Motorcycles

Abstract

To provide a motorcycle in which an engine, a fuel tank, and a battery can be integrated near the center of gravity of the vehicle. [Solution] The motorcycle of the present disclosure includes an engine E as a drive source, a battery 60 disposed behind the engine E and charged by power from the engine E, a pair of left and right swing arms 24, 24 supporting a rear wheel 26, and a fuel tank 44 disposed above the battery 60. In a plan view, the battery 60 is disposed between the left and right swing arms 24, 24, and at least a portion of the battery 60 overlaps the fuel tank 44.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the arrangement of a battery and a fuel tank for a motorcycle equipped with an engine as a drive source. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A motorcycle equipped with an engine as a driving source includes a fuel tank that stores fuel for the engine, a battery that is charged by the power of the engine, and the like (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2023 / 127075 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such motorcycles, various devices such as an engine, fuel tank, and battery are mounted in a limited space, making it difficult to secure space for arranging the devices. In particular, when heavy items such as a fuel tank and battery are mounted on a motorcycle, it is necessary to minimize the impact on the motorcycle's dynamic performance.

[0005] The disclosure of the present application provides a motorcycle that can integrate the engine, fuel tank, and battery near the center of gravity of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A motorcycle according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an engine as a drive source, a battery disposed behind the engine and charged by power from the engine, a pair of left and right swing arms supporting a rear wheel, and a fuel tank disposed above the battery. The battery is disposed between the left and right swing arms in a plan view, and at least a portion of the battery overlaps the fuel tank. Here, "battery" includes a low-voltage battery for an electrical system and a medium-voltage / high-voltage battery for a drive system. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the motorcycle of the present disclosure, the battery is disposed between the left and right swing arms behind the engine, and the fuel tank is disposed above the battery. This allows the fuel tank and battery to be disposed in the limited space of the motorcycle. Furthermore, since the engine, fuel tank, and battery are concentrated near the center of gravity of the vehicle, the impact on the dynamic performance of the motorcycle can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a right side view showing a motorcycle according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view showing a main part of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, "right" and "left" refer to "right" and "left" as seen by a driver in a vehicle. In other words, the left-right direction coincides with the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, "front" and "rear" refer to "front" and "rear" in the direction of travel of the vehicle. In other words, the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body coincides with the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. In the vehicle width direction, the inner side in the vehicle width direction refers to the side facing the vehicle body centerline extending in the fore-and-aft direction, and the outer side in the vehicle width direction refers to the side away from the vehicle body centerline.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a right side view of a motorcycle according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 2 is a left side view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a plan view. As shown in Fig. 1, the motorcycle of this embodiment is equipped with a power unit PU having an internal combustion engine E as a first drive source and an electric motor M as a second drive source. In other words, the motorcycle of this embodiment can run using only the engine E as an internal combustion engine, only the electric motor M, or both the engine E and the electric motor M at the same time, depending on the driving mode.

[0011] In this embodiment, the body frame FR of the motorcycle is a frame structure in which frame members are connected by welding. The body frame FR has a main frame 1 that forms a front half and a rear frame 2 that forms a rear half. The main frame 1 extends from a head pipe 4 at its front end, sloping downward toward the rear. The rear frame 2 extends from the rear end of the main frame 1, sloping upward toward the rear.

[0012] The main frame 1 has a first frame piece 1a extending rearward from an upper portion of the head pipe 4, and a second frame piece 1b extending rearward from a lower portion of the head pipe 4. The main frame 1 further has a plurality of reinforcing frame pieces 1c connecting the first frame piece 1a and the second frame piece 1b.

[0013] As shown in Figure 3, a pair of first frame pieces 1a and second frame pieces 1b are provided on the left and right sides. The rear ends of the left and right first frame pieces 1a, 1a are connected by a first cross frame 6 extending in the vehicle width direction. An engine mount 8 is provided at the rear end of each second frame piece 1b. In this embodiment, the engine mount 8 is a cylindrical member having an axis in the vehicle width direction.

