JP2018086878A - Battery heater system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a battery heater system provided with a fuse that is disposed on a power cable harnessed in a vehicle for supplying a battery heater with external power and disposed at a position that is close to the external power supply and where water is hard to reach.SOLUTION: A battery heater system 30 includes: a battery heater 32 for raising temperature of a battery 12 incorporated in a vehicle 10; power cables 36, 48 harnessed in the vehicle for supplying the battery heater 32 with power; an external connection cable 22, electrically connected to the power cable 48, for connecting an external power supply OP; and a fuse 50, disposed in the power cable 48, for shutting off power supply to the battery heater 32 when an overcurrent is applied. The fuse 50 is disposed on a back side of a head lamp in an engine compartment 14 of the vehicle and is fixed to a radiator support member that constitutes a part of a vehicular body 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery heater power supply system including a battery heater that raises the temperature of a battery mounted on a vehicle.

  Conventionally, for example, in a hybrid vehicle and an electric vehicle of a cryogenic region specification, when the battery mounted on the vehicle becomes extremely low temperature (for example, −30 ° C.), the electrolyte in the battery may be frozen, so the vehicle is started. There are cases where it is impossible. Therefore, a battery heater may be provided in order to raise the temperature of the battery so that the battery can be discharged (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-221776

  When operating a battery heater to raise the temperature of a battery that has become extremely cold, power cannot be supplied from the battery of the vehicle, so it is necessary to supply power supplied from an external power source to the battery for operation. . In that case, a power cable for supplying power to the battery heater is routed to the vehicle, and an external connection cable for connecting the power cable to the external power source or to the battery heater when an overcurrent flows from the external power source. It is necessary to install a fuse that cuts off the power supply.

  When a fuse such as the one above is installed, it should be installed close to the vehicle's external power supply so that smoke generated from the power cable does not enter the vehicle interior when the power cable is short-circuited due to overcurrent. preferable. Further, since the fuse is an electrical component, it is preferable to install it at a position where it is difficult for water such as rain water to splash.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a battery heater system in which a fuse is installed at a position near an external power source and at a position where it is difficult to get water on a power cable arranged in a vehicle to supply external power to the battery heater. Is to provide.

  A battery heater system according to the present invention includes a battery heater for raising the temperature of a battery mounted on a vehicle, a power cable routed to the vehicle to supply power to the battery heater, and an electric power to the power cable. An external connection cable connected to the external power supply, and a fuse provided in the power cable, which cuts off the power supply to the battery heater when an overcurrent flows through the power cable, The fuse is disposed on the back side of the headlamp in the engine compartment of the vehicle and is fixed to a radiator support member constituting a part of the vehicle body.

  According to the battery heater system of the present invention, since the fuse is disposed on the back side of the headlamp in the engine compartment, it is possible to block overcurrent from flowing through the power cable at a position closer to the external power source than the vehicle compartment. Further, since the back side of the headlamp is a portion where water such as rainwater is difficult to enter in the engine compartment, it is possible to suppress the wetness of the fuse using existing components, and the reliability of the components is improved. Furthermore, since the fuse is fixed to the radiator support member which is an existing part, it is possible to prevent the fuse from vibrating when the vehicle travels.

It is a figure showing the schematic structure of the hybrid car carrying the battery heater system which is one embodiment of the present invention. It is the enlarged view which looked at the fuse mounting position in FIG. 1 from upper direction. It is a figure which shows the fixing state of a fuse.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this description, specific shapes, materials, numerical values, directions, and the like are examples for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and can be appropriately changed according to the application, purpose, specification, and the like. In addition, when a plurality of embodiments and modifications are included in the following, it is assumed from the beginning that these characteristic portions are used in appropriate combinations.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a hybrid vehicle 10 equipped with a battery heater system 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the front and right sides of the vehicle are indicated by arrows Fr and RH.

  The hybrid vehicle 10 is equipped with a motor M. The motor M is driven by electric power supplied from the vehicle-mounted battery 12 and outputs traveling power. In the present embodiment, the motor M is integrally connected to the engine 16 in the engine compartment 14.

  The hybrid vehicle 10 has an engine 16 mounted in an engine compartment 14 located in the vehicle front portion 11. The engine 16 is an internal combustion engine that uses gasoline or the like as fuel, for example. The engine 16 can output driving power for the hybrid vehicle 10. Further, the power of the engine 16 may be used exclusively for driving a generator (not shown), and the electric power generated by this generator may be used for motor driving power and battery charging power.

  Note that the hybrid vehicle 10 may be a plug-in type hybrid vehicle that can charge the battery 12 with external power via a charging plug.

  The engine 16 is provided with an engine block heater 18. The engine block heater 18 is electrically connected to a connector 20 installed in the vehicle front portion 11 via a power cable and a connector. The connector 20 is connected to the vehicle body 13 by an earth point AP. The connector 20 is connected to an external connection cable 22 having a plug 22a at the tip. The external connection cable 22 is stored in the engine compartment 14 when not used.

