JP2020080289A - Battery and battery-equipped device - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce a load required to install and remove a battery.SOLUTION: A first battery 50A can rotate about a rotation center line Ax1 along the front-rear direction. The first battery 50A has, as its outer surface, a plurality of surfaces facing in a plurality of directions orthogonal to the direction of the rotation center line Ax. The plurality of surfaces includes a lower surface 52d, a left side surface 52e along the direction orthogonal to the lower surface 52d, and an inclined surface 52f that is formed between the lower surface 52d and the left side surface 52e, connects the surface, and is inclined with respect to the lower surface 52d and the left side surface 52e.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a battery for use in a device equipped with a battery, such as an electric vehicle, and a battery support mechanism included in such a device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Some electrically driven devices such as electric vehicles have a battery that can be attached to and detached from a device body (for example, a vehicle body). In the vehicle of Patent Document 1, the accommodation portion in which the battery is arranged is formed on the floor on which the rider can put his/her feet. In this vehicle, a lid that closes the housing is provided on the upper surface of the floor, and the operator opens the lid and removes the battery from the housing when charging the battery. The vehicle of Patent Document 2 has a battery mounting chamber in which a battery is arranged, below the seat. The seat can be opened and closed, and when charging the battery, the operator empties the seat and removes the battery from the vehicle body.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-230483 JP, 2004-074911, A

  In any of the vehicles of Patent Documents 1 and 2, in order to charge the battery, the operator maintains the posture of the battery mounted on the vehicle body, up to the height at which the battery is removed from the accommodating portion (mounting chamber), You need to lift the battery. If the battery has a large weight, such work is burdensome for the operator.

  One of the objects of the present disclosure is to propose a battery, a battery-mounted device, and a vehicle that can reduce the load required for attaching and detaching the battery.

  (1) The battery proposed in the present disclosure is a battery that can be attached to and detached from the apparatus body. The battery is rotatably supported about a rotation center line along the first direction. The battery has, as its outer surface, a main surface orthogonal to the first direction, and a plurality of surfaces connected to edges of the main surface. The plurality of surfaces are a first surface, a second surface along a direction orthogonal to the first surface, and a third surface that is a surface opposite to the first surface, It is formed between a fourth surface, which is a surface opposite to the second surface, and the first surface and the second surface, and connects them to connect the first surface and the second surface. And a fifth surface inclined with respect to the second surface. Since this battery can rotate about the rotation center line, it is possible to reduce the load required for attaching and detaching the battery. Further, since the slope (fifth surface) is formed on the outer surface of the battery, it is easy to avoid interference between the battery and other parts or devices when the battery rotates.

  (2) In the battery according to (1), the rotation center line and the fifth surface are located on opposite sides of the center point of the battery when the battery is viewed in the first direction. You may. This makes it easier to avoid interference between the battery and other parts or devices.

  (3) The battery according to (1) or (2) may have a supported portion that is positioned on the rotation center line and is rotatably supported. According to this, since the battery itself can be supported, it becomes easy to suppress the displacement of the position and movement of the battery.

  (4) In the battery described in (3), the battery may have a concave portion at a corner thereof, and the battery may have a shaft portion that is the supported portion inside the concave portion. According to this, it is possible to prevent an unintended external force from acting on the supported portion.

  (5) The battery according to (2) to (4) may have a handle provided on the third surface, and the battery may have a connector on the fourth surface.

  (6) The battery-equipped device proposed in the present disclosure is such that the battery described in (1), a battery support mechanism to which the battery is detachable, and the battery provided in the battery support mechanism are connected. Connector. The battery support mechanism has a first position where the battery and the connector are connected to each other and a second position where the battery and the connector are separated from each other to allow the battery to be attached to and detached from the battery support mechanism. In between, the battery may be supported such that the battery is rotatable about the rotation centerline. Since the battery support mechanism supports the battery so as to be rotatable about the rotation center line, it is possible to reduce the load required for attaching and detaching the battery. Further, since the slope (fifth surface) is formed on the outer surface of the battery, it is easy to avoid interference between the battery and other parts or devices when the battery rotates.

  (7) In the battery-mounted device according to (6), the battery has a supported portion located on the rotation center line, and the battery support mechanism supports the supported portion so as to be rotatable. May have. According to this, since the battery itself is supported, it becomes easy to suppress deviation of the position and movement of the battery.

  (8) The battery-equipped device according to (6) or (7) may have an outer surface support portion that supports the fifth surface when the battery is in the first position. The battery mounting device may further include an operation member for pushing the battery in the first position toward the outer surface support portion. According to this, the support stability of the battery can be improved.

  (9) In the battery mounting device according to (8), the battery support mechanism has a connector for connecting to the battery, and when the operation member pushes the battery, the outer surface support portion is provided with the battery. The battery may be urged toward the connector on the fifth surface.

  (10) In the battery-equipped device according to any one of (6) to (9), the rotation center line is defined in a direction along a horizontal plane and is located above the battery or above the battery. Good. With this arrangement of the center of rotation, the second position is higher than the first position, which facilitates the lifting of the battery from the second position.

  (11) In the battery-equipped device according to (10), the rotation angle of the battery during the movement process between the first position and the second position may be 70 degrees or more and 110 degrees or less. Good. According to this, the posture of the battery at the second position becomes nearly horizontal, so that the work of attaching and detaching the battery can be further facilitated.

  (12) In the battery-equipped device according to any one of (6) to (11), even if the battery can be removed from the battery support mechanism in a substantially horizontal direction when in the second position. Good.

  (13) In the battery-equipped device according to any one of (6) to (12), the second position is in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction with respect to the first position. A set position, the battery has a handle, and the handle is provided on a surface of the battery facing the second direction when the battery is in the first position. Good. According to this, the work of moving the battery from the first position to the second position can be facilitated.

  (14) In the battery mounting device according to any one of (6) to (13), the battery support mechanism is a movable member into which the battery is fitted and which can move together with the battery around the rotation center line. And the movable member may have a guide portion for guiding the posture of the battery.

  (15) In the battery mounting device according to any one of (6) to (14), the battery support mechanism includes a battery lock mechanism that holds the battery in the first position, and the battery is the It may have a locked portion located away from the rotation center line and held by the battery lock mechanism. According to this, since the locked portion is provided on the battery itself, the support stability of the battery can be improved. As a result, the load acting on the connector of the battery can be reduced.

  (16) In the battery-equipped device according to (15), the rotation center line is defined in a direction along a horizontal plane, is located above the battery, and the battery is located on the rotation center line. The battery support mechanism may include a support portion that rotatably supports the supported portion, and the battery lock mechanism may be located above the battery. This can reduce the need to support the lower side of the first battery. As a result, it becomes easy to send the cooling air to the lower side of the first battery.

  (17) A vehicle proposed in the present disclosure has an electric motor, wheels driven by the electric motor, and the battery-equipped device described in (6).

1 is a side view showing an example of a saddle-ride type electric vehicle proposed in the present disclosure. It is a side view which shows the principal part of a saddle riding type electric vehicle. It is a side view which shows the principal part of a saddle riding type electric vehicle. In this figure, the seat is located in the open position. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a main part of a saddle-ride type electric vehicle. It is a perspective view of a battery and a battery support mechanism which a saddle-ride type electric vehicle has. The battery is arranged at the connection start position. It is a front view of a battery and a battery support mechanism. The battery is arranged at the connection completion position. It is a front view of a battery and a battery support mechanism. The battery is arranged at the connection start position. It is a front view of a battery and a battery support mechanism. The battery is arranged at a position where the battery supporting mechanism and the battery are completely combined. It is a perspective view which shows the movable frame of a battery support mechanism, a battery lock mechanism, and a shaft support part. The support frame that supports them is indicated by a chain double-dashed line. It is sectional drawing of the shaft support part of a battery support mechanism, and the supported shaft part of a 1st battery. It is a front view of a battery lock mechanism, a movable frame 30, and the like. It is a perspective view which shows a battery lock mechanism. It is a perspective view of a battery. It is a front view of a battery. It is a right view of a battery. It is a side view which shows the modification of the mounting structure of a 2nd battery. It is a figure which shows arrangement|positioning of the cell which a battery has. It is a perspective view which shows arrangement|positioning of the cell which a battery has.

  Hereinafter, the battery proposed in the present disclosure and a straddle-type electric vehicle (battery-equipped device) driven by electric power received from the battery will be described. In the present specification, an electric vehicle 1 will be described as an example of a straddle-type electric vehicle. In FIG. 1 and the like, the directions indicated by Y1 and Y2 are referred to as front and rear, respectively, and the directions indicated by Z1 and Z2 are referred to as upper and lower, respectively. The directions indicated by X1 and X2 shown in FIG. 5 are referred to as right and left, respectively, and the direction X1-X2 is referred to as the left-right direction. The battery and the battery support structure proposed in the present disclosure may be applied to a battery-equipped device different from a saddle-ride type electric vehicle, such as a four-wheel or three-wheel electric vehicle, or a charger for charging the battery. Good.

