WO2015125001A2

WO2015125001A2 - Mounting structure for vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2015125001A2
Application number: PCT/IB2015/000203
Authority: WO
Inventors: Masaru Nakashima
Original assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
Priority date: 2014-02-24
Filing date: 2015-02-23
Publication date: 2015-08-27
Also published as: WO2015125001A3; JP2015157534A

Abstract

In a mounting structure for a vehicle, the mounting structure is equipped with an onboard component and a tray. The onboard component is placed and fixed on the tray. The onboard component is unfixed from the tray along with a collision of the vehicle. The tray is configured to guide the onboard component that has been unfixed from the tray, such that the onboard component moves along the tray. The tray includes a contact portion. The contact portion is configured to contact with the onboard component that moves along the tray The contact portion is configured to restrain the onboard component from moving.

Description

MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR VEHICLE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

[0001] The invention relates to a structure for mounting an onboard component on a vehicle, and more particularly, to a mounting structure for controlling the behavior of an onboard component in the event of a collision.

2. Description of Related Art

[0002] An art for reducing the influence on a vehicle interior by deforming part of a vehicle body and absorbing collision energy in the event of a collision of a vehicle has been known and put into practical use. When part of the vehicle body is deformed in the event of the collision, part of the vehicle body that is being deformed bumps into a component that is mounted on the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as an onboard component), and the onboard component is deformed in some cases. An art for moving the onboard component to prevent the onboard component from being deformed has been known. More specifically, there is an art or the like for unfixing the onboard component and the vehicle body from each other and moving the onboard component while guiding the onboard component when the onboard component receives a force from the vehicle body that is being deformed.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-126363 (JP-2011-126363 A) describes the control of the movement of an inverter (201) in the event of a collision, especially in paragraph 0028 thereof. When an impact force (F) resulting from the collision is applied to the inverter that is fixed on a tray (202), the inverter separates from the tray, and moves diagonally upward along the tray (202). Thus, the inverter is prevented from being broken by an impact force at the time of the collision, and from colliding with a partition wall portion (110). Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-086681 (JP-2013-086681 A) also describes an inverter (30) that moves along an inverter tray (20) in the event of a collision. Incidentally, the reference numerals in the parentheses are those used in the aforementioned patent documents, and have nothing to do with the reference numerals used in an embodiment of the present application.

[0004] In the case where the onboard component is unfixed and moved to prevent the onboard component from being deformed by a force from the vehicle body that is deformed in the event of a collision, the following case is conceivable. That is, when the moving amount of the onboard component is large, the onboard component collides with another region of the vehicle body and is deformed in some cases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The invention provides a mounting structure that controls the movement of an onboard component after the onboard component is unfixed, and that reduces an impact when the onboard component collides with a vehicle body or an additional component that is fixed to the vehicle body.

[0006] A mounting structure described in the present invention is for a vehicle. The mounting structure includes an onboard component and a tray. The onboard component is placed and fixed on the tray. The onboard component is unfixed from the tray along with a collision of the vehicle. The tray is configured to guide the onboard component that has been unfixed from the tray, such that the onboard component moves along the tray. The tray includes a contact portion. The contact portion is configured to contact with the onboard component that moves along the tray. The contact portion is configured to restrain the onboard component from moving.

[0007] In the event of a collision, the onboard component and the tray are unfixed from each other, and the onboard component moves. Then, the contact portion restrains the onboard component from moving. Therefore, the impact caused at the time when the onboard component collides with another part is reduced, or the possibility of the onboard component colliding with another part is reduced. For this reason, the onboard component is restrained from being deformed.

[0008] The onboard component may include an onboard component body and a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket may be fixed to the onboard component body and the tray. The mounting bracket may be unfixed from the tray along with the collision of the vehicle. The mounting bracket may include an abutment portion. The abutment portion may be configured to abut on the contact portion. The mounting bracket and the tray are unfixed from each other along with a collision, and the onboard component can move. Besides, the kinetic energy of the onboard component is reduced through contact between the contact portion and the abutment portion.

[0009] The contact portion may be a surface inclined with respect to a moving direction of the onboard component.

[0010] The abutment portion may be a surface substantially parallel to the contact portion.

[0011] The vehicle may include a vehicle body and an additional component. The additional component may be fixed to the vehicle body. The contact portion may be configured to contact with the onboard component before the onboard component collides with the vehicle body or the additional component.

