CN211364776U - Independent control module of split type lock, split type lock and bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

The embodiment of the disclosure provides a control module of a split type vehicle lock, the split type vehicle lock and a bicycle. The independent control module comprises a housing arranged or integrated on or in a mounting structure of a frame of the bicycle; and a control system disposed in the housing and coupled with the actuator of the vehicle lock via a connection assembly to control the actuator action to lock or unlock the bicycle, wherein the mounting structure includes any one of a seat tube, a head tube, and a seat tube of the bicycle. By using a separate control module, the control module can be fitted between the seat tube and the head tube or in the seat tube or the head tube. The structure enables the bicycle lock to be integrated in a bicycle, and a control module of the bicycle lock is not easy to be damaged maliciously. In addition, the split type vehicle lock can realize full automation of vehicle locking and unlocking, and user experience is improved.

Description

Independent control module of split type lock, split type lock and bicycle

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to a split vehicle lock, and more particularly, to a control module of a split vehicle lock, a vehicle lock, and a bicycle.

Background

Conventional bicycles typically employ an integral lock, such as a horseshoe lock. The control module and the actuator of a horseshoe lock are typically integrated in a single housing. The control module can receive a control command from external equipment and output a control signal so as to control the action of the executing mechanism to complete locking and unlocking. The housing is typically disposed at the rear of the seat tube of the bicycle to enable the actuator to drive the locking ring for blocking the wheel spokes to complete the locking of the bicycle.

The horseshoe-shaped lock is independent from the bicycle, and the lock is easy to damage. After the lock is maliciously destroyed, the bicycle can be used continuously under the condition that the lock cannot be used. The problem that this brings is that the bicycle can not be locked or unlocked, thereby leads to the bicycle easily to lose and influences the use experience of sharing the bicycle. In addition, the horseshoe-shaped lock belongs to a semi-automatic lock, and although automatic unlocking can be realized, locking can be completed only by depending on manual operation of a user.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

To address at least part of the above and other potential problems, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a split vehicle lock.

In a first aspect of the disclosure, an independent control module for a split vehicle lock is provided. The independent control module comprises a housing arranged or integrated on or in a mounting structure of a frame of the bicycle; and a control system disposed in the housing and coupled with the actuator of the vehicle lock via a connection assembly to control the actuator action to lock or unlock the bicycle, wherein the mounting structure includes any one of a seat tube, a head tube, and a seat tube of the bicycle.

By using a separate control module, the control module can be fitted between the seat tube and the head tube or in the seat tube or the head tube. The structure enables the bicycle lock to be integrated in a bicycle, and a control module of the bicycle lock is not easy to be damaged maliciously. In addition, the split type vehicle lock can realize full automation of vehicle locking and unlocking, and user experience is improved.

In some embodiments, the control system is disposed at least partially on a circuit board and includes: a communication unit configured to communicate with an external device outside the bicycle to transmit or receive a signal; a micro-control unit coupled to the communication unit and the actuator to issue a control signal in response to the signal; and an actuator control unit coupled to the micro control unit and configured to control the actuator action in accordance with the control signal.

In some embodiments, the communication unit comprises a near field communication module adapted to exchange data with said external device in proximity to each other; and a remote communication module adapted to communicate with the external device via a data communication network.

In some embodiments, the near field communication module includes at least one of a near field communication unit or a bluetooth unit.

In some embodiments, the control system further comprises a positioning module disposed in the housing and adapted to obtain positioning data of the bicycle and transmit the positioning data to at least one of the communication unit and the control unit.

In some embodiments, the positioning module comprises at least one of a differential global navigation satellite system unit and an ultra-wideband near-field high precision positioning unit to obtain positioning information of the bicycle relative to the electronic fence.

In some embodiments, the positioning module comprises a beidou navigation system unit.

In some embodiments, the control system further comprises a mains-powered charging module disposed at least partially in the housing and configured to power the control system.

