Electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9963184-B2
Application number	US-201214654637-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 25, 2012
Priority date	Dec 25, 2012
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

An electric vehicle comprises a vehicle body including a head pipe supporting a steering shaft, and a main frame extending rearward from the head pipe; an electric motor which generates driving power for driving a wheel; and a battery case accommodating a plurality of batteries storing DC power to be supplied to the electric motor, in a battery space in an interior of the battery case, wherein the battery case includes a casing body, and a reinforcement frame provided on the casing body to reinforce the main frame, and the reinforcement frame is fastened to the main frame by a fastening member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body including a head pipe supporting a steering shaft, and a main frame extending rearward from the head pipe;
an electric motor which generates driving power for driving a wheel; and
a battery case accommodating a plurality of batteries storing DC power to be supplied to the electric motor, in a battery space in an interior of the battery case,
wherein the battery case includes a middle case, an upper case attached to the middle case to close an upper end opening of the middle case, and a lower case attached to the middle case to close a lower end opening of the middle case, and the middle case includes a casing body, and a reinforcement frame provided on the casing body to reinforce the main frame, and
wherein the reinforcement frame is integrated with the casing body and fastened to the main frame by a fastening member, and the reinforcement frame and the casing body which are integrated are detachably mounted to the main frame.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reinforcement frame is provided on a bottom portion of the battery case, and
wherein at least one of the plurality of batteries is supported by the reinforcement frame.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the battery case is placed between a front wheel and a rear wheel in a forward and rearward direction, and
wherein the reinforcement frame extends in a forward and rearward direction, and a front end portion and a rear end portion of the reinforcement frame are connected to the main frame.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the main frame is divided into right and left main frames extending from the head pipe, and
wherein the reinforcement frame includes a pair of side members connected to the right and left main frames, respectively.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the casing body includes a contact section configured to contact the reinforcement frame,
wherein the contact section and the reinforcement frame are made of metal.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 5 ,
wherein a portion of the casing body which is different from the contact section is made of a resin.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the casing body includes a contact section configured to contact the reinforcement frame,
wherein the contact section and the reinforcement frame are made of electrically conductive materials, and
wherein the contact section and the reinforcement frame are set to an electric potential equal to an electric potential of a ground voltage of the plurality of batteries.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising:
a motor case accommodating the electric motor,
wherein the reinforcement frame is provided with a hanger bracket protruding downward, and
wherein the motor case is suspended from the hanger bracket.

9. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reinforcement frame is constituted by a member of a hollow shape.

10. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reinforcement frame has a rectangular frame shape.

11. The electric vehicle according to claim 10 ,
wherein the reinforcement frame has an opening extending vertically.

12. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the electric motor is supported by the reinforcement frame, and
wherein the electric motor and the reinforcement frame are detachably mounted to the main frame.

13. An electric vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body including a head pipe supporting a steering shaft, and a main frame extending rearward from the head pipe;
an electric motor which generates a driving power for driving a wheel; and
a battery case accommodating a plurality of batteries storing DC power to be supplied to the electric motor, in a battery space in an interior of the battery case,
wherein the battery case includes a casing body, and a reinforcement frame provided on the casing body to reinforce the main frame,
wherein the reinforcement frame is fastened to the main frame by a fastening member,
wherein the main frame includes a pair of right and left main frames extending rearward from the head pipe, and
wherein the reinforcement frame includes a pair of side members connected to the pair of right and left main frames, respectively, and a cross member coupling the pair of side members to each other in a rightward and leftward direction.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Inoue Masafumi

Classifications

• B62K11/04 Primary

  characterised by the engine being between front and rear wheels · CPC title

• B62K2204/00

  Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor · CPC title

• B62M7/04 Primary

  below the frame · CPC title

• B62K2208/00

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B62J43/16

  on motorcycles or the like · CPC title