JP7650707B2 - vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle.

For example, in the vehicle described in Patent Document 1, a radiator for cooling high-voltage equipment, including the battery, is located at the rear of the vehicle.

JP 2019-81425 A

Vehicles such as those described above require a compact and space-saving cooling system, including the radiator and its piping. In particular, radiators installed in commercial vehicles have large piping sizes and occupy a large space, so the radiator's placement must be carefully considered.

The present invention aims to provide a vehicle that can reduce the size and space of the cooling system.

The vehicle of the present invention includes a first electrical component including a motor and disposed at the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a second electrical component including at least one of a charger and a DC/DC converter and disposed at the rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a first radiator disposed at the front for cooling the first electrical component, and a second radiator disposed at the rear for cooling the second electrical component.

In this vehicle, a first electrical component including a motor is disposed at the front in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a second electrical component including at least one of a charger and a DC/DC converter is disposed at the rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction. This allows a large amount of storage space to be secured at the front, where storage space is likely to be insufficient. In addition, a first radiator for cooling the first electrical component is disposed at the front, and a second radiator for cooling the second electrical component is disposed at the rear. The first electrical component generates a relatively large amount of heat because it includes a motor, but by cooling the first electrical component with the first radiator disposed at the front, it is possible to effectively cool the first electrical component using the wind generated by the vehicle. On the other hand, the second electrical component generates a relatively small amount of heat, including at least one of a charger and a DC/DC converter, and there is little need to use the wind generated by the vehicle, so by cooling the second electrical component with the second radiator disposed at the rear, it is possible to reduce the size of the second radiator. In addition, by arranging the first radiator in the front and the second radiator in the rear, the cooling system can be made more space-saving than, for example, a case in which one radiator is arranged in the front and the piping is extended to the rear to cool the second electric component. Therefore, with this vehicle, the cooling system can be made smaller and more space-saving.

The heat dissipation performance of the first radiator may be higher than that of the second radiator. In this case, the first electrical component can be cooled more effectively and the second radiator can be made smaller.

The size of the first radiator may be larger than the size of the second radiator. In this case, the first electrical component can be cooled more effectively and the second radiator can be made smaller.

The second electrical component may include a charger. In this case, the amount of heat generated by the charger is relatively small, so the second radiator can be made smaller.

The vehicle of the present invention may further include a battery that is disposed in the middle between the front and rear of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction and stores power to be supplied to the motor. In this vehicle, the first radiator is disposed in the front and the second radiator is disposed in the rear, so that the battery can be easily disposed in the middle compared to, for example, a case in which one radiator is disposed in the front and piping is extended to the rear to cool the second electric component.

The present invention makes it possible to provide a vehicle that can reduce the size and space of the cooling system.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle according to an embodiment.

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 FIG. 1 is configured as an electric vehicle equipped with a motor 51, which will be described later, as a drive source. The vehicle 1 is, for example, a commercial vehicle such as a truck or a bus, but is not limited thereto, 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 drive source.

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 fore-and-aft 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 fore-and-aft direction, and the intermediate portion 20 is located between the front portion 10 and the rear portion 30 in the fore-and-aft 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 7, which will be described later. The cross member 22 extends straight in the width direction and is connected to the front ends of each of the second side rails 21. The cross member 23 extends straight in the width direction and is connected to the rear ends of each of the second side rails 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.

The positional relationship of each part when viewed from the width direction will be explained. Due to the provision of the extension part 11b, the front part 10 is located higher than the middle part 20 in the vertical direction of the vehicle. In other words, the support member 2 is bent at the boundary between the front part 10 and the middle part 20 so that the front part 10 is located higher than the middle part 20. As a result, the support member 2 has a stepped frame structure in which a step is formed between the front part 10 and the middle part 20.

When viewed in the width direction, the middle section 20 and the rear section 30 are formed flat. 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 driving wheels. The axle 3a is supported at the front portion 10, and the axle 4a is supported at the rear portion 30.

The vehicle 1 further includes a first electrical component 5, a second electrical component 6, a battery 7, a first radiator 8, and a second radiator 9. The first electrical component 5 includes a motor 51 and an inverter 52, and the second electrical component 6 includes a charger 61 and a DC/DC converter 62. The amount of heat generated by the motor 51 and the inverter 52 is greater than the amount of heat generated by the charger 61 and the DC/DC converter 62. In FIG. 1, the location of each element is indicated by a dashed line.

