JP2684029B2 - Electric bicycle - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric bicycle having a battery case detachably attached to a vehicle body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an electric bicycle provided with a human power drive system and an electric drive system in parallel, for example, Japanese Utility Model Sho 60-79.
There is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 95. In the electric bicycle disclosed in this publication, a battery case accommodating a battery is disposed between a seat tube and a rear wheel and is swingably and detachably attached to a vehicle body.

In the battery case, a shaft is projectingly provided below a side wall of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction, and the shaft is rotatably supported by a battery case mounting portion on the vehicle body frame side and obliquely upward and detachably supported. At the same time, the upper part of the battery case is fixed to the vehicle body frame by being locked by the hook on the seat stay side.

That is, in the battery case, the shaft body is swung to the side of the vehicle body with the shaft body as a swing center with the upper part removed from the hook, and in this state, the shaft body is pulled upward, whereby the shaft body is moved to the battery case. It can be removed from the vehicle body by removing it from the mounting part. To attach this battery case to the vehicle body, tilt the shaft to the side of the vehicle body so that the lower shaft is supported by the battery case mounting part, and swing in this bearing state until the battery case becomes upright. By doing. When swinging the battery case to the upright position in this way, the upper part of the battery case is locked to the hook.

Although nothing is described in the above publication, in this electric bicycle, the battery case is provided with a discharge plug-in connector in the battery case, and the motor side connector is connected to the connector to connect the battery to the motor. It seems that the connection is adopted.

As an electric bicycle having a battery case detachably mounted on the vehicle body, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication 58-86
There is one disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 37. The electric bicycle disclosed in this publication has a structure in which a discharge plug-in connector is provided in the battery case and the motor side connector is connected to this connector. To charge the battery by removing the battery case from the vehicle body in this electric bicycle, remove the motor side connector from the discharge plug-in connector that electrically connects the battery and the motor side, and remove the battery case from the vehicle body as described above. This is done by removing and then connecting the discharge plug-in connector to the charger. After the charging is completed, the battery case is attached to the vehicle body as it is, and the battery is connected to the motor side by connecting the motor side connector to the discharge plug-in connector.

[0007]

However, as described above, since the discharge plug-in connector and the motor-side connector must be attached and detached each time the battery is charged, it is troublesome and the charging work becomes complicated. there were.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an electric bicycle which has a structure in which a battery case is attached to and detached from a vehicle body at the time of charging, but can be easily charged. And

[0009]

In the electric bicycle according to the present invention, a long battery case that can be repeatedly charged and discharged is arranged along the longitudinal direction of a frame member of a vehicle body frame, and the battery case is mounted on the vehicle body. It is swingably and detachably mounted on the frame with one end in the longitudinal direction as a fulcrum, and one end of the battery case is attached to the vehicle frame.
To the arm, and then one end of the arm is rocked as a fulcrum.
With a series of mounting operations on the body frame, the discharge contact terminals of the battery case are automatically connected to the motor side contact terminals on the body frame side.

Therefore, by mounting the battery case on the vehicle body frame, the discharge contact terminals are automatically connected to the motor side contact terminals, and by removing the battery case, the discharge contact terminals are replaced by the motor side contact terminals. Automatically separated from. Also, the battery case
Of the battery case to the body frame
The first stroke in which one end is engaged with the body frame side, and one end
It is performed in two strokes including a second stroke in which the section is rocked around a fulcrum.
In the first stroke, one end of the battery case is engaged
The second step is rocking.
The operation direction of the battery case is restricted.
Then, no matter which process the two contact terminals are connected to each other,
The connection is accurate and smooth.

An electric bicycle according to another aspect of the present invention is the electric bicycle according to the above aspect, in which the discharge contact terminal is connected to the motor side contact terminal by swinging the battery case around a fulcrum. . According to the present invention, since the discharge contact terminal and the motor side contact terminal are connected in the process of swinging the battery case around the fulcrum, the connection is not only accurate and smooth, but also the battery case is connected to the body frame side. Since it swings while being supported, the full load of the battery case is not applied to the discharge contact terminal and the motor side contact terminal.

An electric bicycle according to another invention is the electric bicycle of the above invention or another invention, in which a battery case is arranged in a space surrounded by a seat tube, a seat stay, and a rear wheel, and swings to the side of the vehicle body. It is free. According to the present invention, when attaching and detaching the battery case, the height of lifting the battery case is low, and the space on the side of the vehicle body can be widely used as a working space.

An electric bicycle according to yet another invention is the electric bicycle according to any one of the above-mentioned inventions, wherein a charging contact terminal and a discharging contact terminal are provided in a battery case and these are connected in parallel. is there. According to the present invention, by connecting the charger to the charging contact terminal, it is possible to charge the battery in the in-vehicle state without disconnecting the discharging contact terminal and the motor side contact terminal.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

First Embodiment Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12. 1 is a side view of an electric bicycle according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing a supporting portion of a battery case support box, FIG. 3 is a view of a motor unit portion in FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the battery case support box, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the battery case.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the charging port of the battery case. FIG. 6 (a) is a plan view, FIG. 6 (b) is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 6 (a), and FIG. c) is (a)
It is CC sectional drawing in a figure. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the battery case support box, and FIG. 8 is VIII-VIII in FIG.
FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the battery case support box.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a procedure for removing the battery case from the vehicle body. FIG. 10 (a) shows a state in which the outer cover is opened, and FIG. 10 (b) shows when the battery case is removed from the support box. Indicates the state of. FIG. 3C shows a state in which the battery case is removed from the support box, and FIG. 3D shows a state in which the battery case is removed from the vehicle body.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the battery case is removed from the vehicle body for charging, and FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a state in which the battery case is charged without being removed from the vehicle body.

