JP7485608B2 - Saddle-type electric vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a saddle-type electric vehicle.
This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-183890, filed on September 28, 2018, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Among saddle-type electric vehicles such as electric motorcycles, there is a saddle-type electric vehicle in which the charging plug is stored under the seat (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This saddle-type electric vehicle has a sensor that detects whether the seat is open or closed, and charging is possible when the sensor detects that the seat is closed. In this way, arc discharge is prevented from occurring when the charging plug is inserted or removed.

Japanese Patent No. 5964323

There are also saddle-type electric vehicles that are capable of charging a battery attached to the vehicle body, but also have a battery that can be removed from the vehicle body, for example, so that a battery removed from the vehicle body can be charged. In these saddle-type electric vehicles, it is conceivable that when the battery attached to the vehicle body is charged and an arc discharge occurs, the battery may be removed, but it is desirable to prevent the battery from being removed when an arc discharge occurs.

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a saddle-type electric vehicle that can prevent the need to remove the battery when an arc discharge occurs.

A saddle-type electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a battery (100) that supplies electric power for traveling, a battery storage section (64) that detachably stores the battery (100), a battery lid (8) that is openably and closably provided in the battery storage section (64), a lid open/close detection section (80) that detects the open/closed state of the battery lid (8), a charger (325) that charges the battery (100) stored in the battery storage section (64), and a charging cord (245) that is connected to the charger (325) and can be connected to an external power source. When the charging cord (245) is connected to the external power source, the lid open/close detection section (80) detects that the battery lid (8) is open, and the saddle-type electric vehicle enters a charging standby state, and when the battery lid (8) is detected to be closed, the charging cord (245) enters a charging state.

With the above configuration, when the battery lid is open, the charging standby state is entered and the charger does not charge the battery. If the battery lid is not open, the battery cannot be removed, so battery removal can be prevented when arc discharge occurs.

In one embodiment of the saddle-type electric vehicle of the present invention, the battery (100) is provided with a semiconductor switch (101F, 102F), and is configured so that when an open state of the battery lid (8) is detected, the semiconductor switch (101F, 102F) is opened to render the battery (100) in a non-chargeable state.

With the above configuration, the semiconductor switch can disable charging of the battery, so charging of the battery can be disabled without opening or closing the battery lid. This means that there is no need to open the battery lid to disable charging of the battery.

A saddle-type electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with a main switch (260) for switching between a running standby state and a charging standby state, and is configured to enter a charging state by connecting the charging cord (245) to an external power source when the vehicle is in the charging standby state due to the main switch (260).

With the above configuration, when the battery is in standby for charging, simply connecting the charging cord to an external power source starts charging the battery, making it easy to start charging the battery.

In one embodiment of the saddle-type electric vehicle of the present invention, the battery storage section (64) is disposed under a seat (8) on which a passenger can sit, and the battery lid (8) is configured as the seat (8).

The above configuration allows the seat on which a passenger can sit to be used as a battery lid as well, which contributes to reducing the number of parts.

A saddle-type electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured so that signals can be transmitted between the charger (325) and the battery (101, 102) via a communication line (400).

The above configuration allows the charger and battery to communicate with each other, so even if a control unit is provided, signals can be exchanged between the charger and battery without going through the control unit.

The saddle-type electric vehicle of the present invention makes it possible to prevent the need to remove the battery when an arc discharge occurs.

FIG. 1 is a left side view of a saddle-type electric vehicle according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a view of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1 with a body cover and the like removed. FIG. 2 is a top view showing an arrangement of parts within a vehicle body according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the battery storage section according to the embodiment when the battery is not fixed; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the battery storage section according to the embodiment when the battery is fixed; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4. 1 is a perspective view of the opening and closing structure for a cable storage unit according to an embodiment, as viewed from the left rear. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control system for a saddle-type electric vehicle according to an embodiment; 4 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation in an ECU.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the directions of front, rear, left and right are the same as those in the vehicle described below unless otherwise specified. In addition, in the appropriate places in the drawings used in the following description, an arrow FR indicating the front of the vehicle, an arrow LH indicating the left side of the vehicle, an arrow UP indicating the top of the vehicle, and a line CL indicating the center of the left and right sides of the vehicle body are shown.

<Overall composition>
Fig. 1 shows a unit swing type motorcycle 1 as an example of a saddle-type electric vehicle. With reference to Fig. 1, the motorcycle 1 includes a front wheel 3 steered by a handlebar 2, and a rear wheel 4 driven by a power unit 10 including a power source. The front wheel 3 is rotatably supported by a pair of left and right front forks 6. Hereinafter, the motorcycle may be simply referred to as a "vehicle." The motorcycle 1 of the embodiment is a scooter type vehicle having a step floor 9 on which a rider (passenger) can place his/her feet while seated on a seat 8 on which the rider can sit.

The steering system components, including the handlebars 2 and the front wheels 3, are pivotally supported for steering on a head pipe 12 at the front end of the body frame 11. The outer periphery of the body frame 11 is covered by a body cover 5.

