JP2017218062A - vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress changes in pressure inside a casing of an electrical component while suppressing propagation of noise occurring in the electrical component into a vehicle compartment.SOLUTION: A vehicle comprises: a PCU 108 (an electrical component) housed in a casing 108a; a communication passage 136 communicated with inside of the casing 108a; a first opening part 136a provided in the communication passage 136; a second opening part 136b provided in the communication passage 136 and positioned upper than the first opening part 136a; a first valve element 124 which opens and closes the first opening part 136a; a second valve element 126 which opens and closes the second opening part 136b; and a connecting part 138 that connects the first valve element 124 to the second valve element 126. When buoyancy does not act on the first valve element 124, the first valve element 124 is put into an open position and the second valve element 126 is put into a close position, and when buoyancy acts on the first valve element 124, the first valve element 124 and the second valve element 126 are displaced in conjunction with each other, so that the first valve element 124 is displaced into the close position and the second valve element 126 is displaced into the open position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle on which an electrical component housed in a casing is mounted.

  In a vehicle driven by a motor such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, an electrical component such as a PCU (Power Control Unit) may be mounted under the floor of the passenger compartment. When such an electrical component generates heat during operation, the air inside the casing of the electrical component expands. For example, when the vehicle travels on a submerged channel such as a waterway, the casing may be rapidly cooled with water, and the internal air may contract and become negative pressure. Then, the structure which attaches the end of a ventilation hose to a casing and arrange | positions the other end of a ventilation hose to a vehicle interior is disclosed (for example, patent document 1).

JP 2012-116256 A

  When the ventilation hose is disposed up to the vehicle interior as in Patent Document 1, high-frequency sound generated by the electrical component is transmitted to the vehicle interior via the ventilation hose. In addition, if a passenger spills liquid such as water in the passenger compartment and the liquid flows into the ventilation hose, the ventilation hose may be blocked by the liquid, which may hinder the flow of air into the casing of the electrical component. There is. When the flow of air into and out of the casing of the electrical component is hindered, the pressure change in the casing becomes large due to the temperature change inside and outside the casing.

  Then, this invention aims at providing the vehicle which can suppress the pressure change inside the casing of an electrical component, suppressing the propagation to the vehicle interior of the noise which arises with an electrical component.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, a vehicle according to the present invention includes an electrical component housed in a casing, a communication channel communicating with the inside of the casing, a first opening provided in the communication channel, and a communication channel. A second opening located above the first opening, a first valve element that opens and closes the first opening, a second valve element that opens and closes the second opening, and a first valve element, A connecting portion for connecting the second valve body, and when the buoyancy does not act on the first valve body, the first valve body is in the open position, the second valve body is in the closed position, and the buoyancy acts on the first valve body. Then, the first valve body and the second valve body are interlocked so that the first valve body is displaced to the closed position and the second valve body is displaced to the open position.

  You may further provide the buoyancy part which makes buoyancy act on a 1st valve body at the time of water immersion.

  The electrical component may be disposed under the floor of the vehicle body, and the second opening may be opened in the vehicle interior.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily and inexpensively maintain the pressure of the inverter casing.

It is a side view of a vehicle. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating a pressure suppression mechanism. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating operation | movement of a pressure suppression mechanism. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the pressure suppression mechanism of a 1st modification. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the pressure suppression mechanism of a 2nd modification.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not illustrated. To do.

  FIG. 1 is a side view of the vehicle 100. Here, a hybrid vehicle using the engine 102 and the motor 104 as drive sources will be described as an example of the vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. 1, an engine 102, a motor 104, and a battery 106 are mounted on the vehicle 100. The engine 102 is disposed on the front side of the vehicle body 100a in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1), and the motor 104 is disposed behind the engine 102. The battery 106 is disposed on the rear side of the vehicle body 100a.

  Here, the vehicle 100 has a motor travel mode in which the motor 104 travels preferentially over the engine 102 when the remaining amount of the battery 106 is sufficient, and the motor 104 and the engine 102 when the remaining amount of the battery 106 is small. A traveling mode such as an engine combined mode for traveling together is prepared.

For example, in the vehicle 100, when the traveling mode is selected according to the remaining amount of the battery 106 and the engine combined mode is selected, the driving state of the engine 102 and the motor 104 is switched according to the traveling state, and the energy It is possible to increase efficiency and reduce exhaust gas such as CO ₂ .

