Vehicle and battery pack

Abstract

To provide a vehicle which can inhibit an attachment member attached to a battery pack from falling from the vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle 100 comprises: a vehicle body 10 including an under body 50; and a battery pack 20 attached to the vehicle body 10 at the lower side of the under body 50. The battery pack 20 includes: an upper surface part 21a provided so as to face the under body 50; and a heat insulation material 28 (an attachment member) attached to the upper surface part 21a. The upper surface part 21a is provided with a protruding part 21b protruding to the under body 50 side. In the heat insulation material 28, a hole part 28a into which the protruding part 21b is inserted is formed. A shortest distance D1 between the protruding part 21b and the under body 50 is smaller than a minimum value tmin of a thickness t of the heat insulation material 28.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle and a battery pack.

Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-046748 (Patent Document 1) discloses a battery pack attached to a vehicle body frame from the bottom side of a vehicle. Members such as a heat conduction member, a heat sink, and a heat insulating sheet are attached to the battery pack.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When an external force (such as a vibration load, an impact load, and chemical adhesion) is applied to the battery pack described in Patent Document 1 above, members (attachment members) such as a heat conduction member, a heat sink, and a heat insulating sheet may fall off from the vehicle.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle and a battery pack capable of suppressing attachment members attached to the battery pack from falling off from the vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A vehicle relating to the first aspect of this disclosure comprises a vehicle body including an underbody, and a battery pack mounted below the underbody. The battery pack includes an upper surface portion provided opposite the underbody, and a mounting member attached to the upper surface portion. The upper surface portion is provided with a projection that protrudes toward the underbody. The mounting member has a hole into which the projection is inserted. The shortest distance between the projection and the underbody is less than the minimum thickness of the mounting member.

[0007] In the vehicle relating to the first aspect of this disclosure, as described above, the shortest distance between the protrusion and the underbody is smaller than the minimum thickness of the mounting member. This prevents the mounting member from slipping through the gap between the protrusion and the underbody corresponding to the shortest distance. As a result, it is possible to prevent the mounting member attached to the battery pack from falling off the vehicle.

[0008] The vehicle relating to the first aspect described above preferably includes an engine and an exhaust pipe for exhausting gases discharged from the engine. The exhaust pipe is located below the underbody. The mounting member is an insulating material. With this configuration, the mounting member (insulating material) can suppress the transfer of radiant heat from the exhaust pipe to the battery pack. Therefore, preventing the mounting member from falling off is effective in preventing the battery pack from overheating due to the radiant heat (i.e., the components inside the battery pack exceeding the allowable temperature due to radiant heat).

[0009] In this case, preferably, the mounting member is positioned forward of the center of the battery pack in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. Here, the engine compartment of a vehicle is generally located on the front side of the vehicle body. Therefore, the front part of the battery pack is relatively close to the engine compartment and is therefore susceptible to the effects of air heated by the engine. Accordingly, positioning the mounting member (insulating material) on the front side of the battery pack is effective in suppressing the temperature rise of the battery pack due to air heated by the engine (preventing components inside the battery pack from exceeding their permissible temperature).

[0010] In the vehicle relating to the first aspect described above, preferably, the protrusion is spaced apart from the underbody. This suppresses the transmission of vibrations from the vehicle body to the battery pack via the protrusion. Therefore, it is possible to suppress damage to the battery pack due to vibrations of the vehicle body and prevent it from falling off the vehicle body while suppressing the mounting member from falling off the vehicle (battery pack).

[0011] A battery pack relating to the second aspect of this disclosure is a battery pack to be mounted on a vehicle, comprising a battery module, a housing portion that houses the battery module and includes an upper surface portion, and a mounting member attached to the upper surface portion. The upper surface portion is provided so as to face the underbody of the vehicle when the housing portion is mounted on the vehicle. The upper surface portion is provided with a projection that protrudes toward the underbody when the housing portion is mounted on the vehicle. The mounting member has a hole formed therein that is inserted into the projection portion. When the housing portion is mounted on the vehicle, the shortest distance between the projection portion and the underbody is smaller than the minimum thickness of the mounting member.

