Vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle (100), comprising a vehicle body (1), a thermal management assembly (2), and a brake (3). The vehicle body (1) comprises a front cabin (11) and a seat cabin (14) which are sequentially distributed along the length direction of the vehicle (100). The thermal management assembly (2) is arranged in the front cabin (11) and comprises a plurality of thermal management elements (21). The plurality of thermal management elements (21) is integrated into an integrated module (22) of the thermal management assembly (2). The brake (3) is arranged in the front cabin (11) and is used for providing a braking force. In a plane perpendicular to the length direction, the orthographic projection of the integrated module (22) does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the brake (3). When the vehicle is hit, the integrated module moves towards the brake in the length direction, and does not collide with the brake, such that the driving safety of the vehicle is improved.

Description

vehicle CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This patent application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed on December 18, 2023, with application number 202311751158.8 and invention name “Vehicle”. The full text of the above Chinese patent application is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of vehicle technology. Background Art

[0003] With the development of new energy technologies, thermal management systems are required to provide more and more functions. As a result, the size of thermal management systems is becoming increasingly large. To solve this problem, more and more thermal management systems are becoming integrated. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a vehicle, comprising:

[0005] The vehicle body comprises a front cabin and a passenger cabin sequentially distributed along the length direction of the vehicle;

[0006] A thermal management assembly is provided in the front compartment and includes a plurality of thermal management components; the plurality of thermal management components are integrated into an integrated module of the thermal management assembly; and

[0007] a brake, disposed in the front compartment, for providing braking force;

[0008] Wherein, on a plane perpendicular to the length direction, the orthographic projection of the integrated module does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the brake.

[0009] In some embodiments, a steering wheel is provided in the cockpit; the vehicle body includes a first side and a second side spaced apart along the width direction of the vehicle; the width direction is perpendicular to the length direction; the integrated module is provided near the first side; wherein,

[0010] When the steering wheel is disposed close to the first side, the brake is disposed close to the first side, and the integrated module is disposed between the brake and the first side; or

[0011] When the steering wheel is disposed close to the second side, the brake is disposed close to the second side.

[0012] In some embodiments, a distance between the integrated module and the first side in the width direction is greater than or equal to 430 mm and less than or equal to 485 mm.

[0013] In some embodiments, the front cabin includes a rear wall arranged close to the cabin; in the length direction, the distance between the integrated module and the rear wall is greater than or equal to 320 mm and less than or equal to 350 mm.

[0014] In some embodiments, the thermal management component includes a cooling module connected to the integrated module; the front cabin includes a front wall arranged away from the cabin; the cooling module is arranged between the integrated module and the front wall; wherein, in the length direction, the distance between the integrated module and the cooling module is greater than or equal to 70 mm and less than or equal to 90 mm.

[0015] In some embodiments, the vehicle body includes a hatch; the hatch is used to close or expose the front cabin; in the height direction of the vehicle, the distance between the integrated module and the hatch is greater than or equal to 80 mm and less than or equal to 100 mm; the height direction is perpendicular to the length direction.

[0016] In some embodiments, the integrated module includes a fixing plate; and the thermal management component is connected to the fixing plate.

[0017] In some embodiments, the fixing plate includes a mounting surface; the plurality of thermal management components are respectively connected to the mounting surface; wherein the mounting surface is perpendicular to the width direction of the vehicle; and the width direction is perpendicular to the length direction.

[0018] In some embodiments, the material of the fixing plate includes at least one of polypropylene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, and polyoxymethylene.

[0019] In some embodiments, the plurality of thermal management components include at least two of a motor water pump, an air conditioning water pump, a battery water pump, a heat exchanger, and a three-way valve.

[0020] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the vehicle of the present application staggers the orthographic projections of the integrated module and the brake. When the vehicle collides, the integrated module moves toward the brake along the length direction without colliding with the brake. This arrangement helps to improve the safety of vehicle driving. At the same time, since the thermal management component integrates multiple thermal management components into an integrated module, the various thermal management components originally scattered in the front cabin can be brought together, thereby freeing up space in the front cabin to a certain extent, making it convenient to arrange other functional components to enrich the functionality of the vehicle, or to arrange storage boxes to expand the storage space of the vehicle.

[0021] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for describing the embodiments. The drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be derived from these drawings without inventive effort.

[0023] FIG1 is a simplified schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present application.

