JP7296298B2 - Control device for man-powered vehicles - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to controllers for human powered vehicles.

A technique described in Patent Document 1 is known for a control device for a human-powered vehicle. Patent Literature 1 discloses an electrically assisted bicycle that stops electrically assisted in response to a temperature detection signal from a temperature sensor mounted inside a drive unit.

JP-A-2002-362472

One of the objects of the present disclosure is to propose a control device for a manpowered vehicle for reducing the effects of heat generation of at least one of the motor and the control unit.

A control device for a manpowered vehicle according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a control device for a manpowered vehicle, wherein the manpowered vehicle comprises an input rotary shaft, a drive wheel, and a rotation speed of the input rotary shaft. a transmission configured to change a gear ratio of the rotational speed of the drive wheels; and a motor configured to apply propulsive force to the manpowered vehicle, wherein the control device controls the motor. a controller configured to control the temperature of the motor, the temperature of the controller, the temperature in the vicinity of the motor, and the temperature in the vicinity of the controller; It is configured to control the transmission so as to change the gear ratio when the temperature reaches or exceeds a predetermined first temperature.
According to the controller for the manpowered vehicle of the first aspect, at least one of the temperature of the motor and the temperature of the controller can be controlled without stopping the motor. As a result, for example, in the control device, the influence of heat generated by at least one of the motor and the control section can be suppressed. Controlling the temperature includes simply changing the temperature.

In the control device for a manpowered vehicle according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the controller controls the temperature of the motor, the temperature of the controller, the temperature in the vicinity of the motor, and the vicinity of the controller. becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined first temperature, the transmission is controlled such that the gear ratio becomes smaller.
According to the control device of the second aspect, temperature rise can be suppressed in at least one of the motor and the control section.

In the control device for a manpowered vehicle according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the controller controls the temperature of the motor, the temperature of the controller, the temperature near the motor, and the temperature near the controller. becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined first temperature, and after the gear ratio is reduced, the temperature of the motor, the temperature of the control unit, the temperature near the motor, and the temperature of the control unit The transmission is configured to control the transmission so as not to increase the gear ratio until the at least one of the neighboring temperatures becomes less than a predetermined second temperature, and the predetermined second temperature is equal to the predetermined temperature. Lower than 1 temperature.
According to the control device of the third aspect, it is possible to further suppress the temperature rise of at least one of the motor and the control section.

In the controller for a manpowered vehicle according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the controller controls the temperature of the motor, the temperature of the controller, the temperature near the motor, and the temperature near the controller. A first step of controlling the transmission so that the gear ratio becomes smaller when at least one of the temperatures of the temperature reaches the predetermined first temperature or higher; after the first step, the temperature of the motor, the When at least one of the temperature of the control unit, the temperature near the motor, and the temperature near the control unit reaches or exceeds a predetermined third temperature, the transmission is controlled such that the gear ratio becomes smaller. and , wherein the third predetermined temperature is higher than or equal to the first predetermined temperature.

According to the control device of the fourth aspect, when at least one of the temperature of the motor, the temperature of the controller, the temperature in the vicinity of the motor, and the temperature in the vicinity of the controller rises even after shifting, or If at least one of the temperature, the temperature of the controller, the temperature in the vicinity of the motor, and the temperature in the vicinity of the controller does not become lower than the first temperature, the speed is further changed so that at least one of the motor and the controller For one, the temperature rise can be further suppressed.

In the control device for a manpowered vehicle according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present disclosure, the control unit notifies a notification device of predetermined information when the gear ratio is changed. It is configured to output information to the notification device in order to cause
According to the control device of the fifth aspect, it is possible to inform the user that the gear ratio will be changed.

A control device for a manpowered vehicle according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a control device for a manpowered vehicle, wherein the manpowered vehicle comprises an input rotary shaft, a drive wheel, and a rotation speed of the input rotary shaft. a transmission configured to change a gear ratio of the rotational speed of the drive wheels; and a motor configured to apply propulsive force to the manpowered vehicle, wherein the control device controls the motor. a controller configured to control the temperature of the motor, the temperature of the controller, the temperature in the vicinity of the motor, and the temperature in the vicinity of the controller; When the temperature reaches or exceeds a predetermined first temperature, information is output to a notification device to prompt the user to change the gear ratio.
According to the control device of the sixth aspect, when at least one of the temperature of the motor, the temperature of the control unit, the temperature near the motor, and the temperature near the control unit rises, it is possible to prompt the user to change the gear ratio. can. The user can control the temperature of at least one of the temperature of the motor and the temperature of the controller by changing the gear ratio.

In the control device for the manpowered vehicle of the seventh aspect according to the fifth or sixth aspect of the present disclosure, the control device further comprises an interface unit configured to output the information to the notification device.
According to the control device of the seventh aspect, information can be output via the interface section.

In the eighth aspect manpowered vehicle control device according to any one of the fifth to seventh aspects of the present disclosure, the interface unit is configured to be connected to an electric cable connected to the notification device. be.
According to the control device of the eighth aspect, the control device can be easily connected to the notification device.

In the control device for the manpowered vehicle of the ninth aspect according to the seventh or eighth aspect of the present disclosure, the interface section includes a wireless communication device configured to wirelessly communicate with the notification device.
According to the control device of the ninth aspect, the notification device can be freely arranged.

In the control device for a manpowered vehicle according to any one of the first to ninth aspects of the present disclosure, the control unit comprises: one or more circuit boards; one or more electronic circuit components; wherein the temperature of the control unit is at least one of the temperature of at least one of the one or more circuit boards and the temperature of at least one electronic circuit component of the one or more electronic circuit components including one.
According to the control device of the tenth aspect, the temperature of the circuit board and at least one of the plurality of electronic circuit components can be controlled.

