configuration, the rear end of the seal piece may be thinner than the front end of the seal piece.

[0013] According to the above configuration, the step between the rear end of the seal piece that rides up from the cover body and the cover body is reduced.

[0014] In the above configuration, the cover body may include a downwardly inclined portion and an upwardly inclined portion. The downwardly inclined portion becomes lower toward the rear of the vehicle. The upwardly inclined portion is connected to the rear end of the downwardly inclined portion. The upwardly inclined portion becomes higher toward the rear of the vehicle. The exhaust port is formed in a connecting area between the downwardly inclined portion and the upwardly inclined portion.

[0015] According to the above configuration, an exhaust port is formed at the bottom of the bowl-shaped structure formed by the downward inclined portion and the upward inclined portion, and therefore the exhaust port can be used as a drain port for water that accumulates in the motor compartment.

[0016] In the above configuration, the area ratio where the exhaust port is formed may be higher in the downward slope portion than in the upward slope portion.

[0017] The downwardly inclined portion is the surface that receives the wind when the vehicle is moving. By making the area ratio of the exhaust port in the downwardly inclined portion relatively high, the seal piece receives the wind. As a result, the exhaust port is reliably sealed when the vehicle is moving.

[0018] This specification also discloses an undercover for an electric vehicle. The undercover is disposed at the bottom of a motor compartment. The motor compartment houses a radiator and a cooling fan. The radiator exchanges heat with a refrigerant. The refrigerant cools on-board equipment. The on-board equipment operates when charging. The cooling fan passes air through the radiator. The undercover includes a cover body and a sealing piece. The cover body covers the bottom opening of the motor compartment. An exhaust port is formed in the cover body. The exhaust port is located rearward of the cooling fan. A sealing piece is disposed in the exhaust port. The sealing piece is made of a flexible material. The sealing piece opens the exhaust port depending on the amount of airflow from the cooling fan. Furthermore, the front end of the sealing piece is fixed to the cover body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] The undercover for an electric vehicle disclosed in this specification prevents a decrease in the cooling performance of the radiator while the vehicle is parked and charging, and also prevents a decrease in aerodynamic characteristics while the vehicle is moving. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an electric vehicle; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of a motor compartment. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the process of opening the exhaust port. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] 1 to 4 show an example of an undercover for an electric vehicle according to this embodiment. In FIGS. 1 to 4, the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle is indicated by the FR axis. The vehicle width direction is indicated by the RW axis. The vertical direction is indicated by the UP axis. The positive direction of the FR axis is the front. The positive direction of the RW axis is the right direction. The positive direction of the UP axis is the height direction.

[0022] 1. Overall structure FIG. 1 illustrates an electric vehicle 10. The electric vehicle 10 is, for example, a battery electric vehicle (BEV). FIG. 1 also illustrates on-vehicle equipment. The electric vehicle 10 is equipped with a charging port 12, a battery pack 14, a rotating electric machine 16, a charger 17, and a radiator 20. The electric vehicle 10 uses the rotating electric machine 16 as a driving source. Electric power is supplied to the rotating electric machine 16 from the battery pack 14.

[0023] The electric vehicle 10 also has a charging port 12 for external charging. An external charging connector is connected to the charging port 12. A charger 17 is arranged in the electrical circuit between the charging port 12 and the battery pack 14. The charger 17 is an on-board device that operates during charging. The charger 17 has an inverter and a DC / DC converter. When external power such as household power is supplied to the charger 17, the charger 17 converts the supplied AC power to AC / DC. The converted DC power is boosted by the DC / DC converter. The boosted DC power is supplied to the battery pack 14.

[0024] During external charging, the charger 17 and the battery pack 14 are cooled. Cooling pipes (not shown) are installed in the charger 17 and the battery pack 14. The refrigerant flowing through the cooling pipes flows through the charger 17 and the battery pack 14, and then undergoes heat exchange in the radiator 20.

[0025] 2.Motor compartment 2 illustrates an example of the internal structure of the motor compartment 30. The motor compartment 30 accommodates, in order from the front to the rear of the vehicle, a duct 35, a radiator 20, a cooling fan 22, a charger 17, and a rotating electric machine 16.

[0026] The motor compartment 30 is a machinery room provided at the front of the vehicle and is surrounded by a front grille 33, a front hood 34, a dash panel 31, and an undercover 40.

