CN112004740A - Electric vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides an electric vehicle. An electric vehicle (1) is provided with: a front wheel; a rear wheel (3); a front body (10, 310) that supports front wheels; a swing unit (50) that has a motor that drives the rear wheel (3), supports the rear wheel (3), and is provided so as to be able to rotate relative to the front vehicle body (10) about a pivot axis (P) that extends in the vehicle width direction; and a battery (105) which is a power source of the motor and is supported by the swing unit (50) at a position overlapping with the pivot axis (P) when viewed in the vertical direction.

Description

Electric vehicle

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an electric vehicle.

The present application claims priority based on application No. 2018-084561 filed in the sun on 25.4.2018, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Background

Some electric vehicles are configured to have a motor that drives a rear wheel and a swing unit that supports the rear wheel is vertically swingable with respect to a front vehicle body that supports a front wheel. For example, patent document 1 discloses a swing-type vehicle in which a swing vehicle body supporting a seat and a rear vehicle body supporting a pair of right and left rear wheels via a rear wheel support member are connected to each other via a swing shaft passing through the substantial center of the vehicle body and extending in the front-rear direction so as to be relatively rotatable about the axis thereof. In this swing type vehicle, the fixed bracket is supported by a pivot provided in the swing vehicle body so as to be vertically slidable, and the movable bracket is supported by the fixed bracket so as to be horizontally rotatable via a swing shaft. A power unit for supporting the rear wheel is supported by the movable bracket, and a battery support frame for mounting a battery is fixed thereto.

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 3189977

Disclosure of Invention

Summary of the invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the above-described electric vehicle according to the related art, since the battery as a heavy object is supported by the swing unit, a large inertial force acts on a portion supporting the swing unit when the swing unit swings up and down. Therefore, the conventional electric vehicle has a problem of reducing a load applied to a portion where the swing unit is rotatably supported.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to reduce a load applied to a portion where a swing unit is rotatably supported in an electric vehicle having the swing unit provided swingably up and down with respect to a front vehicle body.

Means for solving the problems

An electric vehicle according to a first aspect of the present invention includes: a front wheel (2); a rear wheel (3); a front body (10, 310) that supports the front wheel (2); a swing unit (50, 250, 358, 450) that has a motor (61, 261A, 261B, 461) that drives the rear wheel (3), supports the rear wheel (3), and is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the front vehicle body (10, 310) about a pivot axis (P) that extends in the vehicle width direction; and a battery (105) that is a power source for the motor (61, 261A, 261B, 461) and that is supported by the swing unit (50, 250, 358, 450) at a position that overlaps the pivot axis (P) when viewed in the vertical direction.

An electrically powered vehicle according to a second aspect of the present invention is the electrically powered vehicle according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the battery (105) is disposed such that a center of gravity (G) of the battery (105) is located on the pivot axis (P) or behind the pivot axis (P) when viewed in a vertical direction.

An electrically powered vehicle according to a third aspect of the invention is the electrically powered vehicle according to the first or second aspect, wherein the battery (105) is disposed at a position overlapping the pivot axis (P) when viewed in the vehicle width direction.

An electric vehicle according to a fourth aspect of the invention is the electric vehicle according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein at least one of a power control unit (101) that controls the motor (61, 261A, 261B, 461), a junction box (103) that collects wiring extending from the battery (105), and a regulator (104) that reduces a voltage of a current supplied from the battery (105) is disposed at a position overlapping the pivot axis (P) when viewed from the top-bottom direction.

An electric vehicle according to a fifth aspect of the invention is the electric vehicle according to any of the first through fourth aspects, wherein the battery (105) is configured to be removable from below a seat (12).

An electric vehicle according to a sixth aspect of the invention is the electric vehicle according to any of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the battery (105) is disposed below the seat (12) so that a longitudinal direction thereof extends in a horizontal direction.

An electric vehicle according to a seventh aspect of the invention is the electric vehicle according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein a pair of the rear wheels (3) is provided, and the swing unit (50, 250) includes: a power unit (51, 251) that includes the motor (61, 261A, 261B) and supports the pair of rear wheels (3); and a swing mechanism (53, 253) that couples the front body (10) and the power unit (51, 251) so as to be swingable about a yaw axis (R) extending in a direction orthogonal to a vehicle width direction, wherein at least a part of the swing mechanism (53, 253) overlaps the rear wheel (3) when viewed in the vehicle width direction, and the battery (105) is supported by the swing unit (50, 250) in front of the swing mechanism (53, 253).

An electrically powered vehicle according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the electrically powered vehicle according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, further comprising a damper (4) that connects the front body (10) and the swing mechanism (53, 253), wherein a connecting portion (98, 298) between the swing mechanism (53, 253) and the damper (4) overlaps with the rear wheel (3) when viewed in the vehicle width direction.

Effects of the invention

According to the invention described in the first aspect, the center of gravity of the battery can be made horizontally closer to the pivot axis, as compared with a configuration in which the battery is disposed at a position where the battery does not overlap with the pivot axis when viewed in the vertical direction. Thus, the moment of gravity acting on the battery around the pivot axis is reduced, and therefore, the load applied to the portion supporting the swing unit so as to be rotatable can be reduced.

According to the invention described in the second aspect, the force acting in the upward direction of the rear wheel on the swing unit can be suppressed by the gravity acting on the battery. Therefore, the road following ability of the rear wheel supported by the swing unit can be improved.

According to the invention described in the third aspect, the center of gravity of the battery can be brought closer to the pivot axis than in a configuration in which the battery is disposed at a position where the battery does not overlap with the pivot axis when viewed in the vehicle width direction. This reduces the moment of inertia of the entire member that swings upward and downward integrally with the swing unit about the pivot axis. Therefore, the road following ability of the rear wheel supported by the swing unit can be improved.

According to the invention described in the fourth aspect, the center of gravity of at least one of the power control unit, the terminal box, and the regulator can be made close to the pivot axis in the horizontal direction together with the center of gravity of the battery. This can further reduce the load applied to the portion supporting the swing unit so as to be swingable up and down.

According to the invention described in the fifth aspect, the battery can be easily taken out at a low position in a state where the passenger or the like stands on the side of the vehicle. In addition, when the shelf is provided behind the seat, the battery can be taken out without detaching the article mounted on the shelf from the shelf. Therefore, the convenience of the electric vehicle can be improved.

According to the invention described in the sixth aspect, it is possible to provide a space between the battery and the seat while suppressing an increase in the vertical dimension of the region in which the battery is disposed. This makes it possible to provide a storage space for storing articles under the seat, and the like, and to improve the convenience of the electric vehicle.

According to the invention described in the seventh aspect, the space generated in front of the swing mechanism portion by disposing the swing mechanism portion so as to overlap the rear wheel when viewed in the vehicle width direction can be effectively utilized.

According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the load of the front vehicle body can be received at the position of the swing mechanism portion close to the grounding point of the rear wheel, as compared with a structure in which the connecting portion does not overlap with the rear wheel when viewed in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the load sharing between the front and rear wheels can be optimized.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a left side view of the electric vehicle of the first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a left side view showing a rear portion of the electric vehicle of the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view showing a rear portion of the electric vehicle according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the power unit of the first embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a left side view showing a rear portion of the electric vehicle of the second embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a bottom view showing a rear portion of the electric vehicle according to the second embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a left side view of the electric vehicle of the third embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a left side view of the electric vehicle of the fourth embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a plan view showing the periphery of the swing unit according to the fourth embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a left side view of an electric vehicle according to a modification of the fourth embodiment.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the front-rear, up-down, left-right directions are the same as the front-rear, up-down, left-right directions in the vehicle. That is, the vertical direction coincides with the vertical direction, and the horizontal direction coincides with the vehicle width direction. In the drawings used in the following description, arrow UP indicates the upward direction, arrow FR indicates the forward direction, and arrow LH indicates the left direction. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions are denoted by the same reference numerals. Moreover, a repetitive description of these configurations may be omitted.

