Cooling water piping arrangement

Abstract

To provide an arrangement structure for cooling water piping that can effectively protect cooling water piping against a collision load in a case of a collision against a vehicle from the front so as to prevent breakage.SOLUTION: An arrangement structure 1 for cooling water piping of a vehicle comprises: a motor 11 arranged with an output shaft 11a directed to the right and left of the vehicle; an inverter 12 arranged substantially right above or below the motor 11; and cooling water piping 13 in which cooling water for cooling the motor 11 and / or the inverter 12 flows. The arrangement structure is characterized in that the frontmost surface of the motor 11 and the frontmost surface of the inverter 12 are at substantially the same position, and the cooling water piping 13 is arranged in the space S of a vertical gap between the motor 11 and the inverter 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling water piping arrangement structure mounted on a vehicle, and more particularly to a cooling water piping arrangement structure capable of effectively protecting the cooling water piping in the event of a vehicle collision. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, efforts to realize a low-carbon or carbon-free society have become more active, and research and development into electrification technologies is being conducted in vehicles to reduce CO2 emissions and improve energy efficiency.

[0003] Generally, in electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles equipped with an electric motor for driving and an inverter as a power conversion device, a cooling device such as a radiator is installed in front of the motor room to cool the motor and inverter, which generate heat during operation, and the motor and inverter are connected to the cooling device by cooling water piping, and the cooling water cooled by the cooling device is circulated through the cooling water piping.

[0004] In such electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles, various measures are taken to appropriately protect important parts and units during a vehicle collision. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a pair of cooling water pipes connecting a drive unit including a motor control device and the like and a cooling device arranged in front of the drive unit includes a pipe base connected to the front surface of the drive unit, a first straight portion extending forward from the pipe base, a bent portion bent downward from the first straight portion, and a second straight portion extending downward from the bent portion, and the second straight portions are arranged with a shift in position in the vehicle width direction as viewed from the front and with a wider gap toward the bottom. As a result, when the vehicle collides from the front, the pair of cooling water pipes come into contact with an interfering body such as the cooling device over a wide area, preventing the interfering body from directly contacting the drive unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-203545 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for protecting the motor, which is the driving source of the vehicle, and the inverter, which is subjected to high voltage, in the event of a vehicle collision, but does not fully consider the protection of the cooling water piping. However, if the cooling water piping is damaged and the cooling water leaks, it becomes impossible to cool the motor and the inverter, and there is a risk that these devices will become too hot and the vehicle will become unable to run. Therefore, there is a need to effectively protect the cooling water piping in the event of a vehicle collision.

[0007] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a conventional example of an eAxle unit in which a motor, an inverter, and a gearbox are integrated, and a cooling water pipe. In the figure, the direction indicated by Fr is the front of the vehicle, and the direction indicated by Rr is the rear of the vehicle. The direction indicated by U is the upper side of the vehicle, and the direction indicated by D is the lower side of the vehicle. In this conventional example, a gearbox 42 is arranged adjacent to the left and right direction of a motor 41 arranged so that the output shaft faces the left and right direction (width direction) of the vehicle (on the depth side in the figure), and an inverter 43 is arranged above the motor 41. In addition, a cooling water pipe 44 (only a connection part is shown) that connects to a cooling water flow path provided inside the motor 41 is provided so as to protrude forward from the upper part of the front side of the motor 41. In addition, a ring-shaped protrusion 45 that serves as a suspension point when the eAxle unit moves is provided on the upper part of the motor 41.

[0008] In this conventional example, the motor 41, the gear box 42, and the inverter 43 are protected by a case having high rigidity, but no measures are taken to protect the cooling water pipes. Therefore, when the vehicle collides from the front, there is a problem that the cooling water pipes 44 are likely to be pinched and damaged by a device such as a radiator (not shown) disposed in front of the motor 41, or a structure such as a front bulkhead or bumper beam of the vehicle (neither of which are shown). In addition, since the front surface of the e-axle unit has a protruding shape such as the protruding portion 45, the load during a collision is concentrated near the protruding portion 45, making the case around the protruding portion 45 prone to damage.

