JP2000038187A - Automatic transmission for bicycle with auxiliary power - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow comfortable pedaling by changing the speed change timing to each prescribed speed change position in automatic speed change control according to the auxiliary power control state from an auxiliary power unit for an automatic speed change. SOLUTION: When the travel of a bicycle is started, a manual travel mode with no auxiliary power is selected, and the speed change timing for an automatic speed change is changed based on a prescribed speed change control map. When a main switch is turned on for driving an auxiliary power motor after the bicycle reaches a slope or encounters a head wind, the speed change timing for the automatic speed change is changed based on another prescribed speed change control map. When the reduction of the battery voltage is not detected (step S5), leg power is detected (step S13), and the travel judgment process is conducted until the leg power value reaches the prescribed magnitude (step S14). The assist process (step S20) for auxiliary power control and the speed change process (step S21) according to the speed are conducted when the average torque is kept at a prescribed value or below.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic transmission for an auxiliary powered bicycle which is configured to automatically shift a transmission and to obtain auxiliary power from an auxiliary power unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the goodness of bicycles is being reviewed from the viewpoint of maintaining or improving the global environment. Expected. Under such circumstances, the technology of automatic shifting, which can automatically shift gears, is becoming widespread in bicycles. There is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-16316. On the other hand, bicycles with auxiliary power are also becoming popular, mainly among women and girls, and the fact is that in general, the shifting operation in such bicycles with auxiliary power is performed manually by passengers.

[0003]

Therefore, since the automatic transmission in the conventional bicycle and the transmission in the auxiliary powered bicycle do not have any particular connection,
A shift operation is performed regardless of the characteristics and state of the auxiliary power motor, or the auxiliary power motor is used in a range of low efficiency, which consumes excessive electric power and increases the loss of batteries to drive the vehicle. The situation where the distance did not increase was invited. Therefore, the applicant of the present application detects the traveling speed and the pedaling force of the human power in the assisted powered bicycle, selects a plurality of appropriate shift control maps according to these speeds and the pedaling force, and responds according to the load. An automatic transmission that appropriately shifts the transmission automatically (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-123978),
Automatic shifting of an auxiliary powered bicycle that detects the pedaling force by the bicycle speed and human power and the driving current of the auxiliary power motor, and operates the rear wheel transmission to the higher efficiency of the auxiliary power motor. An apparatus (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-240568) and the like have been proposed. These automatic transmissions by the present applicant have made it possible to travel comfortably without any interruption at the time of shifting during traveling.

However, in such an automatic transmission device for a bicycle with auxiliary power which is configured to automatically shift such a transmission and to obtain auxiliary power from an auxiliary power unit, the bicycle speed is appropriately determined by the running speed of the bicycle and the pedaling force by human power. Although automatic shift control can be performed, when the auxiliary power control is performed by obtaining the auxiliary power from the auxiliary power unit during traveling on an uphill or headwind, the speed and pedal depression force as described above are reduced. Even if an appropriate shift control map is selected, the shift position corresponding to the predetermined speed is performed at the same shift timing, so if the shift control map when the auxiliary power is not applied is used as it is, the human-powered crank The rotation speed seemed busy and I was uncomfortable. Such a phenomenon is uncomfortable because even if the power battery is exhausted and the auxiliary power is cut off, the gears are shifted at the same shift timing as during the auxiliary power control, so that the crank speed relative to human power does not match and it is uncomfortable. There was also a risk of becoming.

