The invention relates to a device in a motor vehicle, an electric drive in a motor vehicle having such a device and a motor vehicle having such a drive.
Cable connections between electrical and/or electronic assemblies emit electromagnetic fields which depend predominantly on the level of the voltages and currents in this cable connection and can have an influence on other electronic assemblies and also the human organism. This applies in particular to cable connections in the drive group of an electrically operated motor vehicle. The currents occurring there cause a very strong electromagnetic field, for which reason these cable connections are generally equipped with an electromagnetic shield.
For example, electrically conductive foils or braids which are connected to ground and thus largely prevent the emission of an electromagnetic field are provided around current-carrying conductors. Effective electromagnetic shielding, not least owing to the in any case already large cross sections of the current-carrying conductors, result in rigid and inflexible cables which can be laid only with difficulty in particular in the confined conditions of a motor vehicle. Narrow bending radii are in this case not possible. In addition, such cables are expensive and are often not installed owing to the prevailing price pressure.
DE 10 2018 220 420 A1 also discloses for this purpose a circuit device for magnetic field compensation of electrical supply lines having at least two supply lines for the electrical connection of second electrical components. The circuit device comprises an additional line for carrying the reverse currents induced by the supply lines and for attenuating the magnetic field emitted from the supply lines. The additional line is arranged next to the at least first and second supply line and is connected to the connections to ground of the electrical components.
Although this arrangement results in more flexible cable connections, in many cases it has only an insufficient electromagnetic shielding. There is therefore lacking a cable connection which is flexible, has sufficient electromagnetic shielding, is not overly expensive and can be laid retrospectively, if appropriate.
One object of the invention therefore consists in specifying an improved device in a motor vehicle, an improved electric drive and an improved motor vehicle. In particular, the intention is to specify a cable connection which is flexible, has sufficient electromagnetic shielding, is not overly expensive and can be laid retrospectively, if appropriate.
The object of the invention is achieved with a device in a motor vehicle, comprising
The object of the invention is also achieved by an electric drive in a motor vehicle which comprises a device of the abovementioned type, wherein the electrical and/or electronic assemblies comprise a voltage source and an inverter which is electrically connected to the voltage source and an electric machine which is electrically connected to the inverter.
Finally, the invention is achieved by a motor vehicle having at least two axles, wherein at least one of the axles is driven, and wherein said driving action takes place at least partially or for part of the time by means of the electric machine of the electric drive of the abovementioned type.
By virtue of the proposed measures, a cable connection results which is flexible and can therefore also be laid with narrow radii, has sufficient electromagnetic shielding which also shields the strong electromagnetic fields in a motor vehicle sufficiently well, is comparatively inexpensive and can also be laid retrospectively, if appropriate.
A “ground conductor” within the scope of this disclosure should be understood to mean a single electrical conductor. In particular, a “ground conductor” should not be understood to mean a wire mesh or wire fabric or else a metallic foil around a current-carrying conductor.
The term “current-carrying” means that a useful current is flowing in the relevant electrical conductor during operation. Although a current can also flow in the ground conductor, it is not primarily used for the operation of the electrical and/or electronic assemblies, but is a consequence of its shielding function.
In particular, in a DC voltage power supply system and in an AC power supply system two current-carrying conductors can be provided, and in an AC power supply system three or more current-carrying conductors can also be provided. Consequently, at least two ground conductors or at least three ground conductors can be provided.
The voltage source can be in the form of a battery or rechargeable battery or else in the form of a fuel cell. An embodiment in the form of a generator in combination with an internal combustion engine (for example in the form of a range extender) would also be possible. The electric machine can be in the form of, in particular, a synchronous machine or an asynchronous machine. The cable connection can be embodied in particular with two poles, i.e. with two current-carrying conductors, between a DC voltage source and the inverter. The cable connection can be embodied in particular with three or more poles, i.e. with three or more current-carrying conductors, between the inverter and an AC machine. Consequently, in turn at least two ground conductors or at least three ground conductors can be provided.
Further advantageous configurations and developments of the invention can be gleaned from the dependent claims and the description when considered in conjunction with the figures.
