JP2026008131A - Foldable electric car - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a vehicle that is compact and can be easily moved indoors, etc. [Solution] A foldable electric vehicle (10) includes a motor (26) that serves as a drive source for propelling the vehicle, a bottom frame (12) that forms the framework of the bottom of the vehicle body, a front frame (14) that is rotatably connected to the bottom frame (12) and forms the framework for mounting a handle (14a) for the vehicle body, and a rear frame (16) that is rotatably connected to the bottom frame (12) and forms the framework for mounting a seat for the vehicle body, and the bottom frame (12) has a folding mechanism that folds in two at the center to transition from an unfolded state for propelling the vehicle to an upright storage state. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

Application for exception to loss of novelty has been filed

The present invention relates to a foldable electric vehicle.

A variety of vehicles have been developed in the past, including compact cars. Patent Document 1, for example, discloses a folding structure for an electric vehicle that has a pivot near the center of the floor structure, allowing the floor to be folded around the pivot. The floor structure has pivots at both ends in the front and rear directions, and the pivots support the body structure other than the floor. The pivots also satisfy either or both of the following conditions: the central axis of rotation of the front wheels is located rearward of the front pivot, or the central axis of rotation of the rear wheels is located forward of the rear pivot. The pivot is located in at least one location on the upper body structure excluding the floor, and the relative positions of the parts that make up the front and rear of the body change in conjunction with the folding movement of the floor.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-59478

Although a variety of compact cars have been developed in recent years, they still require a certain size and require parking space in hourly or monthly parking lots. Given these circumstances, there is a demand for the development of vehicles that can be made compact and easily moved indoors, etc.

The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle that is compact and can be easily moved indoors, etc.

The foldable electric vehicle of the present invention comprises a rotating electric machine that serves as a drive source for propelling the vehicle; a bottom frame portion that forms the framework on the bottom side of the vehicle body; a front frame portion that is rotatably connected to the bottom frame portion and forms the framework for attaching the handlebars of the vehicle body; and a rear frame portion that is rotatably connected to the bottom frame portion and forms the framework for attaching the seats of the vehicle body, and the bottom frame portion has a folding mechanism that folds it in two at the center to transition from an unfolded state for propelling the vehicle to an upright stored state.

Furthermore, in the foldable electric vehicle according to the present invention, it is preferable that when the bottom frame portion is in the stored state, the wheels of the vehicle are located on the bottom side, and the body portion constituting the vehicle body has a generally box-shaped outer shape.

The present invention provides a vehicle that is compact and can be easily moved indoors, etc.

1 is a diagram showing a folding electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a diagram showing a folding electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Below, similar elements in all drawings will be given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, in the explanations below, previously mentioned reference numerals will be used as necessary.

Figure 1 shows a folding electric vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1(a) shows the bottom frame portion 12 in an unfolded state, and Figure 1(b) shows the bottom frame portion 12 folded 40 degrees from the unfolded state.

Figure 1(c) shows the bottom frame portion 12 folded 80 degrees from the unfolded state, and Figure 1(d) shows the bottom frame portion 12 folded 120 degrees from the unfolded state.

Figure 1(e) shows the bottom frame portion 12 folded 160° from the unfolded state, and Figure 1(f) shows the bottom frame portion 12 folded 180° from the unfolded state with the second rectangular frame 16b stored.

Figure 2 shows a folding electric vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2(a) is a perspective view of the folding electric vehicle 10 in the unfolded state, and Figure 2(b) is a side view of the folding electric vehicle 10 in the unfolded state.

The folding electric vehicle 10 is a foldable electric vehicle that can be folded down to suitcase size for easy portability. The folding electric vehicle 10 comprises a bottom frame portion 12, a front frame portion 14, a rear frame portion 16, a bottom body portion 18, a front body portion 20, a rear body portion 22, four wheels 24, and four motors 26.

