Saddle-type vehicle

Abstract

To provide a saddle-riding type vehicle capable of optimally cooling a drive motor and a controller independently, according to each one's calorific power, without dependence on the other's calorific power.SOLUTION: A motorcycle 1 includes: a front wheel 11 and a rear wheel 12; a vehicle body frame 20; a drive motor 30 for generating driving power; a controller 40 for controlling the drive motor 30; a first cooling device 80 for cooling the drive motor 30; and a second cooling device 90 for cooling the controller 40. In the first cooling device 80, a first refrigerant R1 circulates and in the second cooling device 90, a second refrigerant R2 different from the first refrigerant R1 circulates.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a saddle-type vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, efforts to realize a low-carbon or carbon-free society have become more active, and research and development is being conducted on saddle-type vehicles equipped with a drive motor that generates driving force in order to reduce CO2 emissions and improve energy efficiency.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a saddle-type vehicle equipped with a drive motor that drives rear wheels, a control device (PCU) that controls the drive motor, and a cooling device that cools the drive motor and the control device. The cooling device equipped in the saddle-type vehicle described in Patent Document 1 includes a radiator and a water pump, and coolant circulates through the radiator, the water pump, the control device, and the drive motor. The cooling device cools the coolant in the radiator, and supplies the coolant cooled by the radiator to the control device and the drive motor by the water pump. The coolant cooled by the radiator flows through the control device and the drive motor, thereby cooling the control device and the drive motor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 186749 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the saddle-type vehicle described in Patent Document 1, the control device and the drive motor have different amounts of heat dissipation, and therefore different required cooling capacities. However, the cooling device mounted on the saddle-type vehicle described in Patent Document 1 cools both the control device and the drive motor with one coolant, so both the control device and the drive motor are cooled according to whichever has the greater required cooling capacity, and it is difficult to achieve optimal cooling when there is a large difference between the heat generation amount and the appropriate cooling temperature for the control device and the drive motor.

[0006] The present invention provides a saddle-type vehicle that can optimally and independently cool a drive motor and a control device according to the amount of heat generated by each, regardless of the amount of heat generated by the other. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to Front and rear wheels; The vehicle frame, A drive motor that generates a drive force; A control device for controlling the drive motor; a first cooling device for cooling the driving motor; A saddle-type vehicle including a second cooling device that cools the control device, A first refrigerant circulates through the first cooling device, A second refrigerant different from the first refrigerant is circulated in the second cooling device. death, The second refrigerant is cooling water, the second cooling device includes a radiator, a cooling water pump, and a second refrigerant flow path that circulates the radiator, the cooling water pump, and the control device; The saddle-type vehicle further includes a housing member that is fixed to the body frame and that houses the control device and the radiator. . Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the drive motor and the control device can be optimally cooled independently in accordance with the amount of heat generated by each of them, regardless of the amount of heat generated by the other. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]1 is a left side view of a motorcycle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the front part of the motorcycle in FIG. 1 with a front cowl and a knee grip removed. [Diagram 3] 2 is a schematic diagram of the handlebar and its vicinity of the motorcycle in FIG. 1 as viewed from above. [Figure 4] 2 is a left side view of the periphery of a first cooling device of the motorcycle of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 2 is a schematic diagram of an oil cooler in a first cooling device of the motorcycle in FIG. 1, as viewed from the front. [Figure 6] 2 is a schematic diagram of an oil cooler and a cover member of the motorcycle in FIG. 1 as viewed from the front. [Figure 7] 2 is a left side view of the motorcycle of FIG. 1 with a front cowl, a knee grip, and a seat structure removed. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a schematic diagram of a radiator in a second cooling device of the motorcycle in FIG. 1, as viewed from the front. [Figure 9] 2 is a schematic diagram of a control device in the motorcycle of FIG. 1 as viewed from above. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] A motorcycle as an embodiment of the saddle-ride type vehicle of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. The drawings are to be viewed in the direction of the reference symbols. In this specification and the like, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, the front / rear, left / right, and up / down directions are described according to the direction as seen by the rider of the motorcycle, and in the drawings, the front of the vehicle is indicated as Fr, the rear as Rr, the left as L, the right as R, the up as U, and the down as D.