In some embodiments, the mains-powered charging module comprises: a battery disposed in the housing and adapted to power the control system; a power generation unit disposed on the bicycle and coupled to the battery to charge the battery.

In some embodiments, the power generation unit comprises at least one of a solar panel and an electromagnetic induction power generation mechanism.

In some embodiments, the control system further comprises an auxiliary location module disposed in the housing and adapted to obtain location information of the bicycle using WiFi.

In some embodiments, the control system further comprises a sensor coupled to said microcontroller unit for detecting at least one of a motion state of said bicycle and a speed of said bicycle.

In some embodiments, the housing comprises: a speaker accommodating part adapted for a speaker to be sealingly disposed therein; and a sound outlet hole disposed at a position of the case corresponding to the speaker housing, an output portion of the speaker facing the sound outlet hole, thereby forming a resonance chamber in the speaker housing to improve an output quality of the sound.

In some embodiments, the speaker accommodating portion includes: a receiving case extending from an inner surface of the case to an inside of the case; and a cover disposed at an end of the accommodation case away from the inner surface to form a space for hermetically accommodating the speaker inside the accommodation case.

In some embodiments, the speaker receptacle further includes a positioning pin protruding inside the cover toward the speaker receptacle, the positioning pin abutting against the speaker.

In some embodiments, the speaker receptacle further comprises a leak hole and a leak hole sticker adapted to vent pressure within the speaker receptacle above a predetermined threshold.

In some embodiments, the connection assembly includes at least one of a connection line or a wireless connection unit disposed within the bicycle.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a split vehicle lock is provided. The vehicle lock comprises the independent control module according to the first aspect and an actuator arranged in at least one of the interior of a wheel or the interior of a brake of the bicycle for locking or unlocking the bicycle.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a bicycle is provided. The bicycle comprises the split type vehicle lock described according to the second aspect.

Further features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. It should be understood that this summary is not intended to identify key or critical features of the embodiments of the disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description.

Drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent by describing in more detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which like reference numerals generally represent like parts throughout the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of a bicycle in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates an installation schematic of a stand-alone control module according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 4 shows a schematic view of a bottom shell of a housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, with a speaker receptacle shown exploded;

fig. 5 shows a schematic view of a bottom shell of a housing with a speaker receptacle shown assembled together according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 6 shows a schematic view of the front and back of a cover of a speaker receptacle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 7 shows a schematic view of a housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The same or similar reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure will now be described with reference to several example embodiments. It should be understood that these examples are described only for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and thereby enable the present disclosure, and are not intended to set forth any limitations on the scope of the technical solutions of the present disclosure.

As used herein, the term "include" and its variants are to be read as open-ended terms meaning "including, but not limited to. The term "based on" will be read as "based at least in part on". The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The term "another embodiment" should be understood as "at least one other embodiment". The terms "first," "second," and the like may refer to different or the same object. Other explicit and implicit definitions may be included below. The definitions of the terms are consistent throughout the specification unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

The horseshoe-shaped locks used in conventional bicycles are generally of unitary construction. The horseshoe lock is mounted on the bicycle independently of the structure of the bicycle. To facilitate control of an intelligent bicycle, such as a shared bicycle, such a horseshoe-type lock includes a control module and an actuator. The control module and the actuator are integrated in a housing defining the shape of a horseshoe-type vehicle lock. The control module is used for controlling the action of the actuating mechanism to block spokes of the wheel so as to achieve the purposes of locking and unlocking the vehicle.

However, since the control module and the actuator of the horseshoe lock are integrated, the control module and the actuator must be disposed close to the rear wheel spoke. In addition, because the horseshoe-shaped bicycle lock and the bicycle are independent, the bicycle lock is easily damaged maliciously. After the lock is damaged maliciously, the bicycle can be used continuously under the condition that the lock cannot be used. The problem that this brings is that the bicycle can not be locked or unlocked, thereby leads to the bicycle easily to lose and influences the use experience of sharing the bicycle. In addition, the horseshoe-shaped lock belongs to a semi-automatic lock, and although automatic unlocking can be realized, locking can be completed only by depending on manual operation of a user. The semi-automatic vehicle lock enables a user to easily forget to lock the vehicle, so that the vehicle is lost or the charging time is prolonged, and the user experience is influenced.