[0012] The vehicle may include an electric motor that drives the vehicle, an electric power control device, and an engine mount. The electric power control device may be configured to transmit electric power to the electric motor and receive electric power from the electric motor. The engine mount may be located behind the tray. The onboard component may be the electric power control device. The tray may be provided such that a front portion of the tray is located higher than a rear portion of the tray. The tray may be configured to guide the moving direction of the onboard component above the engine mount. The additional component may be at least one of a reservoir tank of a cooling liquid for the electric power control device or a reservoir tank of a brake fluid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of an exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote like elements, and wherein: FIG. 1A is a view showing an arrangement of onboard components in an engine compartment, especially a mounting structure of an electric power control device;

FIG. IB is a view showing an arrangement of the onboard components in the engine compartment, especially a mounting structure of the electric power control device; and

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the electric control device, a mounting bracket, and a tray.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

[0014] An embodiment of the invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings. Each of FIGS. 1A and IB is a view showing an arrangement of onboard components in an engine compartment 10 of a hybrid vehicle. The onboard components shown in the drawings are an electric power control device 14 that is integrated with mounting brackets 22, an HV reservoir tank 26, a brake reservoir tank 28, a radiator support member 34 and the like. The details of the individual onboard components will be described later. In the following description, phrases expressing forward, backward, leftward, rightward, upward and downward directions represent directions with respect to the vehicle unless otherwise specified. The lateral direction in FIG. 1 A is a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the left side in FIG. 1A is a front side of the vehicle.

[0015] The vehicle according to this embodiment of the invention is a so-called front-engine vehicle with the engine compartment 10 located in front of a passenger compartment 12. A motive power unit including a prime mover for driving the vehicle is housed in the engine compartment 10. In the case of the hybrid vehicle, the motive power unit includes an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as prime movers. Besides, the motive power unit may be configured by coupling an internal combustion engine and a transmission to each other. The electric motor for driving the vehicle (hereinafter referred to simply as an electric motor) can be provided in the transmission. The electric motor is supplied with an electric power from an onboard driving battery. Besides, in the case where the electric motor is caused to function as a generator, the driving battery is charged with a generated electric power.

[0016] The transmission/reception of the electric power between the electric motor and the driving battery is controlled by the electric power control device 14. In the case where the electric motor is a three-phase AC electric motor, the electric power control device 14 includes an inverter. The inverter converts a DC electric power from the driving battery into a three-phase AC electric power, and supplies this three-phase AC electric power to the electric motor. Besides, the inverter converts a three-phase AC electric power generated by the electric motor into a DC electric power, and charges the driving battery with the DC electric power. The electric power control device 14 may include a step-up transformer that steps up a voltage supplied from the driving battery and that supplies the stepped-up voltage to the inverter. Furthermore, the electric power control device 14 may include a step-down transformer for stepping down a voltage of the driving battery and supplying an electric power to electric components, for example, a DC-DC converter. The onboard electric components such as lamps such as headlamps and the like, an acoustic component, a route guidance unit, an electronic control unit (an ECU) and the like operate at a voltage (e.g., 12 V) similar to that of a conventional vehicle that is equipped only with an internal combustion engine as a driving prime mover. This voltage is lower than a voltage that is supplied to the electric motor for driving the vehicle. The step-down transformer is installed to adapt this voltage for the aforementioned electric components. Furthermore, the electric power control device 14 may also include a control circuit for performing control of the inverter, the step-up transformer, and the step-down transformer.

[0017] Besides, the electric power control device 14 can be provided with a cooler to cool the inverter, the step-up transformer and the like. The cooler can be of a liquid cooling type, and circulates a cooling liquid between the cooler and a heat radiator that is separately provided, thus cooling the inverter and the like.

[0018] The electric power control device 14 is integrated, with the inverter, the step-up transformer, the step-down transformer, the control circuit and the cooler as mentioned above housed in a case made of a metal, preferably aluminum. The case may substantially assume the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0019] The electric power control device 14 is fixed to the vehicle body, more specifically, a front side member 16. A tray 20 is fixed on the front side member 16 via a fixation leg 18. The electric power control device 14 that is integrated with the mounting brackets 22 is placed and fixed on the tray 20. The placement of the electric power control device 14 will be described later in detail.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 1A, an engine mount 24 that supports the motive power unit is fixedly arranged behind the fixation leg 18 on the front side member 16. An HV reservoir tank 26 and a brake reservoir tank 28 are arranged above the engine mount 24. The HV reservoir tank 26 and the brake reservoir tank 28 are arranged fixedly to the vehicle body, for example, a partition wall 30 that partitions the engine compartment 10 and the passenger compartment 12 from each other. As a concrete example, the HV reservoir tank 26 and the brake reservoir tank 28 are supported by a reservoir support member 32 that is fixed to the partition wall 30. The HV reservoir tank 26 stores the cooling liquid supplied to the cooler of the foregoing electric power control device 14, supplies a pipe arrangement in which the cooling liquid circulates through the cooler and the heat radiator with the cooling liquid whose amount corresponds to a shortage in the pipe arrangement, and receives the cooling liquid whose amount corresponds to a surplus in the pipe arrangement. The brake reservoir tank 28 stores a brake liquid serving as a medium for transmitting a force in a braking' device for the vehicle. The brake liquid whose amount corresponds to a shortage in a brake pipe arrangement is supplied from the brake reservoir tank 28, and the brake liquid whose amount corresponds to a surplus in the pipe arrangement is received by the brake reservoir tank 28.