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a cooling water piping arrangement structure that can effectively protect the cooling water piping from a collision load and prevent damage during a frontal collision of a vehicle, and ultimately contribute to improving energy efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve this object, the invention of claim 1 is a cooling water piping arrangement structure 1 for a vehicle comprising a motor 11 arranged with its output shaft 11a facing in the left-right direction of the vehicle, an inverter 12 arranged approximately directly above or approximately directly below the motor 11, and cooling water piping 13 through which cooling water flows for cooling the motor 11 and / or the inverter 12, characterized in that the frontmost position of the motor 11 and the frontmost position of the inverter 12 are arranged to be approximately aligned in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and the cooling water piping 13 is arranged in the space S between the motor 11 and the inverter 12 in the vertical gap.

[0011] In this cooling water piping arrangement, the inverter is disposed approximately directly above or below the motor, which is disposed so that its output shaft faces the left-right direction (width direction) of the vehicle, so that a gap space is generated between the motor and inverter, which are arranged vertically, and the cooling water piping is disposed in this space. Furthermore, since the motor and the inverter are disposed so that their foremost positions are approximately aligned, in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, most of the collision load propagated from the structure and device in front of the motor is transmitted to the motor and inverter, whose foremost positions are approximately aligned. Therefore, the input of the collision load to the cooling water piping disposed in the gap space between the motor and the inverter is significantly mitigated, so that the cooling water piping can be effectively protected and prevented from being damaged.

[0012] The invention according to claim 2 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the cooling water piping arrangement structure described in claim 1, the motor 11 has an approximately circular shape in side view, the inverter 12 has an approximately rectangular shape in side view, and the gap space S is formed near the front surface of the motor 11 and the front surface of the inverter 12.

[0013] According to this configuration, the motor has a substantially circular shape when viewed from the side, and the inverter has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the side. Therefore, when the motor and the inverter are arranged so that their respective frontmost positions are substantially aligned, a gap space is formed between the motor and the inverter arranged vertically so as to expand from the vicinity of the frontmost position of the motor and the frontmost position of the inverter to the rear side of the vehicle. Since the cooling water pipe is arranged in such a gap space, the cooling water pipe can be arranged behind the frontmost positions of the motor and the inverter, and in the event of a collision from the front of the vehicle, the collision load generated is not easily transmitted to the cooling water pipe. Therefore, in the event of a collision, the input of the collision load to the cooling water pipe is significantly reduced, so that the cooling water pipe can be effectively protected and damage can be prevented. In addition, even if devices or structures arranged in front of the motor or the inverter are deformed due to a collision, the possibility that these devices or structures will directly come into contact with the cooling water pipe can be reduced, and the cooling water pipe can be more effectively protected.

[0014] The invention according to claim 3 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the cooling water piping arrangement structure described in claim 1, the cooling water piping 13 has a connection portion 13a for connecting to a cooling water flow path provided inside the motor 11 and / or the inverter 12, and the connection portion 13a is arranged in the gap space S.

[0015] According to this configuration, the connection part for connecting to the cooling water flow path provided inside the motor and / or inverter is disposed in the space between the motor and the inverter in the vertical direction, so that the collision load generated in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle is not easily transmitted to the connection part. Therefore, the input of the collision load to the connection part of the cooling water piping in the event of a collision is significantly reduced, so that the cooling water piping can be effectively protected and damaged.

[0016] The invention according to claim 4 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the cooling water piping arrangement structure described in claim 1, the vehicle further comprises a radiator 31 for cooling the cooling water, a radiator fan for cooling the radiator 31, and a fan motor 33 for driving the radiator fan, and the fan motor 33 is arranged in front of the cooling water piping 23 arranged in the gap space S in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

[0017] According to this configuration, the fan motor for driving the radiator fan is disposed in front of the cooling water pipe disposed in the space of the gap. Generally, the fan motor is made of metal and has high rigidity, and is often not crushed even in a frontal collision. Therefore, by disposing the fan motor in this positional relationship, the fan motor functions as a protective structure for the cooling water pipe. In other words, in the event of a collision, the fan motor is likely to maintain its shape without being deformed by the collision load, so the collision load received by the fan motor is likely to be transmitted to the front of the motor and inverter, which are located further forward than the cooling water pipe and are closer to the fan motor. Therefore, in the event of a collision, the input of the collision load to the cooling water pipe is further significantly reduced, so that the cooling water pipe can be more effectively protected and damage can be prevented.