[0012] In the battery pack relating to the second aspect of this disclosure, as described above, the shortest distance between the protrusion and the underbody is smaller than the minimum thickness of the mounting member. This makes it possible to provide a battery pack that can prevent the mounting member attached to the battery pack from falling off the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to this disclosure, it is possible to prevent the mounting member attached to the battery pack from falling off the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] A side view showing the configuration of a vehicle according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a plan view of a vehicle according to one embodiment, seen from below. [Figure 3]It is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a battery pack according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a plan view of a battery pack according to an embodiment as viewed from above. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 4. [Figure 7] It is a partially enlarged view near the location where the distance between the convex portion and the underbody is the shortest in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing a heat insulating material and a convex portion according to a modification of an embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] The vehicle and the battery pack according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. Among the configurations shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, the same or substantially the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. In FIGS. 1 and the like, "U" indicates the upward direction, "D" indicates the downward direction, "L" indicates the leftward direction, and "R" indicates the rightward direction.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a vehicle 100 equipped with a battery pack 20 according to the present embodiment. The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle body 10, a battery pack 20, a drive device 30, and a fuel tank 40. The vehicle 100 is, for example, a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle). The vehicle body 10 includes an underbody 50. The underbody 50 is provided at the lower part (bottom) of the vehicle body 10.

[0017] An engine compartment 60 and a passenger compartment 70 are formed in the vehicle body 10. The engine compartment 60 is formed in front of the passenger compartment 70. The engine compartment 60 is a vehicle body space in which an engine 31 described later is mounted. The passenger compartment 70 is, for example, a space where passengers board.

[0018] The drive device 30 includes an engine 31, a rotating electric machine MG1, a rotating electric machine MG2, and a PCU 32. The PCU 32 includes, for example, two inverters and a converter. One inverter is electrically connected to the rotating electric machine MG1, and the other inverter is connected to the rotating electric machine MG2. The converter is electrically connected to the battery pack 20. The rotating electric machine MG2 mainly functions as a motor for rotating the drive wheels, and the rotating electric machine MG1 mainly functions as a generator. The engine 31 is driven by fuel supplied from the fuel tank 40 and generates a driving force for rotating the drive wheels.

[0019] Each of the battery pack 20 and the fuel tank 40 is attached to the vehicle body 10 (underbody 50) below the underbody 50. The fuel tank 40 is disposed on the rear side of the battery pack 20.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the bottom surface of the vehicle 100, and FIG. 3 is a plan view (cross-sectional view) schematically showing the battery pack 20 and its surrounding configuration. Note that FIG. 3 is a plan view when the battery pack 20 is viewed from the upper side.

[0021] The battery pack 20 includes a housing case 21, a plurality (four in this embodiment) of power storage modules 22, a battery ECU 23 (see FIG. 3), and a junction box 24 (see FIG. 3). The housing case 21 houses the plurality of power storage modules 22, the battery ECU 23, and the junction box 24. Note that the housing case 21 and the power storage module 22 are examples of the "housing part" and the "battery module" of the present disclosure, respectively.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, the housing case 21 includes a front end surface 21A, a rear end surface 21B, a side surface 21C, a side surface 21D, and an inclined side surface 21E. In the example shown in Figure 3, side surface 21C is located on the left side. Side surface 21D and the inclined side surface 21E are located on the opposite side from side surface 21C, and side surface 21D and the inclined side surface 21E are located on the right side. The inclined side surface 21E is connected to the tip of side surface 21D, and the inclined side surface 21E is inclined to approach side surface 21C as it extends forward.

[0023] The four energy storage modules 22 are spaced apart in the width direction (left-right direction) of the vehicle 100. Each energy storage module 22 is connected to the others in series.

[0024] Each energy storage module 22 includes multiple energy storage cells. The multiple energy storage cells of each energy storage module 22 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100. Each energy storage cell is, for example, a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery or a capacitor.

[0025] The battery ECU 23 and the junction box 24 are each located in front of the energy storage module 22.

[0026] The junction box 24 is connected to high-voltage wiring 25A, 25B and high-voltage wiring 26A, 26B. High-voltage wiring 25A, 25B electrically connects the junction box 24 to the PCU 32. High-voltage wiring 26A, 26B electrically connects the junction box 24 to the energy storage module 22. A relay is provided inside the junction box 24. The junction box 24 switches the electrical connections of high-voltage wiring 25A, 25B and high-voltage wiring 26A, 26B.

[0027] The battery ECU 23 is connected to signal wiring 27, which includes signal lines, and the signal wiring 27 electrically connects the battery ECU 23 to an ECU (not shown) of the vehicle 100.

[0028] The vehicle 100 includes an exhaust pipe 80 and a cooling circuit 90. The exhaust pipe 80 is connected to the engine 31 (see Figure 1). The exhaust pipe 80 exhausts the gases discharged from the engine 31. The exhaust pipe 80 is located below the underbody 50. The exhaust pipe 80 is formed to pass below the underbody 50 and extend rearward from the engine 31. The exhaust pipe 80 is provided to run along the side 21D and inclined side 21E of the battery pack 20.

