JP2012222975A - Vehicle mounted with power feed device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle mounted with a power feed device capable of performing contactless power feed from a power feed part of a vehicle body to an external power supply destination even in a state that the power feed part of the vehicle body is deviated in position from the external power supply destination.SOLUTION: The vehicle mounted with a power feed device includes a power reception feed device 20 which is mounted to a vehicle body 11 and supplies power to an external power supply destination. The power reception feed device 20 includes a contactless unit 21 having a power feed part for supplying power to the external power supply destination by contactless power feed, and a contactless unit movable mechanism which is attached to the vehicle body 11 and can change the direction of the contactless unit 21, and further includes a unit driving part for driving the contactless unit movable mechanism. The unit driving part sets the direction of the contactless unit 21 to be opposite to the direction of the power supply destination.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle equipped with a power feeding device in which a power feeding device that performs contactless power feeding is mounted on a vehicle body.

As a conventional technique of a vehicle equipped with a power feeding device, for example, a mobile charging device and a mobile charging method disclosed in Patent Document 1 can be cited.
The mobile charging device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 includes a charging unit that charges a power receiving unit of a to-be-charged vehicle that is moving from a moving mobile charging vehicle.
The mobile charging device also maintains a distance that allows the mobile charging vehicle to follow the mobile charging vehicle so as to maintain a predetermined chargeable distance between the mobile charging vehicle that is moving and the mobile charging vehicle that is moving. Department.

The distance maintaining unit accelerates / decelerates the driving system of the mobile charging vehicle to maintain the inter-vehicle distance between the charged vehicle and the mobile charging vehicle. A charging part will be located in the range which can be charged.
Incidentally, the charging unit of the mobile charging vehicle is fixed to the vehicle body so as to be the same height as the power receiving unit of the charged vehicle.

JP 2010-35333 A

In the prior art, the charging unit of the mobile charging vehicle is installed according to the position of the power receiving unit of the vehicle to be charged, so that the charging unit and the power receiving unit are positioned within a chargeable range when both cars go straight ahead. Can do.
However, when the positions of both vehicles are displaced in the width direction when traveling or stopped, there is a problem that the power receiving unit cannot face the charging unit and cannot be charged.
That is, it is necessary to run or stop the mobile charging vehicle so that the charging unit of the mobile charging vehicle does not deviate in the width direction from the range in which the power receiving unit can be charged.
Moreover, in the prior art, the charging unit of the mobile charging vehicle is installed so as to be the same height as the power receiving unit of the vehicle to be charged, but the power receiving unit installed at a height different from the height of the charging unit In this case, the charging unit and the power receiving unit are not aligned and charging is impossible.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an external power supply unit even when the power supply unit of the vehicle body is displaced with respect to an external power supply destination. The present invention provides a vehicle equipped with a power feeding device that can perform non-contact power feeding to a power supply destination.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a vehicle equipped with a power supply device that supplies power to an external power supply destination in a vehicle body, and the power supply device uses external power by non-contact power supply. A non-contact unit having a power supply unit for supplying power to a supply destination, a non-contact unit movable mechanism attached to the vehicle body so that the direction of the non-contact unit can be changed, and a unit drive unit for driving the non-contact unit movable mechanism And the unit driving unit makes the non-contact unit face the power supply destination.
Note that the degree of freedom of movement of the non-contact unit relative to the vehicle body may be one axis or more, preferably two axes, and more preferably three axes.

According to the present invention, it is possible to change the posture so that the non-contact unit having the power feeding unit faces the external power supply destination via the non-contact unit moving mechanism.
Even if the power supply unit of the vehicle body is displaced with respect to the external power supply destination due to the non-contact unit facing the external power supply destination, the external power can be supplied from the power supply unit of the non-contact unit. It is possible to supply power to the supply destination.

  In the present invention, in the above vehicle equipped with the power feeding device, the non-contact unit may be installed in at least one of a front portion and a rear portion of the vehicle main body.

  In this case, non-contact power feeding can be performed to an external power supply destination existing in front of the vehicle or behind the vehicle.

  In the present invention, in the above vehicle equipped with the power feeding device, the non-contact unit may include a power receiving unit that receives power from an external power supply source by non-contact power feeding.

In this case, since the non-contact unit has a power receiving unit, not only can the non-contact unit perform non-contact power supply to an external power supply destination, but also can receive non-contact power supply from an external power supply source. .
In addition, when there are non-contact units at the front and rear of the vehicle main body, one non-contact unit performs non-contact power supply to an external power supply destination, while the other non-contact unit provides an external power supply source. It is also possible to receive non-contact power feeding.

  In the present invention, in the above vehicle equipped with the power feeding device, the non-contact unit may include a transmission / reception unit capable of communicating with an external power supply destination or a power supply source.

  In this case, since the non-contact unit has a transmission / reception unit, not only non-contact power supply to an external power supply destination can be performed, but also various information can be communicated between the non-contact unit and the external power supply destination. it can.

  In the present invention, in the above vehicle equipped with the power feeding device, the power feeding device includes a detector that detects the position or orientation of the external power supply destination, and the position or orientation of the external power supply destination by the detector. And a controller for controlling the orientation of the non-contact unit.

In this case, the detector detects the position or orientation of the external power supply destination, and when the position or orientation of the external power supply destination is detected, the non-contact unit can be directed to the external power supply destination. The controller controls the unit driving unit.
For this reason, the non-contact unit can be reliably directed to the external power supply destination, and the power supply from the power supply unit of the non-contact unit to the external power supply destination becomes more reliable.

  In the present invention, in the vehicle equipped with the power feeding device, the non-contact unit may be able to face a road surface.

  In this case, since the non-contact unit can face the road surface, the non-contact unit can receive non-contact power supply from an external power supply source in the road surface direction.

