electric vehicles

Abstract

This disclosure provides an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle (10) includes: a charging port (13) which opens at a side (12) of the vehicle and is opened and closed by a charging port cover; a charging socket (50) disposed inside the charging port (13) and having a connection portion (51) for connecting to an external power source; and on-board liquid tanks (30, 34) disposed near the charging port (13) and provided with liquid level indicators (31, 35) for storing liquid. Inside the charging port (13), there is an opening with confirmation holes (20, 22) for confirming the liquid level indicators (31, 35).

Description

[0001] Priority information

[0002] This application specifically refers to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-142690, filed on September 1, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to an electric vehicle, and more particularly to a technology that reduces the burden on workers performing liquid level checks on vehicle-mounted liquid tanks. Background Technology

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-84973 discloses a charging port device comprising: a charging port that opens at the side of an electric vehicle and is opened and closed by a charging port cover; and a charging socket having a connection portion disposed inside the charging port and capable of being connected to an external power source. Summary of the Invention

[0005] For operators who use electric vehicles such as electric cars for ride-sharing bus services, there are situations where they are required to check the fluid levels in onboard tanks such as coolant reservoirs before operating the electric vehicles on each business day, in accordance with legal requirements.

[0006] Furthermore, operators typically charge the batteries of electric vehicles before operation on each business day. Therefore, staff performing fluid level checks frequently perform both checks and charging before vehicle operation. However, due to a lack of consideration for proximity between the onboard fluid tank and the charging port, they are often significantly separated due to the positional relationship of their connected components. Moreover, the onboard fluid tank is located in the power supply compartment or other equipment space inside the vehicle. To check the fluid level, staff must remove the closing mechanism that shuts off the opening to the equipment space and then check the fluid level through that opening. This requires staff to move between the onboard fluid tank and the charging port during both checks and charging, resulting in a significant workload. Furthermore, checking the fluid level through the opening after removing the closing mechanism takes time and effort. In particular, when electric vehicles are larger, the location of the charging tank and the charging port are often more separated, which further increases the workload for staff.

[0007] The purpose of this disclosure is to reduce the workload of personnel performing liquid level checks on vehicle-mounted liquid tanks.

[0008] The electric vehicle disclosed herein is an electric vehicle comprising: a charging port that opens on the side of the vehicle and is opened and closed by a charging port cover; a charging socket disposed inside the charging port and having a connection portion for connecting to an external power source; and an on-board liquid tank disposed near the charging port and having a liquid level indicator for storing liquid, wherein an opening inside the charging port has a confirmation hole for confirming the liquid level indicator.

[0009] According to the aforementioned electric vehicle, when inspection personnel open the charging port cover to charge, they can use the confirmation hole inside the charging port to check the liquid level indicator on the onboard fluid tank. Therefore, since liquid level checks can be performed simultaneously and easily with charging, the workload of inspection personnel can be reduced.

[0010] In the electric vehicles involved in this disclosure, the structure may also be configured such that the confirmation hole is inside the charging port and opens as part of a viewing channel that directs the liquid level display toward the charging port.

[0011] Based on the above structure, when inspection personnel open the charging port cover to charge, they can simply look through the confirmation hole inside the charging port to check the liquid level display of the vehicle's liquid tank. This further reduces the workload of inspection personnel.

[0012] In the electric vehicle involved in this disclosure, the structure can also be configured such that the on-board liquid tank is an on-board liquid tank disposed below the charging port and housing an attached metering tube with a liquid level gauge having the liquid level display, and the upper end of the metering tube, which is led to the upper side of the on-board liquid tank with the attached metering tube, is pulled out through the confirmation hole.

[0013] According to the above structure, by placing the vehicle-mounted liquid tank below the charging port, even if an opening is provided in the charging port but it is difficult to check the outer surface of the liquid tank through that opening, the liquid level can be checked by pulling the level gauge out from the upper end of the measuring tube, which is pulled out from the inside of a check hole that opens inside the charging port. This increases the flexibility in the placement of the vehicle-mounted liquid tank.

