Sub-tank arrangement structure for vehicle

Abstract

To make an arrangement structure compact in a size easily and as much as possible when arranging a sub-tank to a front part of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A control unit 20 is arranged at an upper part of an electric drive unit 10 so that a part of the control unit is overlapped on a portion of a drive unit housing 100 at a vehicle front side, and a remaining part is overlapped on the drive unit housing 100 at a vehicle rear side rather than the part of the control unit when viewed from an upper side. An exposure region to which a part of the drive unit housing 100 is exposed is formed at a vehicle sideway of a part of the control unit 20, and at a vehicle front side of the remaining part of the control unit 20 when viewed from an upper side. A sub-tank 40 is arranged at the exposure region while adjoining the control unit 20 in a vehicle width direction and a vehicle fore-and-aft direction at a vehicle rear side of a control unit cooling radiator 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed herein belongs to the technical field relating to a sub-tank arrangement structure for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, many vehicles have been produced that have electric drive units that use electric power to drive the vehicle. The electric drive units are often located in the power unit compartment at the front of the vehicle.

[0003] A vehicle equipped with an electric drive unit requires a control unit to control the operation of the electric drive unit. For example, in Patent Document 1, the control unit is arranged above the electric drive unit, thereby arranging the electric drive unit and the control unit as compactly as possible.

[0004] On the other hand, since the control unit needs to be properly cooled, a structure has been proposed in which a sub-tank for storing refrigerant to cool the control unit is arranged in the powertrain room in the same way as the electric drive unit (for example, Patent Document 2).

[0005] Patent document 2 discloses a structure in which an inverter section (control unit) that drives the motor and a reserve tank (sub-tank) that stores coolant are arranged in an engine room where a powertrain is mounted and a dash panel is located at the rear of the vehicle, the reserve tank is arranged between the inverter section and the dash panel, and a harness connector section to which a harness is connected is provided on the rear side of the inverter section.

[0006] In Patent Document 2, when the inverter unit moves relative to the reserve tank during a frontal collision, protrusions are provided on each surface of the inverter unit and the reserve tank where the inverter unit and the reserve tank face each other to move the reserve tank in a direction away from the harness in the vehicle width direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-72813 [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-105656 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, since multiple vehicle components are arranged in the front of a vehicle, there is a demand for arranging each vehicle component as compactly as possible. A structure in which the sub-tank is arranged behind the control unit, as in Patent Document 2, requires a relatively large area in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, a structure is required to restrict the relative movement between the control unit and the sub-tank in the event of a vehicle collision, which makes the sub-tank arrangement structure complicated.

[0009] The technology disclosed herein has been developed in consideration of these points, and its purpose is to simplify the installation structure and make it as compact as possible when installing a sub-tank in the front of a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the technology disclosed herein is directed to a sub-tank arrangement structure for a vehicle that includes an electric drive unit that drives a vehicle using electric power, a control unit that controls the electric drive unit, and a sub-tank that stores a refrigerant that cools the control unit, and in which the electric drive unit, the control unit, and the sub-tank are arranged in a power unit room at the front of the vehicle, and further includes a radiator that is arranged further forward of the electric drive unit and cools the refrigerant stored in the sub-tank, and the electric drive unit includes a drive motor, a reducer that changes the speed of power from the drive motor, and a generator that generates electric power to drive the drive motor, all of which are housed in the housing. The control unit is disposed within a housing, and is disposed on top of the electric drive unit so that, when viewed from above, a portion overlaps with a portion of the housing on the vehicle front side and the remainder overlaps with the housing on the vehicle rear side of the portion, and the length of the remainder in the vehicle width direction is longer than the length of the portion in the vehicle width direction, and an exposed area in which a portion of the housing is exposed is formed on the vehicle side of the portion of the control unit and on the vehicle front side of the portion of the control unit when viewed from above, and the sub-tank is disposed adjacent to the control unit in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle fore-and-aft direction in the exposed area, on the vehicle rear side of the radiator.

[0011] With this configuration, the control unit has at least a portion that is L-shaped when viewed from above. The sub-tank is disposed in an exposed area formed inside the L-shape. This allows the sub-tank to be disposed as compactly as possible.

[0012] Furthermore, since the sub-tank is adjacent to the control unit in both the width direction and the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the control unit and the sub-tank move together in both frontal and side collisions, which simplifies the sub-tank installation structure.

[0013] Furthermore, since the sub-tank is disposed near the radiator, the structure of the piping connecting the sub-tank and the radiator can be simplified, resulting in a simpler sub-tank installation structure.

