JP6666797B2 - vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle equipped with an electrical component housed in a casing.

  In a vehicle driven by a motor, such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, an electric component such as a PCU (Power Control Unit) may be mounted under the floor of the vehicle compartment. When such electrical components generate heat during operation, the air inside the casing of the electrical components expands. Then, for example, when traveling on a submerged road such as a water moat road, the casing may be rapidly cooled with water, and the internal air may contract and become negative pressure. Therefore, a configuration is disclosed in which one end of a ventilation hose is attached to a casing, and the other end of the ventilation hose is disposed in a vehicle interior (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2012-116256 A

  When a ventilation hose is provided up to the vehicle interior as in Patent Literature 1 described above, high-frequency noise generated by electrical components is transmitted into the vehicle interior via the ventilation hose. In addition, if the passenger spills liquid such as water in the passenger compartment and the liquid flows into the ventilation hose, the ventilation hose is blocked by the liquid, which may hinder the flow of air into and out of the casing of the electrical component. There is. If the flow of air into and out of the casing of the electrical components is hindered, the pressure change inside the casing will increase due to temperature changes inside and outside the casing.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle that can suppress a change in pressure inside a casing of an electric component while suppressing propagation of noise generated by the electric component into a vehicle interior.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a vehicle according to the present invention includes an electric component housed in a casing, a communication flow path communicating with the inside of the casing, a first opening provided in the communication flow path, and a communication flow path. , A second opening located above the first opening, a first valve opening and closing the first opening, a second valve opening and closing the second opening, and a first valve. And a connecting portion for connecting the second valve body. When buoyancy does not act on the first valve body, the first valve body is in the open position, the second valve body is in the closed position, and buoyancy acts on the first valve body. Then, the first valve body and the second valve body are interlocked, and the first valve body is displaced to the closed position and the second valve body is displaced to the open position.

  A buoyancy unit that exerts buoyancy on the first valve body when flooded may be further provided.

  The electrical component may be disposed under the floor of the vehicle body, and the second opening may be open into the vehicle interior.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, maintenance of the pressure of the casing of an inverter can be implement | achieved simply and at low cost.

It is a side view of a vehicle. It is an explanatory view for explaining a pressure suppression mechanism. It is an explanatory view for explaining operation of a pressure control mechanism. It is an explanatory view for explaining a pressure control mechanism of a first modification. It is an explanatory view for explaining a pressure control mechanism of a second modification.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values and the like shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In the specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. Elements not directly related to the present invention will be omitted. I do.

  FIG. 1 is a side view of the vehicle 100. Here, a hybrid vehicle that uses an engine 102 and a motor 104 as driving sources will be described as an example of the vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 100 is equipped with an engine 102, a motor 104, and a battery 106. The engine 102 is disposed in front of the vehicle body 100a in the front-rear direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 1), and a motor 104 is disposed behind the engine 102. Battery 106 is arranged on the rear side of vehicle body 100a.

  Here, the vehicle 100 has a motor running mode in which the motor 104 runs in preference to the engine 102 when the remaining amount of the battery 106 is sufficient, and the motor 104 and the engine 102 when the remaining amount of the battery 106 is small. A traveling mode such as an engine combination mode in which the vehicle travels together is prepared.

For example, in the vehicle 100, the driving mode is selected according to the remaining amount of the battery 106, and when the engine combined mode is selected, the driving state of the engine 102 and the motor 104 is switched according to the driving state, and the energy Efficiency can be increased and exhaust gas such as CO ₂ can be reduced.

  The vehicle 100 has a PCU (Power Control Unit, electrical component) 108 mounted thereon. The PCU 108 is arranged below the floor of the vehicle compartment 100b in which a passenger enters, and is located between the motor 104 and the battery 106 in the front-rear direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 1) of the vehicle body 100a. Inside the casing 108a of the PCU 108, a booster 110 and an inverter 112 are mounted. The booster 110 boosts the DC power from the battery 106, and the inverter 112 converts the DC power into AC power and supplies the AC power to the motor 104.

