JP2013082273A - High-voltage equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a manufacturing cost by simplifying an interlocking mechanism while minimizing the mechanism.SOLUTION: A high-voltage equipment 10 mounted to a vehicle includes: a housing 30 of the high-voltage equipment 10; a protector 32 mounted detachably to the housing 30 via a fastening member 36 and protecting the inside thereof by covering an opening of the housing 30; and a signal connector 42 mounted detachably to the outside of the protector 32 and containing an interlocking circuit and a bracket 54 which protrudes outward. Furthermore, the interlocking circuit is made conductive when the signal connector 42 and protector 32 are connected while the bracket 54 covers the fastening member 36 and thereby a safety measure is provided.

Description

  The present invention relates to a high-voltage device that is electrically connected to an electric motor of a vehicle, and more particularly to an improvement in an interlock mechanism of the device.

  In recent years, in consideration of environmental problems, vehicles such as an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and a fuel cell vehicle that travel with the output of an electric motor have attracted attention. Such a vehicle is equipped with a high-voltage device such as an inverter device that controls electric power exchanged between the electric motor and the battery, as well as a battery that can be charged and discharged as a power source connected to the electric motor.

  Since the inspection or maintenance work of the high-voltage device is usually performed by removing the protector that protects the high-voltage region inside the housing from the housing of the high-voltage device, safety measures against electric accidents are taken. As a safety measure, there may be provided an interlock circuit that cuts off the power supplied to the high-voltage device when the protector is removed from the housing.

  The following Patent Document 1 discloses a high voltage unit having a main body in which a high voltage unit is housed, first and second openings provided on the surface of the main body, and first and second lids covering these openings, respectively. Cases are listed. The first and second lids are provided with first and second interlock connectors, respectively. The second lid is attached to the second opening so that the second interlock connector extends to the first opening, and the first interlock connector is interposed between the second interlock connector and the conductive member. The interlock switch is turned off by attaching the first lid to the first opening so as to be conductive.

JP 2010-246321 A

  The interlock circuit as described in Patent Document 1 includes two opening / closing lids, two interlock connectors attached to these opening / closing lids, and a conductive member that conducts the two interlocks. In such a configuration, the structure becomes complicated and man-hours are required, and the manufacturing cost naturally increases.

  In general, when an inverter device is mounted on an automobile or the like, the inverter device is downsized because there is not enough room for installation in the vehicle. However, in the configuration as described above, the structure becomes complicated and the number of parts increases, so that there is a problem that downsizing becomes difficult.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a high-voltage device that can simplify the interlock mechanism, reduce the manufacturing cost, and reduce the size.

  The present invention relates to a high-voltage device mounted on a vehicle, a housing for the high-voltage device, a protector that is detachably attached to the housing via a fastening member, covers the opening of the housing, and protects the inside. A signal connector that is detachably attached to the outside of the protector and includes an interlock circuit and a bracket projecting outward. Conduction of the interlock circuit is achieved when the signal connector and the protector are connected. And the bracket covers the fastening member.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the signal connector is provided on a line that electrically connects a control board of a high-voltage device housed in a housing and a control unit that controls the vehicle.

  Further, it is preferable that the signal connector exposed from the housing is configured as a part of the wire harness, and the wire harness is fixed to the housing.

  Further, the protector can protect a terminal provided in the housing for electrically connecting the high voltage device and the external device.

  Further, it is preferable that the external device is a motor for driving a vehicle.

  According to the high voltage device of the present invention, the interlock mechanism can be simplified, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the size can be reduced.

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 which concerns on this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the high voltage apparatus which concerns on this embodiment.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a high-voltage device 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 is cited, and 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 for a hybrid vehicle or a high-voltage device for a fuel cell vehicle.

  First, the configuration of the electric vehicle 12 on which the high voltage device 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 mounted on the electric vehicle 12 corresponds to the high voltage device 10 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 configuration of the high voltage device 10 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the high-voltage device 10.

  The high voltage device 10 includes a housing 30 of the high voltage device 10 and a protector 32 that is detachably attached to the housing 30. The housing 30 houses a control board 34 that controls the high voltage device 10 together with the high voltage device 10. The protector 32 is a member that covers the opening of the housing 30 and protects the inside thereof, and is fastened to the housing 30 via a fastening member 36 (shown in FIG. 3). The protector 32 according to the present embodiment is a member that protects a terminal (not shown) that is provided in the housing 30 and electrically connects the high-voltage device 10 and the electric motor 14. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and any other high voltage region in the housing 30, for example, the high voltage device 10 and the external device (battery 22) can be used as long as an electrical accident during work can be prevented. The terminal may be protected.

  The high-voltage device 10 includes a signal line 40 that is a cable that electrically connects the control board 34 and the control unit 38 that controls the electric vehicle 12 and transmits signals between them. The control unit 38 is an ECU (Electronically Control Unit) and controls the high voltage device 10 and the electric motor 14 according to the situation of the electric vehicle 12. When the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, the control unit 38 may be at least one of a hybrid ECU or an engine ECU.