[0014] Therefore, when the control unit and the sub-tank are disposed in the front part of the vehicle, the disposition structure can be made simple and as compact as possible.

[0015] In one embodiment of the vehicle sub-tank arrangement structure, the control unit has a motor inverter section electrically connected to the drive motor, a power generation inverter section electrically connected to the generator, and a voltage converter section that transforms power from a power source and outputs it to the motor inverter section, the motor inverter section and the power generation inverter section are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, the voltage converter section is arranged on the front side of the vehicle of one of the motor inverter section and the power generation inverter section, and the exposed area is formed on the side of the vehicle of the voltage converter section and on the front side of the other of the motor inverter section and the power generation inverter section.

[0016] This configuration allows the components of the control unit to be compactly arranged around the sub-tank, thereby making the sub-tank arrangement structure more compact.

[0017] In one embodiment, an engine is disposed to the side of the electric drive unit, and the exposed area is located between the voltage converter unit and the engine in the vehicle width direction. The sub-tank is integrally formed with a first sub-tank that stores a refrigerant that cools the control unit and a second sub-tank that stores a refrigerant that cools the engine, and the first sub-tank and the second sub-tank are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, with the first sub-tank located closer to the voltage converter unit in the vehicle width direction and the second sub-tank located closer to the engine in the vehicle width direction.

[0018] With this configuration, two types of sub-tanks are integrally formed and arranged in the exposed area, making the sub-tank arrangement more compact. Furthermore, by locating the first sub-tank adjacent to the control unit and the second sub-tank adjacent to the engine, the piping structure between each sub-tank and the object to be cooled can be simplified. This further simplifies the sub-tank arrangement.

[0019] In one embodiment, a mounting bracket for mounting the sub-tank is arranged in the exposed area, the mounting bracket is fixed to each of the voltage converter unit and the other inverter unit and is formed to straddle the voltage converter unit and the other inverter unit, and the sub-tank may be mounted and supported on the mounting bracket.

[0020] This configuration allows the sub-tank to be stably disposed in the exposed area, thereby making the sub-tank arrangement structure more compact.

[0021] In the one embodiment in which a mounting bracket is provided, a harness bracket for supporting a harness that transmits the power supply may be provided on the upper part of the other inverter section in the control unit, the harness bracket extending upward from the mounting portion to the other inverter section and then extending toward the front of the vehicle, and the upper part of the sub-tank may be mounted and supported on the front part of the harness bracket.

[0022] This configuration allows the sub-tank to be more stably positioned in the exposed area. Furthermore, because the load caused by the sub-tank's own weight can be distributed between the mounting bracket and the harness bracket, the size of the mounting bracket can be minimized. This allows for a more compact sub-tank installation structure.

[0023] In the embodiment in which the sub-tank is attached to and supported by the harness bracket, a protrusion that protrudes toward the rear of the vehicle may be provided on the upper part of the sub-tank, and the harness bracket may be fixed to the protrusion from below with a bolt.

[0024] This configuration allows the harness bracket to properly support the load caused by the weight of the sub-tank, which makes it easier to reduce the size of the mounting bracket and makes the sub-tank installation structure more compact.

[0025] In the sub-tank arrangement structure of the vehicle, the sub-tank may be arranged so that a gap is formed between the sub-tank and the upper surface of the electric drive unit, and a vehicle part may be arranged in the gap between the sub-tank and the electric drive unit.

[0026] This configuration allows the vehicle components to be arranged by effectively utilizing the gap between the sub-tank and the electric drive unit, thereby enabling a compact arrangement of vehicle components in the front of the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] As described above, according to the technology disclosed herein, when a sub-tank is disposed in the front part of a vehicle, the disposition structure can be made simple and as compact as possible. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a drive system of a vehicle in which a sub-tank according to an exemplary embodiment is provided. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the front part of the vehicle as seen from above. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the power unit as seen from the front upper right side. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of the power unit. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane corresponding to line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the power unit without the sub-tank, as viewed from the front upper left side. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the control unit and the subtank as viewed from the front and upper left. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram in which the sub-tank is removed from FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the control unit and the subtank as seen from the rear and upper left side. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane corresponding to the line XX in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane corresponding to line XI-XI in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane corresponding to line XII-XII in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom of a vehicle will be simply referred to as front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively. When looking from the rear to the front, the left side is referred to as left, and the right side is referred to as right.

[0030] Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a drive system of a vehicle 1 in which a sub-tank 40 (see Fig. 2, etc.) according to this embodiment is disposed. Fig. 1 only shows a schematic diagram of the drive system of the vehicle 1, and the arrangement of each component in Fig. 1 does not limit the actual arrangement of each component.

