Charging system for vehicle, and method for assembling charging system for vehicle to vehicle body

The vehicle charging system facilitates easy assembly by using a port unit with engaging portions and a top-mounted connector, ensuring efficient harness connection and protecting components, thus improving installation ease and battery capacity.

WO2026028336A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2026-02-05NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/JP2024/027369
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-07-31
Publication Date
2026-02-05

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing charging systems for vehicles lack clear guidance on the connection of the harness between the battery and the charging device, and the method of assembling the system to the vehicle body, which complicates installation and may reduce battery capacity.

Method used

A vehicle charging system with a battery mounted under the floor, a port unit with engaging portions, and a harness connecting the battery to the port unit, allowing for easy assembly by engaging the port unit with a second member during installation, ensuring the connector is on the top surface of the battery to maintain capacity.

Benefits of technology

The system improves ease of installation to the vehicle body without reducing battery capacity by allowing for efficient connection of the harness and port unit, protecting components from debris, and enhancing workability during assembly.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

This charging system for a vehicle comprises: a battery mounted under a floor of a vehicle body; a port unit having a charging port for charging the battery; and a harness for electrically connecting the battery and the port unit. On the upper surface of the battery, a connector to which the harness is connected is provided. The port unit is attached to a first member constituting the vehicle body. The port unit is provided with an engagement part that can engage with a second member different from the first member when the charging system is assembled to the vehicle body.
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Description

Charging system for vehicle and method of assembling charging system for vehicle to vehicle body

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging system for a vehicle and a method for assembling the charging system for a vehicle to a vehicle body.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a charging system for a vehicle. This charging system includes a battery mounted on the bottom of the vehicle and a charging device. The charging device is a device for charging the battery using external power. The battery and the charging device are electrically connected by a harness.

[0003] International Publication No. 2014 / 162712

[0004] However, in the above charging system, there is no disclosure regarding the connection of the harness that connects the battery and the charging device, or the method of assembling the charging system to the vehicle body, and there is room for further investigation.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a charging system for a vehicle that can improve the ease of installation to the vehicle body without reducing the capacity of the battery, and a method of installing the same to the vehicle body.

[0006] A vehicle charging system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a battery mounted under the floor of a vehicle body, a port unit having a charging port for charging the battery, and a harness electrically connecting the battery and the port unit. A connector to which the harness is connected is provided on the top surface of the battery. The port unit is attached to a first member constituting the vehicle body. The port unit has an engaging portion that can engage with a second member different from the first member when the charging system is assembled to the vehicle body.

[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, a method for assembling a vehicle charging system to a vehicle body includes a battery, a port unit having a charging port for charging the battery, and a harness. First, a first member, which includes a wheelhouse inner panel and a wheelhouse outer panel joined to a body side panel, is attached to the vehicle body. Next, the battery and the second member are mounted on an assembly jig, and a connector provided on the upper surface of the battery is electrically connected to the port unit with the harness, and the port unit is engaged with the second member to establish a temporary holding state. The jig is then lifted relative to the vehicle body, and the battery and the second member are assembled under the floor of the vehicle body. Then, the jig is separated from the vehicle body, and the port unit is removed from the second member and attached to the first member.

[0008] According to the charging system and the method for assembling the charging system to the vehicle body, it is possible to improve the ease of assembling the charging system to the vehicle body without reducing the capacity of the battery.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a charging system (excluding a battery and a harness) according to an embodiment, viewed from diagonally below. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the charging system. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of a vehicle body (body side panel assembly / first member) to which the charging system is attached. Fig. 4 is a side view of the charging system. Fig. 5 is a side view of the charging system during assembly work. Fig. 6 is an enlarged side view of the charging system during assembly work. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the charging system placed on a jig during assembly work.

[0010] Hereinafter, a vehicle charging system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, FR and RR indicate the front and rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, LH and RH indicate the left and right in the width direction of the vehicle, and UP and DN indicate the upper and lower in the vertical direction. In the following description, the front, front side, and rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the front, front side, and rear, respectively.

[0011] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the charging system includes a battery 1, a port unit 2 having charging ports 2A and 2B, and a harness 3 electrically connecting the battery 1 and the port unit 2. The battery 1 is mounted under the floor of a vehicle body. When charging the battery 1 with external power, a charging cable is connected to the charging ports 2A and 2B. In this embodiment, for example, the charging port 2A is used during normal charging. For example, the charging port 2A is electrically connected to the battery 1 via a harness or the like via an on-board charger 9 (described below). The charging port 2B is used during rapid charging. The charging port 2B is electrically connected to the battery 1 via the harness 3. Note that the harness, connectors, and the like that connect the on-board charger 9 and the battery 1 are not shown in FIGS. 2 , 4 , 5 , and 7 .

