Electric unit

Abstract

Provided is an electric unit in which a connector can be easily attached to and detached from a case that houses an electric circuit, and in which the cable and connector that electrically connect the electric circuit and the connector are less likely to be damaged. [Solution] The device comprises a plurality of cooling fins (22) provided on the outer surface of a case (20) that is mounted on a vehicle and houses an electrical circuit, a bracket (62) supported on the case so as to face the plurality of cooling fins, and connectors (82, 90) that are detachably supported on the bracket using a support part (86) and connected to the electrical circuit via cables (80, 92), with the bracket positioned between at least a portion of the cable and the cooling fins.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric unit. [Background technology]

[0002] The electric unit disclosed in Patent Document 1 below includes a low-voltage circuit and a high-voltage circuit (inverter circuit) provided in a case (inverter), and a low-voltage connector and a high-voltage connector provided on the outer surface of the case. The high-voltage connector and the low-voltage connector are fixed to the outer surface of the case with bolts. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-34910 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the electric unit of Patent Document 1, it is not easy to attach and replace the high-voltage connector and the low-voltage connector to the case.

[0005] Furthermore, the electric unit of Patent Document 1 leaves room for improvement in terms of preventing damage to connectors and cables.

[0006] The present invention takes into consideration the above-mentioned circumstances and aims to provide an electric unit that allows for easy attachment and detachment of a connector to a case that houses an electric circuit, and in which the cable and connector that electrically connect the electric circuit and the connector are less likely to be damaged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The electric unit of claim 1 comprises a plurality of cooling fins provided on the outer surface of a case that is mounted on a vehicle and houses an electrical circuit, a bracket supported on the case so as to face the plurality of cooling fins, and a connector that is detachably supported on the bracket using a support portion and connected to the electrical circuit via a cable, and the bracket is positioned between at least a portion of the cable and the cooling fin.

[0008] In the electric unit of claim 1, the connector is detachably supported by the bracket supported by the case using the support portion, which makes it easy to attach and detach the connector to and from the bracket.

[0009] Furthermore, by changing the mounting position of the support part relative to the bracket or by changing the shape of the bracket, the mounting position of the connector to the case can be easily changed. Therefore, the electric unit can be installed in various types (car models) of vehicles while preventing the connector and cable from interfering with surrounding components installed in the vehicle. In other words, the electric unit can be installed in various types of vehicles while preventing the connector and cable from being damaged by surrounding components.

[0010] Since the bracket is located between the part of the cable connected to the connector and the cooling fin, the bracket can prevent the part of the cable from coming into contact with the tip of the cooling fin and being damaged in the event of, for example, a vehicle collision, etc. Furthermore, the bracket prevents the heat released from the cooling fin from reaching the connector and cable, thereby preventing deformation of the connector and cable.

[0011] The electric unit according to a second aspect of the present invention is the electric unit according to the first aspect, wherein the bracket includes a protective wall that faces the support portion in a predetermined direction.

[0012] In the electric unit of claim 2, for example, when the vehicle crashes, the protective wall can reduce the risk of the connector suddenly separating from the bracket due to an object hitting the support part. Furthermore, the protective wall increases the rigidity of the bracket.

[0013] The electric unit described in claim 3 is the electric unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gap between two adjacent cooling fins and the support portion face each other in the horizontal direction.

[0014] In the electric unit of claim 3, when the vehicle is hit by a side collision, for example, the support portion is unlikely to come into contact with the cooling fins, and therefore the cooling fins are unlikely to be damaged. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] As described above, the electric unit of the present invention has the excellent effect of allowing the connector to be easily attached and detached to and from the case that houses the electrical circuit, and making it difficult for the cable and connector that electrically connect the electrical circuit and the connector to be damaged. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view of the e-axle according to the embodiment, as viewed from the left side of the vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a rear view of a portion of an e-axle. [Figure 3] This is an exploded perspective view of the e-axle from the left side. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the e-axle as seen from the left side when the second low-voltage connector is disconnected from the first low-voltage connector. [Figure 5] 10 is a bottom view of the first low-voltage connector, the second low-voltage connector, and the bracket when the second low-voltage connector is connected to the first low-voltage connector. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the e-axle from the left side when the bracket is separated from the cooler. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the e-axle as viewed from the left side when the second high-voltage connector is disconnected from the first high-voltage connector. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a rear view of the first modified example, corresponding to FIG. 2. [Figure 9]FIG. 10 is a rear view of a second modified example, corresponding to FIG. 2. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a rear view of a third modified example, corresponding to FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] An embodiment of an e-axle (electric unit) 10 according to the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 7. Note that the arrows UP, FR, and LH shown in the drawings indicate the upper side in the up-down direction, the front side in the front-to-rear direction, and the left side in the left-to-right direction, respectively.

