Rear structure for electric vehicle, and electric vehicle including same

• US 9,956,860 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2016
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Tsuji, Ayumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Swenson, Brian L
• Application Number:
  US15/290,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20170106733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• 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 2001/0455 Removal or replacement of the energy storages
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0477 from the back
• 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 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 5/04 arranged at rear of vehicle B60R5/003, B60R5/006 take precedence; external trunks arranged at rear of vehicle B60R9/065
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/112 City movers, small sized city motor vehicles
• 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

In a rear structure for an electric vehicle including, at the rear of the vehicle body, an article storage unit supported on a rear frame, and a first lid configured to cover the article storage unit from above, the electric vehicle includes sub batteries serving as a drive source thereof, the sub batteries are stored in a battery storage unit disposed below the article storage unit, the article storage unit and the battery storage unit include an upper opening and a lower opening, respectively, which are open to the rear side of the vehicle, and a second lid configured to cover the upper opening and the lower opening is formed as a member different from the first lid. Such a rear structure for a vehicle is easy to use, and allows many articles be loaded on the article storage unit and be stored therein.

Claims

1. A rear structure for an electric vehicle,

said electric vehicle comprising a vehicle body frame;

a battery which serves as a drive source for the vehicle;

a battery storage unit; and

a second lid,

said rear structure comprising

an article storage unit supported on the vehicle body frame at a rear of a vehicle body; and

a first lid configured to cover the article storage unit from above; and

wherein;

the battery is stored in the battery storage unit disposed below the article storage unit;

each of the article storage unit and the battery storage unit includes an opening portion which is selectively openable to an outside;

the second lid is configured to cover the opening portions of the article storage unit and the battery storage unit;

the second lid is formed separately from the first lid;

the second lid includes an inner surface continuing to a bottom surface of the battery storage unit in a state where the second lid is open; and

a guide portion is provided on the inner surface of the second lid, the guide portion being configured to guide the battery when the battery is taken in and out of the battery storage unit.

2. The rear structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein first lid comprises an article loading member provided on an upper surface thereof, said article loading member configured to receive baggage for loading;

and

the first lid in a closed state thereof is in contact with and supported by an upper surface of the vehicle body frame.

3. The rear structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a bottom surface of the battery storage unit is an inclined surface inclined obliquely upward towards a rear side of the vehicle body.

4. The rear structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein the article storage unit includes a first bottom surface and a second bottom surface formed at a position lower than a position of the first bottom surface;

and

the second bottom surface is provided at a position closer to the corresponding opening portion than the position of the first bottom surface.

5. The rear structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein:

the upper surface of the first lid is inclined downward toward a front side of the vehicle body; and

the vehicle body frame includes a cross frame situated above and forward of the upper surface of the first lid, said cross frame being extending in a vehicle width direction.

6. The rear structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 5,

further comprising a side loading member which is configured to receive baggage for loading, said side loading member being provided outward of the article loading member in a vehicle width direction, and

wherein an upper surface of the article loading member and an upper surface of the side loading member are formed at a same height.

7. The rear structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 2,

further comprising a side loading member which is configured to receive baggage for loading, said side loading member being provided outward of the article loading member in a vehicle width direction, and

wherein an upper surface of the article loading member and an upper surface of the side loading member are formed at a same height.

8. The rear structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the battery storage unit is an inclined surface inclined obliquely upward towards a rear side of the vehicle body.

9. The rear structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 8,

wherein the article storage unit includes a first bottom surface and a second bottom surface formed at a position lower than a position of the first bottom surface;

and

the second bottom surface is provided at a position closer to the corresponding opening portion than the position of the first bottom surface.

10. The rear structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 8,

wherein:

the upper surface of the first lid is inclined downward toward a front side of the vehicle body; and

the vehicle body frame includes a cross frame situated above and forward of the upper surface of the first lid, said cross frame being extending in a vehicle width direction.

11. The rear structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 8,

further comprising a side loading member which is configured to receive baggage for loading, said side loading member being provided outward of the article loading member in a vehicle width direction, and

wherein an upper surface of the article loading member and an upper surface of the side loading member are formed at a same height.

12. The rear structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the article storage unit includes a first bottom surface and a second bottom surface formed at a position lower than a position of the first bottom surface;

and

the second bottom surface is provided at a position closer to the corresponding opening portion than the position of the first bottom surface.

13. The rear structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 12,

wherein:

the upper surface of the first lid is inclined downward toward a front side of the vehicle body; and

the vehicle body frame includes a cross frame situated above and forward of the upper surface of the first lid, said cross frame being extending in a vehicle width direction.

14. The rear structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 12,

further comprising a side loading member which is configured to receive baggage for loading, said side loading member being provided outward of the article loading member in a vehicle width direction, and

wherein an upper surface of the article loading member and an upper surface of the side loading member are formed at a same height.

15. The rear structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein:

the upper surface of the first lid is inclined downward toward a front side of the vehicle body; and

the vehicle body frame includes a cross frame situated above and forward of the upper surface of the first lid, said cross frame being extending in a vehicle width direction.

16. The rear structure for an electric vehicle according to claim 1,

further comprising a side loading member which is configured to receive baggage for loading, said side loading member being provided outward of the article loading member in a vehicle width direction, and

wherein an upper surface of the article loading member and an upper surface of the side loading member are formed at a same height.