The vehicle body frame 11 is formed by joining together a plurality of types of steel materials by welding or the like. The vehicle body frame 11 includes a head pipe 12 located at the front end thereof, a pair of left and right upper frames 13 extending diagonally downward and rearward from the head pipe 12, a pair of left and right down frames 14 extending diagonally downward and rearward from the lower portion of the head pipe 12 at a steeper incline than the left and right upper frames 13, extending substantially horizontally rearward from the lower end thereof, and then extending diagonally upward and rearward from the rear end thereof, a pair of left and right rear upper frames 15 extending diagonally upward and rearward from the upper and lower intermediate portions of the left and right upper frames 13 and connecting to the rear upper ends of the left and right down frames 14 and extending diagonally upward and rearward from the connecting portion, and a rear lower frame 16 extending diagonally upward and rearward from the rear portion of the down frame 14 and connecting to the rear portion of the rear upper frame 15.

The power unit 10 is a swing-type power unit that integrates a driving motor 30, which is a drive source located on the left side of the rear wheel 4, a power transmission mechanism 35 that can drive the rear wheel 4 with power obtained from the motor 30, and a swing frame 20 that supports the motor 30 and the power transmission mechanism 35.

The rear end of the power unit 10 is provided with an axle for the rear wheels 4. Power obtained from the motor 30 is transmitted to the axle for the rear wheels 4 via the power transmission mechanism 35, thereby driving the rear wheels 4 and causing the vehicle to run. The symbol CR in the figure indicates the central axis of the axle for the rear wheels 4 (rear wheel axis), which is an axis parallel to the vehicle width direction.

The front lower portion of the power unit 10 is supported on the lower rear side of the body frame 11 via a link mechanism 19 so as to be able to swing up and down. A pair of left and right rear cushions 7 that dampen the swing of the power unit 10 are suspended between the rear end of the power unit 10 and the rear upper frame 15.

A fender structure 50A is provided at the rear of the vehicle, which supports a fender 50 located above and behind the rear wheel 4 with a fender stay 40 extending rearward from near the axle of the rear wheel 4. The fender structure 50A has a cantilever structure in which only the left side of the fender 50 is fixed to the fender stay 40. The vehicle is also provided with a protective cover 85 that covers the power housing section housing the motor 30 from the outside in the vehicle width direction, and a tail lamp 54 provided at the rear end of the body cover 5. A center stand 28 is provided below the protective cover 85, and a rear brake 29 is provided behind the power unit 10.

<Battery>
As shown in FIG. 2, a battery 100 that supplies power to the motor 30 is mounted below the seat 8 (see FIG. 1). The battery 100 is composed of two unit batteries 101, 102 (front and rear batteries 101, 102). The front and rear batteries 101, 102 have the same configuration. The front and rear batteries 101, 102 are prism-shaped (rectangular parallelepiped-shaped) with a rectangular (e.g., square) cross section extending in the longitudinal direction. The front and rear batteries 101, 102 are arranged with the front and rear sides of the cross section aligned with the vehicle width direction and the left and right sides aligned with the front and rear direction. The front and rear batteries 101, 102 are inclined parallel to each other and arranged with a gap between the front and rear faces.

Battery 100 generates a predetermined high voltage (e.g., 48V to 72V) by connecting multiple front and rear batteries 101, 102 in series. For example, each of the front and rear batteries 101, 102 is composed of a lithium ion battery as a chargeable and dischargeable energy storage. Each of the front and rear batteries 101, 102 is inserted and removed from above into each of the battery cases 103, 104 fixed to the vehicle body (case support structure 110). A battery storage section 64 is provided in the vehicle body frame 11, and the batteries 101, 102 are stored in the battery storage section 64.

Although not shown, the battery cases 103 and 104 are provided with battery insertion/removal openings that open upward. As shown in FIG. 4, around each battery insertion/removal opening, there is a locking mechanism 103a, 104a that restricts the upward removal of the front and rear batteries 101, 102 inserted into the case. The front and rear batteries 101, 102 are accommodated in the battery cases 103, 104 so that they can be inserted and removed by sliding obliquely from the battery insertion/removal opening into the battery cases 103, 104. By inserting and removing the front and rear batteries 101, 102 obliquely into and from the battery cases 103, 104, part of the weight of the front and rear batteries 101, 102 is supported by the wall of the battery cases 103, 104.

Below, the unit battery 101 located at the front under the seat 8 (see FIG. 1) is also referred to as the "front battery 101," and the unit battery 102 located at the rear is also referred to as the "rear battery 102." Below, the battery case 103 that houses the front battery 101 is also referred to as the "front battery case 103," and the battery case 104 that houses the rear battery 102 is also referred to as the "rear battery case 104."