The inverter 52 converts the direct current supplied from the battery 7 into an alternating current. The motor 51 operates on the alternating current generated by the inverter 52. The charger 61 is used to charge the battery 7. During charging, for example, an external charging cable is connected to the charger 61, and the battery 7 is charged via the charger 61. The battery 7 stores power to be supplied to the motor 51. The DC/DC converter 62 converts the input direct current into a direct current to be supplied to the battery 7. The motor 51, the inverter 52, the charger 61, and the DC/DC converter 62 are high-voltage components to which a high voltage of, for example, 200 V or more is applied. That is, the first electrical component 5 and the second electrical component 6 are high-voltage components.

The motor 51 and the inverter 52 are mounted on the front portion 10 of the support member 2. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, the motor 51 and the inverter 52 are disposed between a pair of first side rails 11. The motor 51 is disposed forward of the inverter 52.

The charger 61 and the DC/DC converter 62 are mounted on the rear portion 30 of the support member 2. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, the charger 61 and the DC/DC converter 62 are disposed between a pair of third side rails 31. The charger 61 is disposed rearward of the axle 4a of the rear wheel 4, and the DC/DC converter 62 is disposed rearward of the charger 61.

The battery 7 is mounted on the middle portion 20 of the support member 2. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, the battery 7 is disposed between a pair of second side rails 21. The battery 7 is cooled by a cooling means (e.g., a chiller) separate from the first radiator 8 and the second radiator 9.

The first radiator 8 is used to cool the motor 51 and inverter 52, which are the first electric components 5 (high-temperature components). The first radiator 8 includes, for example, a main body through which the coolant flows, allowing heat exchange between the coolant and outside air, and a fan for promoting the introduction of outside air into the main body. The motor 51 and inverter 52 are cooled by the coolant flowing through a cooling flow path that passes through the motor 51 and inverter 52. In this example, the coolant flowing through the first radiator 8 is oil.

The first radiator 8 is mounted on the front portion 10 of the support member 2. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, the first radiator 8 is disposed between a pair of first side rails 11. The first radiator 8 is disposed forward of the motor 51 and the inverter 52. For example, the first radiator 8 is disposed in the front portion (e.g., the front end portion) of the front portion 10 in the front-to-rear direction so that the wind flows into the first radiator 8 when the vehicle 1 is traveling.

The second radiator 9 is used to cool the charger 61 and the DC/DC converter 62, which are the second electric components 6 (low-temperature components). The second radiator 9 includes, for example, a main body through which the coolant flows, allowing heat exchange between the coolant and outside air, and a fan for promoting the introduction of outside air into the main body. The charger 61 and the DC/DC converter 62 are cooled by the coolant flowing through a cooling flow path that passes through the charger 61 and the DC/DC converter 62. The cooling flow path that passes through the charger 61 and the DC/DC converter 62 is separated and independent from the cooling flow path that passes through the motor 51 and the inverter 52. In this example, the coolant flowing through the second radiator 9 is water. The fan of the second radiator 9 may be omitted.

The second radiator 9 is mounted on the rear portion 30 of the support member 2. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, the second radiator 9 is disposed between a pair of third side rails 31. The second radiator 9 is disposed rearward of the charger 61 and the DC/DC converter 62. For example, the second radiator 9 is disposed in the rear portion (e.g., the rear end portion) of the rear portion 30 in the front-rear direction.

The heat dissipation performance of the first radiator 8 is higher than that of the second radiator 9. The heat dissipation performance is, for example, the amount of heat dissipated per unit time. The size of the first radiator 8 is larger than that of the second radiator 9. "The size of the first radiator is larger than that of the second radiator" means that the dimension of the first radiator along at least one direction is longer than the dimension of the second radiator along that direction. In this example, the dimension of the first radiator 8 is longer than the dimension of the second radiator in all of the up-down direction, the front-rear direction, and the width direction.
[Action and Effects]

