Cooling structure for automotive electrical components

Abstract

To suppress adhesion of liquid to an internal component of an air blower and an electric component as a cooling object.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 air blower 2 has a cylindrical connection part 2b connected to the duct 3, and the duct 3 has a cylindrical part 32 which is cylindrically formed and into which the connection part 2b of the air blower 2 is inserted. An assembly 80 of the air blower 2 and the duct 3 includes a foam member 8 which surrounds end parts of the cylindrical part 32 over an inner peripheral surface, an end surface and an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical part 32.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 the cooling structure for an automobile battery disclosed in Patent Document 1, a battery pack, a blower fan (hereinafter referred to as a blower) for cooling the battery modules in the battery pack, and an air intake duct (hereinafter referred to as a duct) are arranged in the luggage compartment behind the rear seats of the vehicle (i.e., the rear area of ​​the vehicle). In this cooling structure, an air intake is formed in the wall facing the passenger compartment (passenger compartment) of the vehicle (i.e., the wall forming the passenger compartment), and the air intake duct extends from the air intake to the blower. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-1683 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the cooling structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that liquid may enter the duct from the passenger compartment side through the air intake, and then the liquid in the duct may reach the inside of the blower or the inside of the battery pack, causing the liquid to adhere to internal components of the blower or the battery pack, etc. It is also possible that electrical components other than the battery module (battery) may be targeted for cooling 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 an in-vehicle electrical component cooling structure that has a structure that can prevent liquid from adhering to the internal components of the blower or the electrical components to be cooled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a cooling structure for on-board 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 generating 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-board electrical components, the blower has a cylindrical connecting section that connects to the duct, and the duct has a cylindrical portion into which the connecting section of the blower is inserted. The assembly of the blower and the duct includes a foam member that surrounds an end of the cylindrical portion along its inner circumferential surface, end face, and outer circumferential surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an in-vehicle electrical component cooling structure having a structure that can prevent liquid from adhering to the internal components of the blower and the electrical components to be cooled. [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] 2 is a partially enlarged view of the vehicle-mounted electrical component cooling structure as viewed from the front in the vehicle longitudinal direction. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a top view of the blower and duct assembly. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly taken along line AA shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the duct as viewed from the inside in the vehicle width direction. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view of the duct as viewed from the rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction. 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.

[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 fastened to the lower end of the first bracket 2c, and the other end of the intermediate bracket 2e is fastened 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, if an occupant in the passenger compartment S1 spills a liquid such as a beverage, the liquid may enter the duct 3 from the passenger compartment S1 side through the ventilation portion 1. Furthermore, when the ventilation portion 1 is located near the door opening edge portion 7a for the rear side door, as in the present embodiment, liquid such as rainwater may enter the duct 3 from the passenger compartment S1 side through the ventilation portion 1. Furthermore, condensation may occur inside the duct 3. In such cases, liquid (such as beverages or rainwater) that has entered the duct 3 or liquid such as condensed water in the duct 3 may reach the inside of the blower 2 or the inside of the housing box 6. In response to this, the vehicle-mounted electrical component cooling structure according to the present embodiment has a structure (liquid adhesion prevention structure) described below to effectively prevent liquid such as liquid that has entered the duct 3 or condensed water in the duct 3 from adhering to the internal components of the blower 2 or the electrical component P to be cooled.

[0031] Next, the liquid adhesion prevention structure will be described in detail mainly with reference to Figures 3 to 8. Figure 4 is a partially enlarged view of the vehicle-mounted electrical component cooling structure as seen from the front in the vehicle longitudinal direction, Figure 5 is a top view of assembly 80 of blower 2 and duct 3, Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of assembly 80 taken along line AA shown in Figure 5, Figure 7 is a partially enlarged view of duct 3 as seen from the inside in the vehicle transverse direction, and Figure 8 is a partially enlarged view of duct 3 as seen from the rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 3, the duct 3 includes a ventilation section side piping section 31 connected to the ventilation section 1, a cylindrical section 32 connected to the blower 2, and a duct main body section 33.

[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 fan 2, an assembly 80 of the duct 3 and the fan 2 is formed as shown in Figures 4 to 6.

[0034] The ventilation section-side piping 31 is formed, for example, in the shape of a stepped cylinder, and constitutes one end of the duct 3 that connects to the ventilation section 1. Specifically, the ventilation section-side piping 31 is formed in a roughly rectangular cylinder shape, and is composed of a first rectangular cylinder section 31a on the ventilation section 1 side and a second rectangular cylinder section 31b having a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the first rectangular cylinder section 31a. The ventilation section-side piping 31 connects to the ventilation section 1 by abutting the first rectangular cylinder section 31a against the peripheral edge of the air hole of the ventilation section 1 from the back side of the wall 10 that forms the passenger compartment S1 of the vehicle. The ventilation section-side piping 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. In addition, a sealing member 34 formed in a ring shape so as to fit along the inner surface of the first rectangular tube portion 31a is fitted inside the first rectangular tube portion 31a, and the sealing member 34 abuts against the peripheral edge of the air hole of the ventilation portion 1, thereby sealing the gap between the duct 3 and the ventilation portion 1 (wall 10).