[0012] The port unit 2 is fixed to a first member 4 that constitutes the vehicle body, i.e., a body side panel assembly 4 shown in Fig. 3. More specifically, the port unit 2 is fixed to a wheelhouse outer panel 4B (see Fig. 3) that constitutes the body side panel assembly 4. Fig. 1 shows an example of a wheelhouse inner panel 4A that constitutes the body side panel assembly 4. The body side panel assembly 4 is formed by joining, for example, a wheelhouse inner panel 4A, a wheelhouse outer panel 4B, a rear pillar reinforcement member 4C, and a body side panel 4D.

[0013] As shown in Figure 3, a wheelhouse inner panel 4A and a wheelhouse outer panel 4B are joined together to form a wheelhouse 4E (see Figure 1) inside. A port fixing hole 4F to which the port unit 2 is fixed is formed in the upper part of the wheelhouse outer panel 4B. When the port unit 2 is fixed in the port fixing hole 4F, the charging ports 2A and 2B are exposed through the port fixing hole 4F. A rear pillar reinforcement member 4C is joined to the inner surface of the rear pillar portion of the body side panel 4D. The wheelhouse inner panel 4A and the wheelhouse outer panel 4B, which are joined together, are then joined to the rear pillar reinforcement member 4C and the body side panel 4D.

[0014] As described above, the body side panel assembly 4 is formed by joining the wheelhouse inner panel 4A and the wheelhouse outer panel 4B to the body side panel 4D. The joining order of the four components described above is not limited to the above description. A port hole 4G is formed in the body side panel 4D at a position corresponding to the port fixing hole 4F, and the charging ports 2A and 2B are exposed through the port fixing hole 4F and the port hole 4G. The port fixing hole 4F and the port hole 4G are located above the wheel arch 4H of the wheelhouse 4E. An openable lid (not shown) that covers the exposed charging ports 2A and 2B is also attached to the body side panel assembly 4. A vehicle body is formed by joining multiple body panel assemblies, including the body side panel assembly 4.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the battery 1 has a connector 1A on its top surface to which the harness 3 is connected. The harness 3 does not have any other connectors between the connector 1A and the port unit 2. The connector 1A for external charging is located on the top surface of the battery 1, not on the side or rear of the battery 1. This eliminates the need to reduce the length of the battery 1 in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction or the width in the vehicle's width direction. This allows for ample storage space for the battery modules inside the battery 1.

[0016] The battery 1 has a mounting portion 1B (see FIG. 7) formed on its side edge, which is fixed to a side sill 4I (see FIG. 3) of a body side panel assembly 4. The battery 1 also has a mounting bracket 1C on its rear edge, which is fixed to a cross member (not shown) that spans between rear side members 5 (see FIG. 4). The front of the battery 1 may also be fixed to the vehicle body.

[0017] The pair of rear side members 5 are part of the vehicle body, and a rear suspension member 6 is also attached to the pair of rear side members 5. Mounting portions 6A for attachment to the vehicle body are provided at the four corners of the rear suspension member 6. Bushings are incorporated into the mounting portions 6A, and the rear suspension member 6 is attached to the rear side members 5 at the mounting portions 6A. As illustrated in FIG. 4 , the lower edge of the wheelhouse inner panel 4A described above may be joined to the side surface of the rear side member 5.

[0018] As described above, the port unit 2 is attached to the body side panel assembly 4 that constitutes the vehicle body. More specifically, the port unit 2 is fixed to the port fixing hole 4F of the wheel house outer panel 4B. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2 , the port unit 2 is located directly above the wheel 7 inside the wheel house 4E. The port unit 2 has an engaging portion 2C that can engage with a second member 8, which is a member different from the body side panel assembly 4 that is the first member, when the charging system is assembled to the vehicle body. The shape of the engaging portion 2C may be a hook shape or a shape that includes an engaging hole, as shown in FIG. 4 .

