JPWO2019207713A1 - Electric vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The electric vehicle includes a front body (3) having a single front wheel (2), a rear body (5) having a pair of left and right rear wheels (4), and a front body (3) and a rear body (5). A rotating mechanism (6) that is connected so as to be relatively swingable around an axis (C1) facing the front-rear direction of the vehicle, a motor (7) for running the vehicle, and a battery (100) that supplies electric power to the motor (7). ), And at least a part of the rotating mechanism (6) is arranged behind the battery (100), and in side view, at least a part of the motor (7) is It is arranged above the axis (C1) and below the upper end of the rear wheel (4).

Description

The present invention relates to an electric vehicle.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electric vehicle in which the front vehicle body can swing in the roll direction (rotation direction around an axis facing the vehicle front-rear direction) with respect to the rear vehicle body. This electric vehicle was supported by a fixed bracket erected between the left and right body frames so as to be vertically swingable, and a fixed bracket rotatably supported around an axis facing the front-rear direction via a ball bearing. It includes a swing shaft, a movable bracket fixed to the rear portion of the swing shaft, and a battery support frame welded to the movable bracket. A tray on which the battery is placed is fixed to the battery support frame.

Japanese Patent No. 3189977

By the way, batteries used in electric vehicles such as tricycles are heavy and large in size. Therefore, if this type of battery is placed above the rear of the swing shaft, it is likely that it will be difficult to secure a storage space for articles. Therefore, in such an electric vehicle, it is desired to improve the storage space for articles.

An aspect of the present invention is to provide an electric vehicle capable of improving the storage space for articles.

One aspect of the present invention is a front vehicle body (3) having a single front wheel (2), a rear vehicle body (5) having a pair of left and right rear wheels (4), the front vehicle body (3), and the rear vehicle body. Electric power is applied to a rotating mechanism (6) that connects (5) so as to be relatively swingable around an axis (C1) that faces the vehicle front-rear direction, a motor (7) for traveling the vehicle, and the motor (7). An electric vehicle (1) including a battery (100) to be supplied, at least a part of the rotation mechanism (6) is arranged behind the battery (100), and the motor (1) is viewed from the side. 7) is characterized in that at least a part thereof is arranged above the axis (C1) and below the upper end of the rear wheel (4).
According to this configuration, at least a part of the rotating mechanism is arranged behind the battery, so that the rear of the battery and the rotating mechanism can be compared with the case where the battery is arranged above the rear part of the rotating mechanism. A large storage space for articles can be secured above. In addition, when at least a part of the motor is arranged above the axis of the rotating mechanism and below the upper end of the rear wheels in the side view, the entire motor is arranged above the upper end of the rear wheels. In comparison with the above, a large storage space for articles can be secured above the rear wheels. Therefore, the storage space for articles can be improved. In addition, by setting the upper limit of the arrangement height of the motor, which is a heavy object, it is possible to prevent the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle from becoming high.

One aspect of the present invention further includes a PCU (120) as electrical components related to the motor (7) and the battery (100), and in a side view, at least a part of the PCU (120) is the axis (C1). ) And below the upper end of the rear wheel (4).
According to this configuration, a wider storage space for articles can be secured above the rear wheels as compared with the case where the entire PCU is arranged above the upper ends of the rear wheels. In addition, by setting the upper limit of the arrangement height of the heavy object PCU, it is possible to prevent the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle from becoming high. In addition, since the motor and the PCU are centrally arranged, it is possible to suppress the lengthening of the wiring connecting the motor and the PCU.

One aspect of the present invention further includes a PCU (120) as electrical components related to the motor (7) and the battery (100), and at least a part of the PCU (120) is provided by the rotating mechanism (6). Is also characterized in that it is arranged below.
According to this configuration, the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle can be lowered as much as possible by setting the arrangement height of the heavy object PCU to a position lower than that of the rotating mechanism. In addition, the PCU can be cooled by using the traveling air (cooling air) passing under the rotating mechanism.

One aspect of the present invention further includes a DC-DC converter (126) as electrical components related to the motor (7) and the battery (100), and at least a part of the DC-DC converter (126) in a side view. Is arranged above the axis (C1) and below the upper end of the rear wheel (4).
According to this configuration, a wider storage space for articles can be secured above the rear wheels as compared with the case where the entire DC-DC converter is arranged above the upper ends of the rear wheels. In addition, by setting the upper limit of the arrangement height of the heavy DC-DC converter, it is possible to prevent the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle from becoming high.

One aspect of the present invention further includes a junction box (123) as electrical components related to the motor (7) and the battery (100), and in a side view, at least a part of the junction box (123) is the axis line. It is characterized in that it is arranged above (C1) and below the upper end of the rear wheel (4).
According to this configuration, a wider storage space for articles can be secured above the rear wheels as compared with the case where the entire junction box is arranged above the upper ends of the rear wheels. In addition, by setting the upper limit of the arrangement height of the junction box, which is a heavy object, it is possible to prevent the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle from becoming high.

One aspect of the present invention further includes a contactor (124) as an electrical component related to the motor (7) and the battery (100), and in a side view, at least a part of the contactor (124) is the axis (C1). ) And below the upper end of the rear wheel (4).
According to this configuration, a wider storage space for articles can be secured above the rear wheels as compared with the case where the entire contactor is arranged above the upper end of the rear wheels.

One aspect of the present invention further includes a differential mechanism (51) that distributes the driving force of the motor (7) to the pair of left and right rear wheels (4), and the differential mechanism (51) is viewed from the side. At least a part thereof is arranged above the axis (C1) and below the upper end of the rear wheel (4).
According to this configuration, a wider storage space for articles can be secured above the rear wheels as compared with the case where the entire differential mechanism is arranged above the upper ends of the rear wheels. In addition, by setting the upper limit of the arrangement height of the differential mechanism, which is a heavy object, it is possible to prevent the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle from becoming high.

In one aspect of the present invention, the rear vehicle body (5) includes a swing arm (50) that supports the pair of left and right rear wheels (4), and the front vehicle body (3) and the swing arm (50). A rear cushion (8) is interposed between them, and in a side view, at least a part of the rear cushion (8) is above the axis (C1) and above the upper end of the rear wheel (4). It is characterized in that it is arranged below.
According to this configuration, a wider storage space for articles can be secured above the rear wheels as compared with the case where the entire rear cushion is arranged above the upper end of the rear wheels.

In one aspect of the present invention, the rotation mechanism (6) is arranged at the center position on the left and right of the vehicle body, and the motor (7) is offset to the left or right with respect to the left and right center line (CL) of the vehicle body. It is characterized by being arranged.
According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle from becoming higher as compared with the case where the motor is arranged above the rotating mechanism. In addition, by arranging the motors offset to the left or right with respect to the left and right center lines of the vehicle body, it is possible to effectively utilize the space avoiding the rotation mechanism.

One aspect of the present invention further includes a differential mechanism (51) that distributes the driving force of the motor (7) to the pair of left and right rear wheels (4), and the differential mechanism (51) is viewed from above. It is characterized in that it overlaps with the left and right center lines (CL) of the vehicle body.
According to this configuration, the left and right shared loads in the electric vehicle can be optimized as compared with the case where the entire differential mechanism is offset from the left and right center lines of the vehicle body in the top view.

One aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the motor (7) is arranged in front of the axle (4a) of the rear wheel (4).
According to this configuration, since the heavy motor is relatively arranged closer to the center of the front and rear of the entire vehicle body, it is possible to suppress the influence of disturbance from the rear and contribute to the concentration of mass.

One aspect of the present invention further includes an electric cable (136) for supplying electric power to the motor (7), and at least a part of the electric cable (136) is arranged along the axis (C1). It is characterized by being searched.
According to this configuration, since the electric cable can be arranged linearly along the axis of the rotating mechanism, it is possible to suppress the lengthening of the electric cable.

One aspect of the present invention further includes a PCU (120) as electrical components related to the motor (7) and the battery (100), and the rotation mechanism (6) is arranged at the center position on the left and right sides of the vehicle body and is viewed from above. The motor (7) and the PCU (120) are arranged on opposite sides of the vehicle body left and right center lines (CL).
According to this configuration, the left and right shared loads in the electric vehicle can be optimized as compared with the case where the motor and the PCU are concentrated on either the left or right side of the left and right center lines of the vehicle body.

One aspect of the present invention further includes a storage case (9) for storing a plurality of electrical components related to the motor (7) and the battery (100), and the plurality of electrical components include a PCU (120). The PCU (120) is arranged on the outer side of the storage case (9).
According to this configuration, the PCU can be cooled by using the traveling air (cooling air) that hits the outer side of the storage case.

One aspect of the present invention further includes a storage case (9) for storing a plurality of electrical components related to the motor (7) and the battery (100), and the plurality of electrical components include a DC-DC converter (126). ) Is included, and the DC-DC converter (126) is arranged on the outer side of the storage case (9).
According to this configuration, the DC-DC converter can be cooled by using the running air (cooling air) that hits the outer side of the storage case.

One aspect of the present invention is a storage case (9) for accommodating a plurality of electrical components related to the motor (7) and the battery (100), and a plurality of cables (131 to 13) connected to the plurality of electrical components. 135), and the plurality of cables (131 to 135) are integrated from the storage case (9).
According to this configuration, since a plurality of cables bundled together can be routed from the storage case, the route arrangement work can be easily performed.

According to the aspect of the present invention, the storage space for articles can be improved.

