Hydrogen tank mounted vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle equipped with a hydrogen tank, capable of being compactly formed.SOLUTION: A tank storage part 30 in which a hydrogen tank 34 is detachably stored is exposed to the outside, so that the attaching / detaching work of the hydrogen tank 34 is facilitated, and workability is improved. In addition, since the tank storage part 30 is exposed to the outside, there is no obstacle on the movement path of the hydrogen tank 34 in the tank storage part 30 when the hydrogen tank 34 is attached and detached. Accordingly, in the tank storage part 30, all that is required is to secure a space in which the hydrogen tank 34 can be stored, so that a body part 16 can be compactly formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle equipped with a hydrogen tank. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for housing a hydrogen storage case containing multiple hydrogen tanks in the trunk of a vehicle. In this prior art, a connector is provided on the hydrogen storage case, and the hydrogen tanks are connected to the vehicle's fuel cell system by connecting the hydrogen storage case to a connector provided on the rear underfloor of the trunk. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-270707 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned prior art, the hydrogen storage case is installed or removed through the trunk, which requires that obstacles not be placed on the path of the hydrogen storage case, and therefore requires that the trunk space be made larger, which may result in an increase in the size of the vehicle itself.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle equipped with a hydrogen tank that can be formed compactly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to the present invention described in claim 1 comprises a tank housing section which is arranged in a main body section that can be driven by the drive of drive wheels, constitutes part of the vehicle's external shape, and has a plurality of hydrogen tank attachment / detachment sections arranged along the height direction of the main body section, in which a hydrogen tank can be detachably housed, and a fuel cell stack which generates electricity by being supplied with hydrogen from the hydrogen tank. The hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion is exposed to the outside, and a locking mechanism is provided that enables the hydrogen tank to be directly attached to or detached from the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion from the outside of the main body, and the locking mechanism is formed along the axial and circumferential directions of the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion, and is engageable with a protrusion provided on the hydrogen tank, and includes a cam groove that converts a rotational movement that rotates the hydrogen tank along the circumferential direction into a linear movement that moves the hydrogen tank along the axial direction. .

[0007] The hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to the present invention described in claim 1 comprises a tank housing section and a fuel cell stack. The tank housing section is disposed in a main body section that is movable by the drive of the drive wheels, and constitutes part of the vehicle's external shape. The tank housing section is provided with a plurality of hydrogen tank attachment / detachment sections along the height direction of the main body section, in which hydrogen tanks are detachably housed. Meanwhile, the fuel cell stack generates electricity when hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen tank.

[0008] The tank housing, in which the hydrogen tank is detachably housed, constitutes part of the vehicle exterior of the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle, that is, the tank housing is provided on the outside of the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle.

[0009] For example, if the tank housing is provided on the inside of the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle, it is difficult to directly attach and detach the hydrogen tank from the outside of the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle. In contrast, in the present invention, the tank housing is provided on the outside of the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle, making it easier to attach and detach the hydrogen tank and improving workability.

[0010] In addition, in the present invention, since the tank housing is provided on the outside of the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle, there are no obstacles in the path of the hydrogen tank when it is attached or detached. Therefore, it is sufficient for the tank housing to have a space large enough to house the hydrogen tank, making it possible to form the main body in a compact manner.

[0012] Furthermore, in the present invention , Hydrogen tank attachment / detachment section Since it is exposed to the outside, for example, it may be covered Hydrogen tank attachment / detachment sectionIn comparison with a case where the cover is not exposed to the outside, there is no need to remove a cover, etc., making it easier to attach and detach the hydrogen tank, and further improving workability. Furthermore, in the present invention, a locking mechanism is provided that enables the hydrogen tank to be directly attached to or detached from the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment part from the outside of the main body, thereby preventing the hydrogen tank from easily coming off the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment part when the main body is moved. Furthermore, in the present invention, the locking mechanism includes a cam groove that is formed along the axial and circumferential directions of the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment part and is engageable with a protrusion provided on the hydrogen tank, and the cam groove converts rotational movement of the hydrogen tank along the circumferential direction into linear movement along the axial direction via the protrusion.

