Vehicle relay device

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle relay device that can suppress rattling of a movable member when the movable member is in a standby position pressed by a return spring. [Solution] A vehicle relay device 4 comprises a movable member 11 having a conductor 13, electrode relays 14 and 15 that become electrically conductive when the conductor 13 comes into contact with the movable member 11 as it moves, an elastic member 17 that presses the movable member 11 in a predetermined direction, and a case 8 that houses the movable member 11. When the movable member 11 is pressed by the elastic member 17, a recess 19 into which the movable member 11 fits is formed in the case 8, and the recess 19 is inclined with respect to the direction of movement of the movable member 11 and has an inclined surface 19a into which the movable member 11 makes contact.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a vehicle relay device for switching between the conductive state and the non-conductive state of two terminals.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a relay module for a vehicle battery system. This relay module includes a movable member that moves in the axial direction by the magnetic field of a coil and the spring force of a return spring, a contact core of a conductor provided at one end of the movable member, and a relay electrode provided facing the contact core. Therefore, when the coil is energized, the movable member moves to one side in the axial direction, so that the contact core and the relay electrode come into contact, and the relay electrode becomes conductive. On the contrary, when the power to the coil is cut off, the movable member moves to the other side in the axial direction, so that the contact core and the relay electrode are separated, and the relay electrode becomes non-conductive.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a relay device in which a movable member moves in the axial direction, such as the relay module described in Patent Document 1, an inevitable gap is provided between the movable member and a guide portion that guides the movable member. Therefore, when vibration acts on the relay device in a standby state where the movable member is pressed to one side by a return spring and contacts a fixing member such as a case, the movable member moves by the amount of the gap with the guide portion, and a frictional force is generated on the contact surface between the movable member and the fixing member, which may reduce the durability of the movable member or the fixing member.

[0005] This invention was made in view of the above technical problems, and the object of this invention is to provide a vehicle relay device that can suppress rattling of a movable member when the movable member is in a standby position pressed by a return spring. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, this invention provides a vehicle relay device comprising: a movable member having a conductor; an electrode relay that becomes electrically conductive when the conductor comes into contact with the movable member as the movable member moves; an elastic member that presses the movable member in a predetermined direction; and a case that houses the movable member, wherein when the movable member is pressed by the elastic member, a recess is formed in the other member of the movable member and the case into which either the movable member or the case fits, and the recess is inclined with respect to the direction of movement of the movable member and has an inclined surface into which the one member makes contact.

[0007] Furthermore, in this invention, the recess is formed in the case, and the inclined surface may include a tapered surface in which the inner diameter at the tip gradually decreases in the direction of movement of the movable member pressed by the elastic member.

[0008] Furthermore, in this invention, the recess is formed in the case, the movable member has a fitting portion that fits into the recess, and the fitting portion may have an inclined surface or tapered surface that gradually tapers towards the tip in the direction of movement of the movable member pressed by the elastic member.

[0009] Furthermore, in this invention, the recess is formed in the case, the movable member has a fitting portion that fits into the recess, and the fitting portion may have a projection on its outer surface that contacts the inclined surface when fitted into the recess.

[0010] Furthermore, in this invention, the projections may be formed at least three times at predetermined intervals in the outer circumferential direction of the fitting portion.

[0011] Furthermore, in this invention, the recess is formed in the case, the movable member has a fitting portion that fits into the recess, and the outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion may be formed in a convex spherical shape that gradually tapers towards the tip in the direction of movement of the movable member pressed by the elastic member.

[0012] Furthermore, in this invention, the electrode relay may include a terminal connected to a vehicle charging device and a terminal connected to a charging circuit through which power from an external power source flows. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The vehicle relay device in this invention comprises a movable member having a conductor that causes the electrode relay to become electrically conductive by contacting it, and a case housing the movable member. A recess is formed in the other member of the movable member and the case into which either the movable member or the case fits when the movable member is pressed by an elastic member. The recess is inclined with respect to the direction of movement of the movable member and has an inclined surface into which the other member makes contact. Therefore, in the standby state where the movable member is pressed by the elastic member and one of the members fits into the recess, the movable member receives a load corresponding to the load applied by the elastic member and the inclination angle of the inclined surface. That is, the movable member receives a load from the inclined surface in such a way that relative movement between the movable member and the case is suppressed in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the movable member. As a result, even if vibration acts on the relay device, rattling of the movable member inside the case can be suppressed, and a decrease in durability such as wear of the movable member and case can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This figure schematically shows an example of an electrical circuit of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle relay device according to an embodiment of this invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle relay device. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing an example of a movable iron core with a tapered tip. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing an example of a movable iron core formed in a rectangular prism shape. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing an example of a movable iron core whose outer surface at the tip is formed in a spherical shape. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing an example of a movable iron core equipped with multiple protrusions on the outer surface of its tip. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] This invention will be described based on the embodiments shown in the figures. The embodiments described below are merely examples of how this invention can be implemented and do not limit it.

