Industrial vehicle

• US 9,511,984 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakai, Takashi, Sugimoto, Takahisa, Watanabe, Shintaro, Oishi, Hidefumi, Ueda, Hiromi, Morisaku, Naoto, Maeda, Kazuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Walters, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNS, HILARY LYNN
• Application Number:
  US14/420,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20150203339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2007/0061 the motor axle being parallel to the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 25/00 Auxiliary drives B60K16/00 takes precedence; arrangements of tyre-inflating pumps mounted on vehicles B60C23/10; driving tyre-inflating pumps B60C; driving engine auxiliaries F02B
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/15 Fork lift trucks, Industrial trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07531 Battery compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07554 Counterweights
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An industrial vehicle is provided with a vehicle body, battery cells, which are the electric power source for the industrial vehicle and are located within the vehicle body, and a counterweight, which is located within the vehicle body. The counterweight has a weight portion and a weight body that extends from the weight portion. The battery cells are provided on both sides of the weight body and are thermally coupled to the weight body.

Claims

1. An industrial vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body;

a plurality of battery cells that define a power source of the industrial vehicle and are arranged in the vehicle body; and

a counterweight arranged in the vehicle body, wherein

the counterweight includes a weight portion and a weight body that projects from the weight portion, and

the plurality of battery cells contact at least two sides of the weight body so as to be thermally coupled to the weight body such that the weight body absorbs excess heat from the plurality of battery cells through the at least two sides of the weight body.

2. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the weight body is a plate.

3. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the weight portion is rectangular,

the weight body is located at a center of the weight portion in a transverse direction, and

the plurality of battery cells are fixed to the weight body.

4. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the counterweight is arranged in the vehicle body such that the weight portion is located below the plurality of battery cells in a direction of a gravitational force.

5. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a heat transfer plate that is sandwiched between the plurality of battery cells and thermally coupled to the weight body so as to allow heat from the plurality of battery cells to pass through the heat transfer plate and to the weight body where the heat is absorbed.

6. The industrial vehicle according to claim 5, wherein a dimension of the heat transfer plate in a direction in which the heat transfer plate extends from the weight body is greater than a dimension of each battery cell in a direction in which the battery cell extends from the weight body.

7. The industrial vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the weight portion includes a top surface from which the weight body projects,

mounting surfaces of the weight body are perpendicular to the top surface of the weight portion, and

the plurality of battery cells are fixed to the weight portion at the mounting surfaces.

8. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the counterweight is configured to counterbalance a carried load mounted on a front of the industrial vehicle.

9. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the counterweight and the plurality of battery cells are arranged in the vehicle body such that the weight portion is located below the plurality of battery cells in a direction of a gravitational force.

10. The industrial vehicle according to claim 5, wherein entire side surfaces of the heat transfer plate in a thickness direction are in contact with side surfaces of adjacent battery cells in the thickness direction.

11. An industrial vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body;

a plurality of battery cells that define a power source of the industrial vehicle and are arranged in the vehicle body; and

a counterweight arranged in the vehicle body, wherein

the counterweight includes a weight portion and a weight body that projects from the weight portion,

the weight body includes a first surface and a second surface that is opposite to the first surface,

the plurality of battery cells are attached to the first surface and the second surface of the weight body to extend from the first surface and the second surface in opposite directions, and

the plurality of battery cells are thermally coupled to the weight body such that the weight body absorbs excess heat from the plurality of battery cells through the first surface and the second surface of the weight body.