Battery disconnecting device for electric vehicle

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery separation device, for an electric vehicle, capable of contributing to keeping a battery away from a person at the time of an abnormality when the battery is overheating. This battery separation device comprises: a support member that supports the battery, which accumulates electric power for traveling, at a lower part of a vehicle body; and a holding mechanism that can hold the battery in a holding space positioned below the lower part of the vehicle body. The support member melts to release the support of the battery, and the holding mechanism holds the battery in a state of being movable to the front of the vehicle body.

Description

Battery Disconnection Device for Electric Vehicles

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery disconnection device for electric vehicles.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes that in an abnormal situation where the battery of an electric vehicle overheats, by reducing the holding force of the single cells included in the battery, the single cells are lowered in a direction away from the fuse. By the lowering of the single cells, it is suppressed that the single cells are reconnected to the fuse cut by overheating.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-110139

[0004] In an abnormal situation where the battery overheats, there is a requirement to keep the battery away from people. Also, when such an abnormal situation occurs in an electric vehicle, it becomes difficult to generate a large driving force using a large amount of power.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a battery disconnection device for an electric vehicle that can contribute to keeping the battery away from people when the battery overheats abnormally.

[0006] A battery disconnection device for an electric vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a support member that supports a battery for storing power for traveling at the lower part of the vehicle body; and a holding mechanism that can hold the battery in a holding space located below the lower part. The support member releases the support of the battery by melting, and the holding mechanism holds the battery in a state where it can move forward of the vehicle body.

[0007] According to the present invention, when the battery overheats abnormally, it becomes possible to move the battery away from the person on the electric vehicle without using a large amount of power.

[0008] This is a block diagram showing an electric vehicle equipped with a battery disconnection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the structure of the disconnection mechanism and the fire extinguishing agent storage section of Figure 1. This is a plan view illustrating the arrangement of the disconnection mechanism and the storage section. This is a diagram showing the state in which the battery has descended due to overheating. This is a side view showing the state in which the battery has descended due to overheating. This is a flowchart showing the procedure for dealing with battery abnormalities performed by the vehicle controller. This is a diagram illustrating the process of determining the available space in step S4 of Figure 6. This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the emergency braking process in step S6 of Figure 6.

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, an abnormality in which the battery 4 overheats will be referred to as a "battery abnormality." When a battery abnormality occurs, it is desirable for people to move away from the battery 4 and ensure their safety.

[0010] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an electric vehicle 1 equipped with a detachment device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electric vehicle 1 in Figure 1 includes wheels 2, an electric motor 3 that rotates the wheels 2, a battery 4 that stores power for driving, an inverter 5 that converts power between the battery 4 and the electric motor 3, an operation unit 6 that receives driving operations from the driver, a vehicle controller 7 that controls the driving of the electric vehicle 1, an ambient detection device 11 that detects the conditions around the electric vehicle 1, a braking device 8 that mechanically generates braking force such as a friction brake, a braking drive device 9 that can drive the braking device 8 with the power of the equipment battery 12, an abnormality detection device 13 that detects the occurrence of a battery abnormality, an equipment battery 12 that supplies power to the control system and the low-power drive device, a detachment mechanism 120 that automatically detaches the battery 4 when a battery abnormality occurs, and a fire extinguishing agent storage unit 130 that automatically sprays fire extinguishing agent onto the battery 4 when a battery abnormality occurs. Of these, the vehicle controller 7, braking drive unit 9, surrounding detection device 11, abnormality detection device 13, detachment mechanism 120, and storage unit 130 correspond to an example of the detachment device 100 of this embodiment. The vehicle controller 7 corresponds to an example of the controller of the detachment device 100 according to the present invention.

[0011] The electric vehicle 1 further comprises a vehicle body 40 (see Figure 2). The vehicle body 40 is the framework of the electric vehicle 1 and includes a chassis that supports various parts, a passenger compartment, a luggage compartment, windows, and exterior panels.

[0012] Battery 4 is, for example, a lithium-ion secondary battery or nickel-metal hydride secondary battery that outputs a high voltage such as 100V or 200V, but various other types of secondary batteries may be used. Battery 4 has a configuration that includes a battery pack in which a plurality of individual cells are electrically connected, and a housing case that contains the battery pack.

[0013] The equipment battery 12 supplies a power supply voltage lower than the voltage of the battery 4, such as a 12V or 24V system. The equipment battery 12 is the power source for at least the vehicle controller 7, the braking drive system 9, the surrounding detection device 11, and the abnormality detection device 13, and supplies power to these devices.

