JP7247726B2 - Cooling structure for vehicle electrical equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooling structure for vehicle electrical equipment.

A vehicle is equipped with a plurality of electrical devices. For example, in the case of a hybrid vehicle among small vehicles, the space in the engine room and under the floor is small, so there are cases where the electric devices are arranged in the vehicle interior. 2. Description of the Related Art As a structure in which electrical equipment is arranged in a vehicle interior, for example, the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. In this example, the battery pack is arranged below the rear seat.

Electrical devices such as battery packs as in the above examples include devices with high power specifications and high voltage specifications. Electrical devices with such specifications require countermeasures against, for example, noise, heat insulation, and electrical leakage. The battery pack disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided with two cooling fans at an air intake provided in a cooling path through which cooling air flows, and the two cooling fans each have a different number of moving blades. This reduces the hum that can occur between the noises of each cooling fan.

JP 2017-91658 A

Generally, in small vehicles, the space below the vehicle seat is narrow. When the electric device as in the above example is arranged in this narrow space and the electric device is cooled by room air, warm air may circulate in the narrow space. This may cause the electrical device to overheat, and there is room for improvement in terms of stabilizing the performance of the electrical device and increasing the durability of the electrical device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle electric device cooling structure capable of stabilizing the cooling performance of an electric device arranged in a vehicle interior. is.

In the vehicle electric device cooling structure according to the present invention for achieving the above object, the electric device extending in a predetermined direction is arranged on the vehicle lower side of the vehicle seat positioned between the side sill and the floor tunnel. The electric device has a device body and a cover member that covers the device body from above the vehicle. In the vehicle electric device cooling structure, the device main body is arranged inside the cover member so as to be shifted to one side with respect to the longitudinal center of the cover member , and inside the cover member , A space adjacent to the apparatus main body is provided on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the cover member, and an intake fan for sucking air outside the cover member is provided above the apparatus main body . A fixing bracket for fixing the cover member to the lower part of the vehicle body is provided inside the cover member where the space is located, and the device main body is configured to exhaust air toward the fixing bracket. .

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it is possible to stabilize the cooling performance of the electrical apparatus arrange|positioned in a vehicle interior.

1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an air intake structure for an electric device for a vehicle according to the present invention, and is a perspective view of a vehicle interior in which the electric device is arranged as viewed from the front and above the vehicle; FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the electrical device of FIG. 1 from above; FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the electric device and the like of FIG. 2 in an exploded manner; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional plan view of the electrical device, etc. of FIG. 2; (A) is a perspective view of the device main body of FIG. 3 as seen from the vehicle front side, and (B) is a perspective view of (A) with the top cover removed as seen from the vehicle width direction inside. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a state in which the cover member and the device main body of FIG. 2 are removed and the fixing bracket is fixed to the floor panel, as seen from the front side of the vehicle;

An embodiment of a vehicle electrical device cooling structure according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings (FIGS. 1 to 6).

In the drawings, the direction of arrow Fr indicates the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. "Front part (front end) and rear part (rear end)" in the description of the embodiment correspond to the front part and the rear part in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Arrows R and F indicate the right side and the left side in the vehicle width direction, respectively. there is

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle electrical device according to the present embodiment is installed on the upper surface of the floor panel 41 in the vehicle interior 1, and is arranged on the lower side of the vehicle below the seat cushion for the front passenger seat 51. . In this example, the electrical device is a DC/DC converter 10 . The DC/DC converter 10 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped device extending in the vehicle width direction as a whole.

First, the periphery of the DC/DC converter 10 will be described. A passenger seat 51 is provided on the upper surface of a floor panel 41 that constitutes the floor of the vehicle body. The floor panel 41 is provided with a floor tunnel 42, a front floor cross member 44, and a rear floor cross member 46, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the floor tunnel 42 is arranged between the driver's seat 52 and the passenger's seat 51, bulges upward from the upper surface of the floor panel 41, and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A side sill 43 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction is joined to the vehicle width direction side portion of the floor panel 41 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , the front floor cross member 44 is arranged on the lower side of the vehicle in front of the front passenger seat 51 and between the floor tunnel 42 and the side sill 43 . The front floor cross member 44 is a member extending in the vehicle width direction, and has a hat-shaped cross-sectional shape that opens downward in the vehicle. Flanges are provided at the front and rear lower portions of the front cross member and joined to the upper surface of the floor panel 41 . Further, the vehicle width direction end portion of the front side floor panel 41 is joined to the floor tunnel 42 and the side sill 43 .

The rear floor cross member 46 is spaced apart from the front floor cross member 44 on the vehicle rear side and extends in the vehicle width direction between the floor tunnel 42 and the side sill 43 . Like the front floor cross member 44 , the rear floor cross member 46 has a hat-shaped cross-sectional shape that opens downward in the vehicle. A flange is provided. Similarly to the front floor cross member 44 , the vehicle width direction end of the rear floor cross member 46 is joined to the side of the floor tunnel 42 and the side sill 43 .

