JP2022096171A - vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle configured so that connection of electric connectors is prevented from being released at the time of collision.SOLUTION: A vehicle in which a device is mounted in a front compartment comprises: a first electric connector provided at an end part of a first electric cable and fixed to a back surface of the device in a front face view of the vehicle; a second electric connector provided at an end part of a second electric cable and connected to the first electric connector; a regulating member connected to the second electric connector, and regulating a wiring direction of the second electric cable; a cowl arranged behind the regulating member in the front face view of the vehicle; and a fixing part that fixes the first electric connector to the back surface of the device, in which the fixing part is separated into a first part leading to the first electric connector and a second part leading to the back surface of the device, when the regulating member is pushed out by the cowl to a front side of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle.

For example, the front compartment of a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV) or electric vehicle is equipped with a power control unit (PCU). The PCU houses devices in the vehicle's electrical system, such as inverters and converters.

Regarding the PCU, for example, Patent Document 1 describes that the connector on the upper part of the PCU is in contact with another structure and damaged when the vehicle collides, and the high voltage terminal is prevented from being exposed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-111982

For example, a power cable that supplies power from a battery to an air conditioner is routed through a pair of electrical connectors connected to each other on the back of the PCU in front view of the vehicle in order to streamline the production process of the vehicle. One electrical connector is screwed to the back of the PCU, for example via a bracket, while the other electrical connector is not fixed to the PCU and is connected to a protector that regulates the wiring direction of the cable.

Behind the protector in the front view of the vehicle, a cowl that extends in the width direction of the vehicle is arranged. Therefore, when the PCU moves to the rear of the vehicle due to an impact at the time of a collision of the vehicle, the cowl may come into contact with the protector, so that the connection between the electric connectors may be disconnected and the terminal of the electric cable may be exposed.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle capable of suppressing disconnection between electric connectors in the event of a collision.

The vehicle described herein is a first electrical connector provided at the end of a first electrical cable in a vehicle with the device mounted in a front compartment and secured to the back of the device in front view of the vehicle. A second electric connector provided at the end of the second electric cable and connected to the first electric connector, and a regulating member connected to the second electric connector to regulate the wiring direction of the second electric cable. And a cowl arranged behind the restricting member in the front view of the vehicle, and a fixing portion for fixing the first electric connector to the back surface of the apparatus. When pushed forward by the cowl, it is separated into a first portion connected to the first electrical connector and a second portion connected to the back surface of the device.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle capable of suppressing disconnection between electric connectors in the event of a collision.

It is a side view which shows the structure in the front compartment 90 of the vehicle of the comparative example. It is a figure which shows the back surface of the PCU in the comparative example. It is a side view which shows the structure in the front compartment when the collision occurs in front of the vehicle of the comparative example. It is a figure which shows the back surface of the PCU in an Example. It is a side view which shows the state of separation of a pair of brackets in a front compartment when a collision occurs in front of the vehicle of an Example. It is a figure which shows the back surface of the PCU when the groove portion is provided in the upper protector. It is a side view which shows the state of separation of the upper protector in a front compartment 90 when a collision occurs in front of a vehicle.

(Comparative example)
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a configuration in the front compartment 90 of the vehicle 9a of the comparative example. In FIG. 1, reference numeral F indicates the front of the vehicle 9a, reference numeral H indicates the upper direction of the vehicle 9a, and reference numeral W indicates the width direction (left side) of the vehicle. The vehicle 9a is, for example, a plug-in hybrid vehicle, but is not limited to this, and may be another vehicle such as an electric vehicle that drives a motor with electric power to travel.

The front compartment 90 is provided in front of the vehicle 9a. In the front compartment 90, for example, a power control unit (PCU) 10 and a transcycle 13 are provided.

The PCU 10 houses a converter circuit, an inverter circuit, and the like that control the electric system of the vehicle 9a. Power is supplied to the PCU 10 from a lithium ion battery (not shown) or the like. The transcycle 13 accommodates a motor for traveling the vehicle 9a, a differential gear, and the like.

The PCU 10 is fixed to the trans axle 13 by the front bracket 11 and the rear bracket 12. As a result, the PCU 10 is fixed to the trans axle 13 with a gap, so that the influence of vibration caused by the engine and motor (not shown) is reduced. Since the PCU 10 is supported by the front bracket 11 and the rear bracket 12, if a collision occurs in front of the vehicle 9a, the PCU 10 may move backward in the front compartment 90 due to the impact of the collision.