[0011] [Overall structure of motorcycle] As shown in Fig. 1, the motorcycle 1 of this embodiment is an electric motorcycle. The motorcycle 1 includes a front wheel 11 and a rear wheel 12, a body frame 20 as a skeleton of the motorcycle 1, a drive motor 30 as a drive source for driving the rear wheel 12, a control device 40 for controlling the drive motor 30, a front link suspension mechanism 50 for suspending the front wheel 11, a steering section 60, a rear suspension mechanism 70 for suspending the rear wheel 12, a first cooling device 80 for cooling the drive motor 30, and a second cooling device 90 for cooling the control device 40. The motorcycle 1 is also equipped with a battery BAT for storing electric power to be supplied to the drive motor 30, the control device 40, and various auxiliary devices attached to the motorcycle 1. The battery BAT is a chargeable and dischargeable secondary battery, for example, a lithium-ion battery.

[0012] [Body frame] 1 and 2, the body frame 20 includes a main frame 22, a pair of left and right pivot frames 23 connected to the rear end of the main frame 22, and a seat frame 24 connected to the rear end of the main frame 22. Each member of the body frame 20 is formed of a metal that is relatively lightweight and has high rigidity, such as aluminum, titanium, iron, or magnesium, or fiber reinforced plastics (FRP).

[0013] The main frame 22 extends at an incline downward toward the rear and has a pair of left and right side wall portions 221 extending in the up-down and front-rear directions. An insertion hole 222 recessed from a diagonally downward front direction toward a diagonally upward rear direction is formed in the front upper end portion of the main frame 22. The insertion hole 222 does not penetrate through the main frame 22, and above the insertion hole 222 of the main frame 22, instruments 13 such as a speedometer and a tachometer are arranged (see FIG. 3). Note that the insertion hole 222 may penetrate through the front upper end portion of the main frame 22 from a diagonally downward front direction toward a diagonally upward rear direction, and the instrument 13 may be arranged to cover the insertion hole 222.

[0014] An upper arm connector 221a to which an upper arm 531 of the swing arm 53 described later is rotatably connected, and a lower arm connector 221b to which a lower arm 532 of the swing arm 53 described later is rotatably connected are provided on the pair of left and right side wall portions 221. The lower arm connector 221b is provided below the upper arm connector 221a.

[0015] The pivot frames 23 are provided on each of the pair of left and right side wall portions 221. That is, the motorcycle 1 has a pair of left and right pivot frames 23. The left and right pivot frames 23 are each provided with a pivot 231 that rotatably supports a swing arm 71, which will be described later.

[0016] The seat frame 24 extends in the front-rear direction and is gradually inclined upward toward the rear. A front end of the seat frame 24 is connected to the main frame 22.

[0017] A front cowl 25 is attached to the body frame 20. The front cowl 25 is a cowl member that covers the front portion of the body frame 20 and left and right portions of the front region of the body frame 20.

[0018] A seat structure 26 is attached to the body frame 20 so as to cover the body frame 20 from above. The seat structure 26 has an upper surface portion 261 that is located at the upper part of the body frame 20 and forms a seating surface, and a pair of left and right side surface portions 262 that extend downward from the left and right ends of the upper surface portion 261, respectively.

[0019] Knee grips 27 are attached to the body frame 20 at the front of each of the left and right side portions 262 of the seat structure 26. The knee grips 27 may be part of the front cowl 25, or part of the seat structure 26, or may be separate members from the front cowl 25 and the seat structure 26. The left and right knee grips 27 extend in the up-down and front-rear directions so as to cover a portion of the left and right sides of the body frame 20, respectively.

[0020] [Drive motor, battery, control device] The drive motor 30 is fixed to the rear end of the main frame 22. The drive motor 30 is disposed between the left and right pivot frames 23. The pivot frame 23 is disposed on the outer side of the drive motor 30 in the vehicle width direction so as to straddle the drive motor 30 in the up-down direction when viewed from the left-right direction. This allows the drive motor 30 to be protected by the pivot frame 23 against obstacles from the left and right directions.

[0021] The battery BAT is fixed to the main frame 22. The battery BAT is disposed between a pair of left and right side wall portions 221 and forward of the drive motor 30 so as to be covered by the left and right side wall portions 221 of the main frame 22 on the left and right.

[0022] The control device 40 is disposed on an upper portion of the main frame 22 and fixed to the main frame 22. The control device 40 is a power control unit (PCU) in which circuits such as a DC / DC converter and a controller such as an ECU are unitized. The control device 40 controls the power supplied to the drive motor 30 and various accessories attached to the motorcycle 1.

[0023] [Front link suspension mechanism] The front link suspension mechanism 50 has a pair of left and right front forks 51 extending vertically, a head pipe 52, a swing arm 53, and a front suspension 54.