  The vehicle 100 is equipped with a PCU (Power Control Unit, electrical component) 108. The PCU 108 is disposed under the floor of the passenger compartment 100b where a passenger enters, and is positioned between the motor 104 and the battery 106 in the front-rear direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 1) of the vehicle body 100a. A booster 110 and an inverter 112 are mounted inside the casing 108 a of the PCU 108. The booster 110 boosts DC power from the battery 106, and the inverter 112 converts the DC power into AC power and supplies it to the motor 104.

  When the PCU 108 generates heat during operation, the air inside the casing 108a of the PCU 108 expands. For example, when traveling along a submerged channel such as a waterway, the casing 108a may be rapidly cooled with water, and the internal air may contract and become negative pressure. In view of this, a pressure suppression mechanism is provided that allows air to flow into and out of the casing 108a (respires) and suppresses changes in pressure.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the pressure suppression mechanism 120, and shows a vertical cross section of the pressure suppression mechanism 120. However, the internal structure of the PCU 108 is not shown in FIG. The pressure suppression mechanism 120 includes a communication pipe 122, a first valve body 124, a second valve body 126, and a buoyancy unit 128.

  The communication pipe 122 has, for example, an annular main body portion 122a, and the main body portion 122a extends in a generally vertical direction (vertical direction in FIG. 2). The joint member 130 is inserted into the upper end 122b of the main body 122a.

  The joint member 130 has an annular main body portion 130a, and a flange portion 130b extending radially outward is formed at the upper end of the main body portion 130a. Further, the floor member 132 that forms the bottom surface of the passenger compartment 100b is formed with a through hole 132a that penetrates from the passenger compartment 100b side to the PCU 108 side. A lower end 130c of the main body 130a of the joint member 130 is inserted into the through hole 132a from the vehicle compartment 100b side and protrudes to the PCU 108 side.

  At this time, the flange portion 130b of the joint member 130 comes into contact with the floor member 132, and the joint member 130 is prevented from coming off. And the lower end 130c of the main-body part 130a of the joint member 130 is penetrated inside the upper end 122b among the main-body parts 122a of the communication pipe 122, and the communication pipe 122 is connected to the joint member 130.

  A seat cushion material 134 is installed on the floor member 132 in the passenger compartment 100b. The cushion material 134 is made of, for example, urethane. Of the cushion material 134, a recess 134 b is formed on the surface 134 a facing the floor member 132, and the through hole 132 a of the floor member 132 is open to the recess 134 b. The flange portion 130b of the joint member 130 is located inside the recess 134b.

  Further, the communication pipe 122 has a branch pipe part 122 c that protrudes from the side surface of the main body part 122 a and is fixed to the casing 108 a of the PCU 108. The branch pipe part 122c is, for example, an annular member, and communicates the inside of the casing 108a and the inside of the main body part 122a by a flow path formed inside.

  The flow paths formed inside the main body portion 122a, the branch pipe portion 122c of the communication pipe 122, and the main body portion 130a of the joint member 130 are in communication with each other and communicate with the inside of the casing 108a of the PCU 108. A flow path 136 is formed.

  And the lower end of the main-body part 122a becomes the 1st opening part 136a which opens the communicating flow path 136 under the floor of the vehicle interior 100b. Moreover, the upper end (flange part 130b) of the joint member 130 is the 2nd opening part 136b which opens the communicating flow path 136 to the vehicle interior 100b side. Of the main body 122a, the connection portion with the branch pipe 122c is located above the first opening 136a and below the second opening 136b.

  Further, a connecting portion 138 is inserted into the main body portion 122 a of the communication pipe 122 and the inside of the joint member 130. The connecting portion 138 is, for example, a cylindrical member, and a lower end 138a protrudes downward from the first opening 136a, and an upper end 138b protrudes upward from the second opening 136b. The outer diameter of the connecting portion 138 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the main body portion 130 a of the joint member 130. Further, for example, an inner peripheral groove extending in parallel with the connecting portion 138 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the main body 130 a of the joint member 130. Since the inner circumferential groove penetrates from the second opening 136b to the lower end 130c of the main body 130a, the second opening 136b is not blocked by the connecting portion 138.

