Electric vehicles

Abstract

To provide an electric vehicle which can reduce a load during connection in a detachable battery connected to a fixed terminal.SOLUTION: An electric vehicle includes: a fixed terminal (61) with which a battery (30) is fixed; and a battery housing part (50) which includes the fixed terminal (61) and detachably houses the battery (30). The electric vehicle slidably includes a battery receiving part (80) which receives the battery (30) in the battery housing part (50) and has a buffer mechanism (70) located between the battery receiving part (80) and the battery housing part (50). When the battery receiving part (80) is moved to a battery housing position (P2), the battery (30) and the fixed terminal (61) are connected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known an electric vehicle that is driven by power supplied from a battery (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the electric vehicle described in Patent Document 1, the battery is detachably mounted in a battery housing, and after the battery is housed in the battery housing, a slidable terminal is operated to connect to the battery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 064596 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Generally, when inserting a battery into a battery housing, an operator needs to adjust the battery insertion behavior in order to suppress the load acting between the battery terminal and the terminal on the battery housing side. In this regard, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, after the battery is housed, the terminal on the battery housing side is slid to connect to the battery terminal, but there is a problem that making the terminal slidable makes the structure complicated. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has an object to reduce the load at the time of connection in an electric vehicle using a battery that is detachably connected to a fixed terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The first aspectThe electric vehicle includes a fixed terminal to which a battery is connected, and a battery storage section that includes the fixed terminal and in which the battery is detachably stored. The battery storage section includes a battery receiving section that is slidable within the battery storage section and receives the battery. A buffer mechanism is provided between the battery receiving section and the battery storage section. When the battery receiving section moves to a battery storage position, the battery and the fixed terminal are connected. A shock-absorbing mechanism connecting portion is provided on the bottom surface of the battery receiving portion, the shock-absorbing mechanism connecting portion being provided at a position straddling the center of the battery receiving portion in the front-rear direction and the center of the battery receiving portion in the left-right direction, the shock-absorbing mechanism being a coil spring, and the shock-absorbing mechanism connecting portion supports an end of the coil spring so as to be slidable in a winding direction. It is characterized by: A second aspect of the electric vehicle is an electric vehicle comprising a fixed terminal to which a battery is connected, and a battery storage section comprising the fixed terminal and in which the battery is detachably stored, wherein a battery receiving section that slidably receives the battery within the battery storage section has a cushioning mechanism between the battery receiving section and the battery storage section, and the cushioning mechanism comprises a coil spring having a cylindrical shape extending in the vehicle width direction, an extension section that extends radially from the cylindrical shape and engages with the battery receiving section, and an extension section that extends radially from the cylindrical shape and engages with the battery storage section, and a force acts on the battery receiving section in a direction that raises and lowers in accordance with elastic deformation of the coil spring, and when the battery receiving section moves to a battery storage position, the battery and the fixed terminal are connected. Effect of the Invention

[0006] In an electric vehicle using a battery that is detachably connected to a fixed terminal, the load at the time of connection can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a left side view of a saddle-ride type vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 4 is a left side view showing the surrounding structure of the battery housing portion. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 11 is a view corresponding to a cross section of the battery housing portion. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description, directions such as front, rear, left, right, up and down are the same as directions relative to the vehicle body unless otherwise specified. In addition, the symbol FR in each drawing indicates the front of the vehicle body, the symbol UP indicates the upper side of the vehicle body, and the symbol LH indicates the left side of the vehicle body.

[0009] [Embodiment Mode] FIG. 1 is a left side view of a saddle-ride type vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment. The saddle-type vehicle 10 is an electric motorcycle that includes a body frame 11, an electric motor 13 that drives a rear wheel 12 which is a drive wheel, a front fork 15 that supports a front wheel 14 so as to be freely steerable, a swing arm 16 that supports the rear wheel 12, and a seat 17 for a passenger. The saddle-ride type vehicle 10 is a vehicle in which a rider sits astride on a seat 17. The saddle-ride type vehicle 10 of the present embodiment is an electric scooter having a step floor 18.

[0010] The body frame 11 has a head pipe 20 at the front end, a pair of left and right upper frames 21 extending rearward and downward from the head pipe 20, a pair of left and right down frames 22 extending rearward and downward from the head pipe 20 below the upper frame 21, a pair of left and right under frames 23 extending rearward from the lower ends of the down frames 22, and a pair of left and right side frames 24 extending rearward and upward from the rear ends of the under frames 23. A branched lower end of the upper frame 21 is connected to a midway portion in the fore-and-aft direction of the underframe 23 and to the lower ends of the side frames 24.

[0011] A pair of left and right seat frames 25 extending rearward and upward are connected to the midpoint of the upper frame 21 in the front-to-rear direction. The seat frames 25 are connected to upper ends of the side frames 24. A rear subframe 26 extending rearward and upward is connected to the midpoint of the side frames 24 in the up-down direction. The seat frame 25 is connected to the rear end of the rear subframe 26.

