JP7481387B2 - Saddle type vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a saddle-type vehicle.

Conventionally, saddle-ride vehicles are known that have a hydrogen tank mounted along the seat frame under the seat supported by the seat frame (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this type of saddle-ride vehicle, it is desirable to increase the capacity of the hydrogen tank in order to ensure a cruising distance equivalent to that of a gasoline-powered vehicle.

JP 2018-111441 A

However, because hydrogen tanks are heavy, placing them under the seat would make it difficult to concentrate the gravitational mass, which could result in reduced driving stability and maneuverability of the vehicle.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has an object to provide a saddle-type vehicle in which a hydrogen tank can be mounted without compromising driving stability or maneuverability of the vehicle body.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a saddle-type vehicle with a hydrogen tank mounted on a body frame, the body frame comprising a main frame and a down frame, a drive source using hydrogen fuel as an energy source is disposed in the area surrounded by the main frame and the down frame, and the hydrogen tank is disposed between the front end of the passenger seat and the drive source.

In this invention, the hydrogen tank is positioned between the front end of the passenger seat and the drive source, concentrating the gravitational mass and improving driving stability and maneuverability of the vehicle body.

1 is a side view of a saddle-ride type vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an exterior case. FIG. 11 is a side view of a saddle-type vehicle according to another embodiment.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description, directions such as front, back, left, right, and up and down are the same as directions relative to the vehicle body unless otherwise specified. In addition, the symbol FR in each figure indicates the front of the vehicle body, the symbol UP indicates the upper part of the vehicle body, and the symbol LH indicates the left side of the vehicle body.

[Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a side view of a saddle-ride type vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The saddle-type vehicle 10 is a vehicle that includes a body frame 11, a power unit 12 supported by the body frame 11, a front fork 14 that supports a front wheel 13 so as to be freely steerable, a swing arm 16 that supports a rear wheel 15, and a seat 17 for a passenger.
The saddle-ride type vehicle 10 is a vehicle in which a passenger sits astride a seat 17. The seat 17 is provided above the rear portion of the body frame 11.

The body frame 11 includes a head pipe 18 provided at the front end of the body frame 11, a front frame 19 located rearward of the head pipe 18, and a rear frame 20 located rearward of the front frame 19. The front end of the front frame 19 is connected to the head pipe 18.
The seat 17 is supported by a rear frame 20 .

The front fork 14 is supported by the head pipe 18 so that it can be steered left and right. The front wheel 13 is supported by an axle 13a provided at the lower end of the front fork 14. A steering handle 21 that is held by the rider is attached to the upper end of the front fork 14.

The swing arm 16 is supported by a pivot shaft 22 that is supported by the body frame 11. The pivot shaft 22 is a shaft that extends horizontally in the vehicle width direction. The pivot shaft 22 is inserted into the front end of the swing arm 16. The swing arm 16 swings up and down about the pivot shaft 22.
The rear wheel 15 is supported by an axle 15 a provided at the rear end of a swing arm 16 .

The power unit 12 is disposed between the front wheels 13 and the rear wheels 15 and is supported by the body frame 11 .
The power unit 12 is an internal combustion engine. The power unit 12 includes a crankcase 23 and a cylinder portion 24 that houses a reciprocating piston. An exhaust device 25 is connected to an exhaust port of the cylinder portion 24.
The output of the power unit 12 is transmitted to the rear wheel 15 by a driving force transmission member that connects the power unit 12 and the rear wheel 15 .

The saddle-type vehicle 10 also includes a front fender 26 that covers the front wheel 13 from above, a rear fender 27 that covers the rear wheel 15 from above, a step 28 on which a rider places his or her feet, and a fuel tank 29 that stores fuel used by the power unit 12.
The front fender 26 is attached to the front fork 14. The rear fender 27 and the step 28 are provided below the seat 17. The fuel tank 29 is supported by the body frame 11.

The body frame 11 is equipped with a pair of main frames 71 (front frames 19) that are connected to the head pipe 18 and extend almost horizontally to the rear of the vehicle, bending downward from the middle, and a pair of down frames 72 (front frames 19) that are connected to the head pipe 18 and extend at an angle downward to the rear of the vehicle. A pair of lower frames 73 that extend almost horizontally are connected to the rear of the pair of down frames 72.

