JP7650686B2 - vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle equipped with a motor, a battery, and a charger.

For example, in the vehicle described in Patent Document 1, the driving motor is located below the driver's seat at the front of the vehicle, and the battery is located below the floor panel in the center of the vehicle. A suspension tower in which the suspension unit is stored in an upright position is provided at the front of the vehicle, and a charger for charging the battery is housed in a high-voltage unit room formed at the top of the suspension tower.

JP 2020-131981 A

In vehicles such as those described above, the high-voltage components are located at the top of the suspension tower, which raises the center of gravity of the vehicle and may reduce driving stability. Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle with improved driving stability.

The vehicle of the present invention comprises a support member extending along the vehicle longitudinal direction and having a front portion, a middle portion, and a rear portion in that order from the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction, a high-voltage component mounted on the support member including a motor and a charger, and a battery mounted on the middle portion that is charged via the charger and stores power to be supplied to the motor, the support member being bent at the boundary between the front portion and the middle portion so that the front portion is located higher than the middle portion in the vehicle vertical direction, and the high-voltage component includes a front high-voltage component mounted on the front portion and a rear high-voltage component mounted on the rear portion.

In this vehicle, the support member is bent at the boundary between the front and middle sections so that the front section is positioned higher in the vehicle vertical direction than the middle section. This allows for a large amount of storage space to be secured in the front section, where storage space is often insufficient. Also, a battery is mounted in the middle section of the support member, while front high-voltage components are mounted in the front section and rear high-voltage components are mounted in the rear section. This makes it possible to lower the center of gravity of the vehicle and improve driving stability.

The support member may have a pair of side rails that extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and face each other, and at least a portion of the front high-voltage component may be disposed between the pair of side rails. In this case, it is possible to further lower the center of gravity of the vehicle.

The support member may have a pair of side rails that extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and face each other, and at least a portion of the rear high-voltage component may be disposed between the pair of side rails. In this case, it is possible to further lower the center of gravity of the vehicle. In addition, for example, when loading luggage at the rear of the vehicle, it is possible to easily load and unload the luggage.

The front high-voltage component may be a motor, and the rear high-voltage component may be a charger. Even with this configuration, it is possible to lower the center of gravity of the vehicle and improve driving stability.

When viewed from the vehicle width direction, the support member may extend straight in the middle and rear parts. In this case, for example, when loading luggage at the rear of the vehicle, a large cargo space can be secured.

The present invention makes it possible to provide a vehicle with improved driving stability.

1 is a plan view of a vehicle structure according to an embodiment, viewed from above in a vertical direction of the vehicle. 1 is a side view of a vehicle structure according to an embodiment, seen from a vehicle width direction.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or equivalent elements will be designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted. The up-down direction means the up-down direction in the up-down direction of the vehicle, the front-rear direction means the front-rear direction in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the inside-outside direction means the inside-outside direction in the width direction of the vehicle. The up-down direction of the vehicle, the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the width direction of the vehicle will also be simply referred to as the up-down direction, the front-rear direction, and the width direction, respectively.

The vehicle 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is configured as an electric vehicle equipped with a motor 5 described below as a driving source. The vehicle 1 is, for example, a commercial vehicle such as a truck or a bus, but is not limited to this, and may be, for example, any of a large vehicle, a medium-sized vehicle, a normal passenger car, a small vehicle, or a light vehicle. The vehicle 1 may also be a hybrid vehicle further equipped with an engine as a driving source.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a support member 2. The support member 2 is a frame that supports the vehicle body, and extends along the front-to-rear direction as a whole. The support member 2 has a front portion 10 that constitutes the front portion of the vehicle (front module), an intermediate portion 20 that constitutes the central portion of the vehicle (center module), and a rear portion 30 that constitutes the rear portion of the vehicle (rear module). The front portion 10, intermediate portion 20, and rear portion 30 are arranged in this order from the front side in the front-to-rear direction.

The front section 10 has a pair of first side rails 11 and a cross member 12. The middle section 20 has a pair of second side rails 21 and cross members 22, 23. The rear section 30 has a pair of third side rails 31 and a cross member 32.

The pair of first side rails 11 extend in the front-rear direction and face each other in the width direction. Each first side rail 11 has a main body portion 11a that extends straight in the front-rear direction, and an extension portion 11b that extends rearward from the main body portion 11a. The rear end of the extension portion 11b is connected to the cross member 22 of the middle portion 20. The extension portion 11b extends straight, inclining downward as it approaches the rearward side. The cross member 12 extends straight in the width direction and is connected to the front end of each first side rail 11.

The pair of second side rails 21 extend straight in the front-rear direction and face each other in the width direction. The distance between the pair of second side rails 21 in the width direction is wider than the distance between the pair of first side rails 11 in the width direction. This allows a large space to be secured for arranging the battery 8, which will be described later. The cross member 22 extends straight in the width direction and is connected to the front end of each second side rail 21. The cross member 23 extends straight in the width direction and is connected to the rear end of each second side rail 21. The cross members 22, 23 face each other in the front-rear direction.

