Vehicle equipment mounting structure

Abstract

To inhibit wax components of a fuel from being deposited and clogging a fuel filter in the fuel filter disposed on a lower surface of a floor panel.SOLUTION: An electric power converter, a motor driving battery, and a fuel filter are mounted below a floor panel of a vehicle. The electric power converter is disposed at the vehicle front relative to the fuel filter and the motor driving battery is disposed at the vehicle rear relative to the fuel filter. The electric power converter, the fuel filter, and the motor driving battery are arranged side by side from the vehicle front to the vehicle rear. At least the lower side of the fuel filter is covered with an under cover.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle equipment mounting structure. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, fuel filters are known for capturing and removing dirt and foreign matter contained in fuel supplied to the combustion chamber of an engine. These fuel filters are usually installed in the engine compartment at the front of the vehicle so that they can be replaced for maintenance and inspection.

[0003] The processing capacity of the fuel filter needs to be set in proportion to the engine displacement. For this reason, vehicles equipped with large-displacement engines need to be equipped with large fuel filters. However, it is difficult to secure the space to place a large fuel filter in the engine compartment of a vehicle equipped with a large-displacement engine.

[0004] Therefore, it has been proposed to place a fuel filter on the underside of the floor panel. However, when the fuel filter is at a low temperature, wax contained in the fuel may precipitate inside the fuel filter, causing clogging of the fuel filter. If the fuel filter is installed inside the engine compartment, the fuel filter will receive heat from the engine and increase in temperature, preventing clogging. On the other hand, if the fuel filter is installed outside the engine compartment, clogging can be prevented by providing an electrical load, an electric heater, or other equipment for increasing the temperature of the fuel filter. However, providing such an electrical load, an electric heater, or other equipment may cause a deterioration in the electricity consumption rate of the entire vehicle.

[0005] Patent Document 1 describes arranging electrical components in a rear vicinity of a fuel filter provided on the underside of a floor panel. By using the heat from the electrical components arranged in the rear vicinity to raise the temperature of the fuel filter, it is possible to raise the temperature of the fuel filter without causing a deterioration in the electricity consumption rate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-172878 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the fuel supply device of Patent Document 1, the fuel tank is disposed behind the electric components located in the rear vicinity of the fuel filter. Therefore, heat generated by the electric components is transferred not only to the fuel filter but also to the fuel tank. In this way, if the fuel tank absorbs the heat generated by the electric components, the early temperature rise of the fuel filter may be suppressed.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and its purpose is to raise the temperature of a fuel filter attached to the underside of a floor panel without worsening the electricity consumption rate, and to prevent the fuel filter from becoming clogged due to the deposition of wax components in the fuel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the power converter is disposed in front of the fuel filter, and the motor drive battery is disposed behind the fuel filter, so that the fuel filter receives heat from both the front and the rear.

[0010] Specifically, the vehicle equipment mounting structure disclosed herein includes: A vehicle accessory mounting structure for an engine having a power converter, a motor drive battery, and a fuel filter mounted on a lower side of a floor panel of a vehicle, The power converter is disposed on a vehicle front side of the fuel filter, the motor drive battery is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the fuel filter, the power converter, the fuel filter, and the motor drive battery are arranged side by side from a front side to a rear side of the vehicle, At least the lower side of the fuel filter is covered with an under cover. And, at least a portion of the fuel filter is disposed so as to overlap with the electric power converter and the motor drive battery in a front view of the vehicle; Air heated by radiant heat emitted from the power converter flows through the space between the lower surface of the fuel filter and the undercover. It is characterized by:

[0011] According to this vehicle accessory mounting structure, the fuel filter receives radiant heat from the power converter from the front and from the motor drive battery from the rear. As the fuel filter is heated from both the front and rear, it is easy to increase in temperature, and deposition of wax components in the fuel inside the fuel filter can be suppressed.

[0012] In addition, the air in the space around the fuel filter between the floor panel and the undercover is heated by the radiant heat from the power converter and the battery for driving the motor. This air warms the fuel filter, improving the heat retention of the fuel filter. This makes it possible to suppress the deposition of wax components in the fuel inside the fuel filter.

[0013] Furthermore, the undercover prevents the fuel filter from being cooled by the wind while the vehicle is running, improving the heat retention of the fuel filter, thereby preventing the deposition of wax components in the fuel.

[0014] In one embodiment, a lower surface of a rear portion of the power converter is located relatively lower than a lower surface of the fuel filter.

[0015] In this way, air warmed by radiant heat from the power converter can easily flow into the space between the underside of the fuel filter and the undercover, warming the air in that space. The heated air rises, warming the fuel filter, improving its heat retention. This makes it possible to suppress deposition of wax components in the fuel inside the fuel filter, and to prevent clogging of the fuel filter.

[0016] In one embodiment, a lower surface of the motor driving battery is located relatively lower than a lower surface of the fuel filter.

[0017] In this way, when air warmed by radiant heat from the power converter flows rearward past the underside of the fuel filter, the air can be blocked by the motor drive battery. This allows the warm air to be trapped around the fuel filter, improving the heat retention of the fuel filter. This makes it possible to suppress the deposition of wax components in the fuel inside the fuel filter, preventing clogging of the fuel filter.

[0018] In one embodiment, the fuel filter is disposed so as to overlap the motor drive battery in a front view of the vehicle.

[0019] In this way, when air warmed by radiant heat from the power converter flows rearward around the fuel filter, the air can be blocked by the motor drive battery. This allows the warm air to be trapped around the fuel filter, improving the heat retention of the fuel filter. This makes it possible to suppress deposition of wax components in the fuel inside the fuel filter, and to prevent clogging of the fuel filter. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress clogging of a fuel filter provided on the underside of a floor panel of a vehicle caused by deposition of wax components of the fuel. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a bottom view of the vehicle. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the vehicle. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing the positional relationship between the power converter, the fuel filter, and the motor drive battery. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the power converter, the fuel filter, and the motor drive battery. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Hereinafter, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following preferred embodiments are merely illustrative in nature and are not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a view of a vehicle seen from below. This vehicle is a hybrid vehicle that combines a diesel engine and a motor. In FIG. 1, the up-down direction is the vehicle width direction, the left side is the front of the vehicle, the right side is the rear of the vehicle, the back side of the page is the top side, and the front side of the page is the bottom side. Side sills SS extending in the vehicle front-rear direction are provided at both ends in the vehicle width direction. Undercovers 1 for reducing air resistance and protecting equipment are fixed to the side sills SS. The entire lower side of the vehicle is covered by the undercover 1. In FIG. 1, the undercover 1 is partially removed in order to illustrate a propeller shaft PS that is provided in approximately the center in the vehicle width direction and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a view in which the undercover 1 of FIG. 1 is partially removed. This shows the configuration between the floor panel 2 of the vehicle and the undercover 1. As shown in FIG. 2, a floor frame 3 that extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and is attached to the underside of the floor panel 2 is provided inside the side sill SS. The floor frame 3 is U-shaped with an opening on the upper side. In this vehicle, a power converter 4, a fuel filter 5, and a motor drive battery 6 are arranged side by side from the front side of the vehicle (left side in FIG. 2) to the rear side of the vehicle (right side in FIG. 2). The above-mentioned undercover 1 covers the power converter 4, the fuel filter 5, and the motor drive battery 6 from below.

[0025] The motor drive battery 6 is, for example, a lithium ion battery. This motor drive battery 6 is a high-voltage DC power supply. Electricity is supplied from the motor drive battery 6 to drive a vehicle's running motor (not shown). The motor drive battery 6 generates heat when charging and discharging.

[0026] The power converter 4 is for transforming a direct current (a so-called DC / DC converter). Inside the power converter 4, a step-down circuit including a plurality of switching elements such as IGBTs, a capacitor, and a coil is provided. The power converter 4 can step down the voltage of the direct current by controlling the on / off of the switching elements. This switching control causes the power converter 4 to generate heat. Power is supplied to the power converter 4 from a motor drive battery 6. The power stepped down by the power converter 4 operates electrical equipment such as headlights and audio, and electrical devices of the vehicle.

[0027] The fuel filter 5 constitutes a fuel supply device for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber of the engine. The fuel filter 5 is for capturing and removing dust and foreign matter contained in the fuel supplied to the combustion chamber. The fuel filter 5 is formed by accommodating reinforcing materials, a filter element, and the like in a metallic elliptical cylindrical case. A fuel pipe 51 is connected to the fuel filter 5. As fuel passes through the fuel filter 5 via the fuel pipe 51, dust and foreign matter in the fuel are captured by the filter element. The fuel filter 5 is attached to the lower surface of the floor panel 2 via a bracket 7. The bracket 7 is fixed to the floor frame 3 at the outer side in the vehicle width direction and to the floor panel 2 at the inner side in the vehicle width direction.

