Electric vehicles

Abstract

To provide an electric vehicle that can reduce the possibility of the electromechanical unit and the battery pack coming into contact during a frontal collision. [Solution] The electric vehicle 100 comprises a mechatronics unit 20 and a dash panel 31. The dash panel 31 is located below the dash panel 31 and is supported by a frame member 32 located at the rear of the mechatronics unit 20. The battery pack 10 is positioned at the rear of the vehicle beyond the front end of the frame member 32. The surface 20SU of the mechatronics unit 20 facing the frame member 32 has a first protrusion 60A projecting in the vehicle length direction. The surface 32SU of the frame member 32 facing the mechatronics unit 20 has a second protrusion 60B projecting in the vehicle length direction. The distance between surface 20SU and surface 32SU is shorter than the distance between surface 20SU and the front end 10F of the battery pack 10 in the vehicle length direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] ,

[0001] This invention relates to an electric vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric vehicle having an electromechanical integrated structure including a motor, an inverter, and a DC / DC converter in front of a dash panel that separates a passenger compartment and a motor room. That is, the above electric vehicle includes an electromechanical integrated unit in front of the dash panel.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In an electric vehicle equipped with an electromechanical integrated unit in front of the vehicle, during a frontal collision, there is a risk that the electromechanical integrated unit that has retreated due to the collision may come into contact with a battery pack disposed behind the vehicle relative to the electromechanical integrated unit.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To solve the above problems, the electric vehicle drives the drive wheels with electricity stored in battery cells inside a battery pack. The electric vehicle includes a mechatronic unit that integrates a motor, which is a power source for driving the drive wheels, and a power control device that supplies power from the battery cells to the motor. The mechatronic unit is disposed inside the front compartment of the electric vehicle. The electric vehicle is divided into the front compartment and a passenger compartment located behind the front compartment by a dash panel. The dash panel is provided below the dash panel and supported by a skeletal member located behind the mechatronic unit. The battery pack is joined to the lower surface of the skeletal member and disposed behind the front end of the skeletal member and under the floor of the passenger compartment. At least one of the surfaces of the mechatronic unit facing the skeletal member and the surfaces of the skeletal member facing the mechatronic unit has a protrusion that projects in the vehicle length direction. In the electric vehicle, the distance between the surface of the electromechanical unit facing the skeletal member and the surface of the skeletal member facing the electromechanical unit is shorter than the distance between the surface of the electromechanical unit facing the skeletal member and the front end of the battery pack in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The above-mentioned electric vehicle can reduce the possibility of the mechatronic unit and the battery pack coming into contact during a frontal collision. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of equipment in an electric vehicle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electric vehicle along line 2-2 in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an electric vehicle in a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 4]Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the electric vehicle in the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] (First Embodiment) The following description of the electric vehicle according to the first embodiment will be made with reference to Figures 1 and 2. In the following description, "front," "rear," "right," "left," "up," and "down" refer to the "front," "rear," "right," "left," "up," and "down" as viewed from the perspective of a passenger facing forward. The left-right direction coincides with the vehicle width direction.

[0009] <Configuration of the 100 electric vehicles> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of equipment in a top view of the electric vehicle 100, viewed from above. As shown in Figure 1, the electric vehicle 100 comprises a pair of left and right front wheels 41, a drive shaft 51, a mechatronic unit 20, a dash panel 31, a frame member 32, a floor 33, and a battery pack 10. The battery pack 10, shown by the dashed line, is located below the frame member 32 and the floor 33. Multiple battery cells 14 are housed inside the battery pack 10. In Figures 1 to 4, the multiple battery cells 14 arranged inside the battery pack are collectively enclosed by a dashed line.

[0010] The electromechanical unit 20 includes a first protrusion 60A as a protrusion 60 projecting in the vehicle length direction. The electromechanical unit 20 is a unit that integrates a motor 21 and a power control device 22. The power control device 22 is disposed on the side of the motor 21 and at the rear of the motor 21 in the vehicle. In the electric vehicle 100, the power control device 22 in the electromechanical unit 20 may be disposed at a position other than the rear of the motor 21 in the vehicle. For example, in the electromechanical unit 20, the power control device 22 may be disposed in front of the motor 21 in the vehicle. For example, in the electromechanical unit 20, the power control device 22 may be disposed so as to overlap the motor 21 in the vertical direction. For example, in the electromechanical unit 20, the power control device 22 and the motor 21 may be disposed so as to overlap in a side view of the vehicle.

