JP7285451B2 - Electric bicycle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to electric bicycles.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electric bicycle has been disclosed that includes an electric motor and is capable of exerting an auxiliary driving force of the electric motor when walking (for example, see Patent Document 1). According to this electric bicycle, it is possible for the user to operate the push-walking operation means of the electric bicycle to obtain auxiliary driving force from the electric motor during push-walking.

Japanese Patent No. 4118985

By the way, in an electric bicycle equipped with a push-walking mode, the user operates the push-walking operation means to generate an auxiliary driving force, thereby accelerating the electric bicycle to a predetermined speed. Therefore, even when the user is riding the electric bicycle, if the push-walking operation means is operated, an auxiliary driving force for push-walking will be generated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electric bicycle that does not generate an auxiliary drive force for pushing while the user is riding the electric bicycle.

In order to achieve the above object, an electric bicycle according to one aspect of the present invention is an electric bicycle including an electric motor, in which a first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to a human-powered driving force based on a force applied to a pedal. and a second mode in which the vehicle is pushed by adding the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor to the pushing force on the vehicle body, or in which the second auxiliary driving force is added and the vehicle is self-propelled. A control unit that executes the second mode, a reception unit that receives a signal for executing the second mode, and a roll angle detection unit that detects the roll angle of the vehicle body. , when the absolute value of the roll angle of the vehicle body detected by the roll angle detection unit exceeds a predetermined range, execution of the second mode is permitted, and when the absolute value of the roll angle is within the predetermined range, inhibits execution of the second mode.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electric bicycle that does not generate auxiliary driving force for pushing while the user is riding the electric bicycle.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an electric bicycle according to an embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a handle and an operating portion of the electric bicycle according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the electric bicycle according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a rear view showing a state in which a user gets on the electric bicycle according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a rear view showing a state in which the user is pushing the electric bicycle according to the embodiment without getting on it. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the flow of the electric bicycle control method according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a rear view showing one state of the electric bicycle according to Modification 3. FIG.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Below, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that each of the embodiments described below is a specific example of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement and connection of components, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not described in independent claims representing the highest level concept of the present invention will be described as optional constituent elements.

Each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily strictly illustrated. Therefore, for example, scales and the like do not necessarily match in each drawing. Moreover, in each figure, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected about the substantially same structure, and the overlapping description is abbreviate|omitted or simplified.

In the following description, "forward" is the direction in which the electric bicycle travels, and "backward" is the opposite direction. Specifically, the handle side is "forward" with respect to the saddle of the electric bicycle. The “horizontal direction” is a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and the “vertical direction” is a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the front-rear direction may be described as the X-axis direction, the left-right direction as the Y-axis direction, and the vertical direction as the Z-axis direction. Rotation around the X-axis direction is rolling motion, and the rotation angle is the roll angle. Rotation around the Y-axis direction is a pitching motion, and the angle of rotation is called a pitch angle. Rotation around the Z-axis direction is yawing motion, and the rotation angle is the yaw angle. The Z-axis is used as a reference axis (zero) for the roll angle and the pitch angle, and the X-axis is used as the reference axis for the yaw angle.

[composition]
First, the configuration of the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a side view showing an electric bicycle 1 according to an embodiment.

The electric bicycle 1 has a first mode and a second mode. The first mode is, for example, an assist mode, and assists the forward movement of the vehicle body 10 based on the user's stepping force on the pedal 17 . The second mode includes, for example, a push-walk mode or a free-running mode. In the push-walking mode, when the user walks while pushing the electric bicycle 1, forward movement of the vehicle body 10 is assisted based on the user's force pushing the vehicle body 10 forward. In the self-propelled mode, the forward movement of the vehicle body 10 is assisted while the electric bicycle 1 is being supported.

The electric bicycle 1 includes a vehicle body 10, a motor drive unit 20 attached to the vehicle body 10, an operation unit 40, a battery 50, a headlight 60, a crank rotation sensor 31, a pedaling force sensor 33, and a current sensor 130. , a vehicle speed sensor 243 , and a shift stage measuring unit 70 .

