Straddle-type electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11440606-B2
Application number	US-202017013007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2020
Priority date	Mar 29, 2018
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

A straddle-type electric vehicle including a main frame extending in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle body, a pivot frame extending downward from a rear portion of the main frame, and a swing arm which is supported by the pivot frame and by which a rear wheel is swingably supported, the straddle-type electric vehicle, further comprising a battery supported by the main frame, a motor unit configured to be coolable by circulation of a cooling medium, a control apparatus that controls the motor unit based on electric power of the battery, and a heat exchanger connected to the motor unit via a pipe that forms a flow path for the cooling medium, wherein the control apparatus and the heat exchanger are arranged anterior to the battery in alignment with each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A straddle-type electric vehicle including a main frame that is installed so as to extend in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle body, a pivot frame that is installed so as to extend downward from a rear portion of the main frame, and a swing arm which is supported by the pivot frame and by which a rear wheel is swingably supported, the straddle-type electric vehicle further comprising:
a battery supported by the main frame;
a motor unit configured to be coolable by circulation of a cooling medium;
a control apparatus that controls the motor unit based on electric power of the battery; and
a heat exchanger connected to the motor unit via a pipe that forms a flow path for the cooling medium,
wherein the control apparatus and the heat exchanger are exposed and arranged anterior to the battery in alignment with each other, such that a traveling wind hits front surfaces of both the control apparatus and the heat exchanger.

2. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of heat dissipation fins are installed on a front surface of the control apparatus, and exposed in a front view to be hit by the traveling wind.

3. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the motor unit is fixed with respect to the pivot frame.

4. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of heat dissipation fins are provided on a front surface of the control apparatus, the plurality of heat dissipation fins being installed so as to extend in an up-and-down direction of the vehicle body in a front view.

5. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the motor unit is provided with a pump unit for circulating the cooling medium,
the pump unit pressure-feeds the cooling medium that has cooled the motor unit to the heat exchanger,
the heat exchanger and the control apparatus are connected by a second pipe so that the cooling medium that has passed through the heat exchanger passes through the control apparatus, and
the control apparatus and the motor unit are connected by a third pipe so that the cooling medium that has passed through the control apparatus returns to the motor unit.

6. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the control apparatus is arranged below the heat exchanger in a front view.

7. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 6 , further comprising
a pair of left and right down frames that is installed below the main frame so as to extend toward a lower rear portion of the vehicle body,
wherein the control apparatus and the heat exchanger are both fixed while straddling the pair of left and right down frames in a front view.

8. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a down frame that is installed below the main frame so as to extend toward a lower rear portion of the vehicle body; and
a pair of left and right shrouds that is disposed on outer sides of the down frame in a vehicle width direction,
wherein the pair of left and right shrouds is installed so as to extend in an up-and-down direction of the vehicle body in such a manner that each shroud overlaps at least both of the control apparatus and the heat exchanger in a horizontal direction of the vehicle body.

9. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein
the pair of left and right shrouds is disposed on left and right sides of the control apparatus and the heat exchanger in a front view, and front edge portions of the pair of left and right shrouds are arranged anterior to the control apparatus and the heat exchanger so as to guide traveling wind to the control apparatus and the heat exchanger.

10. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein
the pair of left and right shrouds is fixed in such a manner that a distance therebetween in the front edge portions is longer than a distance therebetween in rear edge portions.

11. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the control apparatus and the heat exchanger are arranged in alignment with each other in a vehicle width direction.

12. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 11 , further comprising
a pair of left and right down frames that is installed below the main frame so as to extend toward a lower rear portion of the vehicle body,
wherein the control apparatus is fixed with respect to one of the pair of left and right down frames, and the heat exchanger is fixed with respect to the other of the pair of left and right down frames.

13. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein
in a front view,
the motor unit is disposed while being displaced from a center of the vehicle body toward one side, and
the control apparatus is fixed with respect to one of the pair of left and right down frames on the one side.

14. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the control apparatus is arranged posterior to the heat exchanger so that a part thereof overlaps the heat exchanger in a front view.

15. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein
an upper end portion of the control apparatus is positioned above a lower end portion of the heat exchanger.

16. The straddle-type electric vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein
a lower end portion of the control apparatus is positioned above a lower end portion of the motor unit.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hirose Yudai
• Ishimatsu Naoya
• Tamura Hiroshi
• Kubota Ryo

Classifications

• H02K9/19

  for machines with closed casing and closed-circuit cooling using a liquid cooling medium, e.g. oil · CPC title

• B62K11/04

  characterised by the engine being between front and rear wheels · CPC title

• Y02T10/64

  Electric machine technologies in electromobility · CPC title

• B62J43/16

  on motorcycles or the like · CPC title

• B62K2204/00

  Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor · CPC title