JP7796789B2 - Saddle-type electric vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a saddle-type electric vehicle.

In recent years, efforts to realize a low-carbon or carbon-free society have become more active, and research and development into electrification technology is being conducted to reduce CO2 emissions and improve energy efficiency in vehicles as well. Patent Document 1 discloses an electric motorcycle in which a battery stand is installed horizontally at the bottom of the vehicle body, spanning almost the entire length between the front and rear wheels, and multiple batteries are mounted on this battery stand. In this electric motorcycle, the batteries are arranged in an area extending forward from below the seat.

Patent No. 2711704

However, in technology related to saddle-type electric vehicles, when a battery is placed around the driver's feet, depending on the battery's height, the battery may get in the way of the driver, reducing convenience, and there is a demand for the upper surface of the battery to be positioned lower. At the same time, taking into consideration the ease of connecting and disconnecting cables to the battery, it is desirable to position the connector on the battery in a location that is easily accessible while still adequately protecting it.

The present application aims to solve the above-mentioned problems by arranging the battery in a saddle-type electric vehicle so as to adequately protect the battery connector while not impairing convenience. This will ultimately contribute to improving energy efficiency.

A saddle-type electric vehicle according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a body frame (20), a motor (44) for driving, a flat floor (5) on which the driver places his/her feet, and a battery case (63) disposed below the flat floor (5) and housing a power storage unit (61) for storing power supplied to the motor (44). The battery case (63) has a protrusion (73) provided on the upper surface of the battery case (63) that protrudes upward, and a connector unit (74) disposed on the top surface (73a) of the protrusion (73). The body frame (20) has an overlapping portion (27) that overlaps the protrusion (73) from above in a plan view.

According to the first aspect, the connector portion is located on the top surface of the convex portion, allowing the upper surface of most of the battery case housing the power storage unit to be positioned lower while the connector portion is positioned higher. This prevents the flat floor from becoming too high, and provides easier access to the connector portion compared to a configuration in which the connector portion is positioned on the battery case other than the convex portion, improving the workability of attaching and detaching cables at the connector portion. Furthermore, because the overlapping portion of the body frame overlaps the convex portion from above in a plan view, the connector portion, which is positioned in a location that is easily accessible from the surroundings, can be protected by the body frame. As described above, the battery can be positioned so as to adequately protect the battery connector portion while not compromising convenience.

A saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to a second aspect of the present invention is the saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to the first aspect, further comprising a swing unit (41) that includes the motor (44), supports the rear wheel (3), and is arranged to be able to swing up and down relative to the body frame (20), the swing unit (41) having a pivotal support portion (49a) supported by a pivot shaft (82) extending in the vehicle width direction, the battery case (63) having a power storage unit housing portion (66) that is adjacent to the protrusion (73) in a plan view and houses the power storage unit (61), the upper surface (66a) of the power storage unit housing portion (66) being located below the upper end of the pivotal support portion (49a), and the top surface (73a) of the protrusion (73) being located above the upper end of the pivotal support portion (49a).

According to the second aspect, the upper surface of the storage battery unit housing is positioned below the upper end of the pivot support, thereby reducing the height of the flat floor, while allowing the connector unit to be positioned as high as possible.

A saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to a third aspect of the present invention is a saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to the first or second aspect, wherein the body frame (20) has a pair of left and right lower frames (23) extending in the fore-and-aft direction below the flat floor (5), a pair of left and right rear frames (24) extending rearward and upward from the rear ends of the pair of lower frames (23), and a cross frame (27) installed between the pair of rear frames (24), and the cross frame (27) may include the overlapping portion (27) and be formed to be detachable from the pair of rear frames (24).

According to the third aspect, removing the cross frame makes it easier to access the connector portion, thereby further improving workability at the connector portion.

A saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to the third aspect, wherein the body frame (20) further includes a pair of left and right brackets (26) extending from the pair of rear frames (24) in a side view, the cross frame (27) is detachably fastened to the pair of brackets (26), and the pair of brackets (26) may overlap the connector portion (74) from the outside in a side view.

According to the fourth aspect, the connector portion can be protected not only by the overlapping portion but also by the bracket.

A saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is a saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising: a swing unit (41) including the motor (44), supporting the rear wheel (3), and arranged to be able to swing up and down relative to the body frame (20); and a power control unit (50) that swings up and down integrally with the swing unit (41), and the connector portion (74) may have a connection opening (74a) through which a cable (85) is inserted and that opens rearward.

According to the fifth aspect, the connection opening of the connector portion faces the swing unit, making it easier to route the cable extending from the battery to the motor or to the power control unit located closer to the swing unit. Furthermore, the high-voltage wires included in the cable can be shortened, making it lighter.

A saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to the fifth aspect, wherein the cable (85) has a high-voltage line connecting the connector portion (74) and the power control unit (50), and the power control unit (50) may be disposed above the swing unit (41).

According to the sixth aspect, the connector portion is located on the top surface of the convex portion, so the power control unit located above the swing unit and the connector portion are close to each other in the vertical direction. This allows the high-voltage wires connecting the battery and power control unit to be shortened, resulting in a lighter weight.

A saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is a saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the connector portion (74) may be positioned above the upper end of the motor (44).

According to the seventh aspect, the connector portion can be positioned at a higher position.

The present invention allows the battery to be positioned in a saddle-type electric vehicle in a manner that adequately protects the battery connector while not compromising convenience.

FIG. 1 is a left side view of a motorcycle according to an embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the lower part of the vehicle. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 6. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the rear periphery of the battery.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions will be assigned the same reference numerals. Duplicate descriptions of these components may be omitted. In addition, directions such as front/rear, up/down, left/right in the following description are the same as directions in the vehicle described below. In other words, the up/down direction corresponds to the vertical direction, and the left/right direction corresponds to the vehicle width direction. In addition, in the drawings used in the following description, the arrow UP indicates upward, the arrow FR indicates forward, and the arrow LH indicates left. Furthermore, in the following description, it is assumed that the vehicle body is on a horizontal plane and in an empty 1G state (a stationary state with the vehicle weight added).

1 is a left side view of a motorcycle according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a vehicle cover 30 is shown by imaginary lines, and the internal structure of the motorcycle 1 is illustrated.
As shown in Figure 1, the motorcycle 1 of this embodiment is a saddle-ride type electric vehicle. The motorcycle 1 is a scooter-type vehicle having a flat floor 5 on which a rider seated on a seat 4 places their feet. The motorcycle 1 includes a front wheel 2, a rear wheel 3, a steering unit 10, a body frame 20, a vehicle cover 30, a unit swing type rear suspension 40 including a power unit 41, a PCU (Power Control Unit) 50, and a battery 60 that serves as a power source for the power unit 41.

The steering unit 10 includes a pair of left and right front forks 11 that support the front wheels 2, a steering stem 12 that is steerably supported on the body frame 20, and a steering handlebar 13 attached to the upper end of the steering stem 12.

The body frame 20 comprises a head pipe 21, a down frame 22, a lower frame 23, and a rear frame 24, which are joined together by welding or the like. The head pipe 21 is located at the front end of the body frame 20. The head pipe 21 supports the steering stem 12 so that it can be steered. The down frame 22 is connected to the head pipe 21. The down frame 22 extends downward from the head pipe 21. A pair of lower frames 23 are provided on the left and right. The lower frames 23 are connected to the lower ends of the down frames 22. The lower frames 23 extend rearward from the lower ends of the down frames 22. The lower frames 23 extend in the fore-and-aft direction below the flat floor 5. A fastening seat 23a is connected to the lower frame 23. The fastening seat 23a is provided so as to protrude upward from the lower frame 23. Two fastening seats 23a are provided on each lower frame 23, spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction.

A pair of rear frames 24 are provided on the left and right. The rear frames 24 are connected to the rear ends of the lower frames 23. The rear frames 24 extend upward and rearward from the rear ends of the pair of lower frames 23. The pair of rear frames 24 support the storage box 6 below the seat 4. The rear frames 24 support the seat 4 via the storage box 6. A first bracket 25 extending rearward from the rear frame 24 is provided at the front lower portion of each rear frame 24. The pair of first brackets 25 support the link member 80 via a first swing shaft 81 extending in the vehicle width direction so that the link member 80 can swing up and down.