Accordingly, the present invention further improves the automatic transmission for a bicycle with an auxiliary power by the applicant of the present invention, and performs a gear change control with an optimum gear shift timing according to an auxiliary power control state, thereby providing comfortable pedaling. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic transmission for an auxiliary powered bicycle.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention is configured to automatically shift a transmission and to obtain auxiliary power from an auxiliary power unit. In the automatic power transmission device for a bicycle with auxiliary power configured to select according to the timing, the automatic transmission is changed by changing a shift timing to each of the predetermined shift positions according to an auxiliary power control state from the auxiliary power unit. It is characterized by having comprised in. Further, the invention is characterized in that the shift timing is changed by detecting the presence or absence of auxiliary power. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the shift timing is changed by detecting a predetermined magnitude of a pedaling force by human power during auxiliary power control. Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the shift control to each of the predetermined shift positions, the shift timing is different between the upshift side and the downshift side to provide hysteresis. The present invention also provides
The shift timing is changed by detecting that the voltage of the power supply battery has dropped below a predetermined first low voltage set value.
Further, the present invention detects that the voltage of the power supply battery has dropped below a second low-voltage set value lower than the first low-voltage set value, stops the shift control, and sets the transmission to a desired state after stopping running. It is characterized in that it is configured to be fixed at the shift position, and these are used as means for solving the problem.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 6 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an overall side view of an auxiliary powered bicycle according to the present invention equipped with an automatic transmission, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional plan view of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a torque detecting unit in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a speed change driving unit. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a control section of the automatic transmission for a bicycle with auxiliary power according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, a power supply battery 1 is placed along a seat post on an upper part of a hanger portion of the bicycle with auxiliary power of the present invention, and the hanger portion receives auxiliary power from an auxiliary power motor or the like, An auxiliary power unit 2 that outputs a driving force from a crankshaft sprocket 4 fixed to the crank 3 to a rear wheel sprocket 6 in accordance with the driving force of a pedal by human power;
And a shift drive unit 5 which detects a pedaling force (torque) by human power and automatically shifts a rear wheel shifting hub which is a transmission device of an internal type or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the auxiliary power unit 2 includes a transmission case (reduction gear) including a main body 25 installed on a hanger, side parts 16 and 31, and a control case 11 serving as a bottom. The sprocket 4 is rotated by the rotational driving force of a crankshaft 27 connected to an auxiliary power motor 12 and a human-powered pedal, and the chain The driving force is transmitted to the rear wheels via the. The driving force from the auxiliary power motor 12 is transmitted from the belt pulley 13 to the belt pulley 14 of the C gear 17 via the driving belt. The rotation is transmitted from the belt pulley 14 to the C gear 17 via a one-way clutch, and the auxiliary power motor 12
Is transmitted to the C gear 17 side and is isolated from the human power side so that the auxiliary power motor 12 is not driven by human power. The driving force from the C gear 17 is transmitted from the E gear 32 to the driven disk 29 via the D gear 33.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rotational driving force from the crankshaft 27 connected to the pedal by human power is applied to ratchets 23 (ratchet springs) and 28.
(Pawl) is transmitted to the driving disk 21 and the driven disk 21 drives the driven disk 29 via a pair of torque plates 24A and 24B. Thus, as described above, the driven disk 29 that has also received auxiliary power from the auxiliary power motor 12 via the E gear 32 rotates, and the sprocket 4 screwed to the outer periphery of the driven disk 29 rotates, The driving force is transmitted to the rear wheels via the chain. As shown in FIG. 1, the driving force transmitted via the chain is transmitted to the rear wheel sprocket 6 and then rotationally drives the rear wheels via an internal transmission installed inside the rear wheel hub.

When the torque applied to the crankshaft 27 by the pedaling by the human power increases while the bicycle is running, the driving disk 21 and the driven disk 29 are displaced to cause relative rotation, thereby causing the driven disk to rotate. Pin 26 at 29
, The U-shaped torque plates 24A and 24B disposed between the driving disk 21 and the driven disk 29 are bent so that both ends thereof are close to each other. On the other hand, the crankshaft 2
The face cam cone 22 is fitted on the back side of the driving disk 21 in 7, and is urged by the coil spring 18 toward the driven disk 29. A human power detection sensor (potentiometer) 19, which is a torque sensor for detecting a pedaling force by a human power for detecting the amount of movement of the face cam cone 22 in accordance with the axial movement of the face cam cone 22, is disposed on the back surface thereof. It is in contact with the back of the face cam cone 22.

In accordance with the amount of relative rotation of the driven disk 29 with respect to the driving disk 21, that is, the magnitude of the torque which is the stepping force of the pedal applied to the crankshaft 27, the cam projection on the outer periphery of the driven disk 29 Face cam cone 22
The cam action with the cam portion of the face cam cone 22
Moves a predetermined amount outward in the axial direction (to the left in FIG. 3).
Thereby, the detector of the human power detection sensor 19 in contact with the back surface of the face cam cone 22 is retracted by a predetermined amount to detect the magnitude of the torque of the crankshaft 27, and
According to the traveling speed calculated from the crankshaft speed sensor and the shift position, the selection of the shift control map employed as one means for changing the shift timing as described later is based on the pedaling force by human power during the auxiliary power control. This is performed by detecting a predetermined size of.

