JP2001199250A - Traveling vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a traveling vehicle securing a mounting space for a fuel tank, a battery and the like even when an internal combustion engine and an electric motor are mounted as traveling driving sources. SOLUTION: In a golf cart 11, a front seat base 13 is arranged in the front part of a main frame 12 supporting a vehicle body lower part while a rear cowl 14 is arranged in the rear part. On the inside of the rear cowl 14, both of an engine 37 and an electric motor 41 are housed as driving sources for traveling. The engine 37 is arranged so that its crank shaft 37a is set along the vehicle longitudinal direction, and along the axial line A of the crank shaft 37a, the engine 37 and the electric motor 41 are arranged.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a traveling vehicle having both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as driving sources for traveling.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a traveling vehicle equipped with a parallel hybrid system, that is, a traveling vehicle equipped with both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as a driving source for traveling has been known. In this parallel type hybrid system, by combining the power from the two driving sources for driving as appropriate according to the driving conditions of the vehicle, the advantages of the two driving sources having different characteristics can be utilized to compensate for the disadvantages. In such a traveling vehicle, the internal combustion engine and the electric motor are arranged along the axis of the crankshaft, which is the output shaft of the internal combustion engine, in order to couple the rotational outputs of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor so as to be able to transmit each other. ing.

[0003] Conventional golf carts used in golf courses are known to have only an internal combustion engine as a driving source for driving, and to have only an electric motor. In the case of a golf cart, a drive system device and the like are housed inside a rear cowl provided to cover a rear wheel that is a drive wheel, and an internal combustion engine or an electric motor as a driving source for traveling is also inside the rear cowl. It is stored in.

[0004]

When a parallel type hybrid system is to be mounted on such a golf cart, both driving sources for the internal combustion engine and the electric motor are housed inside the rear cowl. There is a need to. However, the internal combustion engine of the conventional golf cart is so-called a horizontal arrangement in which the crankshaft is arranged to extend in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction). For this reason, if the electric motor is to be further housed in the rear cowl, the internal combustion engine and the electric motor are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction. There is a problem that the space for arranging the components is lost. Similar problems also occur in traveling vehicles other than golf carts if the vehicle width cannot be increased.

The present invention has been made by focusing on the problems existing in the prior art as described above. It is an object of the present invention to provide a traveling vehicle that can secure a mounting space for a fuel tank, a battery, and the like even when an internal combustion engine and an electric motor are mounted as a driving source for traveling.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a traveling vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as driving sources for traveling, and a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine. Is provided along the vehicle length direction, and the internal combustion engine and the electric motor are arranged along the axis of the crankshaft.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which a traveling vehicle of the present invention is embodied in a golf cart will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a golf cart 11 of a multi-seater (five-seater in this embodiment) having front and rear seats. A front seat base 13 is provided at a front portion of a main frame 12 that supports a lower portion of the body of the golf cart 11, and a rear cowl 14 is provided at a rear portion. Above the front seat base 13, a front seat 15 is provided which is divided into a driver seat and a passenger seat on the left and right. On the other hand, on the upper part of the rear cowl 14, a horizontally long rear seat 16 that can be seated by three persons in the left-right direction is provided via a rear seat base 17. At the rear of the front seat 15 and the rear seat 16, a backrest 19 is provided via a seat stay 18. Also,
Assist bars 20 are provided outside the front seat 15 and the rear seat 16, respectively.

A rear step 21 for the rear seat 16 is provided between the front seat base 13 and the rear cowl 14, and a front step 22 for the front seat 15 is provided in front of the front seat base 13. Have been. A front cowl 23 is integrally provided at the front end of the front step 22. And
A steering mechanism 24 such as a steering wheel is provided in front of the front seat 15 so as to protrude from the front cowl 23, and a brake pedal 25 and an accelerator pedal 26 are provided in front of the front seat 15. Also, the front seat base 13
A pair of left and right front wheels 27 (only the left front wheel 27 is shown in FIG. 1) as steering wheels is suspended below the rear cowl.
A pair of right and left rear wheels 28 (drive wheels)
In the figure, only the left rear wheel 28 is suspended.

