WO2023144997A1

WO2023144997A1 - Electric vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2023144997A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/003308
Authority: WO
Inventors: 滝沢大二郎; 岩本淳
Original assignee: 本田技研工業株式会社
Priority date: 2022-01-28
Filing date: 2022-01-28
Publication date: 2023-08-03

Abstract

An electric vehicle (50) comprises a first seat (54) and a second seat (56). The first seat has a first pedestal (62) in which is formed a first accommodation part capable of accommodating a removable battery (10). A first seat part (64) provided on the first pedestal pivots frontward. The second seat has a second pedestal (80) in which is formed a second accommodation part capable of accommodating a removable battery. A second seat part (82) provided on the second pedestal pivots rearward. One of the first accommodation part and the second accommodation part accommodates a removable battery for providing driving force. The other of the first accommodation part and the second accommodation part accommodates a spare removable battery.

Description

electric vehicle

The present invention relates to an electric vehicle that runs on power from a detachable battery.

A well-known example of an electric vehicle is a golf cart. A golf cart includes a body, a first seat, and a second seat. A motor and a battery are mounted on the vehicle body. A battery powers the motor. The powered motor rotates the wheels. This allows the golf cart to run.

In the golf cart described in JP-A-2006-212230, the battery pack is housed in the internal space of the first seat. Specifically, the first seat has a box-shaped storage portion. The storage section is connected to the vehicle body via hinges. The first seat is rotatable about the hinge with respect to the vehicle body. The first seat is positioned and fixed to the vehicle body via a lock mechanism. When the user turns the first seat after releasing the lock mechanism, the battery pack is exposed. In this state, the user can replace the battery pack with a new one. The battery pack is replaced only when it becomes impossible to charge and discharge the battery pack.

Japanese Patent No. 6888106 proposes using a detachable battery as a power supply source for an electric vehicle. The state of charge (SOC) of a removable battery decreases with the application of power. The detachable battery whose SOC has decreased is removed from the electric vehicle. The removable battery is then loaded into the charging device. A removable battery is charged by the charging device.

The electric vehicle described in Japanese Patent No. 6888106 is a two-wheeled vehicle, but the golf cart is a four-wheeled vehicle. Also, a plurality of people ride in the golf cart. Golf carts are loaded with golf bags. A golf cart loaded with occupants and golf bags is quite heavy. Therefore, in general, when driving a golf cart, the power consumption of the detachable battery is greater than that of a two-wheeled vehicle. For these reasons, it is expected that the SOC of the removable battery in golf carts will drop in a relatively short period of time. Even when the SOC falls below the threshold, it is desirable to be able to quickly and easily replace the battery with a removable battery with a sufficient SOC.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, an electric vehicle that runs on electric power supplied from a removable battery,
A vehicle body, a first seat provided on the vehicle body, and a second seat provided on the vehicle body behind the first seat,
The first seat has a first pedestal formed with a first accommodating portion capable of accommodating the detachable battery, and a first seat portion rotatable with respect to the first pedestal, A front flip-up seat that opens by rotating the first seat portion forward,
The second seat has a second pedestal formed with a second housing portion capable of housing the detachable battery, and a second seat portion rotatable with respect to the second pedestal, The seat is a rear flip-up type seat that opens by rotating the second seat portion backward,
One of the first housing portion and the second housing portion is a mounting portion having a second connector that is detachable with respect to the first connector of the detachable battery and for housing the detachable battery for driving. can be,
The electric vehicle is provided, wherein the other of the first storage section and the second storage section is a storage section for storing the spare detachable battery.

It should be noted that the spare detachable battery means a detachable battery that does not participate in the running of the electric vehicle. That is, electric power is not supplied from the spare detachable battery to the electric vehicle while the electric vehicle is running. Therefore, the SOC of the spare detachable battery does not drop due to the running of the electric vehicle. In the following description, the spare detachable battery may also be referred to as a "spare battery". A detachable drive battery that supplies electric power to an electric vehicle is sometimes referred to as a "driving battery."

In the present invention, the drive battery is accommodated in either the first seat or the second seat of the electric vehicle. A spare battery is accommodated in the remaining one of the first seat and the second seat of the electric vehicle. Therefore, when the SOC of the drive battery drops, the drive battery can be replaced with a spare battery on the spot. Therefore, when the SOC of the drive battery drops while the electric vehicle is running, it is possible to continue driving by using the spare battery.

In the vehicle body, the distance from the first seat to the second seat is relatively small. Therefore, the distance that the user must travel to replace the drive battery and the spare battery is also relatively small. Further, the first seat, which has the first accommodation portion capable of accommodating the detachable battery, is opened by rotating the first seat portion forward. The second seat, which has a second accommodation portion capable of accommodating the detachable battery, opens when the second seat portion rotates backward. Therefore, the user can easily access the first storage section and the second storage section by positioning the user between the first pedestal and the second pedestal. As a result, when the SOC of the drive battery drops, the user can quickly and easily replace the drive battery with a spare battery with a sufficient SOC.

As described above, the drive battery is accommodated in either the first seat or the second seat of the electric vehicle. A spare battery is accommodated in the remaining one of the first seat and the second seat of the electric vehicle. Therefore, when exchanging the drive battery and the spare battery, the positions of the drive battery and the spare battery can be exchanged. That is, the storage space for the drive battery after replacement is either the first storage portion or the second storage portion. Moreover, the storage space for the spare battery after replacement is the remaining one of the first storage section and the second storage section. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a storage space for the replacement drive battery and spare battery separately from the first storage section and the second storage section. For this reason, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the electric vehicle caused by mounting the spare battery on the vehicle body.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a removable battery. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the removable battery. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the removable battery. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of a golf cart as an electric vehicle. FIG. 5 is a side partial cross-sectional view of the golf cart. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the essential parts of the golf cart. FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state in which the detachable battery is accommodated in the rear casing. FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the rear casing. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the rear casing from another angle. FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the rear casing accommodates the removable battery and the lever is positioned at the second lever position. 11 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the lever has moved to the first lever position from FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a schematic side view when the second cam plate is omitted from FIG. 10. FIG. 13 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the lever has moved to the first lever position from FIG. 12; FIG. 14 is a schematic side view when the left leg of the lever, the left arm and the third cam plate are omitted from FIG. 12. FIG. 15 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the lever has moved to the first lever position from FIG. 14; FIG. FIG. 16 is a side view of the main part showing the position of the second seat portion when the lever is positioned at the first lever position or the second lever position. FIG. 17 is a side view of the main part of the mounting portion provided in a posture different from that of FIGS. 7 to 15. FIG.

"Opposite direction" below means the opposite direction to one direction. For example, the opposite of forward is backward, and the opposite of left is right. The opposite of downward is upward.

First, I will explain the removable battery. In addition, below, a detachable battery is also described as a "mobile battery." FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mobile battery 10. FIG. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the mobile battery 10. FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the mobile battery 10. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile battery 10 has a bottom case 12, a main case 14, and a top case 16. The bottom case 12 constitutes the bottom surface of the mobile battery 10 .

The main case 14 is a square cylindrical hollow body with open ends at both ends. Therefore, the mobile battery 10 has four side surfaces as outer peripheral surfaces. The four sides are side 18a, side 18b, side 18c and side 18d. A side surface 18a therein has an outwardly convex curved shape. Side 18b, side 18c and side 18d are substantially flat. Therefore, the mobile battery 10 does not overlap the mobile battery 10 before rotation until it rotates 360 degrees about the rotation center axis CA. That is, the shape of the mobile battery 10 is rotationally asymmetric.

The bottom case 12 constitutes the bottom surface 20 of the mobile battery 10 . As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom case 12 is provided with a female first connector 22 . That is, in this case the bottom surface 20 is the connector surface. The first connector 22 extends from the center of the bottom surface 20 toward the side surface 18a.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the top case 16 constitutes the upper surface 24 of the mobile battery 10. As shown in FIG. The top surface 24 is a surface located in the opposite direction to the bottom surface 20, which is the connector surface. An arch portion 26 is provided on the upper surface 24 . The arch portion 26 is provided on the side surface 18 a of the top case 16 . Therefore, the position of the first connector 22 corresponds to the position of the arch portion 26 . Arch portion 26 has a first linear portion 28 . The first linear portion 28 is separated from the upper surface 24 of the top case 16 and extends from the side 18b toward the side 18d.