As shown in FIG. 5, in response to an input from the human power detecting sensor 19, a speed change motor 43 disposed in a case 44 of the speed change drive unit 5 is rotated by an appropriate angle, and is transmitted through a speed reduction gear 42. The speed change wheel 41 is rotated to pull the speed change operation wire 45. At this time, the winding amount of the speed change operation wire 45 is detected by the proximity switch 40 constituting the speed change motor rotation sensor, and the shift speed is read. When the speed change operation wire 45 is pulled, a speed change pulley (not shown) fixed to the end of the speed change operation wire 45 is operated to change the meshing combination of the speed change gear device by, for example, axial movement of a rear wheel hub shaft. Automatic transmission of the internal transmission of the type described above.

Although not shown, the speed detection sensor used in the present invention counts the number of pulses generated between a magnet installed on a rotating part such as a crankshaft and a reed switch installed on a fixed part, and counts the number of pulses. Shaft 27
The speed may be calculated from the number of rotations and the shift position, that is, the shift position, or a form in which a magnet and a reed switch are installed between the wheel and the frame and the number of pulses generated between them may be counted. .

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a control section of the bicycle automatic transmission with auxiliary power according to the present invention constructed as described above. In FIG. In the power battery voltage detector 6
1, speed sensor 62, speed change motor rotation sensor 63,
Human power detection sensor 64 and motor current detection sensor 6
Control circuit 6 having a microcomputer, etc.
5, the drive motor 69 and the auxiliary power motor 71 are appropriately driven and controlled via the motor driver 68 and the motor driver 70, respectively. Code 6
Reference numeral 7 denotes a shift stage display LED connected to the control circuit 65.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing each shift timing in a plurality of shift control maps employed as one means for changing the shift timing used in the automatic transmission for assisted bicycle according to the present invention. In FIG. 7, an upward arrow indicates a shift point on the upshift side, and a downward arrow indicates a shift point on the downshift side. Also, the solid line is a shift control map A during the auxiliary power control.
And a dashed line indicates a shift control map B when the average human power value exceeds a predetermined value during the auxiliary power control, and a dotted line indicates a shift control map C during traveling using only human power to which no auxiliary power is provided. Therefore, as is clear from FIG.
During the assist power control (solid-line shift control map A), when a certain speed having a value lower than the speed-change control map C is obtained as compared with traveling by only human power without providing the auxiliary power (shifted line control map C indicated by a dotted line). Shift up. That is, the driving torque of the pedal by human power may be small by the amount of the auxiliary power, so that it is possible to shift up early and reduce the rotation of the pedal, thereby enabling comfortable traveling.

When the average human power value becomes larger than a predetermined value due to an uphill road, headwind, or the like, the shift control map is indicated by a solid line A.
, The speed is shifted to a higher speed side to lower the gear ratio, thereby reducing the human power. In other words, when the load increases, the gear is shifted down at the predetermined speed, and the speed of pedal rotation is increased, but the vehicle can travel uphill smoothly. More preferably, as understood from FIG. 7, the shift points for the corresponding speeds on the up-shift side and the down-shift side in each of the shift control maps are somewhat shifted to provide hysteresis. As a result, frequent map switching is prevented, and comfortable automatic shift control can be performed.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are flow charts of control performed by a control circuit such as the microcomputer 65 in the bicycle automatic transmission with auxiliary power according to the present invention. FIG. 10 shows a shift control in accordance with the auxiliary power control state. It is a control time chart of the automatic transmission for bicycles with auxiliary power of this invention which selects a map and performs automatic transmission. Hereinafter, the shift control of the automatic transmission will be described with reference to these drawings. When the bicycle starts running (time T0), the presence or absence of an abnormality in the control circuit is determined in the initial setting of step S1, and the traveling speed signal VS is detected in step S2, and the battery voltage of the power supply is simultaneously detected in step S3. It is detected that ES is sufficiently high. After the acceleration of the bicycle is started at time T1 and the traveling speed signal VS increases, the shift gear position is automatically shifted up and down from the first gear to the fourth gear to the first gear with a predetermined pedal force along with a human-power pedal depression force. Shift control is performed,
Until time T2, the vehicle travels on a relatively flat road surface or in a windless state. Up to this point, the running mode using only human power without providing the auxiliary power is selected, and the shift timing of the automatic shift is performed by the shift control map C.

