ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20120160584A1
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Nitawaki, Kunihiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,789,634 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/68.5
• 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 2001/0422 Arrangement under the front seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An electric vehicle has a battery pack under a floor panel. The battery pack includes battery modules having an electricity storage function, a first case holding the battery modules therein, and a power shut-off mechanism temporarily interrupting the electric power of the battery modules. The floor panel includes an access port communicating between the inside and outside of a cabin. The battery pack further includes a second case extending upward from an upper surface of the first case adjacent to the floor panel and including the power shut-off mechanism therein. The second case has an opening for allowing the access to the power shut-off mechanism from the outside of the second case, the opening being oriented in an access direction where the power shut-off mechanism is accessed from the access port toward the opening.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle comprising:

a cabin;

a floor panel defining a bottom surface of the cabin; and

a battery pack mounted under the floor panel and serving as a power source of the vehicle,

the battery pack including battery modules having an electricity storage function, a first case holding the battery modules therein, and a power shut-off mechanism temporarily interrupting electric power of the battery modules,

the floor panel having an access port communicating between an inside and an outside of the cabin, and

the battery pack further including a second case extending upward from an upper surface of the first case adjacent to the floor panel and including the power shut-off mechanism therein, and the second case having an opening for allowing access to the power shut-off mechanism from an outside of the second case, the opening being oriented in an access direction where the power shut-off mechanism is accessed from the access port toward the opening.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a second case lid covering the opening is provided on an upper portion of the second case, the access port is provided on an upper surface of a portion surrounded by a vertical wall extending upward from the floor panel, and the second case lid is positioned within a space defined by the upper surface and the vertical wall.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the opening is positioned on a rear side of the access port, and an accessory component is positioned on a front side of the second case.