[0012] A pair of left and right front forks 15 are steerably attached to the head pipe 20. A steering handle 19 is attached to the upper part of the front forks 15. A front wheel 14 is attached to the lower end of the front forks 15 via an axle 14a.

[0013] A pivot bracket 27 extending rearward is provided at the rear end of the underframe 23. A pivot shaft 28 extending in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) is supported at the rear end of the pivot bracket 27 via a link mechanism 32. A swing arm 16 extending along the front-rear direction of the saddle-ride type vehicle 10 is journalled on the pivot shaft 28. The swing arm 16 extends from the pivot shaft 28 to the left of the rear wheel 12. The rear end of the swing arm 16 supports the rear wheel 12 via an axle 12a.

[0014] A three-phase AC electric motor 13 is built into the swing arm 16. The electric motor 13 is located to the left of the rear wheel 12. The swing arm 16 is configured as a swing-type power unit. A rear cushion 29 is connected between the rear end of the swing arm 16 and the left seat frame 25.

[0015] The seat frame 25 supports the seat 17 from below. The seat 17 can be opened and closed vertically with its front end side as a hinge fulcrum. A battery 30 is disposed below the seat 17. In this embodiment, one battery 30 is disposed at the front and one at the rear. The battery 30 is disposed in a region surrounded by a pair of left and right side frames 24, the seat frame 25, and the rear subframe 26, and is supported by the side frames 24, the seat frame 25, and the rear subframe 26.

[0016] A PCU (Power Control Unit) 31 serving as an electronic component is supported in front of the battery 30. The PCU 31 is configured to include an inverter and the like, and, for example, converts DC power supplied from the battery 30 into AC power and supplies the converted AC power to the electric motor 13. Furthermore, during regeneration of the electric motor 13, the PCU 31 converts AC power generated by the electric motor 13 into DC power and charges the battery 30. Note that the locations of the battery 30 and the PCU 31 shown in FIG. 1 are merely an example, and they may be located in other locations within the saddle-ride type vehicle 10.

[0017] The vehicle body frame 11 is covered by a vehicle body cover 40 . The vehicle body cover 40 includes a front cover 41, an inner cover 42, a pair of left and right under-seat covers 43, a rear side cover 44, and the like.

[0018] The front cover 41 covers the front end of the body frame 11, including the head pipe 20, from the front. The inner cover 42 is connected to the rear of the front cover 41 and covers the head pipe 20 and the upper frame 21 from the rear or upper rear. A pair of left and right under-seat covers 43 cover the under side of the seat 17. The rear side covers 44 are connected to the rear edges of the under-seat covers 43 and cover the under rear of the seat 17 from the sides.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a left side view showing the peripheral structure of the battery receptacle 50. As shown in FIG. A battery storage section 50 is provided below the seat 17. The battery storage sections 50 are arranged side by side in the front and rear. The battery storage sections 50 are supported in the front and rear by the side frames 24, the seat frame 25, and the rear subframe 26. The front battery storage section 50 and the rear battery storage section 50 detachably store batteries 30 of the same shape. That is, the front battery storage section 50 and the rear battery storage section 50 are arranged in different positions in the front and rear, but have the same basic structure. Therefore, in this embodiment, the front and rear battery storage sections 50 will be described with the same reference numerals. The battery 30 will also be described with the same reference numerals even if it is a separate body.

[0020] Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the battery receptacle 50. Fig. 3 shows a state in which the battery 30 is in the process of being mounted in the front battery receptacle 50. The battery storage section 50 is made of, for example, resin. The battery storage section 50 is formed in a box shape with an open top. Within the battery storage section 50, a rectangular parallelepiped storage space S is formed in which the battery 30 is stored.

[0021] The battery storage section 50 has a rectangular bottom wall (bottom) 51, and a front wall 52, a rear wall 53, a left wall 54 (see FIG. 4), and a right wall 55 extending upward from the front, rear, left, and right sides of the bottom wall 51. A storage space S is formed by the space defined by the bottom wall 51, the front wall 52, the rear wall 53, the left wall 54, and the right wall 55. An attachment / detachment opening 56 that opens upward and is formed in an enclosed shape by the front wall 52, the rear wall 53, the left wall 54, and the right wall 55 is formed above the storage space S.

[0022] The battery storage section 50 is supported by the body frame 11 in an inclined state so as to extend upward and rearward. The battery storage section 50 is supported so as to incline downward and rearward at a predetermined angle, with its attachment / detachment opening 56 facing upward and rearward. The battery 30 is attached to and detached from the battery storage section 50 through the attachment / detachment opening 56.