A grasping portion 30 that is grasped by the user is provided on the upper surface 24 . The arcuate portion 26 with the first straight portion 28 is part of the gripping portion 30 . The user grips the grip portion 30 and inserts/removes the mobile battery 10 into/from an accommodation structure (accommodation portion) described later.

The grip portion 30 has an arch portion 26 and a second linear portion 32 . The second linear portion 32 is separated from the upper surface 24 of the top case 16 and extends from the side 18a toward the side 18c. The second linear portion 32 continues to substantially the middle of the first linear portion 28 in the extending direction. The extending direction of the second linear portion 32 is substantially perpendicular to the extending direction of the first linear portion 28 . Therefore, when the grip portion 30 is viewed from above, the first linear portion 28 and the second linear portion 32 form a substantially T-shape. When the mobile battery 10 is mounted on the electric vehicle, the first linear portion 28 extends along the vehicle width direction. When the mobile battery 10 is mounted on the electric vehicle, the second linear portion 32 extends along the front-rear direction of the electric vehicle. The above will be described in detail later.

Next, we will explain the electric vehicle. In this embodiment, a golf cart 50 shown in FIG. 4 is exemplified as an electric vehicle. The terms “front”, “rear”, “left” and “right” below refer to the front, rear, left and right of the passenger seated on the first seat 54 of the golf cart 50, respectively. The longitudinal direction is synonymous with the vehicle length direction. The left-right direction is synonymous with the vehicle width direction. However, for example, even if the member is positioned behind the occupant seated on the first seat 54, the portion positioned relatively forward in the member is referred to as the front, and the portion positioned relatively rearward in the member. is called after. For example, even if a member is positioned to the left of an occupant seated on the first seat 54, the portion positioned relatively to the left of the member is referred to as the left, and the portion positioned relatively to the right is referred to as the right. .

"Lower" and "higher" below mean relatively lower and relatively higher, respectively. "Low" and "high" do not necessarily mean that they are arranged along the vertical direction.

4 is a perspective view of essential parts of the golf cart 50. FIG. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the golf cart 50. As shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view of essential parts of the golf cart 50 as viewed from above. The golf cart 50 includes a vehicle body 52 , a first seat 54 and a second seat 56 . The vehicle body 52 is provided with two front wheels 58 and two rear wheels 60 . Each of the two rear wheels 60 incorporates an in-wheel motor (not shown) as a driving motor. The running motor may not be an in-wheel motor, and may be a motor arranged independently of the front wheels 58 and the rear wheels 60 .

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the first seat 54 has a first pedestal 62, a first seat portion 64, and a first backrest 66. The first pedestal 62 is positioned and fixed to the front portion of the floor panel of the vehicle body 52 . The first pedestal 62 is a hollow body having a hollow interior. The hollow interior opens at the upper end of the first pedestal 62 . The first seat portion 64 is a front lid portion that opens and closes the opening of the first seat portion 62 . Specifically, the first seat portion 64 is connected to the first pedestal 62 via a hinge (not shown). The hinge is arranged at the front upper end of the first base 62 . Therefore, the first seat portion 64 rotates so that the rear end thereof moves forward away from the rear of the vehicle body 52 (see the phantom line in FIG. 5). As a result, the opening of the first pedestal 62 is opened. Thus, the first seat 54 is a front flip-up seat.

As shown in FIG. 5, a front base frame 68 is accommodated in the hollow interior of the first pedestal 62 . As shown in FIG. 6, four front casings are attached to the front base frame 68 . Hereinafter, the rightmost front casing is referred to as 70a for easy distinction. The reference number of the front casing positioned to the left of the front casing 70a is 70b. The reference number of the front casing located to the left of the front casing 70b is 70c. The reference number for the leftmost front casing is 70d. One mobile battery 10 is stored in each of the front casings 70a-70d. The front casings 70a to 70d constitute a first accommodation portion that accommodates the mobile battery 10. As shown in FIG.

The front casings 70a to 70d are not provided with a second connector 96 (see FIG. 7), which will be described later. Therefore, the mobile battery 10 accommodated in the front casings 70a to 70d is not electrically connected to the running motor, and does not participate in running of the golf cart 50 (driving of the running motor). The mobile battery 10 accommodated in the front casings 70a to 70d is a spare and is replaced with a mobile battery 10 whose SOC (State Of Charge) has decreased. Thus, the front casings 70a to 70d are storage units for storing the spare mobile battery 10. As shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the mobile battery 10 accommodated in the front casings 70a to 70d may also be referred to as "reserve battery 10A".

As shown in FIG. 6, a front guide rubber 72a and a front guide rubber 72b are provided on the front wall of the front casing 70a. The rear end surfaces of the front guide rubber 72 a and the front guide rubber 72 b are curved to match the curvature of the side surface 18 a of the mobile battery 10 . The side surface 18a contacts the rear end surfaces of the front guide rubber 72a and the front guide rubber 72b. Note that the front guide rubber 72a and the front guide rubber 72b may not be provided. In this case, for example, the outer shape of the front casings 70a to 70d may be formed in a shape similar to the outer shape of the mobile battery .

A right guide rubber 72c is provided on the right wall of the front casing 70a. The right guide rubber 72c contacts the side surface 18b of the mobile battery 10. As shown in FIG. Along with the contact, the side surface 18b pushes the right guide rubber 72c from left to right. A left guide rubber 72d is provided on the left wall of the front casing 70a. The left guide rubber 72d contacts the side surface 18d. Along with the contact, the side surface 18d pushes the left guide rubber 72d from right to left. A rear guide rubber 72e and a rear guide rubber 72f are provided on the rear wall of the front casing 70a. The rear guide rubber 72e and the rear guide rubber 72f are in contact with the side surface 18c. Along with the abutment, the side surface 18c pushes the rear guide rubber 72e and the rear guide rubber 72f from front to rear.

As can be understood from the above, the mobile battery 10 is housed in the front casing 70a so that the arch portion 26 faces forward. Therefore, the first linear portion 28 extends along the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 52 of the golf cart 50 . The second linear portion 32 extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 52 . When the arch portion 26 faces rearward, the mobile battery 10 cannot be accommodated in the front casing 70a. In this case, the side surface 18c interferes with the upper surfaces of the

front guide rubbers

72a and 72b while the mobile battery 10 is being accommodated in the front casing 70a. Similarly, the side surfaces 18b and 18d interfere with the upper surfaces of the left guide rubber 72d and the right guide rubber 72c, respectively, and the side surface 18a interferes with the upper surfaces of the

rear guide rubbers

72e and 72f.

As shown in FIG. 5, the front casing 70a is inclined so as to approach the second seat 56 as it goes upward from below. In other words, the front lower end of the front casing 70a is closer to the front than the front upper end of the front casing 70a. In addition, the rear upper end of the front casing 70a is closer to the rear than the rear lower end of the front casing 70a. Therefore, when the mobile battery 10 is inserted into the front casing 70a, the mobile battery 10 moves forward from the rear as it descends. When the mobile battery 10 is pulled out from the front casing 70a, the mobile battery 10 moves from the front to the rear as it rises.

Thus, the insertion/removal direction of the mobile battery 10 in the front casing 70a is inclined so as to rise toward the rear with respect to the vertical direction. That is, the insertion/removal direction is tilted backward. Therefore, the user can easily insert and remove the mobile battery 10 by standing behind the first seat 54 .

The front casings 70b-70d are constructed in the same manner as the front casing 70a. Therefore, detailed illustration and description of the front casings 70b to 70d are omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the second seat 56 has a second pedestal 80 and a second seat portion 82. As shown in FIGS. The second pedestal 80 is positioned and fixed to the rear portion of the floor panel of the vehicle body 52 . The second pedestal 80 is a hollow body having a hollow interior. The hollow interior opens at the upper end of the second pedestal 80 . The second seat portion 82 is a rear lid portion that opens and closes the opening of the second pedestal 80 . Specifically, the second seat portion 82 is connected to the second pedestal 80 via a hinge (not shown). The hinge is arranged at the rear upper end of the second base 80 . Accordingly, the second seat portion 82 rotates so that the front end thereof is separated from the front of the vehicle body 52 and directed rearward (see the phantom line in FIG. 5). As a result, the opening of the second pedestal 80 is opened. Thus, the second seat 56 is a rear flip-up type seat. The back of the occupant seated on the second seat portion 82 is supported by the backrest 84 .

