Support structure for charger of vehicle

Abstract

This support structure for a charger of a vehicle comprises: a charger which is disposed inside a wheelhouse and which charges a battery for vehicle travel; and a plate member which is fixed to the charger and which supports the charger. With respect to the plate member, the charger is installed on the side opposite to the wheel.

Description

Support Structure for Vehicle Charger

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a charger of an electric vehicle is placed on the floor at the rear of the vehicle body.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 4924665

[0004] By the way, in the structure of Patent Document 1, since the charger is arranged on the vehicle body floor, the space in the vehicle interior is reduced.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a support structure for a vehicle charger that can increase the space in the vehicle interior.

[0006] A support structure for a vehicle charger according to an aspect of the present invention includes a charger arranged in a wheelhouse and configured to charge a battery for vehicle travel, and a plate member fixed to the charger and supporting the charger. The charger is installed on the side opposite to the wheel with respect to the plate member.

[0007] According to the above support structure for a vehicle charger, the space in the vehicle interior can be increased.

[0008] FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a support structure for a vehicle charger according to an embodiment. FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the structure when the wheelhouse outer panel is removed from FIG. 1A. FIG. 1C is a perspective view showing the structure when the charger and the plate member are removed from FIG. 1B. FIG. 2A is a side view showing a support structure for a vehicle charger. FIG. 2B is a side view showing the structure when the wheelhouse outer panel is removed from FIG. 2A. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a support structure for a vehicle charger.

[0009] The following describes an example of applying the vehicle charger support structure according to the embodiment to a vehicle powered by an electric motor, such as an electric vehicle, with reference to the drawings. In each figure, FR and RR indicate the front and rear of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction, respectively; UP and DN indicate the upper and lower of the vehicle in the vertical direction, respectively; and LH and RH indicate the left and right of the vehicle in the width direction, respectively. In the following description, the front and rear of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction, the upper and lower of the vehicle in the vertical direction, and the left and right of the vehicle in the width direction will simply be referred to as front, rear, upper, lower, left, and right, respectively. Furthermore, components having the same function as those already described will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. The following description will use the support structure of a charger located on the right side of the vehicle as an example. The support structure of a charger located on the left side of the vehicle is similar and will therefore not be described.

[0010] As illustrated in Figures 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B, the vehicle charger support structure comprises a charger 1 located within the wheel well S, and a plate member 11 that supports the charger 1. The charger 1 is installed on the side of the plate member 11 opposite to the wheel.

[0011] Charger 1 is a charger for charging a vehicle battery (not shown). The battery is a high-capacity, high-voltage battery containing multiple battery modules, and is a power source that supplies driving power for the vehicle. Charger 1 is, for example, an onboard charger, which receives alternating current from an external vehicle power supply device and supplies direct current to the battery for charging.

[0012] As illustrated in Figures 1A and 2A, the charger 1 is located in a wheel well S formed between the rear wheel (not shown) and the vehicle body at the rear of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the charger 1 is located at the rear of the wheel well S in an inclined position with respect to the vertical direction, along the outer edge of the wheel well S. That is, the upper part of the charger 1 is located forward of the lower part of the charger 1.

[0013] The wheelhouse S is a space outside the passenger compartment, formed between the vehicle's wheels and the vehicle body, and is also called a tire house. The wheelhouse S is located below the vehicle's fender and is formed on the outside in the vehicle width direction of the rear side member 2, which is a structural member of the frame. In this embodiment, the wheelhouse S is formed by joining a wheelhouse inner panel 21 and a wheelhouse outer panel 51, which will be described later (see Figures 1A, 2A, and 3). The fender is the part of the vehicle body that covers the wheelhouse S from the front to the rear from above, and includes the outer body panel around the wheelhouse S and the inner part of the outer body panel inside the vehicle.

[0014] The plate member 11 is a bracket fixed to the charger 1 and supporting the charger 1. As illustrated in Figures 1A, 1B, and 2A-3, the plate member 11 extends in a direction inclined with respect to the vertical direction and in the vehicle width direction, is positioned in front of the charger 1, and is fastened and fixed to the front surface of the charger 1. Therefore, the charger 1 is installed on the side of the plate member 11 away from the wheels. In the configuration illustrated in Figures 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B, within the wheelhouse S, the plate member 11 is positioned behind the rear wheel (not shown) of the vehicle, and the charger 1 is positioned behind the plate member 11. However, the positioning of the charger 1 is not limited to the above, as long as it is installed on the side of the plate member 11 away from the wheels. For example, the plate member 11 may be positioned in front of the wheels, and the charger 1 may be positioned in front of the plate member 11.

[0015] As illustrated in Figures 1A, 1B, and 2A-3, the plate member 11 comprises an upper part 11U, a lower part 11D, and an intermediate part 11M which is the portion between the upper part 11U and the lower part 11D. As illustrated in Figure 2B, the upper part 11U of the plate member 11 extends in the vehicle width direction, above the charger 1, and inclined with respect to the vertical direction. As illustrated in Figures 1A, 1B, and 2A-3, the upper part 11U of the plate member 11 is supported by the upper part 21U of the wheelhouse inner panel 21. In this embodiment, the upper part 11U of the plate member 11 is fastened and fixed to the upper part 21U of the wheelhouse inner panel 21 at fixing point P1A.