[0016] Figure 1 schematically shows an example of the electrical circuit of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle relay device according to an embodiment of this invention. The vehicle Ve shown in Figure 1 is equipped with a motor (MG) 1 as a driving force source. The motor 1 can be configured in the same way as motors provided as driving force sources in conventional electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles. That is, in addition to functioning as a motor that outputs driving torque when power is supplied, it is configured to function as a generator that converts at least a portion of its power into electricity by having the rotor shaft rotate along with it. Specifically, the motor 1 is an AC motor such as a synchronous motor or an induction motor.

[0017] A battery storage device (BATT) 2 is provided in the vehicle Ve to supply power to the motor 1 described above, or to which power generated by the motor 1 is supplied. This battery storage device 2 can be configured in the same way as battery storage devices provided in conventional electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles. Specifically, it can be made up of secondary batteries such as lithium-ion batteries and nickel-metal hydride batteries, or electric double-layer capacitors. In other words, the battery storage device 2 is made up of a DC charging device. Note that this battery storage device 2 may also be made up of a battery pack in which multiple batteries are arranged in series.

[0018] In the example shown in FIG. 1, while the motor 1 is an AC motor, the power storage device 2 is a DC power supply. Therefore, an inverter (INV) 3 for converting DC power and AC power is provided between the motor 1 and the power storage device 2. This inverter 3 includes a plurality of transistors (not shown), and by controlling these transistors, the DC power output from the power storage device 2 is converted into three-phase AC power, and the AC power generated by the motor 1 is converted into DC power by the inverter 3 so that the power storage device 2 can be charged.

[0019] Also, the power storage device 2 shown in FIG. 1 is configured to be charged by the power of an external power supply. Specifically, a charging circuit 5 is connected to the positive electrode bus 2a and the negative electrode bus 2b of the power storage device 2 via charging relay devices 4a and 4b. Since the charging relay device 4a connected to the positive electrode bus 2a and the charging relay device 4b connected to the negative electrode bus 2b can be configured identically, in the following description, they will simply be referred to as the relay device 4 without distinguishing which of the relay devices 4a and 4b it is.

[0020] The above charging circuit 5 is provided with a connector 6 to which an external power supply (not shown) is connected. When an external power supply is connected to the connector 6, the relay device 4 is configured to be switched to a conductive state. Note that FIG. 1 shows the charging circuit 5 on the premise that a DC current regulated to a charging voltage is input from an external power supply. However, the charging circuit 5 may be provided with, for example, a converter for boosting or降压 the voltage input from an external power supply, an inverter for converting the AC voltage input from an external power supply into a DC voltage, or a smoothing capacitor for suppressing fluctuations in the applied voltage.

[0021] In the vehicle Ve shown in FIG. 1, an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as a controller) 7 for controlling the relay device 4 is provided. This controller 7 is mainly composed of a microcomputer and is configured to switch between the conduction state (connection state) and the non-conduction state (open state) of the relay device 4 based on the input signals and arithmetic expressions stored in advance. The signals input to this controller 7 are, for example, sensors that detect the connection of an external power source to the connector 6, sensors that detect the remaining charge (or voltage) of the power storage device 2, and the like. And, for example, when an external power source is connected to the connector 6, the relay device 4 is set to the conduction state, and when the remaining charge of the power storage device 2 becomes a predetermined amount or more, the relay device 4 is set to the non-conduction state.

[0022] FIG. 2 schematically shows a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of the relay device 4. The relay device 4 shown in FIG. 2 includes a case 8 formed in a cylindrical shape. This case 8 is composed of a cylindrical side wall portion 8a, an upper end portion 8b that closes the upper opening of the side wall portion 8a, a lower end portion 8c that closes the lower opening of the side wall portion 8a, and a partition portion 8d that separates the upper and lower spaces at the central portion in the central axis direction of the side wall portion 8a.

