JP6957101B2 - Electric car - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electric vehicle (EV).

In one-box cars, especially one-box type mini vehicles (light vans), the interior space is limited by the so-called cab-over structure, in which the front seats (driver's seat and passenger seat) are placed above the engine. Is secured to the maximum, and its interior dimensions are one of the most important product strengths.

In order to improve the product appeal of one-box cars, it is necessary to further expand the interior space, and to further expand the interior space, it is effective to make the cabin flat floor (enlarge the flat surface of the floor) and lower the floor. be. In a two-box car with a bonnet in front of the passenger compartment or a 1.5-box car with a short bonnet, the engine is placed below the bonnet and in front of the passenger compartment, so the passenger compartment can be flattened and lowered. It's relatively easy. On the other hand, in a one-box car, it is very difficult to make the passenger compartment flat and low. Therefore, a one-box car with a flat floor and a low floor from the feet of the front seats to the rear end of the passenger compartment is not provided, and in the commercially available one-box cars, the engine is placed below the front seats. The current situation is that the floor panel that forms the floor of the passenger compartment is raised below the front seats.

In the RR (Rear-engine Rear-wheel-drive) system in which the engine is located below the deck at the rear of the passenger compartment, the floor below the front seats can be formed flat. Moreover, the length of the interior is not restricted by arranging the engine behind the passenger compartment. However, the position of the deck must be raised and the engine must be placed below the deck, and low floor cannot be achieved.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-245847

The problem that it is difficult to flatten and lower the floor of a one-box car is not limited to the case where the driving source for driving is an engine, but also when the motor is mounted as a driving source for driving. exist. Therefore, when developing a one-box type electric vehicle that adopts a cab-over structure, the inventors of the present application faced the challenges of flattening and lowering the floor of the passenger compartment, and conducted intensive research to solve the challenges. ..

The present invention has been made under such a background, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electric vehicle capable of flat flooring and lowering the floor from the foot of the driver's seat to the rear end of the passenger compartment. That is.

In order to achieve the above object, the electric vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention forms a motor having an output shaft, a differential gear that distributes the power from the motor to the left and right drive wheels, and a floor surface of the passenger compartment. The floor panel extends flat from the foot of the driver's seat to the rear end of the passenger compartment, the differential gear is located below the floor panel, and the motor is located below the floor panel and the differential gear. The output shaft is arranged vertically so as to extend in the front-rear direction in front of or behind the.

According to this configuration, the floor panel extends flat from the foot of the driver's seat to the rear end of the passenger compartment, and a differential gear that distributes the power from the motor to the left and right drive wheels is arranged below the flat floor panel. , The motor is arranged vertically in front of or behind the differential gear.

In a configuration in which the motor is arranged horizontally, a parallel shaft gear must be used to connect the output shaft of the motor and the ring gear of the differential gear. Therefore, depending on the reduction ratio between the output shaft of the motor and the differential gear, the outer diameter of the parallel shaft gear becomes large, and it is necessary to secure a large space under the floor panel, which lowers the floor of the passenger compartment. Cannot be planned.

Since the output shaft of the motor extends in the front-rear direction by arranging the motor vertically, an orthogonal shaft gear (bevel gear) is used to connect the output shaft and the ring gear of the differential gear. Therefore, there is no space problem due to the large outer diameter of the parallel shaft gear, and the floor of the vehicle interior can be lowered.

Therefore, it is possible to make the floor flat and low from the feet of the driver's seat to the rear end of the passenger compartment. By flattening and lowering the floor, it is possible to expand the interior space (indoor dimensions) of a one-box type electric vehicle that adopts a cab-over structure, and it is possible to improve the product appeal of the electric vehicle.

In the configuration in which the motors are arranged horizontally, the motors and the differential gears are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, so it is necessary to secure a space for arranging them also in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the turning angle of the front wheels, which are the steering wheels, may be limited.

On the other hand, in the configuration in which the motors are arranged vertically, the motors and the differential gears are not arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, so that a space can be secured on the side of the differential gears in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, a large turning angle of the front wheels can be secured.