[Overall layout]
The straddle-type electric vehicle 1 is an electric motorcycle, and as shown in FIG. 1, a front wheel 2, a rear wheel 3, an electric motor 4a for driving the rear wheel 3, and a steering handle for steering the front wheel 2. 5 and a seat 6 arranged behind the steering handle 5 for the rider to sit on. The electric vehicle 1 has a drive unit case 4 that is supported by the vehicle body frame 20 via a pivot 21f and functions as a rear arm that supports the axle of the rear wheel 3. The electric motor 4a is incorporated in the drive unit case 4, for example. The arrangement of the electric motor 4a is not limited to the example of the electric vehicle 1. For example, the electric motor 4a may be fixed to the body frame 20. The electric motor 4a may be provided on the front wheel 2.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle body frame 20 includes a head pipe 22 that supports a steering shaft that can rotate right and left integrally with the front wheels 2, and a front frame that extends obliquely rearward and downward from the head pipe 22. 21A. Further, the vehicle body frame 20 has a right frame portion 21R and a left frame portion 21L extending from the front portion to the rear portion of the vehicle body. Each of the right frame portion 21R and the left frame portion 21L includes a lower frame portion 21b extending rearward from the front frame portion 21A, a rear vertical frame portion 21c extending obliquely upward from the lower frame portion 21b (see FIG. 2A), It also has a rearmost frame portion 21d (see FIG. 2A) extending rearward and upward from the rear vertical frame portion 21c. The front portion of the lower frame portion 21b constitutes a footboard 7 (see FIG. 1) on which the rider places his/her feet. In the electric vehicle 1, each of the right frame portion 21R and the left frame portion 21L is composed of one pipe. The structure and shape of the body frame 20 are not limited to the example of the electric vehicle 1. Unlike the example of the electric vehicle 1, the number of the lower frame portions 21b may be one. That is, the vehicle body frame 20 may have one lower frame portion 21b arranged at the center of the vehicle body in the left-right direction. In the example of the electric vehicle 1, a battery support mechanism N (see FIG. 4) described later is fixed to the upper sides of the left and right frames 21R and 21L.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the electric vehicle 1 has a battery 50A that stores electric power to be supplied to the electric motor 4a. The battery 50A is disposed below the seat 6 and is electrically connected to a motor control device (specifically, an inverter, not shown) that controls electric power supplied to the electric motor 4a. In electric vehicle 1, battery 50B is arranged behind battery 50A. The battery 50B is, for example, a spare battery that is not connected to the motor control device, and is used in place of the battery 50A when the battery 50A runs out of battery power.

  The electric vehicle 1 does not necessarily have to have the battery 50B. In another example, the battery 50B may be connected to the motor control device and used to drive the rear wheels 3 like the battery 50A. In this specification, the battery 50A is referred to as a "first battery" and the battery 50B is referred to as a "second battery". As will be described later, in the electric vehicle 1, the first battery 50A is arranged in the first accommodation space N1 formed below the seat 6 and can be attached to and detached from the first accommodation space N1 in the left-right direction. (See Figure 4). The second battery 50B is disposed in the second accommodation space N2 formed below the seat 6 and can be attached to and detached from the second accommodation space N2 in the left-right direction (see FIG. 2B). Unlike the electric vehicle 1, the second battery 50B may also be detachable in the left-right direction with respect to the second accommodation space N2, similarly to the first battery 50A (see FIG. 16).

[First battery]
The first battery 50A is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The size D1 of the first battery 50A in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body (see FIG. 2A) is smaller than the size D2 of the first battery 50A in the up-down direction of the vehicle body (see FIG. 2A), and in the left-right direction of the vehicle body. It is smaller than the size D3 (see FIG. 5) of the first battery 50A. In the electric vehicle 1, the size D1 in the front-rear direction is half or less than the size D2 in the up-down direction. The size D1 in the front-rear direction may be one third or less of the size D2. The size D1 in the front-rear direction may be smaller than half the size D3 in the left-right direction. The size D2 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body is larger than the size D3 in the horizontal direction. Note that, here, the first battery 50A is described as being in the posture when being arranged in the first accommodation space N1. That is, when the first battery 50A is in the first accommodation space N1, the first battery 50A has a size D1 in the front-rear direction, a size D2 in the up-down direction, and a D3 in the left-right direction.

  In this way, the first battery 50A is formed and arranged such that the size D1 in the front-rear direction is smaller than the sizes D2, D3 in the other two directions, so that the first battery 50A is sufficiently located in front of and behind the first battery 50A. Space can be secured and the space can be used effectively. In the example of the electric vehicle 1, a space in which the rider puts his/her feet is secured in front of the first battery 50A, and a storage space N3 (in which the second battery 50B and equipment (for example, helmet 91) are stored behind the first battery 50A ( A storage case 8, which will be described later, see FIG. 2B) is secured. Moreover, since the size D2 of the first battery 50A in the vertical direction is large, it is possible to secure the battery capacity.

  In the electric vehicle 1, the first battery 50A is located in front of the storage space N3 for storing luggage (for example, the helmet 91). As shown in FIG. 2B, when the first battery 50A is in the first accommodation space N1, the lower end position of the first battery 50A is lower than the lower end 8a of the space N3, and the upper end position thereof is lower than the lower end 8a of the storage space N3. high. When the first battery 50A is arranged in the first accommodation space N1, the horizontal plane P1 (see FIG. 2A) passing through the lower end position of the first battery 50A intersects the drive unit case 4 (rear arm). More specifically, the horizontal plane P1 intersects with or is lower than the pivot 21f. Further, when the first battery 50A is arranged in the first accommodation space N1, the horizontal plane P2 (see FIG. 2) passing through the upper end position of the first battery 50A is formed by the rear vertical frame portion 21c and the rearmost frame portion 21d. It intersects with the bent portion 21g between or is higher than the bent portion 21g.

[Position of handle and connector]
As shown in FIG. 11, the first battery 50A has a housing 52 that houses a plurality of battery cells 62 (see FIG. 16), and a handle 53 provided on the housing 52. In the present specification, the surface 52b on which the handle 53 is provided is referred to as an upper surface, and the surface facing forward when mounted on the vehicle body is referred to as a front surface 52a. The front surface 52a is a surface orthogonal to a rotation center line Ax1 described later. The handle 53 is, for example, a substantially U-shaped member, and is attached to the upper surface 52b of the first battery 50A. Unlike the first battery 50A, the handle 53 may be a recess formed on the outer surface (the front surface 52a and the rear surface 52i) of the housing 52. In this case, the operator's thumb and other fingers can be fitted in the recesses to grip a part of the upper surface 52b.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the first battery 50A has, as its outer surface, a front surface 52a and a plurality of surfaces connected to the edge of the front surface 52a. Specifically, the plurality of surfaces has an upper surface 52b, a left side surface 52e, a right side surface 52c, and a lower surface 52d. The first battery 50A has a first connector 54 (see FIG. 11), a second connector 57 (see FIG. 11), and an indicator 56 (see FIG. 11) on the left side surface 52e. Therefore, in the first battery 50A, the handle 53 is provided on one of the two orthogonal surfaces (the upper surface 52b and the left side surface 52e), and the connectors 54 and 57 and the indicator 56 are provided on the other surface. As will be described later, the first battery 50A is mounted on the vehicle body while rotating. When the first battery 50A is in the first accommodation space N1, its left side surface 52e faces upward. That is, at this time, the connectors 54 and 57 and the indicator 56 face upward. On the other hand, the upper surface 52b faces right (see FIG. 5). The positional relationship among the handle 53, the connectors 54 and 57, and the indicator 56 is not limited to the example of the first battery 50A. For example, the handle 53 may be provided on the upper surface 52b, the connectors 54 and 57 may be provided on the lower surface 52d of the first battery 50A, and the indicator 56 may be provided on the front surface 52a of the first battery 50A.

[Battery support mechanism and battery storage space]
As shown in FIG. 4, the electric vehicle 1 has a battery support mechanism N. The battery support mechanism N includes a support frame 40 that is fixed to the vehicle body frame 20 and that supports the first battery 50A, and a movable frame (movable member) 31 that can move together with the first battery 50A. There is. A first accommodation space N1 (see FIG. 2B) in which the first battery 50A is arranged is secured inside the support frame 40. Further, in the electric vehicle 1, the second accommodation space N2 (see FIG. 2B) in which the second battery 50B is arranged is secured inside the support frame 40. The accommodation spaces N1 and N2 are located below the front portion of the seat 6 and in front of the rear wheel 3. As shown in FIG. 1, in the electric vehicle 1, the accommodation spaces N1 and N2 are secured in front of the rear vertical frame portion 21c in a side view of the vehicle body. In the electric vehicle 1, the support frame 40 is located below the front portion of the seat 6 and also supports the seat 6.

  A connector 41 is provided in the first accommodation space N1 (see FIG. 5). The connector 41 is located above the first accommodation space N1. The first battery 50A has a connector 54 (see FIG. 11) for connecting to the connector 41. The first battery 50A supplies electric power to the motor control device through the connectors 54 and 41. In this specification, the connector 41 of the first accommodation space N1 is referred to as a "power receiving connector", and the connector 54 of the first battery 50A is referred to as a "power feeding connector".

  The battery support mechanism N supports the first battery 50A so that the first battery 50A can move between the first position shown in FIG. 5 and the second position shown in FIG. When the first battery 50A is in the first position, the power feeding connector 54 and the power receiving connector 41 are electrically connected. When the first battery 50A is in the second position, the two connectors 54 and 41 are separated, and the work of attaching and detaching the first battery 50A to the battery support mechanism N is allowed. In the electric vehicle 1, the battery support mechanism N is arranged so that the first battery 50A rotates between the first position and the second position about the rotation center line Ax1 (see FIGS. 5 and 8A). 1 Supports the battery 50A. Below, the 1st position shown in Drawing 5 is called a "connection completion position." The second position shown in FIG. 6 is referred to as a "connection start position". In electric vehicle 1, a third position shown in FIG. 7 is defined between the connection completion position and the connection start position. When the first battery 50A is in the third position, the first battery 50A and the movable frame 30 are completely combined. In the present specification, this third position is referred to as a "combining completion position".

[Removal direction of battery]
As shown in FIG. 5, the connection completion position of the first battery 50A is defined below the seat 6. In the electric vehicle 1, when the first battery 50A is at the connection completion position, the entire battery 50A overlaps the seat 6 in plan view (see FIG. 3 ). The connection start position (see FIG. 6) is defined on one of the left side and the right side with respect to the connection completion position. In the electric vehicle 1, the connection start position is defined to the left of the connection completion position.

