Electric vehicles

Abstract

An electric vehicle (50) comprises a first seat (54) and a second seat (56). The first seat has a first pedestal (62) in which is formed a first accommodation part capable of accommodating a removable battery (10). A first seat part (64) provided on the first pedestal pivots frontward. The second seat has a second pedestal (80) in which is formed a second accommodation part capable of accommodating a removable battery. A second seat part (82) provided on the second pedestal pivots rearward. One of the first accommodation part and the second accommodation part accommodates a removable battery for providing driving force. The other of the first accommodation part and the second accommodation part accommodates a spare removable battery.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric vehicle that runs on electric power from a removable battery. [Background technology]

[0002] A well-known example of an electric vehicle is a golf cart. The golf cart includes a vehicle body, a first seat, and a second seat. A motor and a battery are mounted on the vehicle body. The battery supplies power to the motor. The motor, supplied with power, rotates the wheels. This causes the golf cart to run.

[0003] In the golf cart described in JP 2006-212230 A, a battery pack is accommodated in the internal space of the first seat. Specifically, the first seat has a box-shaped storage section. The storage section is connected to the vehicle body via a hinge. The first seat is rotatable relative to the vehicle body around the hinge. The first seat is positioned and fixed relative to the vehicle body via a locking mechanism. When a user releases the locking mechanism and then rotates the first seat, the battery pack is exposed. In this state, the user can replace the battery pack with a new one. The battery pack is replaced only when it becomes impossible to charge and discharge the battery pack.

[0004] Japanese Patent Publication No. 6888106 proposes using a removable battery as a power supply source for an electric vehicle. The state of charge (SOC) of the removable battery decreases as power is supplied to the battery. The removable battery with a reduced SOC is removed from the electric vehicle. The removable battery is then loaded into a charging device. The charging device charges the removable battery. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The electric vehicle described in Japanese Patent No. 6888106 is a two-wheeled vehicle, but the golf cart is a four-wheeled vehicle. In addition, the golf cart is used by multiple passengers. Golf bags are loaded onto the golf cart. A golf cart with passengers and golf bags loaded onto it is a fairly heavy object. Therefore, when a golf cart is driven, the amount of power consumed by the detachable battery is generally greater than that of a two-wheeled vehicle. For these reasons, it is predicted that the SOC of the detachable battery in a golf cart will decrease in a relatively short time. Even if the SOC falls below a threshold value in this way, it is preferable to be able to immediately and easily replace the detachable battery with one with a sufficient SOC.

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an electric vehicle that runs on power supplied from a removable battery, A vehicle body, a first seat provided in the vehicle body, and a second seat provided in the vehicle body rearward of the first seat, the first seat has a first base formed with a first storage section capable of storing the removable battery, and a first seat portion rotatably provided with respect to the first base, and is a forward flip-up type seat that opens when the first seat portion rotates forward; the second seat has a second base formed with a second storage section capable of storing the removable battery, and a second seat portion rotatably provided with respect to the second base, and is a rear flip-up type seat that opens when the second seat portion rotates rearward; one of the first storage section and the second storage section has a second connector that is detachable from the first connector of the removable battery, and is a mounting section for storing the removable battery for driving; An electric vehicle is provided, wherein the other of the first accommodation section and the second accommodation section is a storage section for accommodating a spare removable battery.

[0008] The spare removable battery means a removable battery that is not involved in the running of the electric vehicle. In other words, the spare removable battery does not supply power to the electric vehicle while the electric vehicle is running. Therefore, the SOC of the spare removable battery does not decrease based on the running of the electric vehicle. In the following, the spare removable battery may be referred to as the "spare battery." The drive removable battery that supplies power to the electric vehicle may be referred to as the "drive battery."

[0009] In the present invention, a driving battery is accommodated in one of the first seat or the second seat of an electric vehicle. In addition, a spare battery is accommodated in the remaining one of the first seat or the second seat of the electric vehicle. Therefore, when the SOC of the driving battery decreases, the driving battery can be replaced with the spare battery on the spot. Therefore, if the SOC of the driving battery decreases while the electric vehicle is traveling, it is possible to continue driving by using the spare battery.

[0010] In the vehicle body, the distance from the first seat to the second seat is relatively small. Therefore, the distance the user travels to replace the drive battery with the spare battery is also relatively small. In addition, the first seat, in which a first storage section capable of storing a removable battery is formed, opens when the first seat section rotates forward. The second seat, in which a second storage section capable of storing a removable battery is formed, opens when the second seat section rotates backward. Therefore, by positioning the user between the first seat and the second seat, access to the first storage section and the second storage section becomes easy. As a result, when the SOC of the drive battery decreases, the user can quickly and easily replace the drive battery with a spare battery with sufficient SOC.

[0011] As described above, the driving battery is accommodated in either the first seat or the second seat of the electric vehicle. And the spare battery is accommodated in the remaining one of the first seat or the second seat of the electric vehicle. Therefore, when replacing the driving battery and the spare battery, the positions of the driving battery and the spare battery can be swapped. That is, the accommodation space for the replaced driving battery is either the first accommodation section or the second accommodation section. And the accommodation space for the replaced spare battery is either the first accommodation section or the second accommodation section. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide accommodation spaces for the replaced driving battery and the spare battery separately from the first accommodation section and the second accommodation section. For this reason, it is possible to avoid an increase in size of the electric vehicle due to the installation of a spare battery in the vehicle body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a removable battery. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the removable battery. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the removable battery. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of a golf cart as an electric vehicle. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a golf cart. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the main part of the golf cart. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of the main part showing a state in which a removable battery is housed in the rear casing. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the rear casing. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the rear casing from a different angle. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing a state in which a removable battery is housed in the rear casing and the lever is located at the second lever position. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the lever has been moved from FIG. 10 to the first lever position. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic side view in which the second cam plate is omitted from FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the lever has been moved from FIG. 12 to the first lever position. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic side view in which the left leg of the lever, the left arm, and the third cam plate are omitted from FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the lever has been moved from FIG. 14 to the first lever position. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a side view of a main portion showing the position of the second seat portion when the lever is located at the first lever position or the second lever position. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a side view of a main part of the mounting portion provided in a different position from that in FIGS. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] In the following, "opposite direction" means the opposite direction to one direction. For example, the opposite of forward is backward, the opposite of left is right, and the opposite of downward is upward.

[0014] First, the removable battery will be described. In the following, the removable battery will also be referred to as a "mobile battery." FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mobile battery 10. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the mobile battery 10. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the mobile battery 10.

[0015] 1, the mobile battery 10 has a bottom case 12, a main case 14, and a top case 16. The bottom case 12 constitutes the bottom surface of the mobile battery 10.

[0016] The main case 14 is a hollow rectangular cylinder with both ends open. Therefore, the mobile battery 10 has four side surfaces as the outer circumferential surface. The four side surfaces are side surface 18a, side surface 18b, side surface 18c, and side surface 18d. Among these, side surface 18a is a curved surface that is convex outward. Side surface 18b, side surface 18c, and side surface 18d are substantially flat. Therefore, the mobile battery 10 does not overlap with the mobile battery 10 before rotation until it rotates 360° around the rotation center axis CA. In other words, the shape of the mobile battery 10 is rotationally asymmetric.

[0017] The bottom case 12 constitutes the bottom surface 20 of the mobile battery 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the bottom case 12 is provided with a female first connector 22. That is, in this case, the bottom surface 20 is a connector surface. The first connector 22 is located from the center of the bottom surface 20 toward the side surface 18a.

[0018] As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the top case 16 constitutes the upper surface 24 of the mobile battery 10. The upper surface 24 is a surface located in the opposite direction to the bottom surface 20, which is the connector surface. An arch portion 26 is provided on this upper surface 24. The arch portion 26 is provided on the side surface 18a of the top case 16. Therefore, the position of the first connector 22 corresponds to the position of the arch portion 26. The arch portion 26 has a first linear portion 28. The first linear portion 28 is spaced apart from the upper surface 24 of the top case 16 and extends from the side surface 18b toward the side surface 18d.

[0019] A gripping portion 30 to be gripped by a user is provided on the upper surface 24. The arch portion 26 having the first linear portion 28 is a part of the gripping portion 30. The user grips the gripping portion 30 to insert or remove the mobile battery 10 into or from a housing structure (housing portion) described below.