At time T2, the main switch 73 is driven to drive the auxiliary power motor to receive auxiliary power from the auxiliary power unit when the vehicle reaches a slope or encounters a headwind.
When (FIG. 6) is inserted, the shift timing of the automatic shift is performed according to the shift control map A. Time T2
At T3, automatic control is started by the shift control map A by turning on the main switch in step S4. However, if a decrease in battery voltage is not detected in step S5, human power detection is performed in step S13, and the human power value is reduced. Until a time T3 at which the shift control switching human power point Tx which is a predetermined size is reached, as shown in FIG. When the torque is equal to or less than Tx (step S18), step S20 is performed.
In FIG. 8 and step S21, the assist process as the auxiliary power control and the speed change process according to the speed are performed.

While the automatic shift is being performed at the shift timing of the shift control map A, a large running resistance is encountered at time T3, and the shift control switching manpower point Tx at which the manpower value is a predetermined magnitude. Is reached, the process proceeds from step S18 to step S19, and the automatic shift is performed according to the shift timing of the shift control map B. Until time T4 when the running resistance decreases and reaches the shift control switching manpower point Ty smaller than the shift control switching manpower point Tx, the automatic shift is performed according to the shift timing of the shift control map B depending on the running determination process in step S15. When the manpower becomes smaller than the shift control switching manpower point Ty at time T4, the shift control map A is selected in steps S16 to S17, and the automatic shift is performed at the shift timing of the shift control map A.

If the power battery is exhausted and at time T5, for example, the shift control can be performed but the auxiliary power control is not suitable for the auxiliary power control, the auxiliary power low voltage set value VL1 (with some margin, the auxiliary power control becomes impossible) If the battery voltage drops below, the battery voltage drop A is determined in step S5, and the process proceeds to the voltage drop process in step S6, where the auxiliary power is reduced. The control is stopped, and it is determined in step S7 of FIG. 9 that the detection of the battery voltage drop B (shift low voltage set value VL2) is not detected by the voltage drop process of step S6, and the shift low voltage set value V
If it is above L2, the shift control is still possible, so the shift control map C is selected in step S10, and step S1 is executed.
The automatic shift is continued by the shift process of No. 1. Further, if the power supply voltage recovers due to the stop of the auxiliary power and becomes larger than VL1, the automatic shift may be performed at the shift timing of the shift control map A in step S12. Further, the low-voltage set value VL2 for shifting, which causes the power supply battery to be exhausted and impairing the driving of the shifting motor for shifting control until time T6, for example, may be set appropriately as in VL1. When the battery voltage drops below, the battery voltage drop B is determined in step S7, and the shift control is stopped (locked to the third speed in FIG. 10).
It reaches step S8. If the stop of the running of the bicycle is detected in step S8, in step S9, the shift down to the second speed which is convenient for starting at the next running start is fixed. Thereafter, each control is not performed until the power supply battery is recharged.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, within the scope of the present invention, the type of the auxiliary power unit, the type of the speed reducer, the method of detecting the torque of the pedal depression force by human power, and the type of the automatic transmission Means for changing the shift timing, such as a shift method using the shift motor and the like, a detection method of the traveling speed, selection of characteristics of a shift control map, and the like can be appropriately selected.

[0022]

As has been described in detail above, the present invention is configured to automatically shift the transmission and to obtain auxiliary power from the auxiliary power unit, and the shift timing to each predetermined shift position in the automatic shift control. The automatic transmission device for a bicycle with auxiliary power configured to select the speed according to the speed is changed by automatically changing the shift timing to each of the predetermined shift positions according to the auxiliary power control state from the auxiliary power unit. Because the gears are configured to shift, the shift timing during auxiliary power control is set to a lower speed than when traveling only with human power, and the gear is shifted up earlier so that the driving torque of the pedal by human power is reduced by the amount of the auxiliary power. By doing so, it is possible to run comfortably with less pedal rotation.

Further, when the average human power value becomes larger than a predetermined value due to an uphill road, headwind, or the like, the shift control is changed so that the shift timing is shifted to a higher speed side to reduce the gear ratio. As a result, when the load increases, the gear is shifted down at a predetermined speed, and although the pedal rotation speed increases, the hill can be easily run uphill. Further, in the shift control to each of the predetermined shift positions, the shift timing is different between the shift-up side and the shift-down side to provide hysteresis, so that frequent map switching is prevented, and comfortable automatic shift control is performed. Can be performed.

