Title of Invention

SADDLE-RIDE TYPE FUEL CELL THREE-WHEELED VEHICLE

Abstract

[Abstract] [Problem] To provide a saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle which permits the water generated by a fuel cell to be smoothly drained out of the vehicle body without splashing on the rear wheels or rear body. [Solution] A saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle 1 includes a linking mechanism 23 which swingably links a rear body lb and a front body la so that the front body la can sway left and right with respect to the rear body lb to which a pair of left and right rear wheels WR are journaled. It has a drain pipe which guides generated water discharged from a fuel cell 18 out of the vehicle body and the drain pipe has a drain port 65a between the rear wheels WR. The drain port 65a is located behind and under an axle 26 of the rear wheels WR when the vehicle body is viewed sideways. The drain pipe 67 includes a first drain pipe portion (ducts 60, 62) extending to a . reservoir 64 under the linking mechanism and a second drain pipe portion 65 extending from the reservoir 64 to the drain port 65a, and extends under a shock unit 31 to the bottom side of the rear body lb. The first drain pipe portion can turn with respect to the second drain pipe portions to prevent the pipe from being twisted when the front body sways. [Selected Drawing] Fig. 4

Full Text

[Document Name] Specification [Title of the Invention] SADDLE-RIDE TYPE FUEL CELL THREE-WHEELED VEHICLE [Technical Field] [0001] The present invention relates to a saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle and more particularly to a saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle which smoothly drains the water generated by the fuel cell out of the vehicle body without causing the water to splash on the rear wheels or rear body. [Background Art] [0002] A fuel cell vehicle which has a fuel cell has been known in which the fuel cell generates electric power by chemical reaction between hydrogen as a fuel gas and the oxygen contained in reaction gas (air) and uses a motor driven by the power supplied from the fuel cell. Since a fuel cell generates water by chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, a fuel cell vehicle has a system to drain the generated water out of the vehicle body. [0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a fuel cell two-wheeled vehicle in which a drain port for generated water is located almost in the center of the vehicle body along a lateral side of the vehicle body and oriented rearward to prevent the generated water from splashing on the rear wheel during drainage of the water. [Patent Document 1] JP-A No. 2001-313056 [Disclosure of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] [0004] However, if the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 is applied to a fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle with a pair of left and right rear wheels, probably the vehicle width should be larger because a drain port must be located outside of a wheel. Besides, in a swingable fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle in which the front body for a rider to sit on can be banked with respect to the rear body supporting the rear wheels, there is a problem that if a drain port is located on the front body, the generated water may be more likely to splash on the rear wheels or rear body because the drain port moves as the front body is banked. [0005] An object of the present invention is to address the above problem of the prior art and provide a saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle which smoothly drains the water generated by the fuel cell out. of the vehicle body without causing it to splash on the rear wheels or rear body. [Means for Solving the Problem] [0006] In order to achieve the above object, a first feature of the present invention is that a saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle having a fuel cell which generates electric power by chemical reaction between fuel gas and reaction gas, includes a drain pipe which guides generated water discharged from the fuel cell out of a vehicle body, a rear body to which a pair of left and right rear wheels are journaled, and a linking mechanism which swingably links the rear body and a front body to allow the front body to sway left and right with respect to the rear body, and the drain pipe has a drain port between the pair of left and right rear wheels. [0007] Also, a second feature of the invention is that the drain port is located behind and under the axle of the rear wheels when the vehicle body is viewed sideways. Furthermore, a third feature of the invention is that the vehicle includes a shock unit which suspends the rear body on a body frame and absorbs the rear body's vertical swinging motion, and the drain pipe extends under the shock unit to the rear body's bottom side. [0008] A fourth feature of the invention is that the fuel cell is attached to the front body and located under a seat for a rider to sit on, the drain pipe includes a first drain pipe portion which guides the generated water from the fuel cell to under the linking mechanism and a second drain pipe portion which guides the generated water from under the linking mechanism out of the vehicle body, and the first drain pipe portion and the second drain pipe portion are supported by the vehicle body in a manner that the first drain pipe portion can circumferentially turn with respect to the second drain pipe portion. [0009] Furthermore, a fifth feature of the invention is that the vehicle has a reservoir which temporarily stores the generated water between the first drain pipe portion and second drain pipe