[0023] The battery 30 is a chargeable and dischargeable energy storage. The battery 30 in this embodiment is a lithium ion battery. As shown in FIG. 2, the battery 30 has a rectangular parallelepiped main body 30a, a terminal portion 30b provided at a recessed position in front of a bottom surface 30a1 of the main body 30a, and a grip portion 30c provided protruding above an upper surface 30a2 of the main body 30a. The battery 30 is accommodated in the battery accommodating portion 50 while being slid obliquely through the attachment / detachment opening 56. A part of the weight of the battery 30 can be supported by the rear wall 53. When the battery 30 is attached to the battery storage portion 50, the upper surface 30a2 of the main body portion 30a is located above the attachment / detachment opening 56.

[0024] A lock lever 33 is disposed around the battery storage section 50. The lock lever 33 is disposed corresponding to the upper end of the battery storage section 50. The lock lever 33 is formed by bending a pipe material into a ring shape. The lock lever 33 has a front portion 33a extending in the left-right direction, a pair of left and right side portions 33b extending rearward from both ends of the front portion 33a while bending up and down in a zigzag shape, and an operating portion 33c connecting the rear ends of the side portions 33b. A rotating stay portion 34 is fixed to the front portion 33a of the lock lever 33. The rotating stay portion 34 is supported so as to be rotatable about an axis 34a extending in the vehicle width direction. As a result, the lock lever 33 is supported so as to be rotatable on the front portion 33a side. The lock lever 33 is supported at its rear end so as to be engaged with and disengaged from a lock mechanism (not shown) supported by the vehicle body frame 11. Therefore, by releasing the engagement of the locking mechanism and lifting the operating portion 33c upward, the locking lever 33 rotates upward about the front portion 33a side as the center of rotation. Also, by pushing down the rear end portion of the locking lever 33 to engage with the locking mechanism, the locking lever 33 is held in the locked position shown in FIG. 2 where the upward rotation of the locking lever 33 is restricted.

[0025] Here, the side portion 33b is provided with lock pieces 33d, 33e that hold down the upper surface 30a2 of the battery 30 in correspondence with the batteries 30 accommodated in the front and rear battery accommodation portions 50. The lock pieces 33d, 33e are plate members extending inward in the vehicle width direction from the side portion 33b of the lock lever 33, and the lock pieces 33d, 33e extend inward from the outer side in the vehicle width direction to the upper surface 30a2 of each battery 30. The lock pieces 33d, 33e come into contact with the upper surface 30a2 of the battery 30, thereby restricting the battery 30 from moving upward from the battery accommodation portion 50.

[0026] Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to a cross section of the battery housing portion 50. In Fig. 4, the upper surface of the bottom wall 51 is shown in the front battery housing portion 50, and the upper surface of the spring receiving tray 80 is shown in the rear battery housing portion 50. A terminal arrangement portion 57 and a shock absorbing mechanism arrangement portion 58 provided behind the terminal arrangement portion 57 are formed on the bottom wall 51 of the battery housing portion 50 . The terminal arrangement portion 57 has an opening 57a penetrating the bottom wall 51 in the thickness direction. The opening 57a extends in the vehicle width direction. The opening 57a is formed on the front wall 52 side. A terminal unit 60 is fixed to the terminal arrangement portion 57 of the bottom wall 51 in correspondence with the position where the opening 57a is formed (see FIG. 3).

[0027] 3 and 4, the terminal unit 60 has a fixed terminal portion (fixed terminal, terminal) 61 and a terminal cover 62 that covers the fixed terminal portion 61. In the terminal unit 60, the fixed terminal portion 61 is arranged in a state in which it extends from below to above the bottom wall 51 through the opening 57a. Then, the terminal cover 62 is fixed to the bottom wall 51 so as to cover the fixed terminal portion 61.

[0028] The fixed terminal portion 61 of the terminal unit 60 has a block-shaped base portion 63 extending in the vehicle width direction. A plurality of signal terminal pins 64 protruding upward from the base portion 63 are supported on the base portion 63. The signal terminal pins 64 are flat (or cylindrical) and are arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction. A pair of flat (or cylindrical) high voltage terminal pins 65 are provided on both sides of the signal terminal pins 64 in the vehicle width direction. The high voltage terminal pins 65 have a height (length in the protruding direction relative to the base portion 62) of an upper end that is higher than the height of the upper end of the signal terminal pin 64. A pair of guide projections 66 are formed on the outer side of the high voltage terminal pin 65 in the vehicle width direction. A pair of the guide projections 66 are provided on both sides of the base portion 63 in the vehicle width direction. The guide projections 66 are formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The tip of the guide projection 66 is formed in a spherical shape or a tapered shape that tapers toward the tip. The guide projections 66 protrude upward beyond the signal terminal pins 64 and the high voltage terminal pins 65 .