[ first embodiment ]

First, an electrically powered vehicle according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 5. In the present embodiment, a saddle-ride type electric tricycle having a pair of rear wheels will be described as an example of an electric vehicle.

Fig. 1 is a left side view of the electric vehicle of the first embodiment.

As shown in fig. 1, an electric vehicle 1 according to a first embodiment mainly includes a single front wheel 2, a pair of right and left rear wheels 3, a front body 10 that supports the front wheel 2 so as to be steerable, a front body cover 30 that covers the front body 10, a swing unit 50 that supports the pair of rear wheels 3 and is provided so as to be vertically swingable with respect to the front body 10, a power supply unit 100 that supplies power to a motor 61 (see fig. 4) or the like as a drive source, and a rear damper 4 (shock absorber) interposed between the front body 10 and the swing unit 50. The electric vehicle 1 can swing (roll) the front body 10 on which the occupant sits in the right-left direction in a state where the pair of rear wheels 3 are grounded.

The front body 10 includes a steering handle 11 for steering the front wheels, a seat 12 for seating an occupant, a low floor 13, a body frame 14 that is a framework of the front body 10, and a front wheel suspension device 15 that suspends the front wheels 2. Between the steering handle 11 and the seat 12 is a straddle space 16 in which the legs of the occupant are disposed. The low floor 13 is disposed below the straddle space 16.

The body frame 14 includes a head pipe 20, a single front frame 21, a pair of left and right lower frames 22, a pair of left and right rear frames 23, and a pair of left and right shelf frames 24. The head pipe 20 is provided at a front end portion of the vehicle body frame 14. The head pipe 20 is inclined backward with respect to the vertical direction. The front wheel suspension 15 is supported by the head pipe 20 so as to be able to steer. The front wheel suspension 15 includes a rod pipe 25 penetrating the head pipe 20. The steering handle 11 is fixed to the upper end of the rod pipe 25. The front frame 21 extends obliquely rearward and downward from the rear side of the head pipe 20, and then is bent rearward. The pair of lower frames 22 branch to the left and right from both sides of the curved portion of the front frame 21 and extend rearward. The pair of lower frames 22 are coupled to the lower cross tubes 27. The rear end portion of the front frame 21 is coupled to an intermediate portion of the lower cross tube 27. A pair of rear frames 23 extend obliquely rearward and upward from rear end portions of the left and right lower frames 22. The pair of rear frames 23 are provided below the seat 12 and arranged at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction. The pair of left and right shelf frames 24 extend rearward from rear end portions of the left and right rear frames 23.

A pivot plate 28 is provided at the rear of each of the left and right lower frames 22. A pair of left and right pivot plates 28 respectively project rearward from the rear of the lower frame 22. The rocking unit 50 is connected to a pair of pivot plates 28 (described in detail later) so as to be able to rock up and down.

In the steering handle 11, brake levers 45 are provided adjacent to the pair of left and right grips, respectively. A rear brake cable (not shown) is connected to the left brake lever 45, and a pair of left and right rear brakes 5 (see fig. 3) are connected to the distal end portions of the rear brake cable. The pair of left and right rear brakes 5 are operated by pulling the rear brake cable by operating the left brake lever 45. A front brake cable (neither shown) is connected to the right brake lever 45, and a distal end portion of the front brake cable is connected to a front brake. The front brake is operated by pulling a front brake cable by operating the right brake lever 45. Further, a parking lock lever 46 is disposed near the steering handle 11. A parking lock wire (not shown) is connected to the parking lock lever 46. The tip end portion of the parking lock wire is connected to the rear brake 5. The rear brake 5 is operated by pulling the parking lock wire by operating the parking lock lever 46.

The front body cover 30 includes a front cover 31, an inner cover 32, a floor panel 33, left and right floor side covers 34, left and right rear floor panels 35, a seat lower cover 36, left and right rear side covers 37, and a battery case cover 38. The front cover 31 covers the head pipe 20 and the periphery of the front frame 21 from the front. The inner cover 32 covers the head pipe 20 and the periphery of the front frame 21 from the rear. The bottom plate 33 is connected to the rear of the lower end of the inner cover 32. The left and right floor side covers 34 are connected to the lower side of the left and right side edges of the bottom plate 33. Left and right rear floor panels 35 are connected to left and right rear sides of the bottom panel 33. The seat lower cover 36 stands between the left and right rear floor panels 35. The left and right rear side covers 37 are connected to rear end portions of the left and right floor side covers 34 obliquely upward and rearward. The left and right rear side covers 37 cover the rear frame 23 and the shelf frame 24 from the left and right outer sides. The battery case cover 38 extends rearward from the portions of the left and right rear side covers 37 that cover the rear frames 23. The battery case cover 38 covers a battery case 102 (see fig. 2) described later from the outside in the left-right direction.

The front cover 31 and the inner cover 32 constitute a leg shield that covers the legs of the occupant from the front. The bottom plate 33 constitutes the low floor 13 together with the left and right lower frames 22. The feet of the occupant seated in the seat 12 are placed on the floor panel 33. A shelf 39 on which the article storage box 6 is mounted is provided between the left and right rear side covers 37. The shelf front wall portion 40 rises from the front end portion of the shelf 39. A pair of left and right support columns 41 stand above the shelf front wall portion 40. The windshield 42 rises from the upper end portion of the front cover 31. A roof 43 is provided between the upper end of the windshield 42 and the upper ends of the left and right pillars 41.

The seat lower cover 36 is formed so that the battery 105 can be taken out from the battery case 102 disposed below the seat 12 (both refer to fig. 2). For example, the seat lower cover 36 is formed to be able to be sprung up as indicated by the two-dot chain line in the drawing. Thus, the front body cover 30 can open the space below the seat 12 toward the front by raising the seat undercover 36.

Fig. 2 is a left side view showing a rear portion of the electric vehicle of the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a bottom view showing a rear portion of the electric vehicle according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 shows a state in which a part of the front vehicle body cover 30, the left rear wheel 3, and the like are removed.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the swing unit 50 is provided on the front body 10 so as to be rotatable about a pivot axis P extending in the left-right direction, and is swingable up and down with respect to the front body 10. The swing unit 50 includes: a power unit 51 provided between the pair of rear wheels 3; a swing arm 52 supported by the pair of left and right pivot plates 28 of the front body 10; and a swing mechanism 53 interposed between the power unit 51 and the swing arm 52.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the power unit of the first embodiment.

As shown in fig. 4, the power unit 51 supports a pair of rear wheels 3. The power unit 51 includes a unit case 60, a motor 61, a reduction mechanism 66, a differential mechanism 71, and a pair of left and right axles 78. The power unit 51 transmits the output of the motor 61 to the pair of axles 78 via the reduction mechanism 66 and the differential mechanism 71. The pair of axles 78 are axles of the rear wheels 3. The left axle 78 is coupled to the left rear wheel 3. The right axle 78 is coupled to the right rear wheel 3. The pair of axles 78 are disposed coaxially with each other. The pair of axles 78 extend in the left-right direction, and are disposed with their shaft ends facing each other.

The unit case 60 houses the motor 61, the speed reduction mechanism 66, and the differential mechanism 71. The unit case 60 is provided so that the axle 78 protrudes to the left and right. The unit case 60 rotatably supports a pair of axles 78. In the following description, a case will be described as an example in which the motor 61 is disposed in the left space in the unit case 60 and the differential mechanism 71 is disposed in the right space with respect to the motor 61.