The vehicle body frame 20 further includes a pair of left and right second brackets 26, a rear cross frame 27, a first lower cross frame 28, and a second lower cross frame 29. The pair of second brackets 26 extend forward and upward from the front lower portion of each rear frame 24. Each second bracket 26 is formed to fit within the width of the rear frame 24 in a front view. The second bracket 26 has an upper surface facing upward. The rear cross frame 27 is installed between the pair of rear frames 24. The rear cross frame 27 extends linearly in the vehicle width direction in a plan view. The vehicle width intermediate portion of the rear cross frame 27 extends in the left-right direction in a front view. Both end portions of the rear cross frame 27 extend outward and downward in the vehicle width direction from the ends of the intermediate portions. Both end portions of the rear cross frame 27 are positioned on the upper surface of the second bracket 26 and are detachably fastened to the second bracket 26. As a result, the rear cross frame 27 is formed to be detachable from the pair of rear frames 24. The rear cross frame 27 supports the storage box 6 from below.

The first lower cross frame 28 and the second lower cross frame 29 are each installed between a pair of lower frames 23. The first lower cross frame 28 connects the front ends of the pair of lower frames 23. The second lower cross frame 29 connects the rear ends of the pair of lower frames 23. The middle portion of each lower cross frame 28, 29 in the vehicle width direction extends linearly in the vehicle width direction at a position lower than the lower frame 23. Both end portions of each lower cross frame 28, 29 extend upward from the end of the middle portion and are connected to the lower frame 23. In this way, each lower cross frame 28, 29 is formed in a U-shape that opens upward when viewed from the front, and is positioned to avoid interference with the battery 60.

The vehicle cover 30 is composed of multiple exterior panels. The vehicle cover 30 has a leg shield 33, a lower cover 34, and a rear cover 35. The leg shield 33 covers the down frame 22 and is arranged to cover the driver's legs from the front. The lower cover 34 is arranged to cover the lower frame 23. The upper surface of the lower cover 34 forms a flat floor 5 on which occupants place their feet. The rear cover 35 extends rearward and upward from the lower cover 34. The rear cover 35 is arranged to cover the rear frame 24 from the front and from the outside in the vehicle width direction. A seat 4 is located above the rear cover 35. Note that the multiple exterior panels that make up the vehicle cover 30 do not need to be divided into the above-mentioned sections; they may be arranged to straddle the boundaries between the sections, or each section may be composed of multiple exterior panels.

The rear suspension 40 includes a power unit 41 (swing unit) and a rear cushion 42 interposed between the body frame 20 and the power unit 41.

2 is a left side view showing the rear of the vehicle, with the vehicle cover 30 and the rear half of a cover portion 48 (described later) removed.
2, the power unit 41 is a swing-type power unit that integrates a driving motor 44 disposed on the left side of the rear wheel 3, a swing frame 45 that supports the motor 44, and a power transmission mechanism 46 that reduces the output of the motor 44 and transmits it to the axle of the rear wheel 3. The motor 44 includes an annular stator 44a and a rotor 44b disposed inside the stator 44a. The power transmission mechanism 46 transmits the rotation of the rotor 44b to the axle of the rear wheel 3.

The swing frame 45 is a hollow case that houses the motor 44. The swing frame 45 is L-shaped in plan view and is disposed across the space in front of and to the left of the rear wheel 3. The swing frame 45 comprises a box-shaped main body 47 that opens outward in the vehicle width direction (left side), and a cover 48 that closes the opening of the main body 47 from the outside in the vehicle width direction and primarily forms the left side of the swing frame 45. In this embodiment, the cover 48 is divided into two parts, a front part and a rear part. The main body 47 and cover 48 are fastened together with multiple bolts to form a single unit.

The swing frame 45 includes a motor housing 45a that houses the motor 44. The motor housing 45a is formed at the rear of the swing frame 45 and is located to the left of the rear wheel 3. The motor housing 45a is formed by a main body 47 and a cover 48. The motor housing 45a houses the motor 44 with its axis aligned along the vehicle width direction. The motor housing 45a is cylindrical, following the outer shape of the columnar motor 44. The motor housing 45a allows the output shaft of the motor 44 to protrude inward in the vehicle width direction. The power transmission mechanism 46 is connected to the motor housing 45a from the inside in the vehicle width direction.