[0016] The wheelhouse inner panel 21 defines the inner portion of the wheelhouse S in the vehicle width direction. The upper part 21U of the wheelhouse inner panel 21 supports a shock absorber (not shown), which is a component of the rear suspension. In this embodiment, the lower part of the wheelhouse inner panel 21 is connected to the rear side member 2, which is a structural member of the frame (see Figure 3). Therefore, the charger 1 and the plate member 11 are positioned on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the rear side member 2, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (see Figure 3).

[0017] As illustrated in Figures 1A, 1B, and 2A-3, the middle portion 11M and the lower portion 11D of the plate member 11 extend in a direction inclined with respect to the vertical direction and in the vehicle width direction, so as to follow the front surface of the charger 1. In this embodiment, the plate member 11 is positioned at the rear of the wheelhouse S in a position inclined with respect to the vertical direction so as to follow the outer edge of the wheelhouse S. That is, the upper portion 11U of the plate member 11 is positioned forward of the lower portion 11D of the plate member 11.

[0018] As illustrated in Figures 1A, 1B, 2B, and 3, the lower part 11D of the plate member 11 is supported by a reinforcing member 32. The reinforcing member 32 is a plate-shaped member extending in the vehicle width direction and connects the two ends in the vehicle width direction of the suspension member 31, which is a skeletal structural member. In this embodiment, the lower part 11D of the plate member 11 is fastened and fixed to the reinforcing member 32 at fixing point P2.

[0019] As illustrated in Figures 1A, 1B, and 3, the intermediate portion 11M of the plate member 11 is supported by the wheelhouse inner panel 21 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. More specifically, in the configuration illustrated in Figures 1A-3, a reinforcement 41 is provided on the inner surface of the wheelhouse inner panel 21. The reinforcement 41 extends substantially vertically along the inner surface of the wheelhouse inner panel 21. In the configuration illustrated in Figures 1A, 1B, and 3, the intermediate portion 11M of the plate member 11 is fastened and fixed to the reinforcement 41 by a fixing point P3 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. That is, the intermediate portion 11M of the plate member 11 is supported by the wheelhouse inner panel 21 via the reinforcement 41. In this embodiment, a bracket 42 is provided for supporting the wheelhouse inner panel 21 to the reinforcement 41. That is, the intermediate portion 11M of the plate member 11 is fixed to the reinforcement 41 via the bracket 42 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction (see Figures 1A, 1B, 2B, and 3).

[0020] In this embodiment, the lower part of the reinforcement 41 is connected to a connecting portion 3 that connects the rear side member 2 and the suspension member 31 (see Figure 3). In the configuration illustrated in Figures 1A, 1B, 2B, and 3, the plate member 11 is fastened and fixed to the connecting portion 3 by a fixing point P4 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction.

[0021] As illustrated in Figures 1A and 13, the upper part 11U of the plate member 11 is supported by the wheelhouse outer panel 51 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction. That is, the plate member 11 is fastened and fixed to the wheelhouse outer panel 51 at two fixing points P1B on the outer side in the vehicle width direction. The upper part of the wheelhouse outer panel 51 is joined to the wheelhouse inner panel 21 and defines the outer portion of the wheelhouse S in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the plate member 11 according to this embodiment is supported by the upper part 21U of the wheelhouse inner panel 21, the reinforcing member 32, the reinforcement 41, and the wheelhouse outer panel 51. In other words, the plate member 11 that supports the charger 1 is supported by a relatively rigid member. Note that the member supporting the plate member 11, the position of support, and the number of fixing points are not limited to those described above. Also, the configuration and arrangement of the reinforcement 41 and the bracket 42 are not limited to those described above.

[0022] As illustrated in Figure 2B, the plate member 11 is bent in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. That is, the plate member 11 has a bend line substantially parallel to the vehicle's width direction between the upper part 11U and the intermediate part 11M. Therefore, the upper part 11U is formed by bending forward around an axis substantially parallel to the vehicle's width direction relative to the intermediate part 11M. This suppresses displacement and vibration of the charger 1 and the plate member 11 in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. As a result, shear input to the fixed points on the inside or outside in the vehicle's width direction of the plate member 11 can be suppressed more effectively than when the plate member 11 is not bent in the vehicle's longitudinal direction.