The PCU 10 is an example of a device mounted in the front compartment 90. The device is not limited to the PCU 10, and may include an engine that moves to the rear of the vehicle 9a in the event of a collision.

Behind the front compartment 90 is a metal cowl panel 51. The cowl panel 51 is connected to the front compartment 90 and the dash panel 50 that separates the passenger compartment. The cowl panel 51 extends in the width direction of the vehicle 9a and extends from the dash panel 50 toward the back surface of the PCU 10.

The upper part of the cowl panel 51 is covered with the cowl top panel 52. A wiper pivot 54 is arranged on the upper part of the cowl top panel 52. The wiper pivot 54 is supported by the pivot holder 53. The pivot holder 53 is fixed to the cowl panel 51. The wiper pivot 54 penetrates the cowl top panel 52, and a part thereof is exposed.

Further, on the back side of the PCU 10, cable wiring for connecting various electric devices is provided. The configuration on the back side of the PCU 10 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the back surface of the PCU 10 in the comparative example. On the back side of the PCU 10, a lower electric cable 21, an upper electric cable 22, a lower electric connector 31, an upper electric connector 32, a lower protector 41, and an upper protector 42 are provided.

The lower electric cable 21 is an example of the first cable, and is connected to, for example, an auxiliary battery (not shown). A lower electric connector 31 is provided at the end of the lower electric cable 21. The lower electric connector 31 is an example of the first electric connector attached to the back surface of the PCU 10 in the front view of the vehicle 9a.

A pair of brackets 311 are provided on both sides of the lower electric connector 31. The pair of brackets 311 secures the lower electrical connector 31 to the back surface of the PCU 10. The pair of brackets 311 may be formed integrally with the lower electric connector 31 or may be formed independently of the lower electric connector 31. The pair of brackets 311 are plate-shaped members protruding from both sides of the lower electric connector 31 along the back surface of the PCU 10 on the back surface of the PCU 10, and are fixed to the back surface of the PCU 10 by screws 312. As a result, the lower electric connector 31 is attached to the back surface of the PCU 10.

Further, a resin lower protector 41 that regulates the wiring direction of the lower electric cable 21 is connected to the lower electric connector 31. The lower protector 41 is a tubular member through which the lower electric cable 21 is passed, and has a fitting portion 410 that fits into the lower electric connector 31 and a bending portion 411 that bends the lower electric cable 21 in a predetermined direction.

The upper electric cable 22 is an example of a second electric cable, and is connected to, for example, an air conditioner for air conditioning in a vehicle interior (not shown). An upper electric connector 32 is provided at the end of the upper electric cable 22. The upper electric connector 32 is an example of a second electric connector connected to the lower electric connector 31.

The upper electric connector 32 and the lower electric connector 31 have, for example, a hollow substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and have terminals 320 and 310 inside the upper electric connector 32 and the lower electric cable 21 which are connected to the conductive portions of the upper electric cable 22 and the lower electric cable 21. The upper electric connector 32 and the lower electric connector 31 are locked to each other at the time of connection by a locking mechanism such as a claw-shaped member provided on the housing.

The terminals 320 and 310 inside the upper electric connector 32 and the lower electric connector 31 are electrically connected to each other when locked. As a result, electric power is supplied from the auxiliary battery to the air conditioner via the upper electric cable 22 and the lower electric cable 21.

Further, a resin upper protector 42 that regulates the wiring direction of the upper electric cable 22 is connected to the upper electric connector 32. The upper protector 42 is a tubular member through which the upper electric cable 22 is passed, and has a fitting portion 420 that fits into the upper electric connector 32 and a bending portion 421 that bends the upper electric cable 22 in a predetermined direction. The upper protector 42 is an example of a regulating member that is connected to the upper electric connector 32 and regulates the wiring direction of the upper electric cable 22.

