Vehicle battery storage structure

Abstract

To enable efficient use of space while allowing for the routing of cables for the vehicle's battery storage system. [Solution] The system comprises a frame 2 that supports the vehicle-mounted battery 3 in a housed state, and a terminal block 6 for connecting the cables 32 of the vehicle-mounted battery 3 supported by the frame, In a plan view, the vehicle battery housing structure is such that a virtual straight line VL passing through the terminal seat surface of the terminal block intersects with both a first virtual side VSA, which is a virtual side corresponding to the side of the frame from which the cable exits the vehicle battery, and a second virtual side VSB, which is a virtual side corresponding to the frame at a point adjacent to the first virtual side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure for housing an in-vehicle battery.

Background Art

[0002] It is known to use electricity charged in a battery to move a vehicle. For such vehicles, since the timing when the vehicle becomes unusable and the timing when the battery becomes unusable are usually different, the situation where the battery itself can be used but the vehicle becomes unusable often occurs. Based on this situation, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure for reusing an in-vehicle battery used to store electricity supplied as power for a vehicle. In the structure described in Patent Document 1, frameworks assembled to house the in-vehicle battery are gathered to form an aggregate of batteries.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

[0004] Incidentally, when the length of the cable coming out of an on-board battery supported by a frame is short, the cable attached to the on-board battery alone may be insufficient to connect to the desired location (such as high-voltage power receiving equipment). In this case, it is possible to connect to the desired location by connecting to another cable via a terminal block. However, the cables of the on-board battery, and the cables connected to them via the terminal block, are configured to have a relatively large diameter in order to withstand the transmission of the power capacity necessary to power the vehicle. Therefore, a high degree of flexibility cannot be expected from these cables. Furthermore, these cables were often routed along the outer perimeter of the frame, but since it is difficult to bend the cables at a 90-degree angle along the corners of the frame, a wider space for cables was secured outside the corners of the frame. However, in this configuration, it is difficult to say that the space is being used effectively. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] The inventors of this invention have attempted to solve this problem by diligently considering it. The problem that this invention aims to solve is to enable the routing of cables for in-vehicle batteries while making effective use of space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the vehicle battery storage structure comprises a frame that supports the vehicle battery while it is housed, and a terminal block for connecting the cables of the vehicle battery supported by the frame, wherein in a plan view, a virtual straight line passing through the terminal seat surface of the terminal block intersects both a first virtual side, which is a virtual side of the frame corresponding to the side from which the cables exit the vehicle battery, and a second virtual side, which is a virtual side of the frame adjacent to the first virtual side.

[0007] Furthermore, it is preferable to have a housing that accommodates the frame equipped with a terminal block, with a space between the housing and the frame.

[0008] Furthermore, it is preferable that the frame includes vertical frames extending in the vertical direction and horizontal frames extending in the horizontal direction, and that a virtual straight line passing through the terminal seat surface of the terminal block passes between the battery body of the vehicle-mounted storage battery and the vertical frame of the frame in a plan view.

[0009] Furthermore, it is preferable to have a terminal block on the first virtual side of the frame.

[0010] Furthermore, it is preferable that the frame includes vertical frames extending in the vertical direction and horizontal frames extending in the horizontal direction, and that mounting members for attaching terminal blocks are attached so as to bridge horizontal frames that are separated in the vertical direction, and that one or more on-board batteries are located at the height between the horizontal frames bridged by the mounting members.

[0011] Furthermore, it is preferable to configure the system so that the center of the housing and the center of the frame are offset in a plan view.

