Saddle-type electric vehicle

Abstract

To provide a saddle-riding type electric vehicle capable of configuring a vehicle model dependent on the conversion of a front component and a rear component fitted on a unit with a battery and a motor integrated.SOLUTION: A saddle-riding type electric vehicle (10, 20, 30), which has a unit (1) with a battery (B) and a motor (M) integrated and in which front components (F1, F2, F3) supporting a front wheel (WF) are fitted on the front of the unit (1) and a vehicle body is configured by fitting rear components (R1, R2, R3) supporting a rear wheel (WR) on the rear of the unit (1). In the a saddle-riding type electric vehicle, a plurality of fitting parts (2, 3, 4) for fitting the front components (F1, F2, F3) are fitted on the front of the unit (1). The fitting part (2, 3, 4) includes: an upper fitting part (2) provided at a position near to upward position; a lower fitting part (4) provided at a position near to the downside position; and a middle fitting part (3) provided between the upward fitting part (2) and the lower fitting part (4).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a saddle-type electric vehicle, and more particularly to a saddle-type electric vehicle having a motor as a drive source and a battery that supplies electric power to the motor. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Saddle-type electric vehicles that run using a motor driven by electric power from a battery have been known for some time. In recent years, attempts have been made to configure the battery and the motor as an integrated unit.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric two-wheeler having a unit in which a battery and a motor are integrated, with a steering system that supports the front wheel attached to the front part of the unit, and a swing arm that supports the rear wheel attached to the rear part of the unit to form a vehicle body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Publication No. 2015-89757 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, the unit corresponds only to the front and rear parts to be attached to a unit that integrates a battery and a motor, and does not mention the degree of freedom in using the unit. By being able to provide multiple vehicle forms, it is possible to increase the usefulness of the unit, and it is desirable to increase the degree of freedom in using the unit as an electric vehicle.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a saddle-type electric vehicle that solves the problems of the conventional technology described above and that can increase the flexibility of use of the unit by replacing the front and rear parts attached to the unit that integrates the battery and motor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a saddle-type electric vehicle (10, 20, 30) having a unit (1) integrally formed with at least a battery (B) and a motor (M), with front parts (F1, F2, F3) supporting a front wheel (WF) attached to the front part of the unit (1) and rear parts (R1, R2, R3) supporting a rear wheel (WR) attached to the rear part of the unit (1) to form a vehicle body, the first feature of which is that a plurality of mounting parts (2, 3, 4) for mounting the front parts (F1, F2, F3) are provided at the front part of the unit (1).

[0008] A second feature is that the mounting portions (2, 3, 4) of the front parts (F1, F2, F3) consist of an upper mounting portion (2) provided at an upper position, a lower mounting portion (4) provided at a lower position, and an intermediate mounting portion (3) provided between the upper mounting portion (2) and the lower mounting portion (4).

[0009] A third feature is that the rear parts (R1, R2, R3) include at least a swing arm (18, 28, 40) supporting the rear wheel (WR) and a rear cushion (17, 27, 38) for suspending the swing arm (18, 28, 40) from the unit (1), and a pivot portion (7) for axially supporting the swing arm (18, 28, 40) so as to be freely swingable, and a rear cushion support portion (6) for supporting the rear cushion (17, 27, 38) are provided at the rear of the unit (1).

[0010] A fourth feature is that a seat (S) is disposed on the upper part of the unit (1), and the upper part of the unit (1) has a seat support part for supporting the seat (S), the seat support part is made up of at least two support parts, the seat rear support part (5) toward the rear of the vehicle is provided above the rear cushion support part (6), and the seat front support part toward the front of the vehicle is the upper mounting part (2).

[0011] A fifth feature is that the battery (B) is disposed in an upper position of the unit (1), and the motor (M) is disposed in a lower position of the unit (1).

[0012] A sixth feature is that a power control unit (P) is disposed between the battery (B) and the motor (M).

[0013] Furthermore, a seventh feature is that the unit (1) has a vertically elongated shape when viewed from the side of the vehicle body, and when the front parts (F1, F2, F3) and the rear parts (R1, R2, R3) are attached to the unit (1), the forward tilt angle of the unit (1) changes depending on the shapes of the front parts (F1, F2, F3) and the rear parts (R1, R2, R3). Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the first feature, in a saddle-type electric vehicle (10, 20, 30) having a unit (1) in which at least a battery (B) and a motor (M) are integrated, and a front part (F1, F2, F3) supporting a front wheel (WF) is attached to the front part of the unit (1) and a rear part (R1, R2, R3) supporting a rear wheel (WR) is attached to the rear part of the unit (1) to form a vehicle body, a plurality of mounting parts (2, 3, 4) for mounting the front part (F1, F2, F3) are provided in the front part of the unit (1), so that it is possible to configure different vehicle models by replacing the front part and the rear part with different types and changing the mounting part for mounting the front part while applying a common battery-integrated motor unit. This makes it possible to produce a plurality of vehicle models while keeping costs down.

