Mounting structure of high voltage unit for electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9566851-B2
Application number	US-201314429134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2013
Priority date	Sep 19, 2012
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A mounting structure of a high voltage unit for an electric vehicle includes a first high voltage unit that has vehicle body fixing parts to be fixed to a vehicle body at both ends in a width direction, and a second high voltage unit that is arranged on an upper side of the first high voltage unit in a vertical direction of the vehicle, in which, in the second high voltage unit, a high voltage heavy component included in the second high voltage unit is arranged closer to a lowermost surface in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mounting structure of a high voltage unit for an electric vehicle, comprising:
an electric motor having vehicle body fixing parts at each end of a bottom thereof in a width direction of the vehicle, the vehicle body fixing parts fixing the electric motor to a vehicle body; and
an inverter arranged on an upper side of the electric motor in the vertical direction of the vehicle, wherein:
in a cross section parallel to the vertical direction and the width direction of the vehicle, the electric motor comprises, a concave part on an upper surface thereof in the vertical direction of the vehicle and the inverter comprises a convex part on a lower surface thereof in the vertical direction of the vehicle,
the inverter is provided with a high voltage heavy component arranged in such a manner that at least a part of the high voltage heavy component is housed inside the convex part of the inverter,
the electric motor and the inverter are integrally formed when the convex part of the inverter is received in the concave part of the electric motor, and
the inverter is fixed to the vehicle body in such a manner that an inertial force toward a front of the vehicle at a time of collision causes a rotational force around an axis connecting the vehicle body fixing parts, the rotational force being applied to the electric motor and the inverter which are integrally formed.

2. The mounting structure of the high voltage unit for the electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
a center in the width direction of the convex part of the inverter aligns with a center in the width direction of the inverter; and
the high voltage heavy component of the inverter is arranged in such a manner that its center in the width direction aligns with the center in the width direction of the convex part of the inverter.

3. The mounting structure of the high voltage unit for the electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
a center in the width direction of the convex part of the inverter aligns with a center in the width direction of the inverter;
a center in the width direction of the concave part of the electric motor aligns with a center in the width direction of the electric motor; and
the centers in the width direction of the concave part of the electric motor and the convex part of the inverter align with each other.

4. The mounting structure of the high voltage unit for the electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the high voltage heavy component of the inverter comprises a first component and a second component having a mass greater than the first component, and the second component is arranged at a position closer to an axis connecting the vehicle body fixing parts than the first component, when the electric motor and the inverter are formed integrally.

5. The mounting structure of the high voltage unit for the electric vehicle according to claim 4 ,
wherein the high voltage heavy component of the inverter comprises a smoothing capacitor arranged at a position closest to the axis.

6. The mounting structure of the high voltage unit for the electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the high voltage heavy component, having a large mass among high voltage components included in the inverter, is arranged above an axis connecting the vehicle body fixing parts, when the electric motor and the inverter are formed integrally.

7. The mounting structure of the high voltage unit for the electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein a front surface of the inverter in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle comprises an inclined slope on at least a part of its upper end side.

8. The mounting structure of the high voltage unit for the electric vehicle according to claim 7 ,
wherein an inclination angle of the inclined slope, relative to the vertical direction of the vehicle, is the same as a rotation angle of the electric motor and the inverter due to application of the rotational force.

9. The mounting structure of the high voltage unit for the electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the inverter has a flat plate structure at a position where the high voltage heavy component is arranged.

10. The mounting structure of the high voltage unit for the electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the electric motor comprises a motor for driving the vehicle, and the inverter comprises an inverter for driving the motor.

11. The mounting structure of the high voltage unit for the electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the high voltage heavy component comprises a smoothing capacitor.

12. The mounting structure of the high voltage unit for the electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the high voltage heavy component of the inverter comprises a smoothing capacitor arranged above and aligned with the vehicle body fixing parts.

13. The mounting structure of the high voltage unit for the electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the concave part is a recessed part of the electric motor, and the convex part is a projecting part of the inverter.

14. The mounting structure of the high voltage unit for the electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the high voltage heavy component of the inverter comprises a smoothing capacitor arranged above an axis connecting the vehicle body fixing parts at ends of the electric motor.

15. The mounting structure of the high voltage unit for the electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the upper surface of the electric motor and the lower surface of the inverter are opposite to each other.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Kawamura Tomoki
• Shimizu Hirofumi
• Yokoyama Nobuaki
• Hirano Izuho

Classifications

• B60L3/0007

  Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions · CPC title

• B60K6/26

  characterised by the motors or the generators · CPC title

• B60K11/04

  Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds · CPC title

• B60L15/007

  Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60K6/40

  characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components · CPC title