JP2024060428A - Electrical Equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a technology that can fix a cover member onto a base and prevent water from entering the inside of the cover member. [Solution] An electric device mounted on a vehicle includes a base, a first electric unit located on the base, a cover member having a first upper wall and a side wall extending from the first upper wall toward the base and covering the first electric unit on the base, a seal member located between the base and the side wall of the cover member, a bracket fixed to the base and having a second upper wall located above the first upper wall, a second electric unit located on an upper surface of the second upper wall of the bracket, and an elastic member located between the first upper wall of the cover member and the second upper wall of the bracket and being compressed and deformed. The side wall of the cover member and the base are pressed against each other via the seal member due to the restoring force of the compressed and deformed elastic member. [Selected Figure] Figure 3

Description

The technology disclosed in this specification relates to electrical equipment.

Patent document 1 discloses an electrical device that includes a base, an electrical unit located on the base, and a cover member that has a top wall and a side wall extending from the top wall toward the base and covers the electrical unit on the base.

JP 2020-35711 A

In the electrical device of Patent Document 1, the cover member is formed with a through hole through which a fastening member passes to fix the cover member to the base. In this case, water outside the cover member can infiltrate into the cover member through the through hole. There is a risk that the water that has infiltrated into the cover member may come into contact with the electrical unit covered by the cover member.

This specification provides a technology that can fix a cover member onto a base and prevent water from entering the inside of the cover member.

In a first aspect of the present technology, an electrical device mounted on a vehicle includes a base, a first electrical unit located on the base, a cover member having a first upper wall and a side wall extending from the first upper wall toward the base and covering the first electrical unit on the base, a seal member located between the base and the side wall of the cover member, a bracket fixed to the base and having a second upper wall located above the first upper wall, a second electrical unit located on an upper surface of the second upper wall of the bracket, and an elastic member located between the first upper wall of the cover member and the second upper wall of the bracket and being compressed and deformed. The side wall of the cover member and the base are pressed against each other via the seal member by the restoring force of the compressed and deformed elastic member.

According to the above configuration, the cover member can be fixed onto the base by the restoring force of the compressed and deformed elastic member. Therefore, the cover member can be fixed onto the base without using a fastening member. Therefore, it is not necessary to form a hole through which the fastening member passes in the first upper wall of the cover member. In addition, a seal member is disposed between the base and the side wall of the cover member. Therefore, the cover member can be fixed onto the base, and water can be prevented from entering the inside of the cover member.

In a second aspect of the present technology, in the first aspect, the bracket may be fixed to the base using a plurality of fasteners.

The above configuration allows the bracket to be firmly fixed to the base. In addition, the restoring force of the elastic member can be adjusted by adjusting the fastening force. This allows the amount of elastic deformation of the sealing member to be adjusted.

In a third aspect of the present technology, in the first or second aspect, a buffer member may be provided between the first electric unit and the first upper wall of the cover member.

When the electrical device is operated in a state where the first electrical unit and the first upper wall of the cover member are in direct contact with each other, abnormal noise may occur. With the above configuration, the first electrical unit and the first upper wall of the cover member are not in direct contact with each other. Therefore, the generation of abnormal noise can be suppressed.

In a fourth aspect of the present technology, in any one of the first to third aspects, the first electric unit may be a fuse box.

It is undesirable for water to come into contact with the fuse box. With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent water from coming into contact with the fuse box.

In a fifth aspect of the present technology, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the electric device may be a battery pack further including at least one battery cell. The at least one battery cell may be electrically connected to a traction motor of the vehicle via the first electric unit and the second electric unit.

Battery packs for vehicles are used in environments where water may enter the vehicle body. For this reason, it is expected that water will adhere to the outside of the cover member. With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent water from entering the inside of the cover member.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic diagram of the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic view of a part of a cross section taken along dashed line II-II in FIG. 1 . FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a cover member 22 of the embodiment as viewed from the front right upper side. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a cover member 22 of the embodiment as viewed from the rear lower left. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a bracket 24 according to the embodiment as viewed from above on the front right side;

(Example)
A battery pack 2 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The battery pack 2 according to the embodiment is used in, for example, an electric vehicle, and supplies power to a traction motor that drives the wheels. The electric vehicle referred to here is not particularly limited, but includes battery-powered electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and fuel cell electric vehicles. The battery pack 2 is disposed under the floor of the electric vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 1, the battery pack 2 includes a tray 10, a battery cell case 12, and an electric unit case 14. The battery cell case 12 is disposed on the tray 10. The electric unit case 14 is connected to the center of the battery cell case 12 in the left-right direction. The electric unit case 14 extends forward from the battery cell case 12.