  When the PCU 108 generates heat during operation, the air inside the casing 108a of the PCU 108 expands. Then, for example, when traveling on a submerged road such as a water moat road, the casing 108a may be rapidly cooled with water, and the internal air may contract and become negative pressure. Therefore, a pressure suppression mechanism is provided for allowing air to flow into and out of the casing 108a (breathing) to suppress pressure changes.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the pressure suppression mechanism 120, and shows a vertical cross section of the pressure suppression mechanism 120. However, the internal structure of the PCU 108 is not shown in FIG. The pressure suppression mechanism 120 is configured to include a communication pipe 122, a first valve body 124, a second valve body 126, and a buoyancy unit 128.

  The communication pipe 122 has, for example, an annular main body 122a, and the main body 122a extends in a substantially vertical direction (vertical direction in FIG. 2). The joint member 130 is inserted into the upper end 122b of the main body 122a.

  The joint member 130 has an annular main body 130a, and a flange 130b extending radially outward is formed at the upper end of the main body 130a. The floor member 132 forming the bottom surface of the passenger compartment 100b has a through hole 132a penetrating from the passenger compartment 100b side to the PCU 108 side. The lower end 130c of the main body 130a of the joint member 130 is inserted through the through hole 132a from the vehicle interior 100b side, and protrudes toward the PCU 108 side.

  At this time, the flange portion 130b of the joint member 130 contacts the floor member 132, and the joint member 130 is prevented from coming off. The lower end 130c of the main body 130a of the joint member 130 is inserted into the upper end 122b of the main body 122a of the communication pipe 122, and the communication pipe 122 is connected to the joint member 130.

  In the cabin 100b, a cushion member 134 for a seat (seat) is installed on a floor member 132. The cushion material 134 is made of, for example, urethane. A recess 134b is formed in a surface 134a of the cushion member 134 facing the floor member 132, and a through hole 132a of the floor member 132 is opened in the recess 134b. The flange portion 130b of the joint member 130 is located inside the recess 134b.

  The communication pipe 122 has a branch pipe portion 122c that protrudes from a side surface of the main body portion 122a and is fixed to the casing 108a of the PCU 108. The branch pipe portion 122c is, for example, an annular member, and communicates the inside of the casing 108a and the inside of the main body portion 122a with a flow passage formed inside.

  The flow passages formed inside the main body portion 122a, the branch pipe portion 122c of the communication pipe 122, and the main body portion 130a of the joint member 130 communicate with each other, and communicate with the inside of the casing 108a of the PCU 108. It becomes the flow path 136.

  The lower end of the main body 122a is a first opening 136a for opening the communication flow path 136 below the floor of the vehicle interior 100b. The upper end (flange portion 130b) of the joint member 130 is a second opening 136b that opens the communication channel 136 to the vehicle compartment 100b. In the main body part 122a, a connection portion with the branch pipe part 122c is located above the first opening 136a and below the second opening 136b.

  In addition, a connecting portion 138 is inserted into the main body 122 a of the communication pipe 122 and the inside of the joint member 130. The connecting portion 138 is, for example, a columnar member. The lower end 138a protrudes downward from the first opening 136a, and the upper end 138b protrudes upward from the second opening 136b. The outer diameter of the connecting portion 138 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the main body 130 a of the joint member 130. In addition, for example, an inner circumferential groove extending parallel to the connecting portion 138 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the main body 130a of the joint member 130. Since the inner peripheral groove extends from the second opening 136b to the lower end 130c of the main body 130a, the second opening 136b is not closed by the connecting portion 138.

  The first valve body 124 is provided at a lower end 138a of the connecting portion 138, and the second valve body 126 is provided at an upper end 138b of the connecting portion 138. The second valve element 126 is located inside the depression 134b of the cushion material 134.

  Each of the first valve body 124 and the second valve body 126 is an annular member having a bottom, and the lower end 138 a of the connecting portion 138 is fixed to the bottom surface 124 a of the first valve body 124. The upper end 138b of the connecting portion 138 is fixed to the bottom surface 126a of the second valve body 126. Thus, the connecting portion 138 connects the first valve body 124 and the second valve body 126.

