VEHICLE APPROACH NOTIFICATION DEVICE OF SADDLE-RIDDEN ELECTRIC-POWERED VEHICLE

• US 20120312609A1
• Filed: 02/22/2011
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Takewaka, Tomoyuki, Akiba, Masahiro, Akiba, Ryuji, Tanaka, Kazuhiko, Shimizu, Satoru
• Granted Patent: US 8,978,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/54 for indicating speed outside of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/008 for signaling silent vehicles, e.g. for warning that a hybrid or electric vehicle is approaching
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 17/02 shielding only the rider's front
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 17/10 Ventilation or air guiding devices forming part of fairings
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 3/10 Electrical devices
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 50/30 Means for ventilation within devices provided on the cycle, e.g. ventilation means in a battery container
• 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

Abstract

Provided is a vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle that outputs a notification sound for notifying the approach of a vehicle. The saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle includes a front cover that covers the periphery of a head pipe of a vehicle body frame. The sound emission device is located inside the front cover, the front cover has an air opening for taking in air from an outside, and a ventilation passage that is a passage of the air from the air opening and is used for cooling at least one of a power engine of the saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle and electric components, and the sound emission device is arranged in the ventilation passage.

Claims

1. A vehicle approach notification device (40, 40′

, 40″

) of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle attached to a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle (10) having a vehicle body cover (32) that covers a vehicle body (24), the vehicle approach notification device comprising;

an air opening (41, 84) that is formed in the vehicle body cover (32) for taking in air from an outside;

a ventilation passage (42, 85) that is formed in the vehicle body cover (32) for passing air taken in from the air opening (41, 84) therethrough; and

a sound emission device (36, 36′

) that is arranged in the ventilation passage (42, 85) and emits sound by means of an airflow that passes through the ventilation passage (42, 85).

2. The vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the sound emission device (36, 36′

) is arranged inside the vehicle body cover (32).

3. The vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the ventilation passage (42, 85) is a ventilation passage for cooling used for cooling at least one of a power engine (31) and electric components (23, 25) of the saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle (10).

4. The vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle body cover (32) is a front cover (33) that covers a front side of the vehicle body (24).

5. The vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of the sound emission devices (36, 36′

) that emits sounds with mutually different generation frequencies is provided.

6. The vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the sound emission device (36) is a Helmholtz resonator having a resonant chamber (44) and a resonant tube (45).

7. The vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle according to claim 6,

wherein the resonant chamber (44) is covered with the vehicle body cover (32), and

wherein the resonant tube (44) opens into the ventilation passage (42) in a direction intersecting the ventilation passage (42).

8. The vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle according to claim 6,

wherein the resonant tube (45) extends from the resonant chamber (44) and opens vertically downward.

9. The vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle according to claim 6,

wherein the generation frequency of emitted sound of the Helmholtz resonator that is the sound emission device (36) is from 100 Hz to 800 Hz.

10. The vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the sound emission device (36′

) is a harmonica that emits sound by vibrating a plurality of reeds (75 to 80) by means of an airflow.

11. The vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle according to claim 10,

wherein the frequency range of emitted sound of the harmonica that is the sound emission device (36) is from 100 Hz to 2500 Hz.

12. A vehicle approach notification device (40, 40′

, 140, 250) of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle that has a sound emission device (36, 36′

, 160, 251) attached to a vehicle body of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle (10, 101, 201) including an electric motor in a power engine (31, 103M) and that outputs a notification sound for notifying approach of the saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle (10, 101, 201) from the sound emission device (36, 36′

, 160, 251) to the surroundings,

wherein the saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle (10, 101, 201) includes a front cover (33, 121a, 207A) that covers the periphery of the head pipe (12, 112, 236) of the vehicle body frame (11, 111, 234),

wherein the sound emission device (36, 36′

, 160, 251) is located inside the front cover (33, 121a, 207A),

wherein the front cover (33,121a, 207A) is provided with an air opening (41,143a, 245a) for taking in air from an outside, and the ventilation passage (42,143b, 243) that is a passage of the air taken in from the air opening (41,143a, 245a), and is used for cooling at least one of a power engine (31, 103, M) and electric components (23, 135, 252, 260, 25, 102, 248) of the saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle (10, 101, 201), and

wherein the sound emission device (36, 36, 160, 251) is arranged in the ventilation passage (42, 143b, 243).

13. The vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle according to claim 12,

wherein the sound emission device (36, 36, 160, 251) is arranged at an upper portion of the ventilation passage (42, 143b, 243), and emits sound into the ventilation passage (42, 143b, 243).

14. The vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle according to claim 12,

wherein the ventilation passage (143b, 243) is formed by a duct (143, 245) that extends from a front position of the head pipe (112, 236) to a rearward position within the front cover (121a, 207A), and

wherein the sound emission device (160, 251) is arranged at an upper wall portion of the duct (143, 245) and emits sound into the ventilation passage (143b, 243).

15. The vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle according to claim 12,

wherein the duct (143, 245) is a wind guide duct that crosses a side of the head pipe (112, 236), and opens toward a front of the vehicle.

16. The vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle according to claim 12,

wherein upper portions of front forks (14, 106, 202) that extend obliquely forward and downward in order to hang a front wheel (15, 105, WF) are steerably supported by the head pipe (12, 112, 236), and

wherein at least a portion of the sound emission device (36, 36, 160, 251) is arranged ahead of an axis (14a, 106c, 202a) of the front forks (14, 106, 202).

17. The vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle according to claim 12,

wherein the duct (143, 245) is a cooling duct that cools a battery (102, 248) for traveling.

18. The vehicle approach notification device of a saddle-ridden electric-powered vehicle according to claim 12,

wherein the frequency of emitted sound of the sound emission device (160, 251) is from 100 Hz to 800 HZ.