Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9809094-B2
Application number	US-201514900464-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2014
Priority date	Apr 23, 2013
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

This vehicle has a travel drive system including a travel power source and an energy source for this travel power source, wherein an outlet for discharging waste generated by the travel drive system faces the rear surface of the vehicle body. The outlet is offset in the vehicle width direction relative to a passenger opening. Further, relative to the center line between the center line of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction and the end portion of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction, the outlet is positioned to the end portion side of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction. Relative to the center line between the center line and the end portion in the vehicle width direction, the right and left edges of the passenger opening are positioned to the side of the center line of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
an exhaust port exposed rearward from a rear surface of the vehicle for emitting discharge produced by a travel drive system of the vehicle,
wherein the rear surface has a rear opening formed therein to extend over a substantially entire range, in a vehicle width direction, of the rear surface, a tailgate being supported on a vehicle body for openably and closably covering the rear opening,
wherein the tailgate has an entrance/exit opening formed in a portion, in the vehicle width direction, of the tailgate, and a remaining rear surface portion other than the entrance/exit opening,
wherein the entrance/exit opening has a lower edge extending in the vehicle width direction to an end portion of the rear opening opposite the remaining rear surface portion, and
wherein the exhaust port is offset from the entrance/exit opening in the vehicle width direction and located only at a position overlapping the remaining rear surface portion, the exhaust port being located beneath a lower edge of the rear opening.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein left and right side edges of the entrance/exit opening are offset in the vehicle width direction from a widthwise centerline of the vehicle body.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the exhaust port is located closer to a widthwise end of the vehicle body than a centerline between a widthwise centerline of the vehicle body and the widthwise end of the vehicle body, and
wherein left and right side edges of the entrance/exit opening are located closer to the widthwise centerline of the vehicle body than the centerline between the widthwise centerline of the vehicle body and the widthwise end of the vehicle body.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a door capable of opening and closing the entrance/exit opening,
wherein one of left and right side edges of the entrance/exit opening that is remote from the exhaust port is an opening start end that starts to be opened by the door.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4 , further comprising an outer handle for opening and closing the door, the outer handle being provided on an outer surface of the door near the side edge that is the opening start end.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a door capable of opening and closing the entrance/exit opening,
wherein a door latch for maintaining the door in a closed position is provided on the door, and
wherein a canceling operation means capable canceling latching by the door latch is provided on an inner surface of the door.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein an opening operation means capable of opening the tailgate is provided only on an outer surface of the tailgate.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamaguchi Tomoki
• Hakamada Hitoshi
• Honda Seiji

Classifications

• B60J5/101

  for non-load transporting vehicles, i.e. family cars including vans · CPC title

• B60J5/107 Primary

  constructional details, e.g. about door frame, panels, materials used, reinforcements · CPC title

• B60J5/105

  comprising door or part of door being pivotable about vertical axis · CPC title

• B60K13/04 Primary

  concerning exhaust · CPC title