TWI861692B - Electric tricycle - Google Patents

Abstract

An electric tricycle includes a frame unit, a front wheel, two rear wheels, and a power unit disposed between the rear wheels. The frame unit includes a front frame, a rear frame disposed behind the front frame, and a tilting mechanism pivotally connecting the front frame and the rear frame. The power unit includes a motor and a transmission device disposed behind the motor. The motor has a shaft extending backward and driving the transmission device through rotation. The motor and the transmission device are arranged in a straight line along the front-rear direction, so the width space occupied in the left-right direction is smaller and the weight distribution is more concentrated, which is beneficial to the flexibility of the vehicle width design and improves the control feeling when riding. In addition, more lateral gaps are generated from the motor to the rear wheel, which are conducive to the disassembly and maintenance of the internal parts.

Description

Electric tricycle

The present invention relates to a three-wheel vehicle with one front wheel and two rear wheels, and in particular to an electric three-wheel vehicle with an electric motor directly discharged.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the electric tricycle currently driven by a motor has a front wheel and two rear wheels. The motor 11 of this type of electric tricycle is mainly arranged horizontally in the left-right direction as shown in FIG. 1 , and the motor 11, the speed reduction mechanism 12 and the differential 13 are also arranged in the left-right direction. These mechanisms will occupy a large space in the width direction, resulting in a limited vehicle width design, and the gap between the two rear wheels 14 and the aforementioned mechanisms is small, which is not conducive to disassembly and maintenance. In addition, this horizontal arrangement will also disperse the weight, thereby affecting the control feeling when riding.

[Problems to be solved by the present invention]

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an electric tricycle with flexible vehicle width design and centralized weight.

[Technical means to solve the problem]

Therefore, the electric tricycle of the present invention comprises a frame unit, a front wheel arranged on the frame unit, two rear wheels arranged on the frame unit and spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, and a power unit arranged on the frame unit and located between the rear wheels. The frame unit comprises a front frame, a rear frame located behind the front frame, and a tilting mechanism pivotally connecting the front frame and the rear frame, the tilting mechanism enables the front frame to tilt relative to the rear frame along a tilting axis, and the tilting axis extends in the front-rear direction. The power unit includes a motor and a transmission device arranged behind the motor. The motor has an axis extending in the front-rear direction and driving the rotating shaft of the transmission device through rotation, defining a reference plane extending in the horizontal direction. The projection of the tiltable axis on the reference plane is parallel to the projection of the axis on the reference plane. The projection of the tiltable axis on the reference plane passes through the projection of the motor on the reference plane in the front-rear direction.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the transmission device has a differential connected to the rear wheels, and the power unit further includes a universal joint located between the motor and the differential in the front-rear direction, and the motor is connected to the differential via the universal joint.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the transmission device has a transmission mechanism connected to the motor, and a differential connected to the rear wheels. The power unit also includes a universal joint located between the transmission mechanism and the differential in the front-rear direction, and the transmission mechanism is connected to the differential via the universal joint.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the motor, the speed change mechanism, and the housing of the differential of the power unit include independent outer walls.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the projection of the tiltable axis on the reference plane passes through the transmission mechanism and the projection of the differential on the reference plane in the front-rear direction.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the frame unit further includes a swing arm extending in the front-rear direction, the swing arm having two front arm portions pivotally connected to the rear frame and adjacent to the rear end of the tilting mechanism, two rear arm portions extending rearward from the front arm portions and pivotally connected to the rear wheels, and a connecting portion extending in the left-right direction and connected to the front arm portions, the motor being disposed between the front arm portions and being able to swing up and down synchronously with the swing arm.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the tilting axis of the tilting mechanism of the frame unit has a front line segment extending forward from the tilting mechanism, and a rear line segment extending rearward from the tilting mechanism. The frame unit also includes a seat arranged on the front frame and located above the tilting mechanism. The front line segment of the tilting axis passes below the rotation center of the front wheel, and the rear line segment passes above the rotation center of the rear wheel.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the motor of the power unit is fixed on the rear frame.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the frame unit further includes a swing arm extending in the front-rear direction to pivotally connect the rear frame and the rear wheel, and the swing arm is pivotally connected to a pivot center of the rear frame.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the frame unit further includes a rear shock absorber disposed on the rear frame, and the pivot center is located between the tilting mechanism and the rear shock absorber along the front-rear direction.