[0018] The e-axle 10 shown in Fig. 1 is mounted on a vehicle. The e-axle 10 includes a main body case (case) 15, an electric motor (not shown) as a drive source for the vehicle, gears, an electric circuit 16, a cooler (case) 20, a first high-voltage connector 27, a second high-voltage connector 30, a high-voltage electric cable 34, a service cover (fixing member) 50, a bracket 62, a first low-voltage electric cable (cable) 80, a first low-voltage connector (connector) 82, a second low-voltage connector (connector) 90, and a second low-voltage electric cable (cable) 92. An axle (not shown) that is connected to the electric motor via a gear and protrudes in the left-right direction from the main body case 15 is connected to one of the left and right front wheels and rear wheels (not shown).

[0019] The gears, electric motor, and electric circuit 16 are housed in a main body case 15. As shown in Fig. 1, the electric circuit 16 includes an inverter circuit 17, a low voltage circuit 18, and a shutdown circuit 19. The functions of the inverter circuit 17, the low voltage circuit 18, and the shutdown circuit 19 will be described later.

[0020] The air-cooled cooler 20 is a one-piece molded metal part. The cooler 20 includes a base 21 that forms the right side of the cooler 20 and is mostly housed in the main body case 15, and multiple cooling fins 22 that are provided on the left side of the base 21 and exposed to the left of the e-axle 10. Note that some of the cooling fins 22 are not shown in Figures 4, 6, and 7. Each cooling fin 22 protrudes leftward from the base 21 and is aligned vertically with gaps between them. A switching element module (not shown) fixed to, for example, the inverter circuit 17 is provided on the back surface of the base 21 (the surface opposite the cooling fins 22). Therefore, heat generated by the switching element module is transferred from the base 21 to each cooling fin 22 and dissipated from the surface of each cooling fin 22 to the outside of the e-axle 10.

[0021] 3 and 7, a support protrusion 24 that protrudes toward the left is provided at the top of the front end of base 21. A pair of upper and lower female threaded holes 25 are provided at the rear of support protrusion 24. Furthermore, an annular wall 26 that is open on the left side is formed on the left side of support protrusion 24. Furthermore, a first high-voltage connector 27 is provided in the space on the inner periphery of annular wall 26. This first high-voltage connector 27 has a first high-voltage contact (not shown) made of metal, and the first high-voltage contact is connected to inverter circuit 17 inside main body case 15.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 7, the e-axle 10 has a second high-voltage connector 30 that is detachable from the first high-voltage connector 27. The second high-voltage connector 30 has a main body 31 that is a resin case. A recess (not shown) is formed in the right side of the rear of the main body 31, and a metal second high-voltage contact (not shown) is provided in this recess. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, one end of a high-voltage electric cable 34 is connected to the main body 31. The high-voltage electric cable 34 includes a high-voltage power line (not shown) made of a conductive material and a covering tube 35 made of an insulating material that covers the outer periphery of the high-voltage power line. One end of the high-voltage power line extends into the main body 31 and is connected to the second high-voltage contact inside the main body 31. The other end of the high-voltage electric cable 34 (high-voltage power line) is connected to a high-voltage battery 36 installed in the vehicle. The high-voltage battery 36 stores high-voltage electricity. The voltage of the power stored in the high-voltage battery 36 is, for example, 300 volts.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 7, a pair of upper and lower through-holes 33 are formed in the rear wall 32 of the main body 31. When the annular wall 26 is positioned in the recess of the main body 31, the second high-voltage contacts of the second high-voltage connector 30 come into contact with the first high-voltage contacts of the first high-voltage connector 27, and the female threaded holes 25 of the support protrusion 24 and the through-holes 33 of the main body 31 are concentric with each other. As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, when two bolts 38X are inserted from the rear into each through-hole 33 and screwed into the corresponding female threaded holes 25, and the heads 39 of the bolts 38X are brought into contact with the rear surface of the rear wall 32, the second high-voltage connector 30 is fixed to the support protrusion 24 by the two bolts 38X.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, a service hole 45 is formed in the upper part of the base 21. The service hole 45 is located rearward of the annular wall 26 and has a larger side shape than the annular wall 26. Furthermore, the base 21 has an annular wall 46 located on the outer periphery of the service hole 45 and protruding toward the left. A group of multiple components is provided inside the service hole 45. One of these components is the electric circuit 16 and bus bar (conductive member) 49 shown in Figure 1. The bus bar 49 can be attached to and detached from a predetermined location inside the e-axle 10 via the service hole 45.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3 , a plurality of female threaded holes 47 are formed along the circumferential direction on the left end surface of the annular wall 46. Furthermore, the service holes 45 are covered by a service cover 50. The service cover 50 of this embodiment is a one-piece metal molded product having a cover main body 51 having a generally rectangular side surface and a support portion 52 protruding to the left from the cover main body 51. A single female threaded hole 53 (see FIG. 5 ) is formed on the underside of the support portion 52. A plurality of through holes 54 corresponding to the female threaded holes 47 of the annular wall 46 are formed on the outer periphery of the cover main body 51. With the outer periphery of the right side surface of the cover main body 51 in contact with the left end surface of the annular wall 46, a plurality of bolts 57X inserted into the through holes 54 are threaded into the female threaded holes 47, and the heads 58 of the bolts 57X are brought into contact with the left side surface of the cover main body 51. This secures the service cover 50 to the annular wall 46, and the above-mentioned components, including the bus bar 49, are covered by the cover main body 51. On the other hand, when the service cover 50 is separated from the annular wall 46, the above-mentioned components including the bus bar 49 are exposed to the left side through the service hole 45.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the upper portion of a bracket 62, which is a single-piece metal molded part, is fixed to the support portion 52 of the service cover 50. The bracket 62 includes a base portion 63, which is a flat plate-shaped portion perpendicular to the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the bracket 62 has a supported piece 64 extending leftward from the front portion of the upper edge of the base portion 63. As shown in FIG. 5, the supported piece 64 is provided with a through-hole 65 that passes through the supported piece 64 in the vertical direction. The bracket 62 further includes a plate-shaped first protective wall 67 that extends downward from the left edge of the supported piece 64, and a plate-shaped second protective wall 68 that extends downward from the rear edge of the supported piece 64. As shown in FIG. 3, a long hole 70 is formed as a through-hole in the rear portion of the base portion 63. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 5, the bracket 62 has a third protective wall (protective wall) 72 extending to the right from the rear edge of the base plate portion 63, a fourth protective wall (protective wall) 73 extending to the right from the lower edge of the base plate portion 63, and a fifth protective wall (protective wall) 74 extending to the right from the front edge of the base plate portion 63.