[0012] Furthermore, it is preferable to provide equipment for measuring the state of the vehicle-mounted battery or equipment for controlling the vehicle-mounted battery, and to configure the mounting position of the equipment such that, in a plan view, it is located at a position away from the center of the vehicle-mounted battery, from a virtual line passing through the terminal seat surface of the terminal block, and adjacent to the second virtual side surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] This invention allows for efficient use of space while routing cables for in-vehicle batteries. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a top-down perspective view of an example of an in-vehicle battery storage structure in which the frame is housed within a casing. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example where the roof components, doors, and panels of the example shown in Figure 1 have been removed to allow a view of the interior. [Figure 3]This is a plan view of the structure as shown in Figure 2. However, some equipment, such as the battery management system, has been omitted. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is an end view of the in-vehicle battery storage structure, cut at an appropriate height. However, some equipment, such as the battery management system, has been omitted. Also, the cable thickness is depicted as thinner than it actually is. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a vertically cut section of the structure shown in Figure 2, making the framework of the structure more visible. [Figure 6] This is an enlarged view of a part of the example shown in Figure 4. However, the first virtual side is represented by a dashed line, the second virtual side by a double-dashed line, and the virtual straight line passing through the terminal seat surface of the terminal block is represented by a dashed line. Also, the cable thickness is depicted as thinner than it actually is. [Figure 7] This figure shows the structure as shown in Figure 6, but with a portion of the horizontal frame removed. However, the second virtual side is represented by a dashed line, and the virtual straight line passing through the terminal seat surface of the terminal block is represented by a dashed line. Also, the cable thickness is depicted as thinner than it actually is. [Figure 8] This is a side view of the structure in the state shown in Figure 2. However, some equipment, such as the battery management system, has been omitted. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] The following describes embodiments for carrying out the invention. The vehicle battery storage structure of this embodiment comprises a frame 2 that supports the vehicle battery 3 in a housed state, and a terminal block 5 for connecting the cables 32 of the vehicle battery 3 supported by the frame 2. Furthermore, in a plan view, a virtual straight line VL passing through the terminal seat surface 51 of the terminal block 5 intersects both a first virtual side VSA, which is a virtual side of the frame 2 corresponding to the side from which the cables 32 exit the vehicle battery 3, and a second virtual side VSB, which is a virtual side of the frame 2 at a point adjacent to the first virtual side VSA. As a result, the cables 71 of the vehicle battery 3 can be routed while making effective use of space.

[0016] The in-vehicle battery storage structure may have the structure 2 exposed, but considering installation and management outdoors, etc., it is preferable that the structure 2 is housed inside the housing 4. Also, the housing 4 for housing the structure 2 preferably has a plurality of doors 44 (see FIG. 1). The position of the door 44 can be anywhere, but it is preferable that at least one door 44 is adjacent to the terminal block 5. By doing so, access to the terminal block 5 etc. can be improved.

[0017] Here, the relationship between the structure 2 and the in-vehicle battery 3 will be described. The structure 2 is for fixing the in-vehicle battery 3 having a battery main body 31 and a cable with a battery 32, and houses the battery main body 31 of the in-vehicle battery 3 which was a drive battery charged with electricity used as the power of the vehicle. Note that the in-vehicle battery 3 is basically removed from the vehicle and corresponds to a reusable product.

[0018] The structure 2 of the embodiment is configured to have a rectangular parallelepiped skeleton, and includes four vertical frames 21 extending in the vertical direction and horizontal frames 22 connected to them and extending in the horizontal direction. The horizontal frames 22 connected to the vertical frames 21 are square in plan view, and a rectangular parallelepiped skeleton is formed by the vertical frames 21 and the horizontal frames 22.

[0019] Such a structure may not strictly be said to have surfaces, but since it is rectangular parallelepiped, six portions corresponding to surfaces are formed. Among these, the four portions excluding the portions corresponding to the bottom surface and the top surface are the portions corresponding to the side surfaces. Thus, the portions corresponding to the surfaces in the outer shape of the structure 2 are here regarded as virtual surfaces. For example, the portions corresponding to the side surfaces are regarded as virtual side surfaces.

[0020] In the example shown in Figure 2, the frame 2 to which the battery body 31 of the on-board battery 3 is fixed is housed inside the housing frame 41 that forms the skeleton of the housing 4. In this example, the housing frame 41 is a rectangular parallelepiped that is slightly larger than the frame 2. The housing 4 has roof members 42, panels 43, doors 44, etc. attached along the housing frame 41 to prevent animals from entering the inside of the housing 4. Reinforcement members may also be provided to increase the strength of the housing 4.