  According to the present invention, in the above vehicle equipped with a power feeding device, an external power supply destination is a power receiving vehicle on which the power receiving device is mounted, and the power feeding device measures a distance from the power receiving vehicle. And a non-contact unit advancing / retreating mechanism for moving the non-contact unit back and forth in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the controller advances and retreats the non-contact unit based on a distance from the power receiving vehicle measured by the range finder. The mechanism may be controlled.

In this case, the distance measuring device measures the distance between the non-contact unit and the power receiving vehicle. The controller controls the non-contact unit advance / retreat mechanism based on the measured distance between the non-contact unit and the power receiving vehicle.
By controlling the non-contact unit advance / retreat mechanism, the distance between the non-contact unit and the power receiving device can be kept within a certain range, and the non-contact power supply from the power supply unit of the non-contact unit to the power receiving device is more appropriate. Can be done.

  According to the present invention, even when the power feeding unit of the vehicle main body is displaced with respect to the external power supply destination, the power feeding capable of performing contactless power feeding from the power feeding unit to the external power supply destination. A device-equipped vehicle can be provided.

It is a figure showing the schematic structure of the electric vehicle concerning a 1st embodiment. (A) is a top view which shows a non-contact unit, (b) is a side view which shows a non-contact unit. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a display on the image of a non-contact unit and a marker. It is a top view which shows the example of the non-contact electric power feeding to the other vehicle by an electric vehicle, (a) is an example which the center of both vehicles corresponds and runs straight in a column, (b) is the center of both vehicles This is an example in which the vehicle travels straight in the same direction with no coincidence, and FIG. It is a top view which shows the example of the non-contact electric power feeding to the electric vehicle by another vehicle, (a) is an example which the center of both vehicles corresponds, and is a straight line driving | running | working in parallel, (b) is the center of both vehicles This is an example in which the vehicle travels straight in the same direction with no coincidence, and FIG. It is a side view which shows the non-contact electric power feeding at the time of the longitudinal travel of three electric vehicles. It is a side view of the state where the non-contact unit faces the power supply device on the road surface side. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the electric vehicle which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. (A) And (b) is a front view of the non-contact unit of the electric vehicle which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. (A) And (b) is explanatory drawing which shows the effect | action of the power receiving part R which concerns on another example.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a vehicle equipped with a power feeding device according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the present embodiment, an electric vehicle as an example of a vehicle equipped with a power feeding device will be described.
The left side of the electric vehicle 10 in FIG. 1 is the front of the vehicle, and the right side of FIG. 1 is the rear of the vehicle.
A vehicle body 11 of the electric vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a front wheel 12 and a rear wheel 13.
The vehicle main body 11 includes a drive motor 14 that is a travel drive source, a power control unit 15 that includes an inverter (not shown), a converter (not shown), and the like that controls power to the drive motor 14, and a battery that stores power. 16 is provided.
The power wiring 17 is arranged so that the power stored in the battery 16 is supplied to the drive motor 14 through the power control unit 15.
In addition to the drive motor 14 and the power control unit 15 being connected by the power wiring 17, the power control unit 15 and the battery 16 are also connected by the power wiring 17.
Each device of the electric power system provided in the electric power control unit 15 is controlled by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 18 provided in the vehicle main body 11.
The ECU 18 of the present embodiment corresponds to a controller, and controls other devices provided in the vehicle body 11 in addition to controlling the power control unit 15.

In the electric vehicle 10 of this embodiment, a power supply device and a power supply / reception device 20 as a power reception device are mounted on a vehicle body 11.
The power supply / reception device 20 performs non-contact power supply to a power reception device that is an external power supply destination (for example, a power reception device mounted on another vehicle) or a power supply device that is an external power supply source (for example, mounted on another vehicle). It is possible to receive non-contact power feeding from the power feeding device.
In this embodiment, the power supply / reception device 20 is installed at the front part and the rear part of the vehicle main body 11, but is installed at the rear part of the vehicle main body 11 and the power supply / reception device 20 installed at the front part of the vehicle main body 11. The power supply / reception device 20 has the same configuration.
The power supply / reception device 20 installed at the rear part of the vehicle main body 11 is installed at a position higher than the power supply / reception device 20 installed at the front part of the vehicle main body 11.

  The power supply / reception device 20 includes a non-contact unit 21 that rotates horizontally and vertically with respect to the vehicle body 11, a non-contact unit movable mechanism that can change the attitude of the non-contact unit 21 with respect to the vehicle body 11, A unit drive unit that drives the contact unit movable mechanism and a non-contact unit advance / retreat mechanism that advances and retracts the non-contact unit 21 are provided.

The non-contact unit 21 of this embodiment includes a power supply unit that supplies power to an external power supply destination by non-contact power supply and a power supply / reception unit 22 as a power reception unit that receives power supply from an external power supply source by non-contact power supply. ing.
The power supply / reception unit 22 is a rectangular board, and includes a coil (not shown) and a self-resonant coil (not shown) magnetically coupled to the coil by electromagnetic induction. ing.
A board surface directed forward in the power supply / reception unit 22 is a power supply / reception surface capable of supplying and receiving power.
The power supply / reception unit 22 and the power control unit 15 are connected to the power wiring 17. When the coil of the power supply / reception unit 22 is supplied with high-frequency power, high-frequency power is supplied to the self-resonant coil by electromagnetic induction.
For example, when the power supply / reception unit 22 that receives high-frequency power is opposed to the power reception unit of the power reception device that is an external power supply destination, the power reception unit has the same resonance frequency as the resonance frequency of the power supply / reception unit 22. In some cases, magnetic resonance occurs and non-contact power feeding from the power receiving / feeding unit 22 to the power receiving unit is performed.