[0031] The vehicle 1 is a series hybrid vehicle and is equipped with a power unit P consisting of an electric drive unit 10 for driving the vehicle 1 using electric power and an engine E for generating electricity. The electric drive unit 10 has a drive motor 11, a reduction gear 12 that changes the speed of power from the drive motor 11, and a generator 13 that generates electric power to drive the drive motor 11. The engine E is mainly used to drive the generator 13 to generate electricity, and the power for propelling the vehicle 1 is generated by the drive motor 11. The power generated by the drive motor 11 is changed in speed by the reduction gear 12 and then transmitted to drive wheels 7 (here, front wheels) via a differential device 6.

[0032] The vehicle 1 is equipped with a high-voltage battery B1 and a low-voltage battery B2 in which electric power generated by a generator 13 is stored (charged). A power generation inverter 22 is provided between the generator 13 and the high-voltage battery B1. The power generation inverter 22 is electrically connected to the generator 13 and the high-voltage battery B1. The electric power generated by the generator 13 is supplied to the high-voltage battery B1 via the power generation inverter 22. A motor inverter 21 is provided between the drive motor 11 and the high-voltage battery B1. The motor inverter 21 is electrically connected to the drive motor 11 and the high-voltage battery B1. The motor inverter 21 converts electric power from the high-voltage battery B1 into electric power for driving the drive motor 11 and outputs the converted electric power to the drive motor 11. A DC-DC converter 23 is provided between the high-voltage battery B1 and the low-voltage battery B2. The DC-DC converter 23 is electrically connected to the high-voltage battery B1 and the low-voltage battery B2. The electric power from the high-voltage battery B1 is supplied to the low-voltage battery B2 via the DC-DC converter 23. The generated power from the generator 13 is supplied to the low-voltage battery B2 via a power generation inverter 22 and a DC-DC converter 23. The motor inverter 21, the power generation inverter 22, and the DC-DC converter 23 constitute a control unit 20 that controls the electric drive unit 10.

[0033] Next, the arrangement structure of the power unit P and the sub-tank 40 in the vehicle 1 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2 to 12. In addition, in the cross-sectional views of Figures 5 and 10 to 12, the structure of the drive motor 11 and the like is omitted or simplified in order to simplify the drawings.

[0034] The power unit P is disposed in a power unit room 2 formed in the front of the vehicle 1. More specifically, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a pair of left and right front side frames 3 extending in the longitudinal direction, and the power unit room 2 for disposing the power unit P is formed between the left and right front side frames 3. The power unit P is supported by the left and right front side frames 3 via support members 4.

[0035] Although not shown in the figure, the rear of each front side frame 3 forms a kick section that gradually slopes downward toward the rear. The dash panel 5, which separates the passenger compartment from the power unit compartment 2, is located at approximately the same position as the kick section in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0036] 2 and 3, two radiators 31, 32 are disposed on the front side of the power unit P. The radiator 31 located relatively to the front is a control unit cooling radiator 31 for cooling the refrigerant that cools the control unit 20. The radiator 32 located relatively to the rear is an engine cooling radiator 32 for cooling the refrigerant that cools the engine. The two radiators 31, 32 have their respective refrigerants flowing through them, and use the wind generated by running to cool the refrigerants.

[0037] 3 and 4, the electric drive unit 10 and the control unit 20 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. Specifically, the control unit 20 is arranged above the electric drive unit 10.

[0038] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the drive motor 11, reducer 12, and generator of the electric drive unit 10 are housed in a drive unit housing 100. The drive unit housing 100 is configured by integrating multiple members. The drive unit housing 100 has a first housing 101, a second housing 102, and an end cover 103. The second housing 102 is disposed on the right side of the first housing 101, and the right portion of the second housing 102 is closed by the end cover 103. The first housing 101, the second housing 102, and the end cover 103 are joined at their ends in the vehicle width direction by welding. In this way, the first housing 101, the second housing 102, and the end cover 103 are integrated to form the drive unit housing 100.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 5, a damper housing 110 that houses a damper device 111 is provided on the left side of the drive unit housing 100. The damper device 111 is a device for suppressing vibrations that occur when the power of the engine E is transmitted to the generator 13. The damper housing 110 has a wall portion 110a on the left side. This wall portion 110a separates the accommodation portion of the drive unit housing 100 from the accommodation portion of the damper housing 110.

[0040] The engine E is disposed on the left side of the damper housing 110. In other words, the engine E is disposed on the left side of the electric drive unit 10.