The front and rear batteries 101, 102 are provided at their lower ends with battery side connection terminals (not shown). The bottom walls of the front and rear battery cases 103, 104 are provided with case side connection terminals (not shown) for detachably connecting the battery side connection terminals. The case side connection terminals are recessed below the bottom walls of the front and rear battery cases 103, 104 before the locking operation of the locking mechanisms 103a, 104a. At this time, the front and rear batteries 101, 102 can be inserted and removed from the front and rear battery cases 103, 104, but simply inserting the front and rear batteries 101, 102 into the front and rear battery cases 103, 104 does not connect the battery side connection terminals to the case side connection terminals.

After storing the front and rear batteries 101, 102 in the front and rear battery cases 103, 104, the locking mechanism 103a, 104a is operated to lock, causing the case side connection terminals to protrude above the bottom walls of the front and rear battery cases 103, 104. This connects the battery side connection terminals to the case side connection terminals. The locking operation and terminal connection can be performed separately for the front and rear batteries 101, 102.

The locking mechanisms 103a, 104a and the front and rear batteries 101, 102 are operated manually, and the front and rear batteries 101, 102 are attached to and detached from the vehicle body without the need for tools. The front and rear batteries 101, 102 are attachable to and detachable from the vehicle body when the seat 8 is open. The front and rear batteries 101, 102 cannot be attached to and detached from the vehicle body when the seat 8 is closed. The front and rear batteries 101, 102 are switched between a detachable state and an undetachable state from the vehicle body by opening and closing the seat 8 (see FIG. 1), which is a battery lid provided in the battery storage section 64 in an openable and closable manner. A seat opening and closing detection unit 80 (see FIG. 8), which is a lid opening and closing detection unit that detects the opening and closing state of the seat 8, is provided near the seat 8.

The front and rear batteries 101, 102 are mobile batteries that can be attached to and detached from the vehicle body. The front and rear batteries 101, 102 can be charged by a charger outside the vehicle, or used as a mobile battery to power external devices. The front and rear batteries 101, 102 can each be used independently.

As shown in Figure 3, the battery 100 is disposed forward of the motor 30 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. In top view of Figure 3, the battery 100 is disposed in a position that avoids the motor 30. In top view of Figure 3, the front and rear batteries 101, 102 are disposed straddling the left-right center line CL of the vehicle body. In top view of Figure 3, the vehicle width directional centers of the front and rear batteries 101, 102 coincide with the left-right center line CL of the vehicle body.

<Center tunnel, etc.>
As shown in FIG. 3, the motorcycle 1 includes a pair of left and right step floors 9 on which a rider seated on the seat 8 places his/her feet, a center tunnel CT extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle between the left and right step floors 9, a front body FB connected forward of the center tunnel CT and the left and right step floors 9, and a rear body RB connected rearward of the center tunnel CT and the left and right step floors 9.

The center tunnel CT is located forward of the front end of the seat 8 and below the handlebars 2. The center tunnel CT bulges upward from the step floor 9. The center tunnel CT extends behind the front body FB with its upper surface slanted downward to the rear. The rear side of the upper surface of the center tunnel CT curves upward to connect to the rear body RB.

By providing the step floor 9 with a center tunnel CT, the motorcycle 1 allows the rider to place his or her feet on the center tunnel CT while allowing the rider freedom in where to place his or her feet. This ensures comfort around the rider's feet and control of the vehicle body. A straddle space is formed above the center tunnel CT to make it easier for the rider to straddle the vehicle body.

The lower front end of the seat 8 is connected to the vehicle body via a hinge shaft that runs along the vehicle width direction (left-right direction). The seat 8 rotates up and down around the hinge shaft to open and close the upper part of the rear body RB. When the seat 8 is in a closed state (see Figure 1) that blocks the upper part of the rear body RB, an occupant can sit in the seat 8. When the seat 8 is in an open state that opens the upper part of the rear body RB, items and space below the seat 8 can be accessed. The seat 8 can be locked in the closed state.

<Battery storage compartment>
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the battery storage section according to the embodiment when the battery is not fixed, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the battery storage section according to the embodiment when the battery is fixed, and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 4.

As shown in Figure 6, the front and rear batteries 101, 102 have terminals 41 in recesses on their undersides. The terminals 41 are located on the undersides of the front and rear batteries 101, 102 near the front. The terminals 41 are electrically connected to the power drive unit 321 (see Figure 8) and a control unit (not shown) through a case-side connection terminal 43 provided in the battery storage section 64. The terminals 41 supply battery voltage to the motor 30 via the power drive unit 321, and output information about the front and rear batteries 101, 102 (such as voltage and temperature) to the control unit.

The battery storage section 64 includes battery cases 103, 104 for storing the front and rear batteries 101, 102, a case-side connection terminal 43 that is connected to the terminal portions 41 of the front and rear batteries 101, 102 when the front and rear batteries 101, 102 are stored, a terminal displacement mechanism 45 that displaces the case-side connection terminal 43 between a connection position J1 (see FIG. 6) in which the case-side connection terminal 43 is in contact with and connected to the terminal portions 41 of the front and rear batteries 101, 102 and a retracted position J2 spaced downward from the connection position J1, locking mechanisms 103a, 104a that can fix and hold the front and rear batteries 101, 102 to the battery cases 103, 104, and an operating lever 44 (operating member) that can switch the locking mechanisms 103a, 104a between a battery fixed state and a battery unfixed state and that can operate the terminal displacement mechanism 45.