  Further, a foam material 140 is provided between the bottom surface 124a of the first valve body 124 and the lower end 122d of the communication pipe 122. Similarly, a foam material 142 is provided between the lower end 126 b of the second valve body 126 and the floor member 132. The foam materials 140 and 142 are formed of, for example, a rubber foam material. Here, for example, the foam 140 is joined (fixed) to the bottom surface 124 a of the first valve body 124, and the foam 142 is joined to the floor member 132. However, the foam 140 may be joined to the lower end 126b of the second valve body 126, and the foam 142 may be joined to the lower end 126b of the second valve 126.

  The buoyancy section 128 has, for example, a hollow section 128a formed of a hollow pipe. The hollow portion 128a surrounds the outer peripheral surface 124b of the first valve body 124 and is fixed to the outer peripheral surface 124b, and has an annular outer shape.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the pressure suppression mechanism 120. Normally (when the casing 108a of the PCU 108 is not immersed in water), the first valve body 124, the second valve body 126, and the connecting portion 138 are arranged as shown in FIG. . That is, the first valve body 124 is in an open position for opening the first opening 136a, and the second valve body 126 is in a closed position for closing the second opening 136b.

  Then, when the vehicle 100 travels on a flooded channel or the like and the water surface W reaches the position shown in FIG. 3B, the buoyancy of the buoyancy portion 128 acts on the first valve body 124, and the first valve body 124 rises, In conjunction with the first valve element 124, the second valve element 126 and the connecting portion 138 also move up. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3B, the first valve body 124 is in the closed position for closing the first opening 136a, and the second valve body 126 is in the open position for opening the second opening 136b. Is displaced.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, when the casing 108a of the PCU 108 is immersed in water, the casing 108a is rapidly cooled by the water, and the air inside may shrink, resulting in a negative pressure. In the suppression mechanism 120, the first opening 136a is closed and the second opening 136b is opened as the water level rises, so that the air in the passenger compartment 100b is guided from the second opening 136b into the casing 108a, and Negative pressure can be suppressed.

  However, if the second opening 136b is always opened toward the passenger compartment 100b, high-frequency sound generated by the PCU 108 may be transmitted into the passenger compartment 100b. However, in the normal state, the second opening 136b is closed in the pressure suppression mechanism 120 as shown in FIG. 3A, and the propagation of noise generated in the PCU 108 into the vehicle interior 100b is suppressed. In this way, by opening the second opening 136b when the casing 108a is immersed in water, it is possible to allow air to flow in an emergency and to maintain the quietness of the vehicle compartment 100b in a normal state.

  Further, depending on the arrangement of the second opening 136b in the passenger compartment 100b, when the occupant of the vehicle 100 spills a liquid such as water, the liquid flows into the second opening 136b and the communication channel 136 is closed. There is a risk that it will. In the pressure suppression mechanism 120, the second opening 136b is normally closed, so that the liquid does not flow into the second opening 136b, and it is possible to prevent the pressure suppression mechanism 120 from being closed.

  It is also assumed that the liquid has flowed into the communication channel 136 from the second opening 136b. Even in this case, since the connecting portion of the main body 122a with the branch pipe 122c is located above the first opening 136a (strictly, the upper end 124c of the first valve body 124), the inflowing liquid is not supported by the branch pipe. It is discharged from the first opening 136a below the portion 122c. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the communication flow path 136 is closed.

  However, in the present embodiment, since the second opening 136b and the second valve element 126 are located inside the depression 134b of the cushion material 134, the possibility that the liquid flows into the second opening 136b is suppressed. Further, since the second opening 136b and the second valve element 126 are not visible to the occupant, the appearance of the interior of the vehicle interior 100b is not spoiled.

  Further, as described above, the foam material 140 is provided between the bottom surface 124a of the first valve body 124 and the first opening 136a, and between the lower end 126b of the second valve body 126 and the floor member 132. , A foam material 142 is provided. Therefore, the gap between the valve body (the first valve body 124, the second valve body 126) and the seat surface (the first opening 136a, the floor member 132) is closed by the foaming materials 140 and 142, and the sealing property can be improved. It becomes possible.