[0041] The first housing 101 and the second housing 102 each have partition walls 101a, 102a that divide the interior of the drive unit housing 100 into a plurality of compartments. As shown in FIG. 5 , the drive motor 11 is housed in a compartment separated by the end cover 103 and the partition wall 102a of the second housing 102. The reducer 12 is housed in a compartment separated by the partition wall 102a of the second housing 102 and the partition wall 101a of the first housing 101. The generator 13 is housed in an area to the left of the partition wall 101a in the first housing 101, more specifically, in an area formed between the partition wall 101a in the first housing 101 and a wall portion 110a of the damper housing 110.

[0042] The control unit 20 has a control unit housing 200. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 12, the control unit housing 200 has an upper housing 201 and a lower housing 202. The upper housing 201 has an upper flange 201a at its lower end, and the lower housing 202 has a lower flange 202a at its upper end. The upper housing 201 and the lower housing 202 are fixed to each other by fastening a plurality of bolts 60 with the upper flange 201a and the lower flange 202a butting against each other vertically. As shown in FIG. 6, the lower housing 202 is fastened to the drive unit housing 100 with bolts 61. In this way, the electric drive unit 10 and the control unit 20 are fixed together.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 6 , the control unit housing 200 is L-shaped when viewed from above. Specifically, the rear portion of the control unit housing 200 extends along the vehicle width direction to the same extent as the drive unit housing 100, and the front portion of the control unit housing 200 extends from the left portion of the rear portion toward the front side. In other words, the length of the rear portion of the control unit housing 200 in the vehicle width direction is longer than the length of the front portion of the control unit housing 200 in the vehicle width direction. When viewed from above, the front portion of the control unit housing 200 overlaps with the front portion of the drive unit housing 100, and the rear portion overlaps with the drive unit housing 100 rearward of the front portion. The rear portion of the control unit housing 200 serves as an inverter unit housing that houses the motor inverter 21 and the power generation inverter 22, and the front portion of the control unit housing 200 serves as a converter unit housing that houses the DC-DC converter 23. The left portion of the inverter unit accommodating section accommodates the power generation inverter 22, and the right portion of the inverter unit accommodating section accommodates the motor inverter 21. In other words, the motor inverter 21 and the power generation inverter 22 are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, and the DC-DC converter 23 is arranged in front of the motor inverter 21. In the following description, the portion of the control unit 20 where the motor inverter 21 is arranged will be referred to as the motor inverter unit 221, including the control unit housing 200; the portion of the control unit 20 where the power generation inverter 22 is arranged will be referred to simply as the power generation inverter unit 222, including the control unit housing 200; and the portion of the control unit 20 where the DC-DC converter 23 is arranged will be referred to simply as the DC-DC converter unit 223, including the control unit housing 200.

[0044] 5 to 10, the motor inverter unit 221 and the DC-DC converter unit 223 are covered from above by a lid unit 203. The lid unit 203 is a lid unit that covers a hole 205 formed in the DC-DC converter unit 223, as shown in FIG.

[0045] Although not shown in the figure, a bus bar extends downward from the motor inverter unit 221, and a bus bar extends downward from the power generation inverter unit 222. As a result, the motor inverter 21 is electrically connected to the drive motor 11, and the power generation inverter 22 is electrically connected to the generator 13.

[0046] Because the control unit 20 is L-shaped when viewed from above, as shown in FIG. 6 , an exposed area R, in which a part of the drive unit housing 100 is exposed when viewed from above, is formed to the left of the DC-DC converter section 223 and in front of the power generation inverter section 222. The exposed area R is located between the DC-DC converter section 223 and the engine E. A sub-tank 40 for storing a refrigerant that cools the control unit 20 is disposed in this exposed area R. In other words, the sub-tank 40 is disposed in the power unit room 2 of the vehicle 1 together with the electric drive unit 10 and the control unit 20. Note that, as will be described in detail later, an electric parking lock actuator 7, which is a vehicle component, is also disposed in the exposed area R.

[0047] The structure of the sub-tank 40 and the arrangement of the sub-tank 40 will be described in detail below.

[0048] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the sub-tank 40 is box-shaped. It has an upper tank part 41 and a lower tank part 42. A flange is formed at the lower end of the upper tank part 41 and at the upper end of the lower tank part 42, and the sub-tank 40 is formed by overlapping and welding these flanges together. A recess 43 that is recessed downward is provided in the center of the upper tank part 41 in the vehicle width direction. This recess 43 is where a jig is placed to press the upper tank part 41 against the lower tank part 42 when welding the upper tank part 41 and the lower tank part 42 together.

