JP2011244580A - High-voltage apparatus housing box for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To certainly secure a safety on an operation in a high-voltage apparatus housing box for a vehicle housing a high-voltage apparatus loaded on the vehicle on the inside.SOLUTION: The high-voltage apparatus housing box 10 for the vehicle includes: a case 26 housing a PCU in the inside; a cover 34 for a connector being detachably mounted on the case 26 and covering the connector 28 of a cable 24 connected to the case 26; a connecting window 30 formed to the case 26 and used for connecting the terminal of the connector 28 to the PCU; and the cover 32 for the connecting window being detachably mounted on the case 26 and covering the connecting window 30. Since the cover covering the connecting window 30 is formed in a double structure, the safety on the operation can be secured certainly.

Description

  The present invention relates to a high-voltage device storage box for a vehicle that stores therein a high-voltage device mounted on the vehicle, and more particularly to improvement of the structure of the storage box.

  In recent years, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, an electric vehicle, and the like that are driven by the output of an electric motor, which can contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from the viewpoint of global warming countermeasures, are attracting attention. These vehicles are equipped with high-voltage equipment to which a high voltage of, for example, several hundred volts is applied in order to drive a motor with high output.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 describes a double lid structure cover that covers an upper side of a casing of an inverter that houses a drive circuit of an electric motor mounted on a vehicle. This document describes that the maintenance of the inverter is facilitated because the above-described cover can be opened and closed.

  Patent Document 2 listed below describes a design cover that covers an upper portion of a housing that houses a power control unit mounted on a vehicle.

JP 2003-320854 A JP 2006-335098 A

  In the storage box for storing the high-voltage device as in Patent Document 1, since the cover can be opened and closed with respect to the housing, the device stored inside can be easily maintained. However, in such a structure, there is a possibility that a vehicle user or a maintenance staff may touch a part of a high voltage device to which a voltage is applied during work. The site | part of the high voltage apparatus to which the voltage was applied is a fastening part to which the high voltage apparatus and the terminal of the connector of the cable connected to this are fastened, for example.

  To prevent contact as described above, provide an interlock mechanism that cuts off the power supplied from the battery to the high-voltage device when the cover is removed from the housing, or use a special bolt for attaching the housing to the cover. Can be considered. However, when these structures are used for all covers that cover the above-described accessible high-voltage device parts, the structure becomes complicated and the manufacturing cost increases.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a high-voltage device storage box for a vehicle that can ensure work safety with a simple structure and low cost.

  The present invention relates to a high-voltage device storage box for a vehicle that stores therein a high-voltage device mounted on a vehicle, a case for storing the high-voltage device therein, a detachable attachment to the case, and a connection to the case A connector cover for covering the connector of the cable; a fastening window formed on the case for fastening the terminal of the connector to the high voltage device; and a fastening window cover detachably attached to the case and covering the fastening window; The connector cover covers at least a part of the fastening window, is formed so as not to enter the inside from the window, and is attached to the case so as to cover the fastening window cover. And

  According to the high-voltage equipment storage box for a vehicle of the present invention, work safety can be reliably ensured with a simple structure and low cost.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the electric vehicle which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the high voltage apparatus storage box for vehicles which concerns on this embodiment.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a high-voltage equipment storage box for a vehicle according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As an example, an electric vehicle that travels with the output of an electric motor will be described, and a vehicle high-voltage device storage box that stores therein a high-voltage device mounted on the vehicle will be described. The present invention can be applied not only to an electric vehicle but also to a vehicle that travels with the output of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, that is, a high-voltage device storage box for a hybrid vehicle.

  First, the configuration of an electric vehicle 12 on which a vehicle high-voltage device storage box (hereinafter simply referred to as “storage box”) 10 according to the present embodiment is mounted will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an electric vehicle 12 according to the present embodiment.

  The electric vehicle 12 has an electric motor 14 as a prime mover. Drive wheels 18 are connected to the electric motor 14 via a power transmission mechanism 16. The power of the electric motor 14 is transmitted to the drive wheels 18 through the power transmission mechanism 16 and the electric vehicle 12 travels.

  The electric vehicle 12 includes a power control unit (hereinafter referred to as “PCU (Power Control Unit)”) 20 and a battery 22. The electric motor 14 is electrically connected to the battery 22 via the PCU 20. The PCU 20 and the battery 22 are connected via a DC cable 24.