[0015] According to the second feature, the mounting portions (2, 3, 4) of the front parts (F1, F2, F3) consist of an upper mounting portion (2) provided at an upper position, a lower mounting portion (4) provided at a lower position, and an intermediate mounting portion (3) provided between the upper mounting portion (2) and the lower mounting portion (4). Therefore, by providing three mounting portions of different heights, it becomes possible to replace the front part with one having a significantly different shape, and it is possible to easily configure vehicle types such as a scooter type, a commuter type, and a sports type.

[0016] According to the third feature, the rear parts (R1, R2, R3) include at least a swing arm (18, 28, 40) supporting the rear wheel (WR) and a rear cushion (17, 27, 38) for suspending the swing arm (18, 28, 40) from the unit (1), and a pivot portion (7) that axially supports the swing arm (18, 28, 40) so as to be freely swingable, and a rear cushion support portion (6) that supports the rear cushion (17, 27, 38) are provided at the rear of the unit. Therefore, by attaching swing arms and rear cushions of different shapes to the rear of the unit, it becomes possible to configure a plurality of vehicle models.

[0017] According to the fourth feature, a seat (S) is disposed on an upper portion of the unit (1), and the upper portion of the unit (1) has a seat support portion for supporting the seat (S), the seat support portion being made up of at least two support portions, the seat rear support portion (5) toward the rear of the vehicle is provided above the rear cushion support portion (6), and the seat front support portion toward the front of the vehicle is the upper mounting portion (2), so that the upper mounting portion can be effectively utilized and the seat can be securely fixed together with the rear seat support portion.

[0018] According to the fifth feature, the battery (B) is disposed in an upper position of the unit (1), and the motor (M) is disposed in a lower position of the unit (1). This allows a battery with a large front-to-rear dimension to be used to increase the charging capacity, and also allows the front-to-rear dimension of the lower part of the unit to be reduced, thereby increasing the freedom in designing the vehicle body.

[0019] According to the sixth feature, since the power control unit (P) is disposed between the battery (B) and the motor (M), the power control unit required for driving the motor is included in the unit, which makes it possible to obtain a simple appearance and facilitates the assembly of the vehicle body. In addition, wiring between the battery, motor, and power control unit is also simplified.

[0020] According to the seventh feature, the unit (1) has a vertically elongated shape in a side view of the vehicle body, and when the front parts (F1, F2, F3) and the rear parts (R1, R2, R3) are attached to the unit (1), the forward tilt angle of the unit (1) changes depending on the shapes of the front parts (F1, F2, F3) and the rear parts (R1, R2, R3). For example, when a vehicle type is a scooter type, the unit is made upright, whereas when a vehicle type is a sports type, the unit is made to tilt forward, making it easier to configure vehicle types with different appearances and driving characteristics. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a right side view of an electric motorcycle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the unit as seen diagonally from the front right. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a right side view of an electric motorcycle according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a right side view of an electric motorcycle according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a right side view of an electric motorcycle 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the unit 1 as seen diagonally from the front right, and Fig. 3 is a right side view of the unit 1. The electric motorcycle 10 has a configuration known as a scooter type.

[0023] The electric two-wheeler 10 is a saddle-type electric vehicle having a unit 1 in which at least a battery B and a motor M are integrally formed, and the vehicle body is formed by attaching a front part F1 that supports a front wheel WF to the front of the unit 1 and a rear part R1 that supports a rear wheel WR to the rear of the unit 1. In other words, the unit 1 functions as a drive source for driving the rear wheel WR and also as a vehicle body frame.

[0024] The unit 1 is configured by housing a battery B, a power control unit P, and a motor M inside a casing 8 made of synthetic resin, metal, or the like. An inclined surface 9 inclined backward with respect to the vertical direction is formed at the rear of the unit 1. The unit 1 has a vertically long shape in a side view, and the battery B is disposed at a position near the upper side of the unit 1, and the motor M is disposed at a position near the lower side of the unit 1. This allows the battery B, which has a large front-to-rear dimension, to be used to increase the charging capacity, and also allows the front-to-rear dimension of the lower part of the unit 1 to be reduced, thereby increasing the design freedom of the vehicle body. In addition, by disposing the motor M at a position near the lower side of the unit 1, the power transmission path to the rear wheels can be shortened. The power control unit P is disposed by effectively utilizing the space between the battery B and the motor M.