[0035] The tubular portion 32 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is the portion into which the connection portion 2b of the blower 2 is inserted, and constitutes the other end of the duct 3 that connects to the blower 2. The tubular portion 32 is formed, for example, in a stepped cylindrical shape. The tubular portion 32 is composed, for example, of a first cylindrical portion 32a on the blower 2 side and a second cylindrical portion 32b having a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the first cylindrical portion 32a. The connection portion 2b of the blower 2 is inserted (fitted) into the tubular portion 32 of the duct 3, and the other end of the duct 3 and the connection portion 2b of the blower 2 are connected.

[0036] 3 to 6, the tubular portion 32 is formed in a stepped, thin-walled cylindrical shape. The inner diameter of the second cylindrical portion 32b of the tubular portion 32 is set to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the connection portion 2b of the blower 2. The tip of the connection portion 2b of the blower 2 extends into the second cylindrical portion 32b (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

[0037] The duct main body 33 is a portion that connects the ventilation section-side piping section 31 and the tubular section 32. Specifically, the duct main body 33 extends from the end of the second cylindrical section 32b to the end of the second rectangular tubular section 31b, extends from the second cylindrical section 32b generally forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction, then bends upward at an angle of approximately 90 degrees, and extends generally upward in the vehicle vertical direction.

[0038] Here, the assembly 80 of the blower 2 and the duct 3 includes a foam member 8 that surrounds the end of the cylindrical portion 32 over the inner circumferential surface, end face, and outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 32 .

[0039] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , the foam member 8 is attached to the cylindrical connecting portion 2b of the blower 2 so as to surround the outer circumferential surface of the connecting portion 2b. The foam member 8 is elastic and is made of, for example, a sponge material. The foam member 8 is formed in an annular shape with a thickness approximately equal to the protruding length (protruding length from one side surface 2a1) of the connecting portion 2b of the blower 2. The inner diameter of the foam member 8 is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the connecting portion 2b of the blower 2 and is smaller than the inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion 32a of the tubular portion 32 of the duct 3. The outer diameter of the foam member 8 is larger than the outer diameter of the first cylindrical portion 32a of the tubular portion 32 of the duct 3. When connecting the connection portion 2b of the blower 2 and the duct 3, with the foam member 8 attached around the connection portion 2b of the blower 2 (see FIG. 3), the end face of the tubular portion 32 (first cylindrical portion 32a) of the duct 3 abuts against the end face of the foam member 8, and the portion of the foam member 8 corresponding to the tubular portion 32 (the portion indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3) is crushed (see FIG. 6). At this time, the connection state (see FIG. 6) between the blower 2 and the duct 3 is maintained by fixing the blower 2 to the floor panel 5 and appropriately fixing the duct 3 to the side panel 7, the wall 10, etc. Then, with the blower 2 and the duct 3 connected to each other, the foam member 8 surrounds the end of the tubular portion 32 at the first cylindrical portion 32a over the inner circumferential surface, end face, and outer circumferential surface of the tubular portion 32. The connecting portion 2b of the blower 2 is supported on the blower side end (tubular portion 32) of the duct 3 via the foam member 8. In other words, the blower side end (tubular portion 32) of the duct 3 is supported on the connecting portion 2b of the blower 2 via the foam member 8.

[0040] 6 to 8, in this embodiment, the duct 3 has a discharge portion 35 having a groove 35a that extends along the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion 32 at the lower end in the vehicle up-down direction, the groove 35a extending to the end face of the tubular portion 32. The discharge portion 35 is formed so as to bulge downward more than the outer circumferential surface of the other parts of the tubular portion 32. The groove bottom of the groove 35a of the discharge portion 35 is curved, for example, in an arc shape (see FIG. 8).

[0041] In this embodiment, the groove bottom of groove 35a is inclined so as to move away from the outer peripheral surface of connecting portion 2b toward the end face of tubular portion 32 (in other words, toward blower 2) (see FIGS. 6 and 8). Connecting portion 2b extends in a generally horizontal direction. The groove bottom of groove 35a is inclined relative to the horizontal direction and is positioned vertically lower toward the end face side of tubular portion 32 (toward blower 2).