As shown in FIG. 6, the retracted position J2 is a position where the case side connection terminal 43 moves away from the terminal portion 41 of the battery 101 (102) in the entry direction (downward) of the battery 101 (102) when the bottom of the battery 101 (102) abuts against the case side abutment portions of the battery cases 103, 104.

As shown in FIG. 6, the terminal portion 41 of the battery 101 (102) has a pair of high-voltage terminals 47 that output the power of the battery 101 (102) to the power drive unit 321, and a number of signal terminals 48 that output various information about the battery 101 (102) to the control unit.

As shown in FIG. 6, the case side connection terminal 43 has a pair of high voltage terminal pins 140 that can be fitted and connected to the high voltage terminal 47 on the battery 101 (102) side, and a plurality of signal terminal pins 141 that can be fitted and connected to the signal terminal 48 on the battery 101 (102) side. The high voltage terminal pins 140 and the signal terminal pins 141 are arranged in a row along the vehicle width direction. The high voltage terminal pins 140 are arranged on the outer side of the plurality of signal terminal pins 141 in the vehicle width direction. The height of the upper end of each high voltage terminal pin 140 arranged on both sides in the vehicle width direction is higher than the height of the upper end of the signal terminal pin 141. Therefore, when the case side connection terminal 43 is displaced from the retracted position J2 to the connection position J1 together with the terminal support block 139, the high voltage terminal pin 140 contacts the terminal portion 41 on the battery 101 (102) side before the signal terminal pin 141.

In addition, a cable connection wall 143 for connecting a power cable 142 (electric wire) to the high-voltage terminal pin 140 and a signal line connection portion 145 for connecting a signal line 144 (electric wire) to the signal terminal pin 141 are provided at the lower end of the terminal support block 139. The cable connection walls 143 are disposed on the outer side of the signal line connection portions 145 in the vehicle width direction. A bolt 146 for connecting the metal conductor of the power cable 142 to the high-voltage terminal pin 140 is fastened to the cable connection wall 143 from the outer side in the vehicle width direction. The bolt 146 electrically connects the power cable 142 to the high-voltage terminal pin 140 and also firmly connects and fixes it physically.

A cable support bracket 201 is attached to the terminal support block 139. The power cable 142 and the signal line 144 bundled by the clamp device 202 are held in the cable support bracket 201. The cable support bracket 201 is supported by a stay (not shown) protruding downward from the lower end of the terminal support block 139 near one side in the vehicle width direction. The cable support bracket 201 extends downward from the terminal support block 139 side and then curves in an approximately J-shape in the vehicle width direction so as to follow the drawing direction of the power cable 142 and the signal line 144. The clamp device 202 is supported on the tip side of the curved part of the cable support bracket 201. The lower end of the cable support bracket 201 and the clamp device 202 are positioned below the cable connection wall 143 and the signal line connection part 145 of the terminal support block 139.

A pair of guide protrusions 147, which are case-side guide parts, protrude upward at a position on the outer side of the case-side connection terminal 43 of the terminal support block 139 in the vehicle width direction. The guide protrusions 147 are formed in a generally cylindrical shape, and a spherical curved surface or a tapered surface is provided at the tip of the guide protrusions 147. The left and right guide protrusions 147 protrude upward beyond the upper ends of the high-voltage terminal pin 140 and the signal terminal pin 141 of the case-side connection terminal 43.

On the other hand, a pair of guide holes 148 capable of receiving the left and right guide protrusions 147 on the terminal support block 139 side are provided on the underside of the battery 100 (101). The guide holes 148 form the battery side guide portion. Here, when the case side connection terminal 43 rises toward the connection position J1, the guide protrusion 147 is inserted into the guide hole 148 before the case side connection terminal 43 contacts and connects with the terminal portion 41 of the battery 100 (101). In this embodiment, the guide protrusion 147 is set so that when the case side connection terminal 43 is in the retracted position J2, the separation distance L1 between the contact portion of the guide protrusion 147 and the guide hole 148 is shorter than the separation distance L2 between the case side connection terminal 43 and the terminal portion 41 of the battery 100 (101). The upper end of guide protrusion 147, which is the guide end of guide protrusion 147 facing the battery, is formed above (on the battery side) the upper end of high-voltage terminal pin 140, which is the terminal end of case side connection terminal 43 facing the battery.

<Cord storage section>
As shown in Fig. 7, the center tunnel CT is provided with a cover inclined surface CS that is inclined so as to be positioned downward toward the rear with respect to the ground surface. The center tunnel CT is provided with a lid member 240 that can open and close the cord storage section 230. The cord storage section 230 is box-shaped and opens upward. The cord storage section 230 has a storage space 230s formed therein, and the charging cord 245 and other items other than the charging cord 245 can be stored in the storage space 230s. For example, when the charging cord 245 is stored in the cord storage section 230, other items can be stored in the cord storage section 230 together.