It is a left side view of the electric vehicle which concerns on embodiment. It is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. It is a block diagram of the electrical component of the electric vehicle which concerns on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing at the time of the lock completion of the battery which concerns on embodiment including the VI-VI cross section of FIG. It is a left side view of the battery storage device which concerns on embodiment. It is a perspective view of the battery storage device which concerns on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing when the lock of the battery which concerns on embodiment is not completed. It is a left side view which shows the arrangement of the motor which concerns on embodiment. It is a top view which shows the arrangement of the motor which concerns on embodiment. It is a left side view which shows the arrangement of the electrical component which concerns on the modification of embodiment. It is a left side view of the electric vehicle which concerns on the 1st modification of embodiment. It is a rear view of the electric vehicle which concerns on the 1st modification of embodiment. It is a top view of the battery case which concerns on the 1st modification of embodiment. It is a figure which includes the XVI-XVI cross section of FIG. It is a left side view of the electric vehicle which concerns on the 2nd modification of embodiment. It is a rear view of the electric vehicle which concerns on the 2nd modification of embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the arrangement of the battery case which concerns on the 2nd modification of embodiment including the XIX-XIX cross section of FIG. It is a left side view of the electric vehicle which concerns on the 3rd modification of embodiment. It is a figure which includes the XXI-XXI cross section of FIG. It is a left side view of the electric vehicle which concerns on the 4th modification of embodiment. It is a left side view of the electric vehicle which concerns on the 5th modification of embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the orientations such as front, rear, left, and right in the following description shall be the same as the orientations in the vehicle described below. At appropriate points 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 upper part of the vehicle, and a chain line CL indicating the left and right center lines of the vehicle body are shown.

[Whole vehicle]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a left side surface of an electric tricycle (electric tricycle), which is a form of an electric vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, the electric vehicle 1 includes a front vehicle body 3 that supports a single front wheel 2 (steering wheel), a rear vehicle body 5 that supports a pair of left and right rear wheels 4 (driving wheels), and a front vehicle body. A rotating mechanism 6 for connecting 3 and the rear vehicle body 5 so as to be relatively swingable around an axis C1 facing the front-rear direction of the vehicle, a motor 7 for traveling the vehicle, and a battery 100 for supplying electric power to the motor 7. Be prepared.

The electric vehicle 1 enables the front vehicle body 3 (swinging side vehicle body) on which the occupant rides to swing left and right (rolling motion) with respect to the rear vehicle body 5 (non-swinging side vehicle body) with the left and right rear wheels 4 grounded. There is. Reference numeral C1 in the drawing indicates a rolling axis (axis facing the vehicle front-rear direction) extending in the vehicle front-rear direction in the rotating mechanism 6.

[Front body 3]
The front vehicle body 3 includes a bar handle 11 for steering the front wheels, a seat 12 for seating the occupants, a floor 13 on which the occupants' feet can be placed, a vehicle body frame 14 forming the skeleton of the front vehicle body 3, and front wheels. A front wheel suspension device 15 for suspending the 2 is provided. A straddling space 16 is formed between the bar handle 11 and the seat 12. The floor 13 is arranged below the straddling space 16.

The body frame 14 includes a head pipe 20 located at the front end of the body frame 14 and tilting backward in the vertical direction, and a single front frame 21 (downward extending portion) extending diagonally rearward and downward from the head pipe 20. A pair of left and right lower frames 22 (rear extending portions) that branch left and right from the lower end of the front frame 21 and extend rearward, and extend diagonally rearward and upward from the rear ends of the left and right lower frames 22. A pair of left and right rear frames 23, a pair of left and right loading platform frames 24 extending rearward from the rear ends of the left and right rear frames 23, and a lower cross pipe 25 passing between the left and right lower frames 22 are provided. ..

The front wheel suspension device 15 is steerably supported by the head pipe 20. The front wheel suspension device 15 includes a stem pipe 26 that penetrates the head pipe 20. The bar handle 11 is fixed to the upper end of the stem pipe 26.

A pair of left and right pivot plates 27 are provided at the rear of each of the left and right lower frames 22. A swing unit 49 is connected to a pair of left and right pivot plates 27 so as to be able to swing up and down. Reference numeral C2 in the figure indicates a pivot axis extending in the vehicle width direction.

The front vehicle body 3 is covered with the front vehicle body cover 30. The front body cover 30 covers the front cover 31 that covers the periphery of the head pipe 20 and the front frame 21 from the front, the inner cover 32 that covers the periphery of the head pipe 20 and the front frame 21 from the rear, and the space below the seat 12. A seat under cover 33 for covering and left and right rear side covers 34 for laterally covering the rear frame 23 and the loading platform frame 24 are provided. Reference numeral 35 in the drawing indicates a storage box provided below the loading platform frame 24 and above the rear wheel 4.

The front cover 31 and the inner cover 32 form a leg shield 39 that covers the legs of the occupant from the front. The loading platform front wall portion 40 stands up from the front end portion of the loading platform frame 24. A pair of left and right columns 41 stand up from the upper end of the loading platform front wall 40. A windscreen 42 stands up from the upper end of the front cover 31. A roof 43 is erected between the upper end of the windscreen 42 and the upper ends of the left and right columns 41.

[Rear body 5]
The rear vehicle body 5 includes a swing arm 50 that supports a pair of left and right rear wheels 4. The swing arm 50 is arranged between the pair of left and right rear wheels 4. The swing arm 50 is arranged so as to extend from the rear end of the rotating mechanism 6 to the rear wheel axle 4a with the length direction facing the front-rear direction. The swing arm 50 is connected to the front vehicle body 3 so as to be swingable up and down via a rotation mechanism 6. That is, the rotation mechanism 6 and the swing arm 50 constitute the swing unit 49. A rear wheel suspension device 55 (rear suspension 55) is configured on the rear vehicle body 5 including the swing unit 49 and the rear cushion 8.

The swing arm 50 houses a motor 7, a drive shaft (not shown), a differential mechanism, and the like. A pair of left and right rear wheel axles 4a (output shafts) extend from both left and right sides of the rear portion of the swing arm 50. The pair of left and right rear wheel axles 4a support the pair of left and right rear wheels 4, respectively.

The motor 7 is driven by the electric power of the battery 100. For example, the motor 7 is driven at a variable speed by VVVF (variable voltage variable frequency) control. The driving force of the motor 7 is transmitted to the differential mechanism via a drive shaft (not shown). The driving force transmitted to the differential mechanism is distributed to the left and right rear axles 4a by the differential mechanism. The driving force of the motor 7 is used to drive the left and right rear wheels 4 via the drive shaft and the differential mechanism.

[Rotating mechanism 6]
The rotating mechanism 6 connects the front vehicle body 3 and the swing arm 50 so as to be relatively swingable around the rolling axis C1. The rotating mechanism 6 is capable of swinging up and down with respect to the front vehicle body 3 together with the swing arm 50.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rotation mechanism 6 includes a joint case 60 rotatably connected to a pair of left and right pivot plates 27, a joint shaft 61 rotatably connected to the joint case 60, and a joint case. It includes a Knighthardt mechanism 62 that imparts a damper effect to the relative rotation of the 60 and the joint shaft 61, and a rotation restraining mechanism 63 that can suppress the relative rotation of the joint case 60 and the joint shaft 61.

The joint case 60 is arranged so as to extend from the pivot axis C2 to the front of the swing arm 50 with the length direction facing the front-rear direction. The front end of the joint case 60 is rotatably connected to a pair of left and right pivot plates 27 around the pivot axis C2. The lower end of the rear cushion 8 is connected to the upper part of the joint case 60.

The joint shaft 61 is arranged so that the length direction faces the front-rear direction so as to follow the extending direction of the joint case 60. The joint shaft 61 has a columnar shape with the rolling axis C1 as the central axis. The front portion of the joint shaft 61 is inserted into the joint case 60. The joint shaft 61 is rotatably supported by the joint case 60 around the rolling axis C1. The rear end of the joint shaft 61 is fixed to the front end of the swing arm 50. The joint shaft 61 is non-rotatable with respect to the swing arm 50 around the rolling axis C1.

The Knighthardt mechanism 62 is interposed between the front portion of the joint shaft 61 and the joint case 60. As shown in FIG. 3, the Knighthard mechanism 62 includes a Knighthard cam 65 fixed to the joint shaft 61, and a Knighthard cam 65 interposed between the Knighthard cam 65 and the inner surface of the joint case 60.

A plurality of night hull travers 66 are provided. The plurality of night hull travers 66 are engaged with the inner surface of the joint case 60. The Knighthalt cam 65 has cam surfaces 65a facing the Knighthardt rubber 66 from both sides in the circumferential direction around the rolling axis C1.

When the night hart cam 65 tries to rotate about the rolling axis C1 with respect to the joint case 60, the night hart rubber 66 is pressed against the night hull rubber 66 to elastically deform the night hull rubber 66. The Knighthalt rubber 66 urges the Knighthardt cam 65 toward the initial position by the restoring force when elastically deformed. As a result, the Knighthardt mechanism 62 urges the front vehicle body 3 connected to the joint case 60 in the upright direction with respect to the swing arm 50 coupled to the joint shaft 61 (see FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 2, the rotation restraint mechanism 63 is provided inside the joint case 60. The rotation restraint mechanism 63 stops the rotation of the joint shaft 61 with respect to the joint case 60 in response to the operation of the parking lock lever (not shown). When the parking lock lever is operated, the rotation restraint mechanism 63 operates together with the rear brake (not shown). The rotation restraint mechanism 63 stabilizes the parking posture of the front vehicle body 3 connected to the joint case 60 by stopping the relative rotation of the joint case 60 and the joint shaft 61.

[Battery 100]
As shown in FIG. 4, the battery 100 is arranged between the pair of left and right lower frames 22. The battery 100 is composed of a plurality of unit batteries. In the embodiment, the battery 100 is composed of two unit batteries 101 and 102. The two unit batteries 101 and 102 have the same configuration as each other. The two unit batteries 101 and 102 are provided symmetrically with the left and right center lines CL of the vehicle body interposed therebetween. Hereinafter, of the two unit batteries 101 and 102, the unit battery located on the left side is also referred to as a “left battery”, and the unit battery located on the right side is also referred to as a “right battery”. Hereinafter, the battery 100 (unit battery 101, 102) is also simply referred to as a “battery”.

