Straddle Electric Vehicle Motor Case Frame Rigidity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Straddle electric vehicles face a trade-off between increasing vehicle body frame rigidity for improved performance and reducing weight, which negatively affects fuel efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A straddle electric vehicle design featuring a vehicle body frame with a motor case that includes a motor accommodating portion, a front fixing portion, an upper-rear fixing portion, and a lower-rear fixing portion, where the motor driving shaft is located within a virtual triangle defined by these portions, enhancing rigidity while minimizing weight.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the rigidity of the vehicle body frame is increased for performance improvement, then traveling stability and turning operability are improved, but the weight of the vehicle body frame increases and fuel efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle body frame rigidityVSAvoidvehicle weight
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The motor case is merged with the vehicle body frame structure by integrating the motor accommodating portion, front fixing portion, upper-rear fixing portion, and lower-rear fixing portion into a unified assembly. This merging allows the motor case to serve dual purposes: housing the electric motor and providing structural support to enhance frame rigidity, thereby eliminating the need for separate reinforcement components and reducing overall vehicle weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The motor case is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as the housing for the electric motor and as a structural component of the vehicle body frame. The fixing portions extend into the motor case to provide mounting points that reinforce the frame structure, allowing a single component to fulfill multiple functions: motor accommodation, structural support, and rigidity enhancement, thus avoiding additional weight from separate structural reinforcements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Stability of the object's composition

If the rigidity of the vehicle body frame is increased for performance improvement, then traveling stability and turning operability are improved, but the fuel efficiency of the vehicle deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle body frame rigidityVSAvoidfuel efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The motor case is merged with the vehicle body frame structure by integrating the motor accommodating portion, front fixing portion, upper-rear fixing portion, and lower-rear fixing portion into a unified assembly. This merging allows the motor case to serve dual purposes: housing the electric motor and providing structural support to enhance frame rigidity, thereby eliminating the need for separate reinforcement components and reducing overall vehicle weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The design changes the structural parameters of the motor case by extending fixing portions (front, upper-rear, and lower-rear) into the motor accommodating portion. These extended portions act as structural reinforcements that modify the rigidity distribution of the vehicle body frame, enhancing stability without requiring additional heavy materials, thus maintaining fuel efficiency while improving performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Weight of moving object

If the weight of the vehicle body frame is reduced for fuel efficiency improvement, then fuel efficiency is improved, but traveling stability and turning operability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle weightVSAvoidvehicle body frame rigidity
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The motor case is merged with the vehicle body frame structure by integrating the motor accommodating portion, front fixing portion, upper-rear fixing portion, and lower-rear fixing portion into a unified assembly. This merging allows the motor case to serve dual purposes: housing the electric motor and providing structural support to enhance frame rigidity, thereby eliminating the need for separate reinforcement components and reducing overall vehicle weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The motor case structure combines different functional requirements into a single composite-like design where the motor accommodating portion houses the motor while the extended fixing portions provide structural reinforcement. This integrated design achieves optimal strength-to-weight ratio by strategically placing material where it is most needed for both motor accommodation and structural support, rather than using uniform heavy reinforcement throughout the frame.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentEP4311754A1Straddle electric vehicle
Publication Date: 2024.01.31 KAWASAKI MOTORS LTD
  • EP4311754A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4311754A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4311754A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A straddle electric vehicle includes: a vehicle body frame including a motor case located between a front frame and a pivot frame; and an electric motor including a motor driving shaft that outputs driving force by which a rear wheel is driven. The motor case includes: a motor accommodating portion accommodating the electric motor; a front fixing portion fixed to the vehicle body frame; an upper-rear fixing portion fixed to the vehicle body frame; and a lower-rear fixing portion fixed to the vehicle body frame. In a side view of the vehicle, the motor driving shaft is located in a region surrounded by a virtual triangle defined by connecting the front fixing portion, the upper-rear fixing portion, and the lower-rear fixing portion.