[0023] As illustrated in Figure 2A, a charging port hole P is provided at the top of the wheelhouse outer panel 51 for arranging a charging port (not shown) inside. Also, as illustrated in Figure 2B, a harness H is connected to the charger 1. The harness H comprises, for example, harnesses H1 and H2. In this case, for example, harness H1 electrically connects the charging port and the charger 1. One end of harness H1 is connected to the charging port, and the other end of harness H1 is connected to the charger 1 via a connector provided on the top of the charger 1. Harness H2 electrically connects the charger 1 and the battery. That is, one end of harness H2 is connected to the top of the charger 1, and the other end of harness H2 is connected to the battery via a connector. As illustrated in Figure 2A, harnesses H1 and H2 are routed along the outer edge of the wheelhouse S, passing above the plate member 11. This prevents the chains attached to the wheels from interfering with harnesses H1 and H2 even if they break or come off during snowfall.

[0024] (1) The vehicle charger support structure according to this embodiment comprises a charger 1 arranged in the wheelhouse S for charging the vehicle's battery, and a plate member 11 fixed to the charger 1 and supporting the charger 1, wherein the charger 1 is installed on the side of the plate member 11 away from the wheel. With this configuration, the charger 1 can be installed in the wheelhouse S, which is outside the passenger compartment, supported by the plate member 11. As a result, the space inside the passenger compartment can be increased.

[0025] (2) In this embodiment, the upper part 11U of the plate member 11 is supported by the upper part 21U of the wheelhouse inner panel 21 that supports the shock absorber, and the lower part 11D of the plate member 11 is supported by a reinforcing member 32 that connects both ends of the suspension member 31 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the plate member 11 is supported by the upper part 21U of the wheelhouse inner panel 21 and the reinforcing member 32, which have relatively high rigidity. That is, the charger 1, which is a relatively heavy component, is supported by the upper part 21U of the wheelhouse inner panel 21 and the reinforcing member 32 via the plate member 11. Therefore, with the above configuration, the charger 1 can be properly supported inside the wheelhouse S, which is outside the vehicle compartment.

[0026] (3) Furthermore, in this embodiment, the intermediate portion 11M between the upper part 11U and the lower part 11D of the plate member 11 is supported by the wheelhouse inner panel 21. Therefore, with this configuration, the charger 1, which is a relatively heavy component, can be supported more appropriately inside the wheelhouse S, which is outside the vehicle compartment.

[0027] (4) In this embodiment, the wheelhouse inner panel 21 is provided with a reinforcement 41 that extends along the inner surface of the wheelhouse inner panel 21, and the plate member 11 is supported by the reinforcement 41 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. As a result, the plate member 11 is fixed to the reinforcement 41, and the rigidity of the fixing point (for example, fixing point P3) on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the plate member 11 can be improved.

[0028] (5) Furthermore, in this embodiment, the plate member 11 is supported by the wheelhouse outer panel 51 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction. By providing a fixing point P1B on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the plate member 11, displacement and vibration in the longitudinal direction on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the plate member 11 can be suppressed. As a result, the shear input to the fixing point (for example, fixing point P3) on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the plate member 11 can be suppressed.

[0029] (6) In this embodiment, the plate member 11 is bent in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. This suppresses displacement and vibration of the charger 1 and the plate member 11 in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, it is possible to suppress shear input to the fixing points (for example, fixing points P1A, P1B, P3) on the inner and outer sides of the plate member 11 in the vehicle width direction.

[0030] (7) Furthermore, in this embodiment, a harness H is provided that is connected to the charger 1, and the harness H is routed so as to pass over the plate member 11. This prevents the chain from interfering with the harness H even if the chain attached to the wheel breaks or comes off when it snows.

[0031] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative examples provided to facilitate understanding of the invention. The technical scope of the invention is not limited to the specific technical matters disclosed in the embodiments above, but also includes various modifications, changes, and alternative technologies that can be easily derived therefrom.

[0032] 1 Charger 11 Plate member 11D Lower part 11M Middle part 11U Upper part 21 Wheelhouse inner panel 21U Upper part 31 Suspension member 32 Reinforcement member 41 Reinforcement 51 Wheelhouse outer panel H Harness S Wheelhouse

Claims

1. A vehicle charger support structure comprising: a charger located in the wheel well for charging a vehicle battery; and a plate member fixed to the charger and supporting the charger, wherein the charger is installed on the side of the plate member opposite to the wheel.

2. The support structure for a vehicle charger according to claim 1, wherein the upper part of the plate member is supported on the upper part of the wheelhouse inner panel that supports the shock absorber, and the lower part of the plate member is supported on a reinforcing member that connects both ends of the suspension member in the vehicle width direction.

3. The support structure for a vehicle charger according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate portion of the plate member between the upper and lower parts is supported by the wheelhouse inner panel.

4. A support structure for a vehicle charger according to claim 2 or 3, comprising a reinforcement provided on the wheelhouse inner panel and extending along the inner surface of the wheelhouse inner panel, wherein the plate member is supported by the reinforcement on the inner side in the vehicle width direction.

5. The support structure for a vehicle charger according to claim 4, wherein the plate member is supported on the outer side in the vehicle width direction by the wheelhouse outer panel.

6. The support structure for a vehicle charger according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the plate member is bent in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

7. A support structure for a vehicle charger according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a harness connected to the charger, wherein the harness is routed to pass over the plate member.

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