JP2012121371A - Air-exhaust structure of air cooling battery unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact air-exhaust structure of an air cooling battery unit, by employing a simple structure on the basis of preventing air intrusion into an inside of an air cooling battery unit and utilizing a vehicle body structure or a mounting structure of the air cooling battery unit.SOLUTION: This invention relates to the air-exhaust structure of the air cooling battery unit 22, the air-exhaust structure being mounted by utilizing a space surrounded by prepared left and right paired side frames 3, 4 of the vehicle and prepared two or more cross members 7, 8 connecting therebetween, of the vehicle. The air-exhaust structure of the air cooling battery unit 22 is equipped with an intake duct 28, an air cooling fan 29 and an exhaust duct 30. Here, a case of the air cooling fan is mounted protrudedly upward from an upper surface of the battery unit, an exhaust duct 30 is disposed to be extended from the case of the air cooling fan 29, and an opening end of the exhaust duct 30 is disposed opposite to a back surfaces of the cross members.

Description

  The present invention relates to an exhaust structure for an air-cooled battery unit, and more particularly, to an exhaust structure for an air-cooled battery unit that is mounted outside a vehicle compartment such as under a vehicle floor panel and cools the inside using outside air.

In recent years, in response to the occurrence of global resources and environmental problems such as environmental problems and fossil fuel depletion problems, commercialization of hybrid vehicles (hereinafter referred to as HEVs) at low prices is progressing in each company.
In these vehicles, the battery is placed indoors, and both the cargo compartment and the passenger compartment are narrowed by the amount of the battery. In particular, in an electric vehicle, since the vehicle is driven only by a battery, not in combination with a gasoline engine, the number of batteries mounted on the vehicle to secure a traveling distance is much larger than that of HEV, and may be mounted in the vehicle interior. Can not.
In addition, in the case of an air-cooled battery unit in which the driving sound of the battery cooling fan, the ventilation holes, and the like are in the vehicle interior, the wind noise may reverberate inside the vehicle. Therefore, by placing an air-cooled battery unit outside the vehicle compartment, especially under the vehicle body, it is possible to secure a vehicle compartment space, and by providing a cooling fan, a cooling duct, etc. outside the vehicle compartment, there is a problem with wind noise. Can be overcome.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1995-242124 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-41303 are examples of the exhaust structure of the air-cooled battery unit that cools the inside of the battery unit placed under the vehicle body using outside air.

JP-A-1995-242124 JP 2000-41303 A

However, in the case of an exhaust structure in which an air-cooled battery unit is placed outside the passenger compartment and a cooling fan is placed outside the passenger compartment, a cooling duct or the like will be placed under the floor panel. When traveling on a flooded road surface, water may enter the exhaust duct or cooling fan and touch the battery, causing problems such as electric leakage or electric shock.
In Patent Document 1, the exhaust duct is provided by utilizing the height of the side frame. However, there is no special water trap, and the exhaust duct is opened in an open space. There is room for improvement in the waterproofing effect. Moreover, although the said patent document 2 has provided the exhaust duct using the height of a side frame, it is only a water trap by having lowered | hung the side sill below the exhaust duct, and an exhaust duct is set in an open space. Because of the opening, there is room for improvement in the waterproof effect against water with dynamic flow.

In addition, in vehicle structures such as sedans, hatchbacks, minivans, etc., the floor panel on the gasoline tank mounting part (such as under the rear seat) is raised above the floor panel on the front side of the gasoline tank mounting part. ing. On the other hand, in wagon type and truck type vehicle structures, the floor panel on the gasoline tank mounting part, such as a sedan, hatchback, or minivan, is raised above the floor panel on the front side of the gasoline tank mounting part. Often does not have a structured structure.
Even in the case of a wagon type or truck type with a structure where the floor panel on the gasoline tank mounting part is raised to the top, the surface of the stepped part where the floor panel is raised to the top is the mounting position of a gasoline tank such as a sedan. In this case, the vehicle is located farther away from the rear wheel, whereas in the case of a wagon or truck type vehicle structure, it is closer to the rear wheel. When the battery unit is placed under the passenger compartment like a sedan type, wagon, or truck type, and an exhaust duct is provided in the space under the floor panel that is raised above, an exhaust duct is provided near the rear wheel. In particular, the wagon and truck type vehicle structures are closer to the rear wheel than the sedan type, so that the water rolled up by the rear wheel can easily enter the opening of the exhaust duct.