[0020] The grip portion 30 has an arch portion 26 and a second linear portion 32. The second linear portion 32 is spaced from the upper surface 24 of the top case 16 and extends from the side surface 18a toward the side surface 18c. The second linear portion 32 is connected to the first linear portion 28 at approximately the middle in the extending direction. The extending direction of the second linear portion 32 is approximately perpendicular to the extending direction of the first linear portion 28. Therefore, when the grip portion 30 is viewed in a plan view from above, the first linear portion 28 and the second linear portion 32 form an approximately T-shape. When the mobile battery 10 is mounted on the electric vehicle, the first linear portion 28 extends along the vehicle width direction. When the mobile battery 10 is mounted on the electric vehicle, the second linear portion 32 extends along the front-rear direction of the electric vehicle. The above will be described in detail later.

[0021] Next, an electric vehicle will be described. In this embodiment, a golf cart 50 shown in FIG. 4 is used as an example of an electric vehicle. In the following, "front", "rear", "left" and "right" refer to the front, rear, left and right as seen by a passenger seated on the first seat 54 of the golf cart 50, respectively. The front-rear direction is synonymous with the vehicle length direction. The left-right direction is synonymous with the vehicle width direction. However, for example, even if a member is located behind a passenger seated on the first seat 54, the part of the member that is relatively forward is called the front, and the part of the member that is relatively rear is called the rear. For example, even if a member is located to the left of a passenger seated on the first seat 54, the part of the member that is relatively left is called the left, and the part that is relatively right is called the right.

[0022] In the following, "low" and "high" mean relatively lower and relatively higher, respectively. "Low" and "high" do not necessarily mean lined up vertically.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of the golf cart 50. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the golf cart 50. FIG. 6 is a plan view of a main part of the golf cart 50 as viewed from above. The golf cart 50 includes a body 52, a first seat 54, and a second seat 56. The body 52 is provided with two front wheels 58 and two rear wheels 60. An in-wheel motor (not shown) is incorporated as a driving motor in each of the two rear wheels 60. The driving motor does not have to be an in-wheel motor, and may be a motor arranged independently of the front wheels 58 and the rear wheels 60.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, the first seat 54 has a first base 62, a first seating portion 64, and a first backrest 66. The first base 62 is positioned and fixed to the front of the floor panel of the vehicle body 52. ​​The first base 62 is a hollow body having a hollow interior. The hollow interior opens at the upper end of the first base 62. The first seating portion 64 is a front cover portion that opens and closes the opening of the first base 62. Specifically, the first seating portion 64 is connected to the first base 62 via a hinge (not shown). The hinge is disposed at the front upper end of the first base 62. Therefore, the first seating portion 64 rotates so that the rear end moves away from the rear of the vehicle body 52 and faces forward (see the imaginary line in FIG. 5). As a result, the opening of the first base 62 is in an open state. In this way, the first seat 54 is a front flip-up type seat.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 5, a front base frame 68 is housed in the hollow interior of the first base 62. As shown in FIG. 6, four front casings are attached to the front base frame 68. For ease of distinction, the rightmost front casing will be denoted by reference number 70a below. The front casing located to the left of the front casing 70a will be denoted by reference number 70b. The front casing located to the left of the front casing 70b will be denoted by reference number 70c. The leftmost front casing will be denoted by reference number 70d. Each of the front casings 70a to 70d stores one mobile battery 10. The front casings 70a to 70d form a first housing section that houses the mobile battery 10.

[0026] The front casings 70a to 70d are not provided with a second connector 96 (see FIG. 7) described later. Therefore, the mobile battery 10 housed in the front casings 70a to 70d is not electrically connected to the driving motor and is not involved in the driving of the golf cart 50 (driving the driving motor). The mobile battery 10 housed in the front casings 70a to 70d is a spare, and is replaced with a mobile battery 10 whose SOC (State Of Charge) is low. In this way, the front casings 70a to 70d are storage units for storing the spare mobile batteries 10. Hereinafter, the mobile battery 10 housed in the front casings 70a to 70d may be referred to as a "spare battery 10A."

[0027] As shown in Fig. 6, a front guide rubber 72a and a front guide rubber 72b are provided on the front wall of the front casing 70a. The rear end surfaces of the front guide rubber 72a and the front guide rubber 72b are curved to match the curvature of the side surface 18a of the mobile battery 10. The rear end surfaces of the front guide rubber 72a and the front guide rubber 72b abut against the side surface 18a. It is not necessary to provide the front guide rubber 72a and the front guide rubber 72b. In this case, for example, the outer shape of the front casings 70a to 70d may be formed to be similar to the outer shape of the mobile battery 10.

[0028] A right guide rubber 72c is provided on the right wall of the front casing 70a. The right guide rubber 72c abuts against the side surface 18b of the mobile battery 10. As a result of the abutment, the side surface 18b pushes the right guide rubber 72c from left to right. A left guide rubber 72d is provided on the left wall of the front casing 70a. The left guide rubber 72d abuts against the side surface 18d. As a result of the abutment, the side surface 18d pushes the left guide rubber 72d from right to left. A rear guide rubber 72e and a rear guide rubber 72f are provided on the rear wall of the front casing 70a. The rear guide rubber 72e and the rear guide rubber 72f abut against the side surface 18c. As a result of the abutment, the side surface 18c pushes the rear guide rubber 72e and the rear guide rubber 72f from front to rear.

[0029] As can be understood from the above, the mobile battery 10 is accommodated in the front casing 70a so that the arch portion 26 faces forward. Therefore, the first linear portion 28 extends along the vehicle width direction of the body 52 of the golf cart 50. The second linear portion 32 extends along the front-rear direction of the body 52. ​​If the arch portion 26 faces backward, the mobile battery 10 cannot be accommodated in the front casing 70a. In this case, the side surface 18c interferes with the upper surfaces of the front guide rubber 72a and the front guide rubber 72b during the process of accommodating the mobile battery 10 in the front casing 70a. Similarly, the side surface 18b and the side surface 18d interfere with the upper surfaces of the left guide rubber 72d and the right guide rubber 72c, respectively, and the side surface 18a interferes with the upper surfaces of the rear guide rubber 72e and the rear guide rubber 72f.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 5, the front casing 70a is inclined so as to approach the second sheet 56 as it moves from the bottom to the top. In other words, the front lower end of the front casing 70a is closer to the front than the front upper end of the front casing 70a. And the rear upper end of the front casing 70a is closer to the rear than the rear lower end of the front casing 70a. Therefore, when the mobile battery 10 is inserted into the front casing 70a, the mobile battery 10 moves from the rear to the front as it moves down. When the mobile battery 10 is pulled out of the front casing 70a, the mobile battery 10 moves from the front to the rear as it moves up.

[0031] In this way, the insertion / removal direction of the mobile battery 10 in the front casing 70a is inclined upward toward the rear with respect to the vertical direction. That is, the insertion / removal direction is inclined backward. Therefore, the user can easily insert and remove the mobile battery 10 by standing behind the first seat 54.

[0032] The front casings 70b to 70d are configured similarly to the front casing 70a, and therefore detailed illustrations and descriptions of the front casings 70b to 70d will be omitted.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, the second seat 56 has a second pedestal 80 and a second seating portion 82. The second pedestal 80 is positioned and fixed to the rear of the floor panel of the vehicle body 52. ​​The second pedestal 80 is a hollow body having a hollow interior. The hollow interior opens at the upper end of the second pedestal 80. The second seating portion 82 is a rear lid portion that opens and closes the opening of the second pedestal 80. Specifically, the second seating portion 82 is connected to the second pedestal 80 via a hinge (not shown). The hinge is disposed at the rear upper end of the second pedestal 80. Therefore, the second seating portion 82 rotates so that the front end moves away from the front of the vehicle body 52 and faces rearward (see the imaginary line in FIG. 5). As a result, the opening of the second pedestal 80 is in an open state. In this way, the second seat 56 is a rear flip-up type seat. The back of an occupant seated in the second seat portion 82 is supported by the rear backrest 84.

[0034] As can be understood from this, the rotation direction of the first seat portion 64 when it is flipped up and the rotation direction of the second seat portion 82 when it is flipped up are opposite to each other. When the first seat portion 64 and the second seat portion 82 are in the fully open position, the extension direction of the first seat portion 64 and the second seat portion 82 approximately coincides with the vertical direction. When the first seat portion 64 and the second seat portion 82 are in the fully closed position, the extension direction of the first seat portion 64 and the second seat portion 82 approximately coincides with the horizontal direction (see FIG. 16).

[0035] The first pedestal 62 and the second pedestal 80 are in a positional relationship that is line symmetrical with respect to a line M drawn along the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 52. ​​Therefore, the first storage section and the second storage section (described later) are also in a positional relationship that is line symmetrical with respect to the line M.

