Electric vehicles

Abstract

To provide an electric vehicle in which functional components of the electric vehicle can be efficiently arranged even if a main frame extends in the longitudinal direction at or below the upper ends of a front wheel and a rear wheel.SOLUTION: An electric vehicle comprises: a vehicle body frame (11) including a main frame (21) supporting a head pipe (20), and a vertical frame (23) extending from the main frame (21); a front wheel (13) supported by the head pipe (20) via a front fork (14); a rear wheel (15) supported by the vertical frame (23) via a swing arm (16); and a functional component of the electric vehicle. In the electric vehicle, the main frame (21) is composed of a pair of left and right main frames and extends in frontward and rearward directions at or below upper ends of the front wheel (13) and the rear wheel (15), a battery (41) has a long side oriented in leftward and rightward directions, and both left and right ends (41L, 41R) are located outside outer side surfaces (21O) of the main frame (21) in a vehicle-width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is known an electric vehicle equipped with a body frame having a main frame extending rearward from a head pipe and upper and lower frames that bend downward and hang down from the rear end of the main frame (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the main frame extends forward and backward above the upper ends of the front and rear wheels, widening the space formed by the body frame, and arranging a battery and an electric motor as functional components of the electric vehicle in the space partitioned by the body frame. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-096594 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when constructing a cruiser type two-wheeled vehicle, the seat position needs to be lowered, and the main frame extends forward and backward at a lower position than in a normal sports motorcycle. Therefore, the space defined by the body frame of a cruiser type two-wheeled vehicle tends to be small for arranging the battery and the electric motor. Therefore, it is difficult to mount a large-capacity battery, and it is necessary to consider the shape of the body frame and the arrangement of the battery and the electric motor. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide an electric vehicle in which the functional components of the electric vehicle can be efficiently arranged, even if the main frame extends forward and backward below the upper ends of the front and rear wheels. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The electric vehicle comprises a body frame including a main frame supporting a head pipe and upper and lower frames extending downward from a rear end of the main frame, a front wheel steerably supported on the head pipe via a front fork, a rear wheel swingably supported on the upper and lower frames via a swing arm, and functional components of the electric vehicle arranged below the upper end of the main frame, wherein the main frames are formed as a pair on the left and right, and extend forward and backward at the same level as the upper ends of the front and rear wheels or below the upper ends of the front and rear wheels, a battery which is a functional component of the electric vehicle is a rectangular prism, the battery is mounted with its long side oriented in the left-right direction, and both left and right ends of the battery are located outside the outer surfaces of the main frame in the vehicle width direction. Effect of the Invention

[0006] Even if the main frame extends in the front-to-rear direction below the upper ends of the front and rear wheels, it is possible to provide an electric vehicle in which the functional components of the electric vehicle can be efficiently arranged. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a right side view of an electric motorcycle according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a front view of an electric motorcycle according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a rear view of an electric motorcycle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an electric motorcycle according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a right side view of an electric motorcycle according to a second embodiment. 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] [First embodiment] Fig. 1 is a right side view of the electric motorcycle 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a front view of the electric motorcycle 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the electric motorcycle 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the electric motorcycle 10 according to the first embodiment. The electric two-wheeler (electric vehicle) 10 is a saddle-ride type vehicle in which a battery-powered electric motor 12 is supported on a body frame 11, a front fork 14 supporting a front wheel 13 is supported at the front end of the body frame 11 so as to be steerable, a swing arm 16 supporting a rear wheel 15 is supported at the rear of the body frame 11 so as to be swingable, and a seat 17 on which a rider sits astride is supported above the rear of the body frame 11.

[0010] The body frame 11 is provided with a head pipe 20 at its front end. The body frame 11 is provided with a main frame 21 that supports the head pipe 20. The main frame 21 extends in the front-rear direction. The main frames 21 are configured as a pair, one on the left and one on the right. The main frames 21 extend in the front-rear direction at a height equal to or lower than the height H1 of the upper ends of the front wheels 13 and rear wheels 15. In this embodiment, the main frames 21 extend in the front-rear direction at a height lower than the height H1 of the upper ends of the front wheels 13 and rear wheels 15.

[0011] An upwardly extending frame 22 extending upward and forward is formed at the front end of the main frame 21. The upwardly extending frames 22 are configured as a pair, one on the left and one on the right (see FIG. 2 ). The pair of left and right upwardly extending frames 22 approach each other as they proceed upward. The head pipe 20 is supported at the upper end of the upwardly extending frames 22. Thus, the main frame 21 supports the head pipe 20 via the upwardly extending frames 22.