In the vehicle 1, the first electrical component 5 including the motor 51 is disposed in the front part 10 in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the second electrical component 6 including the charger 61 and the DC/DC converter 62 is disposed in the rear part 30 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. This allows a large amount of storage space to be secured in the front part 10, where storage space is likely to be insufficient. In addition, the first radiator 8 for cooling the first electrical component 5 is disposed in the front part 10, and the second radiator 9 for cooling the second electrical component 6 is disposed in the rear part 30. The first electrical component 5 generates a relatively large amount of heat because it includes the motor 51, but by cooling the first electrical component 5 with the first radiator 8 disposed in the front part 10, it is possible to effectively cool the first electrical component 5 using the running wind. On the other hand, the second electrical component 6 including the charger 61 and the DC/DC converter 62 generates a smaller amount of heat than the first electrical component 5, and there is little need to use the running wind. Therefore, by cooling the second electrical component 6 with the second radiator 9 disposed in the rear part 30, it is possible to reduce the size of the second radiator 9. In addition, since the second electric component 6 is used mainly when the vehicle is stopped and not while the vehicle is moving, and there is little need to place it in a position where the wind from the vehicle while traveling can be utilized, the second radiator 9 for cooling the second electric component 6 can be placed in the rear portion 30. In addition, by placing the first radiator 8 in the front portion 10 and the second radiator 9 in the rear portion 30, the cooling system can be made more space-saving (slimmer) than, for example, when one radiator is placed in the front portion 10 and the piping is extended to the rear portion 30 to cool the second electric component 6. Thus, according to the vehicle 1, the cooling system can be made smaller and more space-saving.

The heat dissipation performance of the first radiator 8 is higher than that of the second radiator 9. This allows the first electrical component 5 to be cooled more effectively and allows the second radiator 9 to be made even smaller.

The size of the first radiator 8 is larger than the size of the second radiator 9. This allows the first electrical component 5 to be cooled more effectively and allows the second radiator 9 to be made even smaller.

The second electrical component 6 includes a charger 61. As a result, the amount of heat generated by the charger 61 is relatively small, allowing the second radiator 9 to be made smaller.

The vehicle 1 is provided with a battery 7 that is disposed in an intermediate portion 20 between the front portion 10 and the rear portion 30 in the vehicle longitudinal direction and that stores power to be supplied to the motor 51. In the vehicle 1, a first radiator 8 is disposed in the front portion 10 and a second radiator 9 is disposed in the rear portion 30. Therefore, the battery 7 can be easily disposed in the intermediate portion 20 compared to, for example, a case in which one radiator is disposed in the front portion 10 and piping is extended to the rear portion 30 to cool the second electric component 6.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The second electrical component 6 may include at least one of the charger 61 and the DC/DC converter 62, or may include only one of the charger 61 and the DC/DC converter 62.

In the above embodiment, the first electrical component 5 and the first radiator 8 are disposed at the front 10 of the support member 2, but the first electrical component 5 and the first radiator 8 may be disposed at the front of the vehicle 1 (at a portion forward of the center in the fore-aft direction). Similarly, in the above embodiment, the second electrical component 6 and the second radiator 9 are disposed at the rear 30 of the support member 2, but the second electrical component 6 and the second radiator 9 may be disposed at the rear of the vehicle 1 (at a portion rearward of the center in the fore-aft direction). The support member 2 does not need to have an intermediate portion 20. The first electrical component 5 may include an electric accessory (power steering, brake air compressor, brake vacuum pump, etc.).

1...vehicle, 5...first electrical component, 51...motor, 6...second electrical component, 61...charger, 62...DC/DC converter, 7...battery, 8...first radiator, 9...second radiator, 10...front section, 20...middle section, 30...rear section.

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;
a first electrical component including a motor and disposed in the front portion;
a second electrical component disposed in the rear portion, the second electrical component including at least one of a charger and a DC/DC converter;
a first radiator disposed in the front portion for cooling the first electrical component;
a second radiator disposed in the rear portion for cooling the second electrical component ;
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,
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,
In a vehicle width direction, a distance between the pair of third side rails is narrower than a distance between the pair of second side rails,
the first electric component and the first radiator are disposed between the pair of first side rails when viewed from a top-bottom direction of the vehicle,
The second electric component and the second radiator are disposed between the pair of third side rails when viewed from a top-bottom direction of the vehicle . The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation performance of the first radiator is higher than the heat dissipation performance of the second radiator. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the size of the first radiator is larger than the size of the second radiator. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second electrical component includes the charger. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a battery arranged in the intermediate portion between the front and rear portions in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the battery storing electric power to be supplied to the motor.

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