The non-contact unit 21 is supported by the non-contact unit movable mechanism and is rotatable in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction with respect to the vehicle body 11.
The non-contact unit movable mechanism is supported by an advancing / retracting member 23 that can advance and retreat relative to the vehicle body 11, and has an L-shaped arm 24 that rotates in a horizontal direction with respect to the advancing / retreating member 23.
The vehicle body 11 side of the arm 24 is provided with a base shaft portion 24A that forms a horizontal pivot axis P, and a support shaft portion 24B that protrudes forward from the lower end of the base shaft portion 24A and supports the non-contact unit 21 in the vertical rotation. I have.

The power supply / reception device 20 includes a first motor 25, a second motor 26, and a third motor 27.
The first motor 25 corresponds to a unit driving unit that horizontally rotates the arm 24, and is provided at the front portion of the vehicle main body 11. The rotation shaft (not shown) of the first motor 25 is connected to the upper end of the base shaft portion 24A. Has been.
The second motor 26 corresponds to a unit driving unit that rotates the non-contact unit 21 up and down, and is provided at the tip of the support shaft 20B.
As shown in FIG. 2A, the rotation shaft (not shown) of the second motor 26 is connected to a shaft 28 that supports the non-contact unit 21 on the arm 24.
The third motor 27 is installed behind the advance / retreat member 23, and the rotation shaft of the third motor 27 is connected to the advance / retreat member.
And the 3rd motor 27 comprises the non-contact unit advancing / retreating mechanism which moves the non-contact unit 21 back and forth with the advance / retreat member 23.
The first motor 25, the second motor 26, and the third motor 27 are all electric motors, are connected to the ECU 18, and are controlled by the ECU 18.

2A and 2B are diagrams showing a range in which the posture of the non-contact unit 21 can be changed.
As shown in FIG. 2A, the range of horizontal rotation of the non-contact unit 21 is a range of 45 ° from the center in the width direction of the vehicle body 11 to the left and right.
In addition, Q in the figure indicates the axis of vertical rotation of the non-contact unit 21.
As shown in FIG. 2B, the range of vertical rotation of the non-contact unit 21 is such that the board surface of the power feeding / receiving unit 22 is parallel to the road surface (angle 0 ° between the board surface and the horizontal plane) and the board surface and horizontal plane. The angle is 180 °.
Therefore, the non-contact unit 21 has two degrees of freedom of horizontal rotation and vertical rotation, and can change the direction to a wide range.
Further, the forward / backward distance L before and after the non-contact unit 21 is set according to the advanceable / retreatable range of the advance / retreat member 23.

An electric vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a detector 30 that detects the position and direction of an external power supply destination and an external power supply source.
In this embodiment, the detector 30 includes a distance sensor 31 and a position sensor 32, and the distance sensor 31 is a known millimeter wave radar and corresponds to a range finder.
The position sensor is a known CCD image sensor or CMOS image sensor.
The distance sensor 31 measures the distance between the external power supply destination or the external power supply source and the non-contact unit 21.
Further, the position sensor 32 captures imaging data by imaging an external power supply destination and an external power supply source, and performs image processing on the imaging data.

The distance sensor 31 and the position sensor 32 are connected to the ECU 18.
The ECU 18 recognizes the presence or absence of an external power supply destination and an external power supply source based on the image-processed imaging data, and also uses an external power supply destination and an external power supply source based on the distance measured by the distance sensor 31. Distance and direction are recognized.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, a conical marker 33 is provided on the power supply / reception unit 22 of the non-contact unit 21.
The marker 33 is used as a mark in the image processing of the position sensor 32 when the power receiving unit or the power feeding unit having the same marker is provided at an external power supply destination or an external power supply source, and receives power from the non-contact unit 21. This is provided to facilitate alignment with the power supply unit and the power supply unit.
In a state where the non-contact unit 21 is completely opposed to the power receiving unit or the power feeding unit, the marker 33 and the marker of the power receiving unit or the power feeding unit are superimposed on the image.

For example, when the power receiving vehicle as an external power supply destination is a front vehicle traveling in front of the electric vehicle 10, and the front vehicle includes a power receiving unit R having the same marker M as the marker 33, the position sensor 32 Image processing of the obtained front vehicle is performed.
FIG. 3A shows a part of the image in the image processing, in which the power receiving unit R and the marker M of the preceding vehicle are displayed, and the non-contact unit 21 and the marker 33 that are previously set in the image area E are displayed. The
During the image processing, by grasping the positional relationship between the marker 33 and the marker M, the distance and direction between the non-contact unit 21 and the power receiving unit R are specified.
By controlling the orientation of the non-contact unit 21 based on the distance and direction specified in the image processing, the marker 33 and the marker M are superimposed on the image, and the non-contact unit 21 faces the power receiving unit R.

Further, since the marker 33 has a conical shape, the marker M on the image is deformed and displayed according to the position of the power receiving unit R with respect to the non-contact unit 21.
As shown in FIG. 3B, for example, when the non-contact unit 21 faces the power receiving unit R without inclining, the marker M on the image is displayed in a circle.
In addition, when the non-contact unit 21 is not directly facing the power reception unit R, the marker M has an elliptical shape, a sector shape, or a teardrop shape depending on the degree of inclination between the non-contact unit 21 and the power reception unit R. Is displayed.
Moreover, the display size of the marker M displayed according to the distance between the non-contact unit 21 and the power receiving unit R changes.
The marker M is displayed large when the non-contact unit 21 and the power receiving unit R are close to each other, and is displayed small when they are far from each other.
Therefore, the ECU 18 specifies the distance and direction between the non-contact unit 21 and the power receiving unit R based on the shape and size of the marker M on the image, separately from the distance sensor 31.