[0049] The subtank 40 is integrally formed with a first subtank 51 that stores the refrigerant that cools the control unit 20 and a second subtank 52 that stores the refrigerant that cools the engine. The first subtank 51 and the second subtank 52 are aligned in the vehicle width direction. Specifically, the portion of the subtank 40 to the right of the recess 43 is the first subtank 51, and the portion to the right of the recess 43 is the second subtank 52. In other words, the first subtank 51 is located closer to the DC-DC converter unit 223 in the vehicle width direction, and the second subtank 52 is located closer to the engine E in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 5 , a partition wall 44 is provided inside the subtank 40 at the position of the recess 43, dividing the interior of the subtank 40 into an area for the first subtank 51 and an area for the second subtank 52. Furthermore, reinforcing ribs 46 are provided inside each of the first subtank 51 and the second subtank 52.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 7 , the first sub-tank 51 is connected to the control unit 20 at a front portion of the tank lower portion 42 via a first lower piping 71. The first sub-tank 51 also has a first outlet 51a at the front portion of the tank lower portion 42, through which the refrigerant in the first sub-tank 51 is discharged toward a water pump (not shown). The refrigerant (coolant) discharged from the control unit cooling radiator 31 is sent to the rear side to cool an on-board charger disposed at the rear of the vehicle, and then returned to the front side to flow into the control unit 20 disposed in the power unit compartment 2, where it cools the control unit 20. The refrigerant then flows into the first sub-tank 51 through the first lower piping 71, is discharged toward the water pump through the first outlet 51a, and is then pumped to the control unit cooling radiator 31. From this, it can be said that the control unit cooling radiator 31 cools the refrigerant stored in the first sub-tank 51. The first sub-tank 51 also has a first connection portion 51b at the front portion of the tank upper portion 41, to which a first upper connection pipe 72 (see FIG. 3) is connected, which connects the first sub-tank 51 and the control unit cooling radiator 31. The first upper connection pipe 72 is a pipe that sends air bled from the control unit cooling radiator 31 to the first sub-tank 51.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 7, the second sub-tank 52 has a second outlet 52a in the front part of the tank lower part 42 for sending the refrigerant in the second sub-tank 52 to the engine E. The second sub-tank 52 also has a second connection part 52b in the front part of the tank upper part 41 to which a second upper connection pipe 73 (see Fig. 3) is connected for connecting the second sub-tank 52 to the cooling path of the engine E. A portion of the refrigerant that flows out of the engine cooling radiator 32 flows into the second sub-tank 52 via the second upper connection pipe 73 and then flows into the engine E through the second outlet 52a.

[0052] As described above, the sub-tank 40 is disposed adjacent to the control unit 20 in the vehicle width direction and the front-rear direction in the exposed region R. Specifically, the sub-tank 40 is disposed adjacent to the DC-DC converter section 223 in the vehicle width direction, and is disposed adjacent to the power generation inverter section 222 in the front-rear direction.

[0053] 5 to 8, a mounting bracket 80 for mounting the sub-tank 40 is provided in the exposed region R. The sub-tank 40 is disposed in the exposed region R while being mounted and supported by the mounting bracket 80.

[0054] 8, the mounting bracket 80 has a first arm 81 extending toward the DC-DC converter unit 223, a second arm 82 extending toward the power generation inverter unit 222, a third arm 83 extending toward the damper housing 110, and a collective unit 84 at which the left end of the first arm 81, the front end of the second arm 82, and the right end of the third arm 83 are gathered. In other words, the mounting bracket 80 is formed so as to straddle the DC-DC converter unit 223 and the power generation inverter unit 222. The mounting bracket 80 is also formed so as to straddle the control unit 20 and the damper housing 110.

[0055] 8 and 10, the first arm 81 extends straight to the right from the assembly 84, then extends upward along the lower housing 202 at the position of the DC-DC converter unit 223, and is then bent to the right so as to be placed on the upper flange 201a. The right end of the first arm 81 is fixed to the upper flange 201a by fastening a bolt 62 from above.

[0056] 8 and 11, the second arm 82 extends straight rearward from the assembly 84, then extends upward along the lower housing 202 at the position of the power generation inverter unit 222, and is then bent rearward so as to be placed on the upper flange 201a. The rear end of the second arm 82 is fixed to the upper flange 201a by fastening a bolt 63 from above.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 , the third arm 83 extends straight to the left from the assembly 84 and then extends at an angle rearward toward the left. The third arm 83 extends straight to the left again from the left end of the inclined portion 83a, which is inclined rearward toward the left. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , an upper protrusion 112 that protrudes upward is provided at the top of the damper housing 110. The third arm 83 extends upward at the position of the upper protrusion 112 and then is bent toward the left so as to rest on the top of the upper protrusion 112. The left end of the third arm 83 is fixed to the upper protrusion 112 of the damper housing 110 by fastening a bolt 64 from above.