portion, the reservoir is attached to the rear body, and the first drain pipe portion is circumferentially turnably engaged with the reservoir. [Effect of the Invention] [0010] According to the first feature, the vehicle includes a drain pipe which guides generated water discharged from the fuel cell out of a vehicle body, a rear body to which a pair of left and right rear wheels are journaled, and a linking mechanism which swingably links the rear body and front body to allow the front body to sway left and right with respect to the rear body and the drain pipe has a drain port between the pair of left and right rear wheels, so the water generated by the fuel cell can be drained behind the vehicle body without splashing on the rear wheels or rear body of the fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle. Besides, even when the front body sways, the rear body does not sway and the drain port position is unchanged, thus preventing generated water from splashing on the rear wheels or rear body. [0011] According to the second feature, the drain port is located behind and under the axle of the rear wheels when the vehicle body is viewed sideways, the drain port is disposed on the rear side of the vehicle body near the road surface, so even if generated water around the drain port splashes due to traveling wind or oscillation, it is prevented from splashing on the rear wheels or rear body. [0012] According to the third feature, the vehicle includes a shock unit which suspends the rear body on the body frame and absorbs the rear body's vertical swinging motion, and the drain pipe extends under the shock unit to the rear body's bottom side, so the drain pipe is less affected by the rear body's swinging motion and the water can be smoothly drained. [0013] According to the fourth feature, the fuel cell is attached to the front body and located under the seat for a rider to sit on, the drain pipe includes a first drain pipe portion which guides the generated water from the fuel cell to under the linking mechanism and a second drain pipe portion which guides the generated water from under the linking mechanism out of the vehicle body, and the first drain pipe portion and the second drain pipe portion are supported by the vehicle body in a manner that the first drain pipe portion can circumferentially turn with respect to the second drain pipe portion, so even if the front body sways during running, the drain pipe is prevented from being twisted between the first drain pipe portion and second drain pipe portion. [0014] According to the fifth feature, the vehicle has a reservoir which temporarily stores the generated water between the first drain pipe portion and second drain pipe portion, the reservoir is attached to the rear body, and the first drain pipe portion is circumferentially turnably engaged with the reservoir, so even if the generated water discharge speed changes, the speed of drainage through the drain port is less affected and drainage can be carried out smoothly. Moreover, even when the front body sways, the reservoir does not sway and drainage can be carried out stably. [Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention] [0015] Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described referring to the accompanying drawings. Figs. 1 and 2 are a side view of a saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention and a top view thereof. The saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle 1 is an electric three-wheeled vehicle which includes one front wheel FW as a steering wheel and two motor-driven rear wheels WR and has a scooter type body structure with a low-floor foot rest between a steering handlebar and a seat. [0016] The saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle 1 has a fuel cell power generation system which includes: a cell stack which constitutes a fuel cell as a stack of plural cells; a fuel (hydrogen) gas supply system to supply hydrogen gas as fuel to the cell stack; and a reaction gas supply system to supply reaction gas (air) containing oxygen to the cell stack, and it runs by driving a motor by electric power generated by the fuel cell or electric power supplied from a secondary cell storing this electric power. [0017] A steering system 4 which supports a bottom link front suspension 2 is turnably journaled to a head pipe 3 located at the front end of the body frame. A front wheel WF as a steering wheel is rotatably journaled to the lower end of the front suspension 2. The front wheel WF can be steered by a steering handlebar 5 coupled with the steering system 4. A pair of left and right main frames 6, , connected with the head pipe 3, are shaped as follows: they extend downward and rearward from the head pipe 3, then sharply curve at a low part of the body and extends rearward of the vehicle body. [0018] A pair of left and right under frames 7 whose shape follows that of the main frames 6 are located under the main frames 6. Like the main frames 6, the under frames 7 each have a vertical portion connected with the head pile 3, which extends downward and rearward from it, and a horizontal portion which sharply curves at a lower part of the vehicle body and extends rearward. The rear end of each under frame 7 sharply curves upward and joins the main frame'6 and the main frame's rear end behind the joint is coupled with a rear frame 8 which supports a loading platform 22 on the rear side of the vehicle body. A secondary cell 85 which stores the electric power generated by the fuel cell 18 is housed in the loading platform 22. [0019] The fuel cell 18, an almost rectangular parallelepiped, is attached under a seat 15 for a rider 100 to sit on, as inclined rearward of the