[0025] The front part of the unit 1 is provided with a pair of upper and lower lower mounting portions 4 for mounting the front part F1, as well as a pair of upper and lower intermediate mounting portions 3 and an upper mounting portion 2 for mounting front parts of different shapes as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0026] The front part F1 according to this embodiment includes a front frame 16 supporting a head pipe 13, a steering stem 12 rotatably supported by the head pipe 13, a steering handle 11 attached to an upper part of the steering stem 12, a bottom bridge 14 fixed to a lower part of the steering stem 12, a pair of left and right front forks 15 supported by the bottom bridge 14, and a front wheel WF rotatably supported by a lower end of the front fork 15. In this embodiment, the rear end of the front frame 16 is attached to the lower attachment part 4 to form the front half of the vehicle body.

[0027] Meanwhile, a rear cushion support part 6 and a pivot part 7 are provided at the rear of the unit 1. The rear part R1 according to this embodiment is composed of a cantilevered swing arm 18 pivotally supported by the pivot part 7 so as to be able to swing up and down, a rear cushion 17 for suspending the swing arm 18 from the unit 1, and a rear wheel WR pivotally supported on the rear end part of the swing arm 18. In this embodiment, the upper end part of the rear cushion 17 is pivotally supported by the rear cushion support part 6, and the swing arm 18 is pivotally supported by the pivot part 7, thereby forming a rear half of the vehicle body. The power of the motor M is transmitted to the rear wheel WR by a chain, belt, or the like (not shown).

[0028] A rear seat support part 5 that supports a rearward portion of the seat S is provided above the rear cushion support part 6. The frontward portion of the seat S is supported by the upper mounting part 2. This makes it possible to effectively utilize the upper mounting part 2 and to reliably fix the seat S by the upper mounting part 2 and the rear seat support part 5. Note that a pair of left and right steps on which the driver places his / her feet may be formed in a position toward the bottom of the unit 1, or a separate step may be attached. The steps may be configured integrally with the front frame 16.

[0029] The present invention is characterized in that different vehicles can be constructed by replacing the front and rear parts with those of different shapes and by changing the mounting part for mounting the front parts. This makes it possible to construct different vehicle models while applying a common unit 1, and thus makes it possible to produce multiple vehicle models while keeping costs down. Furthermore, in the present invention, by providing three front mounting parts with different heights, it becomes possible to replace the front parts with those of significantly different shapes, and it is possible to easily construct vehicle models such as scooter type, commuter type, and sports type.

[0030] 4 is a right side view of an electric motorcycle 20 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The electric motorcycle 20 has a configuration known as a commuter type. The front part F2 according to this embodiment includes a front frame 26 that supports a head pipe 23, a steering stem 22 rotatably supported by the head pipe 23, a steering handlebar 21 attached to an upper part of the steering stem 22, a bottom bridge 24 fixed to a lower part of the steering stem 22, a pair of left and right front forks 25 supported by the bottom bridge 24, and a front wheel WF rotatably supported by a lower end of the front fork 25. In this embodiment, the front half of the vehicle body is formed by attaching the rear end of the front frame 26 to the intermediate attachment part 3.

[0031] The rear part R2 according to this embodiment is composed of a cantilevered swing arm 28 journaled by the pivot portion 7 so as to be vertically swingable, a rear cushion 27 for suspending the swing arm 28 from the unit 1, and a rear wheel WR journaled to the rear end of the swing arm 28 so as to be rotatable. In this embodiment, the rear half of the vehicle body is formed by journaling the upper end of the rear cushion 27 to the rear cushion support portion 6 and journaling the swing arm 28 to the pivot portion 7. The power of the motor M is transmitted to the rear wheel WR by a chain, belt, or the like (not shown).

[0032] 5 is a right side view of an electric motorcycle 30 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The electric motorcycle 30 has a form known as a sports type. The front part F3 according to this embodiment includes a front frame 36 that supports a head pipe 33, a steering stem (not shown) rotatably supported by the head pipe 33, a top bridge 32 attached to an upper part of the steering stem, a steering handlebar 31 fixed to the top bridge 32, a bottom bridge 34 fixed to a lower part of the steering stem, a pair of left and right front forks 35 supported by the top bridge 32 and the bottom bridge 34, and a front wheel WF rotatably supported by a lower end of the front fork 35. In this embodiment, the front half of the vehicle body is formed by attaching the rear end of the front frame 36 to the upper attachment part 2. Of the two upper mounting parts 2, the lower one is disposed directly above the intermediate mounting part 3, while the upper one is disposed in a position close to the top surface of the unit 1. The spacing between the two mounting parts makes it easier to increase the support rigidity of the front frame 36.

