JP7577997B2 - vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to vehicles, and more specifically to a connection structure for ground wires of electrical equipment mounted on the vehicle.

A ground wire is connected to the electrical equipment installed in the vehicle to ensure stable operation. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which the battery case of a vehicle is connected to the chassis earth of the vehicle via an earth wire.

JP 2010-54468 A

When connecting the terminals of a ground wire to a surface on which equipment is placed, if the equipment shifts due to an impact such as a vehicle collision, the equipment may come into strong contact with the terminals of the ground wire, potentially damaging the terminals. If the terminals of the ground wire are damaged, the electrical equipment to which the ground wire is connected will no longer be able to operate stably, which could lead to malfunctions in the electrical equipment.

The present invention was made in consideration of this situation, and aims to prevent damage to the terminals of the ground wires of electrical equipment.

The vehicle of the present invention is a vehicle equipped with a mounting member on whose upper surface an electrical device is placed, the mounting member being provided with a connection portion for connecting a terminal of a ground wire of the electrical device at a position below the upper surface , the connection portion having a connection surface portion for connecting the terminal of the ground wire, the connection surface portion extending below the upper surface and facing diagonally upward .

The present invention can prevent damage to the terminals of the ground wires of electrical equipment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration of a portion of the vehicle. FIG. 2 is a plan view for explaining a configuration around a subframe. FIG. 4 is a right side view for explaining the configuration around the subframe. FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view for explaining the configuration around the subframe. 11 is a plan view for explaining a connection structure of a ground line; FIG. 11 is a plan view for explaining a connection structure of a ground line; FIG. 13 is a right side view illustrating the connection structure of the ground line. FIG.

A vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle equipped with a mounting member on whose upper surface an electrical device is placed, and the mounting member is provided with a connection portion for connecting a terminal of a ground line of the electrical device at a position below the upper surface. As a result, even if an electronic device placed on the mounting member shifts due to an impact such as a vehicle collision, the electronic device will not come into contact with the terminal of the ground line, and damage to the terminal of the ground line can be prevented. Furthermore, even if the mounting member itself shifts due to an impact such as a vehicle collision, since the mounting member is provided with a contact portion, the mounting member will not come into contact with the terminal of the ground line, and damage to the terminal of the ground line can be prevented. Therefore, malfunction of the electrical device caused by damage to the terminal of the ground line can be prevented.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a partial configuration of an electric vehicle, which is an example of a vehicle. Figs. 2 to 4 are diagrams for explaining the configuration around a subframe 1. Figs. 5 to 7 are diagrams for explaining the connection structure of a ground line 26. In each diagram, components are appropriately omitted or simplified.
In the present application, the vehicle is used as a reference and the direction in which the vehicle moves forward is defined as "forward." Directions are indicated in each drawing.

As shown in FIG. 1, a motor room 2 is formed in the front of the vehicle (forward of the passenger compartment), and side members 3 are arranged on either side of the motor room 2. A subframe 1 is installed between the left and right side members 3 via left and right support members 4. The motor room 2 and the passenger compartment are separated by a dash panel 5.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the subframe 1 includes a front member 6, a rear member 7, a right member 8R, a left member 8L, a right mount member 9R, a left mount member 9L, a central mount member 10, and an auxiliary member 11.

The front member 6 extends in the left-right direction (also called the vehicle width direction) at the front. The rear member 7 extends in the vehicle width direction behind the front member 6. The front member 6 and rear member 7 are each constructed in the shape of a hollow prism with a roughly rectangular cross section by combining an upper member and a lower member in order to reduce weight and ensure rigidity.

The right member 8R extends in the front-rear direction on the right side and is joined to the right end of the front member 6 and the right end of the rear member 7. The left member 8L extends in the front-rear direction on the left side and is joined to the left end of the front member 6 and the left end of the rear member 7. The left and right ends of the front member 6, the left and right ends of the rear member 7, the right member 8R and the left member 8L are supported by the support members 4, and the subframe 1 is installed between the left and right side members 3. In order to reduce weight and ensure rigidity, the right member 8R and the left member 8L are each constructed in the shape of a hollow prism with a roughly rectangular cross section by combining upper and lower members.