[Effects that can be achieved by the present invention]

The electric tricycle of the present invention arranges the motor and the transmission device in a vertical arrangement along the front-rear direction, so that the width space occupied by the motor and the transmission device in the left-right direction is smaller, which is beneficial to the flexibility of the electric tricycle in the vehicle width design, and more lateral gaps are generated from the motor to the rear wheel, which are beneficial to the disassembly and maintenance of the internal parts. At the same time, the weight distribution of the power unit as a whole can be more concentrated, thereby improving the control feeling when riding.

In some embodiments of the present invention, concentricity requirements can be relaxed and manufacturing difficulty can be reduced.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the vehicle performance of the electric tricycle can be improved.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the motor, the transmission mechanism, and the differential are each placed in an independent housing. When a single component is damaged and needs to be replaced, there is no need to disassemble the entire power unit. The damaged housing can also be replaced alone, which can save costs and speed up maintenance and replacement.

In some embodiments of the present invention, when viewed from above, the tiltable axis passes through the transmission mechanism and the differential in the front-rear direction. This configuration can centralize the weight to improve the handling during riding.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the motor can be prevented from affecting the center of gravity of the front frame, and interference between the motor and the tiltable mechanism can be prevented.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the extension of the tilting axis passing above the rear wheel rotation center can increase the height of the rear frame and the swing arm joint from the ground and prevent the tilting mechanism from colliding with the ground.

In some embodiments of the present invention, another configuration of the motor is provided, so that the motor will not swing with the swing arm, reducing the weight of the electric tricycle swinging during driving, thereby improving the controllability during driving.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the configuration of the tiltable mechanism and the rocker arm can effectively separate the tiltable mechanism and the rocker arm with different movement modes by a certain distance, thereby avoiding interference or restriction of the functionality of the two, thereby maximizing their functionality.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the stability between the front frame and the rear frame can be improved by configuring the rear shock absorber and the swing arm.

2 and 3 , an embodiment of the electric tricycle of the present invention comprises a frame unit 2, a front wheel 3 disposed on the frame unit 2, two rear wheels 4 disposed on the frame unit 2, and a power unit 5 disposed on the frame unit 2 and located between the rear wheels 4 in the left-right direction. The frame unit 2 includes a front frame 21 pivotally connected to the front wheel 3, a rear frame 22 located behind the front frame 21, a tilting mechanism 23 pivotally connected to the front frame 21 at the front end and pivotally connected to the rear frame 22 at the rear end, a swing arm 24 pivotally connected to the rear frame 22 and pivotally connected to the rear wheel 4, a seat 25 arranged on the front frame 21 and located above the tilting mechanism 23, and a rear shock absorber 27 arranged on the rear frame 22 and allowing the rear frame 22 to swing up and down.

The tilting mechanism 23 allows the front frame 21 to tilt relative to the rear frame 22 along a tilting axis 231. The tilting axis 231 has a front line segment extending forward from the tilting mechanism 23 and a rear line segment extending backward from the tilting mechanism 23. The front line segment passes below the rotation center of the front wheel 3, and the rear line segment passes above the rotation center of the rear wheel 4. The design of the tilting axis 231 can increase the height of the joint between the rear frame 22 and the swing arm 24 from the ground, and prevent the tilting mechanism 23 from colliding with the ground. In this embodiment, the tilting mechanism 23 is located between the front edge of the seat 25 and the front edge of the rear wheel 4 in the front-rear direction. The swing arm 24 has two front arm portions 241 pivoted on a pivot center C of the rear frame 22 and adjacent to the rear end of the tilting mechanism 23, two rear arm portions 242 extending rearward from the front arm portions 241 and pivoted to the rear wheel 4, and a connecting portion 243 extending in the left-right direction and connecting the front arm portions 241. In this embodiment, the seat 25 is located between the rear edge of the front wheel 3 and the front edge of the rear wheel 4 in the front-rear direction. The pivot center C is located between the tilting mechanism 23 and the rear shock absorber 27 in the front-rear direction. Through the above-mentioned arrangement, the tilting mechanism 23 and the swing arm 24 with different movement modes can be effectively separated by a certain distance, thereby avoiding interference or restriction of the functionality of the two, thereby maximizing their functionality.