The left and right batteries 101 and 102 each have a prismatic shape having a rectangular cross section. The left and right batteries 101 and 102 extend in the front-rear direction, respectively. The left and right batteries 101 and 102 have a rectangular parallelepiped shape along the front-rear direction.

The battery 100 generates a predetermined high voltage (48 to 72V) by connecting the left and right batteries 101 and 102 in series. For example, the left and right batteries 101 and 102 are each composed of a lithium ion battery as energy storage that can be charged and discharged. The left and right batteries 101 and 102 include a BMU (Battery Managing Unit) (not shown) that monitors the charge / discharge status, temperature, and the like.

[Control system]
As shown in FIG. 5, the left and right batteries 101 and 102 are connected to the PDU (Power Driver Unit) 121 via a junction box (distributor) 123 including a contactor (electromagnetic switch) 124. The PDU 121 constitutes an integrated PCU (Power Control Unit) 120 together with the ECU (Electric Control Unit) 122. The electric power from the battery 100 is supplied to the PDU 121 which is a motor driver via the contactor 124 which works with the main switch. The electric power from the battery 100 is converted from direct current to three-phase alternating current by the PDU 121, and then supplied to the motor 7, which is a three-phase alternating current motor. The motor 7 performs power running operation according to the control by the PDU 121 to drive the electric vehicle.
In FIG. 5, reference numeral 130 indicates an electrical component. Reference numeral 9 in the drawing indicates a storage case for storing electrical components other than the battery (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

The output voltage from the battery 100 is stepped down via the DC-DC converter 126 and used for charging a 12 V sub-battery (not shown) or the like. The sub-battery supplies electric power to general electrical components such as lighting equipment and control system components such as ECU 122. By mounting the sub-battery, various electromagnetic locks and the like can be operated even when the main battery 100 is removed.

The battery 100 is charged by a charger 125 connected to an external power source while being mounted on the vehicle body. The battery 100 (left and right batteries 101, 102) can be charged by a charger outside the vehicle while being removed from the vehicle body.

A first connection cable 131 is arranged between the left battery 101 and the junction box 123. A second connection cable 132 is arranged between the right battery 102 and the junction box 123. A third connection cable 133 is arranged between the junction box 123 and the PCU 120. A fourth connection cable 134 is arranged between the junction box 123 and the charger 125. A fifth connection cable 135 is arranged between the junction box 123 and the DC-DC converter (down regulator) 126. A three-phase cable 136 extends from the PDU 121. The three-phase cable 136 is connected to the motor 7. A charging cable 137 is connected to the charger 125. The charging cable 137 may be detachable from the charger 125. The charging cable 137 may be configured as an external charger.

[Battery case 70]
As shown in FIG. 2, the battery 100 is inserted and removed from the battery case 70 (case) fixed to the front vehicle body 3. The battery case 70 is fixed to the vehicle body frame 14 via brackets and substays (not shown). As shown in FIG. 4, the battery case 70 can accommodate the left and right batteries 101 and 102. The battery case 70 has an upper opening 71 that opens upward.

As shown in FIG. 6, the battery case 70 is inclined so as to be located on the lower wall 72 located below the left and right batteries 101 and 102 (only the left battery 101 is shown in FIG. 6) and on the rear side in a side view. A sloping wall 73 is provided.

Specifically, the battery case 70 covers the lower wall 72 that covers the left and right batteries 101 and 102 from below, the inclined wall 73 (front wall) that covers the left and right batteries 101 and 102 from the front, and the left and right batteries 101 and 102 from the rear. It is provided with a rear wall 74, a pair of left and right side walls 75 (see FIG. 4) that cover the left and right batteries 101 and 102 from the left and right sides, and a partition wall 76 (see FIG. 4) located between the left and right batteries 101 and 102. .. The battery case 70 has a space 77 (hereinafter, also referred to as “battery storage space 77”) that can store the left and right batteries 101 and 102.

As shown in FIG. 6, the inclined wall 73 is connected to the front end of the lower wall 72. The rear wall 74 is connected to the rear end of the lower wall 72. As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of left and right side walls 75 are connected to both left and right ends of the lower wall 72. The partition wall 76 is connected to the central portion of the lower wall 72 in the vehicle width direction. The partition wall 76 stands upward from the central portion of the lower wall 72 in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in FIG. 6, a drain hole 78 is provided in the lower part of the battery case 70. The drain hole 78 is provided at the rear of the lower wall 72. The drain hole 78 is an opening that penetrates the lower wall 72 in the vertical direction (thickness direction of the lower wall 72).

The upper part of the battery case 70 is provided with a lid 80 capable of opening and closing the upper opening 71, and a hinge shaft 81 rotatably connecting the lid 80 around an axis along the vehicle width direction. A floor 13 (see FIG. 2) on which the feet of the occupants can be placed is provided on the upper part of the lid 80. As shown in FIG. 2, a stay 28 that supports the floor 13 is connected to the vehicle body frame 14.

When viewed from the side, the stay 28 has a columnar shape along the front-rear direction. A pair of left and right stays 28 are provided so as to sandwich the battery case 70. A hinge shaft 81 is rotatably connected to the rear portion of the pair of left and right stays 28. The pair of left and right stays 28 support the floor 13 via a hinge shaft 81 and a lid 80 (see FIG. 6).

As shown in FIG. 4, a protruding wall 83 facing the partition wall 76 is provided below the lid 80. The protruding wall 83 projects downward from the central portion of the lid 80 in the vehicle width direction. An elastic member 84 having a U-shaped cross section is attached to the protruding portion 83. The elastic member 84 is in contact with the inner surface of the upper left and right batteries 101 and 102 in the vehicle width direction.

The battery case 70 is provided with a case-side connection terminal (not shown) for detachably connecting a battery terminal (hereinafter, also referred to as a “battery-side connection terminal”). For example, by storing the left and right batteries in the battery case 70 and operating the battery lock mechanism 94 (see FIG. 6) in the locked state, the battery side connection terminal and the case side connection terminal are connected.

The operation of the battery lock mechanism 94 and the insertion / removal of the left and right batteries are manual. The left and right batteries are attached to and detached from the vehicle body without tools. The left and right batteries are mobile batteries that can be attached to and detached from the vehicle body. The left and right batteries can be charged by a charger outside the vehicle, or can be used as a mobile battery as a power source for an external device. The left and right batteries can be used independently.

[Lid lock mechanism 85]
As shown in FIG. 6, outside the battery case 70, a lid lock mechanism 85 capable of holding the lid 80 in the battery case 70 and a lid lock case 86 for accommodating the lid lock mechanism 85 are provided.

The lid lock mechanism 85 is provided at a position adjacent to the front portion of the battery case 70. A pair of left and right lid lock mechanisms 85 are provided. The lid lock mechanism 85 includes a lid locking claw 87 connected to the front lower portion of the lid 80, and a claw receiving portion 88 housed in the lid lock case 86. The lid lock mechanism 85 is in a lid lock state in which the lid 80 is held by the battery case 70 by locking the lid locking claw 87 to the claw receiving portion 88. The lid lock mechanism 85 is in a lid unlock state in which the lid 80 can be opened from the battery case 70 by pressing a lid unlock button (not shown).

The lid lock case 86 has a box shape that covers the lid lock mechanism 85 (claw receiving portion 88) from the front, the rear, and the left and right sides. The rear upper end of the lid lock case 86 is connected to the upper end of the inclined wall 73 of the battery case 70. The lid lock case 86 and the battery case 70 are integrally formed of the same member. The lid lock case 86 has a space 89 (hereinafter, also referred to as “lid lock storage space 89”) in which the lid lock mechanism 85 can be stored. The lid lock storage space 89 is a separate room from the battery storage space 77.

[Battery storage device 91]
As shown in FIG. 6, the battery case 70 is provided with a battery storage device 91 capable of storing a battery. The left and right batteries are arranged side by side inside the battery storage device 91.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the battery storage device 91, the battery support frame 92 constituting the skeleton of the battery storage device 91, the case side connection terminal (not shown), and the case side connection terminal are connected to the battery side connection terminal (not shown). ), A terminal displacement mechanism 93 that displaces between the connection position J1 (see FIG. 6) that is contact-connected to the connection position J1 and the retracted position J2 that is separated rearward from the connection position J1, and a battery lock mechanism 94 that can hold the battery in the battery case 70. And an operation lever 95 that can switch the battery lock mechanism 94 between the battery fixed state and the battery non-fixed state and can operate the terminal displacement mechanism 93. Here, the retracted position J2 is a position where the case-side connection terminal is separated from the battery-side connection terminal in the battery entry direction (rearward).

As shown in FIG. 6, an inner case 96 for detachably accommodating the battery is attached to the inside of the battery support frame 92. The inner case 96 is arranged side by side in the battery support frame 92. Each inner case 96 has an insertion / removal port 97 that opens toward the front. The battery is set inside the inner case 96 by being slid diagonally along the inclined wall 73 and sliding backward into the inner case 96 through the insertion / removal port 97.

The battery set in the inner case 96 is fixed to the inner case 96 and the battery support frame 92 by the battery lock mechanism 94. In addition, by the action of the battery lock mechanism 94, the battery side connection terminal is connected to the case side connection terminal in each inner case 96 (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 7, the battery support frame 92 includes a first support frame 111 that supports the left inner case 96 (left battery 101) and a second support frame that supports the right inner case 96 (right battery 102). (Not shown) and a connecting frame (not shown) for connecting the first support frame 111 and the second support frame.