[0058] Mounting members 85 for mounting and supporting the subtank 40 are provided at the position of the collection section 84 and at the position of the left end of the inclined section 83a on the mounting bracket 80. As shown in FIG. 5, the mounting member 85 is composed of a fastener 85a that is fixed to the mounting bracket 80 and a mounting rubber 85b that is attached to the fastener 85a. A groove is formed on the outer periphery of the mounting rubber 85b. A pair of claws 42a is formed on the bottom of the lower tank section 42 of the subtank 40, and each claw 42a engages with the groove in the mounting rubber 85b, thereby mounting and supporting the subtank 40 on the mounting bracket 80. Mounting and supporting the subtank 40 on the mounting bracket 80 in this way makes it easy to attach and detach the subtank 40 from the mounting bracket 80.

[0059] As shown in Figure 4, the mounting bracket 80 is disposed so as to be spaced apart from the electric drive unit 10 in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the sub-tank 40 is mounted on the mounting bracket 80, a gap is formed between the sub-tank 40 and the upper surface of the electric drive unit 10. The electric parking lock actuator 7 is disposed in this gap between the sub-tank 40 and the electric drive unit 10. As a result, the electric parking lock actuator 7 is disposed above the electric drive unit 10, and even if a malfunction occurs in the electric parking lock actuator 7, a quick response can be made.

[0060] 7 to 9, a harness bracket 90 is provided above the power generation inverter unit 222 to support a harness H (see FIG. 3) for transmitting power supply electric power from the battery B to the DC-DC converter 23. The harness bracket 90 has a fixing portion 91 fixed to the upper housing 201 with a plurality of bolts 65, a harness support portion 92 extending upward from the front end of the fixing portion 91 and actually supporting the harness H, and a bent portion 93 bent forward from the upper end of the harness support portion 92.

[0061] As shown in Figures 9 and 12, the tank upper part 41 of the subtank 40 has rear protrusions 45 that protrude rearward on both left and right ends of the rear upper ridge. The rear protrusions 45 are connected to bent portions 93 of the harness bracket 90 with bolts 66. Specifically, as shown in Figure 12, the bent portions 93 of the harness bracket 90 are respectively disposed below the rear protrusions 45 and fixed to the rear protrusions 45 from below with bolts 66 and nuts 67 (Figure 12 only shows the connection between the right rear protrusion 45 and the bent portion 93). As a result, the upper part of the subtank 40 is attached to and supported by the bent portions 93 of the harness bracket 90.

[0062] By supporting the sub-tank 40 from above and below in this way, the sub-tank 40 can be properly supported even when the refrigerant is supplied and the weight becomes relatively large.

[0063] 12, the harness H is covered by a harness case 94 and supported at a position between the harness support part 92 and the sub-tank 40. The harness case 94 is located behind the front surface of the power generation inverter part 222 of the upper housing 201.

[0064] Here, because a plurality of vehicle components are disposed in the front portion of the vehicle 1, when disposing the sub-tank 40 in the front portion of the vehicle 1, it is required that the disposition structure be simple and as compact as possible. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the control unit 20 is disposed in the upper portion of the electric drive unit 10 so that, when viewed from above, the DC-DC converter section 223 overlaps with the front portion of the drive unit housing 100 and the motor inverter section 221 and the power generation inverter section 222 overlap with the drive unit housing 100 rearward of the DC-DC converter section 223. An exposed region R in which a portion of the drive unit housing 100 is exposed is formed to the side (here, the left side) of the DC-DC converter section 223 and in front of the power generation inverter section 222, when viewed from above. The sub-tank 40 is disposed adjacent to the control unit 20 in the exposed region R in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle front-rear direction, on the vehicle rear side of the control unit cooling radiator 31. As a result, the control unit 20 is arranged so that at least a portion thereof forms an L-shape when viewed from above, and the sub-tank 40 is arranged in the exposed region R formed inside the L-shape formed by the control unit 20. As a result, the sub-tank 40 can be arranged as compactly as possible. Furthermore, because the sub-tank is adjacent to the control unit 20 in both the vehicle width direction and the longitudinal direction, the control unit 20 and the sub-tank move together in both a frontal collision and a side collision of the vehicle. This simplifies the arrangement structure of the sub-tank 40. Furthermore, because the sub-tank 40 is arranged near the control unit cooling radiator 31, the structure of the piping connecting the sub-tank 40 and the control unit cooling radiator 31 can be simplified. As a result, the arrangement structure of the sub-tank 40 can be simplified.