[0027] 1 and 5, the upper surface of the supported piece 64 of the bracket 62 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the support portion 52 so that the female threaded hole 53 and the through hole 65 are concentric, and a bolt (second fastening member) 75X inserted into the through hole 65 from below is screwed into the female threaded hole 53, and the head 76 of the bolt 75X is pressed against the lower surface of the supported piece 64. In other words, the supported piece 64 of the bracket 62 is fixed in a cantilevered state to the support portion 52 by using the bolt 75X. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the supported piece 64, the first protective wall 67, and the fifth protective wall 74 face the lower bolt (first fastening member) 38X that fixes the second high-voltage connector 30 to the support protrusion 24 from behind (first predetermined direction), forming a small gap between them. 1, the lower part of the front end of the bracket 62 faces, from the left side (third predetermined direction), a small gap between them, against the bolt (third fastening member) 57X at the front and lower corner for fixing the front lower end of the service cover 50 to the cooler 20. Furthermore, a first protective wall 67 covers the head 76 of the bolt 75X from the left, and a second protective wall 68 covers the head 76 from the rear.

[0028] 1 and 2, when the bracket 62 is fixed to the support part 52, the bracket 62 faces the tip end (left end) of each cooling fin 22 of the cooler 20 from the left side, forming a small gap between them. Therefore, a duct-like space 23 that is open at both the front and rear ends is formed between the bracket 62 and two vertically adjacent cooling fins 22. In other words, a plurality of duct-like spaces 23 are formed between the cooler 20 and the bracket 62.

[0029] 1 and 3, one end of a first low-voltage electric cable 80 is connected to the upper part of the front end portion of the base 21. The first low-voltage electric cable 80 includes a first low-voltage power line (not shown) made of a conductive material and a covering tube 81 made of an insulating material that covers the outer periphery of the first low-voltage power line. One end of the first low-voltage power line extends to the inside of the e-axle 10 and is connected to a low-voltage circuit 18 inside the e-axle 10. Furthermore, the low-voltage circuit 18 is connected to auxiliary equipment (not shown) mounted on the vehicle outside the e-axle 10 via a low-voltage cable (not shown).

