Claims:We claim:
1. A vehicle (100) comprising:
a frame assembly (118) including a main tube (118A) extending rearwardly downward, a down tube (118B) extending substantially in vehicle length direction from rear portion of the main tube (118A), and a rear tube (118C) inclined upward from rear portion of the down tube (118B);
a battery support unit (202) disposed at rear end portion of the rear tube (118C);
a charger (103) disposed at the main tube (118A); and
a controller (104) and a motor (109) disposed below the down tube (118B).

2. A vehicle (100) comprising:
a frame assembly (118) including a main tube (118A) extending rearwardly downward, a down tube (118B) extending substantially in vehicle length direction from rear portion of the main tube (118A), and a rear tube (118C) inclined upward from rear portion of the down tube (118B); and
a battery support unit (202) disposed at rear end portion of the rear tube (118C).

3. The vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 2 wherein the battery support unit (202) comprising:
a top support structure (201);
a bottom support structure (113);
wherein the top support structure (201) and the bottom support structure (113) being attached to the rear tube (118C) of the frame assembly (118), to house a battery in a rear portion of the vehicle (100).

4. The vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein a motor (109) being disposed below the down tube (118B).

5. The vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein one or more motor mounting brackets (115,116,117) being capable of supporting a foot rest (114) at left and right side of the vehicle (100).

6. The vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein a charger (103) being disposed at the main tube (118A).

7. The vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 2 wherein, a controller (104) being disposed below the down tube (118B).

8. A vehicle (100) comprising a battery support unit (202), the battery support unit (202) comprising:
a top support structure (201);
a bottom support structure (113);
wherein the top support unit (201) and the bottom support structure (113) being attached to a rear end portion of a rear tube (118C) of the frame assembly (118).

9. The vehicle (100) claimed in claim 8, wherein the top support structure (201) and the bottom support structure (113) being fixedly attached to the rear tube (118C) at a horizontal rear portion and at an inclined portion of respectively at a predetermined distance.

10. The vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 9, wherein one or more mounting bracket (302) being attached to the top support structure (201) for mounting the battery unit (107) as well as a rear seat (101) of the vehicle (100).

11. The vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the top support structure (201) and the bottom support (113) unit being connected through a one or more bridge (401A,401B).

12. The vehicle (100)as claimed in claim 11, wherein the top support structure (201), the bottom support (113), and the one or more bar member (401A,401B) forms an integral cage structure ) being configured to be detachably attached to the rear end portion of the rear tube (118C).

13. The vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 8 wherein, the battery support unit (202) being coupled with other attachment means to enable either complete detachment or tilting of the battery support unit (202).

14. The vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the battery support unit (202) and a motor being mounted such that the mass distribution and the centre of gravity being disposed in a quadrilateral region defined by ABCD.
, Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present subject matter relates generally to a vehicle. More particularly but not exclusively, the present subject matter relates to a frame structure of the vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Conventionally, liquid fuels power a vehicle. However, in the contemporary world, rising concern for preventing global warming has raised the demand for an electric vehicle in the market. The primary difference between a fuel-run vehicle and an electric vehicle is that in the latter electricity from a battery powers the motor to drive the vehicle whereas in the former engine exhausts fossil fuel to drive the vehicle. Essential components of the electric vehicle for converting the battery’s electricity into kinetic energy that drives the vehicle are a battery, a motor, a charger, and a controller. The motor draws power from the electrically charged battery and converts the electrical energy into kinetic energy that moves the wheels. The charger charges the battery from charging outlets. The controller oversees the vehicle's power control mechanism. Due to space constraints in two wheeled vehicles, the battery is mounted below a floorboard, and the motor is mounted at the wheel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] The detailed description is described with reference to an embodiment of a two wheeled saddle type vehicle along with the accompanying figures. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to similar features and components.
[0004] Figure 1 exemplarily illustrates a left side portrait view of an exemplary two-wheeled electric vehicle in accordance with one or more implementation.
[0005] Figure 2 exemplarily illustrates frame assembly and battery support unit in accordance with one or more implementation.
[0006] Figure 3 exemplarily illustrates a top view of a battery support unit in accordance with one or more implementation
[0007] Figure 4 exemplarily illustrates a left side view of a battery support unit as per another embodiment in accordance with one or more implementation

