Electric snowmobile

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12103636-B2
Application number	US-202117377314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2021
Priority date	Jul 20, 2020
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

An electric snowmobile that reduces a decrease in charging efficiency is provided. The electric snowmobile includes a body frame, a driver's seat supported by the body frame, an electric motor supported by the body frame, a right ski and a left ski supported by the body frame, a track mechanism including a track belt and supported by the body frame below the driver's seat, a battery that is charged with electric power supplied from an external power source and capable of supplying the electric power to the electric motor, and a battery heater H that can be driven by electric power supplied from an external power source and heats the battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric snowmobile comprising:
a body frame;
a driver's seat supported by the body frame;
an electric motor supported by the body frame;
a ski supported by the body frame;
a track mechanism, which includes a track belt, and the track mechanism being supported by the body frame below the driver's seat;
a battery that is charged with electric power supplied by an external power source and capable of supplying the electric power to the electric motor, at least a part of the battery being disposed below the driver's seat and above the track mechanism;
a battery heater that can be driven by electric power supplied from the external power source and that heats the battery;
a controller that controls charging of the battery and driving of the battery heater by controlling a plurality of switches; and
the controller is configured to independently control power supplied to the battery for charging from the external power source and electric power supplied to the battery heater from the external power source.

2. The electric snowmobile according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller drives the battery heater in a case where a temperature of the battery is less than a first threshold.

3. The electric snowmobile according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller drives the battery heater while the external power source supplies the battery with electric power.

4. The electric snowmobile according to claim 2 , wherein
in a case where a voltage of the battery is equal to or higher than a second threshold, the controller stops supplying electric power to the battery from the external power source and continues to drive the battery heater.

5. The electric snowmobile according to claim 4 , comprising:
a grip that is gripped by a driver; and
a grip heater that can be driven by electric power supplied from the external power source and that heats the grip, wherein
in a case where a voltage of the battery is equal to or higher than a third threshold, the controller drives the grip heater.

6. The electric snowmobile according to claim 5 , comprising:
a sheet heater that can be driven by electric power supplied from the external power source and that heats the driver's seat, wherein
in a case where a voltage of the battery is equal to or higher than the third threshold, the controller drives the sheet heater.

7. The electric snowmobile according to claim 6 , wherein
the grip heater and the sheet heater can be driven by electric power supplied from the battery.

8. The electric snowmobile according to claim 6 , wherein
in a case where a voltage of the battery is equal to or higher than the second threshold, the controller stops supplying electric power to the battery from the external power source and continues to drive the grip heater and the sheet heater.

9. The electric snowmobile according to claim 1 , wherein
the battery heater is at least provided between the driver's seat and the battery.

10. The electric snowmobile according to claim 1 , wherein
the battery heater is provided at least along a largest side surface among side surfaces of the battery.

11. The electric snowmobile according to claim 1 , wherein
the battery has a substantially rectangular shape including a front surface, a rear surface, an upper surface, a lower surface, a right surface, and a left surface,
the battery is supported by the body frame such that widths of the upper surface, the lower surface, the right surface, and the left surface in a vehicle longitudinal direction are longer than widths of the front surface and the rear surface in a vehicle width direction, and
the battery heater is provided at least along the upper surface, the right surface, and the left surface.

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Suzuki Takehito
• Osawa Kensuke

Classifications

• B60L58/27

  by heating · CPC title

• B60L1/02

  to electric heating circuits · CPC title

• B60L2240/545

  Temperature · CPC title

• B60L50/66

  Arrangements of batteries · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title