Electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10093183-B2
Application number	US-201515128173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2015
Priority date	Mar 24, 2014
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

In order to limit entry of a fuel cell stack into a passenger compartment by a simple structure, the fuel cell stack is accommodated in an accommodating compartment formed at a rear of a passenger compartment. A force receiving member is arranged forward with respect to the fuel cell stack and below the fuel cell stack so that rearward force acts on the force receiving member at the time of vehicle collision. When the rearward force acting on the force receiving member due to vehicle collision is larger than a predetermined upper limit value, the rearward force is converted into upward force, and the upward force is transmitted to a forward bottom surface of the fuel cell stack, whereby a forward end part of the fuel cell stack is lifted up with respect to a rearward end part of the fuel cell stack upon vehicle collision.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric vehicle accommodating a fuel cell stack in an accommodating compartment formed at an outside of a passenger compartment in a vehicle length direction, wherein the fuel cell stack has a generally rectangular shape and is flat in configuration with a height smaller than a length and width, wherein the fuel cell stack is arranged in the accommodating compartment so that the two largest surfaces among surfaces of the fuel cell stack form a top surface and bottom surface of the fuel cell stack, wherein a force receiving member is arranged at the outside in the vehicle length direction with respect to the fuel cell stack and below the fuel cell stack so that force toward the inside in the vehicle length direction acts on the force receiving member at the time of vehicle collision, and wherein the electric vehicle is further provided with a force transmission mechanism which, when force acting on the force receiving member directing inward in the vehicle length direction due to vehicle collision is larger than a predetermined upper limit value, converts the inward force to upward force and transmits the upward force to the bottom surface of the fuel cell stack at the outside in the vehicle length direction, whereby, at the time of vehicle collision, an end part of the fuel cell stack at the outside in the vehicle length direction is lifted up with respect to an end part of the fuel cell stack at the inside in the vehicle length direction.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein an electric motor for driving the vehicle or suspension member is accommodated below the fuel cell stack in the accommodating compartment, wherein the force receiving member is arranged at the outside in the vehicle length direction with respect to the electric motor or suspension member, wherein the force transmission mechanism is provided with a guide member attached to the electric motor or suspension member, wherein the guide member is sloped upward as it extends inward in the vehicle length direction, and wherein, when force directing inward in the vehicle length direction which is larger than the upper limit value acts on the force receiving member, the force receiving member is guided by the guide member while moving upward to abut against the bottom surface of the fuel cell stack at the outside in the vehicle length direction, whereby the upward force is transmitted to the fuel cell stack.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein an electric motor for driving the vehicle or suspension member is accommodated below the fuel cell stack in the accommodating compartment, wherein the force receiving member is arranged at the outside in the vehicle length direction with respect to the electric motor or suspension member, wherein the force transmission mechanism is provided with a force receiving member support which supports the force receiving member, wherein one end of the force receiving member support is connected to the force receiving member and the other end of the force receiving member support is connected to the electric motor or suspension member, wherein the force receiving member support is sloped downward as it extends inward in the vehicle length direction from the force receiving member to the electric motor or suspension member, and wherein, when force directing inward in the vehicle length direction which is larger than the upper limit value acts on the force receiving member, the force receiving member is rotated about the other end of the force receiving member support inward in the vehicle length direction, whereby the force receiving member is moved upward.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the force transmission mechanism is provided with a force transmitting member extending between the force receiving member and the bottom surface of the fuel cell stack at the outside in the vehicle length direction, wherein the force transmitting member is sloped upward as it extends inward in the vehicle length direction from the force receiving member to the fuel cell stack, and wherein, when the force receiving member is moved upward due to vehicle collision, upward force is transmitted through the force transmitting member to the bottom surface of the fuel cell stack at the outside in the vehicle length direction.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein, when the force receiving member is moved upward due to vehicle collision, the force receiving member abuts against the bottom surface of the fuel cell stack at the outside in the vehicle length direction, whereby the upward force is transmitted to the fuel cell stack.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the force receiving member is comprised of an auxiliary of the electric vehicle.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the auxiliary is comprised of at least one of a compressor for supplying air to the fuel cell stack, a cooling water pump supplying cooling water to the fuel cell stack, and a compressor for pumping coolant of an air conditioner of the vehicle.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the force receiving member is comprised of the one end of the force receiving member support.

9. The electric vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein a rib shaped portion is formed at the bottom surface of the fuel cell stack at the outside in the vehicle length direction against which the force receiving member abuts.

10. The electric vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the force receiving member is comprised of the one end of the force receiving member support.

11. The electric vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein a rib shaped portion is formed at the bottom surface of the fuel cell stack at the outside in the vehicle length direction against which the force receiving member abuts.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Murata Shigeaki

Classifications

• B60L50/71

  Arrangement of fuel cells within vehicles specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L58/33

  by cooling · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M8/04111

  using a compressor turbine assembly · CPC title

• B60L50/70

  using power supplied by fuel cells (in combination with batteries B60L50/75) · CPC title