[0024] The pair of left and right front forks 51 are disposed on the left and right sides of the front wheel 11, with the front wheel 11 in between. A connecting portion 55 is provided at the upper ends of the pair of left and right front forks 51, connecting the upper ends of the pair of left and right front forks 51. A stem shaft 56 extending upward from the connecting portion 55 is provided at the connecting portion 55.

[0025] The head pipe 52 is a cylindrical member. The stem shaft 56 is inserted from below into the cylindrical interior of the head pipe 52. The stem shaft 56 is supported by the head pipe 52 to be rotatable about the axis of the head pipe 52.

[0026] An upper arm connector 52a protruding forward is formed on the front side near the upper end of the head pipe 52. A lower arm connector 52b protruding rearward is formed on the rear side near the lower end of the head pipe 52.

[0027] The swing arm 53 is supported by the main frame 22 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction, and also supports the head pipe 52 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction. The swing arm 53 has an upper arm 531 connected to an upper arm connecting portion 52a of the head pipe 52, and a lower arm 532 connected to a lower arm connecting portion 52b of the head pipe 52.

[0028] The upper arm 531 extends in the front-rear direction. The rear end of the upper arm 531 is supported by an upper arm connector 221a provided on the main frame 22 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction. Therefore, the front end of the upper arm 531 can swing in the up-down direction with the rear end as an axis. The front end of the upper arm 531 supports an upper arm connector 52a of the head pipe 52 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction.

[0029] The lower arm 532 is disposed below the upper arm 531 and extends in the front-rear direction. The rear end of the lower arm 532 is supported by a lower arm connecting portion 221b provided on the main frame 22 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction. Therefore, the front end of the lower arm 532 can swing up and down around the axis of the rear end. The front end of the lower arm 532 supports the lower arm connecting portion 52b of the head pipe 52 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction. A suspension lower end support portion 532a that supports the lower end of the front suspension 54 is formed between the front and rear ends of the lower arm 532.

[0030] The front suspension 54 is a substantially cylindrical member. The front suspension 54 extends in the up-down direction, inclining rearward as it extends upward. The upper end of the front suspension 54 is supported by the body frame 20 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction. The lower end of the front suspension 54 is supported by a suspension lower end support portion 532a of the lower arm 532 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction. The front suspension 54 is extendable and contractable in the axial direction of the substantially cylindrical shape.

[0031] [Steering section] The steering unit 60 has a rotating unit 62, a handle 63, and a link unit 64.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rotating portion 62 has a cylindrical pipe portion 621 and a connecting portion 622 extending from the outer circumferential surface of the lower region of the pipe portion 621.

[0033] An upper region of the cylindrical pipe portion 621 is inserted into the insertion hole 222 of the main frame 22 from below. The pipe portion 621 is supported by the main frame 22 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the recessed direction of the insertion hole 222 of the main frame 22. A lower end portion of the pipe portion 621 is located below the insertion hole 222 of the main frame 22.

[0034] The connecting portion 622 has a vertical wall portion 622a that stands upward from the outer circumferential surface near the lower end of the cylindrical pipe portion 621 so as to cover the side surface of the upper end of the main frame 22. The vertical wall portion 622a expands radially outward as it extends upward, and extends in a truncated cone shape so as to surround the front side of the front end portion of the main frame 22.

[0035] The handle 63 is a bar handle, and is connected to the vicinity of the upper end of the vertical wall portion 622a.

[0036] Returning to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the link portion 64 is supported at a predetermined position of the rotating portion 62 below the insertion hole 222 of the main frame 22.

[0037] The link portion 64 has an upper link 641, a lower link 642, and a connecting shaft 643. A lower end of the upper link 641 and an upper end of the lower link 642 are connected by the connecting shaft 643. The connecting shaft 643 extends in the left-right direction, and the upper link 641 and the lower link 642 are connected to each other so as to be rotatable about the connecting shaft.

[0038] The upper end of the upper link 641 is supported at a predetermined position of the rotating part 62 below the insertion hole 222 of the main frame 22 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction.

[0039] The lower end of the lower link 642 is supported on the upper end of the stem shaft 56 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction.

[0040] A connecting shaft 643 which is a connection between the upper link 641 and the lower link 642 is located forward of the upper end of the upper link 641 and the lower end of the lower link 642. That is, the link portion 64 protrudes forward in a generally V-shape in a side view so that the connecting shaft 643 which is a connection between the upper link 641 and the lower link 642 is located forward when viewed from the left-right direction. The link portion 64 transmits the steering of the handlebars 63 to the stem shaft 56 by connecting the stem shaft 56 and the rotating portion 62. The link portion 64 allows the head pipe 52 to move up and down by rotating the upper link 641 and the lower link 642 around the connecting shaft 643.

