Hybrid vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11002229-B2
Application number	US-202016916727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2020
Priority date	Jul 2, 2019
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle includes: a crankcase extending from a lower portion of a cylinder of an engine, the crankcase including a main body portion defining a crank chamber in which a crankshaft of the engine is accommodated, the crankcase further including a breather portion projecting upwardly from the main body portion and defining a breather chamber into which blowby gas is introduced from the crank chamber; a breather tube that introduces the blowby gas from the breather chamber into the intake passage; and a drive motor disposed rearwardly of the cylinder and mounted on a top surface of the crankcase. The breather portion has a facing surface facing an outer peripheral surface of the drive motor. The facing surface of the breather portion is shaped to conform to the outer peripheral surface of the drive motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:
an engine comprising a cylinder extending upwardly;
an intake passage that introduces intake air into the engine;
a crankcase extending rearwardly from a lower portion of the cylinder, the crankcase comprising a main body portion defining a crank chamber in which a crankshaft of the engine is accommodated, the crankcase further comprising a breather portion projecting upwardly from the main body portion and defining a breather chamber into which blowby gas is introduced from the crank chamber;
a breather tube that introduces the blowby gas from the breather chamber into the intake passage; and
a drive motor disposed rearwardly of the cylinder and mounted on a top surface of the crankcase, wherein
the breather portion has a facing surface facing an outer peripheral surface of the drive motor, and
the facing surface of the breather portion is shaped to conform to the outer peripheral surface of the drive motor.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the drive motor disposed rearwardly of the cylinder is separated from the cylinder by a gap, and
at least a part of the breather portion is disposed in the gap and located rearwardly of the cylinder and forwardly of the drive motor.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising an air cleaner box that purifies intake air to be introduced into the cylinder, the air cleaner box being disposed above the drive motor and constituting a part of the intake passage, wherein
the breather tube extends from the breather portion and passes through the gap toward the air cleaner box.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the facing surface of the breather portion has a circular arc shape when viewed in a vehicle width direction of the hybrid vehicle.

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the crankcase comprises an upper wall portion, the upper wall portion comprising: a front mount portion to which a front portion of the drive motor is secured; a rear mount portion to which a rear portion of the drive motor is secured; and a case top surface formed between the front mount portion and the rear mount portion,
the case top surface is shaped to conform to the outer peripheral surface of the drive motor, and
a lower portion of the drive motor is held between the front mount portion and the rear mount portion.

6. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein
the breather portion comprises a connection port to which the breather tube is connected, and
at least a part of the connection port is at the same location in a forward/rearward direction as the front mount portion.

7. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the front mount portion is spaced rearwardly from the cylinder.

8. A hybrid vehicle comprising:
an engine comprising a cylinder extending upwardly;
an intake passage that introduces intake air into the engine;
a crankcase extending rearwardly from a lower portion of the cylinder, the crankcase comprising a main body portion defining a crank chamber in which a crankshaft of the engine is accommodated, the crankcase further comprising a breather portion projecting upwardly from the main body portion and defining a breather chamber into which blowby gas is introduced from the crank chamber;
a breather tube that introduces the blowby gas from the breather chamber into the intake passage; and
a drive motor disposed rearwardly of the cylinder and mounted on a top surface of the crankcase, wherein
the drive motor disposed rearwardly of the cylinder is separated from the cylinder by a gap, and
at least a part of the breather portion is disposed in the gap and located rearwardly of the cylinder and forwardly of the drive motor.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Nishiyabu Masaki
• Hida Yuji

Classifications

• F02F7/0039

  Casings for small engines, especially with crankcase pumps · CPC title

• F02M35/162

  Motorcycles; All-terrain vehicles, e.g. quads, snowmobiles; Small vehicles, e.g. forklifts · CPC title

• B60W2300/36

  Cycles; Motorcycles; Scooters · CPC title

• B60Y2200/12

  Motorcycles, Trikes; Quads; Scooters · CPC title

• F01M13/00

  Crankcase ventilating or breathing · CPC title