The vehicle body 10 includes a frame 11, front wheels 12, rear wheels 13, a steering wheel 14, a saddle 15, cranks 16, pedals 17, sprockets 18, and chains 19. - 特許庁

The frame 11 includes a head pipe 111 , a main frame 112 , a standing pipe 113 , a fork 114 and chain stays 115 . The head pipe 111 supports a fork 114 supporting the front wheel 12 and a handle 14 so as to be rotatable around the axis of the head pipe 111 . By turning the handle 14 left and right, the direction of the front wheel 12 supported by the fork 114 can be turned left and right.

The main frame 112 is a portion that connects the head pipe 111 and the standing pipe 113 . A crank 16 and a motor drive unit 20 are attached to the lower end of the main frame 112 . The electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment is a so-called center unit type electric bicycle 1 in which the crank 16 and the motor drive unit 20 are integrated.

The standing pipe 113 detachably supports the saddle 15 . Specifically, a seat post 151 that supports the saddle 15 is inserted and fixed to the standing pipe 113 . In this embodiment, the battery 50 is detachably attached to the standing pipe 113 .

The fork 114 rotatably supports the front wheel 12 . A headlamp 60 is attached to the fork 114 that supports the front wheel 12 . Chain stay 115 rotatably supports rear wheel 13 .

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the handle 14 and the operating portion 40 of the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the handle 14 is provided with a pair of grips 141 and brake levers 142 on the left and right. A pair of grips 141 are portions that are gripped by a hand when the user gets on the vehicle in an appropriate posture. Also, the pair of grips 141 are gripped by the hand when the user pushes or supports the electric bicycle 1 and receives a forward pushing force. At least one of the pair of grips 141 may be provided with a grip sensor that detects gripping force or pressing force.

A pair of brake levers 142 are operation levers of a brake device (not shown) attached to each of the front wheel 12 and the rear wheel 13 . When the user operates one of the brake levers 142 , the brake device attached to the front wheels 12 is driven to apply mechanical braking force to the front wheels 12 . When the user operates the other brake lever 142 , the brake device attached to the rear wheel 13 is driven to apply a mechanical braking force to the rear wheel 13 .

An operation unit 40 is provided near one of the pair of brake levers 142 (the left brake lever 142 in this embodiment). The operation unit 40 is a terminal device including a light switch (not shown) for turning on the headlamp 60, a power switch 41 (see FIG. 3), and the like. The operation unit 40 also includes a mechanical manual switch 42 . Note that the installation location of the manual switch 42 can be changed as appropriate. Manual switch 42 accepts a push-walk operation for executing the second mode. The manual switch 42 is, for example, a momentary switch. Specifically, while the manual switch 42 is being pressed by the user, the operation unit 40 receives a signal for executing the second mode (second mode ON signal) emitted from the manual switch 42. , continues to output the second mode ON signal to the control device 22 (described later). That is, the operation unit 40 is an example of a reception unit that receives a signal for executing the second mode.

On the other hand, the operation unit 40 does not output the second mode ON signal to the control device 22 while the manual switch 42 is not pressed.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the crank 16 has a crankshaft 161 and a pair of crank arms 162 . One crank arm 162 is provided on each side of the main frame 112 and fixed to both ends of a crank shaft 161 extending in the left-right direction. One end of the crank arm 162 is fixed to the crankshaft 161, and the pedal 17 is rotatably fixed to the other end. When a pedaling force is applied to the pedal 17 , the crank arm 162 rotates about the crankshaft 161 , and the human power driving force generated by this rotation is transmitted to the rear wheel 13 via the sprocket 18 and chain 19 . When operating in the first mode, the human-powered driving force based on the pedaling force and the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 added to the human-powered driving force are transmitted to the rear wheels 13 .

The motor drive unit 20 is unitized by housing an electric motor 21 and a control device 22 in a housing made of resin or metal.

The electric motor 21 is driven by receiving power from the battery 50 under the control of the control device 22 . Rotational torque of the electric motor 21 is transmitted to the sprocket of the rear wheel 13 to rotate the rear wheel 13 . Rotational torque means the first auxiliary driving force and the second auxiliary driving force. Further, the electric motor 21 can perform regenerative operation to generate regenerative electric power and charge the battery 50 during non-drive in which no motor output is produced, and can operate as a regenerative brake.

