JP7492311B2 - Electric vehicles - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an electric vehicle that runs on electricity stored in a battery.

In recent years, electric vehicles such as EVs (Electric Vehicles) and HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles) have become increasingly popular. Electric vehicles have a motor as a drive source and a battery that stores the power to drive the motor. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes such a vehicle-mounted structure for a battery.

JP 2007-230329 A

However, in such electric vehicles, there is generally a demand for efficient use of on-board space.

It is desirable to provide an electric vehicle that can make effective use of onboard space.

An electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a drive unit that moves a battery mounted at a rear inside the body of the electric vehicle relative to the vehicle body, and a control unit that controls the drive unit so that the battery moves relatively before the electric vehicle comes into contact with the following vehicle based on a determination result of a possibility of contact between the electric vehicle and a following vehicle as an external object. When there is a possibility of contact between the electric vehicle and the following vehicle, the control unit controls the drive unit so that the battery moves toward the bottom of the vehicle body at the rear inside the vehicle body , and sets the first height, which is the height of an upper surface of the battery from a road surface, to a lower position equal to or lower than the second height, which is the height of an underside of the electric vehicle side of the following vehicle from the road surface.

An electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure makes it possible to effectively utilize on-board space.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a detailed configuration of an actuator in the battery system illustrated in FIG. 1 . 2 is a flow chart illustrating an example of an operation of the battery system illustrated in FIG. 1 . 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation of the battery system illustrated in FIG. 1 in a case where the electric vehicle illustrated in FIG. 1 comes into contact with a preceding vehicle as an external object. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation of the battery system illustrated in FIG. 1 in a case where a following vehicle as an external object comes into contact with the electric vehicle illustrated in FIG. 1 . 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an electric vehicle according to a first comparative example; 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an effect of the electric vehicle having the battery system illustrated in FIG. 1 . FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of an electric vehicle according to a modified example of the present disclosure. 9 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration example of an actuator in the battery system illustrated in FIG. 8 . 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation of the battery system when a following vehicle comes into contact with the electric vehicle illustrated in FIG. 8 . 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a case where a following vehicle comes into contact with an electric vehicle according to Comparative Example 2. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an effect of the electric vehicle having the battery system shown in FIG. 8 .

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The description will be made in the following order.
1. Embodiment (Example of a case where, when there is a possibility of contact between an electric vehicle and an external object, a battery is moved in a direction opposite to a direction in which an external object exists)
2. Modification (Example of a Case in Which a Battery is Moved Downward of a Body of an Electric Vehicle When There is a Possibility of Contact)
3. Other Modifications

1. Preferred embodiment
[General configuration of electric vehicle 1A]
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an electric vehicle 1A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following description, the front-rear direction of the electric vehicle 1A is defined as the X direction, the vehicle width direction of the electric vehicle 1A is defined as the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Y direction is defined as the Z direction. In addition, in the X direction, the front direction of the electric vehicle 1A is defined as the "front" or "front side", and the rear direction of the electric vehicle 1A is defined as the "rear" or "rear side". In the Y direction, the left direction of the electric vehicle 1A is defined as the "left side", and the right direction of the electric vehicle 1A is defined as the "right side". Furthermore, in the Z direction, the upward direction of the electric vehicle 1A is defined as the "upward" direction, and the downward direction of the electric vehicle 1A is defined as the "downward" direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electric vehicle 1A includes a battery system 11, a sensor 12, an acceleration sensor 13, a vehicle speed sensor 14, a communication unit 15, and motors 16a and 16b.

[Battery system 11]
The battery system 11 includes a battery 111 , an actuator 112 , and a control unit 113 .

The battery 111 is mounted on the electric vehicle 1A and is configured to store the electric power used by the electric vehicle 1A. Specifically, when the electric vehicle 1A accelerates, the DC power stored in the battery 111 is converted to AC power by an inverter (not shown), and the converted AC power is supplied to the motors 16a and 16b. When the electric vehicle 1A decelerates, the AC power generated by the regenerative control of the motors 16a and 16b is converted to DC power using the inverter described above, and the converted DC power is stored in the battery 111. The battery 111 is, for example, a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery. The battery 111 corresponds to a specific example of a "battery" in this disclosure.

The actuator 112 is configured to move the battery 111 relative to the body of the electric vehicle 1A. In this embodiment, the actuator 112 is disposed, for example, under the floor near the center of the body of the electric vehicle 1A. The actuator 112 corresponds to a specific example of a "drive unit" in this disclosure.

The control unit 113 is connected to the sensor 12, the acceleration sensor 13, the vehicle speed sensor 14, and the communication unit 15. The control unit 113 is configured to control the actuator 112 so that the battery 111 moves relatively before the electric vehicle 1A comes into contact with the external object, based on the result of the determination of the possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and the external object, which will be described later.

For example, the control unit 113 is configured to determine the possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object, as described below, based on at least one of the signals output from the sensor 12, the acceleration sensor 13, the vehicle speed sensor 14, and the communication unit 15. The control unit 113 is configured to control the actuator 112 as described above, based on the result of this determination of the possibility of contact.

For example, the control unit 113 is configured to control the actuator 112 as described above based on the result of a determination of the possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and a following vehicle SV (see FIG. 5 described later) traveling behind the electric vehicle 1A.

The control unit 113 is configured, for example, by a microcomputer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). This ROM stores data such as control programs and various tables for implementing preset operations. The control unit 113 corresponds to one specific example of a "control unit" in this disclosure.

[Sensor 12]
The sensor 12 is configured to detect the external environment in front of the electric vehicle 1A. The sensor 12 is, for example, a camera device. This camera device includes, for example, a solid-state imaging element, and is configured to acquire image information by capturing an image of the external environment in front of the electric vehicle 1A. Such a camera device may be, for example, a stereo camera, a monocular camera, a monochrome camera, or a color camera. In this case, the camera device may be provided at the front of the passenger compartment of the electric vehicle 1A, facing the traveling direction of the electric vehicle 1A. The sensor 12 outputs a signal indicating a detection result based on the acquired image information to the control unit 113.

The sensor 12 may be, for example, a radar device. When the sensor 12 is a radar device, the radar device is configured to receive reflected waves from a three-dimensional object present in the vicinity in front of the electric vehicle 1A. The radar device is configured to obtain distance information indicating the distance between the electric vehicle 1A and the three-dimensional object in the vicinity in front of the electric vehicle 1A based on the received reflected waves. Such a radar device may be, for example, a millimeter wave radar or a laser radar. The sensor 12 outputs a signal indicating the detection result based on the obtained distance information to the control unit 113.

[Acceleration sensor 13]
The acceleration sensor 13 is configured to detect the acceleration (deceleration) in both the X direction and the Y direction of the electric vehicle 1A, i.e., in the horizontal direction. The acceleration sensor 13 outputs a signal indicative of the detection result to the control unit 113.

