FR2632464A1 - Electronic lighting device for bicycles and wheelchairs - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic system 1 allowing automatic supply to the lighting from a secondary energy source (batteries) following stoppage of the alternator. A photoresistor PR controls a darkness tester allowing night/day selection. At night, following stoppage of the vehicle, the batteries take over from the alternator in order to supply the lighting for a timed period resettable by push button BP. During the day, the batteries can be recharged by the alternator, a limiter making any overcharging impossible. A battery tester makes it possible to display the state of charge via indicators LO, LV, LT. A manual backup control displayed by an indicator LC provides for the lighting or the recharging of the cells in the event of complete discharge. The device can supply accessories such as radio, warning buzzer etc.

Description

 The present invention relates to an electronic device for signaling bicycles in motion as stopped. This device can ensure the same function on all vehicles whose electronic power supply is similar to that of bicycles: particularly wheelchairs for the disabled but also tandem, tricycle etc ...

 To this day, when moving a bicycle in the evening or at night, the alternator driven by one of the wheels supplies power to the front and rear lights. This power stops at the least stop (crossing, stop, beacon etc ...).

 It is at this point that the cyclist, poorly signaled, is in the greatest danger.

 The device according to the invention overcomes this disadvantage. In fact, it includes an ecliptic system which automatically enables the front and rear lamps to be powered from another source of energy. (batteries or batteries) as soon as the alternator stops.To save the batteries, the use of these batteries only takes place at night when it is stopped and is delayed. The duration of the delay (90 s) is sufficient for most short-term stops (stop, traffic lights, beacon, etc ...) However for a prolonged stop, it can be re-engaged by a simple push button.

The batteries used on the prototype are of the current type (R't - 1203 mA - average load number 1030). They allow gracie the economy system described above, an autonomy of 2 hours 30 lighting when stopped or about 30 stops between each load. Normal use of the bicycle 5 days a week with 10 stops per trip, half of the year (lighting especially in autumn and winter) allows a battery life of around 50 to 60 years. A battery tester built into the system allows to know the state of charge of the battery, an orange light comes on when there is about 1 hour of autonomy (sufficient safety margin to make a few more trips). The user knows that he will have to recharge the batteries soon.

 The electronic system according to the invention allows the tomato with the help of a dark tester to use the day the energy produced by the alternator rour recharging batteries. It will therefore suffice for the cyclist to switch on his speaker the day as soon as the orange light comes on. As soon as the load is sufficient, a green light will come on and a load limiter device will automatically stop the load.

 In case of exceptionally prolonged use of the vehicle (more than one year), the batteries may no longer have the power to power the electronic system. A safety device (3-position inverter) allows the day to manually switch on the charging device which avoids removing the batteries or using an external battery charger, or to supply the lights at night.

 The electronic system according to the invention is therefore totally independent of any energy or external action. It is fully automated except for the alternator, which can still be in operation.

 Industrially, the invented device is very easy to achieve it could be achieved using only very common electronic components, inexpensive but very known for their high reliability. The boxes are very easily made of plastic.

 Various solutions are possible: The electrical system may or may not be in the same housing as the batteries; it can also be incorporated into another set (for example before) with or without batteries, these can very well be placed near the alternator (under the saddle) or even be incorporated into the frame of the bicycle.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention
FIG. 1 represents a possible electrical diagram of the device according to the invention (diagram corresponding to the realized prototype).

 the electronic system operates in direct current, the alternating energy produced by the alternator of the vehicle is transformed into direct current in the diode bridge (P): The mass of the alternator is no longer at the mass of the bicylette .

 A darkness tester consisting of a photoresistor (PR) and an adjustable resistor (RA) automatically switches the system to night position or day position.