To address or at least partially address the above and other potential problems of vehicle locks, the present disclosure provides a split vehicle lock 100 and a bicycle 200 using such a split vehicle lock. Fig. 1 shows a side view of a bicycle 200 and fig. 2 shows a schematic view of the installation of the independent control modules of the split vehicle lock 100.

As shown, the independent control module for the split vehicle lock 100 generally includes a housing 101 and a control system 102 disposed in the housing 101. The control system 102 is coupled to the actuator 106 of the split-type vehicle lock 100 via a linkage assembly, thereby controlling the actuation of the actuator 106 to lock or unlock the bicycle 200.

It can be seen that the actuator 106 is located outside the housing 101 and is coupled to the independent control module by a connection assembly. In some embodiments, the actuator 106 may be integrated into the wheel or the braking mechanism of the wheel. Under the control of the control system 102, the actuator 106 can lock the brakes so that the wheels cannot move, thereby achieving the purpose of locking the vehicle. When unlocked, the actuator 106 can release the brakes to effect unlocking. The split type vehicle lock can easily realize automatic vehicle locking and automatic unlocking, so that additional manual intervention is not needed.

For example, in a case where a bicycle is used to share the bicycle, the user may perform an unlocking operation through an interface of an external device (e.g., a cell phone). After riding, the user can park the car in the fence and realize locking automatically, perhaps the user also can click the locking on the interface of cell-phone after riding and realize locking to do not need the manual work to lock the handle on again, improved the degree of automation and the manual experience of locking the car.

In some embodiments, the actuator 106 may be connected to the control system 102 by a connection line disposed in the vehicle tube. The arrangement of the connecting lines in the tube does not affect the overall appearance of the bicycle 200. On the other hand, the arrangement of the connecting wire in the vehicle tube also prevents vandalism, thereby making the vehicle lock 100 more secure.

In some alternative embodiments, the actuator 106 may also be connected to the control system 102 via a wireless connection unit. The wireless connection unit may be a wireless transmission unit such as bluetooth or NFC. In such an embodiment, wiring between the actuator 106 and the control system 102 is no longer required, thereby making the appearance of the bicycle more aesthetically pleasing and the lock 100 more secure.

The housing 101 is arranged on or in a mounting structure 111 of a frame of the bicycle 200. This is due to the use of separate mechanisms for the control module and the actuator, i.e., the location of the control module need not be integrated with the actuator, so that the control module can be mounted or integrated in any suitable location on the bicycle 200. For example, in some embodiments, the housing 101 may be disposed between the seat stays of the bicycle. The housing 101 may be integrated in a more concealed location between the seat stays so as to be less susceptible to damage, since it need not be integrated with the actuator. In some embodiments, the housing 101 may also be disposed on the seat tube 104, as shown in FIG. 1. For example, a fixing portion may be mounted at an appropriate position of the seat tube 104, and the housing 101 may be mounted on the seat tube 104 via the fixing portion. The retainer portion may be a half shell that receives at least a portion of the body 101 of the housing 1027 so that the housing 101 is more securely mounted to the seat tube 104.

In some alternative embodiments, the housing 101 may also be integrated inside the seat tube 104 or in the head tube 105. This arrangement allows for a higher degree of integration of the lock 100 and the bicycle 200, and the lock is less likely to be broken, thereby making the lock 100 more secure. Of course, it should be understood that the above arrangement position with respect to the housing 101 is meant to be exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Any other suitable structure or arrangement is possible. For example, in alternative embodiments, the housing 101 may be disposed in any suitable location in the basket or rear seat.