In these figures, 1 is an electric bicycle, 2
Is a body frame of the electric bicycle 1. The body frame 2 includes a head pipe 2a for rotatably supporting a front fork 4 having front wheels 3 rotatably supported, a down tube 2b extending rearward and downward from the head pipe 2a, and a rear end of the down tube 2b. A seat tube 2c which is connected to the above portion via a motor bracket 5 and extends backward from the connecting portion so as to incline upward; and a chain stay 2d which extends rearward from the motor bracket 5,
The upper part of the seat tube 2c and the chain stay 2
The seat stay 2e is connected to the rear end of the seat d. The body frame 2 has a structure in which a foot-passing space S having a substantially V-shape in a side view is provided at an upper portion of the down tube 2b and in front of the seat tube 2c.

Reference numeral 6 is a handle attached to the upper end of the front fork 4, 7 is a cushioned seat attached to the upper end of the seat tube 2c, and 8 is a rear wheel. The rear wheel 8 is rotatably supported by a rear wheel bracket 2f provided integrally with a rear end of the chain stay 2d and a lower end of the seat stay 2e. Are linked.

Reference numeral 10 is an exterior cover for covering a battery case and a motor unit portion described later. The outer cover 10 is provided with a lower cover 10a extending along the down tube 2b of the vehicle body frame 2 and supported and fixed to the down tube 2b, and a pivot 10b located on the motor bracket 5 side of the lower cover 10a. And an upper cover 10c which is supported so as to be swingable up and down and which closes the upper opening of the lower cover 10a.

The lower cover 10a is a down tube 2
b is covered from below and the motor bracket 5 is covered from left and right sides. Also, the upper cover 10c
Has a structure in which the whole is formed in a substantially downward U-shaped cross section and covers the upper opening of the lower cover 10a, and a locking device 11 is mounted on a portion which becomes a swing end. Reference numeral 11a denotes a key of the locking device 11.

In the exterior cover 10 thus constructed, the upper cover 10c is opened as shown by the chain double-dashed line a in FIG. 1 by unlocking the locking device 11 and lifting the front part of the upper cover 10c. become.

Reference numeral 12 is a motor unit which serves as auxiliary power for the electric bicycle 1. The motor unit 12 includes a motor 13 supplied from a battery described later, a gear box 15 having a crankshaft 14, and a crankshaft 14.
A chain ring 16, a crank 17, a pedal 18, and the like are mounted on a shaft, and are supported and fixed to the motor bracket 5 with the motor 13 standing. In addition,
A chain ring 16 is connected to the rear wheel 8 via a chain 9. Reference numeral 19 denotes a fixing bolt for fixing the motor unit 12 to the motor bracket 5.

The motor bracket 5 supporting the motor unit 12 is constructed by welding a tubular motor cover 5b to a pipe assembly 5a having a T-shape in side view, which is welded to the down tube 2b. The seat tube 2c is coaxially welded to the upper end of the motor cover 5b, and the motor 13 is positioned in the motor cover 5b. That is, when the motor unit 12 is mounted on the motor bracket 5, the motor unit 12 is positioned at the center in the vehicle width direction as shown in FIG.

The motor 13 of the motor unit 12 is connected to the control unit 20 attached to the lower portion of the down tube 2b. Control unit 20
Is configured to transmit the power from the motor 13 to the crankshaft 14 by rotating the motor 13 only when the pedaling force of the occupant is applied to the crankshaft 14 from the pedal 18. That is, when the pedal 18 is depressed, a rotational torque from the motor 13 is applied to the crankshaft 14 in addition to the depressing force. The gear box 15 has:
In order to prevent torque from being transmitted from the crankshaft 14 to the motor 13 side when rotation of the pedal 18 becomes higher than rotation of the motor 13 side and rotation resistance is increased, a one-way clutch (not shown) is provided. I have.

Reference numeral 21 denotes a battery case, which is formed in a long shape as shown in FIG. 5 and supplies electric power to the motor 13 and the control unit 20 therein.
A battery 22 that can be repeatedly charged and discharged is stored.
The battery case 21 is formed of a lower case 23, an upper case 24, and the like, and is configured to be inserted into a battery case support box 25, which will be described later, and supported by the vehicle body frame 2. Here, the battery case 21
The structure will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

The lower case 23 and the upper case 24 are integrally molded of synthetic resin, and are formed along the down tube 2b of the vehicle body frame 2 so as to accommodate two batteries 22 arranged side by side. . The two batteries 22 are connected in series, and the connection cable is connected to a discharge connector 26 as a discharge contact terminal. A charging connector 27 serving as a charging contact terminal is connected to the connection cable in parallel with the discharging connector 26.

The lower case 23 and the upper case 24 are assembled so as not to be separated from each other by an engaging portion 23a and a locking piece 24a which are integrally formed at their mating portions. The engaging portion 23a provided in the opening of the lower case 23 is provided with a locking piece 24a.
It has a conventionally well-known structure that is locked by penetrating the inside.