In the control device for a manpowered vehicle of the eleventh aspect according to the tenth aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more electronic circuit components include one or more arithmetic processing units and components constituting an inverter circuit.
According to the control device of the eleventh aspect, the temperature of at least one of the arithmetic processing device and the inverter circuit can be controlled.

A controller for a human powered vehicle of the present disclosure is capable of controlling the temperature of at least one of the motor and the controller.

1 is a side view of a manpowered vehicle including a control device for a manpowered vehicle according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a control device for a manpowered vehicle according to a first embodiment; FIG. A plan view of the control device for the manpowered vehicle of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of first control processing executed by the control device of FIG. 2 regarding the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flowchart of second control processing executed by the control device of FIG. 2 in the first embodiment; 3 is a flowchart of third control processing executed by the control device of FIG. 2 in the first embodiment; 4 is a flowchart of notification processing executed by the control device of FIG. 2 in the second embodiment;

<First embodiment>
A control device for a manpowered vehicle according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. The control device 60 is a control device for a manpowered vehicle. A control device 60 is provided in the manpowered vehicle 2 .

The manpowered vehicle 2 is a vehicle that can be driven at least by manpower. The manpowered vehicle 2 is not limited in the number of wheels, and includes, for example, one-wheel vehicles and vehicles with three or more wheels. The human powered vehicle 2 includes various types of bicycles, such as mountain bikes, road bikes, city bikes, cargo bikes, handcycles and recumbents, as well as electric bicycles (E-bikes). Electric bicycles include power-assisted bicycles that assist the propulsion of the vehicle with an electric motor. Hereinafter, in the embodiments, the manpowered vehicle 2 will be described as a bicycle.

The manpowered vehicle 2 includes an input rotating shaft 4, driving wheels 6, a transmission 10 configured to change a gear ratio R of the rotating speed of the driving wheels 6 with respect to the rotating speed of the input rotating shaft 4, and a manpower-driven vehicle. a motor 12 configured to provide propulsion to the vehicle 2 . The input rotary shaft 4 comprises a bicycle crankshaft. The manpowered vehicle 2 further includes driven wheels 8 . Manpowered vehicle 2 further includes a frame 14 .

A human driving force is input to the input rotating shaft 4 . The human power driving force includes the pedaling force of the rider. A pair of crank arms 16 are separately provided at both ends of the input rotary shaft 4 in the axial direction. A pair of pedals 18 are individually connected to each crank arm 16 .

The drive wheel 6 rotates as the input rotary shaft 4 rotates. A drive wheel 6 is supported by a frame 14 . The input rotating shaft 4 and the drive wheels 6 are connected by a drive mechanism 20 . The drive mechanism 20 includes a first rotating body 22 coupled to the input rotating shaft 4 . The input rotating shaft 4 and the first rotating body 22 may be coupled via a first one-way clutch. The first one-way clutch rotates the first rotating body 22 forward when the input rotating shaft 4 rotates forward, and does not rotate the first rotating body 22 backward when the input rotating shaft 4 rotates backward. be done. The input rotating shaft 4 and the first rotating body 22 may be coupled so as to rotate integrally. The first rotor 22 includes a sprocket, pulley, or bevel gear. Drive mechanism 20 further includes a second rotating body 24 and a connecting member 30 . The connecting member 30 transmits the rotational force of the first rotating body 22 to the second rotating body 24 . Coupling member 30 includes, for example, a chain, a belt, or a shaft.

The second rotating body 24 is connected to the driving wheels 6 . The second rotating body 24 includes a sprocket, pulley, or bevel gear. A second one-way clutch is preferably provided between the second rotating body 24 and the driving wheel 6 . The second one-way clutch rotates the drive wheels 6 forward when the second rotating body 24 rotates forward, and rotates the second rotating body 24 and the driving wheels 6 when the second rotating body 24 rotates backward. Configured to allow rotation.

For example, one of the driving wheels 6 and the driven wheels 8 comprises the front wheels and the other of the driving wheels 6 and the driven wheels 8 comprises the rear wheels. A front wheel is attached to the frame 14 via a front fork 32 . A handlebar 34 is connected to the front fork 32 via a stem 36 . In the following embodiment, the rear wheels are described as the drive wheels 6, but the front wheels may be the drive wheels 6, or both the front and rear wheels may be the drive wheels 6.

The manpowered vehicle 2 includes a manpowered vehicle battery 38 . Battery 38 includes one or more battery elements. A battery element includes a rechargeable battery. Battery 38 powers controller 60 . Battery 38 is preferably communicatively connected to controller 60 by an electrical cable and/or a wireless communication device.

Motor 12 is configured to assist in propulsion of manpowered vehicle 2 . Motor 12 includes an electric motor. Electric motors include, for example, brushless motors. Motor 12 includes an output shaft 12A. The motor 12 is provided to transmit rotation to the power transmission path of the manpower driving force from the pedals 18 to the rear wheels or to the front wheels. A power transmission path for manpower driving force from the pedals 18 to the rear wheels includes the rear wheels. In this embodiment, the motor 12 is provided to transmit rotational force to the first rotor 22 . A drive unit 42 is configured including the motor 12 and a housing 40 in which the motor 12 is provided. In the power transmission path between the motor 12 and the input rotary shaft 4, preferably, when the input rotary shaft 4 is rotated in the direction in which the manpowered vehicle 2 moves forward, the torque of the input rotary shaft 4 causes the motor 12 to move. A third one-way clutch is provided to prevent rotation of the

The transmission 10 is configured to change the gear ratio R stepwise, for example. Transmission 10 includes an electric actuator 44 and a transmission body 46 driven by electric actuator 44 . A control unit 62 of the control device 60 is configured to control the electric actuator 44 . The electric actuator 44 is electrically connected to the controller 62 . The electric actuator 44 causes the transmission main body 46 to perform a speed change operation according to a control signal from the control unit 62 . Transmission 10 includes, for example, at least one of an internal transmission and an external transmission. The internal transmission is provided on the hub of the drive wheel 6, for example. An external transmission includes a derailleur. The derailleur includes at least one of a front derailleur and a rear derailleur. In the present embodiment, transmission 10 includes a rear derailleur and second rotating body 24 . In this embodiment, the second rotating body 24 includes multiple sprockets. Various types of transmissions such as a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) can be used as the transmission 10 . Transmission 10 may be provided within housing 40 of drive unit 42, for example.

