Straddle-type vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9896144-B2
Application number	US-201214655191-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 25, 2012
Priority date	Dec 25, 2012
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A straddle-type vehicle includes: a seat to be straddled and sat upon by a rider; an electric motor configured to generate traveling power for driving a wheel; a battery case arranged in front of the seat and accommodating a battery storing DC power to be supplied to the electric motor; and a charging connector which is arranged above the battery and through which the battery is charged from an external power supply, wherein the charging connector includes a connector connection surface to which a power supply connector of the external power supply is connected and which faces a vehicle width direction, and the charging connector is attachable to and detachable from a vehicle body integrally with the battery.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A straddle-type vehicle comprising:
a seat to be straddled and sat upon by a rider;
an electric motor configured to generate traveling power for driving a wheel;
a battery case arranged in front of the seat and accommodating a battery storing DC power to be supplied to the electric motor;
a charging connector which is arranged above the battery and through which the battery is charged from an external power supply;
an electric component arranged above the battery case;
an electric component cover attached at an upper side of the battery case, an electric component space being formed between the electric component cover and the battery case, the electric component space accommodating the electric component; and
an upper cover provided in front of the seat and covering the electric component cover, wherein:
the charging connector includes a connector connection surface to which a power supply connector of the external power supply is connected and which faces a vehicle width direction, and the charging connector is attachable to and detachable from a vehicle body integrally with the battery;
the charging connector is arranged behind the electric component and in front of the seat;
the charging connector is arranged outside and behind the electric component cover and inside the upper cover; and
a rear portion of the upper cover is provided with:
a connector opening portion through which the connector connection surface of the charging connector is exposed toward one side, and
a connector lid portion configured to close the connector opening portion.

2. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the rear portion of the upper cover at which the connector lid portion is provided is smaller in size in the vehicle width direction than a middle portion of the upper cover which covers the electric component cover.

3. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the upper cover includes a projecting wall portion projecting from a peripheral edge of the connector opening portion, formed at an outer wall portion of the upper cover, toward an internal space covered with the upper cover; and
the charging connector is arranged at the internal space side of a passage defined by the projecting wall portion.

4. A straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the charging connector is arranged at a position higher than a front end portion of the seat.

5. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the charging connector allows the battery to be charged from the external power supply in a state where the battery is attached to a vehicle body.

6. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a side stand arranged at one car-width-direction side of a vehicle body, wherein
the connector connection surface faces toward the one car-width-direction side at which the side stand is arranged.

7. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the upper cover is configured to be sandwiched between the rider's legs.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Kawabata Hiroki

Classifications

• B62M6/90

  Batteries · CPC title

• B62K2204/00

  Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor · CPC title

• B62J37/00

  Arrangements of fuel supply lines, taps, or the like, on motor cycles or engine-assisted cycles · CPC title

• B62J9/25 Primary

  to the fuel tank, e.g. magnetic tank bags · CPC title

• B62K2208/00

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic