Electric motor support device for vehicle

Abstract

To provide a structure and a device which can be used for supporting an electric motor on a vehicle.SOLUTION: An electric vehicle according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention comprises an electric motor, a frame housing including a notched part, a motor bracket, and an inverter. The motor bracket is provided between the electric motor and the frame housing to fix the electric motor to the frame housing. The frame housing surrounds the electric motor at least partially, and the notched part formed in a portion of the frame housing is arranged to oppose to the inverter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 21A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to structures and apparatus that can be utilized to support an electric motor mounted on a vehicle, and more particularly, to structures and apparatus that can support an electric motor on a chassis of an electric vehicle, allowing the electric motor to output motive power to the wheels or treads of the electric vehicle adjacent to other components of the electric vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally used structures and devices for supporting an electric motor on a vehicle typically require a frame housing to support the electric motor and protect delicate parts of the motor from damage. However, conventional frame housings are very bulky and it is difficult to connect the electric motor to both electrical terminals that provide power to the electric motor and to couple the electric motor to the drive shaft / transmission of the vehicle. Therefore, conventional structures and devices for supporting an electric motor on a vehicle are unnecessarily heavy and restrictive. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a structure and apparatus that can be utilized to support an electric motor on a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] A vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an electric motor, a frame housing including a cutout portion, a motor bracket, and an inverter. The motor bracket is provided between the electric motor and the frame housing and fixes the electric motor to the frame housing. The frame housing at least partially surrounds the electric motor, and the cutout portion formed in a part of the frame housing faces the inverter.

[0005] In a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the frame housing includes a first upper side plate and a second upper side plate disposed above a lower side plate.

[0006] In a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first upper side plate includes a first inclined portion that approaches closer to the rear of the electric motor as the first upper side plate extends downward, and the second upper side plate includes a second inclined portion that approaches closer to the rear of the electric motor as the second upper side plate extends downward, and the cutout portion is formed at the bottom of the first inclined portion and at the top of the second inclined portion.

[0007] In a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first upper side plate is inclined inwardly toward the electric motor such that the first upper side plate approaches the electric motor as it extends upward.

[0008] In a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cutout portion is located below an imaginary line extending from the uppermost point of the first inclined portion to the lowermost point of the second inclined portion.

[0009] In a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a first tilt angle is defined as the angle between the horizontal direction and the first tilt portion, and a second tilt angle is defined as the angle between the horizontal direction and the second tilt portion, and the first tilt angle is greater than the second tilt angle.

[0010] In a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electric motor includes at least one electrical contact configured to be connected to an electrical lead extending between the electric motor and the inverter, and the cutout portion is disposed at a vertical position below a vertical position of the at least one electrical contact.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the vehicle of the present invention, the electric motor includes at least one electrical contact configured to be connected to an electrical lead extending between the electric motor and the inverter, and the at least one electrical contact is disposed at a vertical position above the vertical position of the second inclined portion.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the vehicle of the present invention, the frame housing further includes a front plate, a rear plate, a rear bottom plate, a corner bottom plate, a rear top plate, and a side intermediate support plate. The first upper side plate includes a plurality of first upper side plates, and the second upper side plate includes a plurality of second upper side plates.

[0013] A vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a transmission coupled to the electric motor, the output shaft of the motor assembly being coupled to the transmission such that rotation of the output shaft drives the transmission, the output shaft protruding from a front portion of the electric motor, and the front portion of the electric motor facing a rear portion of the vehicle.

[0014] A vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a chassis including a pair of frame rails and a front wheel support frame, with a plurality of front wheels of the vehicle being mounted at opposite ends of the front wheel support frame.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle further includes an on-board battery charger (OBC) fixed to the chassis, and the inverter is disposed between the electric motor and the on-board battery charger.

[0016] In a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transmission, the electric motor, the inverter, and the on-board battery charger are all arranged along a straight line extending from the front to the rear of the vehicle.

[0017] In a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the frame housing is fixed to the pair of frame rails using a plurality of chassis fixing bolts.

[0018] A vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a chassis and an on-board battery charger (OBC) fixed to the chassis, the inverter being disposed between the electric motor and the on-board battery charger.

[0019] In a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electric motor, the inverter, and the on-board battery charger are all arranged along a straight line extending from the front to the rear of the vehicle.

[0020] A vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a chassis including a pair of frame rails and a front wheel support frame, the frame housing being supported on the vehicle between the pair of frame rails such that, when viewed from the front of the vehicle, the outer surface of the frame housing is laterally outboard of the outer surface of the chassis.

[0021] In a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the frame housing is secured to the pair of frame rails using a plurality of chassis fixing bolts, each of which extends through a portion of the frame housing and into both of the pair of frame rails.

[0022] In a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electric motor is disposed further from a front portion of the vehicle than the inverter.

[0023] In a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least a portion of the electric motor is disposed rearward of the front wheel support frame, and at least a portion of the inverter is disposed frontward of the front wheel support frame.

[0024] In a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pair of frame rails extend from the front of the vehicle, past the front wheel support frame, to the frame housing.

[0025] In a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle is an electric agricultural machine.

