Straddle electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9296444-B2
Application number	US-201114368778-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2011
Priority date	Dec 28, 2011
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A straddle electric vehicle comprises a battery case accommodating a battery which is an electric power supply for an electric motor; and an air box attached to an upper portion of the battery case, and the air box includes a ram air inlet through which ram air flows into the air box, and a ram air supply port through which the air is supplied from inside the air box to the battery case.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A straddle electric vehicle which drives by driving power generated by an electric motor, the straddle electric vehicle comprising:
a battery case accommodating a battery which is an electric power supply for the electric motor; and
an air box attached to an upper portion of the battery case,
wherein the air box includes a ram air inlet through which ram air flows into an inner space of the air box, a ram air supply port through which the air is supplied from the inner space of the air box to the battery case, and an open section which is provided separately from the ram air supply port and through which the air flows out of the inner space of the air box, and
wherein an air flow moving from the ram air inlet toward the ram air supply port and an air flow moving from the ram air inlet toward the open section are formed in the inner space of the air box.

2. The straddle electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein an electric component is accommodated inside the air box, and
wherein the electric component is connected to the battery and is selected from the group consisting of a relay, a fuse, and a converter.

3. The straddle electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the battery case is provided with an air inlet duct extending upward from the upper portion of the battery case in the inner space of the air box.

4. The straddle electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the battery case is provided with an outlet through which the air flows out of the battery case and an air outlet duct is connected to the outlet to guide the air discharged from the battery case to outside.

5. The straddle electric vehicle according to claim 4 ,
wherein the air outlet duct is provided at a rear portion of the air box, and a bypass port is provided in the rear portion of the air box to communicate the inner space of the air box with an interior of the air outlet duct.

6. The straddle electric vehicle according to claim 4 ,
wherein the air box is placed forward relative to a seat, and
wherein the air box covers the upper portion of the battery case from above, and the air outlet duct covers an upper side of a rear portion of the battery case from the rear.

7. The straddle electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein an upper portion of the air box is openable and closable.

8. The straddle electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the ram air supply port is located above a bottom wall of the air box.

9. The straddle electric vehicle according to claim 8 ,
wherein the bottom wall of the air box has a vertically stepped portion.

10. The straddle electric vehicle according to claim 9 ,
wherein air is blown to the stepped portion through the ram air inlet.

11. A straddle electric vehicle which drives by driving power generated by an electric motor, the straddle electric vehicle comprising:
a battery case accommodating a battery which is an electric power supply for the electric motor; and
an air box attached to an upper portion of the battery case,
wherein the air box includes a ram air inlet through which ram air flows into the air box, and a ram air supply port through which the air is supplied from inside the air box to the battery case,
wherein the ram air supply port is placed above a bottom wall of the air box and the bottom wall of the air box has a vertically stepped portion and
wherein an electric component is accommodated in the air box such that the electric component is placed on a portion of the bottom wall which portion is set higher, the stepped portion being provided between the portion set higher and a remaining portion of the bottom wall, and
wherein the electric component is connected to the battery and is selected from the group consisting of a relay, a fuse, and a converter.

12. The straddle electric vehicle according to claim 2 ,
wherein a flow velocity of the air flowing inside the air box is made higher in a region in the vicinity of the electric component than in a region other than the region in the vicinity of the electric component.

13. The straddle electric vehicle according to claim 2 ,
wherein a passage resistance inside the air box is made higher in a region in the vicinity of the electric component than in a region other than the region in the vicinity of the electric component.

14. The straddle electric vehicle according to claim 3 ,
wherein the ram air supply port is provided in an upper end of the air inlet duct.

15. The straddle electric vehicle according to claim 14 ,
wherein the air inlet duct is bent such that its upper end is oriented horizontally.

16. The straddle electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the ram air inlet and the ram air supply port are oriented rearward.

17. The straddle electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the air box captures moisture contained in the ram air flowing through the ram air inlet, and then the air from which the moisture has been removed is supplied to the battery case through the ram air supply port.

18. The straddle electric vehicle accordingly to claim 1 ,
wherein the ram air supply port is placed above the ram air inlet.

19. A straddle electric vehicle which drives by driving power generated by an electric motor, the straddle electric vehicle comprising:
a battery case accommodating a battery which is an electric power supply for the electric motor; and
an air box attached to an upper portion of the battery case,
wherein the air box includes a ram air inlet through which ram air flows into the air box, and a ram air supply port through which the air is supplied from inside the air box to the battery case, and
wherein the ram air supply port is placed above the ram air inlet.

Assignees

• Matsuda Yoshimoto
• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Matsuda Yoshimoto

Classifications

• B60K1/04

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title

• B60L3/0046

  relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors · CPC title

• B62K19/30

  Frame parts shaped to receive other cycle parts or accessories (axle suspensions B62K25/00) · CPC title

• B62K2204/00

  Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor · CPC title

• B60L58/26

  by cooling · CPC title