  When the external connection cable 22 is pulled out from the engine compartment 14 and the plug 22a is connected to the external power supply OP while the hybrid vehicle 10 is parked, the external power is supplied to the engine block heater via the external connection cable 22 and the connector 20 or the like. 18 is supplied. Thereby, the engine block heater 18 operates and the engine block of the engine 16 is heated. As a result, the temperature of the engine 16 that cannot be started and operated due to the extremely low temperature can be increased, or can be maintained within the operable temperature range.

  The battery 12 is mounted on the vehicle rear portion 15. As a specific example, the battery 12 is disposed under the rear seat in the passenger compartment 19. For the battery 12, for example, a rechargeable secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery is preferably used. The battery 12 is housed and mounted in a rectangular parallelepiped case 17, for example. The case 17 is made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy, for example.

  A battery heater 32 is installed on the lower surface of the case 17 that houses the battery 12. The battery heater 32 has a function of heating the battery 12 accommodated in the case 17 by heating from the outside of the case 17. The battery heater 32 is preferably a thin sheet heater. The battery heater 32 may be attached to the lower surface of the case 17 by, for example, a double-sided tape, an adhesive, or the like. In addition, it is preferable that a flexible heat insulating member is provided between the battery heater 32 and the bottom of the body. Thereby, the battery heater 32 can efficiently raise the temperature of the battery 12, and there is also an effect of suppressing vibrations during vehicle travel to the battery heater 32 and the battery 12.

  After the hybrid vehicle 10 is manufactured, the battery heater 32 can be installed later, for example, according to a request from a vehicle owner or the like in order to be used in a cryogenic region. For example, the rear seat is tilted to the front side of the vehicle to expose the case 17. And the battery heater 32 etc. can be installed in the lower surface of the case 17 by removing the case 17 from the vehicle body 13 once, or raising the case 17 so that it may rotate to the vehicle front side.

  One end of a power cable 36 located on the vehicle rear side is connected to the battery heater 32. The power cable 36 is extended and wired to the front side of the vehicle, and the other end is connected to the AC / DC converter 42. The power cable 36 is provided with a connector 40. The power cable 36 is routed along the vehicle side lower part. Cables and signal lines for transmitting and receiving power and signals from the battery 12 at the rear of the vehicle to the motor M at the front of the vehicle are routed in this wiring space. Therefore, the power cable 36 for supplying power to the battery heater 32 also uses this wiring space, so that it is not necessary to specially secure the wiring space. Further, since the upper part of the wiring space is covered with, for example, a resin cover member, there is no problem that the power cable 36 is stepped on by an occupant.

  The AC / DC converter 42 has a function of converting AC power supplied from the external power source OP into DC power for the battery heater 32. In the present embodiment, the AC / DC converter 42 is installed, for example, under the front seat in the passenger compartment 19. A hook-and-loop fastener (for example, Velcro (registered trademark)) is attached to the lower surface of the AC / DC converter 42 and is fixed on a floor carpet laid in the vehicle interior 19 using the hook-and-loop fastener. Yes. Further, the AC / DC converter 42 is preferably installed so as to be positioned below the front seat even when the front seat slidable in the vehicle front-rear direction moves to the frontmost position. By doing so, the AC / DC converter 42 is not exposed even when the front seat is at the foremost position, and the AC / DC converter 42 is not damaged by being kicked by an occupant sitting on the rear seat.

  The AC / DC converter 42 and the connector 20 of the vehicle front portion 11 are connected by a power cable 48 located on the vehicle front side. The power cable 48 is provided with a plurality of connectors 47, 49, 51 and a fuse 50. The power cable 48 is routed from the AC / DC converter 42 in the lower part on the side of the vehicle and extends toward the front side of the vehicle. Since the upper part of the space where the power cable 48 is routed is also covered with, for example, a resin cover member, there is no problem of being stepped on by a passenger. The power cable 48 extends through the through hole formed in the dash panel DP into the engine compartment 14, and the peripheral edge of the engine compartment 14 is routed and connected to the connector 20.

  With this configuration, in the battery heater system 30 of the present embodiment, external power supplied from the external power source OP to the hybrid vehicle 10 via the external connection cable 22 is converted into the power cables 48 and 36 and the AC / DC. It can be supplied to the battery heater 32 via the converter 42. That is, in the battery heater system 30 of the present embodiment, the external connection cable 22 is shared by the engine block heater 18 and the battery heater 32.