The right mount member 9R is disposed adjacent to the left side of the right member 8R. The right mount member 9R extends in the front-to-rear direction and is joined to the front member 6, rear member 7, and right member 8R. The left mount member 9L is disposed adjacent to the right side of the left member 8L. The left mount member 9L extends in the front-to-rear direction and is joined to the front member 6, rear member 7, and left member 8L. The right mount member 9R and the left mount member 9L support the motor unit 12, which will be described later. The right mount member 9R and the left mount member 9L are each composed of a member with a U-shaped cross section that is open at the top.

The central mount member 10 is disposed between the right member 8R and the left member 8L, and extends in the front-rear direction. The front end of the central mount member 10 is joined to the front member 6. The rear member 7 is configured to pass through the central mount member 10 in the vehicle width direction, and the rear end of the central mount member 10 is joined to the auxiliary member 11, which will be described later. The central mount member 10 supports the motor unit 12, which will be described later. In order to reduce weight and ensure rigidity, the central mount member 10 is configured as a hollow prism with a roughly rectangular cross section by combining upper and lower members.

The auxiliary member 11 has a straight portion 11b extending in the vehicle width direction, left and right curved portions 11c that curve forward from both ends of the straight portion 11b, and left and right end portions 11d that extend forward from each curved portion 11c, and the left and right end portions 11d are joined to the rear member 7. The rear end portion of the central mount member 10 is joined to the straight portion 11b of the auxiliary member 11. The auxiliary member 11 reinforces the central mount member 10. In order to reduce weight and ensure rigidity, the auxiliary member 11 is configured as a hollow prism with a roughly rectangular cross section by combining upper and lower members.

In the subframe 1 constructed in this manner, the top surface 6a of the front member 6, the top surface 7a of the rear member 7, the top surface 10a of the central mount member 10, and the top surface 11a of the auxiliary member 11 are configured to be at approximately the same height, and the top surfaces 6a, 7a, 10a, and 11a of these members 6, 7, 10, and 11 form the top surface 1a of the subframe 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the motor room 2, a motor unit 12 is attached to the right mount member 9R, the left mount member 9L and the central mount member 10 of the subframe 1, and the motor unit 12 is supported in a suspended state.
The motor unit 12 is formed by coupling a motor 13 and a reduction gear 14. The motor 13 is a drive source for the vehicle, and is driven by power supplied from a main battery (not shown). The motor 13 also serves as a generator for power regeneration. The motor 13 is disposed offset to the right side in the motor room 2. The reduction gear 14 transmits the rotation transmitted from the motor 13 to driving wheels (not shown). The reduction gear 14 is disposed offset to the left side in the motor room 2, and is coupled to the motor 13.

As shown in FIG. 1, a brake booster 15 is installed at the rear right side of the motor room 2. The brake booster 15 is located behind the dash panel 5 (as seen by the occupant) and is connected to the brake pedal. A vacuum pump 16 is attached to the front of the front member 6 of the subframe 1, and is positioned off to the right side. The vacuum pump 16 is used as a negative pressure source for the brake booster 15, and is connected to the brake booster 15 via a vacuum line 17. A negative pressure tank 18 connected to the vacuum line 17 is installed at the rear left side of the motor room 2.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a plurality of electrical devices are placed on an upper surface 1a of the subframe 1.
Specifically, a converter 19 is mounted on the right side of the upper surface 1a of the subframe 1. The converter 19 has a box-shaped housing, and is disposed so as to bridge the front member 6, the rear member 7, and the central mount member 10. The converter 19 adjusts the voltage of DC supplied from the main battery. The converter 19 also includes a charger that converts AC power from outside the vehicle into DC and supplies it to the main battery.

The inverter 20 is placed above the converter 19. The inverter 20 has a box-shaped housing and is placed above the converter 19. The inverter 20 converts the direct current supplied from the main battery into alternating current and supplies it to the motor 13.

A battery 21 is placed on the left side of the upper surface 1a of the subframe 1. The battery 21 has a box-shaped housing and is placed on the left member 8L. The battery 21 is a battery that supplies power to drive auxiliary equipment, separate from the main battery that serves as the power source for the motor.

A junction box 22 is placed between the converter 19 and the battery 21 on the upper surface 1a of the subframe 1. The junction box 22 has a box-shaped housing and is arranged to span the front member 6, rear member 7, and auxiliary member 11. The junction box 22 is used to connect, branch, and relay the electric wires of the converter 19, inverter 20, etc.