The power unit 5 includes a motor 51 disposed between the front arms 241 and capable of swinging up and down with the swing arm 24, a transmission device disposed behind the motor 51 and capable of linking the rear wheel 4, a universal joint 53 extending in the front-rear direction, and three outer shells 54. The motor 51 has an axis line 511 extending in the front-rear direction and driving the shaft of the transmission device 52 through rotation, that is, the motor 51 is arranged in a vertical manner in the front-rear direction. The motor 51 is arranged on the connecting portion 243 of the swing arm 24 and can swing up and down together, which can avoid the motor 51 affecting the center of gravity of the front frame 21 and avoid interference between the motor 51 and the tilting mechanism 23. In addition, the motor 51 can also be fixed to the rear frame 22 as needed, so that the motor 51 will not swing with the swing arm 24, reducing the weight of the swinging when the electric tricycle is driving, thereby improving the controllability during driving. The transmission device 52 has a transmission mechanism 521 located behind the motor 51 and connected to the motor 51, and a differential 522 located behind the transmission mechanism 521 and linked to the rear wheel 4. In this embodiment, the transmission mechanism 521 can be a reduction gear set or a planetary gear set, and the differential 522 is connected to the rear wheel 4 through axles.

The universal joint 53 is located between the speed change mechanism 521 and the differential 522 in the front-rear direction, and the speed change mechanism 521 can be connected to the differential 522 via the universal joint 53. It should be particularly noted that when the speed change mechanism 521 is not provided, the motor 51 can also be connected to the differential 522 via the universal joint 53. The universal joint 53 can reduce the concentricity requirement, reduce the manufacturing difficulty, and at the same time improve the vehicle performance of the electric tricycle. The motor 51, the transmission mechanism 521, and the differential 522 are respectively placed in the outer shell 54 and have their own independent outer walls. When a single component is damaged and needs to be replaced, there is no need to disassemble the entire power unit 5. When any outer shell 54 is damaged, it can be replaced separately, which can save costs and speed up the maintenance and replacement.

A reference plane A extending in the horizontal direction is defined. The projection of the tiltable axis 231 on the reference plane A is parallel to the projection of the axis line 511 on the reference plane A. The projection of the tiltable axis 231 on the reference plane A passes through the motor 51, the speed change mechanism 521, the universal joint 53, and the projection of the differential 522 on the reference plane A in the front-rear direction. This configuration allows the motor 51, the speed change mechanism 521, the universal joint 53, The differential 522 is arranged in a vertical configuration along the front-rear direction, so that the width space occupied by the power unit 5 in the left-right direction is smaller, thereby improving the flexibility of the electric tricycle in the vehicle width design, and more lateral gaps are generated between the motor 51 and the rear wheel 4. These lateral gaps are conducive to the disassembly and maintenance of internal components. At the same time, the vertical configuration design of this embodiment can also make the overall weight distribution of the power unit 5 more concentrated, thereby improving the control feeling when riding.

In summary, the power unit 5 of the present invention is arranged in a vertical position to reduce the lateral space it occupies, and a larger lateral gap can be generated between the motor 51 and the rear wheel 4, which is conducive to the maintenance and replacement of internal parts, so the purpose of the present invention can be achieved.

However, the above is only an example of the implementation of the present invention, and it should not be used to limit the scope of the implementation of the present invention. All simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention and the content of the patent specification are still within the scope of the patent of the present invention.