[0021] A radiator support member 34 is coupled to a front end of the front side member 16. The radiator support member 34 is a frame-like member, and supports an engine radiator and a heat radiator (an HV radiator). The engine radiator is arranged inside a frame, and the cooling liquid for the internal combustion engine flows therethrough. The cooling liquid used for the cooler of the electric power control device 14 flows through the HV radiator. [0022] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the electric power control device 14, the tray 20, and a pair of the mounting brackets 22. The pair of the mounting brackets 22 extend along lower sides of right and left lateral surfaces of the electric power control device 14 respectively. The pair of the mounting brackets 22 are fitted to the lower sides of the right and left lateral surfaces of the electric power control device 14 respectively. Each of the mounting brackets 22 can be fabricated by press-forging a sheet metal, and substantially assumes the shape of L as viewed from the front side of the vehicle. When each of the mounting brackets 22 is fitted , to the electric power control device 14, a vertically extending region of the mounting bracket 22 (hereinafter referred to as a longitudinal region 36) extends along a corresponding one of the lateral surfaces of the electric power control device 14, and a laterally extending region of the mounting bracket 22 (hereinafter referred to as a lateral region 38) is located below the electric power control device. A through-hole is provided through the longitudinal region 36. Each of the mounting brackets 22 is fitted to a corresponding one of the lateral surfaces of the electric power control device 14 by a bolt 40 that penetrates this through-hole and that is screwed into a thread hole that is provided through the corresponding one of the lateral surfaces of the electric power control device 14. The mounting brackets 22 according to this embodiment of the invention are configured as a pair of two parts, but can also be configured integrally with each other.

[0023] The tray 20 generally assumes the shape of a plate, and is arranged inclined such that a front region thereof is low and a rear region thereof is high as a whole. Two longitudinally extending ribs 42 are provided on an upper surface of the tray 20. Plate-like regions 44 are provided on the right and left sides of the ribs 42 respectively. Bolts 46 are fixed to front-right and front-left end portions of the tray 20 respectively. The bolts 46 can be fixed through welding or caulking. Through-holes 48 are perforated through rear-right and rear-left regions of the plate-like regions 44 respectively. Nuts (not shown) are fixed to reverse surfaces of the plate-like regions respectively. These nuts can be fixed through welding or caulking.

[0024] U-shaped notches that open forward (hereinafter referred to as front U-shaped notches 50) are formed at front end portions of the lateral regions 38 of the mounting brackets, in a manner corresponding to the bolts 46 at the front end of the tray 20, respectively. The mounting brackets 22 are placed such that the bolts 46 penetrate the front U-shaped notches 50 respectively, and the nuts 52 are screwed onto the bolts 46 respectively in this state. Thus, the front end regions of the lateral regions 38 of the mounting brackets are fixed to the tray 20 while being sandwiched between the tray 20 and the nuts 52 respectively. U-shaped notches that open forward (hereinafter referred to as rear U-shaped notches 54) are formed at rear end portions of the lateral regions 38 of the mounting brackets, in a manner corresponding to the through-holes 48 in the rear region of the tray 20, respectively. The bolts 56 penetrate the rear U-shaped notches 54 from above, and are screwed into the nuts provided on the reverse surfaces of the through-holes 48, respectively. Thus, the rear end regions of the lateral regions 38 of the mounting brackets are fixed to the tray 20 while being sandwiched between the tray 20 and heads of the bolts 56, respectively. As described above, the electric power control device 14 is fixedly arranged on the tray 20 via the mounting brackets 22.

