MOTORCYCLE

• US 20120197470A1
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: INUI, Shujiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,706,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 1/02 Articulated stands, e.g. in the shape of hinged arms B62H1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 17/00 Weather guards for riders; Fairings or stream-lining parts not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 43/16 on motorcycles or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2202/00 Motorised scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2204/00 Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor for driving electrically assisted bicycles B62M6/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A motorcycle can include a step placed between a front wheel and a rear wheel in a side view and on which a rider puts his or her feet. A charging electric cable 41, used for charging from outside of the motorcycle 1, is housed in the vehicle body in an electric cable housing unit, and in which the charging electric cable is connected to the vehicle body 2. A housing opening portion can be opened for inserting or removing a leading end portion of the charging electric cable into or from the electric cable housing unit. An opening lid closes the housing opening portion. The housing opening portion can be located under the step and provided to a side cover.

Claims

1. A motorcycle, comprising:

a vehicle body;

a front wheel;

a rear wheel;

a motor;

a battery configured to supply power to the motor;

a step disposed between the front wheel and the rear wheel in a side view, and configured to support feet of a rider;

a side cover configured to cover a lateral side of the vehicle body;

a charging electric cable configured for charging the battery from an outside power source;

an electric cable housing unit configured to house the charging electric cable in the vehicle body, and in which the charging electric cable is connected to the vehicle body;

a housing opening portion configured to be opened for inserting or removing a leading end portion of the charging electric cable into or from the electric cable housing unit;

an opening lid configured to close the housing opening portion;

wherein the housing opening portion is at least located under the step and provided to the side cover.

2. The motorcycle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a lid sensor configured to detect an opened or closed state of the opening lid, wherein the opening lid is configured not to be positioned in the closed state while the charging electric cable is located outside the housing opening portion, and wherein upon detection of the opened state of the opening lid by the lid sensor, a signal is generated regarding the opened state of the opening lid.

3. The motorcycle according to claim 2, wherein the signal comprises a reduction in an output of the motor.

4. The motorcycle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a side kickstand disposed near the step,

wherein the housing opening portion and the opening lid are placed, on a side where the side kickstand is located in a vehicle body left-right direction, and at a position rearward of a side kickstand pivot serving as a rotation supporting point of the side kickstand, and wherein, when flipped up rearward and thus positioned in its retracted state, the side kickstand in the retracted state restricts opening of the opening lid.

5. The motorcycle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a side kickstand disposed near the step,

wherein the side kickstand is configured such that, when the opening lid is in the opened state, the opening lid comes in contact with the side kickstand to prevent the side kickstand from rotating from its upright state to its retracted state, wherein the side kickstand includes a side kickstand sensor configured to detect whether or not the side kickstand is in the retracted state, and wherein in a case where the side kickstand sensor detects that the side kickstand is not in the retracted state, the output of the motor is reduced.

6. The motorcycle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a side kickstand disposed near the step,

wherein the opening lid is attached to the side kickstand and thus configured to be opened or closed by an operation to position the side kickstand in its upright state or its retracted state.

7. The motorcycle according to claim 6, wherein the opening lid is configured not to be positioned in a closed state while the charging electric cable is located outside the housing opening portion, wherein a sensor configured to detect the opened or closed state of the opening lid is provided to one of the electric cable housing unit and the side kickstand, and wherein, upon detection of the opened state of the opening lid by the sensor, the output of the motor is reduced.

8. The motorcycle according to claim 6, further comprising:

an inner lid provided inside the electric cable housing unit, and configured to cover the charging electric cable housed in the electric cable housing unit.

9. The motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein the charging electric cable is set at a length not reaching a contact patch of the rear wheel.

10. The motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein the charging electric cable is set at a length not reaching a contact patch of the front wheel.

11. A motorcycle, comprising:

a vehicle body;

a front wheel;

a rear wheel;

motor means for providing motive power for the vehicle;

energy storage means for supplying power to the motor means;

step means for supporting a rider, said step means being disposed between the front wheel and the rear wheel in a side view;

cover means for covering a lateral side of the vehicle body;

cable means for charging the energy storage means from an external power source;

housing means for housing the cable means in the vehicle body, and for connecting the cable means to the vehicle body;

a housing opening portion configured to be opened for inserting or removing a leading end portion of the cable means into or from the housing means;

opening lid means for closing the housing opening portion, wherein the housing opening portion is disposed under the step means and provided to the cover means.

12. The motorcycle according to claim 11, further comprising:

sensor means for detecting an opened or closed state of the opening lid means,

wherein the opening lid means is configured so as not to be closable while the cable means is located outside the housing opening portion, and wherein upon detection of an opened state of the opening lid means by the sensor means, a signal is generated regarding the opened state of the opening lid means.

13. The motorcycle according to claim 12, wherein the signal comprises a reduction in an output of the motor means.

14. The motorcycle according to claim 11, further comprising:

kickstand means for supporting the motorcycle, said kickstand means disposed near the step means,

wherein the housing opening portion and the opening lid means are disposed, on a side where the kickstand means is located in a vehicle body left-right direction, and at a position rearward of a pivot means for providing pivotal rotation at a supporting point of the kickstand means, and wherein, when being flipped up rearward and thus positioned in a retracted state, the kickstand means restricts opening of the opening lid means.

15. The motorcycle according to claim 11, further comprising:

kickstand means for supporting the motorcycle, said kickstand means being disposed near the step means,

wherein the kickstand means is configured such that when the opening lid means is in an opened state, the opening lid means comes in contact with the kickstand means to prevent the kickstand means from rotating from an upright state to a retracted state, wherein the kickstand means includes kickstand sensor means for detecting whether or not the kickstand means is in the retracted state, and wherein when the kickstand sensor means detects that the kickstand is not in the retracted state, the output of the motor means is reduced.

16. The motorcycle according to claim 11, further comprising:

kickstand means disposed near the step means, said kickstand means for supporting the motorcycle,

wherein the opening lid means is attached to the kickstand means and configured to be opened or closed by an operation to position the kickstand means in an upright state or a retracted state.

17. The motorcycle according to claim 16, wherein the opening lid means is configured not to be positioned in a closed state while the cable means is located outside the housing opening portion,

said motorcycle further comprising sensor means for detecting the opened or closed state of the opening lid means, said sensor means being provided to one of the housing means the kickstand means,

wherein, upon detection of the opened state of the opening lid means by the sensor means, the output of the motor means is reduced.

18. The motorcycle according to claim 16, further comprising:

inner lid means for covering the cable means housed in the housing means, said inner lid means provided inside the housing means.

19. The motorcycle according to claim 11, wherein the cable means comprises a cable having a length which is set such that the cable means cannot reach a contact patch of the rear wheel.

20. The motorcycle according to claim 11, wherein said cable means comprises a cable having a length which is set so as to not reach a contact patch of the front wheel.