A pair of left and right hanger arms 49 are provided at the front end of the swing frame 45. The hanger arms 49 protrude forward from the main body 47. The pair of hanger arms 49 are provided with a gap in the vehicle width direction. A cylindrical support portion 49a extending in the vehicle width direction is provided at the front end of the pair of hanger arms 49. The support portion 49a is inserted onto a second swing shaft 82 provided on the link member 80. The second swing shaft 82 is located rearward of the first swing shaft 81. The swing frame 45 is provided via the link member 80 so that it can swing up and down relative to the body frame 20.

The PCU 50 includes a PDU (Power Drive Unit) that converts the power output from the battery 60 from DC to AC and controls the input power to the motor 44, and a VCU (Voltage Control Unit) that boosts the power output from the battery 60 as needed. The PDU is, for example, an inverter that can convert DC to AC (e.g., three-phase AC). The VCU is, for example, a DC/DC converter. The PCU 50 is located above a portion of the power unit 41 that is located in front of the rear wheels 3. The PCU 50 swings up and down integrally with the power unit 41.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the lower part of the vehicle, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the battery.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the battery 60 includes a power storage unit 61 that stores the power supplied to the motor 44, a BMU (Battery Management Unit) 62 that controls the power storage unit 61, and a battery case 63 that houses the power storage unit 61 and the BMU 62.

The power storage unit 61 is, for example, a battery pack formed by connecting multiple battery cells (single cells) in series. Each battery cell that makes up the power storage unit 61 is, for example, a secondary battery that can be repeatedly charged and discharged.

BMU 62 is configured to include one or more semiconductor devices, such as a processor such as a CPU or FPGA, an ASIC, or semiconductor memory. For example, the processor may execute a software program to perform various processes by BMU 62. BMU 62 controls the charging and discharging of the power storage unit 61, detects abnormalities in the power storage unit 61, etc.

The battery case 63 forms the outer shell of the battery 60. The battery case 63 is disposed below the flat floor 5. The battery case 63 is disposed between a pair of lower frames 23. The battery case 63 overlaps the rear cross frame 27 in a plan view and is positioned so that the body frame 20 is not positioned in the space above the battery case 63 when the rear cross frame 27 is removed (see also Figure 6). The battery case 63 includes a box-shaped lower case 71 that opens upward, and a lid 72 that closes the upper opening of the lower case 71.

The lower case 71 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The lower case 71 is positioned so that its bottom surface is approximately horizontal and its longitudinal direction is along the fore-and-aft direction in a plan view. The upper opening edge of the lower case 71 extends in the fore-and-aft direction or the vehicle width direction. The lower case 71 is positioned from the upper region to the lower region of the lower frame 23 in a side view. The lower case 71 is positioned so that it straddles the fore-and-aft center position of the lower frame 23 in a side view.

The lid body 72 is rectangular in plan view. The outer periphery of the lid body 72 is secured to the upper opening edge of the lower case 71 with multiple fastening members, with the outer periphery overlapping the entire periphery of the upper opening edge of the lower case 71. The upper surface 72a of the lid body 72 forms the upper surface of the battery case 63. The upper surface 72a of the lid body 72 is provided with a protrusion 73 that protrudes upward. The protrusion 73 is located at the rear end of the lid body 72. The upper surface 72a of the lid body 72 extends forward from the base of the protrusion 73 to the front end of the upper surface 72a without protruding upward. The protrusion 73 is sufficiently smaller than the overall length of the lid body 72 in the front-to-rear direction. The protrusion 73 is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped that is elongated in the vehicle width direction. The protrusion 73 extends over substantially the entire length of the lid body 72 in the vehicle width direction. The protrusion 73 is located below the rear cross frame 27 and overlaps the rear cross frame 27 in a plan view (see also Figure 6). In this embodiment, the rear cross frame 27 overlaps the protrusion 73 over its entire length in the vehicle width direction in a plan view.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG.
As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the protrusion 73 has a top surface 73a facing upward. The top surface 73a is a flat surface that extends in the front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction. The top surface 73a is at the highest position in the battery case 63. The top surface 73a is located higher than the upper end of the journal support portion 49a of the power unit 41. The position of the upper end of the journal support portion 49a is indicated by the imaginary line L1 in Figure 5. A space is formed inside the protrusion 73. The internal space of the protrusion 73 is open downward and communicates with the internal space of the lower case 71.