[0014] The vehicle controller 7 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that operates by executing a control program stored in the memory unit 7a. The vehicle controller 7 receives operation signals from the driving operation unit 6 and drives the inverter 5 and the braking drive device 9 based on these signals to realize acceleration and deceleration of the electric vehicle 1 in accordance with the driving operation. The driving operation unit 6 includes a steering unit 6a such as a steering wheel, a braking operation unit 6b such as a brake pedal, and an acceleration operation unit 6c such as an acceleration pedal. The driving operation unit 6 may also be operated by an automatic driving system.

[0015] The vehicle controller 7 can also receive detection information about the surrounding conditions from the surrounding detection device 11 and perform steering control and acceleration / deceleration control according to the surrounding conditions. The surrounding detection device 11 includes a stereo camera and radar, and detects roads and lanes, as well as whether or not there are people or obstacles around the electric vehicle 1.

[0016] The vehicle controller 7, acting as the controller for the disconnection device 100, performs control processing to eject the battery 4 forward of the vehicle body 40 when the abnormality detection device 13 detects the occurrence of a battery abnormality. The abnormality detection device 13 detects the occurrence of a battery abnormality based on temperature or based on the detection result of the state of the fuse that is blown by heat. The abnormality detection device 13 sends the detection result to the vehicle controller 7. Note that the method of detecting a battery abnormality by the abnormality detection device 13 is not limited to the above example, and various methods may be employed, such as detecting the presence or absence of a battery abnormality from image analysis of the video of the area surrounding the battery 4.

[0017] In this embodiment, the vehicle controller 7, which performs driving control, also serves as the controller for the battery 4 disconnection device 100. However, the controller for the disconnection device 100 may be provided separately from the vehicle controller 7 and operate in conjunction with the vehicle controller 7.

[0018] <Detachment Mechanism> Figure 2 shows the structure of the detachment mechanism 120 and the storage section 130 for the fire extinguishing agent 31 shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a plan view illustrating the arrangement of the detachment mechanism 120 and the storage section 130. Figure 4 shows the state in which the battery 4 has descended due to a battery malfunction. Figure 5 is a side view showing the state in which the battery 4 has descended due to a battery malfunction. Figures 2 and 4 are cross-sectional views of the lower part of the passenger compartment of the electric vehicle 1, viewed from the front.

[0019] The disconnection mechanism 120 includes a support member 21 that supports the battery 4 at the lower part of the vehicle body 40, and a holding mechanism 23 that can hold the battery 4 in a holding space P1 below the lower part of the vehicle body 40. Part of the support member 21 is fixed to the battery 4, and the other part is fixed to the vehicle body 40 (for example, a stay connected to the chassis). As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the battery 4 is supported by the vehicle body 40 via a plurality of support members 21. The support structure of the battery 4 mainly consists of connection by the support members 21 and does not have any other connection structures. The connection structure here refers to a connection structure that can maintain the fixation of the battery 4, such as connection to the chassis via bolts, and does not include a connection structure that can easily come off because it cannot withstand the weight of the battery 4.

[0020] The support member 21 has the characteristic of melting at the overheating temperature of the battery 4 due to a battery malfunction, and by melting, it releases support for the battery 4. The melting temperature of the support member 21 is lower than the melting temperature of aluminum (660°C). Preferably, the melting temperature of the support member 21 is 400°C or lower, more preferably 300°C or lower, and even more preferably 200°C or lower. The melting temperature of the support member 21 is preferably a temperature far from the temperature range during normal use, and is preferably 80°C or higher, preferably 100°C or higher, and more preferably 110°C or higher. The support member 21 may be made of resin, and the above melting characteristics can be achieved with resin. Due to these characteristics, the support member 21 maintains its strength and supports the battery 4 when no battery malfunction occurs, but quickly melts at the overheating temperature of a battery malfunction, thereby releasing support for the battery 4. Under standard conditions, the temperature of the battery 4 is, for example, 40°C to 50°C, while the overheating temperature of the battery 4 in the event of a battery malfunction is 800°C or higher.