The first support frame 111 includes a pair of left and right side frames 115 extending back and forth along the left inner case 96, a cross pipe 116 connecting the rear ends of the left and right side frames 115, and left and right inner portions. A frame-shaped support frame 117 coupled to a lower region of the side frame 115 of the above is provided.
Since the second support frame has the same configuration as the first support frame 111, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The terminal displacement mechanism 93 includes a terminal holding member 140 that holds a case-side connection terminal (not shown). The terminal holding member 140 includes a base wall 141 extending along the vehicle width direction, and a pair of left and right connecting walls 142 extending forward from both ends of the base wall 141 in the vehicle width direction.

The left and right connecting walls 142 are rotatably held at the rear end of the link plate 145 extending in the front-rear direction. The front ends of the left and right link plates 145 are rotatably connected to the tips of the left and right lever pieces 151 of the operating lever 95. The battery support frame 92 is provided with left and right support stays 146 that rotatably support the left and right lever pieces 151. The left and right link plates 145 are pulled out to the front position by rotating the operating lever 95 in one direction (counterclockwise in the drawing). As a result, the left and right connecting walls 142 of the terminal holding member 140 are displaced to the front position. At this time, the case-side connection terminal held by the terminal holding member 140 is displaced from the retracted position J2 to the connection position J1 (see FIG. 6). Reference numeral 147 in the figure indicates a reinforcing frame attached to the left and right support stays 146.

When viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the battery lock mechanism 94 overlaps with a pair of left and right batteries. The battery lock mechanism 94 includes a movable block 160 rotatably attached to the front ends of the left and right support stays 146. When the operating lever 95 rotates from the initial position to a predetermined position range, the movable block 160 receives an operating force from the operating lever 95 and rotates in the front direction of the battery case 70. The movable block 160 is pressed against the front surface of the battery to regulate the displacement of the battery in the ejection direction.

As shown in FIG. 8, the operation lever 95 is rotatably supported by the support stay 146 around the first rotation shaft 161 along the vehicle width direction.

The movable block 160 is rotatably supported by a support stay 146 around a second rotation shaft 162 that is orthogonal to the first rotation shaft 161. The second rotating shaft 162 is pivotally supported at the upper end of the support stay 146. The second rotating shaft 162 extends along the vertical direction of the vehicle.

The operation lever 95 has an operation piece 150 extending along the vehicle width direction, and left and right lever pieces 151 bent and extended from both ends of the operation piece 150. The left and right lever pieces 151 are formed by being bent in an L shape in a side view (see FIG. 7). As shown in FIG. 7, the lever piece 151 includes a first piece portion 152 extending rearwardly and downwardly from the end portion of the operating piece 150, and a second piece portion 153 extending rearwardly and upwardly from the lower end portion of the first piece portion 152. Be prepared. The second piece portion 153 is supported by the support stay 146 via the first rotation shaft 161. The upper end of the link plate 145 is rotatably connected to the tip of the second piece 153.

As shown in FIG. 8, the movable block 160 includes a main body portion 163 rotatably supported by a second rotation shaft 162, a displacement regulating wall 164 connected to the main body portion 163, and a displacement regulating wall 164. An elastic block 165 attached to one surface, a holding force receiving wall 166 connected to the main body 163, and a cam wall 167 connecting the displacement regulating wall 164 and the holding force receiving wall 166 are provided.

The displacement regulating wall 164 makes it possible to regulate the displacement of the battery in the lifting direction when it is displaced to the inner region of the inner case 96 (see FIG. 6).
The elastic block 165 comes into contact with the front surface of the battery when the displacement regulating wall 164 regulates the displacement of the battery in the floating direction. The elastic block 165 elastically deforms when it comes into contact with the front surface of the battery, thereby exerting an elastic force on the upper surface of the battery.

The holding force receiving wall 166 extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the displacement regulating wall 164 when viewed from the direction along the second rotation shaft 162. The holding force receiving wall 166 maintains a state in which the displacement regulating wall 164 and the elastic body block 165 regulate the displacement of the battery in the lifting direction by receiving the holding load from the lever piece 151 of the operating lever 95.
The cam wall 167 has a cam surface 167a that is smoothly continuous from the displacement regulating wall 164 toward the back surface 166a (holding force receiving surface) of the holding force receiving wall 166.

The movable block 160 has an unlocked position (see FIG. 7) in which the displacement regulating wall 164 and the elastic body block 165 are flipped upward in response to the rotation operation of the operating lever 95, and the displacement regulating wall 164 and the elastic body block 165 are inner. It is rotatable between the lock position (see FIG. 6), which is tilted by approximately 90 ° inward of the case 96. The battery lock mechanism 94 is in a non-fixed state when the displacement regulating wall 164 and the elastic block 165 are in the unlocked position. The battery lock mechanism 94 is in the battery fixed state when the displacement regulating wall 164 and the elastic block 165 are in the locked position. The movable block 160 is constantly urged in the flip-up direction (upward) by an urging member (not shown) such as a spring.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the battery is not fixed, the operating lever 95 is tilted to the uppermost position. When the operating lever 95 is in the uppermost position, the operating piece 150 is displaced above the insertion / removal port 97 (inner wall of the inner case 96). The position of the operating lever 95 when the operating piece 150 is displaced above the insertion / removal port 97 is defined as the “initial position”.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the battery is fixed, the operating lever 95 is raised to the front lower position. When the operating lever 95 is in the front lower position, the operating piece 150 is displaced to the front position of the insertion / removal port 97.

As shown in FIG. 8, the first piece portion 152 is formed with a cam protrusion 168 that bulges downward. The cam protrusion 168 comes into contact with the cam surface 167a of the movable block 160 in the flip-up state when the operating lever 95 is raised from the initial position to the front lower position. After that, the cam protrusion 168 presses the movable block 160 in the rotational direction while sliding contact with the cam surface 167a. As a result, the movable block 160 is rotated from the unlocked position to the locked position. When the raising operation of the operating lever 95 progresses and the contact portion of the cam protrusion 168 reaches the end position of the cam surface 167a, the inner surface of the lever piece 151 (the surface facing inward in the vehicle width direction) receives the holding force of the movable block 160. It comes into contact with the back surface 166a of the wall 166.

As shown in FIG. 6, the battery lock mechanism 94 and the terminal displacement mechanism 93 are operated by a common operating lever 95. Each operating state of the battery lock mechanism 94 and the terminal displacement mechanism 93 is determined by the rotational operation position of the operating lever 95. The terminal displacement mechanism 93 and the battery lock mechanism 94 are mutually operated by the operation lever 95 so that the battery lock mechanism 94 fixes the battery and the terminal displacement mechanism 93 displaces the case-side connection terminal to the connection position J1 in that state. Is linked to.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the battery storage device 91 and the lid 80 when the operation lever 95 is in a state before the operation is completed. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the battery storage device 91 and the lid 80 when the operation lever 95 is in the operation completed state.
As shown in FIG. 6, a pair of protrusions 82 are provided on the lower surface of the lid 80 so as to be separated from each other on the left and right sides. The protrusion 82 projects downward from the lower surface of the lid 80.

The pair of protrusions 82 enter the space above each operation lever 95 without touching the operation lever 95 when the left and right operation levers 95 of the battery storage device 91 are completely operated to the operation completion position. (See FIG. 6).
The pair of protrusions 82 are set so as to come into contact with the operation lever 95 when the front and rear operation levers 95 of the battery storage device 91 are in a state before the operation is completed (see FIG. 9). Therefore, when either the left or right operating lever 95 is not completely operated to the operation completion position, the closure of the lid 80 is hindered by the protrusion 82. Therefore, it is possible to notify the operator that the operation lever 95 has not reached the operation completion position.

Depending on the position of the operation lever 95, the protrusion 82 may come into contact with the operation lever 95 when the lid 80 is closed, so that the operation lever 95 can be pushed to the operation completion position.
In the embodiment, when the left and right operating levers 95 are in the initial positions, the protrusions 82 are set so as not to enter the space in front of the operating levers 95 and come into contact with the operating levers 95.

[Battery placement]
As shown in FIG. 2, a part of the battery 100 is arranged at a position overlapping the vehicle body frame 14 in a side view. From the side view, the lower part of the battery 100 overlaps with the lower frame 22. In side view, the battery 100 is arranged between the front frame 21 and the rear frame 23. From the side view, the battery 100 is arranged in front of the rotating mechanism 6. That is, the rotating mechanism 6 is arranged behind the battery 100.

As shown in FIG. 4, the battery 100 is arranged between the pair of left and right lower frames 22. The battery 100 is arranged above the lower cross pipe 25. As shown in FIG. 2, when viewed from the side, the lower end of the battery 100 is located above the lower ends of the pair of left and right lower frames 22. That is, the lower end of the lower frame 22 is located below the lower end of the battery 100.

[Motor placement]
As shown in FIG. 10, in the side view, the motor 7 is arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4. In FIG. 10, reference numeral H1 indicates a virtual line that passes through the upper end of the rear wheel 4 and extends linearly in the front-rear direction. From the side view, the motor 7 is arranged between the rolling axis C1 and the virtual line H1.

When viewed from the side, the motor 7 is arranged at a position where it overlaps with the pair of left and right rear wheels 4. The motor 7 is arranged in front of the rear wheel axle 4a. From the side view, the motor 7 is arranged between the outer peripheral edge of the rear wheel 4 and the rear wheel axle 4a.

As shown in FIG. 11, the rotating mechanism 6 is arranged at the center position on the left and right sides of the vehicle body. From the top view, the rolling axis C1 overlaps with the vehicle body left and right center lines CL. The motor 7 is arranged offset to the left with respect to the vehicle body left and right center line CL.

[Arrangement of electrical components]
A plurality of electrical components related to the motor 7 and the battery are stored in the storage case 9. The storage case 9 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape having a length along the rolling axis C1. The plurality of electrical components include a PCU 120, a DC-DC converter 126, a junction box 123, and a contactor 124.