Further, a power connector 60 and a power cable 61 are further provided on the back surface of the PCU 10. The power connector 60 is connected to the power cable 61. The PCU 10 is powered by a battery via a power cable 61.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cowl panel 51 and the cowl top panel 52 are arranged behind the upper protector 42. Therefore, when a collision occurs in front of the vehicle 9a, the upper protector 42 may come into contact with the cowl panel 51 and the cowl top panel 52 when the PCU 10 moves backward in the front compartment 90 due to the impact of the collision. The cowl panel 51 and the cowl top panel 52 are examples of cowls arranged behind the upper protector 42 in the front view of the vehicle 9a.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the configuration inside the front compartment 90 when a collision occurs in front of the vehicle 9a of the comparative example. The PCU 10 moves backward in the front compartment 90 due to the impact of the collision, as indicated by the arrow Da. Therefore, the front tips of the cowl panel 51 and the cowl top panel 52 come into contact with the upper protector 42 (see reference numeral P).

As a result, a force acts on the upper protector 42 in the diagonally upward direction on the front side from the cowl panel 51 and the cowl top panel 52. Therefore, the same force acts on the lock portion between the upper electric connector 32 and the lower electric connector 31 as shown by the arrow Db, so that, for example, the lock portion is damaged and the connection is disconnected.

If the connection between the upper electric connector 32 and the lower electric connector 31 is disconnected, the internal terminals 320 and 310 may be exposed to the outside. Since a high voltage current flows through the upper electric cable 22 and the lower electric cable 21 to which the terminals 320 and 310 are connected, the connection between the upper electric connector 32 and the lower electric connector 31 is disconnected in the vehicle 9 of the following embodiment. It suppresses and reduces the risk of exposure of terminals 320 and 310.

(Example)
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the back surface of the PCU 10 in the embodiment. In FIG. 4, the same reference numerals are given to the configurations common to those in FIG. 2, and the description thereof will be omitted.

A pair of brackets 311a are provided on both sides of the lower electric connector 31 in place of the pair of brackets 311 of the comparative example. The pair of brackets 311a is an example of the fixing portion, and the lower electric connector 31 is fixed to the back surface of the PCU 10 as in the comparative example.

Unlike the pair of brackets 311 in the comparative example, the pair of brackets 311a are each provided with a pair of groove portions 313. Each groove 313 extends substantially parallel to the back surface of the PCU 10, and extends so as to divide the bracket 311a into an overhanging portion Pa around the screw 312 and a root portion Pb near both sides of the lower electric connector 31. That is, each groove portion 313 is a boundary line between the overhanging portion Pa and the root portion Pb of the bracket 311a, and the thickness of the groove portion 313 is thinner than the thickness of each of the overhanging portion Pa and the root portion Pb. The overhanging portion Pa is an example of the first portion connected to the lower electric connector 31, and the root portion Pb is an example of the second portion connected to the back surface of the PCU 10.

The pair of brackets 311a are separated into an overhanging portion Pa and a root portion Pb when the upper protector 42 is pushed forward by the cowl panel 51 and the cowl top panel 52. Therefore, the thickness of the groove portion 313 is determined from the force received toward the front side of the vehicle 9a when the upper protector 42 collides with the cowl panel 51 and the cowl top panel 52.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state of separation of the pair of brackets 311a in the front compartment 90 when a collision occurs in front of the vehicle 9 of the embodiment. In FIG. 5, the same reference numerals are given to the configurations common to those in FIG. 3, and the description thereof will be omitted.

When the front tips of the cowl panel 51 and the cowl top panel 52 come into contact with the upper protector 42, the upper protector 42 is pushed forward of the vehicle 9. At this time, since the lower electric connector 31 is fixed to the back surface of the PCU 10 and connected to the upper electric connector 32 connected to the upper protector 42, the lower electric connector 31 receives a force toward the rear of the vehicle 9 due to the reaction. Therefore, a force acts on the pair of brackets 311a from the upper electric connector 32 in a direction away from the back surface of the PCU 10.

Since the groove portion 313 is thinner than the overhanging portion Pa and the root portion Pb, the strength is also weak. Therefore, when the pair of brackets 311a receives the above-mentioned force from the upper electric connector 32, a crack is generated along the groove portion 313 where the strength is weak, and the pair of brackets 311a is separated into the overhanging portion Pa and the root portion Pb. Therefore, when the vehicle 9 collides, the force acting on the lock portion between the upper electric connector 32 and the lower electric connector 31 is reduced as compared with the case of the comparative example. As a result, the lower electric connector 31 is separated from the back surface of the PCU 10 as shown by the arrow Ds while maintaining the connection with the upper electric connector 32. For example, it is possible to prevent the lock portion between the upper electric connector 32 and the lower electric connector 31 from being damaged and disconnected.

