Piaggio&c. S.p.a.

Luca Carmignani

Paolo Capozzella

Jury Cantini

Walter Mariotti

Luca Nuti

Alessio Sisi

Emiliano Guidi

Andrea Grassi

Giorgio Prosperini

Alessandro Caleo

Maurizio Marcacci

Federico Martini

A control system for an electrically-actuated, rideable saddle vehicle including an electric traction motor and a vehicle control system having two different speed acquisition systems. A first speed system includes a position sensor and controls power to the motor on a basis of a control signal, which is characteristic of torque selectively required by the electric motor. A second speed system includes Logic circuitry for estimating vehicle speed from estimated variations of a counter-electromotive force generated in the stator winding as a result of the rotor movement of the motor. The two systems allow optimizing control of the motor from both speed systems, or from that considered more reliable in a given operating condition, during operation of the vehicle. Illustratively, for low speeds, speed control may be based on sensor signals in the first speed system, while high speeds control may be based on the estimates from the logic system.

Control system of a rideable saddle vehicle provided with electric drive

An electric drive motorcycle (), comprises: a front portion comprising one or more front wheels () and a handlebar (); a rear portion comprising a saddle (), a shell body () arranged below said saddle (), and a rear wheel () arranged below said shell body (); an intermediate portion () extending as a connection between said front portion and said rear portion; an electric drive unit () connected to said rear wheel (); a power supply unit feeding said electric drive unit (); and a helmet carrying compartment () placed in the shell body () below the saddle (), wherein said power supply unit is arranged in a position below said helmet carrying compartment (), so that said saddle (), said helmet carrying compartment () and said power supply unit are substantially stacked on each other, being said helmet carrying compartment () and said power supply unit arranged inside the shell body (), wherein said supply unit comprises a battery unit () or a battery unit () and an electric motor/generator, wherein a control unit apt to control said drive unit () and said battery unit () is provided, said control unit comprising a case () arranged below the battery unit (), wherein a rear fork () jointed to the shell body () is provided, said rear fork comprising at least a fork arm () extending between said shell body () and said drive unit (), and wherein said rear fork () is placed beside and/or surrounds said case ().

Electric drive motorcycle

An electric drive motorcycle () allows a suitable configuration of all the components deputed to the electric supply of the motorcycle electric drive, and comprises: a front portion comprising one or more front wheels () and a handlebar (); a rear portion comprising a saddle (), a shell body () arranged below said saddle (), and a rear wheel () arranged below said shell body (); an intermediate portion () extending as a connection between said front portion and said rear portion; an electric drive unit () connected to said rear wheel (); and a hybrid supply unit supplying said electric drive unit (), comprising at least a battery unit () and a combustion engine () actuating an electric generator () apt to supply said battery unit () and/or said electric drive unit (), wherein said shell body () defines a housing space apt to receive at least said battery unit () and said combustion engine (), with the related electric generator (), placed side by side therebetween.

An electric drive motorcycle (), allows an effective arrangement of the battery unit thereof, optimizing the available space, and comprises: a front portion comprising one or more front wheels () and a handlebar (); a rear portion comprising a saddle (), a shell body () arranged below said saddle (), and a rear wheel () arranged below said shell body (); an intermediate portion () extending as a connection between said front portion and said rear portion; an electric drive unit () connected to said rear wheel by means of a transmission unit; and a power supply unit feeding said electric drive unit and comprising at least a battery unit (), wherein said battery unit () is shaped so as to have a polyhedral shape comprising at least a first side () tilted with respect to a vertical plane orthogonal to the front-rear direction of the motorcycle (), wherein the battery unit () occupies a position below a helmet carrying compartment () arranged below the saddle (), and wherein the battery unit () extending transversally from side to side in its own portion of a housing space existing in said shell body ().

An electric drive motorcycle () allows a suitable and effective cooling of the battery unit when the electric motor is operated, and comprises: a front portion comprising one or more front wheels () and a handlebar (); a rear portion comprising a saddle (), a shell body () arranged below said saddle (), and a rear wheel () arranged below said shell body (); an intermediate portion extending as a connection between said front portion and said rear portion; an electric drive unit () connected to said rear wheel (); and a hybrid supply unit supplying said electric drive unit (), comprising at least a battery unit () and a combustion engine () actuating an electric generator () apt to feed said battery unit () and/or said electric drive unit (), wherein the combustion engine () drives a cooling fan () arranged so that, when this is drawing a flow of cooling air through an inlet mouth (), such flow wets the battery unit (), before being drawn, wherein the combustion engine () comprises a crankshaft which is arranged transversally to said front-rear direction, said crankshaft having a first end keyed to an electric generator () arranged adjacent to the wall of the shell body (), and a second end thereto said cooling fan () is keyed, and wherein the sucking mouth () of the cooling fan () is faced towards the battery unit ().