The electric vehicle 10 of this embodiment includes a transmission / reception unit 35 that can wirelessly communicate with an external power supply destination or an external power supply source communication device (for example, a communication device mounted on another vehicle).
The transmission / reception unit 35 is installed on the upper portion of the vehicle main body 11 and connected to the ECU 18, and performs two-way wireless communication with other communication devices.
Transmission / reception communication data is exchanged between the ECU 18 and the transmission / reception unit 35, and the communication data includes information necessary for non-contact power feeding.
The communication data includes, for example, data indicating the state of the electric vehicle 10, identification data for specifying an external power supply destination, data necessary for contactless power supply, and an external power supply destination state (the external power supply destination is a power receiving device). In the case of an on-board vehicle, it includes data indicating the vehicle state).

The non-contact power feeding by the electric vehicle 10 of this embodiment will be described.
First, a case where non-contact power feeding is performed from the electric vehicle 10 to a power receiving device of a power receiving vehicle that is an external power supply destination will be described.
As shown in FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C, a power receiving vehicle (hereinafter referred to as “front vehicle”) A in which a power receiving device is mounted in front of the electric vehicle 10 is running. Suppose that the vehicle A requests power supply.
It is assumed that the power receiving device of the preceding vehicle A includes a power receiving unit R that can receive non-contact power feeding, and the power receiving unit R changes its orientation in the same manner as the power receiving / power feeding unit 22 of the non-contact unit 21. The structure which can do is preferable.

When the transmission / reception unit 35 receives a power supply request for the preceding vehicle A, the ECU 18 operates the detector 30 regardless of whether the electric vehicle 10 is traveling or stopped.
The distance sensor 31 of the detector 30 measures the distance between the power receiving unit R and the distance between the non-contact unit 21 in the power receiving device of the forward vehicle A.
The position sensor 32 images the rear part of the front vehicle A including the power receiving unit R, and performs image processing so that the position and orientation of the power receiving unit R can be recognized.
The ECU 18 controls the driving of the first motor 25 and the second motor 26 based on the distance between the power receiving unit R and the non-contact unit 21 obtained by the detector 30 and the position and orientation of the power receiving unit R.
The drive control of the first motor 25 rotates the non-contact unit 21 in the horizontal direction, and the drive control of the second motor 26 rotates the non-contact unit 21 in the vertical direction.
The posture of the non-contact unit 21 is changed so that the non-contact unit 21 faces the power receiving unit R by a combination of the horizontal and vertical rotations of the non-contact unit 21.

When the non-contact unit 21 faces the power receiving unit R and the distance between the power receiving unit R and the non-contact unit 21 is within a preset setting range, the ECU 18 controls the power control unit 15 to the non-contact unit 21. Supply high frequency power.
At this time, when the resonance frequency is the same as the resonance frequency of the power supply / reception unit 22 with respect to the power reception unit R having the same structure as the power supply / reception unit 22 of the non-contact unit 21, the non-contact unit 21 and the power reception unit R are magnetically resonant. Then, non-contact power feeding to the power receiving unit R is performed.
The power receiving unit R that has received the non-contact power supply rectifies the high frequency power, and the obtained power is supplied to a power device (motor, battery, or the like) that requires power through the power receiving device.

As illustrated in FIG. 4A, when the vehicle A and the electric vehicle 10 travel straight in a column in which the centers in the width direction coincide with each other, the non-contact unit 21 and the power receiving unit R are positioned forward and backward in the traveling direction.
In this case, the first motor 25 is controlled so that the direction of the non-contact unit 21 coincides with the traveling direction.
Therefore, if the distance between vehicles is within a setting range in which contactless power supply is possible, contactless power supply from the contactless unit 21 to the power receiving unit R is maintained.
The third motor 27 moves the advancing / retreating member 23 back and forth so that the inter-vehicle distance is within a setting range in which non-contact power feeding is possible, and moves the non-contact unit 21 toward or away from the front vehicle A.

FIG. 4B shows a case where the traveling direction of the forward vehicle A and the electric vehicle 10 coincides but the vehicle travels straight in a column in which the centers in the width direction of the forward vehicle A and the electric vehicle 10 do not coincide. A is running further to the left than the electric vehicle 10.
In this case, the non-contact unit 21 is directed slightly to the left side toward the power reception unit R, and the state where the non-contact unit 21 and the power reception unit R face each other is maintained.
In this case, it is desirable that the power receiving unit R of the preceding vehicle A is also directed to the non-contact unit 21.
Even if the positional deviation in the width direction between the forward vehicle A and the electric vehicle 10 changes during traveling, the non-contact unit 21 is always directed to the power receiving unit R, whereby the non-contact power supply from the non-contact unit 21 to the power receiving unit R is performed. Is maintained.

FIG. 4C shows a case where the forward vehicle A travels a left curve, and the center of the forward vehicle A and the traveling direction of the electric vehicle 10 do not match.
In this case, the non-contact unit 21 is directed to the power receiving unit R of the forward vehicle A that turns to the left, and the non-contact unit 21 and the power receiving unit R are in a state of facing each other.
Even when the traveling directions of the forward vehicle A and the electric vehicle 10 change during a curve run, the non-contact unit 21 with respect to the power receiving unit R is always directed to the power receiving unit R based on the position of the power receiving unit R. The non-contact power supply from is maintained.
4 (a) to 4 (c) are not limited to when traveling, and contactless power feeding between the forward vehicle A and the electric vehicle 10 is performed even when the forward vehicle A and the electric vehicle 10 are stopped such as waiting for a signal. Done.

Next, the case where the electric vehicle 10 receives non-contact power supply from the power supply device of the power supply side vehicle which is an external power supply source will be described.
As shown in FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C, a power feeding side vehicle (hereinafter referred to as “rear vehicle”) B in which a power feeding device is mounted after the electric vehicle 10 is running, It is assumed that the electric vehicle 10 requests power supply.
In this case, the non-contact unit 21 at the rear of the vehicle main body 11 is used, and the power supply apparatus includes a power supply unit S that can perform non-contact power supply. A configuration in which the posture can be changed similarly to the power supply / reception unit 22 is preferable.