The electric motor 21 is a motor that serves as a first auxiliary driving force and a second auxiliary driving force. The electric motor 21 adds the first auxiliary driving force to the human-powered driving force based on the force applied to the pedal 17 while the first mode is being executed. In addition, the electric motor 21 adds the second auxiliary driving force to the power of pushing or supporting the electric bicycle 1 while the second mode is being executed.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3 , the control device 22 controls the electric motor based on information sensed by sensors such as the crank rotation sensor 31, the pedal force sensor 33, the current sensor 130, the vehicle speed sensor 243, the gear stage measuring section 70, and the angle sensor 156. 21, that is, the output of the electric motor 21 for applying the appropriate first auxiliary driving force and second auxiliary driving force. In the present embodiment, the control device 22 is housed inside the housing of the motor drive unit 20, but it is not limited to this. The control device 22 may be provided separately from the motor drive unit 20 .

The control device 22 is implemented by, for example, a microcomputer (microcontroller), and includes a nonvolatile memory storing a program, a volatile memory that is a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input/output port, and a program executing unit. It consists of a processor that Alternatively, controller 22 may be implemented with dedicated electronic circuitry.

The control device 22 includes an electric motor 21, a crank rotation sensor 31, a pedal force sensor 33, a current sensor 130, a vehicle speed sensor 243, a gear stage measuring section 70, a power switch 41, an operation section 40, a battery 50, an angle sensor 156 and a headlight. A light 60 is connected. An operation signal for each switch and a detection result by each sensor are input to the control device 22 .

The crank rotation sensor 31 and the pedaling force sensor 33 are arranged near the crankshaft 161 . The current sensor 130 is arranged near the rotating shaft of the electric motor 21 .

The crank rotation sensor 31 can detect the rotation speed of the crank 16 per unit time. The crank rotation sensor 31 is realized by having a gear-shaped rotating body and a photodetector having a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion arranged so as to sandwich the teeth of the rotating body. Note that the crank rotation sensor 31 may have any configuration as long as it can detect the rotation speed of the crank 16 .

The current sensor 130 is a circuit that calculates the value of current flowing through the electric motor 21 and outputs current information indicating the current value. Current sensor 130 has motor rotation sensor 32 and motor torque sensor 131 . The current sensor 130 calculates a current value using the number of revolutions per unit time of the electric motor 21 detected by the motor rotation sensor 32 and the torque of the electric motor 21 detected by the motor torque sensor 131 . The current value can be calculated by the motor rotation sensor 32 and the motor torque sensor 131 independently. Therefore, it is not always necessary to use both the motor rotation sensor 32 and the motor torque sensor 131 to calculate the current value.

The motor rotation sensor 32 has a magnet that rotates integrally with the rotating shaft of the electric motor 21 and a Hall IC. The Hall IC detects the number of rotations of the magnet per unit time, that is, the number of rotations of the electric motor 21, by detecting a change in the magnetic field that changes according to the rotation of the magnet. Note that the motor rotation sensor 32 may have any configuration as long as it can detect the rotation speed of the electric motor 21 .

A motor torque sensor 131 can detect the torque of the electric motor 21 . The motor torque sensor 131 is, for example, a magnetostrictive, strain gauge, or optical torque sensor, but is not limited thereto, and may be of any configuration as long as the torque of the electric motor 21 can be detected.

The pedaling force sensor 33 is a magnetostrictive torque sensor, and detects a human-powered driving force generated by rotating the crankshaft 161 based on the human-powered driving force applied to the pedals 17 . The pedal force sensor 33 has a coil and a magnetostriction generator. For example, when a pedaling force is applied to the pedal 17 to generate a human-powered driving force, distortion occurs in the magnetostrictive portion. The magnetostrictive portion has a portion where the magnetic permeability increases and a portion where the magnetic permeability decreases. By detecting the inductance difference between the coils, the human power driving force is detected. The configuration of the pedal force sensor 33 is not particularly limited, and any configuration may be used as long as it can detect the human power driving force applied to the pedal 17 . The manpower driving force is synonymous with the pedaling force.

The vehicle speed sensor 243 is provided at the lower end of the fork 114, for example. Vehicle speed sensor 243 detects the traveling speed of electric bicycle 1 from the rotation of front wheel 12 and transmits speed information indicating the traveling speed to control device 22 . The vehicle speed sensor 243 is, for example, a speed sensor or the like. The vehicle speed sensor 243 outputs speed information regarding the running speed of the electric bicycle 1 to the control device 22 . The speed sensor may be, for example, a wheel sensor or the like, but may also be a cycle computer that calculates ground speed, and may have any configuration as long as it can detect the speed of the electric bicycle 1 .