The motor 61 drives a pair of rear wheels 3. The motor 61 is driven at a variable speed controlled by vvvf (variable Voltage variable frequency), for example. The motor 61 is disposed coaxially with the axle 78. The motor 61 includes: a cylindrical stator 62 fixed to the unit case 60; a cylindrical rotor 63 disposed coaxially with the stator 62 and inside the stator 62; and a cylindrical shaft 64 coupled to the rotor 63. The cylindrical shaft 64 is disposed coaxially with the axle 78 and is relatively rotatably inserted into the left axle 78.

The speed reduction mechanism 66 reduces the driving rotation of the motor 61. The speed reduction mechanism 66 includes: a gear 67 formed at the right end of the cylindrical shaft 64; a large-diameter gear 68 and a small-diameter gear 69 supported by the unit case 60. Gear 67 intermeshes with large diameter gear 68. The small-diameter gear 69 is formed to have a smaller diameter than the large-diameter gear 68, and rotates integrally with the large-diameter gear 68. In the speed reduction mechanism 66, the rotation of the cylindrical shaft 64 of the motor 61 is transmitted to the small-diameter gear 69 via the gear 67 and the large-diameter gear 68 and is reduced in speed.

The differential mechanism 71 distributes the driving force of the motor 61 output via the speed reduction mechanism 66 to the left and right axles 78. The differential mechanism 71 is provided coaxially with the axle 78. The differential mechanism 71 includes a differential carrier 72, a pair of side gears 73, a rotating shaft 74, and a pair of planetary gears 75. The differential carrier 72 is disposed so as to surround the shaft ends of the pair of axles 78 that face each other. The differential carrier 72 is externally fitted to the axle 78 so as to be rotatable about the axis of the axle 78 with respect to the unit case 60. The differential carrier 72 is formed with a gear 76 that meshes with the small-diameter gear 69 of the reduction mechanism 66. Thereby, the differential carrier 72 rotates in response to the output of the reduction mechanism 66.

The pair of side gears 73 are bevel gears. The pair of side gears 73 are housed in the differential carrier 72. The pair of side gears 73 are fixed to the mutually facing shaft ends of the pair of axle shafts 78. The shaft 74 has an axis orthogonal to the axis of the axle 78. The rotating shaft 74 is disposed between the pair of side gears 73, and both ends thereof are supported by the differential carrier 72. The pair of planetary gears 75 are bevel gears that mesh with the pair of side gears 73, respectively. The pair of planetary gears 75 are held between the pair of side gears 73, respectively, and are rotatably supported by the rotating shaft 74.

In the differential mechanism 71, when the differential carrier 72 rotates upon receiving the output of the reduction mechanism 66, the rotating shaft 74 rotates about the axis of the axle 78. At this time, the pair of planetary gears 75 revolve around the axis of the axle 78. When the resistance applied to the left and right axles 78 is equal, the pair of pinion gears 75 revolving together with the rotating shaft 74 do not rotate on their own axis, and the pair of side gears 73 and the pair of axles 78 rotate at the same speed. When a difference occurs in the resistance applied to the left and right axles 78, the pair of planetary gears 75 appropriately rotate on their own axis, and a difference in rotational speed occurs between the pair of side gears 73 and the pair of axles 78. In this way, the differential mechanism 71 distributes the driving force of the motor 61 to the pair of rear wheels 3 via the axle 78.

As shown in fig. 3, a rear brake 5 is disposed between the power unit 51 and each rear wheel 3. For example, the rear brake 5 has: a brake drum integrally formed on a wheel of the rear wheel 3; and a brake shoe supported by the unit case 60 of the power unit 51. The brake shoe is pulled by at least one of a rear brake wire and a parking lock wire (both not shown) and is brought into sliding contact with the brake drum.

The swing arm 52 is disposed in front of the power unit 51. The swing arm 52 is supported by the pair of left and right pivot plates 28 to be rotatable about the pivot axis P. The swing arm 52 includes a pair of left and right side arms 80 and a battery support 81 spanning between the pair of side arms 80. The pair of side arms 80 are supported by the pivot plates 28, respectively. The side arm 80 extends from a position forward of the pivot axis P to a position rearward of the pivot axis P. For example, the side arm 80 extends horizontally from the pivot axis P toward the front, and extends slightly obliquely downward as it goes toward the rear from the pivot axis P (see fig. 2). At least the vicinity of the pivot axis P in the side arm 80 extends substantially horizontally. For example, the pair of side arms 80 are bent or curved so that the distance therebetween is narrowed at the rear end portion. The battery support portion 81 has an upper surface extending horizontally, and supports the power supply portion 100 from below. The battery support portion 81 covers at least a part of the power supply portion 100 from below.

The swing mechanism 53 is fixed to the swing arm 52 at the front and to the power unit 51 at the rear. Thus, the swing mechanism 53 is provided so as to be swingable up and down with respect to the front body 10 (see fig. 1) together with the power unit 51 and the swing arm 52. The swing mechanism 53 couples the front body 10 and the power unit 51 via the swing arm 52 so as to be swingable about the roll axis R. The roll axis R extends in a direction orthogonal to the left-right direction at the center of the vehicle body in the left-right direction. For example, the yaw axis R is orthogonal to the pivot axis P. The swing mechanism 53 includes: a joint housing 90 fixed to the swing arm 52; an engagement shaft 91 rotatably supported by the engagement case 90 and fixed to the power unit 51; a Neidhardt component (Neidhardt)92 that imparts a vibration damping effect to the relative rotation of the joint housing 90 and the joint shaft 91; and a lock mechanism 93 capable of restricting relative rotation of the engagement housing 90 and the engagement shaft 91.

As shown in fig. 2, at least a part of the swing mechanism 53 overlaps the rear wheel 3 when viewed in the left-right direction. Specifically, at least a part of a portion of the swing mechanism 53 where the joint case 90 overlaps the joint shaft 91 when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the yaw axis R overlaps the rear wheel 3 when viewed from the left-right direction.

The joint case 90 constitutes the front portion of the swing mechanism portion 53. The front end of the joint housing 90 is disposed between the rear ends of the pair of side arms 80 of the swing arm 52, and is fastened to each side arm 80 (see fig. 3). A damper connecting portion 98 (connecting portion) connected to the rear damper 4 is provided at an upper portion of the joint housing 90. The damper connecting portion 98 overlaps the rear wheel 3 as viewed from the left-right direction.

The engagement shaft 91 is formed in a cylindrical shape with the yaw axis R as a central axis. The front portion of the joint shaft 91 is inserted into the joint housing 90. The joint shaft 91 is supported by the joint housing 90 via a bearing appropriately disposed so as to be rotatable about the yaw axis R. The rear end portion of the engaging shaft 91 is engaged with the unit case 60 of the power unit 51. Thereby, the engagement shaft 91 is provided so as not to be rotatable about the yaw axis R with respect to the power unit 51. For example, the rear end portion of the engagement shaft 91 is engaged with the lower surface of the unit case 60.

The nerdhardt member 92 is interposed between the joint case 90 and the front end portion of the joint shaft 91. The nerdhard unit 92 overlaps the rear wheel 3 when viewed from the left-right direction.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line V-V of fig. 3.

