Vehicle

• US 7,900,728 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Murasato, Kenji, Suzuki, Naoto, Ang, Wanleng, Ichikawa, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II; J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEYER, JACOB B
• Application Number:
  US12/453,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20090315359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.5, 180/65.21, 180/65.22, 180/65.275, 180/65.29, 903/907, 903/943, 320/107, 320/109, 320/113, 320/115, 320/119, 320/122, 320/134, 320/136
• 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 2001/0427 Arrangement between the seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0433 Arrangement under the rear seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0455 Removal or replacement of the energy storages
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0472 from below
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A vehicle includes: rotatable wheels; a rotary electric machine that generates power for driving the wheels; a battery that supplies electric power to the rotary electric machine and that is fixed to the vehicle; and a detachable battery that supplies electric power to the rotary electric machine, that is detachable from the vehicle and that is arranged at a center in a width direction of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle, wherein a center of gravity is located at a center in a width direction of the vehicle comprising:

rotatable wheels;

a drive rotary electric machine that generates power for driving the wheels;

a first electrical storage device that supplies electric power to the drive rotary electric machine and that is fixed to a center in the width direction of the vehicle; and

a second electrical storage device that supplies electric power to the drive rotary electric machine, wherein the second electrical storage device is detachable from the vehicle and is arranged at the center in the width direction of the vehicle,

wherein

when the first electrical storage device is detached, the vehicle is placed in a non-drivable state;

when the first electrical storage device is attached and the second electrical storage device is detached, the vehicle is placed in a drivable state; and

when the first electrical storage device is attached and the second electrical storage device is attached, the vehicle is placed in the drivable state.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detecting unit that is able to detect whether the first electrical storage device is attached or detached; and

a control unit that is able to switch the vehicle between the drivable state and the non-drivable state.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the second electrical storage device is electrically connected in parallel with the first electrical storage device.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the second electrical storage device is electrically connected in series with the first electrical storage device.

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

a driver seat;

a front passenger seat that is spaced apart from the driver seat in the width direction of the vehicle; and

a vehicle body that defines a passenger compartment, which accommodates the driver seat and the front passenger seat and which is able to accommodate a passenger, and a driving portion compartment, which accommodates the drive rotary electric machine, wherein

the second electrical storage device is arranged in the passenger compartment, and is provided between the driver seat and the front passenger seat.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5, further comprising:

a shock absorbing member that is provided between the driver seat and the front passenger seat and that is fixed to the vehicle body, wherein

the second electrical storage device is fixed onto the shock absorbing member.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a front seat;

a rear seat that is spaced apart from the front seat, and is provided at a rear of the vehicle; and

a vehicle body that defines a passenger compartment, which accommodates the front seat and the rear seat and which is able to accommodate a passenger, and a driving portion compartment, which accommodates the drive rotary electric machine, wherein

the second electrical storage device is arranged in the passenger compartment and that is provided between the front seat and the rear seat.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising:

a floor panel that defines a floor;

a front seat fixing member that fixes the front seat to the floor panel; and

a rear seat fixing member that fixes the rear seat to the floor panel, wherein

the second electrical storage device is fixed to the front seat fixing member and the rear seat fixing member.

9. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

the front seat includes a driver seat and a front passenger seat that is spaced apart from the driver seat in the width direction of the vehicle;

and

the vehicle further comprising;

a floor panel that defines a floor surface;

a shock absorbing member that is provided between the driver seat and the front passenger seat; and

a fixing member that fixes the shock absorbing member to the floor panel, wherein the second electrical storage device is fixed to the fixing member.

10. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the second electrical storage device is arranged at a center in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the second electrical storage devices are arranged in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the second electrical storage devices are stacked in a height direction of the vehicle.