The cord storage section 230 is provided with a cord pull-out section that allows the charging cord 245 to be pulled out into the cord storage section 230. The cord pull-out section is a hole that opens the left wall of the cord storage section 230 in the vehicle width direction.

The cover member 240 is disposed at the top of the center tunnel CT. This makes it easy to visually check the open/closed state of the cover member 240. In addition, the cover member 240 can be easily opened and closed. In FIG. 7, the cover member 240 is shown in a closed state by a solid line, and the cover member 240 is shown in an open state by a two-dot chain line. When the cover member 240 is in a closed state, the cover inclined surface CS is substantially flush with the upper surface of the cover member 240.

<Control System>
As shown in FIG. 20, a PDU (Power Driver Unit) 321 and an ECU (Electric Control Unit) 322 constitute a PCU 320, which is an integrated control unit. Electric power from the battery 100 is supplied to the PDU 321, which is a motor driver, via a contactor 324 linked to a main switch 260. The electric power from the battery 100 is converted from direct current to three-phase alternating current by the PDU 321, and then supplied to the motor 30, which is a three-phase alternating current motor. The ECU 322 is in a running standby state when the main switch 260 is turned ON. In the running standby state, charging of the battery 100 is disabled. In addition, the ECU 322 is in a charging standby state in which charging of the battery 100 is enabled when the main switch 260 is turned OFF. The main switch 260 transmits an ON signal to the ECU 322 when it is ON, and transmits an OFF signal to the ECU 322 when it is OFF.

The output voltage from the battery 100 is stepped down via a DC-DC converter 326 and used to charge a sub-battery 327 rated at 12 V. The sub-battery 327 supplies power to general electrical components such as lighting and control system components such as the ECU 322. By installing the sub-battery 327, various electromagnetic locks and the like can be operated even when the battery 100 (hereinafter also referred to as the "main battery 100") is removed.

When the main battery 100 is connected, the sub-battery 327 is charged via the DC-DC converter 326, so the sub-battery 327 is charged by running the vehicle with the main battery 100 attached. This prevents general electrical components and control system components from becoming inoperable due to a drop in the power of the sub-battery 327.

Although not shown, PDU 321 includes an inverter including a bridge circuit using multiple switching elements such as transistors, a smoothing capacitor, etc. PDU 321 controls the current supply to the stator windings of motor 30. Motor 30 performs power running according to the control of PDU 321 to run the vehicle.

The battery 100 is charged by a charger 325 connected to an external power source while mounted on the vehicle body. The battery 100 (front and rear batteries 101, 102) can also be charged by an external charger while removed from the vehicle body.

Each of the front and rear batteries 101, 102 is equipped with a BMU (Battery Managing Unit) 101a, 102a that monitors the charge/discharge status, temperature, etc. The information monitored by each BMU 101a, 102a is shared with the ECU 322 when the front and rear batteries 101, 102 are mounted on the vehicle body. Output request information from an accelerator sensor 329 is input to the ECU 322. The ECU 322 drives and controls the motor 30 via the PDU 321 based on the input output request information.

For example, the ECU 322 regulates charging and discharging of the battery 100 by controlling the battery 100. For example, the ECU 322 controls the contactor 324 and the relay 262 to switch between supplying power to the battery 100 and discharging power from the battery 100.

In addition, each of the front and rear batteries 101, 102 includes field effect transistors (hereinafter referred to as "FETs") 101F, 102F, which are semiconductor switches that switch charging ON/OFF. For example, the ECU 322 closes the FETs 101F, 102F by sending a close signal to the FETs 101F, 102F to make each of the front and rear batteries 101, 102 chargeable, and opens the FETs 101F, 102F by sending an open signal to make each of the front and rear batteries 101, 102 non-chargeable. When the front and rear batteries 101, 102 are in a chargeable state, the front and rear batteries 101, 102 are charged by connecting the charging cord 245 to an external power source via a charging plug provided on the charging cord 245. When the front and rear batteries 101, 102 are in a non-chargeable state, the front and rear batteries 101, 102 are not charged even if the charging cord 245 is connected to an external power source.

The first diode 271 rectifies the current flowing between the high potential terminal 325P of the charger 325 and the high potential terminal 101P of the front battery 101. For example, the first diode 271 passes a current in a direction from the high potential terminal 325P of the charger 325 to the high potential terminal 101P of the front battery 101.

The second diode 272 rectifies the current flowing between the high potential terminal 325P of the charger 325 and the high potential terminal 102P of the rear battery 102. For example, the second diode 272 passes a current in a direction from the high potential terminal 325P of the charger 325 to the high potential terminal 102P of the rear battery 102.

The current flowing through the first diode 271 and the current flowing through the second diode 272 are different from each other. The polarities of the high potential side terminal 325P of the charger 325, the high potential side terminal 101P of the front battery 101, and the high potential side terminal 102P of the rear battery 102 are the same. For example, the polarities of the high potential side terminal 325P of the charger 325, the high potential side terminal 101P of the front battery 101, and the high potential side terminal 102P of the rear battery 102 are positive.