[0014] The front end of the rear frame 2 is connected to the first cross frame 6 and extends rearward from the first cross frame 6. The rear frame 2 also has a pair of left and right rear frame pieces 2a, 2a. The rear ends of the left and right rear frame pieces 2a, 2a are connected by a second cross frame 10 that extends in the vehicle width direction.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, pivot frames 12, which constitute part of the body frame FR, are connected to the rear end of the main frame 1. The pivot frames 12 are made of plate material extending in the vertical direction, and a pair of left and right pivot frames 12 are provided. The upper ends of the left and right pivot frames 12 are connected to the first cross frame 6, and the lower ends are connected to a third cross frame 14 extending in the vehicle width direction.

[0016] A front fork 16 is supported on the head pipe 4. A front wheel 18 is supported on the lower end of the front fork 16, and a handlebar 20 is attached to the upper end of the front fork 16. A pair of left and right swing arms 24 are supported on the pivot frame 12 so as to be able to swing up and down. A rear wheel 26 is attached to the rear end of the swing arm 24. The swing arm 24 supports the rear wheel 26 on the body frame FR so as to be able to swing freely around a swing axis AX.

[0017] A rear suspension 25 is suspended between the swing arm 24 and the rear frame 2. The rear suspension 25 in this embodiment is a so-called twin suspension. That is, a pair of left and right rear suspensions 25 is suspended between the left and right swing arms 24 and the left and right rear frame pieces 2a, respectively.

[0018] An engine E is disposed below the main frame 1 between the front wheel 18 and the rear wheel 26. Power from the engine E is transmitted to the rear wheel 26 via a power transmission member 28 shown in FIG. 2 to drive the rear wheel 26. The power transmission member 28 is, for example, a drive chain. However, the power transmission member 28 is not limited to a drive chain and may be, for example, a toothed belt.

[0019] 1, the engine E has a crankshaft 30 extending in the vehicle width direction, a crankcase 32 that supports the crankshaft 30, a cylinder 34 that protrudes upward from the crankcase 32, and a cylinder head 36 that is connected to an upper portion of the cylinder 34. In this embodiment, the axis AX1 of the cylinder 34 and the cylinder head 36 is inclined upward and forward. In this embodiment, the shape of the engine E, including the crankcase 32, the cylinder 34, and the cylinder head 36, is formed into a substantially L-shape in a side view.

[0020] The engine is supported by the body frame FR described above. More specifically, the front portion of the cylinder head 36 is supported by the engine mount 8, and the rear portion of the cylinder head 36 is supported by the first frame piece 1a of the main frame 1. Furthermore, the rear end portion of the crankcase 32 is supported by the pivot frame 12 at two locations, one above and one below. However, the support structure for the engine E is not limited to this.

[0021] An intake port 36a (Figure 3) is formed on the rear surface of the cylinder head 36, and an exhaust port 36b is formed on the front surface of the cylinder head 36. An intake system IS is connected to the intake port 36a. The intake system IS supplies outside air as intake air to the intake port 36a, and includes an air cleaner, a throttle body, etc.

[0022] An exhaust pipe 38 is connected to the exhaust port 36b. The exhaust pipe 38 extends rearward below the engine E and is connected to an exhaust muffler 40 on the right side of the rear wheel 26. The exhaust muffler 40 silences the exhaust from the exhaust pipe 38 and discharges it to the outside.

[0023] The motorcycle further includes a seat 42 on which a rider sits, and a fuel tank 44 that stores fuel for the engine E. The fuel tank 44 is disposed behind the engine E and below the seat 42. In other words, the fuel tank 44 is disposed near the center of gravity G of the vehicle body. More specifically, the fuel tank 44 is disposed between the left and right rear frame pieces 2a, 2a in the plan view of FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 1, the seat 42 is disposed above the intake device IS and the fuel tank 44.

