Cooling structure for automotive electrical components

Abstract

To improve the degree of freedom in layout and reduce sound propagation to a crew compartment.SOLUTION: An on-vehicle electric component cooling structure includes: a ventilation part 1 having a vent hole 11 which penetrates a wall 10 forming a crew compartment S1 of a vehicle; an air blower 2 which is provided in a rear region of the vehicle, and generates an airflow for cooling a prescribed electric component P in the rear region; and a duct 3 which forms a flow channel extending from the ventilation part 1 to the air blower 2. In this on-vehicle electric component cooling structure, the duct 3 has: a reference pipe part 33 which is cylindrically formed; and a plurality of evagination pipe parts 34 (34A, 34B) which expand to an outer side with respect to an external surface of the reference pipe part 33, and are cylindrically formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling structure for an in-vehicle electrical component. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Heat-generating electrical components, such as a battery, and a fan for cooling the electrical components may be disposed in a rear area, such as a luggage compartment, of a vehicle.

[0003] For example, in a cooling structure for a high-voltage battery disclosed in Patent Document 1, a battery compartment is provided in an area below the rear seats (i.e., the rear area of ​​the vehicle), and a battery and a blower (hereinafter referred to as a fan) for cooling the battery are disposed in the battery compartment. In this cooling structure, a cooling air introduction chamber is formed by partitioning one corner of the battery compartment with a partition plate. The wall material constituting the cooling air introduction chamber is formed with a vent (slit) for introducing air from the passenger compartment into the cooling air introduction chamber, and the partition plate is formed with a communication hole through which the air intake of the fan is inserted. A shielding plate is provided in the cooling air introduction chamber near the air intake, forming a serpentine flow path extending from the vent to the fan, thereby reducing the direct transmission of sound from the fan into the passenger compartment. A portion of the wall material constituting the cooling air introduction chamber is formed using wall material near the fan, such as a panel below the front end of the rear seats or a wall forming a wheelhouse. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-166728 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the cooling structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires a shielding plate to be provided near the blower and a flow path between the ventilation section and the blower to be formed using part of the wall material near the blower, which limits the location where the cooling structure can be constructed and reduces the degree of freedom in layout of the elements of the cooling structure. Note that it is also possible that electrical components other than the battery may be cooled by the blower, and in this case, similar problems may arise.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a cooling structure for automotive electrical components that allows for greater layout freedom than conventional structures and reduces the transmission of sound from the blower to the passenger compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a cooling structure for on-vehicle electrical components, including a ventilation section having an air vent that penetrates a wall that forms a passenger compartment of a vehicle, a blower provided in a rear region of the vehicle and that generates an air flow for cooling predetermined electrical components in the rear region, and a duct that forms a flow path extending from the ventilation section to the blower. In this cooling structure for on-vehicle electrical components, the duct has a cylindrically formed reference pipe section and a plurality of cylindrically formed bulging pipe sections that bulge outward beyond the outer surface of the reference pipe section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cooling structure for on-board electrical components that allows greater freedom in layout than ever before and can reduce the propagation of sound from the blower to the passenger compartment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of an in-vehicle electrical component cooling structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating positions of ventilation portions in the vehicle-mounted electrical component cooling structure. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a blower and a duct of the vehicle-mounted electrical component cooling structure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a top view of the blower and duct assembly. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a side view of the duct as viewed from a direction A shown in FIG. 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle-mounted electrical component cooling structure according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a front view of an in-vehicle electrical component cooling structure according to one embodiment of the present invention (specifically, a front view of the in-vehicle electrical component cooling structure as viewed from the front in the vehicle longitudinal direction), FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the position of a ventilation section 1, which will be described later, of the in-vehicle electrical component cooling structure, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the main parts of the in-vehicle electrical component cooling structure (a blower 2 and a duct 3, which will be described later). In the drawings, the arrow Fr direction indicates the front in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the arrow Rr direction indicates the rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Arrows R and L indicate the right and left sides in the vehicle transverse direction (vehicle width direction) when an occupant is looking forward of the vehicle. Arrow U indicates the upward direction in the vehicle vertical direction.