Further, when the voltage of the power supply battery is reduced to a predetermined first low voltage set value, for example, an undesired level for supplying the auxiliary power, the shift timing is changed to the same shift timing as the manual driving. By configuring,
Since the auxiliary power control is stopped to prevent the power battery from being consumed by further auxiliary power control, even if low power is detected and the auxiliary power runs out, automatic shifting should be continued at the same shift timing as manual driving. Can be. Further, the shift control is stopped by detecting that the voltage at the power supply battery has decreased to a second low voltage set value lower than the first low voltage set value, for example, an undesired level for shift control of the transmission, Since the transmission is fixed at a desired shift position after running is stopped, further shifting control is stopped to prevent a voltage drop to the reset voltage of the control device, and the stop of running of the bicycle is detected. At this point, it can be fixed at a desired shift position that is convenient for starting at the start of the next run. As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided an automatic power transmission device for a bicycle with an auxiliary power which enables a comfortable pedaling by performing a speed change control at an optimum speed change timing according to an auxiliary power control state.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an automatic transmission for a bicycle with auxiliary power according to the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows an embodiment and is an overall side view of an auxiliary powered bicycle equipped with an automatic transmission.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the auxiliary power unit housed in a transmission case such as a speed reducer in the hanger portion of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional plan view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a torque detector in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a speed change drive unit.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a control unit of the bicycle automatic transmission with auxiliary power according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing each shift timing in a plurality of shift control maps used in the automatic transmission for assisted bicycle according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a control flow chart in the automatic transmission for a bicycle with auxiliary power according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a control flowchart in the automatic transmission for a bicycle with auxiliary power according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a control time chart of the auxiliary power-assisted bicycle automatic transmission according to the present invention which selects a shift control map in accordance with the auxiliary power control state and performs automatic gear shifting.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Power supply battery 2 Auxiliary power unit 3 Crank 4 Crankshaft sprocket 5 Variable speed drive part 6 Rear wheel sprocket 11 Control case 12 Auxiliary power motor 13, 14 Belt pulley 15 Pulley retaining ring 16 Side 17 C gear 18 Coil spring 19 Human power detection sensor (Potentiometer) 20 Coil spring 21 Driving disk 22 Face cam cone 23 Ratchet spring 24 Torque plate 25 Main body 26 Pin 27 Crank shaft 28 Claw 29 Follower disk 31 Side 32 E gear 33 D gear 34 Washer 40 Proximity switch 41 Speed change Wheel 42 Transmission gear 43 Transmission motor 44 Transmission case 45 Transmission operation wire 61 Battery voltage detector 62 Speed sensor 63 Transmission motor rotation sensor 64 Human power sensor 65 Control circuit (microcomputer) 67 For display LED 68 Motor driver 69 Speed change motor 70 Motor driver 71 Auxiliary power motor 72 Power battery 73 Main switch ES Battery voltage signal VS Running speed signal VL1 First low voltage set value VL2 Second low voltage set value Tx Shift control switching input point A Ty shift control switching input point B

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Ritsuo Nishimura 3-1-1 Nakatsuma, Ageo City, Saitama Prefecture Inside Bridgestone Cycle Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Nobuaki Shimada 3-1-1 Nakatsuma, Ageo City, Saitama Prefecture Inside Bridgestone Cycle Co., Ltd.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An auxiliary device configured to automatically shift a transmission and to obtain auxiliary power from an auxiliary power unit, and to select a shift timing to each predetermined shift position in automatic shift control according to a speed. In the automatic power transmission device for a powered bicycle, the automatic transmission is configured to change the timing of shifting to each of the predetermined shift positions in accordance with an auxiliary power control state from the auxiliary power unit to perform an automatic shift. Automatic transmission for bicycle with attached. 2. The automatic transmission according to claim 1, wherein the shift timing is changed by detecting the presence or absence of auxiliary power. 3. The auxiliary according to claim 1, wherein the change of the shift timing is performed by detecting a predetermined magnitude of a pedaling force by manual power during auxiliary power control. Automatic transmission for powered bicycles. 4. The auxiliary power supply according to claim 1, wherein, in the shift control to each of the predetermined shift positions, hysteresis is provided by changing the shift timing between the upshift side and the downshift side. Automatic transmission for bicycles. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shift timing is changed by detecting that the voltage of the power supply battery has dropped below a predetermined first low voltage set value. The automatic transmission for a bicycle with auxiliary power according to any one of the above. 6. A shift control is stopped upon detecting that the voltage at the power supply battery has dropped below a second low-voltage set value lower than the first low-voltage set value, and after stopping traveling, the transmission is controlled to a desired speed. 6. The automatic transmission device for a bicycle with auxiliary power according to claim 1, wherein the automatic transmission device is configured to be fixed at a shift position.