WO2011121757A1

WO2011121757A1 - Saddled electric vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2011121757A1
Application number: PCT/JP2010/055851
Authority: WO
Inventors: 慎治川▲崎▼; 元志京田; 智幸佐畑; 明人平松
Original assignee: 本田技研工業株式会社
Priority date: 2010-03-31
Filing date: 2010-03-31
Publication date: 2011-10-06
Also published as: JP5450796B2; CN102802984A; CN102802984B; JPWO2011121757A1

Abstract

A saddled electric vehicle comprises: a power unit including an electric motor for generating power which drives the rear wheel which is rotatably supported at the rear end of a swing arm which is pivotably supported by the vehicle body frame; a battery for supplying electric power to the electric motor; a battery case for containing the battery; and a cooling fan for introducing cooling air flow into the battery case. A power unit (PA) at least including the electric motor (25A) is disposed behind the rear wall of the battery case (27A) having an air introduction opening in the front wall thereof. One end of the output shaft (78A) of the power unit (PA) is connected to the rotating shaft (64) of the cooling fan (62) which is contained within the battery case (27A) so as to introduce cooling air into the battery case (27A) from the air introduction opening, and the other end of the output shaft (78A) is connected to a power transmitting means (98A) for transmitting power to the rear wheel. The configuration simplifies the structure of the cooling system for the battery and reduces the air flow path resistance of the cooling system.

Description

Saddle riding type electric vehicle

The present invention includes a vehicle body frame having a front pipe for pivotally supporting a front fork that pivotally supports a front wheel at a lower end portion at a front end, a front end portion swingably supported by the vehicle body frame, and a rear end portion. Includes a swing arm on which a rear wheel is pivotally supported, a power unit including an electric motor that exerts power for driving the rear wheel, a battery that supplies electric power to the electric motor, a battery case that houses the battery, The present invention relates to a saddle-ride type electric vehicle including a cooling fan for introducing cooling air into a battery case.

2. Description of the Related Art An electric vehicle is known in which electric power is supplied from a battery to an electric motor that drives driving wheels. In such an electric vehicle, a battery that generates heat during discharge or the like is cooled using a cooling fan. This is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-87601

In what was disclosed by patent document 1, in order to cool the battery arrange | positioned under the step floor in a scooter type vehicle, the 1st fan is arrange | positioned above the step floor, and the 2nd is carried out at the end of the electric motor. A fan is attached, and the cooling air discharged from the first fan is guided to the motor drive unit through the battery housing and the duct, and is further discharged to the outside from the second fan through the belt case.

However, in the one disclosed in Patent Document 1, the motor shaft of the electric motor is oriented in the left-right direction of the vehicle, and the flow of cooling air from the battery must be bent from the front-rear direction to the left-right direction by the second fan. Therefore, the wind path resistance increases. Moreover, since the electric motor swings up and down with respect to the body frame because it is provided on the swing arm, it is necessary to use a flexible duct as a part of the cooling air passage, and a simple cooling system is configured. It was difficult to do.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a saddle-ride type electric vehicle that can simplify the configuration of a battery cooling system and reduce its air path resistance. .

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle body frame having a head pipe that supports a front fork that pivotally supports a front wheel at a lower end portion at a front end, and a front end portion that can swing on the vehicle body frame. A swing arm that is supported and a rear wheel is pivotally supported at the rear end, an electric motor that exerts power to drive the rear wheel, a battery that supplies electric power to the electric motor, and a battery that houses the battery In a saddle-ride type electric vehicle including a battery case and a cooling fan for introducing cooling air into the battery case, the battery case having an air inlet at a front wall is supported by the vehicle body frame, and a motor shaft A power unit supported by the vehicle body frame including at least the electric motor oriented in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is disposed behind the rear wall of the battery case. One end of the output shaft of the power unit is connected to a rotating shaft of the cooling fan that is housed in the battery case so that cooling air is introduced into the battery case from the air inlet. The first feature is that the other end of the shaft is connected to a transmission means for transmitting power to the rear wheel.

The present invention also provides a vehicle body frame having a front pipe that supports a front fork that pivotally supports a front wheel at a lower end portion at a front end, a front end portion that is swingably supported by the vehicle body frame, and a rear end portion. Includes a swing arm on which a rear wheel is pivotally supported, an electric motor that exerts power for driving the rear wheel, a battery that supplies electric power to the electric motor, a battery case that houses the battery, and the battery case In a saddle-ride type electric vehicle provided with a cooling fan for introducing cooling air into the battery case, the battery case having an air introduction port on the front wall is supported by the vehicle body frame, and the length in the direction along the axis of the motor shaft A power unit including at least the electric motor having a length in a direction orthogonal to the motor shaft and a motor shaft oriented in the vehicle width direction. Among the plurality of batteries accommodated in the battery case, the battery is arranged at the side of the battery located rearmost and behind the rear wall of the battery case, and cooling air is introduced into the battery case from the air introduction port. In this way, one end portion of the output shaft of the power unit is connected to the rotating shaft of the cooling fan housed in the battery case, and the other end portion of the output shaft is a transmission means for transmitting power to the rear wheel. The second feature is that they are connected.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first or second feature, the power unit includes the electric motor and a clutch interposed between the motor shaft of the electric motor and the output shaft. It is characterized by.