[Vehicle speed sensor 14]
The vehicle speed sensor 14 is configured to detect the speed (vehicle speed) of the electric vehicle 1A. The vehicle speed sensor 14 outputs a signal indicating the detection result to the control unit 113.

[Communication unit 15]
The communication unit 15 is configured to perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the electric vehicle 1A and a following vehicle SV (see FIG. 5 described later) traveling behind the electric vehicle 1A. For example, when the following vehicle SV determines the possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and the following vehicle SV, the communication unit 15 receives a signal indicating the determination result from the following vehicle SV using the above-mentioned vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and outputs the received signal to the control unit 113. The communication unit 15 may also be configured to perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the electric vehicle 1A and a leading vehicle PV (see FIG. 4 described later) traveling in front of the electric vehicle 1A. In this case, the communication unit 15 may use the vehicle-to-vehicle communication to receive from the leading vehicle PV each signal output from an acceleration sensor or a vehicle speed sensor provided in the leading vehicle PV, and output the received signal to the control unit 113.

[Motor 16a and Motor 16b]
The motor 16a is disposed at the front of the body of the electric vehicle 1A, and is configured to drive the front wheels of the electric vehicle 1A under the control of an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) (not shown).

The motor 16b is disposed at the rear of the body of the electric vehicle 1A and is configured to drive the rear wheels of the electric vehicle 1A under the control of the ECU described above.

When the electric vehicle 1A accelerates, the motors 16a and 16b each function as a driving motor. Specifically, the motor 16a is configured to receive power from the battery 111 to drive the front wheels, and the motor 16b is configured to receive power from the battery 111 to drive the rear wheels. When the electric vehicle 1A decelerates, the motors 16a and 16b each function as a power generating motor. Specifically, the motor 16a is configured to convert the kinetic energy of the front wheels into regenerative power, and the motor 16b is configured to convert the kinetic energy of the rear wheels into regenerative power. The regenerative power generated by the motors 16a and 16b is stored in the battery 111 as described above.

[Detailed configuration of actuator 112]
Fig. 2 shows a detailed configuration example of the actuator 112 in the battery system 11 shown in Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the actuator 112 has a stage 120 and a slide portion 130, as shown in Fig. 2.

The stage 120 is configured to carry a battery 111 and is capable of sliding on the slide portion 130, for example, in the X direction.

The slide unit 130 is configured to slide the stage 120 in the X direction. The slide unit 130 has a pair of rails 131a, 131b, a motor 132, a slide shaft 133, and a holder 134. The pair of rails 131a, 131b extend in the X direction and hold the stage 120 so that it can slide in the X direction. The motor 132 is configured to rotate the slide shaft 133 around its axis in response to a drive signal from the control unit 113. One end of the slide shaft 133 is connected to the motor 132, and the other end is held by the holder 134. The slide shaft 133 is rotated around the axis of the slide shaft 133 by the drive of the motor 132, thereby moving the stage 120 in the X direction.

With this configuration, the actuator 112 is configured to move the battery 111 relative to the body of the electric vehicle 1A in the X direction.

[motion]
Next, an operation example of the battery system 11 of the electric vehicle 1A in this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 3 to Fig. 5. Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing an operation example of the battery system 11 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an operation example of the battery system 11 shown in Fig. 1 when the electric vehicle 1A comes into contact with a preceding vehicle PV as an external object. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an operation example of the battery system 11 shown in Fig. 1 when a following vehicle SV as an external object comes into contact with the electric vehicle 1A. Note that in Figs. 4 and 5, the control unit 113, the sensor 12, the acceleration sensor 13, the vehicle speed sensor 14, and the communication unit 15 are omitted for the sake of simplicity.

The control unit 113 of the electric vehicle 1A is configured to control the actuator 112 as described above based on the result of the determination of the possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and the following vehicle SV obtained by the following vehicle SV. Therefore, the following vehicle SV may perform each process in steps S101 to S103 described below. In this case, the following vehicle SV is equipped with a sensor, an acceleration sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, and a communication unit that have the same or similar configurations as the sensor 12, the acceleration sensor 13, the vehicle speed sensor 14, and the communication unit 15 provided in the electric vehicle 1A. The following vehicle SV has a control unit configured to determine the possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and the following vehicle SV based on at least one of the signals output from these sensors, the acceleration sensor, the vehicle speed sensor, and the communication unit.

As shown in FIG. 3, first, the control unit 113 acquires parameters based on at least one of the signals output from the sensor 12, the acceleration sensor 13, the vehicle speed sensor 14, and the communication unit 15 (step S101). Examples of such parameters include a forward distance parameter, a speed parameter, and a deceleration parameter. Note that the "deceleration parameter" can also be referred to as an "acceleration parameter" as a parameter related to acceleration.

Next, the control unit 113 calculates a contact possibility parameter based on the parameters acquired in step S101 (step S102). This contact possibility parameter is a parameter used to determine the presence or absence of a contact possibility indicating the possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object.

Next, the control unit 113 determines whether or not there is a possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object based on the contact possibility parameter calculated in step S102 (step S103).

If it is determined in step S103 that there is a possibility of contact (step S103: Y), the control unit 113 of the electric vehicle 1A controls the actuator 112 so that the battery 111 moves relatively before contact occurs between the electric vehicle 1A and the external object (step S104).

If it is determined in step S103 that there is no possibility of contact (step S103: N), the control unit 113 returns the process to step S101.

The control unit 113 controls the actuator 112 in step S104 and then ends the process.

When the external object is the following vehicle SV, the control unit of the following vehicle SV performs the same process as steps S101 to S103 in FIG. 3, and transmits a signal indicating the result of the contact possibility determination to the communication unit 15 of the electric vehicle 1A. Specifically, when it is determined in step S103 that there is a contact possibility (step S103: Y), the control unit of the following vehicle SV then transmits a signal indicating the result of the contact possibility determination to the communication unit 15 of the electric vehicle 1A. Based on the signal indicating the above determination result received by the communication unit 15, the control unit 113 of the electric vehicle 1A controls the actuator 112 so that the battery 111 moves relatively before the electric vehicle 1A and the following vehicle SV come into contact.

Below, an example of the operation of the battery system 11 will be described in detail with reference to an example of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object in front of the electric vehicle 1A, and an example of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and a following vehicle SV as an external object behind the electric vehicle 1A.

[A. When the electric vehicle 1A comes into contact with an external object in front of the vehicle]
In step S101, when the sensor 12 is a camera device, the control unit 113 acquires a forward distance FD (see FIG. 4) between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object in front of the electric vehicle 1A as a forward distance parameter based on image information acquired by the camera device. Also, based on image information acquired by the camera device, the control unit 113 acquires the deceleration of the external object in front of the electric vehicle 1A as a deceleration parameter of the external object, and acquires the speed of the external object as a speed parameter of the external object. When the sensor 12 is a radar device, the control unit 113 acquires the forward distance FD as a forward distance parameter based on distance information acquired by the radar device. Also, based on distance information acquired by the radar device, the control unit 113 acquires the deceleration of the external object in front of the electric vehicle 1A as a deceleration parameter of the external object, and acquires the speed of the external object as a speed parameter of the external object.

