Vehicle body of electric vehicle

• US 5,833,023 A
• Filed: 05/08/1996
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clean Craft Limited
• Original Assignee: Kokuritsu Kankyo Kenkyusho
• Inventors: Shimizu, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YU, MIN SON
• Application Number:
  US08/646,554
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.5, 180/69.1, 180/60, 104/34, 105/49, 105/50, 105/51, 296/37.1, 296/37.14, 296/204, 296/205, 429/120, 280/782, 280/783
• 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 2001/005 the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0483 from the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0007 Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/00 Understructures, i.e. chassis frame on which a vehicle body may be mounted combined frame and vehicle body B62D23/00 ; characterised by the material thereof B62D29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/10 in which the main member is plate-like
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/17 forming fluid or electrical conduit means or having other means to accommodate the transmission of a force or signal
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle body of an electric vehicle driven by a battery includes a floor structure partitioned into a plurality of frame members. The frame members serve as side frames, reinforcing frames and also as battery accommodating frames into which batteries are accommodated. Further, the problem of the generation of heat in the battery is overcome by the use of holes provided in the frame members to permit the passage of air or the use of a passage to permit the flow of a cooling fluid.

Claims

1. A vehicle body of an electric vehicle driven by a battery, comprising:

a floor structure including a plurality of hollow beams, parallel to a direction of movement of the vehicle, serving as structure of the vehicle, each of said plurality of hollow beams including a battery accommodation section housing at least one battery, a battery inserting opening located on a longitudinal end of each hollow beam and a passage portion containing a battery cooling fluid to cool said at least one battery, said plurality of hollow beams thus including a plurality of battery accommodation sections having a plurality of batteries, a plurality of battery inserting openings and a plurality of passage portions, wherein said plurality of hollow beams include more than two hollow beams connected side by side.

2. A vehicle body of an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of hollow beams are formed from an upper plate and a lower plate by folding, and have a square or rectangular cross-section and a battery inserting opening defined at an end thereof, said plurality of hollow beams thus including a plurality of battery inserting openings.

3. A vehicle body of an electric vehicle according to claims 1 or 2, further including a battery fixing means for fixing one or more batteries within said beam, said battery fixing means provided at each of said battery inserting openings.

4. A vehicle body of an electric vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said hollow beams are provided with holes for cooling and inspecting the battery.

5. A vehicle body of an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said passage portion for permitting the flow of a battery cooling fluid therethrough is located below said battery accommodating portion.

6. The vehicle body of claim 1, wherein said battery cooling fluid is a liquid.

7. The vehicle body of claim 6, wherein said battery cooling fluid is water.

8. The vehicle body of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of partitioning walls attached to inner walls of said hollow beams, defining along with said inner walls of said hollow beams said battery accommodation sections and said passage portions.

9. A vehicle body of claim 8, wherein said plurality of partition walls include holes permitting said cooling fluid to flow through said holes.

10. A vehicle body of claim 9, wherein said holes are slits.