The bottom frame portion 12 is a frame that forms the framework of the bottom side of the vehicle body. When deployed for driving the vehicle, the bottom frame portion 12 has a rectangular shape in a plan view. The bottom frame portion 12 can be made of a material with appropriate strength, such as metal.

For example, in the case of a single-seater, the bottom frame portion 12 can be set to a longitudinal length of 200 cm and a transverse length of 100 cm, but of course these dimensions can be changed as appropriate.

The bottom frame section 12 has a folding mechanism that transitions from an unfolded state for driving the vehicle to a stowed state in which it is folded in two at the center. The bottom frame section 12 is composed of a pair of long frame sections along the longitudinal direction and a pair of short frame sections along the lateral direction.

Each long frame section comprises a first frame 12a and a second frame 12b, which are connected in the center via a pivot shaft 12c. The ends of each short frame section are connected to both ends of the long frame section. This creates a rectangular shape enclosed by the two long frame sections and the two short frame sections.

In addition, a stopper mechanism (rotation prevention mechanism) is provided to prevent the first frame 12a and second frame 12b from bending downward from the unfolded state of the longitudinal frame section shown in Figure 1(a).

When the user wishes to move the folding electric vehicle 10 into the stowed state, the first frame 12a and the second frame 12b can be rotated so as to bend upward as shown in Figure 1(b).

The bending angle is changed as shown in Figures 1(c) to 1(e), and finally, as shown in Figure 1(f), the longitudinal frame portion folds in half to reach the upright storage position.

Four wheels 24 are attached to the four corners of the bottom frame portion 12. The two wheels 24 that make up the front wheels and the two wheels 24 that make up the rear wheels are each connected by a shaft. The user can change the direction of the two wheels 24 that make up the front wheels by operating the handlebars 14a, thereby changing the direction of travel of the foldable electric vehicle 10.

Four motors 26 that function as in-wheel motors are mounted on the four wheels 24. The four motors 26 are rotating electric machines that are powered by batteries (not shown) and can rotate each wheel 24.

Here, we have described a motor 26 as being installed on each wheel 24, but it is also possible to provide two motors 26, one for the front wheels and one for the rear wheels, and operate the front and rear wheels in synchronous fashion using each motor.

The bottom body portion 18 is arranged to cover each of the long and short frame portions and functions as a floor member that forms the floor surface of the vehicle. The bottom body portion 18 is composed of two floor members 18a, 18b so that it can be separated into two when the first frame 12a and second frame 12b of the long frame portion are bent. The bottom body portion 18 is preferably composed of a lightweight material with appropriate strength.

As shown in Figure 1(a), the seat frame 12d is a frame attached to the bottom frame portion 12 so as to form a seat of a predetermined height when the first frame 12a and the second frame 12b are unfolded to form a straight line.

The seating surface 19 is fitted with a seat that covers the seating frame 12d and provides a seating surface for the user to sit on. The seating surface 19 is preferably made of a material with adequate flexibility.

The front frame portion 14 is connected to the bottom frame portion 12 via a pivot shaft 15 and forms a framework for attaching the vehicle body handle 14a. The front frame portion 14 has a rectangular shape.

The handle 14a is a steering wheel that is positioned close to the user's hands when seated on the seat portion 19. By turning it left and right, the two front wheels 24 can be turned to change the direction of travel of the folding electric vehicle 10.

The longitudinal length of the front frame portion 14 is, for example, 120 cm, and the transverse length can be set to, for example, 100 cm, but of course these can be changed as appropriate. As shown in Figure 1(a), the handle extends at a predetermined angle so that the handle is within reach of the user when seated on the seat of the seat portion 19.

The front frame portion 14 can be raised as shown in Figure 1(f) when the bottom frame portion 12 is in a storage state in which the first frame 12a and second frame 12b are bent and raised.

The front body section 20 is attached so as to cover the rectangular front frame section 14. This allows it to act as a windbreak while the folding electric vehicle 10 is in motion. The front body section 20 is preferably made of a lightweight material with adequate strength. Furthermore, when the front frame section 14 is in the upright position as shown in Figure 1(f), the front body section 20 forms a roughly box-shaped front surface as shown in Figures 2(c) and (d).