Furthermore, the control unit 113 acquires the deceleration of the electric vehicle 1A detected by the acceleration sensor 13 as a deceleration parameter of the electric vehicle 1A, and acquires the vehicle speed of the electric vehicle 1A detected by the vehicle speed sensor 14 as a speed parameter of the electric vehicle 1A. Here, the deceleration of the electric vehicle 1A is acquired using the acceleration sensor 13, but the deceleration of the electric vehicle 1A may be acquired using the sensor 12 instead of the acceleration sensor 13. Also, the vehicle speed of the electric vehicle 1A may be acquired using the sensor 12 instead of the vehicle speed sensor 14.

When the external object in front of the electric vehicle 1A is a preceding vehicle PV (see FIG. 4) located in front of the electric vehicle 1A, the control unit 113 may acquire the parameters as follows.

For example, the communication unit 15 performs vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the electric vehicle 1A and the preceding vehicle PV to receive signals output from an acceleration sensor and a vehicle speed sensor provided in the preceding vehicle PV from the preceding vehicle PV, and outputs the received signals to the control unit 113. Then, based on these signals related to the preceding vehicle PV output from the communication unit 15, the control unit 113 may obtain the deceleration of the preceding vehicle PV as a deceleration parameter of the preceding vehicle PV, and obtain the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle PV as a speed parameter of the preceding vehicle PV.

Next, in step S102, the control unit 113 calculates the contact possibility parameter based on at least one of the various parameters acquired in step S101 (step S102).

For example, the control unit 113 may calculate the deceleration of the electric vehicle 1A necessary to avoid contact between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object in front of the electric vehicle 1A as this contact possibility parameter. The control unit 113 calculates this deceleration based on, for example, a forward distance parameter, a deceleration parameter of the electric vehicle 1A and the external object, and a speed parameter of the electric vehicle 1A and the external object. Hereinafter, such deceleration is referred to as the "required deceleration."

Next, in step S103, the control unit 113 determines whether there is a contact possibility indicating the possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object in front of the electric vehicle 1A, based on the contact possibility parameter calculated in step S102.

For example, the control unit 113 may determine whether or not the above-mentioned required deceleration can be obtained in the electric vehicle 1A as a determination of the presence or absence of the possibility of contact. For example, if the control unit 113 determines, as a result of calculating the required deceleration in step S102, that this required deceleration cannot be obtained or is difficult to obtain in the electric vehicle 1A, it determines that there is a possibility of contact. If the control unit 113 determines that such required deceleration can be obtained in the electric vehicle 1A, it determines that there is no possibility of contact.

If it is determined in step S103 that there is a possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object in front of the electric vehicle 1A (step S103: Y), then the control unit 113 performs the following control. That is, in step S104, the control unit 113 controls the actuator 112 so that the battery 111 moves relatively before the electric vehicle 1A comes into contact with the external object.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when an external object determined to have a possibility of contact is a preceding vehicle PV traveling in front of the electric vehicle 1A, the control unit 113 controls the actuator 112 so that the battery 111 moves relatively to the rear side of the body of the electric vehicle 1A (in the direction of arrow D1) before the electric vehicle 1A and the preceding vehicle PV come into contact with each other. In other words, the control unit 113 controls the actuator 112 so that the battery 111 moves in the opposite direction (rear of the electric vehicle 1A) to the direction in which the preceding vehicle PV exists (forward of the electric vehicle 1A).

As a result, the battery 111 is moved toward the rear of the vehicle body (in the direction of arrow D1) by the actuator 112, and the mounting position of the battery 111 moves toward the rear of the vehicle body. As a result, a space LF is formed between the motor 16a and the battery 111. This space LF reduces the possibility that the motor 16a will come into contact with the battery 111 when the electric vehicle 1A comes into contact with the preceding vehicle PV, as described below.

If it is determined in step S103 that there is no possibility of contact (step S103: N), the control unit 113 returns the process to step S101. In addition, the control unit 113 drives the actuator 112 in step S104 and then ends the process.

[B. When the electric vehicle 1A comes into contact with an external object (following vehicle) behind]
When contact occurs between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object behind the electric vehicle 1A (hereinafter, the following vehicle SV), the actuator 112 is controlled based on the result of the contact possibility determination obtained by the following vehicle SV.

In step S101, if the above-mentioned sensor is a camera device, the control unit of the following vehicle SV acquires the following distance RD (see FIG. 5) between the electric vehicle 1A and the following vehicle SV as a forward distance parameter based on image information acquired by the camera device. Also, based on the image information acquired by the camera device, the control unit acquires the deceleration of the electric vehicle 1A as a deceleration parameter of the electric vehicle 1A and the speed of the electric vehicle 1A as a speed parameter of the electric vehicle 1A. If the above-mentioned sensor is a radar device, the control unit of the following vehicle SV acquires the following distance RD as a forward distance parameter based on distance information acquired by the radar device. Also, based on the distance information acquired by the radar device, the control unit acquires the deceleration of the electric vehicle 1A as a deceleration parameter of the electric vehicle 1A and the speed of the electric vehicle 1A as a speed parameter of the electric vehicle 1A.

Furthermore, the control unit of the following vehicle SV acquires the deceleration detected by the acceleration sensor of the following vehicle SV as a deceleration parameter of the following vehicle SV, and acquires the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor of the following vehicle SV as a speed parameter of the following vehicle SV. Instead of this acceleration sensor, a sensor of the following vehicle SV may be used to acquire the deceleration of the following vehicle SV. Also, instead of this vehicle speed sensor, a sensor of the following vehicle SV may be used to acquire the vehicle speed of the following vehicle SV.

The control unit of the following vehicle SV may acquire parameters as follows. For example, the communication unit of the following vehicle SV performs the above-mentioned vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the communication unit 15 of the electric vehicle 1A to receive signals output from the acceleration sensor 13 and the vehicle speed sensor 14 of the electric vehicle 1A from the electric vehicle 1A, and outputs the received signals to the control unit of the following vehicle SV. Then, based on these signals related to the electric vehicle 1A output from the communication unit of the following vehicle SV, the control unit of the following vehicle SV may acquire the deceleration of the electric vehicle 1A as a deceleration parameter of the electric vehicle 1A, and may acquire the vehicle speed of the electric vehicle 1A as a speed parameter of the electric vehicle 1A.

Next, in step S102, the control unit of the following vehicle SV calculates the above-mentioned contact possibility parameter based on at least one of the various parameters acquired in step S101 (step S102).