The pair of third side rails 31 extend straight in the front-rear direction and face each other in the width direction. The distance between the pair of third side rails 31 in the width direction is approximately equal to the distance between the pair of first side rails 11 in the width direction and is narrower than the distance between the pair of second side rails 21 in the width direction. Each third side rail 31 is connected to a cross member 23 of the middle section 20. The cross member 32 extends straight in the width direction and is connected to the rear end of each third side rail 31.

With reference to FIG. 2, the positional relationship of each part when viewed from the width direction will be described. Due to the provision of the extension part 11b, the front part 10 is located above the middle part 20 in the vehicle vertical direction. More specifically, the upper edge of the main body part 11a of the pair of first side rails 11 is located above the upper edge of the pair of second side rails 21. That is, the support member 2 is bent at the boundary part P between the front part 10 and the middle part 20 so that the front part 10 is located above the middle part 20. As a result, the support member 2 has a stepped frame structure in which a step part S is formed between the front part 10 and the middle part 20. In this example, the extension part 11b extends at an angle, but the extension part 11b may extend straight in the vertical direction. That is, the support member 2 may be bent at 90 degrees at the boundary part P. Alternatively, the extension part 11b may extend in a curved manner.

When viewed in the width direction, the middle section 20 and the rear section 30 are formed flat. That is, the upper edges of the pair of second side rails 21 are located on the same plane as the upper edges of the pair of third side rails 31. In other words, when viewed in the width direction, the support member 2 extends straight in the middle section 20 and the rear section 30 (throughout the entire middle section 20 and the rear section 30).

The support member 2 supports a vehicle body (not shown) that constitutes the vehicle cabin. The vehicle body is arranged, for example, so that the bottom wall (floor surface) is located on the support member 2. For example, a driver's seat is provided at the front of the vehicle. The driver's seat is provided with a seat on which the driver can sit, a steering wheel for steering the vehicle 1, and the like. For example, spaces for loading luggage or passengers are provided at the center and rear of the vehicle. An entrance/exit for loading and unloading luggage, or an entrance/exit for passengers to get on and off is provided at the rear of the vehicle. The front, center, and rear of the vehicle are portions that overlap with the front portion 10, middle portion 20, and rear portion 30, respectively, when viewed from the top-bottom direction.

The support member 2 also supports an axle 3a connected to the front wheels 3 and an axle 4a connected to the rear wheels 4. In this example, the vehicle 1 is front-wheel drive, and the front wheels 3 are the drive wheels. The axle 3a is supported at the front portion 10, and the axle 4a is supported at the rear portion 30. The axle 3a is located below the first side rail 11, and the axle 4a is located above the third side rail 31. Since the axle 4a is located above the third side rail 31, it is easy to adopt a layout in which the support member 2 extends straight from the middle portion 20 to the rear portion 30.

The vehicle 1 further includes a motor 5, an inverter 6, a charger 7, and a battery 8. In Figures 1 and 2, the locations of the motor 5, the inverter 6, the charger 7, and the battery 8 are indicated by dashed lines.

The inverter 6 converts the direct current supplied from the battery 8 into alternating current. The motor 5 operates on the alternating current generated by the inverter 6. The charger 7 is used to charge the battery 8. During charging, for example, an external charging cable is connected to the charger 7, and the battery 8 is charged via the charger 7. The battery 8 stores power to be supplied to the motor 5. The motor 5, the inverter 6, and the charger 7 are high-voltage components to which a high voltage is applied. A high voltage of, for example, 200 V or more is applied to the high-voltage components.

The motor 5 and the inverter 6 are mounted on the front portion 10 of the support member 2. That is, in this example, the motor 5 and the inverter 6 are front high-voltage components mounted on the front portion 10. More specifically, the motor 5 and the inverter 6 are fixed to each of the first side rails 11. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, the motor 5 and the inverter 6 are entirely located between the pair of first side rails 11. When viewed from the width direction, a part of the motor 5 and a part of the inverter 6 overlap with the main body portion 11a of the first side rail 11. That is, a part of the motor 5 and a part of the inverter 6 are disposed between the main body portion 11a of the pair of first side rails 11. In addition, another part of the inverter 6 is disposed between the extension portion 11b of the pair of first side rails 11. The motor 5 is disposed forward of the inverter 6.

The charger 7 is mounted on the rear portion 30 of the support member 2. That is, in this example, the charger 7 is a rear high-voltage component mounted on the rear portion 30. More specifically, the charger 7 is fixed to each third side rail 31. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, the entire charger 7 is located between the pair of third side rails 31. When viewed from the width direction, a portion of the charger 7 overlaps with the third side rails 31. That is, a portion of the charger 7 is disposed between the pair of third side rails 31. The charger 7 is disposed rearward of the axle 4a of the rear wheel 4.