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0008] A shift from conventional fuel run vehicle to an electric run vehicle demands a novel layout of the vehicle body. Existing fuel run vehicle typically has an engine disposed below the floorboard wherein the engine is in line with a swing arm, and a rear wheel. To meet the requirements of decreasing fuel consumption and carbon emission, an efficient and eco-friendly electric vehicle must be designed and manufactured. In any electrical vehicle, most heavyweight members are a battery and a motor, hence it is essential to configure them at an appropriate location to be able to achieve compact size of the vehicle, increase ease of accessibility of parts for service as well as minimize the length of a wiring harness to avoid electrical losses. To that effect, it is important to mount the battery securely to a frame of the vehicle and also accommodate the motor at the lowest part to configure the center of gravity (CG) of the vehicle as close to the ground as possible and disposed substantially in the central region of the vehicle. A layout with the CG being offset from such desired region leads to undesirable handling and low dynamic stability of the saddle type vehicle. Additionally, mounting other electrical parts such as a charger, a controller, etc at an appropriate location of ease of access is crucial. It is also preferred to design the electric vehicle without much deviation from the existing vehicle structure, i.e. it is not preferred to make significant changes in the existing layout of the vehicle parts for maximum utilization of common parts or system thereby achieving a platform layout design for a saddle type vehicle. Such platform architecture provides much needed flexibility to the manufacturer to produce variety of types of vehicles using a common manufacturing set-up, reduces complexity of manufacturing as well as enables catering to various customer and region-specific market requirements. Further, the objective of manufacturing an electric vehicle in a well-arranged way is more prominent in compact vehicles such as backbone type frame structure saddle vehicles, which are lightweight, compact, and have a naked appearance. With ever increasing demand on longer mileage of the vehicle on charge, it becomes a challenge to design a vehicle layout as compact as possible in longitudinal as well as lateral direction of the vehicle. Typically, a backbone type frame structure vehicle has the central longitudinal main frame member which acts like a backbone of the frame structure and is attached to various major vehicle aggregates like powertrain, energy source etc. while achieving a compact layout of the frame structure itself.
[0009] Therefore, there exists a need to frame structure and layout design a vehicle, herein after more specifically referred as an electric vehicle that enables packaging of the battery, the motor, and other electrical parts in a compact manner such that the vehicle is well balanced, has desired handling performance characteristics and all the parts are easily accessible while also being capable of configuring a conventional gasoline powertrain vehicle layout structure without major modifications to enable platform architecture design.
[00010] Hence, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved backbone type frame structure and its layout for a balanced electric vehicle that securely accommodates the battery, the motor, and other electrical parts compactly. Yet, another objective of the present invention is to provide a vehicle layout with minimal differences from an existing engine run vehicle.
[00011] As per an aspect of the present invention, the electrical vehicle includes a backbone type frame assembly or frame structure henceforth will be used interchangeably, a battery support unit, a charger, a controller, and a motor. The frame assembly comprises a main tube, a down tube, and a rear tube. The battery support unit is disposed of at the rear end of the vehicle i.e. at the rear end of the rear tube. The charger is mounted at the front side of the vehicle i.e. at the main tube in front of the rider’s feet. The controller and the motor are mounted below the vehicle i.e. below the down tube.
[00012] As per an embodiment of the present invention, the battery support unit comprises a top support structure, and a bottom support structure bottom support structure. The top support unit and the bottom support structure bottom support structure are fixedly attached to the frame assembly of the electric vehicle. More precisely, the top support structure and the bottom support structurebottom support structure are welded, at a predetermined distance in, to a rear tube of the frame assembly. Both the bottom support structure and the top support structure can be any configuration of as per need.
[00013] As per an aspect of the present invention, the frame assembly of the vehicle is a monotube backbone type frame structure.
[00014] As per an aspect of the present invention, one or more mounting brackets are attached to the top support unit. The one or more mounting brackets being capable of holding a battery unit and a rear seat at a single bracket.
[00015] As per an embodiment of the present invention the battery support unit being detachably attached to the frame structure of the vehicle. In other words, the top support unit and the bottom support structure are detachably attached to the rear tube of the frame assembly of the vehicle.