[0065] In this embodiment, the engine E is disposed to the side (here, the left side) of the electric drive unit 10, and the exposed region R is located between the DCDC converter unit 223 and the engine E in the vehicle width direction. The subtank 40 is integrally formed with a first subtank 51 that stores a refrigerant that cools the control unit 20 and a second subtank 52 that stores a refrigerant that cools the engine E. The first subtank 51 and the second subtank 52 are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, with the first subtank 51 located closer to the DCDC converter unit 223 in the vehicle width direction and the second subtank 52 located closer to the engine E in the vehicle width direction. Thus, by integrally forming two types of subtanks and arranging them in the exposed region R, the arrangement of the subtanks 40 can be made more compact. Furthermore, by arranging the first subtank 51 adjacent to the control unit 20 and the second subtank 52 adjacent to the engine E, the piping structure between each subtank 51, 52 and the object to be cooled can be simplified. This allows the sub-tank 40 to be installed in a simpler structure.

[0066] In this embodiment, a mounting bracket 80 for mounting the subtank 40 is disposed in the exposed region R. The mounting bracket 80 is fixed to each of the DC-DC converter unit 223 and the power generation inverter unit 222 and is formed so as to straddle the DC-DC converter unit 223 and the power generation inverter unit 222, and the subtank 40 is mounted and supported on the mounting bracket 80. This allows the subtank 40 to be stably disposed in the exposed region R. As a result, the arrangement structure of the subtank 40 can be made more compact.

[0067] In this embodiment, the subtank 40 is mounted on the mounting bracket 80 by engaging the claws 42a on the tank lower part 42 with the mounting members 85 on the mounting bracket 80. This makes it easy to attach and detach the subtank 40 from the mounting bracket 80, improving service performance.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mounting bracket 80 is attached and fixed to the control unit housing 200 and the damper housing 110 by fastening bolts 62 to 64 from above to the control unit housing 200 and the damper housing 110. This makes it easy to attach and detach the mounting bracket 80 when the power unit P is disposed at the front of the vehicle 1, thereby further improving service performance.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a harness bracket 90 for supporting the harness H that transmits power from the power source is provided above the power generation inverter section 222 in the control unit 20. The harness bracket 90 extends upward from the attachment portion to the power generation inverter section 222 and then extends forward, and the upper portion of the subtank 40 is attached and supported by the front portion of the harness bracket 90. This allows the subtank 40 to be more stably positioned in the exposed region R. Furthermore, because the load due to the weight of the subtank 40 can be distributed between the attachment bracket 80 and the harness bracket 90, the size of the attachment bracket 80 can be made as small as possible. This allows the subtank 40 to be installed in a more compact structure.

[0070] In this embodiment, a rear protrusion 45 that protrudes rearward is provided on the top of the subtank 40, and the harness bracket 90 is fixed to the rear protrusion 45 from below with a bolt 66. This allows the harness bracket 90 to appropriately support the load due to the weight of the subtank 40. As a result, it becomes easier to reduce the size of the mounting bracket 80, allowing for a more compact installation structure for the subtank 40.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sub-tank 40 is disposed so that a gap is formed between it and the upper surface of the electric drive unit 10, and the electric parking lock actuator 7 is disposed in the gap between the sub-tank 40 and the electric drive unit 10. This makes it possible to effectively utilize the gap between the sub-tank 40 and the electric drive unit 10 to dispose the electric parking lock actuator 7. This allows the vehicle parts arrangement structure in the front part of the vehicle 1 to be made compact.

[0072] In particular, in the event of a malfunction of the electric parking lock actuator 7, priority is given to releasing the parking lock using the electric parking lock actuator 7. If the electric parking lock actuator 7 is provided in the gap between the sub-tank 40 and the electric drive unit 10, i.e., in the exposed area R, as in this embodiment, access to the electric parking lock actuator 7 is easy. This allows for improved service performance of the vehicle 1.

[0073] (Other embodiments) The technology disclosed herein is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be substituted within the scope of the claims.

[0074] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the upper part of the sub-tank 40 is supported by the harness bracket 90. However, this is not limiting, and a bracket that supports the upper part of the sub-tank 40 may be provided separately from the harness bracket 90.

