Vehicle and battery pack

• US 4,042,054 A
• Filed: 12/18/1975
• Issued: 08/16/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eugene T. Ward
• Original Assignee: Eugene T. Ward
• Inventors: Ward, Eugene T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Milton L.
• Application Number:
  US05/642,133
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65 R, 180/60, 180/68.5, 180/59, 180/58, 180/56, 180/55, 180/54 F, 180/11, 180/12, 180/1 R
• US Class Current: 180/60
• 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 2001/0466 from above
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0477 from the back
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/22 Microcars, e.g. golf cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• 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 2200/86 Carts; Golf carts
• 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

In a light electrically powered vehicle, a battery pack of two to six batteries is supported on the rear axle independently of bending forces on the frame. The resultant (1) lighter frame requirement and (2) reduced battery requirement together have a synergistic weight-saving effect. The complete battery pack is light enough to be readily removable rearwardly by direct lifting on a manually operated handtruck and is readily replaced. The ready removability and replaceability of the pack frees the vehicle from battery charging shut-downs, and enables a fleet of vehicles such as golf carts to be kept fully in operation by provision of a battery recharging facility, extra battery packs and a few handtrucks. The vehicles of the fleet can be easily stored or shipped vertically for space-saving since the batteries can be readily removed. Further space-saving is effected by temporarily replacing the battery packs in the vertically stored vehicles, the packs being placed in their normal horizontal position.

Claims

1. In an electrically driven vehicle, a unitary non-articulated chassis frame carrying a pair of drive wheels in the rear and steerable wheel means in the front, a rear axle, each drive wheel being mounted at its own end of the axle and being independently driven by its own motor and power linkage with no mechanical differential or other protuberance projecting upwardly from the center of the axle, a battery pack capable of ready removal and replacement and supported, in said absence of projection of any protuberance, immediately over the axle and removable rearwardly thereof, the battery pack being supported between the drive wheels and between the output ends of said power linkages, the weight of the battery pack being transmitted directly downwardly to the axle and thence to each wheel.

2. In an electrically driven vehicle, a unitary non-articulated chassis frame carrying a pair of drive wheels in the rear and steerable wheel means in the front, a rear axle, each drive wheel being mounted at its own end of the axle and being independently driven by its own motor and power linkage with no mechanical differential or other protuberance projecting upwardly from the center of the axle, a battery pack capable of ready removal and replacement and supported, in said absence of projection of any protuberance, immediately over the axle, the pack being readily removable rearwardly by direct lifting on a manually operated handtruck, the battery pack being supported between the drive wheels and between the output ends of said power linkages, the weight of the battery pack being transmitted directly downwardly to the axle and thence to each wheel.

3. In an electrically driven vehicle, a unitary non-articulated chassis frame carrying a pair of drive wheels in the rear and steerable wheel means in the front, a rear axle, each drive wheel being mounted at its own end of the axle and being independently driven by its own motor and power linkage with no mechanical differential or other protuberance projecting upwardly from the center of the axle, a battery pack capable of ready removal and replacement and supported, in said absence of projection of any protuberance, immediately over the axle and removable rearwardly thereof, the battery pack being supported between the drive wheels and between the output ends of said power linkages, the weight of the battery pack being transmitted directly downwardly to the axle and thence to each wheel, the vehicle frame including tubular side frame beams which are directly supported by the axle without intervening spring means.

4. In an electrically driven vehicle, a unitary non-articulated chassis frame carrying a pair of drive wheels in the rear and steerable wheel means in the front, a rear axle, each drive wheel being mounted at its own end of the axle and being independently driven by its own motor and power linkage with no mechanical differential or other protuberance projecting upwardly from the center of the axle, a battery pack capable of ready removal and replacement and supported, in said absence of projection of any protuberance, immediately over the axle and removable rearwardly thereof, the battery pack being supported between the drive wheels and between the output ends of said power linkages, the weight of the battery pack being transmitted directly downwardly to the axle and thence to each wheel, the vehicle frame including tubular side frame beams which are directly supported by the axis without intervening spring means and which extend from the forward portion of the vehicle rearwardly, and as a continuous beam, through the points of support of the main weight of the battery pack.

5. In an electrically driven vehicle, a unitary non-articulated chassis frame carrying a pair of drive wheels in the rear and steerable wheel means in the front, a rear axle, each drive wheel being mounted at its own end of the axle and being independently driven by its own motor and power linkage with no mechanical differential or other protuberance projecting upwardly from the center of the axle, a battery pack capable of ready removal and replacement and supported, in said absence of projection of any protuberance, immediately over the axle and removable rearwardly thereof, the battery being supported between the drive wheels and between the output ends of said power linkages, the majority of the weight of the battery pack being transmitted directly downwardly to the axle and thence to each wheel, the vehicle frame including tubular side frame beams which are directly supported by the axle without intervening spring means and which extend from the forward portion of the vehicle rearwardly, and as a continuous beam, through the points of support of the main weight of the battery pack, and continuously rearwardly therefrom to provide cantilevered support of less than a major portion of the weight of the battery pack.

6. In a battery-powered vehicle having a frame and front and rear wheels, battery-pack-receiving means at the rear of the vehicle for receiving battery packs and for ready removal and replacement thereof, stand means for supporting the vehicle upright on its rear end for storage, said battery-pack-receiving means being capable of receiving a horizontally positioned battery pack both in the normal horizontal operating attitude of the vehicle and, with said stand means installed, in the back-end-down upright attitude of the vehicle.

7. In a battery-powered vehicle having a frame and front and rear wheels, battery-pack-receiving means at the rear of the vehicle for receiving battery packs and for ready removal and replacement thereof, stand means for supporting the vehicle upright on its rear end for storage, said battery-pack-receiving means being capable of receiving a horizontally positioned battery pack both in the normal horizontal operating attitude of the vehicle and, with said stand means installed, in the back-end-down upright attitude of the vehicle, said battery-pack-receiving means supporting received battery packs off the ground in both the horizontal and vertical attitudes of the vehicle.

8. In an electrically driven vehicle, a unitary non-articulated chassis frame carrying a pair of drive wheels in the rear and steerable wheel means in the front, a rear axle, each drive wheel being mounted at its own end of the axle and being independently driven by its own motor and power linkage with no mechanical differential or other protuberance projecting upwardly from the center of the axle, a battery pack capable of ready removal and replacement and supported over the axle and removable rearwardly thereof, the battery pack being supported, in said absence of projection of any protuberance, immediately over the axle, the battery pack being supported between the drive wheels and between the output ends of said power linkages, the majority of the springing of the weight of the battery pack being done by axle deflection, the vehicle frame including tubular side frame beams which are directly supported by the axle without intervening spring means.