A pair of left and right front pillars 29 (only the left side is shown in FIG. 1) is extended above the front cowl 23. On the other hand, the backrest 19 of the rear seat 16
A pair of left and right rear pillars 30 (only the left side is shown in FIG. 1) extends upward. A roof 31 is provided between the upper ends of the front pillar 29 and the rear pillar 30.
Is supported. Also, behind the rear cowl 14,
A bag carrier 32 on which a golf bag can be placed and a storage case 33 that can store an umbrella, a putter, and the like are provided.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the structure of the main frame 12, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of a main part showing a drive system of the golf cart 11 and the like. A sub-frame 34 extends rearward from the center of the main frame 12 in the longitudinal direction, and a bracket 35 is fixed on the sub-frame 34. On the bracket 35, a cooling fan 36 as a cooling device for sending cooling air backward, a engine 37 as an internal combustion engine, an electromagnetic clutch 38, and a planetary gear mechanism 39 are arranged in order from the front. Further, an automatic transmission 40 and an electric motor 41 are arranged side by side on the left rear side of the planetary gear mechanism 39, and a transmission 42 is arranged on the right rear side of the planetary gear mechanism 39. Also, the bracket 35
A first battery 43 is disposed at an upper left front position, and a fuel tank 44 is disposed behind the first battery 43. The cooling fan 36, the engine 37, the electromagnetic clutch 38, the planetary gear mechanism 39, the automatic transmission 40, the electric motor 41, the transmission 42, the first battery 43, and the fuel tank 44 are covered with the rear cowl 14.

At this time, the crankshaft 37a (see FIG. 4), which is the output shaft of the engine 37, is disposed so that its axis A is along the vehicle length direction (front-back direction).
7 is in a so-called vertical position. The cooling fan 36, the engine 37, the electromagnetic clutch 38, the planetary gear mechanism 39, the automatic transmission 40, and the electric motor 41 are arranged along the axis A. The crankshaft 37a of the engine 37 and the rotating shaft 41a of the electric motor 41 (see FIG. 4) are coaxial, that is, both are arranged on the axis A. In the present embodiment, the axis A is substantially the same as the center line of the golf cart 11 in the vehicle width direction.

The cooling fan 36 is supported by a flywheel of a crankshaft 37a. By the rotation of the cooling fan 36, the air taken in from the opening at the front lower portion of the rear cowl 14 can be sent backward. The air sent rearward by the cooling fan 36 is discharged from the lower rear opening of the rear cowl 14 after cooling the engine 37 located behind the cooling fan 36.

The second battery 4 is located behind the electric motor 41.
5 are provided. The rear end of the main frame 12 is formed to rise obliquely upward, and a rear sub-frame 46 extends rearward from the rising portion 12a. A battery bracket 48 is fixed on a bag carrier frame 47 extending rearward from the rear end of the rear sub-frame 46, and the second battery 45 is mounted and fixed on the battery bracket 48. Have been. Note that this second battery 45 is
The first battery 43 supplies power to various electrical components except the electric motor 41.

A rear axle 49 for the rear wheel 28 extending in the left-right direction is provided below the transmission 42.
The power output from the two driving sources of the engine 37 and the electric motor 41 is transmitted to the rear axle 49 via the power transmission system, and the rear wheel 28 is driven to rotate. That is,
The golf cart 11 of the present embodiment is equipped with a parallel hybrid system including an engine 37 and an electric motor 41 as driving sources for traveling.

Next, the configuration of a parallel type hybrid system in the golf cart 11 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a parallel hybrid system. This hybrid system includes two drive sources for driving, an engine 37 and an electric motor 41, and a power transmission system for transmitting power output from these two drive sources to a pair of rear wheels 28, which are drive wheels. It is mainly composed of

Of the two driving sources, the engine 37 is an internal combustion engine that generates power by burning fuel (eg, gasoline fuel or diesel fuel) stored in a fuel tank 44 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). In this embodiment, a gasoline engine is used. On the other hand, the electric motor 41
In addition to the function as an “electric motor” that generates power by electric energy supplied from a battery (see FIGS. 2 and 3), a generator that generates electric energy by receiving rotation of the engine 37 except when generating power Motor / generator also having the function of Further, the electric motor 41
Also functions as a starter motor for starting the engine 37.

The power transmission system includes an electromagnetic clutch 38, a planetary gear mechanism 39, an automatic transmission 40, and a transmission 4.
2 mainly comprises a differential gear mechanism 50 built in the second gear 2. The crankshaft 37a, which is the output shaft of the engine 37,
The planetary gear mechanism 39 is connected to a ring gear 39a via an electromagnetic clutch 38 and a gear 37b. The crankshaft 37a is also connected to a sun gear 39b constituting a planetary gear mechanism 39 via an electromagnetic clutch 38 and further via an automatic transmission 40. And
When the electromagnetic clutch 38 is engaged, the engine 37
Is transmitted to the ring gear 39a and also to the sun gear 39b via the automatic transmission 40, so that the output of the engine 37 is transmitted to the planetary gear mechanism 39 from two directions. On the other hand, when the connection of the electromagnetic clutch 38 is released, the output of the engine 37 is not transmitted to the planetary gear mechanism 39.