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, a first low-voltage connector 82 is fixed to the end of the first low-voltage electric cable 80 opposite the base 21. The first low-voltage connector 82 has a main body 83, which is a resin case. A recess (not shown) is formed in the front end surface of the main body 83, and a first low-voltage contact (not shown) made of metal is provided in this recess. Inside the main body 83, an end of the first low-voltage power line is connected to the first low-voltage contact. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, a protrusion 84 is integrally formed on the right side of the main body 83. Furthermore, a metal base 85 having a circular side shape is fixed to the right surface of the protrusion 84. The left end of a clip (support portion) 86 is fixed to the base 85. The clip 86 includes a clip main body 87 whose side shape (cross-sectional shape) is substantially the same as that of the elongated hole 70, and an annular protrusion 88 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the clip main body 87. The clip 86 is an integrally molded resin product that is elastically deformable. The clip body 87 is inserted into the slot 70 from the left side of the base plate 63, and the annular protrusion 88 passes through the slot 70 to the right and then returns to its free state. The annular protrusion 88, which has returned to its free state on the right side of the slot 70, comes into contact with the right side surface of the base plate 63. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the base plate 63 of the bracket 62 is sandwiched between the base 85 and the annular protrusion 88 of the clip 86. That is, the first low-voltage connector 82 is detachably attached to the bracket 62 using the base 85 and the clip 86. When the first low-voltage connector 82 is supported by the bracket 62 in this manner, the first low-voltage connector 82 is positioned directly below the supported piece 64 of the bracket 62, as shown in FIG. 5. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the annular protrusion 88 of the clip 86 is covered from behind by the third protective wall 72 of the bracket 62, from below by the fourth protective wall 73, and from the front by the fifth protective wall 74. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the gap 23S between two adjacent cooling fins 23 and the clip 86 face each other in the horizontal direction.

[0031] The e-axle 10 has a second low-voltage connector 90 that is detachably attached to the first low-voltage connector 82. The second low-voltage connector 90 has a main body 91 that is a resin case. A recess (not shown) is formed in the rear end surface of the main body 91, and a metal second low-voltage contact (not shown) is provided in this recess. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1 , one end of a second low-voltage electric cable 92 is connected to the main body 91. The second low-voltage electric cable 92 includes a second low-voltage power line (not shown) made of a conductive material and a covering tube 93 made of an insulating material that covers the outer periphery of the second low-voltage power line. One end of the second low-voltage power line extends to the inside of the main body 91 and is connected to the second low-voltage contact inside the main body 91. The other end of the second low-voltage electric cable 92 (second low-voltage power line) is connected to a low-voltage battery 94 installed in the vehicle. The low-voltage battery 94 stores electric power at a voltage lower than that stored in the high-voltage battery 36. The voltage of the power stored in the low-voltage battery 94 is, for example, 5 to 10 volts.

[0032] Furthermore, when the second low-voltage connector 90 is connected to the first low-voltage connector 82, the second low-voltage connector 90 and a portion of the second low-voltage electrical cable 92 face the bolt 75X (head 76) from below (second predetermined direction) while forming a small gap, as shown by the imaginary lines in Fig. 5. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 1, the bracket 62 is located between the cooling fin 22 and a portion of the first low-voltage electrical cable 80, a portion of the second low-voltage electrical cable 92, the first low-voltage connector 82, and the second low-voltage connector 90.

[0033] Next, the functions of the inverter circuit 17, the low voltage circuit 18, and the shutdown circuit 19 of the electric circuit 16 will be described.

[0034] When the first high-voltage connector 27 and the second high-voltage connector 30 are connected, the inverter circuit 17 converts DC power supplied from the high-voltage battery 36 via the high-voltage electric cable 34, the second high-voltage connector 30 (second high-voltage contact), and the first high-voltage contact into AC power and supplies it to the electric motor. The electric motor operates using the AC power supplied from the inverter circuit 17. Furthermore, the inverter circuit 17 converts AC power generated by the electric motor into DC power and supplies it to the high-voltage battery 36 via the first high-voltage contact, the second high-voltage connector 30 (second high-voltage contact), and the high-voltage electric cable 34. However, the inverter circuit 17 and the electric motor do not necessarily have to have such a regenerative function.

[0035] When the first low-voltage connector 82 (first low-voltage contact) and the second low-voltage connector 90 (second low-voltage contact) are connected, the low-voltage circuit 18 supplies power to the above-mentioned accessories from a low-voltage battery 94 via the second low-voltage electrical cable 92, the second low-voltage connector 90, the first low-voltage connector 82, and the first low-voltage electrical cable 80. The accessories operate using the power supplied from the low-voltage circuit 18.

[0036] When the first low-voltage connector 82 (first low-voltage contact) and the second low-voltage connector 90 (second low-voltage contact) are connected, causing electricity to flow through the low-voltage circuit 18, the shutdown circuit 19 allows power to flow through the inverter circuit 17. On the other hand, when the first low-voltage connector 82 (first low-voltage contact) and the second low-voltage connector 90 (second low-voltage contact) are separated, causing electricity to stop flowing through the low-voltage circuit 18, the shutdown circuit 19 cuts off the flow of power through the inverter circuit 17. In other words, when the first low-voltage connector 82 and the second low-voltage connector 90 are separated, power from the high-voltage battery 36 is not supplied to the second high-voltage connector, and power generated by the electric motor is not supplied to the inverter circuit 17.