2········ Frame unit 21······ Front frame 22······ Rear frame 23······ Tilt mechanism 231····· Tilt axis 24······ Swing arm 241····· Front arm 242····· Rear arm 243····· Connecting part 25······ Seat 27······ Rear shock absorber 3········ Front wheel 4········ Rear wheel 5········ Power unit 51······ Motor 511····· Axis 52······ Transmission device 521····· Speed change mechanism 522····· Differential 53······ Universal joint 54······ Housing A······· Reference surface C······· Pivot center

Other features and functions of the present invention will be clearly presented in the embodiments with reference to the drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional diagram illustrating a known electric tricycle; FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating an embodiment of the electric tricycle of the present invention; and FIG. 3 is a top view schematic diagram illustrating a vertical configuration of a power unit of the embodiment.

2········ Frame unit 22······ Rear frame 23······ Tilt mechanism 231····· Tilt axle 24······ Swing arm 241····· Front arm 242····· Rear arm 243····· Connecting part 25······ Seat 4········ Rear wheel 5········ Power unit 51······ Motor 511····· Axle 52······ Transmission device 521····· Speed change mechanism 522····· Differential 53······ Universal joint 54······ Housing A······· Reference surface

Claims (9)

An electric tricycle comprises: a frame unit, including a front frame, a rear frame located behind the front frame, and a tilting mechanism pivotally connected to the front frame and the rear frame, the tilting mechanism enables the front frame to tilt relative to the rear frame along a tilting axis, the tilting axis extending in the front-rear direction; a front wheel, arranged on the frame unit; two rear wheels, arranged on the frame unit and spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction; and a power unit, arranged on the frame unit and located at The power unit includes a motor fixed on the rear frame and a transmission device arranged behind the motor. The motor has an axis extending in the front-rear direction and drives the rotating shaft of the transmission device through rotation, defining a reference plane extending in the horizontal direction. The projection of the tiltable axis on the reference plane is parallel to the projection of the axis on the reference plane. The projection of the tiltable axis on the reference plane passes through the projection of the motor on the reference plane in the front-rear direction. The electric tricycle as described in claim 1, wherein the transmission device has a differential connected to the rear wheel, and the power unit further includes a universal joint located between the motor and the differential in the front-rear direction, and the motor is connected to the differential via the universal joint. The electric tricycle as described in claim 1, wherein the transmission device has a transmission mechanism connected to the motor and a differential connected to the rear wheel, and the power unit also includes a universal joint located between the transmission mechanism and the differential in the front-rear direction, and the transmission mechanism is connected to the differential via the universal joint. The electric tricycle as described in claim 3, wherein the motor, the transmission mechanism, and the outer shell of the differential of the power unit include independent outer walls. An electric tricycle as described in claim 3, wherein the projection of the tiltable axis on the reference plane passes through the projection of the transmission mechanism and the differential on the reference plane in the front-rear direction. The electric tricycle as described in claim 1, wherein the frame unit further includes a swing arm extending in the front-rear direction, the swing arm having two front arm portions pivotally connected to the rear frame and adjacent to the rear end of the tilting mechanism, two rear arm portions extending rearward from the front arm portions and pivotally connected to the rear wheel, and a connecting portion extending in the left-right direction and connected to the front arm portions. The electric tricycle as described in claim 1, wherein the tilting axis of the tilting mechanism of the frame unit has a front line segment extending forward from the tilting mechanism and a rear line segment extending rearward from the tilting mechanism, and the frame unit further includes a seat disposed on the front frame and located above the tilting mechanism, the front line segment of the tilting axis passes below the rotation center of the front wheel, and the rear line segment passes above the rotation center of the rear wheel. The electric tricycle as described in claim 1, wherein the frame unit further includes a swing arm extending in the front-rear direction to pivotally connect the rear frame and the rear wheel, and the swing arm is pivotally connected to a pivot center of the rear frame. The electric tricycle as described in claim 8, wherein the frame unit further includes a rear shock absorber disposed on the rear frame, and the pivot center is located between the tilting mechanism and the rear shock absorber along the front-rear direction.

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