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, a signal cable 67 is connected to the signal terminal pin 64 , and a high voltage cable 68 is connected to the high voltage terminal pin 65 . The signal cable 67 extends downward, is led out from the terminal cover 62, and is connected to the PCU 31. The signal cable 67 transmits information about the battery 30 (information about the voltage, temperature, etc.) to the PCU 31. The high-voltage cables 68 extend from the respective high-voltage terminal pins 65, one connected to the PCU 31 and the other connected to the high-voltage terminal pin 65 of the other battery storage unit 50. That is, the front and rear batteries 30 are connected in series to the PCU 31 by the high-voltage cables 68. The batteries 30 can supply a predetermined high-voltage DC power to the PCU 31.

[0030] A shock absorbing mechanism accommodating section 58 is provided behind the terminal accommodating section 57. The shock absorbing mechanism accommodating section 58 is formed by being recessed downward from the bottom wall 51 of the battery accommodating section 50. That is, the shock absorbing mechanism accommodating section 58 has an axle accommodating section 58a formed in the bottom wall 51 and recessed downward in a semicircular arc shape. The axle accommodating section 58a extends in the vehicle width direction, and a spring support section 58b inclined upward toward the front is formed in the center of the axle accommodating section 58a in the vehicle width direction. Bracket accommodating sections 58c are formed on both sides of the spring support section 58b in the vehicle width direction. The bracket accommodating section 58c has a flat bottom surface 58c1 formed in a stepped shape with respect to the upper surface of the bottom wall 51.

[0031] A shock absorbing mechanism 70 is disposed in the shock absorbing mechanism disposing portion 58. The shock absorbing mechanism 70 has a spring mounting shaft 71 extending in the vehicle width direction. The spring mounting shaft 71 is accommodated in the shaft accommodating portion 58a. The spring mounting shaft 71 is fixed to the bottom wall 51 in a state in which a coil spring 72 is inserted through the spring mounting shaft 71.

[0032] The coil spring 72 is an integral part formed by winding a single metal wire in a spiral shape and bending it appropriately. The coil spring 72 is formed symmetrically in the vehicle width direction. In detail, the coil spring 72 has a pair of left and right coil parts 72a. The coil part 72a is attached to the spring attachment shaft 71 by inserting the spring attachment shaft 71 into the inside of the cylindrical part shape. A fixed extension part 72b extending radially outward along the upper surface of the spring support part 58b is formed at the inner end of the coil part 72a in the vehicle width direction. The fixed extension part 72b extends from the radial outer periphery side of the coil part 72a. A connection part 72c extending in the left and right direction is formed at the tip of the fixed extension part 72b. The left and right fixed extension parts 72b are integrally connected by the connection part 72c. The fixed extension part 72b is fixed by a metal plate-like pressing plate 73 in a state of being sandwiched between the pressing plate 73 and the spring support part 58b. The pressing plate 73 is fixed to the bottom wall 51 by a fixing device 73a. The fixing device 73a is, for example, a bolt.

[0033] A movable extension portion 72d is formed at the outer end of the coil portion 72a in the vehicle width direction, and extends radially outward. The movable extension portion 72d extends from the radial outer periphery of the coil portion 72a. A sliding portion 72e is formed at the tip of the movable extension portion 72d, and extends while bending outward in the vehicle width direction. The shock absorbing mechanism 70 of this embodiment is configured by the spring mounting shaft 71, the coil spring 72, the retaining plate 73, and the fixing device 73a. The shock absorbing mechanism 70 may be configured to include other members. The shock absorbing mechanism 70 is disposed behind the terminal unit 60. The shock absorbing mechanism 70 is provided below the upper end of the guide protrusion 66 of the terminal unit 60 and above the lower end of the terminal cover 62.

[0034] A battery receiving tray (battery receiving section) 80 is disposed above the buffer mechanism 70. The battery receiving tray 80 is disposed in the storage space S of the battery housing section 50. The battery receiving tray 80 is a rectangular plate-shaped tray that corresponds to the size of the cross-sectional shape of the storage space S. The battery receiving tray 80 is supported in the battery housing section 50 so as to be slidable in the up-down direction. The battery receiving tray 80 has a rectangular plate-shaped main body section 81. An opening 81a penetrating in the thickness direction is provided at the front end of the main body section 81. The opening 81a is formed so that the fixed terminal section 61 of the terminal unit 60 can enter. An outer peripheral wall section 82 that curves upward as it proceeds from the main body section 81 to the outer peripheral side is formed at the outer peripheral section of the main body section 81. The outer surface of the outer peripheral wall section 82 is slidably abutted against the inner surfaces of the front wall 52, the rear wall 53, the left wall 54, and the right wall 55 of the battery housing section 50. The opening 81a of the battery receiving tray 80 may be, instead of being a hole, for example, a notch cut out from the outer peripheral wall portion 82 at the front end.