The battery cell case 12 houses multiple battery cells. In this embodiment, the battery cells are rectangular parallelepiped NiMH battery cells. The battery cells may also be lithium ion battery cells or the like. The multiple battery cells are stacked vertically within the battery cell case 12.

As shown in FIG. 2, the electric unit case 14 contains a fuse box 20, a cover member 22, a bracket 24, and a junction box 26.

The fuse box 20 is disposed on the base 14A of the electric unit case 14. The base 14A constitutes the bottom wall of the electric unit case 14. A high-voltage wire harness is electrically connected to the fuse box 20. Note that "high voltage" means an operating voltage exceeding 60 V DC or 30 V AC (effective value).

The cover member 22 covers the fuse box 20. The cover member 22 includes a first upper wall 30, a right wall 32, a left wall 34, a rear wall 36, and a front wall 38 (see FIG. 3). The right wall 32, the left wall 34, the rear wall 36, and the front wall 38 extend from the first upper wall 30 toward the base 14A of the electric unit case 14. In the following, the right wall 32, the left wall 34, the rear wall 36, and the front wall 38 may be collectively referred to as the "side wall 40". The lower end of the first upper wall 30 is disposed above the upper surface 20A of the fuse box 20. A buffer member 42 made of nonwoven fabric is disposed between the first upper wall 30 and the upper surface 20A of the fuse box 20.

The side wall 40 has a flange portion 44 that extends outward from the lower portion of the side wall 40. A seal member 46 is disposed between the base 14A and the side wall 40. The seal member 46 is made of ether-based urethane. As shown in FIG. 4, a wire harness connection hole 48 having an upwardly recessed shape is formed at both ends of the left wall 34 in the front-rear direction. A harness connecting member having a shape corresponding to the wire harness connection hole 48 is inserted into the wire harness connection hole 48. A high-voltage wire harness that is electrically connected to the multiple battery cells in the battery cell case 12 passes through the wire harness connection hole 48.

As shown in FIG. 5, the bracket 24 includes a second upper wall 60, a right front leg 62, a left front leg 64, a right rear leg 66, and a left rear leg 68 (see FIG. 2). The second upper wall 60 has a flat plate shape. The right front leg 62, the left front leg 64, the right rear leg 66, and the left rear leg 68 extend from the second upper wall 60 toward the base 14A of the electric unit case 14 (see FIG. 2). Hereinafter, the right front leg 62, the left front leg 64, the right rear leg 66, and the left rear leg 68 may be collectively referred to as "leg 70". The leg 70 includes a flange portion 72 extending outward from the lower portion of the leg 70. The flange portion 72 has a screw hole 74 formed therein. The base 14A of the electric unit case 14 has screw holes formed therein corresponding to the four screw holes 74 of the leg 70. As shown in FIG. 2, the bracket 24 is fixed to the base 14A by a bolt 76 and a nut 78.

The vertical length of the leg 70 of the bracket 24 is longer than the vertical length of the side wall 40 of the cover member 22. Therefore, when the bracket 24 and the cover member 22 are placed on the base 14A of the electric unit case 14, the second upper wall 60 of the bracket 24 is located above the first upper wall 30 of the cover member 22. In the vertical direction, three elastic members 80 are provided between the second upper wall 60 of the bracket 24 and the first upper wall 30 of the cover member 22. As shown in FIG. 3, the three elastic members 80 are provided near the center in the front-rear direction of the right part of the first upper wall 30 and near both ends in the front-rear direction of the left part of the first upper wall 30. In this embodiment, the elastic member 80 is made of the same material as the seal member 46, but may be made of a material different from the seal member 46. As shown in FIG. 2, when the bracket 24 and the cover member 22 are placed on the base 14A of the electric unit case 14, the elastic member 80 is compressed and deformed. In addition, the bracket 24 is fixed to the base 14A by a bolt 76 and a nut 78. Therefore, the restoring force of the compressed elastic member 80 acts on the cover member 22, and the cover member 22 is pressed against the base 14A via the seal member 46.

As described above, the battery pack 2 (an example of an "electrical device") has a base 14A, a fuse box 20 (an example of a "first electrical unit") located on the base 14A, a first upper wall 30, and a side wall 40 extending from the first upper wall 30 towards the base 14A, and is equipped with a cover member 22 covering the fuse box 20 on the base 14A, a sealing member 46 located between the base 14A and the side wall 40 of the cover member 22, a bracket 24 fixed to the base 14A and having a second upper wall 60 located above the first upper wall 30, a junction box 26 (an example of a "second electrical unit") located on the upper surface of the second upper wall 60 of the bracket 24, and an elastic member 80 located between the first upper wall 30 of the cover member 22 and the second upper wall 60 of the bracket 24 and undergoing compressive deformation. The restoring force of the compressed elastic member 80 presses the side wall 40 of the cover member 22 and the base 14A together via the seal member 46.