[0029] The cooling circuit 90 includes a compressor 91, a condenser 92, a receiver tank 93, expansion valves 94 (94A, 94B), cooling pipes 95A, 95B, and multiple refrigerant pipes 96A, 96B, 96C, 96D, and refrigerant C circulates within the cooling circuit 90. Refrigerant C flows in the direction of flow C1.

[0030] The refrigerant pipe 96C and cooling pipe 95A are connected to the expansion valve 94A. The refrigerant pipe 96C is connected to the receiver tank 93. The refrigerant pipe 96C and cooling pipe 95B are connected to the expansion valve 94B. Each of the expansion valves 94A and 94B is housed in a housing case 21.

[0031] Cooling pipes 95A and 95B are located on the underside of the energy storage module 22 and cool the energy storage module 22. In the flow direction C1, the downstream ends of cooling pipes 95A and 95B are connected to refrigerant pipe 96D. Refrigerant pipe 96D is connected to a compressor 91 located outside the battery pack 20.

[0032] Each of the refrigerant pipes 96C and 96D is drawn out from inside the housing case 21 to outside the housing case 21. Each of the refrigerant pipes 96C and 96D is drawn out from the front end surface 21A of the housing case 21 to the outside.

[0033] Figure 4 is a plan view of the battery pack 20 as seen from above. The battery pack 20 (housing case 21) includes an upper surface 21a. The upper surface 21a is a surface positioned to face upward. The upper surface 21a is provided so as to face the underbody 50 (see Figure 1) when the battery pack 20 (housing case 21) is attached to the vehicle 100.

[0034] The battery pack 20 includes an insulating material 28. The insulating material 28 is attached to the upper surface 21a. Specifically, the insulating material 28 is attached to the upper surface 21a by adhesive or double-sided tape. The insulating material 28 is formed in a sheet shape. The insulating material 28 is an example of the "mounting member" in this disclosure.

[0035] A protrusion 21b is provided on the upper surface portion 21a. The protrusion 21b protrudes toward the underbody 50 side (upward side) when the battery pack 20 (housing case 21) is attached to the vehicle 100.

[0036] The insulation material 28 has a hole 28a formed therein. The protrusion 21b of the upper surface portion 21a is inserted into the hole 28a. Specifically, the protrusion 21b penetrates the hole 28a and protrudes further towards the underbody 50 than the insulation material 28.

[0037] The thermal insulation material 28 is provided so as to surround the protrusion 21b. Specifically, the thermal insulation material 28 does not have any separated portions (notches) and has an annular shape that surrounds the protrusion 21b all around. The hole 28a is formed near the center of the thermal insulation material 28 in a plan view.

[0038] An expansion valve 94 is located in the internal space of the housing case 21 corresponding to the protrusion 21b. Both expansion valves 94A and 94B may be located in the internal space, or either one of the expansion valves 94A or 94B may be located there. In Figure 4 and subsequent figures and the following description, the expansion valves 94A and 94B will be referred to simply as expansion valve 94 without distinction.

[0039] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along the VV line in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 5, an air guide section 51 is formed between the protrusion 21b and the underbody 50. Air heated by the engine 31 (see Figure 1) passes through the air guide section 51 and flows to the rear side of the vehicle 100.

[0040] Furthermore, the vehicle 100 (vehicle body 10) includes an under cover 12 located below the battery pack 20 (storage case 21).

[0041] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along the line VI-VI in Figure 5. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the protrusion 21b is spaced apart from the underbody 50. In other words, the protrusion 21b is provided on the battery pack 20 in a non-contact state with the underbody 50. This prevents the transmission of reaction force from the underbody 50 to the battery pack 20 even if the battery pack 20 is lifted upward due to interference with an object falling from the vehicle 100. The heat insulating material 28 is also spaced apart from the underbody 50.

[0042] In conventional vehicles, when external forces (such as vibration loads, impact loads, and chemical contamination) are applied to the battery pack, components such as insulation materials may detach from the vehicle.

[0043] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the shortest distance D1 between the protrusion 21b and the underbody 50 is smaller than the minimum value tmin of the thickness t of the heat insulating material 28. Note that, as described above, the protrusion 21b and the underbody 50 are spaced apart, so the shortest distance D1 is greater than 0.

[0044] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 7, the portion 21c of the protrusion 21b corresponding to the shortest distance D1 and the portion 28b of the heat insulating material 28 corresponding to the minimum value tmin are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100.

[0045] Referring again to Figure 4, the heat insulating material 28 is positioned in front of the center Pm of the battery pack 20 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 10. In other words, the heat insulating material 28 is positioned on the engine 31 side (see Figure 1) of the center Pm of the battery pack 20 in the longitudinal direction.