  The first battery 50A can be attached to and detached from the battery support mechanism N in the left-right direction or the oblique left-right direction of the vehicle body at the connection start position. That is, the first battery 50A is detachable in the left-right direction of the vehicle body in a plan view. In the electric vehicle 1, the first battery 50A can be removed from the battery support mechanism N to the left in the plan view of the vehicle body. The first battery 50A may be removable horizontally toward the left, or may be removable diagonally left and upward. In the electric vehicle 1, the attachment/detachment direction of the first battery 50A is substantially horizontal. (Here, "substantially horizontal" means, for example, a range of ±5 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.) According to such a structure of the electric vehicle 1, as compared with a structure in which the battery is removed upward, The work of lifting the battery can be reduced, and the work load required for attaching and detaching the battery can be reduced. In contrast to the electric vehicle 1, the first battery 50A may be removable from the battery support mechanism N to the right.

  As described above, the size D1 (see FIG. 2A) of the first battery 50A in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body is smaller than the size D2 (see FIG. 2A) of the first battery 50A in the vertical direction of the vehicle body, and Is smaller than the size D3 (see FIG. 5) of the first battery 50A in the left-right direction. Therefore, the right side surface 52c of the first battery 50A is smaller than the front surface 52a. The first battery 50A is attached to and detached from the vehicle body with the right side surface 52c facing the vehicle body. Therefore, according to the arrangement of the first battery 50A in the electric vehicle 1, the first battery 50A is attached/detached as compared with the structure in which the front surface 50a of the first battery 50A is attached/detached to/from the vehicle body with the posture facing the vehicle body side. Therefore, the opening formed in the vehicle body can be made small. This facilitates ensuring the rigidity of the vehicle body frame 20 and reduces the influence on the appearance of the vehicle body. In the electric vehicle 1, an opening for attaching and detaching the first battery 50A is formed in the vehicle body cover, and a cover 9 (see FIGS. 1 and 5) that can be opened and closed is provided in the opening.

  In the electric vehicle 1, when the first battery 50A is at the connection start position as shown in FIG. 6, most of the first battery 50A is located outside the first accommodation space N1 defined below the seat 6. Therefore, the sheet 6 and the support frame 40 do not overlap with each other in a plan view. In this description, "most of the first battery 50A" means, for example, a range of half or more in the vertical direction of the first battery 50A at the connection completion position (half or more of the size D2). By defining the connection start position in this way, the attachment/detachment work of the first battery 50A can be further facilitated. When the first battery 50A is at the connection start position, a range of 2/3 or more of the first battery 50A may be exposed from the seat 6 and the support frame 40. When the first battery 50A is at the connection start position, it is desirable that the entire handle 53 be located to the left of the seat 6 and the support frame 40.

[Battery rotation support]
The battery support mechanism N supports the first battery 50A so that it can move between the connection completion position and the connection start position while rotating about a rotation center line Ax1 along the front-rear direction (direction parallel to the horizontal plane). (See FIGS. 5 to 7). In the electric vehicle 1, the first battery 50A has a supported shaft portion 51 (see FIG. 11) located on the rotation center line Ax1. The battery support mechanism N has a shaft support portion 43 (see FIG. 8A). The supported shaft portion 51 is arranged inside the shaft supporting portion 43, and is supported by the shaft supporting portion 43 so as to be rotatable. The support structure of the first battery 50A is not limited to the example of the electric vehicle 1. For example, the first battery 50A may not have the supported shaft portion 51. In this case, for example, the first battery 50A may be rotatable by the movable frame 30 holding the first battery 50A. Further, the rotation center line Ax1 may not be parallel to the horizontal plane. For example, the rotation center line Ax1 may be inclined ±5 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. Here, the range of ±5 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane is practically referred to as horizontal.

  According to the structure of the electric vehicle 1 that uses the rotation of the first battery 50A for attachment and detachment, the work load required for attaching and detaching the battery can be further reduced. Further, in the electric vehicle 1, the first battery 50A is arranged in such a posture that the size D2 (see FIG. 2A) in the up-down direction increases when the connection completion position is set. Since the first battery 50A moves from the connection completion position to the connection start position while rotating, the vertical size (D3) of the vehicle body is larger than the horizontal size (D2) of the vehicle body at the connection start position. Also becomes smaller. Therefore, when the first battery 50A is at the connection start position, the height of the lower end of the first battery 50A can be sufficiently ensured, and the burden on the operator in the work of lifting the first battery 50A can be reduced. ..

  Unlike the electric vehicle 1, the first battery 50A may be capable of rotational movement and parallel movement (sliding) between the connection completion position and the connection start position. For example, the first battery 50A may be arranged in the connection start position by rotating leftward from the connection completion position and then moving in parallel to the left. As another example, contrary to the electric vehicle 1, the connection start position may be defined to the right of the connection completion position. The first battery 50A may be removable from the battery support mechanism N to the right.

[Battery rotation center line position]
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the rotation center line Ax1 is located above the first battery 50A. Specifically, the rotation center line Ax1 is located above the center point Pc (center point of the first battery 50A) of the first accommodation space N1 in the up-down direction and the left-right direction. Therefore, the connection start position is higher than the connection completion position. In other words, the position of the lower end of the first battery 50A at the connection completion position (see FIG. 5, left side surface 52e of the first battery 50A) becomes higher when the first battery 50A is at the connection start position. According to this structure, when removing the first battery 50A from the battery support mechanism N, the work of lifting the first battery 50A is further reduced, so that the work load can be further reduced.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the position of the rotation center line Ax1 is located to the left of the center point Pc (center point of the first battery 50A) in the up-down direction and the left-right direction of the first accommodation space N1. is doing. As described above, the first battery 50A can be removed leftward from the battery support mechanism N. Therefore, the rotation center line Ax1 is located in the removal direction of the first battery 50A with respect to the center point Pc. By doing so, the connection start position deviates from the connection completion position in the removal direction of the first battery 50A. As a result, it becomes possible to perform the attachment/detachment work of the first battery 50A more smoothly. The position of the rotation center line Ax1 is not limited to the example of the electric vehicle 1. For example, the rotation center line Ax1 may be located above the first battery 50A. In still another example, the rotation center line Ax1 may be provided below the first battery 50A.

  The rotation angle (θ1, see FIG. 6) of the first battery 50A during the movement process between the connection completion position and the connection start position is preferably 70 degrees to 110 degrees. The rotation angle θ1 is more preferably 80 to 100 degrees. In the electric vehicle 1, the rotation angle θ1 of the first battery 50A is substantially 90 degrees (substantially 90 degrees in this specification means 85 degrees to 95 degrees). Therefore, the outer surfaces 52b and 52d of the first battery 50A that are along the up-down direction when in the connection completion position are surfaces that extend along the left-right direction at the connection start position. In the electric vehicle 1, the outer surface 52b is a surface to which the above-described handle 53 is attached. According to such a structure of the first battery 50A and the battery support mechanism N, the attitude of the first battery 50A at the connection start position is horizontal or nearly horizontal, so that the attachment/detachment work of the first battery 50A can be facilitated.

[Supported Shaft of Battery and Support Shaft of Battery Support Mechanism]
As described above, the first battery 50A has the supported shaft portion 51 (see FIG. 11) located on the rotation center line Ax1. In the electric vehicle 1, a recess 52j is formed at a corner of the first battery 50A (a corner between the upper surface 52b and the right side surface 52c). Then, the supported shaft portion 51 is attached inside the recess 52j along the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, when the first battery 50A is viewed from the front, the supported shaft portion 51 does not protrude from the upper surface 52b and the right side surface 52c. According to this structure of the first battery 50A, it is possible to prevent unintended external force from acting on the supported shaft portion 51 and improve the durability of the supported shaft portion 51. The supported shaft portion 51 is, for example, a shaft formed separately from the housing 52 and attached to the housing 52. Unlike this, the supported shaft portion 51 may be a portion integrally formed with the housing 52.

  As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the battery support mechanism N has a shaft support portion 43 that supports the supported shaft portion 51 so that the supported shaft portion 51 can rotate. In the electric vehicle 1, the shaft support portion 43 is located above the first battery 50A at the connection completion position. That is, the shaft support portion 43 is located at the top of the first accommodation space N1. The shaft support portion 43 is, for example, a substantially U-shaped member that is open in one direction. In the electric vehicle 1, the plate member is bent to form a substantially U-shaped shaft support portion 43. The shaft support portion 43 has an upper guide 43a and a lower guide 43b facing each other in the vertical direction. The two guides 43a and 23b are open in the removal direction (left side) of the first battery 50A. The supported shaft part 51 can be inserted from this opening toward the inner part (right part) of the shaft supporting part 43.

  The shaft support portion 43 has a holding portion 43c that holds the supported shaft portion 51 at its inner portion (right portion in the example of the electric vehicle 1). In the electric vehicle 1, the holding portion 43c is a recess that is recessed downward. The supported shaft portion 51 is fitted in the holding portion 43c and is supported so as to be rotatable inside the holding portion 43c.

  Since the battery support mechanism N holds the first battery 50A itself in this way, it is possible to improve the support stability of the first battery 50A and the positional accuracy of the first battery 50A with respect to the power receiving connector 41. Further, with such a structure of the shaft support portion 43, it becomes possible to dispose the first battery 50A at the connection start position by a simple operation. That is, when the worker disposes the supported shaft portion 51 of the first battery 50A between the guides 43a and 43b and pushes the first battery 50A to the right, other operations are not required and the supported shaft portion 51 is not supported. The shaft portion 51 is fitted in the holding portion 43c, and the first battery 50A is arranged at the connection start position.

  The structures of the supported shaft portion 51 and the shaft supporting portion 43 are not limited to the example of the electric vehicle 1. The shape of the shaft support portion 43 does not necessarily have to be substantially U-shaped as long as the supported shaft portion 51 can be fitted from the outside in the left-right direction and the supported shaft portion 51 can be rotatably supported. .. For example, the shaft support portion 43 does not have to have the guides 43a and 43b that are open in the removal direction of the first battery 50A (left side in the electric vehicle 1). In this case, the shaft support portion 43 may be, for example, a member (for example, one or a plurality of hooks) having a concave portion opened upward. In addition, the supported shaft portion 51 may protrude from the outer surface of the first battery 50A. For example, the supported shaft portion 51 may be a convex portion that protrudes from the front surface 52a and the rear surface 52i (see FIG. 13) of the first battery 50A and is located on the rotation center line Ax1. In this case, the battery support mechanism N may have a shaft support portion that supports the protrusion so that the protrusion can rotate. As still another example, the battery support mechanism N may have a shaft portion instead of the shaft support portion 43. The battery support mechanism N of the first battery 50 may have a hook-shaped supported portion that is hooked on the shaft of the battery support mechanism N, instead of the supported shaft portion 51.