According to the present invention, in addition to any one of the first to third features, the rotating shaft of the cooling fan is rotatably supported by the battery case, and the output shaft is detachably connected to the rotating shaft. This is the fourth feature.

According to the present invention, in addition to any one of the first to fourth features, an air cleaner is disposed in front of the head pipe and supported by the vehicle body frame. The air cleaner and the front wall of the battery case A fifth feature is that the air inlet is connected via a cooling duct.

According to the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the fifth feature, the air cleaner is supported by the vehicle body frame with the suction port opened downward, and a wall constituting a labyrinth structure is provided at the suction port. Is a sixth feature.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a battery management device that controls charging / discharging of the battery on the upper surface of the battery case, in addition to any of the first to sixth features, and from the air inlet to the battery The seventh feature is that an opening for allowing at least a part of the battery management device to face the cooling air introduced into the case so as to pass through the surface of the battery management device is provided on the upper wall of the battery case. Features.

In the first embodiment, the first cooling fan 62 corresponds to the cooling fan of the present invention, and the centrifugal clutches 87A and 87B of the first and second embodiments correspond to the clutch of the present invention.

According to the first feature of the present invention, the power unit is disposed behind the rear wall of the battery case having the air inlet on the front wall, and the output shaft of the power unit is disposed on the rotating shaft of the cooling fan accommodated in the battery case. The other end of the output shaft is connected to a transmission means for transmitting power to the rear wheel, so that the flow direction of the cooling air is along the front-rear direction in the battery case. Since the cooling system can be configured without greatly changing the flow direction, the air path resistance can be reduced and the cooling system can be configured with a simple structure by shortening the cooling path. In addition, since the battery case and the power unit are supported by the vehicle body frame, it is not necessary to design in consideration of the swinging of the battery case and the power unit, and a simpler cooling system can be configured. Moreover, the motor shaft of the electric motor included in the power unit is oriented in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the power unit can be prevented from increasing in the vehicle width direction.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the power unit is arranged behind the rear wall of the battery case having an air inlet on the front wall, and the output of the power unit is provided on the rotating shaft of the cooling fan accommodated in the battery case. Since one end of the shaft is connected and the other end of the output shaft is connected to a transmission means for transmitting power to the rear wheel, the flow direction of the cooling air is set along the front-rear direction in the battery case. Since the cooling system can be configured without greatly changing the flow direction, the air path resistance can be reduced, and the cooling path can be shortened to form a simple cooling system. In addition, since the battery case and the power unit are supported by the vehicle body frame, it is not necessary to design in consideration of the swinging of the battery case and the power unit, and a simpler cooling system can be configured. Moreover, the electric motor included in the power unit is configured such that the length in the direction orthogonal to the motor shaft is larger than the length in the direction along the axis of the motor shaft oriented in the width direction of the vehicle. An increase in the vehicle width direction can be prevented.

According to the third feature of the present invention, since the clutch is interposed between the motor shaft and the output shaft of the electric motor, the initial load of the electric motor can be reduced. In other words, the initial load of the electric motor is relatively high and requires a large current, but when the electric motor is initially operated, the power transmission between the motor shaft and the output shaft is interrupted by the clutch during the initial operation of the electric motor. The cooling fan and the transmission means do not become loads, and the initial load can be reduced and the power consumption can be reduced.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the rotating shaft of the cooling fan is rotatably supported by the battery case, and the output shaft of the power unit is detachably connected to the rotating shaft, the power unit is connected to the cooling fan. Even if is released, the supporting state of the cooling fan to the battery case is maintained, so that the power unit can be easily attached and detached, and the maintainability can be improved.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the air cleaner is connected to the air inlet of the front wall of the battery case via the cooling duct, it is possible to introduce the air purified by the air cleaner into the battery case. Become. Moreover, since the air cleaner is disposed in front of the head pipe, the cooling air from the front of the vehicle can be efficiently introduced into the battery case.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the air cleaner inlet is opened downward, and the wall directed to the inlet constitutes a labyrinth structure. Therefore, the air cleaner includes water during vehicle washing. Thus, it is possible to suppress intrusion of water such as rainwater.

Furthermore, according to the seventh feature of the present invention, since the cooling air introduced into the battery case passes through the surface of the battery management device provided on the upper surface of the battery case, not only the battery but also the battery management device is simultaneously used. Can be cooled.

FIG. 1 is a side view of the electric motorcycle according to the first embodiment. (First embodiment) FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical side view of the main part of FIG. (First embodiment) 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 for showing the relative arrangement of the power unit, the battery, and the air cleaner. (First embodiment) 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. (First embodiment) 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. (First embodiment) FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the power unit and the cooling fan. (First embodiment) 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. (First embodiment) FIG. 8 is a side view of the electric motorcycle according to the second embodiment. (Second embodiment) 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. (Second embodiment) FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. (Third embodiment) FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 for illustrating a relative arrangement of the power unit, the battery, and the air cleaner according to the fourth embodiment. (Fourth embodiment)

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Front fork 12 ... Head pipe 17 ...

