ELECTRIC SCOOTER

• US 20140318880A1
• Filed: 11/12/2012
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kashiwai, Mikio, Inaizumi, Hideki, Watanabe, Takato
• Granted Patent: US 9,457,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/220
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 1/02 Articulated stands, e.g. in the shape of hinged arms B62H1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 43/16 on motorcycles or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 43/28 hidden within the cycle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/10 characterised by the engine being over or beside driven rear wheel
• 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: B62K 25/20 for rear wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/90 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 7/12 with the engine beside or within the driven wheel

Abstract

In an electric scooter, a swing arm is swingably supported on a vehicle body frame having a lower frame extending to the rear from a rear end of a down frame extending downwardly to the rear from a head pipe, and a pair of left and right rear frames provided to be connected to a rear end part of the lower frame and inclined upwardly to the rear at least beneath a riding seat, a power unit employing an electric motor is provided on the swing arm, a rear wheel is axially supported on a rear part of the swing arm, and a battery box housing a battery is disposed between the pair of left and right rear frames beneath the riding seat, wherein a single support shaft swingably supporting the front end part of the swing arm on the vehicle body frame is disposed beneath the battery box.

Claims

1. An electric scooter in which a front end part of a swing arm is swingably supported on a vehicle body frame having a head pipe that steerably supports handlebars and a front fork axially supporting a front wheel, a down frame extending downwardly to the rear from the head pipe, a lower frame extending to the rear from a rear end of the down frame so as to be covered by a low floor of a vehicle body cover from above, and a pair of left and right rear frames provided to be connected to a rear end part of the lower frame and inclined so as to go upwardly to the rear at least beneath a riding seat, a power unit employing an electric motor as a power source is provided on the swing arm, a rear wheel is axially supported on a rear part of the swing arm, and a battery box housing a battery supplying power to the electric motor is disposed between the pair of left and right rear frames beneath the riding seat, wherein a single support shaft swingably supporting the front end part of the swing arm on the vehicle body frame is disposed beneath the battery box, and the vehicle body frame comprises a pair of subframes that are separate members from the lower frame and the rear frames and that support the battery box, and a pair of pivot frames that are provided to be connected to lower parts of the subframes respectively and extend downwardly, the support shaft being provided between the two pivot frames.

3. The electric scooter according to claim 1, wherein a central axis of the support shaft is disposed beneath a center of rotation of the rear wheel.

4. The electric scooter according to claim 1, wherein a central axis of the support shaft is disposed further forward than a rear face of the battery box.

5. The electric scooter according to claim 1, wherein a pair of support tube portions are provided in upper parts at the front end of the swing arm, the support shaft being inserted through the support tube portions, and the support shaft is provided between lower parts at a rear end of the pair of pivot frames so as to form a gap, which enables interference of the swing arm with the battery box to be avoided, between a lower face at a rear end of the battery box supported by the subframes and an upper face of the swing arm immediately beneath the rear end of the battery box.

6. The electric scooter according to claim 1, wherein a main stand is pivotably supported on the support shaft.

7. The electric scooter according to claim 1, wherein a middle part in the vehicle width direction of a cross pipe that extends in the vehicle width direction and is disposed beneath the battery box is fixed to the rear end part of the lower frame, and front end parts of the pair of rear frames are fixed to opposite end parts of the cross pipe.

8. The electric scooter according to claim 1, wherein a reinforcing frame is fixed to rear end parts of the pair of subframes, the reinforcing frame being made into a substantially U-shaped form opening upward, and opposite end parts of the reinforcing frame are fixed to the rear frames.

9. The electric scooter according to claim 1, wherein a middle part in the vehicle width direction of a cross pipe that extends in the vehicle width direction is fixed to the rear end part of the lower frame, and a pair of the subframes are connected to rear faces of opposite end parts of the cross pipe inside the rear frame and extend rearwardly.

2. (canceled)