A pair of pivot frames 74 that extend at an angle toward the rear of the vehicle and upwards are connected to the rear of the pair of lower frames 73, and a pair of subframes 75 that also extend at an angle toward the rear of the vehicle and upwards. A seat frame 76 (rear frame 20) that extends almost horizontally is connected to the rear of the pair of subframes 75.

The fuel tank (hereinafter referred to as hydrogen tank) 29 is a substantially cylindrical high-pressure container for storing hydrogen fuel. The power unit 12 (hereinafter referred to as hydrogen engine) is a hydrogen engine (driving source) 12 that burns hydrogen fuel supplied from the hydrogen tank 29 in a cylinder portion 24 to obtain power.
The drive source is not limited to the hydrogen engine 12, but may be composed of a hydrogen fuel cell (not shown) that generates electricity using hydrogen fuel, and an electric motor that is driven by the power of the hydrogen fuel cell.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the hydrogen engine 12 is disposed in a portion surrounded by a main frame 71 and a down frame 72, with the cylinder axis L1 of the cylinder section 24 aligned with the inclination of the down frame 72.
The hydrogen tank 29 is disposed between the front end of the passenger seat 17 and the hydrogen engine 12 with its longitudinal axis L2 inclined towards the front of the vehicle body.

The hydrogen tank 29 is sandwiched between a pair of main frames 71 and a pair of seat frames 76 and is disposed vertically and tilted towards the front of the vehicle body.
The hydrogen tank 29 is disposed in a region surrounded by the main frame 71 and the seat frame 76, thereby protecting the tank in the event of a collision.
The cylinder axis L1 of the hydrogen engine 12 and the longitudinal axis L2 of the hydrogen tank 29 are approximately parallel to each other.
This configuration allows the hydrogen tank 29 to be located close to the hydrogen engine 12, concentrating the weight and mass, improving the drivability of the saddle-ride type vehicle 10 and improving the maneuverability of the vehicle body.

The hydrogen tank 29 is disposed adjacent to the pivot shaft 22 of the swing arm 16 or so as to overlap the pivot shaft 22 in a plan view.
Since the hydrogen tank 29 is disposed around the pivot shaft 22, the gravitational mass is concentrated, improving drivability.

A tank-shaped exterior case 30 is disposed above the hydrogen engine 12. The exterior case 30 extends horizontally in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, and is disposed between the front end of the passenger seat 17 and the steering handle (handlebar) 21.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the exterior case 30. As shown in FIG.
The exterior case 30 is hollow, and the upper part of the hydrogen tank 29 is disposed inside the exterior case 30. The hydrogen tank 29 is made of metal, and the outer circumferential surface of the hydrogen tank 29 is covered with a carbon material.

The upper end 29A of the hydrogen tank 29 is fitted and held in the upper holding portion (holding portion) 31, which is integrated with the inner surface of the outer case 30. A shock-absorbing member (not shown) is sandwiched between the upper end 29A of the hydrogen tank 29 and the upper holding portion 31 as a shock-resistant measure. Because the upper end 29A of the hydrogen tank 29 is held using the inner surface of the outer case 30, the hydrogen tank 29 can be held without increasing the number of parts.

Although not shown in the figure, the lower end 29B of the hydrogen tank 29 is also fitted and held in a lower holding portion (not shown) via a shock absorbing member (not shown), and the lower holding portion is supported by the pivot frame 74 (vehicle frame 11).

A fusible plug valve 33 is attached to the top of the hydrogen tank 29. When the temperature of the gas container rises, the fusible plug (not shown) of the fusible plug valve 33 melts and releases hydrogen gas.

A hydrogen fuel supply system 80 leading to the hydrogen engine 12 is arranged on top of the hydrogen tank 29. Note that in Figures 1 and 2, the hydrogen fuel supply system 80 is shown diagrammatically as an ellipse indicated by a dashed line.

As shown in FIG. 3, the hydrogen fuel supply system 80 includes a main stop valve 35 connected to the hydrogen tank 29, a pressure sensor 51, a fuel cutoff valve 36, and a pressure reducing valve 37. The main stop valve 35 and the fuel cutoff valve 36 are opened when the hydrogen engine 29 is started. The pressure sensor 51 detects the pressure inside the hydrogen tank 29 and displays the remaining amount of hydrogen fuel on an on-board meter (not shown). A receptacle 38 for filling the hydrogen fuel is attached to the hydrogen tank 29. The above-mentioned accessories are arranged together inside the exterior case 30.