For example, the control unit of the following vehicle SV may calculate the deceleration of the following vehicle SV required to avoid contact between the electric vehicle 1A and the following vehicle SV as this contact possibility parameter. The control unit of the following vehicle SV calculates this deceleration based on, for example, a forward distance parameter, a deceleration parameter of the electric vehicle 1A and the following vehicle SV, and a speed parameter of the electric vehicle 1A and the following vehicle SV. Hereinafter, such deceleration is referred to as the "required following vehicle deceleration."

Next, in step S103, the control unit of the following vehicle SV determines whether there is a contact possibility indicating the possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and the following vehicle SV, based on the contact possibility parameter determined in step S102.

For example, the control unit of the following vehicle SV may determine whether or not the following vehicle SV can obtain the required following vehicle deceleration described above in order to determine whether or not there is a possibility of contact. For example, if the control unit of the following vehicle SV determines, as a result of calculating the required following vehicle deceleration in step S102, that this required following vehicle deceleration cannot be obtained or is difficult to obtain in the following vehicle SV, it determines that there is a possibility of contact. If the control unit of the following vehicle SV determines that such required following vehicle deceleration can be obtained in the following vehicle SV, it determines that there is no possibility of contact.

If it is determined in step S103 that there is a possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and the following vehicle SV (step S103: Y), then the control unit of the following vehicle SV transmits a signal indicating the determination result of the possibility of contact to the communication unit 15 of the electric vehicle 1A. Specifically, the control unit of the following vehicle SV performs vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the electric vehicle 1A and the following vehicle SV using the communication unit of the following vehicle SV, and transmits a signal indicating the determination result of the possibility of contact to the communication unit 15 of the electric vehicle 1A. The communication unit 15 outputs the received signal indicating the determination result of the possibility of contact to the control unit 113. Then, based on the determination result obtained by such a following vehicle SV, the control unit 113 controls the actuator 112 so that the battery 111 moves relatively before the electric vehicle 1A and the following vehicle SV come into contact.

5, when the external object determined to have a possibility of contact is a following vehicle SV traveling behind the electric vehicle 1A, the control unit 113 controls the actuator 112 so that the battery 111 moves relatively to the front side of the body of the electric vehicle 1A (in the direction of arrow D2) before the electric vehicle 1A and the following vehicle SV come into contact with each other. In other words, the control unit 113 controls the actuator 112 so that the battery 111 moves in the opposite direction (forward of the electric vehicle 1A) to the direction in which the following vehicle SV exists (backward of the electric vehicle 1A).

As a result, the battery 111 is moved toward the front of the vehicle body (in the direction of arrow D2) by the actuator 112, and the mounting position of the battery 111 moves toward the front of the vehicle body. As a result, a space LR is formed between the motor 16b and the battery 111. This space LR reduces the possibility that the motor 16b will come into contact with the battery 111 when the electric vehicle 1A comes into contact with the following vehicle SV, as described below.

In each of the above examples, the possibility of contact with an external object ahead is determined based on the required deceleration or required following vehicle deceleration calculated based on the forward distance parameter, the deceleration parameters of the electric vehicle 1A and the external object, and the speed parameters of the electric vehicle 1A and the external object. However, the method of calculating the contact possibility parameter and the method of determining the possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and the external object are not limited to the above-mentioned methods. The contact possibility parameter may be calculated and the possibility of contact may be determined using any method other than the above-mentioned method of calculating the contact possibility parameter and the method of determining the possibility of contact.

The control unit 113 or the control unit of the following vehicle SV may also use parameters other than the forward distance parameter, the deceleration parameters of the electric vehicle 1A and the external object, and the speed parameters of the electric vehicle 1A and the external object to calculate the contact possibility parameter and determine whether or not there is a contact possibility. In this case, the control unit 113 or the control unit of the following vehicle SV may use such parameters alone or in combination with one or more of the various parameters described above.

[Action and Effects]
Next, an example of the effects of the electric vehicle 1A in this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the general configuration of an electric vehicle 101A according to a first comparative example. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the effects of the electric vehicle 1A having the battery system 11 shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 7, the control unit 113, the sensor 12, the acceleration sensor 13, the vehicle speed sensor 14, and the communication unit 15 are omitted for the sake of simplicity.

In electric vehicles such as EVs (Electric Vehicles) and HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles), there is generally a demand for efficient use of on-board space.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, in the electric vehicle 101A according to the comparative example 1, a space L100a is provided between the motor 16ac that drives the front wheels and the battery 111c that supplies power to the motor 16ac. This is to reduce the possibility that the motor 16ac will move toward the battery 111c due to the impact force applied to the front side of the body of the electric vehicle 101A and come into contact with the battery 111c when the electric vehicle 101A comes into contact with an external object in front of the electric vehicle 101A. In addition, a space L100b is provided between the motor 16bc that drives the rear wheels and the battery 111c that supplies power to the motor 16bc. This is to reduce the possibility that the motor 16bc will move toward the battery 111c due to the impact force applied to the rear side of the body of the electric vehicle 101A and come into contact with the battery 111c when the electric vehicle 101A comes into contact with an external object in the rear of the electric vehicle 101A.

In this way, in the electric vehicle 101A according to Comparative Example 1, a space L100a having a size that takes into consideration contact between the electric vehicle 101A and an external object in front of the electric vehicle 101A is provided between the motor 16ac and the battery 111c. In addition, a space L100b having a size that takes into consideration contact between the electric vehicle 101A and an external object in the rear of the electric vehicle 101A is provided between the motor 16bc and the battery 111c.

However, in recent years, there has been a demand for higher performance and improved fuel efficiency in electric vehicles, and this has led to a demand for larger capacity batteries. In other words, there is a demand for more batteries to be installed in electric vehicles. In addition, with the recent spread of driving assistance systems, the number of on-board devices installed has been on the rise. In other words, there is a demand for more on-board devices to be installed in electric vehicles. Furthermore, from the perspective of ensuring passenger comfort, it is desirable to make the space inside the vehicle as large as possible. However, even with these increasing demands, the available on-board space is limited. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an electric vehicle that can effectively utilize the on-board space.

In this embodiment, the control unit 113 controls the actuator 112 to move the battery 111 relative to the electric vehicle 1A before the electric vehicle 1A and the external object come into contact when there is a possibility of contact. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, a space that takes into account contact between the electric vehicle 1A and the external object is selectively secured between the motor 16a and the battery 111, or between the motor 16b and the battery 111, by the actuator 112 moving the battery 111 in the direction of arrow D.

For example, when there is a possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object in front of the electric vehicle 1A, the control unit 113 controls the actuator 112 so that the battery 111 moves relatively to the rear side of the body of the electric vehicle 1A before the electric vehicle 1A comes into contact with the external object. As a result, the battery 111 moves to the rear side of the body by the amount of space L1b by the actuator 112, and the mounting position of the battery 111 moves to the rear side of the body. As a result, a space (L1a + L1b) having a size equal to the sum of the space L1a and the space (a space having a size corresponding to the space L1b) generated by the movement of the battery 111 to the rear side of the body is formed between the motor 16a and the battery 111. This space (L1a + L1b) is, for example, a space of about the same size as the space LF shown in FIG. 4. Such a space (L1a + L1b) reduces the possibility that the motor 16a will come into contact with the battery 111 when the electric vehicle 1A comes into contact with an external object in front of the electric vehicle 1A.