[0024] FIG2 is a simplified schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present application.

[0025] FIG3 is a simplified cross-sectional schematic diagram of yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a simplified schematic diagram of an embodiment of an integrated module for a vehicle of the present application.

[0027] Description of reference numerals:

[0028] 100 vehicle, 1 body, 11 front cabin, 111 rear wall, 112 front wall, 12 first side, 13 second side, 14 cockpit, 15 hatch, 2 thermal management assembly, 21 thermal management component, 22 integrated module, 221 fixing plate, 222 mounting surface, 23 cooling module, 3 brake, 4 steering wheel, D1 distance, D2 distance, D3 distance, D4 ​​distance, X length direction, Y width direction, Z height direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. Rather, they are merely examples of devices consistent with certain aspects of the present application, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0030] The terms used in this application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application. Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used in this application should have the ordinary meaning understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The use of "first," "second," and similar terms in this specification and claims does not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but is simply used to distinguish different components. Similarly, words such as "a" or "an" do not indicate a quantitative limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. If only "a" is referred to, this will be separately stated. "Multiple" or "several" means two or more. Unless otherwise indicated, words such as "front," "rear," "lower," and / or "upper" are for convenience only and are not limited to a single location or spatial orientation. Words such as "include" or "comprising" mean that the elements or objects listed before "include" or "comprising" include the elements or objects listed after "include" or "comprising" and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects. "Connected" or "connected" and similar words are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can also include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "the," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0031] The integrated thermal management system increases its size. Therefore, in the event of a collision, the large thermal management system's movement toward the cockpit could impact passenger safety. This demonstrates that an integrated thermal management system places higher demands on the safety attributes of the entire vehicle.

[0032] With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the present application provides a vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle body 1, a thermal management component 2, and a brake 3. The vehicle body 1 includes a front cabin 11 and a passenger cabin 14 distributed in sequence along the length direction X of the vehicle 100. The thermal management component 2 and the brake 3 are both arranged in the front cabin 11. The brake 3 is used to provide braking force to control the deceleration and stopping of the vehicle 100. As shown in Figure 4, the thermal management component 2 is arranged in the front cabin 11 and includes a plurality of thermal management components 21. And the plurality of thermal management components 21 are integrated into an integrated module 22 of the thermal management component 2.

[0033] In this case, on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X of the vehicle 100 , the orthographic projection of the integrated module 22 of the present application does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the brake 3 .

[0034] Because the integrated module 22 integrates multiple thermal management components 21, the integrated module 22 is larger than a single thermal management component 21. If the orthographic projection of the integrated module 22 partially or completely overlaps with the orthographic projection of the brake 3, then when the vehicle 100 is hit, the integrated module 22 will collide with the brake 3 along the length direction X, which may easily damage the brake 3 and cause brake failure, threatening the safety of the driver and passengers in the vehicle 100.

[0035] When the vehicle 100 is subjected to a strong impact in the longitudinal direction X, if the orthographic projection of the integrated module 22 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the brake 3, the integrated module 22 may drive the brake 3 to move toward the cabin 14 along the longitudinal direction X, and then invade the cabin 14, endangering the safety of the occupants in the cabin 14.

[0036] Therefore, the vehicle 100 of the present application staggers the orthographic projections of the integrated module 22 and the brake 3. When the vehicle 100 is in collision, even if the integrated module 22 moves toward the brake 3 along the length direction X, it will not collide with the brake 3. This arrangement is conducive to improving the driving safety of the vehicle 100. At the same time, because the thermal management component 2 integrates multiple thermal management components 21 into an integrated module 22, the various thermal management components 21 originally scattered in the front cabin 11 can be concentrated together, thereby freeing up space in the front cabin 11 to a certain extent, making it convenient to arrange other functional components in the front cabin 11 to enrich the functionality of the vehicle 100, such as arranging a storage box to expand the storage space of the vehicle 100.

[0037] A steering wheel 4 is disposed in a cabin 14 of a vehicle 100. The vehicle body 1 includes a first side 12 and a second side 13 spaced apart along a width direction Y. In some embodiments, an integrated module 22 is disposed proximate to the first side 12. Furthermore, as shown in FIG1 , when the steering wheel 4 is disposed proximate to the first side 12, the brake 3 is disposed proximate to the first side 12, with the integrated module 22 disposed between the brake 3 and the first side 12. As shown in FIG2 , when the steering wheel 4 is disposed proximate to the second side 13, the brake 3 is disposed proximate to the second side 13.