As shown in fig. 5, the neidhard member 92 includes neidhard cams 95 and y fixed to the joint shaft 91, and a neidhard rubber 96 interposed between the neidhard cam 95 and the inner surface of the joint housing 90. A plurality of the nerdhardt rubbers 96 are provided, and each of them engages with the inner surface of the joint case 90. The nerdhardt cam 95 has cam surfaces 95a facing the nerdhardt rubber 96 from both sides in the circumferential direction around the yaw axis R. When the neidhard cam 95 is intended to rotate about the yaw axis R with respect to the joint case 90, the neidhard rubber 96 engaged with the inner surface of the joint case 90 is pressed, and the neidhard rubber 96 is elastically deformed. The nerdhard rubber 96 biases the nerdhard cam 95 toward the initial position by the restoring force at the time of elastic deformation. Thereby, the neidhard component 92 biases the front body 10 in the raising direction of the power unit 51 coupled to the coupling shaft 91 via the swing arm 52 fixed to the coupling case 90 (see fig. 2).

As shown in fig. 2, the lock mechanism 93 inhibits rotation of the engagement shaft 91 relative to the engagement housing 90 in accordance with operation of the parking lock lever 46 (see fig. 1). The lock mechanism 93 is provided in the joint housing 90. An intermediate portion of a parking lock wire (not shown) cooperates with the lock mechanism 93. Thus, the parking lock lever 46 is operated to operate the lock mechanism 93 together with the rear brake 5. The lock mechanism 93 stabilizes the parking posture of the front vehicle body 10 via the swing arm 52 fixed to the joint case 90 by preventing the relative rotation between the joint case 90 and the joint shaft 91.

The power supply portion 100 is provided between the front body 10 and the swing unit 50. The power supply unit 100 is supported by the swing arm 52. The power supply unit 100 includes a pcu (power Control unit)101, a battery case 102, a junction box 103, and a down regulator 104 (regulator).

The PCU101 is a Control unit including a PDU (power Drive unit) as a motor driver, an ecu (electric Control unit) that controls the PDU, and the like. PCU101 is disposed in front of swing mechanism portion 53. PCU101 is disposed at a position overlapping pivot axis P when viewed in the vertical direction. PCU101 is supported from below by swing arm 52. PCU101 is mounted on battery support portion 81 (see fig. 3) of swing arm 52, and fixed to battery support portion 81. Thus, PCU101 is covered from below by battery support portion 81.

The battery case 102 accommodates and holds a battery 105 as a power source of the motor 61 (see fig. 4). The battery box 102 includes therein a bmu (battery management unit), not shown, that manages charging and discharging of the battery 105. The battery boxes 102 are provided in a pair and arranged in a left-right array below the seat 12. The pair of battery cases 102 is disposed between the pair of right and left rear frames 23. A pair of battery cases 102 is mounted on PCU101 and disposed in front of swing mechanism 53. The pair of battery cases 102 are supported from below by the swing arm 52 via the PCU 101. The battery case 102 is covered with the seat lower cover 36, the rear cover 37, and the battery case cover 38 from the front and both the left and right sides (see fig. 1).

The battery 105 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. A handle 105a is provided on one surface of the battery 105 facing the longitudinal direction of the battery 105. The battery case 102 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape corresponding to the outer shape of the battery 105. The battery case 102 has a battery insertion opening 102a through which the battery 105 can be inserted and removed. The battery insertion/removal opening 102a opens forward. The battery case 102 accommodates the battery 105 such that the longitudinal direction of the battery 105 is along the front-rear direction and the handle 105a of the battery 105 faces forward. This allows battery case 102 to pull out battery 105 forward. The battery 105 can be taken out forward from below the seat 12 by, for example, raising the seat lower cover 36.

The junction box 103 collects the wires extending from the battery case 102. Wiring connected to PCU101, down regulator 104, and the like extends from terminal block 103. A junction box 103 is mounted at the rear of the battery case 102.

The step-down regulator 104 steps down the voltage of the dc current supplied from the battery 105. A buck regulator 104 is mounted to the rear of the junction box 103. A plurality of fins are provided in an upright state at the rear of the step-down regulator 104.

Here, the battery 105 in a state of being housed in the battery case 102 will be described. Battery 105 is disposed above pivot axis P. Battery 105 is disposed at a position overlapping pivot axis P when viewed in the vertical direction. Battery 105 is disposed such that center of gravity G is located on pivot axis P when viewed from the top-bottom direction. That is, in the present embodiment, battery 105 is disposed such that center of gravity G is positioned vertically above pivot axis P.

The rear shock absorber 4 couples the front body 10 and the swing mechanism portion 53. The rear damper 4 is integrally provided with a damper having a compression coil spring and a damper. The lower end portion of the rear damper 4 is coupled to the damper connecting portion 98 of the joint housing 90 in the swing mechanism portion 53. The upper end portion of the rear damper 4 is connected to the rack frame 24 of the front vehicle body 10.

As described above in detail, the electric vehicle 1 of the present embodiment includes: a front body 10 supporting the front wheel 2; a swing unit 50 having a motor 61 that drives the rear wheel 3, supporting the rear wheel 3, and provided rotatably about a pivot axis P extending in the left-right direction with respect to the front vehicle body 10; and a battery 105 supported by the swing unit 50 at a position overlapping the pivot axis P when viewed in the vertical direction.

According to this configuration, the center of gravity G of the battery 105 can be made horizontally closer to the pivot axis P, as compared with a configuration in which the battery is disposed at a position where the battery does not overlap with the pivot axis when viewed from the top-bottom direction. Thus, the moment of gravity acting on the battery 105 about the pivot axis P is reduced, and therefore, the load applied to the portion (in the present embodiment, the connection portion between the pivot plate 28 and the swing arm 52) where the swing unit 50 is rotatably supported can be reduced.

Further, it is possible to avoid the wiring extending from the battery 105 to the motor 61 from crossing the front body 10 and the swing unit 50 that rotate relative to each other. This can suppress the application of a load to the wiring, and can ensure electrical safety. Further, since the swing unit 50 can be attached to the front body 10 after the swing unit 50 is assembled with the battery case 102 accommodating the battery 105, the assembling property of the vehicle can be improved.

In the present embodiment, battery 105 is disposed such that center of gravity G of battery 105 is located on pivot axis P when viewed in the vertical direction. According to this configuration, the force acting in the upward direction of the rear wheel 3 can be suppressed from acting on the swing unit 50 by the gravity acting on the battery 105. Therefore, the road following performance of the rear wheel 3 supported by the swing unit 50 can be improved.

In the present embodiment, PCU101 is supported by swing unit 50 at a position overlapping pivot axis P when viewed in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the center of gravity of PCU101 can be horizontally brought close to pivot axis P together with center of gravity G of battery 105. This can further reduce the load applied to the portion supporting the swing unit 50 so as to be swingable up and down.

In the present embodiment, the battery 105 is configured to be removable from below the seat 12. With this configuration, battery 105 can be easily taken out at a low position in a state where a passenger or the like stands on the side of the vehicle. The storage battery 105 can be taken out without detaching the article storage box 6 mounted on the shelf 39 from the shelf 39. Therefore, the convenience of the electric vehicle 1 can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the battery 105 is disposed below the seat 12 so that the direction thereof is along the horizontal direction. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress an increase in the vertical dimension of the region where the battery 105 is disposed, and to provide a space between the battery 105 and the seat 12. This allows a storage space for storing articles to be provided below the seat 12, thereby improving the convenience of the electric vehicle 1.

In the present embodiment, the swing unit 50 includes a power unit 51 including a motor 61 and supporting the pair of rear wheels 3, and a swing mechanism 53 connecting the front body 10 and the power unit 51 so as to be swingable about a yaw axis R extending in a direction orthogonal to the left-right direction, at least a part of the swing mechanism 53 overlaps the rear wheels 3 when viewed in the left-right direction, and the battery 105 is supported by the swing unit 50 in front of the swing mechanism 53. With this configuration, the space generated in front of the swing mechanism portion 53 by disposing the swing mechanism portion 53 so as to overlap the rear wheel 3 when viewed in the left-right direction can be effectively used.