In night position, the transistor (T2) is closed and the transisitor (T1) powered is passing. If the bicycle is moving, the current generated by the alternator normally powers the rear and front lights. If the bicycle is stationary, the transistor (T3) becomes on, the timer consisting of a conventional integrated circuit 555 used as a comparator is a resistance system (R) - capacitor (C) is powered and opens the transistor (T4), it is therefore the energy of the batteries which feeds the fires; Two cases may arise
1 ") the bike restarts, the timer is no longer powered and closes the transistor (T4), the lights are powered by the alternator.

 2 Stopping the bicycle is longer than the expected time delay (about 90 seconds), it is then sufficient for the user to press the push button (BP) which reactivates the delay, -the lights continue to be powered by the batteries.

A battery tester consisting of Zener diodes (Z1) and (Z2) associated with a diode (D3) allows the display of the status of the chart. If the battery voltage is high (more than 5.4 Volts), the transistor (T5) is energized and the green LED (LV) comes on. As soon as the battery voltage reaches a critical threshold (about 5 volts), the transistor (T6) turns on and an orange LED (tao) indicates that it will charge the batteries, there is however a safety margin of about 1 hour. In normal use, no LED is lit (energy saving), nevertheless, a push button (BT) "Test
Battery "allows to check the correct state of charge of the batteries by lighting a light (LT).

 In the day position, the passing transistor (T2) allows the batteries to be recharged, a charge limiter controlled by the battery tester or not opens the transistor (T7) protecting the accumulators of an overload. The resistors (RC) are calculated to limit the charge intensity to 1/10 of the capacity of the batteries and thus prevent their deterioration.

 When the batteries are completely discharged after a very long period of non-use, a manual emergency control consisting of a 3-position inverter (I) allows: either to recharge the batteries during the day in position (P1) with lighting of the indicator light (LC) or to supply the lights at night in position (P), the intermediate position being the automatic use.

 The components whose use did not appear in the description above are intended to improve the operation of the assembly, The 4 NANDs of a CD 4011 are used here as a signal inverter, the 4 resistors ( RT) protect the transistors, the other resistors (R1), (R2) and (R3) make it possible to limit the intensity at the level of the LEDs (LEDs) and the diodes (D1), (D2), (D4), - ( D5) avoid a return of current.

 With a significant reserve of energy the device invented 'can be equipped with one or more "outputs" (A'J to allow the supply of accessories such as Radio, horn etc ...

 The device described above corresponds to the assembly of FIG. 2, it is directly usable on any existing bicycle without any modification.

 I; can however be completed very easily by a system allowing the indication of changes of direction (flashing), emergency stops (arning), shirring (brake lights) but for this it is necessary to equip the cycle corresponding accessories which n ' do not exist on a conventional bicycle.

 The fife 2 rerresente a possible assembly corresponding to the electrical diagram of Figure 1. The assembly is seen circuit board side and components. It is very compact (8.5 cm x 5 cm) and easily industrially feasible. It is of course possible to arrange the components differently or to choose others performing the same functions.

The characteristics of the components chosen in this arrangement are
R: 1m # - 1/4 W -1, T4: BD 237 R1: 47 JL - 1! 4 w T2: BD 135 R2: 470 # - 1/4 W T3, 5, T5, T7: 2N 2222
R3: 229 X - 1/4 W DL to> 9: 1N 4001
RT: 4.7 K # - 1/4 W Z1: Zener 4.3 V
RA: 10 K # - 1/4 W 22 Zener 4.7 V
PR: SC05 RC: 8.2 # ~ 1/2 W
LV, Lo, LT, LC: Leds Diode bridge: W005 integrated circuit CD 4011 integrated circuit NE 555
In series production, when the characteristics of the components are fixed, it is no longer necessary to maintain an adjustable resistance
RA but replace it with a fixed resistor whose value will be determined according to the photo-resistor PR chosen.