For example, when there is a possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object behind the electric vehicle 1A, the control unit 113 controls the actuator 112 so that the battery 111 moves relatively to the front side of the body of the electric vehicle 1A before the electric vehicle 1A comes into contact with the external object. As a result, the battery 111 moves to the front side of the body by the amount of the space L1a by the actuator 112, and the mounting position of the battery 111 moves to the front side of the body. As a result, a space (L1a + L1b) having a size equal to the sum of the space L1b and the space (a space having a size corresponding to the space L1a) generated by the movement of the battery 111 to the front side of the body is formed between the motor 16b and the battery 111. This space (L1a + L1b) is, for example, a space having a size similar to the space LR shown in FIG. 5. Such a space (L1a + L1b) reduces the possibility that the motor 16b will come into contact with the battery 111 when the electric vehicle 1A comes into contact with an external object behind the electric vehicle 1A.

As described above, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, unlike the comparative example 1 described above, a space (space L1a+space L1b) that takes into consideration contact between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object is formed by the movement of the battery 111 in the direction of arrow D by the actuator 112. In addition, such a space (space L1a+space L1b) is selectively secured between the motor 16a and the battery 111, or between the motor 16b and the battery 111, depending on the direction in which the external object is present.

As a result, compared to the above-mentioned Comparative Example 1, there is no need to provide a space (space L1a + space L1b) in advance between the motor 16a and the battery 111 and between the motor 16b and the battery 111, taking into account contact between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object. Therefore, in this embodiment, compared to the case of Comparative Example 1, it is possible to omit a space equivalent to one of the spaces L100a and L100b. As a result, in the electric vehicle 1A, the size of the space in consideration of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object can be reduced (effectively halved when compared to Comparative Example 1).

As a result, it becomes possible to secure space corresponding to the reduced space size within the vehicle cabin of the electric vehicle 1A for purposes other than preventing contact between the electric vehicle 1A and external objects. This makes it possible, for example, to mount more batteries 111 and more on-board devices on the electric vehicle 1A. In addition, by increasing the space within the vehicle cabin, it is possible to improve the comfort of the occupants.

Therefore, the electric vehicle 1A according to this embodiment makes it possible to effectively utilize the on-board space.

2. Modified Examples
Next, a modification of the above embodiment will be described. Note that the same components as those in the embodiment will be given the same reference numerals, and the description will be omitted as appropriate.

Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the general configuration of an electric vehicle 1B according to this modified example.

As shown in FIG. 8, the electric vehicle 1B includes a battery system 211, a sensor 12, an acceleration sensor 13, a vehicle speed sensor 14, a communication unit 15, and motors 16a and 16b.

[Battery system 211]
The battery system 211 includes the battery 111 , an actuator 212 , and a control unit 213 .

The actuator 212, like the actuator 112 in the above embodiment, is configured to move the battery 111 relative to the body of the electric vehicle 1B.

In addition, in this modification, the actuator 212 is disposed on the rear side of the body of the electric vehicle 1B, for example, below the luggage compartment of the electric vehicle 1B. That is, in this modification, the battery 111 is disposed below the luggage compartment of the electric vehicle 1B. Such an actuator 212 corresponds to one specific example of a "drive unit" in this disclosure.

The control unit 213 is connected to the sensor 12, the acceleration sensor 13, the vehicle speed sensor 14, and the communication unit 15, similar to the control unit 113 in the above embodiment. The control unit 213 is also configured to control the actuator 212 so that the battery 111 moves relatively before the electric vehicle 1B comes into contact with an external object. In this modification, the control unit 213 controls the actuator 212 based on the result of a determination of the possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1B and the following vehicle SV obtained by the following vehicle SV, which serves as an external object traveling behind the electric vehicle 1B. The control unit 213 corresponds to a specific example of a "control unit" in this disclosure.

[Actuator 212]
FIG. 9 shows a detailed configuration example of the actuator 212 in the battery system 211 shown in FIG.

The actuator 212 is configured to slide the battery 111 in the Z direction. The actuator 212 has an attachment portion 250, a main body portion 251, a motor 252, a slide shaft 253, and a holding portion 254.

The mounting part 250 is attached to the battery 111 and is slidable in the Z direction along the main body part 251. The mounting part 250 is attached to, for example, any part of the battery 111. A slide shaft 253 is arranged inside the main body part 251. The motor 252 is configured to rotate the slide shaft 253 around the axis of the slide shaft 253 in response to a drive signal from the control part 213. One end of the slide shaft 253 is connected to the motor 252 and the other end is held by the holding part 254. The slide shaft 253 is rotated around the axis of the slide shaft 253 by the drive of the motor 252, thereby moving the mounting part 250 attached to the battery 111 in the Z direction.

With this configuration, the actuator 212 is configured to move the battery 111 relative to the body of the electric vehicle 1B in the Z direction, i.e., in the vertical direction.

[motion]
Next, an operation example of the battery system 211 of the electric vehicle 1B in this modified example will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 10 in addition to Fig. 3 described above. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an operation example of the battery system 211 when the following vehicle SV comes into contact with the electric vehicle 1B shown in Fig. 8. Note that in Fig. 10, in order to simplify the illustration, the control unit 213, the sensor 12, the acceleration sensor 13, the vehicle speed sensor 14, and the communication unit 15 are omitted.

The operation of the battery system 211 of this modified example is similar to the example operation of the battery system 11 of the above embodiment described with reference to FIG. 3. That is, in step S101 shown in FIG. 3, the control unit of the following vehicle SV acquires parameters. Next, in step S102, the control unit of the following vehicle SV calculates the above-mentioned contact possibility parameter based on the parameters acquired in step S101. Next, in step S103, the control unit of the following vehicle SV determines the presence or absence of a contact possibility indicating the possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1B and the following vehicle SV based on the contact possibility parameter calculated in step S102.

In step S103, for example, if it is determined that the required following vehicle deceleration cannot (or is difficult to) be obtained by the following vehicle SV and it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1B and the following vehicle SV (step S103: Y), then the control unit of the following vehicle SV transmits a signal indicating the determination result of the possibility of contact to the communication unit 15 of the electric vehicle 1B. Specifically, the control unit of the following vehicle SV transmits a signal indicating the determination result of the possibility of contact to the communication unit 15 of the electric vehicle 1B, and the communication unit 15 outputs the received signal indicating the determination result of the possibility of contact to the control unit 213. Then, based on the determination result obtained by such following vehicle SV, the control unit 213 controls the actuator 212 so that the battery 111 moves relatively before contact occurs between the electric vehicle 1B and the following vehicle SV.