Swing arm

25A, 25B ...

Electric motor

26A, 26B, 26C ...

Battery

27A, 27B ... Battery case 29a ... Opening 58 ...

Air inlets

62, 121 ... Cooling

fans

64, 122 ...

Rotary shafts

78A, 78B ...

Output shafts

81, 128 ... Motor shafts 87A, 87B ... Centrifugal clutch 98A as a clutch 98B ... Transmission means 102 ... Air cleaner 103 ... Cooling duct 104 ... Suction port 105 ... Wall 107 ... Battery management device F ... Body frame PA, PB ... Power unit WF ... Front wheel WR ... Rear wheel

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. First, in FIG. 1, a body frame F of an electric motorcycle, which is a saddle-ride type electric vehicle, is a head that supports a front fork 11 so as to be steerable. In front of the pipe 12, the main frame 13 extending downward from the head pipe 12, a pair of left and right center frames 14 extending downward from the rear end of the main frame 13, and the connecting portion of the center frames 14 A pair of left and right seat frames 15 that are connected to the rear portion of the main frame 13 and extend rearward are provided. A front wheel WF is pivotally supported at the lower end of the front fork 11, and a bar-like shape is formed on the upper portion of the front fork 11. A steering handle 16 is connected.

The front end of the swing arm 17 is supported on the center frame 14 in the body frame F so as to be swingable via a support shaft 18, and the axle of the rear wheel WR that is rotationally driven by the power output from the power unit PA. 19 is pivotally supported on the rear end of the swing arm 17. A pair of left and right rear cushion units 20 are provided between the rear portion of the seat frame 15 in the vehicle body frame F and the rear portion of the swing arm 17.

The both seat frames 15 support, for example, a tandem-type riding seat 21. A synthetic resin vehicle body cover 22 that covers the vehicle body frame F is attached to the vehicle body frame F.

Referring also to FIGS. 2 to 5, the vehicle body frame F includes a power unit PA including an electric motor 25A that exerts power for driving the rear wheel WR, and a plurality of units that supply electric power to the electric motor 25A. For example, a battery case 27A that houses three first to

third batteries

26A, 26B, and 26C is supported so as to be disposed in front of the center frame 14 and below the main frame 13.

The first battery 26A is long in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and is disposed on the side of the electric motor 25A in the power unit PA. In the first embodiment, the right side of the vehicle body center line CL extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. A first battery 26A is arranged on the side. In addition, at least one of the first to third batteries 26A to 26C is disposed in front of the electric motor 25A. In the first embodiment, the second and

third batteries

26B and 26C are used as the electric motor. The second and

third batteries

26B, 26C are disposed in front of the electric motor 25A in the width direction of the vehicle body frame F.

The battery case 27A for storing the first to third batteries 26A to 26C includes a lower case half body 28 made of a synthetic resin having a box shape opened upward and an upper case made of a synthetic resin having a box shape opened downward. It comprises a half body 29 and first and

second fan cases

30 and 31 made of synthetic resin.

A plurality of coupling protrusions 28 a projecting laterally are integrally provided at the upper end of the lower case half body 28 at intervals in the circumferential direction, and projecting laterally at the lower end of the upper case half body 29. The plurality of coupling protrusions 29a are integrally provided at intervals in the circumferential direction, and the

coupling protrusions

28a, 29a, which are in contact with each other are sandwiched between clips 32, so that they are endless. The lower case half 28 and the upper case half 29 with the seal member 33 interposed therebetween are coupled.

Thus, the lower case half 28 and the upper case half 29, which are coupled to each other, extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle on the right side of the power unit PA and store the first battery 26A, and the power unit PA. The lower case half is formed in a substantially square shape in front of the first and

second batteries

26B and 26C, and the first storage part 34 is connected to the rear right side of the second storage part 35. The bottom wall of 28 and the ceiling wall of the upper case half 29 are lower in the portion for storing the second battery 26B than the portion for storing the third battery 26C, and more than the portion for storing the second battery 26B. 1 The battery 26A is formed so as to be lowered step by step from the front to the rear so that the portion storing the battery 26A becomes lower. That is, the upper surface of the battery case 17 A is formed in a step shape along the lower surface of the main frame 13.

A pair of left and right first and second support stays 36, 37 extending to both sides of the main frame 13 are fixed to the main frame 13 of the vehicle body frame F at a portion corresponding to the first storage portion 34, and their support A third support stay 38 arranged at the center between the

stays

36 and 37 is fastened by a screw member 39, and a pair of left and right provided on the upper case half 29 at a portion forming the first storage portion 34. The mounting

plates

40, 40 are supported by the first and third support stays 36, 38 with bolts 41 and nuts 42. Further, the second storage portion 35 of the battery case 27A is wound with first and second

case support bands

43 and 44 disposed at portions corresponding to the second and

third batteries

26B and 26C, respectively. On both sides of the main frame 13 of F, a pair of left and right support members 45 for fastening both ends of the first case support band 43 with screw members 47... And both ends of the second case support band 44 are screw members 48. A pair of left and right support members 46 are fastened to be fastened. Thus, the battery case 27 A is supported by the main frame 13 and disposed below the main frame 13.

