Protection structure for high-voltage equipment

Abstract

This invention provides a protective structure for high-voltage equipment that ensures operational safety with a simple configuration. [Solution] The protection structure 1 for high-voltage equipment comprises a high-voltage device 2 mounted on a vehicle and a cover 10 covering the high-voltage device 2. The high-voltage device 2 comprises connection parts 3 and 4 for connecting to external devices M and B, and a power supply connection part 5 for connecting a power supply connector 8 that supplies power to start the high-voltage device 2. The cover 10 has communication openings 13 and 14 facing the power supply connection part 5 when the high-voltage device 2 is covered by the cover 10. The power supply connector 8 is connected to the power supply connection part 5 by passing it through the communication openings 13 and 14 when the high-voltage device 2 is covered by the cover 10, and the cover 10 cannot be removed when the power supply connector 8 is connected to the connection opening 5.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a protection structure for high-voltage equipment.

Background Art

[0002] Hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles equipped with a motor have high-voltage equipment such as an inverter. Therefore, when an operator inspects and maintains the high-voltage equipment, measures for preventing electric shock are necessary, and ensuring high work safety is required. Patent Document 1 discloses a case for storing high-voltage equipment therein, an opening / closing means for opening and closing the case, and an interlock means for locking the opening / closing means in a closed state. The interlock means uses a safety plug that cuts off power supply from the power supply device when pulled out from the power supply device to release the lock of the opening / closing means in the closed state.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when installing an interlock means as in Patent Document 1, an increase and complication of components for the protection structure of high-voltage equipment are cited as problems.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a protection structure for high-voltage equipment that can ensure work safety with a simple configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The protective structure for high-voltage equipment of the present invention comprises high-voltage equipment mounted on a vehicle and a cover that covers the high-voltage equipment, wherein the high-voltage equipment comprises a connection part for connecting to an external device and a power supply connection part for connecting a power supply connector that supplies power to start the high-voltage equipment, the cover has a communication opening facing the power supply connection part when the high-voltage equipment is covered, the power supply connector is connected to the power supply connection part by passing it through the communication opening when the high-voltage equipment is covered with the cover, and the cover cannot be removed when the power supply connector is connected to the power supply connection part. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a protective structure for high-voltage equipment that can ensure work safety with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows a schematic configuration of the protective structure for high-voltage equipment according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows a schematic configuration of the protective structure for high-voltage equipment according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows a schematic configuration of the protective structure for high-voltage equipment according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows a schematic configuration of the protection structure for high-voltage equipment according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] A protective structure (1) for high-voltage equipment according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a high-voltage equipment (2) mounted on a vehicle and a cover (10, 20) covering the high-voltage equipment (2), wherein the high-voltage equipment (2) comprises connection parts (3, 4) for connecting to external equipment (M, B) and a power supply connection part (5) for connecting a power supply connector (8) for supplying power to start the high-voltage equipment (2), and the cover (10, 20) protects the high-voltage equipment (2) The device is characterized by having communication ports (13, 14, 21) facing the power supply connection port (5) when covered, and by passing the power supply connector (8) through the communication ports (13, 14, 21) to connect to the power supply connection port (5) when the high-voltage device (2) is covered with the cover (10, 20), and by having the cover (10, 20) not be removable when the power supply connector (8) is connected to the connection port (5). This makes it possible to provide a protective structure (1) for high-voltage equipment that ensures safety during operation with a simple configuration. [Examples]

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. [First Embodiment] Figures 1 to 3 show the schematic configuration of the protection structure 1 for high-voltage equipment according to the first embodiment. Hybrid and electric vehicles equipped with a motor M are fitted with an inverter 2, which is a high-voltage device. The inverter 2 includes a UVW (three-phase) terminal 3, which is a connection part for connecting to the motor M, a PN terminal 4, which is a connection part for connecting to the battery B, and a connection port 5 that constitutes an LV connector. The inverter 2 receives a DC voltage from the battery B via a harness 7 connected to the PN terminal 4, electrically generates AC power from the DC power, and outputs the AC voltage to the motor M via a harness 6 connected to the UVW terminal 3. A power supply connector 8 (see Figure 2) that supplies power to start the inverter 2 is connected to the connection port 5. In this embodiment, the connection port 5 corresponds to the power supply connection part as defined in the present invention.

[0011] The inverter 2 is unitized using a box-shaped enclosure and is installed on the vehicle's floor panel 9, as shown in Figure 3. In this embodiment, with the inverter 2 installed on the floor panel 9, a connection port 5 is located on one side of the enclosure, and UVW terminals 3 and PN terminals 4 are located on both sides connected to that side, respectively. For the sake of explanation, the side with the connection port 5 is defined as the front, the side with the UVW terminals 3 as the right side, the side with the PN terminals 4 as the left side, and the side facing the floor panel 9 where the inverter 2 is installed as the bottom.