[00016] As per an aspect of the present invention the top support structure and the bottom support structure are connected through one or more connecting bridge members e.g. bars or rods spaced intermittently, to securely accommodate the battery unit by forming an integral structure with the top support structure and the bottom support structure.
[00017] As per an aspect of the present invention, the motor is mounted below the vehicle i.e lower side of the down tube using one or more motor mounting brackets. The one or more mounting brackets being capable of supporting a rider footrest at both left and right sides.
[00018] As per an embodiment of the present invention, a charger is disposed at a main tube of the frame assembly.
[00019] As per an embodiment of the present invention a controller being disposed at a lower side of the downtube of the frame assembly.
[00020] The present invention provides an improved layout design of a frame assembly for an electrical vehicle that efficiently, and securely, accommodates a battery, a motor, and other electrical components without much deviation from a conventional vehicle layout. The present invention ensures optimum utilization of common parts and systems of the conventional vehicle, hence economically efficient, and does not require any special skills for dismantling and servicing. The battery unit is disposed at the rear end of the vehicle therefore there is the ease of accessibility, serviceability, and sufficient air circulation used for battery cooling for both permanent and non-permanent battery units. The battery unit can be assembled conveniently by rear sliding of the battery unit in the vehicle length direction thereby providing scope for an arrangement of number of cells as per requirements. Additionally, the present invention protects the battery unit from weather, mud, water, and dust. Since, the battery unit is disposed at the rear side the front side of the vehicle can be configured for accommodating other electrical components such as the charger at the conventional fuel tank area, thereby retaining the same ergonomics position for charging convenience. The charger and the controller are disposed close to each other hence the length of the wiring harness is reduced leading to an increase in efficiency and cost reduction. The same applies to the motor and the controller connection. The part count reduces as multi-functional mounting brackets are configured and used for mounting the rear seat as well as the battery unit. The motor is placed at the lower level below the floor board of the vehicle to compensate for the centre of gravity position of the vehicle without affecting the existing layout.
[00021] The present subject matter is further described with reference to the accompanying figures. It should be noted that the description and figures merely illustrate principles of the present subject matter. Various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, encompass the principles of the present subject matter. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and examples of the present subject matter, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
[00022] Fig. 1 exemplarily illustrates a side view of the two-wheeled electric vehicle (100) as per an embodiment. Fig. 2 exemplarily illustrates a frame assembly of the vehicle (100). For brevity, both Fig 1 and Fig 2 shall be described together. The frame acts as a skeleton of the vehicle which bears all the loads. The frame assembly (118) is a monotube backbone type frame assembly that includes a main tube (118A), a down tube (118B), and a rear tube (118C). The main tube (118A) extends rearwardly downward while the down tube (118B) extends in vehicle length direction from the rear portion of the main tube (118A). The rear tube (118C) extends inclinedly upwards from the rear portion of the main tube (118B) and the rear end portion of the rear tube (118C) curves to form a horizontal end portion (not labelled) defined by a central axis R-R’. As per an embodiment, the three tube portions (118A, 118B, 118C) are integrally formed as a single backbone structure with a central axis L-L’ and may be further attached with plurality of bracket and reinforcement members at various positions along the length of the vehicle, wherein the brackets enable attaching other system aggregates viz headlamp assembly, motor assembly, battery unit etc. As per alternate embodiment, the cross section of the backbone structure can be any other geometrical shape other than being tubular e.g., rectangular, oval, square etc. while still being hollow inside thereby being referred as tubular backbone frame structure.
[00023] The seat assembly comprising of rider seat (102) assembled on seat mounting bracket (200) and a rear seat (101) as shown in Fig.2 A handlebar assembly (111) is pivotally mounted on the main tube (118A). The handlebar assembly (111) is connected to a front wheel (105) through a pair of front forks (110). A front fender (119) covers atleast a portion of the front wheel (105). A swing arm (112) is swingably connected to a frame assembly (118A,118B,118C). A rear wheel (106) is rotatably supported on the swing arm (112). A floorboard (not shown) is mounted above the down tube (118B). The floorboard (108, shown in Fig 1) is designed considering the load-carrying capacity of the vehicle.