  The fuse 50 has a function of cutting off power supply to the battery heater 32 by fusing when an overcurrent flows into the hybrid vehicle 10 from the external power supply OP via the external connection cable 22. The fuse 50 is provided in the engine compartment 14. That is, the fuse 50 is installed at a position closer to the external power supply OP than the vehicle compartment 19. As described above, by arranging the fuse 50 in the engine compartment, it is possible to block overcurrent from flowing in the power cables 48 and 36 at a position closer to the external power supply OP than the vehicle compartment 19. As a result, it is possible to prevent smoke from flowing into the passenger compartment 19 even when the power cables 48 and 36 are short-circuited due to overcurrent.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the mounting position of the fuse 50 in FIG. 1 as viewed from above. In FIG. 2, the front and right sides of the vehicle are indicated by arrows Fr and RH. As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the fuse 50 is disposed on the back side of the headlamp HR on the right side of the vehicle. In the headlamp HR, the back side inner surface facing the engine compartment 14 is formed in a concave shape, and is arranged so that a part of the fuse 50 is accommodated in the concave portion. Thus, by arranging the fuse 50 in the recess on the back side of the headlamp HR, the arrangement space can be easily secured.

  In this embodiment, an example in which the fuse 50 is installed on the back side of the right headlamp HR will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a power cable or the like connected to the battery heater is provided at the lower left side of the vehicle body. When routed, it is preferable to install the fuse on the back side of the left headlamp.

  The fuse 50 is installed on a radiator support member 13 a that constitutes a part of the vehicle body 13. The radiator support member 13 a is a member for fixing the radiator 70 mounted on the vehicle front portion 11. The radiator 70 may be attached to the radiator support member 13a via the bracket 72, or may be attached directly. The headlamp HR is fixed to the upper surface of the radiator support member 13a.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a fixed state of the fuse. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the present embodiment, the sheet material 54 provided so as to wrap the fuse 50 is formed in a substantially triangular shape in a top view. The sheet material 54 of the fuse 50 is installed in a direction in which the bottom of the substantially triangular shape faces the inner surface of the headlamp HR. By being formed in such a substantially triangular shape, the corner portion of the sheet material 54 of the fuse 50 can be prevented from protruding beyond the radiator support member 13a in the engine compartment 14 and is mounted in the engine compartment 14. Interference with other devices can be suppressed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the fuse 50 according to the present embodiment has a fuse body 52 sandwiched between cushioning and waterproof sheet materials 54 such as EPDM rubber, and is bent into a substantially triangular shape by bending corners. For example, an adhesive tape 56 such as a vinyl tape is wound around the surface. With this configuration, the waterproofness of the fuse 50 can be further ensured, and damage to the fuse body 52 can be prevented by absorbing the vibration during traveling of the vehicle with the sheet material 54.

  In addition, the fuse 50 has power cables 48 positioned on both sides thereof fixed to the upper surface of the radiator support member 13a by a binding band 60 with a clip. The clip-attached binding band 60 is fixed so that a clip portion (not shown) is inserted into an existing through-hole formed in the radiator support member 13a and is not pulled out once inserted. Further, a binding band 62 is wound around the fuse 50. The binding band 62 is wound through an existing through-hole 13b formed in the radiator support member 13a, and the fuse 50 is bound and fixed to the upper surface of the radiator support member 13a.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the fuse 50 is bound and fixed using the binding bands 60 and 62 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the fuse is not limited to the radiator support member. , Double-sided tape, adhesive tape, fastening with a fixing member, etc.).

  As described above, in the battery heater system 30 of the present embodiment, the fuse 50 is provided in the power cable 48 for supplying power from the external power source OP to the battery heater 32 via the external connection cable 22, and this fuse 50 is connected to the engine compartment 14. It is arranged on the back side of the inner headlamp HR. Since the back side of the headlamp HR is a portion in which water such as rainwater hardly enters in the engine compartment 14, it is possible to suppress the fuse 50 from getting wet with the existing parts, and the reliability of the parts is improved. Furthermore, since the fuse 50 is fixed to the radiator support member 13a which is an existing part, it is possible to prevent the fuse 50 from vibrating when the vehicle travels.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and various modifications and improvements can be made within the scope of matters described in the claims of the present application and equivalents thereof. Needless to say.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Hybrid vehicle, 11 Vehicle front part, 12 Battery, 13 Vehicle body, 13a Radiator support member, 14 Engine compartment, 15 Vehicle rear part, 16 Engine, 17 Case, 18 Engine block heater, 19 Car compartment, 20, 40, 47, 49, 51 connector, 22 external connection cable, 22a plug, 30 battery heater system, 32 battery heater, 36, 48 power cable, 42 AC / DC converter, 50 fuse, 52 fuse body, 54 sheet material, 56 adhesive tape, 60 , 62 Cable tie, 70 Radiator, 72 Bracket, AP earth point, DP dash panel, M motor, HR headlamp, OP External power supply.

Claims (1)

A battery heater for raising the temperature of a battery mounted on the vehicle;
A power cable routed to the vehicle to supply power to the battery heater;
An external connection cable electrically connected to the power cable and connected to an external power source;
A fuse provided in the power cable, wherein the power supply to the battery heater is cut off when an overcurrent flows through the power cable.
The fuse is disposed on the back side of the headlamp in the engine compartment of the vehicle, and is fixed to a radiator support member that forms a part of the vehicle body.
Battery heater system.

Images