In addition, since a space can be secured on the side of the motor in the vehicle width direction, for example, an electric air compressor for air conditioning in the vehicle interior is arranged in the space, and the electric air compressor is installed together with the motor in the electric vehicle. It may be attached to a support plate that is supported by a vibration-proof mount on the frame.

With this configuration, the motor becomes a weight (mass), and vibration due to the operation of the electric air compressor can be suppressed.

An electric vehicle according to another aspect of the present invention includes a motor having an output shaft, a differential gear that distributes power from the motor to the left and right drive wheels, and a floor panel that forms a floor surface of the passenger compartment. And the differential gear is located below the floor panel, and the output shaft of the motor is directly connected to the differential gear or connected via a reduction mechanism whose height dimension is smaller than at least one of the motor or the differential gear.

According to this configuration, below the floor panel forming the floor surface of the passenger compartment, the output shaft of the motor is directly connected to the differential gear that distributes the power from the motor to the left and right drive wheels, or the dimension in the height direction is the motor or It is connected via a reduction mechanism (eg, a planetary gear mechanism) that is smaller than at least one of the differential gears.

In a configuration in which a reduction mechanism is interposed between the output shaft of the motor and the differential gear, it is necessary to secure a space in the height direction for arranging the reduction mechanism, and the floor of the passenger compartment should be lowered. May not be possible.

In a configuration in which the output shaft of the motor is directly connected to the differential gear, it is not necessary to secure a space for accommodating the reduction mechanism below the floor panel in the height direction. Therefore, the floor panel should be formed flat and provided at a low position. Can be done.

Further, even if the output shaft of the motor is connected to the differential gear via the reduction mechanism, if the reduction mechanism has a smaller height dimension than at least one of the motor and the differential gear, the floor panel. Can be formed flat and provided at a low position.

Therefore, it is possible to make the floor flat and low from the feet of the driver's seat to the rear end of the passenger compartment. By flattening and lowering the floor, it is possible to expand the interior space (indoor dimensions) of a one-box type electric vehicle that adopts a cab-over structure, and it is possible to improve the product appeal of the electric vehicle.

According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve a flat floor and a low floor from the foot of the driver's seat to the rear end of the passenger compartment. By flattening and lowering the floor, it is possible to expand the interior space of a one-box type electric vehicle that adopts a cab-over structure, and it is possible to improve the product appeal of the electric vehicle.

It is a left side view which graphically shows the structure of the electric vehicle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which graphically shows the structure of the main part of an electric vehicle. It is sectional drawing of the lower part of the floor panel in the cut plane line AA shown in FIG. It is a top view which graphically shows the structure of the main part of the electric vehicle which concerns on other embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<Composition of electric vehicle>
FIG. 1 is a left side view illustrating the configuration of the electric vehicle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a main part of the electric vehicle 1.

The electric vehicle 1 is a one-box type vehicle in which a motor 2 is mounted as a driving drive source for traveling and a cab-over structure is adopted.

A pair of side frames 12 are provided below the vehicle body 11 of the electric vehicle 1. The pair of side frames 12 are symmetrically configured and extend in the front-rear direction at intervals in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction).

A floor panel 13 is provided on the pair of side frames 12. The floor panel 13 straddles a pair of side frames 12 and is joined to the upper surface of the side frames 12 by welding. A vehicle compartment 14 is provided above the floor panel 13. At the front end of the passenger compartment 14, front seats 15 including driver's seats and passenger seats arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction are arranged. The floor panel 13 extends flat from at least the feet of the front seat 15 to the rear end of the passenger compartment 14 to provide a flat floor surface as the floor plane of the passenger compartment 14.

The term "flat" may be roughly flat. As long as the floor panel 13 extends substantially flat, a bead (unevenness) for reinforcement may be formed on the floor panel 13.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lower portion of the floor panel 13 in the cut plane line AA shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the motor 2 is arranged below the foot portion of the front seat 15 and below the floor panel 13. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, a support plate 22 supported by anti-vibration mounts 21 hanging from each of the pair of side frames 12 is provided below the foot portion of the front seat 15. There is. As shown in FIG. 1, the motor 2 is arranged on the support plate 22 in a vertically installed state in which the output shaft 23 extends forward from the motor main body 24 along the front-rear direction, and is fixed to the support plate 22. ..