[0026] The above and other features, elements, steps, configurations, characteristics, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1A] 1 is a perspective view of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, seen from the left front. [Figure 1B] 1 is a perspective view of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, seen from the right front. [Figure 1C] 1 is a perspective view of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, seen from the left rear. [Figure 1D] 1 is a front view of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 1E] 1 is a right side view of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1F] 1 is a left side view of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 1G] 1 is a plan view of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 1H] FIG. 1 is a bottom view of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1I] 1 is a perspective view of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, taken from below; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electrical subsystem of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a DC fast charging system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a Power Distribution Unit (PDU) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5A] 1 illustrates a front portion of an electric vehicle with a charge port cover in a closed position according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5B] 1 shows a layout (positioning) of a PDU housing and a battery pack housing of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the side of a front portion of the electric vehicle. [Figure 6A] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front portion of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a portion of a charging cable connected to a DC charging port is covered with a cover. [Figure 6B] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the front portion of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a cover is placed over a portion of a charging cable connected to a DC charging port, the cover being illustrated as transparent. [Figure 7A] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a battery pack housing and charge port cover of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7B] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a battery pack housing and charge port cover of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7C] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a battery pack housing and charge port cover for an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8A] 1 is a front perspective view of a battery pack housing according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with portions of the housing shown as transparent; [Figure 8B] 1 is a rear perspective view of a battery pack housing according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with portions of the housing shown as transparent; FIG. [Figure 9A] FIG. 2 is a front view of a battery pack housing according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the charge port cover in a closed position. [Figure 9B] FIG. 2 is a front view of the battery pack housing without the charge port cover, showing the layout of the DC charge port. [Figure 9C] FIG. 2 is a side view of the battery pack housing with the charging port cover omitted. [Figure 10A] FIG. 1 is a partial front view of an electric vehicle and a layout of a DC charging port according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10B] FIG. 2 is a partial front view of an electric vehicle and DC charging port layout according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with the front body portion removed. [Figure 10C] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the layout of the PDU housing and DC charging ports according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11A] FIG. 2 is a solid perspective view of a charging port cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the outside. [Figure 11B] FIG. 2 is a transparent perspective view of a charging port cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, seen from the outside. [Figure 11C] FIG. 2 is a solid perspective view of a charging port cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the inside. [Figure 11D] FIG. 2 is a transparent perspective view of a charging port cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, seen from the inside. [Figure 12A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the layout of a PDU housing and DC charging ports according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12B] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the layout of a DC charging port according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the layout of the PDU housing and DC charging ports according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14A] 1 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 14B] 1 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with portions of the battery housing shown in transparent form. [Figure 14C] 1 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with a portion of the battery housing and a portion of the PDU housing omitted. [Figure 15]1 illustrates a charging port cover in an open position according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16A] FIG. 1 is a front view of an electric vehicle (EV) with a charge port cover open according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16B] FIG. 1 is a side view of an electric vehicle (EV) with a charge port cover open, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17A] 1 is a perspective view of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, seen from the right front direction, the electric vehicle having an emergency stop switch. [Figure 17B] 1 is a perspective view of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, seen from the right rear, the electric vehicle having an emergency stop switch. [Figure 17C] FIG. 2 is a right rear perspective view of an electric vehicle according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electric vehicle having an emergency stop switch; [Figure 18A] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an emergency stop (E-stop) switch circuit for an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18B] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an emergency stop switch circuit for an electric vehicle according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a drive-by-wire (DBW) system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] 1 is a bottom perspective view of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with the front body portion omitted; [Figure 21A] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a motor assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21B] FIG. 2 is a side view of an example of a motor assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21C] FIG. 2 is a rear view of an example of a motor assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the front part of a motor with a bracket attached according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a specific example of a rear portion of a motor to which a bracket is attached according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a specific example of a front portion of a bracket according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 25] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a specific example of a rear portion of a bracket according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a specific example of a motor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention with its front portion exposed. [Figure 27] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing a specific example in which the rear part of the motor according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is exposed. [Figure 28] FIG. 2 is a rear view of a specific example of a frame housing according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 29] 1 is a top perspective view of a specific example of a frame housing according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Diagram 30] FIG. 2 is another perspective view of a frame housing according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, seen from above. [Diagram 31] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of a frame housing according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 32] FIG. 1 is a bottom view of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 33] 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 34] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a preferred electrical connection between an inverter and a motor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a structure and apparatus that can be utilized to support an electric motor on a vehicle, preferably a wheeled electric tractor, a tracked electric heavy equipment, an electric car, etc. The electric motor can be secured to the vehicle in a manner that allows for easy and efficient connection between the electric motor and the electrical and mechanical components of the vehicle.

[0029] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail. However, unnecessary detailed descriptions may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions about things well known in the art or redundant descriptions about things having substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid lengthy descriptions and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided by the inventors to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions are indicated by the same reference numerals.

[0030] The electric vehicle according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention may be a tractor or other agricultural vehicle, however, any desired type of electric vehicle is applicable to and can be used with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] 1A-1I show an electric vehicle 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views of the vehicle 10 as viewed from the front left and front right, respectively. FIG. 1C is an isometric perspective view of the vehicle 10 as viewed from the rear left. FIG. 1D is a front view of the vehicle 10, and FIGS. 1E and 1F are side views of the vehicle 10. FIGS. 1G and 1H are plan and bottom views, respectively, of the vehicle 10. FIG. 1I is an isometric perspective view of the vehicle 10 as viewed from the bottom.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in, for example, FIG. 1A and FIG. 1D, a vehicle 10 includes a pair of headlights 11, 12, a fixed cover portion 13A, a movable cover portion 13B, a plurality of DC charging ports (described below), and an AC charging port 15, all of which are provided in a front portion of the vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. 1D, the front portion of the vehicle 10 includes an upper body portion 24 and a lower body portion 16. A front skid plate 25 is provided below the lower body portion 16. The lower body portion 16 includes a plurality of recesses 16A for accommodating the plurality of DC charging ports. FIG. 1A shows a portion of a cable 17 of a charging cable harness that can be inserted into at least one DC charging port of each of the plurality of DC charging ports. The remaining portion of the cable 17 of the charging cable harness is not shown in FIG. 1A.

[0033] As further shown in FIGS. 1A-1H, the vehicle 10 also has a left front wheel 41L, a right front wheel 41R, a left rear wheel 42L, and a right rear wheel 42R. However, the vehicle according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited to four wheels, and may have any suitable number of wheels. For example, the vehicle according to the preferred embodiment may have only three wheels by removing one of the four wheels, may have a fifth wheel (e.g., an additional wheel aligned with a pair of wheels among the four wheels, a wheel at the front or rear of the vehicle, etc.), may have a pair of central wheels, etc., for a total of six wheels. In another preferred embodiment, tracks may be utilized instead of wheels.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1B-FIG. 1H, the electric vehicle 10 includes a first housing 20B and a second housing 20C that enclose a portion of the battery pack of the electric vehicle 10. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1B-FIG. 1H, the vehicle 10 may include one or more side housings (left housing 20E, right housing 20D) that may house and enclose additional portions of a power supply system for the vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. 1B-FIG. 1H, the vehicle 10 may include a left housing 20E and a right housing 20D. The left housing 20E may be at least partially disposed between the left front wheel 41L and the left rear wheel 42L, and the right housing 20D may be at least partially disposed between the right front wheel 41R and the right rear wheel 42R. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 1B and 1C, the vehicle 10 may be provided with an air circulation system including a first (left-side) side duct 35L forming an air flow path(s) between the left housing 20E and the main first and second housings 20B and 20C. The vehicle 10 may also include a right housing 20D and a right-side side duct 35R forming an air flow path between the first and second housings 20B and 20C and the main first and second housings 20B, 20C. The air flow path formed by the left side duct 35L and the right side duct 35R may be used to cool a portion of the power supply system of the vehicle 10 housed in the left housing 20E or the right housing 20D.

[0035] The power supply system of the vehicle 10 can supply power to an electric motor 45 shown in FIG. 1H. The power can be supplied to the electric motor 45 via, for example, an inverter. The electric motor 45 can be disposed between the left housing 20E and the right housing 20D in the left-right direction of the vehicle 10, and disposed forward of the left housing 20E and the right housing 20D in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 can include a transmission 46 for driving each of the left front wheel 41L, the right front wheel 41R, the left rear wheel 42L, and the right rear wheel 42R in a four-wheel drive system. However, the electric motor 45 and the transmission 46 can also be driven in a two-wheel drive system.

[0036] FIG 1I is a bottom perspective view of the vehicle 10 (not shown) with the front skid plate 25 removed. As shown in FIG 1I, protected by the front skid plate 25 is an onboard charge controller (OBC) 26 located on the bottom side of the vehicle 10. As shown in FIG 1I, the vehicle 10 further includes frame rails 151, an inverter 106, and a motor 45 on its bottom side, which are described further below.