In this embodiment, which will be described in detail below, the ground wire 23 of the converter 19, the ground wire 24 of the inverter 20, and the ground wire 25 of the vacuum pump 16 are bundled together inside the protector 30, and the terminal 27 of the combined ground wire 26 is connected to a bracket 36 provided on the subframe 1.
The connection structure of the ground lines will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

First, the wiring of the ground lines will be described. Note that in the following, the description will be focused on the wire harness related to the wiring of the ground lines, and descriptions of other wire harnesses (such as the wire harness connecting the inverter 20 to the motor 13) will be omitted.
2 to 4, a connector 28 provided on the wire harness 29 connects the wire harness 29 to the vacuum pump 16. The wire harness 29 is arranged to face rearward and upward, and is connected to a protector 30 provided on the right side surface of the converter 19. As shown in Fig. 4, a ground wire 25 of the vacuum pump 16 is provided on the wire harness 29.

A wire harness 31 is connected to the right side of the inverter 20. The wire harness 31 is arranged to face downward and connects to the protector 30. As shown in FIG. 4, the ground wire 24 of the inverter 20 is provided on this wire harness 31.

In addition, a wire harness 32 is provided to connect the right side surface of the converter 19 and the battery 21. The wire harness 32 extends laterally on the auxiliary member 11 and is disposed along the auxiliary member 11.
A wire harness 33 that is connected to the protector 30 is connected to the wire harness 32 .
Further, a wire harness 35 is connected to the wire harness 32, which is connected to the left side surface of the converter 19. As shown in Fig. 4, the ground wire 23 of the converter 19 is provided in this wire harness 35.

The ground wire 25 of the vacuum pump 16, the ground wire 24 of the inverter 20, and the ground wire 23 from the left side surface of the converter 19 are bundled together in the protector 30. This bundled ground wire 26 is exposed on the upper surface of the right side of the wire harness 32, more specifically, on the upper surface of the portion located on the right curved portion 11c of the auxiliary member 11.
5, the ground wire 26 exposed on the upper surface near the right side of the wire harness 32 extends rightward and forward along the wire harness 32, then turns back at a turning position 26a and heads leftward and rearward. The ground wire 26 turns back again at a turning position 26b that is close to the straight portion 11b of the curved portion 11c of the auxiliary member 11, and extends diagonally downward to the right. The folded portion 26c of the ground wire 26 that overlaps due to the turning back is bound by a bundling member 40, for example, in the form of a tape or band. A terminal 27 consisting of a plate-shaped crimp terminal is provided at the tip of the ground wire 26.

Next, a description will be given of the bracket 36 provided on the subframe 1. In this embodiment, the bracket 36 constitutes a connection portion to which the terminal 27 of the ground line 26 is connected.
A bracket 36 is provided on the auxiliary member 11 of the subframe 1 approximately in the center of the right curved portion 11c.
7, the bracket 36 includes a connection surface portion 37 for connecting the terminal 27 of the ground wire 26, vertical wall portions 38 provided on both sides of the connection surface portion 37, and a plate-shaped extension portion 39 extending at an appropriate angle from an upper portion of the connection surface portion 37. The connection surface portion 37, the vertical wall portions 38, and the extension portion 39 are integrally formed to configure the bracket 36.

An upper portion 38a of the vertical wall portion 38 serves as an attachment portion to the subframe 1, and is joined by welding to the rear end surface 11e of the auxiliary member 11. In addition, an upper extension portion 39 of the connection surface portion 37 serves as an attachment portion to the subframe 1, and is joined by welding to the upper surface 11a of the auxiliary member 11.
With the bracket 36 attached to the auxiliary member 11 in this manner, the connection surface portion 37 extends below the upper surface 1a of the subframe 1 and faces obliquely upward. The lower end of the connection surface portion 37 is located below the attachment portion (upper portion 38a and extension portion 39). As shown in Fig. 7, when viewed from the side, the connection surface portion 37 has a vertical length that is approximately the same as the thickness of the subframe 1 (auxiliary member 11), or a vertical length such that the lower end is located slightly below the lower surface of the auxiliary member 11.