On the upper part of the upper case 24, a protrusion 24b is formed integrally with a support box 25, which will be described later. The discharge connector 26 is attached to the protrusion 24b. As the discharge connector 26, a female connector into which a contact of a motor-side connector to be described later is inserted is used. The discharge port 26 is screwed to the upper case 24 with its connection port positioned at the opening 24c of the protrusion 24b. Further, the connection direction of the discharge connector 26 is the same as the longitudinal direction of the battery case 21. In addition,
In FIGS. 5 and 8, reference numeral 26a denotes the discharge connector 2;
6 shows a nut plate for fixing 6 to the upper case 24;
26b shows a mounting screw.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a locking button 28 that engages with the support box 25 is provided on the protrusion 24b.
Are integrally formed. The locking button 28 has a locking portion further protruding from the upper surface of the protruding portion 24b, is configured to be able to protrude and retract from the protruding portion 24b, and is a leaf spring screwed to the back surface of the discharge portion 24b. 29 is urged to the protruding side.

In the present embodiment, the charging connector 27 is a magnetically attracting male type connector, and its contactor is positioned at the charging port 24d of the upper case 24 and fixed to the upper case 24. The mounting portion of the charging connector 27 is shown in FIG.

The charging connector 27 is arranged with the contact 27a directed upward (in a direction orthogonal to the upper surface of the upper case 24), and is fixed to the upper case 24 from the back side by a tapping screw 27b. Further, the contact 27a is disposed in a C-shape in plan view so as not to confuse the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

Incidentally, reference numeral 3 in FIGS.
Reference numeral 0 denotes a connector cover for closing the charging port 24c.
The connector cover 30 is formed of a synthetic resin into a plate shape, and is integrally provided with a knob 30a. One end of the plate-shaped portion is fixed to the upper case 24 from above by a tapping screw 30b. At the other end of the plate-shaped portion, a locking claw 3 that engages with the opening edge of the charging port 24d
0c is formed. Further, a resin hinge is provided in the plate-like portion by forming a concave groove 30d on the back surface so that the connector cover 30 can be bent as shown by a two-dot chain line b in the drawing. I have.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 31 is a rear clamp for fixing the battery case 21 to a support box 25 described later, and 32 is a front clamp for fixing the front portion of the battery case 21 to the down tube 2b. Each of the clamps 31 and 32 has a structure in which each engagement ring is hooked to the other side and pulled. The engagement ring of the rear side clamp 31 is hooked on the projection 33 of the support box 25 as shown in FIG. 5 is configured to be hung on the support plate 34 of the down tube 2b as shown in FIG. In addition,
Handles 35 and 36 are used to lift the battery case 21. The handle 35 is screwed to the upper portion of the upper case 24, and the handle 36 is screwed so as to extend from the front surface of the lower case 23 to the front surface of the upper case 24. I have.

As shown in FIG. 9, the support box 25 for supporting the battery case 21 is integrally formed of synthetic resin into a substantially bottomed rectangular tube shape, and is vertically swingable on a support box stay 41 described later. Is supported by the motor bracket 5 of the vehicle body frame 2 via the stay 41. That is, the support box 25 is arranged at a lower portion of the leg passing space S. The support box 25 is formed in a shape into which the battery case 21 described above is fitted,
As shown in FIG. 4, a part thereof has an opening width narrower than other parts so that the projecting portion 24b of the upper case 24 can be fitted therein.

The narrow portion 2 having a narrow opening width
A motor side connector 42 connected to the discharge connector 26 of the battery case 21 is attached to 5a, and a support shaft 43 for swingably connecting the support box 25 to the stay 41 is supported. Note that the bearing portions 25 b supporting the support shaft 43 are provided on the left and right below the narrow portion 25 a, and are provided integrally with the support box 25.

Further, the clamp 3 of the battery case 21
The projection 33 on which the first engagement ring is hung is formed in the narrow portion 25a.
The engaging hole 25d with which the engaging portion of the engaging button 28 engages is also formed in the narrow portion 25a.

As described above, when the battery case 21 is provided with the projecting portion 24b and fitted into the support box 25, the discharge connector 26 is always connected to the motor side connector 42 when the battery case 21 is mounted in the support box 25.
Will be opposed.

The motor side connector 42 is of a male type so as to be connected to the discharging connector 26, and the connecting direction of the contact 42a and the discharging connector 26 is the fitting direction of the battery case 21. It is attached to the support box 25 in the same direction. As the mounting structure, as shown in FIGS.
2 is screwed so as to support the bottom of the narrow portion 25a. 8 and 9
Reference numeral 42b denotes a fixing screw for fixing the motor-side connector 42, and reference numeral 42c denotes a nut plate.

The stay 41 is formed of a steel plate,
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, arm portions 41a through which the support shaft 43 passes are provided on the left and right. The upper and lower portions of the stay 41 are screwed to the motor bracket 5 as shown in FIGS. The stay fixing screw is indicated by reference numeral 41b in FIGS.

A return spring 44 penetrating the support shaft 43 is mounted between the upper part of the stay 41 and the support box 25, and between the lower part of the stay 41 and the bottom part of the support box 25. A link type connecting member 45 is interposed.