Seat brackets 45 and 47 for attaching a passenger's seat 51 are provided on the upper surfaces of the front floor cross member 44 and the rear floor cross member 46 . The seat brackets 45 and 47 are provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction of the upper surface, and seat rails 49 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction are attached (FIG. 1).

A seat rail 49 on the outside in the vehicle width direction (on the side sill 43 side) bridges the front seat bracket 45 on the outside of the front floor cross member 44 and the rear seat bracket 47 on the outside of the rear floor cross member 46 . It extends in the front-rear direction. A seat rail 49 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction (on the side of the floor tunnel 42 ) bridges the front seat bracket 45 on the inner side of the front floor cross member 44 and the rear seat bracket 47 on the inner side of the rear floor cross member 46 . It extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

Next, the DC/DC converter (electrical device) 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3 , the DC/DC converter 10 has an apparatus body 11 and a cover member 30 . Although a detailed description of the internal structure of the device main body 11 is omitted, the device main body 11 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped extending in the vehicle width direction, and includes an electric circuit accommodating portion (not shown) and an electric circuit accommodating portion that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the electric circuit accommodating portion. a plurality of cooling fins 13 (FIG. 5(B)), an upper lid 15 covering the cooling fins 13 from above the vehicle, and an intake fan 18 attached to the upper lid 15 . The intake fan 18 sucks air outside the cover member 30 (air inside the vehicle interior 1). Further, the apparatus main body 11 has a fixing bracket 20 for accommodating the electric circuit accommodating portion, the cooling fins 13, and the like.

A connector 12 to which an electric wiring is connected is provided in the electric circuit accommodating portion. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the connector 12 protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction from the inner portion in the vehicle width direction of the electric circuit accommodating portion. Terminals are provided on both sides of the connector 12 .

The upper lid 15 is a member that covers the cooling fins 13 from above the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 5(A). A side wall protruding downward from the vehicle is provided at the end of the upper lid 15 . The cooling fan 18 is mounted on the upper surface of the upper lid 15 at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and slightly to the left.

The fixing bracket 20 is a member for fixing the electric circuit accommodating portion, the cooling fins 13 and the upper lid 15 of the apparatus main body 11, and further fixing the cover member 30. As shown in FIGS. , a rear wall 21B, and side walls 21C, which are made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy. The front wall 21A is arranged on the front side of the vehicle such as the cooling fins 13 and the upper lid 15, and extends in the vehicle width direction facing the front of the vehicle. The rear wall 21B is arranged on the vehicle rear side of the cooling fins 13, the upper lid 15, and the like, and extends in the vehicle width direction facing the vehicle rear.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the side wall 21C extends in the vehicle front-rear direction so as to connect the vehicle width direction outer ends of the front wall 21A and the rear wall 21B. A front inner flange portion 23A extending inward in the vehicle width direction is provided on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the front wall 21A, and a rear inner flange portion extending inward in the vehicle width direction is provided on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the rear wall 21B. A portion 23B is provided. In this embodiment, a vertical wall portion 22 is provided on the inner side of the rear wall 21</b>B in the vehicle width direction so as to stand up with respect to the floor panel 41 . The vertical wall portion 22 continuously extends inward in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle width direction inner end of the rear wall 21B.

The front inner flange portion 23A and the rear inner flange portion 23B are fastened to the floor panel 41 with bolts or the like, as shown in FIG. A front flange portion 25A that protrudes toward the vehicle front side is provided at a vehicle width direction intermediate portion of the front wall 21A. The front flange portion 25A is fastened to the upper surface of the front floor cross member 44 with bolts or the like. A rear flange portion 25B projecting toward the rear side of the vehicle is provided in the middle portion of the rear wall 21B in the vehicle width direction. The rear flange portion 25B is fastened to the upper surface of the rear floor cross member 46 with bolts or the like.

Next, the cover member 30 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the cover member 30 is a member extending in the vehicle width direction between the side sill 43 and the floor tunnel 42, and is formed of a resin material. and a side wall surface portion projecting downward from the vehicle from the end portion. The top surface portion 31 is arranged above the upper lid 15 and the intake fan 18 with a space therebetween, and covers the upper lid 15 and the intake fan 18 from above the vehicle. A plurality of intake ports 32 are provided in the top surface portion 31 .

The device main body 11 is arranged inside the cover member 30 so as to be shifted to one side in the vehicle width direction with respect to the center of the cover member 30 in the vehicle width direction. A space S is provided adjacent to the body. In the present embodiment, the device main body 11 is arranged inside the cover member 30 so as to be shifted outward in the vehicle width direction with respect to the center of the cover member in the vehicle width direction, and the space S is the inner side of the device main body 11 in the vehicle width direction. is provided in The apparatus main body 11 is configured to exhaust the air taken in by the intake fan 18 into the space S. As shown in FIG.