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

[0038] The e-axle 10 of this embodiment includes a first high-voltage connector 27 connected to the inverter circuit 17, and a second high-voltage connector 30 that is detachable from the first high-voltage connector 27 and is fixed to the support protrusion 24 using a bolt 38X while connected to the first high-voltage connector 27. The e-axle 10 also includes a bracket 62 that is fixed to the service cover 50 (support portion 52) using a bolt 75X so as to face the lower bolt 38X from behind (in a first predetermined direction), a first low-voltage connector 82 that is connected to the low-voltage circuit 18 and supported by the bracket 62, and a second low-voltage connector 90 that is detachable from the first low-voltage connector 82 and is connected to a low-voltage battery 94 that has a lower voltage than the high-voltage battery 36. The e-axle 10 also includes a shutdown circuit 19 that cuts off the flow of power from the high-voltage battery 36 to the inverter circuit 17 when the first low-voltage connector 82 and the second low-voltage connector 90 are disconnected.

[0039] Therefore, in order for a worker performing maintenance on the e-axle 10 to separate the second high-voltage connector 30, which is connected to the high-voltage battery 36 via the high-voltage electric cable 34, from the first high-voltage connector 27, the worker must first approach the bolt 38X from the rear of the rear wall 32 (first predetermined direction) using a first tool and use the first tool to move the bolt 38X rearward and remove it from the female threaded hole 25. However, as shown in FIG. 1 , the front portion of the bracket 62 faces the head 39 of the lower bolt 38X from the rear (first predetermined direction), forming a small gap in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, it is difficult to use the first tool to move the lower bolt 38X rearward from the rear wall 32 so as to release the bolt 38X from its engagement with the corresponding female threaded hole 25. In other words, the bracket 62 prevents the first tool from approaching the lower bolt 38X from the rear. Furthermore, even if the lower bolt 38X is moved rearward relative to the rear wall 32 by the amount of this small gap in the front-to-rear direction, a portion of the lower bolt 38X remains threaded into the corresponding female threaded hole 25. In other words, even if the lower bolt 38X is moved rearward relative to the rear wall 32 by some method, the second high-voltage connector 30 cannot be separated from the first high-voltage connector 27 when the bracket 62 is fixed to the support portion 52. Therefore, in order to separate the second high-voltage connector 30 from the first high-voltage connector 27, it is necessary to first remove the bracket 62, which faces the lower bolt 38X from the rear, from the support portion 52 of the service cover 50.

[0040] Furthermore, to remove the bracket 62 from the support part 52, it is necessary to first approach the bolt 75X (head 76) from below the supported piece 64 with a second tool (not shown) and use the second tool to remove the bolt 75X from the female threaded hole 53 of the support part 52. However, as shown in FIG. 5 , when the second low-voltage connector 90 and the first low-voltage connector 82 are connected, the second low-voltage connector 90 and the second low-voltage electrical cable 92 face the bolt 75X (head 76) from below (in the second predetermined direction). In other words, the second low-voltage connector 90 and the second low-voltage electrical cable 92 connected to the first low-voltage connector 82 prevent the second tool from approaching the bolt 75X (head 76) from below the supported piece 64. Therefore, to remove the bracket 62 from the support part 52, it is necessary to first remove the second low-voltage connector 90 from the first low-voltage connector 82.

[0041] Therefore, when disconnecting the second high-voltage connector 30 connected to the high-voltage battery 36 from the first high-voltage connector 27 connected to the inverter circuit 17, the worker must always remove the second low-voltage connector 90 from the first low-voltage connector 82. Therefore, the worker can disconnect the second high-voltage connector 30 from the first high-voltage connector 27 with the supply of high-voltage power to the first high-voltage connector 27 and the second high-voltage connector 30 cut off.

[0042] Furthermore, the bracket 62 includes a first protective wall 67 that covers the head 76 of the bolt 75X from the left side and a second protective wall 68 that covers the head 76 from the rear. Therefore, when the second low-voltage connector 90 is connected to the first low-voltage connector 82, it is extremely difficult for an operator to approach the head 76 from the left side or rear with the second tool and use the second tool to remove the bolt 75X from the female threaded hole 53 of the support part 52. Furthermore, the second high-voltage connector 30 is located in front of the head 76. As described above, the second high-voltage connector 30 cannot be removed from the support protrusion 24 unless the bolt 75X is removed from the female threaded hole 53 of the support part 52. Therefore, it is extremely difficult for an operator to approach the head 76 from the front with the second tool and use the second tool to remove the bolt 75X from the female threaded hole 53 of the support part 52.

