Vehicle contactless charging system

Abstract

This invention provides a contactless charging system for vehicles that can perform road surface interference guarding functions without reducing the vehicle's ground clearance. [Solution] The vehicle contactless charging system 2 comprises a road surface interference guard member 3 provided at the front of the vehicle on the bottom surface of the vehicle 1, and a contactless charging unit 5 that is separate from the road surface interference guard member 3 and fastened to the bottom surface of the vehicle 1 behind the road surface interference guard member 3, and is movable relative to the road surface interference guard member 3 in the vertical direction of the vehicle 1. The contactless charging unit 5 has an inclined portion 52 that is formed to be inclined toward the rear with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1, and the lower end portion 53 of the inclined portion 52 is configured to be below the lower end portion 31 of the road surface interference guard member 3.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a non-contact charging system for vehicles.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of a structure in which an inclined portion is provided in front of a non-contact charging unit in order to avoid road surface interference without affecting the power feeding efficiency.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) or an EV (Electric Vehicle), a road surface interference guard for protecting a non-contact charging unit mounted under the vehicle floor is provided in front of the vehicle. The road surface interference guard is often formed long in the vehicle front-rear direction, and cannot be mounted on the vehicle unless it is provided on the vehicle at a location separated from the non-contact charging unit and relatively movable with respect to the non-contact charging unit. In this case, in order for the road surface interference guard to exhibit its guard function including variations due to fastening to the vehicle, the lower end must always be lower than the lower surface of the non-contact charging unit, including when the relative movement with respect to the non-contact charging unit is maximum, and there is a problem that the ground clearance of the vehicle decreases.

[0005] However, in the above-described Patent Document 1, the case where a road surface interference guard is provided is not considered at all, and there is room for improvement.

[0006] This disclosure has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a contactless charging system for vehicles that can perform a road surface interference guard function without reducing the vehicle's ground clearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the contactless power receiving system for vehicles according to this disclosure comprises a road surface interference guard member provided on the front of the vehicle on the bottom surface of the vehicle, and a contactless charging unit that is separate from the road surface interference guard member and fastened to the bottom surface of the vehicle behind the road surface interference guard member, and is movable relative to the road surface interference guard member in the vertical direction of the vehicle, wherein the contactless charging unit has an inclined portion that is inclined toward the rear with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the lower end of the inclined portion is configured to be below the lower end of the road surface interference guard member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, the road surface interference guard function can be performed without reducing the vehicle's ground clearance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a partial cross-section of a vehicle according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of another partial cross-section of a vehicle according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, a vehicle equipped with a contactless charging system for vehicles according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily substituted or substantially identical to those that are easily substituted by those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the figures referenced in the following description are merely schematic representations of the shape, size, and positional relationships to the extent that the contents of the present disclosure can be understood. In other words, the present disclosure is not limited to the shapes, sizes, and positional relationships exemplified in the figures.

[0011] [Vehicle configuration] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a partial cross-section of a vehicle according to one embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of another partial cross-section of a vehicle according to one embodiment. In Figures 1 and 2, the right side indicates the front (Fr) of the vehicle 1, and the vertical direction indicates the vertical direction of the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 shown in Figure 1 is equipped with a vehicle contactless charging system 2 on the bottom surface of the body 10.

[0012] The vehicle contactless charging system 2 includes a road surface interference guard member 3 provided on the front of the vehicle on the bottom surface of the vehicle body 10. Furthermore, the vehicle contactless charging system 2 includes a suspension member 4 fastened to the rear of the road surface interference guard member 3 on the bottom surface of the vehicle body 10, and a contactless charging unit 5 fastened to the suspension member 4.

[0013] The road surface interference guard member 3 is fastened to the body 10 via screws 6 so as to be extendable and retractable in the vertical direction of the vehicle 1. The road surface interference guard member 3 is formed to be inclined from front to rear with respect to the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the road surface interference guard member 3 is formed to be inclined from the front direction such that the angle between the upper surface on the body 10 side and the inclined surface is acute. The road surface interference guard member 3 prevents the contactless charging unit 5 from interfering with curbs 101, etc. on the road surface 100 when the vehicle 1 is moving.

[0014] The suspension member 4 is fastened to the vehicle 1 via a retractable bushing 7, allowing it to extend and retract in the vertical direction. Alternatively, the suspension member 4 may be fastened to the vehicle 1 via a mount made of rubber or the like instead of the bushing 7.

