JP7725979B2 - Support structure for electrical components - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a support structure for electrical components.

A conventional support structure for electrical components is known from Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 describes the placement of a battery and inverter within the engine compartment of a hybrid vehicle.

JP 2012-166653 A

However, with the support structure for electrical components described in Patent Document 1, there was a risk that cables connected to electrical components such as inverters would come into contact with other components and be damaged due to vibrations of the vehicle body.

The present invention was developed in response to the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a support structure for electrical components that can protect electrical components from vehicle vibrations.

The present invention provides a support structure for electrical components, the support structure comprising: a side member disposed on the outer side of an engine compartment at the front of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction and extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; a tray disposed within the engine compartment and connected to the side member by a bracket; and electrical components placed on the tray, wherein the tray has a bottom surface on which the electrical components are placed, both end portions of the bottom surface in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and wall surfaces extending upward from each of the end portions toward the vehicle, and the brackets include a lower bracket connecting the bottom surface to the side member and a front bracket connecting a wall surface at the front end of the tray to the side member. a wall surface at the rear end of the tray is connected to the vehicle body by a support member, the electrical components comprise an inverter placed on the inside of the bottom surface in the vehicle width direction and converting direct current into alternating current, and a battery placed on the outside of the bottom surface in the vehicle width direction and supplying power to the inverter, the bottom surface has an inverter mounting bottom surface on which the inverter is mounted and a battery mounting bottom surface on which the battery is mounted, the inverter mounting bottom surface is arranged higher than the battery mounting bottom surface in the vehicle up-down direction, and the front bracket is connected to the wall surface at the front end of the tray above the inverter mounting bottom surface .

As described above, the present invention provides a support structure for electrical components that can protect electrical components from vehicle vibrations.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the front part of a vehicle equipped with a support structure for electrical components according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a tray and electrical components of a vehicle equipped with a support structure for electrical components according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tray and electrical components in a vehicle equipped with a support structure for electrical components according to one embodiment of the present invention, with the front bracket removed. FIG. 4 is a front view of a tray and electrical components of a vehicle equipped with a support structure for electrical components according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a rear view of a tray and electrical components of a vehicle equipped with a support structure for electrical components according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a right side view of a tray for a vehicle equipped with a support structure for electrical components according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a tray and electrical components of a vehicle equipped with a support structure for electrical components according to one embodiment of the present invention.

One embodiment of the electrical component support structure of the present invention is a support structure for electrical components that is disposed on the vehicle widthwise outer side of the engine compartment at the front of the vehicle and includes a side member extending in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction; a tray having a bottom surface on which electrical components having cable connection portions are placed; and a bracket connected to the bottom surface and the side member so that the bottom surface is supported by the side member. A cable connected to the cable connection portion extends from the tray in the cable extension direction, and the tray has a wall surface at the rear end of the bottom surface that extends above the vehicle, and includes a support member connected to the wall surface and the vehicle body so that the wall surface is supported by the vehicle body. This enables the electrical component support structure of the present invention to protect electrical components from vehicle vibrations.

The following describes an electrical component support structure according to one embodiment of the present invention, using the drawings. In Figures 1 to 7, the up-down, front-rear, left-right directions refer to the up-down, front-rear, left-right directions of the vehicle.

Figures 1 to 7 show a support structure for electrical components according to one embodiment of the present invention.

First, the structure will be explained. In Figure 1, a vehicle 1 has a vehicle body 2. A side member 3 is provided at the left end of the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 2. The side member 3 is located outside the engine compartment 7 at the front of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction and extends in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle. A side member (not shown) is provided at the right end of the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 2. The engine compartment 7 is separated from the passenger compartment (not shown) by a dash panel 4 extending in the vehicle width direction at the rear of the engine compartment 7. The engine compartment 7 is separated from the outside of the vehicle 1 by a side wall member 5 extending in the vehicle length direction. A suspension tower 6 is provided near the rear end of the side wall member 5, and the suspension tower 6 supports a front wheel suspension system (not shown).

The engine compartment 7 contains an inverter 9 that converts direct current into alternating current, and a battery 8 that supplies power to the inverter 9. The inverter 9 and battery 8 constitute the electrical components of the present invention.

