JP2022162926A - Arrangement structure of on-vehicle unit - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technology which enables maintenance work of an electric power conversion device to be conducted with safety secured and without increasing components.SOLUTION: An attachment structure of an on-vehicle unit includes: an electric power conversion device 2 which is controlled by a controller 4 and supplies electric power to a drive motor 5 of a vehicle; and an electric power supply unit 1 which supplies electric power to the controller 4. The electric power conversion device 2 comprises: a housing 21; and an inverter module 22 housed in the housing 21. The housing 21 includes: an opening 23 which is formed above a high voltage portion 22H of the inverter module 22; and a cover 3 which may open or close the opening 23. The electric power supply unit 1 is arranged at a position where the electric power supply unit 1 hinders opening/closing of the cover 3 and which is located immediately above the cover 3. The electric power supply unit 1 is removed from a motor room 50 to enable the cover 3 to open or close.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an arrangement structure of an in-vehicle unit.

2. Description of the Related Art An inverter (power conversion device) mounted in a motor room of an electric vehicle includes a high voltage portion as an electric component electrically connected to an electric motor. Generally, a cover is provided for opening and closing a maintenance opening formed in the housing in order to perform maintenance work on the inverter provided in the housing. When accessing a high-voltage part, it is desirable to cut off the power supply of the inverter and the controller that controls the inverter in advance in order to ensure the safety of the operator.

Patent Literature 1 discloses an inverter unit provided with an interlock switch that outputs a power supply cutoff command to a system main relay when an upper cover is removed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-143200

The safety of the operator can be ensured by providing a mechanism for detecting that the cover of the power converter is opened and automatically cutting off the power of the power converter as in the conventional technology. However, such a configuration increases the number of parts such as switches and harnesses and the number of assembling steps, resulting in an increase in cost.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that enables maintenance work of a power converter while ensuring safety without increasing the number of parts.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is applied to an arrangement structure of an in-vehicle unit arranged in a motor room. A power conversion device controlled by a controller to supply power to a drive motor of the vehicle, and a power supply unit to supply power to the controller. A power conversion device includes a housing and an inverter module housed in the housing. The housing includes an opening formed above the high voltage portion of the inverter module and a cover capable of opening and closing the opening. The power supply unit is located directly above the cover at a position that interferes with the opening and closing of the cover. The cover can be opened and closed by removing the power supply unit from the motor room.

According to the present invention, it is necessary to remove the power supply unit in order to open and close the cover of the power converter. As a result, the power supply to the controller is cut off, the high voltage portion is brought into a non-live state, and the power supply unit is moved from the position that obstructs the cover. By arranging the in-vehicle unit in this way, it is possible to perform maintenance work on the power converter while ensuring safety without increasing the cost.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement structure of the vehicle-mounted unit. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the procedure for removing the cover of the power converter. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the procedure for removing the cover of the power converter. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the procedure for removing the cover of the power converter. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the procedure for removing the cover of the power converter. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of an arrangement structure of an in-vehicle unit according to a modification. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the procedure for removing the cover of the power converter. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the procedure for removing the cover of the power converter. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an arrangement structure of an in-vehicle unit of another modification. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the procedure for removing the cover of the power converter. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an arrangement structure of an in-vehicle unit of still another modification. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the procedure for removing the cover of the power converter.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1 shows the arrangement structure of the in-vehicle units of the motor room 50 when viewed from the front side of the vehicle 10. As shown in FIG.

A motor room 50 of the vehicle 10 includes a low-voltage battery 1, a power conversion device (inverter) 2, a vehicle control module (VCM) 4, and a drive motor 5 as in-vehicle units.

Low voltage battery 1 supplies power to inverter 2 and VCM 4 . The low voltage battery 1 supplies a low voltage (eg 12V) compared to the power of the main battery (not shown) of the vehicle 10 supplied to the inverter 2 . A harness 11 for supplying power is connected between the low voltage battery 1 and the VCM 4 .

The inverter 2 receives power from the low-voltage battery 1 to operate, converts the power supplied from the main battery into a frequency and voltage suitable for driving the drive motor 5 , and supplies the drive motor 5 with the converted power. During deceleration of the vehicle 10, the inverter 2 receives regenerated electric power from the drive motor 5 and charges the main battery.