It is favorable if the cable connection has, per current-carrying conductor, precisely one ground conductor which runs along the current-carrying conductor and in the same longitudinal direction as the current-carrying conductor or “parallel” to the current-carrying conductor. As a result, the cable connection can be produced easily and is also particularly flexible, i.e. narrow radii are possible when laying the cable.
It is favorable furthermore if the cable connection comprises an insulation for a current-carrying conductor of the current-carrying conductors, and the at least one ground conductor assigned to the current-carrying conductor runs within this insulation. Advantageously, a preset spacing between the current-carrying conductor and the ground conductor is thus maintained independently of a specific way in which the cable is laid.
It is also favorable, however, if the cable connection comprises an insulation for a current-carrying conductor of the current-carrying conductors, and the at least one ground conductor assigned to the current-carrying conductor runs outside this insulation. Owing to the separation between the current-carrying conductor and the ground conductor, this type of cable connection is particularly flexible and can therefore be laid easily with narrow radii. In addition, a ground conductor can in this way also be added retrospectively to a current-carrying conductor, for example when it becomes apparent that shielding of the current-carrying conductors is necessary. The ground conductor in this embodiment variant can have a separate insulation, but can also be designed to be bare. A cable assembly can be produced, for example, by virtue of the fact that a ground conductor is fastened to the insulated current-carrying conductor with the aid of cable ties.
In a preferred variant, the device has a plug-type connection having plug-type contacts, wherein the at least two ground conductors and the current-carrying conductors are connected to at least one of the electrical and/or electronic assemblies with the aid of the plug-type contacts. By virtue of the proposed measures, the cable connection can be electrically connected to the voltage source in a simple manner. That part of the plug-type connection which is fixedly connected to the current-carrying conductors and/or the ground conductors can be in the form of a male connector or a female connector. The assembly-side part of the plug-type connection is then consequently in the form of a female connector or a male connector in inverted fashion.
It is also advantageous if the device has a plug-type connection having plug-type contacts, wherein the current-carrying conductors are connected to at least one of the electrical and/or electronic assemblies with the aid of the plug-type contacts, and wherein a part of the plug-type connection which is fixedly connected to the current-carrying conductors and is insulated from the plug-type contacts has a terminal for the at least two ground conductors via which the at least two ground conductors are connected to the connection to ground of the at least one electrical and/or electronic unit/assembly. That part of the plug-type connection which is fixedly connected to the current-carrying conductors and is insulated from the plug-type contacts can be in particular a housing of the plug-type connection. This housing can be produced from a metal, for example, and the at least two ground conductors can be embedded directly in the male connector housing and can be conductively connected to the connection to ground of the electrical and/or electronic assemblies in such a way. For the electrical insulation of the current-carrying conductors, female insulation connectors can also be embedded in the male connector housing. It is in particular also conceivable for the ground conductors to be screwed or pressed to the male connector housing. The housing of the electrical and/or electronic assemblies can be produced from an insulator or from a metal. That part of the plug-type connection which is fixedly connected to the current-carrying conductors can in turn be in the form of a male connector or a female connector, and the assembly-side part of the plug-type connection is then consequently again in the form of a female connector or a male connector in inverted fashion.
Finally, also advantageous is a device having a plug-type connection having plug-type contacts, wherein the current-carrying conductors are connected to at least one of the electrical and/or electronic assemblies with the aid of the plug-type contacts, and wherein the plug-type connection is secured against being unintentionally released with the aid of a screw-type connection which is insulated from the plug-type contacts, and the at least two ground conductors are connected to the connection to ground of the at least one electrical and/or electronic unit/assembly via this screw-type connection. For example, the at least two ground conductors can be clamped with screws of the screw-type connection for this purpose. The electrical connection between the at least two ground conductors and the connection to ground of the electrical and/or electronic assembly can take place via the screws of the screw-type connection if they are manufactured from metal. It would also be conceivable, however, to manufacture the male connector housing from metal and to produce the electrical connection between the ground conductor and the connection to ground in this way. The at least two ground conductors can be connected to a shield of the electrical and/or electronic assembly via the screws or the male connector housing. The shield can also be formed directly by the housing of the electrical and/or electronic assembly if it is manufactured from a metal.