A connector portion 74 is disposed on the top surface 73a of the protrusion 73, forming a connection with a cable 85 connected to the battery 60. In this embodiment, the connector portion 74 includes a connector on the battery 60 side and a connector on the cable 85 side that connects to the connector on the battery 60 side. The connector portion 74 is disposed to protrude upward from the top surface 73a of the protrusion 73. At least a portion of the connector portion 74 is disposed above the upper end of the motor 44 (see FIG. 2). The position of the upper end of the motor 44 is indicated by imaginary line L2 in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, three connector portions 74 are disposed on the top surface 73a of the protrusion 73, lined up in the vehicle width direction. At least a portion of each connector portion 74 overlaps the rear cross frame 27 in a plan view (see also FIG. 6).

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the rear periphery of the battery.
5 and 6 , the connector portion 74 is provided with a connection opening 74a through which the cable 85 is inserted. The connection opening 74a is provided in the connector housing on the cable 85 side. The connection opening 74a faces rearward. This allows the cable 85 to extend rearward from the connector portion 74. Note that at least a portion of the cables 85 connected to the battery 60 via the connector portion 74 is connected to the PCU 50. In this embodiment, the cables 85 connected to the PCU 50 extend rearward from the connector portion 74.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the battery case 63 includes a power storage unit housing 66 that houses the power storage unit 61 and a BMU housing 67 that houses the BMU 62. The power storage unit housing 66 and the BMU housing 67 are formed by a lower case 71 and a lid 72, respectively.

The BMU accommodation section 67 includes the rear end of the battery case 63. The BMU accommodation section 67 includes the area in the front-to-rear direction where the protrusion 73 is formed. The BMU accommodation section 67 is provided only in the area of the battery case 63 rearward of its center position in the front-to-rear direction. The BMU 62 is arranged in the BMU accommodation section 67, spanning from the internal space of the lower case 71 to the internal space of the protrusion 73. The BMU 62 is arranged with the front and back sides of its circuit board facing in the front-to-rear direction. The upper end of the BMU 62 is arranged in the internal space of the protrusion 73. However, the BMU 62 may not be arranged in the internal space of the protrusion 73, and wiring or the like connecting the BMU 62 to the connector section 74 may be arranged therein.

The power storage unit housing 66 includes the front end of the battery case 63. The power storage unit housing 66 is adjacent to the protrusion 73 in a plan view. That is, the power storage unit housing 66 is adjacent to the BMU housing 67 from the front. The power storage unit 61 is disposed substantially without any gaps in the internal space of the power storage unit housing 66. The power storage unit housing 66 has an upper surface 66a that is part of the upper surface 72a of the lid 72. In this embodiment, the upper surface 66a of the power storage unit housing 66 extends in the front-to-rear direction, coinciding with the upper edge of the power storage unit housing 66 in a side view. That is, in this embodiment, the entire upper surface 66a of the power storage unit housing 66 is a flat portion in a side view with no independently raised portions. However, it is sufficient that the flat portion of the upper surface 66a of the power storage unit housing 66 extends forward from the base of the protrusion 73, straddling at least the center position in the front-to-rear direction of the upper surface 72a of the lid 72. The upper surface 66a of the power storage unit housing 66 is located lower than the top surface 73a of the protrusion 73. The upper surface 66a of the power storage unit housing 66 is located lower than the upper end of the shaft support portion 49a of the power unit 41.

As shown in FIG. 5, the internal space of the power storage unit housing 66 and the internal space of the BMU housing 67 are separated from each other by a partition wall 71a erected on the bottom wall of the lower case 71. The partition wall 71a extends in the vehicle width direction. The upper edge of the partition wall 71a has a gap in the vertical direction relative to the lid body 72. As a result, the internal spaces of the power storage unit housing 66 and the BMU housing 67 are in communication with each other.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the battery 60 has fixing portions 68 that are fixed to the lower frame 23. The fixing portions 68 are provided on both side surfaces of the lower case 71 that face outward in the vehicle width direction. The fixing portions 68 protrude outward in the vehicle width direction from the side surfaces of the lower case 71. Multiple fixing portions 68 (two in this embodiment) are provided on each side surface of the lower case 71, spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction. The fixing portions 68 are fastened from above to fastening seats 23a provided on the lower frame 23.