[0037] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 1B to 1G, the vehicle 10 may also include a cabin 50 having a roof 51 supported by a frame 52. The cabin 50 may include various components, such as a seat for an operator of the vehicle 10 and vehicle control devices such as a steering wheel. The roof 51 may be optionally provided with a radiator-condenser module 53 and / or solar panels 54.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the electrical subsystem of the electric vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the electrical subsystem includes a power distribution unit (PDU) connected to three battery strings (a series of batteries connected in series) via high voltage (HV)-direct current (DC) lines. Each battery string is controlled by a battery management unit (BMU), which communicates with other battery management units (BMUs) and a battery management system (BMS) master via a controller area network (CAN) bus line. The battery management system (BMS) is configured to aggregate information from all the battery strings and respond to the appropriate battery management unit (BMU) depending on the situation. The functionality of the battery management system (BMS) may be implemented in a supervisory control unit (SCU). The power distribution unit (PDU) is further connected to an inverter via HV-DC lines to drive the vehicle motor, and to an onboard charge controller (OBC) including a DC / DC converter, in the presently preferred embodiment shown. The on-board charge controller (OBC) is connected to a 12V battery via a low voltage (LV)-direct current (DC) line and to an AC (alternating current) charging port, which may be a J1772 inlet. As shown in FIG. 2, two electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) systems are prepared. One electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) is a system that charges the standard SAE J1772 Level 2 AC 240V via an on-board charge controller (OBC-DC / DC converter). The other electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) is custom implemented for DC fast charging. Power is supplied from both electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) to a power distribution unit (PDU), which distributes it to each battery string. The DC fast charger is connected to battery strings 1 to 3 of the battery pack via the power distribution unit (PDU).The Supervisory Control Unit (SCU) is connected to the Power Distribution Unit (PDU) via a CAN bus. The Supervisory Control Unit (SCU) is connected to vehicle inputs or sensors via low voltage (LV)-direct current (DC) lines. Pump controllers that control the radiator, fans, and / or pumps on an electric vehicle are connected to the Supervisory Control Unit (SCU) via a CAN bus.

[0039] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a DC fast charging system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the DC fast charging system includes three DC fast charger power supplies, a vehicle PDU, and a vehicle battery pack including battery strings 1, 2, and 3. In a preferred embodiment, the battery pack is configured in a 24 series-3 parallel-configuration (24 modules per string in series, 3 strings in parallel). However, the present invention is not limited to a specific series / parallel cell configuration and can include any series / parallel combination of battery strings and modules. For example, three external HV cables 17 may be connected to a power distribution unit (PDU) via three DC fast charging plugs DCFC1, DCFC2, and DCFC3. Each battery string 1, 2, and 3 includes a battery management system (BMS), which also includes a contactor C, a battery sensor Is, and a fuse. As shown in FIG. 3, the power distribution unit (PDU) includes a contactor C between the positive (+) and negative (-) battery bus lines and the DC fast charging plugs DCFC1, DCFC2, and DCFC3. These contactors C are used for emergency stopping of the electric vehicle as described below. The PDU also includes a CAN / interlock that controls each of the DC fast charging plugs DCFC1, DCFC2, DCFC3.

[0040] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a power distribution unit (PDU) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The solid black lines indicate high voltage negative potential (HV-) and the diagonal grey lines indicate high voltage positive potential (HV+). The PDU combines three battery strings in parallel and the entire battery pack voltage is provided between the HV- and HV+ busbars. The battery pack load is brought out of the HV- and HV+ busbars through contactor C to switch the high voltage bus available to each component. In this preferred embodiment, all HV+ wires are fused to protect the wires coming out of the PDU. The PDU acts as an electrical multiplexer for all high voltage subsystems of the electric vehicle, i.e. battery packs, DC fast charging, OBC, and inverter. Both the positive and negative rails are independent busbars. All electrical paths are connected to the positive and negative rails.

[0041] FIG. 5A shows a front portion of an electric vehicle with a charging port cover in a closed position according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5A, at the front of the vehicle, two headlights 11, 12 are provided on an upper front body portion 24. Three DC fast charging plugs DCFC1, DCFC2, DCFC3 (not shown in FIG. 5A) are provided behind a cover 13 including a fixed cover portion 13A and a movable cover portion 13B. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an AC charging port 15 (e.g., corresponding to a J1772 standard inlet shown in FIG. 2) is provided to connect to an AC voltage source for charging the battery pack. The AC charging port 15 can be provided on the left side at an offset position from the three DC fast charging plugs DCFC1, DCFC2, DCFC3. The lower front body portion 16 includes a plurality of recesses 16A1, 16A2, 16A3 for accommodating the openings of the DC fast charging plugs DCFC1, DCFC2, DCFC3 (a plurality of DC charging ports). An auxiliary port 27 may be provided on the right hand side of the front portion of the vehicle for auxiliary functions such as an emergency stop button.

[0042] FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a front portion of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a portion of a charging cable connected to a DC charging port is closed with a cover. FIG. 6B is a perspective view of a front portion of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a portion of a charging cable connected to a DC charging port is closed with a cover, and the cover is illustrated as transparent. As shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, when a DC fast charging system is connected to an electric vehicle 10, three external HV cables including DC cable harnesses 14A (including cable 17), 14B (including cable 17), and 14C (including cable 17) are connected to three DC fast charging plugs DCFC1, DCFC2, and DCFC3 (multiple DC charging ports 19A, 19B, and 19C). It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to three DC charging ports. For example, only one or two of the three DC charging ports 19A, 19B, and 19C may be provided. In this preferred embodiment of the present invention, the amount of current and charging capacity can be increased by increasing the number of DC charging ports.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 6B, multiple DC charging ports 19A, 19B, 19C are covered by fixed cover part 13A and movable cover part 13B. Movable cover part 13B is supported by hinges 181, 182 and has an opening at the bottom, through which cables 17 of DC cable harnesses 14A to 14C extend. The details will be described in further detail below.

[0044] FIG. 5B illustrates a layout (position) of the front portion of the electric vehicle with respect to the PDU housing and the battery pack housing according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the side. As shown in FIG. 5B, the electric vehicle 10 includes a PDU housing 20A, a first housing 20B, and a second housing 20C. The PDU housing 20A accommodates and encloses the PDU. The first housing 20B encloses a first portion of the battery pack, and the second housing 20C encloses a second portion of the battery pack. As shown in FIG. 5B, the PDU housing 20A is located between the vehicle front portion and the first housing 20B in the front-rear direction, and the second housing 20C is located below the PDU housing 20A and the first housing 20B in the up-down direction. As shown in FIG. 5B, the multiple DC charging ports 19 (19A, 19B, 19C) and at least one headlight 11, 12 overlap in the side view of the electric vehicle 10.

[0045] FIG. 7A is a front perspective view of a battery pack housing and a charging port cover of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7B is a rear perspective view of a battery pack housing and a charging port cover of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7C is a plan view of a battery pack housing and a charging port cover of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this preferred embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, an electric vehicle 10 includes a PDU housing 20A, a first housing 20B, a second housing 20C, a right housing 20D, a left housing 20E, and an on-board charging controller (OBC) 26. As shown in FIG. 7A, the on-board charging controller (OBC) 26 is disposed directly below the second housing 20C in the up-down direction. As shown in FIG. 7B, the first housing 20B includes an upper surface 20B1, a side surface 20B2, and a rear surface 20B3. As shown in FIG. 7C, a receptacle of an AC charging port 15 extends in a direction E that is at an angle of, for example, less than about 90 degrees with respect to the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0046] 8A and 8B are front and rear perspective views of the battery pack housing according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 7A-7C, with the housing portions shown transparent. As shown in FIG. 8A, a power distribution unit (PDU) is located in the PDU housing 20A. As shown in FIG. 8A and 8B, each of the first housing 20B, the second housing 20C, the right housing 20D, and the left housing 20E is divided into separate compartments for accommodating separate battery modules of the battery pack. The first housing 20B encloses at least one first battery module included in the battery pack, and the second housing 20C encloses at least one second battery module included in the battery pack. For example, the first housing 20B can enclose the battery modules of battery string 1 and battery string 2, and the second housing 20C and the side housings (left housing 20E, right housing 20D) can enclose the battery modules of battery string 3. Alternatively, first housing 20B can enclose the battery modules of battery string 1, second housing 20C can enclose the battery modules of battery string 2, and right housing 20D and left housing 20E can enclose the battery modules of battery string 3.

