Electric Vehicle Power Unit Mounting for Frame Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing saddle riding type electric vehicles face challenges in managing the impact on vehicle body design due to the layout of heavy drive components like batteries and electric motors, leading to complex adjustments in frame stiffness and strength.
Innovation Solution
A configuration where the electric motor is positioned at the rearward side of the pivot shaft, with the motor case supporting the swing arm, and the power unit is fastened to the vehicle body frame in the forward-rearward direction, utilizing cross members and pivot frames to distribute loads and facilitate adjustments in strength and stiffness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the electric motor is arranged at the rearward side of the pivot shaft and the motor case supports the swing arm, then the motor case receives loads from both the electric motor output/input and the swing arm, but this requires excessive stiffness and complicates the adjustment of strength and stiffness of the motor case
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the support function into two separate components: the motor case and the pivot frames. The motor case is fastened to the vehicle body frame to handle acceleration/deceleration loads, while the pivot frames support the pivot shaft for swing arm rotation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function, reducing the complexity of adjusting overall strength and stiffness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cross members as intermediary structural elements that connect the motor case to the vehicle body frame. These cross members act as load transfer paths, distributing the forces from the electric motor and swing arm through the vehicle body frame, thereby reducing the direct load burden on the motor case and simplifying its structural design.
2Reliability
If heavy drive components such as the battery, control device, and electric motor are laid out in the vehicle, then the impact on frame stiffness and vehicle body design is large, but this complicates the vehicle body design
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heavy drive components into functionally grouped units: the power unit (electric motor and unit case) positioned at the rearward side, the battery arranged separately, and the control device positioned independently. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while reducing the overall impact on vehicle body design through distributed placement rather than concentrated arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the vehicle width direction as an additional dimension for component placement. The cross members connect the motor case to the vehicle body frame in the width direction, and the pivot frames extend downward from the main frame. This three-dimensional distribution of heavy components across multiple spatial dimensions reduces the impact on any single structural element and simplifies vehicle body design.
Data Source
AI summary
A saddle riding type electric vehicle includes: a vehicle body frame having a head pipe, a main frame, a pair of right and left pivot frames, and upper and lower cross members that connect the right and left pivot frames to each other; a swing arm; and a power unit that is arranged at a further rearward side than the right and left pivot frames, wherein the power unit includes a unit case that accommodates the electric motor, the unit case includes a mount portion that is fastened by the upper and lower cross members in a vehicle forward-rearward direction between the right and left pivot frames, and a pivot shaft of the swing arm is supported by the right and left pivot frames and the mount portion.