[0013] Claim 2 The hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to the present invention is Article 1 In the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle, the drive wheels are provided on the front side of the main body, and the tank accommodating section is provided above the drive wheels.

[0014] Claim 2 In the hydrogen tank vehicle according to the present invention described above, the drive wheels are provided on the front side of the main body, and the tank housing is provided above the drive wheels, which makes it possible to form a compact hydrogen tank vehicle and to prevent a colliding object from directly colliding with the hydrogen tank housed in the tank housing in the event of a collision of the main body.

[0015] Claim 3 The hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to the present invention is as follows: or Claim 2 In a vehicle equipped with a hydrogen tank, the hydrogen tank is detachable from the front side of the main body.

[0016] Claim 3 In the vehicle equipped with a hydrogen tank according to the present invention, the hydrogen tank can be attached and detached from the front side of the main body, which makes it possible to ensure the safety of the person attaching or detaching the hydrogen tank.

[0021] Claim 4 The hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to the present invention is Any one of claims 1 to 3 In the described hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle, a gripping portion capable of gripping the hydrogen tank is provided at one longitudinal end of the hydrogen tank, and the locked or unlocked state of the hydrogen tank by the locking mechanism can be confirmed from outside via the gripping portion.

[0022] Claim 4 In the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to the present invention, a grip is provided at one longitudinal end of the hydrogen tank, which allows the hydrogen tank to be gripped. This grip makes it possible to check from the outside whether the hydrogen tank is locked or unlocked by the locking mechanism, which is convenient.

[0023] Claim 5 The hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to the present invention is as follows: 4 In a hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle described in any one of claims 1 to 5, the main body portion is configured to include a skeletal portion that forms the outer shape of the main body portion, and a space portion that penetrates inside the skeletal portion along the axial direction of the drive wheel.

[0024] Claim 5 In the hydrogen tank vehicle according to the present invention described above, the main body is configured to include a framework and a space, and the space penetrates along the axial direction of the drive wheels inside the framework that defines the outer shape of the main body. By utilizing this space, the versatility of the hydrogen tank vehicle can be improved.

[0025] Claim 6 The hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to the present invention is as follows: 5 In the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle described in any one of claims 1 to 5, the width dimension of the main body is formed to be smaller than the width dimension along the axial direction of the drive wheels.

[0026] Claim 6 In the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle of the present invention described above, the width dimension of the main body is made smaller than the width dimension along the axial direction of the drive wheels, making it possible to form an overall compact hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle. Effect of the Invention

[0027] The hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to the present invention can be made compact. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a main body that constitutes a part of a hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side view corresponding to FIG. 1, showing a hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a main body and a drive unit that constitute a part of a hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a side view showing the configuration of a main body that constitutes part of the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion of a hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to this embodiment, showing the state before the hydrogen tank is inserted into a hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion, which is a main portion of the vehicle. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion of a hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the hydrogen tank is accommodated in a hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion, which is a main portion of the vehicle. FIG. [Figure 8] 1A is a front view showing the hydrogen gas and the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion in an unlocked state before the hydrogen gas is locked to the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion of a hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle in this embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a side cross-sectional view showing the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion and hydrogen gas. [Figure 9] 1A is a front view showing the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion and hydrogen gas in a locked state before the hydrogen gas is locked in the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion of a hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle in this embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a side cross-sectional view showing the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion and hydrogen gas. [Figure 10] 3 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 2 and illustrating a modified example of a main body that constitutes a part of the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to the present embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] A hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In Fig. 1, the arrow FR indicates the front side of the vehicle, the arrow RH indicates the right side of the vehicle, and the arrow UP indicates the upper side of the vehicle.