The engine compartment 7 is provided with a tray 10 having a bottom surface 11 on which an inverter 9 and a battery 8 are placed. The inverter 9 is placed on the inner side of the bottom surface 11 in the vehicle width direction, and the battery 8 is placed on the outer side of the bottom surface 11 in the vehicle width direction. The tray 10 is provided with a wall surface 12 extending upward from the front end of the bottom surface 11, a wall surface 13 extending upward from the rear end of the bottom surface 11, a wall surface 14 extending upward from the left end of the bottom surface 11, and a wall surface 15 extending upward from the right end of the bottom surface 11.

In Figures 2 and 3, a cable connection portion 9A is provided below the front end of the inverter 9, and a cable 9B is connected to the cable connection portion 9A. The cable 9B extends forward from the tray 10. The cable extension direction of the cable 9B is forward. Note that a cable connection portion may be provided below the front end of the battery 8, which serves as an electrical component, and a cable may be connected to this cable connection portion so that the cable extends forward from the tray 10.

A lower bracket 20 is provided below the tray 10. The lower bracket 20 is connected to the bottom surface 11 and the side member 3 so that the bottom surface 11 is supported by the side member 3.

In Figure 2, a front bracket 30 is provided near the front end of the tray 10, and the front bracket 30 is connected to the wall surface 12 and the side member 3 so that the wall surface 12 is supported by the side member 3. The front bracket 30 extends in the vehicle width direction.

In Figures 2 and 4, the front bracket 30 has a first end 31 connected to the inner end of the wall surface 12 in the vehicle width direction, and a second end 32 connected to the side wall of the side member 3. The first end 31 has a planar first contact surface 31A that makes surface contact with the wall surface 12. The second end 32 has a planar second contact surface 32A that makes surface contact with the side wall of the side member 3. In this embodiment, the wall surface 12 extends in the vehicle width direction, and the side member 3 extends in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction, so the first contact surface 31A and the second contact surface 32A are perpendicular to each other.

In Figures 2, 4, and 7, the front bracket 30 has an inclined portion 33. The inclined portion 33 is inclined so that the first end 31 and the second end 32 are at different positions in the vertical direction of the vehicle, connecting the first end 31 and the second end 32. The inclined portion 33 has an inclined wall portion 35 that extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and an inclined surface portion 34 that extends from the upper end of the inclined wall portion 35 in the same direction as the extension direction of the cable 9B.

The inclined portion 33 is inclined so that it approaches the inside in the vehicle width direction as it moves toward the top of the vehicle. As shown by arrow A in Figures 4 and 7, the inclined portion 33 allows high-temperature air rising from the transmission or engine below the front bracket 30 to escape toward the top of the vehicle, away from the cable connection portion 9A and toward the inside in the vehicle width direction. The surface area of the inclined surface portion 34 increases as it moves toward the bottom of the vehicle. The upper end of the inclined surface portion 34 is located higher on the vehicle than the cable connection portion 9A.

In Figures 4 and 5, the bottom surface 11 of the tray 10 has an inverter mounting bottom surface 11A on which the inverter 9 is mounted, a battery mounting bottom surface 11B on which the battery 8 is mounted, and a step portion 11C that forms a step between the inverter mounting bottom surface 11A and the battery mounting bottom surface 11B. The battery mounting bottom surface 11B is positioned lower in the vehicle vertical direction than the inverter mounting bottom surface 11A. In other words, the inverter mounting bottom surface 11A is positioned higher in the vehicle vertical direction than the battery mounting bottom surface 11B.

As shown in Figure 4, when viewed from the front of the vehicle, gaps 40 are provided between the step portion 11C and the lower bracket 20, and between the step portion 11C and the inclined surface portion 34 of the front bracket 30. The gaps 40 extend in the cable extension direction. This gap 40 allows air to pass through from above the inclined surface portion 34 of the front bracket 30, as shown by arrow B in Figure 7.

A cable connection portion 9C is provided at the bottom of the rear end of the inverter 9, and a cable 9D is connected to the cable connection portion 9C. The cable 9D extends rearward from the tray 10. The cable extension direction of the cable 9D is rearward.

In Figures 4, 5, and 6, a support member 41 is provided in the engine compartment 7, and this support member 41 is connected to the wall surface 13 and the vehicle body 2 so that the wall surface 13 forming the rear surface of the tray 10 is supported by the vehicle body 2. The support member 41 functions as a stiffener that reinforces the support strength of the tray 10 by the lower bracket 20. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the support member 41 connects the battery 8 and the wall surface 13 to the wall surface 13 in an area S in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

In Figures 2 and 4, the wall surface 12 has a notch 12A that allows the cable 9B to pass through in the cable extension direction. The notch 12A is formed by cutting the wall surface 12 from above. This allows the cable 9B to approach the cable connection portion 9A from above when connecting the cable 9B to the inverter 9 placed on the tray 10.