A lid portion 39 is formed on the top of the exterior case 30, which allows access to the receptacle 38. When the lid portion 39 is opened, the receptacle 38 is exposed, making it easy to fill with hydrogen fuel.

The hydrogen fuel supply system 80 includes a hydrogen supply pipe 40 that connects the main stop valve 35, the pressure sensor 51, the fuel cutoff valve 36, the pressure reducing valve 37, and the like.
The hydrogen supply pipe 40 and the various accessories 35, 36, 51, and 37 are covered by an exterior case 30, forming a so-called double pipe system.
A hollow pipe 42 connects the exterior case 30 to the hydrogen injector 12A of the hydrogen engine 29, and the hydrogen supply pipe 40 is arranged inside the pipe 42, forming a double pipe.

A hydrogen sensor 43 and a purge pipe 45 are disposed on the upper part of the exterior case 30. The purge pipe 45 is provided with a purge valve 46.
The main stop valve 35 , the pressure sensor 51 , the fuel cutoff valve 36 , the pressure reducing valve 37 , the purge valve 46 , and the hydrogen injector (not shown) are connected to an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 120 .

The ECU 120 is a computer that includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which a program is written, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporary data storage. Specifically, various control functions are performed by the ECU, which is a computer, executing the program.

Auxiliary devices such as a main stop valve 35 and a fuel cutoff valve 36 are arranged inside the exterior case 30 , so that hydrogen leakage is contained within the exterior case 30 .
Light hydrogen rises inside the exterior case 30, and when it exceeds a certain concentration, it is detected by the hydrogen sensor 43. The hydrogen sensor 43 is connected to the upper part of the exterior case 30 where leaked hydrogen concentrates, so that hydrogen leakage from the auxiliary equipment can be detected with high accuracy.
When the hydrogen sensor 43 detects a hydrogen leak, the purge valve 46 opens and hydrogen is discharged to the outside through the purge pipe 45 .

An air cleaner 47 is disposed at the front of the exterior case 30, separate from the hydrogen fuel supply system. The air cleaner 47 is connected to the intake port of the cylinder portion 24 of the hydrogen engine 12.
Since the air cleaner 47 is disposed in the large space at the front of the exterior case 30, a large capacity of the air cleaner 47 can be ensured. Since the air cleaner 47 is located directly above the cylinder section 24 of the hydrogen engine 12, the intake path to the intake port of the cylinder section 24 can be shortened.

In this embodiment, the hydrogen tank 29 is placed vertically behind the hydrogen engine 12 and in front of the passenger seat 17, and the hydrogen accessories, including the tank main stop valve 35, are placed inside the exterior case 30 between the handlebars 21 and the seat 17.

This allows the hydrogen tank 29, which is a heavy object, to be placed around the pivot shaft 22 that supports the swing arm 16, concentrating the mass and improving drivability. It also increases safety against hydrogen leaks.

[Another embodiment]
Fig. 4 shows another embodiment. In Fig. 4, the same parts as in Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals and their explanation will be omitted.
In another embodiment, a metal retaining cover 100 is employed to secure the hydrogen tank 29 .
The lower end of the retaining cover 100 is secured to the pivot frame 74 using fasteners (not shown) or by welding or the like.

The rear of the retaining cover 100 is open, and the hydrogen tank 29 is housed from the rear. The hydrogen tank 29 is held by the retaining cover 100 with a shock absorbing material (not shown) between them, and is fixed to the retaining cover 100 by two belts 101 and 102.

In another embodiment, the hydrogen tank 29 is held in the retaining cover 100 and secured to the retaining cover 100 with two belts 101 and 102, making it extremely easy to secure the hydrogen tank 29.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but may be embodied in various other forms. For example, a throttle body (not shown) incorporating a throttle valve may be connected to the air cleaner 47.
In the above embodiment, a motorcycle has been used as an example of a saddle-type vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is applicable to three-wheel saddle-type vehicles having two front wheels or two rear wheels, and saddle-type vehicles having four or more wheels.

[Configuration supported by the above embodiment]
The above embodiment supports the following configurations.