  The first valve body 124 is provided at the lower end 138 a of the connecting portion 138, and the second valve body 126 is provided at the upper end 138 b of the connecting portion 138. The second valve body 126 is located inside the recess 134 b of the cushion material 134.

  The first valve body 124 and the second valve body 126 are both bottomed annular members, and the lower end 138 a of the connecting portion 138 is fixed to the bottom surface 124 a of the first valve body 124. An upper end 138 b of the connecting portion 138 is fixed to the bottom surface 126 a of the second valve body 126. Thus, the connecting portion 138 connects the first valve body 124 and the second valve body 126.

  A foam material 140 is provided between the bottom surface 124 a of the first valve body 124 and the lower end 122 d of the communication pipe 122. Similarly, a foam material 142 is provided between the lower end 126 b of the second valve body 126 and the floor member 132. The foam materials 140 and 142 are made of, for example, a rubber foam material. Here, for example, the foam material 140 is joined (fixed) to the bottom surface 124 a of the first valve body 124, and the foam material 142 is joined to the floor member 132. However, the foam material 140 may be joined to the lower end 126b of the second valve body 126, and the foam material 142 may be joined to the lower end 126b of the second valve body 126.

  The buoyancy part 128 has, for example, a hollow part 128a constituted by a hollow pipe. The hollow portion 128a surrounds the outer peripheral surface 124b of the first valve body 124 and is fixed to the outer peripheral surface 124b, and the outer shape thereof is an annular shape.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the pressure suppression mechanism 120. At normal times (when the casing 108a of the PCU 108 is not immersed in water), the first valve body 124, the second valve body 126, and the connecting portion 138 are arranged as shown in FIG. . That is, the first valve body 124 is in the open position for opening the first opening 136a, and the second valve body 126 is in the closed position for closing the second opening 136b.

  Then, when the vehicle 100 travels on a submerged channel and the water surface W reaches the position shown in FIG. 3B, the buoyancy of the buoyancy part 128 acts on the first valve body 124, and the first valve body 124 rises, In conjunction with the first valve body 124, the second valve body 126 and the connecting portion 138 are also raised. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3B, the first valve body 124 is in the closed position for closing the first opening 136a, and the second valve body 126 is in the open position for opening the second opening 136b. It is displaced to.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, when the casing 108a of the PCU 108 is immersed in water, the casing 108a is rapidly cooled with water, and the internal air may contract and become negative pressure. In the pressure control mechanism 120, the first opening 136a is closed and the second opening 136b is opened as the water level rises. Therefore, the air in the passenger compartment 100b is guided from the second opening 136b to the inside of the casing 108a, and the inside of the casing 108a. It becomes possible to suppress the negative pressure.

  However, if the second opening 136b is always opened toward the passenger compartment 100b, high-frequency sound generated in the PCU 108 may be transmitted into the passenger compartment 100b. However, normally, in the pressure suppression mechanism 120, as shown in FIG. 3A, the second opening 136b is closed, and the propagation of noise generated in the PCU 108 into the passenger compartment 100b is suppressed. Thus, by opening the second opening 136b when the casing 108a is immersed in water, it is possible to allow air to flow in an emergency and to maintain the quietness of the passenger compartment 100b in a normal state.

  Further, depending on the arrangement of the second opening 136b in the passenger compartment 100b, when a passenger of the vehicle 100 spills liquid such as water, the liquid flows into the second opening 136b and the communication flow path 136 is blocked. There is a risk that. In the pressure suppression mechanism 120, since the second opening 136b is normally closed, liquid does not flow into the second opening 136b, and the pressure suppression mechanism 120 can be prevented from being blocked.

  Further, it is assumed that the liquid flows into the communication channel 136 from the second opening 136b. Even in this case, in the main body portion 122a, the connection portion with the branch pipe portion 122c is located above the first opening 136a (strictly, the upper end 124c of the first valve body 124), so that the liquid that has flowed in It is discharged from the first opening 136a below the portion 122c. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation where the communication flow path 136 is blocked.

  However, in this embodiment, since the 2nd opening part 136b and the 2nd valve body 126 are located inside the hollow 134b of the cushioning material 134, possibility that a liquid will flow in into the 2nd opening part 136b is restrained low. Moreover, since the 2nd opening part 136b and the 2nd valve body 126 cannot be seen from a passenger, the beauty of the interior of the vehicle interior 100b is not spoiled.