On the other hand, both ends of the motor support band 51 wound around the motor case 50 of the electric motor 25A in the power unit PA are supported by the second and third support stays 37 and 38 with bolts 52 and nuts 53, and include the electric motor 25A. Is supported by the main frame 13 of the vehicle body frame F.

The first to third batteries 26A to 26C are formed by stacking a plurality of

cells

54, 54, while forming a plurality of

cooling passages

55, 55 ... between the

cells

54, 54 .... The first to third batteries 26A to 26C are housed in the battery case 27A with

rubbers

56, 56... Interposed between the lower case half 28 and the upper case half 29, respectively.

A pair of cylindrical inlet ducts 57 disposed on the front wall of the second storage portion 35 in the battery case 27A, in the first embodiment, on the front wall of the upper case half body 29, distributed to the left and right of the vehicle body center line CL. 57 are fixed, and the inlet ducts 57 form air inlets 58 for introducing cooling air from the outside into the battery case 27A. In addition, louvers 59 are provided on the inner surface of the inlet ducts 57 to guide the air introduced from the outside into the air introduction ports 58 upward in the battery case 27A.

Referring also to FIG. 6, the first fan case 30 is fastened with a bolt 60 to the left rear portion of the second storage part 35 in the battery case 27 A, and is formed at the part forming the second storage part 35. It is attached to the lower case half 28 so as to cover the opening 28a provided in the case half 28 from the outside.

Thus, a first fan housing chamber 61 is formed in the first fan case 30 constituting a part of the battery case 27A, and a first cooling fan 62 for introducing cooling air into the battery case 27A is provided. Housed in the first fan housing chamber 61.

The first cooling fan 62 includes a disk part 63 provided with a plurality of flow holes 67, 67..., A rotation shaft 64 coaxially connected to the center part of the disk part 63, and an outer periphery of the disk part 63. Are integrally provided with a plurality of

blades

65, 65... Having one end portion continuously provided at a plurality of locations, and an annular connecting portion 66 for connecting the other ends of the

blades

65, 65. Is rotatably supported by the first fan case 30.

The rotary shaft 64 includes a large-diameter shaft portion 64a continuous with the center of the disc portion 63 and an annular step portion 64e facing the opposite side of the disc portion 63 between the large-diameter shaft portion 64a. A small-diameter shaft portion 64b having a smaller diameter than the large-diameter shaft portion 64a, a screw shaft portion 64c having a smaller diameter than the small-diameter shaft portion 64b, and a connecting shaft portion 64d having a non-circular cross-sectional shape, However, the screw shaft portion 64c is formed to have a larger diameter than the connecting shaft portion 64d.

On the other hand, the first fan case 30 is provided with a support hole 68 through which the rotation shaft 64 of the first cooling fan 62 is coaxially inserted. The outer periphery of the small-diameter shaft portion 64 b of the rotation shaft 64 and the support hole 68 are provided. A pair of

ball bearings

69, 69 are interposed between the inner peripheries. Thus, a pair of retaining rings 70, 70 sandwiching the outer ring of both ball bearings 69 from both sides are mounted on the inner periphery of the support hole 68, and a cylinder sandwiching the inner ring of both ball bearings 69 ... between the step 64e. A collar 71 is inserted through the small diameter shaft portion 64b. Moreover, a nut 72 for determining the position of the collar 71 is screwed onto the screw shaft portion 64c.

Such a first cooling fan 62 sucks the air in the second storage part 35 in the battery case 27A from the plurality of circulation holes 67, and discharges the air radially outward by the plurality of blades 65. In addition, a first discharge port 73 for discharging the air from the first cooling fan 62 to the outside is provided in a portion of the side wall of the first fan case 30 facing the first storage portion 34 side of the battery case 27A.

The second fan case 31 is fastened to the rear portion of the first storage portion 34 in the battery case 27A, and the opening 28b provided in the lower case half 28 is outside the portion that forms the first storage portion 34. It is attached to the lower case half 28 so as to cover from the side.

Thus, a second fan housing chamber 74 is formed in the second fan case 31 constituting a part of the battery case 27A, and a second cooling fan 75 for introducing cooling air into the battery case 27A is provided. A fan motor 76 that is housed in the second fan housing chamber 74 and drives the second cooling fan 75 is supported by the second fan case 31. A second discharge port 77 for discharging air from the second cooling fan 75 is provided in a portion of the side wall of the second fan case 31 facing the power unit PA.

The battery case 27 A has an output shaft 78 A directed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle on the rear side of the rear wall of the second storage portion 35 and the first fan case 30 and on the left side of the first storage portion 34. In the first embodiment, the first battery 26A is disposed on the right side of the vehicle body center line CL, whereas the power unit PA including the electric motor 25A is disposed on the left side of the vehicle body center line CL. The first battery 26A and the electric motor 25A are arranged so as to be distributed to the left and right of the vehicle body center line CL. Moreover, the power unit PA is surrounded by the battery case 27A that houses the first to third batteries 26A to 26B from the right side and the front side.