The battery 8 is mounted on the intermediate portion 20 of the support member 2. More specifically, the battery 8 is fixed to each of the second side rails 21 and the cross members 22, 23. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, the entire battery 8 is located between the pair of second side rails 21. When viewed from the width direction, a portion of the battery 8 overlaps with the second side rails 21. That is, a portion of the battery 8 is disposed between the pair of second side rails 21. A high-voltage box (not shown) is further disposed between the inverter 6 and the battery 8. The high-voltage box accommodates high-voltage components (EV accessories) such as a relay, a fuse, a battery ECU (Electronic Control Unit), and a DC-DC converter.
[Action and Effect]

In the vehicle 1, the support member 2 is bent at the boundary P between the front portion 10 and the middle portion 20 so that the front portion 10 is located higher than the middle portion 20 in the vehicle vertical direction. This allows a large storage space to be secured in the front portion 10, where many parts are arranged and storage space is easily insufficient. In particular, when the vehicle 1 is a front-wheel drive vehicle, many drive parts are arranged in the front portion 10, so storage space is easily insufficient in the front portion 10. In addition, the battery 8 is mounted in the middle portion 20 of the support member 2, the motor 5 (front high-voltage part) is mounted in the front portion 10, and the charger 7 (rear high-voltage part) is mounted in the rear portion 30. This makes it possible to lower the center of gravity of the vehicle 1 and improve driving stability. In addition, by arranging the motor 5 and the inverter 6 in the front portion 10, the drive unit can be arranged near the power system, and the drive mechanism can be simplified.

A part of the motor 5 is disposed between the pair of first side rails 11. This allows the center of gravity of the vehicle 1 to be further lowered.

A part of the charger 7 is disposed between the pair of third side rails 31. This allows the center of gravity of the vehicle 1 to be further lowered. In addition, for example, when loading luggage at the rear of the vehicle, loading and unloading the luggage can be made easier.

When viewed from the vehicle width direction, the support member 2 extends straight at the middle section 20 and rear section 30. This allows a large cargo space to be secured, for example, when loading luggage at the rear of the vehicle.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, a charger 7 may be arranged in the front section 10 as a front high-voltage component, and a motor 5 and an inverter 6 may be arranged in the rear section 30 as rear high-voltage components. Alternatively, a motor 5, an inverter 6, and a charger 7 may be arranged in the front section 10 as front high-voltage components, and other high-voltage components may be arranged in the rear section 30 as rear high-voltage components. The inverter 6 may be omitted. The distance between the pair of second side rails 21 in the width direction may be equal to the distance between the pair of first side rails 11 in the width direction. The first side rail 11, the second side rail 21, and the third side rail 31 may be formed of a single member.

1...vehicle, 2...support member, 5...motor (front high voltage component), 7...charger (rear high voltage component), 8...battery, 10...front portion, 11...first side rail, 20...middle portion, 30...rear portion, 31...third side rail, P...boundary portion.

Claims (5)

A support member extending along a vehicle front-rear direction and having a front portion, a middle portion, and a rear portion in this order from the front side in the vehicle front-rear direction;
High voltage components including a motor and a charger mounted on the support member;
a battery that is charged via the charger and stores power to be supplied to the motor, the battery being mounted on the intermediate section;
the support member is bent at a boundary portion between the front portion and the middle portion such that the front portion is located higher than the middle portion in the vehicle up-down direction,
the high voltage components include a front high voltage component mounted on the front portion and a rear high voltage component mounted on the rear portion,
a front portion of the support member has a pair of first side rails extending in the vehicle front-rear direction and facing each other in the vehicle width direction,
an intermediate portion of the support member has a pair of second side rails extending in the vehicle front-rear direction and facing each other in the vehicle width direction;
a rear portion of the support member has a pair of third side rails extending in the vehicle front-rear direction and facing each other in the vehicle width direction,
At least a portion of the front high voltage component is disposed between the pair of first side rails,
At least a portion of the rear high voltage component is disposed between the pair of third side rails,
In a vehicle width direction, a distance between the pair of second side rails is wider than a distance between the pair of first side rails,
A vehicle , wherein a distance between the pair of third side rails in a vehicle width direction is narrower than a distance between the pair of second side rails . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the front high voltage component is the motor and the rear high voltage component is the charger. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the support member extends straight in the middle portion and the rear portion when viewed in a vehicle width direction. The rear portion of the support member supports a rear axle connected to a rear wheel of a vehicle,
4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the rear axle is located above the pair of third side rails in a vertical direction of the vehicle. The front portion of the support member supports a front axle connected to a front wheel of a vehicle,
5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the front axle is located lower than the pair of first side rails in a vertical direction of the vehicle.

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