The VCM 4 is a controller that receives power from the low-voltage battery 1 and operates to control the operation of the inverter 2 . Low voltage battery 1 functions as a power supply unit that supplies power to VCM 4 .

The drive motor 5 is a drive source that drives the vehicle 10 . The drive motor 5 drives the drive wheels 52 via the axles 51 to make the vehicle 10 run. The drive motor 5 may be provided with a reduction mechanism consisting of gears and the like.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement structure of the in-vehicle unit centering on the inverter 2 of this embodiment.

The inverter 2 is composed of a housing 21 and an inverter module 22 accommodated within the housing 21 . The inverter module 22 includes a high-voltage section 22H including a busbar through which high-voltage DC power supplied from the main battery flows, and a busbar through which high-frequency, high-voltage AC power supplied to the drive motor 5 flows.

The housing 21 is formed with an opening 23 for accessing the high voltage portion 22H from the outside for maintenance work on the high voltage portion 22H. Opening 23 is formed so as to open above high voltage portion 22</b>H of inverter module 22 . That is, the opening 23 is formed as a through hole penetrating through the wall surface of the housing 21 at a position facing the high voltage portion 22H. The opening 23 is provided with a cover 3 that closes the opening 23 . The cover 3 is fastened to the housing 21 by fastening members 31 such as bolts so as to be openable and closable.

When performing maintenance work on the high voltage portion 22</b>H of the inverter 2 , it is necessary to remove the fastening member 31 and open the cover 3 .

Here, for the safety of the operator, it is required to prevent careless opening and closing of the cover 3 when the high-voltage portion 22H is live, that is, when a high-voltage current is flowing during maintenance work. be done.

As an example, the cover 3 is equipped with a switch or sensor, and when the operator tries to open the cover 3 during maintenance work, the VCM 4 or the like automatically detects this, stops the operation of the inverter 2, and restores the high voltage portion 22H. can be configured to be in a non-live state.

However, if a mechanism for automatically detecting the opening of the cover 3 is provided, it is necessary to add parts such as switches, sensors, and harnesses for connecting them, which increases the number of parts and assembly man-hours, resulting in an increase in cost. There was a problem of

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the configuration described below is used so that the maintenance work of the inverter 2 can be performed while ensuring safety without increasing the cost.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the low-voltage battery 1 is arranged in the motor room 50 above the inverter 2 and directly above the cover 3 at a position that interferes with the opening and closing of the cover 3 . More specifically, the low-voltage battery 1 is directly above at least one fastening member 31 that fastens the cover 3 to the housing 21 , and the low-voltage battery 1 and the fastening member 31 allow a tool to remove the fastening member 31 . It is placed at a position where it cannot be inserted.

In order to remove the fastening member 31, it is necessary to insert a tool from above the fastening member 31 and move it downward, as shown by the tool trajectory indicated by the broken white arrow in FIG. However, if the low-voltage battery 1 exists at this location, it becomes impossible to insert the tool, and the fastening member 31 cannot be removed. Therefore, opening and closing of the cover 3 is prevented when the high voltage portion 22H is live.

The low-voltage battery 1 is fixed, for example, to a member fixed in the motor room 50 so that its position does not move. Therefore, when the low-voltage battery 1 is provided in the motor room 50, it is impossible to shift the position of the low-voltage battery 1 and insert the tool unless this member is destroyed or deformed. there is

Next, the procedure for opening and closing the cover 3 of the inverter 2 thus constructed will be described with reference to FIGS.

In this embodiment, in order to open and close the cover 3 of the inverter 2, it is necessary to remove the low-voltage battery 1 arranged directly above from the motor room 50. FIG.

First, as shown in FIG. 3 , the power supply harness 11 (positive electrode harness 11 p and negative electrode harness 11 n ) connected to the low voltage battery 1 is removed from the terminals of the low voltage battery 1 .

When the harness 11 is removed from the low voltage battery 1, power supply to the VCM 4 and the inverter 2 is stopped. As a result, the VCM 4 and the inverter 2 stop operating, and the relays and the like between the main battery and the inverter 2 are cut off, so that the high-voltage portion 22H of the inverter module 22 becomes inactive.