The return spring 44 is a torsion spring, one end of which is engaged with the stay 41 and the other end of which is in contact with the bottom portion of the narrow portion 25a, so that the support box 25 is rotationally biased in the clockwise direction in FIG. Has been done. The link type connecting member 45 is formed by connecting two links 45a and 45b with a pin 45c. One end of one link 45a is pivotally supported by the stay 41, and the other link 45b is pivotally supported by the support box 25. I have. 7 and 9, reference numeral 46 denotes a screw for attaching the link 45a to the stay 41, and 47 denotes a link 4
A screw 48 for attaching 5b to the support box 25, and a nut plate 48 to which the attachment screw 47 is screwed.

Reference numeral 49 in FIGS. 7 and 9 is a holding member for swinging the support box 25 downward and holding the support box 25 in a state where the bottom surface thereof is parallel to the stay 41.
9 is fixed to the stay 41 by a screw 49a,
Engagement projection 2 projecting downward from the bottom of support box 25
5e. The holding member 49 is maintained in the clamped state only by the spring force of the return spring 44 for urging the support box 25 upward, but when a force for raising the support box 25 by hand is applied. ,
The engagement projection 25e is configured to slip off.

Reference numeral 50 denotes a compression coil spring. The compression coil spring 50 has a lower diameter smaller than the upper diameter, and is a cylindrical portion 25 integrally formed on the inner bottom of the support box 25.
The lower part is press-fitted and fixed to f. In addition, the vertical length of the contact 42 of the motor-side connector 42
The length is set to be longer than the protrusion dimension of a.

That is, as described above, the compression coil spring 50 is
When the battery case 21 is fitted to the bottom of the support box 25, the upper end of the compression coil spring 50 contacts the battery case 21 before the battery case 21 is fitted to the support box 25 and the discharge connector 26 is connected to the motor-side connector 42. Will do. For this reason, since the compression coil spring 50 serves as a buffer, it is possible to prevent an excessive force from being applied to both connectors when the connectors are connected to each other. Also,
Even when the battery case 21 is pulled out from the support box 25, the connection state of the connector can be released by the spring force because the battery case 21 is pressed by the compression coil spring 50.

In FIG. 9, reference numeral 51 denotes a connection cable for electrically connecting the motor side connector 42 of the support box 25 and a motor side circuit (not shown), which passes through the opening 41c formed in the stay 41. Are led to the motor unit side.

The support box 25 constructed as described above is swung up and down about the support shaft 43, and the battery case 21 is detached with the opening thereof being swung so as to face upward. That is, when the upper cover 10c of the outer cover 10 is opened and the battery case 21 is not mounted, the support box 25 is moved by the spring force of the return spring 44 as shown by a two-dot chain line c in FIGS. Since it swings upward, the battery case 21 is mounted in that state. At that time, the link type connecting member 45 is extended as shown by a two-dot chain line d in FIG.

When mounting the battery case 21, the battery case 21 is inserted into the opening of the support box 25 with the battery case 21 in the upright position (the discharging connector 26 is directed downward), and the battery case 21 is attached to the compression coil spring 50. This is done by pushing down against the spring force. When the battery case 21 is inserted to the innermost part of the support box 25,
The discharge connector 26 is connected to the motor-side connector 42, and the locking button 28 of the battery case 21 is locked in the engagement hole 25 d of the support box 25. By locking the locking button 28, the battery case 21 is prevented from coming off. That is, the discharge connector 26 is connected to the motor-side connector 42 as the battery case 21 is attached to the vehicle body frame 2.

After mounting the battery case 21 in this manner, the battery case 21 is fixed by the rear clamp 31.
Is fixed to the support box 25, and the support box 25 is swung so that the battery case 21 is tilted forward against the spring force of the return spring 44. And the battery case 21
Of the front side clamp 32 of the down tube 2b
To fix the battery case 21 to the vehicle body frame 2. By bringing the battery case 21 forward, the link type connecting member 45 is bent as shown in FIG. 7 and the engaging protrusion 25 e of the support box 25 is sandwiched by the holding member 49 of the stay 41. Then, the battery case 21 formed in the elongated shape can be obtained by tilting the battery case 21 forward as described above.
As shown by the wavy line in FIG. 1, the down tube 2b is arranged above the down tube 2b such that its longitudinal direction is along the down tube 2b. In this embodiment, the down tube 2b constitutes the frame member according to the present invention.

After fixing the battery case 21 as described above, the upper cover 10c of the outer cover 10 is closed,
When the vehicle is locked by the locking device 11, the vehicle can be driven. This running state, that is, the battery case 2
When 1 is in a vehicle-mounted state, the connection direction of the discharge connector 26 and the motor-side connector 42 is parallel to the axis of the down tube 2b.

Next, a procedure for charging the battery 22 in the electric bicycle 1 configured as described above will be described. To charge, the battery case 21
And removing the battery case 21 from the vehicle body, and a method in which the battery case 21 is mounted on the vehicle body. First, a method of charging by removing the battery case 21 from the vehicle body is shown in FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the locking device 11 provided on the front portion of the outer cover 10 is unlocked by the key 11a, and the lock device 11 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1A and the two-dot chain line a in FIG. 1, the upper cover 10c of the outer cover 10 is pulled upward and opened. By doing so, the battery case 21 and the support box 2
5 is exposed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6B, the clamp 32 fixing the battery case 21 to the vehicle body frame 2 is removed, and then the clamp 31 is removed. And
Locking button 28 facing the engaging hole 25d of the support box 25
The locking portion of is pressed as shown by an arrow d in the figure to unlock the locking button 28. When the locked state of the locking button 28 is released in this way, the battery case 21 is pushed by the spring force of the compression coil spring 50, and the discharge connector 26 is released.
Will be disconnected from the motor side connector 42.