[0014] The effects of the invention

[0015] The electric vehicles disclosed herein can reduce the workload of personnel performing liquid level checks on vehicle-mounted liquid tanks. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1This is a schematic configuration diagram of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the charging port cover and multiple onboard liquid tanks viewed from the outside of the side portion at one end in the vehicle width direction.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing the charging port cover and other parts omitted when viewed from the side of the electric vehicle according to the embodiment from the outside.

[0018] Figure 3 To indicate in Figure 2 An enlarged 3D view showing the charging port with the cover removed and the charging port being observed from the outside.

[0019] Figure 4 To indicate the distance from the outside to the inside along the width direction of the vehicle Figure 3 The diagram shows the state of the charging port under observation.

[0020] Figure 5 for Figure 4 AA sectional view.

[0021] Figure 6 for Figure 5 BB cross-sectional view.

[0022] Figure 7 A perspective view showing the state of observing the liquid level display of the first vehicle-mounted liquid tank through the charging port and the first confirmation hole.

[0023] Figure 8 A perspective view showing the state of observing the liquid level display of the second vehicle-mounted liquid tank through the charging port and the second confirmation hole.

[0024] Figure 9 To indicate the state of the level gauge being pulled out from the upper end of the onboard liquid tank with the attached metering tube, which is pulled out to the inside of the charging port. Figure 3 The corresponding diagram. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Hereinafter, the electric vehicle according to the embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this description, the specific shapes, configuration positions, numbers, etc., are examples for the purpose of making this disclosure easy to understand, and can be appropriately changed according to the specifications of the electric vehicle.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic configuration diagram showing the charging port cover 25 and multiple onboard liquid tanks 30, 34, and 40 viewed from the outside of the side portion 12 at one end in the width direction of the electric vehicle 10 in the embodiment. Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing a portion of the side 12 of the electric vehicle 10 viewed from the outside, with some parts omitted. Figure 3To indicate in Figure 2 A magnified 3D view of the charging port 13 as observed from the outside. Figure 4 This indicates the view of the charging port 13 from the outside to the inside along the width of the vehicle. The electric vehicle 10 is, for example, a large commercial bus type vehicle that can accommodate multiple passengers. The wheels of the electric vehicle 10 are driven by a drive motor (not shown). The electric vehicle 10 is equipped with a battery (not shown) for supplying power to the drive motor. To enable external charging of the battery, a charging port 13 for charging the battery from an external power source (not shown) is provided at the side 12 of the electric vehicle 10.

[0027] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the charging port 13 opens at the side 12 of the electric vehicle 10 and is opened and closed by the charging port cover 25, which is removed in the attached figure. The charging port 13 is formed into a generally box-shaped form with a receiving portion 14, for example, by means of a metal plate or resin. The receiving portion 14 opens at its outer end in the vehicle width direction and is closed by the charging port cover 25. A generally rectangular through hole 16 is formed in the receiving portion 14 for arranging the charging socket 50. Furthermore, a flange 18 for fixing the receiving portion 14 to the vehicle body is formed at the open end of the charging port 13. The flange 18 is threadedly connected to a panel component or the like that fixed to the vehicle body.

[0028] The charging port cover 25 is supported by a hinge fixed to the vehicle body, allowing it to rotate relative to the vehicle body, and opens and closes the receiving portion 14 of the charging port 13. When charging the battery from an external power source, the charging port cover 25 is opened by a user, such as an inspection personnel, operating a cover-opening mechanism located inside the vehicle compartment. Inside the charging port 13, a connection portion 51 for connecting to an external power source via a through hole 16 is provided. A charging circuit (not shown) for charging the battery is connected to the connection portion 51. By connecting the charging plug connected to the external power source to the connection portion 51 of the charging port 50, the external power source and the charging circuit are connected, enabling external charging of the battery.