[0011] The motor 21 is a power source that drives the front wheels 41, which are the drive wheels, via the drive shaft 51. Multiple battery cells 14 inside the battery pack 10 store the power that is supplied to the motor 21. In other words, the electric vehicle 100 drives the drive wheels with the power stored in the multiple battery cells 14.

[0012] The power control device 22 is a device that supplies power to the motor 21. The power control device 22 includes an inverter that converts DC power from multiple battery cells 14 into AC power and supplies it to the motor 21. The electromechanical unit 20 may also include a device other than an inverter as the power control device 22. In addition to the inverter, the electromechanical unit 20 may also include a DC / DC converter that boosts the DC power supplied from multiple battery cells 14. In that case, the inverter provided as the power control device 22 converts the DC power supplied from the DC / DC converter into AC power and supplies it to the motor 21. The electromechanical unit 20 may also include an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) as the power control device 22, which controls the power supplied to the motor 21. The ECU includes a CPU and memory in which control programs and data are stored. The ECU performs various control-related processes by having the CPU execute the programs stored in the memory.

[0013] Figure 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the electric vehicle 100 in Figure 1, along line 2-2 in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the electric vehicle 100 is divided into a front compartment 30 and a passenger compartment 34 located behind the front compartment 30 by a dash panel 31. The electric vehicle 100 has an integrated electromechanical unit 20 installed inside the front compartment 30. The dash panel 31 is supported by a frame member 32. The frame member 32 is located below the dash panel 31. The frame member 32 is located behind the integrated electromechanical unit 20.

[0014] The battery pack 10 is joined to the lower surface of the frame member 32. As a result, the battery pack 10 is positioned beneath the floor 33 in the passenger compartment 34. For example, the battery pack 10 is fastened to the lower surface of the frame member 32 by fastening members (not shown). The battery pack 10 and the lower surface of the frame member 32 may be joined via brackets. The battery pack 10 is positioned behind the front end of the frame member 32. Specifically, the front end 10F of the battery pack 10 in the vehicle length direction is positioned behind the front end of the frame member 32, which is the surface 32SU of the frame member 32 facing the electromechanical unit 20.

[0015] <Regarding the protrusion 60 that extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle> The electric vehicle 100 has a first protrusion 60A on the surface 20SU facing the skeletal member 32 of the electromechanical unit 20, which protrudes in the vehicle length direction.

[0016] In Figure 2, "L_1" is the distance between the surface 20SU facing the skeletal member 32 in the electromechanical unit 20 and the surface 32SU on the skeletal member 32 facing the electromechanical unit 20. In the first embodiment, "L_1" is the distance between the rear end of the first protrusion 60A in the vehicle length direction and the surface 32SU. "L_2" is the distance between the surface 20SU facing the skeletal member 32 in the electromechanical unit 20 and the front end 10F of the battery pack 10 in the vehicle length direction. The length of "L_1" is shorter than the length of "L_2". That is, the distance between the surface 20SU and the surface 32SU is shorter than the distance between the surface 20SU and the front end 10F of the battery pack 10 in the vehicle length direction.

[0017] <Operation of the First Embodiment> The above-described electric vehicle 100 has a first convex portion 60A on the surface 20SU. Therefore, when the electric vehicle 100 is compared with an electric vehicle in which no convex portion 60 protruding in the vehicle length direction is provided on both the surface 20SU and the surface 32SU, the distance between the surface 20SU and the surface 32SU is shorter. As a result, in the electric vehicle 100, the integrated motor and electric unit 20 that has retreated rearward of the vehicle due to a frontal collision is more likely to contact the skeletal member 32 before contacting the battery pack 10. By contacting the skeletal member 32, it becomes difficult for the integrated motor and electric unit 20 to retreat. For this reason, in the electric vehicle 100, it becomes difficult for the integrated motor and electric unit 20 to approach the battery pack 10.