For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1B and an external object (following vehicle SV) behind the electric vehicle 1B, the control unit 213 performs the following control. That is, the control unit 213 controls the actuator 212 so that the battery 111 moves downwards in the vehicle body before contact occurs between the electric vehicle 1B and the following vehicle SV.

As a result, the battery 111 is moved downward in the direction of arrow A1 by the actuator 212, and the mounting position of the battery 111 is lowered. As a result, a space L1c of a size that takes into consideration contact between the electric vehicle 1B and the following vehicle SV is formed between the upper surface 111TS of the battery 111, which has moved downward in the vehicle body, and the rear of the rear seat RS of the electric vehicle 1B. This reduces the possibility that the battery 111 will move toward the rear of the rear seat RS due to the impact force applied to the rear side of the vehicle body of the electric vehicle 1B and come into contact with the rear seat RS when the electric vehicle 1B comes into contact with the following vehicle SV.

When the battery 111 is moved downwards on the vehicle body, it is advisable to make the height of the upper surface 111TS of the battery 111 that has moved downwards from the road surface R equal to or lower than the height of the front underside SVS of the following vehicle SV from the road surface R. As a result, as will be described later, when the electric vehicle 1B and the following vehicle SV come into contact with each other (see FIG. 12 described later), the underside SVS of the following vehicle SV will ride up on the upper surface 111TS of the battery 111 that has moved downwards in the space L1c. Alternatively, the underside SVS of the following vehicle SV will come into contact with the corner 111TC of the battery 111 that has moved downwards in the space L1c.

Next, the action and effect of the electric vehicle 1B in this modified example will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 11 and 12. Fig. 11 is a diagram that shows a schematic diagram of a case where a following vehicle SV as an external object comes into contact with the electric vehicle 101B in Comparative Example 2. Fig. 12 shows a schematic diagram of an example of the action and effect of the electric vehicle 1B having the battery system 211 shown in Fig. 8. Note that in Fig. 12, in order to simplify the illustration, the control unit 213, the sensor 12, the acceleration sensor 13, the vehicle speed sensor 14, and the communication unit 15 are omitted from the illustration.

As shown in FIG. 11, in the electric vehicle 101B of Comparative Example 2, the battery 111c is provided below the luggage compartment of the electric vehicle 101B. Furthermore, a space L100c is provided between the battery 111c and the rear seat RS of the electric vehicle 101B. This is to reduce the possibility that, when the electric vehicle 101B comes into contact with the following vehicle SV (as shown by symbol C), the battery 111c will move in the direction of arrow A100 toward the rear of the rear seat RS due to the impact force applied to the rear side of the body of the electric vehicle 101B, and come into contact with the rear seat RS.

On the other hand, in this modified example, when there is a possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1B and an external object (following vehicle SV), the control unit 213 controls the actuator 212 so that the battery 111 moves relatively before contact between the electric vehicle 1B and the external object occurs.

Therefore, if there is a possibility of contact, the battery 111 is moved toward the bottom of the vehicle body by, for example, the actuator 212. As a result, the battery 111 is retracted below the vehicle body. Therefore, when contact occurs between the electric vehicle 1B and the following vehicle SV, the battery 111 moves toward the rear of the rear seat RS, and is prevented from coming into contact with the rear seat RS.

Therefore, there is no need to provide a space (space L100c in Comparative Example 2) between the battery 111 and the rear seat RS in advance, the size of which takes into account contact between the electric vehicle 1B and the following vehicle SV at the rear. Therefore, in this modified example, compared to Comparative Example 2, the space equivalent to space L100c can be omitted, and the size of the space in the electric vehicle 1B that takes into account contact between the electric vehicle 1B and the following vehicle SV can be reduced.

Therefore, a space corresponding to the reduced size of the space can be secured within the vehicle cabin of the electric vehicle 1B (between the battery 111 and the rear seat RS in this modified example) for purposes other than preventing contact between the electric vehicle 1B and an external object (following vehicle SV). As a result, for example, it becomes possible to mount more batteries 111 and more on-board equipment in the electric vehicle 1B. In addition, by increasing the space within the vehicle cabin, the comfort of the occupants can be improved. Therefore, the electric vehicle 1B according to this modified example also makes it possible to effectively utilize the on-board space.

In addition, in this modified example, when there is a possibility of contact, the control unit 213 controls the actuator 212 so that the battery 111 moves downwardly of the vehicle body.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, when the electric vehicle 1B and the following vehicle SV come into contact (indicated by symbol C), the underside SVS of the following vehicle SV rides up on the upper side 111TS of the battery 111 that has moved downward in the vehicle body in the space L1c. Alternatively, the underside SVS of the following vehicle SV abuts against the corner 111TC of the battery 111 that has moved downward in the vehicle body in the space L1c. The corner 111TC of the battery 111 is the portion of the upper side 111TS of the battery 111 that is located on the side facing the following vehicle SV.

In this way, the underside SVS of the following vehicle SV rides up on the upper surface 111TS of the battery 111 that has moved downward, or abuts against its corner 111TC, causing the battery 111 to move in the direction of arrow A2 below the rear seat RS. This further reduces the possibility that the battery 111 will come into contact with the rear of the rear seat RS when the electric vehicle 1B comes into contact with the following vehicle SV.

Therefore, with the electric vehicle 1B in this modified example, it is possible to effectively utilize the vehicle space while further reducing the possibility that the battery 111 will come into contact with the rear of the rear seat RS when the electric vehicle 1B comes into contact with the following vehicle SV.

3. Other Modifications
While the present disclosure has been described above by way of embodiments and modified examples, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments and can be modified in various ways.

For example, the configuration (type, shape, arrangement, number, etc.) of each component in the battery system 11 or 211 is not limited to that described in the above embodiment. That is, the configuration of each of these components (e.g., the battery 111, the actuator 112 (or 212), and the control unit 113 (or 213), etc.) may be of other types, shapes, arrangements, numbers, etc. Furthermore, the values, ranges, magnitude relationships, etc. of the various parameters described in the above embodiment are not limited to those described in the above embodiment, etc., and may be other values, ranges, magnitude relationships, etc.

In the above embodiment, the electric vehicle 1A or 1B has been described as having a motor 16a arranged at the front of the vehicle body and a motor 16b arranged at the rear of the vehicle body as a power source, but this is not limited to the configuration. For example, the electric vehicle 1A or 1B may be equipped with a motor as a power source only at the front or rear of the vehicle body. Also, in the above embodiment, the electric vehicle 1A or 1B has been described as an EV equipped with a motor as a drive source, but the electric vehicle 1A or 1B may be an HEV equipped with a motor as a drive source and an engine as a drive source.