The gear stage measuring unit 70 measures the gear stage of the rear wheels 13 and transmits information indicating the gear stage to the control device 22 . The measurement of the gear stage may be realized by, for example, outputting to the control unit 221 information indicating the gear stage output by the gear stage switching device.

The angle sensor 156 is a sensor that detects the roll angle, pitch angle and yaw angle of the vehicle body 10 . That is, the angle sensor 156 is an example of the roll angle detection section according to the present invention, and is also an example of the pitch angle detection section. Specifically, the angle sensor 156 includes a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, a triaxial angle sensor, and the like. Although the angle sensor 156 may be installed at any location, it is preferably installed on the control board forming the control device 22 from the viewpoint of shortening the wiring and making the circuit configuration compact.

The control device 22 supplies power supplied from the battery 50 to the electric motor 21 and the headlight 60 .

The control device 22 has a control section 221 . The controller 221 drives the electric motor 21 according to the operation mode of the electric bicycle 1 . Specifically, the control unit 221 has a first mode and a second mode, and switches and executes the first mode and the second mode.

The assist mode, which is an example of the first mode, is a mode in which the vehicle travels by adding a first auxiliary driving force from the electric motor 21 to the human power driving force based on the force applied to the pedal 17 . The assist mode is executed when the user is riding the electric bicycle 1 after the power switch 41 is pressed to turn on the power. Specifically, the assist mode is executed when the force applied to the pedal 17 detected by the force sensor 33 is greater than a predetermined threshold.

The second mode is a mode in which the pushing force applied to the vehicle body 10 is added with a second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 to push the vehicle, or a mode in which the vehicle is self-propelled by adding the second auxiliary driving force (push-walking mode or self-propelled mode). mode). In other words, the push-walking mode is a mode in which the electric motor 21 applies the second auxiliary driving force to the vehicle body 10 when the user pushes the electric bicycle 1 while the power is on. The push-walking mode is executed when the user is not riding the electric bicycle 1 and walks while pushing the body 10 of the electric bicycle 1 .

The self-running mode is a mode in which the electric bicycle 1 is self-running by applying the second auxiliary driving force from the electric motor 21 to the vehicle body 10 while the electric bicycle 1 is supported by the user. Similar to the push-walking mode, the self-propelled mode is executed when a person is not riding the electric bicycle 1 and walks while supporting the body 10 of the electric bicycle 1 . In the self-propelled mode, the user does not apply force to push the vehicle body 10 forward.

It should be noted that the push-walking mode and the self-propelled mode can be distinguished by the presence or absence of forward pushing force on the vehicle body 10 . For example, the control unit 221 may detect the presence or absence of a forward pushing force by a grip sensor or the like provided in the grip 141 or the like, and switch between the push-walking mode and the self-running mode according to the detection result. . Alternatively, the control unit 221 may execute the second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is applied without distinguishing between the push-walking mode and the free-running mode.

When executing the assist mode, the control unit 221 determines the magnitude of the first auxiliary driving force generated by the electric motor 21 based on the force applied to the pedal 17 and the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1 . The force applied to the pedal 17 is obtained from the detection result of the force sensor 33 . The running speed of the electric bicycle 1 is calculated by the vehicle speed sensor 243 .

The first auxiliary driving force in the assist mode varies depending on the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1, but is, for example, twice or less than the force applied to the pedal 17. For example, when the running speed of the electric bicycle 1 is less than 10 km/h, the control unit 221 drives the electric motor 21 to generate a first auxiliary driving force that is less than twice the force applied to the pedal 17 . The control unit 221 does not cause the electric motor 21 to generate the first auxiliary driving force when the speed is 24 km/h or more. When the speed is 10 km/h or more and less than 24 km/h, the control unit 221 drives the electric motor 21 to generate the first auxiliary driving force determined according to the speed.

The control unit 221 permits execution of the second mode when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the reception state in which the operation unit 40 receives an operation (push-walking operation) for executing the second mode. Execution of the second mode is prohibited when a predetermined condition is not satisfied.

Here, the reception state is a state in which a second mode ON signal is output from the operation unit 40 to the control device 22 by pressing the manual switch 42 by the user.

