Fuel cell vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11479130-B2
Application number	US-202016850592-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2020
Priority date	Nov 12, 2019
Publication date	Oct 25, 2022
Grant date	Oct 25, 2022

Abstract

A fuel cell vehicle is disclosed. The fuel cell vehicle includes a front fuel cell mounted in a first space and a rear fuel cell mounted in a second space located at the rear side of the first space on the basis of the direction in which the fuel cell vehicle travels. The rear fuel cell includes a top surface lower than the top surface of the front fuel cell on the basis of the ground.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
a front fuel cell mounted in a first space;
a rear fuel cell mounted in a second space located at a rear side of the first space based on a first direction in which the fuel cell vehicle travels, the rear fuel cell comprising a top surface that is lower than a top surface of the front fuel cell relative to a ground;
first and second body frames extending in the first direction and being opposite each other in a second direction that intersects the first direction; and
a cab, the front fuel cell being mounted to a lower end of the cab,
wherein a space between the first body frame and the second body frame, spaced apart from each other in the second direction, comprises the first space and the second space, and
wherein the front and rear fuel cells are mounted to the first and second body frames.

2. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a loading part located at a rear side of the cab, wherein the cab and the loading part are each supported by the first and second body frames.

3. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising a hydrogen storage located between the cab and the loading part in the first direction.

4. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the rear fuel cell is mounted below the hydrogen storage.

5. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the top surface of the rear fuel cell is lower than a bottom surface of the hydrogen storage relative to the ground.

6. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein a height difference between the top surface of the front fuel cell and the top surface of the rear fuel cell is greater than a height difference between the top surface of the rear fuel cell and a bottom surface of the hydrogen storage.

7. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising a front axle, wherein the front fuel cell is disposed between the cab and the front axle.

8. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the top surface of the front fuel cell is located between a top surface of each of the first and second body frames and a bottom surface of the cab.

9. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the rear fuel cell is mounted below the loading part.

10. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the top surface of the rear fuel cell is lower than a bottom surface of the loading part on relative to the ground.

11. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein a height difference between the top surface of the front fuel cell and the top surface of the rear fuel cell is greater than a height difference between the top surface of the rear fuel cell and a bottom surface of the loading part.

12. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein a spacing distance in the second direction between the first body frame and the second body frame gradually decreases from a front portion of the fuel cell vehicle to a rear portion of the fuel cell vehicle based on the direction in which the fuel cell vehicle travels.

13. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein a width in the second direction of the front fuel cell is greater than a width in the second direction of the rear fuel cell; and
wherein the width in the second direction of the rear fuel cell is less than a minimum spacing distance in the second direction between the first body frame and the second body frame.

14. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a plurality of front connection members configured to connect the front fuel cell to the first and second body frames; and
a plurality of rear connection members configured to connect the rear fuel cell to the first and second body frames.

15. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of common connection members configured to connect some of the plurality of front connection members and some of the plurality of rear connection members to the first and second body frames.

16. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of front connection members comprises:
a first mounting support bracket connected to an end of the front fuel cell; and
a first individual mounting bracket configured to connect the first mounting support bracket to one of the first and second body frames.

17. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of rear connection members comprises:
a second mounting support bracket connected to an end of the rear fuel cell; and
a second individual mounting bracket configured to connect the second mounting support bracket to one of the first and second body frames.

18. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of common connection members comprises a common mounting bracket configured to connect the first individual mounting bracket and the second individual mounting bracket, adjacent to the first individual mounting bracket in the first direction, to the first and second body frames.

19. The fuel cell vehicle according to claim 18 , wherein the first individual mounting bracket is connected to an upper portion of the common mounting bracket, and
wherein the second individual mounting bracket is connected to a lower portion of the common mounting bracket.

20. A fuel cell vehicle, comprising:
a front fuel cell mounted in a first space;
a rear fuel cell mounted in a second space located at a rear side of the first space based on a first direction in which the fuel cell vehicle travels, the rear fuel cell comprising a top surface that is lower than a top surface of the front fuel cell relative a ground;
left and right body frames extending continuously longitudinally in the first direction, wherein the first space and second space are between the left body frame and the right body frame, and the front fuel cell and the rear fuel cell are each mounted to both the left body frame and to the right body frame; and
a cab, the front fuel cell being mounted to a lower end of the cab.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Yeon Seung Jun
• Jin Myung Kwang
• Jung Nam Chul

Classifications

• B60L50/71 Primary

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

• H01M8/2457

  with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised · CPC title

• B60Y2400/202

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• B62D21/03 Primary

  transverse members providing body support · CPC title

• B60Y2200/142

  Heavy duty trucks · CPC title