[0021] More specifically, the support member 21 may be configured with two stays connected by resin. Furthermore, one of the two stays may be connected to the battery 4, and the other to the vehicle body 40. Additionally, the support member 21 may be configured to rupture when the resin portion melts, releasing the connection between the two stays. When a battery malfunction occurs, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the multiple support members 21 rupture when they can no longer withstand the weight of the battery 4 due to at least partial melting, releasing the support for the battery 4. The battery 4 then descends from the bottom of the vehicle body 40. The electrodes of the battery 4 and the electrodes of the power line are configured to be physically separated as the battery 4 descends.

[0022] The holding mechanism 23 holds the battery 4, which has descended from the lower part of the vehicle body 40, in the holding space P1 in a state that allows it to move forward of the vehicle body 40. The holding space P1 is higher than the ground, so the holding mechanism 23 can hold the battery 4 suspended above the ground.

[0023] The holding mechanism 23 includes a holding portion 231 for holding the battery 4 and a mechanism portion 235 for moving the holding portion 231 from the vehicle body 40 to the holding space P1. The holding portion 231 has an arm 232 having a base portion 232a and a locking piece 233 that extends laterally from the arm 232 at a position away from the base portion 232a. The holding portion 231 having the arm 232 and the locking piece 233 may be an L-shaped member.

[0024] The mechanism 235 is a rotating mechanism that rotates the holding part 231 around the base 232a as a pivot point, either by the weight of the holding part 231 or by the transmission of the movement of the battery 4 descending. As shown in Figure 4, after rotation, the locking piece 233 engages with the descended battery 4, holding the battery 4 in a state where it can slide forward. The mechanism 235 is fixed to the vehicle body 40. The mechanism 235 is provided with a stopper 235a that prevents the rotation of the holding part 231 when it is in the position where it holds the battery 4.

[0025] The detachment mechanism 120 has a plurality of holding mechanisms 23. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the plurality of holding mechanisms 23 include at least two holding mechanisms 23 that hold the battery 4 from the left and right, and at least one holding mechanism 23 that holds the battery 4 from the rear. The battery 4 is held in a state in which movement to the left, right and rear is restrained by the holding mechanisms 23. The number and arrangement of the holding mechanisms 23 are not limited to the above example. In the above example, a configuration example is shown in which each holding mechanism 23 exerts both the function of supporting the battery 4 and the function of restraining displacement to the left, right or rear, but the configuration for supporting the battery 4 and the configuration for restraining movement to the left, right and rear may be provided separately.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the holding portion 231 of the holding mechanism 23 is fixed to a part of the battery 4 (for example, the bottom surface) via the mechanism support member 25 when the battery 4 is functioning normally. The mechanism support member 25 has the same melting properties as the support member 21, and melts due to the heat of an abnormal battery. When the holding portion 231 is released due to this melting, the mechanism 235 allows the holding portion 231 to rotate.

[0027] The storage section 130 containing the fire extinguishing agent 31 has the property of melting at a temperature lower than the melting point of aluminum. The melting portion of the storage section 130 has the same melting properties as the support member 21. The melting portion of the storage section 130 may be made of a resin that melts at, for example, 110°C to 180°C. As shown in Figure 2, the storage section 130 maintains its strength during normal use of the battery 4, while as shown in Figure 4, in the event of a battery malfunction, it melts rapidly due to the heat of the battery 4, causing the fire extinguishing agent 31 to flow out into the surroundings. The storage section 130 is positioned near the battery 4, such as on the upper side of the battery 4. The storage section 130 does not need to have the property of melting as a whole; it is sufficient that the lower part has the property of developing holes due to melting. For example, the storage section 130 may have a lid on the bottom, and the lid may come off due to melting.

[0028] The battery case housing the battery pack in the battery 4 should be durable enough to be exposed on the underside of the vehicle body 40 when the electric vehicle 1 is running. Alternatively, the underside of the battery 4 and the underside of the retaining mechanism 23 fixed to the battery 4 may be covered by an under cover 42 (see Figure 2). In this case, the under cover 42 should be configured to detach or be destroyed by the weight of the battery 4 when the battery 4 is lowered.

[0029] <Operation of the detachment mechanism 120 and the storage section 130 for the fire extinguishing agent 31> With the above structure, during normal use when the battery 4 is not overheated, the multiple support members 21 support the battery 4 with strength, and the mechanism support member 25 securely fixes the holding section 231 of the holding mechanism 23.

