Vehicle unit layout structure

Abstract

To provide a technology which enables maintenance work of an electric power conversion device to be conducted with safety secured and without increasing components.SOLUTION: An attachment structure of an on-vehicle unit includes: an electric power conversion device 2 which is controlled by a controller 4 and supplies electric power to a drive motor 5 of a vehicle; and an electric power supply unit 1 which supplies electric power to the controller 4. The electric power conversion device 2 comprises: a housing 21; and an inverter module 22 housed in the housing 21. The housing 21 includes: an opening 23 which is formed above a high voltage portion 22H of the inverter module 22; and a cover 3 which may open or close the opening 23. The electric power supply unit 1 is arranged at a position where the electric power supply unit 1 hinders opening / closing of the cover 3 and which is located immediately above the cover 3. The electric power supply unit 1 is removed from a motor room 50 to enable the cover 3 to open or close.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an arrangement structure of an in-vehicle unit. [Background technology]

[0002] An inverter (power conversion device) mounted in a motor room of an electric vehicle includes a high-voltage part as an electric component electrically connected to an electric motor. In general, in order to perform maintenance work on the inverter provided in the housing, a cover is provided that can open and close a maintenance opening formed in the housing. When accessing the high-voltage part, it is desirable to cut off the power supply to the inverter and the controller that controls the inverter in advance to ensure the safety of the worker.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an inverter unit that is provided with an interlock switch that outputs a power supply cutoff command to a system main relay when an upper cover is removed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-143200 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As in the conventional technology, the safety of workers can be ensured by providing a mechanism for automatically cutting off the power to the power conversion device upon detecting that the cover of the power conversion device has been opened. However, such a configuration increases the number of parts, such as switches and harnesses, and the number of assembly steps, resulting in an increase in costs.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a technology that enables maintenance work on a power conversion device while ensuring safety, without increasing the number of parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the present invention is applied to an arrangement structure for an on-board unit arranged in a motor room. The power conversion device is controlled by a controller and supplies power to a drive motor of a vehicle, and a power supply unit supplies power to the controller. The power conversion device is composed of a housing and an inverter module housed in the housing. The housing has an opening formed above a high-voltage portion of the inverter module, and a cover capable of opening and closing the opening. The power supply unit is arranged directly above the cover, in a position that would get in the way when opening and closing the cover. Also, The power supply unit is composed of a low-voltage battery, a support member that supports the low-voltage battery in the motor room, and an anti-opening bracket that is fixed to the underside of the support member, and the anti-opening bracket is positioned directly above the cover. By removing the power supply unit from the motor room, the cover can be opened and closed. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, in order to open or close the cover of the power converter, it is necessary to remove the power supply unit. This cuts off the power supply to the controller, deactivates the high voltage parts, and moves the power supply unit out of the position that blocks the cover. This arrangement of the on-board unit makes it possible to carry out maintenance work on the power converter while ensuring safety, without increasing costs. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the layout structure of the vehicle-mounted unit. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a procedure for removing the cover of the power converter. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a procedure for removing the cover of the power converter. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a procedure for removing the cover of the power converter. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a procedure for removing the cover of the power converter. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a modified arrangement of the vehicle-mounted unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a procedure for removing the cover of the power converter. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a procedure for removing the cover of the power converter. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a layout structure of an in-vehicle unit according to another modified example. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a procedure for removing the cover of the power converter. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a layout structure of an in-vehicle unit according to still another modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a procedure for removing the cover of the power converter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 shows the layout of on-board units in a motor room 50 of the vehicle 10 as viewed from the front side.

[0012] In a motor room 50 of the vehicle 10, a low-voltage battery 1, a power conversion device (inverter) 2, a vehicle control module (VCM) 4, and a drive motor 5 are provided as on-board units.

[0013] The low-voltage battery 1 supplies power to the inverter 2 and the VCM 4. The low-voltage battery 1 supplies a voltage (e.g., 12 V) that is lower than the power of a main battery (not shown) of the vehicle 10 that is supplied to the inverter 2. A harness 11 for supplying power is connected between the low-voltage battery 1 and the VCM 4.

[0014] The inverter 2 operates by receiving power from the low-voltage battery 1, converts the power supplied from the main battery to a frequency and voltage suitable for driving the drive motor 5, and supplies the power to the drive motor 5. When the vehicle 10 is decelerating, the inverter 2 receives regenerative power from the drive motor 5 to charge the main battery.