[0029] In addition, such as Figure 2 As shown, a first onboard liquid tank 30, a second onboard liquid tank 34, and an onboard liquid tank 40 with a metering tube are disposed within the equipment placement space 100 located inside the side 12 of the vehicle and near the charging port 13. Each onboard liquid tank 30, 34, and 40 is equipped with a liquid level indicator 31, 35, and 47 for checking the volume of the contained liquid. Figure 9Furthermore, inside the charging port 13, there are confirmation holes 20, 22, and 24 for checking the liquid level indicators 31, 35, and 47. First, the first vehicle-mounted liquid tank 30 and the second vehicle-mounted liquid tank 34, and the first confirmation hole 20 and the second confirmation hole 22 for checking the liquid level indicators 31 and 35 provided on the two tanks 30 and 34 will be described.

[0030] The first on-board coolant tank 30 is, for example, a storage tank connected to a first cooling path (not shown) for cooling a drive motor and a battery, and temporarily stores the coolant flowing in the first cooling path. The second on-board coolant tank 34 is, for example, a storage tank connected to a second cooling path (not shown) for cooling an ECU and a DC-DC converter, and temporarily stores the coolant flowing in the second cooling path.

[0031] On the outer surface of the charging port 13 side of the first vehicle-mounted liquid tank 30 and the second vehicle-mounted liquid tank 34, liquid level displays 31 and 35 are respectively provided for checking the amount of liquid contained. Specifically, the liquid level display 31 of the first vehicle-mounted liquid tank 30 includes an upper limit line L1 indicating the upper limit of the liquid volume and a lower limit line L2 indicating the lower limit of the liquid volume, with the word "MAX" displayed above line L1 and the word "MIN" displayed above line L2. The liquid level display 35 of the second vehicle-mounted liquid tank 34 includes an upper limit line L3 indicating the upper limit of the liquid volume and a lower limit line L4 indicating the lower limit of the liquid volume, with the word "FULL" displayed to the side of line L3 and the word "LOW" displayed to the side of line L4. Each vehicle-mounted liquid tank 30 and 34 is made of translucent resin, which allows light transmission, thereby displaying the positional relationship between the lines L1, L2, L3, and L4 indicating the upper and lower limits of the liquid volume and the internal liquid level.

[0032] Furthermore, inside the charging port 13, there is a first confirmation hole 20 for confirming the liquid level display 31 of the first vehicle-mounted liquid tank 30, and a second confirmation hole 22 for confirming the liquid level display 35 of the second vehicle-mounted liquid tank 34. For example, the first confirmation hole 20 is a rectangular hole extending through the vehicle width direction at the upper end of the height difference portion of the charging port 13 and above the charging socket 50. The second confirmation hole 22 is a rectangular hole extending through the vehicle width direction at the upper end of the rear end of the height difference portion of the charging port 13 and at the rear side of the charging socket 50. Figure 4 The vehicle-mounted liquid tanks 30 and 34 being verified are indicated by sand dots at the first verification hole 20 and the second verification hole 22.

[0033] Figure 5 for Figure 4 AA sectional view. Figure 6 for Figure 5BB cross-sectional view. The first confirmation hole 20 is inside the charging port 13, serving as the first viewing channel B1 (through) that guides the liquid level display 31 of the first vehicle-mounted liquid tank 30 to the charging port 13. Figure 5 The opening is made within a portion of the diagonal region of point P1. Figure 5 , Figure 6 In the diagram, the position of the first confirmation hole 20 is indicated by the thick line shown by the arrow mark A1.

[0034] The second confirmation hole 22 is inside the charging port 13, serving as a second viewing channel B2 (through) to guide the liquid level display 35 of the second vehicle-mounted liquid tank 34 toward the charging port 13. Figure 5 The opening is made within a portion of the diagonal region of point P2. Figure 5 , Figure 6 In the diagram, the position of the second confirmation hole 22 is indicated by the thick line shown by arrow A2. Figure 5 To simplify the accompanying drawings, the second onboard liquid tank 34 is depicted as being located at the same longitudinal position as the first onboard liquid tank 30. Inspection personnel can use the first confirmation hole 20 to check the liquid level display 31 of the first onboard liquid tank 30 from the outside of the charging port 13, and can use the second confirmation hole 22 to check the liquid level display 35 of the second onboard liquid tank 34 from the outside of the charging port 13.