The battery 60 is covered from above by a battery retaining member 87. The battery retaining member 87 extends above the battery 60 in the vehicle width direction. In a plan view, the battery retaining member 87 overlaps a portion of the battery 60 that is forward of the protrusion 73. Both ends of the battery retaining member 87 in the vehicle width direction are fixed to a pair of lower frames 23. The battery retaining member 87 is fastened from above to fastening seats 23a provided on the lower frames 23. The battery retaining member 87 may be in contact with the battery case 63 from above, or may have a gap between it and the battery case 63.

The lower portion of the battery 60 is covered by a cover member 89. The cover member 89 extends in the fore-and-aft direction and connects the first lower cross frame 28 and the second lower cross frame 29. A pair of cover members 89 are arranged with a gap in the vehicle width direction. The pair of cover members 89 are arranged between the pair of lower frames 23 in a plan view. The pair of cover members 89 are connected to the middle portions of each lower cross frame 28, 29 and extend linearly in the fore-and-aft direction below the lower frames 23. Each cover member 89 covers a pair of left and right edges of the battery case 63 extending in the fore-and-aft direction from the lower front corner to the lower rear corner from below and from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

As described above, the motorcycle 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a battery case 63 disposed below the flat floor 5 and housing a power storage unit 61 that stores power supplied to the motor 44. The battery case 63 includes a protrusion 73 that is provided on the upper surface 72a of the lid 72 and protrudes upward, and a connector 74 disposed on the top surface 73a of the protrusion 73. The body frame 20 includes a rear cross frame 27 that overlaps the protrusion 73 from above in a plan view. With this configuration, the connector 74 is disposed on the top surface 73a of the protrusion 73, allowing the connector 74 to be disposed higher while lowering the position of the upper surface 66a of the power storage unit housing 66, which forms the majority of the battery case 63. This prevents the flat floor 5 from becoming too tall and provides easier access to the connector 74 compared to a configuration in which the connector is disposed on a portion of the battery case other than the protrusion, improving the ease of attaching and detaching the cable 85 at the connector 74. Furthermore, because the rear cross frame 27 overlaps the protrusion 73 from above in a plan view, the connector 74, which is located in a location that is easily accessible from the periphery, can be protected by the body frame 20. As a result, the battery 60 can be positioned so as not to impair convenience while adequately protecting the connector 74 of the battery 60.

The power unit 41 has a support portion 49a supported by the second swing shaft 82. The battery case 63 has a power storage unit housing 66 that is adjacent to the protrusion 73 in a plan view and houses the power storage unit 61. The upper surface 66a of the power storage unit housing 66 is located below the upper end of the support portion 49a. The top surface 73a of the protrusion 73 is located above the upper end of the support portion 49a. With this configuration, the upper surface 66a of the power storage unit housing 66 is located below the upper end of the support portion 49a, thereby lowering the height of the flat floor 5, while allowing the connector portion 74 to be positioned as high as possible.

The rear cross frame 27 is configured to be detachable from the pair of rear frames 24. With this configuration, removing the rear cross frame 27 makes it easier to access the connector portion 74, further improving workability at the connector portion 74.

The body frame 20 further includes a pair of left and right second brackets 26 extending from the pair of rear frames 24 in a side view. The rear cross frame 27 is detachably fastened to the pair of second brackets 26. The pair of second brackets 26 overlap the connector portion 74 from the outside in a side view. With this configuration, the connector portion 74 can be protected by the second brackets 26 in addition to the rear cross frames 27.

The PCU 50 swings up and down integrally with the power unit 41. The connector portion 74 has a connection opening 74a that opens to the rear and through which the cable 85 is inserted. With this configuration, the connection opening 74a of the connector portion 74 faces the power unit 41, making it easier to route the cable 85 that extends from the battery 60 to the motor 44 or to the PCU 50 side located closer to the power unit 41. Furthermore, the high-voltage wires included in the cable 85 can be shortened, resulting in a lighter weight.

The cable 85 has high-voltage wires connecting the connector portion 74 and the PCU 50. The PCU 50 is located above the power unit 41. With this configuration, the connector portion 74 is located on the top surface 73a of the convex portion 73, so the PCU 50 and the connector portion 74, which are located above the power unit 41, are close to each other in the vertical direction. This allows the high-voltage wires connecting the battery 60 and the PCU 50 to be shortened and made lighter.

