Electric Vehicle and Method of Carrying Out Battery for Electric Vehicle

• US 20150291056A1
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Nozaki, Takuma
• Granted Patent: US 9,561,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2001/0416 Arrangement in the rear part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0422 Arrangement under the front seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0466 from above
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0632 the fuel tank is arranged below the front seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0638 the fuel tank is arranged in the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/141 Light trucks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An electric vehicle comprises a first battery pack including a first battery which stores electric power for activating a wheel, and a vehicle body frame to which the first battery pack is mounted, wherein a suspending unit space in which a suspending unit which suspends and lifts up the first battery pack accommodated in a first battery accommodating space is placed is formed to be opened upward, above the first battery accommodating space, a lift-up space through which the first battery pack is movable upward, is formed, above the first battery accommodating space inside a vehicle body, and a carry-out space through which the first battery pack is movable to a space which is outside the vehicle body, is formed between an upper region of the lift-up space inside the vehicle body and the space which is outside the vehicle body.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle used for multi-purposes, comprising:

a battery pack including a battery which stores electric power for activating a wheel; and

a vehicle body frame to which the battery pack is mounted,

wherein a suspending unit space in which a suspending unit which suspends and lifts up the battery pack accommodated in a battery accommodating space is placed is formed to be opened upward, above the battery accommodating space,

wherein a lift-up space through which the battery pack accommodated in the battery accommodating space is movable upward is formed, above the battery accommodating space inside a vehicle body, and

wherein a carry-out space through which the battery pack is movable to a space which is outside the vehicle body, is formed between an upper region of the lift-up space inside the vehicle body and the space which is outside the vehicle body.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein a constituent member of the vehicle body is placed above the battery accommodating space, and

wherein the lift-up space extends upward while avoiding interference with the constituent member of the vehicle body.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein the constituent member of the vehicle body extends in a direction which is perpendicular to a vertical direction and in which the battery pack accommodated in the battery accommodating space extends.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the suspending unit space is opened in a direction which is perpendicular to a vertical direction, from a region located immediately above the lift-up space.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a seat placed above the battery accommodating space,

wherein the seat is retractable from the suspending unit space and the lift-up space.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cargo bed placed above the battery accommodating space,

wherein the cargo bed is retractable from the suspending unit space and the lift-up space.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 6,

wherein the cargo bed is tilted rearward by raising its front portion, and the suspending unit space is formed forward relative to the cargo bed by tilting the cargo bed rearward.

9. The electric vehicle according to claim 5,

wherein the lift-up space is formed behind the seat by rotating upward a rear portion of the seat about a front portion of the seat.

10. The electric vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein a space through which a loading unit of a loading device which is a fork lift is movable is provided between the battery pack and the vehicle body frame.

11. The electric vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle body frame includes a cross pipe member extending in a rightward and leftward direction, and

wherein the battery accommodating space is formed below the cross pipe member.

7. A method of carrying out a battery for an electric vehicle, in which a battery pack including the battery which stores electric power for activating a wheel is carried out to a space which is outside a vehicle body, the method comprising the steps of:

exposing the battery pack placed in a battery accommodating space, when viewed from above;

connecting to the battery pack a suspending unit which suspends and lifts up the battery pack;

suspending and lifting up the battery pack with the suspending unit such that the battery pack is moved away from the battery accommodating space; and

moving the battery pack which is suspended and lifted up, in a direction which is perpendicular to a vertical direction, with the suspending unit or another device, and carrying out the battery pack to the space which is outside the vehicle body.