[0028] The relative positions (mounting structure on a vehicle) of the power converter 4, fuel filter 5 and motor drive battery 6 are shown in Figures 3 and 4. In Figures 3 and 4, the right side is the front side of the vehicle, and the left side is the rear side of the vehicle.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 3, the dimension of the motor drive battery 6 in the vehicle width direction (the up-down direction in Fig. 3) is larger than the dimension of the fuel filter 5 in the vehicle width direction. Also, the end of the motor drive battery 6 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction (the upper side in Fig. 3) is located further inward in the vehicle width direction than the end of the fuel filter 5 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the end of the motor drive battery on the outer side in the vehicle width direction (the lower side in Fig. 3) is located further outward in the vehicle width direction than the end of the fuel filter 5 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction. In this way, the fuel filter 5 is arranged so that the entire fuel filter 5 in the vehicle width direction overlaps with the motor drive battery 6 when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4, the power converter 4 is disposed at an incline so as to incline downward from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle. As a result, the lower surface of the rear part of the power converter 4 is located relatively lower than the lower surface of the fuel filter 5 (lower in FIG. 4). Also, the vertical dimension of the fuel filter 5 is smaller than the vertical dimension of the motor drive battery 6. As a result, the lower surface of the motor drive battery 6 is located relatively lower than the lower surface of the fuel filter 5. Also, the upper surface of the motor drive battery 6 is located relatively higher than the upper surface of the fuel filter 5. In this way, the fuel filter 5 is disposed so that the entire vertical direction of the fuel filter 5 overlaps with the motor drive battery 6 when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

[0031] <Heat reception of fuel filter> According to this embodiment, the fuel filter 5 is disposed on the underside of the floor panel 2. This allows a large fuel filter 5 to be mounted on the vehicle. The power converter 4 is disposed in front of this fuel filter 5. This allows the fuel filter 5 to receive radiant heat generated by the operation of the power converter 4 from the front. This causes the temperature of the fuel filter 5 to rise, suppressing the deposition of wax components in the fuel, and preventing the fuel filter 5 from becoming clogged with the wax components.

[0032] While the vehicle is running, air warmed by radiant heat emitted by the power converter 4 flows rearward. The underside of the rear part of the power converter 4 is located relatively lower than the underside of the fuel filter 5. This allows the air warmed by radiant heat from the power converter 4 to easily pass between the fuel filter 5 and the undercover 1. This warms the air in the space between the fuel filter 5 and the undercover 1. As the air is heated, it rises toward the fuel filter 5, and the fuel filter 5 receives the heat of the air. In this way, the temperature of the fuel filter 5 rises, which makes it possible to suppress the deposition of wax components of the fuel in the fuel filter 5 and to prevent the fuel filter from clogging.

[0033] In addition, since the underside of the fuel filter 5 is covered by the undercover 1, the fuel filter 5 is prevented from being cooled by the wind while traveling. This improves the heat retention of the fuel filter 5, and prevents the fuel filter 5 from becoming clogged due to the deposition of wax components in the fuel caused by a drop in the temperature of the fuel filter 5.

[0034] The air warmed by the radiant heat emitted by the power converter 4 is blocked by the motor drive battery 6. As described above, the motor drive battery 6 is disposed so that the entire fuel filter 5 completely overlaps the fuel filter 5 in the vehicle width direction and the vertical direction when viewed from the front of the vehicle. This causes air that flows rearward through the periphery of the fuel filter 5, such as on both sides and below the fuel filter 5 in the vehicle width direction, to be blocked by the motor drive battery 6. As a result, the air warmed by the radiant heat emitted by the power converter 4 is trapped around the fuel filter 5, improving the heat retention of the fuel filter 5. This makes it possible to suppress the deposition of wax components of the fuel in the fuel filter 5, and to prevent clogging of the fuel filter 5.

[0035] Furthermore, the fuel filter 5 receives radiant heat generated by the operation of the motor drive battery 6 from the rear of the vehicle. This causes the temperature of the fuel filter 5 to rise, suppresses the deposition of wax components in the fuel, and prevents clogging of the fuel filter 5. In addition, the fuel filter receives radiant heat from the power converter 4 from the front and from the motor drive battery 6 from the rear, so it is easy for the temperature to rise. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 Undercover 2 Floor Panel 4 Power Converter 5 Fuel Filter 6 Motor drive battery

Claims

1. A vehicle accessory mounting structure in which a power converter, a motor drive battery, and a fuel filter are mounted on the lower side of a floor panel of a vehicle, the power converter is disposed on the vehicle front side of the fuel filter, the motor drive battery is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the fuel filter, the power converter, the fuel filter, and the motor drive battery are arranged side by side from the front side to the rear side of the vehicle, At least a lower side of the fuel filter is covered with an under cover, at least a portion of the fuel filter is disposed so as to overlap the power converter and the motor drive battery in a front view of the vehicle; A vehicle accessory mounting structure, characterized in that air heated by radiant heat emitted from the power converter flows through the space between the underside of the fuel filter and the undercover.

2. The vehicle accessory mounting structure according to claim 1, A vehicle accessory mounting structure, characterized in that a lower surface of a rear portion of the power converter is located relatively lower than a lower surface of the fuel filter.

3. 3. The vehicle accessory mounting structure according to claim 1, A vehicle accessory mounting structure, characterized in that a lower surface of the motor drive battery is located relatively lower than a lower surface of the fuel filter.

4. The vehicle accessory mounting structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A vehicle accessory mounting structure, characterized in that the fuel filter is arranged so as to overlap the motor drive battery in a front view of the vehicle.

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