[0043] Furthermore, in the e-axle 10, the corner bolts (third fastening members) 57X for fastening the service cover 50 to the base 21 cannot be exposed to the left in their entirety unless the bracket 62 is removed from the service cover 50 (support portion 52). Furthermore, as described above, in order to remove the bracket 62 from the support portion 52, the second low-voltage connector 90 must first be removed from the first low-voltage connector 82. Therefore, the worker cannot remove the service cover 50 from the service hole 45 (annular wall 46) until the second low-voltage connector 90 is disconnected from the first low-voltage connector 82 to cut off the supply of high-voltage power to the inverter circuit 17. This prevents the worker from accidentally removing the service cover 50 from the service hole 45 while high-voltage power is flowing through the bus bar 49, which is electrically connected to the inverter circuit 17. That is, for example, a worker removing the bus bar 49 from the e-axle 10 can be sure to cut off the supply of high-voltage power from the high-voltage battery 36 to the bus bar 49 before removing the bus bar 49.

[0044] Since the first low-voltage connector 82 can be attached and detached to the bracket 62 using the clip 86, the first low-voltage connector 82 can be easily attached to the cooler 20 (via the bracket 62) and replaced, compared to when the first low-voltage connector 82 is directly fixed to the main body case 15 or the cooler 20 with bolts or the like.

[0045] Furthermore, by changing the position of the elongated hole 70 provided in the bracket 62 or by changing the shape of the bracket 62, the attachment position of the first low-voltage connector 82 to the cooler 20 can be easily changed. Therefore, the e-axle 10 can be mounted on various types (car models) of vehicles while preventing the first low-voltage electric cable 80, the second low-voltage electric cable 92, the first low-voltage connector 82, or the second low-voltage connector 90 from interfering with surrounding components provided on the vehicle. Furthermore, if the e-axle 10 is mounted on the vehicle with the first low-voltage electric cable 80 or the second low-voltage electric cable 92 curved significantly, a force generated by the first low-voltage electric cable 80 or the second low-voltage electric cable 92 will act on the first low-voltage connector 82 and the second low-voltage connector 90. However, in this embodiment, the bracket 62 is supported in a cantilevered manner by the support portion 52 (cooler 20). Therefore, when a force is applied from the first low-voltage electric cable 80 or the second low-voltage electric cable 92 to the first low-voltage connector 82 and the second low-voltage connector 90, the bracket 62, which is supported in a cantilevered state, deforms, thereby dissipating the force. This allows for greater freedom in routing the first low-voltage electric cable 80 or the second low-voltage electric cable 92 than when the bracket 62 is supported on the cooler 20 at both ends. This therefore allows for greater freedom in designing the mounting position of the first low-voltage connector 82 on the e-axle 10.

[0046] 1 and 2, the bracket 62 is located between a portion of the first low-voltage electric cable 80, a portion of the second low-voltage electric cable 92, the first low-voltage connector 82, and the second low-voltage connector 90 and the cooling fin 22. Therefore, in the event of a vehicle collision, for example, the bracket 62 can prevent the portion of the first low-voltage electric cable 80 and the portion of the second low-voltage electric cable 92 from coming into contact with (the tip of) the cooling fin 22 and being damaged (the harness inside the cables being exposed).

[0047] Furthermore, the bracket 62 prevents the heat released from each cooling fin 22 from reaching the first low-voltage electric cable 80, the second low-voltage electric cable 92, the first low-voltage connector 82, and the second low-voltage connector 90, which helps to prevent deformation of the first low-voltage electric cable 80, the second low-voltage electric cable 92, the first low-voltage connector 82, and the second low-voltage connector 90.

[0048] Furthermore, the bracket 62 is provided with a third protective wall 72 that covers the clip 86 from the rear, a fourth protective wall 73 that covers the clip 86 from below, and a fifth protective wall 74 that covers the clip 86 from the front. Therefore, it is difficult for an operator to insert a hand or the like into the gap between the front edge, the lower edge, or the rear edge of the base plate portion 63 and the cooling fin 22, and use the hand or the like to pull the clip 86 leftward from the elongated hole 70 while deforming the annular protrusion 88, thereby separating the first low-voltage connector 82 connected to the second low-voltage connector 90 from the bracket 62. In other words, if the first low-voltage connector 82 connected to the second low-voltage connector 90 is separated from the bracket 62, it becomes possible to separate the second high-voltage connector 30 from the first high-voltage connector 27 and to separate the service cover 50 from the service hole 45 (annular wall 46) while high-voltage power is supplied to the first high-voltage connector 27, the second high-voltage connector 30, and the bus bar 49. However, in this embodiment, the possibility of such a situation occurring is small.

