On-Vehicle Power Converter Housing Interlock Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing on-vehicle power converter interlock mechanisms are costly and restrict the disposition of connectors, necessitating a solution that achieves equivalent interlock functionality at a lower cost with fewer restrictions.
Innovation Solution
An on-vehicle structure where a high-voltage connector is positioned between a housing and a structure, making it impossible to remove unless the power converter or structure is removed, combined with a discharge circuit that short-circuits a capacitor when the low-voltage connector is removed, ensuring safe disconnection and preventing unintentional high-voltage connector removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an interlock mechanism is provided in the connector, then safety against unintentional removal is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing structure itself provides the interlock function through its geometric design. The protrusion fits into a recess in the structure, creating a self-locking mechanism that prevents accidental disconnection without requiring additional interlock components. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate interlock mechanisms while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is divided into separate functional elements: the high-voltage connector, the housing, and the structure with recess. This segmentation allows the interlock function to be achieved through the spatial relationship between these discrete components rather than through a complex integrated mechanism, reducing overall device complexity and cost.
2Reliability
If an interlock mechanism is provided in the connector, then safety against unintentional removal is improved, but connector disposition restrictions increase
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the interlock function into the housing-structure relationship rather than constraining the connector itself, the design allows connectors to be positioned more freely. The protrusion-recess mechanism works independently of connector orientation, enabling greater adaptability in connector disposition while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical support, electrical insulation, and the interlock function through the protrusion-recess design. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate interlock components that would restrict connector placement, thereby improving adaptability while maintaining safety.
3Ease of repair
If the high-voltage connector is made removable for maintenance, then ease of repair is improved, but safety against unintentional removal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Before the connector can be removed for repair, the power converter must first be completely removed from the vehicle by disconnecting multiple fasteners and releasing the low-voltage connector. This preliminary action sequence ensures that intentional removal for maintenance is a deliberate, multi-step process that inherently prevents accidental disconnection while still allowing necessary repairs.
Solution Approach 2:
The design creates preliminary obstacles to connector removal through the interlocked housing-structure arrangement and the requirement to remove the power converter first. These preliminary anti-actions prevent unintentional removal while still permitting intentional maintenance activities when properly initiated through the complete disassembly sequence.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively prevents unintentional removal of high-voltage connectors, ensuring safety by requiring extra effort to remove the power converter, thus achieving a cost-effective interlock mechanism with reduced connector disposition restrictions.
Implementation Method 1
an insulating interlock pin extending from the low-voltage connector and sandwiched between the two terminals. When the low-voltage connector is removed, the interlock pin comes out and the two terminals are brought into contact with each other by an elastic force
Data Source
AI summary
An on-vehicle structure of a power converter includes a housing of the power converter mounted on a vehicle, a structure mounted on the vehicle, and a high-voltage connector attached to the housing. The high-voltage connector is configured to apply a voltage exceeding a predetermined threshold voltage, the high-voltage connector is positioned between the housing and the structure such that the high-voltage connector faces the structure in a removal direction of the high-voltage connector when the high-voltage connector is attached to the housing, and in a state where the high-voltage connector is attached to the housing, a length of a portion of the high-voltage connector embedded in the housing is determined so as to be longer than a distance between the high-voltage connector and the structure.