Electric vehicles

Abstract

To cool a charger and a battery efficiently without increasing the size and the number of cooling fans.SOLUTION: In an electric vehicle (1), a battery (41) is charged by a charger (51) and electric power from the battery allows the electric vehicle to travel. A cooling fan (53) is attached to the charger, the cooling fan is located between the charger and the battery, and an air outlet of the cooling fan is directed to the battery.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[[Technical Field]]

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

[0002] As a saddle-ride type electric vehicle, there is known one that cools a battery and a charger by operating a cooling fan while the battery is being charged (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the electric vehicle described in Patent Document 1, an accommodation space for the battery and the charger is secured inside the body below the seat. The charger is attached to a side surface of the battery, and a cooling fan is attached to a cooling case provided so as to cover the charger. When the cooling fan operates, cooling air taken into the inside of the body from outside the vehicle is circulated inside the body to cool the battery and the charger. [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0003] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-84575 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0004] However, if the performance of the cooling fan is insufficient, there is a risk of restriction of charging output and battery degradation due to temperature rise of the battery. Increasing the size of the cooling fan or increasing the number of cooling fans has problems such as requiring a sufficient installation space, as well as increases in power consumption, cost, and weight.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electric vehicle capable of efficiently cooling a charger and a battery without increasing the size or number of cooling fans. [[Means for Solving the Problem]]

[0006] An electric vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention is an electric vehicle that is charged by a charger and can run on power from the battery, wherein a cooling fan is attached to the charger, the cooling fan is located between the charger and the battery, and the outlet of the cooling fan is directed toward the battery, thereby solving the above problem. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the electric vehicle is cooled by a cooling fan, and cooling air is blown onto the battery from the outlet of the cooling fan. The charger and battery are efficiently cooled, improving cooling efficiency and suppressing limitations on charging output and battery degradation due to temperature rise in the battery during charging. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a left side view of the saddle-type vehicle in this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a side view of the area around the seat of the electric vehicle in this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a top view of the area around the seat of the electric vehicle in this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of the charger in this embodiment. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the installation structure of a charger using fixed rails. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the installation structure of a charger using a cargo hook. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] An electric vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention is powered by electricity from a charger that charges the battery. The charger is equipped with a cooling fan, which is positioned between the charger and the battery. The cooling fan's outlet is directed towards the battery, so that the charger is cooled by the cooling fan, and cooling air is blown onto the battery from the cooling fan's outlet. The charger and battery are efficiently cooled, improving cooling efficiency and suppressing limitations on charging output and battery degradation due to temperature rise in the battery during charging. [Examples]

[0010] The electric vehicle of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Figure 1 is a left side view of the electric vehicle of this embodiment. In the following figures, arrow FR indicates the front of the vehicle, arrow RE indicates the rear of the vehicle, arrow L indicates the left side of the vehicle, and arrow R indicates the right side of the vehicle.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the electric vehicle 1 is a scooter-type saddle-type vehicle, constructed by attaching various covers as exterior body parts to a vehicle frame. A front frame cover 11 is provided on the front of the vehicle, and a leg shield 12 is provided behind the front frame cover 11 to protect the rider's legs. A footboard 13 extends from the lower end of the leg shield 12 toward the rear, and a seat frame cover 31 is provided behind the footboard 13. The leg shield 12 and footboard 13 form a space for the rider's feet in front of the seat 21.

[0012] A handlebar 22 is provided on the upper side of the front frame cover 11, and a front wheel 24 is rotatably supported on the lower side of the front frame cover 11 via a pair of front forks 23. A seat 21 is provided on the upper side of the seat frame cover 31, and a swingarm (not shown) covered by a swingarm cover 25 is provided on the lower side of the seat frame cover 31. A rear wheel 26 is rotatably supported at the rear of the swingarm, and this rear of the swingarm is connected to the vehicle frame via a suspension 27. A battery 41 is housed below the seat 21.