The ECU 18 of the electric vehicle 10 transmits a power supply request to the outside through the transmission / reception unit 35 when power supply is required, such as when the remaining power of the battery 16 becomes a certain value or less.
When the rear vehicle B receives a power supply request for the electric vehicle 10 and recognizes that power can be supplied from the rear vehicle B through communication with the rear vehicle B, the ECU 18 does not matter whether the electric vehicle 10 is running or stopped. Then, the detector 30 on the rear side of the vehicle body 11 is operated.
The distance sensor 31 of the detector 30 measures the distance between the power feeding part S of the rear vehicle B and the non-contact unit 21 on the rear side of the vehicle body 11.
The position sensor 32 captures an image of the front part of the rear vehicle B including the power feeding unit S and performs image processing so that the position of the power feeding unit S can be recognized.
The ECU 18 controls the first motor 25 and the second motor 26 based on the distance between the power feeding unit S and the non-contact unit 21 as the detection result of the power feeding unit S obtained by the detector 30 and the position of the power feeding unit S.
The drive control of the first motor 25 rotates the non-contact unit 21 in the horizontal direction, and the drive control of the second motor 26 rotates the non-contact unit 21 in the vertical direction.
The posture of the non-contact unit 21 is changed toward the power feeding unit S by a combination of the horizontal and vertical rotations of the non-contact unit 21.

When the non-contact unit 21 is directed to the power feeding unit S, the distance between the power feeding unit S and the non-contact unit 21 is within a preset setting range, and high-frequency power exists in the power feeding unit S of the rear vehicle B. The non-contact unit 21 and the power feeding unit S perform magnetic resonance.
Non-contact power feeding is performed from the power feeding part S of the rear vehicle B to the power feeding / receiving part 22 of the non-contact unit 21 by magnetic resonance.
The power supply / reception unit 22 that has received the non-contact power supply rectifies the generated high-frequency power, and the obtained power is supplied to the power control unit 15 through the power supply / reception device 20.
The obtained electric power is charged into the battery 16 or supplied to the drive motor 14 and the like through the power control unit 15.

The electric vehicle 10 can receive non-contact power feeding from the power feeding device of the rear vehicle B in the state of FIGS. 5 (a) to 5 (c).
FIG. 5A is an example in which the centers in the width direction of the electric vehicle 10 and the rear vehicle B coincide with each other and the vehicle travels in a straight line. FIG. 5B shows the centers in the width direction of the electric vehicle 10 and the rear vehicle B. FIG. 5C shows an example in which the vehicle travels along a curve in which the traveling directions of the electric vehicle 10 and the rear vehicle B do not match.

In addition, since the non-contact unit 21 includes the power supply / reception unit 22, in the state of FIGS. 4A to 4C, the vehicle A as a power supply side as an external power supply source on which the front vehicle A is mounted with a power supply device. In this case, contactless power feeding from the preceding vehicle A to the electric vehicle 10 is possible.
5A to 5C, when the rear vehicle B is a power receiving side vehicle as an external power supply destination equipped with a power receiving device, the electric vehicle 10 does not contact the rear vehicle B. Power supply is also possible.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, when the front vehicle A is a power receiving side vehicle as an external power supply destination and the rear vehicle B is a power supply side vehicle as an external power supply source, While the non-contact unit 21 supplies power to the front vehicle A, the non-contact unit 21 at the rear of the vehicle body 11 may receive non-contact power supply from the rear vehicle B.
Further, in FIG. 6, when the front vehicle A is a power supply side vehicle as an external power supply source and the rear vehicle B is a power reception side vehicle as an external power supply destination, the electric vehicle 10 is moved from the front vehicle A. The non-contact power feeding may be performed to the rear vehicle B while receiving the non-contact power feeding.
Further, in FIG. 6, when the front vehicle A and the rear vehicle B are power supply side vehicles as external power supply sources, the electric vehicle 10 may receive non-contact power supply from the front vehicle A and the rear vehicle B.
Further, in FIG. 6, when the front vehicle A and the rear vehicle B are power receiving side vehicles as external power supply destinations, the electric vehicle 10 can also perform non-contact power feeding to the front vehicle A and the rear vehicle B. .

Further, since the non-contact unit 21 can change its posture to a position facing the road surface G, in a state of facing the road surface G, for example, a power feeding device T embedded in the road surface G as shown in FIG. It is also possible to receive non-contact power supply from the power supply unit S to the power supply / reception unit 22.
7 includes a power control unit C and a power source D.

According to the electric vehicle 10 of this embodiment, there exist the following effects.
(1) It is possible to change the posture so that the non-contact unit 21 faces the power receiving unit R of the power receiving device that is an external power supply destination via the non-contact unit moving mechanism. Since the non-contact unit 21 faces the power receiving unit R, even if the power receiving / feeding unit 22 of the non-contact unit 21 is displaced with respect to the power receiving device, the power receiving / feeding unit 22 of the non-contact unit 21 It is possible to supply power to the power receiving device without contact.
(2) Since the non-contact unit 21 including the power supply / reception unit 22 is installed at the front and rear of the vehicle body 11, the electric vehicle 10 is used as a power receiving device as an external power supply destination in front of the vehicle or behind the vehicle. On the other hand, non-contact power feeding can be performed, and non-contact power feeding can be received from a power feeding device as an external power supply source in front of or behind the vehicle.
(3) Since the non-contact unit 21 including the power supply / reception unit 22 is installed at the front and rear of the vehicle main body 11, the electric vehicle 10 supplies power to the front vehicle A and also from the rear vehicle B. Contact power can be received at the same time. Thus, for example, even when three vehicles, the front vehicle A, the electric vehicle 10 and the rear vehicle B, run in parallel, the electric vehicle 10 is connected to the front vehicle A that easily consumes electric power due to air resistance during travel. It is also possible to supply the power of the rear vehicle B.