[0036] 5, a rear accommodating structure 88 (accommodating structure) and a locking mechanism 90 are provided in the hollow interior of the second pedestal 80. The rear accommodating structure 88 and the locking mechanism 90 will be described.

[0037] A rear base frame 92 is housed within the hollow interior. As shown in Fig. 6, four rear casings are attached to the rear base frame 92. For ease of distinction, the rightmost rear casing will be designated by reference number 94a below. The rear casing located to the left of rear casing 94a will be designated by reference number 94b. The rear casing located to the left of rear casing 94b will be designated by reference number 94c. The leftmost rear casing will be designated by reference number 94d.

[0038] Each of the rear casings 94a to 94d accommodates one mobile battery 10. That is, the rear casings 94a to 94d constitute a second accommodation section that accommodates the mobile battery 10. As shown in FIG. 7, each of the rear casings 94a to 94d is provided with one second connector 96. The first connector 22 of the mobile battery 10 is detachable from the second connector 96. When the mobile battery 10 is inserted into each of the rear casings 94a to 94d, the second connector 96 engages with the first connector 22 of the mobile battery 10. This engagement electrically connects the mobile battery 10 and the driving motor via a control unit (not shown). That is, the driving motor is driven by the power supplied from the mobile battery 10. In this way, the rear casings 94a to 94d are mounting sections that accommodate the mobile battery 10 involved in driving the golf cart 50.

[0039] Hereinafter, the mobile battery 10 accommodated in the second accommodation section (mounting section) may be referred to as the "driving battery 10B." In this embodiment, the number of spare batteries 10A is four, and the number of driving batteries 10B is also four. That is, in this embodiment, the number of spare batteries 10A that can be accommodated in the first accommodation section (storage section) is one time the number of driving batteries 10B that can be accommodated in the second accommodation section (mounting section).

[0040] The number of spare batteries 10A is not limited to one time the number of driving batteries 10B. Alternatively, the number of spare batteries 10A may be an integer multiple of two or more times the number of driving batteries 10B. For example, when the number of driving batteries 10B is two, the number of spare batteries 10A may be four (twice) or six (triple). When the number of driving batteries 10B is three, the number of spare batteries 10A may be six (twice) or nine (triple).

[0041] Fig. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the rear casing 94a and the rear casing 94b. Fig. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the rear casing 94a and the rear casing 94b from a different angle. However, for ease of understanding, Figs. 8 and 9 show a state in which the mobile battery 10 is inserted into the rear casing 94a, and a state in which the mobile battery 10 is not inserted into the rear casing 94b. Also, Figs. 7 and 8 show a state in which the locking mechanism 90 is released. In contrast, Fig. 9 shows a state in which the locking mechanism 90 is locked.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the rear casing 94a has a bottom wall 100, a front wall 102 (wall portion), a right wall 104 (wall portion), a left wall 106 (wall portion), and a rear wall 108 (wall portion). The front wall 102, the right wall 104, the left wall 106, and the rear wall 108 intersect with the bottom wall 100 approximately perpendicularly. The rear wall 108 is located on the opposite side of the front wall 102. The left wall 106 is located on the opposite side of the right wall 104. The right wall 104 and the left wall 106 intersect with the front wall 102 and the rear wall 108 approximately perpendicularly. The front wall 102, the right wall 104, the left wall 106, and the rear wall 108 form a space for accommodating the mobile battery 10 (driving battery 10B). The front wall 102, the right wall 104, the left wall 106 and the rear wall 108 extend along the insertion / removal direction of the mobile battery 10.

[0043] The front wall 102 has a constant length along the insertion / removal direction of the mobile battery 10. Hereinafter, the length along the insertion / removal direction of the mobile battery 10 will be referred to as the "height." The height of the front wall 102 is slightly greater than the height of the mobile battery 10.

[0044] The rear wall 108 spans from the rear end of the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94a to the rear end of the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94b (see FIG. 8). The height of the rear wall 108 is constant. However, the height of the rear wall 108 is smaller than the height of the front wall 102. The height of the rear wall 108 is also smaller than the height of the mobile battery 10.

[0045] The height of the right wall 104 and the left wall 106 gradually decreases from the front wall 102 to the rear wall 108. That is, the upper edges of the right wall 104 and the left wall 106 are inclined from high to low from the front to the rear. The height of the right wall 104 and the left wall 106 at the portions that join the front wall 102 is approximately the same as the height of the front wall 102. The height of the right wall 104 and the left wall 106 at the portions that join the rear wall 108 is approximately the same as the height of the rear wall 108.

[0046] As described above, the height of the rear casing 94a decreases from the front to the rear. Therefore, the opening of the rear casing 94a is inclined so that it is higher at the front and lower at the rear. In addition, the rear upper part of the mobile battery 10 is not surrounded by the rear casing 94a. In other words, the rear upper part of the mobile battery 10 is exposed from the rear casing 94a. Therefore, the mobile battery 10 is prevented from being excessively restrained by the rear casing 94a. That is, the mobile battery 10 can be inserted into the rear casing 94a with a relatively small force. For the above reasons, it is easy for the user to insert and remove the mobile battery 10 while standing in front of the second seat 56. In addition, the degree of freedom of the insertion angle when inserting the mobile battery 10 into the rear casing 94a can be increased.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 6, a front guide rubber 109a and a front guide rubber 109b are provided on the front wall 102 of the rear casing 94a. The rear end surfaces of the front guide rubber 109a and the front guide rubber 109b are flat surfaces that match the shape of the side surface 18c of the mobile battery 10. The rear end surfaces of the front guide rubber 109a and the front guide rubber 109b abut against the side surface 18c. It is not necessary to provide the front guide rubber 109a and the front guide rubber 109b. In this case, for example, the outer shape of the rear casings 94a to 94d may be formed to be similar to the outer shape of the mobile battery 10.

[0048] A right guide rubber 109c is provided on the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94a. The right guide rubber 109c abuts against a side surface 18d of the mobile battery 10. As a result of the abutment, the side surface 18d pushes the right guide rubber 109c from left to right. A left guide rubber 109d is provided on the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94a. The left guide rubber 109d abuts against the side surface 18b. As a result of the abutment, the side surface 18b pushes the left guide rubber 109d from right to left.

[0049] A roller 110 is provided on the rear wall 108 of the rear casing 94a. The roller 110 abuts against the side surface 18a. When the mobile battery 10 is inserted or removed, the roller 110 slides against the side surface 18a.

[0050] As can be understood from the above, the mobile battery 10 is accommodated in the rear casing 94a so that the arch portion 26 faces backward. Therefore, the first linear portion 28 extends along the vehicle width direction of the body 52 of the golf cart 50. The second linear portion 32 extends along the front-rear direction of the body 52. ​​If the arch portion 26 faces forward, the mobile battery 10 cannot be accommodated in the rear casing 94a. In this case, the side surface 18a interferes with the upper surfaces of the front guide rubber 109a and the front guide rubber 109b during the process of accommodating the mobile battery 10 in the rear casing 94a. Similarly, the side surface 18b and the side surface 18d interfere with the upper surfaces of the right guide rubber 109c and the left guide rubber 109d, respectively.

[0051] 6, the phase difference between the spare battery 10A housed in the front casing 70a and the driving battery 10B housed in the rear casing 94a is approximately 180°. That is, the spare battery 10A housed in the front casing 70a and the driving battery 10B housed in the rear casing 94a are in a line-symmetrical positional relationship. The phase difference or positional relationship between the spare battery 10A housed in the front casing 70b, the front casing 70c, or the front casing 70d and the driving battery 10B housed in the rear casing 94b, the rear casing 94c, or the rear casing 94d is also the same as above.

[0052] When viewed from the front to the rear of the vehicle body 52, the first seat 54 and the second seat 56 overlap each other. Therefore, at least a portion of the first storage section and at least a portion of the second storage section overlap. Furthermore, the highest position 62o of the opening of the first pedestal 62 and the highest position 80o of the opening of the second pedestal 80 are at approximately the same height position. Therefore, the highest positions of the front casings 70a-70d and the highest positions of the rear casings 94a-94d are at approximately the same height position.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 5, the rear casing 94a is inclined so as to approach the first sheet 54 from the bottom to the top. In other words, the front upper end of the rear casing 94a is closer to the front than the front lower end of the rear casing 94a. And the rear lower end of the front casing 70a is closer to the rear than the rear upper end of the front casing 70a. Therefore, when the mobile battery 10 is inserted into the rear casing 94a, the mobile battery 10 moves downward from the front to the rear. When the mobile battery 10 is removed from the rear casing 94a, the mobile battery 10 moves upward from the rear to the front. That is, the direction in which the mobile battery 10 is inserted and removed from the front casing 70a and the direction in which the mobile battery 10 is inserted and removed from the rear casing 94a are opposite to each other.