The predetermined condition is a condition for determining whether the user is riding the electric bicycle or not.

FIG. 4 is a rear view showing a state in which a user gets on the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a rear view showing a state in which the user is pushing the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment without getting on it. In FIGS. 4 and 5, users are indicated by dashed lines.

In FIG. 4, the user is seated on the saddle 15 of the electric bicycle 1 and is pedaling the pedals 17, so the vehicle body 10 is also in a posture substantially along the Z-axis direction. Therefore, the absolute value of the roll angle of the vehicle body 10 with respect to the Z-axis direction is also within a predetermined range (for example, within 5 degrees).

On the other hand, in FIG. 5, the user is holding the handle 14 and pushing the electric bicycle 1, so the vehicle body 10 is tilted to the side. Therefore, the absolute value of the roll angle of the vehicle body 10 with respect to the Z-axis direction exceeds the predetermined range.

That is, when the absolute value of the roll angle of the vehicle body 10 detected by the angle sensor 156 exceeds a predetermined range, the control unit 221 permits execution of the second mode, and the absolute value of the roll angle is within the predetermined range. , the execution of the second mode is prohibited.

The control unit 221 stops the second mode when the accepting state is canceled during execution of the second mode. Cancellation of the accepting state is a state in which the operating unit 40 does not accept an operation for executing the second mode. Specifically, the user no longer presses the manual switch 42 and the second mode ON signal is not output from the operation unit 40 to the control device 22 . Note that even if the manual switch 42 is pressed, the second mode ON signal is not output if the operation unit 40 fails.

Note that the second mode does not have to be executed when the force applied to the pedal 17 is greater than a predetermined threshold. That is, the first mode and the second mode are executed exclusively.

When executing the second mode, the control unit 221 causes the electric motor 21 to generate the second auxiliary driving force so that the running speed of the electric bicycle 1 does not exceed a predetermined upper limit. The second auxiliary driving force in the second mode is, for example, a magnitude that makes the speed of the electric bicycle 1 less than 6 km/h. Although the upper limit of the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1 is set to 6 km/h here, it may be 3 km/h, and is not particularly limited.

The battery 50 is a storage battery that stores electric power for driving the electric motor 21 . The battery 50 is, for example, a secondary battery, but may be a capacitor or the like. Battery 50 is electrically connected to electric motor 21 . Specifically, the battery 50 supplies power to the electric motor 21 and charges regenerated power from the electric motor 21 .

[How to control an electric bicycle]
FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the flow of the control method for the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment.

Here, assuming that the power switch 41 is turned on in advance, the process of causing the electric bicycle 1 to execute the second mode will be described. Note that if the power switch 41 is turned off during execution of the second mode, the power supply to the electric motor 21 is stopped, so the second mode is also stopped.

In step S1, the control unit 221 determines whether or not the reception state has been detected. If the reception state has been detected, the process proceeds to step S2. continue.

In step S2, the control unit 221 determines whether the absolute value of the roll angle of the vehicle body 10 detected by the angle sensor 156 exceeds a predetermined range. If the absolute value of the roll angle exceeds the predetermined range, the process proceeds to step S4.

At step S3, the control unit 221 prohibits execution of the second mode. During the prohibition, the control unit 221 does not execute the second mode even if the acceptance state is entered.

In step S4, the control unit 221 permits execution of the second mode. For example, if execution of the second mode was previously prohibited, the prohibition is lifted.

In step S5, the control section 221 executes the second mode. That is, when the second mode is executed, the user is pushing while walking and is not sitting on the saddle.

In step S6, the control unit 221 determines whether or not the reception state has been canceled. If the reception state has been canceled, the process proceeds to step S7, and if the reception state has not been canceled, the state continues.

In step S7, the control section 221 stops the second mode. After stopping the second mode, the control unit 221 terminates this process and returns to the beginning.

[Effects, etc.]
As described above, the electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment is an electric bicycle including the electric motor 21, and the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 is added to the human power driving force based on the force applied to the pedal 17. A first mode in which the electric motor 21 adds the second auxiliary driving force to the pushing force to the vehicle body 10 to push the vehicle, or a second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added to the vehicle body to run on its own. , an operation unit 40 (reception unit) that receives a signal for executing the second mode, and an angle sensor 156 (roll angle detection unit) that detects the roll angle of the vehicle body 10. I have. If the absolute value of the roll angle of the vehicle body 10 detected by the angle sensor 156 exceeds a predetermined range when the operation unit 40 receives the signal, the control unit 221 permits execution of the second mode, If the absolute value of the roll angle is within a predetermined range, execution of the second mode is prohibited.