[0012] 1 and 2, the vehicle-mounted electrical component cooling structure of this embodiment includes a ventilation section 1, a blower 2, and a duct 3, and cools predetermined electrical components P in a rear region of the vehicle by air-cooling. The rear region of the vehicle includes an area below a seat portion 4a of a rear seat 4 of the vehicle and an area behind a seat back 4b of the rear seat 4. The area forward of the rear seat 4 in the vehicle longitudinal direction constitutes the majority of the passenger compartment S1 of the vehicle.

[0013] In this embodiment, the electrical component P to be cooled is arranged in a region in the rear area of ​​the vehicle behind the rear seat 4. Specifically, the electrical component P is placed on a floor panel 5 constituting the floor portion of the vehicle body, in a portion behind the seat back 4b of the rear seat 4 in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle. In other words, the electrical component P is arranged in the luggage compartment S2 behind the rear seat.

[0014] The upper part of the luggage compartment S2 of the vehicle is opened and closed by, for example, a tonneau cover (not shown) that is provided behind the rear seat 4 at a height corresponding to the upper end of the rear seat 4 and is slidable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. When the tonneau cover is closed, the area above the tonneau cover forms part of the passenger compartment S1. When the tonneau cover is open (as shown in FIG. 2), the luggage compartment S2 and the passenger compartment S1 are in communication with each other.

[0015] In this embodiment, the vehicle-mounted electrical component cooling structure further includes a storage box 6 that stores predetermined electrical components P therein. The storage box 6 is formed, for example, in the shape of a rectangular box that is long in the vehicle width direction, and is supported on the floor panel 5 via legs 61. In this embodiment, a gap G is provided between the storage box 6 and the floor panel 5 in the rear region of the vehicle (see FIG. 1).

[0016] Although not particularly limited, in this embodiment, the electrical component P is a high-voltage battery housed inside the housing box 6. Note that the electrical component P is not limited to a battery, and may be, for example, a DC-DC converter or an AC-DC converter, etc., as long as it is an electrical component that is prone to heat generation and needs to be cooled.

[0017] The ventilation section 1 has an air hole 11 penetrating a wall 10 that forms the passenger compartment S1 of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the ventilation section 1 is located above a predetermined electrical component P and a blower 2 in the vertical direction of the vehicle. Specifically, in this embodiment, the ventilation section 1 is located above the predetermined electrical component P and the blower 2 in the vertical direction of the vehicle and between a side portion 41 of the rear seat 4 and a side panel 7 of the vehicle body in the width direction of the vehicle.

[0018] More specifically, the wall 10 through which the air vent 11 passes is a resin trim that extends in the vertical direction along the outer side portion 41 of the seat back 4b of the rear seat 4 in the vehicle width direction and is attached to the side panel 7. Therefore, the ventilation section 1 is located near the door opening edge 7a for the rear side door that is opened in the side panel 7. In addition, the wall 10 near the ventilation section 1 is slightly inclined so as to lean rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction as it extends upward in the vehicle vertical direction.

[0019] In this embodiment, the air for cooling the electric components P is taken in through the ventilation section 1 and guided to the fan 2 through the duct 3. Therefore, in this embodiment, the ventilation hole 11 of the ventilation section 1 functions as an intake port for the cooling air.

[0020] The ventilation hole 11 of the ventilation section 1 is opened as a generally rectangular hole that is long in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The ventilation section 1 has a foreign object intrusion prevention section 12 formed in a lattice shape on the inside of the ventilation hole opening edge, and the foreign object intrusion prevention section 12 prevents large foreign objects from invading through the ventilation hole 11.

[0021] The blower 2 is provided in a rear region of the vehicle and generates a flow of air for cooling predetermined electrical components P in the rear region. The blower 2 is arranged in the rear region of the vehicle together with the electrical components P. In this embodiment, the blower 2 is arranged near the electrical components P in the luggage compartment S2 behind the rear seat. Specifically, the blower 2 is arranged on the floor panel 5 near one side wall 6a of the storage box 6 in the vehicle width direction (the left side in FIG. 2 ) (in other words, one side wall 6a of the storage box 6 in the longitudinal direction).