[0047] Fig. 9A is a front view of a battery pack housing according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the charging port cover is in a closed position. Fig. 9B is a front view of the battery pack housing, showing the layout (positions) of DC charging ports 19A-19C, without charging port cover 13. Fig. 9C is a side view of the battery pack housing without charging port cover 13.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 9A, fixed cover portion 13A of cover 13 is attached to the front surface of PDU housing 20A. As shown in FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B, multiple DC charging ports 19A-19C are covered by cover 13. As shown in FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B, during DC charging, each of DC charging ports 19A-19C is connected to a respective DC cable harness 14A-14C. Cable 17 of DC cable harness 14A-14C is connected to a DC fast charger power source as shown in FIG. 3. Please note that in FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, FIG. 7A, FIG. 9A, FIG. 9B, FIG. 10A-FIG. 10C, FIG. 12, FIG. 13, and FIG. 14A-FIG. 14C, a portion of cable 17 extending from DC cable harness 14A-14C is omitted (not shown).

[0049] As shown in Fig. 9B, the multiple DC charging ports 19A-19C are arranged at the same height in the vertical direction. The lower front body portion 16 includes multiple recesses 16A1, 16A2, 16A3, which accommodate the multiple DC charging ports 19A-19C having receptacles extending in the vertical direction (up-down direction). The recesses 16A1, 16A2, 16A3 provide spaces for arranging the DC cable harnesses 14A-14C including the cable 17. This is further shown in Fig. 15 described below.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 9C, multiple DC charging ports 19A-19C are located forward of front surface 20Ba of first housing 20B and front surface 20Ca of second housing 20C. Multiple DC charging ports 19 (19A-19C) are attached to front surface 20Aa of PDU housing 20A. As shown in Fig. 9C, PDU housing 20A is disposed between multiple DC charging ports 19 (19A-19C) and first housing 20B in the front-rear direction.

[0051] FIG. 10A is a front view partially showing the layout of an electric vehicle and DC charging ports 19A to 19C according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] FIG. 10B is a partial front view of the electric vehicle and DC charging port layout of FIG. 10A with the upper front body portion 24 removed.

[0053] FIG. 10C is a front view of the layout of the PDU housing and DC charging ports shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B with the upper front body portion 24 and the lower front body portion 16 removed. As shown in FIG. 10C, each of the plurality of DC charging ports 19A-19C includes a receptacle for receiving a cable or wire harness (e.g., corresponding to DC cable harnesses 14A-14C including cable 17). The plurality of DC charging ports includes a first DC charging port 19A and a second DC charging port 19B adjacent to each other with a gap g therebetween. The gap g is configured or designed such that a distance d between a center c of cable 17A (or wire harness) connected to the first DC charging port 19A and a center c of cable 17B (or wire harness) connected to the second DC charging port 19B is equal to or greater than about 14.92 cm. The inventors of the preferred embodiment of the present invention have determined that the distance d should be, for example, at least about 14.92 cm to reduce or prevent magnetic interference during charging. A distance of at least about 14.92 cm is an example of a gap distance to reduce or prevent the possibility that a current carrying wire harness (charging cable) may affect magnetic interference and impede charging performance. It should be noted that the distance d can be defined as either the distance between the centers of the harness or the distance between the outer surfaces of the harness. In an alternative preferred embodiment, the distance d is, for example, about 7.46×D, where D is the diameter (dimension) of the conductor of the charging cable.

[0054] FIG. 11A is a solid perspective view of the charging port cover 13 (13A, 13B) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention as seen from the outside. FIG. 11B is a transparent perspective view of the charging port cover 13 (13A, 13B) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention as seen from the outside. FIG. 11C is a solid perspective view of the charging port cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention as seen from the inside. FIG. 11D is a transparent perspective view of the charging port cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention as seen from the inside. As shown in FIGS. 11A to 11D, the cover 13 includes a fixed part 13A and a movable part 13B that moves around an axis A. The fixed part 13A of the cover 13 and the movable part 13B of the cover 13 are connected by a hinge 18. At least a part (18A1, 18A2) of the hinge 18 is disposed between two DC charging ports among the DC charging ports 19A to 19C.

[0055] FIG. 12A is a perspective view showing the layout of PDU housing 20A and DC charging ports 19A-19C according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 12A, charging port cover 13 is omitted (not shown). As shown in FIG. 12A, the receptacles of each of DC charging ports 19A-19C extend vertically (up and down) at a position below movable axis A. A first portion (first hinge portion) 181 of hinge 18 is located between DC charging ports 19A and 19B. A second portion (second hinge portion) 182 of hinge 18 is located between DC charging ports 19B and 19C.

[0056] Fig. 12B is a front view showing the layout of DC charging ports 19A-19C according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 12B, fixed portion 13A of charging port cover 13 is transparent, and movable portion 13B of cover 13 is omitted (not shown). As shown in Fig. 12B, the lower edge BE of each of DC charging ports 19A-19C is 19 The lower edge BE of the fixing portion 13A of the charging port cover 13 13A The lower end of the DC charging port 19 is located below the 19 Since it is located below fixed part 13A of cover 13, DC charging port 19 can be seen when movable part 13B on cover 13 is opened.

[0057] 11B to 11D, the first hinge portion 181 includes a hinge bearing 18A1, a hinge arm 18B1, and a connecting portion 18C1. Similarly, the second hinge portion 182 includes a hinge bearing 18A2, a hinge arm 18B2, and a connecting portion 18C2. The movable shaft A extends to penetrate the hinge bearings 18A1 and 18A2. The hinge arms 18B1 and 18B2 have a curved shape and connect the hinge bearings 18A1 and 18A2 to the connecting portions 18C1 and 18C2, respectively. The connecting portions 18C1 and 18C2 are attached to the movable portion 13B of the cover 13. In this manner, the fixed portion 13A of the cover 13 and the movable portion 13B of the cover 13 are connected by the hinge portions 181 and 182.

[0058] As shown in Figure 12B, at least the coupling portion 18C1 of the first hinge portion 181 is located between the first DC charging port 19A and the second DC charging port 19B. Similarly, as shown in Figure 12B, at least the coupling portion 18C2 of the second hinge portion 182 is located between the second DC charging port 19B and the third DC charging port 19C.

[0059] As shown in Figures 11C and 11D, the fixed part 13A of the cover 13 has a plurality of compartments 13f (13f1, 13f2, 13f3) each separated by a wall (13d1, 13d2), and the wall (13d1, 13d2) supports hinges (181 and 182) connected to the movable part 13B of the cover 13. The movable part 13B of the cover 13 includes walls 13c1, 13c2 aligned with the walls 13d1, 13d2 of the fixed part 13A. As shown in Figures 11C and 11D, each of the hinge arms 18B1, 18B2 has a double arm structure, and the walls 13c1, 13c2 and the walls 13d1, 13d2 extend between each of the hinge arms 18B1, 18B2 having a double arm structure.

