Front-End Vehicle Structure

Abstract

A front-end vehicle structure includes a bulkhead, a fuel cell system and a DC/DC converter. The DC/DC converter is arranged next to the fuel cell system in a vehicle width direction and at a level of the fuel cell system in a vehicle height direction. The fuel cell system and the DC/DC converter are arranged in front of the bulkhead in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A front-end vehicle structure of a motor vehicle, comprising: a bulkhead; a fuel cell system; and a DC/DC converter; wherein the DC/DC converter is disposed next to the fuel cell system in a motor vehicle width direction, and is disposed so as to be level with the fuel cell system in a motor vehicle vertical direction, and wherein the fuel cell system and the DC/DC converter are disposed in front of the bulkhead in a motor vehicle longitudinal direction.

12. The front-end vehicle structure according to claim 11, wherein the DC/DC converter, in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction, is disposed so as to be level with the fuel cell system.

13. The front-end vehicle structure according to claim 11, further comprising: two suspension strut domes which are disposed opposite one another in the motor vehicle width direction, wherein (i) the fuel cell system is disposed between the suspension strut domes in the motor vehicle width direction, and/or is disposed so as to be level with the suspension strut domes in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction, and/or (ii) the DC/DC converter is disposed between the suspension strut domes in the motor vehicle width direction, and/or is disposed so as to be level with the suspension strut domes in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction.

14. The front-end vehicle structure according to claim 11, wherein a housing of the DC/DC converter, conjointly with the fuel cell system, forms a self-supporting structure.

15. The front-end vehicle structure according to claim 14, wherein the self-supporting structure extends over an entire length between the suspension strut domes in the motor vehicle width direction.

16. The front-end vehicle structure according to claim 11, further comprising: a fuel cell system periphery which is disposed in front of the fuel cell system and/or the DC/DC converter in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction.

17. The front-end vehicle structure according to claim 16, further comprising: an anode system which is disposed in front of the fuel cell system and/or the DC/DC converter in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction.

18. The front-end vehicle structure according to claim 11, further comprising: an anode system which is disposed in front of the fuel cell system and/or the DC/DC converter in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction.

19. The front-end vehicle structure according to claim 11, wherein the fuel cell system and the DC/DC converter are mounted on the front-end vehicle structure, on one or both of the suspension strut domes.

20. The front-end vehicle structure according to claim 11, wherein the front-end vehicle structure has two longitudinal motor supports which are disposed opposite one another in the motor vehicle width direction, and the fuel cell system and the DC/DC converter are mounted on one or both of the longitudinal motor supports.

21. The front-end vehicle structure according to claim 11, further comprising: an electric motor which, in the motor vehicle vertical direction, is disposed below the fuel cell system and/or the DC/DC converter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] FIG. 1 schematically shows a front-end vehicle structure according to an embodiment, viewed from a motor vehicle longitudinal direction; and

[0038] FIG. 2 schematically shows the front-end vehicle structure from FIG. 1, viewed from a motor vehicle vertical direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The front-end vehicle structure 100 of the motor vehicle according to the embodiment is schematically illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0040] The front-end vehicle structure 100 has a fuel cell system 1, a DC/DC converter 2, an anode system 3, a fuel cell system periphery 4, two longitudinal motor supports 5, two suspension strut domes 6, four mounting points 7, an electric motor 8, and a bulkhead 9.

[0041] A Cartesian coordinate system is moreover illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, which has an X-axis extending in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction, a Y-axis extending in the motor vehicle width direction, and a Z-axis extending in the motor vehicle vertical direction. The motor vehicle longitudinal direction X presently extends from a front to a rear of the motor vehicle.

[0042] The bulkhead 9 in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction X separates a motor vehicle interior (not illustrated) of the motor vehicle from the front-end vehicle structure 100.

[0043] Proceeding from the bulkhead 9, the two longitudinal motor supports 5, which are disposed opposite one another in the motor vehicle longitudinal width direction Y, extend toward the front in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction X, i.e. in the direction of the front of the motor vehicle.

[0044] Proceeding from the two longitudinal motor supports 5, one suspension strut extends in each case upward in the motor vehicle vertical direction Z, wherein each of the suspension struts at the upper end thereof has one of the two suspension strut domes 6. The two suspension strut domes 6, like the longitudinal motor supports 5, are disposed opposite one another in the motor vehicle width direction Y.

[0045] The fuel cell system 1, the DC/DC converter 2, and the electric motor 8 are disposed in front of the bulkhead 9 in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction X.

[0046] The fuel cell system 1 as well as the DC/DC converter 2 are disposed between the suspension strut domes 6 in the motor vehicle width direction Y, and disposed so as to be level with the suspension strut domes 6 in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction X.

[0047] A housing of the DC/DC converter 2, conjointly with the fuel cell system 1, forms a self-support structure which extends over an entire length between the four mounting points 7 in the motor vehicle width direction Y.

[0048] Two of the mounting points 7 are presently configured on the suspension strut domes 6, and the other two mounting points 7 are configured on the respective spring support. Additionally or alternatively, the fuel cell system 1 and the DC/DC converter 2 can be mounted on one of the longitudinal motor supports 5 or on both longitudinal motor supports 5.

[0049] The DC/DC converter 2 is disposed so as to be level with the fuel cell system 1 in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction X and in the motor vehicle vertical direction Z, and is disposed beside the fuel cell system 1 in the motor vehicle width direction Y.

[0050] The electric motor 8 is disposed in the installation space resulting from this arrangement, below the fuel cell system 1 and the DC/DC converter 2.

[0051] A so-called crash-relevant region 10, which is contemplated in such a way that it can deform in the event of a frontal crash of the motor vehicle, commences in front of the two suspension strut domes 6 in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction X.

[0052] Since the fuel cell system 1, the DC/DC converter 2, and the electric motor 8 are disposed so as to be level with the suspension strut domes 6 in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction X, these components are not disposed in the crash-relevant region 10 and are not impinged by a force in the frontal crash.

[0053] The anode system 3 and the fuel cell system periphery 4 are disposed in the crash-relevant region 10, i.e. in front of the fuel cell system 1, the DC/DC converter 2 and the electric motor 8 in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction X. In this way, the anode system 3 as well as the fuel cell system periphery 4 are thus substantially freely accessible from the front in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0054] 1 Fuel cell system [0055] 2 DC/DC converter [0056] 3 Anode system [0057] 4 Fuel cell system periphery [0058] 5 Longitudinal motor support [0059] 6 Suspension strut dome [0060] 7 Mounting point [0061] 8 Electric motor [0062] 9 Bulkhead [0063] 10 Crash-relevant region [0064] 100 Front-end vehicle structure [0065] X Motor vehicle longitudinal direction [0066] Y Motor vehicle width direction [0067] Z Motor vehicle vertical direction