The first diode 271 corresponding to the front battery 101 and the second diode 272 corresponding to the rear battery 102 are provided to protect each part from the following events. The first diode 271 and the second diode 272 are provided to prevent current from flowing back from the high potential side terminal 101P of the front battery 101 and the high potential side terminal 102P of the rear battery 102 to the high potential side terminal 325P of the charger 325.

The first diode 271 is provided to prevent the front battery 101 from shorting out when the batteries 100 are connected in series. The first diode 271 and the second diode 272 are provided in the opposite directions in the conductors 281 and 282 that connect the high potential terminal 101P of the front battery 101 and the high potential terminal 102P of the rear battery 102, respectively, to prevent a short circuit in the case where one of the front battery 101 and the rear battery 102 is short-circuited.

The contactor 324 disconnects the connection between the low-potential terminal 101N of the front battery 101 and the high-potential terminal 101P of the rear battery 102. For example, in the conductive state, the contactor 324 connects between the low-potential terminal 101N of the front battery 101 and the high-potential terminal 102P of the rear battery 102. In the conductive state, the contactor 324 connects the batteries 100 in series, and in the cut-off state, the contactor 324 disconnects the series connection of the batteries 100. The period during which the contactor 324 is in the cut-off state includes at least the period during which the charger 325 supplies power to the battery 100.

The relay 262 disconnects the connection between the low potential side terminal 101N of the front battery 101 and the low potential side terminal 102N of the rear battery 102. For example, in a conductive state, the relay 262 connects between the low potential side terminal 101N of the front battery 101 and the low potential side terminal 102N of the rear battery 102. The period during which the relay 262 is in a conductive state includes at least the period during which the charger 325 supplies power to the battery 100.

Both ends of the batteries 100 connected in series are each connected to the PDU 321. By switching the states of the contactor 324 and the relay 262, the front battery 101 and the rear battery 102 in the battery 100 are connected in series or in parallel. The diodes 271, 272, the relay 262, and the connection section (branch points P1 to P4) are included in the junction box 323.

<Example of connection configuration of electric circuit drive system>
Each part of the drive system of the electrical circuit is electrically connected as follows by conductors (conductor wires) including a first conductor 281, a second conductor 282, a third conductor 283, a fourth conductor 284, a fifth conductor 285, a sixth conductor 286, a seventh conductor 287 and an eighth conductor 288.

The first conductor 281 electrically connects the high potential side terminal 101P of the front battery 101 and the high potential side terminal 325P of the charger 325. A first diode 271 is inserted in the first conductor 281. For example, the cathode of the first diode 271 is connected to the high potential side terminal 101P of the front battery 101, and the anode of the first diode 271 is connected to the high potential side terminal 325P of the charger 325. A first branch point P1 is provided between the anode of the first diode 271 and the high potential side terminal 325P of the charger 325.

The second conductor 282 electrically connects the first branch point P1 to the high potential side terminal 102P of the rear battery 102. A second diode 272 is inserted in the second conductor 282. For example, the cathode of the second diode 272 is connected to the high potential side terminal 102P of the rear battery 102, and the anode of the second diode 272 is connected to the high potential side terminal 325P of the charger 325 via the first branch point P1. A second branch point P2 is provided between the cathode of the second diode 272 and the high potential side terminal 102P of the rear battery 102.

The third conductor 283 electrically connects the second branch point P2 to the low potential side terminal 101N of the front battery 101. A contact of the contactor 324 is inserted into the third conductor 283. The third conductor 283 is provided with a third branch point P3. The third branch point P3 is located between the contactor 324 and the low potential side terminal 101N of the front battery 101.

The fourth conductor 284 electrically connects the third branch point P3 to the low potential side terminal 325N of the charger 325. A contact of the relay 262 is inserted in the fourth conductor 284. The fourth conductor 284 electrically connects the low potential side terminal (102N) of the battery (rear battery 102) with the lower potential among the batteries connected in series to the low potential side terminal 325N of the charger 325.

A fourth branch point P4 is provided between the cathode of the first diode 271 and the high potential terminal 101P of the front battery 101. A fifth conductor 285 electrically connects the fourth branch point P4 to the high potential terminal of the PDU 321. A sixth conductor 286 electrically connects the fourth branch point P4 to the high potential terminal 326P of the DC-DC converter 326. A seventh conductor 287 connects the low potential terminal of the PDU 321 to the low potential terminal 325N of the charger 325. An eighth conductor 288 connects the low potential terminal 326N of the DC-DC converter 326 to the low potential terminal 325N of the charger 325. In addition to the above-mentioned drive system connections, the electric circuit may also include a monitoring and control system connection shown by the dashed line in the figure. The electric circuit may include an ECU 322.