[0022] 3, blower 2 has a casing 2a and a cylindrical connecting portion 2b that connects to duct 3. In this embodiment, blower 2 is configured to supply air drawn in through ventilation portion 1 and duct 3 into storage box 6.

[0023] Although not particularly limited, the blower 2 is, for example, a centrifugal fan (or centrifugal blower), and a centrifugal blade for blowing air (for example, a sirocco fan) is rotatably supported inside the casing 2a.

[0024] An intake port 2a2 for drawing in air is opened on one side surface 2a1 of the casing 2a. An electric motor for driving the centrifugal impeller is provided on the other side surface of the casing 2a (the side surface opposite the intake port 2a2). The casing 2a is formed to surround the centrifugal impeller. A cylindrical discharge tube 2a3 for discharging the air drawn in through the intake port 2a2 is provided at a predetermined angular position in the circumferential direction of the casing 2a.

[0025] The connecting portion 2b is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape. The connecting portion 2b is attached to the opening edge of the suction port 2a2 of the casing 2a, and protrudes from one side surface 2a1 of the casing 2a.

[0026] A first bracket 2c and a second bracket 2d are provided at the bottom of the casing 2a of the blower 2 to support the blower 2 from below. The first bracket 2c and the second bracket 2d are connected to the floor panel 5 via an intermediate bracket 2e and the like. Specifically, the intermediate bracket 2e is made of a thin metal plate and is bent into a hat shape that protrudes downward. A longitudinal middle portion of the intermediate bracket 2e is fixed onto the floor panel 5, one end of the intermediate bracket 2e is fixed to the lower end of the first bracket 2c, and the other end of the intermediate bracket 2e is fixed to the lower end of the second bracket 2d.

[0027] When the blower 2 is disposed near one side wall 6a of the storage box 6 in the vehicle width direction, the connection portion 2b extends generally forward in the vehicle front-to-rear direction, and the discharge tube 2a3 of the casing 2a extends generally downward in the vehicle up-and-down direction. Specifically, the blower 2 is disposed on the floor panel 5 inclined so that the inner portion of one side surface 2a1 of the casing 2a in the vehicle width direction is positioned slightly forward in the vehicle front-to-rear direction than the outer portion of one side surface 2a1 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the cylindrical connection portion 2b extends away from one side wall 6a of the storage box 6 as it extends forward in the vehicle front-to-rear direction (in other words, so as to approach the inner surface of the left side panel 7 in the figure).

[0028] The duct 3 forms a flow path extending from the ventilation section 1 to the blower 2. One end of the duct 3 is connected to the ventilation section 1, and the other end of the duct 3 is connected to the connection section 2b of the blower 2. In this embodiment, as described above, the ventilation hole 11 of the ventilation section 1 functions as an intake port for air cooling. In other words, the duct 3 is used as a pipe for guiding air in the passenger compartment S1 from the ventilation section 1 to the blower 2. The structure of the duct 3 will be described in detail later.

[0029] The air guided through the duct 3 is discharged from the discharge tube 2a3 of the blower 2. The air discharged from the discharge tube 2a3 is guided into the housing box 6 through an intake pipe 6b provided on one side wall 6a of the housing box 6 in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the air pressurized by the blower 2 is forced into the housing box 6. An exhaust pipe (not shown) is provided on the other side wall 6c of the housing box 6 in the vehicle width direction. When the blower 2 is started, air is forced into the housing box 6 through the discharge tube 2a3 and the intake pipe 6b. At this time, an air flow is generated in the interior space of the housing box 6, generally from one side wall 6a to the other side wall 6c and along the surfaces of the electrical components P in the housing box 6. The air flows along the surfaces of the electrical components P in this manner, cooling the electrical components P. The air heated by heat exchange through the surfaces of the electrical components P is exhausted to the outside of the housing box 6 through the exhaust pipe.

[0030] Incidentally, when the blower 2 is started, high-frequency sound is often generated. In this case, there is a possibility that the high-frequency sound (noise) will propagate to the passenger compartment S1 through the connection portion 2b of the blower 2, the duct 3, and the ventilation portion 1. In contrast, the vehicle-mounted electrical component cooling structure according to this embodiment has the following structure to effectively suppress the propagation of high-frequency sound to the passenger compartment S1 and maintain comfort within the passenger compartment S1.

[0031] Next, the structure of the duct 3 will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 3 to 5. Figure 4 is a top view of an assembly 80 of the fan 2 and the duct 3, and Figure 5 is a side view of the duct 3 as viewed from direction A shown in Figure 4.

[0032] 3, the duct 3 includes a first end 31 connected to the ventilation section 1, a second end 32 connected to the blower 2, a cylindrically formed reference pipe section 33, and a plurality of cylindrically formed bulging pipe sections 34 that bulge outward from the reference pipe section 33. In this embodiment, the first end 31 corresponds to the "end connected to the ventilation section" according to the present invention.

[0033] The duct 3 is made of, for example, a resin material and is formed by injection molding. By combining the duct 3 and the blower 2, an assembly 80 of the duct 3 and the blower 2 is formed as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0034] The first end 31 is formed in a cylindrical shape and constitutes one end of the duct 3 that connects to the ventilation section 1. Specifically, the first end 31 is formed in a roughly rectangular cylindrical shape and connects to the ventilation section 1 by abutting against the peripheral edge of the air hole in the ventilation section 1 from the back side of the wall 10 that forms the passenger compartment S1 of the vehicle. The first end 31 extends forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction and obliquely upward in accordance with the inclination of the wall 10 near the ventilation section 1. A ring-shaped seal member 35 is fitted inside the first end 31 so as to fit along the inner circumferential surface of the first end 31, and the seal member 35 abuts against the peripheral edge of the air hole in the ventilation section 1, thereby sealing the gap between the duct 3 and the ventilation section 1 (wall 10).

[0035] Second end 32 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is a portion into which connecting portion 2b of blower 2 is inserted, constituting the other end of duct 3 that connects to blower 2. Second end 32 is formed in a cylindrical shape. Then, connecting portion 2b of blower 2 is inserted (fitted) into second end 32 of duct 3, and the other end of duct 3 and connecting portion 2b of blower 2 are connected.

[0036] The reference pipe section 33 is a section that constitutes a throttle section that throttles the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path in the duct 3. Although not particularly limited, the reference pipe section 33 is formed in a roughly cylindrical shape and is provided separately on the blower 2 side of the duct 3. In other words, two reference pipe sections 33 are provided.

[0037] The multiple bulging pipe sections 34 are cylindrically formed sections that bulge outward from the outer surface of the standard pipe section 33, and are sections (expanded sections) that form a space that is larger than the narrowed section in the flow path within the duct 3. The multiple bulging pipe sections 34 are spaced apart from each other in the direction along the flow path within the duct 3. The multiple bulging pipe sections 34 bulge to different sizes from each other. In other words, the multiple bulging pipe sections 34 have internal volumes that are different from each other.

[0038] In this embodiment, the duct 3 has a plurality of bulging pipe sections 34, including a first bulging pipe section 34A located on the blower 2 side and a second bulging pipe section 34B located on the ventilation section 1 side. The internal volume of the second bulging pipe section 34B is larger than the internal volume of the first bulging pipe section 34A.

[0039] In other words, the first bulging pipe portion 34A is located closer to the blower 2 than the second bulging pipe portion 34B in the direction along the flow path in the duct 3. The second bulging pipe portion 34B is located closer to the ventilation section 1 than the first bulging pipe portion 34A in the direction along the flow path in the duct 3. Furthermore, the first bulging pipe portion 34A is located near the blower 2, which is a source of noise (high-frequency sound), and the second bulging pipe portion 34B is located near the passenger compartment S1, which is a target area for suppressing noise propagation.

[0040] The first bulging pipe section 34A has a generally cylindrical cross section and is located between the two reference pipe sections 33. The first bulging pipe section 34A is continuous with the two reference pipe sections 33 and extends generally forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction. More specifically, the blower-side piping section 36 consisting of the first bulging pipe section 34A and the two reference pipe sections 33 extends horizontally and is gently curved so as to move away from one side wall 6a of the storage box 6 (in other words, so as to approach the inner surface of the left side panel 7) as it moves forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction (see FIG. 4).

[0041] The second bulging pipe portion 34B has a generally rectangular cylindrical cross section, and is located between the first end portion 31 and the reference pipe portion 33 on the ventilation portion 1 side of the two reference pipe portions 33.

[0042] In this embodiment, the second bulging pipe portion 34B has a flat cross section in the vehicle width direction and extends in the vehicle up-down direction. The duct length of the second bulging pipe portion 34B in the vehicle up-down direction is greater than the duct width of the second bulging pipe portion 34B in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the second bulging pipe portion 34B is formed as a generally vertically elongated cylindrical body having inner walls facing each other in the vehicle width direction.

[0043] In this embodiment, the flow path in the duct 3 is bent at a predetermined position between the first bulging pipe section 34A and the second bulging pipe section 34B. Although not particularly limited, the predetermined position between the first bulging pipe section 34A and the second bulging pipe section 34B is set at a connection portion 37 in the duct 3 between the reference pipe section 33 on the ventilation section 1 side of the two reference pipe sections 33 and the second bulging pipe section 34B (in other words, the connection portion 37 in the duct 3 between the blower-side piping section 36 and the second bulging pipe section 34B).

[0044] Specifically, the flow path within the duct 3 extends generally forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction from the second end 32 to the blower side piping section 36, bends upward at an angle of approximately 90 degrees at the connection section 37, and then extends generally upward in the vehicle vertical direction at the second bulging pipe section 34B.

[0045] In this embodiment, the flow path in the duct 3 is further bent at a predetermined position between the second bulging pipe portion 34B and the first end portion 31. Specifically, the duct 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a vent section-side piping portion 38 that connects an upper portion of the second bulging pipe portion 34B to the first end portion 31. The vent section-side piping portion 38 is formed in a generally rectangular cylindrical shape. Although not particularly limited, the predetermined position between the second bulging pipe portion 34B and the first end portion 31 is set at a connection portion 39 in the duct 3 between the second bulging pipe portion 34B and the vent section-side piping portion 38.

[0046] More specifically, in this embodiment, one end of the vent-side piping 38 is connected to an upper end portion of the side wall of the second bulging pipe 34B on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and the other end of the vent-side piping 38 is connected to the first end 31. In other words, the flow path in the duct 3 is shifted in the vehicle width direction at the connection portion 39 of the duct 3, and is bent, for example, in a crank shape.

[0047] Specifically, the flow path within duct 3 extends upward in the vehicle vertical direction at second bulging pipe section 34B, bends outward in the vehicle width direction at an angle of approximately 90 degrees at connection section 39, and then extends forward and diagonally upward in the vehicle longitudinal direction at ventilation section side piping section 38.

[0048] Next, the operation of the cooling structure for vehicle-mounted electrical components according to this embodiment will be described using an example in which high-frequency sound is generated from the blower 2 when the blower 2 is started.

[0049] A portion of the high-frequency sound generated by the blower 2 begins to propagate from the connection portion 2b of the blower 2 through the duct 3 (the flow path within the duct 3). The sound propagation path includes, in order from the blower 2 side toward the ventilation section 1 side, a first reference pipe portion 33 (throttled portion), a first bulging pipe portion 34A (expanded portion), a second reference pipe portion 33 (throttled portion), a first bent portion (connection portion 37), a second bulging pipe portion 34B (expanded portion), a second bent portion (connection portion 39), and a ventilation section-side piping portion 38. Thus, the sound propagation path includes multiple bulging pipe portions 34 (first bulging pipe portion 34A, second bulging pipe portion 34B), in other words, multiple pairs of throttling portions and expanding portions. Therefore, the level of the high-frequency sound that begins to propagate through the duct 3 is effectively attenuated within the multiple bulging pipe portions 34 along the propagation path. As a result, the level of the high frequency sound is attenuated before the ventilation section 1 to a level that does not bother the occupants in the passenger compartment S1.