(Example of providing a groove in the upper protector)
Even when the upper protector 42 is provided with a groove instead of the pair of brackets 311a, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the back surface of the PCU 10 when the upper protector 42 is provided with a groove portion. In FIG. 6, the same reference numerals are given to the configurations common to those in FIG. 2, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Instead of the upper protector 42, the upper protector 42a provided with the groove portion 422 is connected to the upper electric connector 32. The upper protector 42a is a resin tubular member that regulates the wiring direction of the upper electric cable 22 as in the comparative example, and the fitting portion 420a fitted to the upper electric connector 32 and the upper electric cable 22 are oriented in a predetermined direction. It has a bending portion 421 that bends to.

A groove portion 422 is provided along the outer periphery of the central portion of the fitting portion 420a in the height direction. The groove portion 422 is provided so as to separate the upper Qa and the lower Qb of the fitting portion 420a. The upper electric cable 22 is housed inside the upper Qa and the lower Qb. The upper Qa is a portion connected to the bent portion 421, and the lower Qb is a portion contacted with the upper electric connector 32. The thickness of the groove portion 422 is thinner than the thickness of each of the upper Qa and the lower Qb of the fitting portion 420a.

The fitting portion 420a is separated into an upper Qa and a lower Qb when the upper protector 42 is pushed forward by the cowl panel 51 and the cowl top panel 52 to the front of the vehicle 9b. Therefore, the thickness of the groove portion 422 is determined from the force received toward the front side of the vehicle 9b when the upper protector 42 collides with the cowl panel 51 and the cowl top panel 52.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a state of separation of the upper protector 42a in the front compartment 90 when a collision occurs in front of the vehicle 9b. In FIG. 7, the same reference numerals are given to the configurations common to those in FIG. 3, and the description thereof will be omitted.

When the front tips of the cowl panel 51 and the cowl top panel 52 come into contact with the upper protector 42, the bent portion 421 of the upper protector 42a receives a force toward the front of the vehicle 9b. In the fitting portion 420a, since the strength of the thin groove portion 422 is lower than that of the other portions, the fitting portion 420a causes a crack along the groove portion 422 according to the force received from the cowl panel 51 and the cowl top panel 52, and the upper portion Separate into Qa and lower Qb. The upper Qa after separation is inclined with respect to the lower Qb (see arrow Dc).

As a result, the upper electric cable 22 in the upper protector 42a is pulled out to the lower Qb side and exposed to the outside. However, due to the separation of the upper Qa and the lower Qb, the force applied to the lock portions of the upper electric connector 32 and the lower electric connector 31 is reduced as compared with the case of the comparative example. As a result, it is possible to prevent the lock portions of the upper electric connector 32 and the lower electric connector 31 from being damaged and disconnected.

The embodiments described above are examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

9,9a, 9b Vehicle 10 PCU (Equipment)
21 Lower electric cable (second electric cable)
22 Upper electric cable (first electric cable)
31 Lower electric connector (second electric connector)
32 Upper electric connector (first electric connector)
41 Lower protector 42 Upper protector (regulatory member)
51 Cowl panel (Cowl)
52 Cowl Top Panel (Cowl)
90 Front compartment 311 Bracket 311a Bracket (fixed part)
Pa overhanging part (second part)
Pb root part (first part)

Claims (1)

In vehicles with equipment in the front compartment
A first electric connector provided at the end of the first electric cable and fixed to the back surface of the device in front view of the vehicle.
A second electric connector provided at the end of the second electric cable and connected to the first electric connector, and
A regulatory member that is connected to the second electric connector and regulates the wiring direction of the second electric cable, and
A cowl placed behind the restricting member in the front view of the vehicle, and
It has a fixing portion for fixing the first electric connector to the back surface of the device, and has a fixing portion.
The fixing portion is separated into a first portion connected to the first electric connector and a second portion connected to the back surface of the device when the regulating member is pushed forward by the cowl to the front of the vehicle.
vehicle.

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