In the present embodiment, the damper connecting portion 98 of the swing mechanism portion 53 overlaps the rear wheel 3 when viewed in the left-right direction. According to this structure, the load of the front vehicle body 10 can be received at a position close to the ground point of the rear wheel 3 in the swing mechanism portion 53, as compared with a structure in which the damper attachment portion does not overlap the rear wheel when viewed in the left-right direction. Therefore, the load sharing between the front and rear wheels can be optimized.

In the first embodiment, the center of gravity G of the battery 105 is located vertically above the pivot axis P, but the present invention is not limited to this. The center of gravity G of the battery 105 may be located rearward of the pivot axis P. In this case, the force acting in the upward direction of the rear wheel 3 on the swing unit 50 can be suppressed by the gravity acting on the battery 105. Therefore, the road following performance of the rear wheel 3 supported by the swing unit 50 can be improved.

[ second embodiment ]

Next, an electrically powered vehicle 201 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 6 to 8. In the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a saddle-ride type electric tricycle will be described as an example of an electric vehicle. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the battery 105 housed in the battery case 102 is disposed at a position overlapping the pivot axis P when viewed in the left-right direction. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a pair of motors 261A and 261B for driving the pair of rear wheels 3 are provided. The configuration other than the following description is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a left side view showing a rear portion of the electric vehicle of the second embodiment. Fig. 7 is a bottom view showing a rear portion of the electric vehicle according to the second embodiment. Fig. 6 shows a state in which a part of the front vehicle body cover 30, the left rear wheel 3, and the like are removed.

As shown in fig. 6 and 7, in an electric vehicle 201 according to a second embodiment, a swing unit 250 includes: a power unit 251 provided between the pair of rear wheels 3; a swing arm 252 supported by the pair of left and right pivot plates 28 of the front body 10; and a swing mechanism 253 interposed between the power unit 251 and the swing arm 252.

As shown in fig. 7, the power unit 251 supports a pair of rear wheels 3. The power unit 251 includes: a first motor 261A that supports the left rear wheel 3 and drives the left rear wheel 3; and a second motor 261B that supports the right rear wheel 3 and drives the right rear wheel 3.

The first motor 261A and the second motor 261B are each an inner wheel type motor provided in a wheel of the rear wheel 3. The first motor 261A and the second motor 261B are driven at variable speeds by VVVF control, for example. The first motor 261A and the second motor 261B each include: a motor housing 263; a stator and a rotor (both not shown) disposed in the motor case 263; an output shaft (not shown) coupled to the rotor; and an axle 267 of the rear wheel 3 coupled to the rear wheel 3 and rotated by receiving rotation of the output shaft. For example, a reduction gear is interposed between the output shaft and the axle 267, and the drive rotation output from the rotor to the output shaft is reduced in speed and then transmitted to the axle 267. Rear brakes 5 are disposed between the first motor 261A and the left rear wheel 3, and between the second motor 261B and the right rear wheel 3, respectively.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of fig. 6.

As shown in fig. 8, the swing arm 252 includes: a pair of left and right side arms 280 disposed at a distance in the left-right direction; and a battery support portion 281 disposed between the pair of side arms 280. The pair of side arms 280 are provided so that the pair of battery cases 102, the junction box 103, the step-down regulator 104, and the like can be disposed between the pair of side arms 280 (see fig. 7). The battery support portion 281 includes: a bottom part 282 supporting the power supply part 100 from below; and side portions 283 connecting the bottom portion 282 with the side arms 280. The bottom portion 282 is formed in a flat plate shape. Bottom portion 282 is formed larger than PCU101 mounted on bottom portion 282. The bottom part 282 is disposed below the side arm 280. The side portions 283 extend upward from side edges (e.g., both left and right side edges) of the bottom portion 282 and are coupled to the pair of side arms 280. Side portion 283 may be formed in a flat plate shape covering PCU101, or may be a stay extending in the vertical direction.

As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the swing mechanism 253 is fixed to the swing arm 252 at the front and to the power unit 251 at the rear. Thus, the swing mechanism 253 is provided so as to be swingable up and down with respect to the front body 10 together with the power unit 251 and the swing arm 252. The swing mechanism 253 couples the front body 10 and the power unit 251 via a swing arm 252 so as to be swingable about a roll axis R.

The swing mechanism 253 includes: an engagement housing 290 secured to the swing arm 252; an engagement shaft 291 rotatably supported by the engagement case 290 and fixed to the power unit 251; a nerdhard member 92 that provides a vibration damping effect to relative rotation of the engagement housing 290 and the engagement shaft 291; and a lock mechanism 93 capable of restraining relative rotation of the engagement housing 290 and the engagement shaft 291. At least a part of the swing mechanism 253 is disposed between the first motor 261A and the second motor 261B, and overlaps the rear wheel 3 when viewed from the left-right direction. Specifically, at least a part of a portion of the swing mechanism 253, which overlaps the engagement shaft 291, of the lower engagement housing 290 when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the yaw axis R, is disposed between the first motor 261A and the second motor 261B, and overlaps the rear wheel 3 when viewed from the left-right direction.

The engagement housing 290 constitutes a front portion of the swing mechanism portion 253. The front end of the joint housing 290 is disposed between the rear ends of the pair of side arms 280 of the swing arm 252, and is fastened to the swing arm 252. A damper connecting portion 298 (connecting portion) to which the rear damper 4 is connected is provided at an upper portion of the joint housing 290. The damper connecting portion 298 overlaps the rear wheel 3 vertically above the axle 267 as viewed in the left-right direction.

An insertion portion 290a through which a second shaft 291b, which will be described later, of the engagement shaft 291 is inserted is formed at the rear portion of the engagement housing 290. The insertion portion 290a is formed to avoid a second shaft 291b that swings around the yaw axis R.

As shown in fig. 7, the engagement shaft 291 includes: a first shaft 291a formed in a cylindrical shape with the yaw axis R as a central axis; and a second shaft 291b extending from the middle portion of the first shaft 291a to the left and right. The first shaft 291a is supported by the joint housing 290 so as to be rotatable about the yaw axis R via a bearing appropriately arranged. In the illustrated example, the first shaft 291a is supported by the joint housing 290 at both front and rear sides of a connection portion between the first shaft 291a and the second shaft 291 b. A neidhard member 92 is interposed between the distal end portion of the first shaft 291a and the joint housing 290.

Second shafts 291b project from the coupling housing 290 to the left and right through insertion portions 290a of the coupling housing 290. The left end of the second shaft 291b is fixed to the motor case 263 of the first motor 261A. The right end of the second shaft 291B is fixed to the motor case 263 of the second motor 261B.

As shown in fig. 6, PCU101 is mounted on bottom portion 282 (see fig. 8) of battery support portion 281, and is fixed to battery support portion 281. PCU101 is covered from below by bottom part 282 of battery support part 281.

A pair of battery cases 102 is mounted on PCU 101. The pair of battery cases 102 are supported from below by a swing arm 252 via the PCU 101. The battery case 102 is covered with the seat lower cover 36, the rear cover 37, and the battery case cover 38 (both see fig. 1) from the front and the outside in the left-right direction. A junction box 103 is mounted at the rear of the battery case 102. A buck regulator 104 is mounted to the rear of the junction box 103.

Here, the battery 105 in a state of being housed in the battery case 102 will be described. Battery 105 is disposed so as to overlap pivot axis P when viewed in the left-right direction. Battery 105 is disposed to overlap pivot axis P when viewed in the vertical direction. Battery 105 is disposed such that lower center of gravity G is located on pivot axis P when viewed in the up-down direction. In the present embodiment, battery 105 is disposed such that center of gravity G is vertically above pivot axis P.

