Electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9840164-B2
Application number	US-201615335545-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2016
Priority date	Oct 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

An electric vehicle capable of efficiently and reliably cooling a power converter disposed inside an exterior. An electric vehicle includes a frame extending in a longitudinal direction, a power converter being long in the longitudinal direction along the frame, and an exterior extending in the longitudinal direction to cover the frame and the power converter, the exterior defining a cooling air path between the power converter to allow cooling air to flow through the cooling air path along the longitudinal direction. The power converter extends in the longitudinal direction in the cooling air path, and includes a plurality of heat radiation fins protruding toward an inner surface of the exterior, and the exterior includes an air induction port provided at a front end of the cooling air path to allow travelling wind to flow into the cooling air path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric vehicle comprising:
a frame extending in a longitudinal direction of the electric vehicle;
a power converter being long in the longitudinal direction of the electric vehicle along the frame; and
an exterior extending in the longitudinal direction of the electric vehicle to cover the frame and the power converter, the exterior defining a cooling air path for the power converter to allow cooling air to flow through the cooling air path,
wherein the power converter includes a plurality of heat radiation fins extending in the longitudinal direction of the electric vehicle in the cooling air path, the heat radiation fins protruding toward an inner surface of the exterior, and
wherein the exterior includes an air induction port provided at a front end of the cooling air path to allow travelling wind to flow into the cooling air path.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the air induction port is disposed at a side of a front wheel as viewed from a front of the electric vehicle, and faces forward of the electric vehicle.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the exterior includes an air exhaust port provided at a rear end of the cooling air path and facing rearward of the electric vehicle to allow air to flow out from the cooling air path.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the exterior includes an air exhaust port provided at a rear end of the cooling air path and facing rearward of the electric vehicle to allow air to flow out from the cooling air path.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the exterior includes a recessed portion partially reducing a cross-sectional area of the cooling air path.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the exterior includes a recessed portion partially reducing a cross-sectional area of the cooling air path.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the exterior includes a recessed portion partially reducing a cross-sectional area of the cooling air path.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the exterior includes a recessed portion partially reducing a cross-sectional area of the cooling air path.

Assignees

• Suzuki Motor Corp

Inventors

• Nakamura Yuta

Classifications

• B60Y2306/05

  Cooling · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• B60Y2400/202

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• B60K1/00

  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

• B62K11/02

  Frames (motorcycles or cycles with auxiliary engines characterised by position of engine B62M) · CPC title