That is, the apparatus main body 11 is configured to take in cooling air by the intake fan 18 and blow the cooling air to the cooling fins 13 to cool the cooling fins 13 . The air that has cooled the cooling fins 13 is discharged to the space S.

Since the space on the lower side of the passenger seat 51 of a compact car is narrow, when cooling an electrical device such as the DC/DC converter 10 with room air, warm air circulates in the narrow space, possibly reducing the cooling efficiency. There is On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the intake fan 18 is provided at the position described above, and the space S adjacent to the inner side of the device main body 11 in the vehicle width direction is provided, so that the intake and the exhaust of the cooling air for the electric device are predetermined. It is possible to reduce the circulation of hot air by arranging them at a distance of .

In this embodiment, the intake fan 18 is arranged on the outside in the vehicle width direction below the passenger seat 51 . By arranging the intake fan 18 on the upper surface of the upper lid 15 of the device main body 11 of the electrical device and covering the upper side with the cover member 30, it is possible to prevent direct intake of dust, dirt and water. A space S is provided adjacent to the device main body 11, and the device main body 11 is configured to have a predetermined inclination toward the space S and exhaust air inward in the vehicle width direction. Note that the arrow X in FIGS. 4 and 5B schematically indicates the exhaust direction.

With this configuration, the cooling air for DC/DC converter 10 can be made to flow through almost the entire area of the space below passenger seat 51 in the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to prevent the intake fan 18 from directly taking in the exhausted air. As a result, in this embodiment, the cooling efficiency of the DC/DC converter 10 can be improved.

A vertical wall portion 22 is provided inside the cover member 30 that covers the space S. As shown in FIG. The vertical wall portion 22 has a wall surface facing the space S. As shown in FIG. The apparatus main body 11 is configured such that air after cooling the cooling fins 13 is blown to the wall surface of the vertical wall portion 22 . In the present embodiment, the exhaust direction in this example is inclined toward the vehicle rear side toward the vertical wall portion 22 as it goes inward in the vehicle width direction.

Further, when the exhaust gas is directly blown onto the resin cover member 30 and the frequency of the temperature of the resin increases, the cover member 30 may be deformed or deteriorated. Therefore, it is necessary to use a resin material having excellent heat resistance and the like for the cover member 30 . This can lead to increased costs. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the exhaust gas flows into the space S, the exhaust gas is blown against the metal vertical wall portion 22 facing the space S to prevent the exhaust gas from hitting the cover member 30 directly. ing.

Further, in this embodiment, the exhaust direction is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction (vehicle width direction) of the vertical wall portion 22 in order to diffuse the exhaust gas. The vertical wall portion 22 functions as a cooling fin, improving the cooling effect. By obliquely blowing the exhaust gas onto the vertical wall portion 22, the exhaust gas becomes turbulent, the exhaust gas is diffused throughout the space S, and the temperature in the space S is lowered.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the vertical wall portion 22 of the fixing bracket 20 is provided with two beads 22a that bulge forward of the vehicle. These beads 22a extend in the vertical direction of the vehicle and are spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction. A slit 22b extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle is provided between adjacent beads 22a. The bead 22a may also be provided on the rear wall 21B and the front wall 21A.

By providing the bead 22a to form unevenness on the vertical wall portion 22 as described above, the flow of the exhaust gas can be made turbulent and the exhaust gas can be diffused. As a result, the exhaust temperature can be further reduced. Furthermore, by providing the slit 22b, part of the exhaust gas is diverted by flowing into the space between the fixing bracket 20 and the cover member 30, and an appropriate amount of the exhaust gas flow is blown onto the resin cover member 30. Heat can be diffused and the space inside the cover member 30 can be used for cooling. That is, not only the fixing bracket 20 but also the space between the cover member 30 and the fixing bracket 20 can be used for cooling the exhaust gas.

Here, the vertical wall portion 22 is further provided with upper and lower holes. Rather than the high-temperature gas that is the mainstream of the exhaust gas, relatively low-temperature flows from the top and bottom are blown against the cover member 30, and the exhaust flow flows from the top and bottom into the narrow space between the cover member 30 and the fixing bracket 20, resulting in a narrow (thin) space. ) the entire space can be used for cooling.

The DC/DC converter 10 of this embodiment is surrounded by an inner seat rail 49, a side sill 43, a front floor cross member 44, and a rear floor cross member 46, and the device body 11 extends inward in the vehicle width direction. It is configured to exhaust towards.