In an electric traction motorcycle () the ignition of the motor and the related vehicle start his avoided if the electric supply accessories are not correctly in place, and to this purpose the motorcycle comprises: a front portion comprising one or more front wheels () and a handlebar (); a rear portion comprising a saddle (), a shell body () arranged below said saddle (), and a rear wheel () arranged below said shell body (); an intermediate portion () extending as a connection between said front portion and said rear portion; an electric drive unit () connected to said rear wheel (); a power supply unit supplying said electric drive unit (); and a helmet carrying compartment (), placed inside the shell body () below the saddle (), which is accessible by shifting said saddle () in an open position, wherein the shifting of the saddle () in an open position uncovers a service surface () therebelow a power lead cable compartment () is arranged which includes a power lead cable () which, when it is in retracted configuration, allows the complete closure of the saddle () and it is wholly included in its compartment (); said compartment () has a shape so as to adapt to the space available at a rear wall of the helmet carrying compartment () and of the rear wall of the shell body (), the power lead cable () having a connecting socket () and a respective seat () wherein it is placed in a resting position, and wherein, in such seat () a sensor is provided which detects the positioning of the connecting socket () and which provides, to a control unit of the motorcycle (), a signal allowing to start the motorcycle ().

An electric drive motorcycle () is competed with a filter box in the rear portion thereof, without limiting the space available for the batteries, comprises: a front portion comprising one or more front wheels and a handlebar; a rear portion comprising a saddle (), a shell body arranged below said saddle (), and a rear wheel arranged below said shell body; an intermediate portion extending as a connection between said front portion and said rear portion; an electric drive unit () connected to said rear wheel (); and a hybrid supply unit supplying said electric drive unit (), comprising at least a battery unit () and a combustion engine () actuating an electric generator (), said combustion engine () comprising an exhaust duct () with an expansion chamber () and a filter box () for feeding air to the combustion engine (), wherein said electric generator () is apt to supply said battery unit () and/or said electric drive unit, wherein, inside the shell body () and below the saddle (), a housing space is provided extending from one side to the other one of the shell body () and which receives the hybrid supply unit, in a first portion thereof, and wherein said filter box () and said exhaust duct () are arranged on the same side of the motorcycle.

It is described a rechargeable battery pack () for an electric or hybrid vehicle (), comprising: &#x2014;at least one electric connection member () to a powertrain group () of the electric or hybrid vehicle (); &#x2014;a plurality of mutually electrically connected cells (); &#x2014;at least one first circuit block () integrated in the rechargeable battery pack () and comprising a receiver () of satellite geo-localization signals and a processing unit () of said signals, which is operatively connected to said receiver () and adapted to detect a piece of information of geographic positioning of the rechargeable battery pack () in a geo-referenced system.

Rechargeable battery pack for electric or hybrid vehicles

Propulsion unit for an electric, pedal-assisted bicycle comprising an electric machine having a stator and a rotor, rotatable about a motor axis, said rotor being operatively connected to a crank pin, defining a crank axis, mechanically connected to pedals, and coaxial with the motor axis, wherein the rotor is coaxial and external with respect to the stator so as radially enclose the rotor. The propulsion unit comprises at least one electronic unit for operating and controlling the functioning of the electric machine, and at least a pair of housings that define a containment space which houses the electric machine and at least partially the crank pin.

Propulsion unit for an electric pedal-assisted cycle and pedal-assisted cycle thereof

A rechargeable battery pack () for an electric or hybrid vehicle (), comprising: at least one electric connection member () to a powertrain unit () of the electric or hybrid vehicle (); a plurality of mutually electrically connected cells (); at least one first circuit block () integrated in the rechargeable battery pack () and comprising a radio communication interface ().

Rechargeable battery pack for electric or hybrid vehicles comprising a communication interface

Propulsion unit for an electric pedal assisted cycle (EPAC) comprising an electric machine having a stator and a rotor, rotatable about a motor axis, said rotor () being operatively connected to a crank pin, defining a crank axis, mechanically connected to the pedals, wherein the propulsion unit comprises at least an electronic unit for operating and controlling the functioning of the electric machine, wherein the propulsion unit comprises at least a pair of housings defining a containment space which houses the electric machine and at least partially the crank pin, wherein the propulsion unit comprises transmission means of the motion from the rotor to the crank pin, wherein the electronic unit is contained and supported inside said containment space by an intermediate support element.

The present invention relates to a management method of the functioning mode of a hybrid drive assembly for vehicles, in particular scooters, and a hybrid drive assembly, comprising at least one internal combustion engine and an electric machine, using the method. The method according to the invention comprises the phases of determining a desired torque and a vehicle state on the basis of a set of received input parameters and/or commands and is characterized in that it comprises the phases of operating the internal combustion engine so that it does not provide torque and operating the electric machine so that it functions as generator for charging an accumulator.

Control method of a hybrid drive assembly for vehicles and a hybrid drive assembly using said method

Herein described is a hybrid propulsion and transmission system for a motorcycle of the type comprising at least an internal combustion engine () and at least one driving wheel (). The system comprises a first electric machine (), provided with first mechanical connection means () to the internal combustion engine (), and a second electric machine (), coupled with first electric machine () through electric and/or electronic connection means () and/or through second mechanical connection means (), and coupled with the driving wheel () through second mechanical connection means ().

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Pontedera, Italy

Luca Carmignani