Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Nsk Corporation

Nihon Seiko Kabushiki Kaisha

Yasunobu Jufuku

Susumu Okawa

Shigeru Okuwaki

Hiroshi Arisawa

Yuudai Tatara

Junji Nagasawa

Yoshiyuki Hattori

Kazuma Matsui

Hiroyuki Ito

Hideyuki Hayakawa

Masaaki Takizawa

Hiroji Kinbara

Minobu Mizuno

Yudai Tatara

Masaru Tamura

Kenji Umayahara

Hisashi Machida

Hideaki Matsui

Makoto Ueno

Shimpei Miura

Tatsumi Furukubo

Hiroyuki Nakamura

Masahiko Hasegawa

Kiyoomi Sato

Susumu Ohkawa

Akihiko Hirooka

Takayoshi Kondou

Toshiya Endo

Shigenori Nakata

Toshimi Kato

Miho Kizuki

Yasuo Imai

In a fuel cell vehicle of the present invention, a floor panel is constructed to have a center tunnel formed to extend in a front-rear direction of the vehicle. A fluid distributor provided below the floor panel is at least partly located in the center tunnel and is operative to distribute a supply of a fluid in a vehicle width direction. At least one fuel cell stack is provided adjacent to the fluid distributor in the vehicle width direction below the floor panel and is operative to receive the distributive supply of the fluid from the fluid distributor. This fuel cell system has an efficient component layout from the total standpoint of the operability and the space efficiency.

Fuel cell vehicle

A vehicleis equipped with a fuel cell systemand a secondary battery as power sources. A water level of water present on a water-covered road surface is measured by a water level sensor. When the measured water level reaches or exceeds a preset threshold value, drive control of the vehiclestops power generation by a fuel cell stack, closes a discharge valve, and enables the vehicleto be driven with output power of a motor that is actuated with electric power from the secondary battery. This arrangement effectively prevents a damage or failure of the fuel cells mounted on the vehicle moving on the water-covered road.

Mobile body mounted with fuel cell

A vehicle is equipped with fuel cells that is fastened to multiple side framesarranged in parallel to each other and along a moving direction of the vehicle. The vehicle includes a support assembly arranged to span between the multiple side frames, a first fixation unit arranged to fasten the support assembly to the respective side frames, and a second fixation unit arranged to fix the fuel cells on the support assembly. This arrangement desirably reduces the influence of an external force applied to the fuel cells mounted on the vehicle and prevents an increase in total weight of the vehicle or a decrease in mounting space of the fuel cells.

Vehicle and fuel cell vehicle-mounting method

A vehiclehas two pipingsandarranged to discharge an exhaust gas from a fuel cell stackto the outside of the vehicle. An outlet provided at an end of the pipingis located at an underfloor position in a rear portion of the vehicle, while an outlet provided at an end of the pipingis located at a roof rear end of the vehicle. When the outlet provided at the end of the pipingis blocked or when there is a potential for such blockage, the outlet provided at the end of the pipingis used to discharge the exhaust gas from the fuel cell stackto the outside of the vehicle. This arrangement ensures continuous drive of the vehicleeven in a specific environment where any of various obstructing objects as the cause of blockage of the outlet is present in the surroundings of the vehicle

Moving body equipped with fuel cells

A fuel cell is mounted in a mobile unit. The fuel cell may include a stacked assembly composed of a plurality of stacked power generation elements held between a first rigid plate and a second rigid plate. The plurality of stacked power generation elements may be stacked adjacent to one another in a stacked direction and along a central stack axis. The central stack axis may extend through a center of gravity of the fuel cell. A first mount, a second mount, and a third mount may be used to mount the fuel cell to the mobile unit. Each of the first mount, the second mount, and the third mount may be an insulating elastic element that suppresses vibration transferred from the mobile unit to the fuel cell.

Fuel cell mounted on a mobile unit

A moving body is equipped with fuel cells structured to have multiple corners. The fuel cells have a fuel gas exhaust port formed to discharge a fuel gas, which is subjected to an electrochemical reaction at anodes of the fuel cells, out of the fuel cells. The fuel cells are arranged to be inclined to a horizontal plane to position a front side of the fuel cells in a forward direction of the moving body higher than an opposite side of the fuel cells in the forward direction of the moving body and are provided to locate a specific corner closest to the fuel gas exhaust port of the fuel cells among the multiple corners as a lowermost point. This arrangement enables water produced at the anodes of the fuel cells to be efficiently discharged from the fuel cells by taking advantage of the gravity, while the moving body moves on a slope.

Moving body

A gas/liquid separation device is connected to a discharge valve which can discharge fuel gas to the outside of a fuel cell system along with water accumulated in the gas/liquid separation device. A change in pressure at a portion upstream of the discharge valve, which occurs due to an opening operation of the discharge valve, is detected or estimated, and an integral value is obtained by integrating the amount of change in the pressure with respect to time from when the discharge valve is opened or a parameter value corresponding to the integral value is obtained. The integral value represents an amount of fuel gas discharged due to the opening operation of the discharge valve. It is therefore possible to reliably discharge a desired amount of fuel gas by deciding a closing time at which the discharge valve is closed based on the integral value or the parameter value.

Fuel cell system and control method of same

A fuel cell system according to the present invention comprises fuel cell stacks for generating electrical power upon receipt of hydrogen gas and oxidized gas; an end plate to which the fuel cell stacks are fastened; hydrogen system parts (hydrogen inlet valve, regulator, hydrogen pump, gas-liquid separator, hydrogen discharge valve, hydrogen supply pipe, hydrogen discharge pipe, distribution pipes, and connection pipes) for supplying hydrogen gas to the fuel cell stacks; and a stack case for housing at least the fuel cell stacks and hydrogen system parts. The hydrogen system parts are congregated and mounted on the end plate.