[0012] In this first embodiment, the protection structure 1 for high-voltage equipment includes a cover 10 that covers the inverter 2. The cover 10 is composed of a first cover member 11 and a second cover member 12. The first cover member 11 is a box-shaped body with four sides, each having an opening on the bottom and right side. That is, as shown in Figure 1, the first cover member 11 has a top surface 11t, a front surface 11f, a back surface 11b, and a left side surface 11l, and has a bottom opening 11bo and a right side opening 11r. The second cover member 12 is also a box-shaped body with four sides, each having an opening on the bottom and left side. That is, as shown in Figure 1, the second cover member 12 has a top surface 12t, a front surface 12f, a back surface 12b, and a right side surface 12r, and has a bottom opening 12bo and a left side opening 12l. The height and depth (dimension between the front surface 12f and the back surface 12b) of the second cover member 12 are slightly larger than those of the first cover member 11.

[0013] A communication opening 13 is formed on the front surface 11f of the first cover member 11. A communication opening 14 is formed on the front surface 12f of the second cover member 12. A notch 15 is formed on the left side surface 11l of the first cover member 11, which opens at the bottom opening 11bo. The notch 15 corresponds to the outlet in this invention.

[0014] When the inverter 2 is covered with the cover 10 in this manner, harnesses 6 and 7 are connected to the UVW terminals 3 and PN terminals 4, respectively, but the power supply connector 8 is not connected to the connection port 5.

[0015] First, with the right-side opening 11r of the first cover member 11 facing the left end of the inverter 2, move the first cover member 11 so as to house the left end portion of the inverter 2 from the right-side opening 11r into its interior, and cover the inverter 2 with the first cover member 11. With the first cover member 11 covering the inverter 2, the communication port 13 faces the connection port 5 of the inverter 2.

[0016] Next, with the left-side opening 12l of the second cover member 12 facing the right end of the inverter 2, move the second cover member 12 so as to house the right end portion of the inverter 2 from the left-side opening 12l into its interior, and cover the inverter 2 with the second cover member 12. As described above, the second cover member 12 is sized slightly larger than the first cover member 11. As shown in FIG. 2, insert the first cover member 11 into the left-side opening 12l of the second cover member 12 and overlap them to completely cover the inverter 2. With the second cover member 12 covering the inverter 2, the communication port 14 faces the communication port 13 of the first cover member 11 and the connection port 5 of the inverter 2.

[0017] Note that the first cover member 11 and the second cover member 12 may be fixed to each other with a fixing member such as a bolt. Also, the cover 10 (the first cover member 11 and the second cover member 12) may be fixed to another structure such as the floor panel 9 with a fixing member such as a bolt.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, in the state where the inverter 2 is covered with the cover 10 in this way, the harness 7 connected to the PN terminal 4 can be led out from the notch 15 and connected to the battery B. Also, in this embodiment, the motor M is installed below the floor panel 9, and the harness 6 connected to the UVW terminal 3 can be led out using the bottom opening 12bo as a lead-out port and connected to the motor M through the hole 9a formed in the floor panel 9.

[0019] With the cover 10 covering the inverter 2, access to the connection port 5 is possible from the communication ports 13 and 14. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the power supply connector 8 is passed through the communication ports 13 and 14 and connected to the connection port 5. When the power supply connector 8 is connected to the connection port 5, it is impossible to remove the cover 10 because the power supply connector 8 interferes with the communication ports 13 and 14 even if an attempt is made to remove the cover 10. It becomes possible to remove the cover 10 only by pulling out the power supply connector 8 from the connection port 5.

[0020] As described above, in order to remove the cover 10 covering the inverter 2, it is necessary to pull out the power supply connector 8 from the connection port 5. Therefore, when an operator inspects and maintains high-voltage equipment, the structure is such that the operator cannot immediately touch the UVW terminals 3 or the PN terminals 4. Also, by pulling out the power supply connector 8 from the connection port 5, the power supply of the inverter 2 is interrupted, so that the charge accumulated in the capacitor of the inverter 2 can be discharged before the operator can touch the UVW terminals 3 or the PN terminals 4, which are the live parts. In this way, it is possible to provide the protection structure 1 for high-voltage equipment that can ensure work safety with a simple configuration of only covering the inverter 2 with the cover 10.

[0021] Also, as in this embodiment, by using the two-part cover 10, it is possible to attach and detach the cover 10 from the side of the high-voltage equipment even in a situation where it is difficult to access the high-voltage equipment from above. Examples of situations where it is difficult to access the high-voltage equipment from above include, for example, the following (Example 1) to (Example 5). In such situations, the superiority of the two-part cover emerges. (Example 1) A high-voltage device is arranged in an engine room where sufficient space cannot be secured above by an engine, a motor, etc. (Example 2) A high-voltage device is arranged in the engine room and the opening angle of the hood is restricted. (Example 3) A high-voltage device is arranged below the vehicle floor panel 9. (Example 4) A high-voltage device is arranged under the seat. (Example 5) High-voltage equipment is located in the trunk or cargo area where sufficient overhead space cannot be secured due to luggage, spare tires, etc. Furthermore, by making the cover 10 in two parts, the cover members 11 and 12 can be removed one side at a time, making it possible to open only the necessary part without removing the entire cover 10, thus improving maintainability.

