Vehicle and power transfer system

• US 9,969,281 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Toru, Ichikawa, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Pacheco, Alexis
• Application Number:
  US14/357,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20140320078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,366 Days
• Field of Search: 320108, 320109, 320107, 320104, 320137, 320134, 307104, 307 101
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• 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: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• 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 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid 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 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

The vehicle includes a floor panel, a power reception device configured to receive power in a non-contact manner from a power transmission device disposed in the external, and a battery connected to the power reception device. The battery is disposed above the floor panel. The power reception device is disposed below the floor panel. The power reception device and the battery are disposed to overlap each other at least partially in planar view.

Claims

1. A vehicle for use with a power transmission device located externally outside the vehicle, the vehicle comprising:

a floor panel;

a power reception device configured to receive power in a non-contact manner from the power transmission device, the power reception device being disposed below the floor panel;

a battery connected to the power reception device, the battery being disposed above the floor panel, the battery and the power reception device overlapping each other at least partially in planar view, and a rear end of the power reception device protruding to a rear side of the vehicle further than a rear end of the battery;

a charger disposed between the power reception device and the battery, the floor panel being disposed between the charger and the power reception device, and a rear end of the charger being positioned in a front side of the vehicle ahead of a rear end portion of the battery; and

a crushable zone disposed at the rear side of the vehicle and being configured to receive a collision from the rear side of the vehicle, wherein;

the battery and the charger are disposed in front of the crushable zone, and

a part of the power reception device protrudes into the crushable zone.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a charge unit connected to a power supplying connector disposed externally outside the vehicle, wherein

the charger converts power supplied from the charge unit to charging power for the battery, and converts power received from the power reception device to the charging power for the battery.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a charge control unit, wherein

the charge control unit is disposed between the power reception device and the battery.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the power transmission device includes a power transmission unit configured to transmit power in a non-contact manner to the power reception device,

the power reception device includes a power reception unit configured to receive power in a non-contact manner from the power transmission unit, and

a difference between the natural frequency of the power transmission unit and the natural frequency of the power reception unit is 10% of the natural frequency of the power reception unit or less.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the power transmission device includes a power transmission unit configured to transmit power in a non-contact manner to the power reception device,

the power reception device includes a power reception unit configured to receive power in a non-contact manner from the power transmission unit, and

a coupling coefficient between the power reception unit and the power transmission unit is 0.1 or less.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the power transmission device includes a power transmission unit configured to transmit power in a non-contact manner to the power reception device,

the power reception device includes a power reception unit configured to receive power in a non-contact manner from the power transmission unit, and

the power reception unit receives power from the power transmission unit through at least one of a magnetic field which is formed between the power reception unit and the power transmission unit and oscillates at a specific frequency, and an electric field which is formed between the power reception unit and the power transmission unit and oscillates at a specific frequency.

10. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the rear end of the power reception device protrudes into the crushable zone.

7. A power transfer system comprising:

a power transmission device configured to transmit power in a non-contact manner; and

a vehicle including;

a floor panel,

a power reception device configured to receive power from the power transmission device, the power reception device being disposed below the floor panel,

a battery connected to the power reception device, the battery being disposed above the floor panel, the battery and the power reception device overlapping each other at least partially in planar view, and a rear end of the power reception device protruding to a rear side of the vehicle further than a rear end of the battery,

a charger disposed between the power reception device and the battery, the floor panel being disposed between the charger and the power reception device, and a rear end of the charger being positioned in a front side of the vehicle ahead of a rear end portion of the battery; and

a crushable zone disposed at the rear side of the vehicle and being configured to receive a collision from the rear side of the vehicle, wherein;

the battery and the charger are disposed in front of the crushable zone, and

a part of the power reception device protrudes into the crushable zone.

8. The power transfer system according to claim 7, wherein:

the vehicle includes a charge unit connected to a power supplying connector disposed externally outside the vehicle, and

the charger converts power supplied from the charge unit to charging power for the battery, and converts power received from the power reception device to the charging power for the battery.

9. The power transfer system according to claim 7, wherein

the vehicle further a charge control unit, and

the charge control unit is disposed between the power reception device and the battery.

11. The power transfer system according to claim 7, wherein the rear end of the power reception device protrudes into the crushable zone.