[0030] On the other hand, if a battery malfunction occurs, as shown in Figure 4, the heat from the battery 4 causes the support member 21, the mechanism support member 25, and the storage section 130 to melt. As a result, the support member 21 cannot withstand the weight of the battery 4 and breaks, causing the battery 4 to descend. Along with the descent of the battery 4, the connector of the power line connected to the battery 4 is severed. Furthermore, as the mechanism support member 25 melts and the battery 4 descends, the holding part 231 of the holding mechanism 23 detaches from the battery 4, and due to its own weight or being pushed by the battery 4, the holding part 231 rotates and moves into the holding space P1.

[0031] Then, as shown in Figure 4, the battery 4 is held in the holding space P1 by engaging with the locking piece 233 of the holding part 231 (specifically, resting on the locking piece 233). At this time, as shown in Figure 5, the holding part 231 is positioned to the left, right and rear of the battery 4 to prevent it from moving to the left, right and rear, while there is nothing to strongly restrain its movement in front. Therefore, the battery 4 can move forward of the vehicle body 40 due to an inertial force greater than a predetermined amount. This inertial force greater than a predetermined amount corresponds to an inertial force greater than or equal to the maximum static friction force between the holding part 231 and the battery 4.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, before and after the lowered battery 4 is held in place, the storage section 130 melts, creating holes, which allows the fire extinguishing agent 31 to fall onto the battery 4.

[0033] <Control Processing of Detachment Device 100> Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure for dealing with battery abnormalities performed by the vehicle controller 7. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the process of determining available space in step S4 of Figure 6. Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the emergency braking process in step S6 of Figure 6.

[0034] The vehicle controller 7, acting as the controller for the disconnection device 100, executes a process to address battery abnormalities. When the electric vehicle 1 is started and the process to address the issue begins, the vehicle controller 7 repeatedly performs a process to determine if overheating of the battery 4 has been detected (step S1). Overheating can be detected by the temperature of the battery 4 or its vicinity. The threshold temperature for determining overheating is set higher than the melting temperature of the support member 21. By setting it higher than the melting temperature, the vehicle controller 7 executes the process to address the issue after the battery 4 has been lowered into the holding space P1. When overheating is detected, the vehicle controller 7 first activates the hazard lights on the electric vehicle 1 (step S2). At this time, due to the structural operation of the disconnection device 100, the battery 4 is released from its support and lowered, and is held in the holding space P1 in a state where it can move forward. Furthermore, fire extinguishing agent is sprayed onto the battery 4.

[0035] Next, the vehicle controller 7 determines whether the electric vehicle 1 is traveling at a threshold speed Vth or higher (step S3). The threshold speed Vth is set to a speed or higher that generates the inertial force to eject the battery 4 forward through the emergency braking process described later in step S6.

[0036] If the result of the determination in step S3 is YES, the vehicle controller 7 then determines, based on the information from the surrounding detection device 11, whether there is an empty space in front of the electric vehicle 1 and whether the following vehicle is more than or equal to the distance threshold Dth (steps S4, S5).

[0037] Step S4 corresponds to the condition that allows the battery 4 to be ejected forward by the emergency braking process in Step S6, which will be described later. The open space in front in Step S4 refers to the space on the road ahead, meaning a space free of people or obstacles. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, if the front of the electric vehicle 1 is off the curved road R, it is determined that there is no open space ahead. Figure 7 shows the results of determining the open space ahead when a single electric vehicle 1 in motion is positioned at C1 before the curved road R, at the entrance C2, in the middle C3, and at the exit C4. The presence or absence of open space ahead is indicated by ○ and ×. The distance ahead at which the open space is determined is set to the distance at which the battery 4 may move and reach due to the emergency braking process in Step S6, which will be described later. Therefore, in Step S4, the vehicle controller 7 determines that there is open space ahead if there is a road extending from directly in front of the electric vehicle 1 to the above distance, and there are no people or obstacles in between. The vehicle controller 7 determines the presence of a road and the presence or absence of people or obstacles based on the detection information from the surrounding detection device 11.

[0038] Step S5 corresponds to the condition that allows the emergency braking process in the following step S6. The distance threshold Dth in step S5 is set to a distance at which no problems will occur for following vehicles even if the emergency braking process in step S6 is performed.