The rotating shaft 41a of the electric motor 41 is also
At the same time as being connected to the ring gear 39a of the planetary gear mechanism 39, it is also connected to the sun gear 39b constituting the planetary gear mechanism 39 via the automatic transmission 40. The output of the electric motor 41 is transmitted to the ring gear 39 a and also to the sun gear 39 b via the automatic transmission 40, and the electric motor 4 is transmitted to the planetary gear mechanism 39 from two directions.
1 is transmitted.

Further, the crankshaft 37a of the engine 37
And the rotating shaft 41a of the electric motor 41
8, the connection of the electromagnetic clutch 38 /
The disconnection enables or disables transmission of each other's output.

The automatic transmission 40 is a V-belt type automatic transmission that is controlled to a predetermined gear ratio by an electric motor (not shown, which is different from the electric motor 41 as a driving source for traveling). The input torque of the automatic transmission 40 is converted according to the speed ratio and transmitted to the sun gear 39b.

The planetary gear mechanism 39 includes a sun gear 39b.
And a plurality of planetary gears 3 meshing with the outer peripheral side thereof at equal angular intervals.
9c and carrier 39d connecting each planetary gear 39c
And a ring gear 39a meshing with the outside of the planetary gear 39c.
It is composed of As described above, the ring gear 3
9a is connected to the crankshaft 37a of the engine 37 and the rotating shaft 41a of the electric motor 41 via a gear 37b, and the sun gear 39b is connected to the crankshaft 37a of the engine 37 and the electric motor 41 via the automatic transmission 40. It is connected to the rotating shaft 41a. The carrier 39d is
It is connected to the input side of the differential gear mechanism 50 via the transmission gear mechanism 51. The difference between the rotation speed of the ring gear 39a and the rotation speed of the sun gear 39b causes the carrier 39
The rotation direction (forward rotation or reverse rotation) and the rotation speed (increase, deceleration, or stop) of d are determined.
It is transmitted to.

The differential gear mechanism 50 has a conventionally known configuration, and the power transmitted from the planetary gear mechanism 39 is
The power is transmitted to the rear axle 49 via the differential gear mechanism 50, and the rear wheel 28 is driven to rotate.

Next, the operation of the parallel type hybrid system in the golf cart 11 will be described.
The golf cart 11 drives only the electric motor 41 when traveling on a flat road or a gentle slope (when starting with a light load), traveling at a low speed, traveling around a tee ground or around a green. Travel as a source. The output of the electric motor 41 is transmitted to the rear axle 49 via the planetary gear mechanism 39 and the differential gear mechanism 50, and the rear wheel 28 is driven to rotate. At this time, the connection of the electromagnetic clutch 38 is released, and the output of the electric motor 41 is not transmitted to the engine 37. A golf cart 11 of a type in which a loop line is buried in a traveling line to automatically travel by electromagnetic induction.
In this case, a switching signal for switching to the mode in which only the electric motor 41 is used as the driving source for traveling can be provided around the tee ground, around the green, or the like.

Thereafter, when the driving conditions are such that sufficient engine efficiency can be ensured, the driving is performed using only the engine 37 as a driving source for driving. First, the electromagnetic clutch 38 is connected, and the engine 37 is started by the driving force of the electric motor 41. Thereafter, the electric motor 41 is stopped, but the output of the engine 37 is changed to the planetary gear mechanism 39.
The transmission is transmitted to the rear axle 49 via the differential gear mechanism 50, so that the rear wheel 28 is driven to rotate. At this time, the electric motor 41 is rotated by the engine 37 and functions as a generator. The electric energy generated by the electric motor 41 is used for charging the second battery 45.

The golf cart 11 travels by using both the engine 37 and the electric motor 41 as travel driving sources under predetermined traveling conditions, for example, when starting a heavy load or climbing a hill. The output of the engine 37 and the output of the electric motor 41 are transmitted as a total (total torque) to the rear axle 49 via the planetary gear mechanism 39 and the differential gear mechanism 50, and the rear wheel 28 is driven to rotate. The determination as to whether to use both the engine 37 and the electric motor 41 as the drive source for traveling is made by a tilt sensor (not shown) or by an external input signal.