[0054] In this way, the insertion / removal direction of the mobile battery 10 in the rear casing 94a is inclined upward with respect to the vertical direction toward the front. That is, the insertion / removal direction is inclined forward. Therefore, the user can easily insert and remove the mobile battery 10 by standing in front of the second seat 56.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 8, a first slit 111 and a second slit 112 are formed in the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94b. As shown in Figs. 10 to 15, a first slit 111 is also formed in the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94b. The second slit 112 is shown in Figs. 14 and 15. Although not particularly shown, a first slit 111 and a second slit 112 are also formed in the left wall 106 and the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94a.

[0056] 10, 12 and 14 show a state in which the locking mechanism 90 has been released, while Figs. 11, 13 and 15 show a state in which the locking mechanism 90 has been locked.

[0057] 10 and 11, a first guide pin 114, a second guide pin 116, and a third guide pin 118 are provided on a lower portion of the outer surface of the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94b. The first guide pin 114, the second guide pin 116, and the third guide pin 118 extend leftward in the vehicle width direction.

[0058] Although not specifically shown, a first guide pin 114, a second guide pin 116, and a third guide pin 118 are also provided on the lower outer surface of the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94b. In this case, the first guide pin 114, the second guide pin 116, and the third guide pin 118 extend toward the right in the vehicle width direction. Similarly, the first guide pin 114, the second guide pin 116, and the third guide pin 118 are also provided on the left wall 106 and the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94a.

[0059] As described above, the rollers 110 are provided on the rear wall 108 of the rear casing 94a and the rear wall 108 of the rear casing 94b (see FIGS. 6, 7, and 8). The rollers 110 come into sliding contact with the side surface 18a of the mobile battery 10.

[0060] The lock mechanism 90 has a lever 120, a link mechanism 122, and a battery stopper 124 (stopper). The link mechanism 122 and the battery stopper 124 are provided individually on the rear casing 94a and the rear casing 94b, respectively. In contrast, the lever 120 is provided so as to straddle the rear casing 94a and the rear casing 94b. In other words, when a user operates one lever 120, the link mechanism 122 and the battery stopper 124 provided on the rear casing 94a and the link mechanism 122 and the battery stopper 124 provided on the rear casing 94b operate simultaneously.

[0061] Description will be made with reference to Figures 7 to 15. Lever 120 has a right leg 126, an upper right end 128, a left leg 130, and an upper left end 132. The upper right end 128 is bent approximately perpendicular to the right leg 126 and connected to the right leg 126. The upper left end 132 is bent approximately perpendicular to the left leg 130 and connected to the left leg 130.

[0062] The lower end of the right leg 126 is supported by the rear casing 94a via a short right rotating shaft 134 (see Figs. 7 and 9). Similarly, the lower end of the left leg 130 is supported by the rear casing 94b via a short left rotating shaft 136 (see Figs. 8 and 9). The lever 120 can rotate (move) around the right rotating shaft 134 and the left rotating shaft 136 between a first lever position P shown in Figs. 11, 13 and 15 and a second lever position Q shown in Figs. 10, 12 and 14. That is, the lever 120 is provided movably relative to the rear casing 94a and the rear casing 94b. When the lever 120 rotates, the right rotating shaft 134 and the left rotating shaft 136 rotate.

[0063] A right protrusion 138 is provided at the lower end of the right leg 126. A left protrusion 140 is provided at the lower end of the left leg 130. A connecting bar 142 is provided between the right protrusion 138 and the left protrusion 140. The connecting bar 142 improves the rigidity of the lever 120.

[0064] A second right protrusion (not shown) is provided at the upper end of the right leg 126. A second left protrusion 143 is provided at the upper end of the left leg 130. A first L-shaped plate 144 and a second L-shaped plate 146 are attached near the second left protrusion 143. As shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 13, when the lever 120 is at the first lever position P, the part of the first L-shaped plate 144 extending from the left leg 130 faces downward. At the same time, the part of the second L-shaped plate 146 extending from the left leg 130 faces upward. At this time, the first L-shaped plate 144 abuts against the first lever stopper 148 and faces the first proximity sensor 150. As shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 12, when the lever 120 is at the second lever position Q, the first L-shaped plate 144 faces backward, and the second L-shaped plate 146 faces forward. At this time, the second left protrusion 143 comes into contact with the second lever stopper 152, and the second L-shaped plate 146 faces the second proximity sensor 154. The first lever stopper 148, the first proximity sensor 150, the second lever stopper 152, and the second proximity sensor 154 are positioned and fixed to the outer surface of the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94b.

[0065] Although not specifically shown, a first L-shaped plate 144 and a second L-shaped plate 146 are also attached near the second right protrusion to the right leg 126. A first lever stopper 148, a first proximity sensor 150, a second lever stopper 152, and a second proximity sensor 154 are also provided on the outer surface of the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94a.

[0066] A first main cam pin 156 is provided on the second L-shaped plate 146. The first main cam pin 156 of the second L-shaped plate 146 provided on the left leg 130 protrudes rightward from the second L-shaped plate 146. The first main cam pin 156 of the second L-shaped plate 146 provided on the right leg 126 protrudes leftward from the second L-shaped plate 146.

[0067] A handlebar 158 and a flat plate 160 (flat plate-shaped portion) are interposed between the upper right end 128 and the upper left end 132. A notch 162 is formed in the approximately middle portion in the vehicle width direction of the flat plate 160. Therefore, when the user grips the approximately middle portion in the vehicle width direction of the handlebar 158, the user can pass his / her finger through the notch 162. This allows the user to easily grip the handlebar 158. In other words, the approximately middle portion in the vehicle width direction of the handlebar 158 is a handle portion 164 (handle) that the user grips.

[0068] The link mechanism 122 has two arms (a right arm 166 and a left arm 168), four first cam plates 170, four second cam plates 172, four third cam plates 174 (see FIGS. 12 and 13), and four fourth cam plates 176 (see FIGS. 14 and 15). One each of the first cam plate 170, the second cam plate 172, the third cam plate 174, and the fourth cam plate 176 are disposed on the outer surface of the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94a, the outer surface of the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94a, the outer surface of the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94b, and the outer surface of the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94b.

[0069] The right arm 166 and the left arm 168 form a gently bent V-shape. The left arm 168 connects the second L-shaped plate 146 of the left leg 130 of the lever 120 to the leftmost first cam plate 170. Specifically, an insertion hole is formed in one end of the left arm 168. The first main cam pin 156 is inserted through the insertion hole. This connects one end of the left arm 168 to the second L-shaped plate 146. The other end of the left arm 168 and the first cam plate 170 are connected via a bolt 177. The first main cam pin 156 is always higher than the left rotating shaft 136. In contrast, the connection point (bolt 177) between the left arm 168 and the leftmost first cam plate 170 is always lower than the left rotating shaft 136.

[0070] The right arm 166 connects the second L-shaped plate 146 of the right leg 126 of the lever 120 to the rightmost first cam plate 170. The connection between the right arm 166 and the second L-shaped plate 146 is similar to the connection between the left arm 168 and the second L-shaped plate 146. The first main cam pin 156 is always higher than the right rotating shaft 134. In contrast, the connection point (bolt 177) between the right arm 166 and the rightmost first cam plate 170 is always lower than the right rotating shaft 134.

[0071] 10 to 15, the first cam plate 170, the second cam plate 172, the third cam plate 174, and the fourth cam plate 176 located on the left side of the rear casing 94b will be described. The first cam plate 170 is formed with a first guide hole 178, a second guide hole 180, an inclined cam hole 182, and a third guide hole 184. The first guide hole 178, the second guide hole 180, the inclined cam hole 182, and the third guide hole 184 are formed in this order from the front to the rear. The first guide pin 114, the second guide pin 116, and the third guide pin 118 are inserted into the first guide hole 178, the second guide hole 180, and the third guide hole 184, respectively. As can be seen from FIGS. 10 and 11, the second main cam pin 186 of the third cam plate 174 is inserted into the inclined cam hole 182.

[0072] 10 and 11, a first cam hole 188, a second cam hole 190, and a third cam hole 192 are formed in the second cam plate 172. A first cam protrusion 194 provided on the fourth cam plate 176 is inserted into the linear first cam hole 188. The first main cam pin 156 provided on the left leg 130 is inserted into the arc-shaped second cam hole 190. A second cam protrusion 196 provided on the battery stopper 124 is inserted into the substantially V-shaped third cam hole 192.