As can be understood from this, the rotation direction of the first seat portion 64 when flipping up the first seat portion 64 and the rotation direction of the second seat portion 82 when flipping up the second seat portion 82 are determined. are in opposite directions. When the first seat portion 64 and the second seat portion 82 are in the fully open position, the extending directions of the first seat portion 64 and the second seat portion 82 substantially coincide with the vertical direction. When the first seat portion 64 and the second seat portion 82 are in the fully closed position, the extending directions of the first seat portion 64 and the second seat portion 82 substantially coincide with the horizontal direction (see FIG. 16).

The first pedestal 62 and the second pedestal 80 have a line-symmetrical positional relationship with a line M drawn along the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 52 as a boundary. Accordingly, the first accommodating portion and the second accommodating portion (described later) also have a line-symmetrical positional relationship with the line M as the boundary.

As shown in FIG. 5, a rear accommodation structure 88 (accommodation structure) and a lock mechanism 90 are provided in the hollow interior of the second pedestal 80 . The rear housing structure 88 and the lock mechanism 90 will be described.

A rear base frame 92 is accommodated in the hollow interior. As shown in FIG. 6, four rear casings are attached to the rear base frame 92 . Hereinafter, the rightmost rear casing is referred to as 94a for easy distinction. The reference number of the rear casing positioned to the left of the rear casing 94a is 94b. The reference number of the rear casing positioned to the left of the rear casing 94b is 94c. The reference number for the leftmost rear casing is 94d.

One mobile battery 10 is accommodated in each of the rear casings 94a to 94d. In other words, the rear casings 94a to 94d constitute a second accommodation portion that accommodates the mobile battery 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, one second connector 96 is provided in each of the rear casings 94a-94d. The first connector 22 of the mobile battery 10 is attachable/detachable to/from the second connector 96 . The second connector 96 is engaged with the first connector 22 of the mobile battery 10 when the mobile battery 10 is inserted into each of the rear casings 94a-94d. This engagement establishes electrical connection between the mobile battery 10 and the driving motor via a control unit (not shown). That is, the traveling motor is driven by the electric power supplied from the mobile battery 10 . Thus, the rear casings 94a to 94d are mounting parts that accommodate the mobile battery 10 involved in driving the golf cart 50. As shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, the mobile battery 10 housed in the second housing portion (mounting portion) may also be referred to as "driving battery 10B". In this embodiment, the number of spare batteries 10A is four, and the number of drive batteries 10B is also four. That is, in the present embodiment, the number of spare batteries 10A that can be accommodated in the first storage section (storage section) is one times the number of drive batteries 10B that can be accommodated in the second storage section (mounting section).

The number of spare batteries 10A is not limited to one times the number of driving batteries 10B. Alternatively, the number of spare batteries 10A may be an integer multiple of twice or more the number of drive batteries 10B. For example, when the number of drive batteries 10B is two, the number of spare batteries 10A may be four (two times) or six (three times). When the number of driving batteries 10B is three, the number of spare batteries 10A may be six (two times) or nine (three times).

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the rear casing 94a and the rear casing 94b. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the

rear casings

94a and 94b from another angle. 8 and 9 show a state where the mobile battery 10 is inserted into the rear casing 94a and a state where the mobile battery 10 is not inserted into the rear casing 94b for easy understanding. 7 and 8 show a state in which the locking mechanism 90 is unlocked. On the other hand, FIG. 9 shows a state in which the lock mechanism 90 is locked.

As shown in FIGS. 7-9, the rear casing 94a includes a bottom wall 100, a front wall 102 (wall portion), a right wall 104 (wall portion), a left wall 106 (wall portion), and a rear wall 108. (Wall portion). Front wall 102 , right wall 104 , left wall 106 and rear wall 108 intersect bottom wall 100 generally perpendicularly. A rear wall 108 is located opposite the front wall 102 . Left wall 106 is located opposite right wall 104 . Right wall 104 and left wall 106 intersect front wall 102 and rear wall 108 generally perpendicularly. The front wall 102, the right wall 104, the left wall 106, and the rear wall 108 form a space for accommodating the mobile battery 10 (driving battery 10B). The front wall 102 , right wall 104 , left wall 106 and rear wall 108 extend along the insertion/removal direction of the mobile battery 10 .

The length of the front wall 102 along the insertion/removal direction of the mobile battery 10 is constant. Hereinafter, the length along the insertion/removal direction of the mobile battery 10 is referred to as "height". The height of the front wall 102 is slightly larger than the height of the mobile battery 10 .

The rear wall 108 spans from the rear end of the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94a to the rear end of the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94b (see FIG. 8). The height of the rear wall 108 is constant. However, the height of the rear wall 108 is smaller than the height of the front wall 102 . Also, the height of the rear wall 108 is smaller than the height of the mobile battery 10 .

The heights of the right wall 104 and the left wall 106 gradually decrease from the front wall 102 toward the rear wall 108 . That is, the upper edges of the right wall 104 and the left wall 106 are inclined from high to low from the front to the rear. In the right wall 104 and the left wall 106 , the height of the portions connected to the front wall 102 is substantially the same as the height of the front wall 102 . In the right wall 104 and the left wall 106 , the height of the portions connected to the rear wall 108 is substantially the same as the height of the rear wall 108 .

As described above, the height of the rear casing 94a decreases from the front to the rear. For this reason, the opening of the rear casing 94a is inclined so that the front side is higher and the rear side is lower. Also, the rear upper portion of the mobile battery 10 is not surrounded by the rear casing 94a. In other words, the rear upper portion of mobile battery 10 is exposed from rear casing 94a. Therefore, the mobile battery 10 is prevented from being excessively restrained by the rear casing 94a. That is, it is possible to insert the mobile battery 10 into the rear casing 94a with a relatively small force. For the reasons described above, it is easy for the user to insert and remove the mobile battery 10 while standing in front of the second seat 56 . In addition, it is possible to increase the flexibility of the insertion angle when inserting the mobile battery 10 into the rear casing 94a.

As shown in FIG. 6, a front guide rubber 109a and a front guide rubber 109b are provided on the front wall 102 of the rear casing 94a. The rear end surfaces of the front guide rubber 109a and the front guide rubber 109b are flat surfaces matching the shape of the side surface 18c of the mobile battery 10. As shown in FIG. The side surface 18c contacts the rear end surfaces of the front guide rubber 109a and the front guide rubber 109b. Note that the front guide rubber 109a and the front guide rubber 109b may not be provided. In this case, for example, the external shape of the rear casings 94a to 94d may be formed in a shape similar to the external shape of the mobile battery .

A right guide rubber 109c is provided on the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94a. The right guide rubber 109c contacts the side surface 18d of the mobile battery 10. As shown in FIG. Along with the contact, the side surface 18d pushes the right guide rubber 109c from left to right. A left guide rubber 109d is provided on the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94a. The left guide rubber 109d contacts the side surface 18b. Along with the contact, the side surface 18b pushes the left guide rubber 109d from right to left.

A roller 110 is provided on the rear wall 108 of the rear casing 94a. The roller 110 contacts the side surface 18a. As the mobile battery 10 is inserted and removed, the roller 110 comes into sliding contact with the side surface 18a.