  The signal line 40 starts from the control unit 38 and enters the housing 30 from the control unit 38, and once exposed from the housing 30, enters the housing 30 and is connected to the control board 34. The signal line 40 has the signal connector 42 in the middle of the path once exposed from the housing 30 as described above. The signal connector 42 is detachably attached to the outside of the protector 32, that is, to the connector receptacle (not shown) on the side exposed when connected to the housing 30. When the signal connector 42 is connected to the protector 32, the signal line 40 constitutes an interlock circuit that achieves conduction of the signal line 40. When the interlock circuit is interrupted, power supply to the high-voltage electrical device 10 is stopped via the signal line 40.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the signal line 40 is configured to be once exposed from the housing 30 as described above has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The signal line 40 may enter the housing 30 from the control unit 38 and be connected to the control board 34 as it is. In this configuration, a signal connector 42 is provided in the middle of the path between the control unit 38 and the housing 30.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the area of the signal line 40 from the housing 30 to the signal connector 42 is configured as a wire harness 44. The wire harness 44 is fixed to the housing 30 via a fixing member 46 such as a clamp. As a result, the degree of freedom of the signal connector 42 is limited. In other words, the signal connector 42 can be moved only within a predetermined range.

  Next, a connection structure of the housing 30, the protector 32, and the signal connector 42 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration of the high-voltage device 10 according to the present embodiment.

  The high-voltage device 10 includes a fastening member 36 that fastens the protector 32 to the housing 30. The fastening member 36 is, for example, a bolt. The housing 30 has four mounting seats 50 in which screw holes 48 into which the fastening members 36 are screwed are formed. The protector 32 is formed with four through holes 52 corresponding to the mounting seats 50 and through which the fastening members 36 pass. Note that the numbers of the mounting seats 50 and the through holes 52 are examples, and the present invention is not limited to the number of mounting seats 50 and 52. In the high voltage device 10 configured as described above, first, the position of the protector 32 is determined so that the protector 32 covers the opening of the housing 30, and the fastening member 36 is screwed into the screw hole 48 through the through hole 52. Thus, the protector 32 is attached and fixed to the housing 30.

  The signal connector 42 according to the present embodiment has a bracket 54 protruding outward. The bracket 54 is formed so as to cover the fastening member 36 when the signal connector 42 and the protector 32 are connected. In other words, the bracket 54 is formed so as to cover the through hole 52 from the outside when the signal connector 42 and the protector 32 are connected. In FIG. 3, the bracket 54 is formed so as to cover one fastening member 36, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the bracket 54 covers two or more fastening members 36. It may be formed.

  As described above, the signal connector 42 is provided with an interlock circuit. Therefore, when the signal connector 42 is removed from the protector 32, the power supplied to the high voltage device 10 is cut off by the operation of the interlock circuit. Furthermore, the signal connector 42 of the present embodiment is provided with a bracket 54 that covers the fastening member 36. With such a simple configuration, unless the signal connector 42 is removed from the protector 32, the fastening member 36 is loosened and the protector 32 cannot be removed from the housing 30. That is, when the protector 32 is removed from the housing 30 in order to inspect or maintain the high-voltage device 10, the signal connector 42 is always disconnected from the protector 32, so that the power supply to the high-voltage electrical device 10 is stopped. That is, safety measures are taken reliably. Therefore, it can prevent that the user or maintenance worker of a vehicle accidentally touches the site | part to which the high voltage in the housing | casing 30 was applied, and can aim at the improvement of work safety as a result.

  Further, since the wire harness 44 of the signal connector 42 is fixed to the housing 30 via the fixing member 46, the movable range of the signal connector 42 is small. Therefore, it becomes difficult to connect the signal connector 42 to the protector 32 removed from the housing 30, and it is possible to prevent the interlock circuit from being conducted by mistake during operation. it can. As described above, according to the high voltage device 10 of the present embodiment, it is possible to improve work safety, simplify the interlock mechanism, reduce the manufacturing cost, and reduce the size.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 High voltage apparatus, 12 Electric vehicle, 14 Electric motor, 16 Power transmission mechanism, 18 Drive wheel, 20 PCU, 22 Battery, 30 Case, 32 Protector, 34 Control board, 36 Fastening member, 38 Control part, 40 Signal line, 42 signal connector, 44 wire harness, 46 fixing member, 48 screw hole, 50 mounting seat, 52 through hole, 54 bracket.

Claims (5)

In high-voltage equipment mounted on vehicles,
A housing for high voltage equipment,
A protector that is detachably attached to the housing via a fastening member and covers the opening of the housing to protect the inside;
A signal connector that is detachably attached to the outside of the protector and includes an interlock circuit and a bracket projecting outward,
Have
When the signal connector and the protector are connected, conduction of the interlock circuit is achieved and the bracket covers the fastening member.
High voltage equipment characterized by that. The high voltage device according to claim 1,
The signal connector is provided on a line that electrically connects a control board of a high-voltage device housed in a housing and a control unit that controls the vehicle.
High voltage equipment characterized by that. In the high voltage apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The signal connector exposed from the housing is configured as a part of the wire harness, and the wire harness is fixed to the housing.
High voltage equipment characterized by that. In the high voltage apparatus as described in any one of Claim 1 to 3,
The protector protects a terminal provided in the housing for electrically connecting a high voltage device and an external device.
High voltage equipment characterized by that. The high voltage device according to claim 4,
The external device is a motor for driving a vehicle.
High voltage equipment characterized by that.

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