[0049] Furthermore, because bracket 62 is provided with third protective wall 72, fourth protective wall 73, and fifth protective wall 74, there is little risk that, in the event of a vehicle collision, for example, an object will come into contact with (collide with) clip 86, causing first low-voltage connector 82 to unexpectedly separate from bracket 62. Furthermore, because bracket 62 is provided with first protective wall 67, second protective wall 68, third protective wall 72, fourth protective wall 73, and fifth protective wall 74, bracket 62 has high rigidity.

[0050] Furthermore, in the e-axle 10, multiple duct-like spaces 23 are formed in the vertical direction by multiple cooling fins 22 provided on the outer surface of the base 21 and brackets 62 that face the protruding ends (left ends) of each cooling fin 22. Both the front and rear ends of each duct-like space 23 are open. Therefore, when a vehicle equipped with the e-axle 10 travels forward, traveling wind enters each duct-like space 23 through the front-end opening and flows toward the rear of the e-axle 10 through the rear-end opening of each duct-like space 23. Therefore, heat radiated from each cooling fin 22 can be smoothly discharged toward the rear of the e-axle 10 by the airflow flowing rearward through each duct-like space 23. This allows the cooler 20 of the e-axle 10 to easily perform its heat dissipation function.

[0051] 2, the gap 23S between two adjacent cooling fins 23 and the clip 86 face each other in the horizontal direction. Therefore, for example, when a side collision occurs to the vehicle, the clip 86 is unlikely to come into contact with the tip of the cooling fin 23. Therefore, the cooling fin 23 is unlikely to be damaged.

[0052] Furthermore, the e-axle 10 has a bracket 62 that covers the cooling fin 22 from the left side. Therefore, the bracket 62 can prevent mud, stones, and the like that are kicked up from the road surface while the vehicle is traveling from coming into contact with the cooling fin 22.

[0053] The e-axle 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.

[0054] For example, as in a first modified example shown in Fig. 8 , instead of clip 86, a metal fixed portion (support portion) 96 may be fixed to base 85. This fixed portion 96 is inserted into elongated hole 70 from the left side, and the portion of fixed portion 96 located to the right of elongated hole 70 is crimped to the right side surface of board portion 63. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 8 , board portion 63 is sandwiched between base 85 and fixed portion 96. In other words, by using fixed portion 96, first low-voltage connector 82 is detachably fixed to bracket 62. In this case as well, first low-voltage connector 82 is located directly below supported piece 64 of bracket 62.

[0055] In this modified example, the first low-voltage connector 82 is fixed to the base plate 63 of the bracket 62 by using the fixed portion 96. Therefore, if an external force is applied to the first low-voltage connector 82 while the fixed portion 96 remains crimped to the base plate 63, there is little risk that the first low-voltage connector 82 will come off the bracket 62. Therefore, there is less risk than in the embodiment that the first low-voltage connector 82 will be detached from the bracket 62 before the connection between the first low-voltage connector 82 and the second low-voltage connector 90 is released. In other words, there is less risk than in the embodiment that the second low-voltage connector 90 connected to the first low-voltage connector 82 will no longer face the bolt 75X from below before the power supply from the high-voltage battery 36 to the inverter circuit 17 is cut off.

[0056] 9, the vertical dimension of the clip body 87 and the annular protrusion 88 of the clip 86 may be narrower than the vertical dimension of the gap 23S between two adjacent cooling fins 23. Furthermore, it is preferable that the upper end of the annular protrusion 88 is located below the lower surface of the tip (left end) of the cooling fin 23 immediately above the horizontally opposing gap 23S, and the lower end of the annular protrusion 88 is located above the upper surface of the tip of the cooling fin 23 immediately below the gap 23S. According to this variation, the clip 86 is less likely to come into contact with the tip of the cooling fin 23 when a side collision occurs to the vehicle.

[0057] The clip 86 in the embodiment and the modified example shown in FIG. 9 may be made of a material other than resin.

[0058] 8, the vertical dimension of the fixed portion 96 may be narrower than the vertical dimension of the gap 23S that faces it in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the upper end of the fixed portion 96 may be located below the lower surface of the tip of the cooling fin 23 immediately above the horizontally facing gap 23S, and the lower end of the fixed portion 96 may be located above the upper surface of the tip of the cooling fin 23 immediately below the gap 23S.