The rear frame portion 16 is connected to the bottom frame portion 12 via a pivot shaft 17 and forms a framework for attaching the backrest of the vehicle seat. The rear frame portion 16 is composed of a first rectangular frame 16a and a second rectangular frame 16b, each having a rectangular shape.

The second rectangular frame 16b is attached to the first rectangular frame 16a and has a rail section that allows it to slide relative to the first rectangular frame 16a. The first rectangular frame 16a and the second rectangular frame 16b have a longitudinal length of 100 cm and a lateral length of 80 cm, but this can of course be changed as needed.

The rear frame portion 16 can be raised as shown in Figure 1(f) when the bottom frame portion 12 is in a storage state in which the first frame 12a and second frame 12b are bent and raised.

The rear body section 22 is attached so as to cover the first rectangular frame 16a and the second rectangular frame 16b, which have a rectangular shape. This allows it to function as a backrest when the user sits in the folding electric vehicle 10.

The rear body section 22 is composed of two backrest members 22a, 22b that can be attached separately to the first rectangular frame 16a and the second rectangular frame 16b. Furthermore, when the front frame section 14 is in the upright position as shown in Figure 1(f), the rear body section 22 forms a roughly box-shaped rear surface as shown in Figures 2(c) and (d).

When the bottom frame portion 12 is in the stowed state, the vehicle's wheels 24 are located on the bottom side. Also, as shown in Figures 2(c) and 2(d), the front body portion 20 and rear body portion 22 that make up the vehicle form a roughly box-like outer shape. This allows the vehicle to be moved around like a suitcase used for travel, etc.

Next, we will explain the operation of the folding electric vehicle 10 configured as described above. Various compact cars have been developed in recent years, but because they are relatively large, they require parking spaces.

However, with the folding electric vehicle 10 of this embodiment of the present invention, after the user dismounts, the first frame 12a and second frame 12b of the bottom frame portion 12 are bent upward, causing the front frame portion 14 and rear frame portion 16 to stand up and enter the stowed state, thereby enabling the vehicle to transition from the unfolded state shown in Figures 2(a) and (b) to the stowed state shown in Figures 2(c) and (d).

In this way, by storing the folding electric vehicle 10, it can be transformed into a suitcase-like shape used for travel, and the folding electric vehicle 10 can be moved by operating the handles and rolling the wheels 24. In this state, it can be loaded into an elevator or other vehicle and taken to one's home or workplace. This eliminates the need for hourly or monthly parking.

10 Folding electric vehicle, 12 Bottom frame portion, 12a First frame, 12b Second frame, 12c Pivoting shaft, 12d Seat frame, 14 Front frame portion, 14a Handle, 15 Pivoting shaft, 16 Rear frame portion, 16a First rectangular frame, 16b Second rectangular frame, 17 Pivoting shaft, 18 Bottom body portion, 18a, 18b Floor member, 19 Seat portion, 20 Front body portion, 22 Rear body portion, 22a, 22b Backrest member, 24 Wheel, 26 Motor.

Claims (2)

a rotating electric machine that serves as a drive source for running the vehicle;
a bottom frame portion that constitutes a framework on the bottom side of the vehicle body;
a front frame portion rotatably connected to the bottom frame portion and constituting a framework for mounting a handle of the vehicle body;
a rear frame portion rotatably connected to the bottom frame portion and constituting a framework for mounting a backrest portion of a seat of the vehicle body;
Equipped with
The bottom frame portion has a folding mechanism for transitioning from an unfolded state for driving the vehicle to an upright storage state in which the frame is folded in two at the center. The folding electric vehicle according to claim 1,
A foldable electric vehicle characterized in that when the bottom frame portion is in the stored state, the wheels of the vehicle are located on the bottom side, and the body portion that constitutes the vehicle body forms an approximately box-shaped outer shape.