Fuel cell system

The present invention provides a cylinder head-integrated cylinder block in which assembly is easy and a thickness of an aluminum member is not increased even if an integral cylinder head is molded by using the aluminum member and which is lightweight and has strength at a high temperature and a process for manufacturing the cylinder head-integrated cylinder block. A cylindrical cup-shaped member with a bottom is molded of reinforced aluminum material having heat resistance and wear resistance, a cylinder head portion and a cylinder block portion are molded as an integral body by molding the molded cup-shaped member in casting aluminum material by enveloped casting, and the cylinder block portion in which the cup-shaped member is molded by enveloped casting is pressurized under a condition of a temperature at which a material characteristic of the reinforced aluminum material constituting the cup-shaped member does not change, thereby providing a cylinder head-integrated cylinder block in which the cylinder head portion having an intake port and an exhaust port and the cylinder block portion whose end face opening is closed by the cylinder head portion are integrated.

Cylinder head-integrated cylinder block and process for manufacturing the same

In a toroidal type continuously variable transmission having an input disk, an output disk and power rollers sandwiched and frictionally engaged between the input and output disks so as to transmit rotational power therebetween at a transmission ratio variable according to the inclination of the power rollers relative to the input and output disks, a stationary shaft is provided as supported by a housing, and the input and output disks are rotatably supported by the stationary shaft via individual radial bearing means and individual axial bearing means. The stationary shaft has an axial bore and transverse orifices, and the bearings are lubricated by lubrication oil supplied through the axial bore and the transverse orifices.

Toroidal type continuously variable transmission supported by a common

A continuously variable speed transmission mechanism comprises a tubular input shaft connected at an end to an input unit, an output shaft positioned coaxially with the input shaft, connected at an end to an output unit and extending at the other end into the hollow part of the input shaft, an input disk rotatably mounted on the output shaft and adapted to rotate by the driving force transmitted from the input shaft, an output disk fixed on the output shaft and adapted to rotate by the driving force transmitted from the input disk through power rollers, and a thrust bearing positioned between the other end of the output shaft and a corresponding part of the input shaft thereby enabling mutual rotation of the shafts. Wherein the reactive force applied to the input disk at the transmission of driving force is received by the thrust bearing through the input shaft, while the reactive force applied to the output disk is also received by the thrust bearing through the output shaft.

Toroidal type continuously variable speed transmission mechanism

A pair of pulleys for a belt-and-pulley type continuously variable transmission wherein the pulleys are connected by a transmission belt such that the belt is partially in contact with contact surfaces of the pulleys. At least one of the pair of pulleys has a contact surface which has a plurality of raised and recessed portions that are spaced apart from each other at irregular angular intervals in a circumferential direction of the pulley.

Pulleys for belt-and-pulley type continuously variable transmission

A continuous belt of a continuously variable transmission for transmitting a driving torque from an input pulley to an output pulley includes a plurality of blocks, links and pins. Each block includes first and second side engagement surfaces. When the continuous belt spans between the input and output pulleys, at least two different engagement points are defined between the blocks and the pulley. Each link includes first and second end portions, an intermediate portion, first and second connecting holes, an outer projection and an inner projection. The first and second connecting holes are defined within the first and second end portions. The outer projection projects from the first and end portion toward a lateral direction of the continuous belt. The inner projection projects from the first end portion in a direction opposite the direction of the outer projection. Each link has a pitch line of the link which passes through center points of the first and second connecting holes. A center line of each link passes equidistant between the outer and the inner projections. The pitch line is parallel to and spaced apart from the center line. The links are inserted into the blocks such that the outer projection of the links are positioned toward the inside of the continuous belt in one of at least two engagement points between the blocks and the pulley and the inner projection of the links are positioned toward the inside of the continuous belt in the other of at least two engagement points.

Continuous belt of a continuously variable transmission

A chain belt comprises a plurality of V-shape blocks and connecting means. The V-shape block includes a pair of lateral side surfaces, a first contacting surface and a second contacting surface. An opening is defined within the first and second contacting surfaces of the V-shape block. The connecting means connects the plurality of V-shape blocks to each other, and forms a continuous loop. The connecting means includes a plurality of links and a plurality of pins. The link is inserted in the opening of the V-shape block. The link includes a pair of ends and an intermediate portion. The intermediate portion of the link is positioned in the opening of the V-shape block. The ends of the link are located on opposite sides of the V-shape block. An aperture is defined within each of the ends of the link. An outer projection extends outwardly from at least one of the ends of the link toward the outside of the continuous loop. The outer projection of the link includes a first contacting edge and a second contacting edge. The first contacting edge of the outer projection of the link is in contact with the first contacting surface of the V-shape block and the second contacting edge of the outer projection of the link is selectively in contact with the second contacting surface of an adjacent V-shape block. The pin is inserted into the apertures of the links.

Chain belt

An endless belt for the power transmission, wherein a plurality of block bodies each comprising a body member formed of a highly rigid material and provided at opposite side portions thereof with inclined surfaces being in frictional engagement with pulleys and a clamp member formed separately of said body member are arranged in a row and adjacent to one another on a belt-shaped endless carrier formed of fabric in such a manner that the endless carrier is clamped between the body members and the clamp members, the endless belt being of such an arrangement that the belt-shaped endless carrier formed of fabric is woven by warps disposed in the longitudinal direction and wefts disposed in the widthwise direction, with the wefts restraining the warps.

Growing community of inventors

Mishima, Japan

Yasunobu Jufuku