As can be understood from the above, the mobile battery 10 is housed in the rear casing 94a so that the arch portion 26 faces rearward. Therefore, the first linear portion 28 extends along the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 52 of the golf cart 50 . The second linear portion 32 extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 52 . When the arch portion 26 faces forward, the mobile battery 10 cannot be accommodated in the rear casing 94a. In this case, the side surface 18a interferes with the upper surfaces of the

front guide rubbers

109a and 109b while the mobile battery 10 is being accommodated in the rear casing 94a. Similarly, the side surfaces 18b and 18d interfere with the upper surfaces of the right guide rubber 109c and the left guide rubber 109d, respectively.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the phase difference between the spare battery 10A housed in the front casing 70a and the drive battery 10B housed in the rear casing 94a is approximately 180°. That is, the spare battery 10A accommodated in the front casing 70a and the drive battery 10B accommodated in the rear casing 94a are in a line-symmetrical positional relationship. The phase difference or positional relationship between the spare battery 10A housed in the front casing 70b, the front casing 70c, or the front casing 70d and the drive battery 10B housed in the rear casing 94b, the rear casing 94c, or the rear casing 94d is also described above. is similar to

When viewed rearward from the front of the vehicle body 52, the first seat 54 and the second seat 56 overlap each other. Therefore, at least a portion of the first accommodation portion and at least a portion of the second accommodation portion overlap. Further, the highest position 62o of the opening of the first pedestal 62 and the highest position 80o of the opening of the second pedestal 80 are at substantially the same height position. Therefore, the highest position of the front casings 70a-70d and the highest position of the rear casings 94a-94d are substantially the same height position.

As shown in FIG. 5, the rear casing 94a is inclined so as to approach the first seat 54 as it goes upward from below. In other words, the front upper end of the rear casing 94a is closer to the front than the front lower end of the rear casing 94a. In addition, the rear lower end of the front casing 70a is closer to the rear than the rear upper end of the front casing 70a. Therefore, when the mobile battery 10 is inserted into the rear casing 94a, the mobile battery 10 descends from the front toward the rear. When the mobile battery 10 is pulled out from the rear casing 94a, the mobile battery 10 moves forward from the rear while rising. That is, the direction in which the mobile battery 10 is inserted and removed from the front casing 70a and the direction in which the mobile battery 10 is inserted and removed from the rear casing 94a are opposite to each other.

Thus, the insertion/removal direction of the mobile battery 10 in the rear casing 94a is inclined with respect to the vertical direction so as to rise toward the front. That is, the insertion/removal direction is inclined forward. Therefore, the user can easily insert and remove the mobile battery 10 by standing in front of the second seat 56 .

As shown in FIG. 8, a first slit 111 and a second slit 112 are formed in the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94b. As shown in FIGS. 10 to 15, a first slit 111 is similarly formed in the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94b. The second slit 112 is shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG. Although not shown, the left wall 106 and the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94a are similarly formed with a first slit 111 and a second slit 112, respectively.

It should be noted that FIGS. 10, 12 and 14 show the state in which the lock by the lock mechanism 90 is released. 11, 13, and 15 show the locked state by the lock mechanism 90. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a first guide pin 114, a second guide pin 116 and a third guide pin 118 are provided on the lower outer surface of the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94b. The first guide pin 114, the second guide pin 116 and the third guide pin 118 extend leftward in the vehicle width direction.

Although not shown, a first guide pin 114, a second guide pin 116 and a third guide pin 118 are also provided on the lower outer surface of the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94b. In this case, the first guide pin 114, the second guide pin 116 and the third guide pin 118 extend rightward in the vehicle width direction. A first guide pin 114, a second guide pin 116 and a third guide pin 118 are similarly provided on the left wall 106 and the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94a.

As described above, rollers 110 are provided on the rear wall 108 of the rear casing 94a and the rear wall 108 of the rear casing 94b (see FIGS. 6, 7 and 8). The roller 110 is in sliding contact with the side surface 18 a of the mobile battery 10 .

The lock mechanism 90 has a lever 120, a link mechanism 122, and a battery stopper 124 (stopper). The link mechanism 122 and the battery stopper 124 are individually provided in each of the rear casing 94a and the rear casing 94b. On the other hand, the lever 120 is provided so as to straddle the rear casing 94a and the rear casing 94b. That is, when one lever 120 is operated by the user, the link mechanism 122 and battery stopper 124 provided on the rear casing 94a and the link mechanism 122 and battery stopper 124 provided on the rear casing 94b operate simultaneously. do.

Description will be made with reference to FIGS. 7 to 15. Lever 120 has a right leg 126 , an upper right end 128 , a left leg 130 and an upper left end 132 . The upper right end portion 128 is bent substantially perpendicularly to the right leg portion 126 and continues to the right leg portion 126 . The upper left end portion 132 is bent substantially perpendicularly to the left leg portion 130 and continues to the left leg portion 130 .

The lower end of the right leg 126 is supported by the rear casing 94a via a short right rotating shaft 134 (see FIGS. 7 and 9). Similarly, the lower end of the left leg 130 is supported by the rear casing 94b via a short left rotating shaft 136 (see FIGS. 8 and 9). 11, 13 and 15, and a second lever position Q shown in FIGS. It is possible to rotate (move) between That is, the lever 120 is movably provided with respect to the rear casing 94a and the rear casing 94b. As lever 120 rotates, right rotation shaft 134 and left rotation shaft 136 rotate.

A right protrusion 138 is provided at the lower end of the right leg 126 . A left protrusion 140 is provided at the lower end of the left leg 130 . A connecting bar 142 is provided between the right protrusion 138 and the left protrusion 140 . The connecting bar 142 improves the rigidity of the lever 120 .

A second right protrusion (not shown) is provided at the upper end of the right leg 126 . A second left protrusion 143 is provided at the upper end of the left leg 130 . A first L-shaped plate 144 and a second L-shaped plate 146 are mounted near the second left protrusion 143 . As shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, when the lever 120 is in the first lever position P, the portion of the first L-shaped plate 144 extending from the left leg 130 faces downward. At the same time, the portion of the second L-shaped plate 146 extending from the left leg 130 faces upward. At this time, the first L-shaped plate 144 contacts the first lever stopper 148 and faces the first proximity sensor 150 . As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, when the lever 120 is in the second lever position Q, the first L-shaped plate 144 faces rearward and the second L-shaped plate 146 faces forward. At this time, the second left protrusion 143 contacts the second lever stopper 152 and the second L-shaped plate 146 faces the second proximity sensor 154 . The first lever stopper 148, the first proximity sensor 150, the second lever stopper 152 and the second proximity sensor 154 are positioned and fixed to the outer surface of the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94b.

Although not shown, the right leg 126 is also provided with a first L-shaped plate 144 and a second L-shaped plate 146 in the vicinity of the second right protrusion. A first lever stopper 148, a first proximity sensor 150, a second lever stopper 152, and a second proximity sensor 154 are also provided on the outer surface of the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94a.

A first main cam pin 156 is provided on the second L-shaped plate 146 . The first main cam pin 156 of the second L-shaped plate 146 provided on the left leg 130 protrudes rightward from the second L-shaped plate 146 . The first main cam pin 156 of the second L-shaped plate 146 provided on the right leg 126 protrudes leftward from the second L-shaped plate 146 .

A handlebar 158 and a flat plate 160 (flat plate-shaped portion) are interposed between the upper right end portion 128 and the upper left end portion 132 . A notch 162 is formed in the substantially middle portion of the flat plate 160 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the user can put his or her finger through the notch 162 when gripping the substantially middle portion of the handlebar 158 in the vehicle width direction. This allows the user to easily grip the handlebar 158 . In other words, the substantially intermediate portion of the handlebar 158 in the vehicle width direction is the handle portion 164 (handle) that is gripped by the user.

Link mechanism 122 includes two arms (right arm 166 and left arm 168), four first cam plates 170, four second cam plates 172, and four third cam plates 174 (see FIG. 12 and 13) and four fourth cam plates 176 (see FIGS. 14 and 15). A first cam plate 170 is mounted on each of the outer surface of the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94a, the outer surface of the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94a, the outer surface of the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94b, and the outer surface of the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94b. One second cam plate 172, one third cam plate 174 and one fourth cam plate 176 are provided.

The right arm 166 and left arm 168 form a gently curved V shape. The left arm 168 connects the second L-shaped plate 146 of the left leg 130 of the lever 120 and the leftmost first cam plate 170 . Specifically, an insertion hole is formed at one end of the left arm 168 . The first main cam pin 156 is passed through the insertion hole. Thereby, one end of the left arm 168 and the second L-shaped plate 146 are connected. The other end of left arm 168 and first cam plate 170 are connected via bolt 177 . The first main cam pin 156 is always higher than the left rotating shaft 136 . On the other hand, the connection point (bolt 177 ) between the left arm 168 and the leftmost first cam plate 170 is always lower than the left rotating shaft 136 .