[0023] A cylindrical portion 9 protruding downward from the partition portion 8d is formed at the central portion of the partition portion 8d, and the space is divided into a central side space and an outer side space. A coil 10 is wound around the cylindrical portion 9, and a movable iron core 11 is provided in the central side space. That is, the electromagnetic force generated by energizing the coil 10 is configured to press the movable iron core 11 upward. This movable iron core 11 is composed of a cylindrical portion 11a and a conical taper portion 11b formed continuously at the lower end thereof, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0024] A rod 12, whose outer diameter is smaller than the cylindrical portion 11a of the movable core 11, is connected to the movable core 11. This rod 12 penetrates the partition wall 8d and extends to the space above the partition wall 8d, and a disc-shaped movable contact 13 is connected to its tip. That is, by energizing the coil 10, the movable core 11 and the movable contact 13 move together to the upward side in Figure 2. This movable contact 13 is made of a metal material with high electrical conductivity and is configured to conduct electricity from the input terminal 14 to the output terminal 15, which will be described later.

[0025] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the upper end of the cylindrical portion 9 is formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the rod 12, and its inner circumferential surface is configured to function as a guide for the rod 12. In addition, a cylindrical stopper 16 is provided extending downward from the upper end portion of the cylindrical portion 9. Specifically, the inner diameter of the stopper 16 is formed to be smaller than the outer diameter of the movable core 11. Therefore, when the movable core 11 moves upward, the upper end surface of the movable core 11 comes into contact with the stopper 16, thereby restricting the upward movement of the movable core 11.

[0026] Furthermore, a return spring 17 is provided inside the stopper 16, compressed between the partition wall 8d and the movable core 11. Therefore, when the movable core 11 is moving upward due to the energization of the coil 10, the movable core 11 descends due to the spring force of the return spring 17 when the energization to the coil 10 is cut off. This return spring 17 corresponds to the "elastic member" in this embodiment of the invention.

[0027] Furthermore, an input terminal 14 connected to the charging circuit 5 and an output terminal 15 connected to the energy storage device 2 are fixed side by side at the upper end 8b of the case 8, with their tips protruding inward from the case 8. In other words, the tips of the input terminal 14 and the output terminal 15 are positioned opposite the movable contact 13. These input terminal 14 and output terminal 15 correspond to the "electrode relay" in this embodiment of the invention.

[0028] Therefore, when current is supplied to the coil 10, the movable iron core 11 moves upward, causing the movable contact 13 to come into contact with the input terminal 14 and the output terminal 15, resulting in electrical conductivity between the input terminal 14 and the output terminal 15 via the movable contact 13. Conversely, when the current to the coil 10 is cut off, the movable iron core 11 descends due to the spring force of the return spring 17, causing the movable contact 13 to separate from the input terminal 14 and the output terminal 15, resulting in a non-electrical state between the input terminal 14 and the output terminal 15.

[0029] Furthermore, in the relay device 4 shown in Figure 2, a permanent magnet 18 is provided in the space above the partition wall 8d so that an upper magnetic flux acts on the movable contact 13, in order to reduce the current value supplied to the coil 10 which maintains the state in which the movable contact 13 is in contact with the input terminal 14 and the output terminal 15.

[0030] Furthermore, the movable iron core 11, movable contact 13, input terminal 14, and output terminal 15 are plated to improve corrosion resistance.

[0031] As described above, in the relay device 4, the movable core 11 operates along the central axis of the cylindrical portion 9, so the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 9 is formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the movable core 11. In other words, there is a gap between the outer surface of the movable core 11 and the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 9. Furthermore, when the power supply to the coil 10 is cut off and the input terminal 14 and output terminal 15 become non-conductive, the movable core 11 is pressed by the return spring 17, maintaining contact between the movable core 11 and the bottom surface of the case 8 (the upper surface of the lower end portion 8c). Moreover, when vibrations act on the relay device 4 as the vehicle Ve equipped with the relay device 4 moves, an inertial force is generated in the movable member 11 so that the movable core 11 moves relative to the case 8.

[0032] Therefore, a recess 19 is formed at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 9 into which the tip of the movable core 11, which has been pressed down by the return spring 17, fits. This recess 19 is formed such that the inner diameter of the lower part of the cylindrical portion 9 gradually decreases, and its inner surface is formed with the same taper angle as the taper angle of the tapered portion 11b of the movable core 11. Consequently, when the movable core 11 is pressed down by the return spring 17, the outer circumferential surface of the tapered portion 11b and the inner circumferential surface (tapered surface) 19a of the recess 19 come into surface contact.

[0033] As described above, the movable core 11, pressed by the return spring 17, and the recess 19 make surface contact at the tapered surface 19a. As a result, the movable core 11 receives a radial load corresponding to the pressing force of the return spring 17 and the inclination angle of the tapered surface 19a, in other words, a load perpendicular to the direction of movement of the movable core 11. That is, when vibrations from the vehicle Ve are transmitted to the relay device 4 and a radial inertial force is generated in the movable core 11, the tapered surface 19a receives a radial load to counteract that inertial force. In particular, the relay device 4, which selectively connects the external power supply and the energy storage device 2, maintains a state in which the movable core 11 and the case 8 are in constant contact when the vehicle Ve is running. Therefore, a load from the cylindrical portion 9 acting on the movable core 11 that opposes the inertial force of the movable core 11 can suppress the radial movement of the movable core 11. In other words, sliding between the movable core 11 and the case 8 can be suppressed. Therefore, wear on the movable core 11 and the case 8, as well as peeling of the plating on the movable core 11, can be suppressed.