[0073] A third cam plate 174 and a fourth cam plate 176 are sandwiched between the first cam plate 170 and the second cam plate 172. In this state, the second cam plate 172 is attached to the outer surface of the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94b. The attachment is performed, for example, via a bolt (not shown).

[0074] 12 and 13 are schematic side views in which the second cam plate 172 is omitted from FIGS. 10 and 11. As can be seen from FIGS. 12 and 13, the third cam plate 174 and the fourth cam plate 176 overlap along the vehicle width direction. The third cam plate 174 has a first cam body 200 extending along the longitudinal direction of the rear casing 94b. The first cam body 200 extends along the second slit 112. The extension direction of the first cam body 200 is slightly inclined with respect to the vertical direction. Specifically, the lower end of the first cam body 200 is located rearward, and the upper end is located forward.

[0075] As described above, the second main cam pin 186 is provided at the lower end of the first cam body 200. The second main cam pin 186 protrudes toward the right in the vehicle width direction, and is inserted into the inclined cam hole 182 of the first cam plate 170. The first cam body 200 is formed with a first elongated hole 202 at approximately the middle in the longitudinal direction. The first cam body 200 is formed with a second elongated hole 204 at its upper end.

[0076] A first tab portion 206 and a second tab portion 208 protrude from the first cam body 200. The first tab portion 206 and the second tab portion 208 intersect the first cam body 200 approximately perpendicularly. The first tab portion 206 extends downward and forward from the first cam body 200. The second tab portion 208 extends upward and rearward from the first cam body 200. The first tab portion 206 is lower than the second tab portion 208. A lower front end of the first tab portion 206 is located in the first slit 111.

[0077] 14 and 15 are schematic side views in which the left leg 130 of the lever 120, the left arm 168, and the third cam plate 174 are omitted from FIGS. 12 and 13. As can be seen from FIGS. 14 and 15, the fourth cam plate 176 has a second cam body 210 extending along the longitudinal direction of the rear casing 94b. The second cam body 210 extends along the second slit 112. The first cam body 200 of the third cam plate 174 overlaps with the second cam body 210. The extension direction of the second cam body 210 is the same as that of the first cam body 200.

[0078] A first sub-cam pin 212 is provided at the lower end of the second cam body 210. The first sub-cam pin 212 protrudes leftward in the vehicle width direction, and is inserted into the first oblong hole 202 of the third cam plate 174 (see FIGS. 12 and 13). A second sub-cam pin 214 is provided at the upper end of the second cam body 210 (see FIGS. 14 and 15). The second sub-cam pin 214 protrudes leftward in the vehicle width direction, and is inserted into the second oblong hole 204 of the third cam plate 174 (see FIGS. 12 and 11).

[0079] As shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, a third tab portion 216 and a fourth tab portion 218 protrude from the second cam body 210. The third tab portion 216 and the fourth tab portion 218 intersect the second cam body 210 substantially perpendicularly. The third tab portion 216 extends from the second cam body 210 toward the front and downward. The fourth tab portion 218 extends from the second cam body 210 toward the rear and upward. The third tab portion 216 is higher than the fourth tab portion 218. As shown in FIG. 12, the first tab portion 206 and the third tab portion 216 are parallel to each other and are spaced apart from each other. In contrast, the second tab portion 208 overlaps the fourth tab portion 218.

[0080] When the lever 120 is located at the second lever position Q, the third tab portion 216 is located directly above the first slit 111. A hook portion 226 is connected to the third tab portion 216. The hook portion 226 extends along the first slit 111. The upper end of a coil spring 228 is engaged with the hook portion 226. The coil spring 228 is inserted into the first slit 111. This prevents the coil spring 228 from interfering with the rear casing 94b, the third cam plate 174, the second cam plate 172, etc.

[0081] 12 and 13, the lower end of the coil spring 228 is engaged with the first tab portion 206. Therefore, the coil spring 228 is interposed between the first tab portion 206 and the third tab portion 216.

[0082] 12 and 13, the upper end of second cam body 210 is exposed from the upper end of first cam body 200. Battery stopper 124 is attached to the upper end of second cam body 210 exposed from first cam body 200. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which battery stopper 124 has moved from FIG. 8 to the locked position. As shown in FIG. 9, battery stopper 124 has a stopper body 230 (main body portion) and a base portion 232.

[0083] The base 232 faces the side surface 18b (and side surface 18d) of the mobile battery 10. As shown in Figures 8 and 14, the stopper body 230 faces the vicinity of the upper end of the side surface 18c in the unlocked position. As shown in Figures 9 and 15, the stopper body 230 faces the upper surface 24 in the locked position.

[0084] 13 and 14, a pivot pin 234 is provided on the base 232. The stopper body 230 is rotatably connected to the upper end of the second cam body 210 via the pivot pin 234. The second cam protrusion 196 is provided on the base 232 near the pivot pin 234. As described above, the second cam protrusion 196 is inserted into the third cam hole 192 of the second cam plate 172 (see FIGS. 10 and 11).

[0085] The stopper body 230 is bent substantially perpendicularly to the base portion 232. This causes the battery stopper 124 to have a substantially L-shape.

[0086] The first cam plate 170, the second cam plate 172, the third cam plate 174 and the fourth cam plate 176 arranged on the outer surface of the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94a, the outer surface of the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94a and the outer surface of the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94b are configured substantially the same as described above. Therefore, illustrations and explanations of these are omitted. Note that the lever 120 and the arm are not provided on the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94a and the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94b.

[0087] The rear casing 94c and the rear casing 94d are also configured in the same manner as above, and therefore detailed illustration and description of the rear casing 94c and the rear casing 94d will be omitted.

[0088] In this embodiment, the golf cart 50 and the locking mechanism 90 are basically configured as described above. Next, the effects of these configurations will be described.

[0089] The golf cart 50 is driven on a golf course to carry a player, a golf bag, etc. At this time, power is supplied to the in-wheel motor from a driving battery 10B (see FIG. 5) housed in the second housing of the second seat 56. When the in-wheel motor is driven, for example, the rear wheel 60 rotates. Accordingly, the golf cart 50 runs.

[0090] As the in-wheel motors are driven, the SOC of the four driving batteries 10B drops. For example, if the SOC of the four driving batteries 10B falls below a predetermined threshold while the golf cart 50 is being driven, it becomes difficult to continue driving the golf cart 50. In this case, a warning light provided in the driver's seat turns on. This allows the driver to recognize that the SOC of the driving battery 10B has dropped below the threshold. After the driver stops the golf cart 50, the user (driver or passenger, etc.) replaces the driving battery 10B with the spare battery 10A. This procedure will be described.

[0091] First, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 5, the user rotates the first seat portion 64 of the first seat 54 to expose the opening of the first base 62. At this time, the first seat portion 64 rotates around the hinge at the front end as the rotation center. Specifically, the rear end of the first seat portion 64 rises forward. At this time, the first backrest 66 also rises forward integrally with the first seat portion 64. When the first seat portion 64 finishes rotating and reaches the fully open position, the front end of the first seat portion 64 is located at a low position, and the rear end of the first seat portion 64 is located at a high position. As a result, the four spare batteries 10A become visible to the user.

[0092] After the user turns over, the second seat portion 82 of the second seat 56 is rotated. This exposes the opening of the second base 80. At this time, the second seat portion 82 rotates around the hinge at the rear end as the center of rotation. Specifically, the front end of the second seat portion 82 rises toward the rear. At this time, the backrest 84 does not rotate. When the second seat portion 82 finishes rotating and reaches the fully open position, the front end of the second seat portion 82 is located vertically above, and the rear end of the second seat portion 82 is located vertically below. As a result, the four driving batteries 10B are visible to the user.

[0093] At this time, the battery stopper 124 is in a lock position in contact with the upper surface 24 of the mobile battery 10. Figures 11, 13, and 15 are side views of the rear casing 94b in this case. At this time, the lever 120 is located at the first lever position P.

[0094] Next, the user releases the lock provided by the lock mechanism 90. Specifically, the user stands, for example, between the first seat 54 and the second seat 56, faces backward, and grips the handle portion 164 of the handlebar 158 (see particularly FIGS. 8 and 9). At this time, the user passes his or her finger through the notch 162 of the flat plate 160. This allows the user to easily grip the handle portion 164. Therefore, the user can easily rotate the lever 120. In this way, the formation of the notch 162 makes it easy for the user to operate the lever 120.