[0033] The rear part R3 according to this embodiment includes a swing arm 40 journaled by the pivot portion 7 so as to be vertically swingable, a link mechanism 39 and a rear cushion 38 for suspending the swing arm 40 from the unit 1, a bracket 37 for supporting the rear cushion 38 on the unit 1, and a rear wheel WR journaled to the rear end of the swing arm 40 so as to be rotatable. In this embodiment, the bracket 37 is attached to the rear cushion support portion 6 and the rear seat support portion 5, and the swing arm 40 is journaled to the pivot portion 7 to form the rear half of the vehicle body. Power of the motor M is transmitted to the rear wheel WR by a chain, belt, or the like (not shown).

[0034] In this embodiment, the vertically long unit 1 is inclined forward with respect to the vertical direction. In this way, for example, if the vehicle type is a scooter type, the unit 1 is made upright, whereas if the vehicle type is a sports type, the unit 1 is inclined forward, making it easier to configure vehicle types with different appearances and driving characteristics.

[0035] The shape and structure of the unit, the number and arrangement of the mounting parts for mounting the front parts, the arrangement of the rear cushion support parts and the pivot parts, the configuration of the front parts and the rear parts, and the shapes and structures of the parts that make up the front parts and the rear parts are not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways. For example, a front part may have two front wheels and a rear part may have two rear wheels. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 10, 20, 30... electric two-wheeler (saddle-type electric vehicle), 1... unit, 2... upper mounting portion, 3... middle mounting portion, 4... lower mounting portion, 5... rear seat support portion, 6... rear cushion support portion, 7... pivot portion, 17, 27, 38... rear cushion, 18, 28, 40... swing arm, B... battery, M... motor, P... power control unit, S... seat, F1, F2, F3... front part, R1, R2, R3... rear part, WF... front wheel, WR... rear wheel

Claims

1. A saddle-type electric vehicle (10, 20, 30) having a unit (1) in which at least a battery (B) and a motor (M) are integrally formed, and a vehicle body is formed by attaching front parts (F1, F2, F3) supporting a front wheel (WF) to a front part of the unit (1) and attaching rear parts (R1, R2, R3) supporting a rear wheel (WR) to a rear part of the unit (1), an upper mounting portion (2) and a lower mounting portion (4) for configuring different vehicle models by mounting the front parts (F1, F2, F3) of different shapes at different positions at a front portion of the unit (1), and an intermediate mounting portion (3) between the upper mounting portion (2) and the lower mounting portion (4); When viewed from the side of the vehicle body, the upper mounting portion (2) is located above the center of the unit (1) in the up-down direction, and the lower mounting portion (4) is located below the center of the unit (1) in the up-down direction, A saddle-type electric vehicle, characterized in that the front parts (F1, F2, F3) are attached to the mounting parts (2, 3, 4) at positions corresponding to the front parts (F1, F2, F3) of different shapes.

2. the rear side parts (R1, R2, R3) include at least a swing arm (18, 28, 40) that supports the rear wheel (WR) and a rear cushion (17, 27, 38) for suspending the swing arm (18, 28, 40) to the unit (1); 2. The saddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that a pivot portion (7) that axially supports the swing arm (18, 28, 40) so as to be able to swing freely, and a rear cushion support portion (6) that supports the rear cushion (17, 27, 38) are provided at a rear portion of the unit (1).

3. A sheet (S) is disposed on the upper part of the unit (1), The unit (1) has a seat support part at an upper part thereof for supporting the seat (S), The seat support portion comprises at least two support portions, The seat rear support portion (5) near the rear of the vehicle is provided above the rear cushion support portion (6), 3. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the upper mounting portion (2) serves as a seat front support portion closer to the front of the vehicle.

4. 2. The saddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a battery (B) is disposed in an upper position of the unit (1), and the motor (M) is disposed in a lower position of the unit (1).

5. 5. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising a power control unit (P) disposed between the battery (B) and the motor (M).

6. The unit (1) has a vertically elongated shape when viewed from the side of the vehicle body, 2. The saddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the front part (F1, F2, F3) and the rear part (R1, R2, R3) are attached to the unit (1), a forward tilt angle of the unit (1) changes depending on shapes of the front part (F1, F2, F3) and the rear part (R1, R2, R3).

7. The rear part (R3) has a bracket (37) for supporting the rear cushion (38) on the unit (1), 3. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the bracket (37) is attached to at least the rear cushion support portion (6).

8. 2. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the front component (F1) is attached to the lower attachment portion (4) to form a scooter-type vehicle.

9. 2. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the front part (F2) is attached to the intermediate attachment portion (3) to form a commuter type vehicle.

10. 2. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the front component (F3) is attached to the upper attachment portion (2) to form a sports type vehicle.

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