Hybrid vehicle

• US 8,827,023 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Hiroshi, Iida, Minoru, Naruke, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, HAU VAN
• Application Number:
  US13/778,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20130248268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.5, 180/65.21, 180/65.29
• 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 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0007 Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• 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 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2306/01 Reducing damages in case of crash, e.g. by improving battery protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/952 Housing details

Abstract

There is provided a hybrid vehicle. The hybrid vehicle including: a propeller shaft that transmits a driving force in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body; and a battery unit that is disposed below the propeller shaft under the floor of the vehicle body so that the battery unit is detachable from the vehicle body when the propeller shaft is pushed down.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

a propeller shaft to transmit a driving force in a front-rear direction of the vehicle body; and

a battery unit disposed below the propeller shaft under a floor of the vehicle body and configured to be detachable from the vehicle body when the propeller shaft is pushed down, wherein

the battery unit includes a housing having a pair of side sections disposed to the left and right of the propeller shaft under the floor of the vehicle body and configured to house a battery, and a central section configured to connect the pair of side sections below the propeller shaft, and

the propeller shaft is housed in a space enclosed by the pair of side sections and the central section of the housing, and the floor of the vehicle body.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the battery unit is detachably mounted to the floor of the vehicle body, so that the battery unit is configured to at least partially detach from the vehicle body by the housing being pushed down by the propeller shaft being pushed down.

3. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

a propeller shaft to transmit a driving force in a front-rear direction of the vehicle body; and

a battery unit disposed below the propeller shaft under a floor of the vehicle body and configured to be detachable from the vehicle body when the propeller shaft is pushed down, wherein

the battery unit includes a housing having a pair of side sections disposed to the left and right of the propeller shaft under the floor of the vehicle body and configured to house a battery, and a central section configured to connect the pair of side sections below the propeller shaft,

the propeller shaft is housed in a space enclosed by the pair of side sections and the central section of the housing, and the floor of the vehicle body,

the battery unit is detachably mounted to the floor of the vehicle body, so that the battery unit is configured to at least partially detach from the vehicle body by the housing being pushed down by the propeller shaft being pushed down, and

the battery unit is mounted to the floor of the vehicle body by a plurality of mounting members arranged at front and rear positions of the vehicle body, and the connection between the battery unit and the vehicle body via at least one front mounting member is configured to release by the housing being pushed down by the propeller shaft being pushed down.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising:

a retaining member configured to connect the housing of the battery unit to the vehicle body,

wherein the retaining member is configured to retain the housing after a detachment of the housing at the front position due to the release of the connection between the battery unit and the vehicle body via the at least one front mounting member.

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising

a power cable connecting the battery unit to the vehicle body and configured to electrically separate the battery unit from the vehicle body by a detachable plug and receptacle structure.

6. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

the detachable plug and receptacle structure is configured to electrically separate the battery unit from the vehicle body after a detachment of the battery unit from the vehicle body.

7. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the propeller shaft is connected to an engine disposed at a front position of the vehicle body and has a coupling or a bearing at a location rearward of the front mounting members,

the coupling or bearing is configured such that, when the engine is pushed back, the propeller shaft is bent at the coupling or the bearing, and the housing is pushed down, thereby causing the battery unit to detach at the front location.