vehicle body at a specified angle (for example, 30 degrees). Radiators 20L, 20R for cooling the fuel cell 18 are adjacently located on the left and right sides of the fuel cell 18 in the vehicle body width direction. An electric pump 19 as an actuator which pressure-feeds radiator cooling water is located on the back side of the fuel cell 18. A humidifier 17 for humidifying the reaction gas to be supplied to the fuel cell 18 is attached to the front side of the fuel cell 18. The humidifier 17, almost cylindrical, is located in the center of the vehicle body width direction under the seat 15. [0020] A low-floor foot rest 14 is provided between the seat 15 and steering handlebar 5. The foot rest 14 is a flat floor, composed of a resin plate or the like, on which the rider places his/her feet during running; in this embodiment, it is symmetrical in shape in the vehicle body width direction. Stays 27 for supporting the resin plate of the foot rest 14 are attached to the upper face of the main frame 6 in front of the humidifier 17 and behind it in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. A supercharger 16 as an actuator which pressure-feeds reaction gas to the fuel cell 18 is located in a space surrounded by the main frames 6 and under frames 7 in front of and under the foot rest 14. [0021] The body of the saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle 1 is composed of a front body la including the body frame and front wheel WR, and a rear body lb linked with the front body la. The rear body lb, including the rear wheels WR, and the front body la are linked through a linking mechanism 23. A shock unit 31 is attached to part of the linking mechanism 23 and a mounting frame (not shown) provided between the pair of left and right rear frames 8, and absorbs the shock of vertical swinging motion. The linking mechanism 23 adopts a Neidhardt swing mechanism which uses a rubber damper to get a biasing force to return the front body la to the neutral position, which makes it possible that the vehicle runs and turns, swaying the front body la left or right while the two rear wheels are in contact with the road surface. [0022] A power unit 24 which integrally incorporates a drive motor to give a driving force to the rear wheels WR and a speed reduction mechanism is attached to a rear part of the base member 25 of the rear body lb and between the left and right rear wheels WR. The driving force given by the power u'nit 24 is transmitted to the rear wheels WR through an axle 26. Driving system electric components 45, which are almost rectangular parallelepiped large and small parts, are installed between the rear wheels WR of the rear body lb. The driving system electric components 45 include: a motor driver 50 as a motor control unit which controls the drive motor; a DC-DC converter 51 which converts the AC voltage value to a specified value; a voltage transducer (VCU) which increases or decreases the voltage supplied from the fuel cell 18; a main CPU 53 as a motor control unit; a control driver 54 which drives the supercharger 16; a control driver 55 which drives the electric pump 19; and a fuse box 56 which houses a plurality of fuses. [0023] A pair of left and right hydrogen cylinders lOL, lOR are installed on the left and right sides of the head pipe 3 in the vehicle body width direction in a way to sandwich the main frames 6 and under frames 7 from both sides. The foot rest 14 is so formed as to fit inside the space between the ends of the hydrogen cylinders lOL, lOR as fuel tanks in the vehicle body width direction. The front and lateral sides of the hydrogen cylinders lOL, lOR are surrounded by a guard pipe 9 coupled with the main frames 6 An air cleaner box 12 for filtering the ambient air (air) to be used as reaction gas is located in front of.and above the left hydrogen cylinder lOL. The•front side of the vehicle is covered by a cowling 11 made of thin sheet resin or the like. A protective pad 13 attached to the front side of the guard pipe 9 is located so that part of it faces outward through an opening in the cowling 11. [0024] The left and right radiators 20L, 20R are installed so that their upper parts are inclined forward when the vehicle body is viewed sideways. Also when the vehicle body is viewed from above, they are installed so that their flat surfaces to receive traveling wind are inclined inward of the vehicle body to receive traveling wind from ahead of the vehicle body easily. A reservoir tank 21 for cooling water is installed behind and above the fuel cell 18 and a hydrogen sensor 41 is located above the reservoir tank 21. [0025] om n A hydrogen supply unit 28 including a part for controlling the amount of hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell 18 is located between the left and right hydrogen cylinders lOL, lOR in the space surrounded by the left and right main frames 6 and under frames 7. A suction manifold 29 which supplies the reaction gas humidified by the humidifier 17 from the top of the fuel cell 18 and an exhaust manifold 30 which exhausts unreacted gas which has not reacted chemically in the fuel cell 18 from the bott of the fuel cell 18 are attached to the fuel cell 18. I Fig. 1, the center of the axle 26 of the rear wheels WR is expressed by the intersection of horizontal line LI and vertical line L2. [0026] Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the saddle-ride type fuel ^cell three-wheeled vehicle 1.■ Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rear body of the saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle 1. The same reference numerals as those given above represent the same or equivalent elements.. The rear body, to which the rear wheels WR are journaled, has a structure that under pipes 70 connected with upper pipes 72 are attached to a platy base member 25 and a plate frame 73 coupled with the base member 25. The rear ends of the pair of left and right under pipes 70 are connected by a connecting pipe 71 extending in the vehicle body width direction, enhancing the rigidity as a frame. In Fig. 3, the centerline L3 of the axle 26 of the rear wheels WR is . shown. [0027] A cylinder part 74 connected with the base member 25 and plate frame 73 is turnably journaled to the linking mechanism 23, as the rotary shaft of the Neidhardt swing mechanism. The linking mechanism 23 is swingably linked to the body frame through a pivot part 34 at its front end. The shock unit 31, which gives a damping force to the rear body's swinging motion, is linked to the body frame through an upper pivot part 32 and to the linking mechanism 23 through a lower pivot part 33. [0028] Generally a fuel cell vehicle has a system to drain the water generated by the fuel cell during power generation, out of the vehicle body; in this saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle 1, the generated water discharged from the fuel cell 18 is guided rearward of the vehicle body through a drain pipe 67 located under the vehicle body and drained from between the pair of left and right rear wheels WR (in other words, within the inner width between the left and right rear wheels) out of the vehicle body. The drain pipe 67 which gives generated water includes: a first drain pipe portion composed of ducts 60, 62; and a second drain pipe portion 65 which is connected with the rear of the first drain pipe portion and extends to a rear part of the vehicle body. The first drain pipe portion and the second drain pipe portion may be made of resin such as rubber which can absorb an external force, ■ [0029] A silencer 61 which muffles the sound of drainage of generated water is provided between the duct 60 and duct 62 which constitute the first drain pipe portion. Rubber gaskets or the like are used at joint 61a between the duct 62 and silencer 61 and joint 61b (see Fig. 3) between the duct 60 and silencer 61 to prevent discharge pressure leakage. The silencer 61 is fixed on the under frames 7 as constituents of the front body, so it is less affected by vertical swinging motion of the rear body lb. [0030] A reservoir 64 which temporarily stores generated water is provided between the duct 62 and the second drain pipe portion 65. Since this reservoir 64 is linked to the cylinder part 74, it is less affected even when the front Hody sways left and right during running. The rear end of the duct 62 is engaged with a hook 63 and suspended by the linking mechanism 23 and turnably inserted into an inlet hole made in the reservoir 64. In this structure, since no twisting occurs between the reservoir 64 and the duct 62 even when the front body sways, it hardly happens that when the front body sways, the duct 62 is twisted and strained or the flow of generated water is interrupted. Even in the absence of the reservoir 64, it is possible to prevent twisting of the drain pipe by connecting the first drain pipe portion and second drain pipe portion circumferentially turnably with respect to each other. [0031] As described above, after the generated water discharged from the fuel cell 18 is guided through the first drain pipe portion, composed of the ducts 60, 62, to the reservoir 64 under the linking mechanism 23, it is guided through the second drain pipe portion 65 connected with the back of the reservoir 64 to the rear of the vehicle body. Since this series of drain pipes is located under the shock unit 31 and extends to the bottom side of the rear body, it is less affected by vertical swinging motion of the rear body than when it is located above the shock unit or otherwise. Furthermore, since the drain pipe's portion which is located more rearward is closer to the road surface, generated water is drained more smoothly. The shapes of the first and second drain pipe portions are not limited to those in this embodiment but may be modified in various ways. For example, the second drain pipe portion 65 may extend rearward of the vehicle body along one of the left and right under pipes 70 and return to the center of the vehicle body width direction before the drain port 65a. [0032] The generated water which has been guided through the second drain pipe portion 65 to the rear ends of the under pipes 70 is drained through the drain port 65a which is located at its tip and oriented toward the road surface. The second drain pipe portion 65 is suspended in the vicinity of the drain port 65 by a hook 66 attached to the connecting pipe 71. Since the drain port 65 according to this embodiment is located behind and under the axle 26 of the rear wheels WR when the vehicle body is viewed sideways, even if drops of generated water from the drain port splash due to traveling wind or oscillation, they are prevented from splashing on the rear wheels WR or rear body. [0033] Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the linking mechanism. The same reference numerals as those given above represent the same or equivalent elements. Here the vehicle body is shown with its front oriented to the right as seen in the figure. As described earlier, the cylinder part 74 connected with a pair of left and right plate frames 73 is turnably journaled to the body part 23a of the ■ linking mechanism 23, as the rotary shaft of the Neidhardt swing mechanism. In this embodiment, the reservoir 64 which temporarily stores generated water is attached under the cylinder part 74. [0034] The reservoir 64 is a concave container made of thin sheet metal or resin and functions