As shown in FIG. 10, in side view, the PCU 120, the DC-DC converter 126, the junction box 123, and the contactor 124 are arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4. From the side view, the PCU 120, the DC-DC converter 126, the junction box 123 and the contactor 124 are arranged between the rolling axis C1 and the virtual line H1.

As shown in FIG. 11, the PCU 120 is arranged offset to the right with respect to the left and right center lines CL of the vehicle body in a top view. In a top view, the motor 7 and the PCU 120 are arranged on opposite sides of the vehicle body left and right center line CL. The PCU 120 is arranged at the front of the storage case 9. The PCU 120 is arranged at the right end portion (outer portion) of the storage case 9.

From the top view, the DC-DC converter 126 is arranged offset to the left with respect to the vehicle body left and right center line CL. From the top view, the DC-DC converter 126 and the PCU 120 are arranged on opposite sides of the vehicle body left and right center line CL. The DC-DC converter 126 is arranged at the front of the storage case 9. The DC-DC converter 126 is arranged at the left end portion (outer portion) of the storage case 9.

From the top view, the junction box 123 is arranged at a position overlapping the left and right center lines CL of the vehicle body. From the top view, the junction box 123 is arranged between the PCU 120 and the DC-DC converter 126. The junction box 123 is arranged at the front end of the storage case 9.

In top view, the contactor 124 is arranged offset to the right with respect to the vehicle body left and right center line CL. From the top view, the contactor 124 is arranged between the left and right center lines CL of the vehicle body and the PCU 120. The contactor 124 is arranged between the junction box 123 and the motor 7.

[Arrangement of differential mechanism]
A differential mechanism 51 is arranged at the rear of the storage case 9. The differential mechanism 51 distributes the driving force of the motor 7 to the pair of left and right rear wheels 4. As shown in FIG. 10, in the side view, the differential mechanism 51 is arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4. From the side view, the differential mechanism 51 is arranged between the rolling axis C1 and the virtual line H1.

From the side view, the differential mechanism 51 is arranged at a position where it overlaps with the pair of left and right rear wheels 4. The differential mechanism 51 is arranged behind the motor 7. From the side view, the differential mechanism 51 is arranged coaxially with the rear wheel axle 4a.

As shown in FIG. 11, the differential mechanism 51 overlaps the vehicle body left and right center lines CL in a top view. The differential mechanism 51 is arranged at the center position on the left and right sides of the vehicle body. In FIG. 11, reference numeral 52 indicates a power transmission mechanism (deceleration mechanism) that transmits the driving force of the motor 7 to the differential mechanism 51.

[Arrangement of rear cushion]
As shown in FIG. 10, in a side view, the lower portion of the rear cushion 8 is arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4. From the side view, the lower part of the rear cushion 8 is arranged between the rolling axis C1 and the virtual line H1. The rear cushion 8 is arranged in front of the storage case 9.

[Electrical cable routing]
As shown in FIG. 11, a three-phase cable 136 (electric cable) extends from the PDU 121 (see FIG. 5) constituting the PCU 120. The three-phase cable 136 is connected to the motor 7. The three-phase cable 136 extends from the PCU 120 to the left and then bends rearward to extend toward the motor 7. From the top view, a part of the three-phase cable 136 is arranged along the rolling axis C1 (vehicle body left and right center line CL).

[Arrangement of multiple cables]
A plurality of cables 131 to 135 (first connection cable 131 to fifth connection cable 135) connected to each of the plurality of electrical components are connected to the junction box 123 (see FIG. 5). After being connected to the junction box 123, the plurality of cables 131 to 135 are integrally grouped from the storage case 9 via a grommet (not shown). In FIG. 11, reference numeral 139 indicates a harness in which a plurality of cables 131 to 135 are integrally grouped from the storage case 9.

[Unsprung structure]
As shown in FIG. 10, the rear vehicle body 5 supports the storage case 9 on the swing arm 50 under the spring of the rear suspension 55. A motor 7, a PCU 120, a DC-DC converter 126, a junction box 123, a contactor 124, and the like are housed in the storage case 9. In the embodiment, the space above the pair of left and right rear wheels 4 is utilized as the arrangement space for the large storage box 35 (see FIG. 1).

As described above, the electric vehicle 1 in the above embodiment includes a front body 3 that supports a single front wheel 2, a rear body 5 that supports a pair of left and right rear wheels 4, and a front body 3 and a rear body 5. An electric vehicle 1 including a rotating mechanism 6 that is connected so as to be relatively swingable around a rolling axis C1, a motor 7 for running a vehicle, and a battery 100 that supplies electric power to the motor 7. The mechanism 6 is arranged behind the battery 100, and in side view, the motor 7 is arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4.
According to the present embodiment, since the rotating mechanism 6 is arranged behind the battery 100, the rotating mechanism is located behind the battery 100 and as compared with the case where the battery 100 is arranged above the rear part of the rotating mechanism. A large storage space for articles (placement space for the storage box 35) can be secured above 6. In addition, since the motor 7 is arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4 in the side view, it is compared with the case where the entire motor 7 is arranged above the upper end of the rear wheel 4. As a result, a large storage space for articles can be secured above the rear wheels 4. Therefore, the storage space for articles can be improved. In addition, by setting the upper limit of the arrangement height of the motor 7, which is a heavy object, it is possible to prevent the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle from becoming high.

According to the present embodiment, the PCU 120 is provided as an electrical component related to the motor 7 and the battery 100, and the PCU 120 is arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4 in a side view. Play the effect of. Compared with the case where the entire PCU 120 is arranged above the upper end of the rear wheel 4, a wider storage space for articles can be secured above the rear wheel 4. In addition, by setting the upper limit of the arrangement height of the heavy object PCU 120, it is possible to prevent the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle from becoming high. In addition, since the motor 7 and the PCU 120 are arranged in an integrated manner, it is possible to prevent the wiring for connecting the motor 7 and the PCU 120 from becoming long.

According to the present embodiment, the DC-DC converter 126 is provided as an electrical component related to the motor 7 and the battery 100, and the DC-DC converter 126 is above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4 in a side view. By being arranged, the following effects are obtained. Compared with the case where the entire DC-DC converter 126 is arranged above the upper end of the rear wheel 4, a wider storage space for articles can be secured above the rear wheel 4. In addition, by setting the upper limit of the arrangement height of the heavy DC-DC converter 126, it is possible to prevent the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle from becoming high.

According to the present embodiment, the junction box 123 is provided as an electrical component related to the motor 7 and the battery 100, and the junction box 123 is arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheels 4 in a side view. As a result, the following effects are achieved. Compared with the case where the entire junction box 123 is arranged above the upper end of the rear wheel 4, a wider storage space for articles can be secured above the rear wheel 4. In addition, by setting the upper limit of the arrangement height of the junction box 123, which is a heavy object, it is possible to prevent the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle from becoming high.

According to the present embodiment, the contactor 124 is provided as an electrical component related to the motor 7 and the battery 100, and the contactor 124 is arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4 in a side view. , Has the following effects.
Compared with the case where the entire contactor 124 is arranged above the upper end of the rear wheel 4, a wider storage space for articles can be secured above the rear wheel 4.

According to the present embodiment, the differential mechanism 51 that distributes the driving force of the motor 7 to the pair of left and right rear wheels 4 is provided, and the differential mechanism 51 is above the rolling axis C1 and from the upper end of the rear wheels 4 in a side view. By being placed below, it has the following effects. Compared with the case where the entire differential mechanism 51 is arranged above the upper end of the rear wheel 4, a wider storage space for articles can be secured above the rear wheel 4. In addition, by setting the upper limit of the arrangement height of the differential mechanism 51, which is a heavy object, it is possible to prevent the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle from becoming high.

According to the present embodiment, the rear vehicle body 5 includes a swing arm 50 that supports a pair of left and right rear wheels 4, and a rear cushion 8 is interposed between the front vehicle body 3 and the swing arm 50 for side view. Since the lower portion of the rear cushion 8 is arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4, the following effects are obtained. Compared with the case where the entire rear cushion 8 is arranged above the upper end of the rear wheel 4, a wider storage space for articles can be secured above the rear wheel 4.

According to the present embodiment, the rotating mechanism 6 is arranged at the center position on the left and right sides of the vehicle body, and the motor 7 is arranged offset to the left with respect to the left and right center line CL of the vehicle body, thereby achieving the following effects. .. Compared with the case where the motor 7 is arranged above the rotating mechanism 6, it is possible to suppress the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle from becoming higher. In addition, by arranging the motor 7 offset to the left with respect to the vehicle body left and right center line CL, the space avoiding the rotation mechanism 6 can be effectively utilized.

According to the present embodiment, the differential mechanism 51 that distributes the driving force of the motor 7 to the pair of left and right rear wheels 4 is provided, and the differential mechanism 51 overlaps the vehicle body left and right center line CL in a top view, thereby achieving the following effects. Play. Compared with the case where the entire differential mechanism 51 is offset from the left and right center lines CL of the vehicle body in a top view, the left and right shared loads in the electric vehicle can be optimized.

According to the present embodiment, the motor 7 is arranged in front of the rear wheel axle 4a to achieve the following effects. Since the heavy motor 7 is relatively arranged closer to the center of the front and rear of the entire vehicle body, it is possible to suppress the influence of disturbance from the rear and contribute to the concentration of mass.

According to the present embodiment, the three-phase cable 136 for supplying electric power to the motor 7 is provided, and a part of the three-phase cable 136 is arranged along the rolling axis C1 to obtain the following effects. Play. Since the three-phase cable 136 can be arranged linearly along the rolling axis C1, it is possible to suppress the lengthening of the three-phase cable 136.