[0015] The contactless charging unit 5 has a base portion 51 that incorporates a power receiving section (not shown) configured using a coil or the like for receiving power from an external source, and an inclined portion 52 formed facing rearward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1. The inclined portion 52 is formed at the same inclination angle as the road surface interference guard member 3. The contactless charging unit 5 is fastened to the bottom surface of the vehicle 1 behind the road surface interference guard member 3, separated from the road surface interference guard member 3, via screws 9, suspension members 4 and bushings 7. As a result, the contactless charging unit 5 is fastened to the vehicle 1 so as to be separate from the road surface interference guard member 3 and so as to be movable relative to the road surface interference guard member 3.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the contactless charging unit 5 configured in this way is set such that when the road surface interference guard member 3 is moved to its lowest position in the vertical direction of the vehicle 1, the lower end 53 of the inclined portion 52 in the contactless charging unit 5 is lower than the lower end 31 of the road surface interference guard member 3. That is, the contactless charging unit 5 is configured such that the lower end 53 (bottom surface) of the inclined portion 52 in the contactless charging unit 5 is longer than the height H1 from the bottom surface of the body 10 of the vehicle 1, including the suspension member 4 and bushing 7, to the lower end 31 of the road surface interference guard member 3 when it is extended to its lowest position.

[0017] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the contactless charging unit 5 is configured such that when the road surface interference guard member 3 is moved to its uppermost position in the vertical direction of the vehicle 1, the starting point P1 of the inclination of the inclined portion 52 in the contactless charging unit 5 is located below the lower end portion 31 of the road surface interference guard member 3. In other words, the contactless charging unit 5 is configured such that the starting point P1 of the inclination of the inclined portion 52 from the bottom surface of the vehicle 1 body 10, including the suspension member 4 and bushing 7, is longer than the height H2 from the bottom surface of the body 10 to the bottom surface of the road surface interference guard member 3 when it is most retracted. As a result, the contactless charging unit 5 can perform the road surface interference guard function of the road surface interference guard member 3 without lowering the ground clearance of the vehicle 1.

[0018] According to the embodiment described above, when the road surface interference guard member 3 moves to its lowest position in the vertical direction of the vehicle 1, the lower end portion 53 of the inclined portion 52 of the contactless charging unit 5 is configured to be lower than the lower end portion 31 of the road surface interference guard member 3. Therefore, the road surface interference guard function of the road surface interference guard member 3 can be performed without reducing the ground clearance of the vehicle 1.

[0019] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, when the road surface interference guard member 3 moves to its highest position in the vertical direction of the vehicle 1, the contactless charging unit 5 is configured such that the starting point of the inclination of the inclined portion 52 in the contactless charging unit 5 is located below the lower end portion 31 of the road surface interference guard member 3. Therefore, the road surface interference guard function of the road surface interference guard member 3 can be performed without reducing the ground clearance of the vehicle 1.

[0020] Further effects and modifications can be readily derived by those skilled in the art. Broader aspects of the present invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments expressed and described above. Accordingly, various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the overall concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0021] As described above, some embodiments of the present application have been described in detail based on the drawings. However, these are merely examples, and the present invention can be implemented in other forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, including the aspects described in the disclosure column of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0022] 1 Vehicle 2 Non-contact charging system for vehicle 3 Road surface interference guard member 4 Suspension member 5 Non-contact charging unit 6, 9 Screw 7 Bush 10 Body 31 Lower end portion 51 Base portion 52 Inclined portion 53 Lower end portion 100 Road surface 101 Curb

Claims

1. A road surface interference guard member is provided on the front of the vehicle's underside, A non-contact charging unit is fastened to the bottom surface of the vehicle behind the road surface interference guard member, separate from the road surface interference guard member, and is movable relative to the road surface interference guard member in the vertical direction of the vehicle. Equipped with, The aforementioned contactless charging unit is The vehicle has an inclined portion that is formed to be inclined toward the rear with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, The aforementioned inclined portion is The lower end is configured to be lower than the lower end of the road surface interference guard member, Contactless charging system for vehicles.

2. A contactless charging system for a vehicle according to claim 1, The vehicle further comprises a suspension member provided on the bottom surface of the vehicle, which is extendable and retractable in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The aforementioned contactless charging unit is Fastened to the vehicle via the suspension member, The aforementioned inclined portion is Formed on the front side of the aforementioned contactless charging unit, Contactless charging system for vehicles.

3. A contactless charging system for a vehicle according to claim 2, The aforementioned inclined portion is The road surface interference guard member is configured such that, when it moves most upward in the vertical direction of the vehicle, the starting point of the inclination is located below the lower end of the road surface interference guard member. Contactless charging system for vehicles.

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