[0027] A front grille 33 is provided in front of the motor compartment 30. The airflow from the vehicle that flows into the front grille 33 is sent to the radiator 20 via a duct 35. In the radiator 20, heat is exchanged between the airflow and the refrigerant. After heat exchange, the airflow passes through gaps in the rotating electric machine 16 and the charger 17 and is discharged to the outside of the vehicle through a bottom opening 39 or the like.

[0028] In order to improve aerodynamic characteristics, the motor compartment 30 is designed to have a low hood. For example, the radiator 20 and the cooling fan 22 are arranged diagonally in a side view. By arranging them diagonally, the height of the radiator 20 and the cooling fan 22 can be lowered. Due to the diagonal arrangement, air is discharged from the cooling fan 22 diagonally downward in a side view. In other words, the air from the cooling fan 22 is blown down toward the undercover 40.

[0029] During external charging, the electric vehicle 10 is stopped because an external power cable is connected. To cool the battery pack 14 and the charger 17 during external charging, a refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant piping.

[0030] During external charging, the vehicle is stopped, so wind from traveling does not enter the motor compartment 30. Therefore, the cooling fan 22 is driven. The cooling fan 22 is located behind the radiator 20. When the cooling fan 22 is driven to rotate, air from outside the vehicle is drawn in through the front grille 33. As a result, the air is passed through the radiator 20.

[0031] The air flow (intake air) caused by the cooling fan 22 is weaker than the wind generated by running. For example, the intake air does not have enough force to pass through the gaps between the rotating electric machine 16 and the charger 17. Therefore, the intake air remains in the space between the cooling fan 22 and the rotating electric machine 16.

[0032] As will be described later, air stagnation in the space between the cooling fan 22 and the rotating electrical machine 16 increases the air pressure in that space. When the difference between the air pressure in that space and atmospheric pressure increases, the seal piece 46 (see FIG. 4) of the undercover 40 is turned up, opening the exhaust port 45.

[0033] 3. Undercover 2 and 3 show an example of the undercover 40. The undercover 40 is disposed at the bottom of the motor compartment 30. The flat plate-shaped undercover 40 covers the bottom of the motor compartment, thereby improving aerodynamic characteristics.

[0034] The undercover 40 includes a cover body 41 and a seal piece 46. The cover body 41 is a flat plate-shaped member. The cover body 41 is made of a resin material such as ABS resin.

[0035] The cover body 41 covers the bottom opening 39 (see FIG. 3 ) of the motor compartment 30. For example, the cover body 41 covers the entire bottom opening 39 along the vehicle width direction. On the other hand, a portion of the bottom opening 39 is not covered by the cover body 41 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. For example, the bottom opening 39 downstream of the rotating electric machine 16 and in the front portion of the floor panel 32 is open to the cover body 41. The wind entering the motor compartment 30 from the front grille 33 passes through the radiator 20 and the rotating electric machine 16 and is discharged to the outside of the vehicle through the bottom opening 39.

[0036] The cover main body 41 has a downwardly inclined portion 42 and an upwardly inclined portion 44. The downwardly inclined portion 42 is the front portion of the cover main body. The downwardly inclined portion 42 is a downward inclined portion that becomes lower toward the rear of the vehicle. The upwardly inclined portion 44 is connected to the rear end of the downwardly inclined portion 42. The upwardly inclined portion 44 is an upward inclined portion that becomes higher toward the rear of the vehicle. Referring to FIG. 3 , a boundary line 47 is provided at the connection portion between the upwardly inclined portion 44 and the downwardly inclined portion 42. Alternatively, the connection portion between the upwardly inclined portion 44 and the downwardly inclined portion 42 may be curved.

[0037] That is, cover body 41 has a cone shape when viewed from the side of the vehicle (see FIG. 2). Liquid such as rainwater enters motor compartment 30. This liquid accumulates in cover body 41 at the connection between ascending slope portion 44 and descending slope portion 42. As will be described later, this accumulated liquid is discharged to the outside of the vehicle through exhaust port 45.

[0038] An exhaust port 45 is formed in the cover main body 41. The exhaust port 45 penetrates the cover main body 41 in the thickness direction. Referring to FIG. 3, the exhaust port 45 is, for example, a rectangular opening. The exhaust port 45 is, for example, a horizontal hole whose width dimension is longer than the longitudinal dimension of the vehicle. Furthermore, a plurality of exhaust ports 45 are formed, for example, along the vehicle width direction.

[0039] The exhaust port 45 is formed downstream of the cooling fan 22. In other words, the exhaust port 45 is provided rearward of the vehicle relative to the cooling fan 22. For example, the exhaust port 45 is formed between the cooling fan 22 and the rotating electric machine 16.