[0012] At the rear end of the main frame 21, upper and lower frames 23 are formed which extend downward. A pair of left and right upper and lower frames 23 are formed. At the lower ends of the upper and lower frames 23, lower frames 24 are formed which extend forward. A pair of left and right lower frames 24 are formed. The lower frames 24 are located below a height H2 of the front wheel axles (axles) 18 and the rear wheel axles (axles) 19.

[0013] A seat frame 25 extending rearward and upward is formed at the rear end of the main frame 21. A pair of left and right seat frames 25 are formed. A rear subframe 26 extending rearward and upward from a longitudinal midpoint of the upper and lower frames 23 is supported below the seat frames 25. A pair of left and right rear subframes 26 are formed. The rear subframes 26 are connected to the seat frames 25.

[0014] The front forks 14 are attached to the head pipe 20 in a steerable manner. A steering handle (handle) 31 is attached to the upper part of the front forks 14. The steering handles 31 in this embodiment are separator handles. Grips 31a are attached to the pair of left and right steering handles 31. A front wheel 13 is supported at the lower end of the front forks 14 via a front wheel axle 18. The front wheel 13 has a wheel 13a rotatably supported by the front wheel axle 18, and a tire 13b supported by the wheel 13a.

[0015] The swing arm 16 is supported by a pivot shaft 32 supported by the upper and lower frames 23. The pivot shaft 32 is an axis that extends horizontally in the vehicle width direction. The swing arm 16 swings up and down about the pivot shaft 32. A rear cushion 33 is connected to the swing arm 16 via a link mechanism (not shown). A rear wheel 15 is supported at the rear end of the swing arm 16 via a rear wheel axle 19. The rear wheel 15 has a wheel 15a rotatably supported by the rear wheel axle 19, and a tire 15b supported by the wheel 15a.

[0016] The seat 17 is disposed above the seat frame 25. The seat 17 is supported by the seat frame 25. The seat 17 includes a rider seat 17a in the front and a passenger seat 17b provided behind the rider seat 17a. A rider step 34 is provided below and in front of the rider seat 17a. A passenger step 35 is provided above and behind the rider step 34.

[0017] The vehicle body frame 11 supports functional components of the electric vehicle that are arranged below the upper end of the main frame 21. Specifically, a first battery 41, a second battery 42, an electric motor 12, and the like are arranged as functional components of the electric vehicle.

[0018] The first battery 41 and the second battery 42 are drive batteries that supply drive energy to the electric motor 12. The first battery 41 and the second battery 42 are connected to a PCU (Power Control Unit) (not shown). The PCU is configured to include an inverter and the like, and, for example, converts DC power supplied from the first battery 41 and the second battery 42 into AC power and supplies the converted AC power to the electric motor 12, and when the electric motor 12 is in regeneration mode, converts AC power generated by the electric motor 12 into DC power and charges the first battery 41 and the second battery 42. The PCU controls the electric motor 12 in accordance with the operation of the electric motorcycle 10.

[0019] The electric motor 12 is disposed below the upper end of the main frame 21 and above the lower frame 24. The electric motor 12 overlaps with the main frame 21 in a side view of the vehicle. The electric motor 12 is disposed between the pair of left and right main frames 21. The electric motor 12 is disposed between the rear surface 41B of the first battery 41 and the rear ends 23B of the upper and lower frames 23.

[0020] The electric motor 12 is disposed so that its motor shaft (not shown) is oriented in the front-rear direction. A driving member (not shown) is provided on the motor shaft of the electric motor 12, and this driving member transmits driving force to a drive shaft (power transmission) 36 via a reduction gear (not shown). The drive shaft 36 extends in the front-rear direction inside the swing arm 16. The drive shaft 36 is supported so as to be rotatable. The drive shaft 36 transmits driving force from the electric motor 12 to the rear wheel 15.

[0021] In the present embodiment, the first battery 41 and the second battery 42 have the same shape. The first battery 41 and the second battery 42 have the same rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0022] The first battery (battery) 41 is mounted on the vehicle body frame 11 with its long side oriented in the left-right direction. The second battery 42 is mounted on the vehicle body frame 11 with its long side oriented in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the first battery 41 is disposed on the upper side, and the second battery 42 is disposed on the lower side.

[0023] In detail, the first battery 41 is supported by a pair of left and right main frames 21. A support portion 45 is provided on the upper portion of the first battery 41. The support portion 45 is located between the pair of left and right main frames 21. The support portion 45 is supported between the left and right main frames 21. In this way, the first battery 41 is supported by the pair of left and right main frames 21.