[0019] 4, when the port unit 2 is attached to the body side panel assembly 4, the harness 3 extends from the port unit 2 in a generally longitudinal direction (horizontal direction). The engagement portion 2C is formed, for example, by a hook-shaped hook portion 2C. The hooking direction of the hook portion 2C is along the direction in which the harness 3 extends from the port unit 2 and is generally parallel to the direction in which the harness 3 extends. In other words, the opening direction of the hook of the hook portion 2C is generally parallel to the direction in which the harness 3 extends.

[0020] The on-board charger 9 is a device that converts AC power supplied from a charging cable connected to the charging port 2A into DC power suitable for charging the battery 1 when charging the battery 1 with external AC power. Therefore, the port unit 2 and the on-board charger 9 are electrically connected by a harness 10. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4 , a second member 8 is fixed to the on-board charger 9 to support the on-board charger 9. The second member 8 is a fixing bracket (hereinafter referred to as the fixing bracket 8) to which the on-board charger 9 is fixed, and is provided inside the rear of the wheelhouse 4E. The fixing bracket 8 is fixed between the wheelhouse inner panel 4A and the wheelhouse outer panel 4B, forming a partition wall within the wheelhouse 4E. Within the wheelhouse 4E, the on-board charger 9 is located on the opposite side of the fixing bracket 8 from the wheels 7.

[0021] As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the port unit 2 is provided with a protective plate 2D positioned horizontally below the charging ports 2A and 2B to protect the port unit 2 itself. The protective plate 2D is a metal plate and protects the port unit 2 from stones and other debris kicked up by the wheels 7. As shown in FIG. 2 , a front protective plate 11 is also provided in front of the protective plate 2D. The front edge of the protective plate 2D is joined to the rear edge of the front protective plate 11. The front protective plate 11 has multiple mounting pieces 11A and is fixed to the mounting portion 4J (see FIG. 1 ) of the wheelhouse inner panel 4A by the mounting pieces 11A. The front protective plate 11 curves to match the curvature of the front side of the wheelhouse 4E and protects the harness 3 connecting the battery 1 and the port unit 2. The front protective plate 11 is also a metal plate and protects the harness 3 from stones and other debris kicked up by the wheels 7. Furthermore, if the chains attached to the wheels 7 come off during snowfall, the protective plate 2D protects the port unit 2, and the front protective plate 11 protects the harness 3.

[0022] The above-mentioned hooking portion 2C of the port unit 2 is disposed, for example, on the underside of the protective plate 2D. As described above, the hooking portion 2C is hooked to the fixing bracket 8 during assembly of the charging system to the vehicle body. The fixing bracket 8 has a hooked portion 8A on which the hooking portion 2C is hooked. As illustrated in FIG. 6 , the hooking portion 2C is a first hook 2C formed in an angular U-shape. Meanwhile, the hooked portion 8A is a second hook 8A formed in an angular U-shape. By overlapping the first hook 2C with the second hook 8A from above, the two can be mated. More specifically, with the hook openings of the first hook 2C and the second hook 8A facing downward, the hook opening (i.e., the concave portion) of the first hook 2C is fitted into the bottom portion (i.e., the convex portion) of the U-shape of the second hook 8A. As a result, the hooking portion 2C is hooked to the hooked portion 8A in a provisionally held state. The shapes of the hooking portion 2C and the hooked portion 8A are not limited to those described above, as long as they can hold the hooking portion 2C in a temporary holding state.

[0023] Next, a method for using the hook portion 2C during assembly of the charging system to the vehicle body will be described.

[0024] The state in which the port unit 2 is fixed to the vehicle body, i.e., the wheelhouse outer panel 4B of the body side panel assembly 4, is shown in Fig. 4. However, the wheelhouse outer panel 4B is not shown in Fig. 4. Until the port unit 2 is fixed to the port fixing hole 4F (see Fig. 3), the port unit 2 is hooked to the hooked portion 8A of the fixing bracket 8 by the hook portion 2C, as shown in Fig. 5. In Fig. 5, the harness 3 and the harness 10 are already connected to the port unit 2, and the harness 3 is also connected to the connector 1A of the battery 1.

[0025] At this time, the port unit 2 is rotated approximately 90 degrees clockwise relative to the final installation state, and the harness 3 is in a stable position extending downward from the port unit 2 (see FIG. 5). The harness 10, which is also connected to the on-board charger 9 fixed to the fixing bracket 8, is not bent unnecessarily. As shown in FIG. 6, the hooking portion 2C has an angular U-shape, and the hooked portion 8A also has an angular U-shape that can be hooked onto the hooking portion 2C so as to overlap it. This prevents the hooked port unit 2 from swinging.