[0021] As can be seen from Figure 3, the center of the housing frame 41 (the center of the housing 4) and the center of the frame 2 are offset in plan view, creating a space between the housing 4 and the frame 2 that is wider and a space that is narrower. By providing a wider space between the housing 4 and the frame 2, it becomes easier to make effective use of the space inside the housing 4. For example, cables 71 may be concentrated in the wider space between the housing 4 and the frame 2, or equipment 72 used as a battery management system may be placed there. Equipment 82 used for inspection may also be placed in the wider space between the housing 4 and the frame 2 (see Figure 4). On the other hand, by providing a narrower space between the housing 4 and the frame 2, it is possible to suppress the size increase of the housing 4.

[0022] As can be understood from these descriptions, it is preferable that the in-vehicle battery storage structure be configured such that the center of the housing 4 and the center of the frame 2 are offset in a plan view.

[0023] In this embodiment, the vehicle-mounted battery 3 is positioned between horizontal frames 22 that are separated vertically. In addition, the frame 2 of this embodiment is equipped with reinforcing members other than the vertical frames 21 and horizontal frames 22. In the example shown in Figure 5, vertical reinforcing frames 24 are provided between the vertical frames 21, connecting the horizontal frames 22. Also, inclined reinforcing frames 25, which extend diagonally like braces, are provided to connect the vertical frames 21. Of course, reinforcing frames can be provided as needed, and the frames in the example described above are not essential; reinforcement can also be performed with other types of frames.

[0024] The on-board battery 3 is equipped with a cable 32 protruding from the battery body 31, and the terminal block 5 is positioned to allow connection of this cable 32. The terminal block 5 is positioned so that the cable 32 does not bend excessively. If the frame 2 is housed in the housing 4, it is preferable to mount the terminal block 5 on the frame 2 rather than the housing 4. This is because, even if the shaking of the housing 4 and the frame 2 is out of sync during an earthquake, if both the terminal block 5 and the on-board battery 3 are fixed to the frame 2, the cable 32 of the on-board battery 3 will not be easily pulled. On the other hand, if the terminal block 5 is fixed to the housing 4, which is a separate structure from the frame 2, the shaking of the housing 4 and the frame 2 may be out of sync during an earthquake, potentially causing the cable 32 of the on-board battery 3 to be excessively pulled. Furthermore, it is preferable to have a space between the housing 4 and the frame 2 in order to make effective use of the space around the frame 2.

[0025] As can be understood from these descriptions, the vehicle battery storage structure preferably comprises a housing 4 that houses a frame 2 equipped with a terminal block 5, with a space between the housing 4 and the frame 2.

[0026] By the way, in order to avoid having to route the cable 32 of the on-board battery 3 and the cable 71 connected to it around the outside of the corner of the frame 2, the position and orientation of the terminal block 5 can be adjusted. For example, in a plan view, the terminal block 5 can be positioned such that a virtual straight line VL passing through the terminal seat surface 51 of the terminal block 5 intersects both the first virtual side VSA, which is the virtual side of the frame 2 on which the cable 32 exits from the on-board battery 3, and the second virtual side VSB, which is the virtual side of the frame 2 adjacent to the first virtual side VSA (see Figure 6). Furthermore, it is preferable that the terminal seat surface 51 of the terminal block 5 faces away from the battery body 31 of the on-board battery 3 when viewed from the terminal block 5. In the case of an on-board battery storage structure with a housing 4, it is preferable to position the terminal seat surface 51 of the terminal block 5 so that it faces the side of the housing 4 opposite the first virtual side VSA.

[0027] In particular, if the terminal block 5 is positioned such that a virtual straight line VL passing through the terminal seating surface 51 of the terminal block 5 passes between the battery and the vertical frame 21 of the frame 2 in a plan view, it becomes easier to avoid the cable 71 coming into contact with the battery body 31 of the on-board battery 3. As can be understood from these descriptions, it is preferable that the on-board battery housing structure has a frame 2 that includes vertical frames 21 extending in the vertical direction and horizontal frames 22 extending in the horizontal direction, and that the virtual straight line VL passing through the terminal seating surface 51 of the terminal block 5 passes between the battery body 31 of the on-board battery 3 and the vertical frame 21 of the frame 2 in a plan view (see Figure 7).