[0095] Moreover, the handle portion 164 is provided at approximately the middle of the handlebar 158 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the movement of the lever 120 is transmitted approximately evenly to the link mechanisms 122 provided on the right wall 104 and the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94a and the link mechanisms 122 provided on the right wall 104 and the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94b. This prevents the forces acting on the four link mechanisms 122 from becoming unbalanced. This also prevents any of the four battery stoppers 124 from rotating insufficiently due to the above.

[0096] In this state, the user rotates the lever 120 toward the second lever position Q. As a result, the second L-shaped plates 146 provided on the left leg 130 and right leg 126 of the lever 120 move from the rear to the front. At this time, the first main cam pin 156 moves along the second cam hole 190 of the second cam plate 172. As a result, the left arm 168 and the right arm 166 move while rotating, and become the positions shown in Figures 10, 12, and 14.

[0097] 10, 12 and 14 respectively show the state in which lever 120 has been rotated from Fig. 11, 13 and 15 to second lever position Q. Comparing Fig. 10 with Fig. 11, it can be seen that the inclination of left arm 168 with respect to the horizontal direction is small at first lever position P and large at second lever position Q. It can also be seen that first cam plate 170 is located rearward at first lever position P and forward at second lever position Q. The position of second cam plate 172 does not change.

[0098] 12 and 13, it can be seen that the lower end of the first cam body 200 of the third cam plate 174 is located at the lower end of the inclined cam hole 182 in the locked state, and is located at the upper end of the inclined cam hole 182 in the unlocked state. By comparing FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, it can be seen that the lower end of the second cam body 210 of the fourth cam plate 176 is located at the lower end of the second slit 112 in the locked state, and is located higher than the lower end of the second slit 112 in the unlocked state. In other words, when the state is switched from the locked state to the unlocked state, the third cam plate 174 and the fourth cam plate 176 rise. Conversely, when the state is switched from the unlocked state to the locked state, the third cam plate 174 and the fourth cam plate 176 fall.

[0099] A specific description will be given below. When lever 120 moves from first lever position P to second lever position Q, left arm 168 and right arm 166 rotate and move. Accordingly, first cam plate 170 is pulled by left arm 168 and right arm 166. As a result, first cam plate 170 moves from the rear to the front. At this time, first cam plate 170 is guided by first guide pin 114, second guide pin 116, and third guide pin 118 inserted into first guide hole 178, second guide hole 180, and third guide hole 184, respectively.

[0100] The second main cam pin 186 of the third cam plate 174 is inserted into the inclined cam hole 182 of the first cam plate 170. Therefore, as the first cam plate 170 moves as described above, the third cam plate 174 rises along the second slit 112 and assumes the position shown in Figures 10 and 12.

[0101] The fourth cam plate 176 is provided with a first sub cam pin 212 and a second sub cam pin 214. The first sub cam pin 212 and the second sub cam pin 214 are inserted into the first long hole 202 and the second long hole 204 of the third cam plate 174, respectively. Therefore, when the third cam plate 174 is raised by a predetermined amount, the lower inner walls of the first long hole 202 and the second long hole 204 abut against the first sub cam pin 212 and the second sub cam pin 214, respectively. Therefore, after the above-mentioned abutment, the third cam plate 174 and the fourth cam plate 176 rise together. At this time, the first cam protrusion 194 of the fourth cam plate 176 moves along the first cam hole 188 of the second cam plate 172. At the same time, the coil spring 228 contracts in the first slit 111. FIG. 14 shows the case where the fourth cam plate 176 is raised to the maximum.

[0102] The battery stopper 124 is attached to the upper end of the second cam body 210 constituting the fourth cam plate 176 via a pivot pin 234. As the fourth cam plate 176 rises, the base 232 of the battery stopper 124 rises. At this time, the second cam protrusion 196 provided on the base 232 moves from the rear to the front along the third cam hole 192 of the second cam plate 172 (see FIG. 10). Since the third cam hole 192 is bent into a substantially V-shape, the battery stopper 124 rotates about the pivot pin 234. As a result, the stopper body 230 separates from the upper surface 24 of the driving battery 10B. The stopper body 230 retreats to a position facing the side surface 18c.

[0103] As a result, the lever 120, the link mechanism 122, and the battery stopper 124 are in the unlocked position. At this time, the second right protrusion provided on the right leg 126 of the lever 120 and the second left protrusion 143 provided on the left leg 130 of the lever 120 abut against the two second lever stoppers 152, respectively. In addition, the two second L-shaped plates 146 face the two second proximity sensors 154, respectively. This causes the control unit to recognize that the locks on the driving batteries 10B housed in the rear casings 94a and 94b, respectively, have been released.

[0104] The user also rotates the lever 120 spanning the rear casings 94c and 94d to the unlocked position in the same manner as described above. Accordingly, the control unit recognizes that the lock on the driving battery 10B housed in the rear casings 94c and 94d has been released. When the lock on the rear casings 94a and 94b is released, or when the lock on the rear casings 94c and 94d is released, for example, a warning light is turned on in the driver's seat to notify that the lock is released.

[0105] Next, the user grasps the grip portion 30 of the mobile battery 10 housed in the rear casing 94a, and then pulls out the mobile battery 10 from the rear casing 94a. That is, the user stands in front of the second seat 56 and pulls up the mobile battery 10 from the lower rear to the upper front.

[0106] At this time, the front wall 102 of the rear casing 94a bears the weight of the mobile battery 10. Therefore, it is easier to pull out the mobile battery 10 than when moving the mobile battery 10 along the vertical direction. Also, since the rollers 110 are in sliding contact with the side surface 18a of the mobile battery 10, the mobile battery 10 slides relative to the rollers 110. Therefore, it is even easier to pull out the mobile battery 10. The mobile battery 10 pulled out from the rear casing 94a may be temporarily placed on the flat plate 160 of the lever 120.

[0107] After that, the user pulls out the mobile battery 10 housed in each of the rear casings 94b to 94d. The mobile battery 10 pulled out from the rear casings 94b to 94d may be temporarily placed on the flat plate 160 of the lever 120 in the same manner as described above.

[0108] Next, the user turns over, grips the gripping portion 30 of the spare battery 10A housed in the front casing 70a, and pulls the spare battery 10A out of the front casing 70a (see FIG. 5). That is, the user stands behind the first seat 54 and pulls up the spare battery 10A from the lower front to the upper rear.

[0109] Thus, in this embodiment, the user can pull out the spare battery 10A from the first storage section and the driving battery 10B from the second storage section while standing between the first seat 54 and the second seat 56. In the first storage section, the spare battery 10A is in a position that rises from the front to the rear, so it is easy to pull it out toward the rear. In the second storage section, the driving battery 10B is in a position that rises from the rear to the front, so it is easy to pull it out toward the front.

[0110] The user turns his / her body while holding the spare battery 10A. Before the user turns his / her body, the arch portion 26 and the first connector 22 of the spare battery 10A held by the user face forward. In contrast, after the user turns his / her body, the arch portion 26 and the first connector 22 of the spare battery 10A held by the user face backward. As described above, in the rear casing 94a, the second connector 96 is closer to the rear. That is, by the user turning his / her body, the spare battery 10A is oriented in a suitable direction for insertion into the rear casing 94a. This prevents the spare battery 10A from being inserted into the rear casing 94a in the wrong direction.

[0111] When viewed from the front to the rear of the vehicle body 52, at least a part of the front casing 70a overlaps with at least a part of the rear casing 94a. More specifically, in the vehicle width direction, the right and left walls of the front casing 70a overlap with the right and left walls of the rear casing 94a. Therefore, when the user pulls out the spare battery 10A from the front casing 70a and turns his / her body over, the user faces the rear casing 94a. This allows the user to transfer the spare battery 10A from the front casing 70a to the rear casing 94a with almost no movement. In other words, the user needs to move a smaller distance to transfer the spare battery 10A.

[0112] In addition, the height position of the opening of the first base 62 and the height position of the opening of the second base 80 are approximately the same. Therefore, there is no particular need for the user to change the height position of the spare battery 10A that is removed from the front casing 70a. In other words, the user can align the height positions of the spare battery 10A and the rear casing 94a by turning their body over while maintaining the posture when the spare battery 10A was removed from the front casing 70a.

[0113] For the reasons described above, the burden on the user when transferring the spare battery 10A from the front casing 70a to the rear casing 94a is reduced. Moreover, as described above, the spare battery 10A is prevented from being inserted into the rear casing 94a in the wrong orientation.

