Electric vehicle with cleaning device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10744980-B2
Application number	US-201816100754-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2018
Priority date	Aug 10, 2018
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

An electric vehicle with a cleaning device includes a electric motor, a cleaning device connected with a pipe installed in a vehicle cabin, a first clutch that connects and disconnects the electric motor with an axle of wheels of the vehicle, a second clutch that connects and disconnects the electric motor with the cleaning device, a control unit that controls one of the first clutch and the second clutch to selectively connect one of the cleaning device and the axle with the electric motor and activate the cleaning device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric vehicle with a cleaning device comprising:
an electric motor,
a cleaning device connected with a pipe installed in a vehicle cabin,
a first clutch that connects and disconnects the electric motor with an axle of wheels of the vehicle,
a second clutch that connects and disconnects the electric motor with the cleaning device,
a control unit that controls one of the first clutch and the second clutch to selectively connect one of the cleaning device and the axle with the electric motor and activates the cleaning device.

2. The electric vehicle with the cleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the second clutch to connect the cleaning device with the electric motor and the first clutch to disconnect the axle with the electric motor during a time when the control units receives a first signal indicating a battery connected with the electric motor is being charged.

3. The electric vehicle with the cleaning device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit controls the second clutch to disconnect the cleaning device from the electric motor and the first clutch to connect the axle with the electric motor after the control unit receives a second signal indicating a charging process is terminated despite a cleaning process not being completed.

4. The electric vehicle with the cleaning device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit receives a third signal indicating a due time by when charging of the battery should be completed and the control unit controls the second clutch to connect the cleaning device with the electric motor and the first clutch to disconnect the axle from the electric motor if the control unit determines that a cleaning process will finish by the due time.

5. The electric vehicle with the cleaning device according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit determines that the cleaning process will finish by the due time based on an estimated charging time of the battery, an estimated cleaning time and remaining time to the due time.

6. The electric vehicle with the cleaning device according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit selects, based on the due time, either one of a first cleaning process and a second cleaning process that needs less time than the first cleaning process.

7. The electric vehicle with the cleaning device according to claim 6 , wherein the first cleaning process is cleaning with water and the second cleaning process is cleaning without using water.

8. The electric vehicle with the cleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device functions as a blower when the electric motor rotates in one direction and the cleaning device functions as a vacuum when the electric motor rotates in an other direction.

9. The electric vehicle with the cleaning device according to claim 8 , wherein the electric motor rotates either in one direction or an other direction based on a direction of electric current provided to the electric motor.

10. A method for cleaning a cabin of an electric vehicle comprising:
disconnecting an electric motor with an axle of wheels of the electric vehicle through a first clutch,
connecting the electric motor with a cleaning device through a second clutch, and
activating the cleaning device connected with a pipe installed in the cabin of the electric vehicle.

11. The method for cleaning the cabin of the electric vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising:
detecting if a battery of the electric vehicle is being charged,
wherein connecting the electric motor with the cleaning device through the second clutch and disconnecting the electric motor with the axle of the wheels of the electric vehicle through the first clutch are implemented when detected that the battery of the vehicle is being charged.

12. The method for cleaning the cabin of the electric vehicle according to claim 11 , further comprising:
deactivating the cleaning device after a charging of the battery is terminated despite a cleaning process not being completed,
connecting the axis with the electric motor through the first clutch, and
disconnecting the cleaning device from the electric motor through the second clutch.

13. The method for cleaning the cabin of the electric vehicle according to claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting if a due time by when charging of the battery should be completed is set, and
determining if a cleaning process finishes by the due time,
wherein connecting the electric motor with the cleaning device through the second clutch, disconnecting the electric motor with the axle of wheels of the electric vehicle through the first clutch and activating the cleaning device with the electric motor are implemented when the cleaning process will finish by the due time.

14. The method for cleaning the cabin of the electric vehicle according to claim 13 , wherein determining if the cleaning will finish by the due time is determined based on an estimated charging time of the battery, an estimated cleaning time and remaining time to the due time.

15. The method for cleaning the cabin of the electric vehicle according to claim 13 , further comprising:
selecting either one of a first cleaning option and a second cleaning option that needs less time than the first cleaning option based on the due time.

16. The method for cleaning the cabin of the electric vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein the first cleaning option is cleaning with water and the second cleaning option is cleaning without using water.

17. The method for cleaning the cabin of the electric vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the cleaning device functions as a blower when the electric motor rotates in one direction and the cleaning device functions as a vacuum when the electric motor rotates in an other direction.

18. The method for cleaning the cabin of the electric vehicle according to claim 17 , wherein the electric motor rotates either in the one direction or the other direction based on a direction of electric current provided to the electric motor.

19. A cleaning system for a cabin of an electric vehicle comprising:
a cleaning device connected with a pipe installed in the cabin,
a clutch that connects and disconnects an electric motor of the electric vehicle with the cleaning device, and
a cleaning control unit that controls the clutch to connect or disconnect the electric motor with the cleaning device and sends a signal to a vehicle control unit to connect or disconnect the electric motor with an axle of the electric vehicle.

20. The cleaning system for the cabin of the electric vehicle according to claim 19 , wherein the cleaning control unit controls the clutch to connect the cleaning device with the electric motor and sends the signal to the vehicle control unit to disconnect the axle with the electric motor during a time when the cleaning control unit receives the signal indicating a battery connected with the electric motor is being charged.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Maeshiro Shinji

Classifications

• B60H3/024

  for only dehumidifying the air · CPC title

• B60H3/0085

  Smell or pollution preventing arrangements (B60H3/0007, B60H3/0071, B60H3/02, B60H3/06 take precedence) · CPC title

• A47L7/0076

  adapted for vehicle cleaning (vehicle cleaning apparatus for interior of land vehicles B60S3/008) · CPC title

• B60H2001/00214

  Devices in front of the passenger compartment · CPC title

• B60S1/64 Primary

  for cleaning vehicle interiors, e.g. built-in vacuum cleaners · CPC title