The ring gear 39 of the planetary gear mechanism 39
a and the carrier 39 due to the difference between the rotational speeds of the
The rotation direction and rotation speed of d are determined, but the golf cart 11 moves forward when the rotation direction of the carrier 39d is normal rotation, and moves backward when the rotation direction of the carrier 39d is reverse rotation. In addition, carrier 39
When the rotation speed of d is increased, the traveling speed of the golf cart 11 is accelerated, and when the rotation speed is reduced, the traveling speed is reduced. Further, when the rotation of the carrier 39d is stopped, a neutral state is set.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the following effects are exhibited. In the golf cart 11 of the embodiment, the crankshaft 37
The engine 37 is arranged so that a extends along the vehicle length direction, and the engine 37 and the electric motor 41 are arranged along the axis A of the crankshaft 37a, that is, along the vehicle length direction. For this reason,
Conventionally, there is no danger of running out of space for arranging the fuel tank and the battery, which are arranged side by side on the left and right sides of the driving source for traveling, and even if the engine 37 and the electric motor 41 are mounted as the driving source for traveling, the fuel tank, the battery, etc. Mounting space can be secured.

When the engine 37 and the electric motor 41 are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, a long mounting space is required in the vehicle width direction, so that the vehicle width of the golf cart 11 needs to be increased. However, in the present embodiment, this is not necessary, and it is possible to mount the parallel hybrid system as it is inside the rear cowl 14 which is the mounting space for the conventional driving source for driving using the existing golf cart 11.

In the golf cart 11 of the embodiment, since the engine 37 and the electric motor 41 are arranged along the vehicle length direction, the engine 37 can be arranged at an intermediate position in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the noise of the engine 37 can be suppressed from leaking to the outside as compared with the case where the engine 37 is at the left end or the right end of the vehicle body.

A cooling fan 36 capable of sending cooling air backward is provided at a position in front of the engine 37, and an electromagnetic clutch 38, a planetary gear mechanism 39, and an automatic transmission are provided behind the engine 37 along the vehicle length direction. 40, an electric motor 41 is arranged. Therefore, these devices can be efficiently cooled.

The above embodiment can be modified as follows. In the above embodiment, the present invention is embodied in the golf cart 11 as a traveling vehicle. However, the present invention may be embodied in traveling vehicles other than the golf cart 11 whose vehicle width cannot be increased, such as a buggy car and a go-kart.

In the embodiment, the crankshaft 37a of the engine 37 and the rotating shaft 41a of the electric motor 41 are coaxially arranged. However, if the engine 37 and the electric motor 41 are arranged along the vehicle length direction, the coaxial shaft is particularly arranged. It is not limited to the above.

In the embodiment, the first battery 43 and the fuel tank 44 are arranged on the bracket 35. However, as shown in FIG. 5, the first battery 43 and the fuel tank 44 may be supported and fixed on the main frame 12 on the left and right sides of the vehicle body. In such a configuration, a space is provided on the bracket 35,
The engine 37 and the like can be laid out without difficulty.

Next, the technical ideas that can be grasped from the above embodiment will be described below. The traveling vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine is disposed at an intermediate position in a vehicle width direction and is covered with an exterior member. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the noise of the internal combustion engine from leaking to the outside.

In the above embodiment, the rear cowl 14 forms an exterior member. A cooling device for blowing cooling air backward is provided at a front position of the internal combustion engine.
A traveling vehicle according to claim 1. With this configuration, the internal combustion engine and the electric motor can be efficiently cooled.

The traveling vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine and the rotating shaft of the electric motor are arranged coaxially. With this configuration, the internal combustion engine and the electric motor can be laid out with the least waste, and the space can be used effectively.

The traveling vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, an electromagnetic clutch, a planetary gear mechanism, and an automatic transmission are arranged along the axis of the crankshaft. With such a configuration, not only the internal combustion engine and the electric motor but also the electromagnetic clutch, the planetary gear mechanism, and the automatic transmission can be arranged without difficulty.

[0039]

The present invention is configured as described above, and has the following effects. According to the traveling vehicle of the first aspect of the invention, even if the internal combustion engine and the electric motor are mounted as the driving source for traveling, the mounting space for the fuel tank and the battery can be secured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a golf cart.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a configuration of a main frame.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a main part showing a drive system and the like of the golf cart.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration of a parallel type hybrid system.

FIG. 5 is an essential part plan view showing a drive system and the like of the golf cart other than the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

11: a golf cart as a traveling vehicle; 37, an engine as an internal combustion engine; 37a, a crankshaft; 41, an electric motor.

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Fumio Ishibashi 1-32 Chayamachi, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Yanmar Diesel F-term (reference) 5H115 PC06 PG07 PI16 PI22 PI29 PU22 PU25 PU29 UI31 UI32 UI35

Claims (1)

[Claims] An internal combustion engine and an electric motor are provided as driving sources for traveling, and a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine is provided along a vehicle length direction, and the internal combustion engine and the electric motor are arranged along an axis of the crankshaft. A traveling vehicle characterized by being arranged.