  It is an object of the present invention to prevent water from entering the inside of an air-cooled battery unit, and to be compactly accommodated using a simple structure by utilizing a vehicle body structure or an air-cooled battery unit mounting structure.

  According to the present invention, a pair of left and right side frames extending in the vehicle front-rear direction and a plurality of cross members connecting the left and right side frames are provided under the vehicle floor panel, and are surrounded by the pair of left and right side frames and the plurality of cross members. An air cooling structure for an air-cooled battery unit that is mounted by utilizing a flat and rectangular space that is flat on the top and bottom, an intake duct, a cooling fan, and an exhaust duct for taking in external air and cooling the internal battery The cooling fan case is provided so as to protrude upward from the upper surface of the battery unit, and the exhaust duct is extended to extend from the cooling fan case. And the opening end of the exhaust duct is provided to face the back surface of the cross member.

  The air cooling structure of the air-cooled battery unit according to the present invention has a trap structure that prevents water from entering in a space surrounded by a side frame or the like, and further uses a cross member near the opening of the exhaust duct. By forming a structure that shields the water, direct intrusion of water near the upper surface of the battery unit from the exhaust duct can be prevented.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the vehicle body. (Example) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle body. (Example) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the vehicle body with the air-cooled battery unit removed. (Example) FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of the vehicle body showing the flow of cooling air in the air-cooled battery unit. (Example) FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of an air-cooled battery unit portion mounted on the vehicle body. (Example) FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the cross member, the cooling fan, and the exhaust duct. (Example)

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 6 show an embodiment of the present invention. 1 to 3, 1 is a vehicle, and 2 is a vehicle body. In the vehicle 1, as a vehicle body 2, a pair of left and right right side frames 3 and a left side frame 4 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction are connected by a plurality of cross members 5 to 11 extending in the left-right direction. The side frame 3 and the left side frame 4 are raised from the rear cross member 8 to the upper part through the inclined portion. As shown in FIG. 6, a floor panel 12 is installed on the right side frame 3 and the left side frame 4 and the cross members 5 to 11, and a vehicle compartment 13 is formed on the floor panel 12.
Subframes 14 and 15 for mounting auxiliary equipment are connected to the right side frame 3 and the left side frame 4 between the front cross member 6 and the intermediate cross member 7 so as to bridge them. The subframes 14 and 15 for mounting auxiliary equipment are connected by a submember 16 extending in the front-rear direction at the middle in the width direction. These subframes 14 and 15 and the submember 16 are mounted and fixed with high voltage electrical components such as an inverter or an auxiliary machine including an air conditioning unit.
In the vehicle 1, a right front wheel 17 and a left front wheel 18 are disposed outside the right side frame 3 and the left side frame 4 between the front end cross member 5 and the front cross member 6, respectively. The vehicle 1 also has a right rear wheel 19 and a left rear wheel 20 on the outside of the right side frame 3 and the outside of the left side frame 4 raised above the upper portion between the rear cross member 8 and the rear end cross member 11, respectively. Is arranged.