After releasing the respective locking portions in this manner, the handle 36 is held and the battery case 21 is raised. The state in which it is caused is shown by a two-dot chain line e in FIG. And FIG.
The support box 25 is lifted up and removed as shown in FIG. After removing the battery case 21, the support box 25 is tilted to the front side to close the upper cover 10c of the exterior cover 10 as it is, as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the removed battery case 21 is connected to a charger as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 11, reference numeral 52 is a charger, 53 is a plug connected to an outlet not shown, and 54 is a charger 52.
Shows the connector connected to. To perform charging, the connector cover 30 of the battery case 21 is opened, and the connector 54 on the charger side is inserted into the opened charging port 24d.
This is performed by connecting to the charging connector 27.

To charge the battery case 21 mounted on the vehicle body, as shown in FIG.
0 with the upper cover 10c open. That is,
The upper cover 10c is opened, and the connector cover 30 of the battery case 21 is opened. And the charging port 2 opened
4d, the connector 54 on the charger side is inserted and connected to the charging connector 27.

Therefore, in the above-mentioned electric bicycle 1,
A long battery case 21 that can be repeatedly charged and discharged is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the down tube 2b of the vehicle body frame 2, and the battery case can be rocked with respect to the vehicle body frame 2 with its rear end as a fulcrum. In addition, it is detachably installed and one end of the battery case 21 is
Engage the arm 2 and then swing one end of it to a fulcrum.
The discharge connector 26 of the battery case 21 is attached to the vehicle body frame 2 in accordance with a series of mounting operations on the vehicle body frame 2.
Since the structure is such that it is automatically connected to the motor-side connector 42 on the side, by mounting the battery case 21 on the vehicle body frame 2, the discharge connector 26 is automatically connected to the motor-side connector 42 and the battery case 21 is removed. As a result, the discharging connector 26 is automatically separated from the motor-side connector 42. Therefore, when the discharge connector 26 and the motor-side connector 42 are brought into contact with or separated from each other, no special operation is required in addition to the attaching / detaching operation of the battery case 21. In addition, the body frame of the battery case 21
The attachment operation to the ram 2 is one end of the battery case 21.
Stroke for engaging the parts with the body frame 2 side, and one end
It is performed in two strokes including a second stroke in which the rocking point is used as a fulcrum. Before
In the first step, when one end of the battery case is engaged
This is a polite operation, so I showed it in this embodiment.
In the first step, the discharge connector 26 is connected to the motor side connector.
By adopting a structure to connect to the connector 42, the connection is
Certainly smooth.

Further, since the charging connector 27 and the discharging connector 26 are provided in the battery case 21 and these are connected in parallel, the discharging connector 26 is connected by connecting the connector 54 of the charger 52 to the charging connector 27.
It is possible to charge the battery 22 without disconnecting the battery 22 from the motor side connector 42 (even when the battery case 21 is mounted on the vehicle).

Further, when the battery case 21 is attached to the support box 25 as a battery case mounting portion, the lower outer wall surface of the battery case 21 is in contact with the inner wall surface of the recessed portion of the support box 25.
The load applied from 1 to the support box 25 is widely distributed to the support box 25. Therefore, the supporting rigidity can be ensured without forming the lower part of the battery case so as to increase the wall thickness. Further, when the battery case is attached, the lower outer peripheral wall is guided by the large recess formed in the battery case mounting portion, so that the positioning work becomes easy.

In the present embodiment, since the battery case 21 formed in a long shape is attached along the upper side of the down tube 2b, the battery case 21 is attached to the vehicle body or removed from the vehicle body. The height at which 21 is lifted may be substantially the same as that of the down tube 2b, and the foot-opening space that is opened upward can be widely used as a work space. When mounting the heavy battery case 21 on the down tube 2b, There is nothing in the way. Also, the battery case 21
Does not significantly project upward from the down tube 2b, so that the foot passing space S above the down tube 2b is not significantly narrowed by the battery case 21.

Further, since the discharge connector 26 is fixed to the lower portion of the battery case 21 and the motor-side connector 42 is fixed to the vehicle body frame 2 side below the above-mentioned foot passage space S, the motor connector 42 is fixed. Since the side connector 42 is positioned at a low position of the vehicle body, when the discharge connector 26 is connected to the side connector 42, it is possible to easily confirm the connection destination.

Furthermore, the connecting direction of the discharging connector 26 provided on the battery case 21 and the motor side connector 42 provided on the support box 25 is the same as the attaching / detaching direction of the battery case 21. In the vehicle mounted state, the direction is parallel to the axis of the down tube 2b. Therefore, in the vehicle mounted state in which the battery case 21 is mounted on the vehicle body, the discharge connector 26 is urged toward the motor side connector 42 by the weight of the battery case 21.

