Vehicle structure

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a vehicle structure for preventing or suppressing the deterioration of cooling performance on the inner side of a battery compared to the outer side. [Solution] The present invention includes a battery case 50, a battery 20, an intake port 30, and an exhaust port 40. In the internal space in the battery case, the total cross-sectional area of a flow path through which a gas flows in a cross section in the vehicle width direction Y is smaller on the inner side than on the outer side.

Description

Vehicle structure

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle structure.

[0002] In recent years, electric vehicles and hybrid cars have been developed as vehicles with low fuel consumption and exhaust gas emissions. These vehicles are equipped with batteries, which need to be cooled. Conventional battery cooling technology involves placing an exhaust duct between the rear seat and the floor to discharge the air that has cooled the battery.

[0003] International Publication No. 2021 / 240803

[0004] The inventors of the present invention have investigated the following problem with battery cases, separate from the prior art. Specifically, if the battery is cooled by arranging an intake port on the outer side of the battery case in the vehicle width direction and an exhaust port on the inner side, the inside of the battery will be located downstream of the flow. As a result, the inside of the battery will be cooled by air that has cooled the outside of the battery, and the cooling performance of the inside of the battery will be inferior to that of the outside.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle structure that prevents or suppresses the cooling performance of the inside of a battery from being inferior to that of the outside.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle structure having a battery case, a battery, an air intake port, and an exhaust port. The battery case is provided below the front seats and above a floor panel. The battery is configured to be provided in the internal space of the battery case. The air intake port is located on the outside of the battery case in the vehicle width direction and communicates with the internal space of the battery case. The exhaust port is located on the inside of the battery case in the vehicle width direction and communicates with the internal space of the battery case. The internal space of the battery case is configured so that the total cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path through which gas flows is smaller on the inside than on the outside in a cross section in the vehicle width direction.

[0007] According to the above vehicle structure, it is possible to prevent or suppress a situation in which the cooling performance of the inside of the battery is inferior to that of the outside.

[0008] 5 is a schematic diagram showing the interior of a vehicle with a portion of an outer wall of the vehicle body cut away according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a battery case, console box, air intake port, etc. located in the lower part of the vehicle body. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the upper part of the battery case according to FIG. 2. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a state in which the lid of the battery case has been removed. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the interior of the battery case, where the battery case has been cut along the vehicle width direction. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the interior of the battery case, where the battery case has been cut along the front-rear direction. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the interior of the battery case, where the battery case has been cut along the vehicle width direction at a position different from that in FIG. 5. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of gas from the console box to the downstream side.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. In the drawings, the size and proportions of each component are exaggerated to facilitate understanding of the embodiments, and may differ from the actual size and proportions.

[0010] In each figure, arrows (coordinate system) represented by X, Y, and Z are used to indicate the orientation of members constituting the vehicle structure according to the embodiment. X indicates the front-rear direction, which is referred to as the front-rear direction X. Y indicates the vehicle width direction, which is referred to as the vehicle width direction Y. Z indicates the vehicle height direction, which is referred to as the height direction Z.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the interior of a vehicle with a portion of the vehicle body exterior wall cut away according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the battery case 50, console box cn, air intake 30, and other components located in the lower part of the vehicle body B. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the upper part of the battery case 50 shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the battery case 50 with the lid 70 removed. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the interior of the battery case 50, obtained by cutting the battery case 50 along the vehicle width direction Y. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the interior of the battery case 50, obtained by cutting the battery case 50 along the front-rear direction X. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the interior of the battery case 50, obtained by cutting the battery case 50 along the vehicle width direction Y at a position different from that shown in FIG. 5 (a position passing through a front side portion 76, described below). FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of gas from the console box cn to the downstream side.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1, 7, etc., the vehicle has a vehicle body B, a seat 10, a floor consisting of a floor panel top surface ft and a floor panel bottom surface fp, a battery 20, an air intake 30, and an exhaust vent 40. As shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, etc., the vehicle also has a battery case 50, an inner case 60, a lid 70, an exhaust blower 90, and pipes p. These will be described in detail below.