[0050] Furthermore, in the cooling structure for on-board electrical components according to this embodiment, the flow path between the ventilation section 1 and the blower 2 is formed by the duct 3, and by providing this duct 3 with a plurality of bulging pipe sections 34 (34A, 34B), the propagation of high-frequency sound from the blower 2 to the passenger compartment S1 is reduced. Therefore, compared to a conventional structure in which a shielding plate is provided near the blower and the flow path between the ventilation section and the blower is formed using part of the wall material near the blower, the cooling structure for on-board electrical components according to this embodiment has fewer restrictions on the location where the cooling structure can be constructed and provides greater freedom in the layout of the elements related to the cooling structure. Specifically, even in cases where the flow path between the ventilation section 1 and the blower 2 has to follow a complex path, or the ventilation section 1 and the blower 2 have to be located at significantly different heights in the vertical direction of the vehicle, or the blower 2 has to be located farther away from the ventilation section 1 than in conventional structures, it is possible to easily construct a structure for reducing high-frequency propagation to the passenger compartment S1 simply by forming the duct 3 having multiple bulging pipe sections 34 with a length and shape that matches the layout of the application area of ​​the cooling structure. Therefore, the cooling structure for an in-vehicle electrical component according to this embodiment has fewer restrictions on the location where the cooling structure can be constructed than conventional structures, and has a higher degree of freedom in layout of the elements of the cooling structure (ventilation section 1, blower 2, duct 3, etc.) than conventional structures.

[0051] As described above, the vehicle-mounted electrical component cooling structure according to this embodiment provides greater flexibility in layout than conventional structures, and can reduce sound propagation from the blower 2 to the passenger compartment S1. Furthermore, since the sound propagation path is provided with multiple bulging pipe sections 34 (first bulging pipe section 34A, second bulging pipe section 34B), in other words, multiple sets of narrowed sections and expanded sections, sound propagation from the blower 2 to the passenger compartment S1 is more effectively reduced.

[0052] In this embodiment, the internal volume of the second bulging pipe section 34B on the ventilation section 1 side is larger than the internal volume of the first bulging pipe section 34A on the blower 2 side, so noise (high-frequency sound) that is not completely attenuated in the first bulging pipe section 34A located near the blower 2, which is the source of the noise, is reliably attenuated in the second bulging pipe section 34B located near the passenger compartment S1, which is the target area for suppressing noise propagation. Also, by having the multiple bulging pipe sections 34 bulge to different sizes, the duct 3 can be easily installed and formed to match the layout of the application area of ​​the cooling structure, increasing the degree of freedom in layout.

[0053] In this embodiment, the second bulging pipe portion 34B has a flat cross section in the vehicle width direction and extends in the vehicle vertical direction, and the duct length of the second bulging pipe portion 34B in the vehicle vertical direction is greater than the duct width of the second bulging pipe portion 34B in the vehicle width direction. This makes it easier for sound from the blower 2 to be reflected and interfered with between the two inner walls of the second bulging pipe portion 34B that face each other in the vehicle width direction, and as a result, the sound from the blower 2 is more likely to be effectively attenuated before the ventilation portion 1.

[0054] In this embodiment, the flow path in the duct 3 is bent at a predetermined position between the first bulging pipe portion 34A and the second bulging pipe portion 34B, and at a predetermined position between the second bulging pipe portion 34B and the first end portion 31, so the sound propagation path is bent at multiple points. Therefore, at the bent points (connection portions 37 and 39), the sound from the blower 2 is reflected in a complex manner on the inner wall of the duct 3, making it more likely to interfere.

[0055] The description of the present embodiment is merely an example for explaining the present invention, and does not limit the invention described in the claims. Furthermore, the configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the technical scope described in the claims.

[0056] For example, in this embodiment, the internal volume of the second bulging pipe portion 34B may be smaller than or equal to the internal volume of the first bulging pipe portion 34A. Furthermore, the number of bulging pipe portions 34 is not limited to two, but may be three or more. The shape of each bulging pipe portion 34 can be set as appropriate. For example, the bulging pipe portion 34 is not limited to a cylindrical or rectangular tubular shape, and any appropriate cross-sectional shape, such as a triangular tubular shape, a pentagonal tubular shape, or an elliptical tubular shape, can be adopted. Furthermore, the outer peripheral surface of the bulging pipe portion 34 having an appropriate shape may be in contact with the side panel 7 or the resin trim (wall 10). This suppresses vibration of the duct 3.