[0075] The above-described embodiments are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, and all modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the claims equivalents are within the scope of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0076] The technology disclosed herein is useful as a sub-tank arrangement structure when arranging an electric drive unit that uses electricity to drive a vehicle, a control unit that controls the electric drive unit, and a sub-tank that stores a refrigerant that cools the control unit in a power unit room at the front of a vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1 vehicle 2 Power unit room 10 Electric Drive Unit 11 Drive motor 12 Reducer 13. Generator 20 Control Unit 31 Control unit cooling radiator 40 Subtank 45 Posterior protrusion 51 First Subtank 52 Second subtank 66 volts 80 Mounting bracket 90 Harness bracket 100 Drive unit housing 221 Motor inverter 222 Power generation inverter section 223 DC / DC converter section (voltage converter section) E-Engine H harness R exposure area

Claims

1. A sub-tank arrangement structure for a vehicle, comprising: an electric drive unit that drives a vehicle using electric power; a control unit that controls the electric drive unit; and a sub-tank that stores a refrigerant that cools the control unit, wherein the electric drive unit, the control unit, and the sub-tank are arranged in a power unit room at the front of the vehicle, a radiator that is disposed forward of the electric drive unit and cools the refrigerant stored in the sub-tank, the electric drive unit is configured by disposing a drive motor, a reducer that changes the speed of power from the drive motor, and a generator that generates electric power to drive the drive motor within a housing; the control unit is disposed above the electric drive unit so that, when viewed from above, a portion of the control unit overlaps with a portion of the housing on the vehicle front side and a remainder of the control unit overlaps with the housing on the vehicle rear side of the portion, and the length of the remainder in the vehicle width direction is longer than the length of the portion in the vehicle width direction; an exposed area in which a part of the housing is exposed when viewed from above is formed on a vehicle side of the part of the control unit and on a vehicle front side of the remaining part of the control unit, A sub-tank arrangement structure for a vehicle, characterized in that the sub-tank is arranged adjacent to the control unit in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle front-rear direction in the exposed area on the vehicle rear side of the radiator.

2. 2. The sub-tank arrangement structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, The control unit includes a motor inverter section electrically connected to the drive motor, a power generation inverter section electrically connected to the generator, and a voltage converter section that transforms power from a power source and outputs the transformed power to the motor inverter section. and The motor inverter unit and the power generation inverter unit are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, the voltage converter unit is disposed on the vehicle front side of one of the motor inverter unit and the power generation inverter unit, A sub-tank arrangement structure for a vehicle, characterized in that the exposed area is formed on the side of the vehicle of the voltage converter section and on the front side of the other inverter section of the motor inverter section and the power generation inverter section.

3. 3. The sub-tank arrangement structure for a vehicle according to claim 2, an engine is disposed on the vehicle side of the electric drive unit; the exposed region is located between the voltage converter unit and the engine in a vehicle width direction, the sub-tank is formed integrally with a first sub-tank that stores a refrigerant that cools the control unit and a second sub-tank that stores a refrigerant that cools the engine, and the first sub-tank and the second sub-tank are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, the first sub-tank is located on a side closer to the voltage converter unit in the vehicle width direction, A sub-tank arrangement structure for a vehicle, characterized in that the second sub-tank is located on a side closer to the engine in the vehicle width direction.

4. 4. The sub-tank arrangement structure for a vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, a mounting bracket for mounting the sub-tank is disposed in the exposed area; the mounting bracket is fixed to each of the voltage converter unit and the other inverter unit and is formed to straddle the voltage converter unit and the other inverter unit, A sub-tank arrangement structure for a vehicle, characterized in that the sub-tank is mounted and supported on the mounting bracket.

5. 5. The sub-tank arrangement structure for a vehicle according to claim 4, a harness bracket for supporting a harness that transmits power from the power source is provided on an upper portion of the other inverter unit in the control unit; the harness bracket extends upward from a portion attached to the other inverter unit and then extends toward a front side of the vehicle, A sub-tank arrangement structure for a vehicle, characterized in that an upper portion of the sub-tank is attached and supported to a front portion of the harness bracket.

6. 6. The sub-tank arrangement structure for a vehicle according to claim 5, A protrusion that protrudes toward the rear of the vehicle is provided on an upper portion of the sub-tank, The sub-tank arrangement structure for a vehicle is characterized in that the harness bracket is fixed to the protruding portion from below with a bolt.

7. The sub-tank arrangement structure for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the sub-tank is disposed so as to form a gap between the sub-tank and an upper surface of the electric drive unit, A sub-tank arrangement structure for a vehicle, characterized in that a vehicle part is arranged in a gap between the sub-tank and the electric drive unit.

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