[0030] <Configuration of hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle> First, the configuration of a hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to this embodiment will be described.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, a hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle 10 has a drive unit 14 equipped with wheels (drive wheels) 12, and a main body unit 16 that can be driven by the drive of the drive unit 14, and the drive unit 14 can be connected to the main body unit 16.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 16 has a skeleton 17 that has a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the side of the vehicle. The skeleton 17 includes a front wall 18 that forms the skeleton of the front part in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, a rear wall 20 that forms the skeleton of the rear part in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and faces the front wall 18, an upper wall 22 that forms the upper part in the vertical direction of the vehicle and connects the upper end of the front wall 18 and the upper end of the rear wall 20, and a lower wall 24 that forms the lower part in the vertical direction of the vehicle and connects the lower end of the front wall 18 and the lower end of the rear wall 20.

[0033] Furthermore, a space 25 is formed along the axial direction of the wheels 12 by the front wall 18, rear wall 20, upper wall 22 and lower wall 24, and this space 25 can accommodate luggage 27 (see Figure 3) to be transported, etc.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, side wall portions 29 are provided on the left and right sides of main body portion 16 at the center of upper wall portion 22 and lower wall portion 24 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, bridging between upper wall portion 22 and lower wall portion 24. The side wall portions 29 increase the rigidity of main body portion 16 and prevent luggage 27 from falling.

[0035] In addition, the side wall portion 29 may be slidable along the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and may be movable so as not to get in the way when luggage is brought in. In addition, the size, type, etc. of the side wall portion 29 may be appropriately selected depending on the travel section of the main body portion 16, the size of the luggage 27, etc.

[0036] 4, the rear wall 20, the upper wall 22 and the lower wall 24 are plate-shaped. On the other hand, the front wall 18 is integrally provided with a protruding portion 26 that constitutes the front portion 16A of the main body 16 and protrudes from the front wall 18 forward in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the drive unit 14 is connected to a lower portion of the protruding portion 26. For this reason, the lower portion of the protruding portion 26 is provided with an inclined portion 28 that inclines downward as it approaches the rear of the vehicle, and the inclined portion 28 is provided with a connected portion 33 to which the drive unit 14 is connected.

[0037] The drive unit 14 has two wheels 12 spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, and the width of the main body 16 is formed to be smaller than the width along the axial direction of the wheels 12. The drive unit 14 is also provided with a drive motor (not shown), and the drive motor can be supplied with power from a fuel cell stack 32 (see FIG. 5).

[0038] Further, a connecting portion (not shown) is provided on the back side (main body 16 side) of the driving portion 14, and this connecting portion is connected to a connected portion 33 provided on the inclined surface 28 at the bottom of the protruding portion 26. When the connecting portion is connected to the connected portion 33, the main body 16 can be driven by the driving portion 14. When the connecting portion is not connected to the connected portion 33, the connected portion 33 can be covered by a cover 19 (see FIG. 2). Here, the connection structure including the connected portion 33 is similar to that of a well-known railway coupler, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 5837668, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0039] Meanwhile, a driven part 24A is provided on the lower wall 24 of the main body 16 below the rear wall 20. A wheel 24A1 is provided on this driven part 24A, and when the connecting part is connected to the connected part 33, the driving part 14 is driven, so that the main body 16 is driven via the wheel 24A1.

[0040] In addition, legs 37 are provided on the lower part of the protruding part 26 from the side of the protruding part 26 downward. The length of the legs 37 can be changed, and when the connecting part is not connected to the connected part 33, the length of the legs 37 is set long to support the front part 16A of the main body part 16. On the other hand, when the main body part 16 is driven, the length of the legs 37 is set short to prevent interference with the ground on which the main body part 16 runs.

[0041] 5, the protruding portion 26 constituting the front portion 16A of the main body 16 is capable of housing a tank housing section 30 and a fuel cell stack 32. As will be described in detail later, the tank housing section 30 is provided with a plurality of hydrogen tank attachment / detachment sections 36 (three in this example) along the height direction of the main body 16, in which a substantially cylindrical hydrogen tank 34 filled with hydrogen gas is detachably housed in a horizontal position.

[0042] A fuel cell stack 32 is provided at the back of the tank accommodating section 30, and each hydrogen tank attachment / detachment section 36 is connected to the fuel cell stack 32 via a connector section 38. The fuel cell stack 32 is connected to a hydrogen tank 34 and an air compressor (not shown), and generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen tank 34 and oxygen in the compressed air supplied from the air compressor.