[0013] (Vehicle Body) The vehicle body B constitutes a framework for carrying passengers and luggage in the vehicle and separating the vehicle interior from the outside. In this embodiment, the vehicle body B of the vehicle is configured as a compact car such as a hatchback, but the vehicle type is not particularly limited as long as it has the same structure as the seats 10, floor, etc. described below.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle body B includes a floor panel bottom portion fp at the bottom of the vehicle, on which a battery 20 (described later) can be disposed.

[0015] (Seats) The seats 10 are configured to be installed in multiple rows on the top surface ft of the floor panel of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the seats 10 include front seats 11 corresponding to the first row seats when viewed from the front, and rear seats 12 corresponding to the second row seats, as shown in FIG.

[0016] (Battery) The battery 20 is configured to be provided in the internal space of the battery case 50. The battery 20 includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an electrolyte, a current collector, an exterior body, etc., and is configured to be capable of being charged and discharged. In this embodiment, the battery 20 is configured to be disposed near the bottom of the front seat 11 within the seat 10. As shown in FIG. 6 , the battery 20 includes a front battery 21 disposed at the front side in the internal space of the battery case 50, and a rear battery 22 disposed behind the front battery 21.

[0017] (Air Intake Port) The air intake port 30 is disposed on the outside of the battery case 50 in the vehicle width direction Y, and is configured to communicate with the internal space of the battery case 50. The air intake port 30 is configured as a portion that draws in gas such as air used to cool the battery 20. In this embodiment, the air intake port 30 is configured to be disposed near the bottom of the front seat 11 within the seat 10, and further outward in the vehicle width direction Y than the battery 20 (see Figures 1 and 2). The inlet surface of the air intake port 30 can be disposed on approximately the same plane as the floor panel top surface ft.

[0018] (Exhaust port) The exhaust port 40 is disposed inside the battery case 50 in the vehicle width direction Y, and is configured to communicate with the internal space of the battery case 50. The exhaust port 40 is provided inside the console box cn as shown in FIG. 7, and is configured to communicate with an exhaust blower 90 located downstream.

[0019] (Battery Case) The battery case 50 is configured to be disposed below the front seat 11 and above the floor panel bottom portion fp. The battery case 50 is configured to house the battery 20, an inner case 60, pipes p, etc. The battery case 50 has an internal space that houses the battery 20.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 6, the internal space of the battery case 50 includes a first subspace 51, a second subspace 52, and a third subspace 53. The first subspace 51 is configured as a space through which gas from the intake port 30 communicates. The second subspace 52 is configured to communicate with the first subspace 51 from the intake port side opening 62 and to communicate with the third subspace 53. The second subspace 52 is configured to accommodate the front battery 21 or the rear battery 22 that constitutes the battery 20. In other words, two second subspaces 52 are provided.

[0021] The third partial space 53 communicates with the second partial space 52, and in this embodiment is provided between the two second partial spaces 52 that house the front battery 21 and the rear battery 22, and is configured to communicate with the exhaust port 40. A wall portion having an intake port side opening 62 that constitutes the inner case 60 is disposed between the first partial space 51 and the second partial space 52. A wall portion having an exhaust port side opening 63 that constitutes the inner case 60 is disposed between the second partial space 52 and the third partial space 53. A partition wall 61 located at the top of the inner case 60 is configured to separate the first partial space 51 from the second partial space 52, and also to separate the first partial space 51 from the third partial space 53.

[0022] (Inner case) The inner case 60 is configured to house the battery 20. The inner case 60 includes a partition wall 61, an intake port side opening 62, and an exhaust port side opening 63. The partition wall 61 separates the internal space of the inner case 60 from the internal space of the battery case 50, excluding the area where the intake port side opening 62 or the exhaust port side opening 63 is located. In this embodiment, the inner case 60 separates the internal space of the battery case 50 into a first subspace 51, a second subspace 52, and a third subspace 53, excluding the area where the intake port side opening 62 or the exhaust port side opening 63 is located.

[0023] The intake port side opening 62 is provided in the wall between the first partial space 51 and the second partial space 52, and is configured to allow gas from the intake port 30 to flow into the second partial space 52 through the first partial space 51. In the present embodiment, the intake port side opening 62 is provided in the wall of the inner case 60 on the front side of the front battery 21 and on the rear side of the rear battery 22. The exhaust port side opening 63 is provided in the wall between the second partial space 52 and the third partial space 53, and is configured to allow gas flowing through the second partial space 52 to flow into the third partial space 53. In the present embodiment, the exhaust port side opening 63 is provided in the wall of the inner case 60 on the rear side of the front battery 21 and on the front side of the rear battery 22.