[0028] Furthermore, by providing the terminal block 5 on the first virtual side VSA side of the frame 2, it becomes possible to accommodate even if the cable 32 of the on-board battery 3 is relatively short.

[0029] Incidentally, in order to utilize the on-board battery 3, devices for measuring the state of the battery 3 and devices for controlling the battery 3 are used. Noise filters, power meters, and fuses are examples of such devices. It is preferable to place such devices near the frame 2. Furthermore, it is preferable to place these devices on the vertical frame 21 adjacent to the terminal block 5, or in a position adjacent to such a vertical frame 21, because it is easier to connect these devices to the terminal block 5. It is also preferable to place these devices near the second virtual side VSB. Moreover, in a plan view, it is preferable to place these devices at a position away from the virtual line VL passing through the terminal seat surface 51 of the terminal block 5, as viewed from the center of the on-board battery 3, and at a position on the space side adjacent to the second virtual side VSB. For example, the device 82 shown in Figure 6 corresponds to this arrangement.

[0030] In other words, the vehicle battery storage structure is equipped with a device for measuring the state of the vehicle battery or a device for controlling the vehicle battery, and it is preferable that the mounting position of the device be such that, in a plan view, it is located at a position farther away from the center of the vehicle battery 3 than the virtual line VL passing through the terminal seat surface 51 of the terminal block 5, and at a position adjacent to the second virtual side surface VSB.

[0031] In the frame 2, horizontal frames 22 are connected to both the upper and lower parts of the vertical frames 21. In this way, several horizontal frames 22 are positioned directly above each other. The vertical spacing between the horizontal frames 22 can be anything, but it is preferable that the spacing be longer than the height of the battery unit 31. In the example shown in Figure 8, the distance from the lower end of one horizontal frame 22 to the upper end of the horizontal frame 22 directly above it is more than three times the height of the battery unit 31. This configuration allows for the vertical arrangement of up to three battery units 31 between the height of the lower end of one horizontal frame 22 and the height of the upper end of the horizontal frame 22 directly above it.

[0032] Furthermore, mounting members 6 are attached to connect horizontal frames 22 that are separated vertically. These mounting members 6 are used to attach terminal blocks 5. In the example shown in Figure 8, three terminal blocks 5 are attached to one mounting member 6. These terminal blocks 5 are each mounted at different heights, making it easy to understand which terminal block 5 is used for which vehicle battery 3. In addition, the terminal seating surface 51 of each terminal block 5 is positioned between the lower and upper ends of the corresponding vehicle battery 3, so as to accommodate cases where the cable 32 of the vehicle battery 3 is relatively short.

[0033] As can be understood from these descriptions, the frame 2 is preferably configured to include vertical frames 21 extending in the vertical direction and horizontal frames 22 extending in the horizontal direction, with mounting members 6 for attaching the terminal block 5 attached so as to bridge horizontal frames 22 that are separated in the vertical direction, and one or more on-board batteries 3 positioned at the height between the horizontal frames 22 bridged by the mounting members 6.

[0034] The mounting member 6 that bridges the horizontal frame 22 is positioned so that the mounting surface 61 on which the terminal block 5 is attached is inclined with respect to the first virtual side surface VSA, in order to allow the terminal block 5 to be attached so that the terminal seating surface 51 is inclined with respect to the first virtual side surface VSA (see Figure 6). To facilitate the attachment of the mounting member 6 in this orientation, in this embodiment, one side of the connecting surface 62 provided at the upper and lower ends of the mounting member 6 is configured to extend non-parallel and non-perpendicular to the mounting surface 61. By positioning one side of the connecting surface 62 configured in this way along the longitudinal direction of the horizontal frame 22, the mounting member 6 is positioned so that the mounting surface 61 on which the terminal block 5 is attached is inclined with respect to the first virtual side surface VSA.

[0035] Furthermore, by routing a portion of the cable 32 outside the frame 2 from one end (the first virtual side VSA side) and then passing it back through the other end (the first virtual side VSA) of the frame 2, the cable 32, or the cable 71 connected to the cable 32 via the terminal block 5, is introduced back into the frame 2. This reduces the space required to route the cable 71 in the space outside the frame 2 adjacent to the first virtual side VSA.