As shown in FIG. 2, the electric vehicle 1 includes, in addition to the motor 2, a differential gear 32 that distributes the power of the motor 2 to the front wheels 31L and 31R, which are the left and right drive wheels, and electric air for air conditioning in the vehicle interior. Charging for charging the compressor 33, the PCU (Power Control Unit) 34 containing an inverter for driving the motor 2, the battery pack 35 for storing the electric power for driving the motor 2, and the battery pack 35. A vessel 36 and the like are installed.

The differential gear 32 is arranged in front of the motor 2 and is coupled to the motor 2. The differential gear 32 has a normal configuration, and includes two pinion gears rotatably provided in the differential case, two side gears that mesh with the two pinion gears, and a ring-shaped ring gear fixed to the differential case. .. One ends of the left and right drive shafts 37L and 37R are inserted into the differential case, and the one ends are connected to the side gears, respectively. Further, a ring-shaped ring gear surrounding the outer circumference of the differential case is fixed to the differential case. As shown in FIG. 1, a bevel gear 38 is fixed to the output shaft 23 of the motor 2, and the bevel gear 38 meshes with the oblique teeth formed on the ring gear. As a result, the differential case rotates integrally with the ring gear by the power of the output shaft 23 of the motor 2. Then, the rotation of the differential case is converted into the rotation of each side gear via the pinion gear, the left and right drive shafts 37L and 37R rotate integrally with each side gear, and the rotation of the drive shafts 37L and 37R is transmitted to the front wheels 31L and 31R, respectively. Will be done.

As shown in FIG. 3, the electric air compressor 33 is arranged side by side with the motor 2 in the vehicle width direction and is fixed to the support plate 22.

The PCU 34 is arranged behind the motor 2. One end of the high voltage cable 39 is connected to the inverter built in the PCU 34. The high voltage cable 39 extends from the PCU 34 toward the motor 2, and the other end of the high voltage cable 39 is connected to the motor 2.

The battery pack 35 is located behind the PCU 34 and between the pair of side frames 12.

The charger 36 is located behind the electric air compressor 33 and to the right of the PCU 34 and in front of the battery pack 35.

<Effect>
As described above, the floor panel 13 extends flat from the feet of the front seat 15 to the rear end of the passenger compartment 14, and the power from the motor 2 is distributed to the left and right drive wheels below the flat floor panel 13. The differential gear 32 is arranged, and the motor 2 is arranged vertically behind the differential gear 32.

Then, the bevel gear 38 is fixed to the output shaft 23 of the motor 2 extending in the front-rear direction, and the bevel gear 38 meshes with the ring gear of the differential gear 32, so that the output shaft 23 of the motor 2 and the differential gear 32 are directly connected. ing. Therefore, it is not necessary to secure a space for arranging the reduction gear mechanism composed of parallel shaft gears in the height direction, and a large space is not required in the vertical direction below the floor panel 13, so that the floor panel 13 is made flat. It can be formed and provided at a low position.

Therefore, it is possible to make the floor flat and low from the feet of the front seat 15 to the rear end of the passenger compartment 14. By making the floor flat and lowering the floor, it is possible to expand the interior space (indoor dimensions) of the one-box type electric vehicle 1 adopting the cab-over structure, and it is possible to improve the commercial power of the electric vehicle 1.

When the electric vehicle 1 adopts a configuration in which the motor 2 is arranged horizontally, the motor 2 and the differential gear 32 are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, so that the space for arranging them is also arranged in the vehicle width direction. It is necessary to secure it. Therefore, the turning angles of the front wheels 31L and 31R, which are the steering wheels, are limited.

On the other hand, in the configuration in which the motor 2 is arranged vertically, the motor 2 and the differential gear 32 are not arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, so that a space can be secured on the side of the differential gear 32 in the vehicle width direction. can. Therefore, a large turning angle of the front wheels 31L and 31R can be secured.

Further, since a space can be secured on the side of the motor 2 in the vehicle width direction, an electric air compressor 33 for air conditioning in the vehicle interior 14 is arranged in the space. The electric air compressor 33, together with the motor 2, is fixed to a support plate 22 supported by a vibration-proof mount 21 on the frame of the electric vehicle 1. As a result, the motor 2 becomes a weight (mass), and vibration due to the operation of the electric air compressor 33 can be suppressed.