Note that the inverter module 22 is provided with a smoothing capacitor, and the electric charge charged in the smoothing capacitor is discharged when the high-voltage portion 22H becomes inactive, and the cover 3 is removed as will be described later. By the time it opens, the charge has been discharged. Further, when the power supply is stopped, the electric charge of the smoothing battery may be forcibly discharged using a discharge resistor or the like.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4 , the low voltage battery 1 is removed from the motor room 50 and moved out of the motor room 50 .

As a result, there is no structure that obstructs the tool locus indicated by the dotted white arrow in FIG. 4, and the fastening member 31 can be removed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the fastening member 31 is removed using a tool.

As a result, the cover 3 can be opened as shown in FIG. 6 to allow access to the high voltage portion 22H. At this time, the high-voltage portion 22H is in a non-live state as described above, so maintenance work for the high-voltage portion 22H can be performed while maintaining safety. After the work, the opening 23 is closed with the cover 3 and the cover 3 is fastened with the fastening member 31 .

As described above, in the present embodiment, the arrangement structure of the in-vehicle unit arranged in the motor room 50 is controlled by the VCM 4 (controller) and is a power conversion device that supplies power to the drive motor 5 of the vehicle 10. and a low-voltage battery 1 as a power supply unit that supplies power to the controller. The inverter 2 is composed of a housing 21 and an inverter module 22 housed in the housing 21. The housing 21 has an opening 23 formed above a high-voltage portion 22H of the inverter module 22 and opens and closes the opening 23. a possible cover 3; The low-voltage battery 1 is located directly above the cover 3 at a position that interferes with the opening and closing of the cover 3 . By removing the low-voltage battery 1 from the motor room 50, the cover 3 can be opened and closed.

With such a configuration, the low-voltage battery 1 is located in a position that interferes with the opening and closing of the cover 3 , so the low-voltage battery 1 must be removed from the motor room 50 in order to open and close the cover 3 . As a result, the power supply to the inverter 2 is cut off, the high voltage portion 22H is brought into a non-live state, and the low voltage battery 1 is moved from a position that interferes with the opening and closing of the cover 3. FIG. Therefore, maintenance work for the inverter 2 can be performed while ensuring safety without increasing the cost of additional parts such as switches and harnesses.

Also, in this embodiment, the power supply unit is composed of the low voltage battery 1 , and the low voltage battery 1 is arranged directly above the cover 3 . With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the cover 3 from being opened/closed carelessly when the high-voltage portion 22H is live. Since the low-voltage battery 1 has a certain amount of volume and weight, the cover 3 cannot be opened and closed when it exists directly above the cover 3 .

In the present embodiment, the cover 3 is fastened to the housing 21 by fastening members 31, and the low-voltage battery 1 is arranged directly above the fastening members 31 at a position that interferes with the removal of the fastening members 31. be.

With such a configuration, the low-voltage battery 1 as a power supply unit is arranged at a position where a tool necessary for removing the fastening member 31 is inserted and moved, so that the high-voltage part 22H is in a live state. Sometimes, the fastening member 31 cannot be removed, and the cover 3 can be prevented from being opened and closed.

Next, a modified example of this embodiment will be described.

As described above, the example in which the low-voltage battery 1 is arranged above the inverter 2 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement structure of the in-vehicle unit around the inverter 2 of the modification of the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7, the low voltage battery 1 is fixed to the battery mount 32. As shown in FIG. The battery mount 32 is fixed to the side surface of the motor room 50 and supports the low voltage battery 1 from below. An opening prevention bracket 30 is provided on the lower surface of the battery mount 32 .

The opening prevention bracket 30 is fixed to the lower surface of the battery mount 32 via a fixing member 33 . The fixing member 33 is configured by a bolt, for example, and is arranged at the bottom of the battery mount 32 below the low voltage battery 1 . The fixing member 33 fastens the battery mount 32 and the opening bracket together, and fixes the opening prevention bracket 30 to the lower side of the battery mount 32 .

The anti-opening bracket 30 extends like a crank from the fixed portion of the battery mount 32, and the tip thereof is positioned directly above the cover 3 of the inverter 2 and obstructs the opening and closing of the cover 3. . That is, the opening-preventing bracket 30 is positioned to cover the cover 3 from above while forming a gap between the lower surface of the bracket 30 and the cover 3 to the extent that a tool cannot be inserted.