[0024] (Lid) The battery case 50 includes a lid 70 that isolates the internal space from the outside when the battery 20 and other components are housed therein.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, the lid portion 70 includes an outer portion 71, a border portion 72, and an inner portion 73. The outer portion 71 includes a front portion 74 and a rear portion 75. The border portion 72 includes a front portion 76 and a rear portion 77. The inner portion 73 includes a front portion 78, a middle portion 79, and a rear portion 81.

[0026] The front side portion 74 and the front side portion 76 are configured to have the same height. The front side portion 78 is formed so that the cross-sectional area (volume) on the front side inside the battery case 50 is smaller than those of the front side portions 74 and 76.

[0027] The rear side portion 75 is formed so as to slope rearward and downward from the front side portion 74. An intermediate portion 79 in the middle of the battery case 50 in the front-rear direction X is configured so as to have a smaller cross-sectional area than the rear side portion 75 across the front side portion 76.

[0028] At the rear of the battery case 50, the rear side portion 81 is configured so that the internal cross-sectional area is smaller than the rear side portions 75, 77.

[0029] In this way, the total cross-sectional area of ​​the interior of the battery case 50 is configured to be smaller on the inside than on the outside at any location in the front-rear direction X. In other words, by providing the step portion 82 at any position in the vehicle width direction Y, the lid portion 70 is configured so that the interior space of the battery case 50 is smaller on the inside than on the outside. With this configuration, the flow rate of the gas flowing in from the air intake 30 is faster on the inside than on the outside. This allows the amount of air flowing inside the battery 20 to be increased, preventing or suppressing a situation where the cooling performance of the inside of the battery 20 is inferior to that of the outside.

[0030] Furthermore, the front portion 74 of the lid 70 is configured to form a step 82 in terms of its relative height relative to the front portion 78 (see FIG. 5). This configuration allows for a higher flow rate and a larger amount of air to be taken into the battery 20 in the vehicle width direction Y, compared to when the cross-sectional area is continuously reduced from the outside to the inside. Furthermore, compared to when the shape is continuously changed, the desired areas can be cooled more efficiently.

[0031] The lid 70 of the battery case 50 is configured to have a protrusion 83 on the front side 76, which is located outside the boundary between the inner and outer parts 73 and 71 and is located in the middle in the fore-aft direction X (see FIG. 7 ). The boundary between the inner and outer parts 73 and 71 may be used to extract power generated by the battery 20 or to accommodate the end of a harness, such as a pipe p, through which signals from the control box can be transmitted. This configuration actively encourages air to flow through a path that avoids stagnation and retention at the protrusion 83. Furthermore, the flow rate (volume) to the intake port-side openings 62 on the inside of the front battery 21 and the rear battery 22 can be increased, thereby increasing the amount of air that can be taken in.

[0032] Furthermore, the step 84 (see FIG. 6 ) of the front portion 76 of the boundary portion 72 is configured to form a step in the front-rear direction X that is gentler than the step of the convex portion 83 in the vehicle width direction Y. This configuration reduces the amount of stagnation of air approaching the convex portion 83, allowing the air to actively circulate inside the battery case 50 even within the intake port side opening 62. Note that the specific shape of the convex portion 83 in the front-rear direction X may be a shape other than that shown in FIG. 6 as long as it facilitates the flow of air inside the battery case 50 even within the intake port side opening 62.

[0033] Furthermore, the outer portion 71, the boundary portion 72, and the inner portion 73 are all configured so that the total cross-sectional area of ​​the battery case 50 is smaller at the rear portion than at the front portion. This configuration allows the amount of air flowing over the top surfaces of the batteries 20 inside the battery case 50 to be greater at the rear side than at the front side. This prevents or suppresses the cooling performance of the rear side, such as the rear battery 22, inside the battery case 50 being inferior to that of the front side, such as the front battery 21.