With this configuration, the exhaust gas of the present embodiment is directed to the side wall surface of the floor tunnel 42, about half of the width of the front floor cross member 44 in the vehicle width direction on the floor tunnel 42 side, and the rear floor cross member 44. It is diffused in a region of about half of the vehicle width direction width of the member 46 on the floor tunnel 42 side. Therefore, the possibility that the occupant is exposed to the hot air having a high flow velocity is reduced.

In addition, since the side wall surface of the floor tunnel 42 is an inclined wall that is inclined upward from the vehicle width direction outer portion toward the vehicle width direction center of the floor tunnel 42, in this configuration, a part of the exhaust gas is inclined. The side wall surface that holds the air can guide and diffuse the air upward. Since the side wall surface of the side sill 43 is normally an upright wall, the exhaust direction of the present embodiment is more effective in guiding and diffusing the air upward than in the case of exhausting air outward in the vehicle width direction.

In addition, since the seat rail 49 is arranged on the upper side of the space on the vehicle lower side of the passenger seat 51, the inner seat rail 49 in particular is guided upward by the side wall surface of the floor tunnel 42. Regarding the exhaust flow, it is arranged to avoid recirculation above the exhaust space. As a result, the inner seat rails 49 can reduce the recirculation of exhaust gas to the intake port 32 .

In addition, in the present embodiment, the input/output terminals of the DC/DC converter 10 are provided in the center of the side surfaces of the device main body 11 so as to protrude inward in the vehicle width direction. In dealing with high voltage, the terminals facing inward can reduce deformation in side collisions and accidental contact with passengers. In this case, if the exhaust flow strongly hits around the terminal, there is a concern about the problem of heat damage. Therefore, direct blowing of hot air to the terminals is reduced.

The description of the present embodiment is an example for describing the present invention, and does not limit the invention described in the claims. Moreover, the configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the technical scope described in the claims.

Although the DC/DC converter 10 is described as the electrical device in the above embodiment, the electrical device is not limited to this. When arranging an electric device that is smaller than the DC/DC converter 10, it is also possible to arrange the longitudinal direction of the electric device in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The electric device can also be arranged on the lower side of the driver's seat 52 or the rear seat 53 of the vehicle.

1 vehicle interior 10 DC/DC converter (electrical device)
11 Apparatus main body 12 Connector 13 Cooling fin 15 Upper lid 18 Cooling fan 20 Fixing bracket 21A Front wall 21B Rear wall 21C Side wall 22 Vertical wall 22a Bead 22b Slit 23A Front inner flange 23B Rear inner flange 25A Front flange 25B Rear side Flange portion 30 Cover member 31 Top surface portion 32 Intake port 41 Floor panel 42 Floor tunnel 43 Side sill 44 Front side floor cross member 45 Front side seat bracket 46 Rear side floor cross member 47 Rear side seat bracket 49 Seat rail 51 Passenger seat (vehicle seat)
52 driver's seat 53 rear seat

Claims (3)

An electrical device extending in a predetermined direction is arranged on the vehicle lower side of the vehicle seat positioned between the side sill and the floor tunnel, and the electrical device includes a device main body and a cover that covers the device main body from the vehicle upper side. A cooling structure for an electrical device for a vehicle, comprising:
the apparatus main body is arranged inside the cover member so as to be shifted to one side with respect to the longitudinal center of the cover member;
A space adjacent to the apparatus main body is provided inside the cover member and on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the cover member ,
An intake fan for sucking air outside the cover member is provided on the upper part of the device main body,
A fixing bracket for fixing the cover member to the lower part of the vehicle body is provided inside the cover member where the space is located,
A cooling structure for an electrical device for a vehicle , wherein the device main body is configured to exhaust air toward the fixing bracket . 2. The cooling structure for an electrical device for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said fixing bracket is provided with a bead extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle and a slit extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle. An electrical device extending in a predetermined direction is arranged on the vehicle lower side of the vehicle seat positioned between the side sill and the floor tunnel, and the electrical device includes a device main body and a cover that covers the device main body from the vehicle upper side. A cooling structure for an electrical device for a vehicle, comprising:
A front floor cross member extending in the vehicle width direction is provided on the vehicle front side of the electric device,
A rear floor cross member extending in the vehicle width direction is provided on the vehicle rear side of the electric device,
A seat rail extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is provided at a position adjacent to the floor tunnel ,
the electrical device is surrounded by the seat rail, the side sill, the front cross member, and the rear cross member;
The cover member extends in the vehicle width direction between the side sill and the floor tunnel,
the device main body is arranged to be shifted outward in the vehicle width direction with respect to the center of the cover member in the vehicle width direction;
A space adjacent to the device main body is provided inside the cover member and inward of the device main body in the vehicle width direction,
An intake port is provided at the vehicle width direction outer portion of the upper portion of the cover member,
An intake fan for sucking air outside the cover member is provided on the upper part of the device main body,
A cooling structure for an electrical device for a vehicle , wherein the device main body is configured to exhaust air toward the space .

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