[0042] In this embodiment, the foam member 8 has elasticity as described above. The portion of the foam member 8 facing the groove 35a of the discharge portion 35 is located within the interior region of the groove 35a. Specifically, when compressed by the tubular portion 32, the radially inner portion of the foam member 8 is deformed to fill the annular space between the connection portion 2b of the blower 2 and the first cylindrical portion 32a of the tubular portion 32 of the duct 3, as shown in FIG. 6. In this state, the portion of the foam member 8 corresponding to the groove 35a of the discharge portion 35 is deformed to enter the interior region of the groove 35a. In this embodiment, the groove 35a (discharge portion 35) is formed over the entire longitudinal length of the tubular portion 32, extending not only to the region of the first cylindrical portion 32a but also to the region of the second cylindrical portion 32b. The inner region of the groove 35a in the longitudinal direction corresponding to the first cylindrical portion 32a is filled with the foam member 8, and the inner region of the groove 35a in the longitudinal direction corresponding to the second cylindrical portion 32b is open.

[0043] The assembly 80 also includes a water guide portion 9 extending from a position directly below the discharge portion 35 to a predetermined position that does not overlap with the electrical component P (the storage box 6 in this embodiment) in a top view. The water guide portion 9 receives liquid discharged from the open end of the discharge portion 35 and guides the received liquid to the predetermined position. In this embodiment, the water guide portion 9 is composed of a first bracket 2c, an intermediate bracket 2e, and a water guide tray 2f. The water guide tray 2f is located between the intermediate bracket 2e and the leg portion 61 and the floor panel 5, and extends from a portion of the floor panel 5 corresponding to the intermediate bracket 2e to a position forward of the storage box 6. The water guide tray 2f receives liquid discharged from the open end of the discharge portion 35 and has a water guide wall 2f1 to guide the liquid to, for example, the predetermined position, i.e., a position forward of the storage box 6 on the floor panel 5. Note that a rust prevention treatment is applied to the surface of at least a portion of the floor panel 5 corresponding to the predetermined position.

[0044] 1 and 2, the vehicle-mounted electrical component cooling structure according to this embodiment includes a strip-shaped member B that covers part of the vent hole 11 of the ventilation portion 1 from the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0045] In this embodiment, the belt-shaped member B is a part of the seat belt. Specifically, the ventilation unit 1 is located above a predetermined electric component P and the blower 2 in the vehicle vertical direction, and between a side portion 41 of the rear seat 4 and a side panel 7 of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction. The seat belt is arranged along the wall 10, which is the resin trim described above, extending 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 a predetermined longitudinal portion of the seat belt covers a part of the air vent 11 of the ventilation unit 1.

[0046] 1, 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). The water guide section 9 described above extends through the gap G between the storage box 6 and the floor panel 5 so as to pass below a corner of the storage box 6 (the corner on the front left side in the drawing).

[0047] Next, the operation of the cooling structure for vehicle-mounted electrical components according to this embodiment will be described by taking as an example a case where liquid enters the duct 3 from the passenger compartment S1 side through the ventilation portion 1.

[0048] Liquid that has entered the duct 3 from the passenger compartment S1 side through the ventilation hole 11 of the ventilation section 1 flows toward the blower 2 side through the ventilation section-side piping section 31 and the duct main body section 33, and then reaches the tubular section 32. The liquid that has reached the tubular section 32 is collected in the discharge section 35. The collected liquid flows along the groove bottom of the inclined groove 35a of the discharge section 35. Specifically, the liquid that has reached the tubular section 32 flows along the portion of the groove 35a that corresponds to the second cylindrical section 32b in the longitudinal direction, and then flows toward the open end side of the groove 35a (discharge section 35) (in other words, the end face side of the tubular section 32) while being absorbed by the foam member 8 that is along the groove bottom of the groove 35a. The liquid that has reached the open end of the groove 35a flows down through the portion of the foam member 8 that is crushed between the end face of the tubular section 32 and one side surface 2a1 of the casing 2a. The liquid that flows down is absorbed by the portion of the foam member 8 that is along the outer peripheral surface of the discharge portion 35 and then falls downward. That is, the liquid discharged from the discharge portion 35 to the outside of the duct 3 falls. The falling liquid is received by the water guide portion 9 (the first bracket 2c, the intermediate bracket 2e, and the water guide tray 2f). The received liquid flows below the housing box 6 through the water guide portion 9 and is then guided to the intended position (for example, the front position of the housing box 6). In this way, the liquid that has entered the duct 3 is absorbed by the foam member 8, which effectively prevents the liquid from reaching the internal components of the blower 2 or the electrical component P to be cooled. As a result, the liquid can be effectively prevented from adhering to the internal components of the blower 2 or the surfaces of the electrical component P to be cooled. Note that if condensation occurs in the duct 3, the condensed water is discharged to the outside of the duct 3 together with the liquid that has entered the duct 3.