as follows: even when the discharge speed of generated water from the duct 62 fluctuates, it stores generated water temporarily and stabilizes fluctuation in the discharge speed before supplying it to the second drain pipe portion 65. The second drain pipe portion 65 is coupled with the reservoir 64 in a way that no water leakage occurs at the joint 64b. On the other hand, the end of the duct 62 of the first drain pipe portion is turnably inserted into an inlet hole 64a made in the reservoir 64. The size of the inlet hole 64 is such that when the duct 62 is inserted in it, there remains space around it, so even if the front body sways seriously, this space absorbs its twist easily. The top of the reservoir 64 according to this embodiment is open but a cap member may be put on it so that generated water does not spill even when the rear body swings up and down. [0035] As described so far, in the saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle according to the present invention, the drain port of the drain pipe for generated water is located between the pair of left and right rear wheels behind and under the axle of the rear wheels, so the water generated by the fuel cell can be drained without splashing on the rear wheels or rear body. In addition. since the first drain pipe portion-can freely turn with respect to the second drain pipe portion, the drain pipe is not twisted and generated water can be drained smoothly even when the front body sways during running. [0036] The shape and material of the first drain pipe portion and second drain pipe portion, the shape and location of the reservoir, the method of connecting the reservoir and the drain pipe and so on are not limited to those in the above embodiment but may be modified in various ways. For example, the second drain pipe portion, which is less affected by vertical and horizontal swinging motions, may be made of hard resin or metal. [Brief Description of the Drawings] [0037] [Fig. 1] Fig. 1 is a side view of a saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is a top view of a saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a bottom view of a saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rear body of a saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle. [Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the linking mechanism of a saddle-ride type fuel cell three- wheeled vehicle. [Description of Reference Numerals and Letter] [0038] 1... Saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle la...Front body lb...Rear body 18...Fuel cell 23...Linking mechanism 23a...Body part 25...Base member 26...Axle 31...Shock unit 34...Pivot part 61...Silencer 60, 62...Duct (first drain pipe portion) 64...Reservoir 65...Second drain pipe portion 65a...Drain port 67...Drain pipe 70...Under pipe 73...Plate frame 74 ... Cylinder part WR...Rear wheel "[Document Name] Scope of Claims [Claim 1] A saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle having a fuel cell which generates electric power by chemical reaction between fuel gas and reaction gas, comprising a drain pipe which guides generated water discharged from the fuel cell out of a vehicle body; a rear body to which a pair of left and right rear wheels are journaled; and a linking mechanism which swingably links the rear body and a front body to allow the front body to sway left and right with respect to the rear body, wherein the drain pipe has a drain port between the pair of left and right rear wheels. [Claim 2] The saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle according to Claim 1, wherein the drain port is located behind and under an axle of the rear wheels when the vehicle body is viewed sideways. [Claim 3] The saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle according to Claim 1 or 2, further comprising a shock unit which suspends the rear body on a body frame and absorbs the rear body's vertical swinging motion, wherein the drain pipe extends under the shock unit to the rear body's bottom side. [Claim 4] The saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein: the fuel cell is attached to the front body and located under a seat for a rider to sit on; the drain pipe includes a first drain pipe portion which guides the generated water from the fuel cell to under the linking mechanism and a second drain pipe portion which guides the generated water from under the linking mechanism out of the vehicle body; and the first drain pipe portion and the second drain pipe portion are supported by the vehicle body in a manner that the first drain pipe portion can circumferentially turn with respect to the second drain pipe portion. [Claim 5] The saddle-ride type fuel cell three-wheeled vehicle according to Claim 4, further comprising a reservoir which temporarily stores the generated water between the first drain pipe portion and second drain pipe portion, wherein: the reservoir is attached to the rear body; and the first drain pipe portion is circumferentially turnably engaged with the reservoir.

Documents:

2273-CHE-2008 AMENDED CLAIMS 01-01-2014.pdf

2273-CHE-2008 EXAMINATION REPORT REPLY RECEIVED 01-01-2014.pdf

2273-CHE-2008 FORM-3 01-01-2014.pdf

2273-CHE-2008 OTHER PATENT DOCUMENT 01-01-2014.pdf

2273-che-2008 abstract.jpg

2273-che-2008 abstract.pdf

2273-che-2008 claims.pdf

2273-CHE-2008 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS 16-12-2013.pdf

2273-che-2008 correspondence others.pdf

2273-che-2008 correspondence-others.pdf

2273-che-2008 description (complete).pdf

2273-che-2008 drawings.pdf

2273-che-2008 form-1.pdf

2273-che-2008 form-18.pdf

2273-che-2008 form-26.pdf

2273-che-2008 form-3.pdf

2273-che-2008 form-5.pdf

2273-che-2008 others.pdf