[0035] A shock absorbing mechanism connection part 74 is provided on the lower surface of the battery receiving tray 80. The shock absorbing mechanism connection part 74 is provided at a position straddling the front-rear center L1 and the left-right center L2 of the battery receiving tray 80. The shock absorbing mechanism connection part 74 of this embodiment has a pair of left and right spring engaging brackets 75. The spring engaging brackets 75 are block-shaped and long in the front-rear direction. The spring engaging brackets 75 are fixed integrally to the battery receiving tray 80 so as to extend beyond the front-rear center L1 of the battery receiving tray 80. The spring engaging brackets 75 are also arranged on the left and right straddling the left-right center L2 of the battery receiving tray 80. Therefore, the shock absorbing mechanism connection part 84 of this embodiment is provided at a position straddling the front-rear center L1 and the left-right center L2 of the battery receiving tray 80.

[0036] A slide hole 75a penetrating in the left-right direction is formed in the spring engagement bracket 75. The slide hole 75a is an elongated hole extending along the inclined shape of the main body 81 of the battery receiving tray 80. In other words, the slide hole 75a extends linearly and inclines upward as it moves forward.

[0037] Coil spring 72 of buffer mechanism 70 is engaged with slide hole 75a. That is, slide portion 72e of coil spring 72 passes through slide hole 75a from the inside in the vehicle width direction, and slide portion 72e protrudes to the outside in the vehicle width direction of spring engagement bracket 75. This allows the end of coil spring 72 to be supported slidably in the winding direction.

[0038] When the coil spring 72 is compressed, the movable extension portion 72d approaches the fixed extension portion 72b. At this time, the sliding portion 72e at the tip of the movable extension portion 72d moves forward and downward. On the other hand, when the coil spring 72 is restored from the elastically deformed state, the movable extension portion 72d moves away from the fixed extension portion 72b, and the sliding portion 72e at the tip of the movable extension portion 72d moves backward and upward.

[0039] Therefore, since the sliding portion 72e is inserted into the slide hole 75e, when the sliding portion 72e moves back and forth and up and down in response to the elastic deformation of the coil spring 72, it can move back and forth in the longitudinal direction through the slide hole 75a while exerting a force to raise and lower the battery receiving tray 80 via the spring engagement bracket 75.

[0040] That is, when a downward load acts on the battery receiving tray 80, the coil spring 72 is compressed and the movable extension portion 72d approaches the fixed extension portion 72b. Therefore, the sliding portion 72e moves forward in the slide hole 75a while applying an upward elastic force. Furthermore, when the downward load from the battery receiving tray 80 decreases, the coil spring 72 is restored to its original state and the movable extension portion 72d moves away from the fixed extension portion 72b. Therefore, the sliding portion 72e moves rearward in the slide hole 75a while exerting an upward elastic force.

[0041] 1 to 4, in a saddle-ride type vehicle 10 of this embodiment, a battery 30 is mounted in a battery storage section 50, and an electric motor 13 is driven by electric power supplied from the battery 30. This drives the rear wheel 12, causing the saddle-ride type vehicle 10 to travel.

[0042] When the battery 30 runs out of charge, the battery 30 attached to the battery receptacle 50 is replaced. When removing the battery 30 from the battery storage section 50, the lock lever 33 is operated upward to move the lock pieces 33d, 33e of the battery 30 away from the upper surface 30a2 of the battery 30. This makes it possible to attach and detach the battery 30 to and from the battery storage section 50.

[0043] That is, when the battery 30 is pulled upward from the battery accommodating section 50 by gripping the gripping section 30c of the battery 30, the terminal section 30b of the battery is pulled out from the fixed terminal section 61, and the battery 30 is removed from the battery accommodating section 50. At this time, the battery receiving tray 80 moves upward together with the rise of the battery 30 due to the biasing force of the coil spring 72. Then, when the coil spring 72 abuts against the rear end of the slide hole 75a or the forces are balanced, the upward movement of the battery receiving tray 80 ends. That is, the battery receiving tray 80 is held at the upper limit position P1. At the upper limit position P1, the battery receiving tray 80 is separated upward from the fixed terminal section 61.

[0044] Furthermore, when attaching the battery 30, the worker grips the gripping portion 30c and inserts the battery into the battery housing portion 50 from the terminal portion 30b. When the battery 30 moves downward along the battery housing portion 50 and the lower end of the battery 30 comes into contact with the battery receiving tray 80, the battery receiving tray 80 moves down together with the battery 30. When the battery 30 moves further downward from this state, the battery receiving tray 80 moves downward and the fixed terminal portion 61 enters upward through the opening 81a of the battery receiving tray 80.

