JP2024043045A - vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a vehicle with improved power generation from a solar cell panel installed on the side of the vehicle body. [Solution] The vehicle according to the present disclosure is a vehicle equipped with a solar cell panel, a support member that supports the solar cell panel on the side of the vehicle body, and a drive mechanism configured to be able to change the orientation of the surface of the solar cell panel by moving the support member, and the drive mechanism is configured to at least change the orientation of the surface of the solar cell panel, which faces the lateral direction of the vehicle body, so that it faces upward of the vehicle body. [Selected Figure] Figure 2

Description

This disclosure relates to vehicles, for example vehicles with solar panels attached to the sides of the vehicle body.

Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle in which solar battery panels are attached to the roof, bonnet, and doors.

JP 2021-151135 Publication

The illuminance of solar panels provided on the side surfaces of the vehicle body, such as doors, tends to be lower than the illumination intensity of solar panels provided on the top surface of the vehicle body, such as the roof or hood. Therefore, there was a problem in that the amount of power generated by the solar cell panel provided on the side of the vehicle body was reduced.

The present disclosure has been made in view of these circumstances, and provides a vehicle in which the amount of power generated by a solar cell panel provided on the side of the vehicle body is improved.

The vehicle according to the present disclosure is a vehicle equipped with a solar cell panel, a support member that supports the solar cell panel on the side of the vehicle body, and a drive mechanism configured to be able to change the orientation of the surface of the solar cell panel by moving the support member, and the drive mechanism is configured to be able to change at least the orientation of the surface of the solar cell panel, which faces laterally of the vehicle body, to face upward of the vehicle body. This vehicle can change the orientation of the surface of the solar cell panel provided on the side of the vehicle body to face upward of the vehicle body where it is easier to receive sunlight, thereby improving the amount of power generation of the solar cell panel provided on the side of the vehicle body.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle in which the amount of power generated by the solar cell panel provided on the side surface of the vehicle body is improved.

1 is a perspective view showing an example of a vehicle according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a solar panel attached to the side of a vehicle body and its peripheral mechanisms.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Further, in order to clarify the explanation, the following description and drawings are simplified as appropriate.

<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment. Note that, as a matter of course, the right-handed xyz orthogonal coordinates shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, which will be described later, are for convenience in explaining the positional relationships of the constituent elements. In the examples shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the positive x-axis direction is the front side of the vehicle (that is, the x-axis direction is the longitudinal direction of the vehicle), the y-axis direction is the vehicle width direction, and the positive z-axis direction is the vertically upward direction (that is, the z-axis direction is the longitudinal direction of the vehicle). vehicle height direction).

As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 1 includes a plurality of solar cell panels attached to a vehicle body. Specifically, the vehicle 1 includes a solar panel 10a mounted on a roof 1a, which is the upper surface of the vehicle body, and a solar panel 10b, which is also mounted on a hood 1b, which is the upper surface of the vehicle body. The vehicle 1 also includes a pair of solar panels 20a mounted on a pair of front doors FD, which are the sides of the vehicle body, and a pair of solar panels 20a mounted on a pair of rear doors RD, which are also the sides of the vehicle body. 20b.

Electric power generated by the solar cell panels 10a, 10b, 20a, and 20b is charged into a battery (not shown) provided in the vehicle 1. The battery may be a sub-battery for auxiliary equipment or a main battery for driving.

Note that the vehicle 1 only needs to include at least one solar panel attached to the side surface of the vehicle body. Specifically, the vehicle 1 may include either one of the solar battery panels 20a and 20b among the solar battery panels 10a, 10b, 20a, and 20b. Further, the vehicle 1 may include only one of the pair of solar cell panels 20a. Similarly, the vehicle 1 may include only one of the pair of solar panels 20b.

Furthermore, the vehicle 1 may be any type of vehicle as long as it includes at least one solar panel attached to the side surface of the vehicle body. For example, the vehicle 1 is not limited to an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, etc. that can be driven by electric power, but may also be an engine vehicle that can be driven by an engine.

