Electric vehicles

• US 8,256,553 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2010
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roberto D.E. Paschoal
• Original Assignee: Roberto D.E. Paschoal
• Inventors: De Paschoal, Roberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II, J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coolman, Travis
• Application Number:
  US12/910,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20110198137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/68.5
• US Class Current: 180/68.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/144 with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/13 Small sized city motor vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/20 all arms being rigid
• 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 2001/0461 from the side
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0494 with arrangements for sliding
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• 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

Abstract

An electric vehicle includes a chassis and a compartment defined by the chassis. A power container houses at least one energy storage/generating device for powering the electric vehicle. The power container is insertable into and removable from the compartment through the left side and the right side of the chassis. A suspension apparatus includes a shaft, a control arm pivotably connected to the shaft, at least one helical torsion spring mounted on the shaft, and a linear actuator. Movement of the linear actuator increases bending stress on the at least one helical torsion spring and urges the control arm downwardly.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle, comprising:

a chassis including a front end, a rear end, a left side and a right side, and a compartment defined by the chassis, the compartment accessible through the left side and the right side; and

a power container housing at least one energy storage/generating device for powering the electric vehicle, the power container insertable into the compartment of the chassis through the left side and the right side and removable from the compartment of the chassis through the left side and the right side, the power container including front and rear sidewalls, the power container defines left and right steps which protrude beyond the left and right sides of the chassis, respectively, when the power container is positioned in the compartment; and

at least first and second locking latches coupled to the chassis for selectively maintaining the power container within the compartment, the first and second locking latches arranged adjacent to the front and rear sidewalls of the power container, respectively, when the power container is positioned in the compartment, and each of the first and second locking latches being pivotable between

(i) an engaged position in which the locking latch engages the respective sidewall of the power container and inhibits transverse movement of the power container relative to the electric vehicle, and

(ii) a raised, released position in which the locking latch is clear of an upper edge of the respective sidewall and the power container is movable transversely relative to the chassis for insertion and removal of the power container with respect to the compartment.

2. The electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the compartment comprises at least one rail to support the power container, the at least one rail transversely extending generally between the left side and the right side of the chassis, and the power container comprises a plurality of wheels configured to run on the at least one rail to permit rolling movement of the power container during installation into and removal from the compartment.

3. The electric vehicle of claim 2, wherein the at least one rail comprises a forward rail and a rearward rail, and the plurality of wheels comprises a plurality of first in-line wheels arranged at the front sidewall of the power container to run along the forward rail, and a plurality of second in-line wheels arranged at the rear sidewall of the power container to run along the rearward rail.

4. The electric vehicle of claim 3, wherein each of the pluarality of wheels is elevated relative to a bottom of the power container.

5. The electric vehicle of claim 4, wherein each of the rails comprises a running surface for engagement with the wheels that is elevated relative to a bottom of the compartment.

6. The electric vehicle of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of wheels comprises at least one of an inner flange and an outer flange for maintaining position of the power container relative to the rails.

7. The electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the right sidewall and the left sidewall of the power container comprises a socket for receiving a pulling shaft for use inserting or removing the power container.

8. The electric vehicle of claim 7, wherein the socket is defined by a rotary segment that is coupled to the respective sidewall of the power container by at least one axle, the rotary segment rotatable about the at least one axle between a first position in which the socket is arranged outwardly for use with the pulling shaft, and a second position in which a plate held by the rotary segment is arranged outwardly for use with a secondary pulling mechanism for inserting or removing the power container.

9. The electric vehicle of claim 8, further comprising a locking mechanism for retaining the rotary segment in a preselected position.

10. The electric vehicle of claim 7, wherein the socket comprises a cavity for hosting latches of the pulling shaft.

11. The electric vehicle of claim 1, in the engaged position, each of the locking latches engages a groove in the upper edge of the respective sidewall of the power container.

12. The electric vehicle of claim 11, wherein, in the engaged position, at least one of the first locking latch and the second locking latch establishes an electrical connection with the at least one energy storage/generating device to conduct power to the electric vehicle.

13. The electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the compartment is arranged generally intermediate the front end and the rear end of the chassis.

14. The electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one energy storage/generating device comprises a plurality of batteries.

15. An electric vehicle, comprising:

a chassis including a front end, a rear end, a left side and a right side, and a compartment defined by the chassis, the compartment accessible through the left side and the right side; and

a power container housing at least one energy storage/generating device for powering the electric vehicle, the power container insertable into the compartment of the chassis through the left side and the right side and removable from the compartment of the chassis through the left side and the right side, the power container including front and rear sidewalls; and

at least first and second locking latches coupled to the chassis for selectively maintaining the power container within the compartment, the first and second locking latches arranged adjacent to the front and rear sidewalls of the power container, respectively, when the power container is positioned in the compartment, and each of the first and second locking latches being pivotable between

(i) an engaged position in which the locking latch engages the respective sidewall of the power container and inhibits transverse movement of the power container relative to the electric vehicle, and

(ii) a raised, released position in which the locking latch is clear of an upper edge of the respective sidewall and the power container is movable transversely relative to the chassis for insertion and removal of the power container with respect to the compartment;

wherein at least one of the right sidewall and the left sidewall of the power container comprises a socket for receiving a pulling shaft for use inserting or removing the power container;

wherein the socket is defined by a rotary segment that is coupled to the respective sidewall of the power container by at least one axle, the rotary segment rotatable about the at least one axle between a first position in which the socket is arranged outwardly for use with the pulling shaft, and a second position in which a plate held by the rotary segment is arranged outwardly for use with a secondary pulling mechanism for inserting or removing the power container.

16. The electric vehicle of claim 15, further comprising a locking mechanism for retaining the rotary segment in a preselected position.

17. An electric vehicle, comprising:

a chassis including a front end, a rear end, a left side and a right side, a compartment defined by the chassis arranged generally intermediate the front end and the rear end, the compartment accessible through the left and right sides;

a forward rail and a rearward rail in the compartment extending transversely generally between the left side and the right side of the chassis;

a power container housing at least one energy storage/generating device for powering the electric vehicle, the power container including a front sidewall having first and second grooves spaced apart from one another along an upper edge thereof, a rear sidewall including third and fourth grooves spaced apart from one another along an upper edge thereof, a plurality of first wheels adjacent to the front sidewall and configured to run along the forward rail, and a plurality of second wheels adjacent to the rear sidewall and configured to run along the rearward rail; and

first, second, third and fourth locking latches coupled to the chassis for selectively maintaining the power container within the compartment,

wherein the power container is rollably insertable into and removable from the compartment through either of the left and right sides of the chassis,

wherein the first, second, third and fourth locking latches are configured to engage the first, second, third and fourth grooves of the sidewalls, respectively, when the power container is positioned in the compartment to inhibit transverse movement of the power container relative to the compartment, and

wherein each of the locking latches is configured to pivot upwardly to disengage the upper edge of the respective sidewall so that the power container is movable transversely relative to the chassis for insertion and removal of the power container with respect to the compartment;

wherein the power container defines left and right steps which protrude beyond the left and right sides of the chassis, respectively, when the power container is positioned in the compartment.