[0043] In this embodiment, hydrogen and oxygen are supplied to the fuel cell stack 32 to generate electricity, and the driving force of the drive motor driven by the electricity supplied from the fuel cell stack 32 is transmitted to the wheels 12 (see FIG. 1).

[0044] <Hydrogen tank configuration> The configuration of the hydrogen tank 34 will now be described.

[0045] As shown in Figure 6, a tank accommodating section 30 exposed to the outside is provided on a protrusion 26 which constitutes the front part 16A of the main body 16 and constitutes part of the external shape (vehicle external shape) of the main body 16, and a hydrogen tank 34 is detachably provided in the tank accommodating section 30.

[0046] The hydrogen tank 34 is formed in an approximately cylindrical shape and includes a hydrogen tank body 35 filled with hydrogen gas, a gripping portion 40 provided at one axial end 34A of the hydrogen tank 34, and a square hole portion 42 provided at the other axial end 34B of the hydrogen tank 34.

[0047] The gripping portion 40 is capable of gripping the hydrogen tank 34. At one end 34A of the hydrogen tank 34, an approximately cylindrical recessed portion 34A2 is formed inside an outer peripheral wall 34A1 that constitutes the outer shape of the hydrogen tank 34. The gripping portion 40 is formed by passing through the axis P of the hydrogen tank 34 and bridging the outer peripheral wall 34A1 in the radial direction.

[0048] Recessed portions 34A2 are provided around grip portion 40, which makes it easy for a user to grip grip portion 40 by avoiding interference with the hand when gripping hydrogen tank 34. Furthermore, grip portion 40 is bridged across outer peripheral wall 34A1, so grip portion 40 can be formed so as not to protrude from one end surface 34A11 of hydrogen tank 34, making it possible to protect grip portion 40 itself.

[0049] On the other hand, rectangular hole portion 42 has a concave shape forming a substantially rectangular parallelepiped along axis P of hydrogen tank 34, and is capable of engaging with connector portion 44 provided on the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion 36 side that constitutes tank accommodating portion 30. Therefore, connector portion 44 has a convex shape forming a substantially rectangular parallelepiped with which rectangular hole portion 42 can engage.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, hydrogen tank 34 is provided with a part of locking mechanism 45. As shown in Fig. 8(A), the other end 34B of hydrogen tank 34 is provided with this locking mechanism 45, and a pair of engaging protrusions 46 protrude radially from outer circumferential surface 34C of hydrogen tank 34 on an extension of gripping portion 40 when viewed from the front of hydrogen tank 34 and hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion 36 as seen from one end 34A of hydrogen tank 34. Note that engaging protrusions 46 are provided on the other end 34B of hydrogen tank 34 (see Fig. 6).

[0051] 8(B), in a cross-sectional side view showing the hydrogen tank 34 and the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment part 36, guide grooves 48 with which engaging protrusions 46 provided on the hydrogen tank 34 can engage are provided above and below the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment part 36. The guide grooves 48 include a slide groove 48A formed along the axial direction of the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment part 36 up to the innermost part 36A, and a cam groove 48B which is continuous with the slide groove 48A at the innermost part 36A of the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment part 36 and is formed approximately obliquely along the axial and circumferential directions of the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment part 36.

[0052] That is, the slide groove 48A guides the hydrogen tank 34 in the axial direction via the engaging protrusion 46 to the innermost portion 36A of the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion 36. In addition, when the other end 34B of the hydrogen tank 34 reaches the innermost portion 36A of the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion 36, the cam groove 48B guides the hydrogen tank 34 in the axial and circumferential directions of the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion 36 via the engaging protrusion 46 to the innermost wall portion 36B of the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion 36, which will be described later.

[0053] For example, an abutment plate 50 having an outer diameter dimension approximately the same as the outer diameter dimension of the hydrogen tank 34 is provided at the rear portion 36A of the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion 36, and when the hydrogen tank 34 is moved in the axial direction of the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion 36 along the slide groove 48A, the hydrogen tank 34 abuts against the abutment plate 50.