[0041] [Rear suspension mechanism] The rear suspension mechanism 70 has a swing arm 71 and a rear suspension 72 .

[0042] The swing arm 71 of this embodiment is a cantilever type swing arm. The swing arm 71 extends in the front-rear direction. The front end of the swing arm 71 is journaled on a pivot 231 extending in the left-right direction of the pivot frame 23. Therefore, the swing arm 71 is supported by the pivot frame 23 of the body frame 20 so as to be rotatable about the pivot 231 extending in the left-right direction. Therefore, the rear end of the swing arm 71 is capable of swinging in the up-down direction about the pivot 231. The rear end of the swing arm 71 supports the axle of the rear wheel 12 from the left side.

[0043] The drive motor 30 and the rear wheel 12 are connected by a power transmission mechanism (not shown) including a belt, gears, etc. The swing arm 71 may be used as a case for accommodating the power transmission mechanism.

[0044] The rear suspension 72 is a substantially cylindrical member. The rear suspension 72 extends in the up-down direction, inclining rearward as it extends downward. An upper front end of the rear suspension 72 is supported by the main frame 22 or the seat frame 24 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction. An lower rear end of the rear suspension 72 is supported by the swing arm 71 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction. The rear suspension 72 is extendable and contractable in the axial direction of the substantially cylindrical shape.

[0045] [1st cooling device] 4, the first cooling device 80 includes an oil cooler 81, an oil pump 82, and a first refrigerant flow path 83 through which a first refrigerant R1 circulates. The first refrigerant flow path 83 is a flow path through which the oil cooler 81, the oil pump 82, and the drive motor 30 circulate. The first refrigerant R1 is cooling oil.

[0046] The oil cooler 81 has a structure in which many thin tubes with fins are arranged. The first refrigerant R1 is passed through the thin tubes, and the first refrigerant R1 exchanges heat with outside air and is cooled. The oil cooler 81 may be provided with a ventilation fan that guides outside air to the thin tubes.

[0047] The oil cooler 81 is disposed below the battery BAT and between the front wheels 11 and the drive motor 30. In this embodiment, the oil cooler support frame 28 is attached to the lower part of the main frame 22, and the oil cooler 81 is fixed to the oil cooler support frame 28.

[0048] As a result, the oil cooler 81 is disposed in a position where it is likely to be subjected to wind while the vehicle is running, so that the first refrigerant R1 that cools the drive motor 30 can be cooled in the oil cooler 81 more efficiently.

[0049] The oil cooler 81 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and is fixed to the oil cooler support frame 28 so that an outside air inlet surface 81a of the oil cooler 81, through which outside air is introduced into the oil cooler 81, faces diagonally downward and forward.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 5, the oil cooler 81 includes an inlet tank 81b extending in the vertical direction and into which the first refrigerant R1 is introduced and temporarily stored, a discharge tank 81c extending in the vertical direction opposite the inlet tank 81b in the horizontal direction and into which the first refrigerant R1 is temporarily stored and discharged, and a plurality of cooling channels 81d extending in the horizontal direction and communicating between the inlet tank 81b and the discharge tank 81c. The plurality of cooling channels 81d are arranged vertically at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction. A heat sink 81e contacting both cooling channels 81d is provided in the space between the cooling channels 81d adjacent to each other in the vertical direction. The heat sink 81e extends in the horizontal direction, for example, in a bellows shape.

[0051] The first refrigerant R1 introduced into the inlet tank 81b is cooled by heat exchange with the air flowing through the spaces between the cooling channels 81d as it flows through the cooling channels 81d. At this time, in addition to heat exchange between the cooling channels 81d and the air, heat exchange also occurs between the heat sink 81e and the air, so that the first refrigerant R1 can be cooled more efficiently.

[0052] A cover member 810 is disposed in front of the oil cooler 81, facing the outside air introduction surface 81a. As shown in Fig. 6, the cover member 810 is provided with a number of louvers 811 extending in the vertical direction. The vehicle width dimension of the cover member 810 is larger than the vehicle width dimension of the front wheels 11, and the cover member 810 has a central portion 810a including an area overlapping with the front wheels 11 when viewed from the front-rear direction, and outer portions 810b formed on both outer sides of the central portion 810a in the vehicle width direction. In the cover member 810, the spacing in the vehicle width direction of the louvers 811 in the central portion 810a is narrower than the spacing in the vehicle width direction of the louvers 811 in the outer portions 810b.