Second Embodiment In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the motor unit 12 is erected and provided coaxially with the seat tube 2c is shown. However, the mounting position of the motor unit 12 is shown in FIGS.
It may be located below the down tube 2b as shown in FIG.

FIG. 13 is a side view showing an example of another electric bicycle in which the position of the motor unit is changed, and FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. In this electric bicycle, the down tube 2b of the body frame 2 is formed substantially horizontally at the rear end portion between the handle 6 and the seat 7, and the seat tube 2c is formed at the rear end of the down tube 2b via the lug 61. Are connected. The horizontal portion of the down tube 2b is positioned at substantially the same height as the axles of the front and rear wheels. The vehicle body frame 2 also has a structure in which a foot passing space S having a substantially V shape in a side view is provided as in the case of adopting the above-described embodiment.

The motor unit 12 is supported and fixed on the horizontal portion of the down tube 2b so as to be substantially horizontal. The support box 25 to which the battery case 21 is attached is also supported by a horizontal portion via a support member 62. Further, the battery case 21 is the same as that shown in FIG.
~ Similar to the embodiment shown in Fig. 12, in the vehicle mounted state, the down tube 2b is arranged above the down tube 2b along the same.

Even with this configuration, the same effect as when the above-described embodiment is adopted can be obtained. Moreover, when the motor unit 12 is mounted forward as in this embodiment, the motor unit 12 which is a heavy object is positioned at a low position and the center of gravity of the vehicle body can be lowered.

Third Embodiment Although the support box 25 can swing back and forth with respect to the vehicle body in each of the above-described embodiments, it can swing in the vehicle width direction as shown in FIGS. You can also

FIG. 15 is a side view of an electric bicycle in which a support box is swingable left and right, FIG. 16 is an enlarged side view of the support box portion, and FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1
8 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. In these figures, the same or equivalent members as those described in FIGS. 1 to 14 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The electric bicycle shown in FIGS. 15 to 18 is
The down tube 2b of the vehicle body frame 2 is extended further rearward than the seat tube connecting portion, and the support box 64 is attached to the extended portion so as to be swingable left and right. In addition,
In this embodiment, the motor unit 12 is mounted along the down tube 2b that linearly extends rearward,
It is attached to a lug 65 that connects the down tube 2b and the seat tube 2c, and a bracket 66 provided at the rear end of the down tube 2b. In this embodiment, the seat tube 2c constitutes the frame member according to the present invention. Further, the battery case 21 is arranged along a longitudinal direction of the seat tube 2c in a space surrounded by the seat tube 2c, the seat stay 2e and the rear wheel 8.

A pivot 68 is pivotally supported on the extending portion of the down tube 2b through a bracket 67 made of a steel plate, and the support box 64 is pivotally supported by the pivot 68. The pivot shaft 68 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body when viewed from above.
As shown in FIG. 5, the down tube 2b is arranged on the left side of the vehicle body. That is, the support box 64 has this pivot 68.
17 is swingably supported as indicated by a chain double-dashed line f in FIG.

The support box 64 is integrally formed of synthetic resin in a bottomed rectangular tube shape, and the size of the opening is set to a size into which the battery case 21 is inserted. A bearing portion 64a through which the pivot shaft 68 penetrates is provided at the bottom of the support box 64. In addition, a stopper 64 that engages with the bracket 67 is provided at the bottom of the support box 64.
b is projected. When the support box 64 swings around the pivot 68, the stopper 64b restricts the swing.

Further, a return spring 69 penetrating the pivot 68 is interposed between the support box 64 and the bracket 67. The return spring 69 is a torsion spring, one end of which is in contact with the bottom surface of the support box 64 and the other end of which is locked by the bracket 67, so as to urge the support box 64 to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. It is configured. That is, when the battery case 21 is not attached to the support box 64, the support box 64 is swung to the left side of the vehicle body by the spring force of the return spring 69 as shown by the chain double-dashed line f in FIG. The attachment / detachment of the battery case 21 is performed in such a state that the support box 64 is swung to the left side of the vehicle body.

The battery case 21 used in this embodiment is provided with the discharging connector 26 at the upper end opposite to the support box 64. This discharge connector 2
In this embodiment, a magnetic attraction type female type 6 is used, and the connection direction with the male type motor side connector 42 fixed to the vehicle body frame side is the same as the swinging direction of the support box 64. It is arranged so that.

Further, the discharge connector mounting portion of the battery case 21 is open toward the right side of the vehicle body as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, and the motor side connector 42 faces the opening so that the two connectors are connected to each other. It is configured to be connected. The positions of the contact surfaces of both connectors are located substantially at the center in the vehicle width direction. The position of the contact surface is indicated by the symbol C in FIGS. 17 and 18.

The motor-side connector 42 is a supporting member 72 located on the right side of the battery case 21 mounted on a vehicle.
It is fixedly supported. The support member 72 includes a front frame connecting portion 72a that is U-shaped in side view and is welded to the seat tube 2c, a flat plate portion 72b that extends rearward from the front frame connecting portion 72a on the right side of the vehicle body, and the flat plate. Part 7
2b and a rear frame connecting portion 72c provided in a rear end portion in a U shape in a side view, and formed in a substantially U shape in a plan view. The rear frame connecting portion 72c is welded to the support pipe 73 connected to the rear ends of the left and right seat stays 2e and the down tube 2b. The motor-side connector 42 is fixed to the flat plate portion 72b.