[0034] Although an axial load acts on the movable core 11 from the tapered surface 19a of the recess 19, the spring force of the return spring 17 acts in opposition to this load, pressing the movable core 11 downwards, thereby suppressing axial rattling of the movable core 11.

[0035] Furthermore, when the coil 10 is energized and the movable iron core 11 rises, the movable iron core 11 and the recess 19 can be immediately separated, thereby suppressing the sliding resistance of the movable iron core 11 and preventing an increase in the power consumption required to operate the relay device 4.

[0036] The movable core 11 is not limited to being formed in a cylindrical shape, but may also be formed in a rectangular prism shape as shown in Figure 4. Specifically, the movable core 11 is composed of a rectangular prism-shaped base portion 20a and a fitting portion 20b formed by four inclined surfaces connected to each side wall surface of the base portion 20a, and a recess 19 with an inclined surface that the fitting portion 20b makes surface contact with is formed in the case 8.

[0037] Alternatively, instead of the tapered portion 11b of the movable core 11, a convex spherical fitting portion 21 may be provided as shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, without providing a tapered portion on the movable core 11, at least three protrusions 22 that contact the tapered surface 19a of the recess 19 may be provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the movable core 11.

[0038] Furthermore, the movable core 11 may be fitted into the case 8 in such a way that its horizontal movement is restricted. For example, a tapered recess may be formed on the lower end surface of the movable core 11, and a tapered fitting portion that fits into the recess may be formed on the lower end portion 8c of the case 8.

[0039] Furthermore, the relay device in this embodiment of the invention may include a movable member that is pressed at a predetermined location by a return spring when the vehicle Ve is in motion, and may be configured to make the input terminal and the output terminal electrically connected when pressed by the return spring. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 2. Energy storage device 2a Positive bus bar 2b Negative bus bar 4,4a,4b Relay device 5 Charging circuit 8 cases 8a Side wall part 8b Upper end 8c Lower end 8d Bulkhead 9. Cylindrical section 10 coils 11 Movable Iron Core 11a Cylindrical section 11b Tapered section 13 Movable contact 14 Input terminals 15 Output terminals 17. Return Spring 19 Recess 19a Tapered surface 20a Base section 20b,21 Fitting part 22 Protrusion Vehicle

Claims

1. A vehicle relay device comprising a movable member having a conductor, an electrode relay that becomes electrically conductive when the conductor comes into contact as the movable member moves, an elastic member that presses the movable member in a predetermined direction, and a case that houses the movable member, As the movable member is pressed by the elastic member, a recess is formed in the other member of the case into which either the movable member or the case fits. The recess is inclined with respect to the direction of movement of the movable member and has an inclined surface that contacts one of the members. A relay device for vehicles characterized by the following features.

2. A vehicle relay device according to claim 1, The recess is formed in the case, The inclined surface includes a tapered surface in which the inner diameter at the tip gradually decreases in the direction of movement of the movable member pressed by the elastic member. A relay device for vehicles characterized by the following features.

3. A vehicle relay device according to claim 1, The recess is formed in the case, The movable member has a fitting portion that fits into the recess, The fitting portion has an inclined surface or tapered surface that gradually narrows towards the tip in the direction of movement of the movable member pressed by the elastic member. A relay device for vehicles characterized by the following features.

4. A vehicle relay device according to claim 1, The recess is formed in the case, The movable member has a fitting portion that fits into the recess, The fitting portion has a projection on its outer circumferential surface that contacts the inclined surface when fitted into the recess. A relay device for vehicles characterized by the following features.

5. A vehicle relay device according to claim 4, The aforementioned protrusions are formed at least three times at predetermined intervals in the outer circumferential direction of the fitting portion. A relay device for vehicles characterized by the following features.

6. A vehicle relay device according to claim 1, The recess is formed in the case, The movable member has a fitting portion that fits into the recess, The outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion is formed in a convex spherical shape, tapering gradually towards the tip in the direction of movement of the movable member pressed by the elastic member. A relay device for vehicles characterized by the following features.

7. A vehicle relay device according to claim 1, The electrode relay includes terminals connected to the vehicle's charging device and terminals connected to a charging circuit through which power from an external power source flows. A relay device for vehicles characterized by the following features.

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