  The rotation center line Ax1 may be provided below the first battery 50A. In this case, the shaft support portion 43 may be fixed to the right frame portion 21R.

[Connector position]
As described above, the first battery 50A has the power supply connector 54 (see FIG. 11) on the right side surface 52c thereof. The battery support mechanism N is provided with a power receiving connector 41 (see FIG. 6). The power receiving connector 41 is located on an extension of the locus of the power feeding connector 54. Therefore, when the first battery 50A moves from the connection start position toward the connection completion position, the power feeding connector 54 automatically fits into the power receiving connector 41. Here, “automatically fit” means that the operator is not required to perform an operation other than moving the first battery 50A from the connection start position to the connection completion position.

  In the example of the electric vehicle 1, the power receiving connector 41 is located above the first accommodation space N1. Specifically, the power receiving connector 41 is located above the first battery 50A at the connection completion position. Therefore, the position of the power receiving connector 41 is high. Therefore, it becomes easy to prevent the connectors 41 and 54 from getting wet with water. The sheet 6 covers the upper side of the connectors 41 and 54. The first battery 50A has a power receiving connector 57 (see FIG. 11) for electrically connecting to the external charger when charging the first battery 50A. The power receiving connector 57 is provided on the right side surface 52c of the first battery 50A, similarly to the power feeding connector 54. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the power receiving connector 57 from getting wet with water.

[Elastic body]
The power receiving connector 41 is located above the power feeding connector 54, and the two connectors 41 and 54 are fitted in the vertical direction. The battery support mechanism N has an elastic body that buffers the upward movement of the first battery 50A at the connection completion position. As shown in FIG. 8A, the battery support mechanism N is provided with, for example, a plurality of elastic bodies 45 located above the first accommodation space N1. The elastic body 45 is, for example, a coil spring. The elastic body 45 may be rubber or another type of spring. When the first battery 50A is at the connection completion position, the elastic body 45 is located above the right side surface 52c (the surface on which the power supply connector 54 is provided), and the first battery 50A rotates upward beyond the connection completion position. Prevent doing. As a result, it is possible to prevent the power supply connector 54 from colliding with the power reception connector 41 with an excessively large force.

  The positions of the connectors 54 and 41 are not limited to the example of the electric vehicle 1. For example, the power supply connector 54 may be provided on the lower surface 52d of the first battery 50A (see FIG. 12, the surface opposite to the handle 53). The power receiving connector 41 may be arranged to the right of the first battery 50A at the connection completion position. Even in such a case, it is desirable that the power receiving connector 41 be located above the first accommodation space N1. In still another example, the power supply connector 54 may be provided on the front surface 52a or the rear surface 52i of the first battery 50A. In this case, the power receiving connector 41 may be arranged in front of or behind the first battery 50A at the connection completion position.

[Handle position]
As described above, the first battery 50A has the handle 53 on the upper surface 52b. As shown in FIG. 5, when the first battery 50A is at the connection completion position, the upper surface 52b faces the left side of the vehicle body. That is, when the first battery 50A is at the connection completion position, the surface 52b on which the handle 53 is provided faces the removal direction of the first battery 50A. Therefore, the user can easily perform the work of gripping the handle 53 and moving the first battery 50A. In the electric vehicle 1, the upper surface 52b is vertical when the first battery 50A is at the connection completion position. Further, when the first battery 50A is at the connection completion position, all or part of the handle 53 is located on the left side of the support frame 40 (more specifically, a post portion 44a described later) of the battery support mechanism N. Is desirable. According to this arrangement of the handle 53 and the support frame 40, the support frame 40 does not get in the way, so that the operator can grasp the handle 53 smoothly.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the first battery 50A is at the connection start position, the upper surface 52b of the first battery 50A faces upward of the vehicle body. More specifically, the upper surface 52b is horizontal when the first battery 50A is at the connection start position. Therefore, the work of grasping the handle 53 and removing the first battery 50A from the battery support mechanism N becomes easy for the user.

  Further, when the first battery 50A is at the connection start position shown in FIG. 6, although the height of the upper surface 52b is lower than the side edge 6a of the seat 6 (see FIG. 2A), all or one of the handles 53 in the upright state is. The height of the portion is higher than that of the side edge 6a of the sheet 6. That is, when the first battery 50A is at the connection start position, part of the handle 53 in the upright state overlaps with the seat 6 in a side view of the vehicle body. Therefore, the position of the handle 53 has a height suitable for the attachment/detachment work of the first battery 50A. Further, when the first battery 50A is at the connection start position shown in FIG. 6, all or part of the handle 53 in the standing state is higher than the upper end 40a of the support frame 40 (see FIG. 6).

  The height of the first battery 50A at the connection start position is not limited to the example of the electric vehicle 1. That is, the height of the handle 53 may be lower than the side edge 6a of the seat 6 when the first battery 50A is at the connection start position. Further, when the first battery 50A is at the connection start position, the upper surface 52b may be inclined with respect to the horizontal.

[Structure of support frame]
As shown in FIG. 4, the battery support mechanism N has a support frame 40 fixed to the vehicle body frame 20. A battery lock mechanism 42, which will be described later, for fixing the first battery 50</b>A to the connection completion position, and the shaft support portion 43 described above are attached to the support frame 40. Specifically, the support frame 40 has an upper plate 44f located above the first accommodation space N1 at the uppermost portion thereof. The upper guide 43a of the shaft support portion 43 is attached to the lower side of the upper plate 44f. The shaft support portion 43 and the battery lock mechanism 42 are located above the first battery 50A, and the first battery 50A is suspended below by the shaft support portion 43 and the battery lock mechanism 42.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the support frame 40 includes a front pillar portion 44a extending upward from the left and right lower frame portions 21b and a front crossbar 44b that is bridged over the left and right front pillar portions 44a. Have In addition, the support frame 40 extends forward from the left and right rear vertical frame portions 21c and is separated in the left-right direction from the upper left bar 44c and the upper right bar 44d, and the rear cross connected to the left and right upper bars 44c and 44d. It has a bar 44e. The upper plate 44f is attached to the front crossbar 44b and the rear crossbar 44e.

[Movable frame]
As shown in FIG. 8A, the battery support mechanism N has a movable frame (movable member) 30 that can move around the rotation center line Ax1 together with the first battery 50A. The movable frame 30 is rotatably supported by a support frame 40. In the electric vehicle 1, the movable frame 30 has a basket shape including a plurality of rods, and is formed so as to accommodate a part of the first battery 50A (the upper portion of the first battery 50A at the connection completion position). .. The shape and structure of the movable frame 30 are not limited to the example of the electric vehicle 1. For example, the movable frame 30 may be formed of a plurality of plate materials and have a box shape or a rectangular frame shape surrounding the first battery 50A.

  Two connecting plates 30a facing each other in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body are provided on the upper portion of the movable frame 30. The two connecting plates 30a are attached to the support frame 40 so that rotation around the rotation center line Ax1 is allowed. Specifically, the shaft portion 30b located on the rotation center line Ax1 is provided above the connection plate 30a. The connecting plate 30a is connected to the support plate 44g (see FIG. 9) fixed to the upper plate 44f via the shaft portion 30b. As a result, the connecting plate 30a is rotatable about the shaft portion 30b. The support structure of the movable frame 30 may be changed as appropriate.

  The movable frame 30 can move with the first battery 50A about the rotation center line Ax1 between the position shown in FIG. 5 and the position shown in FIG. In this specification, the position of the movable frame 30 shown in FIG. 5 is referred to as a “connection assistance position”, and the position of the movable frame 30 shown in FIG. 7 is referred to as a “standby position”. The connection assistance position of the movable frame 30 corresponds to the connection completion position of the first battery 50A, and when the first battery 50A is at the connection completion position, the movable frame 30 is located at the connection assistance position. The standby position of the movable frame 30 corresponds to the position (FIG. 7) between the connection completion position (FIG. 5) and the connection start position (FIG. 6) of the first battery 50A. In this specification, the position of the first battery 50A shown in FIG. 7 is referred to as a “combining completion position”. When the first battery 50A is at the connection start position, the first battery 50A is separated from the movable frame 30. In the electric vehicle 1, the combination completion position is defined closer to the connection start position than the middle of the connection completion position and the connection start position (rotational position equidistant from the connection completion position and the connection start position). As a result, the work of fitting the first battery 50A into the movable frame 30 can be facilitated.

[Guides formed on the movable frame]
As shown in FIG. 8A, the movable frame 30 has guides 32A and 32B which are separated from the rotation center line Ax1 in a direction (radial direction) orthogonal to the rotation center line Ax1. The movable frame 30 has two types of guides. Hereinafter, these two types of guides are referred to as a first guide 32A and a second guide 32B, respectively. The distance from the rotation center line Ax1 to the second guide 32B is larger than the distance from the rotation center line Ax1 to the first guide 32A.

