FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to electrically driven vehicles, in particular electric motorcycles and scooters BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vehicles having two wheels, such as motorcycles or scooters, are prone to the weight distribution problem. During a normal operation, such problem may cause the vehicle to topple and thus seriously injure the user. This technical problem remains a safety concern even when such vehicles are driven by electricity. European Patent Publication No. WO 2014/167411 A1 provides an example of electric motorcycle having such technical problem. The structure of the electric motorcycle includes a box casing containing battery cells, a control unit placed on the box casing and connected to the battery, and a propulsion unit positioned behind the box casing and connected to the control unit, housed in a load-bearing frame. The load-bearing frame is supported by a front fork which extends downward and laterally toward the back of the motorcycle, at which it is connected to the rear fork. The majority of weight of this electric motorcycle is located on the upper center of the motorcycle, above the rear wheel and the front wheel, and at about same level as the handlebars.

Moreover, the PCT International Patent Publication No. WO 2019/086445 A1 discloses designs of electric drive motorcycle having most of the heavy compartments in the rear section of the electric drive motorcycle. The main compartments disposed in the rear section of the electric drive motorcycle includes a saddle, a helmet-carrying compartment positioned below the saddle, a battery unit placed under the helmet-carrying compartment and a container containing a vehicle monitoring system disposed underneath the battery unit and on the rear fork. Most of the heavy compartments positioned in the rear section of the electric drive motorcycle makes the weight distribution unbalanced.

Furthermore, the European Patent No. EP 2783965 A1 provides a design of electric motorcycle having an electric motor disposed in one side of the rear arm, throwing the weight distribution to one side of the electric motorcycle. An object of the present invention is to provide an electric motorcycle and/or electric scooter, which allows a weight distribution that is conducive to a safer operation

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provides a novel configuration for an electric motorcycle which addresses the abovementioned object.

In an embodiment, an electric motorcycle comprises a front portion, a rear portion, a middle portion, and a driving mechanism. Said front portion comprises a handle; a front arm to support the handle; a front axis supported by the front arm; and a front wheel configured to be able to rotate around the front axis. Said rear portion comprises a rear arm; a rear axis supported by the rear arm; and a rear wheel configured to be able to rotate around the rear axis. Said middle portion, connected to both the front portion and the rear portion, comprises a base structure, aligning horizontally; and a seat supported by the base structure. And said driving mechanism is mounted upon the base structure, and comprises at least one battery; a motor electrically connected to the battery, configured to mechanically connect to at least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel so as to be capable of inducing rotation of the front wheel or the rear wheel. The electric motorcycle per this embodiment is characterized in that the driving mechanism is mounted upon the base structure so as to coincide with a base level, defined by a plane upon which both the front axis and the rear axis lie; and a base symmetry line, defined by a line that divides a horizontal plane occupied by the base structure into identical halves.

Preferably, the driving mechanism is mounted upon the base structure so as to further coincide with the electric motorcycle’s center of gravity.

Preferably, the battery is configured to have an additional function as a foot rest.

Also preferably, the battery is removable and portable.

For a better understanding of the concept of present invention, the preferred embodiment of will now be described in details, by way of non-limiting examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 shows a side view of an electric motorcycle in accordance with the preferred embodiment. Fig. 2 shows a top view of an electric motorcycle in accordance with the preferred embodiment.

Fig. 3 shows an isometric view of an electric motorcycle in accordance with the preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Unless indicated otherwise, certain terminologies are used in the following description for general illustration purpose only and shall not be construed to limit the scope of the concept of the present invention in any way. Likewise, any specific configurations, figures and dimensions herein are for illustrating purpose and should not be construed to limit the scope of the concept of this technical disclosure. Examples include “at” which shall be read to cover “substantially at” rather than be limited to “exactly at”, unless indicated otherwise; “same” which shall be read to cover “substantially same” rather than be limited to “exactly same”, unless indicated otherwise; “coincide” which shall be read to cover “substantially coincide” rather than be limited to “exactly coincide”; “identical” which shall be read to cover “substantially identical” rather than be limited to “exactly identical”, and so on.

Unless indicated otherwise, the terminology “electric motorcycle” shall be inclusive of any vehicle running on two or three wheels wherein such vehicle is significantly driven by electric power, irrespective of circumstantial features or specifications, such as power outputs, types of motor or electric cell, and placement of wheels. Examples of “electric motorcycle” under this meaning shall include so-called electric scooters and hybrid motorcycles, among others, which may be appreciated by a person having ordinary skills in the relevant technical field.

Fig. 1 shows a side view of the preferred embodiment of an electric motorcycle. In this preferred embodiment, the electric motorcycle 10 comprises a front portion 100, a rear portion 200, a middle portion 300 and a driving mechanism 400.

The front portion 100 comprises a front arm which in the preferred embodiment is a front fork 102. The front fork 102 supports a handle 104 located in the upper part of the front portion 100, and at the same time supports a front axis 106 around which a front wheel 108 is able to rotate. In the preferred embodiment, the front fork 102 supports the handle 104 by configuring its upper end 110 so that the handle 104 may be fixedly mounted upon the upper end 110. Additionally, in the preferred embodiment, the front fork 102 supports front axis 106 by having two prongs 112 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 1) branching away from each other, between which the front axis 106 may be fitted. According to the preferred embodiment, the handle 104 is allowed to be manually turned while so supported by the front fork 102 in order to turn the front wheel 106, allowing the user to control the driving direction while the electric motorcycle 10 is being operated.