[0026] When the port unit 2 is fixed to the port fixing hole 4F during installation of the charging system on the vehicle body, the fixing bracket 8 is first fixed to the body side panel assembly 4. In this state, the worker removes the port unit 2 from the fixing bracket 8 and rotates it approximately 90 degrees counterclockwise to the correct position, after which the port unit 2 is fixed to the port fixing hole 4F (see FIG. 4). At this time, the front protection plate 11 has already been attached to the harness 3, and the front protection plate 11 is also fixed to the body side panel assembly 4 in the state shown in FIG. 4. Because of this installation procedure, there is no need to leave any excess length in the harness 10.

[0027] Having explained the installation of the port unit 2, next, the installation of the entire charging system, including the port unit 2, to the vehicle body will be explained, mainly with reference to Figure 7. An assembly jig 12 is used to install this charging system. As described above, the body side panel assembly 4 shown in Figure 3 is manufactured, and a vehicle body is manufactured by joining multiple body panel assemblies, including this body side panel assembly 4. This vehicle body also includes the side sills 4I and rear side members 5 described above.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 7 , components of the charging system are mounted on an assembly jig 12. Specifically, the battery 1, harness 3, on-board charger 9 attached to a fixed bracket 8, and the like are mounted on the jig 12. The on-board charger 9 may be attached to the fixed bracket 8 supported from below by a support pole 13 of the jig 12, without being attached to the fixed bracket 8 in advance. Furthermore, in addition to the charging system, various components to be attached to the vehicle body may also be mounted on the jig 12 at the same time. For example, a rear suspension member 6, a suspension arm and wheel hub attached to the rear suspension member 6, and a brake system are examples. FIG. 7 also shows a brake disc 14 mounted on the jig 12.

[0029] At this time, the harness 3 is connected to the connector 1A of the battery 1 and also to the port unit 2. The harness 10 is also connected to the port unit 2 and the on-board charger 9. In this state, the port unit 2 is hooked onto the fixing bracket 8, as shown in Figures 7 and 5. The harness 3 hangs downward from the port unit 2, and the front protection plate 11 to which the harness 3 is attached is placed on the brake disc 14 described above.

[0030] Next, the jig 12 is raised relative to the vehicle body, and the battery 1, rear suspension member 6, fixing bracket 8, etc. are installed under the floor of the vehicle body. The vehicle body may be lowered relative to the jig 12, or the jig 12 may be raised relative to the vehicle body. Many parts are placed on the jig 12 in the orientation in which they will be attached to the vehicle body, and when the vehicle body is set in the correct position relative to the jig 12, each part is attached to the vehicle body. The mounting portion 1B of the battery 1 is fixed to the side sill 4I, and the mounting bracket 1C of the battery 1 is fixed to a cross member spanning between the rear side members 5. The mounting portion 6A of the rear suspension member 6 is attached to the rear side member 5.

[0031] Because the connector 1A to which the harness 3 is connected is located on the upper surface of the battery 1, it is difficult to connect the harness 3 to the connector 1A after the jig 12 is raised relative to the vehicle body due to the lack of working space. Therefore, the harness 3 is connected to the connector 1A before the jig 12 is raised relative to the vehicle body. After the various components are attached to the vehicle body, the jig 12 is detached from the vehicle body. The port unit 2 remains hooked on the fixing bracket 8 attached to the vehicle body. Then, as already described in detail, the port unit 2 is fixed to the vehicle body, i.e., the port fixing hole 4F of the wheelhouse outer panel 4B, as described above, from the state shown in FIG. 5 to the state shown in FIG. 4. The front protective plate 11 is also fixed to the wheelhouse outer panel 4B.

[0032] The effects of the charging system and the method of assembling the charging system to the vehicle body according to the above embodiment will be described.

[0033] (1) The charging system includes a battery 1, a port unit 2, and a harness 3. The battery 1 is mounted under the floor of the vehicle body. The port unit 2 has charging ports 2A and 2B for charging the battery 1. The harness 3 electrically connects a connector 1A disposed on the upper surface of the battery 1 to the port unit 2. The port unit 2 is attached to a body side panel assembly 4, which is a first member constituting the vehicle body. The port unit 2 is provided with an engaging portion 2C that can engage with a fixing bracket 8, which is a second member different from the body side panel assembly 4, when the charging system is assembled to the vehicle body.