[0013] Incidentally, in typical electric vehicles, the battery is charged by a charger inside the vehicle, and the battery and charger are cooled by natural air cooling or a built-in cooling fan during charging. However, natural air cooling or small cooling fans may not be able to cool the battery and charger sufficiently, potentially leading to a rise in battery temperature, limiting the charging output, or causing battery degradation. Using a large cooling fan can suppress the rise in battery temperature, but this presents problems such as installation space. Furthermore, the charger is a component that is not used while the vehicle is running, and its increased weight may reduce the driving range or worsen driving stability.

[0014] If a portable charger is used, there is no need for installation space for the charger inside the vehicle. Sufficient space for a cooling fan is secured inside the vehicle, and the vehicle is lighter because it is driven without having to carry a charger. When considering charging at the destination, it is preferable to carry a charger, but if the charger is stored in a helmet box or the like, the charger must be removed each time the battery is charged. Therefore, in the electric vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the charger 51 is detachably installed on the outside of the vehicle so that it can be carried or stationary, and the battery 41 can be efficiently cooled by a cooling fan 53 attached to the charger 51.

[0015] The layout of the charger will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is a side view of the area around the seat of the electric vehicle in this embodiment. Figure 3 is a top view of the area around the seat of the electric vehicle in this embodiment. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the charger in this embodiment.

[0016] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a storage compartment is formed below the seat 21 by the seat frame cover 31. A storage space is formed inside the seat frame cover 31, and the upper opening of the seat frame cover 31 is covered by the seat 21. The rear end of the seat 21 is connected to the seat frame cover 31 via a hinge 43, and the seat 21 opens and closes relative to the seat frame cover 31 with the hinge 43 as the pivot point. A locking mechanism (not shown) is provided on the front end of the seat 21, and when the seat 21 is closed, the seat 21 is locked to the seat frame cover 31. The front end of the seat 21 protrudes forward of the seat frame cover 31.

[0017] A battery 41 for storing power for driving is installed inside the seat frame cover 31. The battery 41 is formed by housing multiple cells (single cells) inside a rectangular battery case when viewed from the side. The battery 41 is positioned at the center in the vehicle width direction inside the seat frame cover 31 with its shorter side facing the vehicle width direction. The battery 41 is close to the front wall (bulkhead) 32 of the seat frame cover 31, and a charging connector 42 protruding from the front of the battery 41 is exposed forward through an opening (not shown) in the front wall 32 of the seat frame cover 31.

[0018] A charger 51 for charging a battery 41 is detachably installed on the front side of the seat frame cover 31, that is, on the outer surface of the front wall 32. When the charger 51 is installed outside the seat frame cover 31, a connector 52 (see FIG. 4) of the charger 51 is connected to a connector 42 of the battery 41 inside the seat frame cover 31. As will be described in detail later, the charger 51 is attached from above to a fixing rail 34 (see FIG. 5) and a cargo hook 36 (see FIG. 6) provided on the front wall 32 of the seat frame cover 31. The charger 51 is pressed from above by the front end of the seat 21, so that the charger 51 is locked in the attached state.

[0019] A cooling fan 53 is attached to the back surface of the charger 51, and the cooling fan 53 is located between the charger 51 and the battery 41. An air outlet 54 (see FIG. 4) of the cooling fan 53 faces the battery 41, and an opening (not shown) for taking in cooling air from the air outlet 54 of the cooling fan 53 is formed in the front wall 32 of the seat frame cover 31 that separates the charger 51 and the battery 41. The opening of the seat frame cover 31 is formed by fine holes such as slits or punched holes. When the charger 51 is installed outside the vehicle, the cooling air from the cooling fan 53 passes through the opening of the seat frame cover 31, while when the charger 51 is removed, foreign matters such as water and dust are less likely to enter the vehicle interior through the opening.