Transmission 10 is configured to be able to change gear ratio R using electric actuator 44 . The transmission 10 may be configured to change the gear ratio R based on the rider's operation. For example, the operation unit 54 that can be operated by the rider is connected to the control unit 62 via an electric cable or a wireless communication device. Transmission 10 is connected to control unit 62 via an electric cable or a wireless communication device. The transmission 10 is configured to change gears according to a command from the control section 62 when the operation section 54 is operated by the rider. The operation unit 54 is configured to output a command to increase the gear ratio R and a command to decrease the gear ratio R. The operating unit 54 includes, for example, a first operating unit configured to output a command to increase the gear ratio R, and a second operating unit configured to output a command to decrease the gear ratio R. including. The first operating section and the second operating section each include, for example, a push button switch.

The control device 60 will be described with reference to FIG. Controller 60 comprises a controller 62 configured to control motor 12 . The control unit 62 is configured to control the motor 12 according to, for example, the travel speed of the manpowered vehicle 2 and the manpower driving force. The controller 62 may be configured to control the motor 12 according to the rotation speed of the input rotary shaft 4, for example. In this embodiment, the control unit 62 acquires information from each of the vehicle speed sensor 48 , the crank rotation sensor 50 and the human power driving force sensor 51 .

The vehicle speed sensor 48 is configured to detect information regarding the travel speed of the manpowered vehicle 2 . The vehicle speed sensor 48 is configured, for example, to detect magnets provided on wheels of the manpowered vehicle 2 . The vehicle speed sensor 48 is configured, for example, to output a detection signal a predetermined number of times during one rotation of the wheel. The predetermined number of times is 1, for example. A vehicle speed sensor 48 is used to detect the rotational speed of the wheels of the manpowered vehicle 2 . A vehicle speed sensor 48 outputs a signal corresponding to the rotational speed of the wheels. The control unit 62 can calculate the travel speed of the manpowered vehicle 2 based on the rotational speed of the wheels. The vehicle speed sensor 48 includes, for example, a magnetic lead that constitutes a reed switch or a Hall element. The vehicle speed sensor 48 may be attached to the chain stay of the frame 14 of the manpowered vehicle 2 and configured to detect magnets attached to the rear wheels, or may be provided to the front fork 32 and configured to detect magnets attached to the front wheels. good too. In this embodiment, the vehicle speed sensor 48 is configured such that the reed switch detects the magnet once when the wheel rotates once. The vehicle speed sensor 48 may include an optical sensor instead of a magnetic lead or a Hall element, or may include a GPS receiver, and may receive information about the traveling speed of the manpowered vehicle 2. It is not particularly limited as long as it includes a detectable configuration.

The crank rotation sensor 50 is configured to detect information regarding the rotation speed of the input rotation shaft 4 . The crank rotation sensor 50 is attached to the drive unit 42 or the frame 14 of the manpowered vehicle 2, for example. The crank rotation sensor 50 includes, for example, a magnetic sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the strength of the magnetic field. An annular magnet whose magnetic field intensity changes in the circumferential direction is the input rotary shaft 4, a member that rotates in conjunction with the input rotary shaft 4, or a power transmission path from the input rotary shaft 4 to the first rotor 22. provided in A member that rotates in conjunction with the input rotary shaft 4 may include the output shaft 12A of the motor 12 . The crank rotation sensor 50 outputs a signal corresponding to the rotational speed of the input rotating shaft 4 . The magnet may be provided on a member that rotates integrally with the input rotating shaft 4 in the power transmission path of the manpower driving force from the input rotating shaft 4 to the first rotating body 22 . For example, the magnet may be provided on the first rotating body 22 when the first one-way clutch is not provided between the input rotating shaft 4 and the first rotating body 22 . The crank rotation sensor 50 may include an optical sensor, an acceleration sensor, a torque sensor, or the like instead of the magnetic sensor, and is not particularly limited as long as it includes a configuration capable of detecting information regarding the rotation speed of the input rotation shaft 4. .

The human-powered driving force sensor 51 is configured to detect information about the human-powered driving force input to the input rotary shaft 4 . The manpower driving force may be represented by, for example, the torque input to the input rotating shaft 4 or the power input to the input rotating shaft 4 . The manpower driving force sensor 51 includes, for example, a torque sensor 52 . The torque sensor 52 is configured to output a signal corresponding to torque input to the input rotating shaft 4 . For example, when a first one-way clutch is provided in the power transmission path, the torque sensor 52 is provided upstream of the first one-way clutch in the power transmission path. Torque sensor 52 includes a strain sensor, a magnetostrictive sensor, a pressure sensor, or the like. A strain sensor includes a strain gauge. The torque sensor 52 is provided in a power transmission path or a member included in the vicinity of a member included in the power transmission path. The members included in the power transmission path are, for example, the input rotating shaft 4, a member for transmitting the human power driving force between the input rotating shaft 4 and the first rotor 22, the crank arm 16, and the pedal 18. Torque sensor 52 is connected to controller 62 via an electrical cable or wireless communication device. When the manpower driving force is represented by the power input to the input rotary shaft 4, the control unit 62 multiplies the torque detected by the torque sensor 52 and the rotational speed of the input rotary shaft 4 detected by the crank rotation sensor 50. Calculate the power by The human-powered driving force sensor 51 may include, for example, a sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the pressure applied to the pedal 18 instead of the torque sensor 52, and includes a sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the tension of the chain. The sensor is not particularly limited as long as it is configured to output information according to the human power driving force.

