Charging/discharging harness routing structure in electric vehicle

• US 9,487,163 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2012
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Takuma, Matano, Shinichi, Shindou, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ortiz, Elim
• Application Number:
  US14/117,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20140333130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0207 Wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0215 Protecting, fastening and routing means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2306/01 Reducing damages in case of crash, e.g. by improving battery protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/61 Arrangements of controllers for electric machines, e.g. inverters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

In an electric vehicle, high-power unit (20) disposed in motor room (2) to supply drive current to motor drive unit (10), and battery pack (30) disposed below vehicle body floor (3) are connected to each other through charging/discharging harness (51). High-power unit 20 includes unit back surface (high-power module back surface) (24) that faces dash panel (4), and harness connection concave portion (25) recessed from unit back surface (24) toward an inside of high-power unit (20), wherein charging/discharging harness connection terminal (26) to which one end (51a) of charging/discharging harness (51) is connected is disposed inside of harness connection concave portion (25).

Claims

1. A charging/discharging harness routing structure in an electric vehicle, comprising:

a high-power unit disposed in a motor room to supply drive current to a motor drive unit as a running drive source;

a battery pack disposed below a vehicle body floor;

a charging/discharging harness through which the high-power unit and the battery pack are connected to each other,

the high-power unit comprising;

an upper unit hack surface and a lower unit back surface which face a dash panel upright extending between the motor room and the vehicle body floor; and

a harness connection concave portion disposed between the upper unit back surface and the lower unit back surface and recessed from the upper unit back surface and the lower unit back surface toward an inside of the high-power unit in the form of a groove,

wherein a charging/discharging harness connection terminal to which one end of the charging/discharging harness is connected is disposed inside of the harness connection concave portion.

2. The charging/discharging harness routing structure in an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the harness connection concave portion comprises a ceiling surface that faces downward of the electric vehicle, the charging/discharging harness connection terminal being disposed on the ceiling surface so as to face downwardly.

3. The charging/discharging harness routing structure in an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high-power unit comprises a harness retreat concave portion in a region located downward of the harness connection concave portion, the harness retreat concave portion being continuously connected to the harness connection concave portion and recessed from the lower unit hack surface toward an inside of the high-power unit, the charging/discharging harness being accommodated in the harness retreat concave portion.

4. The charging/discharging harness routing structure in an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the high-power unit comprises a harness retreat concave portion in a region located downward of the harness connection concave portion, the harness retreat concave portion being continuously connected to the harness connection concave portion and recessed from the lower unit hack surface toward an inside of the high-power unit, the charging/discharging harness being accommodated in the harness retreat concave portion.

5. The charging/discharging harness routing structure in an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high-power unit and an electrical energy receiving portion to which external electric power to be charged to the battery pack is inputted are connected to each other through a charging harness, and a charging harness connection terminal connected with one end of the charging harness is disposed within the harness connection concave portion.

6. The charging/discharging harness routing structure in an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the harness connection concave portion comprises a ceiling surface that faces downward of the electric vehicle, the charging harness connection terminal being disposed on the ceiling surface so as to face downwardly.

7. The charging/discharging harness routing structure in an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the charging harness comprises a rapid charging harness in which a current with a high voltage flows and an ordinary charging harness in which a current with a voltage lower than the high voltage of the current flowing in the rapid charging harness flows, the ordinary charging harness being routed to extend between the charging/discharging harness and the dash panel toward the electrical energy receiving portion.

8. A charging/discharging harness routing structure in an electric vehicle, comprising:

a high-power unit disposed in a motor room to supply drive current to a motor drive unit as a running drive source;

a battery pack disposed below a vehicle body floor;

a charging/discharging harness through which the high-power unit and the battery pack are connected to each other,

the high-power unit comprising;

an upper unit back surface and a lower unit hack surface which face a dash panel upright extending between the motor room and the vehicle body floor; and

a means for accommodating a charging/discharging harness connection terminal to which one end of the charging/discharging harness is connected, the means being disposed between the upper unit back surface and the lower unit back surface.