[0024] The motorcycle of this embodiment is provided with a resin cowling 50, indicated by a two-dot chain line, that covers the body from the outside.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 2, a generator 55 is provided on one side, which is one axial end of the crankshaft 30, on the left side in this embodiment. The generator 55 in this embodiment is an integrated starter generator (ISG). The generator 55 generates electricity using the power of the engine E, i.e., the rotation of the crankshaft 30.

[0026] 1, a clutch 56 is provided on the other axial end, or on the right side in this embodiment, of the crankshaft 30. The clutch 56 switches between transmitting and blocking the rotation of the crankshaft 30.

[0027] A transmission 58 is housed in a region behind the crankshaft 30 inside the crankcase 32. In other words, the rear portion of the crankcase 32 forms a transmission case that houses the transmission 58. The crankshaft 30 is connected to an input shaft of the transmission 58 via a clutch 56, and the power transmission member 28 is connected to an output shaft of the transmission 58. In other words, the rotation of the crankshaft 30 is changed in speed by the transmission 58 and then transmitted to the rear wheel 26.

[0028] The electric motor M is disposed above the crankcase 32 and behind the cylinder 34. Specifically, the electric motor M is disposed above the crankcase 32, forward of the rear end of the crankcase 32 and behind the cylinder 34. The output shaft of the electric motor M is connected to the input shaft of the transmission 58. That is, the rotation of the output shaft of the electric motor M is changed in speed by the transmission 58 and then transmitted to the rear wheel 26.

[0029] The output shaft of the electric motor M is transmitted to the input shaft of the transmission 58 downstream of the clutch 56, and the power of the electric motor M is transmitted as driving force for traveling. When the clutch 56 is disengaged, the vehicle can travel using only the electric motor. When the clutch 56 is engaged, the vehicle can travel using both the electric motor M and the engine E. When the clutch 56 is engaged and the electric motor M is stopped, the vehicle can travel using only the engine.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 2, the motorcycle of this embodiment includes a drive battery 60 that drives an electric motor M, and an inverter 62 that supplies the output of a generator 55 to the drive battery 60. The drive battery 60 of this embodiment is a medium-voltage battery of the drive system, and more specifically, a 48V lithium-ion battery. However, the drive battery 60 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a high-voltage battery of the drive system.

[0031] The inverter 62 of this embodiment is an integrated DC / DC converter inverter. That is, the inverter 62 of this embodiment supplies the output of the generator 55 to the 48V drive battery 60, and also supplies the output to a control power supply battery having a lower voltage than the drive battery 60. The control power supply battery is a low-voltage battery for the electrical system, such as a 12V lead-acid battery.

[0032] In this embodiment, the inverter 62 is disposed above the engine E and alongside the electric motor M in the vehicle width direction. The inverter 62 is also disposed on the opposite side of the exhaust muffler 40 in the vehicle width direction across the central axis C1 extending in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle body. In other words, the inverter 62 is disposed on the left side of the vehicle body, and the exhaust muffler 40 is disposed on the right side of the vehicle body. In this embodiment, the engine E is disposed offset to the right side of the vehicle body with respect to the central axis C1 of the vehicle body, and the inverter 62 is disposed in the empty space on the left side.

[0033] The output of the generator 55 is supplied to the drive battery 60 via the inverter 62, charging the drive battery 60. More specifically, the generator 55 is an AC generator, and its output is converted to DC power by the inverter 62 and supplied to the drive battery 60. The power charged in the drive battery 60 is supplied to the electric motor M, which drives the electric motor M.

[0034] In the electric and hybrid driving modes, the driving force of the electric motor M is transmitted to the rear wheels 26 via the power transmission member 28. When the engine is started, power is supplied from the drive battery 60 to the generator 55, which functions as a starter.