(Configuration 1) An example of a saddle-ride type vehicle is one in which a hydrogen tank is mounted on a body frame, the body frame comprising a main frame and a down frame, a drive source using hydrogen fuel as an energy source is disposed in the area enclosed by the main frame and the down frame, and the hydrogen tank is disposed between the front end of a passenger seat and the drive source.
In this configuration, the hydrogen tank, which is a heavy object, can be located close to the hydrogen engine, concentrating the weight and mass and improving drivability.
The drive source may be a hydrogen engine that burns hydrogen fuel, or an electric motor that utilizes a hydrogen fuel cell.

(Configuration 2) A saddle-type vehicle as described in Configuration 1 can be mentioned, characterized in that it has an outer case between the front end of the seat and a handlebar, the outer case includes a main stop valve and a receptacle for the hydrogen tank, and a lid portion that allows access to the receptacle is formed on the upper part of the outer case.
This configuration allows for easy filling with hydrogen fuel.

(Configuration 3) The saddle-type vehicle according to configuration 2, wherein the exterior case has a holding portion for holding an upper end portion of the hydrogen tank.
In this configuration, the upper end of the hydrogen tank is held by utilizing the exterior case, so the hydrogen tank can be held without increasing the number of parts.

(Configuration 4) The saddle-type vehicle according to configuration 2 or 3, characterized in that an air cleaner is disposed in the front portion of the exterior case.
In this configuration, the air cleaner is disposed in the large space at the front of the exterior case, allowing the capacity of the air cleaner to be increased.
Because the air cleaner is located directly above the cylinder of the hydrogen engine, the intake path to the intake port of the cylinder can be shortened.

(Configuration 5) A saddle-type vehicle as described in any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that the drive source is a hydrogen engine, and a cylinder axis of the hydrogen engine and a longitudinal axis of the hydrogen tank are arranged approximately parallel to each other.
This configuration allows the hydrogen tank to be located in close proximity to the hydrogen engine.

(Configuration 6) A saddle-type vehicle as described in any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that the hydrogen tank is disposed so as to overlap with a pivot axis of the swing arm in a plan view.
This configuration allows for better concentration of mass and improved drivability.

(Configuration 7) A saddle-type vehicle according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, characterized in that a hydrogen sensor is disposed on the upper portion of the exterior case.
With this configuration, hydrogen leakage from the auxiliary equipment contained within the exterior case can be detected with high accuracy.

10 saddle-type vehicle 11 vehicle frame 12 hydrogen engine (drive source)
12A Hydrogen injection 15 Rear wheel 16 Swing arm 17 Seat 22 Pivot shaft 24 Cylinder section 29 Hydrogen tank 30 Outer case 31 Upper holding section (holding section)
33 Fusible plug valve 35 Main stop valve 36 Fuel cutoff valve 37 Pressure reducing valve 38 Receptacle 39 Lid 40 Hydrogen supply pipe 43 Hydrogen sensor 46 Purge valve 47 Air cleaner 51 Pressure sensor 71 Main frame 72 Down frame 76 Seat frame L1 Cylinder axis L2 Longitudinal axis

Claims (7)

In a saddle-type vehicle having a hydrogen tank (29) mounted on a vehicle body frame (11),
The vehicle body frame (11) includes a main frame (71) and a down frame (72),
A drive source (12) using hydrogen fuel as an energy source is disposed in a portion surrounded by the main frame (71) and the down frame (72);
A saddle-type vehicle, characterized in that the hydrogen tank (29) is disposed between a front end of a passenger seat (17) and the drive source (12). The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that it has an outer case (30) between the front end of the seat (17) and the handlebars (21), the outer case (30) includes a main stop valve (35) and a receptacle (38) for the hydrogen tank (29), and a lid portion (39) that allows access to the receptacle (38) is formed on the upper portion of the outer case (30). 3. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein a hydrogen sensor (43) is disposed on an upper portion of the exterior case (30) . 4. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 2 or 3 , characterized in that the exterior case (30) has a holding portion (31) for holding an upper end portion of the hydrogen tank (29) . 5. The saddle-ride type vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein an air cleaner (47) is disposed in a front portion of the exterior case (30). 6. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the drive source (12) is a hydrogen engine, and a cylinder axis (L1) of the hydrogen engine (12) and a longitudinal axis (L2) of the hydrogen tank (29) are disposed approximately parallel to each other. 7. The saddle-ride type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen tank (29) is disposed so as to overlap with a pivot shaft (22) of the swing arm (16) in a plan view .

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