[0045] Therefore, in the terminal portion 30b of the battery 30, the guide protrusions 66 are inserted into the guide holes (not shown) and positioned in the fixed terminal portion 61, and the high voltage terminal pin 65 and the signal terminal pin 64 of the fixed terminal portion 61 are connected to the terminal portion 30b of the battery 30 in this order. Thus, the battery 30 is mounted in the battery housing portion 50. At this time, the spring engagement bracket 75 of the battery receiving tray 80 is housed in the bracket housing portion 58c and abuts against the bottom surface 58c1, so that downward movement of the battery receiving tray 80 is restricted. That is, the battery receiving tray 80 is held at the lower limit position P2 due to the weight of the battery 30, etc.

[0046] When the lock lever 33 is moved to the locked position with the batteries 30 attached, the stoppers 27d, 27e come into contact with the upper surfaces 30a2, 30a2 of the batteries 30, and the batteries 30 are prevented from being removed by the lock lever 33. This completes the replacement of the batteries 30.

[0047] Generally, the battery 30 is heavy, and therefore the battery 30 is likely to receive a large force due to its own weight when it is moved downward. In this embodiment, a buffer mechanism 70 and a battery receiving tray 80 are disposed below the battery housing section 50, and the battery 30 is attached to the battery housing section 50 while abutting against the battery receiving tray 80 and receiving an upward force. Therefore, the battery 30 moves downward while a force in a direction that cancels its own weight acts on the battery 30, and the operator can easily connect the terminal portion 30b and the fixed terminal portion 61 without applying an excessive load while appropriately adjusting the insertion behavior of the battery 30.

[0048] In particular, in this embodiment, because an upward force is applied by elastic deformation of the coil spring 72, the more the battery receiving tray 80 moves downward, the greater the upward force that acts. Therefore, when the terminal portion 30b contacts the fixed terminal portion 61, a large force is easily applied in a direction that counteracts the weight of the battery 30, making it easy to appropriately adjust the insertion behavior of the battery 30.

[0049] As described above, according to this embodiment to which the present invention is applied, in a saddle-type vehicle 10 as an electric vehicle having a fixed terminal portion 61 to which the battery 30 is connected, and a battery storage portion 50 having the fixed terminal portion 61 and in which the battery 30 is detachably stored, a battery receiving tray 80 that receives the battery 30 is slidably provided within the battery storage portion 50, and a buffer mechanism 70 is provided between the battery receiving tray 80 and the battery storage portion 50, and when the battery receiving tray 80 moves to the lower limit position P2, which is the battery storage position, the battery 30 and the fixed terminal portion 61 are connected. According to this configuration, the weight of the battery 30 can be received through the battery receiving tray 80 by having the buffer mechanism 70, and when the battery receiving tray 80 moves to the lower limit position P2, which is the battery storage position, the terminal portion 30b of the battery 30 and the fixed terminal portion 61 are connected, so that the insertion behavior of the battery 30 can be appropriately adjusted while the connection is made without applying excessive load to the terminal portion 30b of the battery 30 and the fixed terminal portion 61. Therefore, in the saddle type vehicle 10 using the battery 30 that is detachably connected to the fixed terminal portion 61, the load at the time of connection can be suppressed.

[0050] In this embodiment, the battery accommodating section 50 has a box shape that is open at the top, the battery receiving tray 80 is a tray that can move up and down within the battery accommodating section 50, and the cushioning mechanism 70 is disposed between the bottom wall 51 of the battery accommodating section 50 and the battery receiving tray 80, and the battery receiving tray 80 can move via the cushioning mechanism 70 between an upper limit position P1 when accommodating the battery 30 and a lower limit position P2 when the battery 30 is accommodated. According to this configuration, the cushioning mechanism 70 is disposed between the bottom wall 51 of the battery accommodating section 50 and the battery receiving tray 80, and a compact configuration is achieved that regulates the vertical movement of the battery receiving tray 80 via the cushioning mechanism 70, thereby enabling a structure in which the insertion behavior of the battery 30 can be appropriately adjusted while allowing connection without placing excessive load on the terminal portions 30b, 61.

[0051] In addition, in this embodiment, the fixed terminal portion 61 is provided between the bottom wall 51 of the battery accommodating portion 50 and the battery receiving tray 80, and the upper limit position P1 of the battery receiving tray 80 is located above the upper end of the fixed terminal portion 61. According to this configuration, the terminal portions 30b, 61 are positioned lower than the upper limit position P1 of the battery receiving tray 80, making it possible to appropriately adjust the insertion behavior of the battery 30 while allowing connection without placing excessive load on the terminals.

[0052] In this embodiment, the lower limit position P2 of the battery receiving tray 80 is located below the upper end of the fixed terminal portion 61, and the battery receiving tray 80 is provided with an opening 81a that avoids the fixed terminal portion 61. According to this configuration, by accommodating the battery 30 in the battery accommodating section 50 against the biasing force of the buffer mechanism 70, it becomes possible to connect the terminal portions 30b, 61 to each other, thereby enabling a structure in which the insertion behavior of the battery 30 can be appropriately adjusted while allowing connection without placing excessive load on the terminal portions 30b, 61.