[0035] The drive battery 60 is disposed near the center of gravity G of the vehicle body. More specifically, the drive battery 60 is disposed rearward of the swing axis AX, between the engine E and the rear wheels 26 in the front-to-rear direction. The drive battery 60 is disposed between the left and right swing arms 24, 24 in the plan view shown in FIG. 3. A portion of the drive battery 60 overlaps the swing arm 24 in the side view shown in FIG. 4. The drive battery 60 is disposed below the fuel tank 44. More specifically, it is sufficient that at least a portion of the drive battery 60 overlaps the fuel tank 44 in the plan view of FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, the fuel tank 44 is depicted by a two-dot chain line.

[0036] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the driving battery 60 is positioned so that its longitudinal direction is aligned with the vertical direction. In terms of the vertical direction, the upper end of the driving battery 60 is at approximately the same height as the upper end of the rear part of the crankcase 32, i.e., the upper end of the transmission case. The lower end of the driving battery 60 is located below the swingarm 24 and at approximately the same height as the lower end of the engine E.

[0037] In the front-to-rear direction, the front end of the driving battery 60 is at approximately the same position as the rear end of the pivot frame 12. In this embodiment, in a side view, a portion of the front end of the driving battery 60 overlaps the rear end of the pivot frame 12. In addition, the rear end of the driving battery 60 is at approximately the same position as the rear end of the fuel tank 40.

[0038] The driving battery 60 of this embodiment is housed in a battery case 64. The battery case 64 of this embodiment is a rectangular box with an open top, and houses the driving battery 60 inside. The battery case 64 is made of metal, for example, an aluminum alloy. However, the shape and material of the battery case 64 are not limited to this.

[0039] A stand 70 is disposed on the left side of the vehicle body to support the vehicle body when parked. The stand 70 in this embodiment is a center stand that supports the vehicle body in an upright position, and is configured to be stored so that it is parallel to the vehicle body when stored and to protrude downward when parked.

[0040] The stand 70 has its front end rotatably supported by the third cross frame 14. That is, the stand 70 rotates relative to the third cross frame 14 to switch between a stored state and a parked state. In this embodiment, the stand 70 extends in the front-to-rear direction below the driving battery 60 when housed in the vehicle body.

[0041] According to the above configuration, the drive battery 60 is disposed between the left and right swing arms 24, 24 behind the engine E, and the fuel tank 44 is disposed above the drive battery 60. This allows the fuel tank 44 and drive battery 60 to be disposed in the limited space of the motorcycle. Furthermore, because the engine E, fuel tank 44, and drive battery 60 are concentrated near the center of gravity G of the vehicle, the impact on the dynamic performance of the motorcycle can be reduced.

[0042] In this embodiment, the drive battery 60 is a medium-voltage / high-voltage battery that drives the electric motor M, which is the drive source of the vehicle. In other words, the drive battery 60 is larger and heavier than the low-voltage control power supply battery for the electrical system. Therefore, with the above configuration, the engine E, fuel tank 44, electric motor M, and drive battery 60 are concentrated near the center of gravity G of the vehicle, thereby reducing the impact on the driving performance of the motorcycle in particular.

[0043] However, instead of the medium-voltage / high-voltage drive battery 60 that drives the electric motor M, a low-voltage control power supply battery for the electrical system may be disposed between the left and right swing arms 24, 24, and the fuel tank 44 may be disposed above this control power supply battery. In this case, the drive source of the vehicle may be the engine E alone.

[0044] 1, the fuel tank 44 is disposed below the seat 42. With this configuration, the driving battery 60 is disposed between the left and right swing arms 24, 24, and the fuel tank 44 is disposed above the driving battery 60 and below the seat 42, allowing the driving battery 60 and the fuel tank 44 to be disposed therein.

[0045] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, a fuel tank 44 is disposed between the pair of left and right rear frame pieces 2a, 2a. With this configuration, the fuel tank 44 can be disposed and, in addition, the fuel tank 44 can be extended downward to increase the capacity of the fuel tank 44.

[0046] In this embodiment, the driving battery 60 is positioned so that its longitudinal direction is aligned with the vertical direction, as shown in Figure 4. This configuration prevents the wheelbase from becoming too long, and allows the driving battery 60 to be positioned by effectively utilizing the space between the left and right swing arms 24, 24.