  Further, as described above, the foam material 140 is provided between the bottom surface 124a of the first valve body 124 and the first opening 136a, and between the lower end 126b of the second valve body 126 and the floor member 132. In addition, a foam material 142 is provided. Therefore, the gaps between the valve bodies (first valve body 124, second valve body 126) and the seat surface (first opening 136a, floor member 132) are closed by the foam materials 140, 142, and the sealing performance can be improved. It becomes possible.

  Further, since the outer diameter of the connecting portion 138 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the main body portion 130 a of the joint member 130, the connecting portion 138 is guided by the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 130 a of the joint member 130. As a result, rattling of the connecting portion 138 is suppressed.

(First modification)
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the pressure control mechanism 220 of the first modification. In the first modification, the first valve body 224 functions as the buoyancy part 228. The first valve body 224 extends longer from the bottom surface 224a to the upper side than the first valve body 124 of the above-described embodiment.

  It is assumed that the water level gradually rises from the normal time shown in FIG. 4A and the water surface W reaches the position shown in FIG. In this case, since there is air inside the first valve body 224, buoyancy acts on the first valve body 224. Thus, the first opening 136a is closed and the second opening 136b is opened.

(Second modification)
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a pressure control mechanism 320 of the second modification. In the second modification, the outer diameter of the connecting portion 338 is smaller than the outer diameter of the connecting portion 138 of the above-described embodiment, and the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion 338 is radial from the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 130a of the joint member 130. Separated inside.

  An annular protrusion 324 d is provided on the bottom surface 124 a of the first valve body 124. A connecting portion 338 is inserted into the annular protrusion 324d. The annular protrusion 324d is inserted into the main body 122a of the communication pipe 122 from the second opening 136b. An outer peripheral groove is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the annular protrusion 324d. Since the outer circumferential groove extends from the upper end of the annular protrusion 324d to the first opening 136a, the first opening 136a is not blocked by the annular protrusion 324d.

  The inner diameter of the main body 122 a of the communication pipe 122 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the annular protrusion 324 d, and the annular protrusion 324 d is guided by the inner peripheral surface of the main body 122 a of the communication pipe 122. As a result, rattling of the connecting portion 338 is suppressed.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications within the scope described in the claims. Needless to say, the modified examples also belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment and modification, the case where the buoyancy units 128 and 228 are provided has been described. However, the buoyancy portions 128 and 228 are not essential components, and the first valve bodies 124 and 224, the second valve body 126, and the connecting portions 138 and 338 are formed of a resin having a low specific gravity, for example. The bodies 124 and 224, the second valve body 126, and the connecting portions 138 and 338 may be lifted. However, by providing the buoyancy portions 128 and 228, the first valve bodies 124 and 224, the second valve body 126, and the connecting portions 138 and 338 can be lifted even if the weight is increased. The opening 136b can be stably closed.

  In the above-described embodiment and modification, the case where the second valve body 126 is a bottomed annular member has been described. However, the shape of the second valve body 126 is not limited to this. For example, the cross-sectional shape of FIG. 2 may be an arc shape and the outer shape may be a spherical shape.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a vehicle on which an electrical component housed in a casing is mounted.

100 Vehicle 100a Car Body 100b Cabin 108 PCU (Electrical Components)
108a Casing 124, 224 1st valve body 126 2nd valve body 128, 228 Buoyancy part 136 Communication flow path 136a 1st opening part 136b 2nd opening part 138, 338 Connection part

Claims (3)

Electrical components housed in a casing;
A communication channel communicating with the inside of the casing;
A first opening provided in the communication channel;
A second opening provided in the communication channel and positioned above the first opening;
A first valve body for opening and closing the first opening;
A second valve body for opening and closing the second opening;
A connecting portion for connecting the first valve body and the second valve body;
With
When buoyancy does not act on the first valve body, the first valve body is in the open position, the second valve body is in the closed position, and when buoyancy acts on the first valve body, the first valve body and the first valve body A vehicle characterized in that the two valve bodies are interlocked so that the first valve body is displaced to the closed position and the second valve body is displaced to the open position.   The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a buoyancy portion that causes buoyancy to act on the first valve body when flooded.   3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electrical component is disposed under a floor of a vehicle body, and the second opening opens into a vehicle interior.

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