[0035] The first observation channel only needs to be a channel that directs the liquid level display 31 of the first onboard liquid tank 30 to the charging port 13. At this time, the first observation channel can also function as... Figure 5 As shown, the liquid level display 31, which includes the entire range from line L1 to line L2, is positioned in the vertical direction to guide the first viewing channel B1 toward the charging port 13.

[0036] Furthermore, the front and rear directions of the first observation passage B1 and the second observation passage B2 are as follows: Figure 6 The area is defined as shown by the diagonal lines. The front-to-back range of each observation channel B1, B2 is the range visible from both ends of lines L1, L2 (or lines L3, L4) on the outer surface of each tank 30, 34. Regarding the front-to-back direction, the inspection personnel's viewpoint only needs to be within... Figure 6 The area indicated by the diagonal lines in the viewing channels B1 and B2 should be located on the outer side compared to the charging port 13.

[0037] Regarding the vertical position of the inspector's viewpoint, the inspector may, for example, be able to use... Figure 5 , Figure 6 The first viewing passage B1 is shown, which places the viewpoint in... Figure 5 Point P1, or Figure 5The area indicated by the diagonal line in the first viewing channel B1 is located on the outer side compared to the charging port 13. At this time, the inspection personnel can simultaneously view the area from line L1 to line L2 through the first confirmation hole 20, relative to the vertical direction of the liquid level display 31, from the outside of the charging port 13. Thus, the inspection personnel can confirm whether the liquid level in the first onboard liquid tank 30 is appropriate, i.e., whether the liquid level is within the range of line L1 to line L2.

[0038] Figure 7 A perspective view showing the state of observing the liquid level display 31 of the first vehicle-mounted liquid tank 30 through the first confirmation hole 20 from the charging port 13. (See image below.) Figure 7 As shown, the inspection personnel checked the liquid level 32, which was located below line L1 and adjacent to... Figure 7 By comparing the invisible line L2 with the situation on the upper side, it can also be confirmed that the liquid volume of the first vehicle-mounted liquid tank 30 is appropriate.

[0039] In addition, the second viewing channel B2 only needs to be a channel that directs the liquid level display 35 of the second vehicle-mounted liquid tank 34 to the charging port 13. It can also be configured to direct the liquid level display, which includes the entire range from line L3 to line L4, to the charging port in the vertical direction.

[0040] For example, inspection staff can use Figure 5 , Figure 6 The second viewing corridor B2, as shown, places the viewpoint in... Figure 5 Point P2, or Figure 5 The second viewing channel B2 is located on the outer side of the diagonal area compared to the charging port 13. This allows for simultaneous viewing of lines L3 to L4 from the outside of the charging port 13 via the second confirmation hole 22, considering both the vertical direction of the liquid level display 35. This enables inspection personnel to confirm whether the liquid level in the second onboard liquid tank 34 is appropriate, i.e., whether the liquid level is within the range of lines L3 to L4.

[0041] Figure 8 A perspective view showing the state of observing the liquid level display 35 of the second vehicle-mounted liquid tank 34 through the second confirmation hole 22 from the charging port 13. (See diagram below.) Figure 8 As shown, by checking that the liquid level 36 is between line L3 and line L4, the inspection staff can confirm that the liquid volume of the second vehicle-mounted liquid tank 34 is appropriate.

