Service providing mobile unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12444760-B2
Application number	US-202217961239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2022
Priority date	Oct 8, 2021
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

A service providing mobile unit 1 comprised of a frame 2 forming a ring shape about a horizontal axis, movement-use wheels 4, 5 attached to the bottom part of the frame 2, a hydrogen storage tank insert pan 10 formed inside the frame 2, and a fuel cell 40 arranged inside the frame 2. Hydrogen is supplied to the fuel cell 40 from a replaceable hydrogen storage tank 20 inserted into the hydrogen storage tank insert part 10. A service providing space 3 having a ring-shaped inner circumference surface of the frame 2 as its outer edges is formed by the frame 2, and power can be supplied from the fuel cell 40 to a service providing unit installed inside the service providing space 3.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A service providing mobile unit comprising:
a frame forming a ring shape about a horizontal axis,
movement-use wheels attached to a bottom part of the frame,
a hydrogen storage tank insert part formed inside the frame, and
a fuel cell arranged inside the frame, wherein
hydrogen is supplied to the fuel cell from a replaceable hydrogen storage tank inserted in the hydrogen storage tank insert part,
a service providing space having a ring-shaped inner circumference surface of the frame as its outer edges is formed by the frame, and
power can be supplied from the fuel cell to a service providing unit installed inside the service providing space.

2. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 1 , wherein the frame is comprised of an upper frame part and lower frame part arranged facing each other and extending in strip shapes and a pair of side frame parts arranged facing each other, and the upper frame part, lower frame part, and side frame parts form a square shaped service providing space.

3. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 1 , wherein the frame is comprised of an upper frame part and lower frame part arranged facing each other and extending in strip shapes and a pair of side frame parts arranged facing each other, and the hydrogen storage tank insert part is formed in at least one of the frame part among the side frame parts and the lower frame part.

4. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 1 , wherein the frame is provided with a lower frame part extending in a strip shape, a small-sized motor unit having drive wheels is connectable to one end portion of the lower frame part, and driven wheels are attached to another end portion of the lower frame part.

5. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 4 , wherein, the frame is provided with a side frame part extending upward from one end part of the lower frame part, the side frame part is positioned further rearward than a forward direction end portion of the small-sized motor unit connected to the one end portion of the lower frame part, and the hydrogen storage tank insert part is formed in the side frame part.

6. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 1 , wherein a supply terminal of power generated by the fuel cell is arranged on the frame.

7. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 6 , wherein in addition to the supply terminal of power generated by the fuel cell, a supply terminal of hydrogen and a supply terminal of high temperature air are arranged on the frame.

8. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 1 , wherein
a hydrogen inflow part connected to the fuel cell is formed in a deep portion of each hydrogen storage tank insert part,
a hydrogen outflow part which is coupled with the hydrogen inflow part when the hydrogen storage tank is inserted into the hydrogen storage tank insert part is formed at one end portion of the hydrogen storage tank,
a grippable handle is formed at another end portion of the hydrogen storage tank, and
a work of inserting the hydrogen storage tank into the hydrogen storage tank insert part and a work of coupling the hydrogen inflow part and the hydrogen outflow part are performed by gripping the handle.

9. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 8 , wherein the work of coupling the hydrogen inflow part and the hydrogen outflow part is performed by gripping the handle and rotating the hydrogen storage tank.

10. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 8 , wherein the hydrogen inflow part is formed in a projecting shape and the hydrogen outflow part is formed in a recessed shape, and the hydrogen inflow part and the hydrogen outflow part are coupled by fitting the recessed hydrogen outflow part of the hydrogen storage tank onto the projecting hydrogen inflow part.

11. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 10 , wherein the recessed hydrogen outflow part and the projecting hydrogen inflow part have a coupling structure where the recessed hydrogen outflow part is coupled with the projecting hydrogen inflow part if the recessed hydrogen outflow part is made to rotate after fitting the recessed hydrogen outflow part into the projecting hydrogen inflow part.

12. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 11 , wherein the coupling structure is comprised of a screw structure.

13. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 8 , wherein a guide wall for guiding the recessed hydrogen outflow part of the hydrogen storage tank to the projecting hydrogen inflow part when inserting the hydrogen storage tank into the hydrogen storage tank insert part is formed at the hydrogen storage tank insert part.

14. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 13 , wherein the guide wall has a cylindrical shape.

15. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 8 , wherein a sensor for detecting a state of stored hydrogen inside the hydrogen storage tank is arranged at the other end portion side of the hydrogen storage tank.

16. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 8 , wherein two end faces of the hydrogen storage tank are formed from flat surfaces.

17. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 8 , wherein a normally closed type outflow control valve for controlling an outflow of hydrogen from the hydrogen storage tank is arranged at the hydrogen outflow part, and a valve opening control device for controlling opening of the outflow control valve is arranged at the hydrogen inflow part.

18. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 8 , wherein a hydrogen supply control device for controlling a supply of hydrogen from the hydrogen storage tank to the fuel cell is provided, the hydrogen supply control device has a remaining hydrogen amount estimating unit for estimating a remaining amount of hydrogen inside the hydrogen storage tank, and a hydrogen storage tank for supplying hydrogen to the fuel cell is selected based on the estimated remaining amount of hydrogen inside the hydrogen storage tank.

19. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 18 , wherein a plurality of the hydrogen storage tank insert parts are formed inside the frame, at least one hydrogen storage tank is selected from among the hydrogen storage tanks inserted in the hydrogen storage tank insert parts, hydrogen is supplied from the selected hydrogen storage tank to the fuel cell, when the estimated remaining amount of hydrogen of the selected hydrogen storage tank falls below a set amount of hydrogen, at least one next hydrogen storage tank is selected from the hydrogen storage tanks inserted into the hydrogen storage tank insert parts and hydrogen is supplied to the fuel cell from the selected next storage tank.

20. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 18 , wherein the hydrogen supply control device has a display device for displaying the fact that the hydrogen storage tank should be replaced when the estimated remaining amount of hydrogen of the hydrogen storage tank falls below the set amount of hydrogen.

21. The service providing mobile unit according to claim 18 , wherein a sensor for detecting a state of stored hydrogen inside the hydrogen storage tank is arranged at the other end portion side of the hydrogen storage tank, and the remaining hydrogen amount estimating unit estimates a remaining amount of hydrogen inside the hydrogen storage tank based on a detection signal of the sensor.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakamura Masashi
• Mei Zixun
• Tomatsu Nobuyuki
• Nakamura Masashi
• Oura Junichi
• Nishida Yusuke
• Bisaiji Yuki
• Iwamoto Masahiro
• Kataoka Takao
• Hayashi Tatsuyuki
• Morimoto Saki

Classifications

• H01M8/04089

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• F17C2250/043

  Pressure · CPC title

• F17C2201/058

  portable (<30 l) · CPC title

• F17C2201/0109

  with exteriorly curved end-piece · CPC title

• F17C2205/0323

  Valves · CPC title