In the vehicle 1, the solar panels 10a and 10b attached to the upper surface of the vehicle body each have a plurality of solar cells 11 arranged in parallel in the vehicle width direction (y-axis direction) and vehicle longitudinal direction (x-axis direction). We are prepared. In the example of FIG. 1, a plurality of solar cells 11 are arranged in a matrix in each solar cell panel 10a, 10b. Furthermore, the solar panels 20a and 20b attached to the side surfaces of the vehicle body each include a plurality of solar cells 21 arranged in parallel in the vehicle longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) and vehicle height direction (z-axis direction). There is. In the example of FIG. 1, a plurality of solar cells 21 are arranged in a matrix in each solar panel 20a, 20b.

Next, the solar cell panel attached to the side surface of the vehicle body and its peripheral mechanisms will be described using FIG. 2. Note that FIG. 2 typically shows a solar cell panel 20a mounted on the front door FD, which is the right side of the vehicle body, and its surrounding mechanisms.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 includes a support member 101, a rotating shaft 102, a cylinder 103, and a control device 104 as peripheral mechanisms of the solar cell panel 20a. The rotating shaft 102 and the cylinder 103 constitute a drive mechanism that drives the solar panel 20a.

The support member 101 is a plate-shaped member that supports the solar cell panel 20a on the front door FD, which is the right side of the vehicle body. The rotating shaft 102 is provided along the upper side of the plate-shaped support member 101. The cylinder 103 is configured to be expandable and retractable, and is provided between the lower side portion of the plate-shaped support member 101 and the front door FD.

For example, by extending the cylinder 103, the control device 104 lifts the lower side portion of the support member 101 using the rotating shaft 102 as a support axis. As a result, the direction of the surface (light-receiving surface) of the solar panel 20a, which faces in the lateral direction of the vehicle body, is changed to face upward of the vehicle body, where sunlight is easily received. Thereby, the amount of power generated by the solar panel 20a provided on the side surface of the vehicle body is improved.

Further, the control device 104 lowers the lower side portion of the support member 101 using the rotating shaft 102 as a supporting axis by contracting the cylinder 103. As a result, the direction of the surface (light-receiving surface) of the solar panel 20a, which faces upward of the vehicle body, is changed to face the lateral direction of the vehicle body. Furthermore, at this time, the solar panel 20a is arranged along the side surface of the vehicle body, so that it does not interfere with the running of the vehicle 1.

For example, the control device 104 switches the orientation of the surface of the solar panel 20a based on an instruction received from either an operation terminal mounted on the vehicle 1 or a mobile terminal carried by the driver of the vehicle 1. The control device 104 may switch the orientation of the surface of the solar panel 20a instantaneously or in stages.

The control device 104 may also switch the orientation of the surface of the solar panel 20a when it detects that the vehicle 1 has stopped in a specified parking area. The control device 104 may also stop changing the orientation of the surface of the solar panel 20a when it detects that there is an obstacle around the solar panel 20a.

Note that although FIG. 2 representatively shows the solar panel 20a mounted on the front door FD, which is the right side of the vehicle body, and its surrounding mechanisms, other solar panels mounted on the side surface of the vehicle body A similar peripheral mechanism may also be provided for the battery panel. Further, the drive mechanism can be changed to another configuration that can realize the same operation as described above.

As described above, the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment can change the orientation of the surface of the solar cell panel mounted on the side of the vehicle body so that it faces upward toward the vehicle body where it is easier to receive sunlight, thereby improving the amount of power generated by the solar cell panel mounted on the side of the vehicle body.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit. Further, the present invention relates to the use of photovoltaic panels, and contributes to carbon neutrality, decarbonization, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

1 Vehicle 1a Roof 1b Bonnet 11 Solar cell 21 Solar cell 10a, 10b Solar panel 20a, 20b Solar panel 101 Support member 102 Rotating shaft 103 Cylinder 104 Control device FD Front door RD Rear door

Claims (1)

A solar panel;
A support member for supporting the solar panel on a side surface of a vehicle body;
A vehicle including: a drive mechanism configured to change a direction of a surface of the solar panel by moving the support member;
The drive mechanism is configured to be able to change the orientation of at least the surface of the solar cell panel, which faces a lateral direction of the vehicle body, to face upward of the vehicle body.
vehicle.

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