As explained above, in this embodiment, the cable 9B connected to the cable connection portion 9A extends from the tray 10 in the cable extension direction, and the tray 10 has a wall surface 13 extending upward from the rear end of the vehicle on the bottom surface 11, and is equipped with a support member 41 connected to the wall surface 13 and the vehicle body 2 so that the wall surface 13 is supported by the vehicle body 2.

As a result, the support members 41 that support the wall surface 13 can prevent the wall surface 13 from vibrating in the vertical and longitudinal directions of the vehicle, preventing the cable 9B of the inverter 9 from coming into contact with the wall surface 12 of the tray 10 due to vibration and reducing adverse effects on the inverter 9. As a result, the electrical components can be protected from vehicle vibration.

In this embodiment, the electrical components are comprised of an inverter 9 mounted on the inside of the bottom surface 11 in the vehicle width direction and converting direct current to alternating current, and a battery 8 mounted on the outside of the bottom surface 11 in the vehicle width direction and supplying power to the inverter 9. The support member 41 is connected to the wall surface 13 in the area where the battery 8 and the wall surface 13 overlap in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction.

This suppresses vibrations transmitted through the side member 3 and reduces the load on the cable 9B. In other words, in this embodiment, the battery 8, which is heavier than the inverter 9, is installed closer to the outer side in the vehicle width direction (towards the side member 3). In addition, by installing the inverter 9, which is a relatively light, high-voltage component and whose cables 9B and 9D extend outward, farther away in the inner side in the vehicle width direction (towards the center of the engine compartment 7), it is possible to suppress transmission of vibrations transmitted to the tray 10 through the side member 3 to the inverter 9.

In addition, in this embodiment, the bottom surface 11 has an inverter mounting bottom surface 11A on which the inverter 9 is mounted, and a battery mounting bottom surface 11B on which the battery 8 is mounted, with the battery mounting bottom surface 11B being positioned lower than the inverter mounting bottom surface 11A in the vehicle vertical direction.

By positioning the battery mounting bottom surface 11B lower than the inverter mounting bottom surface 11A, the support member 41 can prevent the entire tray 10 from vibrating, even if vibrations from the underside of the vehicle are transmitted to the battery mounting bottom surface 11B. This prevents the cable 9B extending from the inverter 9 from being subjected to a load due to vibration.

While embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. All such modifications and equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the following claims.

1...Vehicle, 3...Side member, 7...Engine compartment, 8...Battery (electrical component), 9...Inverter (electrical component), 9A...Cable connection part, 9B...Cable, 10...Tray, 11...Bottom, 11A...Inverter mounting bottom surface, 11B...Battery mounting bottom surface, 13...Wall surface, 20...Lower bracket (bracket), 41...Support member

Claims (2)

a side member disposed on an outer side of an engine compartment at a front portion of the vehicle in a vehicle width direction and extending in a vehicle front-rear direction;
a tray disposed in the engine compartment and connected to the side member by a bracket ;
an electrical component placed on the tray ,
the tray has a bottom surface on which the electrical components are placed, both end portions of the bottom surface in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, and wall surfaces extending upward from each of the both end portions of the bottom surface,
The bracket includes a lower bracket that connects the bottom surface to the side member, and a front bracket that connects a wall surface at a front end of the tray to the side member,
a rear end wall surface of the tray is connected to a vehicle body by a support member;
the electrical components include an inverter mounted on the inner side of the bottom surface in the vehicle width direction and converting direct current into alternating current, and a battery mounted on the outer side of the bottom surface in the vehicle width direction and supplying power to the inverter,
the bottom surface has an inverter mounting bottom surface on which the inverter is mounted and a battery mounting bottom surface on which the battery is mounted,
the inverter mounting bottom surface is disposed above the battery mounting bottom surface in the vehicle vertical direction,
The support structure for electrical components , wherein the front bracket is connected to a wall surface at the front end of the tray above the inverter mounting bottom surface . 2. The support structure for electrical components according to claim 1, wherein the support member is connected to a rear wall surface of the tray in a region where the battery and the rear wall surface of the tray overlap in the vehicle longitudinal direction.