[0053] In this way, by providing the louvers 811 in front of the outside air inlet surface 81a, the wind generated during running can be made directional, and the outside air can be more efficiently introduced into the oil cooler 81. Also, in the cover member 810, the spacing in the vehicle width direction of the louvers 811 in the center portion 810a is narrower than the spacing in the vehicle width direction of the louvers 811 in the outer portions 810b, so that the louvers 811 can protect the oil cooler 81 from flying stones and the like from the front wheels 11.

[0054] 4, the oil pump 82 is driven by the power of the drive motor 30. In this embodiment, the oil pump 82 is disposed adjacent to the drive motor 30.

[0055] In this way, the drive motor 30, which generates a large amount of heat, can be cooled by the cooling oil, which is the first refrigerant R1, cooled by the oil cooler 81, so that it is possible to more appropriately cool the drive motor 30. In addition, since the first refrigerant R1 is circulated by the oil pump 82 driven by the power of the drive motor 30, the first cooling device 80 can be provided in a compact manner.

[0056] The drive motor 30 is provided with a motor case 31 of the drive motor 30 having a motor case internal flow path 32 through which the first refrigerant R1 flows. The first refrigerant flow path 83 communicates with the motor case internal flow path 32.

[0057] The first refrigerant flow path 83 is provided with a switching valve 84. The first refrigerant flow path 83 has a first supply flow path 831a that supplies the first refrigerant R1 discharged from the oil cooler 81 to the switching valve 84, a second supply flow path 831b that supplies the first refrigerant R1 from the switching valve 84 to the motor case internal flow path 32 via the oil pump 82, a first discharge flow path 832a that supplies the first refrigerant R1 discharged from the motor case internal flow path 32 to the switching valve 84, and a second discharge flow path 832b that supplies the first refrigerant R1 discharged from the switching valve 84 to the oil cooler 81.

[0058] The switching valve 84 is switchable between a first state and a second state. When the switching valve 84 is in the first state, the first refrigerant R1 pumped from the oil pump 82 is supplied from the second supply flow path 831b to the motor case internal flow path 32, flows through the motor case internal flow path 32 to cool the drive motor 30, returns from the first discharge flow path 832a to the switching valve 84, is supplied from the switching valve 84 through the second discharge flow path 832b to the oil cooler 81, is cooled by the oil cooler 81, returns from the first supply flow path 831a to the switching valve 84, and is pumped again by the oil pump 82 through the second supply flow path 831b. When the switching valve 84 is in the second state, the first refrigerant R1 pumped from the oil pump 82 is supplied from the second supply flow path 831b to the motor case internal flow path 32, flows through the motor case internal flow path 32, returns to the switching valve 84 from the first discharge flow path 832a, and is supplied again to the second supply flow path 831b without flowing into the second discharge flow path 832b. Therefore, when the switching valve 84 is in the second state, the first refrigerant R1 circulates through the motor case internal flow path 32 without flowing into the oil cooler 81, and the drive motor 30 is not cooled. The switching valve 84 is in the second state, for example, during a cold start of the drive motor 30.

[0059] [Second cooling device] 7, the second cooling device 90 includes a radiator 91, a cooling water pump 92, and a second refrigerant flow path 93 through which the second refrigerant R2 circulates. The second refrigerant flow path 93 is a flow path through which the radiator 91, the cooling water pump 92, and the control device 40 circulate. The second refrigerant R2 is a cooling water.

[0060] In this way, by differentiating the first refrigerant R1 circulating through the first cooling device 80 and the second refrigerant R2 circulating through the second cooling device 90, the drive motor 30 cooled by the first cooling device 80 and the control device 40 cooled by the second cooling device 90 can be optimally cooled independently according to the amount of heat generated by each, regardless of the amount of heat generated by the other.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 8, the radiator 91 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The radiator 91 includes an inlet 911 extending in the left-right direction and through which the second refrigerant R2 is introduced, an inlet tank 912 for temporarily storing the second refrigerant R2 introduced from the inlet 911, a discharge tank 913 extending in the left-right direction facing the inlet tank 912 in the up-down direction and temporarily storing the second refrigerant R2, a plurality of cooling flow paths 914 extending in the up-down direction and communicating between the inlet tank 912 and the discharge tank 913, and a discharge port 915 through which the second refrigerant R2 temporarily stored in the discharge tank 913 is discharged. The plurality of cooling flow paths 914 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction. A heat sink 916 contacting both cooling flow paths 914 is provided in the space between the cooling flow paths 914 adjacent to each other in the left-right direction. The heat sink 916 extends in the up-down direction, for example, in a bellows-like shape. The radiator 91 may be provided with an air guide fan that guides outside air to the thin tubes.