(4) The detector 30 detects a power receiving device as an external power supply destination and a power supply device as an external power supply source. When the power receiving device or the power feeding device is detected, the ECU 18 controls the first motor 25 and the second motor based on the direction and position of the power receiving device or the power feeding device so that the non-contact unit 21 is directed to the power receiving device or the power feeding device. The motor 26 is controlled and the direction of the non-contact unit 21 is controlled. For this reason, the non-contact unit 21 can be automatically directed to the power receiving device or the power feeding device without changing the direction of the electric vehicle 10, and the state where the non-contact power feeding is possible is maintained by continuing the detection by the detector 30. can do. In addition, since the direction of the non-contact unit 21 is changed, even when the electric vehicle 10 is stopped, the direction of the non-contact unit 21 with respect to the power receiving device or the power feeding device can be maintained in a state suitable for non-contact power feeding.
(5) Since the non-contact unit 21 can be opposed to the road surface, the non-contact unit 21 can perform non-contact power supply in the road surface direction. For example, it is possible to receive non-contact power feeding from the power feeding unit S of the power feeding device T embedded in the road surface G.
(6) The distance sensor 31 measures the distance between the non-contact unit 21 and the power receiving device as an external power supply destination or the power supply device as an external power supply source. The ECU 18 controls the third motor 27 to control the advance / retreat member 23 based on the measured distance between the non-contact unit 21 and the power receiving device or the power feeding device, whereby the non-contact unit 21 and the power receiving device or the power feeding device are controlled. The distance can be within a certain range. For this reason, non-contact power supply from the power supply / reception unit 22 of the non-contact unit 21 to the power reception device and non-contact power supply from the power supply unit S to the non-contact unit 21 can be performed more appropriately.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a vehicle equipped with a power feeding device according to the second embodiment will be described.
The vehicle equipped with the power supply device of the second embodiment is an example of an electric vehicle, but differs from the first embodiment in that the non-contact unit includes a transmission / reception unit.
Since elements other than the non-contact unit and the transmission / reception unit are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the common elements with reference to the description of the first embodiment.

Although the electric vehicle 10 according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 8 includes the power supply / reception unit 42 of the non-contact unit 41, the power supply / reception unit 42 transmits and receives power by non-contact power supply, as well as an external power supply destination. Alternatively, it functions as a transmission / reception unit that can communicate with an external power supply source.
Information for communication is transmitted and received at the same time as the non-contact power supply by superimposing the high-frequency power of the non-contact power supply on the high-frequency power of the non-contact power supply using a communication frequency different from the high-frequency power of the non-contact power supply.
Information for transmission / reception is superimposed on high-frequency power of non-contact power feeding in a communication controller 43 provided in the power control unit 15 connected to the ECU 18.
In addition, when transmitting and receiving information simultaneously with non-contact power feeding, the power receiving unit R of the power receiving device and the power feeding unit S of the power feeding device facing the non-contact unit 41 need to have the same configuration corresponding to the power receiving and feeding unit 42.

According to this embodiment, simultaneously with the non-contact power supply using the non-contact unit 41, communication with the power receiving apparatus side as an external power supply destination and the power supply apparatus side as an external power supply source can be performed.
There is no need to provide a transmission / reception unit at a place other than the non-contact unit 41 in the vehicle body 11.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a vehicle equipped with a power feeding device according to the third embodiment will be described.
The vehicle equipped with the power feeding device of the third embodiment is also an example of an electric vehicle.
The third embodiment is based on the amount of electric power at the time of non-contact power supply using a non-contact unit, and detects an electric power supply device as an external power supply source. An electric vehicle is supplied with power by non-contact power supply. It is different from the first embodiment in that it is on the power receiving side.

FIG. 9A is a front view of the non-contact unit 51 at the front of the vehicle main body 11. The non-contact unit 51 serving as a power receiving unit has a rectangular shape and is divided into left and right power supply / reception units 52R and 52L. have.
The power supply device as an external power supply source has the same shape as that of the non-contact unit 51 but includes a single power supply unit S (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 9A).
The configuration of the electric vehicle 10 other than the non-contact unit 51 is basically the same as that of the first embodiment.
The ECU 18 has a function of recognizing the non-contact power supply bias between the power supply / reception units 52R and 52L based on the amount of power obtained through the power supply / reception units 52R and 52L (hereinafter referred to as “power reception amount”). .
Therefore, in this embodiment, the ECU 18 and the non-contact unit 51 correspond to a detector.

When the electric vehicle 10 recognizes the presence of the front vehicle A equipped with a power supply device as an external power supply source through communication by the transmission / reception unit 35, the ECU 18 contacts the non-contact unit 51 toward the rear portion of the front vehicle A. And the non-contact unit 51 controls the first motor 25 and the second motor 26 so as to scan a certain range in the rear part of the forward vehicle A.
In a state where the non-contact unit 51 is scanning, the ECU 18 monitors the amount of power received by each of the power supply / reception units 52R and 52L.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, in a state where one power receiving / feeding unit 52R of the non-contact unit 51 has a larger amount of power reception than the other power receiving / feeding unit 52L, the ECU 18 is biased toward non-contact power feeding in the non-contact unit 51. To understand that there is a bias in the amount of power received.
And ECU18 recognizes that the electric power feeding part S of the front vehicle A and the non-contact unit 51 are not in the state of facing from the presence of the bias | inclination of the amount of received electric power.
In this state, scanning is performed while detecting a direction (the arrow direction in FIG. 9A) in which the amount of power received at the non-contact power supply in the non-contact unit 51 is not biased, and the non-contact unit 51 is moved in that direction. The ECU 18 controls the first motor 25 and the second motor 26.
As the non-contact unit 51 moves in a direction in which there is no bias in non-contact power feeding, the amount of power received by the power feeding / receiving units 52R and 52L increases, and the non-contact unit 51 moves in a direction facing the power feeding unit S.