The electric motor 25A includes a cylindrical motor shaft 81 rotatably supported by a motor case 50 formed by coupling a pair of front and

rear case members

79 and 80, a rotor 82 fixed to the motor shaft 81, and the rotor And a stator 83 fixed to the motor case 50 so as to surround the motor case 50, and is supported by the main frame 13 of the vehicle body frame so that the motor shaft 81 extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Moreover, the output shaft 78A passes through the motor shaft 81 coaxially, and a plurality of bearings such as a plurality of

needle bearings

84, 84 are interposed between the output shaft 78A and the motor shaft 81.

In addition, the power unit PA includes the electric motor 25A and a centrifugal clutch 87A interposed between the motor shaft 81 and the output shaft 78A of the electric motor 25A. The centrifugal clutch 87A is one end of the motor shaft 81. A drive plate 88 fixed to the shaft, a hook-like clutch housing 89 fixed to the output shaft 78A and coaxially covering the drive plate 88, and the clutch according to the action of centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the motor shaft 81 A plurality of clutch weights 90 are rotatably supported on the drive plate 88 so as to be frictionally engaged with the inner periphery of the housing 89.

The centrifugal clutch 87A is disposed between the electric motor 25A and the battery case 27A. The clutch cover 91 is fastened to the motor case 50 of the electric motor 25A and the case member 79 on the rear side of the motor case 50. Are accommodated in a clutch chamber 92 formed therebetween. Thus, a ball bearing 94 and an annular seal member 95 are interposed between the clutch cover 91 and a cylindrical shaft member 93 that is fixed to the clutch housing 89 and penetrates the clutch cover 91. One end of the output shaft 78A passes through the shaft member 93 via a roller bearing 96, and the rotary shaft 64 of the first cooling fan 62 is at the tip of the output shaft 78A. A bottomed fitting hole 97 is provided for fitting the connecting shaft portion 64d having the same axis coaxially and so as not to be relatively rotatable. That is, one end of the output shaft 78A is detachably connected to the rotating shaft 64 of the first cooling fan 62 so as to be coaxial and non-rotatable.

The other end portion of the output shaft 78A is connected to a transmission means 98A that transmits power to the rear wheel WR. For example, the other end portion of the output shaft 78A is connected to the input side. A speed reduction mechanism 99 such as a planetary gear mechanism, a drive shaft 100 extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, a universal joint 101 connecting the output side of the speed reduction mechanism 99 to one end of the drive shaft 100, and rotational movement of the drive shaft 100 It is constituted by a bevel gear mechanism (not shown) or the like interposed between the drive shaft 100 and the rear wheel WR so as to be converted into the rotational motion of the rear wheel WR.

Cooling air purified by the air cleaner 102 is guided to the air inlets 58 on the front wall of the battery case 27A through a pair of cooling

ducts

103, 103 disposed on the left and right sides of the main frame 13. The air cleaner 102 in which a filter element 106 for air purification is built is disposed in front of the head pipe 12 and supported by the vehicle body frame F.

Further, the air cleaner 102 is supported by the vehicle body frame F with the suction port 104 opened downward, and the suction port 104 is provided with walls 105 that constitute a labyrinth structure.

On the upper surface of the battery case 27A, that is, the upper surface of the upper case half 29, a battery management device 107 that controls charging / discharging of the first to third batteries 26A to 26C is provided. An opening 29a that allows at least a part of the battery management device 107 to face the cooling air introduced into the battery case 27A through the surface of the battery management device 107 is an upper wall of the battery case 27A, that is, an upper case half. Provided on the upper wall of the body 29, the battery management device 107 is provided with fins 107a... That enter the battery case 27 from the opening 29a. The battery management device 107 is covered with a cover 108 attached to the upper case half 29.

As shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of

fins

111, 111... Are provided on the lower surface of the power drive unit 110 that controls the operation of the electric motor 25A. The power drive unit 110 includes first to third batteries 26A. Is supported by the main frame 13 obliquely above and forward of the battery case 27A housing .about.26C.

Thus, a plurality of mounting plates 112 are fixed to the upper surface of the power drive unit 110, and these mounting plates 112 are fixed to the fourth support stays 113 fixed to the main frame 13 with bolts 114 and nuts. 115, and the fins 111 on the lower surface of the power drive unit 110 are disposed so as to face the front through the inner cover 116 that constitutes a part of the vehicle body cover 22 and is disposed behind the front wheel WF. Is done.

Referring again to FIG. 1, below the riding seat 21 supported on the rear part of the vehicle body frame F, there is a storage box 117, a DC-DC converter 118 and a charger disposed behind the storage box 117. 119 is disposed so as to cover the rear portion of the vehicle body cover 22 from the side. In the first embodiment, the DC-DC converter 118 is disposed behind the storage box 117, and behind the DC-DC converter 118. A charger 119 is arranged.