As shown in Fig. 6, the bracket 36 is located inside the end 1b (only the right end is shown in Fig. 6) of the subframe 1 in the vehicle width direction, and inside the end 1c of the subframe 1 in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the bracket 36 is located inside the end 11f (only the right end is shown in Fig. 6) of the auxiliary member 11 that constitutes the subframe 1 in the vehicle width direction.

As described above, the ground wire 26 is disposed on the upper surface 11a of the auxiliary member 11 and extends diagonally downward to the right from a predetermined position, which in this embodiment is a position close to the straight portion 11b of the curved portion 11c of the auxiliary member 11. In this manner, the ground wire 26 extends from the inside to the outside (rightward) in the vehicle width direction and connects to the bracket 36. The terminal 27 of the ground wire 26 is fastened to the connection surface portion 37 by a bolt 41. As shown in FIG. 7, the terminal 27 of the ground wire 26 is fastened to the connection surface portion 37 within the thickness range of the subframe 1 (auxiliary member 11). This allows the terminal 27 of the ground wire 26 to be connected to the bracket 36 at a position lower than the upper surface 1a of the subframe 1 without unnecessarily lengthening the ground wire 26.

A locking hole 42 is formed in the connection surface portion 37. A claw portion 27a is provided at the tip of the terminal 27. By locking the claw portion 27a of the terminal 27 into the locking hole 42, rotation of the terminal 27 is restricted.

As described above, the subframe 1 is provided with a bracket 36 that connects the terminal 27 of the ground wire 26 at a position below the upper surface 1a. As a result, even if the converter 19 placed on the subframe 1 shifts rearward due to an impact such as a vehicle collision, the converter 19 will not come into contact with the terminal 27 of the ground wire 26, and damage to the terminal 27 of the ground wire 26 can be prevented. Even if the subframe 1 itself shifts due to an impact such as a vehicle collision, the bracket 36 provided on the subframe 1 prevents the subframe 1 from coming into contact with the terminal 27 of the ground wire 26, and damage to the terminal 27 of the ground wire 26 can be prevented. Therefore, malfunctions of electrical equipment caused by damage to the terminal 27 of the ground wire 26 can be prevented.

As shown in FIG. 6, the bracket 36 is located inside the end 1b (only the right end is shown in FIG. 6) of the subframe 1 in the vehicle width direction, and inside the end 1c of the subframe 1 in the front-rear direction. As a result, even if the subframe 1 itself moves due to an impact such as a vehicle collision, or other parts move toward the subframe 1, the ends 1b and 1c of the subframe 1 come into contact with other parts before the terminal 27 of the ground wire 26, so that damage to the terminal 27 of the ground wire 26 can be prevented. Also, since the bracket 36 is located inside the end 11f of the auxiliary member 11 constituting the subframe 1 in the vehicle width direction, the end 11f of the auxiliary member 11 comes into contact with other parts before the terminal 27 of the ground wire 26, so that damage to the terminal 27 of the ground wire 26 can be prevented.

The connection surface 37 of the bracket 36 extends below the top surface 1a of the subframe 1 and faces diagonally upward. This allows the ground wire 26, which extends diagonally downward to the right from the top surface 11a of the auxiliary member 11, to be guided to the terminal connection surface 37 without being forcibly bent. The bolt 41 can also be fastened from above. This makes it easier to connect the terminal 27 of the ground wire 26 to the terminal connection surface 37.

In addition, the lower end of the connection surface portion 37 of the bracket 36 is located below the mounting portion. This allows the bracket 36 to be deformed downward when another component comes into contact with the lower end of the bracket 36, and allows the terminal 27 of the ground line 26 to be moved away from the other component, preventing damage to the terminal 27 of the ground line 26.

In addition, in the bracket 36, vertical wall portions 38 are provided on both sides of the connection surface portion 37, and the upper portion 38a of the vertical wall portion 38 is attached as an attachment portion to the end surface 11e that is connected to the upper surface 11a of the auxiliary member 11 and extends downward. This increases the rigidity of the terminal connection surface 37 and suppresses vibration of the terminal connection surface 37, allowing the terminal 27 of the ground line 26 to be stably connected to the bracket 36 and preventing the ground line 26 from coming loose.