Further, as shown in FIG. 18, the distance between the front frame connecting portion 72a and the rear frame connecting portion 72c of the supporting member 72 is set to such a size that the battery case 21 can be fitted therein. ing. That is, when the battery case 21 is mounted on the support box 64 and is erected as shown in FIG. 17, the front and rear surfaces of the battery case 21 are guided to predetermined positions by the front frame connecting portion 72a and the rear frame connecting portion 72c, and the battery case 21 is discharged. The connector 26 is connected to the motor-side connector 42.

When the battery case 21 is mounted on the vehicle body in this way, the lower part of the battery case 21 is the support box 64.
By the support member 72, the upper part is prevented from moving in the front-rear direction and the right side of the vehicle body. In addition, in order to prevent the upper portion of the battery case 21 from moving to the left side of the vehicle body, a clamp 74 for pulling the protrusion of the battery case 21 is provided on the flat plate portion 72b of the support member 72 in this embodiment.

Clamps 75 and 76 are attached to the front and rear sides of the battery case 21 in order to fix the battery case 21 to the frame 2 in a vehicle mounted state. These clamps 75 and 76 are used for the seat tube 2
The structure is such that the locking pieces 77, 78 protruding from the c and the support pipe 73 are pulled.

Reference numeral 79 is a charging connector provided on the upper portion of the battery case 21, and 80 is a fuse. A magnetic attraction type male connector is used as the charging connector 79, and the charging connector 79 is attached so that the connecting portion is exposed on the left side surface of the battery case 21. The charging connector 79 is electrically connected in parallel with the discharging connector 26, and the fuse 80 is provided on the battery side of the connecting portion between the connectors. In addition, a diode (not shown) for preventing short circuit that allows energization only to the battery side is provided on the charging connector side from the connecting portion between the connectors.

Reference numeral 81 is a locking device, and the locking device 81 is supported and fixed to the support pipe 73, and the lock pin 81a is configured to engage with the battery case 21 mounted on the vehicle.

Reference numeral 82 denotes a handle that is gripped when the battery case 21 is pulled out from the vehicle-mounted state to the left side of the vehicle body or is lifted upward and conveyed. The handle 82 is pivotally supported on the upper portion of the battery case 21 via a support pin 82a. Further, in FIG. 17, 83 is the motor unit 1
2 is an exterior cover configured to cover the side of 2.

In order to remove the battery case 21 from the vehicle body in order to charge the battery in the electric bicycle constructed as described above, first, three clamps 74 to 76 for fixing the battery case 21 to the vehicle body frame 2 are used.
Remove. Then, holding the handle 82, the battery case 21 is tilted to the left side of the vehicle body and pulled up. In this way, the battery case 21 can be removed. In addition,
To attach it, reverse the above procedure.

In order to charge the battery case 2
There is a method of connecting the charger side connector to the charging connector 79 in a state where 1 is mounted on the vehicle body, and a method of removing the battery case 21 from the vehicle body as described above.

Therefore, as described above, the long battery case 21 is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the seat tube 2c, and the battery case 21 swings with respect to the body frame 2 with its lower end as a fulcrum. Freely and detachably provided, one end of the battery case 21
Part is engaged with the body frame 2 and then one end of the frame is supported.
Since the discharging connector 26 provided on the battery case 21 is automatically connected to the motor side connector 42 on the vehicle body frame 2 side in accordance with a series of mounting operations on the vehicle body frame 2 swinging to the point , the battery case 21 is By mounting on the vehicle body frame 2, the discharge connector 26
Automatically connects to the motor-side connector 42, and by removing the battery case 21, the discharge connector 26 is automatically disconnected from the motor-side connector 42. Therefore, when the discharge connector 26 and the motor-side connector 42 are brought into contact with or separated from each other, no special operation is required in addition to the attaching / detaching operation of the battery case 21.

When the battery case 21 is attached or detached, the battery case 21 is swung around the fulcrum.
Operation, that is, the moving direction of the battery case 21 is restricted
Since the discharging connector 26 and the motor-side connector 42 by the operation which is to connect the connection line in the accurate and smooth
Will be Moreover, since the battery case 21 swings while being supported by the body frame 2 side, the entire load of the battery case 21 is not applied to the discharge connector 26 and the motor side connector 42. Therefore, the contact pressure between the two connectors 26 and 42 can be properly maintained.

Further, since the battery case 21 is arranged in the space surrounded by the seat tube 2c, the seat stay 2e and the rear wheel 8 and is swingable to the side of the vehicle body, the battery case 21 is attached and detached when the battery case 21 is attached and detached. The height of lifting the body is low, and the space on the side of the vehicle body can be widely used as a work space. Furthermore, since the charging connector 79 and the discharging connector 26 are provided in the battery case 21 and these are connected in parallel, the discharging connector 26 is connected to the motor side connector by connecting the charging connector 79 to the connector of the charger. The battery 22 can be charged without being removed from the battery 42 (even when the battery case 21 is mounted on the vehicle).