<Modification example>
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can also be implemented in other embodiments.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the one-box type electric vehicle 1 having a cab-over structure is taken up, but the present invention can be applied to the RR type electric vehicle 101 as shown in FIG. Is.

The electric vehicle 101 has a configuration in which the configuration of the electric vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 2 is inverted. In FIG. 4, the parts corresponding to the parts shown in FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals as those of the parts. Further, in the following, a detailed description of the portion with the same reference numeral will be omitted.

Specifically, in the electric vehicle 101, the motor 2 is arranged below the rear end portion of the floor panel 13, that is, the portion constituting the deck at the rear portion of the vehicle interior. The motor 2 is fixed to a pair of side frames 12 on a support plate 22 supported by a vibration-proof mount 21 in a vertically installed state in which an output shaft 23 extends forward from the motor main body 24 in the front-rear direction.

The differential gear 32 that distributes the power of the motor 2 to the rear wheels 102L and 102R, which are the left and right drive wheels, is arranged behind the motor 2 and coupled to the motor 2. The differential case of the differential gear 32 is rotated by the power of the output shaft 23 of the motor 2. Then, as the differential case rotates, the left and right drive shafts 37L and 37R rotate, and the rotations of the drive shafts 37L and 37R are transmitted to the rear wheels 102L and 102R, which are the drive wheels, respectively.

An electric air compressor 33 is arranged on the right side of the motor 2 and is supported by the support plate 22. A PCU 34 is arranged in front of the motor 2. In front of the PCU 34, a battery pack 35 is arranged between the pair of side frames 12. A charger 36 is arranged at a position behind the electric air compressor 33 and to the right of the PCU 34 and in front of the battery pack 35.

Further, although the configuration in which the bevel gear 38 is fixed to the output shaft 23 of the motor 2 and the bevel gear 38 is meshed with the oblique teeth formed in the ring gear of the differential gear 32 is taken up, the configuration of the motor 2 or the differential gear 32 is taken up. If the speed reduction mechanism has a configuration in which the dimension in the height direction is smaller than at least one of them, the bevel gear 38 is held on a shaft different from the output shaft 23, and the speed is reduced between that shaft and the output shaft 23 of the motor 2. A mechanism (eg, a planetary gear mechanism, etc.) may be interposed.

Further, although the rear seats are not mentioned in the above description, the rear seats may be arranged behind the front seats 15 in the passenger compartment 14. When the rear seats are provided, the rear seats are configured to be foldable so that the seat cushions and the seat backs overlap, and the flattening of the floor surface creates a space between the front seats 15 and the floor surface. It may be configured to accommodate the folded backseat. This makes it possible to provide a maximally expanded luggage compartment behind the front seats 15 when the rear seats are not needed.

In addition, various design changes can be made to the above-mentioned configuration within the scope of the matters described in the claims.

1,101: Electric vehicle 2: Motor 13: Floor panel 14: Cabin 15: Front seat (driver's seat)
23: Output shaft 31L, 31R: Front wheel 32: Differential gear 102L, 102R: Rear wheel

Claims (2)

A motor with an output shaft and
A differential gear that distributes the power from the motor to the left and right drive wheels,
The floor panel that forms the floor surface of the passenger compartment and
With the frame
Including electric air compressor
The floor panel extends flat from the foot of the driver's seat to the rear end of the passenger compartment.
The differential gear is located below the floor panel.
The motor is arranged vertically below the floor panel and in front of or behind the differential gear, with the output shaft extending in the front-rear direction.
An electric vehicle in which the motor and the electric air compressor are fixed to a support plate supported on the frame via a vibration-proof mount. A motor with an output shaft and
A differential gear that distributes the power from the motor to the left and right drive wheels,
The floor panel that forms the floor surface of the passenger compartment and
With the frame
Including electric air compressor
The motor and the differential gear are located below the floor panel.
The output shaft of the motor is directly connected to the differential gear or connected via a reduction mechanism having a height dimension smaller than at least one of the motor or the differential gear.
An electric vehicle in which the motor and the electric air compressor are fixed to a support plate supported on the frame via a vibration-proof mount.

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