[0047] In this embodiment, the lower end of the driving battery 60 is located lower than the swing arms 24 in a side view. With this configuration, by placing the driving battery 60 in a low position, the space between the left and right swing arms 24, 24 can be effectively utilized to accommodate a large driving battery 60 that is long in the vertical direction. Furthermore, by placing the driving battery 60 in a low position, space can be secured above the driving battery 60 for placing the fuel tank 44.

[0048] In this embodiment, the stand 70 extends in the front-to-rear direction below the driving battery 60 when housed in the vehicle body. This configuration allows the stand 70 to be placed by effectively utilizing the space below the driving battery 60. Furthermore, because the stand 70 is placed below the driving battery 60, the driving battery 60 can be protected from obstacles, flying debris, and the like while driving.

[0049] The motorcycle of the present disclosure includes the following aspects 1 to 7. [Aspect 1] An engine as a driving source; a battery disposed behind the engine and charged by power from the engine; A pair of left and right swing arms supporting the rear wheels; a fuel tank disposed above the battery, The battery is disposed between the left and right swing arms in a plan view, and at least a portion of the battery overlaps with the fuel tank. [Aspect 2] The motorcycle according to aspect 1 further includes an electric motor in addition to the engine as a drive source. The battery is a drive battery that drives the electric motor. [Aspect 3] The motorcycle according to the first or second aspect may further include a seat for a rider, The motorcycle has the fuel tank disposed below the seat. [Aspect 4] The motorcycle according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, further comprising a body frame that supports the engine, The vehicle body frame has a pair of left and right frame pieces, The motorcycle has the fuel tank disposed between the pair of left and right frame pieces. [Aspect 5] Aspect 1 to 4 is a motorcycle according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein a lower end of the battery is located lower than the swing arm in a side view. [Aspect 6] Aspect 6. The motorcycle according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, wherein the battery is disposed so that the longitudinal direction of the battery is aligned with the up-down direction. [Aspect 7] The motorcycle according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, further comprising a stand for supporting the vehicle body when the motorcycle is parked or stopped; The stand extends in the front-rear direction below the battery when housed in the vehicle body.

[0050] The present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various additions, modifications, or deletions are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. For example, in the above embodiment, the fuel tank 44 is disposed between the left and right rear frame pieces 2a, 2a, but the fuel tank 44 may be disposed above the rear frame piece 2a. However, a lower lower end of the fuel tank 44 not only increases the tank capacity but also lowers the center of gravity. Therefore, such arrangements are also within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 2a Rear frame piece (frame piece) 24 Swingarm 26 rear wheel 42 seats 44 Fuel Tank 60 Battery (driving battery) 70 Stand E Engine (power source) FR body frame M Electric motor (drive source)

Claims

1. An engine as a driving source; a battery disposed behind the engine and charged by power from the engine; A pair of left and right swing arms supporting the rear wheels; a fuel tank disposed above the battery, The battery is disposed between the left and right swing arms in a plan view, and at least a portion of the battery overlaps with the fuel tank.

2. The motorcycle according to claim 1, further comprising an electric motor in addition to the engine as a drive source, The battery is a drive battery that drives the electric motor.

3. The motorcycle according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a seat for a rider to sit on, The motorcycle has the fuel tank disposed below the seat.

4. The motorcycle according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a body frame that supports the engine, The vehicle body frame has a pair of left and right frame pieces, The motorcycle has the fuel tank disposed between the pair of left and right frame pieces.

5. 3. The motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the battery is located lower than the swing arm in a side view.

6. 3. The motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein the battery is disposed so that a longitudinal direction of the battery is aligned with a vertical direction.

7. The motorcycle according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a stand for supporting the vehicle body when the motorcycle is parked or stopped, The stand extends in the front-rear direction below the battery when housed in the vehicle body.

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