[0025] Surfaces 58 are provided on the plate-like regions 44 of the tray between the bolts 46 and the through-holes 48, respectively. The surfaces 58 are inclined differently from the regions located in front of and behind the surfaces 58. The surfaces located in front of and behind the surfaces 58 with a different inclination are referred to as tray general surfaces 60. As clearly shown in FIGS. 1A and IB, the surfaces 58 are more greatly inclined than the tray general surfaces 60. That is, with respect to a horizontal plane, the angle of inclination of the surfaces 58 in the longitudinal direction is larger than the angle of inclination of the tray general surfaces 60 in the longitudinal direction. When the vehicle collides from the front of the vehicle, these surfaces 58 come into contact with the electric power control device 14, thus restraining the electric power control device 14 from moving. Due to contact between the surfaces 58 and the electric power control device 14, the impact caused upon a collision of the electric power control device 14 with another region of the vehicle body is reduced or softened. Alternatively, the electric power control device 14 does not collide with another region of the vehicle body. The reduction of the impact will be described later in detail. Besides, these surfaces will be referred to hereinafter as contact surfaces 58.

[0026] Surfaces 62 are provided between the front U-shaped notches 50 and the rear U-shaped notches 54 of the lateral regions 38 of the mounting brackets respectively. The surfaces 62 are inclined differently from the regions located in front of and behind the surfaces 62. The surfaces located in front of and behind the surfaces 62 with a different inclination are referred to as bracket general surfaces 64. As clearly shown in FIG. 2, the surfaces 62 are more greatly inclined than the bracket general surfaces 64. These surfaces 62 come into abutment on the foregoing contact surfaces 58 respectively when the vehicle collides from the front of the vehicle. These surfaces will be described hereinafter as abutment surfaces 62.

[0027] The tray 20 is coupled to the mounting brackets 22 through the use of the U-shaped notches 50 and 54 that open forward as described above. Therefore, when a large force is applied to the electric power control device 14 from the front of the electric power control device 14, the mounting brackets 22, which are sandwiched by the tray 20 and the nuts 52 or the bolts 56 respectively, fall out therefrom to be unfixed.

[0028] FIG. 1A shows a state before a collision of the vehicle, and FIG. IB shows a state after the collision. When the vehicle receives an impact from the front of the vehicle, the front end region of the vehicle body is deformed in such a manner as to be crushed, and this deformation reaches the electric power control device 14 in some cases. When a force F is applied to the electric power control device 14 from the vehicle body that is being deformed, the case of the electric power control device 14 may be deformed. The electric power control device 14 has components to which a high voltage is supplied, such as the inverter and the like. It is therefore desirable to avoid deformation of the case. In the electric power control device 14, the front U-shaped notches 50 and the rear U-shaped notches 54, which are provided through the mounting brackets 22 respectively, attenuate the force applied to the electric power control device 14. The mounting brackets 22 are fixed to the tray 20, with edge regions of the front U-shaped notches 50 and the rear U-shaped notches 54 sandwiched by the tray 20 and the nuts 52 or the bolts 56 respectively. When a large force is applied to the electric power control device 14 from the front of the vehicle, the force is applied to the mounting brackets 22 as well. When this force exceeds a force with which the mounting brackets 22 are fixed, the mounting brackets 22 move backward. At this time, since the openings of the front U-shaped notches 50 and the rear U-shaped notches 54 open forward, the bolts 46 and 56 fall out from these openings respectively, and the mounting brackets 22 are unfixed from the tray 20. Thus, the electric power control device 14 moves backward integrally with the mounting brackets 22.

[0029] The movement of the electric power control device 14 is guided backward by the upper surface of the tray 20. More specifically, the movement of the electric power control device 14 is guided along the tray general surfaces 60 and the upper end surfaces of the ribs 42. As described above, the tray 20 is arranged with the rear region thereof located high, and the electric power control device 14 also moves upward while moving backward. Thus, the electric power control device 14 is guided above the engine mount 24. As a result, the electric power control device 14 is kept from colliding with the engine mount 24.

[0030] The HV reservoir tank 26 and the brake reservoir tank 28 are located behind the electric power control device 14 and above the engine mount 24. When the electric power control device 14 moving backward collides with these tanks 26 and 28, the case of the electric power control device 14 may be deformed due to an impact of the collision. The two tanks 26 and 28 are made of resin, but are given high rigidity by being reinforced by ribs or the like so as to endure a difference in pressure between the inside and the outside that results from expansion or the like of the liquid therein. Besides, resin has lower rigidity than aluminum. However, the resin including support members for supporting these tanks 26 and 28 may have higher rigidity than aluminum. For these reasons, when the electric power control device 14 collides with the HV reservoir tank 26 and the brake reservoir tank 28, the case may be deformed. In order to prevent the electric power control device 14 from colliding with the HV reservoir tank 26 and the brake reservoir tank 28 or restrain the case from being deformed even in the event of a collision, the tray 20 is provided with the contact surfaces 58.