  Further, since the outer diameter of the connecting portion 138 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the main body portion 130a of the joint member 130, the connecting portion 138 is guided by the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 130a of the joint member 130. As a result, rattling of the connecting portion 138 is suppressed.

(First Modification)
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a pressure suppression mechanism 220 according to a first modification. In the first modification, the first valve body 224 functions as the buoyancy part 228. The first valve body 224 extends longer upward from the bottom surface 224a than the first valve body 124 of the above-described embodiment.

  It is assumed that the water level gradually rises from the normal time shown in FIG. 4A and the water surface W reaches the position shown in FIG. In this case, since there is air inside the first valve body 224, buoyancy acts on the first valve body 224. Thus, the first opening 136a is closed and the second opening 136b is opened.

(Second Modification)
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a pressure suppression mechanism 320 according to a second modification. In the second modified example, the outer diameter of the connecting portion 338 is smaller than the outer diameter of the connecting portion 138 of the above-described embodiment, and the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion 338 extends in the radial direction from the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 130 a of the joint member 130. Separated inward.

  An annular projection 324d is provided on the bottom surface 124a of the first valve body 124. The connecting portion 338 is inserted into the inside of the annular projection 324d. The annular protrusion 324d is inserted through the second opening 136b into the inside of the main body 122a of the communication pipe 122. An outer peripheral groove is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the annular projection 324d. Since the outer peripheral groove extends from the upper end of the annular projection 324d to the first opening 136a, the first opening 136a is not closed by the annular projection 324d.

  The inner diameter of the main body 122a of the communication pipe 122 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the annular projection 324d, and the annular projection 324d is guided by the inner peripheral surface of the main body 122a of the communication pipe 122. As a result, rattling of the connecting portion 338 is suppressed.

  As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications within the scope described in the claims. Needless to say, modified examples also belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment and modified examples, the case where the buoyancy portions 128 and 228 are provided has been described. However, the buoyancy portions 128 and 228 are not essential components, and the first valve bodies 124 and 224, the second valve body 126, and the connecting portions 138 and 338 are formed of, for example, a resin having a low specific gravity, and the first valve body is formed. The bodies 124 and 224, the second valve body 126, and the connecting portions 138 and 338 only need to float. However, by providing the buoyancy parts 128 and 228, even if the first valve bodies 124 and 224, the second valve body 126, and the connection parts 138 and 338 are heavy, they can be floated. The opening 136b can be stably closed.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment and the modified example, the case where the second valve body 126 is a bottomed annular member has been described. However, the shape of the second valve element 126 is not limited to this. For example, the cross-sectional shape of FIG. 2 may be an arc shape, and the outer shape may be a spherical shape.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION This invention can be utilized for the vehicle which mounts the electrical component accommodated in the casing.

100 Vehicle 100a Body 100b Vehicle interior 108 PCU (Electrical components)
108a Casing 124, 224 First valve element 126 Second valve element 128, 228 Buoyancy part 136 Communication flow path 136a First opening 136b Second opening 138, 338 Connecting part

Claims (3)

Electrical components housed in the casing,
A communication passage communicating with the interior of the casing,
A first opening provided in the communication channel;
A second opening provided in the communication channel and located above the first opening;
A first valve body that opens and closes the first opening;
A second valve body that opens and closes the second opening;
A connecting portion for connecting the first valve body and the second valve body,
With
When buoyancy does not act on the first valve body, the first valve body is in the open position, and the second valve body is in the closed position. When buoyancy acts on the first valve body, the first valve body and the second A vehicle wherein two valve bodies are interlocked to displace the first valve body to a closed position and the second valve body to an open position.   The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a buoyancy unit that exerts buoyancy on the first valve body when the vehicle is flooded.   3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electrical component is disposed under a floor of the vehicle body, and the second opening is open into a vehicle interior. 4.

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