[0059] The present invention may also be implemented in the form of a third modified example shown in FIG. 10. The left end of a clip (supporting portion) 97 is fixed to a base 85 in the third modified example. The clip 97, which is an integrally molded resin product, includes a clip body 87 and an annular protrusion 88 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the clip body 87. An annular tapered surface 98 is formed on the right end of the annular protrusion 88. Furthermore, in the third modified example, the vertical position of the elongated hole 70 in the base portion 63 is slightly different from that of the embodiment. In the third modified example, the side shape (cross-sectional shape) of the clip body 87 inserted into the elongated hole 70 is substantially the same as that of the elongated hole 70. Furthermore, in the third modified example, the base portion 63 of the bracket 62 is sandwiched between the base 85 and the annular protrusion 88 of the clip 97. Furthermore, in the third modified example, an upper portion 98U of the tapered surface 98 of the annular protrusion 88 faces a lower portion 23ED consisting of the sloped surface at the tip of one of the cooling fins 23 in the left-right direction, and a lower portion 98D of the tapered surface 98 of the annular protrusion 88 faces an upper portion 23EU consisting of the curved surface at the tip of the cooling fin 23 located immediately below this cooling fin 23 in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the upper end of the right end of the clip body 87 is located below the lower end of the lower portion 23ED, and the lower end of the right end of the clip body 87 is located above the upper end of the upper portion 23EU. In the third modified example, when a side collision of the vehicle occurs, the upper portion 98U of the tapered surface 98 of the clip 97 contacts the lower portion 23ED of the tip of one of the cooling fins 23, and the lower portion 98D contacts the upper portion 23EU of the tip of another cooling fin 23 located immediately below this cooling fin 23, so that the clip body 87 is easily guided to move into the gap 23S between the two cooling fins 23.

[0060] Alternatively, the clip 86 may be supported relative to the bracket 62 so as to be rotatable about a central axis extending in the left-right direction of the clip 86. For example, a circular through-hole may be formed in the bracket 62 instead of the elongated hole 70, and the cross-sectional shape of the clip body 87 of the clip 86 may be made circular, thereby making the clip 86 rotatable relative to the bracket 62. According to this modification, when a force generated by the curved first low-voltage electrical cable 80 or the second low-voltage electrical cable 92 acts on the first low-voltage connector 82 and the second low-voltage connector 90, the clip 86 (the first low-voltage connector 82 and the second low-voltage connector 90) rotates relative to the circular through-hole, thereby dissipating the force. This prevents excessive force from being applied to the first low-voltage connector 82, the second low-voltage connector 90, the first low-voltage electrical cable 80, and the second low-voltage electrical cable 92.

[0061] The e-axle 10 may be configured such that the second low-voltage connector 90 is supported by the bracket 62 and the first low-voltage connector 82 that is detachable from the second low-voltage connector 90 is not supported by the bracket 62 .

[0062] Furthermore, instead of providing the fixed portion 96 on the base 85, for example, the base 85 may be welded to the base plate portion 63. In this case, too, there is less risk of the first low-voltage connector 82 falling off the bracket 62 compared to the embodiment. That is, there is less risk than in the embodiment that the second low-voltage connector 90 connected to the first low-voltage connector 82 will no longer face the bolt 75X from below before the power supply from the high-voltage battery 36 to the inverter circuit 17 is cut off.

[0063] The shape of the bracket 62 may be enlarged in a side view so that the bracket 62 covers the entire fins 22 from the side. Also, the shape of the bracket 62 may be enlarged in a side view so that the bracket 62 covers the entire bolts 57X (heads 58) at the corners from the side.

[0064] The service hole 45 and service cover 50 may be omitted from the e-axle 10, and the bracket 62 may be fixed to the outer surface of the main body case 15 or the outer surface of the cooler 20 using a female threaded hole and a bolt (second fastening member) 75X formed on a part of the outer surface of the main body case 15 or a part of the outer surface of the cooler 20.

[0065] The case of the e-axle 10 may have a structure different from that described above. That is, the components of the case may be different from those of the main case 15 and the cooler 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 10 e-axle (electric unit) 15 Main unit case (case) 16 Electrical Circuits 20 Cooler (case) 22 Cooling fins 23S Gap 62 Bracket 72 Third protection wall (protection wall) 73 4th protection wall (protection wall) 74 5th protective wall (protective wall) 80 First Low-Voltage Electric Cable (Cable) 82 First low voltage connector (connector) 86 Clip (support part) 90 Second low voltage connector (connector) 92 Second low-voltage electric cable (cable) 96 Fixed part (support part) 97 Clip (support part)

Claims

1. a plurality of cooling fins provided on an outer surface of a case that is mounted on a vehicle and that houses an electric circuit; a bracket supported on the case so as to face the plurality of cooling fins; a connector that is detachably supported on the bracket using a support portion and is connected to the electrical circuit via a cable; Equipped with The bracket is positioned between at least a portion of the cable and the cooling fin.

2. The electric unit according to claim 1 , wherein the bracket includes a protective wall facing the support portion in a predetermined direction.

3. 3. The electric unit according to claim 1, wherein a gap between two adjacent cooling fins and the support portion face each other in a horizontal direction.

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