[0060] FIG. 13 is a front view showing the layout of PDU housing 20A and DC charging ports 19A-19C according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 13, a portion of PDU 20A is omitted in order to show the PDU located behind DC charging ports 19A-19C. As shown in FIG. 13, at least coupling portion 18C1 of the hinge is located between first DC charging port 19A and second DC charging port 19B, and at least coupling portion 18C2 of the hinge is located between second DC charging port 19B and third DC charging port 19C. Distance d between the center of cable or wire harness 14A connected to first DC charging port 19A and the center of cable or wire harness 14B connected to second DC charging port 19B is greater than width h of coupling portion 18C1 of the hinge located between first DC charging port 19A and second DC charging port 19B. Similarly, the distance d between the center of the cable or wire harness 14B connected to the second DC charging port 19B and the center of the cable or wire harness 14C connected to the third DC charging port 19C is greater than the width h of the hinge connection portion 18C2 located between the second DC charging port 19B and the third DC charging port 19C.

[0061] Fig. 14A is a perspective view of a battery pack according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 14A, the motor 45 is attached to the rear of the second housing 20C and below the first housing 20B.

[0062] FIG. 14B is a perspective view of a battery pack according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with the battery housing portion shown as transparent.

[0063] Fig. 14C is another perspective view of a battery pack according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with the battery housing portion and the PDU housing portion omitted. For example, as shown in Fig. 14C, the PDU housing 20A and the first housing 20B overlap in the front-rear direction. The PDU housing 20A is located above the second housing 20C in the vertical direction. The first housing 20B is located above the second housing 20C in the vertical direction.

[0064] FIG. 15 shows a charging port cover 13 (13A, 13B) in an open position according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 15, the movable part 13B, which is movable about the movable axis A shown in FIGS. 11B-11D and 12, is in the open position to expose the DC charging ports 19A-19C. Each of the charging ports 19A-19C includes a receptacle that extends vertically (up and down). FIG. 16A is a front view of an electric vehicle (EV) 10 with the movable part 13B of the charging port cover in an open state (open position). FIG. 16B is a side view of the EV 10 with the movable part 13B of the charging port cover in an open state (open position). As shown in FIG. 15, each receptacle of DC charging ports 19A-19C is configured to receive cables or wire harnesses, such as three external HV cables, and the three cables or wire harnesses include DC cable harnesses 14A (including cable 17), 14B (including cable 17), and 14C (including cable 17), as shown in FIG. 6B.

[0065] As shown in Figures 6B, 11C, 11D, and 15, the movable portion 13B of the charging port cover 13 includes openings 13e1, 13e2, and 13e3 that are vertically aligned with the DC charging ports 19A, 19B, and 19C, respectively. This structure allows the movable portion 13B to be in a closed state (closed position) while the DC fast charging system is connected to the electric vehicle 10, as shown in Figure 6B. In this way, the connections between the three DC fast charging plugs DCFC1, DCFC2, and DCFC3 (DC charging ports 19A, 19B, and 19C) and the DC cable harnesses 14A, 14B, and 14C can be covered and protected during charging, reducing the risk of accidental disconnection and high-voltage electric shock.

[0066] With the configuration of electric vehicle (EV) 10 including DC charging ports 19A-19C, AC charging port 15, and charging port cover 13 described above, a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides an electric vehicle that can be charged via a DC fast charging system or by AC grid power (mains power).

[0067] Next, the following preferred embodiments will be described with reference to an emergency stop (E-stop) switch for an electric vehicle and a drive-by-wire (DBW: Drive-by-Wire) system for an electric vehicle, as shown in Figs. 17 to 19.

[0068] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are two types of emergency stop switches. The first type includes an EV system emergency stop switch located on the two forward support beams (pillars) that support the cabin, one at the front of the tractor, and at least one on the top of the rear fender of the vehicle. The second type is a drive-by-wire (DBW) system emergency stop switch located on the dashboard (DAB) of the vehicle. The emergency stop switch may be provided as any type of switch, such as a large button or key that is pressed, a lever, a toggle switch, etc.

[0069] FIG. 17A is a perspective view of an electric vehicle 10A according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, seen from the right front direction, and the electric vehicle has emergency stop switches EV-ES1, EV-ES2, EV-ES3, and EV-ES4. The first emergency stop switch EV-ES1 is disposed on the front of the electric vehicle 10A, preferably at a side corner of the electric vehicle 10A, as shown in FIG. 17A. In this preferred embodiment, the first emergency stop switch EV-ES1 extends in an angular direction that is off the rear-front direction of the vehicle. Preferably, the first emergency stop switch EV-ES1 extends in an angular direction that is less than about 90 degrees and more than about 45 degrees with respect to the front-rear direction of the electric vehicle 10A. With this configuration, for example, a person can easily access and press (trigger) the emergency stop switch EV-ES1 while the vehicle is moving, without standing directly in front of the vehicle. The EV emergency stop switches EV-ES1 are configured to cut off the power supply from the battery pack to a power distribution unit (PDU) when any of them is activated (triggered or pressed by a person). As shown in FIG. 17A, by arranging the first emergency stop switch EV-ES1 at a side corner of the electric vehicle 10A so as to extend in an angular direction away from the rear-front direction of the electric vehicle, in a situation in which the moving vehicle is traveling autonomously without a person, if it is necessary to immediately stop the vehicle in an emergency, a person can press or activate the emergency stop switch EV-ES1 to turn off the power to the vehicle and stop the vehicle without having to stand directly in front of the moving vehicle.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 17A, additional EV emergency stop switches EV-ES2, EV-ES3, and EV-ES4 (second, third, and fourth EV emergency stop switches) may be provided in the electric vehicle (EV) 10A. The EV emergency stop switch EV-ES2 is disposed on the right side of the electric vehicle 10A, and the EV stop switch EV-ES3 is disposed on the left side of the EV 10A. In this preferred embodiment, the EV emergency stop switch EV-ES2 is disposed on the right cabin frame beam 50R of the electric vehicle 10A, and the EV stop switch EV-ES3 is disposed on the left cabin frame beam (pillar) 50L of the electric vehicle 10A. The EV emergency stop switch EV-ES4 is disposed on the rear of the electric vehicle 10A. In this preferred embodiment, the EV emergency stop switch EV-ES4 is disposed on the right rear fender (RRF) of the electric vehicle 10A. Each of the EV emergency stop switches EV-ES1, EV-ES2, EV-ES3, and EV-ES4 is configured to electrically disconnect the battery pack from the power distribution unit (PDU) when any one of them is activated (activated or pressed by a person). By providing an emergency stop switch at the front, left side, right side, and rear of the vehicle, a person can access and activate the EV emergency stop switch from any side of the vehicle.

[0071] Fig. 17B is a perspective view of an electric vehicle 10B according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, seen from the right rear, which has emergency stop switches EV-ES3, EV-ES4, and a drive-by-wire (DBW) emergency stop switch DBW-ES located on the dashboard (DAB). In this embodiment shown in Fig. 17B, the emergency stop switch EV-ES4 is located on the left rear fender LRF instead of the right rear fender RRF shown in Fig. 17A. The details and function of the drive-by-wire emergency stop switch DBW-ES will be described later.