As described above in detail, in the present embodiment, battery 105 is disposed at a position overlapping pivot axis P when viewed in the left-right direction. According to this configuration, the center of gravity G of the battery 105 can be brought closer to the pivot axis P than in a configuration in which the battery is disposed at a position not overlapping the pivot axis when viewed in the left-right direction. This reduces the moment of inertia of the entire member that swings upward and downward integrally with the swing unit 250 about the pivot axis P. Therefore, the road following ability of the rear wheel 3 supported by the swing unit 250 can be improved.

In the second embodiment, the battery 105 is disposed such that the center of gravity G is located above the pivot axis P, but the present invention is not limited to this. Battery 105 may be disposed such that center of gravity G is at the same height as pivot axis P, or such that center of gravity G is located below pivot axis P.

[ third embodiment ]

Next, an electrically powered vehicle 301 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 9. The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the rear shock absorber 304 is interposed between members that swing about the roll axis R with respect to the front vehicle body 310. The configuration other than the following description is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a left side view of the electric vehicle of the third embodiment.

As shown in fig. 9, an electric vehicle 301 according to the third embodiment mainly includes: a front body 310 that supports the front wheels 2 so as to be steerable; a front body cover 330 covering the front body 310; a rear body 350 supporting a pair of rear wheels 3; a swing mechanism 353 connecting the front body 310 and the rear body 350; and a power supply section 100. The front body 310 has a structure in which the rack frame 24 is omitted from the front body 10 (see fig. 1) of the first embodiment. The front body cover 330 has a structure in which a portion covering the rack frame 24 and the battery case cover 38 are omitted from the front body cover 30 (see fig. 1) of the first embodiment.

The rear vehicle body 350 includes: a rear body frame 354 serving as a framework of the rear body 350; a swing unit 358 connected to the rear body frame 354 so as to be able to swing up and down; and a rear shock absorber 304 interposed between the rear body frame 354 and the swing unit 358.

The rear body frame 354 includes: a front cross member 355 extending in the left-right direction at the front of the rear vehicle body 350; a pair of left and right side frames 356 extending rearward from both left and right end portions of the front cross member 355; and a rear cross member 357 extending in the left-right direction and coupled to rear end portions of the pair of side frames 356. The side frame 356 includes: a first portion 356a extending rearward from a joint portion with the front cross member 355; a second portion 356b provided downward in front of the rear wheel 3 when viewed in the left-right direction and extending upward from a rear end of the first portion 356 a; and a third portion 356c provided downward above the rear wheel 3 when viewed in the lateral direction and bent rearward from the upper end of the second portion 356 b. A rack 39 for carrying articles is provided above the third portions 356c of the left and right side frames 356.

The swing unit 358 is supported by the rear body frame 354 so as to be able to swing up and down. The swing unit 358 includes the power unit 51 and the swing arm 352.

The swing arm 352 is disposed between the first portions 356a of the pair of left and right side frames 356. Swing arm 352 is attached at the front to rear body frame 354 and at the rear to power unit 51. The swing arm 352 is supported by a pair of right and left side frames 356 so as to be rotatable about a pivot axis P extending in the right-left direction. The swing arm 352 includes: a pair of left and right side arms 380; and a battery support portion (not shown) that is bridged between the pair of side arms 380.

The pair of side arms 380 are supported by the pair of side frames 356 of the rear body frame 354, respectively. The side arm 380 extends from a position forward of the pivot axis P to a position rearward of the pivot axis P. At least the portion of the side arm 380 in the vicinity of the pivot axis P extends generally horizontally. The rear end portions of the pair of side arms 380 are fixed to the power unit 51. For example, the rear end portions of the pair of side arms 380 are coupled to the unit case 60 (see fig. 2) of the power unit 51. The battery support portion is configured in the same manner as the battery support portion 81 (see fig. 3) of the first embodiment. That is, the battery support portion supports the power supply portion 100 from below. The battery support portion covers at least a part of the power supply portion 100 from below.

The rear shock absorber 304 couples the rear body frame 354 and the swing unit 358. The lower end of the rear damper 304 is coupled to the unit case 60 of the power unit 51. A lower end portion of rear shock absorber 304 may be coupled to swing arm 352. The upper end portion of the rear shock absorber 4 is coupled to the rear cross member 357 of the rear body frame 354.

The swing mechanism 353 is fixed to the lower portion of the front body 310 at the front and connected to the front portion of the rear body 350 at the rear. The swing mechanism 353 includes the joint housing 90, the joint shaft 91, the nerdhard member 92, and the lock mechanism 93. The joint case 90 is disposed rearward of the joint shaft 91 and is fixed to a front cross member 355 of the rear body frame 354. The front end of the engagement shaft 91 is fixed to the rear end of the front frame 21 of the front body 310. Thus, the swing mechanism 353 couples the front body 310 and the rear body 350 to be swingable about the roll axis R.

The power supply portion 100 is provided between the front body 310 and the rear body 350.

PCU101 is supported from below by a swing arm 352. PCU101 is mounted on the battery support portion of swing arm 352 and fixed to the battery support portion. Thus, PCU101 is covered from below by the battery support portion.

The battery case 102 is disposed below the seat 12. Battery case 102 is mounted on PCU 101. A pair of battery cases 102 are supported from below by swing arm 352 via PCU 101. The battery insertion/removal opening 102a is open to either the left or the right (left in the illustrated example). The battery case 102 accommodates the battery 105 such that the longitudinal direction of the battery 105 is along the left-right direction and the handle 105a of the battery 105 faces the opening direction (in the illustrated example, the left direction) of the battery insertion/removal opening 102 a. Thus, battery case 102 can pull out battery 105 to the left.

Here, the battery 105 in a state of being housed in the battery case 102 will be described. Battery 105 is disposed above pivot axis P. Battery 105 is disposed to overlap pivot axis P when viewed in the vertical direction. Battery 105 is disposed such that lower center of gravity G is located rearward of pivot axis P when viewed in the vertical direction.

As described above in detail, in the present embodiment, since the electric vehicle 301 includes the battery 105 supported by the swing unit 358, it is possible to reduce a load applied to a portion (in the present embodiment, a connecting portion between the side frame 356 of the rear body frame 354 and the swing arm 352) where the swing unit 358 is rotatably supported, as in the first embodiment.

In the third embodiment, the battery 105 is disposed such that the center of gravity G is located rearward of the pivot axis P, but the present invention is not limited to this. Battery 105 may be disposed such that center of gravity G is located on pivot axis P as viewed in the vertical direction.

[ fourth embodiment ]

Next, an electrically powered vehicle 401 according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 10 and 11. In the present embodiment, a saddle-ride type motorcycle will be described as an example of an electric vehicle.

Fig. 10 is a left side view of the electric vehicle of the fourth embodiment.

As shown in fig. 10, an electric vehicle 401 of the fourth embodiment is a scooter type vehicle. The electric vehicle 401 mainly includes: a single front wheel 2; a single rear wheel 3 driven by a motor 461; a vehicle body 410 that supports the front wheels 2 so as to be steerable; a body cover 430 covering the body 410; a swing unit 450 that supports the rear wheel 3 and is connected to the vehicle body 410 so as to be able to swing vertically; a power supply unit 100 for supplying electric power to the motor 461 and the like; and a rear damper 404 interposed between the vehicle body 410 and the swing unit 450.

The vehicle body 410 includes: a steering handle 11 for steering the front wheels; a seat 12 for seating an occupant; a low chassis floor 413; a vehicle body frame 414 as a framework of the vehicle body 410; and a front wheel suspension 415 from which the front wheel 2 is suspended.

