Motor vehicle

• US 7,195,282 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Mizuno, Minobu
• Primary Examiner(s): SHRIVER II, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US11/095,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20050224265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 280/830, 280/834, 280/838, 280/784, 280/69.4, 280/65.2, 280/65.3, 220/562, 220/88.1, 180/69.4, 180/65.2, 180/65.3
• US Class Current: 280/830
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• 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 15/063 Arrangement of tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/005 the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0637 the fuel tank is arranged in the front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/44 Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0007 Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0092 with use of redundant elements for safety purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/71 Arrangement of fuel cells within vehicles specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/34 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 11/005 for hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 Hydrogen storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

Hydrogen tanks 21 are located in the vicinity of a front axle of a left front wheel FWL and a right front wheel FWR in a front space 61 of a motor vehicle and are arranged to have their longitudinal axis along a width of the vehicle. The hydrogen tanks 21 are positioned at a height substantially the same as a mounting height of a front bumper 64. This layout desirably ensures sufficient spaces in a trunk room 62 on the rear side of the vehicle and in a passenger compartment of the vehicle. This layout also enables the load of the hydrogen tanks 21 to be directly applied to the left and right front wheels FWL and FWR, while ensuring the good weight balance over the width of the vehicle. The positioning of the hydrogen tanks 21 at substantially the same height as the mounting height of the front bumper 64 effectively reduces a potential shock to the hydrogen tanks 21 in the event of a vehicle collision.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a power output apparatus that receives a supply of hydrogen gas and outputs driving power;

a shock absorbing member that is mounted on a foremost part of said vehicle to absorb impact of a front collision; and

a hydrogen gas tank that is located above and has a central axis that is substantially aligned with a front axle of said vehicle to partly overlap a mounting height of the shock absorbing member and stores the hydrogen gas to be supplied to said power output apparatus.

2. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a radiator for cooling down said power apparatus located between the shock absorbing member and hydrogen gas tank.

3. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said power output apparatus comprises fuel cells that receive the supply of hydrogen gas and generate electric power.

4. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 3, wherein the fuel cells are located under a seat.

5. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 4, wherein the fuel cells are located under a front seat and are stacked along a width of said vehicle, and

said power output apparatus further comprises an accumulator that is located under a rear seat and is chargeable with the electric power generated by the fuel cells.

6. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 4, wherein the fuel cells are located under a rear seat and are stacked along a width of said vehicle, and

said power output apparatus further comprises an accumulator that is located under a front seat and is chargeable with the electric power generated by the fuel cells.

7. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a shock absorbing member that is mounted on a foremost part of said vehicle to absorb impact of a front collision;

a power output apparatus that receives a supply of hydrogen gas and outputs driving power;

a hydrogen gas tank that is located above and has a central axis that is substantially aligned with a front axle of said vehicle to partly overlap a mounting height of the shock absorbing member and stores the hydrogen gas to be supplied to said power output apparatus.

8. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 7, wherein said hydrogen gas tank is arranged to have its longitudinal axis along a width of said vehicle.

9. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 7, wherein said hydrogen gas tank stores either hydrogen or a hydrogen-containing gas as the hydrogen gas.

10. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 7, wherein said hydrogen gas tank is arranged to have its longitudinal axis along a width of said vehicle and stores either hydrogen or a hydrogen-containing gas as the hydrogen gas.

11. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 7, wherein said power output apparatus comprises fuel cells that receive the supply of hydrogen gas and generate electric power.

12. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 11, wherein the fuel cells are located in a passenger compartment of said vehicle.

13. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 12, wherein the fuel cells are located under a seat.

14. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 13, wherein the fuel cells are located under a front seat and are stacked along a width of said vehicle.

15. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 14, wherein said power output apparatus further comprises an accumulator that is located under a rear seat and is chargeable with the electric power generated by the fuel cells.

16. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 13, wherein the fuel cells are located under a rear seat and are stacked along a width of said vehicle.

17. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 16, wherein said power output apparatus further comprises an accumulator that is located under a front seat and is chargeable with the electric power generated by the fuel cells.

18. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 11, wherein said power output apparatus further comprises an accumulator that is chargeable with the electric power generated by the fuel cells.

19. A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 18, wherein the accumulator is located under a seat.