[0018] The invention according to claim 5 of the present invention is characterized in that in the cooling water piping arrangement structure described in claim 1, no protrusion shape protruding forward is provided on the front surface of the motor 11 and the front surface of the inverter 12.

[0019] According to this configuration, since the front surface of the motor and inverter does not have a protruding shape that protrudes forward, the load during a collision can be prevented from concentrating on a specific point, and the load can be dispersed by widening the load receiving surface, thereby suppressing damage to the motor and inverter cases during a collision. In addition, by suppressing damage to the motor and inverter, the cooling water pipes arranged in the space between the motor and inverter can be more effectively protected and prevented from being damaged. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a schematic arrangement of cooling water piping according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Diagram 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing schematic diagrams of a cooling water piping arrangement structure according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a side view showing the positional relationship between a motor, an inverter, and a radiator, and (b) is a front view showing the positional relationship between the cooling water piping and a fan motor. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic diagram of a conventional example of a cooling water piping arrangement structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the cooling water piping arrangement structure of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The configuration described below is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0022] In the following description, front, rear, left, right, up and down are described according to the direction as seen by the driver of the vehicle, and in the drawings, the front of the vehicle is indicated as Fr, the rear as Rr, the left side as L, the right side as R, the top as U, and the bottom as D.

[0023] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a cooling water piping arrangement structure 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The cooling water piping arrangement structure 1 of this embodiment is an arrangement structure for protecting cooling water piping 13 that constitutes a circulation path of cooling water for cooling the motor 11 or inverter 12 that generates heat during operation in an eAxle that packages a motor 11 mounted as a drive source in an electric vehicle (not shown), an inverter 12 that controls the drive of the motor 11 by converting electric power from a battery (not shown) and applying it to the motor 11, and a gearbox 14 that changes the speed of the power generated by the motor 11.

[0024] The e-axle, which is mainly composed of a motor 11, an inverter 12, and a gearbox 14, is mounted in a front room defined by a dash panel (not shown) at the front of the vehicle's passenger compartment. The front room is a space surrounded by the front bulkhead and the body frame, and houses the e-axle as well as a radiator (not shown), etc.

[0025] The motor 11 is, for example, a three-phase AC motor, which converts electrical energy supplied from a battery into mechanical energy and provides power for rotating and driving wheels (not shown). Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 1. As shown in the figure, the motor 11 is disposed so that its output shaft 11a faces in the left-right direction of the vehicle. The motor 11 is also provided therein with a cooling water flow passage (not shown) through which cooling water flows.

[0026] The inverter 12 is, for example, a three-phase inverter, which converts the DC current supplied from the battery into an AC current of an arbitrary frequency and applies it to the motor 11 to control the rotation speed and torque of the motor 11. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inverter 12 is disposed almost directly above the motor.

[0027] The gearbox 14 is a transmission that meshes with a drive gear provided on the output shaft of the motor 11, and transmits the torque and rotation speed extracted from the motor 11 to the wheels by increasing or decreasing them according to the driving conditions. As shown in Fig. 1, the gearbox 14 is disposed adjacent to the motor 11 in the left-right direction.

[0028] The cooling water pipe 13 is a tubular flow path through which cooling water (refrigerant) circulates, and includes so-called pipes, tubes, hoses, etc., and may be made of any of resin, rubber, and metal. In addition, the connection portion of the cooling water pipe 13 with other devices is preferably made of a material with higher rigidity, and may be made of, for example, metal, hard resin, fiber-reinforced plastic, etc. In this embodiment, the cooling water pipe 13 is connected to a cooling water flow path provided inside the motor 11 via a connection portion 13a. Note that in each drawing, only the connection portion 13a of the cooling water pipe 13 is shown, and other piping portions are omitted.