<Electric circuit function>
The ECU 322 acquires the status of the battery 100 from each of the BMUs 101a, 102a. For example, the BMUs 101a, 102a transmit a charging signal to the ECU 322 when the front and rear batteries 101, 102 are being charged, and transmit a discharging signal to the ECU 322 when the batteries are being discharged. The ECU 322 detects user operations from an accelerator sensor 329, etc. The ECU 322 controls the contactor 324, the relay 262, and the PDU 321 based on the collected information.

For example, when charging the battery 100 with power from the charger 325, the ECU 322 switches the contactor 324 to an interrupted state and the relay 262 to a conductive state. When the front battery 101 and the rear battery 102 are connected in parallel, power is supplied from the charger 325 to the front battery 101 and the rear battery 102. In the above control state, power can be supplied from the charger 325 to the PDU 321. The voltage from the charger 325 to the PDU 321 is the same as the voltage applied between the terminals of the front battery 101.

For example, when driving the PDU 321 with power stored in the battery 100, the ECU 322 makes the contactor 324 conductive and the relay 262 cut off. When the front battery 101 and the rear battery 102 are connected in series, the front battery 101 and the rear battery 102 supply power to the PDU 321. In the above case, the first diode 271 is reverse biased. Due to the reverse bias, the voltage (e.g., 96 V) of the high potential terminal 101P of the front battery 101 is not applied to the high potential terminal 102P of the rear battery 102 and the high potential terminal 325P of the charger 325.

<ECU Function>
The ECU 322 also functions as a control unit that controls the vehicle based on the detection result of the seat opening/closing detection unit 80. The seat opening/closing detection unit 80 transmits an opening/closing state signal indicating the opening/closing state of the seat 8 to the ECU 322. The ECU 322 detects whether the seat 8 is open or closed based on the opening/closing state signal transmitted by the seat opening/closing detection unit 80. When the ECU 322 detects the open state of the seat 8, it transmits an open signal to the FETs 101F, 102F provided in the front and rear batteries 101, 102 to make the front and rear batteries 101, 102 in a non-chargeable state. When the ECU 322 detects the closed state of the seat 8 based on the opening/closing state signal transmitted by the seat opening/closing detection unit 80, it transmits a close signal to the FETs 101F, 102F provided in the front and rear batteries 101, 102 to make the front and rear batteries 101, 102 in a chargeable state.

<Connecting the battery and charger>
The front and rear batteries 101, 102 and the charger 325 are connected to each other via a communication line (CAN) 400. Therefore, the front and rear batteries 101, 102 and the charger 325 can directly exchange signals with each other via the communication line 400 without going through the ECU 322.

Next, an example of the operation of ECU 322 will be described. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the ECU. As shown in Figure 9, ECU 322 determines whether it is in a driving standby state or a driving state (step S11). When ECU 322 receives an ON signal transmitted by main switch 260, it determines that it is in a driving standby state or a driving state, and when ECU 322 receives an OFF signal, it determines that it is in a charging standby state or a charging state (charging).

If it is determined that the vehicle is in a standby state or in a running state (step S11: YES), the ECU 322 repeats the process of step S11. If it is determined that the vehicle is not in a standby state or in a running state (step S11: NO), the ECU 322 determines whether the vehicle is in a charging standby state (step S12). If the charging signal is not transmitted from the BMU of the front and rear batteries 101, 102 and the front and rear batteries 101, 102 are in a charging standby state (step S12: YES), the ECU 22 determines whether the seat 8 is in a closed state based on the closing signal transmitted by the seat opening/closing detection unit 80 (step S13). The ECU 22 determines whether the seat 8 is in a closed state based on the closing signal transmitted by the seat opening/closing detection unit 80.

When the ECU 322 determines that the seat 8 is closed based on the open/close state signal transmitted by the seat open/close detection unit 80 (step S13: YES), it transmits a close signal to the front and rear batteries 101, 102 to close the FETs 101F, 102F (step S14) and puts the front and rear batteries 101, 102 into a chargeable state. When the front and rear batteries 101, 102 are in a chargeable state, the front and rear batteries 101, 102 are charged by connecting the charging cord 245 provided on the charging cord 245 to an external power source (step S15).

In addition, in step S13, if it is determined that the seat 8 is not in the closed state (is in the open state) based on the open/close state signal transmitted by the seat open/close detection unit 80 (step S13: NO), the ECU 322 transmits an open signal to the front and rear batteries 101, 102 to open the FETs 101F, 102F, and opens the FETs 101F, 102F (step S16), placing the front and rear batteries 101, 102 in a charge-disabled state. When the front and rear batteries 101, 102 are in a charge-disabled state, the front and rear batteries 101, 102 will not be charged even if the charging cord 245 is connected to an external power source. Thus, the process shown in FIG. 9 is terminated.

In addition, when the ECU 322 determines in step S12 that the vehicle is not in a charging standby state (step S12: NO), the charging cord 245 is connected to an external power source, and the front and rear batteries 101, 102 are being charged (step S17). At this time, the ECU 22 determines whether the seat 8 is in a closed state based on a closing signal transmitted by the seat opening/closing detection unit 80 (step S18).