[0018] <Effects of the First Embodiment> (1-1) The above-described electric vehicle 100 can reduce the possibility that the integrated motor and electric unit 20 and the battery pack 10 come into contact during a frontal collision.

[0019] <Modification Example of the First Embodiment> The above first embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. The modification examples for the above first embodiment and the following first embodiment can be implemented in combination with each other within a range that is not technically contradictory.

[0020] ·For the electric vehicle 100, at least one of the surface 20SU of the electromechanical unit 20 facing the skeletal member 32 and the surface 32SU of the skeletal member 32 facing the electromechanical unit 20 may have a convex portion 60 protruding in the vehicle length direction. For example, in the electric vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 3, as the convex portion 60 protruding in the vehicle length direction, the surface 32SU of the skeletal member 32 facing the electromechanical unit 20 has a second convex portion 60B. The electric vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 3 does not have a convex portion 60 protruding in the vehicle length direction on the surface 20SU of the electromechanical unit 20 facing the skeletal member 32. "L_1" shown in FIG. 3 is the distance between the surface 20SU and the front end of the second convex portion 60B in the vehicle length direction. Similar to "L_2" shown in FIG. 2, "L_2" shown in FIG. 3 is the distance between the surface 20SU of the electromechanical unit 20 facing the skeletal member 32 and the front end 10F of the battery pack 10 in the vehicle length direction. Also in FIG. 3, similar to FIG. 2, the length of "L_1" is shorter than the length of "L_2". That is, the distance between the surface 20SU and the surface 32SU is shorter than the distance between the surface 20SU and the front end 10F of the battery pack 10 in the vehicle length direction. Even in this case, the same effects as those of the electric vehicle 100 of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0021] (Second Embodiment) Hereinafter, the electric vehicle 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. In the second embodiment, the description will focus on the differences compared to the first embodiment, and the description of the same points will be simplified or omitted.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4, in the electric vehicle 100, the surface 20SU of the electromechanical unit 20 facing the skeletal member 32 has a first convex portion 60A as a convex portion 60 protruding in the vehicle length direction. In addition, in the electric vehicle 100, the surface 32SU of the skeletal member 32 facing the electromechanical unit 20 has a second convex portion 60B as a convex portion 60 protruding in the vehicle length direction. That is, in the electric vehicle 100, both the surface 20SU of the electromechanical unit 20 facing the skeletal member 32 and the surface 32SU of the skeletal member 32 facing the electromechanical unit 20 have convex portions sixty respectively.

[0023] In addition, the electric vehicle 100 has protrusions 60 on both the surface 20SU and the surface 32SU at positions opposite each other in the vehicle length direction. That is, the first protrusion 60A on the surface 20SU and the second protrusion 60B on the surface 32SU are opposite each other in the vehicle length direction.

[0024] In Figure 4, "L_1" is the distance between the surface 20SU of the electromechanical unit 20 facing the skeletal member 32 and the surface 32SU of the skeletal member 32 facing the electromechanical unit 20. In the second embodiment, "L_1" is the distance between the rear end of the first protrusion 60A in the vehicle length direction and the front end of the second protrusion 60B in the vehicle length direction. In Figure 4, "L_2" is the distance between the surface 20SU of the electromechanical unit 20 facing the skeletal member 32 and the front end 10F of the battery pack 10 in the vehicle length direction, similar to "L_2" in Figures 2 and 3.

[0025] The length of "L_1" shown in Figure 4 is equal to the length of "L_1" shown in Figures 2 and 3. Similarly, the length of "L_2" shown in Figure 4 is equal to the length of "L_2" shown in Figures 2 and 3. The dimension of the first protrusion 60A in the vehicle length direction shown in Figure 4 is shorter than the dimension of the first protrusion 60A in the vehicle length direction shown in Figure 2. The dimension of the second protrusion 60B in the vehicle length direction shown in Figure 4 is shorter than the dimension of the second protrusion 60B in the vehicle length direction shown in Figure 3.