[0015] The VCM 4 is a controller that operates by receiving power from the low-voltage battery 1 and controls the operation of the inverter 2. The low-voltage battery 1 functions as a power supply unit that supplies power to the VCM 4.

[0016] The drive motor 5 is a drive source that drives the vehicle 10. The drive motor 5 drives drive wheels 52 via axles 51 to make the vehicle 10 run. The drive motor 5 may include a reduction mechanism made up of gears or the like.

[0017] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the layout structure of the vehicle-mounted unit centered around the inverter 2 of this embodiment.

[0018] The inverter 2 is composed of a housing 21 and an inverter module 22 housed in the housing 21. The inverter module 22 includes a high-voltage portion 22H including a bus bar through which high-voltage DC power supplied from the main battery flows and a bus bar through which high-frequency high-voltage AC power supplied to the drive motor 5 flows.

[0019] An opening 23 is formed in the housing 21 for accessing the high-voltage portion 22H from the outside for maintenance work on the high-voltage portion 22H. The opening 23 is formed to open above the high-voltage portion 22H of the inverter module 22. That is, the opening 23 is formed as a through-hole that penetrates the wall surface of the housing 21 at a position facing the high-voltage portion 22H. The opening 23 is provided with a cover 3 that closes the opening 23. The cover 3 is fastened to the housing 21 by fastening members 31 such as bolts so as to be openable and closable.

[0020] When performing maintenance work on the high-voltage portion 22H of the inverter 2, it is necessary to remove the fastening members 31 and open the cover 3.

[0021] For the safety of workers, it is necessary to prevent the cover 3 from being opened or closed inadvertently during maintenance work when the high-voltage part 22H is in a live state, that is, when a high-voltage current is flowing.

[0022] As an example, the cover 3 may be provided with a switch or a sensor, so that when an operator attempts to open the cover 3 during maintenance work, the VCM 4 or the like automatically detects this, stops the operation of the inverter 2, and puts the high-voltage section 22H in a non-live state.

[0023] However, if a mechanism is provided to automatically detect when the cover 3 is opened, it is necessary to add components such as switches and sensors as well as harnesses to connect these, which increases the number of components and assembly labor, resulting in increased costs.

[0024] Therefore, in this embodiment, a configuration as described below is adopted, which allows maintenance work on the inverter 2 to be performed without increasing costs and while ensuring safety.

[0025] 2, the low-voltage battery 1 is disposed within the motor room 50 above the inverter 2 and directly above the cover 3 at a position that would be an obstacle when opening and closing the cover 3. More specifically, the low-voltage battery 1 is disposed directly above at least one fastening member 31 that fastens the cover 3 to the housing 21 at a position where the low-voltage battery 1 and the fastening member 31 are spaced apart such that a tool for removing the fastening member 31 cannot be inserted.

[0026] In order to remove the fastening member 31, it is necessary to insert a tool from above the fastening member 31 and move it downward, as shown by the tool trajectory indicated by the dashed white arrow in Fig. 2. However, if the low-voltage battery 1 is present at this location, it becomes impossible to insert the tool, and it becomes impossible to remove the fastening member 31. Therefore, when the high-voltage portion 22H is in a live state, the cover 3 is prevented from being opened or closed.

[0027] The low-voltage battery 1 is fixed so as not to move its position, for example, to a member fixed inside the motor room 50. Therefore, when the low-voltage battery 1 is provided inside the motor room 50, it is impossible to shift the position of the low-voltage battery 1 and insert a tool therein, unless this member is destroyed or deformed.

[0028] Next, a procedure for opening and closing the cover 3 of the inverter 2 thus configured will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0029] In this embodiment, in order to open or close the cover 3 of the inverter 2, it is necessary to remove the low-voltage battery 1 arranged directly above it from the motor room 50.

[0030] First, as shown in FIG. 3, the power supply harness 11 (positive electrode harness 11p and negative electrode harness 11n) connected to the low-voltage battery 1 is removed from the terminals of the low-voltage battery 1.

[0031] When the harness 11 is removed from the low-voltage battery 1, the power supply to the VCM 4 and the inverter 2 is stopped. Accordingly, the VCM 4 and the inverter 2 stop operating, and the relays between the main battery and the inverter 2 and the like are cut off, so that the high-voltage part 22H of the inverter module 22 is in a non-live state.

[0032] The inverter module 22 is provided with a smoothing capacitor, and the charge stored in the smoothing capacitor is discharged when the high voltage portion 22H is deactivated, and as will be described later, the charge is already discharged by the time the cover 3 is opened. Also, when the power supply is stopped, the charge in the smoothing battery may be forcibly discharged using a discharge resistor or the like.