The body frame 414 includes a head pipe 420, a down frame 421, a pair of left and right under frames 422, and a pair of left and right seat frames 423. The head pipe 420 is provided at a front end portion of the vehicle body frame 414. The down frame 421 extends obliquely rearward and downward from the head pipe 420. A pair of lower frames 422 extends rearward from the lower end of the down frame 421. A pivot plate 428 is provided at the rear of each of the left and right lower frames 422. A pair of left and right pivot plates 428 respectively project rearward from the rear portion of the lower frame 422. The rocking unit 450 is connected to a pair of pivot plates 428 to be able to rock up and down (details will be described later). A pair of seat frames 423 extend obliquely rearward and upward from rear ends of the left and right lower frames 422.

The vehicle body cover 430 includes a front cover 431, an inner cover 432, a bottom plate 433, left and right floor side covers 434, a seat under cover 436, and left and right rear side covers 437. The front cover 431 covers the head pipe 420 and the periphery of the down frame 421 from the front. The inner cover 432 covers the head pipe 20 and the periphery of the down frame 421 from the rear. The bottom plate 433 is connected to the rear of the lower end of the inner cover 432. The left and right floor side covers 434 are connected to the lower side of the left and right side edges of the bottom plate 433. The under seat cover 436 is connected to the rear of the bottom plate 433. The left and right rear side covers 437 are connected to rear end portions of the left and right floor side covers 434 obliquely upward and rearward. The left and right rear covers 437 cover the seat frame 423 from the left and right outer sides.

The front cover 431 and the inner cover 432 constitute a leg shield that covers the legs of the occupant from the front. The bottom plate 433 constitutes the low floor 413 together with the left and right lower frames 422. The feet of an occupant seated in the seat 12 are placed on the bottom plate 433. The seat lower cover 436 is formed to be able to take out the battery 105 from the battery case 102 disposed below the seat 12. For example, the seat lower cover 436 is formed to be able to bounce. Thus, the vehicle body cover 430 can open the space below the seat 12 toward the front by springing up the seat undercover 436.

The swing unit 450 is provided to be pivotable with respect to the vehicle body 410 about a pivot axis P extending in the left-right direction, and is swingable up and down with respect to the vehicle body 410. The swing unit 450 includes a power unit 451 provided on the left side of the rear wheel 3, and a swing arm 452 supported by the vehicle body frame 414 so as to be able to swing up and down.

Fig. 11 is a plan view showing the periphery of the swing unit according to the fourth embodiment.

As shown in fig. 10 and 11, the swing arm 452 is connected to the vehicle body frame 414 at the front and fixed to the power unit 451 at the rear. The swing arm 452 is supported by a pair of left and right pivot plates 428 to be rotatable about a pivot axis P. The front portion of the swing arm 452 is formed to be wide in front of the rear wheel 3 so as to cross the left and right center lines of the vehicle body. The rear portion of the swing arm 452 is narrower than the front portion of the swing arm 452, and is disposed on the left of the rear wheel 3. The rear portion of the swing arm 452 is fixed to the power unit 451. The swing arm 452 covers at least a part of the power supply unit 100 from below.

As shown in fig. 10, the power unit 451 supports the rear wheel 3. The power unit 451 includes a unit case 460, a motor 461 housed in the unit case 460, a reduction mechanism (not shown) housed in the unit case 460 and configured to reduce the speed of the driving rotation of the motor 461, and an axle (not shown) of the rear wheel 3, that is, an axle (not shown) configured to rotate by receiving the driving force of the motor 461 output from the reduction mechanism. A rear end portion of the swing arm 452 is coupled to the unit housing 460.

The power supply portion 100 is provided between the vehicle body 410 and the swing unit 450.

PCU101 is supported from below by a swing arm 452. PCU101 is placed on the rear portion of swing arm 452, and fixed to swing arm 452. PCU101 is covered from below by a swing arm 452.

The battery boxes 102 are provided in a pair and arranged in parallel on the left and right below the seat 12. The pair of battery cases 102 are supported from below by a swing arm 452. A pair of battery cases 102 is placed in front of the swing arms 452. The pair of battery cases 102 is covered from below by a swing arm 452. The pair of battery cases 102 is covered from the front by a seat lower cover 436. At least a part of the pair of battery cases 102 is covered with a rear cover 437 from both left and right sides.

The battery insertion/removal opening 102a opens forward. The battery case 102 accommodates the battery 105 such that the longitudinal direction of the battery 105 is along the front-rear direction and the handle 105a of the battery 105 faces forward. This allows battery case 102 to pull out battery 105 forward. The battery 105 can be taken out forward from below the seat 12 by, for example, popping up the seat lower cover 436 below the seat 12.

A junction box 103 is mounted at the rear of the battery case 102.

The buck regulator 104 is supported from below by a swing arm 452. Down regulator 104 is mounted on the rear portion of swing arm 452, and is arranged in the left-right direction with PCU 101. The buck regulator 104 is secured to the swing arm 452. The buck regulator 104 is covered from below by a swing arm 452.

Here, the battery 105 in a state of being housed in the battery case 102 will be described. Battery 105 is disposed above pivot axis P. Battery 105 is disposed to overlap pivot axis P when viewed in the vertical direction. Battery 105 is disposed such that lower center of gravity G is located on pivot axis P when viewed in the up-down direction. That is, in the present embodiment, battery 105 is disposed such that center of gravity G is located vertically above pivot axis P.

As described above in detail, in the present embodiment, since electric vehicle 401 includes battery 105 supported by swing unit 450, the same operational advantages as those of the first embodiment can be exhibited.

In the fourth embodiment, the battery 105 is disposed above the pivot axis P in a state of being housed in the battery case 102, but the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in fig. 12, the battery 105 may be disposed so as to overlap the pivot axis P when viewed from the left-right direction in a state of being housed in the battery case 102. Also, the battery case 102 may be disposed so as to be appropriately inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so that the battery insertion/extraction opening 102a faces the rear surface of the seat lower cover 436. In the illustrated example, the battery case 102 is disposed such that the battery insertion/removal opening 102a faces obliquely upward and forward. Thus, the battery case 102 can pull out the battery 105 obliquely forward and upward.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments described with reference to the drawings, and various modifications are conceivable within the technical scope thereof.

For example, in the above embodiments, the electric vehicle is exemplified by a saddle-ridden electric tricycle with a hood having a single front wheel 2 and a pair of rear wheels 3, and a motorcycle, but is not limited thereto. The present invention is also applicable to an electric tricycle without a hood or an electric tricycle having a pair of front wheels and a single rear wheel.

In the first to third embodiments, the battery 105 and the PCU101 in the power supply unit 100 are disposed at positions overlapping the pivot axis P when viewed in the vertical direction, but the terminal box 103 and the step-down regulator 104 may be disposed at positions overlapping the pivot axis P when viewed in the vertical direction. In this case, the same operational effect as in the case where PCU101 is disposed at a position overlapping pivot axis P when viewed in the vertical direction can be exhibited.

In the above embodiment, the tip of the parking lock wire is connected to the rear brake 5, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The tip of the parking lock wire may be connected to a mechanism that locks the gear in the power unit to stop rotation of the rear wheel 3, for example.

In addition, the components in the above-described embodiments may be replaced with known components as appropriate, and the above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Industrial applicability

According to the above-described electric vehicle, the center of gravity of the battery can be made horizontally closer to the pivot axis, as compared with a configuration in which the battery is disposed at a position that does not overlap with the pivot axis when viewed in the vertical direction. Thus, the moment of gravity acting on the battery around the pivot axis is reduced, and therefore, the load applied to the portion supporting the swing unit so as to be rotatable can be reduced.