[0038] The embodiment shown in FIG1 is actually a right-hand drive vehicle, i.e., a vehicle 100 with the driver's seat arranged on the right side. The embodiment shown in FIG2 is actually a left-hand drive vehicle, i.e., a vehicle 100 with the driver's seat arranged on the left side. The integrated module 22 of the present application is arranged near the first side 12 in both left-hand drive and right-hand drive vehicles. In other words, the setting position of the integrated module 22 remains unchanged regardless of whether the vehicle 100 of the present application is a left-hand drive or right-hand drive vehicle. With this arrangement, when the manufacturer produces the vehicle 100, they only need to adapt the steering wheel 4, brake 3 and other systems to the models produced in different countries, without having to change the position of the integrated module 22, thereby improving the efficiency of the production and assembly of the vehicle 100. In addition, placing the steering wheel 4 and the brake 3 on the same side can facilitate the connection between the brake 3 and the brake pedal (not shown), simplify the connection structure of the vehicle components, and improve the transmission efficiency of the brake.

[0039] Furthermore, the integrated module 22 is positioned close to the first side 12 and as far away from the center of the front cabin 11 as possible, thereby freeing up space in the center of the front cabin 11. This allows the vehicle 100 to include a larger storage box in the front cabin 11, or to add more functional components to enrich the functionality of the vehicle 100, or to include a larger capacity battery to extend the vehicle's range.

[0040] Furthermore, the distance D1 between the integrated module 22 and the first side 12 in the width direction Y is greater than or equal to 430 mm and less than or equal to 485 mm. For example, the distance D1 can be 430 mm, 435 mm, 440 mm, 445 mm, 450 mm, 460 mm, 465 mm, 470 mm, 475 mm, 480 mm, or 485 mm. If the distance between the integrated module 22 and the first side 12 increases, the integrated module 22 moves closer to the center of the front cabin 11, resulting in a reduction in the central space of the front cabin 11. However, since the integrated module 22 requires a certain connection structure to secure it, if the integrated module 22 is too close to the first side 12, it may cause the connection structure to be unstable or reduce the safety of force transmission. Therefore, the distance D1 within this range allows the integrated module 22 to be placed as close to the first side 12 as possible to free up space in the front cabin 11 while ensuring the security of the connection of the integrated module 22.

[0041] The front cabin 11 includes a rear wall 111 positioned adjacent to the passenger compartment 14. To enhance the safety of the vehicle 100, as shown in FIG3 , the distance D2 between the integrated module 22 and the rear wall 111 in the longitudinal direction X is greater than or equal to 320 mm and less than or equal to 350 mm. Distance D2 can be 320 mm, 325 mm, 330 mm, 335 mm, 340 mm, 345 mm, or 350 mm. This provides sufficient crumple space between the integrated module 22 and the rear wall 111 to ensure that, in the event of a high-speed collision, the integrated module 22 will not intrude into the passenger compartment 14 and injure occupants. However, if distance D2 is too large, the longitudinal dimension of the front cabin 11, and consequently, the longitudinal dimension of the vehicle 100, is increased. Therefore, a distance D2 within this range balances the safety performance of the integrated module 22 while also controlling the size of the vehicle 100.

[0042] The front cabin 11 includes a front wall 112 disposed away from the cabin 14. As shown in FIG3 , the thermal management assembly 2 includes a cooling module 23 connected to the integrated module 22. The term "connected" here means connected via a structure such as a pipe, rather than direct physical contact. In this embodiment, the cooling module 23 is disposed between the integrated module 22 and the front wall 112. In the longitudinal direction X, the distance D3 between the integrated module 22 and the cooling module 23 is greater than or equal to 70 mm and less than or equal to 90 mm. The distance D3 may be 70 mm, 75 mm, 80 mm, 85 mm, or 90 mm.

[0043] When the vehicle 100 is struck in the longitudinal direction X, the relative distance D3 between the cooling module 23 and the integrated module 22 decreases. If the distance D3 is too small, the cooling module 23 and the integrated module 22 are more likely to collide and be damaged. If the distance D3 is too large, the size of the vehicle 100 in the longitudinal direction X will increase without further improving safety. Therefore, the range of distance D3 in the present application can improve the collision safety performance of the vehicle 100 and reduce the cost of subsequent repairs. At the same time, it can also control the size of the vehicle 100 in the longitudinal direction X, preventing the vehicle 100 from being too large.