[0033] Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the low-voltage battery 1 is removed from the motor room 50 and moved to the outside of the motor room 50.

[0034] As a result, there is no longer any configuration that interferes with the tool path indicated by the dashed white arrow in FIG. 4, and the fastening member 31 can be removed.

[0035] Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the fastening member 31 is removed using a tool.

[0036] As a result, cover 3 can be opened as shown in Fig. 6, and high-voltage area 22H can be accessed. At this point, high-voltage area 22H is in a non-live state as described above, so maintenance work on high-voltage area 22H can be performed safely. After the work, opening 23 is closed with cover 3, and cover 3 is fastened with fastening members 31.

[0037] As described above, in this embodiment, the arrangement structure of the on-board unit disposed in the motor room 50 includes the inverter 2 as a power conversion device controlled by the VCM 4 (controller) and supplying power to the drive motor 5 of the vehicle 10, and the low-voltage battery 1 as a power supply unit supplying power to the controller. The inverter 2 is configured with a housing 21 and an inverter module 22 housed in the housing 21, and the housing 21 includes an opening 23 formed above the high-voltage portion 22H of the inverter module 22, and a cover 3 capable of opening and closing the opening 23. The low-voltage battery 1 is disposed directly above the cover 3, in a position that would be an obstacle when opening and closing the cover 3. The cover 3 can be opened and closed by removing the low-voltage battery 1 from the motor room 50.

[0038] With this configuration, the low-voltage battery 1 is located in a position that gets in the way when opening and closing the cover 3, so in order to open and close the cover 3, it is necessary to remove the low-voltage battery 1 from the motor room 50. This cuts off the power supply to the inverter 2, putting the high-voltage part 22H in a non-live state, and also moves the low-voltage battery 1 out of the position that gets in the way when opening and closing the cover 3. This makes it possible to perform maintenance work on the inverter 2 while ensuring safety, without increasing costs due to additional parts such as switches and harnesses.

[0039] In this embodiment, the power supply unit is composed of a low-voltage battery 1, which is disposed directly above the cover 3. This configuration makes it possible to prevent the cover 3 from being opened or closed accidentally when the high-voltage portion 22H is in a live state. Since the low-voltage battery 1 has a certain volume and weight, when it is disposed directly above the cover 3, the cover 3 cannot be opened or closed.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cover 3 is fastened to the housing 21 by fastening members 31, and the low-voltage battery 1 is disposed directly above the fastening members 31, in a position that would be an obstacle when removing the fastening members 31.

[0041] With this configuration, the low-voltage battery 1 as a power supply unit is positioned at a location where the tool required for removing the fastening member 31 can be inserted and moved, so that when the high-voltage portion 22H is in a live state, the fastening member 31 cannot be removed, and the cover 3 can be prevented from being opened or closed.

[0042] Next, a modification of this embodiment will be described.

[0043] As described above, the example in which the low-voltage battery 1 is disposed above the inverter 2 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0044] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the layout structure of an in-vehicle unit centered around the inverter 2 according to a modified example of this embodiment.

[0045] 7, the low-voltage battery 1 is fixed to a battery mount 32. The battery mount 32 is fixed to a side surface of the motor room 50 and supports the low-voltage battery 1 from below. An opening prevention bracket 30 is provided on the lower surface of the battery mount 32.

[0046] The opening prevention bracket 30 is fixed to the underside of the battery mount 32 via a fixing member 33. The fixing member 33 is formed of, for example, a bolt, and is disposed at the bottom of the battery mount 32 below the low-voltage battery 1. The fixing member 33 fastens the battery mount 32 and the opening bracket together, thereby fixing the opening prevention bracket 30 to the underside of the battery mount 32.

[0047] The opening prevention bracket 30 extends in a crank shape from the fixed portion of the battery mount 32, and its tip is located directly above the cover 3 of the inverter 2 at a position that will interfere with opening and closing the cover 3. In other words, the opening prevention bracket 30 is located at a position that covers the cover 3 from above, with a gap formed between its underside and the cover 3 that is large enough to prevent the insertion of a tool.

[0048] Next, a procedure for opening and closing the cover 3 of the inverter 2 in this modified example will be described.

[0049] First, as described above in conjunction with Figures 3 and 4, the harness 11 connected to the low-voltage battery 1 is removed, and the low-voltage battery 1 is then removed from the battery mount 32, and then removed from the motor room 50 and moved outside the motor room 50.