In the lower part of the storage box 117, a battery 120 for supplying power to an auxiliary device such as a lighting device provided in the vehicle is stored and disposed.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described. A battery case 27A having air inlets 58 on the front wall is supported by the vehicle body frame F, and a power unit PA supported by the vehicle body frame F including at least the electric motor 25A is provided. The battery case 27A is disposed behind the rear wall of the second storage portion 35 in the battery case 27A with the output shaft 78A directed in the front-rear direction, and the cooling air is introduced into the battery case 27A from the air inlets 58. The rotating shaft 64 of the first cooling fan 62 housed in the 27A is connected to one end portion of the output shaft 78A, and the other end portion of the output shaft 78A is connected to transmission means 98A that transmits power to the rear wheel WR. Therefore, the flow direction of the cooling air is made to follow the front-rear direction in the battery case 27A, without greatly changing the flow direction of the cooling air. It is possible to configure the 却系. As a result, the air path resistance can be reduced, and the cooling path can be shortened to form a simple cooling system. In addition, since the battery case 27A and the power unit PA are supported by the vehicle body frame F, a design that takes into account the swinging of the battery case 27A and the power unit PA is unnecessary, and a simpler cooling system can be configured.

Moreover, since the motor shaft 81 of the electric motor 25A included in the power unit PA is oriented in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, it is possible to prevent the power unit PA from increasing in the vehicle width direction.

In addition, since the power unit PA includes the electric motor 25A and the centrifugal clutch 87A interposed between the motor shaft 81 and the output shaft 78A of the electric motor 25A, the initial load of the electric motor 25A can be reduced. . That is, although the initial load of the electric motor 25A is relatively high and requires a large current, the power transmission between the motor shaft 81 and the output shaft 78A is interrupted by the centrifugal clutch 87A during the initial operation of the electric motor 25A. During the initial operation of the electric motor 25A, the first cooling fan 62 and the transmission means 98A do not become loads, and the initial load can be reduced and the power consumption can be reduced.

In addition, the rotating shaft 64 of the first cooling fan 62 is rotatably supported by the first fan case 30 of the battery case 27A, and the output shaft 78A is detachably connected to the rotating shaft 64. Even if the connection of the power unit PA to is released, the support state of the first cooling fan 62 to the battery case 27A is maintained, so that the power unit PA can be easily attached and detached, and the maintainability can be improved. Even when the connection of the power unit PA to the first cooling fan 62 is released, the rotating shaft 64 of the first cooling fan 62 remains supported by the first fan case 30, so that the battery case 27A is closed. Thus, dust from the outside does not enter the battery case 27A undesirably.

Further, since the air cleaner 102 and the air inlets 58 on the front wall of the battery case 27A are connected via the cooling ducts 103, the air purified by the air cleaner 102 can be introduced into the battery case 27A. It becomes. Moreover, since the air cleaner 102 is disposed in front of the head pipe 12, the cooling air from the front of the vehicle can be efficiently introduced into the battery case 27A.

Further, the air cleaner 102 is supported by the vehicle body frame F with the suction port 104 opened downward, and the suction port 104 is provided with a wall 105 constituting a labyrinth structure. It is possible to suppress the intrusion of water such as rainwater including water.

A battery management device 107 that controls charging / discharging of the first to third batteries 26A to 26C is provided on the upper surface of the battery case 27A, and the cooling air introduced into the battery case 27A from the air introduction port 58 is battery management. Since an opening 29a is provided on the upper wall of the battery case 27A so as to pass through the surface of the device 107 so that at least a part of the battery management device 107 faces, not only the first to third batteries 26A to 26C. The battery management device 107 can also be cooled at the same time. In particular, in the first embodiment, the battery management device 107 is provided with fins 107a... That enter the battery case 27 from the opening 29a. Can be cooled to.

Incidentally, the power unit PA including the electric motor 25A having the motor shaft 81 along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is disposed below the main frame 13 in front of the center frame 18, and the first battery 26A is disposed on the right side of the electric motor 25A. Therefore, by arranging the first battery 26A, it is possible to avoid the minimum ground clearance from being lowered and to secure the minimum ground clearance so as to facilitate the securing of the bank angle. Moreover, even if the electric motor 25A and the first battery 26A are arranged in the vehicle width direction, the motor shaft 81 of the electric motor 25A extends in the direction along the vehicle front-rear direction, and the first battery 26A is in the vehicle front-rear direction. Therefore, the space for arranging the electric motor 25A and the first battery 26A is prevented from increasing in the width direction of the vehicle, and this also facilitates securing the bank angle.

In addition, the first battery 26A that is long in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and the electric motor 25A that is disposed on the side of the battery 26A are arranged on the left and right of the vehicle body center line CL that extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. One battery 26A and electric motor 25A can be arranged with a good balance between left and right.

In addition, at least one other battery among the plurality of batteries 26A to 26C including the first battery 26A, in the first embodiment, the second and

third batteries

26B and 26C are arranged in front of the electric motor 25A. A larger number of batteries 26A to 26C can be arranged by using the space in front of the motor 25A. In particular, the second and

third batteries

26B and 26C are elongated in the width direction of the vehicle so that the front of the electric motor 25A can be obtained. Therefore, the space in the front-rear direction necessary for arranging the first and

second batteries

26B, 26C in front of the electric motor 25A can be reduced.