According to the present embodiment, the PCU 120 is provided as an electrical component related to the motor 7 and the battery 100, the rotation mechanism 6 is arranged at the center position of the left and right sides of the vehicle body, and the motor 7 and the PCU 120 are the left and right center lines of the vehicle body CL in top view. By arranging them on opposite sides of each other, the following effects are obtained. Compared with the case where the motor 7 and the PCU 120 are concentrated on either the left side or the right side of the vehicle body left / right center line CL, the left and right shared load in the electric vehicle can be optimized.

According to the present embodiment, a storage case 9 for storing a plurality of electrical components related to the motor 7 and the battery 100 is provided, the plurality of electrical components include a PCU 120, and the PCU 120 is arranged at the right end of the storage case 9. By doing so, the following effects are achieved. The PCU 120 can be cooled by using the running air (cooling air) that hits the right end of the storage case 9.

According to the present embodiment, a storage case 9 for storing a plurality of electrical components related to the motor 7 and the battery 100 is provided, and the plurality of electrical components include a DC-DC converter 126, and the DC-DC converter 126 includes a DC-DC converter 126. By arranging it at the left end of the storage case 9, the following effects are obtained. The DC-DC converter 126 can be cooled by using the running air (cooling air) that hits the left end of the storage case 9.

According to the present embodiment, the plurality of cables 131 include a storage case 9 for storing a plurality of electrical components related to the motor 7 and the battery 100, and a plurality of cables 131 to 135 connected to the plurality of electrical components, respectively. ~ 135 have the following effects because they are integrated from the storage case 9. Since a plurality of cables 131 to 135 that are integrally grouped can be arranged from the storage case 9, the arrangement work can be easily performed.

According to the present embodiment, the lower frame 22 overlaps the lower part of the battery 100 when viewed from the side, thereby achieving the following effects. It is possible to suppress the impact load input to the battery 100 due to the impact from the side of the battery 100. That is, the protection of the battery 100 can be enhanced by suppressing the influence of the disturbance from the side of the battery 100 on the battery 100.

According to the present embodiment, the lower frames 22 are provided in pairs on the left and right, and the batteries 100 are arranged between the pair of lower frames 22 on the left and right, thereby achieving the following effects. It is possible to suppress the impact load input to the battery 100 due to the impact of the battery 100 from the outside in the vehicle width direction. That is, the protection of the battery 100 can be enhanced by suppressing the influence of the disturbance of the battery 100 from the outside in the vehicle width direction on the battery 100.

According to the present embodiment, the lower end of the lower frame 22 is located below the lower end of the battery 100 to achieve the following effects. It is possible to suppress the impact load input to the battery 100 due to the impact from below the battery 100. That is, the protection of the battery 100 can be enhanced by suppressing the influence of the disturbance from below the battery 100 on the battery 100.

According to the present embodiment, a pair of left and right batteries 100 are provided, and each of the pair of left and right batteries 101 and 102 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape along the front-rear direction, thereby achieving the following effects. Compared with the case where a pair of rectangular parallelepiped batteries are arranged side by side, it is possible to prevent the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle 1 from becoming higher.

According to this embodiment, a pair of left and right batteries 101 and 102 can be stored, and a battery case 70 having an upper opening 71 that opens upward and an upper opening 71 that is located above the battery case 70 can be opened and closed. By providing the lid 80, the floor 13 located above the lid 80 on which the occupant's feet can be placed, and the stay 28 supporting the floor 13 and being connected to the vehicle body frame 14, the following It works. By providing the battery case 70 having the upper opening 71 that opens upward, the inside of the battery case 70 can be accessed from above the battery case 70, so that the battery 100 can be easily stored and taken out. In addition, by providing the floor 13 which is located above the lid 80 and on which the feet of the occupants can be placed, the lid 80 and the floor 13 can input the impact load to the battery 100 in the impact from above the battery 100. It can be suppressed. That is, the protection of the battery 100 can be enhanced by suppressing the influence of the disturbance from above the battery 100 on the battery 100. In addition, by supporting the floor 13 and providing the stay 28 connected to the vehicle body frame 14, the floor 13 can stably support the feet of the occupants. That is, by connecting the stay 28 to the highly rigid vehicle body frame 14, it is possible to improve the stability (foot restability) of the occupant when the foot is placed.

According to the present embodiment, the lid lock mechanism 85 capable of fixing and holding the lid 80 to the battery case 70 is provided, and the lid lock mechanism 85 is arranged outside the battery case 70, thereby achieving the following effects. Since it is possible to prevent water or the like from entering the inside of the battery case 70 through the lid lock mechanism 85, it is possible to suppress the water exposure of the battery 100.

According to the present embodiment, the lid lock mechanisms 85 are provided in pairs on the left and right sides, so that the following effects can be obtained. Compared with the case where only one lid lock mechanism 85 is provided, the lid 80 can be fixedly held to the battery case 70 more firmly.

According to the present embodiment, the battery case 70 is inclined so as to be located below the pair of left and right batteries 101 and 102, and toward the rear side in a side view, at the front end of the lower wall 72. By providing a continuous inclined wall 73, the following effects can be obtained. Since the batteries 101 and 102 can be moved along the inclined wall 73, the batteries 101 and 102 can be easily stored and removed.

According to the present embodiment, the battery case 70 has a lower wall 72 that covers the pair of left and right batteries 101 and 102 from below, and a front wall 73 that is connected to the front end of the lower wall 72 and covers the pair of left and right batteries 101 and 102 from the front. A pair of rear walls 74 that are connected to the rear end of the lower wall 72 and cover the pair of left and right batteries 101 and 102 from the rear, and a pair of batteries that are connected to both side ends of the lower wall 72 and cover the pair of left and right batteries 101 and 102 from the side. By providing the side wall 75, the following effects can be obtained. Since the pair of left and right batteries 101 and 102 are covered by the lower wall 72, the front wall 73, the rear wall 74 and the pair of side walls 75 of the battery case 70, disturbance or water exposure from the road surface to the pair of left and right batteries 101 and 102 is suppressed. be able to. That is, since the battery case 70 has a so-called bathtub structure in which the pair of left and right batteries 101 and 102 are covered from the front and back, left and right, and below, the waterproofness (submersion) of the batteries 101 and 102 when the lower part of the vehicle is submerged in a puddle or the like. Can be enhanced.

According to the present embodiment, the drainage hole 78 is provided in the rear portion of the lower wall 72, so that the following effects can be obtained. Even if water or the like enters the inside of the battery case 70, it can be drained through the drain hole 78.

According to the present embodiment, the battery case 70 is connected to the lower wall 72 and further includes a partition wall 76 located between the pair of left and right batteries 101 and 102 to achieve the following effects. The partition wall 76 can regulate the movement of the pair of left and right batteries 101 and 102 in the vehicle width direction.

According to the present embodiment, the battery lock mechanism 94 capable of holding the pair of left and right batteries 101 and 102 in the battery case 70 is provided, and the battery lock mechanism 94 is the pair of left and right batteries 101 and 102 when viewed from the vehicle traveling direction. By overlapping, the following effects are achieved. Since the direction in which the batteries 101 and 102 are locked and the vehicle traveling direction are the same, the battery lock mechanism 94 can prevent the batteries 101 and 102 from moving due to inertia.

In the above embodiment, all of the motors 7 are arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheels 4 in a side view, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in side view, only the upper part or the lower part of the motor 7 may be arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4. That is, at least a part of the motor 7 may be arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4 in a side view.

In the above embodiment, the PCU 120, the DC-DC converter 126, the junction box 123, and the contactor 124 are provided as a plurality of electrical components related to the motor 7 and the battery, and all of the electrical components are above and behind the rolling axis C1 in a side view. Although the explanation has been given by giving an example in which the ring 4 is arranged below the upper end, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in a side view, only one of the plurality of electrical components may be arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4. For example, in side view, only a part of the components of the plurality of electrical components may be arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4. That is, at least a part of the plurality of electrical components may be arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4 in a side view.

In the above embodiment, all of the differential mechanisms 51 are arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheels 4 in a side view, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, only the upper part or the lower part of the differential mechanism 51 in the side view may be arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4. That is, at least a part of the differential mechanism 51 may be arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4 in a side view.

In the above embodiment, the example in which the lower portion of the rear cushion 8 is arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4 in the side view has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the entire rear cushion 8 may be arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4 in a side view. That is, at least a part of the rear cushion 8 may be arranged above the rolling axis C1 and below the upper end of the rear wheel 4 in a side view.

In the above embodiment, the motor 7 has been described with an example of being offset to the left with respect to the vehicle body left and right center line CL, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the motor 7 may be arranged offset to the right with respect to the vehicle body left / right center line CL.

In the above embodiment, the example in which the motor 7 is arranged in front of the rear wheel axle 4a has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the motor 7 may be arranged behind the rear wheel axle 4a.

In the above embodiment, the example in which the PCU 120 is housed in the storage case 9 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the PCU 120 may be arranged outside the storage case 9. For example, the PCU 120 may be located below the swing arm 50.

For example, in side view, the PCU 120 may be arranged below the rotating mechanism 6. According to this configuration, the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle can be lowered as much as possible by setting the arrangement height of the heavy object PCU 120 to a position lower than that of the rotating mechanism 6. In addition, the PCU 120 can be cooled by using the traveling air (cooling air) passing under the rotating mechanism 6.

In FIG. 12, an example in which all of the PCU 120 is arranged below the rotation mechanism 6 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, only the lower part of the PCU 120 may be arranged below the rotation mechanism 6. That is, at least a part of the PCU 120 may be arranged below the rotation mechanism 6.

In the above embodiment, the case where the lower frame 22 overlaps the lower part of the battery 100 in the side view has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in side view, the lower frame 22 may overlap the upper part of the battery 100. That is, the lower frame 22 may overlap with at least a part of the battery 100.