As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle 1 includes a pair of right and left right side frames 3 and 4 that extend in the vehicle front-rear direction below a floor panel 12 that is positioned at an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction, and a plurality of them that connect them. A substantially rectangular parallelepiped space 21 that is long in the front and back and flattened up and down is surrounded by the cross members 6 to 8. The vehicle 1 uses the space 21 and is disposed so as to coincide with the center of the space 21, and is mounted below the space 21 and mounted with a rectangular parallelepiped air-cooled battery unit 22. The air-cooled battery unit 22 has a plurality of batteries built in a housing 23.
The air-cooled battery unit 22 includes a plurality of right front mount portions 24, right rear mount portions 25, left front mount portions 26, and left rear mount portions that are provided on the left and right sides of the housing 23 so as to be spaced apart in the front-rear direction and project in the width direction. 27. The air-cooled battery unit 22 has a right front mounting portion 24, a right rear mounting portion 25, a left front mounting portion 26, and a left rear mounting portion 27 on the lower surface of the middle portion in the front-rear direction of the pair of right and left right side frames 3 and 4 respectively. And firmly fixed to the vehicle body 2. Further, the housing 22 between the plurality of right front mounting portions 24, right rear mounting portions 25 and left front mounting portions 26, left rear mounting portions 27 provided apart from each other in the front-rear direction has a high side surface on one side of the intermediate portion. The connection part for connecting the voltage cables is provided so as to be recessed deeply.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper surface of the housing 23 of the air-cooled battery unit 22 is formed in a substantially horizontal plane as in the lower surface. On the upper surface of the housing 23, several functional parts of the air-cooled battery unit 22 are provided so as to protrude upward. The functional unit includes, for example, an intake duct 28, a cooling fan 29, an exhaust duct 30, a service plug unit 31, and the like.
The intake duct 28 is provided on the left side near the front end of the upper surface of the housing 23 and takes in air for battery cooling. The cooling fan 29 and the exhaust duct 30 are provided on the right side in the vicinity of the rear end of the upper surface of the housing 23, and discharge battery cooling air. The cooling fan 29 is provided with a case 32 protruding upward from the upper surface of the housing 23. The exhaust duct 30 extends forward from the front surface of the case 32 of the cooling fan 29 on the right side of the vehicle, and forms an opening 33 toward the front. The service plug portion 31 is provided on the middle right side of the upper surface of the housing 23 and blocks conduction of the high voltage battery.
The intake duct 28 extends upward so as to penetrate the floor panel 12 and can take in relatively clean air in the passenger compartment 13. Inside the housing 23 of the battery unit 22, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 4, a cooling air flow is generated by the suction operation of the cooling fan 29 provided on the downstream side (rear side) thereof, and is generally one-way. Cool the arranged individual batteries uniformly. The cooled cooling air is discharged forward from the opening 33 of the exhaust duct 30.
The intake duct 28, the cooling fan 29, the exhaust duct 30, and the service plug portion 31 are all arranged by using the substantially rectangular parallelepiped space 21 that is long in the front and rear direction and flat in the vertical direction. Further, in this space 21, a plurality of intermediate cross members 6 to 8 are provided so as to connect between the pair of right and left right side frames 3 and 4 and the auxiliary equipment mounting subframe. 14 and 15 are provided so as to connect between the pair of left and right right side frames 3 and 4. The subframes 14 and 15 are connected by the submember 16 extending in the front-rear direction at the middle in the width direction.
A subframe on which a power unit (not shown) is mounted is disposed behind the air-cooled battery unit 22 and fixed to the pair of left and right right side frames 3 and 4 and the rear cross members 9 to 11.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the air-cooled battery unit 22 includes a space 34 surrounded by the case 32 of the cooling fan 29 surrounded by the right side frame 3, the left side frame 4, the cross member 7, and the cross member 8. The upper surface of the housing 23 protrudes upward. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, an exhaust duct 30 is provided so as to extend forward from the front surface of the case 32 of the cooling fan 29. The exhaust duct 30 is provided with the end of the opening 33 facing the back surface of the intermediate cross member 7.
As shown in FIG. 6, the cross member 7 has two bottom walls 35 extending in the vehicle width direction, facing each other so as to spread upward from both sides of the bottom wall 35, and extending in the vehicle width direction. Are formed into a substantially U-shaped member having an opening 38 in the upper part. The cross member 7 is formed such that the width W2 of the opening 38 is larger than the width W1 of the bottom surface 35 (W1 <W2). The cross member 7 has a gap 39 between the top surface of the housing 23 of the battery unit 22 and the bottom wall portion 35, and connects both ends in the vehicle width direction to the right side frame 3 and the left side frame 4.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the exhaust duct 30 provided so as to extend forward from the front surface of the case 32 of the cooling fan 29 is bent into a substantially Z shape in a side view and the opening 33 is directed upward. The lifting end is provided so as to face the rear vertical wall portion 37 on the back surface of the intermediate cross member 7.