[0114] The user then pushes the spare battery 10A into the rear casing 94a. As described above, the heights of the right wall 104 and the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94a decrease from the front to the rear. Also, the height of the rear wall 108 is smaller than the height of the front wall 102. Therefore, the spare battery 10A, particularly the upper rear portion, is not restricted by the right wall 104, the left wall 106, and the rear wall 108. Therefore, after inserting the spare battery 10A into the rear casing 94a, it is possible to align the longitudinal direction of the spare battery 10A with the longitudinal direction of the rear casing 94a.

[0115] That is, there is no need to strictly match the actual insertion direction of the spare battery 10A with the longitudinal direction of the rear casing 94a. Therefore, the user can easily insert the spare battery 10A into the rear casing 94a. The second connector 96 engages with the first connector 22 of the spare battery 10A inserted into the rear casing 94a.

[0116] When inserting the spare battery 10A into the rear casing 94a, it is preferable to abut the side surface 18c of the spare battery 10A against the front guide rubbers 109a and 109b in the rear casing 94a. This allows the front wall 102 of the rear casing 94a to bear the weight of the spare battery 10A. This allows the user to easily insert the spare battery 10A into the rear casing 94a. In addition, it is also easy to align the first connector 22 and the second connector 96.

[0117] During insertion of the spare battery 10A into the rear casing 94a, the rollers 110 come into sliding contact with the side surface 18a, making it easy for the bottom surface 20 of the spare battery 10A to reach the bottom wall 100 of the rear casing 94a.

[0118] Next, the user grasps the grip portion 30 of the driving battery 10B temporarily placed on the flat plate 160 or the like. At this point, the arch portion 26 and the first connector 22 of the spare battery 10A held by the user face backward. In this state, the user turns his / her body. At this time, the arch portion 26 and the first connector 22 of the driving battery 10B held by the user face forward. As described above, if the driving battery 10B does not face this way, the driving battery 10B cannot be inserted into the front casing 70a. That is, by the user turning his / her body, the driving battery 10B faces in a direction appropriate for insertion into the front casing 70a. This prevents the driving battery 10B from being inserted into the front casing 70a in the wrong direction.

[0119] The user then pushes the driving battery 10B into the front casing 70a. At this time, the driving battery 10B is guided by the front guide rubber 72a, the front guide rubber 72b, the right guide rubber 72c, the left guide rubber 72d, the rear guide rubber 72e, and the rear guide rubber 72f.

[0120] Next, the user grips the grip portion 30 of the spare battery 10A housed in the front casing 70b. Thereafter, in the same manner as above, the spare battery 10A housed in the front casing 70b is replaced with the driving battery 10B that has been pulled out of the rear casing 94b and temporarily placed on the flat plate 160 or the like. The spare battery 10A is housed in the rear casing 94b, and the driving battery 10B is housed in the front casing 70b. The replacement of the spare batteries 10A housed in the front casings 70c and 70d, respectively, with the driving battery 10B that has been pulled out of the rear casings 94c and 94d, respectively, and temporarily placed on the flat plate 160 or the like is also performed in a similar manner.

[0121] In this embodiment, the number of spare batteries 10A is an integer multiple of the number of driving batteries 10B. Therefore, all driving batteries 10B can be replaced with spare batteries 10A at the same time. Therefore, the rear casings 94a to 94d can each house mobile batteries 10 with the same voltage. This stabilizes the drive of the in-wheel motor.

[0122] After completing the replacement of the spare battery 10A with the driving battery 10B, the user activates the locking mechanism 90. Specifically, the user stands, for example, between the first seat 54 and the second seat 56, faces backward, and grasps the handle bar 158 of the lever 120 (see particularly FIGS. 8 and 9). At this time, the user also passes his or her finger through the notch 162 of the flat plate 160.

[0123] In this state, the user rotates the lever 120 rearward. Accordingly, the second L-shaped plates 146 provided on the left leg 130 and right leg 126 of the lever 120 move from the front to the rear. At this time, the first main cam pin 156 moves along the second cam hole 190 of the second cam plate 172. Accordingly, the left arm 168 and the right arm 166 move while rotating, and become the positions shown in FIGS. 11, 13, and 15.

[0124] As the left arm 168 and the right arm 166 rotate and move, the first cam plate 170 is pulled by the left arm 168 and the right arm 166. As a result, the first cam plate 170 moves from the front to the rear. At this time, the first cam plate 170 is guided by the first guide pin 114, the second guide pin 116, and the third guide pin 118, which are inserted into the first guide hole 178, the second guide hole 180, and the third guide hole 184, respectively.

[0125] As first cam plate 170 moves as described above, third cam plate 174 moves down along second slit 112. Third cam plate 174 reaches the position shown in FIGS.

[0126] The fourth cam plate 176 is provided with a first sub cam pin 212 and a second sub cam pin 214. The first sub cam pin 212 and the second sub cam pin 214 are inserted into the first oblong hole 202 and the second oblong hole 204 of the third cam plate 174, respectively. Therefore, when the third cam plate 174 descends by a predetermined amount, the upper inner walls of the first oblong hole 202 and the second oblong hole 204 come into contact with the first sub cam pin 212 and the second sub cam pin 214, respectively. Therefore, after the above-mentioned contact, the third cam plate 174 and the fourth cam plate 176 descend together. At the same time, the coil spring 228 expands within the first slit 111. FIG. 15 shows the case where the fourth cam plate 176 has descended to the lowest point.

[0127] As the fourth cam plate 176 descends, the base 232 of the battery stopper 124 descends. At this time, the second cam protrusion 196 provided on the base 232 moves from front to rear along the third cam hole 192 of the second cam plate 172 (see FIG. 11). Because the third cam hole 192 is bent into a substantially V-shape, the battery stopper 124 rotates about the pivot pin 234. As a result, the stopper body 230 faces the top surface 24 of the driving battery 10B and abuts against the top surface 24.

[0128] As a result, the lever 120, the link mechanism 122, and the battery stopper 124 are in the locked position. At this time, the first L-shaped plates 144 provided on the right leg 126 and the left leg 130 of the lever 120 abut against the two first lever stoppers 148, respectively. In addition, the two first L-shaped plates 144 face the two first proximity sensors 150, respectively. This allows the control unit to recognize that the spare batteries 10A (new driving batteries 10B) housed in the rear casings 94a and 94b, respectively, have been locked.

[0129] The user also rotates the lever 120 spanning the rear casings 94c and 94d to the first lever position P (lock position) in the same manner as above. In response, the control unit recognizes that the driving batteries 10B housed in the rear casings 94c and 94d have been locked. When the rear casings 94a and 94b are locked and the rear casings 94c and 94d are locked, for example, the warning light for the driver's seat is turned off.

[0130] As described above, the link mechanism 122 transmits the rotational movement of the lever 120 to the battery stopper 124. Therefore, as the lever 120 rotates, the battery stopper 124 switches between a locked position that prevents the mobile battery 10 from coming off and an unlocked position that releases the prevention of the mobile battery 10. The locked position is a position where the stopper body 230 faces the top surface 24 of the driving battery 10B and abuts against the top surface 24. The unlocked position is a position where the stopper body 230 retreats from the top surface 24 of the driving battery 10B and faces the side surface 18c.

[0131] As can be seen from the above, in this case, the battery stopper 124 having a substantially L-shape rotates in the front-rear direction while maintaining its position in the vehicle width direction. Based on this rotation, the stopper body 230 switches between a locked position and an unlocked position. Since the battery stopper 124 does not move in the vehicle width direction, the lock mechanism 90 is prevented from becoming large in size in the vehicle width direction. This allows the lock mechanism 90 to be configured compactly. Therefore, even if the vehicle width dimension of the hollow interior of the second pedestal 80 is small, it is possible to provide the lock mechanism 90 and the rear casings 94a to 94d in the hollow interior of the second pedestal 80.

[0132] It is assumed that the user forgets to operate the lever 120 and rotates the second seat portion 82 while the lever 120 is in the second lever position Q (the unlocked position of the battery stopper 124). However, in this case, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 16, the lever 120 is located on the movement trajectory between the fully closed position and the fully open position of the second seat portion 82. Therefore, the lever 120 interferes with the second seat portion 82. Therefore, the second seat portion 82 cannot be brought to the fully closed position. In addition, the passenger cannot be seated in the second seat portion 82.

[0133] In contrast, when the lever 120 is in the first lever position P (lock position of the battery stopper 124) shown by the imaginary line in Fig. 16, the lever 120 is lower than the fully closed position of the second seat portion 82 and is accommodated in the hollow interior of the second base 80. Therefore, even if the second seat portion 82 is rotated, the second seat portion 82 does not interfere with the lever 120. Therefore, the second seat portion 82 can be set to the fully closed position. As a result, it becomes possible for a passenger to be seated in the second seat portion 82.