[0040] As described above, due to the oblique arrangement, air from the cooling fan 22 is blown down toward the undercover 40. Furthermore, as will be described later, air accumulates between the cooling fan 22 and the rotating electric machine 16. In other words, the space between the cooling fan 22 and the rotating electric machine 16 becomes a pool of air blown down obliquely in a side view. This air is discharged to the outside of the vehicle through the exhaust port 45.

[0041] Furthermore, exhaust port 45 is formed in the connecting region between downward inclined portion 42 and upward inclined portion 44. That is, exhaust port 45 is formed in the bottom of cover main body 41, which has a cone-shaped configuration in side view. For example, during external charging, liquid such as rainwater enters motor compartment 30. This liquid accumulates in the bottom of cover main body 41. Then, as described below, when the internal pressure of motor compartment 30 increases, seal piece 46 is lifted. This causes the liquid to be discharged through exhaust port 45. Note that in order to quickly move the liquid to the bottom of cover main body 41, guide grooves extending to boundary line 47 may be formed on the inner surfaces of downward inclined portion 42 and upward inclined portion 44.

[0042] The area ratio where the exhaust port 45 is formed may be higher in the downward slope portion 42 than in the upward slope portion 44. For example, in FIG. 3, the exhaust port 45 is formed only in the downward slope portion 42. That is, the area ratio is 10:0. For example, the trailing edge of the exhaust port 45 is located at the boundary line 47 between the downward slope portion 42 and the upward slope portion 44.

[0043] 3 and 4, downwardly inclined portion 42 is an inclined surface facing forward (diagonally forward) of the vehicle, and is therefore subjected to wind generated by the vehicle's travel. By receiving the wind, seal piece 46 reliably seals exhaust port 45. Even when the vehicle is traveling at a low speed, for example, exhaust port 45 is maintained closed because exhaust port 45 is formed in downwardly inclined portion 42, which is a surface that receives the wind.

[0044] 2 to 4, a seal piece 46 is provided at the exhaust port 45. The seal piece 46 is made of an elastic material such as rubber. In other words, the seal piece is made of a flexible material.

[0045] 3, the seal piece 46 has, for example, a rectangular shape in plan view. The vehicle width dimension of the seal piece 46 may be equal to the vehicle width dimension of the exhaust port 45. Furthermore, the vehicle front-rear dimension of the seal piece 46 may exceed the vehicle front-rear dimension of the exhaust port 45.

[0046] The thickness of the seal piece 46 may be uneven in the front-to-rear direction. For example, the rear end 46B of the seal piece 46 may be thinner than the front end 46A. The thickness of the front end 46A of the seal piece 46 may be equal to the thickness of the cover body 41.

[0047] 2, a front end 46A of the seal piece 46 is connected to the cover main body 41. For example, only the front end 46A of the seal piece 46 is connected (fixed) to the cover main body 41. In other words, the side surface and rear end 46B of the seal piece 46 are movable within the exhaust port 45.

[0048] 2, the front end 46A of the seal piece 46 is joined to the front edge 45A of the exhaust port 45. That is, the front end 46A of the seal piece 46 is joined to the inner circumferential surface of the exhaust port 45. For example, the front end 46A of the seal piece 46 is welded to the front edge 45A of the exhaust port 45. This structure prevents the seal piece 46 from protruding from the outer surface of the cover body 41.

[0049] The outer surface of the undercover 40 refers to the surface that faces the road surface. The outer surface is also called the exposed surface. On the other hand, the inner surface of the undercover 40 refers to the surface that faces the equipment inside the motor compartment 30.

[0050] The dimension of the seal piece 46 in the vehicle's front-rear direction exceeds the dimension of the exhaust port 45 in the vehicle's front-rear direction. In addition, the front end 46A of the seal piece 46 is connected to the front edge 45A of the exhaust port 45. Therefore, the rear end 46B of the seal piece 46 deviates from (protrudes from) the exhaust port 45. Referring to FIG. 2 , the rear end 46B of the seal piece 46 extends beyond the rear edge 45B of the exhaust port 45 and further rides up onto the outer surface of the cover body 41. For example, the rear end 46B of the seal piece 46 rides up onto the outer surface 44B of the ascending slope portion 44.

[0051] As described above, the rear end 46B of the seal piece 46 is thinner than the front end 46A. By making the portion protruding from the cover body 41 relatively thin, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the aerodynamic characteristics.