[0054] A connector portion 44 is provided in the center of the front surface 50A side of the abutment plate 50, and the rectangular hole portion 42 of the hydrogen tank 34 engages with the connector portion 44. Since the rectangular hole portion 42 and the connector portion 44 each have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, relative rotation is not possible when the rectangular hole portion 42 is engaged with the connector portion 44. In other words, the hydrogen tank 34 and the abutment plate 50 are rotatable in an integrated state.

[0055] Meanwhile, a spring 52 is provided on the back surface 50B side of the abutment plate 50. The spring 52 urges the abutment plate 50 toward the outside of the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion 36. The abutment plate 50 is also capable of rotating about the axis of the abutment plate 50. Furthermore, the abutment plate 50 is capable of abutting against the inner wall portion 36B of the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion 36, and the abutment plate 50 moves by the stroke S.

[0056] 8(A) and 9(A), the hydrogen tank 34 rotates approximately 90° in the direction of arrow A. Therefore, the cam groove 48B is formed in a gentle curve so as to rotate the hydrogen tank 34 90° in the direction of arrow A while the hydrogen tank 34 is moved by stroke S along the axial direction.

[0057] In other words, the shape of cam groove 48B makes it possible to convert the rotational movement of hydrogen tank 34 into linear movement along the axial direction. Also, at the end edge of cam groove 48B, a convex portion (not shown) is formed that protrudes into cam groove 48B, and engagement convex portion 46 can climb over said convex portion. When engagement convex portion 46 climbs over the convex portion in this manner, a so-called click feeling is obtained, and hydrogen tank 34 enters a so-called locked state.

[0058] 9(B), with the abutment plate 50 abutting against the rear wall portion 36B, the connector portion 44 is engaged with the connector portion 38. In this state, a valve body (not shown) provided in the rectangular hole portion 42 is opened, and hydrogen gas in the hydrogen tank 34 is supplied to the fuel cell stack 32 side via the connector portion 38.

[0059] When the hydrogen tank 34 is removed from the hydrogen tank mounting portion 36, the biasing force of the spring 52 causes the contact plate 50 to remain in its original position.

[0060] <Actions and Effects of Hydrogen Tank-Equipped Vehicles> Next, the operation and effects of the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to this embodiment will be described.

[0061] As shown in Figure 5, the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle 10 in this embodiment is equipped with a tank accommodation section 30 and a fuel cell stack 32. The tank accommodation section 30 is disposed in the main body section 16 which is movable by the drive section 14 (see Figure 1), and constitutes part of the external shape of the main body section 16. The tank accommodation section 30 is also provided with a plurality of hydrogen tank attachment / detachment sections 36 arranged along the height direction of the main body section 16, in which hydrogen tanks 34 are detachably accommodated.

[0062] In this embodiment, the tank accommodating section 30 constitutes part of the external shape of the main body section 16, and the tank accommodating section 30 is provided on the outside of the main body section 16 and is exposed to the outside. Therefore, the hydrogen tank 34 can be directly attached and detached from the outside of the main body section 16 (hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle 10).

[0063] For example, although not shown, if a tank housing section is provided on the inside of a hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle, it is difficult to directly attach and detach the hydrogen tank 34 from the outside of the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle. In contrast, in this embodiment, the tank housing section 30 is provided on the outside of the main body section 16, which makes it easier to attach and detach the hydrogen tank 34 and improves workability.

[0064] Furthermore, because the tank accommodating section 30 is provided on the outside of the main body 16, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, when the hydrogen tank 34 is attached or detached, there are no obstacles on the path of movement of the hydrogen tank 34 within the tank accommodating section 30. Therefore, it is sufficient for the tank accommodating section 30 to have a space large enough to accommodate the hydrogen tank 34, making it possible to form the main body 16 compact.