The right arm 166 connects the second L-shaped plate 146 of the right leg 126 of the lever 120 and the rightmost first cam plate 170 . The connection between right arm 166 and second L-shaped plate 146 is similar to the connection between left arm 168 and second L-shaped plate 146 . The first main cam pin 156 is always higher than the right rotating shaft 134 . On the other hand, the connection point (bolt 177 ) between the right arm 166 and the rightmost first cam plate 170 is always lower than the right rotating shaft 134 .

10 to 15, the first cam plate 170, the second cam plate 172, the third cam plate 174 and the fourth cam plate 176 located on the left side of the rear casing 94b will be illustrated and explained. A first guide hole 178 , a second guide hole 180 , an inclined cam hole 182 and a third guide hole 184 are formed in the first cam plate 170 . The first guide hole 178, the second guide hole 180, the inclined cam hole 182 and the third guide hole 184 are formed in this order from the front to the rear. The first guide pin 114, the second guide pin 116 and the third guide pin 118 are inserted into the first guide hole 178, the second guide hole 180 and the third guide hole 184, respectively. 10 and 11, the second main cam pin 186 of the third cam plate 174 is inserted into the inclined cam hole 182. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the second cam plate 172 is formed with a first cam hole 188, a second cam hole 190 and a third cam hole 192. As shown in FIGS. A first cam projection 194 provided on the fourth cam plate 176 is inserted into the linear first cam hole 188 . A first main cam pin 156 provided on the left leg 130 is inserted into the arc-shaped second cam hole 190 . A second cam projection 196 provided on the battery stopper 124 is inserted into the substantially V-shaped third cam hole 192 .

A third cam plate 174 and a fourth cam plate 176 are sandwiched between the first cam plate 170 and the second cam plate 172 . The second cam plate 172 is attached to the outer surface of the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94b in this state. Attachment is performed, for example, via bolts (not shown).

12 and 13 are schematic side views with the second cam plate 172 omitted from FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. As understood from FIGS. 12 and 13, the third cam plate 174 and the fourth cam plate 176 overlap along the vehicle width direction. The third cam plate 174 has a first cam body 200 extending along the longitudinal direction of the rear casing 94b. The first cam body 200 extends along the second slit 112 . The extending direction of the first cam body 200 is slightly inclined with respect to the vertical direction. Specifically, the first cam body 200 has a lower end positioned rearward and an upper end positioned forward.

The second main cam pin 186 is provided at the lower end of the first cam body 200 as described above. The second main cam pin 186 projects rightward in the vehicle width direction and is inserted into the inclined cam hole 182 of the first cam plate 170 . A first oblong hole 202 is formed in the first cam body 200 substantially in the middle in the longitudinal direction. A second long hole 204 is formed in the upper end of the first cam body 200 .

A first tab portion 206 and a second tab portion 208 protrude from the first cam body 200 . The first tab portion 206 and the second tab portion 208 cross the first cam body 200 substantially perpendicularly. The first tab portion 206 extends forward and downward from the first cam body 200 . The second tab portion 208 extends rearward and upward from the first cam body 200 . First tab portion 206 is lower than second tab portion 208 . A front lower end of the first tab portion 206 is located in the first slit 111 .

14 and 15 are schematic side views in which the left leg 130, left arm 168 and third cam plate 174 of the lever 120 are omitted from FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. 14 and 15, the fourth cam plate 176 has a second cam body 210 extending along the longitudinal direction of the rear casing 94b. The second cam body 210 extends along the second slit 112 . The first cam body 200 of the third cam plate 174 overlaps the second cam body 210 . The extending direction of the second cam body 210 is the same as that of the first cam body 200 .

A first sub-cam pin 212 is provided at the lower end of the second cam body 210 . The first sub cam pin 212 protrudes leftward in the vehicle width direction and is inserted into the first elongated hole 202 of the third cam plate 174 (see FIGS. 12 and 13). A second sub cam pin 214 is provided at the upper end of the second cam body 210 (see FIGS. 14 and 15). The second sub cam pin 214 protrudes leftward in the vehicle width direction and is inserted into the second elongated hole 204 of the third cam plate 174 (see FIGS. 12 and 11).

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, a third tab portion 216 and a fourth tab portion 218 protrude from the second cam body 210 . The third tab portion 216 and the fourth tab portion 218 cross the second cam body 210 substantially perpendicularly. The third tab portion 216 extends forward and downward from the second cam body 210 . The fourth tab portion 218 extends rearward and upward from the second cam body 210 . The third tab portion 216 is higher than the fourth tab portion 218 . As shown in FIG. 12, the first tab portion 206 and the third tab portion 216 are parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other. On the other hand, the second tab portion 208 overlaps the fourth tab portion 218 .

When the lever 120 is positioned at the second lever position Q, the third tab portion 216 is positioned directly above the first slit 111 . A hook portion 226 is connected to the third tab portion 216 . Hook portion 226 extends along first slit 111 . An upper end of a coil spring 228 is engaged with the hook portion 226 . The coil spring 228 is inserted inside the first slit 111 . This prevents the coil spring 228 from interfering with the rear casing 94b, the third cam plate 174, the second cam plate 172, and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the lower end of the coil spring 228 is locked to the first tab portion 206. Thus, coil spring 228 is interposed between first tab portion 206 and third tab portion 216 .

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the upper end of the second cam body 210 is exposed from the upper end of the first cam body 200. As shown in FIGS. A battery stopper 124 is attached to the upper end of the second cam body 210 exposed from the first cam body 200 . FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the battery stopper 124 has moved to the locked position from FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. have

The base 232 faces the side 18b (and the side 18d) of the mobile battery 10. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 14, the stopper body 230 faces the vicinity of the upper end of the side surface 18c at the unlocked position. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 15, the stopper body 230 faces the upper surface 24 in the locked position.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the base 232 is provided with a pivot pin 234 . The stopper body 230 is rotatably connected to the upper end of the second cam body 210 via the rotation pin 234 . A second cam projection 196 is provided near the pivot pin 234 on the base portion 232 . As described above, the second cam projection 196 is inserted into the third cam hole 192 of the second cam plate 172 (see FIGS. 10 and 11).

The stopper body 230 is bent substantially perpendicular to the base 232 . Thereby, the battery stopper 124 is substantially L-shaped.

A first cam plate 170, a second cam plate 172, a second The configurations of the third cam plate 174 and the fourth cam plate 176 are substantially the same as described above. Therefore, illustrations and descriptions thereof are omitted. The lever 120 and the arm are not provided on the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94a and the right wall 104 of the rear casing 94b.

The rear casing 94c and the rear casing 94d are also configured in the same manner as above. Therefore, detailed illustration and description of the rear casing 94c and the rear casing 94d are omitted.

In this embodiment, the golf cart 50 and the lock mechanism 90 are basically configured as described above. Next, these functions and effects will be described.

The golf cart 50 is driven to carry players, golf bags, etc. on the golf course. At this time, power is supplied to the in-wheel motors from the drive battery 10B (see FIG. 5) housed in the second housing portion of the second seat 56 . By driving the in-wheel motor, for example, the rear wheel 60 rotates. Along with this, the golf cart 50 travels.

As the in-wheel motors are driven, the SOCs of the four drive batteries 10B decrease. For example, if the SOCs of the four drive batteries 10B fall below a predetermined threshold while the golf cart 50 is being driven, it becomes difficult to continue driving the golf cart 50 . In this case, a warning light provided in the driver's seat lights up. This allows the driver to recognize that the SOC of drive battery 10B has fallen below the threshold. After the driver stops the golf cart 50, the user (driver, fellow passenger, etc.) replaces the drive battery 10B with the spare battery 10A. This procedure will be explained.

First, the user rotates the first seat portion 64 of the first seat 54 to expose the opening of the first pedestal 62, as indicated by the phantom lines in FIG. At this time, the first seat portion 64 rotates around the hinge at the front end. Specifically, the rear end of the first seat portion 64 rises forward. At this time, the first backrest 66 also rises forward integrally with the first seat portion 64 . When the first seat portion 64 finishes rotating and reaches the fully open position, the front end of the first seat portion 64 is positioned at a low position and the rear end of the first seat portion 64 is positioned at a high position. As a result, the four spare batteries 10A are visible to the user.