[0134] As a result, the golf cart 50 is prevented from being driven in a state where the driving battery 10B housed in the rear casings 94a to 94d is not locked.

[0135] The present invention is not particularly limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0136] For example, the electric vehicle is not limited to the golf cart 50. The electric vehicle may be a land car. The electric vehicle may be a micromobility vehicle in the form shown in WO 2019 / 235381. The electric vehicle may be a three-wheeled vehicle such as a rickshaw.

[0137] In the above embodiment, the second seat 80 is opened and closed by the second seat 82. FIG. 17 shows an example in which a lid 240 is provided separately from the second seat 82. In this illustrated example, an opening is formed on the rear surface of the second seat 80. The lid 240 covers the opening in an openable and closable manner. In this case, the rear casings 94a to 94d are provided in the hollow interior of the second seat 80 so as to rise from the front to the rear, for example. When the mobile battery 10 is pulled out of the rear casings 94a to 94d, it moves from the front lower to the rear upper. When the mobile battery 10 is inserted into the rear casings 94a to 94d, it moves from the rear upper to the front lower.

[0138] In the above embodiment, the second connector 96 is positioned and fixed. Alternatively, the second connector 96 may be configured to move in association with the rotation of the lever 120. That is, as the lever 120 rotates from the unlocked position to the locked position, the second connector 96 approaches the first connector 22. Conversely, as the lever 120 rotates from the locked position to the unlocked position, the second connector 96 moves away from the first connector 22.

[0139] Since the rear casings 94a-94d are inclined with respect to the rear base frame 92, a clearance is formed between the rear base frame 92 and each bottom wall 100 of the rear casings 94a-94d. A displacement mechanism for displacing the second connector 96 can be provided in this clearance. Therefore, even when a displacement mechanism is provided, there is no particular need to make design changes, such as changing the shape of the rear casings 94a-94d.

[0140] In the above embodiment, the first storage section accommodates the spare battery 10A, and the second storage section accommodates the driving battery 10B. Conversely, the first storage section may accommodate the driving battery 10B, and the second storage section may accommodate the spare battery 10A. [Explanation of symbols]

[0141] 10, 10A, 10B…Mobile battery 18a~18d…Side 20...Bottom 22...First connector 24...Top surface 28...First straight line shape part 30...Gripping part 32...Second linear part 50...Golf cart 52...Vehicle body 54…1st sheet 56…2nd sheet 58…Front wheel 60…Rear wheel 62…First base 64…First seat 70a~70d...Front casing 80...Second base 82...Second seat section 88...Rear storage structure 90...Lock mechanism 94a~94d…Rear casing 96...Second connector 100...Bottom wall 102...Front wall 104...Right wall 106…Left wall 108…Rear wall 110... roller 114... first guide pin 116...Second guide pin 118...Third guide pin 120... Lever 122... Link mechanism 124... Battery stopper 142... Connecting bar 156…First main cam pin 158…Handlebar 160... Flat plate 162... Notch 166...Right arm 168...Left arm 170...First cam plate 172...Second cam plate 174…3rd cam plate 176…4th cam plate 178...First guide hole 180...Second guide hole 182...Inclined cam hole 184...Third guide hole 186...Second main cam pin 188...First cam hole 190...Second cam hole 192...Third cam hole 194...First cam protrusion 196...Second cam protrusion 212...First sub cam pin 214...Second sub cam pin 226... Hook portion 228... Coil spring 230... stopper body 232... base 234...Pivot pin

Claims

1. An electric vehicle (50) that runs on power supplied from a removable battery (10), The vehicle includes a vehicle body (52), a first seat (54) provided in the vehicle body, and a second seat (56) provided in the vehicle body rearward of the first seat, the first seat has a first base (62) having a first storage section capable of storing the removable battery, and a first seat portion (64) rotatably provided with respect to the first base, and is a forward flip-up type seat that opens when the first seat portion rotates forward; the second seat has a second base (80) having a second storage section capable of storing the removable battery, and a second seat portion (82) rotatably provided with respect to the second base, and is a rear flip-up type seat that opens when the second seat portion rotates rearward; one of the first storage section and the second storage section has a second connector (96) that is detachable from a first connector (22) of the removable battery, and is a mounting section for storing the removable battery for driving; The other of the first storage unit and the second storage unit is a storage unit for storing a spare removable battery in a state where the spare battery does not supply power to the electric vehicle.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein when the electric vehicle is viewed from the front to the rear of the vehicle body, at least a portion of the first accommodating portion overlaps with at least a portion of the second accommodating portion.

3. 3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a height position of a highest position (62o) of the first housing portion and a height position of a highest position (80o) of the second housing portion are substantially the same.

4. An electric vehicle (50) that runs on power supplied from a removable battery (10), The vehicle includes a vehicle body (52), a first seat (54) provided in the vehicle body, and a second seat (56) provided in the vehicle body rearward of the first seat, the first seat has a first base (62) having a first storage section capable of storing the removable battery, and a first seat portion (64) rotatably provided with respect to the first base, and is a forward flip-up type seat that opens when the first seat portion rotates forward; the second seat has a second base (80) having a second storage section capable of storing the removable battery, and a second seat portion (82) rotatably provided with respect to the second base, and is a rear flip-up type seat that opens when the second seat portion rotates rearward; one of the first storage section and the second storage section has a second connector (96) that is detachable from a first connector (22) of the removable battery, and is a mounting section for storing the removable battery for driving; the other of the first storage section and the second storage section is a storage section for storing a spare removable battery, An electric vehicle, wherein a direction in which the removable battery is inserted and removed in the first storage section is inclined backward as it goes upward, and a direction in which the removable battery is inserted and removed in the second storage section is inclined forward as it goes upward.

5. In the electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the mounting section has a casing (94a to 94d) including a bottom wall (100) against which a bottom surface (20) of the removable battery abuts, and a plurality of wall portions (102, 104, 106, 108) intersecting the bottom wall substantially perpendicularly, An electric vehicle, wherein a height of a portion of the plurality of wall portions is smaller than a height of the removable battery, and when the removable battery is inserted into the casing, a portion of the removable battery is exposed from the casing.

6. An electric vehicle (50) that runs on power supplied from a removable battery (10), The vehicle includes a vehicle body (52), a first seat (54) provided in the vehicle body, and a second seat (56) provided in the vehicle body rearward of the first seat, the first seat has a first base (62) having a first storage section capable of storing the removable battery, and a first seat portion (64) rotatably provided with respect to the first base, and is a forward flip-up type seat that opens when the first seat portion rotates forward; the second seat has a second base (80) having a second storage section capable of storing the removable battery, and a second seat portion (82) rotatably provided with respect to the second base, and is a rear flip-up type seat that opens when the second seat portion rotates rearward; one of the first storage section and the second storage section has a second connector (96) that is detachable from a first connector (22) of the removable battery, and is a mounting section for storing the removable battery for driving; the other of the first storage section and the second storage section is a storage section for storing a spare removable battery, each of the first storage section and the second storage section has a rotationally asymmetric shape so as to be able to store the removable battery, the shape of which is rotationally asymmetric when viewed from an insertion / removal direction of the removable battery; An electric vehicle, wherein when the first storage portion and the second storage portion are viewed from above, the first storage portion and the second storage portion are in an axisymmetric relationship with respect to a line (M) along a vehicle width direction of the electric vehicle.

7. An electric vehicle (50) that runs on power supplied from a removable battery (10), The vehicle includes a vehicle body (52), a first seat (54) provided in the vehicle body, and a second seat (56) provided in the vehicle body rearward of the first seat, the first seat has a first base (62) having a first storage section capable of storing the removable battery, and a first seat portion (64) rotatably provided with respect to the first base, and is a forward flip-up type seat that opens when the first seat portion rotates forward; the second seat has a second base (80) having a second storage section capable of storing the removable battery, and a second seat portion (82) rotatably provided with respect to the second base, and is a rear flip-up type seat that opens when the second seat portion rotates rearward; one of the first storage section and the second storage section has a second connector (96) that is detachable from a first connector (22) of the removable battery, and is a mounting section for storing the removable battery for driving; the other of the first storage section and the second storage section is a storage section for storing a spare removable battery, An electric vehicle, wherein the number of the removable batteries that can be stored in the storage section is an integer multiple of the number of the removable batteries that can be stored in the mounting section.

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