[0065] In this embodiment, the tank accommodating section 30 is exposed to the outside, but it goes without saying that a cover (not shown) that shields the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment section 36 may be provided on the front side of the tank accommodating section 30 in an openable and closable manner with respect to the tank accommodating section 30. By providing this cover, it becomes possible to protect the tank accommodating section 30 from rain, dust, and the like when the main body section 16 is traveling. However, if a cover is provided, it is preferable that it be transparent so that the locked or unlocked state of the hydrogen tank 34, which will be described later, can be confirmed from the outside.

[0066] 1, in this embodiment, the drive unit 14 is provided on the front part 16A side of the main body part 16, and the tank accommodating part 30 is provided above the drive unit 14. As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to form the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle 10 compactly, and to prevent a colliding object (not shown) from directly colliding with the hydrogen tank 34 accommodated in the tank accommodating part 30 in the event of a collision of the main body part 16.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the hydrogen tank 34 can be attached and detached from the front side of the main body 16. This ensures the safety of the person attaching and detaching the hydrogen tank 34, compared to when the hydrogen tank 34 is attached and detached from the side of the main body 16 (not shown).

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the drive unit 14 can be disconnected from the main body 16. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, when the drive unit 14 is disconnected, the hydrogen tank 34 becomes even easier to attach and detach from the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion 36.

[0069] Here, in this embodiment, the width dimension of the main body 16 is formed to be smaller than the width dimension along the axial direction of the drive unit 14, making it possible to form an overall compact hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle 10.

[0070] 8(A), (B) and 9(A) and (B), the present embodiment is provided with a locking mechanism 45 that enables the hydrogen tank 34 to be attached to or detached from the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment part 36. This prevents the hydrogen tank 34 from easily coming off the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment part 36 when the main body 16 is moved.

[0071] The locking mechanism 45 is configured to include, for example, an engaging protrusion 46 and a guide groove 48. The engaging protrusion 46 is provided on the hydrogen tank 34, and the guide groove 48 is provided on the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment part 36. The engaging protrusion 46 is able to engage with the guide groove 48, and a cam groove 48B forming part of the guide groove 48 converts rotational movement along the circumferential direction of the hydrogen tank 34 into linear movement along the axial direction via the engaging protrusion 46.

[0072] Thus, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 8(A) and 9(A), in the process of inserting and locking the hydrogen tank 34 into the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion 36, the hydrogen tank 34 is rotated approximately 90 degrees in the direction of arrow A.

[0073] In this embodiment, a grip part 40 is provided on one end 34A of the hydrogen tank 34, and the hydrogen tank 34 can be gripped via this grip part 40, and before the locked state (unlocked state), the grip part 40 is arranged along the vertical direction as shown in Figure 8(A), but in the locked state, it is arranged along a substantially horizontal direction as shown in Figure 9(A). In this way, in this embodiment, the locked or unlocked state of the hydrogen tank 34 can be confirmed from the outside via the grip part 40, which is convenient.

[0074] In this embodiment, a convex portion is formed in cam groove 48B, and a so-called clicking sensation is obtained when engagement convex portion 46 provided on hydrogen tank 34 passes over this convex portion. This allows the user to feel that hydrogen tank 34 is locked, providing a sense of security. Since it is sufficient for the user to recognize that hydrogen tank 34 is in a locked state when hydrogen tank 34 is housed in hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion 36, this convex portion is not necessarily required.

[0075] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 45 is not limited to this as long as it can lock or unlock the hydrogen tank 34 while the hydrogen tank 34 is housed in the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment part 36. For example, although not shown, the hydrogen tank 34 may be rotatable while in contact with the inner wall part 36B of the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment part 36, and the hydrogen tank 34 may be locked and unable to be removed when the hydrogen tank 34 is rotated. In this case, a groove part running along the circumferential direction of the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment part 36 is formed in the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment part 36 instead of the cam groove 48B.

[0076] In this embodiment, the locked or unlocked state of the hydrogen tank 34 can be confirmed from the outside depending on the orientation of the grip portion 40, but this is not necessarily required. For example, although not shown, a display indicating the locked or unlocked state of the hydrogen tank 34 may be provided on the tank housing portion 30 side.

[0077] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the drive unit 14 is provided on the front 16A side of the main body 16, and the tank accommodating section 30 is provided above the drive unit 14, but the positional relationship between the drive unit 14 and the tank accommodating section 30 is not necessarily limited to this.