[0036] Furthermore, the cable 71 that reaches the second virtual side VSB through the frame 2 is routed along the second virtual side VSB, away from the first virtual side VSA. The cable 71, positioned along the second virtual side VSB, is secured using holes in the vertical frames 21 and horizontal frames 22 of the frame 2 and cable ties or the like. Considering that the cable 71 is routed near the second virtual side VSB in this way, it is preferable that the wider portion of the space between the housing 4 and the frame 2 be the space adjacent to the second virtual side VSB. Also, it is preferable that the space adjacent to the second virtual side VSB be larger than the space adjacent to the first virtual side VSA. Furthermore, when comparing the longitudinal length of the horizontal frame 22 on the first virtual side VSA side with the longitudinal length of the horizontal frame 22 on the second virtual side VSB side, it is preferable to configure the frame 2 such that the latter is longer. It is also preferable that the second virtual side VSB be located at the rear of the housing 4.

[0037] In the example shown in Figure 4, the cable 71 extends from the battery body 31 of the vehicle-mounted battery 3 toward the side of the housing 4 opposite to the side from which the cable 32 protrudes. Although not shown in the figure, the cable 71 actually extends beyond the housing 4. It may be connected directly to the high-voltage power receiving equipment, or, if the housing 4 housing the frame 2 is connected, it may be connected to the high-voltage power receiving equipment via another housing 4.

[0038] In the example shown in Figure 8, a frame 2 equipped with three on-board batteries 3 is stacked inside the housing 4. In such a configuration, for example, the housing frame 41 can be assembled first, and then the frame 2 with the on-board batteries 3 attached can be placed inside. In this case, the frame 2 can be lifted using eye bolts 79 attached to the frame 2 and placed inside the housing frame 41 from above. If it is necessary to replace the on-board batteries 3, the frame 2 can be lifted in the same manner and the on-board batteries 3 can be removed from inside the housing frame 41.

[0039] The present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be made into various forms. For example, it is possible to arrange multiple frames horizontally separated within the housing. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 2 Frame 3. Vehicle-mounted battery 4 cabinets 5 Terminal block 6. Mounting components 21 Vertical Frames 22 horizontal frames 31 Battery Unit 32 Cables (with car battery) VL virtual line VSA First Virtual Aspect VSB Second Virtual Aspect

Claims

1. A frame that supports the vehicle's battery while it is housed, A terminal block for connecting cables of an in-vehicle battery supported by a frame, Equipped with, An on-board battery housing structure in which, in a plan view, a virtual straight line passing through the terminal seat surface of the terminal block intersects with both a first virtual side, which is a virtual side corresponding to the side of the frame from which the cable exits the on-board battery, and a second virtual side, which is a virtual side corresponding to the frame at a point adjacent to the first virtual side.

2. It has an enclosure that houses a frame equipped with a terminal block, An in-vehicle battery storage structure according to claim 1, comprising a space between the housing and the frame.

3. The frame consists of vertical frames extending in the vertical direction and horizontal frames extending in the horizontal direction. The vehicle battery storage structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a virtual straight line passing through the terminal seat surface of the terminal block passes between the battery body of the vehicle battery and the vertical frame of the frame in a plan view.

4. The vehicle battery storage structure according to claim 3, wherein a terminal block is provided on the first virtual side of the frame.

5. The frame consists of vertical frames extending in the vertical direction and horizontal frames extending in the horizontal direction. The mounting member for the terminal block is installed so as to bridge horizontal frames that are separated vertically. The vehicle battery storage structure according to claim 1, wherein one or more vehicle batteries are located at the height between horizontal frames bridged across mounting members.

6. The vehicle battery storage structure according to claim 2, configured such that the center of the housing and the center of the frame are offset in a plan view.

7. Equipped with equipment for measuring the status of an on-board battery or equipment for controlling an on-board battery, The vehicle battery storage structure according to claim 3, wherein the mounting position of the equipment is such that, in a plan view, it is located at a position farther from the center of the vehicle battery than the imaginary line passing through the terminal seat surface of the terminal block, and at a position adjacent to the second imaginary side surface.

Images