ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE

Description

DESCRIPTION Attached to a patent application for an INDUSTRIAL INVENTION having by title ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE On behalf of DUCATI MOTOR HOLDING SPA of Italian nationality, Via Antonio Cavalieri Ducati 3 - 40132 Bologna (BO) 5 ******* The present invention relates to an electric motorcycle. Without losing generality, what follows will be done reference to two or more wheeled motor vehicles equipped with a saddle that defines the driving position of the pilot, and more specifically the 10 motorcycles, in which the saddle is intended to be mounted on a horse. As is well known, traditional motorcycles are commonly equipped with a frame, a saddle, a front driven wheel and a drive wheel rear, of an internal combustion engine and a system transmission of motion, which is interposed between the engine and the drive wheel 15 rear. The transmission system is generally equipped with a gear shift gear, which in turn may be equipped with a gear shift lever pedal. The latter, if present, can be operated by the driver, through the foot, to control a cam selector drum of 20 sequential gear shifting. In recent years, electric powered motorcycles have been proposed electric, that is, equipped with an electric motor instead of a diesel engine internal combustion. One of the technical problems faced in the design of motorcycles 25 electric drive was to redefine, in terms of space and weights, the position of the components mounted on the frame so as not to penalize the stability, size and comfort of the motorcycle. Particular attention has been paid to the battery housing and the electric motor to ensure correct weight balance on the chassis. In particular, to meet the needs outlined above, the following have been 5 proposed solutions that include the electric motor with its axle rotor arranged transversely to the longitudinal axis of the motorcycle, that is, parallel to the axis of rotation of the rear drive wheel. However, this solution entails space-consuming positioning problems. of some control organs necessary for the electronic management of the 10 engine, in particular according to the transverse dimension (width) of the motorcycle. The purpose of this invention is to make available a motorcycle electric that allows the control organs necessary for the electronic management of the electric motor so as not to burden 15 on the overall size of the motorcycle, and in particular not to be burden the transverse dimension (width) of the motorcycle. This purpose is fully achieved by the electric motorcycle which is object of the present invention and which is characterized by contained in the claims below. 20 The technical characteristics of the invention and its advantages are highlighted in the following description of a preferred embodiment, illustrated purely by way of example and not as a limitation in the attached tables drawing, in which: - figure 1 schematically illustrates an electric motorcycle, in 25 in particular a motorcycle, in accordance with the present invention; - Figure 2 schematically illustrates a portion of the motorcycle Figure 1 which is the subject of the present invention; - Figure 3 illustrates in detail the portion of Figure 2; and - Figures 4 and 5 illustrate two possible forms of implementation of this 30 invention in relation to the portion of figure 3. With reference to figure 1 with the reference number 1 is indicated in the an electric motorcycle as a whole. Motor vehicle 1 is in particular a motorcycle, which will also be For simplicity of discussion, the reference number 1 has been assigned. The motorcycle 1 comprises a frame 2 and a seat 3 to be mounted on 5 horse, which is fixed to the frame 2 and defines the riding position of the pilot. The motorcycle 1 also comprises a front driven wheel 4, a 5 rear drive wheel, an electric motor 6 driving the motorcycle 1 itself and a motion transmission system 7, which is 10 placed between the electric motor 6 and the rear drive wheel 5. The electric motor 6 of the motorcycle 1 is mounted on the frame 2 with the own 6a rotor axis transverse to the longitudinal direction D of predominant development of the frame 2 and the motorcycle 1 itself. The rotor axis 6a of the motor 6 coincides with the axis of the output shaft of the 15 engine 6, i.e. with the axis of the engine shaft 8 illustrated in figures 2 to 5, and is parallel to the axis 5a of rotation of the rear drive wheel 5. A toothed wheel 9 is fitted to the shaft 8, defining a drive wheel of output of the electric motor 6, whose function is to transmit torque and power to the transmission system 7. 20 Therefore, the motion transmission system 7 is interposed between the wheel 9 output drive of the electric motor 6 and the rear drive wheel 5 of the motorcycle 1. The transmission system 7 comprises a gear train (or cascade) 10 (10-toothed wheels), which are designed to achieve a particular 25 overall gear ratio. Each gear 10 is mounted on a respective rotating shaft 11 and parallel shaft 8 to transmit torque and power from the output wheel 9 of the electric motor 6 to a pinion 12 of the transmission system 7 which, in turn, is connected to the rear drive wheel 5 by means of a 30 chain 13. In more detail, the pinion 12 is keyed onto the shaft 11 of the gear 10 terminal of the gear train 10, i.e. it is integral with the gear 10 arranged at the rear of the head gear 10 which is instead meshed on gear 9. The drive chain 13 is closed in a ring around the sprocket 12 and 5 a toothed wheel 14 which is integrally mounted on the hub of wheel 5 rear engine (figure 2). Chain wheel 13 and sprocket 14 define the end part of the transmission system 7. The final transmission of motorcycle 1 is therefore of the chain type, and the 10 gear train 10 defines a speed reducer arranged and shaped to reduce the rotation speed of the wheel relative to the rotor of the electric motor 6 in order to increase the torque. In particular, the electric motor 6 is chosen with a rotation speed rotor, and therefore of shaft 8, between 17,000 rpm and 20,000 rpm, 15 preferably equal to 18,500 rpm. The motorcycle 1 further comprises a control device 15, in its sometimes equipped with an inverter (not shown) that powers the electric motor 6 based on the current angular position of its rotor in to ensure correct and efficient torque delivery 20 drive. In particular, the inverter receives the signal on the angular position of the rotor from at least one sensor defined by a position transducer 16 associated with the transmission system 7 and connected to the inverter of the control device 15. The position transducer 16 is advantageously mounted on the control system 25 transmission 7, downstream of the drive wheel 9 output of the electric motor 6. Please note that with the term “assembled” above, and in what follows, means that the position transducer 16 is at least partly integral with a corresponding part of the transmission system 7 to detect the current (present) position of that part from which to derive the current 30 (current) angular position of the rotor of the electric motor 6. Depending on the type of signal (mechanical, electromagnetic, optical, etc.) and of the type of information (absolute or relative), the position transducer 16 it can be analog (resolver) or digital (encoder). In particular, the position transducer is associated with one of the wheels of the 5 gear train 10. The position transducer 16 is advantageously mounted on a above mentioned shaft 11, that is on a shaft geared down with respect to the rotor of the electric motor 6. The position transducer 16 comprises a rotating component and a 10 fixed. The rotating component is integrally connected to the respective gear 10 for transmit a signal containing the fixed component output information relating to the angular position of the electric motor rotor 6. 15 The fixed component of the position transducer 16, consequently to the signal coming from the rotating component, transmits a signal indicative of the angular position of the rotor of the electric motor 6 al above-mentioned inverter, which processes the received data and, consequently, powers the electric motor 6 correctly and efficiently based on the 20 angular position of its rotor. The behavior of the electric motor in terms of speed and torque is in particular controlled using high-tech control techniques performance, such as Field Oriented Control (FOC), which consists in controlling the stator currents based on the current 25 (current) detected angular position of the rotor. Mounting the position transducer 16 on the transmission system 7, downstream of the output drive wheel 9 of the electric motor 6, is particularly advantageous as it does not weigh on the overall dimensions overall motorcycle 1, and in particular does not burden the 30 transverse dimension (width) of the motorcycle 1 itself. In order to further contain the transverse bulk of the system transmission 7, and therefore the overall dimensions (width) of the motorcycle 1 in the direction transversal to the longitudinal direction D of prevalent development of the frame 2 and the motorcycle 1 itself, the gears 10 lie distributed on two parallel planes (figures 3, 4 and 5). That is, one or more 5 gears 10 lie on a plane and the remaining 10 gears lie on the other parallel plane. According to variants not illustrated, presenting a different number of gears 10, the above mentioned planes of arrangement can be in number greater than two. 10 Regardless of the number of planes of the bed, it is particularly the mounting of the 16 position transducer close to the respective gear 10 (wheel 10), in inward facing position of the motorcycle 1. Figures 4 and 5 show two possible positionings of the transducer 16 of 15th position as stated above. According to a variant not illustrated and equally included in the present invention the transducer 16 can be mounted on a shaft gear ratio of the 7 transmission system which can have a ratio of variable speed with respect to the rotor of the electric motor 6. 20 The invention thus conceived is susceptible of evident application industrial and can be subject to numerous modifications and variations all falling within the scope of the same inventive concept. Furthermore, all the details may be replaced by technically equivalent elements. THE AGENCY Eng. Ezio BIANCIARDI (Registered Register No. 505BM)