According to this, when the absolute value of the roll angle of the vehicle body 10 is within the predetermined range, execution of the second mode is prohibited. Even if you do, the second mode is not executed. Therefore, it is possible to provide an electric bicycle that does not generate auxiliary driving force for pushing while the user is riding the electric bicycle 1 .

In addition, since it is possible to determine whether the user is pushing the electric bicycle 1 without releasing the handle 14, the safety of the user can be maintained.

Further, when the operation unit 40 fails, the second mode ON signal is not output from the operation unit 40 even if the manual switch 42 is pressed, so execution of the second mode is prohibited. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the second mode from being inadvertently executed when the operation unit 40 fails.

[Modification 1]
Another condition for prohibiting execution of the second mode will be described in the following modifications.

When walking while pushing, the user on one side of the electric bicycle 1 pushes the electric bicycle 1, so the roll angle of the vehicle body 10 does not fluctuate between a positive value and a negative value in a short period of time. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, when the body 10 of the electric bicycle 1 is tilted to the left in the Z-axis direction, the roll angle is detected as a positive value, and the body 10 of the electric bicycle 1 is tilted to the right in the Z-axis direction. , the roll angle is detected as a negative value.

On the other hand, when the user is riding the electric bicycle 1, the user may travel while swinging the vehicle body 10 to the left and right. In this case, it is also assumed that the absolute value of the roll angle of the vehicle body 10 exceeds the predetermined range. However, since the vehicle is running, the roll angle of the vehicle body 10 fluctuates between positive and negative values in a short period of time.

That is, if the roll angle is a positive or negative value and is constant for a predetermined time, it can be determined that the vehicle is being pushed while the user is not in the vehicle. Therefore, the control unit 221 prohibits execution of the second mode when the roll angle of the vehicle body 10 detected by the angle sensor 156 fluctuates between positive and negative values within a predetermined period of time. As a result, even when the user is riding the electric bicycle, it is possible to more reliably prevent the auxiliary driving force for pushing while walking from being generated.

[Modification 2]
As described above, when executing the second mode, it is necessary to cause the electric motor 21 to generate the second auxiliary driving force so that the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1 does not exceed the predetermined upper limit. In other words, it is required not to execute the second mode when the running speed of the electric bicycle 1 exceeds the upper limit.

Therefore, when the running speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 243 is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the control unit 221 permits the start of execution of the second mode. In other words, when the running speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 243 is higher than a predetermined value, the start of execution of the second mode is prohibited. Here, the predetermined value may be a value of less than 6 km/h, more preferably a value of 1 km/h or less. This ensures that the running speed at the start of the second mode does not exceed the predetermined upper limit.

Furthermore, the control unit 221 may permit the start of the second mode when the traveling speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 243 is zero. In other words, when the running speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 243 is greater than zero, the start of execution of the second mode is prohibited. As a result, the execution of the second mode is not started unless the vehicle body 10 is in a stopped state, so that safety can be enhanced.

[Modification 3]
FIG. 7 is a rear view showing one state of the electric bicycle according to Modification 3. FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, if the second mode is executed while the electric bicycle 1 is overturned, the sprocket 18, the chain 19, and the rear wheel 13 will rotate, and the user or his or her clothing may get caught. . Therefore, the control unit 221 determines whether or not the vehicle body 10 is overturned based on the roll angle of the vehicle body 10 detected by the angle sensor 156. When it is determined that the vehicle body 10 is overturned, the control unit 221 Prohibit bimodal execution. Specifically, when the absolute value of the roll angle of the vehicle body 10 with respect to the Z-axis direction is greater than 45 degrees, the control unit 221 determines that the vehicle body 10 is overturned.

According to this, the execution of the second mode is prohibited when the vehicle body 10 overturns, so that the rotation of the sprocket 18, the chain 19 and the rear wheel 13 can be suppressed during the overturn. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user or clothing from getting caught.

