Electric vehicle

• US 9,561,735 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Nozaki, Takuma
• Primary Examiner(s): VANAMAN, FRANK BENNETT
• Application Number:
  US14/438,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20150291056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• 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 2001/0416 Arrangement in the rear part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0422 Arrangement under the front seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0466 from above
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0632 the fuel tank is arranged below the front seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0638 the fuel tank is arranged in the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/141 Light trucks
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An electric vehicle comprises a first battery pack including a first battery which stores electric power for activating a wheel, and a vehicle body frame to which the first battery pack is mounted, wherein a suspending unit space in which a suspending unit which suspends and lifts up the first battery pack accommodated in a first battery accommodating space is placed is formed to be opened upward, above the first battery accommodating space, a lift-up space through which the first battery pack is movable upward, is formed, above the first battery accommodating space inside a vehicle body, and a carry-out space through which the first battery pack is movable to a space which is outside the vehicle body, is formed between an upper region of the lift-up space inside the vehicle body and the space which is outside the vehicle body.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle used for multi-purposes, comprising:

a battery pack including a battery which stores electric power for activating a wheel;

a vehicle body frame to which the battery pack is mounted;

a constituent member of a vehicle body which covers a battery accommodating space accommodating the battery pack from above or opens the battery accommodating space in an upward direction, in a state in which the constituent member of the vehicle body is coupled to the vehicle body frame and placed inward in a vehicle width direction relative to the vehicle body frame;

a front cross pipe member extending in a rightward and leftward direction, in front of the battery pack;

a rear cross pipe member extending in the rightward and leftward direction, at a location that is rearward relative to the front cross pipe member and above the battery pack;

a first dimension provided between the battery pack and the rear cross pipe member, at a location that is above the battery pack;

a second dimension provided between the battery pack and the front cross pipe member, at a location that is in front of the battery pack; and

a third dimension which is an overlap width of a portion of a front end portion of the rear cross pipe member and a portion of a rear end portion of the battery pack, the portions overlapping with each other in a forward and rearward direction,

wherein a suspending unit space in which a suspending unit which suspends and lifts up the battery pack accommodated in the battery accommodating space is placed is formed to be opened upward, above the battery accommodating space, inside the vehicle body,

wherein a lift-up space through which the battery pack accommodated in the battery accommodating space is movable upward is formed, above the battery accommodating space inside the vehicle body,

wherein a carry-out space through which the battery pack is movable to a space which is outside the vehicle body, is formed between an upper region of the lift-up space inside the vehicle body and the space which is outside the vehicle body,

wherein a mounting member to which the suspending unit is mounted is provided on an upper surface of the battery pack, and

wherein the first dimension is set to be larger than a height of the mounting member, and the second dimension is set to be larger than the third dimension.

2. An electric vehicle used for multi-purposes, comprising:

a battery pack including a battery which stores electric power for activating a wheel;

a vehicle body frame to which the battery pack is mounted;

a constituent member of a vehicle body which covers a battery accommodating space accommodating the battery pack from above or opens the battery accommodating space in an upward direction, in a state in which the constituent member of the vehicle body is coupled to the vehicle body frame and placed inward in a vehicle width direction relative to the vehicle body frame;

a seat placed above the battery accommodating space;

a front cross pipe member extending in a rightward and leftward direction, in front of the battery pack;

a rear cross pipe member extending in the rightward and leftward direction, at a location that is rearward relative to the front cross pipe member and above the battery pack; and

a pair of right and left longitudinal pipe members supporting right and left side portions of the seat,

wherein a suspending unit space in which a suspending unit which suspends and lifts up the battery pack accommodated in the battery accommodating space is placed is formed to be opened upward, above the battery accommodating space, inside the vehicle body,

wherein a lift-up space through which the battery pack accommodated in the battery accommodating space is movable upward is formed, above the battery accommodating space inside the vehicle body,

wherein a carry-out space through which the battery pack is movable to a space which is outside the vehicle body, is formed between an upper region of the lift-up space inside the vehicle body and the space which is outside the vehicle body,

wherein the seat is retractable from the suspending unit space and the lift-up space, and

wherein a distance in the rightward and leftward direction between the pair of right and left longitudinal pipe members is longer than a dimension of the battery pack in the rightward and leftward direction, and a distance between the front cross pipe member and the rear cross pipe member is longer than a dimension of the battery pack in a forward and rearward direction.

3. An electric vehicle used for multi-purposes, comprising:

a battery pack including a battery which stores electric power for activating a wheel;

a vehicle body frame to which the battery pack is mounted;

a constituent member of a vehicle body which covers a battery accommodating space accommodating the battery pack from above or opens the battery accommodating space in an upward direction, in a state in which the constituent member of the vehicle body is coupled to the vehicle body frame and placed inward in a vehicle width direction relative to the vehicle body frame;

an accommodating container having the battery accommodating space;

a floor panel on which the accommodating container is placed;

a buffering member placed between the accommodating container and the floor panel and made of an elastic material; and

a fastening member for fastening the accommodating container and the front panel to each other,

wherein a suspending unit space in which a suspending unit which suspends and lifts up the battery pack accommodated in the battery accommodating space is placed is formed to be opened upward, above the battery accommodating space, inside the vehicle body,

wherein a lift-up space through which the battery pack accommodated in the battery accommodating space is movable upward is formed, above the battery accommodating space inside the vehicle body,

wherein a carry-out space through which the battery pack is movable to a space which is outside the vehicle body, is formed between an upper region of the lift-up space inside the vehicle body and the space which is outside the vehicle body, and

wherein in a state in which the buffering member is compressed in a direction to reduce a spacing between the accommodating container and the floor panel, the accommodating container is fastened to the floor panel.