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the hydrogen tank 34 is detachable from the front side of the main body 16, but this is not limited to this. For example, the hydrogen tank 34 may be configured to be detachable from the rear side of the main body 16, or the hydrogen tank 34 may be configured to be detachable from the side of the main body 16.

[0079] 2, in the present embodiment, the main body 16 has a space 25 penetrating inside the framework 17 including the front wall 18, the rear wall 20, the upper wall 22, and the lower wall 24. In the present embodiment, the space 25 can accommodate cargo 27 (see FIG. 3) to be transported, but is not limited thereto.

[0080] For example, as shown in Fig. 10, although not shown, a power source capable of supplying power from the fuel cell stack 32 (see Fig. 5) may be provided on the space 25 (see Fig. 2) side, and the vehicle may be used as an interior space 54, a kitchen, etc. In this way, by utilizing the space 25 for another purpose, the versatility of the hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle 10 can be improved.

[0081] When the space 25 is used as the interior space 54, the interior space 54 can be closed by the side wall 56 so that the interior of the interior space 54 can be selected as a closed space. Here, the upper end of the side wall 56 can be connected to the upper wall 58 via a hinge portion, and when the interior space 54 is opened, the side wall 56 rotates upward about the hinge portion. When the side wall 56 rotates upward, the side wall 56 also functions as a canopy.

[0082] As described above, in the above embodiment, the hydrogen tank is mounted on a small mobility vehicle that operates automatically using electric energy generated by a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. However, the hydrogen tank can also be mounted on a hydrogen engine vehicle, a hydrogen generating device, a hydrogen-powered drone, or other hydrogen-using device that uses hydrogen.

[0083] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be practiced in various modified forms other than the above-described embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 10 Hydrogen tank-equipped vehicles 12 Wheels (drive wheels) 14 Drive unit (drive wheels) 16 Main body 16A Front (Front of main body) 17 Skeleton (main body) 25 Space section (main body section) 30 Tank housing section 32 Fuel Cell Stack 33 Connected part 34 Hydrogen Tank 36 Hydrogen tank attachment / detachment section 40 Gripping part 45 Locking mechanism 46 Engagement protrusion (protrusion) 48B Cam groove 54 Indoor space (space section, main body section)

Claims

1. a tank housing section that is disposed on a main body section that can be driven by the drive of the drive wheels, that constitutes a part of the vehicle's external shape, and that has a plurality of hydrogen tank attachment / detachment sections that are provided along a height direction of the main body section and that accommodate a hydrogen tank in an attachable / detachable manner; a fuel cell stack that generates electricity by receiving hydrogen from the hydrogen tank; Equipped with the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion is exposed to the outside, and a locking mechanism is provided that enables the hydrogen tank to be directly attached to or detached from the outside of the main body portion relative to the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion; The locking mechanism includes: A vehicle equipped with a hydrogen tank, the vehicle being configured to include a cam groove that is formed along the axial and circumferential directions of the hydrogen tank attachment / detachment portion, is engageable with a protrusion provided on the hydrogen tank, and that converts rotational movement that rotates the hydrogen tank along the circumferential direction into linear movement that moves the hydrogen tank along the axial direction.

2. A hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the drive wheels are provided on the front side of the main body portion and the tank accommodating portion is provided above the drive wheels.

3. A hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the hydrogen tank is detachable from the front side of the main body.

4. A vehicle equipped with a hydrogen tank as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a gripping portion capable of gripping the hydrogen tank is provided at one longitudinal end of the hydrogen tank, and the locked or unlocked state of the hydrogen tank by the locking mechanism can be confirmed from the outside via the gripping portion.

5. The main body portion is A skeleton portion that configures the outer shape of the main body portion; a space portion penetrating the frame portion along an axial direction of the drive wheel; 5. A hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle according to claim 1, comprising:

6. A hydrogen tank-equipped vehicle as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the width dimension of the main body portion is formed to be smaller than the width dimension along the axial direction of the drive wheels.

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