[Modification 4]
For example, on a downhill, a forward force is applied to the electric bicycle 1 . In other words, when pushing and walking on a downhill, smooth pushing and walking is possible without the second auxiliary driving force from the electric motor 21 . Whether or not the electric bicycle 1 is placed on a downhill can be detected from the pitch angle detected by the angle sensor 156 . In other words, when the pitch angle detected by the angle sensor 156 indicates that the vehicle body 10 is leaning forward, it indicates that the electric bicycle 1 is arranged on a downward slope.

Therefore, the control unit 221 determines whether or not the vehicle body 10 is tilted forward based on the pitch angle of the vehicle body 10 detected by the angle sensor 156. When it is determined that the vehicle body 10 is tilted forward, prohibits execution of the second mode.

As a result, when the user pushes the electric bicycle 1 downhill, the second auxiliary driving force from the electric motor 21 is not applied, so power consumption can be suppressed. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the vehicle body 10 from gaining excessive momentum when pushing while walking on a downhill.

[others]
As described above, the electric bicycle according to the present invention has been described based on the above embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the operation unit 40 was exemplified as an example of the reception unit. However, any reception unit may be used as long as it receives a signal for executing the second mode. For example, if the electric bicycle is provided with a pressure sensor that detects the pressure applied by the user, the signal output by the pressure sensor that detects the pressure is used as the signal for executing the second mode. It is also possible to In this case, the control section that receives the signal from the pressure sensor becomes the reception section.

In the above embodiment, the angle sensor 156 serves as both a roll angle detection section and a pitch angle detection section. good.

Further, in the above embodiments, all or part of the components of the control device may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. good. Each component may be implemented by a program execution unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded in a recording medium such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a semiconductor memory. good.

Also, the components of the controller 22 may consist of one or more electronic circuits. Each of the one or more electronic circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

One or more electronic circuits may include, for example, a semiconductor device, an IC (Integrated Circuit), or an LSI (Large Scale Integration). An IC or LSI may be integrated on one chip or may be integrated on a plurality of chips. Although they are called ICs or LSIs here, they may be called system LSIs, VLSIs (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSIs (Ultra Large Scale Integration) depending on the degree of integration. An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that is programmed after the LSI is manufactured can also be used for the same purpose.

Also, general or specific aspects of the invention may be implemented in a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit or computer program product. Alternatively, the computer program may be implemented by a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium such as an optical disc, HDD, or semiconductor memory. Also, any combination of systems, devices, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs and recording media may be implemented.

In addition, it can be realized by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art can think of, or by arbitrarily combining the constituent elements and functions of each embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Forms are also included in the present invention.

1 electric bicycle 10 vehicle body 21 electric motor 40 operation unit (reception unit)
156 angle sensor (roll angle detector, pitch angle detector)
221 control unit 243 vehicle speed sensor

Claims (6)

An electric bicycle comprising an electric motor,
A first mode in which the vehicle travels by adding a first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor to the human power driving force based on the force applied to the pedal, and a second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to the pushing force on the vehicle body. a control unit that switches between and executes a second mode in which the robot is pushed while walking or self-propelled by applying the second auxiliary driving force;
a reception unit that receives a signal for executing the second mode;
A roll angle detection unit that detects the roll angle of the vehicle body,
The control unit executes the second mode when the absolute value of the roll angle of the vehicle body detected by the roll angle detection unit exceeds a predetermined range when the reception unit receives the signal. An electric bicycle that permits the second mode and prohibits execution of the second mode when the absolute value of the roll angle is within the predetermined range. 2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit prohibits execution of the second mode when the roll angle of the vehicle body detected by the roll angle detection unit fluctuates between a positive value and a negative value within a predetermined time. Electric bicycle. A vehicle speed sensor that detects the traveling speed of the electric bicycle,
The electric bicycle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit permits the start of execution of the second mode when the running speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined value. The electric bicycle according to claim 3, wherein the controller permits the start of the second mode when the running speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor is zero. The control unit determines whether or not the vehicle body is overturned based on the roll angle of the vehicle body detected by the roll angle detection unit. The electric bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein execution of two modes is prohibited. A pitch angle detection unit that detects the pitch angle of the vehicle body,
The control unit determines whether or not the vehicle body is tilted forward based on the pitch angle of the vehicle body detected by the pitch angle detection unit. prohibits execution of the second mode.

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