[0020] As described above, the battery 41 is installed inside the electric vehicle 1, and the charger 51 is detachably installed outside the electric vehicle 1. Outside the vehicle, the charger 51 is cooled by the cooling fan 53, and cooling air is fed from the air outlet 54 of the cooling fan 53 into the vehicle interior through the opening of the seat frame cover 31 to cool the battery 41. The electric vehicle 1 can travel with the charger 51 still installed thereon, and weight reduction of the electric vehicle 1 can be achieved by removing the charger 51 from the electric vehicle 1. Note that when traveling with the charger 51 still installed, the cooling fan 53 can be operated by power from the battery 41 to cool the battery 41.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, the back of the charger 51 is partially covered by a cooling case 55, and a cooling fan 53 is installed inside the cooling case 55. The sides of the cooling case 55 are open, and an outlet 54 for the cooling fan 53 is located in the center of the back of the cooling case 55. When the cooling fan 53 is driven, outside air is drawn in as cooling air through the opening on the side of the cooling case 55. The cooling air inside the cooling case 55 flows along the back of the charger 51, absorbing heat from the charger 51, and is blown out from the outlet 54 towards the battery 41. A connector 52 protrudes from the upper back of the cooling case 55.

[0022] The back of the charger 51 is equipped with numerous cooling fins 56 on the sides of the cooling case 55, and the cooling performance of the charger 51 is improved by the numerous cooling fins 56. The direction in which each cooling fin 56 extends is directed toward the cooling fan 53, and the flow of cooling air between the cooling fins 56 enhances the heat dissipation effect. The cooling fins 56 protrude from the back of the charger 51 toward the battery 41, and the tips of the cooling fins 56 are located closer to the charger 51 than the outlet 54 of the cooling fan 53. Since the tips of the cooling fins 56 are never located closer to the battery 41 than the outlet 54 of the cooling fan 53, the outlet 54 of the cooling fan 53 is brought closer to the battery 41, improving the cooling performance of the battery 41.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the front wall 32 of the seat frame cover 31 slopes backward from top to bottom. In addition, a footboard 13 for resting feet is provided in front of the seat 21, and the charger 51 is positioned above the footboard 13 and below the top surface of the seat 21. Even when the charger 51 is installed on the front wall 32 of the seat frame cover 31, the charger 51 does not protrude significantly forward and does not interfere with the riding posture of the driver seated on the seat 21. Since the charger 51 is installed outside the vehicle even while driving, the charger 51 can be carried without sacrificing the storage capacity of the seat frame cover 31.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, the charger 51 is located in front of the seat frame cover 31. Even if the charger 51 is installed outside the vehicle, it does not protrude outward in the width direction from the electric vehicle 1. The charger 51, cooling fan 53, and battery 41 are arranged in that order from the front of the vehicle, and in a top view, the cooling fan 53 is located within the left-right width of the charger 51 and battery 41. Even if the cooling fan 53 is attached to the charger 51, the charger 51 and battery 41 do not become larger, and the cooling air from the cooling fan 53 can be efficiently blown onto the charger 51 and battery 41 to improve cooling performance.

[0025] The installation structure of the charger is not particularly limited, but for example, the charger may be installed on the seat frame cover using a fixed rail or a cargo hook. The installation structure of the charger will be described below with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the installation structure of the charger using a fixed rail. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the installation structure of the charger using a cargo hook. For the sake of clarity, in the following description, components with the same names as in this embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0026] As shown in Figure 5(A), a fixed rail 34 is provided on the front wall 32 of the seat frame cover 31, and a rail groove 57 (see Figure 5(B)) is formed on the back of the charger 51. The fixed rail 34 and the rail groove 57 each extend in the vertical direction, and the cross-sectional shape of the rail groove 57 is formed to match the cross-sectional shape of the fixed rail 34. A stopper 35 is provided at the lower end of the fixed rail 34, and the stopper 35 restricts the downward sliding of the charger 51. The upper end of the fixed rail 34 is covered by the tip of the seat 21, and the tip of the seat 21 presses down on the charger 51 from above, restricting the upward sliding of the charger 51.

[0027] As shown in Figure 5(B), when the charger 51 is installed, the seat 21 is opened, which opens the upper end of the fixing rail 34 of the seat frame cover 31. The rail groove 57 of the charger 51 is fitted onto the fixing rail 34 from above, and the charger 51 slides downward relative to the seat frame cover 31. When the charger 51 abuts against the stopper 35, the outlet 54 of the cooling fan 53 is aligned with the opening of the seat frame cover 31. The charger 51 is fixed in place when the seat 21 is closed and locked. The charger 51 can also be removed when the lock on the seat 21 is released and the seat 21 is opened.