Thus, the electric motor 25A is surrounded by the battery case 27A that houses the first to third batteries 26A to 26C from the side and the front, and the electric motor 25A and the battery case 27A are arranged in a space efficient manner. Can do.

Further, a storage box 117, a DC-DC converter 118 and a charger 119 disposed behind the storage box 117 are disposed below the riding seat 21 supported on the rear portion of the body frame F. The DC-DC converter 118 and the charger 119 necessary for the electric vehicle can be arranged in a space-efficient manner using the space below the use seat 21.

Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, but the portions corresponding to the above-described Embodiment 1 are only given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

The main frame 13 of the vehicle body frame F at the part corresponding to the second battery 26B housed in the second housing part 35 of the battery case 27A extends to the left and right extending vertically so as to be disposed on both sides of the second housing part 35. The upper ends of the pair of

subframes

130 and 130 are fixed by welding, and

brackets

131 and 131 that are fixed to the upper surface of the battery case 27A and are arranged inside the

subframes

130 and 130 include the

subframes

130 and 130. Are fastened by bolts 132 and nuts 133. The lower part of the battery case 27A is supported by the lower parts of the sub-frames 130 by bolts 134 and nuts 135 inserted through the lower part of the battery case 27A.

Left and right extending vertically so as to be disposed on both sides of the second storage portion 35 on the main frame 13 of the vehicle body frame F at a portion corresponding to the third battery 26C stored in the second storage portion 35 of the battery case 27A. A pair of sub-frames 136 are fixed by welding, and the support structure is the same as the support structure for the sub-frames 130 of the battery case 27A at the portion corresponding to the second battery 26B, and corresponds to the third battery 26C. The battery case 27A is supported by both the sub-frames 136.

According to the second embodiment, the battery case 27A can be supported with high rigidity by the

subframes

130, 136, ... welded to the main frame 13. Moreover, the battery case 27A can be detached and attached by sliding the battery case 27A up and down between the

sub-frames

130, 136, so that the battery case 27A can be easily attached and detached.

Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 10, but the portions corresponding to the above-described Embodiments 1 and 2 are only shown with the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

The first to

third batteries

26A, 26B, and 26C are accommodated in the battery case 27A. The first battery 26A is elongated in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the side of the electric motor 25A in the power unit PA. The first battery 26A and the electric motor 25A are arranged on the left and right of the vehicle body center line CL extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and at least one of the first to third batteries 26A to 26C is the electric motor. In the second embodiment, the second and

third batteries

26B and 26C are arranged in front of the electric motor 25A, and the second and

third batteries

26B and 26C are arranged in the vehicle. Is arranged in front of the electric motor 25A.

Also in the third embodiment, a larger number of batteries 26A to 26C can be arranged using the space in front of the electric motor 25A.

A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 11, but the portions corresponding to the above first to third embodiments are indicated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. .

The battery case 27B for storing the first to third batteries 26A to 26C includes a lower case half body 28 made of a synthetic resin having a box shape opened upward and an upper case made of a synthetic resin having a box shape opened downward. The lower case half 28 and the upper case half 29, which are composed of a half body 29 (see Example 1) and a fan case 123 made of a synthetic resin and are coupled to each other, are arranged in front of the vehicle on the right side of the power unit PB. The first storage part 34 that extends in the direction and stores the first battery 26A, and is formed in a substantially square shape in front of the power unit PB to store the second and

third batteries

26B and 26C, and the first storage part 34 is the rear part A second storage portion 35 is formed on the right side.

Thus, the fan case 123 constituting a part of the battery case 27B is fastened to the lower case half body 28 so as to cover the opening 28c provided on the inner wall of the first storage portion 34. A cooling fan 121 for introducing cooling air into the battery case 27B is accommodated in the fan accommodating chamber 124 formed in the fan case 123, and the rotating shaft 122 of the fan 121 is rotatably supported by the fan case 123. The A discharge port 125 for discharging the air from the cooling fan 121 to the outside is provided on the side wall of the fan case 123 so as to face rearward.

In the battery case 27B, a power unit PB having an output shaft 78B directed in the width direction of the vehicle is disposed behind the rear wall of the second storage portion 35 and on the left side of the first storage portion 34.

The power unit PB has a motor shaft 128 coaxial with the output shaft 78B, and has a length L2 in a direction orthogonal to the motor shaft 128 larger than a length L1 in the direction along the axis of the motor shaft 128 and a motor. An electric motor 25B having a shaft 128 oriented in the vehicle width direction and a centrifugal clutch 87B interposed between the output shafts 78B of the electric motor 25B are surrounded by a battery case 27B from the right side and the front side. The one end part of the output shaft 78B is connected to the rotating shaft 122 of the cooling fan 121 so as to be attachable / detachable so as not to be relatively rotatable.

