Electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9387751-B2
Application number	US-201414533351-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2014
Priority date	Nov 7, 2013
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

A frame structure of an electric vehicle including right and left drive wheels is capable of being simplified while communalizing components and achieving an efficient arrangement of a running gear and electrical components. An electric vehicle includes a running gear including an electromotor and a speed reduction gear, and a running gear support frame provided to surround the running gear. The speed reduction gear is arranged in the right-to-left center of a vehicle body. The electromotor is configured in such a manner that an axis direction is arranged along a vehicle right-to-left direction so that the electromotor extends to one side in a right-to-left direction of the speed reduction gear and is arranged between the speed reduction gear and a left lower side frame of the running gear support frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric vehicle provided with a pair of right and left drive wheels driven by an electromotor, the electric vehicle comprising:
a running gear including the electromotor and a speed reduction gear;
a running gear support frame provided to surround the running gear, said running gear support frame having a pair of right and left side frames, and front and rear cross frames;
the running gear is configured wherein a front end and a rear end of the speed reduction gear are respectively supported on the front and rear cross frames, and a side end on a side of the electromotor is supported on the side frame located on the same side as the electromotor;
wherein the side end is supported on the side frame through a motor support bracket;
the motor support bracket supports the side end on an outer side of the side frame;
wherein a pair of right and left suspension arms is provided for supporting the pair of right and left drive wheels;
the pair of right and left side frames is provided with front and rear arm support portions that respectively swingably support the pair of right and left suspension arms;
the motor support bracket is positioned between the front and rear arm support portions, and is arranged in a space surrounded by the suspension arm and the side frame;
wherein the speed reduction gear is configured to decelerate power from the electromotor and to transmit the power to the pair of right and left drive wheels through a pair of right and left drive shafts, and is arranged in the right-to-left center of a vehicle body in order to make the pair of right and left drive shafts have the same length; and
the electromotor includes an axis direction arranged along a vehicle right-to-left direction for extending the electromotor on one side in a right-to-left direction of the speed reduction gear, said electromotor being arranged between the speed reduction gear and frame members of the running gear support frame.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the motor support bracket includes a frame-side bracket fixed to the side frame, a motor-side bracket fixed to the side end and a damper member arranged between the frame-side bracket and the motor-side bracket.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 2 ,
wherein the damper member is cylindrical, and wherein the frame-side bracket supports a periphery of a the damper member; and
the motor-side bracket supports a core member inserted into an inner side of the damper member.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the front end of the speed reduction gear is supported on the front cross frame through a speed reduction gear front support bracket;
the rear end of the speed reduction gear is supported on the rear cross frame through a speed reduction gear rear support bracket; and
the speed reduction gear front support bracket and the speed reduction gear rear support bracket respectively support the front end and the rear end of the speed reduction gear on an inner side of the running gear support frame.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 4 ,
wherein the speed reduction gear front support bracket includes a speed reduction gear front bracket fixed to the front end of the speed reduction gear, a frame front bracket fixed to the front cross frame, and a front damper member arranged between the speed reduction gear front bracket and the frame front bracket; and
the speed reduction gear rear support bracket includes a speed reduction gear rear bracket fixed to the rear end of the speed reduction gear, a frame rear bracket fixed to the rear cross frame, and a rear damper member arranged between the speed reduction gear rear bracket and the frame rear bracket.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 5 ,
wherein the front and rear damper members are cylindrical, and wherein the frame front bracket and the frame rear bracket respectively support a periphery of the front damper member and a periphery of the rear damper member; and
the speed reduction gear front bracket and the speed reduction gear rear bracket respectively support core members that are inserted into an inner side of the front damper member and an inner side of the rear damper member.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 6 ,
wherein the side end of the running gear is supported on the side frame through the motor support bracket;
the motor support bracket includes a frame-side bracket fixed to the side frame, a motor-side bracket fixed to the side end, and a side damper member arranged between the frame-side bracket and the motor-side bracket;
wherein the side damper member is cylindrical, and the frame-side bracket supports a periphery of the side damper member;
the motor-side bracket supports a core member inserted into an inner side of the side damper member; and
the respective core members of the speed reduction gear front support bracket and the speed reduction gear rear support bracket and the core member of the motor support bracket are arranged wherein respective axial directions are perpendicular to each other.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pair of right and left drive wheels is supported by double wishbone suspensions;
the pair of right and left side frames swingably supports the pair of right and left suspension arms of the suspensions;
the running gear support frame is provided with a pair of right and left upper side frames arranged above the pair of right and left side frames;
the pair of right and left upper side frames swingably supports a pair of right and left upper arms of the suspensions; and
an electrical component that allows driving of the electromotor is arranged between the pair of right and left upper side frames.

9. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein an inverter controlling the driving of the electromotor is arranged on a side opposite to the electromotor in the vehicle right-to-left direction.

10. An electric vehicle comprising:
an electromotor;
a pair of right and left drive wheels individually operatively connected to a pair of drive shafts driven by the electromotor;

a running gear including the electromotor and a speed reduction gear operatively connected to the electromotor;
a running gear support frame for surrounding the running gear, said running gear support frame having a pair of right and left side frames, and front and rear cross frames;
the running gear is configured wherein a front end and a rear end of the speed reduction gear are respectively supported on the front and rear cross frames, and a side end on a side of the electromotor is supported on the side frame located on the same side as the electromotor;
wherein the side end is supported on the side frame through a motor support bracket;
the motor support bracket supports the side end on an outer side of the side frame;
wherein a pair of right and left suspension arms is provided for supporting the pair of right and left drive wheels;
the pair of right and left side frames is provided with front and rear aim support portions that respectively swingably support the pair of right and left suspension arms; and
the motor support bracket is positioned between the front and rear arm support portions, and is arranged in a space surrounded by the suspension arm and the side frame;
said speed reduction gear being configured to decelerate power from the electromotor and to transmit the power to the pair of right and left drive wheels through the pair of right and left drive shafts, said speed reduction gear being arranged in the right-to-left center of a vehicle body wherein the pair of right and left drive shafts have the same length; and
the electromotor

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kashiwai Mikio
• Kawaguchi Atsushi
• Kambara Nobuo
• Agatsuma Shinya

Classifications

• B60K2001/001

  one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle · CPC title

• B60K5/12

  Arrangement of engine supports · CPC title

• B60K2001/0422

  Arrangement under the front seats · CPC title

• B60K5/1216

  characterised by the location of the supports relative to the motor or to each other (B60K5/1225 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K1/00 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) · CPC title