As shown in FIG. 3, controller 62 includes one or more circuit boards 64 and one or more electronic circuit components 66 . The plurality of circuit boards 64 may each have one or more electronic circuit components 66 mounted thereon. The one or more circuit boards 64 comprise printed wiring boards. The one or more circuit boards 64 may comprise multi-layer boards. One or more circuit boards 64 may be mounted with components other than one or more electronic circuit components 66 . Components other than the one or more electronic circuit components 66 include, for example, a heat dissipation member, a reinforcing member, a positioning member, and the like. In this embodiment, the controller 62 is housed in the housing 40 . The circuit board 64 is arranged around the output shaft 12A of the motor 12, for example.

The one or more electronic circuit components 66 include one or more arithmetic processing units 68 and components that make up the inverter circuit 70 . The arithmetic processing unit 68 executes a predetermined control program. The arithmetic processing unit 68 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The arithmetic processing unit 68 may include multiple CPUs, may include multiple MPUs, or may include one or multiple CPUs and one or multiple MPUs. Multiple components included in processing unit 68 may be provided at multiple locations separated from each other on one or more circuit boards 64 . For example, when the one or more circuit boards 64 include a first circuit board and a second circuit board, some of the components included in the arithmetic processing unit 68 are mounted on the first circuit board, and the arithmetic processing Other parts of the components included in device 68 may be mounted on the second circuit board. The one or more electronic circuit components 66 may further include storage 72 . The storage unit 72 stores a predetermined control program and information used for various control processes.
The storage unit 72 includes, for example, nonvolatile memory and volatile memory. The storage unit 72 stores, for example, information about gear ratios or gear stages that can be set by the transmission 10 . Storage unit 72 preferably stores information about all gear ratios or gear stages that can be set by transmission 10 . Control unit 62 stores information about the current gear ratio or gear stage in storage unit 72 . The transmission 10 is provided with, for example, a shift sensor that outputs information regarding the shift stage. The shift sensor is configured to output information regarding the current shift stage. The shift sensor is configured, for example, to detect at least one of motion and position of the electric actuator 44 . Shift sensors include, for example, potentiometers, rotary encoders, or magnetic sensors. A shift sensor may be provided on the transmission body 46 and configured to detect at least one of motion and position of components of the transmission body 46 . The control unit 62 is electrically connected to the shift sensor and can determine the shift state by acquiring information regarding the current shift stage.

The inverter circuit 70 controls power supplied from the battery 38 to the motor 12 . The inverter circuit 70 is connected to the controller 62 via an electric cable or a wireless communication device. The inverter circuit 70 drives the motor 12 according to the control signal from the control section 62 .
A portion of control unit 62 may be provided in transmission 10 . A portion of control unit 62 provided in transmission 10 is electrically connected to electric actuator 44 . In this case, a part of the control unit 62 provided in the transmission 10 and the remaining part of the control unit 62 provided in the housing 40 are connected by a communication method such as power line communication (PLC) and CAN (Controller Area Network). communicatively connected by

The shift control of the control unit 62 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG.
The control unit 62 is configured to control the transmission 10 so as to change the gear ratio R. For example, the control unit 62 controls the transmission 10 to change the gear ratio R based on the cadence. The gear ratio R is a value obtained by dividing the output rotation speed by the input rotation speed. The input rotation speed is the rotation speed of the input rotation shaft 4 . The output rotation speed is the rotation speed of the driving wheels 6 . The control unit 62 increases the gear ratio R when the cadence is greater than or equal to the first threshold and when the gear ratio R is not the maximum. The control unit 62 reduces the gear ratio R when the cadence is equal to or less than the second threshold and when the gear ratio R is not the minimum. Preferably, the first threshold is greater than the second threshold. Information about the first threshold and the second threshold is stored in the storage unit 72 .

When the input rotating shaft 4 rotates, the control unit 62 acquires the rotational speed of the input rotating shaft 4 as the cadence. When the input rotary shaft 4 is not rotating while the manpowered vehicle 2 is running, the control unit 62 assumes that the input rotary shaft 4 is rotating based on the rotational speed of the driving wheels 6 and the gear ratio R. The rotation speed of the input rotation shaft 4 in the case of the rotation is calculated as the cadence. Thereby, the control unit 62 can acquire the cadence in both cases when the input rotating shaft 4 is rotating and when the input rotating shaft 4 is not rotating.

When at least one of the temperature of the motor 12, the temperature of the controller 62, the temperature in the vicinity of the motor 12, and the temperature in the vicinity of the controller 62 reaches or exceeds a predetermined first temperature, the controller 62 changes the gear ratio R. It is configured to control the transmission 10 to change. Information about the predetermined first temperature is stored in the storage unit 72 .

The temperature of the motor 12 includes at least one of the temperature of the stator of the motor 12 , the temperature of the rotor of the motor 12 , and the temperature of the case of the motor 12 . The temperature near the motor 12 includes at least one of the temperature of components arranged around the motor 12 and the temperature of the air around the motor 12 . Components disposed around motor 12 include housing 40 . The temperature in the vicinity of control unit 62 includes the temperature of components arranged around control unit 62 and the temperature of the air around control unit 62 . Components arranged around the control unit 62 include at least one of a housing 40, a heat radiating member, a reinforcing member, and a positioning member.

The first temperature is determined in advance, for example, based on experiments or guaranteed operating temperatures of components. The first temperature is, for example, a temperature that is undesirable as an operating environment for at least one of the controller 62 and the motor 12 . In one example, the first temperature is the maximum guaranteed operating temperature of the components that make up the inverter circuit 70, or a temperature obtained by subtracting a margin value from the maximum value. In another example, the first temperature is the maximum value of the operation guarantee temperature of the processing unit 68 or the temperature obtained by subtracting the margin value from the maximum value.