[0044] Combining the distance D2 between the integrated module 22 and the rear wall 111, and the distance D3 between the integrated module 22 and the cooling module 23, it can be seen that in this embodiment, the integrated module 22 is positioned closer to the upper right corner (as viewed in FIG2 ) of the front cabin 11. This allows the integrated module 22 to free up as much space as possible within the front cabin 11, allowing, for example, a storage box to occupy more space in the width direction Y, or components such as a kettle of the vehicle 100 to occupy more space in both the length direction X and the width direction Y.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle body 1 includes a hatch 15. The hatch 15 is used to enclose or expose the front compartment 11. In the height direction Z, a distance D4 between the integrated module 22 and the hatch 15 is greater than or equal to 80 mm and less than or equal to 100 mm. For example, distance D4 can be 80 mm, 85 mm, 90 mm, 95 mm, or 100 mm.

[0046] When the vehicle 100 collides with a pedestrian, the pedestrian comes into contact with the hood 15. The weight of the pedestrian and the force of the impact will cause the hood 15 to sag toward the front cabin 11. If the distance D4 between the integrated module 22 and the hood 15 is too small, the pedestrian will easily collide with the integrated module 22, causing physical injury. If the distance D4 is too large, the integrated module 22 will compress the layout space of other components of the front cabin 11 in the height direction Z, such as the water pipe layout space of the thermal management component 2. Therefore, the range of the distance D4 between the hood 15 and the integrated module 22 of the present application can prevent the pedestrian from being hit by the integrated module 22 when the vehicle 100 collides with the pedestrian, and can also enable the integrated module 22 to be set in a reasonable position, reserving layout space for other components of the front cabin 11.

[0047] It should be noted that because the structure of the vehicle 100 is typically uneven or curved, the distance referred to in this application should be the minimum distance between the integrated module 22 and the component. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the hatch 15 is configured as a curved structure. Therefore, the distance D4 between the hatch 15 and the integrated module 22 is the distance between the integrated module 22 and the hatch 15 at a position near the front wall 112 in the longitudinal direction X shown in Figure 3.

[0048] In addition, in each embodiment of this document, the length direction X, the width direction Y, and the height direction Z are perpendicular to each other.

[0049] The integrated module 22 can be integrated in a broad sense, that is, the thermal management components 21 are concentrated in one place, and the concentrated area is called the integrated module 22. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4, in some embodiments, the integrated module 22 includes a fixing plate 221. The thermal management component 21 is connected to the fixing plate 221. With this arrangement, when assembling the vehicle 100, the assembler can first connect the thermal management component 21 to the fixing plate 221, and then connect the integrated module 22 as an integral component to the vehicle body 1. In this way, the assembly difficulty of the vehicle 100 is reduced, and the subsequent disassembly and assembly efficiency of the integrated module 22 is also higher.

[0050] In an optional embodiment, the fixing plate 221 includes a mounting surface 222. A plurality of thermal management components 21 are respectively connected to the mounting surface 222. In this embodiment, the thermal management component 21 is only installed on one side of the fixing plate 221. Then the other side of the fixing plate 221 opposite to the mounting surface 222 can be used to connect with the vehicle body 1, which helps to reduce the difficulty of assembling and connecting the integrated module 22. In addition, a plurality of thermal management components 21 are respectively connected to the mounting surface 222. In other words, the plurality of thermal management components 21 are not stacked, but are "laid flat" on the mounting surface 222. In this embodiment, the size of the integrated module 22 in its thickness direction can be minimized.

[0051] When assembled in the vehicle 100, the mounting surface 222 is perpendicular to the width direction Y of the vehicle 100. This arrangement minimizes the orthographic projection area of ​​the integrated module 22 on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, allowing for greater flexibility in the placement of the brake 3 in the width direction Y. Furthermore, the distance between the orthographic projection of the brake 3 and the orthographic projection of the integrated module 22 can be maximized. Thus, if the vehicle 100 is impacted in the longitudinal direction X, even if the integrated module 22 moves toward the cabin 14, it will not strike the brake 3, causing brake failure, nor will it cause the brake 3 to intrude into the cabin 14. This improves the driving safety of the vehicle 100 and the protection provided to the occupants during an impact.