Next, a procedure for opening and closing the cover 3 of the inverter 2 in this modified example will be described.

First, as described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the harness 11 connected to the low-voltage battery 1 is removed, the low-voltage battery 1 is removed from the battery mount 32, and then removed from the motor room 50. Move out of room 50.

In this state, the power supply to the VCM 4 and the inverter 2 is stopped, and the high voltage section 22H of the inverter module 22 is in a non-live state.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the fixing member 33 is removed from the bottom of the battery mount 32 using a tool or the like. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9 , the anti-opening bracket 30 is removed from the battery mount 32 and the anti-opening bracket 30 can be removed from the motor room 50 .

In this state, as in FIG. 4 described above, there is no structure that obstructs the tool locus, and the fastening member 31 can be removed. Next, the fastening member 31 is removed as described above with reference to FIG. 5, and the cover 3 can be opened and closed as described with reference to FIG.

In this case as well, since the high-voltage portion 22H is in a non-live state as described above, the maintenance work for the high-voltage portion 22H can be performed while maintaining safety.

As described above, in the modified example of the present embodiment, the power supply unit includes the low-voltage battery 1, the battery mount 32 as a support member for supporting the low-voltage battery 1 in the motor room 50, and the battery mount 32. The opening prevention bracket 30 is fixed to the lower surface side, and the opening prevention bracket 30 is arranged directly above the cover 3. - 特許庁

With such a configuration, the member (open prevention bracket 30) that cannot be removed unless the low-voltage battery 1 is moved out of the motor room 50 is provided at a position that interferes with the opening and closing of the cover 3. After the voltage battery 1 is removed and the high-voltage portion 22H is brought into a non-live state, it is necessary to remove the opening prevention bracket 30, so that safety can be further ensured.

Next, another modified example of this embodiment will be described.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement structure of the vehicle-mounted units around the inverter 2 of another modified example of the present embodiment.

Another modification shown in FIG. 10 shows an example in which the power supply unit is composed of a low-voltage battery 1 and a harness 11 and terminals 12 connected to the low-voltage battery 1 . The terminal 12 is formed by integrating the positive and negative electrodes of the harness 11 , and is connected to the terminal of the low voltage battery 1 .

In this configuration, at least the harness 11 is arranged directly above the cover 3 of the inverter 2 and at a position that interferes with the opening and closing of the cover 3 .

Next, a procedure for opening and closing the cover 3 of the inverter 2 in this modified example will be described.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the terminal 12 connected to the low voltage battery 1 is removed, and the terminal 12 and harness 11 are moved from above the cover 3 .

In this state, the power supply to the VCM 4 and the inverter 2 is stopped, and the high voltage section 22H of the inverter module 22 is in a non-live state. At the same time, there is no structure that obstructs the tool locus, and the fastening member 31 can be removed. After that, the cover 3 can be opened and closed as described above with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, and access to the high voltage portion 22H becomes possible.

Thus, in another modification of the present embodiment, the power supply unit is composed of the low-voltage battery 1 and the harness 11 connected to the low-voltage battery 1, and the harness 11 is arranged directly above the cover 3. be done.

With this configuration, the harness 11 that supplies power to the VCM 4 and the inverter 2 is arranged at a position that interferes with the opening and closing of the cover 3, so the low-voltage battery 1 does not necessarily need to be arranged directly above the inverter 2. The degree of freedom of arrangement in the motor room 50 is improved. Moreover, since it is not necessary to move the low-voltage battery 1 out of the motor room 50, workability is improved.

Next, still another modified example of this embodiment will be described.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement structure of the in-vehicle unit around the inverter 2 of still another modification of the present embodiment.

Another modification shown in FIG. 12 shows an example in which the power supply unit is composed of a fuse box 18 interposed in a harness 11 connecting the low voltage battery 1 and the VCM 4 . The fuse box 18 has a breaker component such as a fuse or a relay inside, and has a function of breaking off an excessive current when an excessive current flows between them.

In this configuration, the harness 11 connected to the fuse box 18 is arranged directly above the cover 3 of the inverter 2 and at a position that interferes with the opening and closing of the cover 3 .