Fig. 1 further shows that, in the preferred embodiment, the rear portion 200 comprises a rear arm 202. The rear arm 202 supports a rear axis 204 around which a rear wheel 206 is able to rotate. In the preferred embodiment, the rear arm 202 supports the rear axis 204 by providing an opening through which the rear axis 204 may be fitted.

According to Fig. 1, the middle portion 300 is connected to both the front portion 100 and the rear portion 200, holding the front portion 100 and the rear portion 200 together. The middle portion 300 has a base structure, which in the preferred embodiment are two side tubes 302 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 1). The side tubes 302 align horizontally, that is, lying within a plane parallel to the ground while the electric motorcycle 10 is being operated. The middle portion 300 also comprises a seat 304 that is supported by a seat supporting structure (not shown in Fig. 1) attached to the side tubes 302. In the preferred embodiment, said connection between the middle portion 300 and the front portion 100 is provided by a main pipe 306 and two branched pipes 308 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 1). In particular, one end of the main pipe 306 is connected to the front fork 102; and at a proximity to another end of the main pipe 306, the two branched pipes 308 are fitted between the main pipe 306 and the two side tubes 302. On the other hand, said connection between the middle portion 300 and the rear portion in accordance with the preferred embodiment is provided by a coupling structure 310. In the preferred embodiment, the coupling structure 310 is connected to the side tubes 302 and the rear arm 202. Further, the coupling structure has a spring 312 to absorb impact forces while the electric motorcycle 10 is being operated.

Moreover, Fig. 1 shows that the driving mechanism 400 is mounted upon the side tubes 302. The driving mechanism 400 comprises two batteries 402 which in the preferred embodiment are housed inside a battery box 404. In the preferred embodiment, the batteries 402 weigh 11.0 kg in total and have an additional function as a foot rest, and the batteries 402 are removable and portable. The driving mechanism 400 also has a motor 406 that is electrically connected to the batteries 402. In the preferred embodiment, the motor 406 weighs 20 kg. In the preferred embodiment, such electrical connection is provided by the configurations inside the battery box 404 which is not shown because such configurations are irrelevant to the explanation of the present inventive concept. In the preferred embodiment, the motor 406 is configured to mechanically connect to the rear wheel 206 so as to be capable of inducing rotation of the rear wheel 206 while the electric motorcycle 10 is being operated. To explain such mechanical connection more particularly, the motor 406 has a shaft 408 that is coupled with a set of pulleys 410 around which belts 412 are engagingly mounted. The same set of pulleys 41 and the engagingly mounted belts 412 is further coupled with the rear wheel 206. When the electricity is discharged from the batteries 402 via said electrical connection to the motor 406, the motor 406 converts the received electric energy to mechanical energy, inducing the rotation of the shaft 408 which in turn pulls the belts 412 to rotate the pulleys 410, which, via said mechanical connection, induces the rotation of the rear wheel 206.

According to Fig. 1, a base level 12 is defined by a plane upon which both the front axis 106 and the rear axis 204 he. Here, Fig. 1 shows a preferred configuration by which the driving mechanism 400 is mounted upon the side tubes 302 so as to coincide with the base level 12. The electric motorcycle 10 that is accordingly configured allows a weight distribution by which the driving mechanism 400, having the batteries 402, the battery box 404, and the motor, 406, which are most of the electric motorcycle’s 10 heavy compartments, are located close to the ground while the electric motorcycle 10 is being operated. Such weight distribution is desirable because it is conducive to a safer operation of the electric motorcycle 10.

Fig. 2 shows a top view of the preferred embodiment of an electric motorcycle. This view reveals some components having two bodies but one of them is hidden by the side view of Fig. 1. Particularly, the two prongs 112 of the front fork 102; the two side tubes 302; and the two branched pipes 308, are now fully visible in Fig. 2.

According to Fig. 2, a base symmetry line 14 is defined by a line that divides a horizontal plane occupied by the base structure into identical halves. Here, Fig. 2 shows a preferred configuration by which the driving mechanism 400 is mounted upon the side tubes 302 so as to coincide with the base symmetry line 14. The electric motorcycle 10 that is accordingly configured allows a weight distribution by which the driving mechanism 400, having the batteries 402, the battery box 404, and the motor, 406, which are most of the electric motorcycle’s 10 heavy compartments, are located so that the weight of driving mechanism 400 is borne uniformly by the side tubes 302 while the electric motorcycle 10 is being operated. Such weight distribution is desirable because it is conducive to a safer operation of the electric motorcycle 10. For avoidance of doubt, the preferred embodiment’s driving mechanism 400 is mounted upon the side tubes 302 so as to coincide with both the base level 12 (shown in Fig. 1; hidden in Fig. 2) and the base symmetry line 14 (hidden in Fig. 1; shown in Fig. 2).

Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment, the driving mechanism 400 is mounted upon the side tubes 302 so as to further coincide with the electric motorcycle’s 10 center of gravity. This positioning is even more desirable because it further improves the balance of the electric motorcycle 10.

Fig. 3 shows an isometric view of the preferred embodiment of an electric motorcycle. Here, for completeness, a seat supporting structure 314 is shown in addition to the foregoing portions and components which have been previously described in full detail.