In the above embodiment, the actuator 112 moves the battery 111 in the X direction by combining the motor 132 and the slide shaft 133. Also, the actuator 212 moves the battery 111 in the Z direction by combining the motor 252 and the slide shaft 253. However, the configuration of the actuators 112 and 212 is not limited to this example, and a configuration using a linear motor, for example, may be adopted. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the battery 111 is mounted on the stage 120 of the actuator 112, but the configuration of the actuator 112 shown in FIG. 2 may be turned upside down and the battery 111 may be suspended below the stage 120.

In the above embodiment, the battery 111 supplies power to the motors 16a and 16b as the driving motors. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The battery 111 may be, for example, a battery that supplies power to various electrical loads provided in the electric vehicle 1A or 1B. Such electrical loads include devices with lower loads than the driving motor, such as a wiper device, a headlight, an instrument panel, and various controllers. In this case, the battery 111 may be, for example, a lead battery. In addition, when the control unit 113 or 213 determines that there is a possibility of contact, both the battery 111 that supplies power to the driving motor and the battery 111 that supplies power to the electrical load may be moved by the actuator 112 or 212.

In the above embodiment, the external object is a moving vehicle such as a preceding vehicle PV or a following vehicle SV, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The external object may be, for example, an obstacle such as a stopped vehicle, a building, a structure, or a terrain.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which, when the following vehicle SV comes into contact with the electric vehicle 1A (1B), the control unit 113 (213) controls the actuator 112 (212) based on the contact possibility determination result obtained by the following vehicle SV. However, the control unit 113 (213) may also determine whether or not there is a contact possibility between the electric vehicle 1A (1B) and an external object behind the electric vehicle 1A (1B). In other words, the control unit 113 (213) may obtain a determination result of the contact possibility between the electric vehicle 1A (1B) and an external object behind the electric vehicle 1A (1B).

For example, in step S101, the control unit 113 (213) performs vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the electric vehicle 1A (1B) and the following vehicle SV using the communication unit 15, thereby acquiring from the following vehicle SV each signal output from the sensor, acceleration sensor, and vehicle speed sensor provided in the following vehicle SV. Then, the control unit 113 (213) acquires, for example, the following parameters based on these signals related to the following vehicle SV acquired from the communication unit 15. For example, the control unit 113 (213) acquires the following distance RD between the electric vehicle 1A (1B) and the following vehicle SV behind the electric vehicle 1A (1B) as a rear distance parameter, the deceleration of the following vehicle SV as a deceleration parameter of the following vehicle SV, and the vehicle speed of the following vehicle SV as a speed parameter of the following vehicle SV.

Furthermore, the control unit 113 (213) acquires the deceleration of the electric vehicle 1A (1B) detected by the acceleration sensor 13 as a deceleration parameter of the electric vehicle 1A (1B), and acquires the vehicle speed of the electric vehicle 1A (1B) detected by the vehicle speed sensor 14 as a speed parameter of the electric vehicle 1A (1B). The deceleration of the electric vehicle 1A (1B) may be acquired using the sensor 12 instead of the acceleration sensor 13. Also, the vehicle speed of the electric vehicle 1A (1B) may be acquired using the sensor 12 instead of the vehicle speed sensor 14.

In addition, instead of the acceleration sensor 13, a sensor provided in the following vehicle SV may be used to obtain the deceleration of the electric vehicle 1A (1B). Also, instead of the vehicle speed sensor 14, a sensor provided in the following vehicle SV may be used to obtain the vehicle speed of the electric vehicle 1A (1B). Also, instead of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the electric vehicle 1A (1B) and the following vehicle SV using the communication unit 15, a rear sensor provided in the electric vehicle 1A (1B) may be used to obtain the inter-vehicle distance RD between the electric vehicle 1A (1B) and the following vehicle SV, the deceleration of the following vehicle SV, and the vehicle speed of the following vehicle SV. This rear sensor has, for example, a similar configuration to the sensor 12, and is configured to detect the external environment behind the electric vehicle 1A.

Next, in step S102, the control unit 113 (213) calculates the contact possibility parameter based on at least one of the various parameters acquired in step S101 (step S102).

For example, the control unit 113 (213) may calculate the deceleration of the following vehicle SV necessary to avoid contact between the electric vehicle 1A (1B) and the following vehicle SV as this contact possibility parameter. The control unit 113 (213) calculates this deceleration based on, for example, the rear distance parameter described above, the deceleration parameters of the electric vehicle 1A (1B) and the following vehicle SV, and the speed parameters of the electric vehicle 1A (1B) and the following vehicle SV.

Next, in step S103, the control unit 113 (213) determines whether there is a contact possibility indicating the possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A (1B) and the following vehicle SV, based on the contact possibility parameter calculated in step S102.

If it is determined in step S103 that there is a possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A (1B) and the following vehicle SV (step S103: Y), then the control unit 113 (213) performs the following control. That is, in step S104, the control unit 113 (213) controls the actuator 112 (212) so that the battery 111 moves relatively before the electric vehicle 1A (1B) and the following vehicle SV come into contact with each other.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which, when an external object in front of the electric vehicle 1A comes into contact with the electric vehicle 1A, the control unit 113 provided in the electric vehicle 1A determines whether or not there is a possibility of contact. However, when the external object in front of the electric vehicle 1A is a leading vehicle PV, the leading vehicle PV may also perform the above-mentioned determination of whether or not there is a possibility of contact.

For example, similar to step S101 shown in FIG. 3, the control unit of the leading vehicle PV acquires parameters based on at least one of the signals output from the sensors, acceleration sensor, vehicle speed sensor, and communication unit provided in the leading vehicle PV. In this case, the communication unit of the leading vehicle PV may receive various signals from the communication unit 15 of the electric vehicle 1A by performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the communication unit 15. Next, in step S102, the control unit of the leading vehicle PV calculates the above-mentioned contact possibility parameter based on at least one of the parameters acquired in step S101. Next, in step S103, the control unit of the leading vehicle PV determines the presence or absence of a contact possibility indicating the possibility of contact between the leading vehicle PV and the electric vehicle 1A based on the contact possibility parameter calculated in step S102.

If it is determined in step S103 that there is a possibility of contact (step S103: Y), the control unit of the leading vehicle PV uses the communication unit of the leading vehicle PV to transmit a signal indicating the determination result of the possibility of contact to the communication unit 15 of the electric vehicle 1A. The communication unit 15 of the electric vehicle 1A outputs the received signal indicating the determination result of the possibility of contact to the control unit 113. Then, based on the determination result obtained by the leading vehicle PV, the control unit 113 controls the actuator 112 so that the battery 111 moves relatively before contact occurs between the electric vehicle 1A and the leading vehicle PV.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which, when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object, the control unit 113 controls the actuator 112 so that the battery 111 moves relatively in the X direction, i.e., toward the front or rear of the body of the electric vehicle 1A, before the electric vehicle 1A comes into contact with the external object. However, the configuration of the control unit 113 is not limited to this example. For example, when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object, the control unit 113 may control the actuator 112 so that the battery 111 moves relatively in the Y direction, i.e., toward the left or right side of the body of the electric vehicle 1A, before the electric vehicle 1A comes into contact with the external object.