The temperature of the control unit 62 is at least one of the temperature of at least one of the one or more circuit boards 64 and the temperature of at least one of the one or more electronic circuit components 66 . including one. For example, the temperature of the control unit 62 is the temperature of a portion of the one or more circuit boards 64 near the processing unit 68, the temperature of a portion of the one or more circuit boards 64 near the inverter circuit 70, and the temperature of the processing unit. 68 , the temperature of the parts forming the inverter circuit 70 , and the temperature of the wiring of the inverter circuit 70 . Components that make up the inverter circuit 70 include, for example, semiconductor elements for switching.

The control unit 62 acquires temperature information from the temperature sensor 74 . Temperature sensor 74 is configured to measure at least one of the temperature of motor 12 , the temperature of controller 62 , the temperature near motor 12 , and the temperature near controller 62 . In this embodiment, the temperature sensor 74 is provided on the circuit board 64 and arranged near the inverter circuit 70 on the circuit board 64 . Temperature sensor 74 includes one or more temperature sensing elements. The one or more temperature sensing elements include, for example, at least one of NTC thermistors, PTC thermistors, thermocouples, platinum temperature sensors, thermopiles, and semiconductor sensors. The controller 62 is electrically connected to the temperature sensor 74, for example. The storage unit 72 stores information about temperature acquired from the temperature sensor 74 and temperature information indicating a correspondence relationship between the temperatures. The control unit 62 determines the temperature of the portion measured by the temperature sensor 74 according to the temperature information acquired from the temperature sensor 74 and the temperature information stored in the storage unit 72 .

When the temperature sensor 74 includes a plurality of temperature detection elements, for example, the circuit board 64 may be provided with a plurality of temperature detection elements. In this case, the control unit 62 may set at least one of the average value and the maximum value of the temperature determined according to the temperature information acquired from each temperature detection element as the temperature of the control unit 62 . Control unit 62 is configured to control transmission 10 according to the temperature obtained using temperature sensor 74 .

When at least one of the temperature of the motor 12, the temperature of the controller 62, the temperature in the vicinity of the motor 12, and the temperature in the vicinity of the controller 62 reaches or exceeds a predetermined first temperature, the controller 62 changes the gear ratio R to It is arranged to control the transmission 10 so that it becomes smaller.

At least one of the temperature of the motor 12, the temperature of the controller 62, the temperature in the vicinity of the motor 12, and the temperature in the vicinity of the controller 62 is described as "detected temperature". When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the control unit 62 determines that the detected temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined first temperature. The predetermined conditions include any one of the following first to fourth conditions. The first condition is that the detected temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined first temperature over a predetermined first period. The second condition is that the detected temperatures obtained at a plurality of times during the predetermined second period are continuously equal to or higher than the first temperature for a predetermined number of times or more. The third condition is that the detected temperatures obtained at a plurality of times during the predetermined second period are equal to or higher than the predetermined first temperature for a predetermined number of times or more. Under the fourth condition, the average value of the detected temperatures at a plurality of times during the predetermined third period is equal to or higher than the predetermined first temperature. The predetermined conditions include any two of the first to fourth conditions, any three of the first to fourth conditions, or all of the first to fourth conditions. You can stay. When the predetermined conditions include any two or more of the first to fourth conditions, preferably the control unit 62 determines any two of the first to fourth conditions. If one of the conditions is satisfied, it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied. If the predetermined conditions include any two or more of the first to fourth conditions, the control unit 62 determines that all the conditions included in any two of the first to fourth conditions are If satisfied, it may be determined that a predetermined condition is satisfied. The predetermined conditions are not the first to fourth conditions, but the detected temperature may be equal to or higher than a predetermined first temperature.

When the control unit 62 determines that the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined first temperature, the control unit 62 controls the transmission 10 to change the gear ratio R by, for example, changing one or more gear stages. When determining that the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined first temperature, the control unit 62 controls the transmission 10 so as to change the gear ratio R according to the difference between the detected temperature and the predetermined first temperature. may When determining that the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined first temperature, the control unit 62 shifts gears so that, for example, the greater the difference between the detected temperature and the predetermined first temperature, the greater the change in the gear ratio R. machine 10 may be controlled.

Preferably, the control unit 62 controls that the detected temperature including at least one of the temperature of the motor 12, the temperature of the control unit 62, the temperature in the vicinity of the motor 12, and the temperature in the vicinity of the control unit 62 is a predetermined first temperature As described above, after the gear ratio R is decreased, the transmission 10 is controlled so as not to increase the gear ratio R until the detected temperature becomes less than the predetermined second temperature. The predetermined second temperature is lower than the predetermined first temperature. When the detected temperature includes temperatures at a plurality of locations, the condition that the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined first temperature may be that all of the temperatures at the plurality of locations are equal to or higher than the first temperature. The average value of the temperatures may be equal to or higher than the first temperature.

Furthermore, preferably, the control unit 62 detects temperature including at least one of the temperature of the motor 12, the temperature of the motor 12, the temperature of the control unit 62, the temperature near the motor 12, and the temperature near the control unit 62. is a first step of controlling the transmission 10 so that the gear ratio R becomes smaller when the temperature reaches a predetermined first temperature or higher, and after the first step, when the detected temperature reaches or exceeds a predetermined third temperature and a second step of controlling the transmission 10 so that the ratio R becomes smaller. The predetermined third temperature is higher than or equal to the predetermined first temperature. The first step corresponds to steps S13 to S16 of the second control process shown in FIG. The second step corresponds to steps S24 to S27 of the third control process shown in FIG.

