Electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016368358-A1
Application number	US-201515120920-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 14, 2015
Priority date	Feb 25, 2014
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In order to secure a driving performance of an electric vehicle while stably supporting a fuel cell stack, a fuel cell stack generating electric power, a motor generator, and an electrical adjuster are accommodated in an accommodation compartment formed at a front side of a passenger compartment in a vehicle length direction. The electric motor and the electrical adjuster are housed in a common, bottom casing and the bottom casing is arranged at a bottom of the accommodation compartment. A stack support surface which is flat and extends in substantially a horizontal direction is formed at a top of the casing. The fuel cell stack is arranged above the casing and is supported by the casing through mounts arranged on the stack support surface.

First claim

1 . An electric vehicle, in which a fuel cell stack generating electric power, an electric motor for vehicle drive use driven by the electric power from the fuel cell stack, and an electrical adjuster adjusting a voltage or current from the fuel cell stack or a voltage or current to the electric motor are accommodated in an accommodation compartment formed at an outside of a passenger compartment in a vehicle length direction, wherein
the electric motor and the electrical adjuster are housed in a common casing and the casing is arranged at a bottom of the accommodation compartment, a stack support surface which is flat and extends in substantially a horizontal direction is formed at a top of the casing, and the fuel cell stack is arranged above the casing and is supported by the casing through mounts arranged on the stack support surface.

2 . The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a transaxle of the electric vehicle is also accommodated inside the casing, the casing is provided with a transaxle housing part housing the transaxle, a motor housing part housing the electric motor, and an adjuster housing part housing the electrical adjuster, the transaxle housing part is arranged at the substantial center of the accommodation compartment in a vehicle width direction, the motor housing part is arranged at one side of the transaxle housing part in the vehicle width direction, the adjuster housing part is arranged at the other side of the transaxle housing part in the vehicle width direction, and the stack support surface is formed at a top of the motor housing part and a top of the adjuster housing part.

3 . The electric vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the electric vehicle has a drive shaft passing through the casing and extending through the inside of the accommodation compartment in the vehicle width direction, the adjuster housing part includes an extended part extending above the drive shaft in a substantially horizontal direction, and the stack support surface is formed at a top of the extending part.

4 . The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical adjuster includes one or both of a converter for increasing a voltage generated by the fuel cell stack and an inverter for converting DC current generated at the fuel cell stack to AC current.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nagaosa Hideo

Classifications

• B60L15/2009

  for braking · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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

• B60L2240/36

  Temperature of vehicle components or parts · CPC title

• B60L58/40

  for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells · CPC title

• B60L7/12

  for vehicles propelled by DC motors · CPC title