[0028] When charging the battery 41, the charger 51 is installed in the seat frame cover 31, and the cooling fan 53 is activated to cool the charger 51, while cooling air is blown to the battery 41 from the outlet 54 of the cooling fan 53. This suppresses the temperature rise of the battery 41 during charging, making it less likely for the charging output to be limited and extending the life of the battery 41. If the charger 51 is removed from the seat frame cover 31 and the vehicle is driven, the weight of the electric vehicle 1 is reduced, increasing the driving range and improving driving stability. In this case, the battery 41 is cooled by the airflow from the opening in the seat frame cover 31.

[0029] If the charger 51 is left installed on the seat frame cover 31 while driving, charging becomes possible even when traveling, reducing concerns about driving range. In this case, the cooling fan 53 is powered by the battery 41 to cool the battery 41. Leaving the charger 51 installed on the seat frame cover 31 eliminates the need to attach and detach the charger 51 each time charging is required, improving user convenience. Although the charger 51 is installed outside the vehicle, the seat lock restricts its removal, thus preventing theft of the charger 51 even when the electric vehicle 1 is parked outdoors.

[0030] As shown in Figure 6(A), a cargo hook 36 is provided on the front wall 32 of the seat frame cover 31, and a hook hole 58 (see Figure 6(B)) is formed on the back of the charger 51. The tip of the cargo hook 36 is pointed upward, and the hook hole 58 can be inserted into the cargo hook 36 from above. The tip of the seat 21 is located above the cargo hook 36, and the tip of the seat 21 presses down on the charger 51 from above, restricting upward lifting of the charger 51. The cargo hook 36 is used to install the charger 51 when charging the battery 41, but is used to hang general cargo when not charging.

[0031] As shown in Figure 6(B), when the charger 51 is installed, the seat 21 is opened, opening the area above the luggage hook 36 of the seat frame cover 31. The hook hole 58 of the charger 51 is inserted into the luggage hook 36 from above, and the charger 51 is suspended from the luggage hook 36. At this time, the outlet 54 of the cooling fan 53 is aligned with the opening of the seat frame cover 31. The charger 51 is secured when the seat 21 is closed and locked. The charger 51 can also be removed when the lock on the seat 21 is released and the seat 21 is opened. Even with this configuration, the charger 51 and battery 41 are effectively cooled.

[0032] As described above, in the electric vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the charger 51 is cooled by the cooling fan 53, and cooling air is blown onto the battery 41 from the outlet 54 of the cooling fan 53. The charger 51 and battery 41 are efficiently cooled, improving cooling efficiency and suppressing limitations on charging output and battery degradation due to temperature rise of the battery 41 during charging.

[0033] In this embodiment, the battery is installed inside the vehicle and the charger is installed outside the vehicle. However, if a cooling fan is positioned between the charger and the battery, both the battery and the charger may be installed inside the vehicle.

[0034] In this embodiment, the opening in the seat frame cover is formed by slits or punched holes, but the opening in the seat frame cover can be any shape that allows cooling air from the cooling fan outlet to be taken in.

[0035] In this embodiment, the charger was installed above the footboard and below the top surface of the seat, but the location of the charger is not particularly limited as long as it does not interfere with the driver.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tip of the cooling fin is located on the charger side of the cooling fan's outlet, but the tip of the cooling fin may also be located on the same plane as the cooling fan's outlet.

[0037] Furthermore, the electric vehicle is not limited to the scooter-type vehicle of this embodiment; any electric vehicle that can run on power from a battery charged by a charger is acceptable. Also, the electric vehicle is not limited to motorcycles; it may be a battery-powered buggy-type three-wheeled vehicle, four-wheeled vehicle, jet ski, small agricultural vehicle, outboard motor, etc.

[0038] As described above, the first embodiment is an electric vehicle (1) in which a battery (41) is charged by a charger (51) and which can run on power from the battery, wherein a cooling fan (53) is attached to the charger, the cooling fan is located between the charger and the battery, and the outlet (54) of the cooling fan is directed toward the battery. With this configuration, the charger is cooled by the cooling fan, and cooling air is blown onto the battery from the outlet of the cooling fan. The charger and battery are efficiently cooled, improving cooling efficiency and suppressing limitations on charging output and battery degradation due to temperature rise of the battery during charging.