[0034] If the connector 1A were provided on the top surface of the battery 1, it would be difficult to connect the port unit 2 and harness 3 to the connector 1A after the battery 1 was installed under the vehicle floor. This is because it would be difficult for an operator to reach between the underfloor of the vehicle body and the top surface of the battery 1 during assembly, making it difficult to connect the harness 3 and the connector 1A. However, by providing the engaging portion 2C on the port unit 2, the port unit 2 and harness 3 can be connected to the connector 1A while the port unit 2 is engaged with the fixing bracket 8 when installing the charging system under the vehicle floor. After installing the charging system on the vehicle body, the port unit 2 can be removed from the fixing bracket 8, which is the second member, and installed in the body side panel assembly 4, which is the correct installation location. Furthermore, because the connector 1A is not located on the side surface, such as the rear surface, of the battery 1, the volume of the battery 1 is not reduced, allowing the battery 1 to accommodate more battery cells. Therefore, the charging system described above improves the ease of installation on the vehicle body without reducing the capacity of the battery 1.

[0035] (2) In the embodiment, the port unit 2 is attached to the body side panel assembly 4 above the wheelhouse 4E. When the port unit 2 is attached to the body side panel assembly 4, the harness 3 extends from the port unit 2 in the front-to-rear direction. The engaging portion 2C is formed as a hook-shaped hook portion 2C. The hooking direction of the hook portion 2C is formed along the direction in which the harness 3 extends from the port unit 2. Therefore, when assembling the charging system to the vehicle body, the port unit 2 can be hooked onto the fixed bracket 8 in the direction in which the harness 3 extends, i.e., in the hooking direction of the hook portion 2C, which improves workability. In this case, the port unit 2 can be hooked without twisting the port unit 2 or having the harness 3 get in the way during work.

[0036] (3) Furthermore, in this embodiment, the port unit 2 is attached to the body side panel assembly 4 (first member) above the wheelhouse 4E, and a protective plate 2D that protects the port unit 2 is provided below the port unit 2. The hook portion 2C is provided on the underside of the protective plate 2D. Therefore, the protective plate 2D protects the port unit 2 from stones and other objects kicked up by the wheels 7. Furthermore, even if the chains attached to the wheels 7 come off during snow accumulation, the protective plate 2D protects the port unit 2.

[0037] (4) In this embodiment, the vehicle includes an on-board charger 9 disposed within the wheel well 4E. The fixing bracket 8 is fixed to the on-board charger 9 and supports the on-board charger. The fixing bracket 8 has a hooking portion 8A onto which the hooking portion 2C is hooked. With the above configuration, when assembling the charging system to the vehicle body, the harness 3 is connected to the connector 1A, and then the hooking portion 2C is hooked onto the hooking portion 8A, improving workability. The on-board charger 9 is also protected by the second member 8 from stones and other debris that may be kicked up by the wheels 7. The on-board charger 9 is also protected by the fixing bracket 8 if the chains attached to the wheels 7 come off during snow accumulation.

[0038] (5) Furthermore, in the embodiment, the hooking portion 2C and the hooked portion 8A each have a U-shaped hook shape. The hooking portion 2C can be temporarily held in place by overlapping the hooked portion 8A and performing a female-male mating. Therefore, when the hooking portion 2C is hooked onto the hooked portion 8A, the overlapping of the two can reduce rattling and wobbling of the port unit 2.

[0039] (6) In an assembly method according to an embodiment, the charging system includes a battery 1, a port unit having a charging port for charging the battery 1, and a harness. First, a body side panel assembly 4 (first member) is attached to the vehicle body, with a wheelhouse inner panel 4A and a wheelhouse outer panel 4B joined to a body side panel 4D. The battery 1 and a second member 8 are mounted on an assembly jig 12. A connector 1A provided on the upper surface of the battery 1 is electrically connected to the port unit 2 by a harness 3, and the port unit 2 is engaged with a fixed bracket 8, which is the second member, to establish a temporary holding state. The jig 12 is raised relative to the vehicle body, and the battery 1 and the fixed bracket 8, which is the second member, are attached to the vehicle body. The jig 12 is then separated from the vehicle body, and the port unit 2 is removed from the fixed bracket 8 and attached to the body side panel assembly 4.

