Electric vehicle structure

• US 8,928,279 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2010
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Sekido, Kiyohito, Shigematsu, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US13/263,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20120038319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 320/104, 320/111, 320/107, 320/115
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An electric vehicle structure is provided with a charging port, an electric charging harness and an intermediate connector. The charging port is configured to be provided on a portion of a vehicle. The electric charging harness includes a first wiring portion electrically connected to the charging port and a second wiring portion configured to be connected to an electrical component of the vehicle. The intermediate connector releasably connects the first wiring portion of the electric charging harness to the second wiring portion of the electric charging harness with a repeatable connecting and disconnecting connection.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle structure comprising:

a charging port configured to be provided on a front end of a vehicle, the charging port including a connector that is configured to be connected to an electrical plug of an electric power supply line;

an electric charging harness including a first wiring portion electrically connected to the charging port and a second wiring portion configured to be connected to an electrical component of the vehicle; and

an intermediate connector releasably connecting the first wiring portion of the electric charging harness to the second wiring portion of the electric charging harness with a repeatable connecting and disconnecting connection, the intermediate connector being arranged rearward of a front end of a radiator core support assembly spanning across in a widthwise direction of the vehicle and being spaced separately from the charging port such that the intermediate connector and the charging port are disposed on opposite sides of the radiator core support assembly.

2. The electric vehicle structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

the first wiring portion is a frontward wiring portion, which extends longitudinally frontward of the intermediate connector, and the second wiring portion is a rearward wiring portion, which extends longitudinally rearward of the intermediate connector.

3. The electric vehicle structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

the intermediate connector is provided in a front compartment formed in a frontward portion of the vehicle.

4. The electric vehicle structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

the first wiring portion of the electric charging harness has a length that is shorter than a length of the second wiring portion of the electric charging harness.

5. The electric vehicle structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

the intermediate connector is arranged to be offset in a horizontal direction from an inverter arranged inside the vehicle as viewed in a plan view.

6. The electric vehicle structure as recited claim 1, further comprising

an additional charging port electrically connected to two additional intermediate connectors by two additional first wiring portions, respectively, and two additional second wiring portions being electrically connected to the two additional intermediate connectors, respectively.

7. The electric vehicle structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

the intermediate connector includes a first mating part attached to the first wiring portion and a second mating part attached to the second wiring portion, with the second mating part having a bracket configured to be mounted to a cross member of the vehicle.

8. The electric vehicle structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

the intermediate connector is located in a front vehicle compartment with the front vehicle compartment having an unobstructed access space existing in a vertical direction at least one of directly below the intermediate connector to an area below the vehicle and directly above the intermediate connector until a hood panel of the vehicle.

9. The electric vehicle structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

the intermediate connector is arranged rearward of the vehicle with respect to the charging port.

10. The electric vehicle structure as recited in claim 2, wherein

the intermediate connector is provided in a front compartment formed in a frontward portion of the vehicle.

11. The electric vehicle structure as recited in claim 2, wherein

the first wiring portion of the electric charging harness has a length that is shorter than a length of the second wiring portion of the electric charging harness.

12. The electric vehicle structure as recited in claim 2, wherein

the intermediate connector is arranged to be offset in a horizontal direction from an inverter arranged inside the vehicle as viewed in a plan view.

13. The electric vehicle structure as recited claim 2, further comprising

an additional charging port electrically connected to two additional intermediate connectors by two additional first wiring portions, respectively, and two additional second wiring portions being electrically connected to the two additional intermediate connectors, respectively.

14. The electric vehicle structure as recited in claim 2, wherein

the intermediate connector includes a first mating part attached to the first wiring portion and a second mating part attached to the second wiring portion, with the second mating part having a bracket configured to be mounted to a cross member of the vehicle.

15. The electric vehicle structure as recited in claim 2, wherein

the intermediate connector is located in a front vehicle compartment with the front vehicle compartment having an unobstructed access space existing in a vertical direction at least one of directly below the intermediate connector to an area below the vehicle and directly above the intermediate connector until a hood panel of the vehicle.

16. The electric vehicle structure as recited in claim 2, wherein

the intermediate connector is arranged rearward of the vehicle with respect to the charging port.