In the above embodiment, the example in which all of the rotating mechanism 6 is arranged behind the battery 100 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, only the rear part of the rotating mechanism 6 may be arranged behind the battery 100. That is, at least a part of the rotating mechanism 6 may be arranged behind the battery 100.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the drain hole 78 is provided at the rear portion of the lower wall 72 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a drain hole 78 may be provided in the front portion of the lower wall 72. For example, drain holes 78 may be provided at the four corners of the lower wall 72. That is, the drain hole 78 may be provided in at least a part of the lower wall 72.

In the above embodiment, the motor 7 has been described with reference to an example in which the motor 7 is driven at a variable speed by VVVF (variable voltage variable frequency) control, but the present invention is not limited to this. The motor 7 is not limited to the speed change control so as to have a continuously variable transmission. For example, the motor 7 may be speed-shift controlled to have a stepped transmission.

In the above embodiment, an example in which two batteries are provided has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, three or more batteries may be provided. For example, only a single battery may be provided.

<First modification>
Next, a first modification of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 16.
The electric vehicle of this modification is particularly different from the embodiment in that a pair of front and rear batteries are provided. In this modification, the same components as those in the embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In the figure of this modification, the lid lock mechanism, the battery storage device, and the like are not shown.

As shown in FIG. 13, each of the pair of front and rear batteries 201 and 202 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape along the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 14, each of the front and rear pairs of batteries 201 and 202 are arranged at the center positions on the left and right sides of the vehicle body. When viewed from the rear, each of the pair of front and rear batteries 201 and 202 has a symmetrical shape with the vehicle body left and right center line CL as the axis of symmetry.

Floors 213 on which the feet of occupants can be placed are provided on the left and right sides of the front and rear batteries 201 and 202. When viewed from the rear, the floor 213 is arranged outside the front and rear batteries 201 and 202 in the vehicle width direction. From the side view, the floor 213 is arranged at a position overlapping the lower parts of the front and rear batteries 201 and 202. As shown in FIG. 13, in a side view, the floor 213 is inclined and extends linearly so as to be located upward toward the rear side.

The front and rear batteries 201 and 202 are inserted and removed from the battery case 270 fixed to the front vehicle body 3. The battery case 270 can store the front and rear batteries 201 and 202. The battery case 270 is arranged in the front lower part of the seat 12.

As shown in FIG. 16, the battery case 270 has an upper opening 271 that opens upward. The battery case 270 includes a lower wall 272 that covers the front and rear batteries 201 and 202 from below, a front wall 273 that covers the front and rear batteries 201 and 202 from the front, a rear wall 274 that covers the front and rear batteries 201 and 202 from the rear, and front and rear batteries 201. , 202 is provided with a pair of left and right side walls 275 that cover the 202 from the left and right sides.

The upper part of the battery case 270 is provided with a lid 280 that can open and close the upper opening 271 and a hinge shaft 281 that rotatably connects the lid 280 around an axis along the vehicle width direction. The hinge shaft 281 is provided on the front upper portion of the battery case 270. The hinge shaft 281 is provided at the upper end of the front wall 273.

As shown in FIG. 15, the upper surface of the lid 280 is provided with a mounting area 283 on which an article can be placed. When viewed from above, the lid 280 has a rectangular shape having a length in the front-rear direction. The lid 280 is provided with a frame wall 284 that rises upward so as to surround the mounting area 283. In top view, the frame wall 284 has a rectangular frame shape. In the top view, the frame wall 284 is arranged closer to the front side than the front-rear center position of the lid 280.

On the upper part of the frame wall 284, a second lid 290 that enables access to the mounting area 283 and a second hinge shaft 291 that rotatably connects the second lid 290 around an axis along the vehicle width direction. And are provided. The second hinge shaft 291 is provided on the front upper portion of the frame wall 284. From the top view, the second lid 290 has a rectangular shape smaller than the lid 280. The second hinge shaft 291 is located behind the hinge shaft 281.

According to this modification, a pair of front and rear batteries are provided, and each of the pair of front and rear batteries 201 and 202 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape along the vertical direction, thereby achieving the following effects. Compared with the case where a pair of rectangular parallelepiped batteries are arranged side by side, it is possible to suppress the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle from becoming higher.

According to this modification, the floor 213 on which the feet of the occupant can be placed is provided, and the floor 213 is arranged outside the vehicle width direction of the pair of front and rear batteries 201 and 202, which has the following effects. Play. The height of the floor 213 can be set without being affected by the height of the pair of front and rear batteries 201 and 202. Therefore, the height of the floor 213 (the height of the occupant's footrest) can be made as low as possible.

According to this modification, a pair of front and rear batteries 201 and 202 can be stored, and a battery case 270 having an upper opening 271 that opens upward and an upper opening 271 that is located above the battery case 270 can be opened and closed. It is provided with a lid 280, a hinge shaft 281 that rotatably connects the lid 280 around an axis along the vehicle width direction, and a seat 12 that is located above the rear of the battery case 270 and can be seated by an occupant. Since the shaft 281 is provided at the front portion of the battery case 270, the following effects are obtained. By providing the battery case 270 having the upper opening 271 that opens upward, the inside of the battery case 270 can be accessed from above the battery case 270, so that the battery can be easily stored and taken out. In addition, since the hinge shaft 281 is provided at the front portion of the battery case 270, the lid 280 can be opened and closed without being affected by the seat 12 located above the rear of the battery case 270.

According to this modification, the upper surface of the lid 280 is provided with a mounting area 283 on which an article can be placed, so that the following effects can be obtained. Since the article can be placed using the mounting area 283 on the upper surface of the lid 280, the storage space for the article can be further improved. In addition, since the mounting area 283 can be accessed while seated on the seat 12, articles can be easily stored and taken out.

According to this modification, the lid 280 is provided with a frame wall 284 that stands up upward so as to surround the mounting area 283, thereby achieving the following effects. Since the article can be stored inside the frame wall 284, the storage space for the article can be further improved. In addition, since the inside of the frame wall 284 can be accessed while seated on the seat 12, articles can be easily stored and taken out.

According to this modification, the second lid 290, which is located above the frame wall 284 and enables access to the mounting area 283, and the second lid 290 can be rotated around the axis along the vehicle width direction. The second hinge shaft 291 is provided at the front portion of the frame wall 284, and has the following effects. Since the second hinge shaft 291 is provided at the front portion of the frame wall 284, the second lid 290 can be opened and closed without being affected by the seat 12 located above the rear of the battery case 270.

<Second modification>
Next, a second modification of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 to 19.
The electric vehicle of this modification is particularly different from the embodiment in that a pair of left and right batteries are arranged below the seat. In this modification, the same components as those in the embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In the figure of this modification, the lid lock mechanism, the battery storage device, and the like are not shown.

As shown in FIG. 17, the pair of left and right batteries 301 and 302 are arranged below the seat 12. As shown in FIG. 18, when viewed from the rear, each of the pair of left and right batteries 301 and 302 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is inclined so as to be located upward toward the outside in the vehicle width direction. The pair of left and right batteries 301 and 302 are provided symmetrically with the left and right center lines CL of the vehicle body interposed therebetween.

As shown in FIG. 17, the left and right batteries 301 and 302 are inserted and removed from the battery case 370 fixed to the front vehicle body 3. The battery case 370 can accommodate the left and right batteries 301 and 302. The battery case 370 is arranged below the seat 12.

As shown in FIG. 19, the battery case 370 has an upper opening 371 that opens upward. The battery case 370 includes a lower wall 372 that covers the left and right batteries 301 and 302 from below, a front wall 373 that covers the left and right batteries 301 and 302 from the front, a rear wall 374 that covers the left and right batteries 301 and 302 from the rear, and the left and right batteries 301. , 302 is provided with a pair of left and right side walls 375 that cover the 302 from the left and right sides.

The upper part of the battery case 370 is provided with a lid 380 that can open and close the upper opening 371, and a hinge shaft 381 that rotatably connects the lid 380 around an axis along the vehicle width direction. The hinge shaft 381 is provided on the rear upper portion of the battery case 370. The lid 380 is arranged below the sheet 12. The hinge shaft 381 is provided at the upper end of the rear wall 374.

For example, the sheet 12 is formed so as to be flipped up in the direction of arrow V1. By flipping up the seat 12 in the direction of the arrow V1, the space below the seat 12 can be opened. That is, the battery case 370 can be accessed by flipping up the seat 12 in the direction of the arrow V1.

According to this modification, a pair of left and right batteries are provided, and each of the pair of left and right batteries 301 and 302 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is inclined so as to be located upward toward the outside in the vehicle width direction. It works. Compared with the case where a pair of rectangular parallelepiped batteries are arranged side by side, it is possible to suppress the position of the center of gravity of the electric vehicle from becoming higher. In addition, since the rotation mechanism 6 can be arranged in the area partitioned by the bottom surfaces of the pair of left and right batteries 301 and 302, the space below the pair of left and right batteries 301 and 302 can be effectively utilized.

According to this modification, the seat 12 on which the occupant can sit, the battery case 370 which can store the pair of left and right batteries and has an upper opening 371 which opens upward, and the battery case 370 located above the battery case 370. A lid 380 that can open and close the upper opening 371 is provided, and the lid 380 is arranged below the seat 12 to obtain the following effects. By providing the battery case 370 having the upper opening 371 that opens upward, the inside of the battery case 370 can be accessed from above the battery case 370, so that the battery can be easily stored and taken out. In addition, since the lid 380 is arranged below the seat 12, the lid 380 and the seat 12 can suppress the impact load input to the battery due to the impact from above the battery. That is, the protection property of the battery can be improved by suppressing the influence of the disturbance from above the battery on the battery.

In this modification, the example in which the pair of left and right batteries 301 and 302 are arranged below the seat 12 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the pair of left and right batteries 301 and 302 may be arranged along the leg shield 39 (see FIG. 1).

<Third modification example>
Next, a third modification of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21.
The electric vehicle of this modification is particularly different from the embodiment in that it includes a center frame extending rearward from the lower end of the front frame. In this modification, the same components as those in the embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In the figure of this modification, the lid lock mechanism, the battery storage device, and the like are not shown.