  A first guided portion 59A (see FIG. 11) corresponding to the first guide 32A and a second guided portion 59B (see FIG. 11) corresponding to the second guide 32B are formed on the outer surface of the first battery 50A. There is. The first guide 32A fits in the first guided 59A, and the second guide 32B fits in the second guided 59B. The guides 32A and 32B are fitted to the guided portions 59A and 59B to guide the posture of the first battery 50A. In other words, when the worker arranges the supported shaft portion 51 of the first battery 50A on the shaft supporting portion 43 of the battery supporting mechanism N, the guides 32A and 32B incline the first battery 50A, in other words, The supported shaft portion 51 is prevented from inclining with respect to the rotation center line Ax.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the first guide 32A is, for example, a convex portion that protrudes toward the inside of the movable frame 30. The movable frame 30 has two first guides 32A. These are located on opposite sides of the first battery 50A in the front-back direction. The housing 52 of the first battery 50A has a groove serving as the first guided portion 59A on the front surface 52a and the rear surface 52i (see FIGS. 11 and 13). The groove (first guided 59A) formed in the front surface 52a is orthogonal to the rotation center line Ax1 from the corner 52g (see FIG. 11) between the right side surface 52c where the power supply connector 54 and the like are formed and the front surface 52a. It extends in the direction (left in the electric vehicle 1). Similarly, the groove (first guided portion 59A) formed on the rear surface 52i extends from the right side surface 52c where the power feeding connector 54 and the like are formed and the corner 52h (see FIG. 11) between the rear surface and the rotation center line Ax1. It extends in the orthogonal direction (in the electric vehicle 1, to the left). During the attachment/detachment work of the first battery 50A, the first guide 32A fits into the groove that is the first guided member 59A and relatively moves in the left-right direction.

  Similar to the first guide 32A, the second guide 32B is, for example, a convex portion that protrudes inside the movable frame 30. The movable frame 30 has two second guides 32B. These are located on opposite sides of the first battery 50A in the front-back direction. The housing 52 of the first battery 50A has a groove serving as a second guided portion 59B on its front surface 52a and rear surface 52i. This groove also extends from the corner 52g (or corner 52h) between the right side surface 52c and the front surface 52a (or the rear surface 52i) of the first battery 50A in the direction (left in the electric vehicle 1) orthogonal to the rotation center line Ax1. ing. During the attachment/detachment work of the first battery 50A, the second guide 32B fits in the groove that is the second guided member 59B and relatively moves in the left-right direction.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the distance from the rotation center line Ax1 (in other words, the supported shaft portion 51) to the second guided 59B is larger than the distance from the rotation center line Ax1 to the first guided 59A. Since the two types of guided portions 59A and 59B are formed in the first battery 50A in this manner, it is possible to effectively suppress the deviation of the posture of the first battery 50A.

  In particular, the position of the second guided 59B is close to the power feeding connector 54. As a result, the displacement of the relative position between the power receiving connector 41 and the power feeding connector 54 can be effectively reduced before the first battery 50A reaches the connection completion position, and the connectors 54, 41 can be fitted smoothly. .. In the electric vehicle 1, as shown in FIG. 11, in the direction along the corners 52g and 52h of the first battery 50A (the corners where the ends of the guided parts 59A and 59B are located), the power feeding connector 54 has two covered parts. It is located between the guides 59B and 59A.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the first battery 50A has a locked shaft portion 55 that is hooked on a battery lock mechanism 42 described later. The locked shaft portion 55 is also located near the second guided portion 59B. As a result, it is possible to effectively reduce the deviation of the relative position between the locked shaft portion 55 and the battery lock mechanism 42 before the first battery 50A reaches the connection completion position, and the locked shaft portion 55 by the battery lock mechanism 42 can be effectively reduced. Can be held smoothly.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the end 59a of the first guided 59A is bent. When the supported shaft portion 51 is lowered from the position between the guides 43a and 43b of the shaft support portion 43 to the holding portion 43c in the process of mounting the first battery 50A, the first guide 32A is moved to the first guided portion 59A. Move along the bend of. The end 59a of the first guided portion 59A is, for example, a groove having a width corresponding to the thickness (diameter) of the first guide 32A (convex portion). The groove (end 59a) extends in the left-right direction when the first battery 50A is at the connection completion position. Therefore, when the first battery 50A is at the connection completion position, the first guided portion 59A regulates the relative movement of the first guide 32A in the vertical direction, that is, the vibration of the first battery 50A in the vertical direction. ..

  As shown in FIG. 12, the width of the second guided portion 59B increases toward the opening end (the end portion of the first battery 50A near the corners 52g and 52h). This can facilitate the work of fitting the second guide 32B into the second guided 59B.

  The positions and structures of the guides 32A and 32B and the guided parts 59A and 59B are not limited to the example of the electric vehicle 1. For example, the battery support mechanism N may have only one of the first guide 32A and the second guide 32B. Similarly, the first battery 50A may include only one of the first guided 59A and the second guided 59B. As still another example, the guided portions 59A and 59B may be convex portions and the guides 32A and 32B may be grooves. As still another example, the movable frame 30 may not have the guides 32A and 32B that are convex portions or grooves. For example, the inner shape of the movable frame 30 and the outer shape of the first battery 50A may correspond to each other. Then, the movable frame 30 may guide the posture of the first battery 50A by the inner shape thereof. In other words, when the worker arranges the supported shaft portion 51 of the first battery 50A on the shaft supporting portion 43 of the battery supporting mechanism N, the movable frame 30 prevents the inclination of the first battery 50A due to its inner shape. But it's okay.

[Other guides]
As shown in FIG. 10, the support frame 40 is also provided with a guide plate (guide portion) 48. The guide plate 48 guides the first battery 50A at the connection completion position in the left-right direction. That is, the guide plate 48 prevents the position of the first battery 50A at the connection completion position from shifting from the regular position in the left-right direction. In the electric vehicle 1, the guide plate 48 contacts the rod 33a that forms the bottom of the movable frame 30 to prevent the movable frame 30 from shifting to the right of the normal position.

[Rotation assist mechanism]
The battery support mechanism N has a rotation assist mechanism that assists the movement of the first battery 50A from the connection completion position to the connection start position. When the first battery 50A returns from the connection completion position to the connection start position, the rotation assist mechanism exerts a force to push the first battery 50A toward the connection start position. In the electric vehicle 1, the battery support mechanism N has the spring unit 34 as a rotation assist mechanism.

  The spring unit 34 is, for example, a gas spring, and as shown in FIG. 6, has a cylinder 34a and a rod 34b that can move relative to the cylinder 34a. The upper end 34c (upper connection portion) of the spring unit 34 is connected to the movable frame 30 (more specifically, the connection plate 30a). The lower end 34d (lower connecting portion) of the spring unit 34 is connected to the support frame 40. As described above, the movable frame 30 is formed with the guides 32A and 32B that are caught by the first battery 50A. The elastic force of the spring unit 34 is applied to the first battery 50A via the guides 32A and 32B.

  When the movable frame 30 rotates from the connection assist position (FIG. 5) toward the standby position (FIG. 7), the spring unit 34 expands due to its elastic force and pushes the movable frame 30 toward the standby position. This action of the spring unit 34 can further reduce the burden required for the work of removing the first battery 50A.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the movable frame 30 is at the connection assisting position, the upper coupling portion 34c of the spring unit 34 has one side of the straight line L3 that connects the rotation center line Ax1 and the lower coupling portion 34d of the spring unit 34 ( In the electric vehicle 1, it is located on the right side). On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the movable frame 30 is in the standby position, the upper coupling portion 34c of the spring unit 34 is located on the opposite side (left side in the electric vehicle 1) with respect to the straight line L3. ing. With this structure, the position of the movable frame 30 can be stabilized at both the auxiliary connection position and the standby position. Further, the position of the upper connecting portion 34c when the movable frame 30 is at the standby position is higher than the position of the upper connecting portion 34c when the movable frame 30 is at the connection assisting position. Accordingly, it is possible to easily move the first battery 50A from the combination completion position to the connection completion position against the elastic force of the spring unit 34.

  The elastic force of the spring unit 34 may be set, for example, to support the weight of the first battery 50A when the first battery 50A is at the combination completion position. That is, the elastic force of the spring unit 34 may be set to such an extent that the spring unit 34 does not contract due to the weight of the first battery 50A even if the operator does not support the first battery 50A. According to such setting of the elastic force, the position of the movable frame 30 is stabilized, so that the work of combining the movable frame 30 and the first battery 50A, that is, the work of fitting the guides 32A, 32B and the guided objects 59A, 59B. Can be facilitated.

  The structure of the spring unit 34 is not limited to the example of the electric vehicle 1. For example, the spring unit 34 may be a coil spring or a torsion spring instead of a gas spring. As still another example, the electric vehicle 1 may not have the spring unit 34.

[Battery lock mechanism and locked shaft]
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8A, the battery support mechanism N has a battery lock mechanism 42 for holding the first battery 50A at the connection completion position. The first battery 50A has a locked portion held by the battery lock mechanism 42. As shown in FIG. 11, in the electric vehicle 1, the first battery 50A has a locked shaft portion 55 as a locked portion. The locked shaft portion 55 is separated from the rotation center line Ax1 of the first battery 50A (in other words, the supported shaft portion 51) in the radial direction. The locked shaft portion 55 is formed parallel to the supported shaft portion 51.

  The battery lock mechanism 42 is located above the first battery 50A at the connection completion position. Therefore, when the first battery 50A is at the connection completion position, the first battery 50A is suspended downward by the battery lock mechanism 42 and the shaft support portion 43. The supported shaft portion 51 and the locked shaft portion 55 are located on opposite sides of the center line L2 (see FIG. 13) of the first battery 50A. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, the distance from the center line L2 of the first battery 50 to the supported shaft portion 51 and the distance from the center of the first battery 50 to the locked shaft portion 55 in the left-right direction are , Substantially the same. This facilitates ensuring the stability of support for the first battery 50A. In this description, the center line L2 is the center between the upper surface 52b and the lower surface 52d of the first battery 50A. The center line L2 preferably coincides with the center of the vehicle body in the left-right direction when the first battery 50A is at the connection completion position.

  In this way, the battery lock mechanism 42 directly holds the first battery 50A, so that it becomes easy to stabilize the position of the first battery 50A. Further, in the electric vehicle 1, the first battery 50A is suspended by the battery lock mechanism 42 and the shaft support portion 43, so that it becomes less necessary to support the lower side of the first battery 50A. As a result, it becomes easy to send air to the first battery 50A, and the cooling performance of the first battery 50A can be improved. The first accommodation space N1 may have a cover that covers the lower side of the first battery 50A, which may be opened downward.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the battery lock mechanism 42 has a first movable portion 42a and a second movable portion 42b. The first movable portion 42a has a U-shape that is open in one direction. The battery lock mechanism 42 has a position where the opening of the first movable portion 42a is open (the position shown in FIG. 9) and a closed position where the opening of the first movable portion 42a is closed by the second movable portion 42b (in FIG. 10). The position shown).