The bracket 36 is also positioned to the right side of the subframe 1 in the vehicle width direction. The ground line 26 is positioned on the upper surface 11a of the auxiliary member 11 and extends diagonally downward to the right from a predetermined position, in this embodiment, a position close to the straight portion 11b of the curved portion 11c of the auxiliary member 11. In this manner, the ground line 26 extends from the inside to the outside (rightward) in the vehicle width direction and connects to the bracket 36. When an electronic device placed on the subframe 1 is pushed in from the side due to an impact such as a vehicle collision, the ground line 26 is likely to be pulled inward in the vehicle width direction. In this case, in a configuration in which the ground line 26 extends from the outside to the inside in the vehicle width direction and connects to the bracket 36, the ground line 26 is pulled in a direction different from the direction in which it extends, and the terminal 27 may be damaged or come off. In contrast, in a configuration in which the ground wire 26 extends from the inside to the outside in the vehicle width direction and connects to the bracket 36, the ground wire 26 is pulled in the same direction in which it extends, which reduces damage to or removal of the terminal 27.

Moreover, the ground wire 26 is disposed mostly on the upper surface 11a of the auxiliary member 11. This prevents the ground wire 26 from being pinched between the subframe 1 and other components and breaking, even if the subframe 1 itself moves or other components move toward the subframe 1 due to an impact such as a vehicle collision.

As shown in FIG. 5, the ground wire 26 has a folded portion 26c. When a force acts on the ground wire 26 or the wire harness 32 in which the ground wire 26 is provided due to the impact of a vehicle collision, the binding member 40 breaks, and the ground wire 26 can stretch by the amount of the fold. This can buffer the force acting on the ground wire 26 and the terminal 27, and prevent breakage of the ground wire 26 and damage to the terminal 27. Note that the ground wire 26 can be folded once, but the ground wire 26 can be stretched longer by folding it multiple times.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, each embodiment merely shows a specific example of how the present invention may be implemented. The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to each embodiment. Various modifications of the present invention are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and these modifications are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, an example of the bracket 36 constituting the connection portion has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the bracket connects the terminal of the ground line at a position lower than the upper surface of the mounting member, the shape of the bracket and the mounting structure to the mounting member are not limited. For example, the bracket may be attached to the lower surface of the mounting member.
Furthermore, although an example has been described in which the connection portion is formed by the bracket 36 which is a separate member from the subframe 1, a configuration in which the connection portion is integrally provided on the mounting member may also be used.

In the above embodiment, the subframe 1 is described as an example of the mounting member of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, there is also a configuration in which electrical equipment is mounted on the top surface of the motor unit that serves as the driving source of the vehicle. In this case, the motor unit corresponds to the mounting member of the present invention, and the housing of the motor unit is provided with a connection portion for connecting the terminal of the ground line at a position below the top surface.

1: Subframe, 1a: Top, 6: Front member, 7: Rear member, 8R: Right member, 8L: Left member, 10: Center mount member, 11: Auxiliary member, 19: Converter, 20: Inverter, 21: Battery, 22: Junction box, 26: Ground line, 27: Terminal, 32: Wire harness, 36: Bracket, 37: Connection surface, 38: Vertical wall, 39: Extension

Claims (9)

A vehicle having a mounting member on an upper surface of which an electrical device is mounted,
the mounting member is provided with a connection portion for connecting a terminal of a ground line of the electrical device at a position below the upper surface ,
the connection portion has a connection surface portion for connecting the terminal of the ground line,
The vehicle is characterized in that the connection surface portion extends below the upper surface and faces obliquely upward . The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection portion is located inside the end of the mounting member in the vehicle width direction. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connection portion is located inside the front-rear end of the mounting member. 4. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the connection portion is configured as a separate member from the mounting member. the connecting portion is configured as a separate member from the mounting member and has an attachment portion for attachment to the mounting member,
5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the connection surface portion is positioned lower than the mounting portion. Vertical walls are provided on both sides of the connection surface,
6. The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the vertical wall portion is attached to an end surface of the mounting member that is connected to the upper surface and extends downward, as the mounting portion. The connection portion is disposed biased toward one side in a vehicle width direction of the mounting member,
7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the ground wire extends from an inner side to an outer side in a vehicle width direction and is connected to the connection portion. 8. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the ground wire is disposed on the upper surface of the mounting member, extends obliquely downward from a predetermined position, and connects to the connection portion. 9. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the ground wire has a folded portion that is folded back once or a plurality of times.

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