[0049] As described above, the cooling structure for an in-vehicle electrical component according to this embodiment has a structure that can effectively prevent liquid from adhering to the internal components of the blower 2 and the electrical component P to be cooled. The foam member 8 also functions as a support member for the connection portion 2b of the blower 2 and the blower-side end (tubular portion 32) of the duct 3. Therefore, the foam member 8 forms a support member that does not need to be concerned about corrosion (rust, etc.) due to adhesion of liquid.

[0050] In this embodiment, the duct 3 has a discharge portion 35 having a groove 35a that extends along the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion 32 at the lower end in the vehicle up-down direction on the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion 32. This allows the duct 3 to collect the liquid inside the duct 3 by the discharge portion 35 and to reliably and efficiently discharge the collected liquid outside the duct 3 by the discharge portion 35. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the groove bottom of the groove 35a is inclined so as to move away from the outer circumferential surface of the connecting portion 2b as it approaches the end face of the tubular portion 32, so that the liquid inside the duct 3 can be more effectively discharged.

[0051] In this embodiment, since the foam member 8 has elasticity, the gap between the connecting portion 2b of the blower 2 and the tubular portion 32 of the duct 3 is filled with the foam member 8. Therefore, the foam member 8 can sufficiently discharge the liquid inside the duct 3 without significantly reducing the airtightness between the blower 2 and the duct 3. In addition, the foam member 8 can suppress the propagation of vibrations that may be generated by driving the blower 2 to the passenger compartment S1 through the duct 3, etc.

[0052] In this embodiment, the assembly 80 extends from a position directly below the discharge portion 35 to a predetermined position that does not overlap with the electrical component P (the housing box 6 in this embodiment) in a top view, and has a water guide portion 9 that guides the liquid discharged from the discharge portion 35 to the predetermined position. As a result, the liquid discharged outside the duct 3 is guided by the water guide portion 9 to an intended position that has been treated for rust prevention or the like. This reduces the impact of liquid discharge on the vehicle body.

[0053] In this embodiment, the vent hole 11 of the ventilation part 1 is partially covered from the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction by the belt-shaped member B, which effectively prevents liquid from entering the inside of the duct 3 from the passenger compartment S1 side. Also, in this embodiment, the belt-shaped member B is part of the seat belt, so liquid intrusion can be prevented without adding any additional parts for preventing liquid intrusion.

[0054] In this embodiment, a gap G is provided between the storage box 6 and the floor panel 5, so that even if the liquid discharged outside the duct 3 splashes and drips onto the floor panel 5, the liquid dripping onto the floor panel 5 is reliably prevented from entering the storage box 6 through gaps in the bottom wall of the storage box 6, etc.

[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, the foam member 8 has elasticity and is therefore deformed to fit the shape of the tubular portion 32, but this is not limiting and the foam member 8 does not have to be elastic. In this case, the foam member 8 only needs to be formed to have a groove into which the tubular portion 32 (first cylindrical portion 32a) fits. Furthermore, the belt-shaped member B does not have to be a seat belt. The discharge portion 35, the water guide portion 9, and the belt-shaped member B do not have to be provided. Furthermore, the gap G does not have to be provided between the storage box 6 and the floor panel 5.

[0057] The duct 3 may be formed in any suitable shape. Although the ventilation portion 1 is formed in the trim on the side of the rear seat 4, the present invention is not limited to this and may be formed in any suitable wall forming the passenger compartment S1. Furthermore, the electrical component P is disposed in the luggage compartment S2 behind the rear seat, but the present invention is not limited to this and 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 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1...ventilation section, 2...blower, 2b...connection section, 3...duct, 4...rear seat, 5...floor panel, 6...storage box, 7...side panel, 8...foam member, 9...water guide section, 10...wall, 11...vent, 32...tubular section, 35...exhaust section, 35a...groove, 41...side of rear seat, 80...assembly, B... Belt-shaped member (part of the seat belt), G... Gap, P... Electrical component, S1... Passenger 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 blower has a cylindrical connection portion that is connected to the duct, the duct is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a cylindrical portion into which the connection portion of the blower is inserted, the assembly of the blower and the duct includes a foam member that surrounds the end of the cylindrical portion across an inner circumferential surface, an end face, and an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion, The duct has an outlet portion at a lower end of the inner surface of the cylindrical portion in the vehicle vertical direction, the outlet portion having a groove extending along the inner surface to the end face of the cylindrical portion.

2. The vehicle-mounted electrical component cooling structure according to claim 1 , wherein the groove bottom is inclined so as to move away from the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion toward the end surface of the cylindrical portion.

3. The foam member has elasticity, The cooling structure for an in-vehicle electrical component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a portion of the foam member facing the groove of the discharge portion is located in an inner region of the groove.

4. 4. The vehicle-mounted electrical component cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the assembly extends from a position directly below the discharge portion to a predetermined position that does not overlap with the predetermined electrical component in a top view, and includes a water guide portion that guides the liquid discharged from the discharge portion to the predetermined position.

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