GB2129234A - Powered wheelchair having improved control circuit - Google Patents

Powered wheelchair having improved control circuit Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2129234A
GB2129234A GB08322009A GB8322009A GB2129234A GB 2129234 A GB2129234 A GB 2129234A GB 08322009 A GB08322009 A GB 08322009A GB 8322009 A GB8322009 A GB 8322009A GB 2129234 A GB2129234 A GB 2129234A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
batteries
speed
wheelchair
motors
control circuit
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB08322009A
Other versions
GB8322009D0 (en
Inventor
Martin PRITCHARD
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Vessa Ltd
Original Assignee
Vessa Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Vessa Ltd filed Critical Vessa Ltd
Priority to GB08322009A priority Critical patent/GB2129234A/en
Publication of GB8322009D0 publication Critical patent/GB8322009D0/en
Publication of GB2129234A publication Critical patent/GB2129234A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L58/00—Methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells, specially adapted for electric vehicles
    • B60L58/10—Methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells, specially adapted for electric vehicles for monitoring or controlling batteries
    • B60L58/18—Methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells, specially adapted for electric vehicles for monitoring or controlling batteries of two or more battery modules
    • B60L58/19—Switching between serial connection and parallel connection of battery modules
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
    • B60L50/00—Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle
    • B60L50/50—Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle using propulsion power supplied by batteries or fuel cells
    • B60L50/52—Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle using propulsion power supplied by batteries or fuel cells characterised by DC-motors
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
    • Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
    • Y02T10/60—Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect
    • Y02T10/70—Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Electric Propulsion And Braking For Vehicles (AREA)