[0053] In addition, in this embodiment, a cushioning mechanism connection portion 74 that is connected to the cushioning mechanism 70 is provided on the bottom surface of the battery receiving tray 80, and the cushioning mechanism connection portion 74 is provided at a position straddling the front-to-rear center L1 and the left-to-right center L2 of the battery receiving tray 80. According to this configuration, the connection area between the cushioning mechanism 70 and the battery receiving tray 80 can be increased, and tilting of the battery receiving tray 80 can be prevented. Therefore, when the battery 30 is inserted, the battery 30 can be received on the surface of the battery receiving tray 80. This contributes to a structure that allows the insertion behavior of the battery 30 to be appropriately adjusted while allowing connection without placing excessive load on the terminal portions 30b, 61.

[0054] In this embodiment, the buffer mechanism 70 is a coil spring 72, and an end of the coil spring 72 is supported by the buffer mechanism connection portion 74 so as to be slidable in the winding direction. According to this configuration, by making the buffer mechanism 70 slidable, in combination with the biasing force of the coil spring 72, the battery receiving tray 80 can slide smoothly, thereby contributing to a structure that allows the insertion behavior of the battery 30 to be appropriately adjusted while allowing connection without placing excessive load on the terminal portions 30b, 61.

[0055] In the present embodiment, the bottom wall 51 of the battery receptacle 50 is provided with a shock absorbing mechanism mounting section 58 that is recessed downward from the bottom wall 51 of the battery receptacle 50 . According to this configuration, a space that allows the battery receiving tray 80 to move up and down can be secured, and a compact structure can be achieved.

[0056] [Other embodiments] The above-described embodiment merely shows one aspect of the present invention, and any modification and application can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the buffer mechanism 70 is configured by the coil spring 72, but the buffer mechanism 70 is not limited to the coil spring 72. For example, a hydraulic damper or the like may be used to buffer the force caused by the weight of the battery 30 when it is inserted.

[0058] In the above embodiment, a motorcycle having a front wheel 14 and a rear wheel 12 has been used as an example of the saddle-ride vehicle 10, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is applicable to three-wheel saddle-ride vehicles having two front or two rear wheels, and saddle-ride vehicles having four or more wheels.

[0059] [Configuration supported by the above embodiment] The above embodiment supports the following configurations.

[0060] (Configuration 1) An electric vehicle comprising a fixed terminal to which a battery is connected, and a battery storage section having the fixed terminal and in which the battery is detachably stored, the electric vehicle further comprising a battery receiving section that slidably receives the battery within the battery storage section, a buffer mechanism being provided between the battery receiving section and the battery storage section, and the battery and the fixed terminal being connected when the battery receiving section moves to a battery storage position. According to this configuration, the cushioning mechanism allows the load of the battery to be received through the battery receiving portion, and when the battery receiving portion moves to the battery storage position, the battery terminal and the fixed terminal are connected. Therefore, the battery insertion behavior can be appropriately adjusted while the battery terminal and the fixed terminal are connected without placing an excessive load on them. Therefore, in a saddle-ride type vehicle using a battery that is detachably connected to a fixed terminal, the load at the time of connection can be reduced.

[0061] (Configuration 2) The electric vehicle described in configuration 1, characterized in that the battery storage section has a box shape that is open at the top, the battery receiving section is a tray that can move up and down within the battery storage section, the cushioning mechanism is disposed between a bottom of the battery storage section and the battery receiving section, and the battery receiving section is movable via the cushioning mechanism between an upper limit position when the battery is stored and a lower limit position when the battery is stored. According to this configuration, the cushioning mechanism is disposed between the bottom of the battery storage section and the battery receiving section, and a compact configuration is achieved that regulates the up and down movement of the battery receiving section via the cushioning mechanism, thereby enabling a structure that allows the battery insertion behavior to be appropriately adjusted while allowing connection without placing excessive load on the terminals.

[0062] (Configuration 3) The electric vehicle described in configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the fixed terminal is provided between a bottom of the battery storage section and the battery receiving section, and an upper limit position of the battery receiving section is located above an upper end of the fixed terminal. With this configuration, the terminals are positioned lower than the upper limit position of the battery receiving portion, making it possible to appropriately adjust the battery insertion behavior while allowing connection without placing excessive load on the terminals.

[0063] (Configuration 4) An electric vehicle as described in any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that a lower limit position of the battery receiving portion is located lower than an upper end of the fixed terminal, and an opening is provided in the battery receiving portion to avoid the fixed terminal. With this configuration, the terminals can be connected by accommodating the battery in the battery accommodating section against the biasing force of the buffer mechanism, thereby enabling a structure that allows connection without placing excessive load on the terminals while appropriately adjusting the battery insertion behavior.