[0040] If the connector 1A were provided on the top surface of the battery 1, it would be difficult to connect the port unit 2 and harness 3 to the connector 1A after the battery 1 was installed under the vehicle floor. This is because it would be difficult for an operator to reach between the underfloor of the vehicle body and the top surface of the battery 1 during assembly, making it difficult to connect the harness 3 and the connector 1A. However, by providing the engaging portion 2C on the port unit 2, when assembling the charging system under the vehicle floor using the jig 12, the port unit 2 and harness 3 can be connected to the connector 1A while the port unit 2 is engaged with the fixing bracket 8, which is the second member. After assembling the charging system to the vehicle body, the port unit 2 can be removed from the fixing bracket 8 and installed in its correct mounting position, the body side panel assembly 4. Because the connector 1A is not located on the side surface, such as the rear surface, of the battery 1, the volume of the battery 1 is not reduced, allowing the battery 1 to accommodate more battery cells. Therefore, the assembly method according to the embodiment improves the ease of assembly to the vehicle body without reducing the capacity of the manufactured battery 1.

[0041] (7) In the embodiment, the charging system includes an on-board charger 9, and the fixing bracket 8 is mounted on the jig 12 together with the battery 1 as a support member for the on-board charger 9. Therefore, after connecting the harness 3 to the connector 1A, the port unit 2 can be hooked onto the fixing bracket 8 by the hook portion 2C, which improves workability.

[0042] The above-described embodiments are merely examples described to facilitate understanding of the invention. The technical scope of the invention is not limited to the specific technical matters disclosed in the above-described embodiments, but also includes various modifications, changes, alternative technologies, etc. that can be easily derived therefrom.

[0043] For example, in the embodiment, the second member to which the port unit 2 is hooked is described as an example of the fixing bracket 8 that fixes the on-board charger 9 to the first member (body side panel assembly) 4. However, the second member may be a peripheral part other than a part that constitutes the vehicle body, such as a suspension part such as a suspension arm or a brake part such as a brake disc, which is located outward in the vehicle width direction from the wheelhouse inner panel 4A.

[0044] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Battery 1A Connector 2 Port unit 2A, 2B Charging port 2C Engagement portion (hook portion, first hook) 2D Protective plate 3 Harness 4 First member (body side panel assembly) 4A Wheelhouse inner panel 4B Wheelhouse outer panel 4D Body side panel 4E Wheelhouse 8 Second member (fixing bracket) 8A Hooked portion (second hook) 9 On-board charger 12 Jig

Claims

1. A charging system for a vehicle, comprising: a battery mounted under the floor of a vehicle body; a port unit having a charging port for charging the battery; and a harness electrically connecting the battery and the port unit, wherein a connector to which the harness is connected is provided on the upper surface of the battery; the port unit is attached to a first member that constitutes the vehicle body; and the port unit is provided with an engaging portion that can engage with a second member different from the first member when the charging system is assembled to the vehicle body.

2. A charging system as described in claim 1, wherein the engaging portion is formed by a hook-shaped catch portion, and the catch direction of the catch portion is formed along the extension direction of the harness from the port unit.

3. The charging system according to claim 2, wherein the port unit is attached to the first member above the wheelhouse, a protective plate that protects the port unit is provided below the port unit, and the hook portion is provided on the underside of the protective plate.

4. A charging system as described in claim 2 or 3, comprising an on-board charger arranged in a wheelhouse, the second member being fixed to the on-board charger to support the on-board charger, and the second member having a hooked portion onto which the hooking portion is hooked.

5. The charging system described in claim 4, wherein the hooking portion and the hooked portion each have a U-shaped hook shape, and the hooking portion is temporarily held in place by overlapping the hooking portion with the hooked portion and engaging with each other.

6. A method of assembling a vehicle charging system to a vehicle body, the charging system comprising a battery, a port unit having a charging port for charging the battery, and a harness; attaching a first member formed by joining a wheelhouse inner panel and a wheelhouse outer panel to a body side panel to the vehicle body; mounting the battery and a second member on an assembly jig; electrically connecting a connector provided on the upper surface of the battery to the port unit with the harness and engaging the port unit with the second member to establish a temporary holding state; raising the jig relative to the vehicle body to assemble the battery and the second member under the floor of the vehicle body; separating the jig from the vehicle body; removing the port unit from the second member; and attaching the port unit to the first member.

7. The assembly method according to claim 6, wherein the charging system includes an on-board charger, and the second member is mounted on the jig together with the battery as a support member for the on-board charger.

Citation Information

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