Next, a procedure for opening and closing the cover 3 of the inverter 2 in this modified example will be described.

As shown in FIG. 13 , the harness 11 connected to the fuse box 18 is removed, and the harness 11 is moved from above the cover 3 .

In this state, the power supply to the VCM 4 and the inverter 2 is stopped, and the high voltage section 22H of the inverter module 22 is in a non-live state. At the same time, there is no structure that obstructs the tool locus, and the fastening member 31 can be removed. After that, the cover 3 can be opened and closed as described above with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, and access to the high voltage portion 22H becomes possible.

Thus, in yet another modification of the present embodiment, the power supply unit comprises a low voltage battery 1, a harness 11 connected to the low voltage battery 1, and a fuse box 18 connected to the harness 11. The harness 11 is arranged directly above the cover 3 .

With this configuration, the harness 11 that supplies power to the VCM 4 and the inverter 2 is arranged at a position that interferes with the opening and closing of the cover 3, so the low-voltage battery 1 does not necessarily need to be arranged directly above the inverter 2. Therefore, the degree of freedom of arrangement in the motor room 50 is improved.

Although the embodiments of the present invention and their modifications have been described above, the above embodiments and modifications merely show a part of the application examples of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is limited to the above embodiments. It is not intended to be limited to a specific configuration. In addition, modifications of the above embodiments can be combined as appropriate.

In the above-described embodiment, the high voltage part 22H of the inverter 2 is brought into a non-live state by stopping the supply of power from the low voltage battery 1 to the VCM 4, but the present invention is not limited to this. The power from the low-voltage battery 1 may be supplied to other controllers related to the operation of the inverter 2, and the high-voltage part 22H of the inverter 2 may be in a non-live state when the power is cut off. This controller may be built into the inverter module 22 .

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the power supply unit composed of at least one of the low voltage battery 1, the opening prevention bracket 30, or the harness 11 is arranged directly above the cover 3, but the present invention is not limited to this. do not have. The power supply unit may be arranged at least directly above the fastening member 31 of the cover 3 . When a plurality of fastening members 31 are provided, the power supply unit should be arranged directly above at least one fastening member 31 .

1: Low voltage battery, 2: Inverter, 3: Cover, 4: VCM (controller), 11: Harness, 12: Terminal, 18: Fuse box, 21: Housing, 22: Inverter module, 22H: High voltage part, 23 : opening, 30: opening prevention bracket, 31: fastening member, 32: battery mount, 33: fixing member, 50: motor room

Claims (6)

An arrangement structure of an in-vehicle unit arranged in a motor room,
a power conversion device controlled by a controller to supply power to a drive motor of the vehicle;
a power supply unit that supplies power to the controller;
with
The power conversion device includes a housing and an inverter module housed in the housing,
the housing includes an opening formed above a high voltage portion of the inverter module and a cover capable of opening and closing the opening;
The power supply unit is arranged directly above the cover at a position that interferes with opening and closing the cover,
By removing the power supply unit from the motor room, the cover can be opened and closed,
Layout structure of the in-vehicle unit. The arrangement structure of the in-vehicle unit according to claim 1,
The power supply unit is composed of a low voltage battery,
the low voltage battery is positioned directly above the cover;
Layout structure of the in-vehicle unit. The arrangement structure of the in-vehicle unit according to claim 1,
The power supply unit comprises a low-voltage battery, a support member for supporting the low-voltage battery in the motor room, and an opening prevention bracket fixed to the lower surface of the support member,
The opening prevention bracket is arranged directly above the cover,
Layout structure of the in-vehicle unit. The arrangement structure of the in-vehicle unit according to claim 1,
The power supply unit comprises a low voltage battery and a harness connected to the low voltage battery,
The harness is arranged directly above the cover,
Layout structure of the in-vehicle unit. The arrangement structure of the in-vehicle unit according to claim 1,
The power supply unit includes a low-voltage battery, a harness connected to the low-voltage battery, and a fuse box connected to the harness,
The harness is arranged directly above the cover,
Layout structure of the in-vehicle unit. The arrangement structure of the in-vehicle unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
the cover is fastened to the housing by a fastening member;
The power supply unit is arranged directly above the fastening member at a position that interferes with removal of the fastening member.
Layout structure of the in-vehicle unit.

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