[0064] (Configuration 5) An electric vehicle as described in any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that a buffer mechanism connection portion for connecting to the buffer mechanism is provided on the bottom surface of the battery receiving portion, and the buffer mechanism connection portion is provided at a position straddling the front-to-rear center and the left-to-right center of the battery receiving portion. With this configuration, the connection area between the cushioning mechanism and the battery receiving part can be increased, and tilting of the battery receiving part is less likely to occur. Therefore, when the battery is inserted, it can be received on the surface of the battery receiving part, which contributes to a structure that allows the battery insertion behavior to be appropriately adjusted while allowing connection without placing excessive load on the terminals.

[0065] (Configuration 6) The electric vehicle according to configuration 5, wherein the buffer mechanism is a coil spring, and an end of the coil spring is supported by the buffer mechanism connection portion so as to be slidable in a winding direction. According to this configuration, by making the cushioning mechanism slidable, in combination with the biasing force of the coil spring, the battery receiving part can slide smoothly, thereby contributing to a structure that allows the battery insertion behavior to be appropriately adjusted while allowing connection without placing excessive load on the terminals.

[0066] (Configuration 7) The electric vehicle according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein a shock absorbing mechanism housing section is provided at the bottom of the battery housing section and recessed downward from the bottom of the battery housing section. According to this configuration, a space that allows the battery receiving portion to move up and down can be secured, and a compact structure can be achieved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10 Saddle-type vehicles (electric vehicles) 30 Battery 50 Battery compartment 51 Bottom wall (bottom) 58 Buffer mechanism arrangement section (buffer mechanism housing section) 61 Fixed terminal section (fixed terminal, terminal) 70 Buffer mechanism 72 Coil spring 74 Buffer mechanism connection part 80 Battery receiving tray (battery receiving part, tray) 81a Opening L1 Front-back center L2 Left / right center P1 upper limit position P2 Lower limit position (battery storage position)

Claims

1. An electric vehicle including a fixed terminal (61) to which a battery (30) is connected, and a battery storage section (50) including the fixed terminal (61) and in which the battery (30) is detachably stored, a battery receiving portion (80) for receiving the battery (30) is provided in the battery storage portion (50) so as to be slidable therein; A buffer mechanism (70) is provided between the battery receiving portion (80) and the battery storage portion (50), When the battery receiving portion (80) moves to the battery storage position (P2), the battery (30) and the fixed terminal (61) are connected to each other, A buffer mechanism connecting portion (74) that is connected to the buffer mechanism (70) is provided on the bottom surface of the battery receiving portion (80), The shock absorbing mechanism connection portion (74) is provided at a position straddling the front-rear center (L1) and the left-right center (L2) of the battery receiving portion (80), The buffer mechanism (70) is a coil spring (72), The shock absorbing mechanism connection portion (74) supports an end of the coil spring (72) so as to be slidable in the winding direction. An electric vehicle characterized by:

2. An electric vehicle including a fixed terminal (61) to which a battery (30) is connected, and a battery storage section (50) including the fixed terminal (61) and in which the battery (30) is detachably stored, a battery receiving portion (80) for receiving the battery (30) is provided in the battery storage portion (50) so as to be slidable therein; A buffer mechanism (70) is provided between the battery receiving portion (80) and the battery storage portion (50), The buffer mechanism (70) includes a coil spring (72) having a cylindrical shape (72a) extending in a vehicle width direction, an extension portion (72d) extending radially from the cylindrical shape (72a) and engaging with the battery receiving portion (80), and an extension portion (72b) extending radially from the cylindrical shape (72a) and engaging with the battery storage portion (50), A force acts on the battery receiving portion (80) in a direction in which the battery receiving portion rises and falls in response to elastic deformation of the coil spring (72), When the battery receiving portion (80) moves to the battery storage position (P2), the battery (30) and the fixed terminal (61) are connected to each other. An electric vehicle characterized by:

3. The battery storage section (50) has a box shape with an open top, The battery receiving section (80) is a tray that is movable up and down within the battery housing section (50), The buffer mechanism (70) is disposed between a bottom (51) of the battery storage section (50) and the battery receiving section (80), The battery receiving portion (80) is movable, via the buffer mechanism (70), between an upper limit position (P1) when the battery (30) is received and a lower limit position (P2) when the battery (30) is received.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The fixed terminal (61) is provided between a bottom (51) of the battery storage section (50) and the battery receiving section (80), The upper limit position (P1) of the battery receiving portion (80) is located above the upper end of the fixed terminal (61).

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The lower limit position (P2) of the battery receiving portion (80) is located below the upper end of the fixed terminal (61), The battery receiving portion (80) is provided with an opening (81a) for avoiding the fixed terminal (61).

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

6. A buffer mechanism accommodating section (58) recessed downward from the bottom (51) of the battery accommodating section (50) is provided in the bottom (51) of the battery accommodating section (50).

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

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