In some embodiments, the control system 102 is at least partially disposed on a circuit board. The circuit board is disposed in a proper position in the housing 101. As shown in fig. 3, the control system 102 may include a communication unit 1021, a micro control unit 103, and an actuator control unit 107. The communication unit 1021 can communicate with an external apparatus such as a cellular phone or a server to transmit or receive a signal.

In some embodiments, the communication unit 1021 may comprise a near field communication module 1022. The near field communication module performs data exchange to transmit signals when approaching an external device using technology such as bluetooth or near field communication. For example, when a user needs to unlock the lock, after clicking an unlocking button on the mobile phone, the mobile phone can transmit a signal with the communication unit 102 through bluetooth technology to control the lock 100 to unlock. This way, the lock can be unlocked without connecting the mobile phone to the communication network, and in addition, the lock 100 can be unlocked more quickly, thereby improving the user experience.

In some embodiments, the communication unit 1021 may also include a remote communication module 1023. The remote communication module 1023 can communicate with an external device through a data communication network such as 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G to transmit signals. This approach widens the application area of the lock 100. The lock 100 may communicate directly with the server side to communicate the location or status of the lock 100 and even the entire bicycle 200.

It is mentioned above that in some embodiments, the user may automatically implement the lockout upon parking into the electronic fence. In such embodiments, the control system 102 may also include a positioning module 108. The positioning module 108 is capable of obtaining positioning data for the bicycle and sending it to at least one of the micro control unit or the communication unit 1021.

In one aspect, the location module 108 can enable a user or a server to obtain location information of the bicycle 200 or the lock 100. Thus, the user can select the bicycle 200 closest to the user according to the position of the user. In addition, the management party can regulate and control the bicycle 200 according to the position data obtained by the server, so that the layout of the bicycle is more reasonable, the bicycle is more convenient for a user to use, and the user experience is further improved.

In some embodiments, to improve positioning accuracy, the positioning module may include at least one of a differential Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) unit and an ultra-wideband (UWB) near-field high-accuracy positioning unit. The use of these two high-precision positioning units enables the acquisition of positioning information of the bicycle 200 with respect to the electronic fence. For example, after the user puts the bicycle 200 into an electronic fence and the positioning module 108 sends the positioning information to the server via the communication unit, the server automatically locks the bicycle 200 according to the positioning information of the bicycle 200 in the electronic fence and the state of the bicycle. In some embodiments, the location module 108 may also include a beidou navigation system unit.

In some embodiments, the control system 102 may also include an auxiliary positioning module 1024 to allow for auxiliary positioning of the bicycle 200 in situations where the positioning signal is poor. The auxiliary positioning module 1024 is disposed in the housing 101 and can obtain coarse positioning information of the bicycle by using technologies such as WiFi or a data base station, so as to provide auxiliary positioning in a situation where the positioning signal is poor, thereby improving user experience.

In some embodiments, the control system 102 may also include a mains-powered charging module. The power supply charging module can comprise a charging and discharging management chip and a battery which are arranged on the circuit board. The charge and discharge management chip can be used for managing the charge and discharge of the battery. A battery may also be disposed in the housing 101 capable of powering various electronic components of the control system 102.

In some embodiments, to enable the vehicle lock 100 to be used continuously, the mains powered charging module may further comprise a power generating unit. The power generating unit may be a solar panel disposed at a suitable location of the bicycle 200. Solar panel just can be with solar energy conversion for thereby for battery charging, this makes bicycle 200 can realize non-maintaining to user experience has been improved.

Of course, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are exemplary only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Any other suitable arrangement or configuration is possible. For example, in some alternative embodiments, the power generation unit may be an electromagnetic induction power generation mechanism coupled to the wheel. The user is riding the car, thereby converts the kinetic energy of wheel into the electric energy with the rotation of wheel and charges the battery.

In some embodiments, the control system 102 may also include a sensor for detecting at least one of a motion state or a speed of the bicycle 200. The sensor may be coupled to a micro control unit. The micro control unit can control the vehicle lock according to the data obtained by the sensor. For example, when the positioning unit detects that the bicycle 200 has entered the electric fence area and the vehicle speed becomes 0, the server may perform a locking operation on the bicycle 200 via the micro control unit.