[0039] Then, if the determination result in steps S4 and S5 is YES, the vehicle controller 7 determines that the conditions for ejecting the battery 4 and for emergency braking have been met, and drives the braking device 8 with the braking drive device 9 to emergency brake the electric vehicle 1 (step S6). The process in step S6 may be replaced with a process that notifies the driver to perform the emergency braking described above. As shown in J2 during emergency braking in Figure 8, the emergency braking causes an inertial force F1 directed forward to act on the battery 4, releasing the battery 4 from the holding mechanism 23, ejecting it from under the electric vehicle 1, and moving into the open space in front. Figure 8 shows the state before emergency braking J1, during emergency braking J2, and after emergency braking J3, showing that the electric vehicle 1 is rapidly decelerating from speed V1 to speeds V2 and V3 during this process. Even if the battery 4 ignites after moving into the open space, as shown in J3 after emergency braking, damage to the occupants and people in the surrounding area is suppressed. The emergency braking in step S6 should be sufficient to obtain the inertial force F1 described above. After the emergency braking process is completed, the vehicle controller 7 proceeds to step S9.

[0040] In addition to the conditions in steps S4 and S5, the following conditions may be added to the conditions for emergency braking of the electric vehicle 1 or the ejection of the battery 4. Specifically, the conditions may be added that the vehicle speed of the electric vehicle 1 is below the upper limit speed at which emergency braking can be performed stably, or below the upper limit speed at which the ejected battery 4 does not travel a long distance. If these conditions are not met, the vehicle controller 7 may decelerate the electric vehicle 1 or perform a notification process to prompt the driver to decelerate, and return the process to step S3.

[0041] If the result of step S4 or S5 is NO, the vehicle controller 7 decelerates the electric vehicle 1 at a deceleration rate that does not release the battery 4, or notifies the driver to perform such deceleration (step S7). Then, the process returns to step S3.

[0042] Furthermore, during the determination process in step S3, if the electric vehicle 1 is traveling at a speed lower than the threshold speed Vth or is stopped, the vehicle controller 7 will either stop the electric vehicle 1 or issue a notification prompting it to stop (step S8).

[0043] After step S6 or S8, the vehicle controller 7 repeats a determination process (step S9) as to whether or not the electric vehicle 1 has stopped until the determination result becomes YES. If it becomes YES, the vehicle controller 7 notifies the passengers of the electric vehicle 1 to get off and leave the electric vehicle 1 (step S10), and further makes an emergency report to the police, the fire department, the dealer, etc. together with information indicating the location and the situation. The information indicating the situation may include video data of the surroundings and the battery 4. Then, the coping process ends.

[0044] According to the coping process as described above, when a battery abnormality occurs during the running of the electric vehicle 1, the following series of operations are performed. That is, first, the abnormality is notified to the following vehicle by hazard blinking. Subsequently, when the front space is confirmed and the distance without problems to the following vehicle is confirmed, the electric vehicle 1 makes an emergency stop. Due to the battery abnormality, the battery 4 is automatically held in the holding space P1 so as to be movable forward, and the fire extinguishing agent is poured onto the battery 4. Then, due to the above emergency stop, the overheated battery 4 moves away from the electric vehicle 1 to the front empty space. After that, the electric vehicle 1 stops, and evacuation notification to the passengers and an emergency report are made.

[0045] Also, when a battery abnormality occurs while the electric vehicle 1 is stopped or running at an extremely low speed, the following series of operations are performed. First, the abnormality is notified to the following vehicle or a vehicle passing by laterally by hazard blinking. Due to the battery abnormality, the battery 4 automatically descends to the holding space P1, and the fire extinguishing agent is poured onto the battery 4. Then, if the electric vehicle 1 is running at an extremely low speed, the electric vehicle 1 stops, and if it is stopped, evacuation notification to the passengers and an emergency report are made while the electric vehicle 1 remains stopped.

[0046] By such a coping process, when a battery abnormality occurs, people can be quickly kept away from the battery 4.

[0047] The program for dealing with battery abnormalities described above is stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium such as the storage unit 7a of the vehicle controller 7. The vehicle controller 7 may be configured to read a program stored in a portable non-transitory recording medium and execute the program. The above portable non-transitory storage medium may store the program for dealing with battery abnormalities described above.

[0048] As described above, according to the battery disconnecting device 100 of the present embodiment, the support member 21 that supports the battery 4 melts to release the support of the battery 4. Further, in the holding space P1, the holding mechanism 23 can hold the battery 4 in a state where it can move forward. The holding space is located below the lower part of the vehicle body 40 on which the battery 4 is supported. Therefore, when a battery abnormality occurs, the support member 21 quickly melts, releasing the support of the battery 4 and causing the battery 4 to drop. Then, the holding mechanism 23 holds the battery 4 in a state where it can move forward. Therefore, subsequently, when the electric vehicle 1 performs an emergency braking, the battery 4 can be ejected forward of the vehicle body 40, distancing the battery 4 from the passengers of the electric vehicle 1. Further, since the battery 4 is prevented from moving backward, it is also possible to suppress the overheated battery from approaching the following vehicle.