[0042] As described above, the electric vehicle 10 includes a first on-board liquid tank 30 and a second on-board liquid tank 34. Each of the first on-board liquid tank 30 and the second on-board liquid tank 34 is located near the charging port 13 and is equipped with liquid level indicators 31 and 35 for storing liquid. Inside the charging port 13, there are openings for first confirmation holes 20 and second confirmation holes 22 for checking the liquid level indicators 31 and 35. Therefore, as will be described later, since liquid level checks can be performed simultaneously and easily with charging, the workload of the inspection personnel can be reduced.

[0043] In addition, the first vehicle-mounted liquid tank 30 and the second vehicle-mounted liquid tank 34 can be respectively accessed through the opening 101 provided in the vehicle compartment. Figure 2 The opening 101 is normally blocked by a closing component (not shown), which is removed when replenishing the fluid. While it is possible to check the fluid levels of each tank 30, 34 via this opening 101, this increases the workload as the closing component of the opening 101 needs to be removed from inside the vehicle. According to the structure of this example, the fluid levels of each onboard fluid tank 30, 34 can be checked simultaneously with battery charging, with the charging port cover 25 open. This reduces the workload for the inspection personnel.

[0044] Furthermore, considering that since the first and second vehicle-mounted liquid tanks 30 and 34 are arranged in the equipment configuration space 100, the liquid level displays 31 and 35 may appear dim when viewed through the confirmation holes 20 and 22, the liquid level displays 31 and 35 can be brightened by having an inspection worker illuminate the liquid level displays from the confirmation holes 20 and 22. Additionally, the positions of the vehicle-mounted liquid tanks 30 and 34 can be restricted so that the distance from the confirmation holes 20 and 22 to the liquid level displays 31 and 35 of each vehicle-mounted liquid tank 30 or 34 is within 300 mm or 150 mm, i.e., a distance from which the liquid level displays 31 and 35 are easily observable from the confirmation holes 20 and 22.

[0045] Next, the vehicle-mounted liquid tank 40 with an attached metering tube and the liquid level display 47 for displaying the liquid level on the vehicle-mounted liquid tank 40 with the attached metering tube are discussed. Figure 9 The third confirmation hole 24, used for confirmation, will be described. The onboard fluid tank 40 with an attached metering tube is, for example, a storage tank connected to the path for spraying the onboard washer fluid (windshield washer fluid) onto the windshield and temporarily storing the washer fluid. Figure 2As shown, the onboard liquid tank 40 with a metering tube is positioned lower than and near the charging port 13. The onboard liquid tank 40 with a metering tube has a main container 41 for storing onboard liquid and a liquid level gauge 46 for checking the volume of the stored liquid. Figure 9 The measuring tube 42. The lower end of the level gauge 46 can also be housed in the main container 41. The measuring tube 42 extends toward the charging port 13, and its upper end is pulled out into the charging port 13 through a third confirmation hole 24 that opens at the lower end of the wall of the charging port 13. The upper opening of the measuring tube 42 is removably blocked by a cover 44.

[0046] like Figure 9 As shown, a liquid level display 47 is provided on the liquid level gauge 46. This display 47 has text indicating the standard liquid level position ("N" or "NORMAL"), text indicating the lower allowable limit ("L" or "LOW"), and multiple graduations. The liquid level display 47 can also be configured with text indicating the upper allowable limit and text indicating the lower allowable limit. When checking the liquid level, the operator, with the charging port cover 25 open, [the display is shown in the image]. Figure 9 As shown, the cap 44 is removed from the upper end of the metering tube 42, so that the upper opening 43 of the metering tube 42 is exposed inside the charging port 13. Then, the liquid level gauge 46 is pulled out from the upper opening 43. Thus, by checking whether the liquid level in the on-board liquid tank 40 with the metering tube is appropriate based on the position of L of the liquid level display 47 and the position of the liquid level 48, a liquid level check can be performed. Thus, the electric vehicle 10 is equipped with an on-board liquid tank 40 with a metering tube, which is positioned near the charging port 13 and has a liquid level display 47 showing the amount of liquid stored therein. Inside the charging port 13, there is an opening with a third confirmation hole 24 for checking the liquid level display. Therefore, as described later, since the liquid level check can be performed simultaneously and easily with the charging operation, the workload of the inspection personnel can be reduced.