In some embodiments, after the vehicle locking or unlocking is completed, the vehicle lock 100 may include a speaker 110 for playing an alert tone or music in order to prompt the user that the vehicle locking or unlocking is successful. In order to improve the output quality of sound, the speaker 110 may be hermetically disposed in the speaker accommodating part 1025 in the case 101, as shown in fig. 4 and 5. A sound outlet 1026 may be further included in the housing 101 at a position corresponding to the speaker accommodating portion 1025. And the output of the speaker 110 is directed towards the sound outlet 1026. With this arrangement, it is made possible to form a resonance chamber in the speaker accommodating portion 1025 to improve the output quality of sound.

In some embodiments, the speaker receptacle 1025 may include a receptacle housing 1027 and a cover 1028, as shown in fig. 4. The accommodating case 1027 protrudes from an inner surface of the case 101 toward the inside of the case 101. The cover 1028 is disposed at an end of the accommodating case 1027 away from the inner surface of the housing 101 such that the cover 1028 forms a space for sealingly accommodating the speaker 110 together with the accommodating case 1027. This arrangement enables the speaker accommodating section 1025 to be more easily implemented, reducing costs.

To facilitate positioning of the speaker 110, in some embodiments, the speaker receptacle 1025 may further include a positioning pin 1029, as shown in fig. 6. Alignment pins 1029 project from the interior of the cover 1028 facing the speaker receptacle 1025 for abutting the speaker to facilitate positioning of the speaker. In some embodiments, the speaker receptacle 1025 may further include a leak hole 1030 and a leak hole paste 1031. The leak hole paste 1031 is covered on the leak hole 1030, so that pressure can be released when the sound pressure in the speaker accommodating portion 1025 exceeds a predetermined threshold, thereby further improving the output quality of sound.

In some embodiments, the housing 101 may include a front shell 1011 and a bottom shell 1012, as shown in fig. 7. The bottom shell 1012 may be disposed at least partially in the mounting structure 111 or on the mounting structure 111, as shown in fig. 2. Between the face housing 1011 and the bottom housing 1012, a gasket may be disposed to improve the waterproof performance of the housing 101.

The control module is described above in relation to a split vehicle lock. It can be seen that by using the control module of the split vehicle lock, the location of the control module does not need to be considered to the location of the actuator unit, and thus the control module can be located or integrated in any suitable location on the bicycle, such as anywhere between the seat tube 104, the front tube 105 or the seat stays. This makes the lock less susceptible to vandalism and makes the overall appearance of the bicycle 200 more aesthetically pleasing. In addition, the high-precision positioning system can obtain the position information of the bicycle 200 and the electronic fence, so that the control precision and the user experience are improved.

Also disclosed in accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure is a split vehicle lock 100 comprising an independent control module and actuator in accordance with the description hereinabove. The actuator may be disposed in or integrated with a wheel (e.g., in or near an axle) or a brake mechanism for locking or unlocking the bicycle 200 according to the control of the independent control module.

A bicycle 200 is also disclosed according to another aspect of the present disclosure. The bicycle 200 includes the split type lock 100 according to the above description, so that the lock 100 has higher security and better user experience.

It is to be understood that the above detailed embodiments of the disclosure are merely illustrative of or explaining the principles of the disclosure and are not limiting of the disclosure. Therefore, any modification, equivalent replacement, or improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. Also, it is intended that the following claims cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the scope and boundaries of the claims or the equivalents of the scope and boundaries.

Claims (19)

1. An independent control module for a split vehicle lock (100), comprising:

a housing (101) arranged or integrated on or in a mounting structure (111) of a frame of a bicycle (200); and

a control system (102) arranged in the housing (101) and coupled with an actuator (106) of the split vehicle lock (100) via a connection assembly to control an actuator action to lock or unlock the bicycle (200),

wherein the mounting structure (111) includes any one of a seat tube (104) and a front tube (105) between the seat stays of the bicycle (200).