[00024] A motor (109) is mounted below the down tube (118B) using one or more motor mounting brackets (115,116,117). The motor mounting bracket (117) also assist in supporting a rider’s footrest (114) at left and right side of the vehicle (100). A controller (104) is mounted below the down tube (118B) beside the motor (109) such that the controller (104), the motor (109), and the swing arm (112) are connected inline with each other along the length of the vehicle. This layout arrangement ensures the reduced length of the wiring harness for connection between each of the electrical units. A charger unit (103) is mounted on the main tube (118A) The motor (109) is connected to the rear wheel (106) using a chain or a belt drive to transmit torque.
[00025] A battery unit (107) is supported at the rear end of the vehicle on a battery support unit (202) below the rear seat (101). The battery support unit (202) comprises a bottom support structure (113) and a top support structure (201) as shown in Fig.2. The top support structure (201) and the bottom support structure (113) are mounted at an horizontal rear portion of the rear tube (118C) and at an inclined portion of rear tube (118C) at predetermined distance.
[00026] As per an embodiment of the present invention, the battery support unit (202) is fixedly attached to the frame assembly (118). As per an embodiment, the battery support unit (202) is welded to the rear side of the rear tube (118C). The bottom support structure (113) and the top support structure (201) are attached to an inclined portion (113A) and top portion of the rear tube (118C) respectively at a predetermined distance. . The battery support unit (202) is fixedly attached to the rear end portion of the rear tube (118C) at such a distance to ensure maximum strength and load carrying capacity of the battery support unit (202) to support the battery unit (107).
[00027] Fig.3 exemplarily illustrates the top view of the battery support unit (202) assembled on the vehicle without a battery unit (107). The battery support unit (202) fixedly comprises of the bottom support structure (113). The top support structure (201) comprises one or more mounting brackets (302) for mounting of the rear seat (101) and the battery unit (107). Since the same mounting brackets (302) can be used for mounting both the battery unit (107) and the rear seat (101) therefore there is a reduced number of parts. The battery support unit (202) thus ensures that the battery unit (107) is secured firmly to the vehicle (100) with low number of parts.
[00028] Fig.4 exemplarily illustrates another embodiment of the battery support unit (202). The battery support unit (202) can be detachably attached to the frame assembly at the rear end portion of the rear tube (118C). Such an arrangement provides easy dismantling of the battery support unit and thus provides ease of serviceability, battery swapping and accessibility. In the detachable battery support unit (202) the top support structure (201) and the bottom, support unit (113) are connected by one or more support bar members (401A,401B) which are configured in a vertical and a lateral orientation. This provides a caged like design of the battery support unit (202) to securely hold as well as protect the battery. On the one or more bar members (401B) the rear seat (101) can be mounted. As shown in Fig.4 as per an embodiment, the top support structure (201) and the bottom support structure (113) are bolted to the rear end portion of the rear tube (118C) at point (400). As per alternate embodiments, the battery support unit (202) may be coupled with other attachment means e.g. rotary joint, pivot, sliding joint etc. to enable either complete detachment of tilting of the unit (202) to enable desired access of the battery unit. As per an embodiment, the battery support unit (202) is integral part of the battery casing and the casing itself acts as a load carrying support structure for the rear seat thereby eliminating the need for a separate battery support unit (202).
[00029] Since the battery unit (107) is a heavy part of any electrical vehicle, mounting it at the rear end of the vehicle (100) might imbalance the center of gravity (CG) of the vehicle. Therefore, to balance the CG of the vehicle (100), the vehicle layout architecture along with the backbone frame structure is so configured to dispose the motor (109) below the down tube (118B) thereby balancing the mass distribution and achieving the CG to be disposed in a quadrilateral region defined by ABCD (shown in Fig 2), wherein A forms a hypothetical vertical line tangential to the front circumferential edge of the motor assembly (109), B forms a hypothetical horizontal line substantially parallel to the rear end portion of the rear tube (118C) and passing through the central axis R-R’ of the rear end portion, C forms a hypothetical vertical line passing through the rearmost end of the rear tube (118C) and D forms a hypothetical horizontal line passing through the rotation axis (not labelled) of the motor assembly (109). Hence, the present invention effectively achieves the objective of securing the battery unit (107) firmly in a compact manner.
[00030] Many other improvements and modifications may be incorporated herein without deviating from the scope of the invention.
List of Reference numerals
100: Electric vehicle
101: Rear seat
102: Rider seat
103: Charger
104: Controller
105: Front-wheel
106: Rear-wheel
107: Battery unit
108: Floorboard
109: Motor
110: Front Forks
111: Handlebar
112: Swingarm
113: Bottom support structure
114: Footrest
115,116,117: Motor mounting bracket
118: Frame assembly
118A: Main tube
118B: down tube
118C: rear tube
119: Front fender
200: Seat mounting bracket
201: Top support structure
202: Battery support unit
302: Mounting bracket
401A, 401B: Bars