[0050] In this state, the power supply to the VCM 4 and the inverter 2 is stopped, and the high-voltage portion 22H of the inverter module 22 is in a non-live state.

[0051] Next, as shown in Fig. 8, the fixing member 33 is removed from the bottom of the battery mount 32 using a tool or the like. This causes the opening prevention bracket 30 to be removed from the battery mount 32, as shown in Fig. 9, and the opening prevention bracket 30 can be removed from the motor room 50.

[0052] In this state, similarly to Fig. 4 described above, there is no configuration that interferes with the tool trajectory, and it becomes possible to remove the fastening member 31. Next, as described above in Fig. 5, the fastening member 31 can be removed, and as described above in Fig. 6, the cover 3 can be opened and closed, making it possible to access the high-voltage portion 22H.

[0053] In this case as well, since the high voltage area 22H is in a non-live state as described above, maintenance work on the high voltage area 22H can be performed in a safe state.

[0054] As described above, in the modified embodiment of the present invention, the power supply unit is composed of a low-voltage battery 1, a battery mount 32 as a support member for supporting the low-voltage battery 1 within the motor room 50, and an opening prevention bracket 30 fixed to the underside of the battery mount 32, and the opening prevention bracket 30 is positioned directly above the cover 3.

[0055] With this configuration, a member (opening prevention bracket 30) that cannot be removed without moving the low-voltage battery 1 outside the motor room 50 is provided in a position that will get in the way when opening and closing the cover 3. Therefore, after removing the low-voltage battery 1 and putting the high-voltage section 22H in a non-live state, it is necessary to remove the opening prevention bracket 30, thereby ensuring greater safety.

[0056] Next, another modification of this embodiment will be described.

[0057] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the layout structure of an in-vehicle unit centered around the inverter 2 according to another modified example of this embodiment.

[0058] 10 shows another modified example in which the power supply unit is composed of a low-voltage battery 1, and a harness 11 and terminals 12 connected to the low-voltage battery 1. The terminals 12 are formed by integrating the positive and negative poles of the harness 11, and are connected to the terminals of the low-voltage battery 1.

[0059] In this configuration, at least the harness 11 is disposed directly above the cover 3 of the inverter 2 in a position that does not interfere with opening and closing the cover 3.

[0060] Next, a procedure for opening and closing the cover 3 of the inverter 2 in this modified example will be described.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 11, the terminal 12 connected to the low-voltage battery 1 is removed, and the terminal 12 and the harness 11 are moved from above the cover 3.

[0062] In this state, the power supply to the VCM 4 and the inverter 2 is stopped, and the high-voltage portion 22H of the inverter module 22 is in a non-live state. At the same time, the configuration that obstructs the tool trajectory is removed, and the fastening member 31 can be removed. Thereafter, the cover 3 can be opened and closed as described above with reference to Figures 5 and 6, and the high-voltage portion 22H can be accessed.

[0063] Thus, in another modification of this embodiment, the power supply unit is composed of the low-voltage battery 1 and the harness 11 connected to the low-voltage battery 1, and the harness 11 is disposed directly above the cover 3.

[0064] With this configuration, the harness 11 that supplies power to the VCM 4 and the inverter 2 is positioned in a position that does not get in the way when opening and closing the cover 3, so there is no need to place the low-voltage battery 1 directly above the inverter 2, improving the freedom of placement within the motor room 50. In addition, there is no need to move the low-voltage battery 1 out of the motor room 50, improving workability.

[0065] Next, another modified example of this embodiment will be described.

[0066] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the layout structure of an in-vehicle unit centered around the inverter 2 according to still another modified example of this embodiment.

[0067] 12 shows another modified example in which the power supply unit is configured with a fuse box 18 mounted in the harness 11 that connects the low-voltage battery 1 and the VCM 4. The fuse box 18 includes an internal cut-off component such as a fuse or a relay, and has the function of cutting off an excessive current that flows between them.

[0068] In this configuration, the harness 11 connected to the fuse box 18 is disposed directly above the cover 3 of the inverter 2, in a position that would interfere with opening and closing the cover 3.

[0069] Next, a procedure for opening and closing the cover 3 of the inverter 2 in this modified example will be described.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 13, the harness 11 connected to the fuse box 18 is removed, and the harness 11 is moved from above the cover 3.

[0071] In this state, the power supply to the VCM 4 and the inverter 2 is stopped, and the high-voltage portion 22H of the inverter module 22 is in a non-live state. At the same time, the configuration that obstructs the tool trajectory is removed, and the fastening member 31 can be removed. Thereafter, the cover 3 can be opened and closed as described above with reference to Figures 5 and 6, and the high-voltage portion 22H can be accessed.

