HYBRID VEHICLE

• US 20110011654A1
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kubota, Shinya, Goto, Mitsushige, Takedomi, Harumi, Kumakura, Kazuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,567,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.21
• 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 15/03504 adapted to avoid loss of fuel or fuel vapour, e.g. with vapour recovery systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/063 Arrangement of tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/005 the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0416 Arrangement in the rear part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03557 comprising elements of the venting device integrated in the fuel tank, e.g. vapor recovery means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0638 the fuel tank is arranged in the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0007 Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions
• 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 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/089 Layout of the fuel vapour installation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle is provided in which a case (14) for housing an electrical component including at least a battery module is disposed underneath a floor of a luggage compartment interposed between left and right rear side frames (12) immediately to the rear of a fuel tank (42) disposed beneath a floor panel (41) of a hybrid vehicle, and a canister (48) is disposed on one of left and right sides of the case (14). Since the canister (48) is disposed further inside than the outer end of the rear side frame (12) in the left-and-right direction and further forward than the rear end of the case (14), when the vehicle is involved in a collision from the side the case (14) and the canister (48) can be protected by the rear side frame (12), and when the vehicle is involved in a collision from the rear the fuel tank (42) and the canister (48) can be protected by the case (14) while guaranteeing the capacity of a luggage compartment of a rear part of a vehicle body.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle in which a case (14) for housing an electrical component including at least a battery module (24) is disposed underneath a floor of a luggage compartment (58) interposed between left and right rear side frames (12) immediately to the rear of a fuel tank (42) disposed beneath a floor panel (41), and a canister (48) is disposed on one side of left and right sides of the case (14),

the canister (48) being disposed further inside than the outer end of the rear side frame (12) in the left-and-right direction and further forward than the rear end of the case (14).

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein it comprises an air filter (49) for filtering air that is to be introduced into the canister (48), the air filter (49) being provided to the rear of the canister (48), and the air filter (49) being disposed outside the rearward projection range of the canister (48).

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the rear end of the air filter (49) is disposed further rearward than the rear end of the case (14).

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein it comprises a silencer (50) on the other side in the left-and-right direction of the case (14), the rear end of the silencer (50) being disposed further rearward than the rear end of the case (14).

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein it comprises a silencer (50′

) to the rear of the case (14), the silencer (50′

) being disposed within the rearward projection range of the case (14).

6. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the electrical component includes the battery module (24) disposed in a lower part of the case (14) and an inverter (33) disposed in an upper part of the case (14), and an intermediate duct (36) for guiding cooling air from the battery module (24) to the inverter (33) is disposed in a rear part of the case (14).

7. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the rear end of the canister (48) is disposed further forward than the front end of the intermediate duct (36).

8. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the case (14) is hangingly supported on the left and right rear side frames (12) via a hanger frame (16), and the electrical component and the canister (48) are disposed further forward than the rear end of the hanger frame (16).

9. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein it comprises a reinforcing frame (46) having opposite left and right ends connected to the left and right rear side frames (12), the reinforcing frame (46) being disposed between the fuel tank (42) and the case (14).

10. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein an item-housing container (60) is provided to the rear of the case (14).

11. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a spare tire (51) is disposed above the case (14), a lower face of the spare tire (51) being at a position equal to or higher than an upper face of the fuel tank (42), and the rear end of the spare tire (51) being positioned further rearward than the rear end of the case (14).

12. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 11, wherein a bracket (53) is provided on an upper face of the case (14), the bracket (53) being separated therefrom by an impact, and the spare tire (51) being supported by the bracket (53).

13. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 11, wherein it comprises a rear seat (45) disposed above the fuel tank (42) so as to sandwich the floor panel (41) therebetween, an intake duct (19) for introducing cooling air into the case (14), and an exhaust duct (20) for discharging cooling air from the case (14), connecting parts of the intake duct (19) and the exhaust duct (20) connected to the case (14) being disposed between a front part of the spare tire (51) and a seat cushion (43) of the rear seat (45).

14. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 13, wherein a cross member (47) providing a connection between the left and right rear side frames (12) is disposed between the seat cushion (43) of the rear seat (45) and the connecting parts of the intake duct (19) and the exhaust duct (20) connected to the case (14).

15. A hybrid vehicle in which a case (14) for housing an electrical component including at least a battery module (24) is disposed underneath a floor of a luggage compartment (58) interposed between left and right rear side frames (12) immediately to the rear of a fuel tank (42) disposed beneath a floor panel (41), and a canister (48) is disposed on one of left and right sides of the case (14),

wherein the canister (48) is disposed further inside than the outer end of the rear side frame (12) in the left-and-right direction and further forward than the rear end of the case (14), an air filter (49) for filtering air that is to be introduced into the canister (48) being disposed outside the rearward projection range of the canister (48),

the electrical component including the battery module (24) disposed in a lower part of the case (14) and an inverter (33) disposed in an upper part of the case (14), an intermediate duct (36) for guiding cooling air from the battery module (24) to the inverter (33) being disposed in a rear part of the case (14), and the rear end of the canister (48) being disposed further forward than the front end of the intermediate duct (36).

16. A hybrid vehicle in which a case (14) for housing an electrical component including at least a battery module (24) is disposed underneath a floor of a luggage compartment (58) interposed between left and right rear side frames (12) immediately to the rear of a fuel tank (42) disposed beneath a floor panel (41), and a canister (48) is disposed on one of left and right sides of the case (14),

wherein the canister (48) is disposed further inside than the outer end of the rear side frame (12) in the left-and-right direction and further forward than the rear end of the case (14),

a spare tire (51) being disposed above the case (14), a lower face of the spare tire (51) being at a position equal to or higher than an upper face of the fuel tank (42), and the rear end of the spare tire (51) being positioned further rearward than the rear end of the case (14),

the hybrid vehicle further comprising a rear seat (45) disposed above the fuel tank (42) so as to sandwich the floor panel (41) therebetween, an intake duct (19) for introducing cooling air into the case (14), and an exhaust duct (20) for discharging cooling air from the case (14), connecting parts of the intake duct (19) and the exhaust duct (20) connected to the case (14) being disposed between a front part of the spare tire (51) and a seat cushion (43) of the rear seat (45), and a cross member (47) providing a connection between the left and right rear side frames (12) being disposed between the connecting parts and the seat cushion (43) of the rear seat (45).