[0049] Furthermore, according to the battery disconnecting device 100 of the present embodiment, the holding mechanism 23 includes a holding portion 231 that holds the battery 4 and a mechanism portion 235 that moves the holding portion 231 from the vehicle body 40 to the holding space P1 when the battery 4 drops. Therefore, when a battery abnormality occurs, the battery 4 can be held in the holding space P1 by the holding portion 231, while during normal times when no battery abnormality occurs, the holding portion 231 can be positioned on the vehicle body 40. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the holding portion 231 from becoming an obstacle to driving during normal times.

[0050] Furthermore, according to the battery 4 detachment device 100 of this embodiment, the holding part 231 has an arm 232 having a base 232a and a locking piece 233 extending from the arm 232. The mechanism 235 is a pivot mechanism that allows the holding part 231 to rotate with the base 232a as a fulcrum, and when the locking piece 233 of the rotated holding part 231 locks onto the battery 4, the battery 4 is held so that it can slide forward. Therefore, without requiring a large amount of power, when the battery 4 descends, the holding part 231 can be moved to the holding space P1 to hold the battery 4. Furthermore, by selecting the structure or surface roughness of the locking part between the locking piece 233 and the battery 4, it is easy to adjust the force (e.g., inertial force) that causes the battery 4 to start sliding to an appropriate value.

[0051] Furthermore, according to the battery 4 disconnection device 100 of this embodiment, the storage section 130 for the fire extinguishing agent 31, which is located above the battery 4, melts at a temperature lower than the melting point of aluminum. Therefore, in the event of a battery malfunction, the storage section 130 melts quickly, and the fire extinguishing agent 31 inside can be poured onto the battery 4 without using a large amount of power.

[0052] Furthermore, according to the battery 4 disconnection device 100 of this embodiment, the vehicle controller 7 detects a battery abnormality while driving and identifies that there is an empty space in front of the electric vehicle 1, and then rapidly decelerates the electric vehicle 1. As a result of this deceleration, the battery 4 is released from the holding mechanism 23 and ejected forward of the vehicle body 40. Therefore, the overheated battery 4 can be quickly moved away from the occupants and people in the surrounding area.

[0053] Embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Details shown in the embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0054] This invention can be used in electric vehicles that have a battery for storing power for driving.

[0055] 1 Electric vehicle 2 Wheels 3 Electric motor 4 Battery 7 Vehicle controller 8 Braking device 9 Brake drive device 11 Surround detection device 13 Anomaly detection device 21 Support member 23 Holding mechanism 231 Holding part 232 Arm 233 Locking piece 235 Mechanism part 235a Stopper 25 Mechanism support member 31 Fire extinguishing agent 40 Vehicle body 100 Detachment device 120 Detachment mechanism 130 Storage section P1 Holding space

Claims

1. A battery disconnection device for an electric vehicle, comprising: a support member that supports a battery for storing power for driving at the lower part of the vehicle body; and a holding mechanism capable of holding the battery in a holding space located below the lower part, wherein the support member releases support for the battery by melting, and the holding mechanism holds the battery in a state that allows it to move forward of the vehicle body.

2. The battery disconnection device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding mechanism comprises: a holding portion for holding the battery in the holding space; and a mechanism portion for moving the holding portion from the vehicle body to the holding space when the battery descends from the lower part.

3. The battery disconnection device for an electric vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the holding portion has an arm having a base and a locking piece extending from the arm at a position away from the base, the mechanism is a pivot mechanism capable of rotating the holding portion with the base as a fulcrum, and the locking piece of the rotated holding portion locks onto the lowered battery, thereby holding the battery in a state in which it can slide forward.

4. The battery disconnection device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a storage section for storing a fire extinguishing agent and positioned above the battery, wherein the melting temperature of the storage section is lower than the melting temperature of aluminum, and the support member and the storage section melt, causing the fire extinguishing agent to fall onto the battery held in the holding space.

5. The battery disconnection device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a controller that detects overheating of the battery while the electric vehicle is running and identifies that there is an empty space in front of the electric vehicle, and brakes the electric vehicle at a deceleration that causes the lowered battery to release the holding mechanism.

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