Claims

1. Electric motorcycle comprising: - a frame (2), - a saddle (3), - at least one front wheel (4) and one rear wheel (5), - an electric motor (6) arranged with its rotor axis (6a) transversely to said frame (2) and parallel to the rotation axis of the rear wheel (5), - a control device (15) for said electric motor (6) comprising an inverter, and - a motion transmission system (7) interposed between an output drive wheel (9) of the electric motor (6) and the rear wheel (5), and comprising a gear train (10) designed to obtain a given overall transmission ratio in the transmission of torque from the output wheel (9) of the electric motor (6) to the rear wheel (5);the motor vehicle (1) being characterised by the fact that it also comprises at least one position transducer (16), in particular an encoder or a resolver, which is mounted on the transmission system (7) downstream of the output drive wheel (9) of the electric motor (6) and is connected to said inverter to transmit to the latter a signal indicative of the angular position of the rotor of the electric motor (6) for the control of said electric motor (6), in particular of its stator currents.; 2. Motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterised in that the position transducer (16) is mounted on a shaft (11) of the transmission system (7), geared down with respect to the rotor of the electric motor (6).

3. Motorcycle according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the position transducer (16) is mounted close to a respective gear (10) of said gear train (10), in a position facing towards the inside of the motorcycle (1).

4. Motor vehicle according to any of claims 1 to 3, 21.D0216.12.IT.5 EB Ing. Ezio Bianciardi (Register no. 505BM) characterised in that the position transducer (16) comprises a rotating component and a fixed component, said rotating component being connected to at least one of said gears (10) to transmit to the fixed component an output signal containing information relating to the angular position of the rotor of the electric motor (6).

5. Electric motor vehicle according to claim 4, characterised in that said fixed component of the position transducer (16), as a consequence of the signal coming from said rotating component, transmits a signal indicative of the angular position of the rotor 10 of the electric motor (6) to said inverter which processes the data received and, consequently, powers the electric motor (6) correctly and efficiently on the basis of the angular position of the rotor.

6. Electric motorcycle according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the gears (10) of said gear train (10) lie distributed on at least two planes parallel to each other.