[0029] The cooling water pipe 13 is connected to a radiator (not shown). The cooling water flowing through the cooling water pipe 13 is cooled by airflow generated by the running wind or a radiator fan (not shown) when passing through the radiator core of the radiator, and the cooled cooling water flows through the connection part 13a into the cooling water flow path in the motor 11, and cools the motor 11 by removing heat generated in the motor 11. The cooling water, which has become hot due to heat exchange with the motor, circulates again through the cooling water pipe 13 and is cooled when passing through the radiator.

[0030] The positional relationship between the motor 11, the inverter 12, and the cooling water pipe 13 in this embodiment will be described in detail below. As shown in Fig. 2, a gap space S that can become a dead space is formed between the motor 11 and the inverter 12 arranged in the vertical direction. The connection part 13a of the cooling water pipe 13 in this embodiment is disposed in this gap space S.

[0031] The front ends of the motor 11 and the inverter 12 are positioned so that they are nearly aligned near the dashed line L1. Therefore, when the vehicle collides from the front, the collision load propagated from the collision point to the devices and structures arranged in front of the e-axle is received by the front ends of the motor 11 and the inverter 12, which are nearly aligned in the front-to-rear direction, and the input of the collision load to the cooling water pipes 13 and the connection parts 13a can be significantly mitigated.

[0032] In particular, in this embodiment, the motor 11 has a substantially circular shape in a side view, and the inverter 12 has a substantially rectangular shape in a side view, so that the clearance space S extends from the vicinity of the front of the motor 11 and the front of the inverter 12 to the rear side of the vehicle between the motor 11 and the inverter 12 arranged in the vertical direction. Therefore, the cooling water pipe 13 and the connection part 13a can be disposed rearward of the front of the motor 11 and the inverter 12, so that the collision load transmitted from the front can be more effectively prevented from being transmitted to the cooling water pipe 13 and the connection part 13a. In addition, even if the devices and structures in front of the e-axle are deformed by a collision, the possibility that these devices and structures directly come into contact with the cooling water pipe 13 and the connection part 13a can be reduced, so that the cooling water pipe 13 can be more effectively protected.

[0033] In addition, in this embodiment, the motor 11 and the inverter 12 do not have the protruding portion 45 seen in the conventional example shown in FIG. 4 or other shapes that protrude forward in the vicinity of the frontmost part. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the load from concentrating on a specific location in the event of a collision from the front of the vehicle. In addition, since there is no shape that protrudes forward in the vicinity of the motor 11 and the inverter 12, the surface that receives the collision load is widened, and the load can be dispersed. This makes it possible to suppress damage to the cases of the motor 11 and the inverter 12 in the event of a collision. In addition, by suppressing damage to the motor 11 and the inverter 12, the clearance space S is easily maintained, and the cooling water pipe 13 can be protected more effectively.

[0034] Next, the arrangement of the cooling water piping according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The structures and positional relationships of the motor 21 and inverter 22, and the cooling water piping 23 and connection portion 23a in the second embodiment are similar to those of the motor 11 and inverter 12, and the cooling water piping 13 and connection portion 13a in the above-mentioned embodiment, and therefore will not be described. The second embodiment is characterized by the arrangement of the radiator 31 arranged in front of the motor 21 and inverter 22. A specific description will be given below.

[0035] Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the arrangement of the cooling water piping according to the second embodiment. Fig. 3(a) shows the positional relationship between the motor 21, the inverter 22, and the radiator 31, and Fig. 3(b) shows the positional relationship between the cooling water piping 23 and the fan motor 33 of the radiator 31. Note that in Fig. 3(b), the radiator 31, the radiator fan, and the fan case 32 are omitted from the illustration in order to make it easier to understand the position of the fan motor 33.