[0022] In this embodiment, the two-part cover 10 covers five sides of the inverter 2, but the invention is not limited to this configuration, and the entire surface (six sides) of the inverter 2 may also be covered.

[0023] [Second Example] Figure 4 shows a schematic configuration of the protection structure 1 for high-voltage equipment according to the second embodiment. The same reference numerals are used for components identical to those in the first embodiment, and their descriptions are omitted. In situations where access to high-voltage equipment from above is difficult, it is useful to use a two-part cover 10 as in the first embodiment. However, if access to high-voltage equipment from above is possible, the cover does not need to be divided. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the cover 20 is a five-sided box with an opening at the bottom. Specifically, the cover 20 has a top surface 20t, a front surface 20f, a back surface 20b, a right side surface 20r, and a left side surface 20l, and a bottom opening 20bo.

[0024] Furthermore, a communication opening 21 is formed on the front surface 20f of the cover 20. Also, a notch 22 is formed on the left side surface 20l of the cover 20, which opens at the bottom opening 20bo. The notch 22 corresponds to the outlet in this invention.

[0025] When the inverter 2 is covered with the cover 20 in this manner, harnesses 6 and 7 are connected to the UVW terminals 3 and PN terminals 4 respectively, but the power supply connector 8 is not connected to the connection port 5. Then, with the bottom opening 20bo of the cover 20 facing the top of the inverter 2, the cover 20 is moved so that the inverter 2 is housed inside through the bottom opening 20bo, and the cover 20 is placed over the inverter 2. With the cover 20 placed over the inverter 2, the communication port 21 faces the connection port 5 of the inverter 2. The cover 20 may also be fixed to other structures such as the floor panel 9 with fastening members such as bolts.

[0026] In this way, with the inverter 2 covered by the cover 20, the harness 7 connected to the PN terminal 4 can be led out through the notch 22 and connected to the battery B, similar to the first embodiment. Also, since the motor M is installed below the floor panel 9, the harness 6 connected to the UVW terminal 3 can be led out using the bottom opening 20bo as an outlet and connected to the motor M through the hole 9a formed in the floor panel 9.

[0027] Then, with the inverter 2 covered by the cover 20, the connection port 5 becomes accessible from the communication port 21, so the power supply connector 8 is passed through the communication port 21 and connected to the connection port 5. Similar to the first embodiment, when the power supply connector 8 is connected to the connection port 5, the cover 20 cannot be removed because the power supply connector 8 interferes with the communication port 21. Only by disconnecting the power supply connector 8 from the connection port 5 can the cover 20 be removed.

[0028] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, each embodiment is merely a specific example of how the present invention can be implemented. The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to each embodiment. Various modifications of the present invention are possible without departing from its spirit, and these modifications are also included within the technical scope of the present invention. While the UVW terminal 3 and PN terminal 4 were described as connection points for connecting to external devices, their relative positions are not limited to those shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, although inverter 2 was described as a high-voltage device, the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to other devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] 1: Protection structure for high-voltage equipment, 2: Inverter, 3: UVW terminal, 4: PN terminal, 5: Connection port, 6, 7: Harness, 8: Power supply connector, 9: Floor panel, 10, 20: Cover, 11: First cover member, 12: Second cover member, 13, 14, 21: Communication port, 15, 22: Notch, M: Motor, B: Battery

Claims

1. High-voltage equipment installed in vehicles, The equipment includes a cover that covers the high-voltage equipment, The high-voltage device comprises a connection section for connecting to an external device and a power supply connection section for connecting a power supply connector that supplies power to start the high-voltage device. The cover, while covering the high-voltage equipment, is provided with a communication opening facing the power supply connection part. With the high-voltage equipment covered by the cover, the power supply connector is passed through the communication opening and connected to the power supply connection section. A protective structure for high-voltage equipment, characterized in that the cover cannot be removed when the power supply connector is connected to the power supply connection part.

2. The cover is composed of a first cover member and a second cover member. The first cover member and the second cover member each have openings on their opposing surfaces, and by inserting the first cover member into the opening of the second cover member, the high-voltage equipment is covered. The protective structure for high-voltage equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that the first cover member and the second cover member each have a communication opening facing the power supply connection part when covering the high-voltage equipment.

3. The first cover member is a box-shaped body having four sides, each with an opening on a side facing the mounting surface of the high-voltage equipment and on a side perpendicular to the side facing the mounting surface. The protective structure for high-voltage equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that the second cover member is a box-shaped body having four sides, each with an opening on a side facing the mounting surface of the high-voltage equipment and on a side perpendicular to the side facing the mounting surface.

4. The protective structure for high-voltage equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cover covers the high-voltage equipment and has an outlet for leading out a harness connected to the connection part.

5. The aforementioned high-voltage device is an inverter, The protective structure for high-voltage equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the aforementioned connection portion comprises a connection portion for connecting to a battery and a connection portion for connecting to a motor.

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