The user rotates the second seat portion 82 of the second seat 56 after inverting the body. Thereby, the opening of the second pedestal 80 is exposed. At this time, the second seat portion 82 rotates about the hinge at the rear end thereof. Specifically, the front end of the second seat portion 82 rises rearward. At this time, the backrest 84 does not rotate. When the second seat portion 82 finishes rotating and reaches the fully open position, the front end of the second seat portion 82 is positioned vertically upward, and the rear end of the second seat portion 82 is positioned vertically downward. As a result, the four drive batteries 10B are visible to the user.

At this time, the battery stopper 124 is in the locked position where it contacts the upper surface 24 of the mobile battery 10 . 11, 13 and 15 are side views of the rear casing 94b in this case. At this time, the lever 120 is positioned at the first lever position P.

Next, the user unlocks the lock mechanism 90 . Specifically, for example, the user stands between the first seat 54 and the second seat 56, faces rearward, and grips the handle portion 164 of the handlebar 158 (see FIGS. 8 and 9 in particular). At this time, the user puts his/her finger through the notch 162 of the flat plate 160 . This allows the user to easily grip the handle portion 164 . Therefore, the user can easily rotate the lever 120 . Thus, the user can easily operate the lever 120 based on the formation of the notch 162 .

In addition, the handle portion 164 is provided substantially in the middle of the handlebar 158 in the vehicle width direction. For this reason, the link mechanisms 122 provided on the right wall 104 and the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94a and the link mechanisms 122 provided on each of the right wall 104 and the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94b are connected to the movement of the lever 120. are transmitted substantially evenly. Therefore, imbalance in forces acting on the four link mechanisms 122 is avoided. In addition, due to this, insufficient rotation of any one of the four battery stoppers 124 is avoided.

In this state, the user rotates the lever 120 toward the second lever position Q. Accordingly, the second L-shaped plate 146 provided on each of the left leg 130 and the right leg 126 of the lever 120 moves from rear to front. At this time, the first main cam pin 156 moves along the second cam hole 190 of the second cam plate 172 . Along with this, the left arm 168 and the right arm 166 move while rotating to the positions shown in FIGS.

That is, FIGS. 10, 12 and 14 show the state in which the lever 120 has been rotated to the second lever position Q from FIGS. 11, 13 and 15, respectively. By comparing FIGS. 10 and 11, it can be seen that the inclination of the left arm 168 with respect to the horizontal direction is small at the first lever position P and large at the second lever position Q. FIG. Also, it can be seen that the first cam plate 170 is located rearward at the first lever position P and forward at the second lever position Q. As shown in FIG. Note that the position of the second cam plate 172 does not change.

12 and 13, the lower end of the first cam body 200 of the third cam plate 174 is positioned at the lower end of the inclined cam hole 182 in the locked state, and is located at the upper end of the inclined cam hole 182 in the unlocked state. is found to be located in 14 and 15, the lower end of the second cam body 210 of the fourth cam plate 176 is positioned at the lower end of the second slit 112 in the locked state, and is located at the lower end of the second slit 112 in the unlocked state. It can be seen that it is located higher than That is, when the locked state is switched to the unlocked state, the third cam plate 174 and the fourth cam plate 176 are raised. Conversely, when the unlocked state is switched to the locked state, the third cam plate 174 and the fourth cam plate 176 descend.

A specific explanation is provided below. When the lever 120 moves from the first lever position P to the second lever position Q, the left arm 168 and the right arm 166 rotate and move. Along with this, the first cam plate 170 is pulled by the left arm 168 and the right arm 166 . As a result, the first cam plate 170 moves from rear to front. At this time, the first cam plate 170 engages the first guide pin 114, the second guide pin 116 and the third guide pin 118 inserted into the first guide hole 178, the second guide hole 180 and the third guide hole 184, respectively. be guided.

A second main cam pin 186 of a third cam plate 174 is inserted into the inclined cam hole 182 of the first cam plate 170 . Accordingly, as the first cam plate 170 moves as described above, the third cam plate 174 rises along the second slit 112 to the position shown in FIGS. 10 and 12. FIG.

A first sub cam pin 212 and a second sub cam pin 214 are provided on the fourth cam plate 176 . The first sub-cam pin 212 and the second sub-cam pin 214 are inserted into the first elongated hole 202 and the second elongated hole 204 of the third cam plate 174, respectively. Therefore, when the amount of elevation of the third cam plate 174 reaches a predetermined amount, the lower inner walls of the first elongated hole 202 and the second elongated hole 204 come into contact with the first sub cam pin 212 and the second sub cam pin 214, respectively. Therefore, after the abutment, the third cam plate 174 and the fourth cam plate 176 are integrally raised. At this time, the first cam protrusion 194 of the fourth cam plate 176 moves along the first cam hole 188 of the second cam plate 172 . At the same time, the coil spring 228 contracts within the first slit 111 . FIG. 14 shows the case where the fourth cam plate 176 is raised to the maximum.

A battery stopper 124 is attached via a rotating pin 234 to the upper end of the second cam body 210 that constitutes the fourth cam plate 176 . As the fourth cam plate 176 rises, the base portion 232 of the battery stopper 124 rises. At this time, the second cam protrusion 196 provided on the base portion 232 moves forward from the rear along the third cam hole 192 of the second cam plate 172 (see FIG. 10). Since the third cam hole 192 is bent into a substantially V shape, the battery stopper 124 rotates about the rotation pin 234 . As a result, the stopper body 230 is separated from the upper surface 24 of the drive battery 10B. The stopper main body 230 retreats to a position facing the side surface 18c.

As a result, the lever 120, the link mechanism 122 and the battery stopper 124 are in the unlocked position. At this time, the second right projection provided on the right leg portion 126 of the lever 120 and the second left projection portion 143 provided on the left leg portion 130 of the lever 120 are brought into contact with the two second lever stoppers 152. abut each other. Also, two second L-shaped plates 146 face two second proximity sensors 154 respectively. As a result, the controller recognizes that the drive battery 10B housed in the rear casing 94a and the rear casing 94b has been unlocked.

The user also rotates the lever 120 straddling the rear casing 94c and the rear casing 94d to the unlocked position in the same manner as described above. Along with this, the controller recognizes that the drive battery 10B housed in the rear casing 94c and the rear casing 94d has been unlocked. When the rear casing 94a and the rear casing 94b are unlocked, or when the rear casing 94c and the rear casing 94d are unlocked, for example, a warning is given to the driver's seat to notify that the lock is released. lights come on.

The user then grips the grip portion 30 of the mobile battery 10 housed in the rear casing 94a, and then pulls out the mobile battery 10 from the rear casing 94a. That is, the user, standing in front of the second seat 56, pulls up the mobile battery 10 from the lower rear to the upper front.

At this time, the weight of the mobile battery 10 is borne by the front wall 102 of the rear casing 94a. Therefore, it is easier to pull out the mobile battery 10 than when moving the mobile battery 10 along the vertical direction. In addition, since the roller 110 is in sliding contact with the side surface 18 a of the mobile battery 10 , the mobile battery 10 slides relative to the roller 110 . Therefore, it is easier to pull out the mobile battery 10 . The mobile battery 10 pulled out from the rear casing 94 a may be temporarily placed on the flat plate 160 of the lever 120 .

After that, the user pulls out the mobile batteries 10 respectively housed in the rear casings 94b to 94d. The mobile battery 10 pulled out from the rear casings 94b to 94d may be temporarily placed on the flat plate 160 of the lever 120 in the same manner as described above.

Next, after turning over the user's body, the user grasps the grip portion 30 of the spare battery 10A housed in the front casing 70a and pulls out the spare battery 10A from the front casing 70a (see FIG. 5). That is, the user, standing behind the first seat 54, pulls up the spare battery 10A from the lower front to the upper rear.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the user, standing between the first seat 54 and the second seat 56, pulls out the spare battery 10A from the first container and drives the battery from the second container. It is possible to pull out the battery 10B. In the first accommodating portion, the spare battery 10A is in a posture that rises from the front toward the rear, so that it can be easily pulled out toward the rear. In the second accommodating portion, the driving battery 10B is in a posture that rises from the rear toward the front, so that it can be easily pulled out toward the front.