[0036] 3(a), in this embodiment, a radiator 31 is provided in front of the motor 21 and the inverter 22 so as to face the motor 21 and the inverter 22. Like the above-mentioned radiator, this radiator 31 is connected to the cooling water pipe 23 and cools the cooling water passing through the radiator core by the airflow generated by the running wind or a radiator fan (not shown).

[0037] The radiator fan is disposed inside a fan case 32 assembled to the radiator 31, and disposed in a space between the radiator 31 and the motor 21 and inverter 22. A fan motor 33 is provided in the center of the radiator fan, which receives power from a battery (not shown) to drive the radiator fan. The fan motor 33 is formed of a material having high rigidity, and is preferably made of metal. The position of the radiator 31 is adjusted so that the fan motor 33 is disposed in front of the connection part 23a of the cooling water pipe 23 disposed in the space between the motor 21 and the inverter 22. The fan motor 33 is disposed in a positional relationship such that it is close to the motor 21 and the inverter 22 in the front-rear direction, to an extent that a crash stroke sufficient for the fan motor 33 to be largely plastically deformed in the event of a vehicle collision is not secured.

[0038] By arranging the fan motor 33 in this manner, the fan motor 33 functions as a protective structure for the cooling water pipe 23 in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. That is, the highly rigid metallic fan motor 33 is provided close to the motor 21 and the inverter 22 to such an extent that a crash stroke is not ensured, so that the fan motor 33 is highly likely to maintain its shape without deformation in the event of a collision. As a result, the collision load received by the fan motor 33 is more likely to be transmitted to the front of the motor 21 and the inverter 22, which are located forward of the cooling water pipe 23 and closer to the fan motor 33. Therefore, the input of the collision load to the cooling water pipe 23 in the event of a collision is more significantly alleviated, so that the cooling water pipe 23 can be more effectively protected and prevented from being damaged.

[0039] The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and can be embodied in various forms. For example, in the embodiment, the cooling water pipe connected to the cooling water flow path inside the motor is illustrated, but the cooling water pipe may be used to cool an inverter or other devices.

[0040] In addition, in the embodiment, an example in which the inverter is disposed substantially directly above the motor has been described, but the inverter may be disposed substantially directly below the motor. In addition, in the embodiment, the cooling water piping arrangement structure of the present invention is applied to an electric vehicle that uses only a motor as a drive source, but the cooling water piping arrangement structure of the present invention may be applied to a hybrid vehicle that uses both a motor and an internal combustion engine as drive sources. In addition, the detailed configuration can be appropriately changed within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1... Cooling water piping arrangement structure 11,21…Motor 11a…Output shaft 12,22...Inverter 13,23…Cooling water piping 13a, 23a…Connection 31…Radiator 33...Fan motor S: Space between gaps

Claims

1. A cooling water piping arrangement structure for a vehicle including a motor arranged such that an output shaft faces a left-right direction of a vehicle, an inverter arranged substantially directly above or substantially directly below the motor, and a cooling water piping through which cooling water flows for cooling the motor and / or the inverter, a front end position of the motor and a front end position of the inverter are arranged so as to be substantially aligned in a front-rear direction of the vehicle; The cooling water pipe is disposed in a vertical gap between the motor and the inverter. A cooling water piping arrangement structure comprising:

2. The motor has a substantially circular shape in a side view, The inverter has a substantially rectangular shape in a side view, The gap space is formed near the front surface of the motor and the front surface of the inverter.

2. The cooling water piping arrangement structure according to claim 1 .

3. the cooling water pipe has a connection portion for connection to a cooling water flow path provided inside the motor and / or the inverter, The connection portion is disposed in the space of the gap.

2. The cooling water piping arrangement structure according to claim 1 .

4. The vehicle further includes a radiator for cooling a coolant, a radiator fan for cooling the radiator, and a fan motor for driving the radiator fan, The fan motor is disposed in front of the cooling water pipe disposed in the gap space in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

2. The cooling water piping arrangement structure according to claim 1 .

5. 2. The cooling water piping arrangement structure according to claim 1, wherein the front surface of the motor and the front surface of the inverter are not provided with a protrusion that protrudes forward.

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