  The size of the portion of the battery lock mechanism 42 that receives the locked shaft portion 55 (the opening of the first movable portion 42a) may correspond to the thickness (diameter) of the locked shaft portion 55. By doing so, when the first movable portion 42a is in the closed position, the vertical movement of the locked shaft portion 55 (that is, the vibration of the first battery 50A in the vertical direction) is restricted by the first movable portion 42. To be done.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the power supply connector 54 is located between the supported shaft portion 51 and the locked shaft portion 55. Since the vertical movements of the supported shaft portion 51 and the locked shaft portion 55 are restricted, changes in the relative positions of the power feeding connector 54 and the power receiving connector 41 are also effectively restricted. The shapes and structures of the movable portions 42a and 42b are not limited to the example of the electric vehicle 1.

[Key cylinder]
The battery support mechanism N may be provided with an operation mechanism for an operator to move the battery lock mechanism 42. As an example of an operation mechanism, the battery support mechanism N may be provided with a key cylinder 46 (see FIG. 8A) that is connected to the movable portions 42a and 42b via a wire or a rod and works in conjunction with these. Moving the key cylinder 46 to the lock position moves the battery lock mechanism 42 to the closed position, and moving the key cylinder 46 to the unlock position moves the battery lock mechanism 42 to the open position. The operation mechanism for moving the battery lock mechanism 42 is not limited to the key cylinder 46, and may be constituted by, for example, a button or an actuator.

  In the electric vehicle 1, a recess 52k is formed in the corner of the first battery 50A (corner between the lower surface 52d and the right side surface 52c) (see FIG. 11). A locked shaft portion 55 is formed inside the recess 52k along the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, when the first battery 50A is viewed from the front, the locked shaft portion 55 does not project from the lower surface 52d and the right side surface 52c of the first battery 50A. According to this structure of the first battery 50A, it is possible to suppress an unintended external force from acting on the locked shaft portion 55 and improve the durability of the locked shaft portion 55. The locked shaft portion 55 is, for example, a shaft formed separately from the housing 52 and attached to the housing 52. Unlike this, the locked shaft portion 55 may be a portion integrally formed with the housing 52.

  The first battery 50A may have a hook as a locked portion instead of the locked shaft portion 55. In this case, the battery support mechanism N may have a portion where the hook is caught as the battery lock mechanism 42.

[Battery slope and its support]
As shown in FIG. 12, the housing 52 of the first battery 50A has an inclined surface 52f on the outer surface thereof. The inclined surface 52f is located between the lower surface 52d and the left side surface 52e, connects them, and is inclined with respect to the lower surface 52d and the left side surface 52e. The center point Pc shown in FIG. 12 is the center point of the first battery 50A (housing 52) in the up-down direction and the left-right direction. The inclined surface 52f and the rotation center line Ax1 (supported shaft portion 51) are on opposite sides of the center point Pc of the first battery 50A when the first battery 50A is viewed in the direction along the rotation center line Ax1. positioned. More specifically, the straight line L1 passing through the center point Pc and the rotation center line Ax1 intersects the slope 52f. The inclined surface 52f may be linearly formed or may be curved when the first battery 50A is viewed in the direction along the rotation center line Ax1.

  Since the first battery 50 has the inclined surface 52f, when the first battery 50 is rotated between the connection completion position (FIG. 5) and the connection start position (FIG. 6), the first battery 50A and the vehicle body It becomes easy to avoid interference with a part. For example, the presence of the slope 52f makes it easy to avoid interference between the first battery 50A and the vehicle body frame 20 and interference between the first battery 50A and the vehicle body cover.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the housing 52 of the first battery 50A has an inclined surface 52m on its outer surface. The inclined surface 52m is located between the upper surface 52b and the left side surface 52e, connects them, and is inclined with respect to the upper surface 52b and the left side surface 52e. That is, the electric vehicle 1 has the slopes 52f and 52m at both ends of the left side surface 52e located on the lower side when the first battery 50A is at the connection completion position. The slope 52m also contributes to avoiding interference between the first battery 50A and a part of the vehicle body. For example, the slope 52m contributes to avoiding interference with the lower frame portion 21b (see FIG. 4) of the left frame portion 21L. The slope 52m may also be formed linearly or may be curved when the first battery 50A is viewed in the direction along the rotation center line Ax1.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the battery support mechanism N has a lower support part 47. The lower support portion 47 has a support surface 47a that supports the slope 52f when the first battery 50A is at the connection completion position. The support surface 47a of the lower support portion 47 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and suppresses the downward movement of the first battery 50A arranged at the connection completion position. As a result, the stability of the electrical connection between the connectors 41 and 54 can be improved. The lower support portion 47 is fixed to, for example, the lower frame portion 21b of the left frame portion 21L. The lower support part 47 may have a cushion (for example, an elastic member) that buffers a collision between the support surface 47a and the first battery 50A.

  The electric vehicle 1 has an operation member for pushing the first battery 50A at the connection completion position toward the support surface 47a of the lower support portion 47. The operation member is, for example, the cover 9 (see FIGS. 1 and 5) that covers the left side of the first accommodation space N1. The cover 9 can be opened and closed, and when in the closed position, the first battery 50A is pushed rightward toward the support surface 47a of the lower support portion 47. As a result, the first battery 50A is biased toward the power receiving connector 41 (upper side) by the support surface 47a. The cover 9 is openably/closably supported via, for example, a hinge (not shown). A cushion 9a corresponding to the first battery 50A may be attached to the inside of the cover 9 (see FIG. 5). An elastic member such as rubber or a spring may be used as the cushion 9a.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the battery support mechanism N includes a guide plate (guide portion) 47b arranged along the front surface 52a and the rear surface 52i of the first battery 50A when the first battery 50A is at the connection completion position, It has 47c. In the electric vehicle 1, guide plates 47b and 47c are attached to the support surface 47a of the lower support portion 47. The two guide plates 47b and 47c face each other in the front-rear direction, and the first battery 50A is arranged between them. The presence of the guide plates 47b and 47c restricts the movement of the first battery 50A in the front-rear direction.

  In the example shown in FIG. 4, a space is opened downward between the two guide plates 47b and 47c. The shape of the guide plates 47b and 47c is not limited to this. That is, the space between the guide plates 47b and 47c may be closed.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the electric vehicle 1, the guide plates 47b and 47c are substantially L-shaped when arranged along the edge of the first battery 50A in a front view. Specifically, the guide plates 47b and 47c extend along the lower edge and the right edge of the first battery 50A at the connection completion position. The "lower edge of the first battery 50A" in this description is an edge between the front surface 52a (or the rear surface 52i) and the left side surface 52e. The "right edge" is an edge between the front surface 52a (or the rear surface 52i) and the lower surface 52d.

[Detachment method]
The mounting work of the first battery 50A is performed as follows, for example. The movable frame 30 is arranged at the standby position, the supported shaft portion 51 of the first battery 50A is aligned with the position of the shaft support portion 43 of the battery support mechanism N, and the supported shaft portion 51 is guided by the guides 43a and 43b of the shaft support portion 43. Move horizontally to the right along. Then, the supported shaft portion 51 is fitted into the holding portion 43c of the shaft supporting portion 43. As a result, the first battery 50A is set at the connection start position (FIG. 5). Then, the first battery 50A is moved from the connection start position to the uniting completion position (FIG. 7) around the rotation center line Ax1. At this time, the first guided portion 59A is slid along the first guide portion 32A, and the second guide portion 59B is slid along the second guide portion 32B. Then, the first battery 50A is moved around the rotation center line Ax1 from the combination completion position to the connection completion position (FIG. 6). At this time, the first battery 50A is rotated against the elastic force (stretching force) of the spring unit 34. When the first battery 50A reaches the connection completion position, the power feeding connector 54 fits into the power receiving connector 41. The locked shaft portion 55 of the first battery 50A is held by the battery lock mechanism 42.

  The work of removing the first battery 50A is performed as follows, for example. First, the first battery 50A is rotated about the rotation center line Ax1 from the connection completion position (FIG. 5) to the combination completion position (FIG. 7). After the first battery 50A reaches the uniting completion position, the first battery 50A is further rotated around the rotation center line Ax1 to arrange the first battery 50A at the connection start position. Due to the rotation from the combination completion position to the connection start position, the first guide 32A comes out of the first guided 59A and the second guide 32B comes out of the second guided 59B. Then, the supported shaft portion 51 of the first battery 50A is removed from the holding portion 43c of the shaft support portion 43, and the first battery 50A is moved in the horizontal direction (in the example of the electric vehicle 1, leftward) from the connection start position. As a result, the supported shaft portion 51 is pulled out from the shaft supporting portion 43 to the left.

[Second battery]
The second battery 50B will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the second battery 50B has substantially the same shape as the first battery 50A. That is, the size of the second battery 50B in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body is smaller than the size of the second battery 50B in the vertical direction of the vehicle body, and smaller than the size of the second battery 50B in the left-right direction of the vehicle body. Here, “having substantially the same shape” means that the second battery 50B can be operated by disposing the second battery 50B in the first accommodation space N1 instead of the first battery 50A. Means Therefore, the size of the second battery 50B in any of the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction may be smaller than the size of the first battery 50A. Further, the second battery 50B also has a power supply connector 54, a supported shaft portion 51, and a locked shaft portion 55, similar to the first battery 50A.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the second battery 50B and the first battery 50A are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body when they are arranged in the accommodation spaces N1 and N2. In the electric vehicle 1, the batteries 50A and 50B are small in size in the front-rear direction, so that they can be arranged in the front-rear direction. In electric vehicle 1, second battery 50B is arranged behind first battery 50A. That is, the second accommodation space N2 is secured behind the first accommodation space N1. The second battery 50B is arranged in the second accommodation space N2, for example, in a posture in which the supported shaft portion 51 and the locked shaft portion 55 are positioned on the upper side. According to this arrangement, when removing the second battery 50B from the vehicle body, the operator can lift the second battery 50B by using the supported shaft portion 51 and the locked shaft portion 55.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, in electric vehicle 1, the position of second battery 50B is lower than the position of first battery 50A. By doing so, the center of gravity of the vehicle body can be lowered. Unlike the electric vehicle 1, the position of the second battery 50B may be the same as the position of the first battery 50A or may be higher than the position of the first battery 50A. In still another example, the second battery 50B may be arranged in front of the first battery 50A.