[0047] According to the electric vehicle 10 described above, it includes onboard liquid tanks 30, 34, and 40. Each onboard liquid tank 30, 34, and 40 is positioned near the charging port 13 and is equipped with a liquid level indicator 31, 35, and 47 containing the liquid level. Inside the charging port 13, there are confirmation holes 20, 22, and 24 for checking the liquid level indicators. This allows inspection personnel to check the liquid level indicators on the onboard liquid tanks 30, 34, and 40 using the confirmation holes 20, 22, and 24 inside the charging port 13 when the charging port cover 25 is opened for charging. Therefore, since liquid level checks can be performed simultaneously and easily with charging, the workload of inspection personnel is reduced.

[0048] Furthermore, each of the first confirmation holes 20 and the second confirmation holes 22 is located inside the charging port 13 and serves as part of the viewing channels B1 and B2 that guide the liquid level indicators 31 and 35 of each of the first and second vehicle-mounted liquid tanks 30 and 34 to the charging port 13. Therefore, inspection personnel can confirm the liquid level indicators 31 and 35 simply by looking through the confirmation holes 20 and 22 inside the charging port 13 when the charging port cover 25 is opened. This further reduces the workload of inspection personnel.

[0049] Furthermore, the on-board liquid tank 40 with a metering tube is positioned below the charging port 13, and it houses a level gauge 46 equipped with a liquid level display 47. Additionally, the upper end of the metering tube 42, which extends to the upper side of the on-board liquid tank 40 with the metering tube, is pulled out through the third confirmation hole 24. Thus, by positioning the on-board liquid tank below the charging port 13, even if an opening is provided in the charging port 13, making it difficult to check the outer surface of the on-board liquid tank through that opening, the level level display 47 can be checked by pulling out the level gauge 46 from the upper end of the metering tube 42, which is pulled out from the inside of the third confirmation hole 24, which opens inside the charging port 13. Therefore, the flexibility in arranging the on-board liquid tank 40 with the metering tube is increased.

[0050] Furthermore, in the above-described structure, the electric vehicle is described as having three onboard liquid tanks 30, 34, and 40, with confirmation holes 20, 22, and 24 opening inside the charging port 13 for confirming the liquid level indicators provided on each of the onboard liquid tanks 30, 34, and 40. However, this disclosure is not limited to this; the electric vehicle may also be configured to have one or two of the onboard liquid tanks 30, 34, and 40, with confirmation holes opening inside the charging port 13 for confirming the liquid level indicators provided on one or two of the onboard liquid tanks.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle, comprising: The charging port has an opening on the side of the vehicle and is opened and closed through a charging port cover; A charging port is disposed inside the charging port and has a connection part that can be connected to an external power source; The vehicle-mounted liquid tank is located near the charging port and has a liquid level indicator showing the amount of liquid stored. Inside the charging port, there is an opening for confirming the liquid level display. The vehicle-mounted liquid tank includes: A first on-board coolant tank is connected to a first cooling path and temporarily stores the coolant flowing in the first cooling path. The second on-board coolant tank is connected to the second cooling path and temporarily stores the coolant flowing in the second cooling path. A third onboard liquid tank is located below the charging port and houses an attached metering tube with a liquid level gauge that displays the liquid level. The confirmation hole includes: The first confirmation hole is used to confirm the liquid level display of the first vehicle-mounted liquid tank; The second confirmation hole is used to confirm the liquid level display of the second vehicle-mounted liquid tank; Third confirmation hole, In the third confirmation hole, the upper end of the metering tube, which is led to the upper side of the third vehicle-mounted liquid tank with the attached metering tube, is pulled out.

2. The electric vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein, The first confirmation hole and the second confirmation hole are located inside the charging port and are opened as part of a viewing channel that directs the liquid level display toward the charging port.

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