As shown in FIG. 20, the center frame 429 extends rearward from the lower end of the front frame 21. The center frame 429 is arranged at the center position on the left and right sides of the vehicle body. In side view, the battery 100 is located above the center frame 429. As shown in FIG. 21, the lower portions of the left and right batteries 101 and 102 are arranged between the pair of left and right lower frames 22 when viewed from the front. When viewed from the front, the lower ends of the left and right batteries 101 and 102 are located above the center frame 429. That is, the center frame 429 is located below the lower ends of the left and right batteries 101 and 102. In FIG. 20, the battery case and the like are not shown.

According to this modification, the center frame 429 has the following effects when it is located below the lower end of the battery. It is possible to suppress the impact load input to the battery due to the impact from below the battery. That is, the protection property of the battery can be improved by suppressing the influence of the disturbance from below the battery on the battery.

<Fourth modification>
Next, a fourth modification of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The electric vehicle of the present modification is particularly different from the embodiment in that it includes an in-wheel type motor provided in the wheel of the rear wheel. In this modification, the same components as those in the embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The electric vehicle of this modification includes a first motor that drives the left rear wheel 4 and a second motor that drives the right rear wheel 4. The first motor and the second motor are in-wheel motors (hereinafter, also referred to as "in-wheel motors") provided in the wheels of the rear wheels 4, respectively. From the side view, the first motor and the second motor are arranged at positions overlapping the rear wheels 4, respectively. Reference numeral 407 in the figure indicates an in-wheel motor.

As shown in FIG. 22, electrical components related to the battery and the motor are arranged below the seat 12. Electrical components other than the in-wheel motor 407 are concentrated in the central portion of the front vehicle body 3 in the vehicle width direction. Electrical components other than the in-wheel motor 407 are mounted on the spring of the rear suspension 55. In FIG. 22, reference numeral 121 indicates a PDU, and reference numeral 126 indicates a DC-DC converter. The DC-DC converter 126 is arranged close to the left and right batteries.

According to this modification, by providing the in-wheel motor 407, the differential mechanism (differential gear) can be eliminated, so that the unsprung weight of the rear suspension 55 can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to improve the independence when the vehicle is stopped.

According to this modification, the electrical components other than the in-wheel motor 407 are integrated in the front vehicle body 3 to achieve the following effects. Compared with the case where all the electrical components are integrated in the rear vehicle body, the shared load of the front and rear wheels 4 can be optimized.

According to this modification, the electrical components other than the in-wheel motor 407 are concentrated in the central portion of the front vehicle body 3 in the vehicle width direction, thereby achieving the following effects. Compared with the case where the electrical components are concentrated at the outer end portion of the front vehicle body 3 in the vehicle width direction, the left and right shared loads can be optimized.

According to this modification, the electrical components other than the in-wheel motor 407 are mounted on the spring of the rear suspension 55, so that the unsprung weight of the rear suspension 55 can be reduced. Therefore, the operability of the rear suspension 55 can be improved, and the road surface followability and the rough road running performance can be improved.

According to this modification, the DC-DC converter 126 has the following effects when it is arranged close to the left and right batteries. Compared with the case where the DC-DC converter 126 is arranged far away from the left and right batteries, the voltage drop can be suppressed.

<Fifth variant>
Next, a fifth modification of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The electric vehicle of this modification is particularly different from the embodiment in that the coupling position of the rotating mechanism with respect to the front vehicle body is provided in the rear frame. In this modification, the same components as those in the embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 23, the pivot shaft is provided on the rear frame 23. The rotation mechanism 506 is rotatably connected to the rear frame 23 around the pivot axis C2. In a side view, the rolling axis C1 extends linearly from a position higher than the position shown in FIG. 1 so as to be located downward toward the rear side. From the side view, the swing unit 49 (rotating mechanism 506 and swing arm 50) is inclined along the rolling axis C1.

According to this modification, the coupling position P1 of the rotation mechanism 506 is provided on the rear frame 23, so that the following effects can be obtained. The coupling position P1 of the rotating mechanism 506 with respect to the front vehicle body 3 can be made higher than the case where the coupling position P1 of the rotating mechanism 506 is provided on the lower frame 22. As a result, the amount of movement when the vehicle body is tilted increases, so that it becomes easier to turn with a small tilt. In addition, the independence when the vehicle is stopped can be improved.

In the above embodiment, the electric vehicle has been described as an example of a covered tricycle, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the electric vehicle may be a vehicle without a roof. The present invention is widely applicable to saddle-riding vehicles in which the front and rear bodies can rotate relative to each other.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the saddle-riding electric vehicle includes all vehicles in which the driver rides across the vehicle body, and is a motorcycle (including a motorized bicycle and a scooter type vehicle). Not only three-wheeled vehicles (including front two-wheeled and rear one-wheeled vehicles in addition to front one-wheeled and rear two-wheeled vehicles) or four-wheeled vehicles are also included.

The configuration in the above embodiment is an example of the present invention, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention, such as replacing the components of the embodiment with well-known components.

1 Electric vehicle 2 Front wheels 3 Front car body 4 Rear wheels 5 Rear car body 6 Rotation mechanism 7 Motor 8 Rear cushion 9 Storage case 50 Swing arm 51 Differential mechanism 100 Battery 120 PCU
123 Junction box 124 Contactor 126 DC-DC converter 131 First connection cable (cable)
132 Second connection cable (cable)
133 Third connection cable (cable)
134 Fourth connection cable (cable)
135 Fifth connection cable (cable)
136 Three-phase cable (electric cable)
C1 rolling axis (axis facing the vehicle in the front-rear direction)
CL body left and right center line

Claims (16)

A front body (3) with a single front wheel (2) and
A rear vehicle body (5) equipped with a pair of left and right rear wheels (4),
A rotating mechanism (6) that connects the front vehicle body (3) and the rear vehicle body (5) so as to be relatively swingable around an axis (C1) facing the vehicle front-rear direction.
The motor (7) for running the vehicle and
An electric vehicle (1) including a battery (100) that supplies electric power to the motor (7).
At least a portion of the rotating mechanism (6) is located behind the battery (100).
A side view of an electric vehicle, wherein at least a part of the motor (7) is arranged above the axis (C1) and below the upper end of the rear wheel (4). A PCU (120) is further provided as an electrical component related to the motor (7) and the battery (100).
According to claim 1, at least a part of the PCU (120) is arranged above the axis (C1) and below the upper end of the rear wheel (4) in a side view. The described electric vehicle. A PCU (120) is further provided as an electrical component related to the motor (7) and the battery (100).
The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the PCU (120) is arranged below the rotation mechanism (6). A DC-DC converter (126) is further provided as an electrical component related to the motor (7) and the battery (100).
A claim characterized in that, in a side view, at least a portion of the DC-DC converter (126) is located above the axis (C1) and below the upper end of the rear wheel (4). The electric vehicle according to any one of items 1 to 3. A junction box (123) is further provided as an electrical component related to the motor (7) and the battery (100).
Claim 1 is characterized in that, in a side view, at least a part of the junction box (123) is arranged above the axis (C1) and below the upper end of the rear wheel (4). The electric vehicle according to any one of 4 to 4. A contactor (124) is further provided as an electrical component related to the motor (7) and the battery (100).
According to claim 1, at least a part of the contactor (124) is arranged above the axis (C1) and below the upper end of the rear wheel (4) in a side view. The electric vehicle according to any one of 5. A differential mechanism (51) that distributes the driving force of the motor (7) to the pair of left and right rear wheels (4) is further provided.
Claimed, wherein at least a part of the differential mechanism (51) is arranged above the axis (C1) and below the upper end of the rear wheel (4) in a side view. The electric vehicle according to any one of 1 to 6. The rear vehicle body (5) includes a swing arm (50) that supports the pair of left and right rear wheels (4).
A rear cushion (8) is interposed between the front vehicle body (3) and the swing arm (50).
Claim 1 is characterized in that, in a side view, at least a part of the rear cushion (8) is arranged above the axis (C1) and below the upper end of the rear wheel (4). The electric vehicle according to any one of 7 to 7. The rotating mechanism (6) is arranged at the center position on the left and right sides of the vehicle body.
The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the motor (7) is arranged offset to the left or right with respect to the vehicle body left / right center line (CL). .. A differential mechanism (51) that distributes the driving force of the motor (7) to the pair of left and right rear wheels (4) is further provided.
The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the differential mechanism (51) overlaps the vehicle body left and right center lines (CL) in a top view. The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the motor (7) is arranged in front of the axle (4a) of the rear wheel (4). An electric cable (136) for supplying electric power to the motor (7) is further provided.
The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein at least a part of the electric cable (136) is arranged along the axis (C1). A PCU (120) is further provided as an electrical component related to the motor (7) and the battery (100).
The rotating mechanism (6) is arranged at the center position on the left and right sides of the vehicle body.
One of claims 1 to 12, wherein the motor (7) and the PCU (120) are arranged on opposite sides of the vehicle body left and right center lines (CL) in a top view. The electric vehicle described in. A storage case (9) for storing a plurality of electrical components related to the motor (7) and the battery (100) is further provided.
The plurality of electrical components include a PCU (120).
The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the PCU (120) is arranged on the outer side of the storage case (9). A storage case (9) for storing a plurality of electrical components related to the motor (7) and the battery (100) is further provided.
The plurality of electrical components include a DC-DC converter (126).
The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the DC-DC converter (126) is arranged on the outer side of the storage case (9). A storage case (9) for storing a plurality of electrical components related to the motor (7) and the battery (100), and
A plurality of cables (131 to 135) connected to the plurality of electrical components are further provided.
The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the plurality of cables (131 to 135) are integrally grouped from the storage case (9).

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