If it is determined that the seat 8 is not open (step S18: NO), the ECU 322 keeps the FETs 101F and 102F closed without sending an open signal to the FETs 101F and 102F. In this way, the ECU 322 continues charging the front and rear batteries 101 and 102 (step S19).

After the processing of steps S15 and S19, the ECU 322 determines whether the charge amount for the batteries 101 and 102 has reached the planned charge amount (step S20). If it is determined that the charge amount for the batteries 101 and 102 has reached the planned charge amount (step S20: YES), the ECU 322 sends an open signal to the FETs 101F and 102F to end the charging (step S21). Then, the ECU 322 ends the processing shown in FIG. 9. If it is determined that the charge amount for the batteries 101 and 102 has not reached the planned charge amount (step S20: YES), the ECU 322 ends the processing shown in FIG. 9 without sending an open signal to the FETs 101F and 102F.

Also, if it is determined in step S19 that the seat is open (step S19: YES), the ECU 322 sends an open signal to the FETs 101F and 102F to open the FETs 101F and 102F (step S22). Thus, the ECU 322 stops charging the front and rear batteries 101 and 102 (step S22). Then, the process shown in FIG. 9 is terminated.

As described above, the motorcycle 1 of the above embodiment is in a charging state in which the battery 100 mounted on the motorcycle 1 is charged when the seat 8, which serves as the lid of the battery 100, is closed with the charging cord 245 connected to the external electrode. In addition, when the seat 8, which serves as the lid of the battery storage section 64 that stores the battery 100, is open with the charging cord 245 connected to the external electrode, the motorcycle 1 is in a charging standby state in which charging is started when the seat 8 is closed. For this reason, when the seat 8 is open and a user such as a rider can remove the battery 100 from the motorcycle 1, charging of the battery 100 is not performed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the removal of the battery 100 when an arc discharge occurs during charging of the battery 100. In addition, the battery lid, which serves as the lid of the battery storage section 64 that stores the battery 100, is formed of the seat 8, which contributes to reducing the number of parts.

Motorcycle 1 is switched between the charging state and the charging standby state by FETs 101F, 102F provided in battery 100 (101, 102). This allows switching between the charging state and the charging standby state without opening seat 8. This means that there is no need to open seat 8 in order to put motorcycle 1 into the charging standby state.

In addition, the main switch 260 switches the motorcycle 1 between a charging standby state and a running standby state. Therefore, charging the battery 100 can be started simply by connecting the charging cord 245 to an external power source. This allows charging the battery 100 with simple operations.

In addition, in the motorcycle 1, the front and rear batteries 101, 102 and the charger 325 are connected by a communication line 400. Therefore, the front and rear batteries 101, 102 and the charger 325 can directly transmit and receive signals via the communication line 400 without going through the ECU 322.

The above describes the form for implementing the present invention using embodiments, but the present invention is in no way limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

In addition, the saddle-type electric vehicle of the present invention is not limited to motorcycles, but also includes saddle-type three-wheeled vehicles with two front wheels and one rear wheel, four-wheeled vehicles, etc.

1...Motorcycle 8...Seat (battery lid)
30... Motor 64... Battery storage section 80... Seat opening/closing detection section (lid opening/closing detection section)
100: Battery 101: Front battery 101F, 102F: FET (semiconductor switch)
102... rear battery 245... charging cord 260... main switch 325... charger
400...Communication line

Claims (6)

A battery that supplies power for driving;
a battery storage section for detachably storing the battery;
a battery lid provided in the battery storage section so as to be capable of being opened and closed;
a lid open/close detector that detects an open/close state of the battery lid;
a charger for charging the battery in a state where the battery is stored in the battery storage section;
a charging cord that is connected to the charger and can be connected to an external power source provided outside the battery storage section;
Equipped with
the charging cord is stored in a cord storage section provided at a position different from the battery storage section,
The charging cord is pulled out from a cord pull-out portion provided in the cord storage portion through the cord pull-out portion,
the charging cord is connectable to the external power source when the battery lid is in a closed state;
When the battery lid is in a closed state, the battery and the charger cannot be disconnected from each other,
a saddle-type electric vehicle, characterized in that, with the charging cord connected to the external power supply, when the lid open/close detection unit detects that the battery lid is open, the vehicle goes into a charging standby state, and when the lid open/close detection unit detects that the battery lid is closed, the vehicle goes into a charging state. the battery includes a semiconductor switch;
2. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor switch is opened when it is detected that the battery lid is open, thereby making the battery non-chargeable. Equipped with a main switch to switch between standby and charging modes,
3. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is placed in the charging standby state by the main switch and placed in a charging state by connecting the charging cord to an external power source. The battery storage section is disposed under a seat on which a passenger can sit,
The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the battery lid is the seat. 5. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the cord storage portion is formed in a center tunnel extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle between a pair of left and right step floors on which a driver seated on the seat places his/her feet . 6. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the charger and the battery are capable of transmitting and receiving signals via a communication line.

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