Hybrid vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10328930-B2
Application number	US-201715468364-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2017
Priority date	Mar 30, 2016
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

A cruising distance coefficient is set that is smaller than a value of 1 and that becomes smaller as a use index indicating a degree of use of external charging gets smaller, and a cruising distance is calculated by multiplying a fuel quantity by the set cruising distance coefficient and a fuel consumption coefficient. Then, a display cruising distance is calculated by subtracting from the cruising distance a value obtained by subtracting a set-time travel distance Lset, obtained when the cruising distance is calculated, from a travel distance from a travel distance meter, and the calculated display cruising distance is displayed on a display device in front of a driver's seat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a fuel tank configured to supply fuel to the engine;
a motor;
a battery configured to supply electric power to the motor;
a charger configured to carry out external charging that charges the battery using an external power source;
an electronic control unit configured to adjust a cruising distance, the cruising distance being a distance that the hybrid vehicle can travel using the fuel, such that, when a use index indicating a degree of use of the external charging in a predetermined time period is lower than a threshold value, the cruising distance is lower than when the use index is greater than or equal to the threshold value; and
a display device, wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to control the display device such that the display device displays a distance that is lower than a travelable distance calculated from a fuel quantity in the fuel tank, as the cruising distance.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to calculate the cruising distance by multiplying the travelable distance calculated from the fuel quantity in the fuel tank, by a coefficient that decreases as the use index decreases.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to limit fuel supply from the fuel tank to the engine when the cruising distance has been traveled.

4. A hybrid vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a fuel tank configured to supply fuel to the engine;
a motor;
a battery configured to supply electric power to the motor;
a charger configured to carry out external charging that charges the battery using an external power source;
an electronic control unit configured to adjust a cruising distance, the cruising distance being a distance that the hybrid vehicle can travel using the fuel, such that, when a use index indicating a degree of use of the external charging in a predetermined time period is lower than a threshold value, the cruising distance is lower than when the use index is greater than or equal to the threshold value,
wherein the electronic control unit is configured to limit refueling to the fuel tank.

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to close a refueling port of the fuel tank.

6. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to cause a refueling device to stop refueling when a fuel quantity in the fuel tank is less than 100%.

7. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein
the fuel tank is configured such that a capacity of the fuel tank is variable, and
the electronic control unit is configured to reduce the capacity of the fuel tank.

8. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to transmit, to a refueling device configured to carry out refueling in response to receipt of a required refueling quantity from the hybrid vehicle, a refueling quantity that is smaller than a refuelable quantity calculated from a fuel quantity in the fuel tank, as the required refueling quantity.

9. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to slow down a refueling speed by causing an opening area of a portion of a refueling pipe to be smaller than a normal area.

10. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to transmit a signal to a refueling device configured to be communicable and to be able to adjust a refueling speed such that the refueling device carries out refueling at a refueling speed slower than a normal refueling speed.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Abe Shizuo
• Ichikawa Shinji

Classifications

• B67D7/08

  Arrangements of devices for controlling, indicating, metering or registering quantity or price of liquid transferred (arrangement of flow- or pressure-control valves B67D7/36; computing, calculating, counting G06; coin-freed apparatus for dispensing fluids G07F13/00; prepayment devices for metering liquids G07F15/00) · CPC title

• B60L2260/52

  drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance · CPC title

• B60K6/28

  characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors · CPC title

• B60W2050/146

  Display means · CPC title

• B60W20/00

  Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles {(hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L)} · CPC title