[0026] <Operation of the second embodiment> The following describes a case where multiple electric vehicles 100 have equal distances between surfaces 20SU and 32SU. In the electric vehicle 100 of the second embodiment, the dimension of the first protrusion 60A in the vehicle length direction is shorter than in the electric vehicle 100 that has only the first protrusion 60A among the first protrusion 60A and the second protrusion 60B. In the electric vehicle 100 of the second embodiment, the dimension of the second protrusion 60B in the vehicle length direction is shorter than in the electric vehicle 100 that has only the second protrusion 60B among the first protrusion 60A and the second protrusion 60B.

[0027] <Effects of the second embodiment> In the configuration of the second embodiment, the same effects as in (1-1) of the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, the configuration of the second embodiment can obtain the following effects.

[0028] (2-1) The electric vehicle 100 described above can make the distance between surface 20SU and surface 32SU shorter than the distance between surface 20SU and the front end 10F of the battery pack 10 in the vehicle length direction by the shorter protrusion 60.

[0029] <Example of modification of the second embodiment> The above second embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. The above second embodiment and the following examples of modifications to the second embodiment can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0030] The electric vehicle 100 does not necessarily have protrusions 60 at opposing positions in the vehicle length direction on both the surface 20SU facing the skeletal member 32 of the electromechanical unit 20 and the surface 32SU of the skeletal member 32 facing the electromechanical unit 20. For example, the electric vehicle 100 may have a first protrusion 60A and a second protrusion 60B that are spaced apart in the vehicle vertical direction. The electric vehicle 100 may have a first protrusion 60A and a second protrusion 60B that are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction. Even in these cases, the electric vehicle 100 of the second embodiment has a distance between the surface 20SU and the surface 32SU that is shorter than the distance between the surface 20SU and the front end 10F of the battery pack 10 in the vehicle length direction. Therefore, even if the electric vehicle 100 of the second embodiment does not have protrusions 60 at opposing positions in the vehicle length direction on both surface 20SU and surface 32SU, the same effects as the electric vehicle 100 of the first embodiment can be obtained. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0031] 10...Battery pack, 10F...Front end of battery pack in the vehicle length direction, 14...Battery cell, 20...Mechatronic unit, 20SU...Surface of mechatronic unit facing the frame member, 21...Motor, 22...Power control device, 30...Front compartment, 31...Dash panel, 32...Frame member, 32SU...Surface of frame member facing the mechatronic unit, 33...Floor, 34...Vehicle compartment, 60...Protrusion, 60A...First protrusion, 60B...Second protrusion, 100...Electric vehicle

Claims

1. It is an electric vehicle that drives the drive wheels using the electricity stored in the battery cells inside the battery pack. The vehicle is equipped with a mechatronic unit comprising a motor, which is a power source for driving the drive wheels, and a power control device that supplies power from the battery cells to the motor. The mechatronic unit is located inside the front compartment, and the front compartment and the passenger compartment located behind the front compartment are separated by a dash panel. The dash panel is supported by a frame member located below the dash panel and at the rear of the vehicle of the electromechanical unit, and the battery pack is bonded to the lower surface of the frame member and is positioned rearward of the vehicle beyond the front end of the frame member and below the floor in the passenger compartment. At least one of the surfaces of the electromechanical unit facing the skeletal member and the surfaces of the skeletal member facing the electromechanical unit has a protrusion that projects in the vehicle length direction. The distance between the surface of the electromechanical unit facing the skeletal member and the surface of the skeletal member facing the electromechanical unit is Shorter than the distance between the surface of the electromechanical unit facing the skeletal member and the front end of the battery pack in the vehicle length direction. Electric vehicle.

2. Of the surfaces of the electromechanical unit facing the skeletal member and the surfaces of the skeletal member facing the electromechanical unit, The surface of the electromechanical unit facing the skeletal member has the protrusion. The electric vehicle according to claim 1.

3. Of the surfaces of the electromechanical unit facing the skeletal member and the surfaces of the skeletal member facing the electromechanical unit, The surface of the skeletal member facing the electromechanical unit has the protrusion. The electric vehicle according to claim 1.

4. Both the surface of the electromechanical unit facing the skeletal member and the surface of the skeletal member facing the electromechanical unit each have the protrusion. The electric vehicle according to claim 1.

5. The protrusions are provided at positions opposite to each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction on both the surface of the frame member facing the electromechanical unit and the surface of the electromechanical unit facing the frame member. The electric vehicle according to claim 1.

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