  The PCU 20 is a high voltage device to which a high voltage of, for example, several hundred volts is applied, and includes a converter and an inverter (both not shown). The inverter has a three-phase bridge circuit including six switching elements, and converts DC power into three-phase AC power or converts three-phase AC power into DC power by the switching operation of these switching elements. Device. The converter is a device that includes a reactor and a switching element, repeatedly stores and discharges energy in the reactor by a switching operation of the switching element, and converts an input voltage to obtain an output voltage. In the present embodiment, the case where the PCU 20 includes an inverter and a converter has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the PCU 20 may be either a converter or an inverter.

  The battery 22 is a chargeable / dischargeable secondary battery, and is composed of, for example, a nickel metal hydride battery or a lithium ion battery. Of course, the battery 22 may be configured by a chargeable / dischargeable battery other than the secondary battery, for example, a capacitor.

  The electric power stored in the battery 22 is boosted by the PCU 20 and converted from direct current to alternating current, and then supplied to the electric motor 14 to drive the electric motor 14. Further, the electric power generated by the electric motor 14 at the time of regeneration is converted from alternating current to direct current by the PCU 20, and after being stepped down, is sent to the battery 22 and stored therein.

  Next, the structure of the storage box 10 of this embodiment is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the storage box 10.

  The storage box 10 includes a case 26 that stores the PCU 20 therein. The cable 24 is connected to the case 26. The cable 24 has a connector 28 at its end, and the connector 28 has a terminal (not shown).

  The case 26 is formed with a fastening window 30 that is an opening for fastening the PCU 20 accommodated therein and the terminal of the connector 28. By connecting the cable 24 to the case 26 and fastening the terminal of the connector 28 and the PCU 20 from the fastening window 30 via, for example, bolts, the electrical connection between the PCU 20 and the cable 24 is achieved.

  The storage box 10 includes a fastening window cover 32 that covers the fastening window 30 and a connector cover 34 that covers the connector 28. The connector cover 34 has a structure that can be easily removed for service or the like in order to replace an internal fuse (not shown).

  The fastening window cover 32 is an essential member to be removed when the PCU 20 is assembled or disassembled. The fastening window cover 32 is detachable from the case 26 by, for example, fastening bolts, but is attached via a sealing material so that it cannot be easily removed. By attaching the fastening cover 32 to the case 26, the fastening window 30 is closed, and the vehicle user or maintenance staff is prevented from touching the site to which the voltage is applied.

  The connector cover 34 is detachably attached to the connector 28 via bolts 36. The connector cover 34 is provided with an interlock mechanism. When the cover 34 is removed from the connector 28, the power supplied from the battery 22 to the PCU 20 is cut off by the operation of the interlock mechanism.

  Furthermore, the connector cover 34 in this embodiment is detachably attached to the case 26 together with the connector 28. Specifically, the connector cover 34 is detachably attached to the case 26 so as to cover the fastening window cover 32.

  With this configuration, the fastening window cover 32 cannot be removed from the case 26 unless the connector cover 34 is removed from the case 26. Therefore, even when a vehicle user or a maintenance person intentionally removes the fastening window cover 32, it is possible to prevent accidental touching a portion to which the voltage in the fastening window 30 is applied, resulting in work. Safety can be improved. In addition, since the connector cover 34 is provided with an interlock mechanism, the power is reliably shut off during work inside the case 26 through the fastening window 30. Further, after the work in the case 26 through the fastening window 30 is finished, the fastening window 30 is blocked if the connector cover 34 is attached to the case 26 even if the attachment of the fastening window cover 32 is forgotten. It is possible to prevent the vehicle user or maintenance personnel from touching the part to which the voltage is applied.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the connector cover 34 is formed so as to cover the fastening window cover 32 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The connector cover 34 may be formed so as to cover at least a part of the fastening window 30 and prevent the hand from entering the case 26 from the window 30. In this way, even if the connector cover 34 is not formed so as to cover the entire fastening window 30, if a hand does not enter the case 26 from the window 30, the vehicle user or maintenance personnel mistakenly detects the voltage. It is because it can prevent reliably that the applied site | part is touched.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 High voltage equipment storage box for vehicles, 20 Power control unit, 22 Battery, 24 Cable, 28 Connector, 30 Fastening window, 32 Fastening window cover, 34 Connector cover.

Claims (1)

In a high-voltage equipment storage box for a vehicle that houses high-voltage equipment mounted on a vehicle inside,
A case for storing high-voltage equipment inside,
A connector cover that is detachably attached to the case and covers a connector of a cable connected to the case;
A fastening window formed in the case for fastening the terminal of the connector to the high voltage device;
A fastening window cover that is detachably attached to the case and covers the fastening window;
Have
The connector cover covers at least a part of the fastening window, is formed so as not to enter a hand from the window, and is attached to the case so as to cover the fastening window cover.
A high-voltage equipment storage box for vehicles.

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