[0072] FIG. 17C is a perspective view of an electric vehicle according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, seen from the right rear direction, in which the electric vehicle is equipped with an emergency stop switch EV-ESB 4A ,EV-ESB4B In the present embodiment shown in FIG. 17C, two emergency stop switches EV-ESB 4A ,EV-ESB 4B are provided at the rear of the vehicle, one at the rear left side and one at the rear right side. 4A The emergency stop switch EV-ESB is located on the left rear fender LRF. 4B The emergency stop switch EV-ESB is located on the right rear fender RRF. 4A ,EV-ESB 4B The configuration of providing the left and right rear seats is particularly advantageous when a vehicle implement such as a trailer, plow, cultivator, etc. is attached to the hitch H at the rear of the tractor (vehicle) 10C, and prevents a person from standing or positioning directly behind the center of the rear of the tractor 10C.

[0073] FIG. 18A is a block diagram of an EV emergency stop switch circuit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. When the EV emergency stop switch is activated, it de-energizes the PDU contactors and also de-energizes the battery pack contactors. This can be actuated by a control signal sent from the supervisory control unit (SCU) and battery management system (BMS) master to the power distribution unit (PDU) controller and the battery pack as shown in FIG. 18A. As a result, all contactors are forced to open. Thus, all high voltage power sources in the electric vehicle are disconnected. That is, the EV emergency stop switch opens the battery contactors and the PDU contactors shown in FIG. 3, disconnecting the battery pack from the rest of the vehicle. This means that no current flows through the inverter and / or motor. When the EV emergency stop switch is activated, it de-energizes both the inverter and the on-board charge controller DC / DC converter (OBC DC / DC) shown in FIG. 2, so that the 12V power bus is only energized until the 12V battery is depleted. When the 12V battery is depleted, all systems are powered down. The two types of emergency stop switches are independent, but since the EV emergency stop does not directly affect the drive-by-wire (DBW) system, the DBW is also powered down when the 12V battery is depleted. In a preferred embodiment, high voltage interlock loops (HVILs) are detected by the PDU controller, and a detection signal is transmitted to the supervisory control unit (SCU), which opens the contactor (the SCU opens the contactor), as shown in FIG. 18A.

[0074] Figure 18B is a block diagram of an electric vehicle (EV) emergency stop switch circuit according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, which includes not one EV emergency stop but four EV emergency stops 1 to 4. These four EV emergency stop switches 1 to 4 in Figure 18B may correspond to, for example, the four EV emergency stop switches EV-ES1, EV-ES2, EV-ES3, and EV-ES4 shown in Figure 17A.

[0075] FIG. 19 is a block diagram of a Drive-by-Wire (DBW) system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The Drive-by-Wire (DBW) system is an electronic control system that outputs analog signals that operate in the same manner as vehicle sensors used to detect human inputs such as pressing the brake pedal, the throttle pedal, or turning the steering wheel. As shown in FIG. 19, the processing unit is primarily responsible for establishing (setting up) the CAN connections for the Drive-by-Wire (DBW) system to send commands to the steering ECU, steering angle encoding, brake actuator, and various other actuators of the tractor. The processing unit can receive autonomous driving commands and send appropriate encoded CAN messages for steering, acceleration, and braking to the DBW controller. When the Drive-by-Wire (DBW) emergency stop switch DBW-ES is activated (i.e., the button of the Drive-by-Wire (DBW-ES) is pressed by the vehicle user or operator), the Drive-by-Wire (DBW) controller switches the Drive-by-Wire (DBW) function from an active state to an inactive state. As a result, all drive-by-wire (DBW) functions are stopped and the tractor can only be operated manually. In a preferred embodiment, the DBW controller can receive control signals from the autonomous vehicle interface or the remote controller, as shown in FIG. 19. When the DBW-ES emergency stop switch is activated, the autonomous vehicle interface functions and / or the manual operation (remote controller) of the DBW are disabled (inoperable). More specifically, the DBW-ES emergency stop switch activates a fail-safe mode in which the DBW controller stops outputting new commands to the actuator interface and forces analog pass-through (to the user) for all aspects of steering, braking, and acceleration. "Analog pass-through" means that only manual input operations (accelerator pedal depression, brake pedal depression, steering wheel rotation, shuttle lever position switching) are enabled (operable).

[0076] In a preferred embodiment, the tractor defaults to manual mode when started. To make the tractor autonomous, it is controlled by a drive-by-wire (DBW) system. The DBW system may include a gamepad controller as shown in FIG. 19, which can enable or disable control of the tractor. To enable DBW control, the user presses a specific pre-defined button or command. Since the tractor can be electronically controlled by the DBW system, the joystick of the controller can also be used to output commands to the DBW system. As shown in FIG. 19, the user can teleop the tractor using the joystick. Another pre-defined specific button can be used to correspond to or function as a deadman switch, and the DBW system will only accept commands from the autonomous vehicle interface when the user presses another pre-defined specific button. The controller command can be set to stop the tractor when the user releases the button.

[0077] As shown in Figures 17B and 17C, the DBW-type emergency stop switch DBW-ES is preferably located on the dashboard (DAB) of the vehicle 10B (10C). Referring to Figure 19, the drive-by-wire (DBW) system includes a first operation mode and a second operation mode, and the DBW emergency stop switch DBW-ES is configured to switch the drive-by-wire (DBW) system from the first operation mode to the second operation mode when the DBW emergency stop switch is actuated (i.e., activated or pressed by the vehicle operator). In the first operation mode, the drive-by-wire (DBW) system controls the steering, braking, and acceleration functions of the electric vehicle (EV) via the DBW controller. This first operation mode can include receiving control signals from an autonomous vehicle interface or a remote controller, as described above. In the second operating mode, the drive-by-wire (DBW) functions for steering, braking and acceleration of the electric vehicle (EV) are disabled and only an "analog pass-through" of manual control inputs (accelerator pedal press, brake pedal press, steering wheel rotation, or shuttle lever position switching) is enabled.

[0078] A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a structure and an arrangement that can be used to support an electric motor on a vehicle. The vehicle is preferably an electric tractor with wheels, an electric heavy machine with a track (crawler), an electric automobile, or the like. The electric motor can be secured to the vehicle in a manner that allows the electric motor and the electrical and mechanical components of the vehicle to be connected simply and efficiently while protecting the electric motor. Here, a preferred embodiment relating to the structure and arrangement that can be used to support an electric motor on a vehicle will be described below.

[0079] FIG. 20 is a bottom perspective view of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention with the front body portion removed to expose PDU housing 20A.

[0080] 21A to 21C show an example of a motor assembly 101 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The motor assembly 101 preferably includes a frame housing 102 and a motor 103. The frame housing 102 has a structure for protecting and supporting the motor 103, electrically connecting the motor 103 to an inverter 106 and other electric components, and mechanically connecting the motor 103 to a power train component of a vehicle such as a transmission 108 as shown in FIG. 32. As shown in FIGS. 21A to 23, the motor 103 is preferably fixed to the frame housing 102 via a motor bracket 104. However, it is also possible to house the motor assembly 101 in a front axle case or a rear axle case of the vehicle. In such an arrangement, the motor 103 is preferably held inside the axle case. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the front surface of the motor 103 is preferably arranged to face the rear of the vehicle on which the motor 103 is mounted. In a preferred embodiment, the front portion of the motor 103 includes a shaft 134. This is shown in, for example, FIGS. 32 and 33. However, if desired, the motor 103 can be positioned so that the front surface of the motor faces the front of the vehicle.