[0039] In the second embodiment, the electric vehicle of the first embodiment has a battery installed inside the vehicle and a charger installed detachably outside the vehicle. The bulkhead (front wall 32) separating the battery and the charger has an opening that takes in cooling air from the outlet of a cooling fan. With this configuration, the charger is cooled by the cooling fan outside the vehicle, and the cooling air is sent from the outlet of the cooling fan into the vehicle through the opening to cool the battery. The vehicle can be driven with the charger installed, but the vehicle can be made lighter by removing the charger.

[0040] The third embodiment is an electric vehicle according to the first or second embodiment, in which the interior of the vehicle is the inside of the storage compartment (seat frame cover 31) below the seat (21), and the exterior of the vehicle is the front side of the storage compartment. With this configuration, even if the charger is installed outside the vehicle, the charger does not protrude outward from the electric vehicle in the vehicle width direction.

[0041] The fourth embodiment is an electric vehicle according to the second or third embodiment, in which a footboard (13) for resting feet is provided in front of the seat, and the charger is located above the footboard and below the top surface of the seat. With this configuration, the charger is installed in a position that is less likely to interfere with the driver when the driver is in a riding position. Since the charger is installed outside the vehicle even while driving, the charger can be carried without sacrificing the capacity of the storage compartment.

[0042] A fifth embodiment is that, in any one embodiment of the second to fourth embodiments, the cooling fan can be driven by power from the battery. With this configuration, if the battery temperature rises during driving, the cooling fan can effectively cool the battery.

[0043] The sixth embodiment is one of the second to fifth embodiments in which the cooling fan is located within the left-right width of the charger and battery when viewed from above. With this configuration, even if a cooling fan is attached to the charger, the charger and battery do not become larger, and cooling air can be efficiently blown onto the charger and battery to improve cooling performance.

[0044] The seventh embodiment is one of the embodiments from the first to the sixth, in which cooling fins (56) protrude from the charger toward the battery, and the tips of the cooling fins are on the same plane as the outlet of the cooling fan or are located closer to the charger than the outlet of the cooling fan. With this configuration, the cooling performance of the charger is improved by providing cooling fins to the charger. The tips of the cooling fins are not located closer to the battery than the outlet of the cooling fan, and the cooling performance of the battery can be improved by bringing the outlet of the cooling fan closer to the battery.

[0045] Although this embodiment has been described, other embodiments may be combinations of the above embodiment and its modifications, either entirely or partially.

[0046] Furthermore, the technology of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and may be modified, substituted, or transformed in various ways without departing from the spirit of the technical idea. Moreover, if the technical idea can be realized in a different way by advances in the technology or by other derived technologies, it may be implemented by that method. Accordingly, the claims cover all embodiments that may fall within the scope of the technical idea. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 1: Electric vehicles 21: Sheet 31: Seat frame cover (storage area) 32: Front wall (bulkhead) 41: Battery 51: Charger 53: Cooling fan 54:Air outlet 56: Cooling fins

Claims

1. An electric vehicle whose battery is charged by a charger and which is capable of running on power from the battery, The aforementioned charger is equipped with a cooling fan. The cooling fan is located between the charger and the battery. An electric vehicle characterized in that the outlet of the cooling fan is directed toward the battery.

2. The battery is installed inside the vehicle, and the charger is detachably installed outside the vehicle. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the partition wall separating the battery and the charger has an opening formed therein for taking in cooling air from the outlet of the cooling fan.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the interior of the vehicle is the inside of the storage compartment below the seat, and the exterior of the vehicle is the front side of the storage compartment.

4. A footboard for resting your feet is provided at the front of the seat. The electric vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the charger is located above the footboard and below the upper surface of the seat.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the cooling fan can be driven by power from the battery.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the cooling fan is located within the left-right width of the charger and the battery when viewed from above.

7. Cooling fins protrude from the charger towards the battery. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the tip of the cooling fin is on the same plane as the outlet of the cooling fan or is located on the charger side of the outlet of the cooling fan.

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