In this case, for example, the slide portion 130 of the actuator 112 is arranged to slide on the stage 120 in the Y direction. Alternatively, the actuator 112 may have a slide portion 130 configured to slide on the stage 120 in the X direction, and a Y slide portion configured to slide the slide portion 130 in the Y direction. When the actuator 112 further has a Y slide portion, the actuator 112 is configured to move the battery 111 in both the X direction and the Y direction, i.e., horizontally, relative to the body of the electric vehicle 1A.

Then, for example, the control unit 113 determines whether there is a possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object in front of the electric vehicle 1A. If there is a possibility of contact, the control unit 113 controls the actuator 112 so that the battery 111 moves relatively to the left or right side of the body of the electric vehicle 1A before the electric vehicle 1A comes into contact with the external object.

Alternatively, in addition to the above-mentioned contact possibility determination result made by the following vehicle SV, the control unit 113 may use the communication unit 15 to receive from a lateral vehicle located to the side of the electric vehicle 1A the result of the determination made by the lateral vehicle of the contact possibility between the electric vehicle 1A and the lateral vehicle. Then, when there is a possibility of contact, the control unit 113 may control the actuator 112 so that the battery 111 moves relatively to the left or right side of the body of the electric vehicle 1A before contact occurs between the electric vehicle 1A and the following vehicle SV (or the lateral vehicle).

As a result, when a space is provided between the battery 111 and structures on the left and right sides of the battery 111, the size of which takes into consideration contact between the electric vehicle 1A and an external object in the Y direction of the electric vehicle 1A, the size of such a space can be reduced by the same action as in the above embodiment. Therefore, even in this case, it is possible to effectively utilize the vehicle space.

In the above embodiment, the actuator 112 is configured to move the battery 111 in the X direction relative to the body of the electric vehicle 1A. Also, in the above modified example, the actuator 212 is configured to move the battery 111 in the Z direction, i.e., in the up-down direction, relative to the body of the electric vehicle 1B. However, the configurations of the actuator 112 and the actuator 212 are not limited to this example.

For example, the actuator 112 and the actuator 212 may be combined. In this case, the mounting portion 250 of the actuator 212 is attached to the actuator 112 that is equipped with the battery 111. The mounting portion 250 is attached, for example, to any part of the slide portion 130 of the actuator 112. This allows the battery 111 to be moved relative to the body of the electric vehicle 1A or electric vehicle 1B in both the X direction and the Z direction.

Also, for example, the actuator 212 may be combined with the actuator 112 having the slide portion 130 arranged to slide on the stage 120 in the Y direction as described above. In this case, the mounting portion 250 of the actuator 212 is attached to the actuator 112 carrying the battery 111. The mounting portion 250 is attached, for example, to any part of the slide portion 130 of the actuator 112. This allows the battery 111 to be moved relative to the body of the electric vehicle 1A or electric vehicle 1B in both the Y direction and the Z direction.

Furthermore, the actuator 112 having the Y-slide portion described above may be combined with the actuator 212. In this case, the mounting portion 250 of the actuator 212 is attached, for example, to any part of the Y-slide portion of the actuator 112. This allows the battery 111 to be moved relatively in both the X-direction and the Y-direction, i.e., horizontally, with respect to the body of the electric vehicle 1A or electric vehicle 1B, and the battery 111 to be moved relatively in the vertical direction.

When the above-described configuration capable of moving in the Y direction is combined with the actuator 212, the control unit 213 may perform the following control. That is, the control unit 213 receives, using the communication unit 15, a determination result of the possibility of contact between the electric vehicle 1B and the following vehicle SV (or the vehicle on the side). Then, when there is a possibility of contact, the control unit 213 may control the actuator 112, the actuator 212, or both, so that the battery 111 moves relatively to the left or right side of the body of the electric vehicle 1B before contact between the electric vehicle 1B and the following vehicle SV (or the vehicle on the side).

In addition, the series of processes described in the above embodiments may be performed by hardware (circuits) or by software (programs). When performed by software, the software is composed of a group of programs for causing a computer to execute each function. Each program may be, for example, pre-installed in the computer and used, or may be installed in the computer from a network or recording medium and used.

Note that the control units 113 and 213 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 8 can each be configured by a circuit including at least one semiconductor integrated circuit. The at least one semiconductor integrated circuit is, for example, at least one processor (e.g., a CPU), at least one ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and/or at least one FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The at least one processor can be configured to execute all or part of the functions of the control unit 113 or 213 by reading instructions from at least one machine-readable non-transitory tangible medium. Such media can take many forms, including, but not limited to, any type of magnetic medium such as a hard disk, any type of optical medium such as a CD or DVD, and any type of semiconductor memory (i.e., semiconductor circuit) such as a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory. Volatile memory can include DRAM and SRAM. Non-volatile memory can include ROM and NVRAM. The ASIC is an integrated circuit (IC) customized to perform all or part of the functions of the control unit 113 or 213 shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 8. An FPGA is an integrated circuit designed to be configurable after manufacture to perform all or part of the functions of the control unit 113 or 213 shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 8.

The various examples described above may also be applied in any combination.

The effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also be present.

1A, 1B... Electric vehicle, 11, 211... Battery system, 12... Sensor, 13... Acceleration sensor, 14... Vehicle speed sensor, 15... Communication unit, 16a, 16b... Motor, 111... Battery, 111TS... Top surface of battery, 111TC... Corner of battery, 112, 212... Actuator, 113, 213... Control unit, 120... Stage, 130... Slide unit, 131a, 131b...rail, 132...motor, 133...slide shaft, 134...holding part, 250...mounting part, 251...main body, 252...motor, 253...slide shaft, 254...holding part, PV...preceding vehicle, SV...following vehicle, R...road surface, L1a, L1b, L1c, LF, LR...space, FD...forward distance, RD...inter-vehicle distance, RS...rear seat, C...contact, SVS...underside of following vehicle.

Claims (1)

a drive unit that moves a battery mounted at a rear portion of a vehicle body of the electric vehicle relative to the vehicle body;
a control unit that controls the drive unit so that the battery moves relatively before the electric vehicle and the following vehicle come into contact with each other, based on a result of a determination of a possibility of contact between the electric vehicle and the following vehicle as an external object,
The control unit is
When there is a possibility of contact between the electric vehicle and the following vehicle, the drive unit is controlled so that the battery moves downwardly in the rear of the vehicle body, and
A first height is a height of an upper surface of the battery from a road surface when the battery is moved downwardly of the vehicle body ,
The electric vehicle is set to move from a position higher than a second height, which is a height from the road surface to a lower position equal to or lower than the second height.

Images