[0052] Furthermore, the seal piece 46 has a straight shape when no load is applied. Therefore, when the rear end 46B of the seal piece 46 is in a position where it is restoring to the outer surface 44B of the cover body 41, an elastic force (restoring force) is generated in the seal piece 46 as it is deformed from the straight shape. This elastic force causes the rear end 46B of the seal piece 46 to bias the outer surface of the cover body 41 upward. This bias causes the seal piece 46 to seal the exhaust port 45.

[0053] 4. Operation during external charging (exhaust port opening process) 4, during external charging, electric vehicle 10 connected to the charging cable remains stopped. During external charging, a refrigerant is supplied to charger 17 and battery pack 14 (see FIG. 1) to cool these devices. After cooling the devices, the refrigerant is returned to radiator 20.

[0054] The cooling fan 22 is driven to rotate in order to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the air in the radiator 20. As the cooling fan 22 is driven, air is drawn in from the front grille 33 and passes through the radiator 20. This air then stagnates in front of the rotating electrical machine 16.

[0055] The seal piece 46 opens the exhaust port 45 due to the air volume of the cooling fan 22 when it blows air. As air accumulates in the space between the cooling fan 22 and the rotating electric machine 16, the air pressure in that space increases. When this air pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure, the difference in air pressure causes the seal piece 46 to curl up toward the outside of the vehicle. In other words, the exhaust port 45 is opened. The accumulated air and liquid are discharged from the opened exhaust port 45.

[0056] Furthermore, when the electric vehicle 10 is traveling, wind from the traveling vehicle flows into the motor compartment 30. At this time, the air pressure inside the motor compartment 30 and the air pressure between the undercover 40 and the road surface can be considered to be equal. At this time, the sealing piece 46 seals the exhaust port 45 by its biasing force.

[0057] In addition, because the exhaust port 45 is formed in the downwardly inclined portion 42, the seal piece 46 is exposed to the wind generated by the vehicle. As a result, the exhaust port 45 is tightly sealed by the seal piece. By preventing the exhaust port 45 from opening while the vehicle is in motion, a decrease in aerodynamic characteristics is prevented. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 10 Electric vehicle, 12 Charging port, 14 Battery pack, 16 Rotating electric machine, 17 Charger, 20 Radiator, 22 Cooling fan, 30 Motor compartment, 39 Bottom opening, 40 Under cover, 41 Cover body, 42 Downward slope portion, 44 Upward slope portion, 44B Outer surface of upward slope portion, 45 Exhaust port, 45A Front edge of exhaust port, 45B Rear edge of exhaust port, 46 Seal piece, 46A Front end of seal piece, 46B Rear end of seal piece.

Claims

1. An undercover for an electric vehicle is disposed at a bottom of a motor compartment that houses a radiator in which heat is exchanged with a refrigerant flowing through a charger and a cooling fan that blows air through the radiator, a cover body that covers a bottom opening of the motor compartment; An exhaust port is formed in the cover body downstream of the cooling fan, A seal piece is disposed at the exhaust port, The sealing piece is made of an elastic material, The front end of the seal piece is connected to the cover body, a rear end of the sealing piece extending beyond a rear edge of the exhaust port and riding on an outer surface of the cover body; Furthermore, the rear end of the seal piece biases the outer surface of the cover body upward. Undercover for electric vehicles.

2. The undercover for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, a leading end of the seal piece coupled to a leading edge of the exhaust port; Undercover for electric vehicles.

3. The undercover for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, The rear end of the seal piece is thinner than the front end of the seal piece. Undercover for electric vehicles.

4. The undercover for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, The cover body is A downward slope that becomes lower as it goes towards the rear of the vehicle, an ascending slope portion connected to a rear end of the descending slope portion and increasing in height toward the rear of the vehicle; Equipped with The exhaust port is formed in a connection region between the downward slope portion and the upward slope portion. Undercover for electric vehicles.

5. The undercover for an electric vehicle according to claim 4, an area ratio where the exhaust port is formed is higher in the downward slope portion than in the upward slope portion; Undercover for electric vehicles.

6. An undercover for an electric vehicle is disposed at the bottom of a motor compartment that houses a radiator in which a refrigerant that cools an on-board device that operates during charging is heat exchanged, and a cooling fan that passes air through the radiator, a cover body that covers a bottom opening of the motor compartment; An exhaust port is formed in the cover body on a vehicle rear side of the cooling fan, a seal piece is disposed to cover the exhaust port from below the cover body; the sealing piece is made of a flexible material that opens the exhaust port depending on the amount of airflow from the cooling fan, The front end of the seal piece is fixed to the cover body. Undercover for electric vehicles.

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