The user turns over while holding the spare battery 10A. Before the user turns over, the arch portion 26 and the first connector 22 of the spare battery 10A held by the user face forward. On the other hand, after the user turns over, the arch portion 26 and the first connector 22 of the spare battery 10A held by the user face backward. As described above, the second connector 96 is located rearward in the rear casing 94a. That is, by turning over the body of the user, the spare battery 10A is oriented appropriately for insertion into the rear casing 94a. This prevents the spare battery 10A from being inserted into the rear casing 94a in the wrong direction.

When viewed rearward from the front of the vehicle body 52, at least a portion of the front casing 70a and at least a portion of the rear casing 94a overlap. More specifically, the right and left walls of the front casing 70a overlap with the right and left walls of the rear casing 94a in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, when the user pulls out the spare battery 10A from the front casing 70a and turns over, the user faces the rear casing 94a. Therefore, the user can transfer the spare battery 10A from the front casing 70a to the rear casing 94a with little movement. That is, the user's movement distance required for the transfer of spare battery 10A is reduced.

Also, the height position of the opening of the first pedestal 62 and the height position of the opening of the second pedestal 80 are substantially the same. Therefore, there is no particular need for the user to change the height position of the spare battery 10A pulled out from the front casing 70a. That is, the user can turn over the body while maintaining the posture when the spare battery 10A is pulled out from the front casing 70a, so that the height positions of the spare battery 10A and the rear casing 94a can be aligned. .

For the above reasons, the burden on the user is reduced when transferring the spare battery 10A from the front casing 70a to the rear casing 94a. Moreover, as described above, it is possible to prevent the spare battery 10A from being inserted into the rear casing 94a in the wrong direction.

The user then pushes the spare battery 10A into the rear casing 94a. As described above, the heights of the right wall 104 and the left wall 106 of the rear casing 94a decrease from the front to the rear. Also, the height of the rear wall 108 is smaller than the height of the front wall 102 . Therefore, the rear upper portion of the spare battery 10A in particular is not restrained by the right wall 104, the left wall 106 and the rear wall . Therefore, after inserting the spare battery 10A into the rear casing 94a, the longitudinal direction of the spare battery 10A can be aligned with the longitudinal direction of the rear casing 94a.

That is, it is not particularly necessary to strictly match the actual insertion direction of the spare battery 10A with the longitudinal direction of the rear casing 94a. Therefore, the user can easily insert the spare battery 10A into the rear casing 94a. A second connector 96 is engaged with the first connector 22 of the spare battery 10A inserted into the rear casing 94a.

When inserting the spare battery 10A into the rear casing 94a, it is preferable to bring the side surface 18c of the spare battery 10A into contact with the

front guide rubbers

109a and 109b inside the rear casing 94a. As a result, the front wall 102 of the rear casing 94a bears the weight of the spare battery 10A. Therefore, the user can easily insert the spare battery 10A into the rear casing 94a. Also, alignment between the first connector 22 and the second connector 96 is easy.

While inserting the spare battery 10A into the rear casing 94a, the roller 110 comes into sliding contact with the side surface 18a. This makes it easy for the bottom surface 20 of the spare battery 10A to reach the bottom wall 100 of the rear casing 94a.

Next, the user grips the grip portion 30 of the drive battery 10B temporarily placed on the flat plate 160 or the like. At this point, the arch portion 26 and the first connector 22 of the spare battery 10A held by the user face backward. In this state, the user inverts the body. At this time, the arch portion 26 and the first connector 22 of the drive battery 10B held by the user face forward. As described above, if the drive battery 10B is not oriented in this direction, the drive battery 10B cannot be inserted into the front casing 70a. That is, by turning the user's body over, the drive battery 10B is oriented appropriately for insertion into the front casing 70a. This prevents the drive battery 10B from being inserted into the front casing 70a in the wrong direction.

The user then pushes the drive battery 10B into the front casing 70a. At this time, the drive battery 10B is guided by the front guide rubber 72a, the front guide rubber 72b, the right guide rubber 72c, the left guide rubber 72d, the rear guide rubber 72e, and the rear guide rubber 72f.

The user then grips the grip portion 30 of the spare battery 10A housed in the front casing 70b. Thereafter, in the same manner as described above, the spare battery 10A housed in the front casing 70b is pulled out from the rear casing 94b and replaced with the drive battery 10B temporarily placed on the flat plate 160 or the like. The spare battery 10A is housed in the rear casing 94b, and the drive battery 10B is housed in the front casing 70b. The same applies to the replacement of the spare battery 10A housed in the front casing 70c and the front casing 70d with the drive battery 10B pulled out from the rear casing 94c and the rear casing 94d and temporarily placed on the flat plate 160 or the like. .

In this embodiment, the number of spare batteries 10A is an integral multiple of the number of drive batteries 10B. Therefore, all drive batteries 10B can be replaced with the spare battery 10A all at once. Therefore, the mobile batteries 10 having the same voltage can be accommodated in the rear casings 94a to 94d. This stabilizes the drive of the in-wheel motor.

After the spare battery 10A and drive battery 10B have been replaced, the user activates the lock by the lock mechanism 90. Specifically, for example, the user stands between the first seat 54 and the second seat 56, faces rearward, and grasps the handlebar 158 of the lever 120 (see particularly FIGS. 8 and 9). Also at this time, the user puts his or her finger through the notch 162 of the flat plate 160 .

In this state, the user rotates the lever 120 backward. Accordingly, the second L-shaped plate 146 provided on each of the left leg 130 and the right leg 126 of the lever 120 moves from front to rear. At this time, the first main cam pin 156 moves along the second cam hole 190 of the second cam plate 172 . Along with this, the left arm 168 and the right arm 166 move while rotating to the positions shown in FIGS. 11, 13 and 15 .

As the left arm 168 and right arm 166 rotate and move, the first cam plate 170 is pulled by the left arm 168 and right arm 166 . As a result, the first cam plate 170 moves from front to rear. At this time, the first cam plate 170 engages the first guide pin 114, the second guide pin 116 and the third guide pin 118 inserted into the first guide hole 178, the second guide hole 180 and the third guide hole 184, respectively. be guided.

As the first cam plate 170 moves as described above, the third cam plate 174 descends along the second slit 112 . The third cam plate 174 is in the position shown in FIGS. 11 and 13. FIG.

A first sub cam pin 212 and a second sub cam pin 214 are provided on the fourth cam plate 176 . The first sub-cam pin 212 and the second sub-cam pin 214 are inserted into the first elongated hole 202 and the second elongated hole 204 of the third cam plate 174, respectively. Therefore, when the third cam plate 174 descends by a predetermined amount, the upper inner walls of the first elongated hole 202 and the second elongated hole 204 come into contact with the first sub cam pin 212 and the second sub cam pin 214, respectively. Therefore, after the abutment, the third cam plate 174 and the fourth cam plate 176 are integrally lowered. At the same time, the coil spring 228 expands within the first slit 111 . FIG. 15 shows the case where the fourth cam plate 176 is lowered to the maximum.

As the fourth cam plate 176 descends, the base 232 of the battery stopper 124 descends. At this time, the second cam projection 196 provided on the base portion 232 moves from front to rear along the third cam hole 192 of the second cam plate 172 (see FIG. 11). Since the third cam hole 192 is bent into a substantially V shape, the battery stopper 124 rotates about the rotation pin 234 . As a result, the stopper main body 230 faces the upper surface 24 of the drive battery 10B and comes into contact with the upper surface 24 .

As a result, the lever 120, the link mechanism 122 and the battery stopper 124 are in the locked position. At this time, the first L-shaped plates 144 provided on the right leg portion 126 and the left leg portion 130 of the lever 120 abut on the two first lever stoppers 148, respectively. Also, the two first L-shaped plates 144 face the two first proximity sensors 150, respectively. As a result, the controller recognizes that the spare battery 10A (new drive battery 10B) housed in the rear casing 94a and the rear casing 94b has been locked.