The other end of the output shaft 78B is connected to a transmission means 98B that transmits power to the rear wheel WR (see the first embodiment). The transmission means 98B includes, for example, a drive sprocket 125 and a rear wheel WR. A driven sprocket (not shown) provided coaxially therewith, a drive sprocket 125 and an endless chain 126 wound around the driven sprocket, a speed reduction provided between the other end of the output shaft 78b and the drive sprocket 125. And a gear mechanism 127.

The same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved by the fourth embodiment. In particular, the motor shaft 128 of the electric motor 25B included in the power unit PB is oriented in the width direction of the vehicle, but the length in the direction orthogonal to the motor shaft 128 is longer than the length L1 along the axis of the motor shaft 128. Since the electric motor 25B is configured by increasing the length L2, the power unit PB does not increase in the vehicle width direction.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, the clutch provided between the motor shaft of the electric motor and the rotation shaft of the cooling fan is not limited to the centrifugal clutch, and the clutch that can be freely switched between connection and disconnection is the motor shaft of the electric motor and the rotation shaft of the cooling fan. May be provided. The present invention can also be applied to a motor shaft that is connected to a rotating shaft of a cooling fan without a clutch.

Claims

A vehicle body frame (F) having a head pipe (12) that supports a front fork (11) that pivotally supports a front wheel (WF) at a lower end portion so as to be steerable, and a front end portion swings to the vehicle body frame (F). A swing arm (17) that is movably supported and on which a rear wheel (WR) is pivotally supported at the rear end, an electric motor (25A) that exerts power to drive the rear wheel (WR), Batteries (26A, 26B, 26C) for supplying electric power to the electric motor (25A), a battery case (27A) for storing the batteries (26A-26C), and cooling air are introduced into the battery case (27A). In a saddle-ride type electric vehicle provided with a cooling fan (62) for the above, the battery case (27A) having an air inlet (58) on the front wall is supported by the vehicle body frame (F), and a motor A power unit (PA) supported by the vehicle body frame (F) including at least the electric motor (25A) in which (81A) is directed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is located behind the rear wall of the battery case (27A). A rotating shaft (64) of the cooling fan (62) that is disposed and accommodated in the battery case (27A) so as to introduce cooling air from the air inlet (58) into the battery case (27A). One end of the output shaft (78A) of the power unit (PA) is connected to the other end, and the other end of the output shaft (78A) is connected to transmission means (98A) for transmitting power to the rear wheel (WR). A saddle-ride type electric vehicle characterized by that.
A vehicle body frame (F) having a head pipe (12) that supports a front fork (11) that pivotally supports a front wheel (WF) at a lower end portion so as to be steerable, and a front end portion swings to the vehicle body frame (F). A swing arm (17) that is movably supported and on which a rear wheel (WR) is pivotally supported at the rear end, an electric motor (25B) that exerts power for driving the rear wheel (WR), Batteries (26A, 26B, 26C) for supplying electric power to the electric motor (25B), a battery case (27B) for storing the batteries (26A-26C), and cooling air are introduced into the battery case (27B). In the saddle-ride type electric vehicle provided with a cooling fan (121) for supporting the battery case (27B) having an air inlet (58) on the front wall, the vehicle body frame (F) supports the motor case. The electric motor (25B) in which the length in the direction orthogonal to the motor shaft (128) is made larger than the length in the direction along the axis of the shaft (128) and the motor shaft (128) is oriented in the vehicle width direction. Of the plurality of batteries (26A to 26C) accommodated in the battery case (27B) and the battery case (27B) The cooling fan (62) disposed behind the rear wall and housed in the battery case (27B) so as to introduce cooling air from the air inlet (58) into the battery case (27B). One end portion of the output shaft (78B) of the power unit (PB) is connected to the rotation shaft (122) of the power unit (PB), and the other end portion of the output shaft (78B) is connected to the rear shaft. Saddle type electric vehicle, characterized in that it is connected to the transmission means for transmitting power (98B) to (WR).
The power unit (PA, PB) is a clutch (between the electric motor (25A, 25B) and the motor shaft (81) and the output shaft (78A, 78B) of the electric motor (25A, 25B) ( The saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: 87A, 87B).
The rotating shafts (64, 122) of the cooling fan (62, 121) are rotatably supported by the battery case (27A, 27B), and one end of the output shaft (78A, 78B) is connected to the rotating shaft (64, 122). 122) The saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the saddle-ride type electric vehicle is detachably connected to the vehicle 122).
An air cleaner (102) is disposed in front of the head pipe (12) and supported by the body frame (F), and the air introduction of the air cleaner (102) and the front wall of the battery case (27A, 27B) is performed. The saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mouth (58) is connected via a cooling duct (103).
The air cleaner (102) is supported by the vehicle body frame (F) with its suction port (104) opened downward, and a wall (105) constituting a labyrinth structure is provided at the suction port (104). The saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to claim 5.
A battery management device (107) for controlling charging / discharging of the batteries (26A to 26C) is provided on the upper surface of the battery case (27A, 27B), and the battery case (27A, 27B) is provided from the air inlet (58). An opening (29a) that allows at least a part of the battery management device (107) to face the cooling air introduced into the battery management device (107) so as to pass through the surface of the battery management device (107). 27B), the saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6.