[0024] The left and right ends of the first battery 41, i.e., the left side 41L and the right side 41R of the rectangular parallelepiped, are located outside the vehicle width direction of the vehicle width direction outer side surface 21O of the main frame 21. Here, a vertical line L1 passing through the left side 41L of the first battery 41 overlaps with the grip 31a of the left steering handle 31 in a front view of the vehicle. Also, a vertical line L2 passing through the right side 41R of the first battery 41 overlaps with the grip 31a of the right steering handle 31 in a front view of the vehicle. In other words, the left side 41L and the right side 41R of the first battery 41 overlap with the left and right grips 31a in a plan view.

[0025] The second battery 42 is disposed below the electric motor 12 and the first battery 41. A lower surface 42D of the second battery 42 is located above a height H3 of the bottom of the inner circumferential surfaces of the tires 13b, 15b of the front and rear wheels 13 and 15. This allows the second battery 42 to be mounted while taking into consideration the minimum ground clearance.

[0026] The second battery 42 is supported by the lower frame 24. The left and right ends of the second battery 42, i.e., the left side 42L and the right side 42R, are located inward in the vehicle width direction from lines L11, L12 that connect the tire contact surface R0 of the front wheel 13 when the electric motorcycle 10 is upright and the lower ends of the left side 41L and the right side 41R of the first battery 41 when the electric motorcycle 10 is upright, in a front view of the vehicle. This makes it easy to prevent the second battery 42 from coming into contact with the road surface R based on the relationship between the upper first battery 41, which is easily visible to the rider, and the road surface R.

[0027] As described above, according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied, the vehicle body frame 11 includes the main frame 21 supporting the head pipe 20 and the upper and lower frames 23 extending downward from the rear end of the main frame 21, the front wheel 13 supported on the head pipe 20 via the front fork 14 so as to be steerable, the rear wheel 15 supported on the upper and lower frames 23 via the swing arm 16 so as to be swingable, and the electric motor 12, the first backwheel 13, and the like which are functional components of the electric vehicle and are disposed below the upper end of the main frame 21. In an electric two-wheeler 10 equipped with a base 41 and a second battery 42, the main frames 21 are formed in a pair on the left and right sides and extend forward and backward at a height equal to or lower than the height H1 of the upper ends of the front and rear wheels 13 and 15, the first battery 41 is a rectangular parallelepiped and is mounted with its long side oriented in the left-right direction, and the left side 41L and right side 41R at the left and right ends of the first battery 41 are each positioned outward in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle width direction outer surface 21O of the main frames 21. According to this configuration, the position of the seat 17 can be lowered by extending the main frame 21 in the front-rear direction at the same level as the upper ends of the front and rear wheels 13 and 15 or below the upper ends of the front and rear wheels 13 and 15. This allows the body frame 11 to be suitable for cruiser-type vehicles. Furthermore, by arranging the first battery 41 to extend in the vehicle width direction beyond the body frame 11, it is possible to mount a large-capacity first battery 41, and the electric motorcycle 10 can be designed closer to a vehicle equipped with a horizontally opposed engine. Therefore, according to the above configuration, even if the main frame 21 is a main frame that extends in the front-rear direction below the upper ends of the front and rear wheels 13 and 15, the functional components of the electric vehicle can be efficiently arranged.

[0028] In the present embodiment, the first battery 41 is supported by a pair of left and right main frames 21. According to this configuration, the first battery 41 extending in the left-right direction can be reliably supported by the main frame 21.

[0029] In the present embodiment, the electric motor 12 is disposed between the pair of left and right main frames 21 and between the rear surface 41B of the first battery 41 and the rear ends 23B of the upper and lower frames 23. According to this configuration, by supporting the first battery 41 in a form extending in the left-right direction, space can be secured behind the first battery 41, making it possible to efficiently arrange the electric motor 12, which is a functional component of the electric vehicle.

[0030] In addition, in this embodiment, there is a second battery 42 having the same shape as the first battery 41, and the second battery 42 is arranged below the electric motor 12 and the first battery 41 with its long side oriented in the front-to-rear direction, and the left side 42L and right side 42R at the left and right ends of the second battery 42 are located inward in the vehicle width direction from lines L11, L12 that connect the tire contact surface R0 where the front wheels 13 contact the road surface R and the lower ends of the left side 41L and right side 41R, which are the left and right ends of the first battery 41, when viewed from the front of the vehicle. According to this configuration, a large-capacity second battery 42 can be additionally provided in the dead space that does not come into contact with the road surface when the vehicle is leaning.