Furthermore, preferably, the control unit 62 is configured to output information to the notification device 80 so as to cause the notification device 80 to notify predetermined information when the gear ratio R is changed. Preferably, the control device 60 further comprises an interface section 82 configured to output information to the notification device 80 .

The interface unit 82 may be configured to be connected to an electric cable connected to the notification device 80 . Interface unit 82 may include a wireless communication device configured to communicate wirelessly with notification device 80 . In one example, the interface unit 82 is configured to connect to an electrical cable that connects to the notification device 80 and includes a wireless communication device. In another example, the interface unit 82 includes a wireless communication device without an electrical cable connection port. In still another example, the interface section 82 has an electrical cable connection port and does not include a wireless communication device.

Notification device 80 includes at least one of a cycle computer, a display device, a speaker, a smart phone, and a mobile phone. The notification device 80 receives information output from the control unit 62 via an electric cable or a wireless communication device.

An example of the control process will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG. The control process includes multiple processes executed by the control unit 62 . In this embodiment, the multiple processes include a first control process, a second control process, and a third control process. In the present embodiment, when the detected temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined first temperature, the control unit 62 is configured to limit gear shifting by the first control process until the detected temperature becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined second temperature. be. The storage unit 72 stores a flag indicating the restricted state of the first control process. The storage unit 72 stores, for example, "0" or "1" as the flag. "0" indicates a state in which the first control process is not restricted. "1" indicates a state in which the first control process is restricted. In a state where the first control process is restricted, control unit 62 does not change gear ratio R by transmission 10 .

A first control process executed by the control unit 62 will be described with reference to FIG. For example, when power is supplied, the control unit 62 executes the first control process. After completing the first control process, the control unit 62 restarts the first control process according to a predetermined cycle. The control unit 62 may execute the first control process, for example, when the automatic shift mode is set.

When the first control process is started, in step S1, the control section 62 determines whether or not the cadence is equal to or greater than the first threshold. If the cadence is greater than or equal to the first threshold, in step S2 the control unit 62 determines whether the flag stored in the storage unit 72 is "0". When the flag is "0", the control unit 62 determines in step S3 whether or not the current gear ratio R is the maximum gear ratio. The control unit 62 determines whether or not the gear ratio R is the maximum gear ratio according to the information acquired from the gear shift sensor. If the current gear ratio R is the maximum gear ratio, the control unit 62 ends the control flow. If the current gear ratio R is not the maximum gear ratio, in step S4, the control unit 62 controls the transmission 10 to increase the gear ratio R, and ends the first control process. If the flag is not "0", the control unit 62 terminates the first control process and the gear ratio R is not changed.

If the cadence is less than the first threshold in step S1, the controller 62 determines whether the cadence is less than or equal to the second threshold in step S5. In this embodiment, the second threshold is set to a value smaller than the first threshold. If the cadence is less than or equal to the second threshold, the controller 62 determines whether the current gear ratio R is the minimum gear ratio in step S6. The control unit 62 determines whether or not the gear ratio R is the minimum gear ratio according to the information acquired from the gear shift sensor. If the current gear ratio R is the minimum gear ratio, the control unit 62 ends the control flow. If the current gear ratio R is not the minimum gear ratio, the transmission 10 is controlled to lower the gear ratio R in step S7. If the cadence is not less than or equal to the second threshold, the control unit 62 terminates the process and the gear ratio R remains unchanged.

A second control process executed by the control unit 62 will be described with reference to FIG. For example, when power is supplied, the control unit 62 executes the second control process. After completing the second control process, the control unit 62 restarts the second control process at a predetermined cycle. For example, the control unit 62 executes the second control process after the first control process. The control unit 62 may execute the first control process and the second control process in parallel. In the second control process, the control unit 62 forcibly lowers the gear ratio R when the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature and when the gear ratio R is not the minimum gear ratio.

When the second control process is started, in step S11, the control unit 62 determines whether or not the flag stored in the storage unit 72 is "0". If the flag is "0", the controller 62 acquires the detected temperature from the temperature sensor 74 in step S12. If the flag is not "0", the control unit 62 terminates the second control process.

After acquiring the detected temperature, the control unit 62 executes step S13. In step S13, the controller 62 determines whether or not the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature. If the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature, it is determined in step S14 whether or not the current gear ratio R is the minimum gear ratio. The control unit 62 determines whether or not the gear ratio R is the minimum gear ratio according to the information acquired from the gear shift sensor. If the current gear ratio R is the minimum gear ratio, the control unit 62 ends the control flow. If the current gear ratio R is not the minimum gear ratio, the controller 62 causes the notification device 80 to notify predetermined information in step S15. The predetermined information includes at least one of information regarding sounds, information regarding characters, and information regarding graphics, and indicates that shifting is to be started. Since predetermined information is notified to the notification device 80 before the shift starts, the user can know in advance that the transmission 10 will operate before the shift starts. For example, the control unit 62 causes the notification device 80 to notify information indicating that the gear ratio R is to be lowered by at least one of information regarding sound, information regarding characters, and information regarding graphics. The sound information includes at least one of a predetermined melody, predetermined specific sound, electronic sound, and voice. Information about characters and information about graphics are displayed on, for example, a display unit of a cycle computer, a display device, a display unit of a smartphone, a display unit of a mobile phone, or the like. Information about sound is output from, for example, a speaker or buzzer provided in a cycle computer, a speaker or buzzer provided in a smartphone, or a speaker or buzzer provided in a mobile phone.

After executing step S15, the control unit 62 reduces the gear ratio R in step S16. In step S<b>16 , the control unit 62 changes the shift stage by one step, for example. After executing step S16, the control unit 62 sets the flag to "1" in step S17. The order of step S16 and step S17 may be changed.

In step S13, if the temperature of the controller 62 is not equal to or higher than the first temperature, the controller 62 ends the second control process.