According to the above configuration, the cover member 22 can be fixed onto the base 14A by the restoring force of the elastic member 80 that is compressed and deformed. Therefore, the cover member 22 can be fixed onto the base 14A without using a fastening member. Therefore, it is not necessary to form a hole through which the fastening member passes in the first upper wall 30 of the cover member 22. In addition, a seal member 46 is disposed between the base 14A and the side wall 40 of the cover member 22. Therefore, the cover member 22 can be fixed onto the base 14A, and water can be prevented from entering the inside of the cover member 22.

In addition, it is undesirable for water to come into contact with the fuse box 20. With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent water from coming into contact with the fuse box 20.

The vehicle battery pack 2 is used in an environment where water may enter the vehicle body. For this reason, it is expected that water will adhere to the outside of the cover member 22. With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent water from entering the inside of the cover member 22.

In addition, the bracket 24 is fixed to the base 14A using a number of bolts 76 and nuts 78 (an example of a "fastener").

The above configuration allows the bracket 24 to be firmly fixed onto the base 14A. In addition, the restoring force of the elastic member 80 can be adjusted by adjusting the fastening force. This allows the amount of elastic deformation of the seal member 46 to be adjusted.

In addition, a buffer member 42 is provided between the fuse box 20 and the first upper wall 30 of the cover member 22.

When the battery pack 2 is operated in a state where the fuse box 20 and the first upper wall 30 of the cover member 22 are in direct contact with each other, there is a possibility that abnormal noise may occur. With the above configuration, the fuse box 20 and the first upper wall 30 of the cover member 22 are not in direct contact with each other. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of abnormal noise.

Specific examples of the technology disclosed in this specification have been described in detail above, but these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples given above.

(First variant) The bracket 24 may be fixed to the base 14A using welding, adhesives, etc.

(Second modified example) The buffer member 42 does not need to be provided between the fuse box 20 and the first upper wall 30 of the cover member 22.

(Third modified example) The combination of the "first electric unit" and the "second electric unit" is not limited to the combination of the fuse box 20 and the junction box 26. For example, the junction box 26 and the fuse box 20 may be examples of the "first electric unit" and the "second electric unit", respectively.

(Fourth variant) The "electrical device" is not limited to the battery pack 2, but may be a power control unit (PCU) or the like.

The technical elements described in this specification or drawings have technical utility either alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. The technologies illustrated in this specification or drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving one of those objectives is itself technically useful.

2: Battery pack, 10: Tray, 12: Battery cell case, 14: Electric unit case, 14A: Base, 20: Fuse box, 20A: Top, 22: Cover member, 24: Bracket, 26: Junction box, 30: First upper wall, 32: Right wall, 34: Left wall, 36: Rear wall, 38: Front wall, 40: Side wall, 42: Cushioning member, 44: Flange portion, 46: Sealing member, 48: Wire harness connection hole, 60: Second upper wall, 62: Right front leg, 64: Left front leg, 66: Right rear leg, 68: Left rear leg, 70: Leg, 72: Flange portion, 74: Screw hole, 76: Bolt, 78: Nut, 80: Elastic member

Claims (5)

An electrical device mounted on a vehicle,
With a pedestal,
A first electric unit located on the base;
a cover member having a first upper wall and a side wall extending from the first upper wall toward the base, the cover member covering the first electric unit on the base;
a seal member positioned between the base and the side wall of the cover member;
a bracket fixed to the base and having a second upper wall located above the first upper wall;
a second electric unit located on an upper surface of the second upper wall of the bracket;
an elastic member that is positioned between the first upper wall of the cover member and the second upper wall of the bracket and is compressed and deformed;
Equipped with
the side wall of the cover member and the base are in pressure contact with each other via the seal member due to a restoring force of the compressively deformed elastic member;
Electrical equipment. The electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the bracket is fixed to the base using a plurality of fasteners. The electrical device according to claim 1, wherein a buffer member is provided between the first electrical unit and the first upper wall of the cover member. The electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrical unit is a fuse box. the electrical device is a battery pack further including at least one battery cell;
The electric device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one battery cell is electrically connected to a traction motor of the vehicle via the first electric unit and the second electric unit.

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