The above configurations and developments of the invention can be combined in any desired way.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example in the appended schematic figures. In the figures:
It will be mentioned by way of introduction that identical parts in the different embodiments are provided with the same reference signs or the same component designations, with different indices where appropriate. The disclosures of a component contained in the description may accordingly be transferred to another component with the same reference sign or the same component designation. Also, the positional indications selected in the description, such as, for example, “top”, “bottom”, “rear”, “front”, “side” etc. relate to the figure directly described and illustrated and, in the event of a change in position, should be transferred accordingly to the new position.
The voltage source 3a can be in the form of a battery or rechargeable battery or else in the form of a fuel cell. An embodiment in the form of a generator in combination with an internal combustion engine (for example in the form of a range extender) would also be possible. The electric machine 3c can be in the form of, in particular, a synchronous machine or an asynchronous machine. A DC voltage produced by the voltage source 3a is converted by the inverter 3b into an AC voltage which drives the electric machine 3c and therefore, via the half-axles 5, the wheels 6 of the motor vehicle 2 which are mounted in rotatable fashion on the frame 7 of the motor vehicle 2.
The electrical and/or electronic assemblies 3a . . . 3c each have a connection to ground 8a, 8b for at least two ground conductors 9a, 9b of the cable connections 4a, 4b and terminals 10a, 10b for at least two current-carrying conductors 11a, 11b of the cable connections 4a, 4b. Correspondingly, the cable connections 4a, 4b each have at least two ground conductors 9a, 9b, which are illustrated by dashed lines in
Specifically, the cable connection 4a, 4b comprises, per current-carrying conductor 11a, 11b, at least one ground conductor 9a, 9b which runs along the current-carrying conductor 11a, 11b and in the same longitudinal direction as the current-carrying conductor 11a, 11b (i.e. “parallel” thereto). Especially, per current-carrying conductor 11a, 11b, precisely one ground conductor 9a, 9b can be provided which runs along the current-carrying conductor 11a, 11b and in the same longitudinal direction as the current-carrying conductor 11a, 11b.
A ground conductor 9a, 9b should generally be understood to mean a single electrical conductor. In particular, it does not form a wire mesh or wire fabric around a current-carrying conductor 11a, 11b. In general, there is also no useful current flowing in the ground conductor 9a, 9b but at most a current which is a consequence of its shielding function but is not used primarily for the operation of the electrical and/or electronic assemblies 3a . . . 3c.
At this juncture it will be noted that the terminals of the inverter 3b, the electric machine 3c and the cable connection 4b are not explicitly designated, for reasons of improved illustration, but are present in an equivalent manner.
Between the voltage source 3a and the inverter 3b, the cable connection 4a can in particular be embodied with two poles, i.e. with two current-carrying conductors 11a, 11b, and between the inverter 3b and the electric machine 3c, the cable connection 4b can in particular be embodied with three or more poles, i.e. with three or more current-carrying conductors 11a, 11b, as is illustrated by way of example in
In both cases, a ground conductor 9 can be laid retrospectively, for example when it becomes apparent that a shielding of the current-carrying conductor 11 is necessary. It is also advantageous that the cable connection 4, 4′ is flexible owing to the current-carrying conductors 11 and ground conductors 9, which are separated from one another, and can therefore be laid well even with narrow radii.
Furthermore, plug-type contacts in the form of male connectors 15a . . . 15d which are embedded in a male connector housing 17a are illustrated in
By virtue of the proposed measures, the cable connection 4a can be electrically connected to the voltage source 3a in a simple manner.
Also conceivable, however, is an alternative embodiment, illustrated in
Finally, it will be mentioned that the scope of protection is determined by the patent claims. The description and the drawings should however serve as reference for interpretation of the claims. The features contained in the figures may be interchanged and combined with one another as desired. In particular, it will also be mentioned that the devices illustrated may in reality also comprise more or else fewer component parts than illustrated. In some cases, the illustrated devices or their component parts may also be illustrated not to scale and/or on an enlarged scale and/or on a reduced scale.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2021 201 644.8 | Feb 2021 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2021/079915 | 10/27/2021 | WO |