As shown in FIG. 6, the exhaust duct 30 leads the exhaust air from the front of the case 32 of the cooling fan 29 that faces the front of the vehicle, and changes the flow direction by bending it into a crank shape one step upward. The cross member 7 near the center in the vehicle longitudinal direction is discharged from the opening 33 at a high position facing the rear vertical wall surface 37 extending in the vehicle width direction.
As a result, the air exhaust structure of the air-cooled battery unit 22 can be provided with a structural wall that shields the opening 33 at the extension of the flow direction of the air discharged from the opening 33. By blocking the flowing water and providing the opening 33 at a high position, intrusion of water flowing on the upper surface of the housing 23 is suppressed as much as possible, and the possibility that the opening 33 is directly covered with water can be reduced.
The exhaust duct 30 is provided using the height of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped space 34 that is long and flat in the front and rear directions surrounded by the right side frame 3 and the left side frame 4, the cross member 7, and the cross member 8. The opening 33 is provided in the vicinity of the rear (back) of the intermediate cross member 7. The shape of the exhaust duct 30 in the vicinity of the end of the opening 33 has a vertical length secured by a duct shape extending one step upward. A trap cooperating with a rectangular parallelepiped space 34 surrounded by a vertical wall of a predetermined height of the space 34 by the right side frame 3 and the left side frame 4 and the cross member 7 and the cross member 8 is provided.
Thereby, the air exhaust structure of the air-cooled battery unit 22 performs a water / stop function or gas-liquid separation. The opening 33 of the exhaust duct 30 is along the traveling direction of the vehicle, but prevents direct intrusion of water liquid that tends to flow in the front-rear direction due to inertia.
As described above, the air exhaust structure of the air-cooled battery unit 22 is a trap structure that prevents water from entering in the space 34 surrounded by the right side frame 3 and the like, and further in the vicinity of the opening 33 of the exhaust duct 30. By forming a structure that shields water using the cross member 7, it is possible to prevent direct entry of water from the exhaust duct 30 in the vicinity of the upper surface of the housing 23 of the air-cooled battery unit 22.

The air-cooled battery unit 22 is provided with a right front mounting portion 24, a right rear mounting portion 25, a left front mounting portion 26, and a left rear mounting portion 27 for mounting the housing 23 on a pair of left and right right side frames 3 and left side frames 4. ing. The right front mounting portion 24, the right rear mounting portion 25, the left front mounting portion 26, and the left rear mounting portion 27 are connected to the cross member 7 and the cross member 8 through the right side frame 3 and the left side frame 4, respectively. Is forming. And this structure part 40 exhibits the structure enclosed by the upper surface of the housing 23 of the air-cooling type battery unit 22 so that it may become an annular shape in the vertical direction, thereby opening the space in front of the end 33 of the cooling duct 30. The area (gap 39) is limited.
As a result, in the air exhaust structure of the air-cooled battery unit 22, the structure portion 40 that is substantially U-shaped continuously restricts the gap 39 between the upper surface of the housing 23 of the air-cooled battery unit 22, that is, In addition to restricting the gap 39 in the direction, both the right side frame 3 and the left side frame 4 and the right rear mount portion 25 and the left rear mount portion 27 close both ends in the vehicle width direction, thereby further enhancing the trap structure's blockage. Can be increased. In particular, it is possible to make it difficult for water from diagonally forward to enter the flat space 34. Furthermore, since the exhaust structure of the air-cooled battery unit 22 can enhance the effect of preventing water from entering, the duct shape can be simplified.

  The present invention has a structure capable of simplifying the duct shape while preventing water from entering the inside of the air-cooled battery unit, and is applicable not only to an electric vehicle but also to a battery unit mounted on a high-lid vehicle. Can do.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 3 Right side frame 4 Left side frame 5-11 Cross member 12 Floor panel 21 Space 22 Air-cooled battery unit 23 Housing 24 Right front mounting part 25 Right rear mounting part 26 Left front mounting part 27 Left rear mounting part 28 Intake duct 29 Cooling Fan 30 exhaust duct 32 case 33 opening 34 space 35 bottom wall portion 36 vertical wall portion 37 vertical wall portion 38 opening portion 39 gap 40 structure portion

Claims (2)

A pair of left and right side frames extending in the vehicle front-rear direction and a plurality of cross members connecting between them are provided under the vehicle floor panel
An air cooling structure for an air-cooled battery unit mounted using a substantially rectangular parallelepiped space surrounded by a pair of left and right side frames and a plurality of cross members,
In the air exhaust structure of an air-cooled battery unit including an intake duct, a cooling fan, and an exhaust duct for taking in external air and cooling the internal battery,
The cooling fan case is provided so as to protrude upward from the upper surface of the battery unit,
The exhaust duct is provided so as to extend from the cooling fan case,
An exhaust structure for an air-cooled battery unit, wherein an opening end of the exhaust duct is provided to face the back surface of the cross member. A mounting portion for mounting the air-cooled battery unit on a pair of left and right side frames is provided,
These mount parts form a structure part continuous with the cross member via the side frame,
2. The exhaust air of the air-cooled battery unit according to claim 1, wherein the structure portion limits an open area of a space in front of the opening end of the exhaust duct that is enclosed in cooperation with the air-cooled battery unit. Construction.

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