As shown in FIG. 9B, when the non-contact unit 51 faces the power feeding unit S, there is no bias in the amount of received power between the power feeding / receiving units 52 </ b> R and 52 </ b> L of the non-contact unit 51.
At this time, the ECU 18 that monitors the amount of power received from each of the power supply / reception units 52R and 52L recognizes that the non-contact unit 51 and the power supply unit S completely face each other.

In this embodiment, the non-contact unit 51 detects the power feeding unit S so that the amount of power received by the non-contact power feeding increases. That is, the direction in which the non-contact unit 51 should be directed can be detected based on the bias of the amount of power received by non-contact power feeding, and the position sensor 32 for positioning the image sensor or the like is not required in the detector 30. .
As described above, the non-contact unit 51 and the ECU 18 can be used to detect the direction of the power supply unit S based on the bias of the amount of power received by the plurality of power supply / reception units 52R and 52L during non-contact power supply.
Further, since the non-contact unit 51 always detects the power feeding unit S, it is not necessary to control the timing of starting the non-contact power feeding.
Furthermore, the ECU 18 can specify the distance between the non-contact unit 51 and the power feeding unit S based on the amount of power received. In this case, the distance sensor 31 can be omitted.

(Another example)
Next, a power receiving unit R as a power supply destination according to another example will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b).
In another example, an electric vehicle as a vehicle equipped with a power feeding device is the same as that in the first embodiment, but differs from the first embodiment in that a polarizing sheet is used for a power receiving unit R of an external power supply destination. .

FIG. 10A shows the front of the power receiving unit R of the power supply destination imaged by the position sensor 32, the left figure shows the power receiving part R imaged from a far position, and the right figure shows the imaging of the left figure. The power receiving unit R imaged at a position closer to the power receiving unit R than the position is shown.
In this other example, the power receiving unit R is divided into four parts, and polarizing sheets L1 to L4 corresponding to the divided areas are provided.
These polarizing sheets L1 to L4 have the property that the lightness is switched depending on the direction of imaging. The common property of the polarizing sheets L1 to L4 is that any polarizing sheet L1 to L4 is imaged from the front. Increases the brightness of the polarizing sheet, and the position sensor 32 can recognize the polarizing sheets L1 to L4.
In FIG. 10A, all are power reception units R imaged from the front, and the state of high brightness is indicated by hatching for convenience. However, since the power reception units R are imaged from the front, all the polarizing sheets L1 to L4 are hatched. Indicated by.

FIG. 10B is a diagram illustrating the power receiving unit R for each pattern of angles at which the power receiving unit R is viewed.
A white arrow in FIG. 10B indicates the direction of imaging, and a state with high brightness is indicated by hatching for convenience, and a state with low brightness is indicated by solid color.
Moreover, in FIG.10 (b), except the case where it imaged from the front, the inclination angle of the imaging direction of each power receiving part R and the polarizing sheets L1-4 is set to 45 degrees as an example.

In the power receiving unit R imaged obliquely from the upper left, only the polarizing sheet L1 is in a high lightness state, and the polarizing sheets L2 to L4 are in a low lightness state.
In the power receiving unit R imaged obliquely from above, the polarizing sheets L1 and L2 are in a high lightness state, and the polarizing sheets L3 and L4 are in a low lightness state.
In the power receiving unit R imaged from the diagonally upper right, only the polarization sheet L2 is in a high brightness state, and the polarization sheets L1, L3, and L4 are in a low brightness state.
In the power receiving unit R imaged obliquely from the left, the polarizing sheets L1 and L3 are in a high lightness state, and the polarizing sheets L2 and L4 are in a low lightness state.

In the power receiving unit R imaged from the front, all the polarizing sheets L1 to L4 are in a high brightness state.
In the power receiving unit R imaged obliquely from the right, the polarizing sheets L2 and L4 are in a high lightness state, and the polarizing sheets L1 and L3 are in a low lightness state.
In the power receiving unit R imaged obliquely from the lower left, only the polarization sheet L3 is in a high brightness state, and the polarization sheets L1, L2, and L4 are in a low brightness state.
In the power receiving unit R imaged obliquely from below, the polarizing sheets L3 and L4 are in a high lightness state, and the polarizing sheets L1 and L2 are in a low lightness state.
In the power receiving unit R imaged obliquely from the lower right, only the polarizing sheet L4 is in a high lightness state, and the polarizing sheets L1 to L3 are in a low lightness state.

Thus, the angle of the non-contact unit 21 with respect to the power receiving unit R can be grasped by the combination pattern of the polarizing sheet having a high brightness and the polarizing sheet having a low brightness.
Therefore, as with the marker M, the distance and direction between the non-contact unit 21 and the power receiving unit R are specified, and the ECU 18 can control the direction of the non-contact unit 21 based on the direction of the power receiving unit R.
Although the power receiving unit R is illustrated, the polarizing sheets L1 to L4 may be applied to the power feeding unit S, and the number of divisions of the power receiving unit R and the power feeding unit S and the shape of the divided regions are not particularly limited, and The sheet may be provided in the divided area.
In another example, the position sensor 32 recognizes a polarizing sheet with high brightness, but a position sensor 32 that recognizes a polarizing sheet with low brightness may be used.