[0046] In detail, the insulation material 28 is positioned between the side surface 21C and the inclined side surface 21E in the left-right direction of the vehicle 100. The inclined side surface 21E is located forward of the center Pm.

[0047] As described above, in this embodiment, the shortest distance D1 between the protrusion 21b and the underbody 50 is smaller than the minimum value tmin of the thickness t of the heat insulating material 28. As a result, even the portion 28b of the heat insulating material 28 corresponding to the minimum value tmin cannot pass through the gap between the protrusion 21b (portion 21c) corresponding to the shortest distance D1 and the underbody 50. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the protrusion 21b from coming out of the hole 28a. This prevents the heat insulating material 28 from falling out of the vehicle 100 (battery pack 20).

[0048] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which a heat insulating material 28 is attached to the battery pack 20, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. Other materials (such as cushioning material) may be attached to the battery pack 20 instead of the heat insulating material 28.

[0049] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the heat insulating material 28 is positioned forward of the center Pm of the battery pack 20 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The heat insulating material 28 may also be positioned behind the center Pm of the battery pack 20 in the longitudinal direction.

[0050] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the protrusion 21b is spaced apart from the underbody 50, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The protrusion 21b may be in contact with the underbody 50.

[0051] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the expansion valve 94 is arranged in the space within the battery pack 20 corresponding to the protrusion 21b, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. Other members may be arranged in the space, or nothing may be arranged there. Furthermore, the protrusion may be formed by fixing a predetermined member to the upper surface portion 21a.

[0052] In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the thermal insulation material 28 surrounds the entire circumference of the protrusion 21b, but the disclosure is not limited to this. The thermal insulation material does not have to surround the entire circumference of the protrusion 21b. In the example shown in Figure 8, the thermal insulation material 128 has a hole 128a into which the protrusion 21b is inserted, and a gap 128b. The gap 128b is formed continuously with the hole 128a and extends outward from the hole 128a. The gap 128b forms a notch in the thermal insulation material 128. Furthermore, as described above, the protrusion 21b is provided with a portion 21c corresponding to the shortest distance D1 (see Figure 7). The shortest distance D2 (shortest distance in the direction along the circumferential direction of the thermal insulation material 128) between portions of the thermal insulation material 128 corresponding to the gap 128b is smaller than the minimum width W of the portion 21c. The minimum width W refers to the minimum width of the protrusion 21b (insulating material 128) in the direction along the circumferential direction. This prevents the insulating material 128 from falling off the vehicle (battery pack) due to the protrusion 21b passing through the gap 128b. The insulating material 128 is an example of the "mounting member" in this disclosure.

[0053] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the claims and is intended to include all modifications in the sense and scope equivalent to the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10 Vehicle body, 20 Battery pack, 21 Housing case (housing section), 22 Energy storage module (battery module), 21a Top surface, 21b Protrusion, 28, 128 Insulation material (mounting member), 28a, 128a Hole, 31 Engine, 50 Underbody, 80 Exhaust pipe, 100 Vehicle, D1 Shortest distance, Pm Center, t Thickness, tmin Minimum value.

Claims

1. The vehicle body, including the underbody, A battery pack attached to the vehicle body below the underbody, The engine and The engine is equipped with an exhaust pipe located below the underbody that exhausts the gas discharged from the engine, The aforementioned battery pack is An upper portion provided so as to be opposite to the underbody, The above includes an insulating material attached to the upper surface, The upper surface portion is provided with a protrusion that extends toward the underbody side. The aforementioned heat insulating material has a hole formed in which the protrusion is inserted. A vehicle in which the shortest distance between the protrusion and the underbody is smaller than the minimum thickness of the heat insulating material.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulating material is positioned in front of the center of the battery pack in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protrusion is spaced apart from the underbody.

4. A battery pack to be attached to a vehicle equipped with an engine and an exhaust pipe for exhausting gases discharged from the engine, Battery module and The battery module is housed in a housing section which also includes the upper surface, The upper part is equipped with an insulating material, The exhaust pipe is located below the underbody of the vehicle. The aforementioned upper portion is provided so as to face the underbody when the housing is attached to the vehicle. The upper surface portion is provided with a protrusion that protrudes toward the underbody when the housing is attached to the vehicle. The aforementioned insulating material has a hole formed in it into which the protrusion is inserted. A battery pack in which, when the housing is attached to the vehicle, the shortest distance between the protrusion and the underbody is less than the minimum thickness of the heat insulating material.

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