On this diagram the outputs are connected as follows
(su) alternator bicycle (2 wires)
(+) pole + batteries (lfil)
(-) pole - batteries and mass of the bicycle (2 wires)
(E) front and back lighting (2 wires)
(A) accessory outlet (1 or more wires)
(I1) inverter (I) 3 positions: input
(I2) inverter (I) manual position: day
(I3) inverter (I) manual position: night
(I4) inverter (I) automatic position
(bowl) push button (BT) battery test
(B2) push button (BP) reclosing timer
The 4 outputs (II), (I2), (I3), (14), (B1) can be connected to a 4-position miniature rotary switch. It is possible to add (B2) on a 5-way switch but it is better to keep the push button (> m) near the handle of the bicycle.

 Figure 3 is a clear view showing the one-piece device (1) (electronic system and batteries in the same case) in place at the front of a conventional bicycle. The push button (BP) for reclosing the timer is fixed near the handle.

 Figure 4 is an enlargement of the front portion of the bicycle to distinguish more clearly the small housing (1) attached to the handlebars. The "dashboard" part consists of the full load indicator (LV), the safety reserve indicator (LO), the battery test indicator (LT), the manual operation indicator (LC) and the photo -resistance (PR).

The emergency reversing switch (I) which should in principle never serve can be placed on the side or under the case.

 On this monobloc assembly, only 5 wires are to be connected: 2 wires to be connected to the alternator, 2 wires to be connected to the front and rear lights, 1 wire to the ground and possibly 1 or more wires to feed the accessories.

 The ideal would be to integrate in this housing the lighting before which would reduce the number of connections to 4 and have only one set at the front of the bicycle.

 Figure 5 shows a type of housing containing only the electronic system attached to the handlebars of the bicycle. The batteries being housed elsewhere incorporated or not to another set. In this case, the dashboard is then extra-flat.

 Figure 6 proposes a mounting of the electronic system alone in the housing of the front lighting, the top of the headlight forming "dashboard".

 Many other assemblies are possible, in fact the design and the forne of the cases are a matter of taste and depend on the materials used (plastic, aluminum, etc ...) and industrial production means.

 For various reasons, it is possible to amputate the invented device of subassemblies such as the battery tester, the display of the state of charge and the load limiter. At the limit, the system could be reduced to the charging device with or without load limiter and batteries. This device would then feed one or more accessories such as flashing, warning, stop lights, horn etc ...

Claims (4)

 1 ") Electronic device for supplying electrical energy to the front and rear lights of a bicycle or any vehicle whose power supply is similar to that of a bicycle, in particular wheelchairs for the disabled, characterized in that it comprises in a housing (1) an electronic system and batteries.  The electronic system is characterized in that it comprises a darkness tester using a photo-resistance (PR) and allowing automatic selection: use of night or day.  - In night-time operation, the alternator normally supplies the lights when the vehicle is in motion, however, when shut down, these are automatically supplied with energy by the accumulators using a timer that can be re-engaged from a push button (BP) to save energy.  - In daytime use, a device recharges the batteries from the alternator of the bicycle. This charge is stopped automatically as soon as the batteries have reached their maximum capacity.  The electronic system is also characterized in that it comprises a battery tester that allows the user to know the state of charge of the batteries using LEDs (LV), (lao), (LT) but also to stop the recharge described above as well as a manual emergency device allowing a use visualized by a light (LC), night or day in case of fully discharged batteries and one or more outlets allowing the supply of accessories (radio , buzzer, turn signals etc ...).  2 ") Device according to claim 1 characterized in that it is integrated with another set (headlight for example).  3) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the electronic system is no longer in the same box as the accumulators. The electronic system can be alone in one box or integrated to another (eg lighthouse). The batteries can also be alone in a case or integrated with another device.  4) Device according to claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the electronic system would be amputated battery tester so the display of the state of charge and the load limiter.  5g) Device according to claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3 or claim 4 characterized in that the output energy (alternator or batteries) of éloitronique system is used for the supply of accessories such as flashing, warning , buzzer, stop lights etc ...  6P) Device according to claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3 characterized in that the electronic system is reduced to the charging device with or without load limiter and batteries. This device would power one or more accessories such as flashing, warning, stop lights etc ...