Each of the above-described embodiments shows one embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to each of the above-described embodiments. Various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention as described below. Can be changed.
In each of the above embodiments, the electric vehicle is exemplified as the vehicle equipped with the power supply device. However, the vehicle equipped with the power supply device is not limited to the electric vehicle equipped with the power supply device. The power supply device-equipped vehicle to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine, or any other vehicle that can be self-propelled. Good.
In each of the above embodiments, the non-contact unit has two axis degrees of freedom of horizontal rotation and up and down rotation, and can change the posture with respect to the vehicle body. There is no limitation, and a structure having a multi-axis degree of freedom of three or more axes like an articulated robot may be used. In this case, the non-contact unit movable mechanism and the non-contact unit advance / retreat mechanism can be integrated.
In each of the above embodiments, power transmission by magnetic field resonance based on high-frequency power is exemplified as the non-contact power feeding, but non-contact power feeding of a method other than magnetic field resonance may be adopted. Examples of other non-contact power feeding methods include a method of transmitting power by electromagnetic induction and a method of transmitting power by converting it into microwaves or laser light. In this case, the power feeding unit and the power receiving unit in the non-contact unit in the power feeding device need to have a configuration suitable for each method.

In the above embodiment, the detector is a detector combining a distance sensor and a position sensor, or a scanning detector using a non-contact unit and an ECU. However, the detector is not limited to these methods. For example, a detector that detects a power receiving unit or a power feeding unit using position information obtained by GPS (Global Positioning System) may be used. The distance sensor may be a distance sensor using laser light in addition to the millimeter wave radar. In addition, you may provide a distance sensor and a position sensor separately.
In the above embodiment, an L-shaped arm that can rotate horizontally and a mechanism that allows the non-contact unit to rotate up and down are used as the non-contact unit movable mechanism. However, the configuration of the non-contact unit movable mechanism is particularly limited. Not. The non-contact unit movable mechanism may be, for example, an arc-shaped arm that forms the axis of horizontal rotation and vertical rotation, and may be a mechanism that is attached to the vehicle body so that at least the direction of the non-contact unit can be changed. Further, the non-contact unit movable mechanism may be a non-contact unit movable mechanism that realizes only horizontal rotation when the power receiving / feeding unit and the power receiving unit or the power feeding unit have the same height.
○ In the above embodiment, the orientation of the non-contact unit is automatically changed by driving the unit drive unit that is controlled by the ECU. However, for example, the orientation of the non-contact unit is changed by an operator on the electric vehicle. You may do it manually. Further, although an electric motor is used as the unit driving unit, the motor is not limited to the electric motor, and an ultrasonic motor, an actuator using fluid pressure, or the like may be used.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the non-contact units are provided in the vehicle front part and the vehicle rear part has been described. However, the non-contact units may be provided in parts other than the vehicle front part and the vehicle rear part. Non-contact units may be provided on the ceiling or side of the vehicle body, and the number of non-contact units is not particularly limited.
In the above embodiment, the non-contact unit advance / retreat mechanism is configured to advance / retreat the advance / retreat member in the front-rear direction with respect to the vehicle body by driving the third motor. Alternatively, it may be a non-contact unit advance / retreat mechanism using a pantograph mechanism.
In the above embodiment, there is nothing between the power receiving / feeding unit and the power receiving unit (or the power feeding unit) of the non-contact unit in the non-contact power feeding. For example, the outside of the power receiving unit (or the power feeding unit) When there are inclusions such as a partition wall, the power supply / reception unit of the non-contact unit may be brought into contact with the partition wall. In this case, although the power receiving / feeding part of the non-contact unit is in contact with the partition wall, the partition wall exists as an inclusion between the power receiving / feeding part and the power receiving part (or the power feeding part) of the non-contact unit. Non-contact power feeding is performed between the power receiving / feeding unit and the power receiving unit (or power feeding unit) of the non-contact unit.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Electric vehicle 11 Vehicle main body 15 Electric power control part 18 ECU
20 Power supply / reception device 21, 41, 51 Non-contact unit 22, 42, 52R, 52L Power supply / reception unit 23 Advance / Retreat member 24 Arm 25 First motor 26 Second motor 27 Third motor 30 Detector 31 Distance sensor 32 Position sensor 33 Marker 35 Transmission / Reception Unit 43 Communication Control Unit A Front Vehicle B Rear Vehicle M Marker R Power Reception Unit S Power Supply Units L1 to L4 Polarizing Sheet

Claims (7)

A power supply device-equipped vehicle in which a power supply device that supplies power to an external power supply destination is mounted on the vehicle body,
The power supply device
A non-contact unit having a power supply unit for supplying power to an external power supply destination by non-contact power supply;
A non-contact unit movable mechanism attached to the vehicle main body so that the orientation of the non-contact unit can be changed;
A unit drive unit for driving the non-contact unit movable mechanism,
The unit drive unit causes the non-contact unit to face the power supply destination.   The power supply device-equipped vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the non-contact unit is installed in at least one of a front portion and a rear portion of the vehicle main body.   The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the non-contact unit includes a power reception unit that receives power supply from an external power supply source by non-contact power supply.   The power supply device-equipped vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the non-contact unit includes a transmission / reception unit capable of communicating with an external power supply destination or a power supply source. The power supply device
It has a detector that detects the position or direction of the external power supply destination,
5. A power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller that controls a direction of the non-contact unit based on a position or a direction of an external power supply destination by the detector. Installed vehicle.   The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the non-contact unit can be opposed to a road surface. An external power supply destination is a power receiving vehicle equipped with a power receiving device,
The power supply device
A distance measuring device for measuring the distance to the power receiving vehicle;
A non-contact unit advancing / retreating mechanism for advancing / retreating the non-contact unit in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle,
The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the controller controls a non-contact unit advance / retreat mechanism based on a distance from the power receiving vehicle measured by the distance measuring device.

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