  A storage space N3 (see FIG. 2B) that can store luggage such as a helmet 91 is secured further behind the second battery 50B. The size of the storage space N3 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body is larger than the size of the first storage space N1 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, for example. The size of the storage space N3 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body is larger than the size of the second storage space N2 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, for example. The size of the storage space N3 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body may be larger than the sum of the sizes of the two storage spaces N1, N2 in the front-rear direction.

  In the electric vehicle 1, the second storage space N2 and the storage space N3 are connected. That is, there is no member for partitioning the second accommodation space N2 and the accommodation space N3. This makes it possible to use the second accommodation space N2 as a part of the luggage compartment when the second battery 50B is not mounted on the vehicle body. In electric vehicle 1, storage case 8 is arranged behind first storage space N1 for first battery 50A, and storage space N3 and second storage space N2 are defined inside storage case 8. The storage case 8 is arranged between the right frame portion 21R and the left frame portion 21L and is supported by the frames 21R and 21L.

  The structures of the second accommodation space N2 and the accommodation space N3 are not limited to the example of the electric vehicle 1. For example, a partition member may be provided inside the storage case 8 to partition the second storage space N2 and the storage space N3. As still another example, the electric vehicle 1 may have a case that constitutes the second accommodation space N2 and a case that constitutes the accommodation space N3 separately.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the seat 6 can be opened and closed. Specifically, the front end of the seat 6 is connected to the vehicle body frame 20 (specifically, the support frame 40) via a hinge (not shown), and the seat 6 can be opened and closed centering on the front end. .. The second accommodation space N2 and the accommodation space N3 are defined below the seat 6. Then, by opening the seat 6, the second battery 50B can be attached to and detached from the second accommodation space N2 in the vertical direction in the side view of the vehicle body. That is, by opening the seat 6, the second battery 50B can be attached/detached in the vertical direction of the vehicle body or the diagonal vertical direction. In the electric vehicle 1, the second battery 50B can be taken out right above the second accommodation space N2. Unlike the electric vehicle 1, the second battery 50B may be able to be taken out obliquely rearward and upward from the second accommodation space N2. The first battery 50A and the second battery 50B have an indicator 56 on the right side surface 52c. The indicator 56 faces upward when the batteries 50A and 50B are arranged in the accommodation spaces N1 and N2, respectively. Therefore, the user can see the indicator 56 by opening the seat 6. The indicator 56 displays the remaining amount of the batteries 50A and 50B, for example.

  As described above, the vehicle body frame 20 has the right frame portion 21R and the left frame portion 21L extending from the front portion to the rear portion of the vehicle body. The first battery 50A can be attached to and detached from the vehicle body in the left-right direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2A, the first battery 50A at the connection completion position does not overlap with the frame portions 21R and 21L in the side view of the vehicle body. On the other hand, the second battery 50 can be attached to and detached from the vehicle body in the vertical direction. Therefore, the second battery 50B can be arranged at a position overlapping with one of the right frame portion 21R and the left frame portion 21L (the right frame portion 21R in the electric vehicle 1) in a side view of the vehicle body. There is. According to the structure in which the second battery 50A is detachable in the vertical direction, the degree of freedom in the shape of the vehicle body frame 20 can be increased.

  In the electric vehicle 1, the first battery 50A at the connection completion position is disposed higher than the lower frame portion 21b and ahead of the rear vertical frame portion 21c in the side view of the vehicle body. On the other hand, the second battery 50B overlaps at least one of the lower frame portion 21b and the rear vertical frame portion 21c in a side view of the vehicle body. In the electric vehicle 1, the second battery 50B overlaps the bent portion between the lower frame portion 21b and the rear vertical frame portion 21c. With such an arrangement, the position of the second battery 50B is lowered, and the center of gravity of the vehicle body can be lowered.

  The support structure of the second battery 50B is not limited to the example of the electric vehicle 1. For example, the second battery 50B may be arranged on the front side or the rear side of the first battery 50A, and may be detachable in the left-right direction like the first battery 50A. According to this, it is possible to reduce the load required for the attachment/detachment work of the second battery 50B. For example, the electric vehicle 1A shown in FIG. 14 has a second accommodation space in which the second battery 50B is accommodated behind the first accommodation space N1 (see FIG. 2B) in which the first battery 50A is disposed. .. The electric vehicle 1A has the same support mechanism as the support mechanism for the first battery 50A in the second accommodation space. That is, the electric vehicle 1A has a movable frame 31 (see FIG. 4) that can move together with the second battery 50B. The movable frame 31 is rotatably supported by the support frame 40. The electric vehicle 1A may include a cover 9A (a cover that covers the side surface of the second battery 50B) for opening and closing the second accommodation space.

[Battery internal structure]
The internal structure of the first battery 50A will be described. The internal structure of the second battery 50B is substantially the same as that of the first battery 50A.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the first battery 50A has a plurality of cells 62. The battery 50A has a first cell unit 60A and a second cell unit 60B. Each cell unit 60A, 60B is composed of a plurality of cells 62. Each cell unit 60A, 60B includes a plurality of cells 62 connected in parallel. In the cell unit 60A, five cells 62(1) to 62(5) are connected in parallel. Further, in the example shown in the figure, the number of each of the cells 62(1) to 62(5) is nine. Then, nine cells 62(1) are connected in series. The same applies to the other cells 62(2), 62(3), 62(4), 62(5). In the cell unit 60B, four cells 62(6) to 62(9) are connected in parallel. Further, in the cell unit 60B, each of the cells 62(6) to 62(9) is nine. And nine cells 62 (6) are connected in series. The same applies to the other cells 62(7), 62(8) and 62(9).

  In the cell units 60A and 60B, the number of cells connected in parallel is not limited to the example of the first battery 50A. That is, the number of cells connected in parallel in the cell units 60A and 60B may be more than five or less than four. The number of cells connected in parallel in the cell unit 60A and the number of cells connected in parallel in the cell unit 60B may be the same or different. Further, the number of cells connected in series may be more than nine or less than nine. Further, the number of cell units 60A and 60B included in the first battery 50A may be three or more. In the cell units 60A and 60B, the cells do not have to be connected in series.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the first battery 50A has a fuse 63. The fuse 63 includes a plurality of cells 62(1) to (5) connected in parallel in the first cell unit 60A and a plurality of cells 62(6) to (6) connected in parallel in the second cell unit 60B. It is located between 9). That is, a power line connecting electrodes of a plurality of cells 62(1) to (5) (cell group) connected in parallel, and a plurality of cells 62(6) to (9) (cell group) connected in parallel. The fuse 63 is disposed between the power line connecting the electrodes of the fuse 63 and the power line. The first battery 50A has nine fuses 63, and each fuse 63 is arranged between the cell group of the cell unit 60A and the cell unit of the cell unit 60B. This arrangement of the fuse 63 can prevent the power line connecting the cell 62 and the fuse 63 from becoming long. In the structure in which all nine cells 62 are connected in parallel, when one cell 62 fails and its voltage drops, current flows from the remaining eight cells 62 to that one cell 62. However, in the first battery 50A, the nine cells 62 are divided into two groups, and the fuse 63 is arranged between them, so that the current flowing through the failed cell 62 can be reduced.

  The first battery 50A has a battery management system (BMS) 64. The BMS 64 has a voltmeter that detects the potential of the cell 62, a circuit that communicates with a control device (motor control device that controls the electric motor 4a) mounted on the vehicle body, a sensor that detects the temperature of the cell 62, and the like. ing. The BMS 64 is also arranged between the two cell units 60A and 60B.

  The first battery 50A has a substrate 65 arranged between the two cell units 60A and 60B. The BMS 64 and the plurality of fuses 63 are mounted on this substrate 65. That is, the BMS 64 and the fuse 63 are mounted on the common substrate. Thereby, the number of parts of the first battery 50A can be reduced, and the wiring of the battery 50A in the housing 52 becomes easy. The board 65 may be housed in a case housed in the housing 52.

[Summary]
(1) As described above, the first battery 50A can rotate about the rotation center line Ax1 along the front-rear direction. Further, the first battery 50A has, as its outer surface, a front surface 52a orthogonal to the front-rear direction and a plurality of surfaces connected to the edge of the front surface 52a. The plurality of surfaces are a lower surface 52d, a left side surface 52e extending in a direction orthogonal to the lower surface 52d, an upper surface 52b opposite to the lower surface 52d, and a surface opposite to the left side surface 52e 52c. And have. In addition, the plurality of surfaces have an inclined surface 52f that is formed between the lower surface 52d and the left side surface 52e, connects them, and is inclined with respect to the lower surface 52d and the left side surface 52e. Since the first battery 50A can rotate about the rotation center line Ax1, it is possible to reduce the load required for attaching and detaching the first battery 50A. Further, since the inclined surface 52f is formed on the outer surface of the first battery 50A, it becomes easy to avoid interference between the first battery 50A and other parts or devices when the first battery 50A rotates. In the structure of the first battery 50A proposed here, the position and orientation of the rotation center line Ax1 are not limited. For example, the rotation center line Ax1 may be located below the first battery 50A. Further, the rotation center line Ax1 may extend in the left-right direction. In this case, the first battery 50A can be removed frontward or rearward from the device equipped with the first battery 50A.

  (2) The rotation center line Ax1 and the slope 52f are located on the opposite sides of the center point Pc of the first battery 50A when the first battery 50A is viewed in the front-rear direction. According to this, it becomes easier to avoid interference between the first battery 50A and other parts or devices.