[0031] The electric power control device 14 that has been unfixed from the tray 20 moves backward and upward while being guided by the tray 20, integrally with the mounting brackets 22. During this movement, the abutment surfaces 62 of the mounting brackets come into abutment on the contact surfaces 58 of the tray respectively. Such a state is shown in FIG. IB. The contact surfaces 58 are arranged inclined with respect to the moving direction of the electric power control device 14, namely, the longitudinal direction, and is directed toward the approaching electric power control device 14. The abutment surfaces 62 may be provided substantially parallel to the contact surfaces 58 respectively.

[0032] Due to the bumping of the mounting brackets 22 into the tray 20, the kinetic energy of the moving electric power control device 14 is reduced, and the electric power control device 14 is restrained from moving. If the force F applied to the electric power control device 14 is small, the electric power control device 14 stops with the abutment surfaces 62 abutting on the contact surfaces 58 respectively, and the electric power control device 14 can be kept from colliding with the HV reservoir tank 26 and the brake reservoir tank 28. In the case where the force applied to the electric power control device 14 is large, the electric power control device 14 crosses the contact surfaces 58 and moves further backward. However, upon coming into contact with the contact surfaces 58, the electric power control device 14 is reduced in speed, and the speed at which the electric power control device 14 moves backward becomes low. As a result, the impact upon a collision with the tanks 26 and 28 is reduced, and the case of the electric power control device 14 is restrained from being deformed.

[0033] In this embodiment of the invention, the contact surfaces 58 and the abutment surfaces 62 are substantially formed as flat surfaces as shown in the drawings. However, either the contact surfaces 58 or the abutment surfaces 62 or both the contact surfaces 58 and the abutment surfaces 62 may be formed in other shapes such as a curved surface, a projection and the like. Besides, the abutment surfaces can also be provided in a region other than the mounting brackets 22. Besides, a member for guiding the electric power control device 14 may be provided separately from the member to which the electric power control device 14 is fixed, and this member may be provided with the contact surfaces. The HV reservoir tank 26 and the brake reservoir tank 28 have been mentioned as onboard components into which the electric power control device 14 may bump. However, even in the case where the electric power control device 14 may bump into onboard components other than these tanks or the vehicle body, the invention can be applied to restrain the case of the electric power control device 14 from being deformed.

[0034] The electric^' power control device 14 and the mounting brackets 22 integrally move in the event of a collision of the vehicle. Therefore, these components as a whole can be regarded as an onboard component. Besides, there is provided a guide member for guiding the onboard component that is unfixed to move. In the aforementioned embodiment of the invention, the tray 20 functions as a guide member. The onboard component moves along the guidance member, and comes into contact with the contact portion provided on the guidance member while moving. As a result, the movement of the onboard component is suppressed, and the kinetic energy thereof is reduced. Thus, the onboard component is kept from colliding with the vehicle body or another component that is fixed to the vehicle body. Alternatively, even in the event of a collision, its impact can be reduced.

Claims

1. A mounting structure for a vehicle, the mounting structure comprising:

an onboard component; and

a tray on which the onboard component is placed and fixed, the onboard component unfixed from the tray along with a collision of the vehicle, the tray configured to guide the onboard component that has been unfixed from the tray, such that the onboard component moves along the tray, the tray including a contact portion, the contact portion configured to contact with the onboard component that moves along the tray, and the contact portion being configured to restrain the onboard component from moving.

2. The mounting structure according to claim 1 , wherei n

the onboard component includes:

an onboard component body; and

a mounting bracket fixed to the onboard com ponent body and the tray, the mounting bracket being unfixed from the tray along w ith the col l ision of the vehicle, the mounting bracket including an abutment portion , and the abutment portion being configured to abut on the contact portion .

3. The mounting structu re according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

the contact portion is a surface inclined with respect to a moving direction of the onboard component.

4. The mounting structure according to claim 3, wherein

the abutment portion is a surface substantial ly parallel to the contact portion.

5. The mounting structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein

the vehicle incl udes:

a vehicle body; and an additional component fixed to the vehicle body, and the contact portion being configured to contact with the onboard component before the onboard component col lides with the vehicle body or the additional component.

6. The mounting structure according to claim 5, wherein

the vehicle incl udes:

an electric motor that drives the vehicle;

an electric power control device configured to transm it electric power to the electric motor and receive electric power from the electric motor; and

an engine mount located behind the tray,

the onboard component is the electric power control device,

the tray is provided such that a front portion of t he tray is located higher than a rear portion of the tray,

the tray is configured to guide the movi ng direction of the onboard component above the engine mount, and

the additional component is at least one of a reservoir tank of a cooli ng l iquid for the electric power control device or a rese rvoir tank of a brake fluid.