[0057] In the present embodiment, the flow path in the duct 3 is bent at approximately 90 degrees at the connection portion 37 and bent in a crank shape at the connection portion 39. However, this is not a limitation and the flow path may be bent at any suitable angle or shape. For example, the flow path in the duct 3 may be bent at an acute angle. This can further enhance the sound attenuation effect. Although the flow path in the duct 3 is bent at two locations, this is not a limitation and the flow path may be bent at one location, three or more locations, or no bend at all. In addition, the ventilation portion 1 is formed in the trim on the side of the rear seat 4. However, this is not a limitation and the ventilation portion 1 may be formed in an appropriate wall forming the passenger compartment S1. Furthermore, the electrical component P is disposed in the luggage compartment S2 behind the rear seat. However, this is not a limitation and the electrical component P may be disposed below the seat portion 4a of the rear seat 4. In this case, the blower 2 may be disposed below the seat portion 4a together with the electrical component P, or may be disposed in the luggage compartment S2. Alternatively, the blower 2 may be disposed below the seat portion 4a and the electrical component P may be disposed in the luggage compartment S2.

[0058] In this embodiment, the blower 2 cools the electric components P by sucking in air through the ventilation section 1 and the duct 3 and supplying it into the housing box 6, but the direction of the air flow is not limited to this. That is, the air flow may be reversed from that in this embodiment. In this case, the blower 2 sucks in air from within the housing box 6 and exhausts the sucked air through the duct 3 and the ventilation section 1, thereby generating an air flow in the housing box 6 that follows the surfaces of the electric components P and cools the electric components P. Even in this case, the multiple bulging pipe sections 34 of the duct 3 effectively prevent sound from the blower 2 from propagating to the passenger compartment S1 through the duct 3 and the ventilation section 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1...ventilation section, 2...blower, 3...duct, 10...wall, 11...vent hole, 31...first end (end), 33...reference pipe section, 34...plurality of bulging pipe sections, 34A...first bulging pipe section, 34B...second bulging pipe section, P...electrical component, S1...occupant compartment

Claims

1. An in-vehicle electrical component cooling structure including: a ventilation section having an air vent that penetrates a wall that forms a passenger compartment of a vehicle; a blower that is provided in a rear area of ​​the vehicle and generates an air flow for cooling predetermined electrical components in the rear area; and a duct that forms a flow path extending from the ventilation section to the blower, The duct has a standard pipe portion formed in a cylindrical shape and a plurality of bulging pipe portions formed in a cylindrical shape and bulging outward from an outer surface of the standard pipe portion, the plurality of bulging pipe portions include at least a first bulging pipe portion and a second bulging pipe portion located closer to the ventilation portion than the first bulging pipe portion in a direction along the flow path, The internal volume of the second bulging pipe portion is larger than the internal volume of the first bulging pipe portion, the ventilation section is located above the predetermined electrical component and the blower in the vehicle vertical direction, the second bulging pipe portion has a flat cross section in the vehicle width direction and extends in the vehicle up-down direction, The vehicle-mounted electrical component cooling structure, wherein a duct length of the second bulging pipe portion in the vehicle vertical direction is greater than a duct width of the second bulging pipe portion in the vehicle width direction.

2. 2. The cooling structure for an in-vehicle electrical component according to claim 1, wherein the flow path in the duct is bent at a predetermined position between the first bulging pipe portion and the second bulging pipe portion.

3. An automotive electrical component cooling structure as described in claim 2, wherein the second bulge pipe portion extends in the vehicle vertical direction from the outer side of the first bulge pipe portion in the vehicle width direction to the rear of the ventilation portion when viewed from the inside of the vehicle width direction.

4. the duct is formed in a cylindrical shape and has an end portion connected to the ventilation portion, 4. The cooling structure for an on-vehicle electrical component according to claim 1, wherein the flow path in the duct is bent at a predetermined position between the second bulging pipe portion and the end portion.

Images