ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILE

• US 20130220718A1
• Filed: 10/14/2011
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gotou, Yusuke, Amano, Atsushi, Tomokage, Ryoji, Suzuki, Tomoyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,394,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.6
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/61 Arrangements of controllers for electric machines, e.g. inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/11 with resilient means for suspension , e.g. of wheels or engine; sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/155 Sub-frames or underguards
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Provided is an electric automobile that can protect high-voltage components from shocks during impact. The electric automobile, which has a motor room that is separated from the cabin and partitioned at the front of the vehicle body and that houses a driving motor and a power control unit that drives/controls the driving motor, is provided with: a pair of side frames that extend in the front-back direction of the vehicle body at both sides of the vehicle body of the motor room; and a unit support frame that encloses the power control unit on four sides and supports the power control unit. The unit support frame is suspended from the pair of side frames and is fastened to the pair of side frames. The power control unit is supported by the unit support frame at at least the sides excluding that in the backwards direction of vehicle body of the four sides of the unit support frame.

Claims

1. An electric automobile having a motor compartment, which houses therein a traction motor and a power control unit for controlling the traction motor, the motor compartment being defined in a front portion of a vehicle body and isolated from a passenger compartment, comprising:

a pair of side frames disposed in the motor compartment on both sides of the vehicle body, and extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body; and

a unit support frame surrounding the power control unit on four sides thereof for supporting the power control unit;

wherein the unit support frame is supported on the side frames and secured to the side frames; and

the power control unit is supported by the unit support frame with the four sides thereof, except for at least a rear side of the unit support frame with respect to the vehicle body.

2. The electric automobile according to claim 1, further comprising:

a dashboard panel covering the motor compartment;

wherein the unit support frame is fastened to the side frames such that the power control unit is disposed beneath the dashboard panel.

3. The electric automobile according to claim 1, wherein the power control unit includes wire connectors to which electric power supply lines are connected for supplying electric power to the traction motor, and a guard for guarding the wire connectors;

the wire connectors and the guard are disposed on a side of the power control unit; and

the guard is fastened to the unit support frame.

4. The electric automobile according to claim 1, wherein a rotational axis of the traction motor and a rotational axis of a differential gear for transmitting drive power of the traction motor to left and right drive road wheels are coaxial with each other.

5. The electric automobile according to claim 1, wherein at least a frame, which serves as the rear side of the unit support frame with respect to the vehicle body, out of the four sides thereof, is of a bent shape, the bent shape being variable as desired.