In addition, by adopting the structure in which the battery case 21 is fitted into the support box 64 as described above, when the battery case 21 is attached to the support box 64, the lower outer wall surface of the battery case 21 is the support box 64. Since it is in contact with the inner wall surface of the concave portion, the load applied from the battery case 21 to the support box 64 in the up-down direction, the front-rear direction, and the lateral direction (vehicle width direction) is widely distributed to the support box 64 during traveling. When the battery case is attached, the lower outer peripheral wall is guided by the large recess formed in the battery case mounting portion, which facilitates the positioning work.

[0088]

As described above, in the electric bicycle according to the present invention, a long battery case that can be repeatedly charged and discharged is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the frame member of the vehicle body frame, and the battery case is in the fulcrum end portion of the longitudinal direction with respect to the vehicle body frame provided freely and detachably rocking body one end of the battery case
Engage with the frame, and then swing with one end as a fulcrum.
Since the discharge contact terminals of the battery case are automatically connected to the motor side contact terminals provided on the body frame side in accordance with a series of mounting operations on the body frame,
By attaching the battery case to the vehicle body frame, the discharge contact terminals are automatically connected to the motor side contact terminals, and when the battery case is removed, the discharge contact terminals are automatically separated from the motor side contact terminals. .

Therefore, when the discharge contact terminal and the motor side contact terminal are brought into contact with or separated from each other, no special operation is required in addition to the attaching / detaching operation of the battery case. Therefore, the attaching / detaching operation of the battery case is simplified, and the charging work is simplified. In addition, to the body frame of the battery case
For the mounting operation, attach one end of the battery case to the body frame
The first stroke to engage with the side and swing with one end as a fulcrum
It will be performed in two steps, the second step. In the first step,
The polite operation of engaging one end of the terry case
In the second step, the movement of the battery case called rocking
Since the operation is restricted in direction, both contacts will occur in any stroke.
Even if the terminals are connected, the connection is accurate and smooth.
You.

An electric bicycle according to another invention is the electric bicycle described above, which has a structure in which the discharge contact terminal is connected to the motor side contact terminal by swinging the battery case around the fulcrum. Since the discharge contact terminal and the motor side contact terminal are connected in the process of swinging to the side, not only the connection is accurate and smooth, but also the battery case swings while being supported by the body frame side, The full load of the battery case is not applied to the contact terminals for motor and the contact terminals on the motor side. Therefore, even though the contact terminals are not manually connected to each other, the contact terminals do not cause contact failure and are not damaged due to excessive force.

An electric bicycle according to another invention is the electric bicycle according to the above invention or another invention, in which the battery case is arranged in a space surrounded by the seat tube, the seat stay and the rear wheel, and is swayed to the side of the vehicle body. Since it is movable, the height of lifting the battery case when attaching and detaching the battery case is low, and the side space of the vehicle body can be widely used as a working space. Therefore, when a heavy battery case is mounted, workability is excellent and charging work becomes easy.

An electric bicycle according to another aspect of the present invention is the electric bicycle according to any one of the above-mentioned aspects, in which a charging contact terminal and a discharging contact terminal are provided in a battery case and these are connected in parallel, so that charging is performed. By connecting the charger to the contact terminal for power supply, the battery can be charged in a vehicle mounted state without disconnecting the contact terminal for discharge and the contact terminal on the motor side.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an electric bicycle that employs a battery case mounting structure according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a support portion of a battery case support box.

FIG. 3 is a view of the motor unit in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a battery case support box.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a battery case.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing a charging port portion of the battery case, wherein FIG. 6 (a) is a plan view, FIG. 6 (b) is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 6 (a), and FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a battery case support box.

8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the battery case support box.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a procedure for removing the battery case from the vehicle body.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state when the battery case is removed from the vehicle body and charged.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a state when charging without removing the battery case from the vehicle body.

FIG. 13 is a side view showing another example of the electric bicycle in which the position of the motor unit is changed.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

FIG. 15 is a side view of an electric bicycle in which a support box is swingably movable to the left and right.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged side view showing a support box portion.

17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

18 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Electric bicycle, 2 ... Body frame, 2b ... Down tube, 2c ... Seat tube, 12 ... Motor unit,
21 ... Battery case, 25 ... Support box, 26 ... Discharge connector, 27 ... Charging connector, 42 ... Motor side connector, 43 ... Spindle, 64 ... Support box, 68 ... Axis.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References: 2-12157 (JP, U): 56-60699 (JP, U): 58-8637 (JP, Y2): 60- 7995 (JP, Y2)

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. In an electric bicycle having a human power drive system and an electric drive system provided in parallel, a long battery case that can be repeatedly charged and discharged is arranged along a longitudinal direction of a frame member of a vehicle body frame, and The battery case is swingably and detachably provided with respect to the vehicle body frame with one end in the longitudinal direction of the battery case as a fulcrum, and one end of the battery case is engaged with the vehicle body frame.
Then, the discharge contact terminal provided on the battery case is automatically connected to the motor side contact terminal provided on the body frame side in association with a series of mounting operations on the body frame in which one end of the body frame is pivoted. An electric bicycle characterized by having the structure. 2. The electric bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the discharge contact terminal is connected to the motor side contact terminal by swinging the battery case around a fulcrum. 3. The electric bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the battery case is arranged in a space surrounded by a seat tube, a seat stay and a rear wheel, and is swingable laterally of the vehicle body. And an electric bicycle. 4. The electric bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the battery case is provided with a charging contact terminal and a discharging contact terminal, and these are connected in parallel. Electric bicycle.