Detachable battery pack and electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10046667-B2
Application number	US-201615356752-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2016
Priority date	Mar 14, 2016
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A battery pack includes non-parallel longer and shorter axes. A virtual first plane includes the shorter axis and an end surface of the battery pack, a virtual second plane includes the longer axis and another end surface of the battery pack, and a virtual third plane is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the longer axis and includes the center of gravity of the battery pack. The battery pack includes first and second grips, respectively at least partially located in the first and second planes. The first grip allows the battery pack to be carried such that the longer axis extends in the vertical direction. The second grip allows the battery pack to slide along the first plane. The first grip and at least a portion of the second grip are located on the same side with respect to the third plane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery pack for an electric vehicle, the battery pack being attachable to, and detachable from, the electric vehicle, the battery pack comprising:
a battery pack main body having a longer axis and a shorter axis that are not parallel to each other;
a virtual first plane of the battery pack main body including the shorter axis and a first end surface of the battery pack main body and not including the longer axis, a virtual second plane of the battery pack main body including the longer axis and a second end surface of the battery pack main body, and a virtual third plane of the battery pack main body perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the longer axis and including a center of gravity of the battery pack main body;
a first grip at least partially in the first plane, a location of the first grip allowing the battery pack to be carried such that the longer axis extends in a vertical direction; and
a second grip at least partially in the second plane, a location of the second grip allowing the battery pack to slide in the electric vehicle along the first plane at a time of detachment of the battery pack from, and/or attachment of the battery pack to, the electric vehicle; wherein
the first grip and at least a portion of the second grip are located on a same side of the battery pack with respect to the third plane; and
the second grip is attached to the battery pack main body.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the second grip is spaced away from the first grip by a predetermined distance.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the second grip is smaller than the first grip.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the second grip is able to be deformed.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one battery cell; and
a power output connector electrically connectable with the electric vehicle; wherein
the first grip, at least a portion of the second grip, and the power output connector are located on a same side with respect to the third plane.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the second grip is entirely located on a same side with respect to the third plane.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the power output connector is located in a corner portion of the battery pack.

8. An electric vehicle comprising:
the battery pack according to claim 1 ; and
a case accommodating the battery pack, the case including an inner wall parallel or substantially parallel to the virtual first plane; wherein
the inner wall guides the battery pack at a time of attachment of the battery pack to, and/or detachment of the battery pack from, the case.

9. The electric vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the case accommodates the battery pack such that the battery pack is inclined with respect to the vertical direction.

10. The electric vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the battery pack includes at least one battery cell and a power output connector that outputs electric power of the at least one battery cell; and
the power output connector is located in an upper portion of the battery pack when the battery pack is in an inclined state.

11. The electric vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the case accommodates a power input connector; and
the power output connector and the power input connector are connected with each other at an upper portion of the battery pack when the battery back is in an inclined state.

12. The electric vehicle according to claim 11 , further comprising:
an electric motor drivable by electric power received via the power input connector; and
a driver to transmit a driving force of the electric motor.

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Orimo Toshiro

Classifications

• B62K2204/00

  Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor · CPC title

• H01M50/249

  specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains (constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64) · CPC title

• H01M50/204

  Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells · CPC title

• H01M50/296

  characterised by terminals of battery packs (terminals of batteries H01M50/543) · CPC title

• B60L50/64

  Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title