[0034] (Exhaust Blower) The exhaust blower 90 generates air to cool the battery 20. The exhaust blower 90 can be configured, for example, by a sirocco-type centrifugal fan. The intake port of the exhaust blower 90 can be configured to communicate with the exhaust port 40. Gas downstream of the exhaust blower 90 can flow through the top surface of the floor of the rear seat 12 or the inside of an exhaust duct d below the seat.

[0035] (Pipes) The pipes p are configured to be able to conduct power from the battery 20. The pipes p are configured to be arranged on the side of the front battery 21. The pipes p are also arranged above the front battery 21.

[0036] Gas such as air flows from the intake port 30 into the first subspace 51 of the battery case 50 (see the arrows in FIG. 4 ), then flows from there into the second subspace 52 through the intake port-side opening 62, and from there into the third subspace 53 through the exhaust port-side opening 63. The gas flows from the third subspace 53 through the exhaust port 40, passes through the exhaust blower 90, and flows inside the exhaust duct d located below the vehicle floor or seat (see the arrows in FIG. 8 ). This configuration makes it possible to cool the battery 20 housed in the internal space of the battery case 50.

[0037] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. In the above description, the shape of the lid 70 on the top surface of the battery case 50 is configured so that the total cross-sectional area of ​​the inside of the battery case 50 is smaller than that of the outside. However, other configurations, such as the arrangement of the batteries 20 housed inside the battery case 50, may also be used to configure the total cross-sectional area of ​​the inside of the battery case 50 to be smaller than that of the outside. Furthermore, while the battery 20 has been described as including a front battery 21 and a rear battery 22, the battery configuration may include a number other than two, such as only one battery.

[0038] The following embodiments are also included within the scope of the present invention: a vehicle structure according to claim 1 having the features of claim 2; a vehicle structure according to claim 1 or claim 2 having the features of claim 3; a vehicle structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3 having the features of claim 4; a vehicle structure according to claim 4 having the features of claim 5; and a vehicle structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5 having the features of claim 6.

[0039] 20 Battery, 30 Intake port, 40 Exhaust port, 50 Battery case, 51 First partial space, 52 Second partial space, 53 Third partial space, 62 Intake port side opening, 63 Exhaust port side opening, 76 Front side portion, 82 Step portion, 83 Convex portion, 84 Step portion, 90 Exhaust blower, Y Vehicle width direction.

Claims

1. A battery case provided below the front seat and above the floor panel, a battery provided in the internal space of the battery case, an air intake port disposed outside the battery case in the vehicle width direction and communicating with the internal space of the battery case, and an exhaust port disposed inside the battery case in the vehicle width direction and communicating with the internal space of the battery case, wherein the internal space of the battery case has a smaller total cross-sectional area of the flow path through which gas flows in the cross-section in the vehicle width direction on the inner side than on the outer side.

2. The exhaust port communicates with an exhaust blower, and the internal space of the battery case includes a first partial space through which the gas from the air intake port flows, a second partial space communicating with the first partial space and accommodating the battery, and a third partial space communicating with the second partial space and communicating with the exhaust port. An air intake port side opening for flowing the gas from the air intake port through the first partial space into the second partial space is provided between the first partial space and the second partial space, and an exhaust port side opening for flowing the gas through the second partial space and the third partial space is provided between the second partial space and the third partial space. The vehicle structure according to claim 1.

3. The upper surface of the battery case is provided with a stepped portion at any position in the vehicle width direction, and the total cross-sectional area of the battery case outside the stepped portion is smaller than the total cross-sectional area of the battery case inside the stepped portion. The vehicle structure according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The battery includes a front battery disposed on the front side in the internal space of the battery case and a rear battery disposed on the rear side of the front battery in the internal space, and the upper surface of the battery case is provided with a convex portion outside the boundary between the inner side and the outer side and at the middle portion in the front-rear direction. The vehicle structure according to claim 1.

5. The convex portion forms a stepped portion with a gentler slope than at least one of the front side and the rear side in the front-rear direction with respect to the stepped portion in the vehicle width direction. The vehicle structure according to claim 4.

6. The total cross-sectional area of the internal space of the battery case in the front-rear direction is smaller on the rear side than on the front side. The vehicle structure according to claim 1.

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