A third control process executed by the control unit 62 will be described with reference to FIG. For example, when power is supplied, the control unit 62 executes the third control process. After completing the third control process, the control unit 62 restarts the third control process at a predetermined cycle. For example, the control unit 62 executes the third control process after the second control process. The control unit 62 may execute the second control process and the third control process in parallel.

When the third control process is started, in step S21, the control unit 62 determines whether or not the flag stored in the storage unit 72 is "1". If the flag is not "1", the control unit 62 terminates the third control process. When the flag is "1", in step S22, the control unit 62 acquires the detected temperature from the temperature sensor 74 and determines whether or not the detected temperature is equal to or lower than the second temperature. If the detected temperature is equal to or lower than the second temperature, the controller 62 sets the flag to "0" in step S23. When the detected temperature becomes equal to or lower than the second temperature, the restriction on the first control process is lifted.

If the detected temperature is not equal to or lower than the second temperature in step S22, the controller 62 determines whether or not the detected temperature is equal to or higher than a third temperature in step S24. If the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the third temperature, the controller 62 determines in step S25 whether or not the current gear ratio R is the minimum gear ratio. The control unit 62 determines whether or not the gear ratio R is the minimum gear ratio according to the information acquired from the gear shift sensor. If the current gear ratio R is the minimum gear ratio, the control unit 62 ends the control flow. If the current gear ratio R is not the minimum gear ratio, the controller 62 causes the notification device 80 to notify predetermined information in step S26, as in step S15. After executing step S26, the gear ratio R is decreased in step S27. In step S27, the control unit 62 changes the shift stage by one step, for example. In step S24, if the detected temperature is not equal to or higher than the third temperature, the controller 62 terminates the third control process.

In this embodiment, when the temperature of the control unit 62 rises excessively, the gear ratio R is lowered. When the vehicle speed of the manpowered vehicle 2 does not change, the manpower driving force decreases and the cadence increases as the gear ratio R decreases. to control the motor 12. Since the output of the motor 12 is defined by the multiplication of the torque and the rotation speed, if the vehicle speed of the manpowered vehicle 2 does not change, even if the torque of the motor 12 is reduced, the rotation speed increases, resulting in the motor 12 output does not change. Since the control unit 62 controls the motor 12 so as to reduce the torque of the motor 12, an increase in the detected temperature is suppressed.

<Second embodiment>
A controller 60 for a manpowered vehicle according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
In the second embodiment, the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment are assigned to the same configurations as in the first embodiment, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

In this embodiment, when at least one of the temperature of the motor 12, the temperature of the controller 62, the temperature in the vicinity of the motor 12, and the temperature in the vicinity of the controller 62 reaches or exceeds a predetermined first temperature, the controller 62 , to output information to the notification device 80 in order to prompt the user to change the gear ratio R. A user is, for example, a rider.

A fourth control process executed by the control unit 62 will be described with reference to FIG. For example, when power is supplied, the control unit 62 executes the fourth control process. After completing the fourth control process, the control unit 62 restarts the fourth control process at a predetermined cycle. In the fourth control process, when the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature, information prompting to lower the speed is output.

In step S<b>31 , the controller 62 acquires the detected temperature from the temperature sensor 74 .
After acquiring the detected temperature, the control unit 62 executes step S32. In step S32, the controller 62 determines whether or not the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature. If the detected temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature, step S33 is executed.
In step S33, it is determined whether or not the current gear ratio R is the minimum gear ratio. The control unit 62 determines whether or not the gear ratio R is the minimum gear ratio according to the information acquired from the gear shift sensor. If the current gear ratio R is the minimum gear ratio, the control unit 62 ends the control flow. If the current gear ratio R is not the minimum gear ratio, in step S34, the control unit 62 causes the notification device 80 to notify information prompting the gear ratio R to be lowered. For example, the control unit 62 causes the notification device 80 to report warning information indicating that the detected temperature is high, and causes the notification device 80 to report information prompting the gear ratio R to be lowered. The notification device 80 may include an indicator that displays temperature by color. The warning information may include information regarding color. For example, the notification device 80 may notify the warning information by changing the color of the indicator that displays the temperature by color. The information prompting to lower the gear ratio R includes at least one of sound information, character information, and graphic information. The sound information includes at least one of a predetermined melody, predetermined specific sound, electronic sound, and voice. Information about characters and information about graphics are displayed on, for example, a display unit of a cycle computer, a display device, a display unit of a smartphone, a display unit of a mobile phone, or the like. Information about sound is output from, for example, a speaker or buzzer provided in a cycle computer, a speaker or buzzer provided in a smartphone, or a speaker or buzzer provided in a mobile phone.

In step S32 , if the detected temperature is not equal to or higher than the first temperature, the controller 62 terminates the fourth control process. After executing step S34, in step S35, the control unit 62 determines whether or not the gear ratio R has been lowered. The control unit 62 determines whether or not the gear ratio R is lowered according to the information acquired from the gear shift sensor. When the gear ratio R is lowered, the control unit 62 stops the notification of the information prompting the gear ratio R to be lowered by the notification device 80 in step S36, and ends the fourth control process. If the gear ratio R is not to be lowered, step S34 is executed.

<Modification>
The description of each of the above embodiments is an example of a form that the control device 60 for a manpowered vehicle according to the present disclosure can take, and is not intended to limit the form. A control device 60 for a manpowered vehicle according to the present disclosure can take, for example, modifications of the above-described embodiments shown below, and combinations of at least two mutually consistent modifications. In the following modified examples, the same reference numerals as in each embodiment are given to the parts that are common to each embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

- The control part 62 may perform both the control processing of 1st Embodiment, and the control processing of 2nd Embodiment. For example, the control unit 62 may execute a first control process, a second control process, a third control process, and a fourth control process.