[0081] As shown in Figures 24 and 25, the motor bracket 104 preferably includes an inner surface 141, an outer surface 142, a central collar 143, peripheral ears 144, through holes 145, locking lugs 146, and recesses 147. As shown in Figure 26, the inner surface 141 is configured to contact the front surface 302 of the motor 103. The outer surface 142 is configured to contact the front plate 121 of the frame housing 102. The central collar 143 is preferably formed by a curved raised lip extending from the outer surface 142 of the motor bracket 104. The shaft 134 of the motor 103 passes through a central hole 431 of the motor bracket 104 surrounded by the central collar 143, as shown in Figures 25 and 26.

[0082] The peripheral ear 144 includes a through hole 145 that extends therethrough. A frame fixing bolt 451 passes through the through hole 145 of the peripheral ear 144 and threads into the through hole 129 of the frame housing 102, for example, as shown in FIG. 28. The frame fixing bolt 451 is used to rigidly connect the motor bracket 104 to the frame housing 102. The fixing lug 146 preferably includes a central hole through which the motor fixing bolt 461 can be threaded into the bolt receiving hole 139 located on the front face of the motor 103. The motor bracket 104 is thus configured to be fixedly connected to both the motor 103 and the frame housing 102.

[0083] 21A to 23, 26, and 27, motor 103 preferably includes a rear face 301, electrical contacts 131, data connector 132, oil pump 133, shaft 134, transmission shaft coupler 135, temperature sensor 136, earth connection 137, oil drain plug (oil drain plug) 138, bolt receiving hole 139, and front face 302. Bolt receiving hole 139 is provided in front face 302 of motor 103, and is structured to receive motor fixing bolt 461.

[0084] The electrical contacts 131, data connector 132, oil pump 133, and ground connection 137 are all preferably located at the rear 301 of the motor 103. The motor 103 is preferably a three-phase motor, for example, and includes three electrical contacts 131 that are connected to individual phase power supplies of the inverter 106. Specifically, the electrical contacts 131 are preferably connected to electrical leads extending between the electric motor 103 and the inverter 106. The data connector 132 is preferably connected to internal measurement and control electronics within the motor 103, including, for example, rotational position sensors, torque sensors, temperature sensors, voltage sensors, current sensors, speed sensors, etc. The ground connection 137 is preferably located adjacent the electrical contacts 131 and the data connector 132, such that the cables connected to the ground connection 137, electrical contacts 131, and data connector 132 are routed along similar paths.

[0085] The oil pump 133 is preferably configured to pump oil from the motor 103 through an oil inlet / outlet 331, for example as shown in Figure 23. The oil pump 133 preferably further includes an oil drain plug 332 which can be used to drain oil stored within the oil pump 133. A temperature sensor 136 of the motor 103 is preferably connected to the oil inlet / outlet 331. An oil drain plug 138 can be removed to drain oil from the pump of the motor 103.

[0086] Shaft 134 protrudes from a front face 302 of motor 103 and engages a driven component of the electric vehicle. A transmission shaft coupler 135 is preferably attached to shaft 134 such that shaft 134 is rotatably coupled to an input of transmission 108. Transmission 108 is preferably a variable speed transmission or a hydrostatic transmission (HST), but may be any other desired type of vehicle transmission.

[0087] 21A-21C, 28-31, and 33, the frame housing 102 preferably includes a front plate 121, a pair of upper side plates including a first upper side plate 122 and a second upper side plate 123, a lower side plate 124, a rear plate 125, a rear bottom plate 126, a corner bottom plate 127, a rear top plate 201, and a side intermediate support plate 202. The frame housing 102 is configured to surround and support the motor 103 to protect delicate parts of the motor 103 from damage caused by external environmental elements, while providing easy access to connectors of the motor 103 including, for example, electrical contacts 131, data connector 132, oil pump 133, and ground connection 137.

[0088] The front plate 121 preferably includes a central bore 128 configured to receive the central collar portion 143 of the motor bracket 104 when the frame fixing bolt 451 is screwed (threaded) into the through hole 145 of the motor bracket 104 and the through hole 129 of the frame housing 102. Further, the transmission fixing bolt 218 preferably passes through the transmission 108 and is screwed into the front plate 121 to fix the motor assembly 101 to the transmission 108. As shown in FIG. 29 and FIG. 30, the upper surface of the front plate 121 is connected to the first upper side plate 122 and the second upper side plate 123. The first upper side plate 122 and the second upper side plate 123 are preferably welded to the front plate 121, for example. The side intermediate support plate 202 is provided between the second upper side plate 123 and the lower side plate 124. The side intermediate support plate 202 is preferably welded to both, for example, the second upper side plate 123 and the lower side plate 124. Furthermore, the lower side plate 124 is preferably fixed to a portion of the chassis 105 using a chassis fixing bolt 241, for example as shown in FIG.

[0089] The lower box portion of the frame housing 102 includes a lower side plate 124, a rear top plate 201, a rear plate 125, a rear bottom plate 126, and a corner bottom plate 127. The corner bottom plate 127 preferably has a triangular shape and is connected between the lower side plate 124 and the front plate 121. The rear top plate 201, the rear plate 125, and the rear bottom plate 126 are preferably all connected to the rear of the lower side plate 124. The lower side plate 124, the rear top plate 201, the rear bottom plate 126, and the corner bottom plate 127 are preferably all welded together, for example. Furthermore, the rear plate 125 is preferably welded to a part of the chassis 105. As shown in FIG. 31, the bottom plate 126 preferably includes a recess 261. The recess 261 is structured to allow access to the bottom of the motor 103.

[0090] The cutout 231 is preferably formed in a directly adjacent rear portion between the first upper side plate 122 and the second upper side plate 123. More specifically, the first upper side plate 122 includes a first inclined portion 222 that approaches increasingly toward the rear of the motor assembly 101 as it extends downward, and the second upper side plate 123 includes a second inclined portion 232 that approaches increasingly toward the rear of the motor assembly 101 as it extends downward. The cutout 231 is preferably formed by the bottom of the first inclined portion 222 and the top of the second inclined portion 232. At least a portion of the cutout 231 is preferably disposed at a vertical position lower than the vertical position of the electrical contact 131 such that at least a portion of the connector 131 is located above the cutout 231, as shown in FIGS. 21A-21C. Furthermore, at least a portion of the electrical contact 131 is above the second inclined portion 232. However, it is also possible that the cutouts 231 are in the same vertical overlapping position of the contacts 131 .

[0091] As shown in FIG. 21B, the notch 231 is located below an imaginary line 2223 extending from the top of the first inclined portion 222 to the bottom of the second inclined portion 232. The first inclination angle 223 is defined as an angle between the horizontal direction and the first inclined portion 222, and the second inclination angle 233 is defined as an angle between the horizontal direction and the second inclined portion 232. The first inclination angle 223 is preferably greater than the second inclination angle 233. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 21C, the first upper side plate 122 is preferably configured to incline inwardly toward the center point of the rear surface 301 of the motor 103 such that the first inclined portion 222 approaches the center point of the rear surface 301 of the motor 103 as it extends upward.