2. The independent control module of claim 1, wherein the control system (102) is at least partially disposed on a circuit board and comprises:

a communication unit (1021) configured to communicate with an external device external to the bicycle (200) to transmit or receive a signal;

a micro control unit (103) coupled to the communication unit and the actuator (106) to issue a control signal in response to the signal; and

an actuator control unit (107) coupled to the micro control unit and configured to control the actuator action in dependence of the control signal.

3. The independent control module according to claim 2, characterized in that the communication unit (1021) comprises:

a near field communication module (1022) adapted to exchange data with the external device in proximity to each other; and

a remote communication module (1023) adapted to communicate with the external device via a data communication network.

4. The standalone control module of claim 3, wherein the near field communication module (1022) comprises at least one of a near field communication unit or a Bluetooth unit.

5. The independent control module according to claim 2, wherein the control system (102) further comprises a positioning module (108) adapted to obtain positioning data of the bicycle (200) and to transmit to at least one of the communication unit (1021) and the micro control unit.

6. The independent control module of claim 5, wherein the positioning module comprises at least one of a differential Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) unit and an ultra-wideband (UWB) near-field high-precision positioning unit to obtain positioning information of the bicycle (200) relative to an electronic fence.

7. The independent control module of claim 5, wherein the positioning module comprises a Beidou navigation System Unit.

8. The standalone control module of claim 2, further comprising a mains-powered charging module disposed at least partially in the housing (101) and configured to power the control system.

9. The independent control module of claim 8, wherein the mains-powered charging module comprises:

a battery arranged in the housing (101) and adapted to power the control system;

a power generation unit disposed on the bicycle (200) and coupled to the battery to charge the battery.

10. The independent control module of claim 9, wherein the power generation unit comprises at least one of a solar panel and an electromagnetic induction power generation mechanism.

11. The independent control module of claim 2, wherein the control system (102) further comprises an auxiliary positioning module (1024) arranged in the housing (101) and adapted to obtain positioning information of the bicycle (200) using WiFi or a base station.

12. The independent control module of claim 2, wherein the control system (102) further comprises a sensor coupled to the micro-control unit for detecting at least one of a motion state and a vehicle speed of the bicycle (200).

13. The independent control module according to claim 2, characterized in that the housing (101) comprises:

a speaker receptacle (1025) adapted for a speaker (110) to be sealingly disposed therein; and

sound outlet holes (1026) arranged at positions of the case (101) corresponding to the speaker housing (1025), an output portion of the speaker facing the sound outlet holes (1026), thereby forming a resonance cavity in the speaker housing (1025) to improve output quality of sound.

14. The independent control module of claim 13, wherein the speaker receptacle (1025) comprises:

a housing case (1027) extending from an inner surface of the housing (101) toward the inside of the housing (101); and

a cover (1028) disposed at an end of the accommodating case (1027) remote from the inner surface to form a space for hermetically accommodating the speaker (110) inside the accommodating case (1027).

15. The independent control module of claim 14, wherein the speaker receptacle (1025) further comprises a detent (1029) projecting inwardly of the cover (1028) toward the speaker receptacle (1025), the detent (1029) abutting the speaker (110).

16. An independent control module according to claim 13, characterized in that the speaker receptacle (1025) further comprises a leak hole (1030) and a leak hole sticker (1031) adapted for letting out pressure within the speaker receptacle (1025) exceeding a predetermined threshold.

17. The independent control module of claim 1, wherein the connection assembly comprises at least one of a wired line or a wireless connection unit disposed within the bicycle (200).

18. A split vehicle lock (100), comprising:

a stand-alone control module according to any one of claims 1-17; and

an actuator disposed in at least one of an interior of a wheel of the bicycle (200) or an interior of a brake mechanism for locking or unlocking the bicycle (200).

19. A bicycle (200), characterized in that the bicycle (200) comprises a split vehicle lock (100) according to claim 18.

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