- In the second embodiment, the transmission 10 may be configured to change the gear ratio R without using the electric actuator 44 . For example, the transmission 10 may be a mechanical transmission that omits the electric actuator 44, is connected to the operating portion 54 that can be operated by the rider by a Bowden cable, and is manually changed by the rider. If the transmission 10 is connected to the operating portion 54 by a Bowden cable, the shift sensor may be configured to detect at least one of motion and position of the Bowden cable, for example.
- In an embodiment including the second embodiment and its modification, step S33 may be omitted, and steps S33, S35 and S36 may be omitted.
- Steps S3 and S6 may be omitted in the first embodiment and its modifications. In this case, the control unit 62 outputs a shift command to the transmission 10, but since the transmission 10 cannot shift, it does not shift.
- Step S14 may be omitted in embodiments including the first embodiment and its modifications.
- Step S15 may be omitted in embodiments including the first embodiment and its modifications.
- Step S25 may be omitted in embodiments including the first embodiment and its modifications.
- In the embodiment including the first embodiment and its modification, the third control process may be omitted.
- In the embodiment including the first embodiment and its modification, step S24, step S25, step S26 and step S27 may be omitted.
- In the embodiment including the first embodiment and its modification, the first control process may be omitted.
When the temperature sensor 74 includes a plurality of temperature detection elements and detects a plurality of temperatures in each embodiment and its modifications, each different predetermined first temperature corresponding to each temperature detection element may be set. For example, when the temperature sensor 74 detects the temperature of the portion of the circuit board 64 near the inverter circuit 70 and the temperature of the arithmetic processing unit 68 , the controller 62 detects the temperature of the portion of the circuit board 64 near the inverter circuit 70 . It is determined whether or not the temperature of the portion is equal to or higher than a predetermined first temperature T1, and whether or not the temperature of the processing unit 68 is equal to or higher than a predetermined first temperature T2 different from the predetermined first temperature T1 is determined. If one determination is YES, it is determined that the detected temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined first temperature.
- In each embodiment and its modifications, the condition "greater than or equal to" may be changed to the condition "greater than." In each embodiment and its modifications, the condition "less than or equal to" may be changed to the condition "less than."
• The phrase "at least one" as used herein means "one or more" of the desired option. As an example, the phrase "at least one" as used herein means "only one option" or "both of the two options" if the number of options is two. As another example, the expression "at least one" used herein means "only one option" or "any combination of two or more options" if the number of options is three or more. means

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2... Human-powered vehicle, 4... Input rotating shaft, 6... Drive wheel, 10... Transmission, 12... Motor, 60... Control device, 62... Control part, 64... Circuit board, 66... Electronic circuit component, 68... Calculation Processor, 70 -- Inverter circuit, 80 -- Notification device, 82 -- Interface unit.

Claims (10)

A controller for a human powered vehicle, comprising:
The manpowered vehicle includes an input rotary shaft, driving wheels, a transmission configured to change a gear ratio of a rotational speed of the driving wheels with respect to a rotational speed of the input rotary shaft, and propelling the manpowered vehicle. a motor configured to apply a force;
The controller comprises a controller configured to control the motor,
The control unit
When at least one of the temperature of the motor, the temperature of the controller, the temperature in the vicinity of the motor, and the temperature in the vicinity of the controller becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined first temperature , the gear ratio is reduced. , a controller configured to control said transmission . The control unit controls the speed change when at least one of the temperature of the motor, the temperature of the control unit, the temperature near the motor, and the temperature near the control unit becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined first temperature. After decreasing the ratio, until the at least one of the temperature of the motor, the temperature of the controller, the temperature in the vicinity of the motor, and the temperature in the vicinity of the controller becomes lower than a predetermined second temperature, the configured to control the transmission so as not to increase the gear ratio,
2. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said predetermined second temperature is lower than said predetermined first temperature. The control unit
When at least one of the temperature of the motor, the temperature of the controller, the temperature in the vicinity of the motor, and the temperature in the vicinity of the controller becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined first temperature, the gear ratio is reduced. a first step of controlling the transmission;
After the first step, when at least one of the temperature of the motor, the temperature of the controller, the temperature in the vicinity of the motor, and the temperature in the vicinity of the controller reaches or exceeds a predetermined third temperature, the speed change a second step of controlling the transmission to reduce the ratio;
2. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said third predetermined temperature is higher than or equal to said first predetermined temperature. 4. The control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein when the gear ratio is changed, the control unit is configured to output information to the notification device so as to notify the notification device of predetermined information. The control device according to . A controller for a human powered vehicle, comprising:
The manpowered vehicle includes an input rotary shaft, driving wheels, a transmission configured to change a gear ratio of a rotational speed of the driving wheels with respect to a rotational speed of the input rotary shaft, and propelling the manpowered vehicle. a motor configured to apply a force;
The controller comprises a controller configured to control the motor,
The control unit adjusts the speed change ratio when at least one of the temperature of the motor, the temperature of the control unit, the temperature near the motor, and the temperature near the control unit reaches or exceeds a predetermined first temperature. A controller configured to output information to a notification device to prompt a user to change the transmission ratio to decrease . 6. The control device according to claim 4 or 5 , further comprising an interface section configured to output said information to said notification device. 7. The control device according to claim 6 , wherein said interface unit is configured to be connected to an electric cable connected to said notification device. 8. The control device according to claim 6 or 7 , wherein said interface unit includes a wireless communication device configured to wirelessly communicate with said notification device. The control unit includes one or more circuit boards and one or more electronic circuit components,
The temperature of the control unit includes at least one of the temperature of at least one of the one or more circuit boards and the temperature of at least one electronic circuit component of the one or more electronic circuit components. 9. A control device according to any preceding claim , comprising: 10. The control device according to claim 9 , wherein said one or more electronic circuit components include one or more arithmetic processing units and components constituting an inverter circuit.

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