[0031] In addition, in this embodiment, a lower frame 24 is provided which extends forward from the lower ends of the upper and lower frames 23, the lower frame 24 is located below the electric motor 12, the lower frame 24 is configured as a pair on the left and right, and overlaps with the side of the second battery 42 when viewed from the side of the vehicle, and the second battery 42 is supported by at least the lower frame 24. According to this configuration, the first battery 41 can be reliably supported by the lower frame 24.

[0032] In this embodiment, the pair of left and right main frames 21 support the head pipe 20 via upwardly extending frames 22 that extend upward. According to this configuration, the head pipe 20, which is located above the vehicle, can be supported by the main frame 21, which extends in the front-rear direction at a low position.

[0033] In the present embodiment, vertical lines L21, L22 passing through the left surface 41L and the right surface 41R at both left and right ends of the first battery 41 overlap the grip 31a of the steering handle 31 in a front view of the vehicle. According to this configuration, the first battery 41 can be extended in the left-right direction to an extent that the left side 41L and the right side 41R of the first battery 41 overlap with the grip 31a, making it easier to give the electric motorcycle 10 the design of a horizontally opposed engine.

[0034] [Second embodiment] A second embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described below. In this second embodiment, parts configured similarly to the second embodiment above will be given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a right side view of an electric motorcycle 210 according to the second embodiment. An electric motorcycle 210 according to the second embodiment has a body frame 211 instead of the body frame 11 of the first embodiment. Except for a main frame 221 of a body frame 211, an electric motorcycle 210 of the second embodiment is configured similarly to the electric motorcycle 10 of the first embodiment.

[0036] The main frame 221 of the second embodiment differs from the main frame 21 of the first embodiment in that it extends in the front-rear direction at the same height H1 as the upper ends of the front wheels 13 and the rear wheels 15. The upper edge of the main frame 221 extending in the front-rear direction is the same as the height H1 of the upper ends of the front wheels 13 and the rear wheels 15.

[0037] The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment except that the upper edge of the main frame 221 is equal to the height H1 of the upper ends of the front wheel 13 and the rear wheel 15. Therefore, also in the second embodiment, in the electric two-wheeler 210 in which the main frame 221 extends in the front-rear direction below the upper ends of the front wheel 13 and the rear wheel 15, the functional components of the electric vehicle can be efficiently arranged.

[0038] [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.

[0039] In the above embodiment, an electric two-wheeled vehicle 10 having a front wheel 13 and a rear wheel 15 has been described as an example of a vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to a three-wheel saddle-type electric vehicle having two front or two rear wheels, or a saddle-type electric vehicle having four or more wheels.

[0040] [Configuration supported by the above embodiment] The above embodiment supports the following configurations.

[0041] (Configuration 1) An electric vehicle comprising a body frame including a main frame supporting a head pipe and upper and lower frames extending downward from a rear end of the main frame, a front wheel steerably supported on the head pipe via a front fork, a rear wheel swingably supported on the upper and lower frames via a swing arm, and functional components of the electric vehicle arranged below the upper end of the main frame, wherein the main frames are formed in a pair on the left and right, and extend forward and backward at the same level as the upper ends of the front and rear wheels or below the upper ends of the front and rear wheels, a battery which is a functional component of the electric vehicle has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the battery is mounted with its long side oriented in the left-right direction, and both left and right ends of the battery are located outside the outer surfaces of the main frames in the vehicle width direction. According to this configuration, the seat position can be lowered by extending the main frame forward and backward at the same level as the upper ends of the front and rear wheels or below the upper ends of the front and rear wheels. Therefore, a body frame suitable for cruiser-type vehicles can be obtained. In addition, by arranging the battery to extend beyond the body frame in the vehicle width direction, a large-capacity battery can be mounted, and the design of the electric vehicle can be made closer to that of a vehicle equipped with a horizontally opposed engine. Therefore, according to the above configuration, even if the main frame extends forward and backward below the upper ends of the front and rear wheels, the functional components of the electric vehicle can be efficiently arranged.

[0042] (Configuration 2) The electric vehicle according to configuration 1, wherein the battery is supported by the pair of left and right main frames. According to this configuration, the battery extending in the left-right direction can be reliably supported by the main frame.

[0043] (Configuration 3) The electric vehicle according to configuration 2, wherein an electric motor is disposed between the pair of left and right main frames and between a rear surface of the battery and rear ends of the upper and lower frames. With this configuration, by supporting the battery in a form that extends in the left-right direction, space can be secured behind the battery, making it possible to efficiently arrange the electric motor, which is a functional component of the electric vehicle.