[0052] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the material of the fixing plate 221 includes at least one of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polycarbonate (PC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and polyoxymethylene (POM). These materials have high strength and can provide good support for the multiple thermal management components 21. At the same time, when the vehicle 100 is hit, the fixing plate 221 made of these materials is easy to break. Then, when the vehicle 100 is hit by a strong impact, the fixing plate 221 breaks, causing the large-volume integrated module 22 to disintegrate, and then the multiple thermal management components 21 to be dispersed into multiple fragmented parts. This arrangement can prevent the large-volume integrated module 22 from invading the cabin 14 as a whole and hitting the occupants, causing injury to the occupants.

[0053] Furthermore, because mounting surface 222 is perpendicular to width direction Y of vehicle 100, the side surfaces of fixing plate 221 face longitudinal direction X. When vehicle 100 is impacted by forces in longitudinal direction X, the smaller side surfaces of fixing plate 221 are unable to withstand the impact, making fixing plate 221 more susceptible to breakage, causing integrated module 22 to disperse. Therefore, this embodiment not only minimizes the orthographic projection area of ​​integrated module 22 but also facilitates disassembly of integrated module 22, improving safety.

[0054] In each of the above embodiments, the multiple thermal management components 21 include at least two of the following: a motor water pump, an air conditioning water pump, a battery water pump, a heat exchanger, and a three-way valve. The motor water pump and the battery water pump are used to pump cooling water through the motor cooling line and the battery cooling line, respectively. The air conditioning water pump is used to pump refrigerant through the refrigerant line. The heat exchanger is used to achieve heat exchange between the two lines. The three-way valve is used to connect the fluids between the three lines.

[0055] It should be noted that the integrated module 22 may include only two thermal management components 21. In this embodiment, the integrated module 22 is used to provide two thermal management functions. In other embodiments, the integrated module 22 may include three, four, or even more thermal management components 21, thereby enabling the integrated module 22 to provide more thermal management functions.

[0056] The various embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other and complement each other without contradiction.

[0057] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the spirit of the present application. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications, additions, or substitutions to the described specific embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present application or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0058] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: A vehicle body, comprising a front cabin and a cockpit sequentially distributed along the length direction of the vehicle; A thermal management component is arranged in the front compartment, and includes a plurality of thermal management components; the plurality of thermal management components are integrated into an integrated module of the thermal management component; as well as A brake, disposed in the front cabin, for providing braking force; Wherein, on a plane perpendicular to the length direction, the orthographic projection of the integrated module does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the brake.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The cockpit is provided with a steering wheel; the vehicle body comprises a first side and a second side spaced apart along the width direction of the vehicle; the width direction is perpendicular to the length direction; the integrated module is provided close to the first side; wherein, When the steering wheel is disposed close to the first side, the brake is disposed close to the first side, and the integrated module is disposed between the brake and the first side; or When the steering wheel is disposed close to the second side, the brake is disposed close to the second side.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein: A distance between the integrated module and the first side in the width direction is greater than or equal to 430 mm and less than or equal to 485 mm.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The front cabin includes a rear wall arranged close to the cabin; in the length direction, the distance between the integrated module and the rear wall is greater than or equal to 320 mm and less than or equal to 350 mm.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The thermal management component includes a cooling module connected to the integrated module; the front cabin includes a front wall arranged away from the cabin; the cooling module is arranged between the integrated module and the front wall; wherein, in the length direction, the distance between the integrated module and the cooling module is greater than or equal to 70 mm and less than or equal to 90 mm.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The vehicle body includes a hatch; the hatch is used to close or expose the front cabin; in the height direction of the vehicle, the distance between the integrated module and the hatch is greater than or equal to 80 mm and less than or equal to 100 mm; the height direction is perpendicular to the length direction.

7. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The integrated module includes a fixing plate; the thermal management component is connected to the fixing plate.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein: The fixing plate includes a mounting surface; the plurality of thermal management components are respectively connected to the mounting surface; wherein the mounting surface is perpendicular to a width direction of the vehicle; and the width direction is perpendicular to the length direction.

9. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein: The material of the fixing plate includes at least one of polypropylene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, and polyoxymethylene.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein: The plurality of thermal management components include at least two of a motor water pump, an air conditioning water pump, a battery water pump, a heat exchanger, and a three-way valve.

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