HYBRID VEHICLE

• US 20130248268A1
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo KK (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: MATSUDA, Hiroshi, NARUKE, Toshiaki, IIDA, Minoru
• Granted Patent: US 8,827,023 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 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0007 Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• 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: B60Y 2200/92 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2306/01 Reducing damages in case of crash, e.g. by improving battery protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/952 Housing details

Abstract

There is provided a hybrid vehicle. The hybrid vehicle including: a propeller shaft that transmits a driving force in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body; and a battery unit that is disposed below the propeller shaft under the floor of the vehicle body so that the battery unit is detachable from the vehicle body when the propeller shaft is pushed down.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

a propeller shaft to transmit a driving force in a front-rear direction of the vehicle body; and

a battery unit disposed below the propeller shaft under a floor of the vehicle body and configured to be detachable from the vehicle body when the propeller shaft is pushed down.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the battery unit includes a housing having a pair of side sections disposed on left and right sides of the propeller shaft under the floor of the vehicle body and configured to house a battery, and a central section configured to connect the pair of side sections below the propeller shaft;

and

the propeller shaft is housed in a space which is enclosed by the pair of side sections and the central section of the housing, and the floor of the vehicle body.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the battery unit is detachably mounted to the floor of the vehicle body, so that the battery unit is partially detached from the vehicle body by the housing being pushed down by the propeller shaft which has been pushed down.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the battery unit is mounted to the floor of the vehicle body by a plurality of mounting members arranged at front and rear positions of the vehicle body, and the connection between the battery unit and the hybrid vehicle via the front mounting members are released by the housing being pushed down by the propeller shaft which has been pushed down.

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising:

a retaining member configured to connect the housing of the battery unit to the vehicle body,

wherein the retaining member is configured to retain the housing which has been detached at the front position due to the release of the connection between the battery unit and the hybrid vehicle via the front mounting members.

6. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 4,

wherein a power cable to connect the battery unit to the vehicle body is configured to electrically separate the detached battery unit from the vehicle body with a structure of detachable plug and receptacle.

7. The hybrid vehicle according to claims 4,

wherein the propeller shaft is connected to an engine disposed at a front position of the vehicle body and has a coupling or a bearing at a location rearward of the front mounting members, so that when the engine is pushed back, the propeller shaft is vent at the coupling or the bearing, and the housing is pushed down, thereby causing the battery unit to be detached at the front location.