[0062] The second refrigerant R2 introduced into the inlet tank 912 is cooled as it flows through the cooling flow paths 914 by exchanging heat with the air flowing through the spaces between the cooling flow paths 914. At this time, in addition to the heat exchange between the cooling flow paths 914 and the air, heat is also exchanged between the heat sink 916 and the air, so that the second refrigerant R2 can be cooled more efficiently.

[0063] 7, the radiator 91 has an outside air inlet surface 91a through which outside air is introduced into the radiator 91, and an outside air outlet surface 91b through which the outside air that has passed through the radiator 91 is exhausted to the outside. In the radiator 91, the outside air inlet surface 91a and the outside air outlet surface 91b face each other.

[0064] An upper housing 29 that houses the control device 40 and a radiator 91 is attached and fixed to the upper part of the main frame 22 of the vehicle body frame 20.

[0065] The upper housing 29 has a pair of left and right side walls 291 extending upward from the upper ends of the left and right side walls 221 of the main frame 22 and extending in the front-rear direction. The upper ends of the pair of left and right side walls 291 may be connected to each other by an upper wall portion or the like, or they may extend in the up-down direction, inclining or curving toward the center in the vehicle width direction as they extend upward, and the upper ends of the pair of left and right side walls 291 may be connected to each other. The control device 40 is fixed in the space surrounded by the upper housing 29.

[0066] The upper housing 29 further includes a radiator support portion 292 provided at the rear of the side wall portion 291 .

[0067] The radiator 91, which has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, is fixed to the radiator support part 292 so that the outside air inlet surface 91a faces obliquely upward and forward and the outside air exhaust surface 91b faces obliquely downward and rearward. The radiator support part 292 of the upper housing 29 is formed with an exhaust side opening 29a that opens rearward at the rear of the radiator 91.

[0068] Further, in the side wall portion 291 of the upper housing 29, an introduction side opening 29b is formed which opens in the left-right direction between the radiator 91 and the control device 40.

[0069] When the motorcycle 1 is traveling, the traveling wind is introduced into the radiator 91 from the inlet side opening 29b, and the second refrigerant R2 is cooled by heat exchange between the traveling wind and the second refrigerant R2 in the radiator 91. Then, the traveling wind that has exchanged heat with the second refrigerant R2 in the radiator 91 is discharged rearward from the outside air discharge surface 91b through the discharge side opening 29a.

[0070] In this way, by housing the control device 40 and the radiator 91 in the upper housing 29 and modularizing them, the ease of installation onto the motorcycle 1 is improved, and by providing the upper housing 29 with a discharge side opening 29a and an inlet side opening 29b, the cooling efficiency of the second refrigerant R2 in the radiator 91 can be improved.

[0071] The cooling water pump 92 is disposed inside the control device 40. The cooling water pump 92 is an electric actuator that pumps the second refrigerant R2.

[0072] 9, the control device 40 is provided with a PCU case internal flow path 42 through which the second refrigerant R2 flows inside a PCU case 41 of the control device 40, and the second refrigerant flow path 93 is connected to this PCU case internal flow path 42. A cooling water pump 92, which is an electric actuator that pumps out the second refrigerant R2, is provided in this PCU case internal flow path 42.

[0073] In this way, since the cooling water pump 92 that pressurizes the second refrigerant R2 is provided inside the PCU case 41 of the control device 40, the cooling water pump 92, which is an electric actuator, can be provided inside the control device 40 which has an electrical connection, so that the second cooling device 90 can be provided compactly and can be driven independently.

[0074] Returning to FIG. 1, the control device 40 and at least a part of the radiator 91 are covered on the outer side in the vehicle width direction by the seat structure 26 and / or the pair of left and right knee grips 27.

[0075] Furthermore, an air guide opening 21 facing in the left-right direction is formed between at least one of the knee grip 27 and the seat structure 26 and the side wall portion 221 of the main frame 22 in a side view.