Description of the symbols:

1. 201, 301, 401: an electric vehicle; 2: a front wheel; 3: a rear wheel; 4: rear shock absorbers (shock absorbers); 10. 310: a front vehicle body; 50. 250, 358, 450: a swing unit; 51. 251: a power unit; 53. 253, 353: a swing mechanism section; 61. 261A, 261B, 461: a motor; 98. 298: a damper connecting portion (connecting portion); 101: PCU (power control unit); 103: a junction box; 104: a step-down regulator (regulator); 105: a storage battery; p: a pivot axis; r: a yaw axis.

The claims (modification according to treaty clause 19)

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(addition) an electric vehicle, comprising:

a front wheel (2);

a rear wheel (3);

a front body (10, 310) that supports the front wheel (2);

a swing unit (50, 250, 358, 450) that has a motor (61, 261A, 261B, 461) that drives the rear wheel (3), supports the rear wheel (3), and is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the front vehicle body (10, 310) about a pivot axis (P) that extends in the vehicle width direction; and

and a battery (105) that is a power source for the motor (61, 261A, 261B, 461), that is supported by the swing unit (50, 250, 358, 450) at a position overlapping the pivot axis (P) when viewed in the vertical direction, and that is disposed at a position overlapping the pivot axis (P) when viewed in the vehicle width direction.

An electric vehicle, comprising:

a front wheel (2);

a rear wheel (3);

a front body (10, 310) that supports the front wheel (2);

a swing unit (50, 250, 358, 450) that has a motor (61, 261A, 261B, 461) that drives the rear wheel (3), supports the rear wheel (3), and is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the front vehicle body (10, 310) about a pivot axis (P) that extends in the vehicle width direction; and

a battery (105) that is a power source for the motor (61, 261A, 261B, 461) and is supported by the swing unit (50, 250, 358, 450) at a position that overlaps the pivot axis (P) when viewed in the vertical direction,

at least one of a power control unit (101) for controlling the motors (61, 261A, 261B, 461), a junction box (103) for collecting wires extending from the battery (105), and a regulator (104) for reducing the voltage of the current supplied from the battery (105) is disposed at a position overlapping the pivot axis (P) when viewed in the vertical direction.

(addition) an electric vehicle, comprising:

a front wheel (2);

a pair of rear wheels (3);

a front body (10, 310) that supports the front wheel (2);

a swing unit (50, 250, 358, 450) that has a motor (61, 261A, 261B, 461) that drives the pair of rear wheels (3), supports the pair of rear wheels (3), and is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the front vehicle body (10, 310) about a pivot axis (P) that extends in the vehicle width direction; and

a battery (105) that is a power source for the motor (61, 261A, 261B, 461) and is supported by the swing unit (50, 250, 358, 450) at a position that overlaps the pivot axis (P) when viewed in the vertical direction,

the swing unit (50, 250) is provided with:

a power unit (51, 251) that includes the motor (61, 261A, 261B) and supports the pair of rear wheels (3); and

a swing mechanism (53, 253) that connects the front body (10) and the power unit (51, 251) so as to be swingable about a roll axis (R) extending in a direction orthogonal to the vehicle width direction,

at least a part of the swing mechanism (53, 253) overlaps the pair of rear wheels (3) when viewed in the vehicle width direction,

the battery (105) is supported by the swing unit (50, 250) in front of the swing mechanism (53, 253).

(additional) the electric vehicle according to claim 10 or 11,

the battery (105) is disposed at a position overlapping the pivot axis (P) when viewed in the vehicle width direction.

(additional) the electric vehicle according to claim 9 or 11,

at least one of a power control unit (101) for controlling the motors (61, 261A, 261B, 461), a junction box (103) for collecting wires extending from the battery (105), and a regulator (104) for reducing the voltage of the current supplied from the battery (105) is disposed at a position overlapping the pivot axis (P) when viewed in the vertical direction.

(appended) the electric vehicle according to claim 9 or 10,

the rear wheel (3) is provided with a pair,

the swing unit (50, 250) is provided with:

a power unit (51, 251) that includes the motor (61, 261A, 261B) and supports the pair of rear wheels (3); and

a swing mechanism (53, 253) that connects the front body (10) and the power unit (51, 251) so as to be swingable about a roll axis (R) extending in a direction orthogonal to the vehicle width direction,

at least a part of the swing mechanism (53, 253) overlaps the rear wheel (3) when viewed in the vehicle width direction,

the battery (105) is supported by the swing unit (50, 250) in front of the swing mechanism (53, 253).

(appended) the electric vehicle according to claim 11 or 14,

the electric vehicle further comprises a damper (4) for connecting the front body (10) and the swing mechanism (53, 253),

the connecting portion (98, 298) between the swing mechanism portion (53, 253) and the damper (4) overlaps the rear wheel (3) when viewed in the vehicle width direction.

(appended) the electric vehicle according to any one of claims 9 to 15,

the battery (105) is disposed such that the center of gravity (G) of the battery (105) is located on the pivot axis (P) or behind the pivot axis (P) when viewed in the vertical direction.

(appended) the electric vehicle according to any one of claims 9 to 16,

the battery (105) is configured to be removable from below the seat (12).

(appended) the electric vehicle according to any one of claims 9-17,

the battery (105) is disposed below the seat (12) so that the longitudinal direction thereof extends horizontally.

Claims (8)

1. An electric vehicle is provided with:

a front wheel (2);

a rear wheel (3);

a front body (10, 310) that supports the front wheel (2);

a swing unit (50, 250, 358, 450) that has a motor (61, 261A, 261B, 461) that drives the rear wheel (3), supports the rear wheel (3), and is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the front vehicle body (10, 310) about a pivot axis (P) that extends in the vehicle width direction; and

and a battery (105) that is a power source for the motor (61, 261A, 261B, 461) and that is supported by the swing unit (50, 250, 358, 450) at a position that overlaps the pivot axis (P) when viewed in the vertical direction.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1,

the battery (105) is disposed such that the center of gravity (G) of the battery (105) is located on the pivot axis (P) or behind the pivot axis (P) when viewed in the vertical direction.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2,

the battery (105) is disposed at a position overlapping the pivot axis (P) when viewed in the vehicle width direction.

4. The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

at least one of a power control unit (101) for controlling the motors (61, 261A, 261B, 461), a junction box (103) for collecting wires extending from the battery (105), and a regulator (104) for reducing the voltage of the current supplied from the battery (105) is disposed at a position overlapping the pivot axis (P) when viewed in the vertical direction.

5. The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the battery (105) is configured to be removable from below the seat (12).

6. The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the battery (105) is disposed below the seat (12) so that the longitudinal direction thereof extends horizontally.

7. The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

the rear wheel (3) is provided with a pair,

the swing unit (50, 250) is provided with:

a power unit (51, 251) that includes the motor (61, 261A, 261B) and supports the pair of rear wheels (3); and

a swing mechanism (53, 253) that connects the front body (10) and the power unit (51, 251) so as to be swingable about a roll axis (R) extending in a direction orthogonal to the vehicle width direction,

at least a part of the swing mechanism (53, 253) overlaps the rear wheel (3) when viewed in the vehicle width direction,

the battery (105) is supported by the swing unit (50, 250) in front of the swing mechanism (53, 253).

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 7,

the electric vehicle further comprises a damper (4) for connecting the front body (10) and the swing mechanism (53, 253),

the connecting portion (98, 298) between the swing mechanism portion (53, 253) and the damper (4) overlaps the rear wheel (3) when viewed in the vehicle width direction.

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