The connector portion 74 is positioned above the upper end of the motor 44. This configuration allows the connector portion 74 to be positioned at a higher position.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment explained with reference to the drawings, and various modifications are possible within the technical scope of the present invention.
For example, the configuration of this embodiment can be applied to all saddle-ride type electric vehicles with flat floors, including not only motorcycles but also three-wheeled vehicles (including vehicles with one front wheel and two rear wheels, as well as vehicles with two front wheels and one rear wheel) and four-wheeled vehicles (such as four-wheeled buggies).

In the above embodiment, the driving motor 44 is housed in the swing frame 45, but this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may also be applied to a vehicle that uses an in-wheel motor, in which the driving motor is located inside the wheel.

In addition, it is possible to replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components as appropriate, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1...Motorcycle (saddle-type electric vehicle) 3...Rear wheel 5...Flat floor 20...Vehicle frame 23...Lower frame 24...Rear frame 26...Second bracket (bracket) 27...Rear cross frame (overlapping portion, cross frame) 41...Swing unit 44...Motor 49a...Axle support 50...PCU (power control unit) 60...Battery 61...Power storage unit 63...Battery case 66...Power storage unit housing 66a...Top surface of power storage unit housing 73...Convex portion 73a...Top surface 74...Connector portion 74a...Connection opening 82...Second swing shaft (swing shaft) 85...Cable

Claims (8)

A vehicle body frame (20);
a motor (44) for running;
A flat floor (5) on which the driver places his/her feet;
a battery case (63) disposed below the flat floor (5) and accommodating a power storage unit (61) for storing power to be supplied to the motor (44);
In a saddle-type electric vehicle having
The vehicle body frame (20)
a pair of left and right lower frames (23) extending in the front-rear direction below the flat floor (5);
a pair of left and right rear frames (24) extending rearward and upward from rear ends of the pair of lower frames (23);
a cross frame (27) installed between the pair of rear frames (24);
and
The battery case (63)
a protrusion (73) provided on the upper surface of the battery case (63) and protruding upward;
a connector portion (74) disposed on the top surface (73a) of the convex portion (73);
and
The cross frame (27) includes an overlapping portion (27) that overlaps the convex portion (73) from above in a plan view, and is formed to be detachable from the pair of rear frames (24).
Saddle-type electric vehicle. a swing unit (41) including the motor (44), supporting the rear wheel (3), and provided so as to be swingable up and down relative to the body frame (20);
The swing unit (41) has a shaft support portion (49a) supported by a swing shaft (82) extending in the vehicle width direction,
the battery case (63) has a storage battery unit housing portion (66) that is adjacent to the protrusion (73) in a plan view and that houses the storage battery unit (61);
an upper surface (66a) of the storage unit housing (66) is located below an upper end of the pivot support portion (49a);
The top surface (73a) of the convex portion (73) is located above the upper end of the pivot support portion (49a).
The saddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1 . The vehicle body frame (20) further includes a pair of left and right brackets (26) extending from the pair of rear frames (24) in a side view,
The cross frame (27) is detachably fastened to the pair of brackets (26),
The pair of brackets (26) overlap the connector portion (74) from the outside in a side view.
3. The saddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2 . a swing unit (41) including the motor (44), supporting the rear wheel (3), and provided so as to be swingable up and down relative to the body frame (20);
a power control unit (50) that swings up and down integrally with the swing unit (41);
Equipped with
The connector portion (74) has a connection opening (74a) through which a cable (85) is inserted and which opens rearward.
3. The saddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2. the cable (85) has a high-voltage line connecting the connector portion (74) and the power control unit (50);
The power control unit (50) is disposed above the swing unit (41).
5. The saddle-ride type electric vehicle according to claim 4 . The connector portion (74) is disposed above the upper end of the motor (44).
3. The saddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2. The pair of rear frames (24) support a storage box (6) below the seat (4),
The cross frame (27) supports the storage box (6) from below.
3. The saddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2. The bracket (26) has an upper surface facing upward, and extends forward and upward from a front lower portion of the pair of rear frames (24) in a front view,
Both ends of the cross frame (27) are respectively disposed on the upper surface of the bracket (26) and detachably fastened to the bracket (26).
The saddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 3.