[0076] When the motorcycle 1 is traveling, the wind generated while the motorcycle 1 is traveling is introduced from the wind guide opening 21 to the inside in the vehicle width direction, passes through the introduction side opening 29b, is introduced to the outside air introduction surface 91a of the radiator 91, and is introduced into the radiator 91.

[0077] This makes it possible to improve the cooling performance of the second cooling device 90.

[0078] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modified or revised examples within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, the components in the above embodiment may be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the invention.

[0079] For example, in the present embodiment, the saddle-type vehicle is a motorcycle, but the saddle-type vehicle may be a vehicle other than a motorcycle.

[0080] This specification describes at least the following items. In parentheses, components corresponding to the above-described embodiment are shown as examples, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0081] (1) Front wheels (front wheels 11) and rear wheels (rear wheels 12), A vehicle body frame (vehicle body frame 20), A drive motor (drive motor 30) that generates a drive force; A control device (control device 40) that controls the drive motor; a first cooling device (first cooling device 80) for cooling the drive motor; A saddle-type vehicle (motorcycle 1) including a second cooling device (second cooling device 90) that cools the control device, A first refrigerant (first refrigerant R1) circulates in the first cooling device, A second refrigerant (second refrigerant R2) different from the first refrigerant circulates in the second cooling device. Saddle-type vehicle.

[0082] According to (1), by using different first refrigerant circulating through the first cooling device and second refrigerant circulating through the second cooling device, the drive motor and the control device can be optimally cooled independently according to the amount of heat generated by each, regardless of the amount of heat generated by the other.

[0083] (2) A saddle-type vehicle as described in (1), The first refrigerant is oil; The first cooling device includes an oil cooler (oil cooler 81), an oil pump (oil pump 82), and a first refrigerant flow path (first refrigerant flow path 83) that circulates through the oil cooler, the oil pump, and the drive motor, The oil pump is driven by the power of the drive motor. Saddle-type vehicle.

[0084] According to (2), the drive motor, which generates a large amount of heat, can be cooled by the cooling oil, which is the first refrigerant, so that the drive motor can be cooled more appropriately. In addition, the first refrigerant is circulated by an oil pump driven by the power of the drive motor, so that the first cooling device can be provided in a compact size.

[0085] (3) A saddle-type vehicle according to (1) or (2), The second refrigerant is cooling water, The second cooling device includes a radiator (radiator 91), a cooling water pump (cooling water pump 92), and a second refrigerant flow path (second refrigerant flow path 93) that circulates through the radiator, the cooling water pump, and the control device, The cooling water pump is disposed inside the control device. Saddle-type vehicle.

[0086] According to (3), since the cooling water pump, which is an electric actuator, can be provided inside the control device having an electrical connection, the second cooling device can be provided in a compact manner.

[0087] (4) A saddle-type vehicle as described in (3), The saddle-type vehicle further includes a housing member (upper housing 29) that is fixed to the body frame and that houses the control device and the radiator. The radiator is disposed rearward of the control device, The housing member includes: An exhaust side opening (exhaust side opening 29a) that opens rearward at the rear of the radiator; An inlet side opening (inlet side opening 29b) that opens in the left-right direction is formed between the radiator and the control device. Saddle-type vehicle.

[0088] According to (4), by modularizing the control device and the radiator by housing them in the housing member, the ease of installation into a saddle-type vehicle is improved, and by providing the housing member with a discharge side opening and an inlet side opening, the cooling efficiency of the second refrigerant in the radiator can be improved.

[0089] (5) A saddle-type vehicle as described in (2), The saddle type vehicle is Further comprising a battery (battery BAT) for supplying power to the drive motor, The vehicle body frame has a main frame (main frame 22) having a pair of left and right side wall portions (side wall portions 221) extending in the up-down direction and the front-rear direction, The drive motor is disposed at a rear end of the main frame, the battery is disposed between the pair of left and right side wall portions and forward of the drive motor; the control device is disposed on an upper portion of the main frame; The oil cooler is disposed below the battery and between the front wheels and the drive motor. Saddle-type vehicle.

[0090] According to (5), since the oil cooler is disposed in a position where it is likely to be exposed to wind caused by running, the first refrigerant that cools the drive motor can be cooled more efficiently in the oil cooler.

[0091] (6) A saddle-type vehicle as described in (5), A cover member (cover member 810) having a plurality of louvers (louvers 811) extending in the vertical direction is disposed in front of the oil cooler, The vehicle width direction dimension of the cover member is larger than the vehicle width direction dimension of the front wheel, The cover member has a central portion (central portion 810a) including an area overlapping with the front wheel when viewed from the front-rear direction, and outer portions (outer portions 810b) formed on both outer sides of the central portion in the vehicle width direction, In the cover member, the interval between the louvers in the center portion in the vehicle width direction is narrower than the interval between the louvers in the outer portion in the vehicle width direction. Saddle-type vehicle.