  (3) The first battery 50A has a supported shaft portion 51 that is positioned on the rotation center line Ax1 and is rotatably supported. According to this, since the first battery 50A itself can be supported, it becomes easy to suppress the deviation of the position and movement of the first battery 50A.

  (4) The first battery 50A has the recessed portion 52j at its corner, and the first battery 50A has the supported shaft portion 51 inside the recessed portion 52j. According to this, it is possible to prevent an unintended external force from acting on the supported shaft portion 51.

  (5) The first battery 50A has the handle 53 provided on the upper surface 52b. Further, the first battery 50A has a connector 54 on the right side surface 52c.

  (6) The electric vehicle 1 includes the first battery 50A, the battery support mechanism N to which the first battery 50A is detachable, and the power receiving connector 41 provided in the battery support mechanism N for connecting the first battery 50A. And have. In the battery support mechanism N, the connection completion position where the first battery 50A and the power receiving connector 41 are connected is separated from the first battery 50A and the power receiving connector 41, and the attachment and detachment of the first battery 50A to the battery supporting mechanism N is allowed. The first battery 50A is supported so that the first battery 50A can rotate about the rotation center line Ax1 between the first battery 50A and the connection start position. According to this, it is possible to reduce the load required for attaching and detaching the first battery 50A. Since the inclined surface 52f is formed on the outer surface of the first battery 50A, it is easy to avoid interference between the first battery 50A and other parts or devices when the first battery 50A rotates.

  (7) The first battery 50A has the supported shaft portion 51 located on the rotation center line Ax1, and the battery support mechanism N has the supporting shaft portion 43 that rotatably supports the supported shaft portion 51. Good. According to this, since the first battery 50A itself is supported, it becomes easy to suppress the displacement of the position and movement of the first battery 50A.

  (8) The lower support portion 47 that supports the slope 51f when the first battery 50A is at the connection completion position is provided. The electric vehicle 1 has an operation member (cover 9) for pushing the first battery 50A at the connection completion position toward the lower support portion 47. According to this, the support stability of the first battery 50A can be improved.

  (9) The battery support mechanism N has the power receiving connector 41 for connecting to the first battery 50A, and when the cover 9 pushes the first battery 50A, the lower support portion 47 contacts the slope 52f of the first battery 50A. , The first battery 50A is urged toward the power receiving connector 41.

  (10) The rotation center line Ax1 is defined in the direction along the horizontal plane, and is located above the first battery 50A or above the first battery 50A. According to this arrangement of the rotation center line Ax1, the connection start position is higher than the connection completion position, so that the work of lifting the first battery 50A from the connection start position becomes easy.

  (11) The rotation angle of the first battery 50A in the movement process between the connection completion position and the connection start position is 70 degrees or more and 110 degrees or less. According to this, the posture of the first battery 50A at the connection start position becomes substantially horizontal, so that the attachment/detachment work of the first battery 50A can be further facilitated.

  (12) The first battery 50A can be removed from the battery support mechanism N in a substantially horizontal direction when it is at the connection start position.

  (13) The connection start position is a position set to the left of the connection completion position. .. The first battery 50A has a handle 53. The handle 53 is provided on the surface (upper surface 52b) facing the left side of the first battery 50A when the first battery 50A is at the connection completion position. According to this, the work of moving the first battery 50A from the connection completion position to the connection start position can be facilitated.

  (14) The battery support mechanism N has a movable frame 30 into which the first battery 50A is fitted and which can move around the rotation center line Ax1 together with the first battery 50A. It has guides 32A and 32B for guiding the posture.

  (15) The battery support mechanism N has a battery lock mechanism 42 that holds the first battery 50A at the connection completion position. The first battery 50A has a locked shaft portion 55 that is located away from the rotation center line Ax1 and is held by the battery lock mechanism 42. According to this, since the locked shaft portion 55 is provided on the first battery 50A itself, the support stability of the first battery 50A can be improved. As a result, the load acting on the power supply connector 54 of the first battery 50A can be reduced.

  (16) The rotation center line Ax1 is defined in the direction along the horizontal plane, and is located above the first battery 50A. The first battery 50A has a supported shaft portion 51 located on the rotation center line Ax1. The battery support mechanism N includes a shaft support portion 43 that rotatably supports the supported shaft portion 51, and the battery lock mechanism 42 is located above the first battery 50A. According to this, since the upper portion of the first battery 50A is held, the necessity of supporting the lower side of the first battery 50A can be reduced. As a result, it becomes easy to send the cooling air to the lower side of the first battery 50A.

[Modification]
The first battery 50A and the battery support mechanism N may be applied to a device (for example, a charger) other than the electric vehicle. In this case, the power feeding connector 54 of the first battery 50A may function as a power receiving connector. Further, the power receiving connector 41 of the battery support mechanism N may function as a power feeding connector.

  The first battery 50A may not have the support shaft portion 51. For example, the first battery 50A may be fixed to the movable frame 30 and rotatably supported via the movable frame 30.

  1 straddle-type electric vehicle (battery-equipped device), 2 front wheels, 4 drive unit case, 4a electric motor, 5 steering handle, 6 seat, 6a side edge, 7 footboard, 8 storage case, 8a lower end, 9 cover (operation) Member), 9a cushion, 20 body frame, 21R right frame part, 21L left frame part, 21A front frame part, 21b lower frame part, 21c rear vertical frame part, 21d rearmost frame part, 21f pivot, 22 head pipe, 30 Movable frame, 30a Connection plate, 30b Shaft part, 32A/32B guide, 33a Rod, 34 Spring unit, 34a Cylinder, 34b Rod, 34c Upper end (upper connection part), 34d Lower end (lower connection part), 40 Support frame, 41 Connector (power receiving connector), 42 battery lock mechanism, 42a/42b movable part, 43 shaft support part, 43a/43b guide, 43c holding part, 44a front pillar part, 44b front crossbar, 44c upper left bar, 44d upper right bar, 44e Rear crossbar, 44f upper plate, 45 elastic body, 46 key cylinder, 47 lower support part (outer surface support part), 47a support surface, 47b/47c guide plate, 48 guide plate, 50A first battery, 50B second battery , 51 supported shaft portion, 52 housing, 52a front surface, 52b top surface, 52c right side surface, 52d bottom surface, 52e left side surface, 52f slope, 52h corner, 52i rear surface, 52j recess, 52k recess, 53 handle, 54 connector (power supply connector) ), 55 locked shaft part, 59A/59B guided part, 59a end part, 60A/60B cell unit, 62 battery cell, 63 fuse, 65 board, 91 helmet, Ax rotation center line, N1 first accommodation space, N2 first 2 storage space, N3 storage space, P1, P2 horizontal plane, P1 center point, Ax1 rotation center line.

Claims (17)

A battery that can be attached to and detached from the device body,
The battery is rotatably supported about a rotation center line along the first direction,
The battery has, as an outer surface thereof, a main surface orthogonal to the first direction, and a plurality of surfaces connected to an edge of the main surface,
The plurality of surfaces are a first surface, a second surface along a direction orthogonal to the first surface, and a third surface that is a surface opposite to the first surface, It is formed between a fourth surface, which is a surface opposite to the second surface, and the first surface and the second surface, and connects them to connect the first surface and the second surface. And a fifth surface that is inclined with respect to the second surface. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the rotation center line and the fifth surface are located on opposite sides of a center point of the battery when the battery is viewed in the first direction. The battery according to claim 1, further comprising a supported portion that is located on the rotation center line and is rotatably supported. The battery has a recess at its corner,
The battery according to claim 3, wherein the battery has a shaft portion that is the supported portion inside the concave portion. The battery has a handle provided on the third surface,
The battery according to claim 2, wherein the battery has a connector on the fourth surface. A battery according to claim 1,
A battery support mechanism in which the battery is removable,
A connector provided on the battery support mechanism for connecting the battery,
The battery support mechanism has a first position where the battery and the connector are connected to each other and a second position where the battery and the connector are separated from each other to allow the battery to be attached to and detached from the battery support mechanism. A battery-equipped device that supports the battery so that the battery can rotate about the rotation center line. The battery has a supported portion located at the rotation center line,
The battery mounting device according to claim 6, wherein the battery support mechanism includes a support portion that rotatably supports the supported portion. The battery support mechanism includes an outer surface support portion that supports the fifth surface when the battery is in the first position. The battery mounting device is configured to store the battery in the first position. The battery mounting device according to claim 6, further comprising an operation member for pushing toward the outer surface support portion. The battery support mechanism has a connector for connecting to the battery,
The battery mounting device according to claim 8, wherein when the operation member pushes the battery, the outer surface support portion hits the fifth surface of the battery and urges the battery toward the connector. The battery mounting device according to claim 6, wherein the rotation center line is defined in a direction along a horizontal plane, and is located above the battery or above the battery. The battery mounting device according to claim 10, wherein a rotation angle of the battery in a movement process between the first position and the second position is 70 degrees or more and 110 degrees or less. The battery mounting device according to any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the battery can be removed from the battery support mechanism in a substantially horizontal direction when the battery is in the second position. The second position is a position set in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction with respect to the first position,
The battery has a handle,
13. The battery mounting device according to claim 6, wherein the handle is provided on a surface of the battery facing the second direction when the battery is in the first position. The battery support mechanism has a movable member into which the battery is fitted and which can move with the battery around the rotation center line.
The battery mounting device according to claim 6, wherein the movable member has a guide portion that guides the attitude of the battery. The battery support mechanism includes a battery lock mechanism that holds the battery in the first position,
The battery mounting device according to claim 6, wherein the battery has a locked portion that is located away from the rotation center line and is held by the battery locking mechanism. The center line of rotation is defined in a direction along a horizontal plane, and is located above the battery,
The battery has a supported portion located at the rotation center line,
The battery support mechanism has a support portion that rotatably supports the supported portion,
The battery mounting device according to claim 15, wherein the battery lock mechanism is located above the battery.   The battery-mounted device according to claim 6, which has an electric motor and a wheel driven by the electric motor, and functions as an electric vehicle.

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