[0092] FIG. 32 is a bottom view of a portion of a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle is preferably a tractor. As shown in FIG. 32, the vehicle preferably includes a chassis 105 having opposing frame rails 151, a front wheel support frame 152 coupled between the opposing frame rails 151, and front wheels 153 coupled to lateral ends of the front wheel support frame 152. The motor assembly 101 is fixed to straddle the opposing frame rails 151 at a rear position in the vehicle front-rear direction of the front wheel support frame 152. The inverter 106 is disposed in front of the motor assembly 101 and behind an on-board battery charger (OBC) 107. The on-board battery charger is preferably connected to a battery pack located above the opposing frame rails 151 and the on-board battery charger 107.

[0093] 32, at least a portion of the electric motor 103 is preferably disposed rearward of the front wheel support frame 152, and at least a portion of the inverter 106 is preferably disposed frontward of the front wheel support frame 152. Therefore, the electric motor 103 is preferably disposed at a position farther from the front of the vehicle than the inverter. Furthermore, the pair of frame rails 151 preferably extend from the front of the vehicle, beyond the front wheel support frame 152, to the motor assembly 101.

[0094] 33 is a perspective view of a portion of a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As mentioned above, the rear of the motor 103 is preferably positioned to face the front of the vehicle. Additionally, the opposing frame rail 151 is preferably fitted to the motor assembly 101 between the lower side plate 124 and the rear plate 125, and between the lower side plate 124 and the front plate 121. The motor assembly 101 is preferably secured to the opposing frame rail 151 using chassis mounting bolts 241.

[0095] The electrical contacts 131 are provided on the rear surface of the motor 103 so as to face the inverter 106 in order to facilitate connection between the electrical contacts 131 and the inverter 106 via an electrical cable. The inverter 106 is preferably a three-phase inverter that supplies power having three independent / different phases to the three electrical contacts 131.

[0096] FIG. 34 is a schematic diagram showing a preferred electrical connection between the inverter 106 and the motor 103. The inverter 106 preferably includes inverter terminals 161 connected to the electrical contacts 131 of the motor 103 via leads 162. Preferably, three inverter terminals 161 are provided, each connected individually to each of the three electrical contacts 131. The inverter 106 preferably further includes high voltage DC (HVDC) terminals 163, which are used to connect the inverter 106 to a power distribution unit (PDU) housed in the PDU housing 20A of the vehicle described above. As shown in FIG. 34, the high voltage DC (HVDC) terminals 163 of the inverter 106 face the forward (front) direction of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 20, the PDU housed in the PDU housing 20A is located forward of the inverter 106. As shown in FIG. 2, the power distribution unit (PDU) is connected to the HVDC terminals of the inverter.

[0097] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that modifications and variations will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, and therefore the scope of the invention is to be determined solely by the claims which follow. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1,2,3 Battery String 10 Electric Vehicles 11,12 Headlights 13 Charging port cover 13A Fixed cover part 13B Movable cover part 14 DC cable harness 15 AC charging port 16 Lower body part (lower front body part) 16A Recess 17 Cable (charging cable harness) 18 Hinge 19 DC charging port 20. Housing 24 Top main body (upper front main body) 25 Front skid plate 26 Onboard Charge Controller (OBC) 35L, 35R side duct 41L, 41R front wheels 42L, 42R rear wheels 45 Electric Motor 46 Gearbox 50 Cabin EV-ES Emergency Stop Switch

Claims

1. An electric motor; a frame housing including a cutout portion; A motor bracket; An inverter, the motor bracket is provided between the electric motor and the frame housing and fixes the electric motor to the frame housing; the frame housing at least partially encloses the electric motor; The cutout portion formed in a part of the frame housing faces the inverter.

2. 2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the frame housing includes a first upper side plate and a second upper side plate disposed above a lower side plate.

3. the first upper side plate includes a first sloped portion that approaches closer to a rear portion of the electric motor as the first upper side plate extends downward; the second upper side plate includes a second sloped portion that approaches closer to a rear portion of the electric motor as the second upper side plate extends downward; The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the cutout portion is formed at the bottom of the first inclined portion and at the top of the second inclined portion.

4. 4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the first upper side panel slopes inwardly toward the electric motor such that the first upper side panel approaches the electric motor as the first upper side panel extends upward.

5. The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the cutout portion is located below an imaginary line extending from an uppermost point of the first inclined portion to a lowermost point of the second inclined portion.

6. a first tilt angle is defined as the angle between the horizontal and the first tilt portion; A second tilt angle is defined as the angle between the horizontal and the second tilt portion; The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the first tilt angle is greater than the second tilt angle.

7. the electric motor includes at least one electrical contact; the at least one electrical contact is configured to be connected to an electrical lead extending between the electric motor and the inverter; 4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the cutout is disposed at a vertical position that is below a vertical position of the at least one electrical contact.

8. the electric motor includes at least one electrical contact; the at least one electrical contact is configured to be connected to an electrical lead extending between the electric motor and the inverter; 4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the at least one electrical contact is disposed at a vertical position above a vertical position of the second ramp portion.

9. The frame housing further includes a front plate, a rear plate, a rear bottom plate, a corner bottom plate, a rear top plate, and a side intermediate support plate; The first upper side panel includes a plurality of first upper side panels, The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the second upper side panel comprises a plurality of second upper side panels.

10. a transmission coupled to the electric motor; an output shaft of the motor assembly is coupled to the transmission such that rotation of the output shaft drives the transmission; the output shaft protruding from a front portion of the electric motor; The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein a front portion of the electric motor faces a rear portion of the vehicle.

11. Further comprising a chassis; The chassis includes a pair of frame rails and a front wheel support frame. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of front wheels of the vehicle are provided at opposite ends of the front wheel support frame.

12. An on board battery charger (OBC) fixed to the chassis, 12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the inverter is disposed between the electric motor and the on-board battery charger.

13. 13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the transmission, the electric motor, the inverter, and the on-board battery charger are all disposed along a straight line extending from the front to the rear of the vehicle.

14. 12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the frame housing is secured to the pair of frame rails using a plurality of chassis fastening bolts.

15. A chassis, an on board battery charger (OBC) fixed to the chassis; 2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the inverter is disposed between the electric motor and the on-board battery charger.

16. 16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the electric motor, the inverter, and the on-board battery charger are all disposed along a straight line extending from the front to the rear of the vehicle.

17. The vehicle further includes a chassis including a pair of frame rails and a front wheel support frame; 2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the frame housing is supported on the vehicle between the pair of frame rails such that an outer surface of the frame housing is laterally outboard of an outer surface of the chassis when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

18. The frame housing is fixed to the pair of frame rails using a plurality of chassis fixing bolts, 18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of chassis fixing bolts extends through a portion of the frame housing and into both of the pair of frame rails.

19. 18. The vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the electric motor is disposed further from a front of the vehicle than the inverter.

20. At least a portion of the electric motor is disposed at a rear portion of the front wheel support frame, The vehicle according to claim 19 , wherein at least a portion of the inverter is disposed in a front portion of the front wheel support frame.

21. 16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the pair of frame rails extend from a front of the vehicle, past the front wheel support frame, to the frame housing.

22. 18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the vehicle is an electric agricultural machine.

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