[0092] According to (6), by providing the louvers in front of the oil cooler, the wind generated during running can be directional, and outside air can be introduced to the oil cooler more efficiently. In addition, in the cover member, the spacing of the louvers in the vehicle width direction at the center is narrower than the spacing of the louvers in the vehicle width direction at the outer parts, so that the louvers can protect the oil cooler from stones flying from the front wheels.

[0093] (7) A saddle-type vehicle as described in (4), A seat structure (seat structure 26) and a pair of left and right knee grips (knee grips 27) are attached to the body frame, the control device and at least a part of the radiator are covered at their outer sides in the vehicle width direction by the seat structure and at least one of the pair of left and right knee grips, In a side view, an air guide opening (air guide opening 21) is formed between at least one of the knee grip and the seat structure and the body frame. Saddle-type vehicle.

[0094] According to (7), the cooling performance of the second cooling device can be improved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1. Motorcycles (saddle-type vehicles) 11 Front wheel 12 Rear wheel 20 Body frame 21 Air guide opening 22 Mainframe 221 Side wall 26 Seat structure 27 Knee Grip 29 Upper housing (accommodating member) 29a Discharge side opening 29b Inlet side opening 30 Drive motor 40 Control device 80 1st cooling device 81 Oil cooler 810 Cover material 810a center 810b outer part 811 Louver 82 Oil pump 83 First refrigerant flow path 90 Second cooling device 91 Radiator 92 Cooling water pump 93 Second coolant flow path BAT Battery R1 First refrigerant R2 2nd refrigerant

Claims

1. Front and rear wheels; The vehicle frame, A drive motor that generates a drive force; A control device for controlling the drive motor; a first cooling device for cooling the drive motor; A saddle-type vehicle including a second cooling device that cools the control device, A first refrigerant circulates through the first cooling device, A second refrigerant different from the first refrigerant circulates in the second cooling device, The second refrigerant is cooling water, the second cooling device includes a radiator, a cooling water pump, and a second refrigerant flow path that circulates the radiator, the cooling water pump, and the control device, The saddle-type vehicle further includes a housing member fixed to the body frame and housing the control device and the radiator. Saddle-type vehicle.

2. 2. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, The first refrigerant is oil; the first cooling device includes an oil cooler, an oil pump, and a first refrigerant flow path that circulates refrigerant through the oil cooler, the oil pump, and the drive motor, The oil pump is driven by the power of the drive motor. Saddle-type vehicle.

3. 3. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, The cooling water pump is disposed inside the control device. Saddle-type vehicle.

4. 3. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, The radiator is disposed rearward of the control device, The housing member includes: an exhaust side opening portion that opens rearward at a rear portion of the radiator; An introduction side opening that opens in the left and right direction is formed between the radiator and the control device. Saddle-type vehicle.

5. 3. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 2, The saddle type vehicle is a battery for supplying power to the drive motor; The vehicle body frame includes a main frame having a pair of left and right side wall portions extending in a vertical direction and a front-rear direction, The drive motor is disposed at a rear end of the main frame, the battery is disposed between the pair of left and right side wall portions and forward of the drive motor; the control device is disposed on an upper portion of the main frame; The oil cooler is disposed below the battery and between the front wheels and the drive motor. Saddle-type vehicle.

6. 6. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 5, A cover member having a plurality of louvers extending in a vertical direction is disposed in front of the oil cooler, The vehicle width direction dimension of the cover member is larger than the vehicle width direction dimension of the front wheel, The cover member has a central portion including an area overlapping with the front wheel when viewed from the front-rear direction, and outer portions formed on both outer sides of the central portion in the vehicle width direction, In the cover member, the interval between the louvers in the center portion in the vehicle width direction is narrower than the interval between the louvers in the outer portion in the vehicle width direction. Saddle-type vehicle.

7. 5. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 4, A seat structure and a pair of left and right knee grips are attached to the vehicle body frame, the control device and at least a part of the radiator are covered at their outer sides in the vehicle width direction by the seat structure and at least one of the pair of left and right knee grips, When viewed from the side, an air guide opening is formed between at least one of the knee grip and the seat structure and the body frame. Saddle-type vehicle.

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