The user also rotates the lever 120 straddling the rear casing 94c and the rear casing 94d to the first lever position P (lock position) in the same manner as described above. Along with this, the control unit recognizes that the drive battery 10B accommodated in each of the

rear casings

94c and 94d is locked. When the rear casing 94a and the rear casing 94b are locked and the rear casing 94c and the rear casing 94d are locked, for example, the warning light of the driver's seat goes out.

As described above, the link mechanism 122 transmits the rotational motion of the lever 120 to the battery stopper 124. Therefore, as the lever 120 rotates, the battery stopper 124 switches between a locked position that prevents the mobile battery 10 from coming off and an unlocked position that releases the locking of the mobile battery 10 . The lock position is a position where the stopper body 230 faces the upper surface 24 of the drive battery 10B and contacts the upper surface 24 . The unlocked position is a position where the stopper main body 230 is retracted from the upper surface 24 of the drive battery 10B and faces the side surface 18c.

As can be understood from the above, in this case, the substantially L-shaped battery stopper 124 rotates in the front-rear direction while maintaining its position in the vehicle width direction. Based on this rotation, the stopper body 230 switches between the locked position and the unlocked position. Since the battery stopper 124 does not move along the vehicle width direction, the lock mechanism 90 is prevented from becoming large in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the lock mechanism 90 can be configured compactly. Therefore, even if the dimension in the vehicle width direction of the hollow interior of the second pedestal 80 is small, it is possible to provide the lock mechanism 90 and the rear casings 94a to 94d inside the hollow interior of the second pedestal 80.

It is assumed that the user forgets to operate the lever 120 and rotates the second seat portion 82 while the lever 120 is in the second lever position Q (the unlocking position of the battery stopper 124). However, in this case, the lever 120 is positioned on the locus of movement between the fully closed position and the fully opened position of the second seat portion 82, as indicated by the solid line in FIG. Therefore, the lever 120 interferes with the second seat portion 82 . Therefore, the second seat portion 82 cannot be brought to the fully closed position. Also, a fellow passenger cannot sit on the second seat portion 82 .

On the other hand, when the lever 120 is at the first lever position P (locking position of the battery stopper 124) indicated by phantom lines in FIG. It fits in the hollow interior of the two pedestals 80 . Therefore, even if the second seat portion 82 is rotated, the second seat portion 82 does not interfere with the lever 120 . Therefore, the second seat portion 82 can be brought to the fully closed position. As a result, the fellow passenger can sit on the second seat portion 82 .

As described above, it is possible to prevent the golf cart 50 from traveling while the drive batteries 10B accommodated in the rear casings 94a to 94d are not locked.

The present invention is not particularly limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, the electric vehicle is not limited to the golf cart 50. The electric vehicle may be a land car. The electric vehicle may be a micromobility in the form shown in WO2019/235381. The electric vehicle may be a tricycle such as a rickshaw.

In the above embodiment, the second seat portion 82 opens and closes the second base 80 . FIG. 17 shows an example in which a lid portion 240 separate from the second seat portion 82 is provided. In this illustrated example, an opening is formed in the rear surface of the second pedestal 80 . The lid portion 240 covers the opening so as to be openable and closable. In this case, the rear casings 94a to 94d are provided in the hollow interior of the second pedestal 80 so as to rise from the front to the rear, for example. When the mobile battery 10 is pulled out from the rear casings 94a to 94d, it moves from the lower front to the upper rear. When the mobile battery 10 is inserted into the rear casings 94a to 94d, it moves from upper rear to lower front.

In the above embodiment, the second connector 96 is positioned and fixed. Alternatively, the second connector 96 may be configured to move as the lever 120 rotates. That is, the second connector 96 approaches the first connector 22 as the lever 120 rotates from the unlocked position to the locked position. Conversely, the second connector 96 separates from the first connector 22 as the lever 120 rotates from the locked position to the unlocked position.

Since the rear casings 94a-94d are inclined with respect to the rear base frame 92, clearances are formed between the rear base frame 92 and the bottom walls 100 of the rear casings 94a-94d. A displacement mechanism for displacing the second connector 96 can be provided in this clearance. Therefore, even if the displacement mechanism is provided, there is no particular need to change the design such as changing the shape of the rear casings 94a to 94d.

In the above embodiment, the first storage portion accommodates the spare battery 10A, and the second storage portion accommodates the drive battery 10B. Conversely, the drive battery 10B may be accommodated in the first accommodation portion, and the spare battery 10A may be accommodated in the second accommodation portion.

DESCRIPTION OF

SYMBOLS

10, 10A, 10B... Mobile battery 18a-18d... Side surface 20... Bottom surface 22... First connector 24... Top surface 28... First linear part 30... Grip part 32... Second linear part 50... Golf cart 52... Vehicle body 54 First seat 56 Second seat 58 Front wheel 60 Rear wheel 62 First seat 64 First seat portions 70a to 70d Front casing 80 Second seat 82 Second seat portion 88 Rear housing structure 90 …lock mechanism
94a to 94d Rear casing 96 Second connector 100 Bottom wall 102 Front wall 104 Right wall 106 Left wall 108 Rear wall 110 Roller 114 First guide pin 116 Second guide pin 118 Third Guide pin 120 Lever 122 Link mechanism 124 Battery stopper 142 Connection bar 156 First main cam pin 158 Handle bar 160 Flat plate 162 Notch 166 Right arm 168 Left arm 170 First cam plate 172 Second cam plate 174 Third cam plate 176 Fourth cam plate 178 First guide hole 180 Second guide hole 182 Inclined cam hole 184 Third guide hole 186 Second main cam pin 188 First cam Hole 190 Second cam hole 192 Third cam hole 194 First cam projection 196 Second cam projection 212 First sub cam pin 214 Second sub cam pin 226 Hook portion 228 Coil spring 230 Stopper body 232 Base 234... Rotating pin

Claims

An electric vehicle (50) that runs on electric power supplied from a removable battery (10),
A vehicle body (52), a first seat (54) provided on the vehicle body, and a second seat (56) provided behind the first seat on the vehicle body,
The first seat includes a first pedestal (62) formed with a first accommodating portion capable of accommodating the detachable battery, and a first seat portion (64) rotatably provided with respect to the first pedestal. ), and is a front flip-up seat that opens by rotating the first seat portion forward,
The second seat includes a second pedestal (80) formed with a second accommodating portion capable of accommodating the detachable battery, and a second seat portion (82) provided rotatably with respect to the second pedestal. ), and is a rear flip-up type seat that opens by rotating the second seat portion backward,
One of the first housing portion and the second housing portion has a second connector (96) detachable from the first connector (22) of the detachable battery, and houses the detachable battery for driving. is the implementation part for
The electric vehicle, wherein the other of the first storage section and the second storage section is a storage section for storing the spare detachable battery.
2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the electric vehicle is viewed from the front portion to the rear portion of the vehicle body, at least a portion of the first accommodation portion and at least a portion of the second accommodation portion overlap. , electric vehicles.
3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the height position of the highest level (62o) of the first accommodation section and the height position of the highest level (80o) of the second accommodation section are substantially the same. electric vehicle.
4. The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the insertion/removal direction of the detachable battery in the first accommodation portion is inclined rearward as it goes upward, and the detachable battery in the second accommodation portion An electric vehicle in which a battery insertion/removal direction is inclined forward as it goes upward.
The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mounting portion includes a bottom wall (100) against which the bottom surface (20) of the detachable battery abuts, and a bottom wall (100) substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall. a casing (94a-94d) comprising a plurality of intersecting walls (102, 104, 106, 108);
A height of a portion of the plurality of wall portions is smaller than a height of the removable battery, and when the removable battery is inserted into the casing, a portion of the removable battery is exposed from the casing. , electric vehicles.
6. The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each of the first housing portion and the second housing portion has a rotationally asymmetric shape when the detachable battery is viewed from the inserting/removing direction. It has a rotationally asymmetric shape so that it can accommodate a detachable battery,
When the first housing portion and the second housing portion are viewed from above, the first housing portion and the second housing portion are line symmetrical with respect to a line (M) along the vehicle width direction of the electric vehicle. electric vehicle in relation to
7. The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the number of said removable batteries that can be accommodated in said storage section is an integral multiple of the number of said removable batteries that can be accommodated in said mounting section. , electric vehicles.