[0044] (Configuration 4) An electric vehicle as described in Configuration 3, further comprising a second battery having the same shape as the battery, the second battery being arranged below the electric motor and the battery with its long side oriented in the front-to-rear direction, and both left and right ends of the second battery being located inward in the vehicle width direction from a line connecting the tire contact surface where the front wheels contact the road surface and the lower ends of the left and right ends of the battery when viewed from the front of the vehicle. According to this configuration, a large-capacity second battery can be additionally provided in the dead space that does not come into contact with the road surface when the vehicle is leaning.

[0045] (Configuration 5) An electric vehicle as described in configuration 4, further comprising a lower frame extending forward from the lower ends of the upper and lower frames, the lower frame being positioned lower than the electric motor, the lower frame being configured as a pair on the left and right, overlapping with sides of the second battery in a side view of the vehicle, and the second battery being supported by at least the lower frame. With this configuration, the second battery can be reliably supported by the lower frame.

[0046] (Configuration 6) The electric vehicle according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the pair of left and right main frames support the head pipe via upward extension portions that extend upward. According to this configuration, the head pipe located above the vehicle can be supported by the main frame that extends in the front-rear direction at a low position.

[0047] (Configuration 7) The electric vehicle according to configuration 6, wherein a vertical line passing through each of the left and right ends of the battery overlaps with a grip of a handlebar when viewed from the front of the vehicle. According to this configuration, the battery can be extended in the left-right direction to such an extent that both left and right ends of the battery overlap with the grip, making it easier to impart the design of a horizontally opposed engine to the electric vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 10 Electric two-wheelers (electric vehicles) 11 Body frame 12 Electric motor (functional component of electric vehicles) 13 Front wheel 14 Front fork 15 Rear wheel 16 Swingarm 20 Head pipe 21 Mainframe 21O Vehicle width direction outer surface (outer surface) 22 Upward extension frame (upward extension part) 23 Upper and lower frames 23B rear end 24 Lower frame 31 Steering handle (handle) 41 First battery (battery, functional part of electric vehicle) 41B Rear 41L Left side (both left and right ends, left and right ends) 41R Right side (both left and right ends, left and right ends) 42 Second battery (functional part of electric vehicle) 42L left side (both left and right ends) 42R Right side (both left and right ends) R Road surface R0 Tire contact surface L1 plumb line L2 plumb line L11 Line L12 line

Claims

1. An electric vehicle comprising: a body frame (11) including a main frame (21) supporting a head pipe (20) and upper and lower frames (23) extending downward from a rear end of the main frame (21); a front wheel (13) supported on the head pipe (20) via a front fork (14) so ​​as to be steerable; a rear wheel (15) supported on the upper and lower frames (23) via a swing arm (16) so as to be swingable; and functional components (12, 41, 42) of the electric vehicle arranged below an upper end of the main frame (21), The main frames (21) are configured as a pair of left and right frames, and extend forward and backward at a position equal to or lower than the upper ends of the front wheels (13) and the rear wheels (15); The battery (41), which is a functional component of the electric vehicle, is a rectangular parallelepiped. The battery (41) is mounted with its long side oriented in the left-right direction, and both left and right ends (41L, 41R) of the battery (41) are located outside the outer surface (21O) of the main frame (21) in the vehicle width direction.

2. 2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the battery (41) is supported by the pair of left and right main frames (21).

3. 3. The electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein an electric motor (12) is disposed between the pair of left and right main frames (21) and between a rear surface (41B) of the battery (41) and a rear end (23B) of the upper and lower frames (23).

4. A second battery (42) having the same shape as the battery (41), The second battery (42) is disposed below the electric motor (12) and the battery (41) with its long side directed forward and backward; 4. The electric vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that, when viewed from the front of the vehicle, both left and right ends (42L, 42R) of the second battery (42) are located widthwise inward of a line (L11, L12) connecting a tire contact surface (R0) where the front wheels (13) contact a road surface (R) and lower ends of the left and right ends (41L, 41R) of the battery (41).

5. A lower frame (24) is provided which extends forward from the lower ends of the upper and lower frames (23), The lower frame (24) is located below the electric motor (12), The lower frame (24) is configured as a pair of left and right lower frames, and overlaps with a side surface of the second battery (42) in a vehicle side view, The electric vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the second battery (42) is supported by at least the lower frame (24).

6. 6. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the pair of left and right main frames (21) support the head pipe (20) via upward extension portions (22) that extend upward.

7. 7. The electric vehicle according to claim 6, wherein vertical lines (L1, L2) passing through both left and right ends (41L, 41R) of the battery (41) overlap with a grip (31a) of the handlebars (31) when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

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