[0072] Thus, in yet another variant of this embodiment, the power supply unit is composed of a low-voltage battery 1, a harness 11 connected to the low-voltage battery 1, and a fuse box 18 connected to the harness 11, and the harness 11 is positioned directly above the cover 3.

[0073] With this configuration, the harness 11 that supplies power to the VCM 4 and the inverter 2 is positioned in a position that does not get in the way when opening and closing the cover 3, so the low-voltage battery 1 does not necessarily have to be positioned directly above the inverter 2, improving the freedom of placement within the motor room 50.

[0074] Although the embodiment of the present invention and its modified examples have been described above, the above embodiment and modified examples merely show some of the application examples of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the specific configurations of the above embodiment. Moreover, the modified examples of the above embodiment can be combined as appropriate.

[0075] In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the high-voltage section 22H of the inverter 2 is put into a non-live state by stopping the supply of power from the low-voltage battery 1 to the VCM 4, but this is not limited to the above. It may also be configured such that power is supplied from the low-voltage battery 1 to a controller related to other operations of the inverter 2, and the high-voltage section 22H of the inverter 2 is put into a non-live state by cutting off the power. This controller may be built into the inverter module 22.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the power supply unit including at least one of the low-voltage battery 1, the opening prevention bracket 30, and the harness 11 is disposed directly above the cover 3, but this is not limiting. The power supply unit only needs to be disposed directly above at least the fastening member 31 of the cover 3. When multiple fastening members 31 are provided, the power supply unit only needs to be disposed directly above at least one of the fastening members 31. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1: low voltage battery, 2: inverter, 3: cover, 4: VCM (controller), 11: harness, 12: terminal, 18: fuse box, 21: housing, 22: inverter module, 22H: high voltage part, 23: opening, 30: opening prevention bracket, 31: fastening member, 32: battery mount, 33: fixing member, 50: motor room

Claims

1. An arrangement structure of an on-board unit arranged in a motor room, a power conversion device that is controlled by the controller and supplies power to a drive motor of the vehicle; a power supply unit for supplying power to the controller; Equipped with The power conversion device includes a housing and an inverter module accommodated in the housing, the housing includes an opening formed above a high-voltage portion of the inverter module, and a cover capable of opening and closing the opening, The power supply unit is disposed directly above the cover at a position that does not interfere with opening and closing the cover, the power supply unit includes a low-voltage battery, a support member that supports the low-voltage battery in the motor room, and an opening prevention bracket that is fixed to a lower surface side of the support member, The opening prevention bracket is disposed directly above the cover, When the power supply unit is removed from the motor room, the cover can be opened and closed. Layout structure of the vehicle-mounted unit.

2. A structure for arranging an on-board unit in a motor room, comprising: a power conversion device that is controlled by the controller and supplies power to a drive motor of the vehicle; a power supply unit for supplying power to the controller; Equipped with The power conversion device includes a housing and an inverter module accommodated in the housing, the housing includes an opening formed above a high-voltage portion of the inverter module, and a cover capable of opening and closing the opening, The power supply unit is disposed directly above the cover at a position that does not interfere with opening and closing the cover, the power supply unit includes a low-voltage battery and a harness connected to the low-voltage battery; The harness is disposed directly above the cover, When the power supply unit is removed from the motor room, the cover can be opened and closed. Layout structure of the vehicle-mounted unit.

3. An arrangement structure of an on-board unit arranged in a motor room, comprising: a power conversion device that is controlled by the controller and supplies power to a drive motor of the vehicle; a power supply unit for supplying power to the controller; Equipped with The power conversion device includes a housing and an inverter module accommodated in the housing, the housing includes an opening formed above a high-voltage portion of the inverter module, and a cover capable of opening and closing the opening, The power supply unit is disposed directly above the cover at a position that does not interfere with opening and closing the cover, the power supply unit includes a low-voltage battery, a harness connected to the low-voltage battery, and a fuse box connected to the harness; The harness is disposed directly above the cover, When the power supply unit is removed from the motor room, the cover can be opened and closed. Layout structure of the vehicle-mounted unit.

4. An arrangement structure of an in-vehicle unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the cover is fastened to the housing by a fastening member; The power supply unit is disposed directly above the fastening member at a position that would interfere with removing the fastening member. Layout structure of the vehicle-mounted unit.

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