Abstract

A motor control circuit for an electrically powered vehicle using ON- OFF type joystick control provides two speeds from two batteries without deeply discharging one of the batteries. Motors LHM, RHM are operated through first stage switches SW5 to SW8 to cause power to be passed in forward or reverse direction through motors LHM, RHM for the driving wheels and through second stage switches SW2, SW3 to cause increased power to be supplied to the motors LHM, RHM. Change-over means RL1 responsive to the or each second stage switch SW2 or SW3 changes the batteries from a half motor speed state where they are connected in parallel to a full motor speed state where they are connected in series. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Powered wheelchair having improved control circuit The present invention relates to a control circuit for an electrically powered vehicle operated by an on-off type control that can be driven at half speed or at full speed. It is particularly applicable to the control of powered wheelchairs, powered invalid three-wheeled scooters and powered four-wheeled invalid cars.
It is known to drive powered wheelchairs at half speed or at full speed by means of first and second batteries, both batteries being connected for full speed operation and only one battery being connected for half speed operation. But with this arrangement only one battery is in use during half speed drive of the wheelchair and that battery becomes deeply discharged, thereby reducing its effective life and also causing the wheelchair batteries to require recharging earlier than necessary.
It is an object of the invention to provide a powered wheelchair having a pair of batteries that are used evenly irrespective of whether the wheelchair is being driven at full or half speeds.
Broadly stated the invention provides a motor control circuit for an electrically powered vehicle operated by an ON-OFF type joystick control for motors that operates through first stage switches to cause power to be passed in forward or reverse direction through left-hand or right-hand motors for the driving wheels and through second stage switches to cause increased power to be supplied to the motors, first and second batteries and change-over means responsive to the or each second stage switch to change the batteries from a half motor speed state in which they are connected in parallel to a full motor speed state in which they are connected in series.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figures 1 a and 1 b show a schematic motor control circuit for a wheelchair.
Motors LHM and RHM for the wheels of the wheelchair are regeneratively braked through resistors R7 and R8 and diodes D9 and D11 in forward mode and are shunt short circuited by diodes D8 and D10 as conventional in the art, the diodes also suppressing the conductive arc of the motors. When the coil of relay RL1 is in its unenergised state batteries 1 and 2 that drive motors RHM and LHM are connected in parallel as shown to provide a half speed power output and when SW1 is moved from the battery charge to the wheelchair drive position the 12 volts potential that they supply is applied across the circuit as shown.The left-hand and right-hand motors may be driven forwardly either individually or together by closing switch SW5 or SW7 or both of them, thereby energising the coils of relays RL3 and RL5 whose normally open contacts close to cause power to be passed through the appropriate motor(s). This condition applies when a joystick control on the wheelchair is moved a small distance corresponding to a half speed position and the contacts of relay RL1 are in the position shown so that batteries 1 and 2 are connected in parallel and apply a voltage of 1 2 volts across the circuit. When the joystick is moved further forward to a full speed position, switch SW2 and/or SW3 is closed thereby energising the coil of relay RL1 (assuming high speed availability switch SW4 also to be closed) and the contacts of relay RL1 are moved to their other position.Capacitor C1 maintains energisation of the coil of RL1 during the changeover, when the batteries are momentarily disconnected from the circuit. The batteries are now connected in series so that 24 volts are applied across the circuit and motor LHM and/or RHM is/are driven at high speed. The change-over also causes the coil of relay RL2 to be energised, thereby switching the coils of relays RL3 to RL6 from direct connection to the power supply to connection via voltage step-down resistors R2 to R5. The result is that the applied voltage across coils of relays RL3 to RL6 is 1 2 volts irrespective of whether the wheelchair is being driven at half speed or full speed.
Reverse movement of the wheelchar at half speed is initiated via switches SW6 and SW8 that cause a reversed flow of current through motors LHM and/or RHM. But there are no switches corresponding to SW2 and SW3 so that the user of the wheelchair cannot drive it at full speed in reverse.
The above described control circuit is simple but provides effective ON-OFF type control of the motor of a powered wheelchair in both half speed and full speed modes, the two batteries present being simultaneously in use in both modes, giving even battery discharge and prolonging battery life.
Claims
1. A motor control circuit for an electrically powered vehicle operated by an an ON-OFF type joystick control for motors LHM, RHM that operates through first stage switches SW5 to SW8 to cause power to be passed in forward or reverse direction through left-hand or right-hand motors LHM or RHM for the driving wheels and through second stage switches SW2 and SW3 to cause increased power to be supplied to the motors LHM and RHM, first and second batteries and change-over means RL1 responsive to the or each second stage switch SW2 or SW3 to change the batteries from a half motor speed state in which they are connected in parallel to a full motor speed state in which they are connected in series.
2. A control circuit according to claim 1, wherein second stage switches are only provided for forward joystick positions.
3. A control circuit according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the change-over means RL1 further responds to the second stage switches by connecting load resistors R2 to R5 in series with
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Powered wheelchair having improved control circuit The present invention relates to a control circuit for an electrically powered vehicle operated by an on-off type control that can be driven at half speed or at full speed. It is particularly applicable to the control of powered wheelchairs, powered invalid three-wheeled scooters and powered four-wheeled invalid cars. It is known to drive powered wheelchairs at half speed or at full speed by means of first and second batteries, both batteries being connected for full speed operation and only one battery being connected for half speed operation. But with this arrangement only one battery is in use during half speed drive of the wheelchair and that battery becomes deeply discharged, thereby reducing its effective life and also causing the wheelchair batteries to require recharging earlier than necessary. It is an object of the invention to provide a powered wheelchair having a pair of batteries that are used evenly irrespective of whether the wheelchair is being driven at full or half speeds. Broadly stated the invention provides a motor control circuit for an electrically powered vehicle operated by an ON-OFF type joystick control for motors that operates through first stage switches to cause power to be passed in forward or reverse direction through left-hand or right-hand motors for the driving wheels and through second stage switches to cause increased power to be supplied to the motors, first and second batteries and change-over means responsive to the or each second stage switch to change the batteries from a half motor speed state in which they are connected in parallel to a full motor speed state in which they are connected in series. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figures 1 a and 1 b show a schematic motor control circuit for a wheelchair. Motors LHM and RHM for the wheels of the wheelchair are regeneratively braked through resistors R7 and R8 and diodes D9 and D11 in forward mode and are shunt short circuited by diodes D8 and D10 as conventional in the art, the diodes also suppressing the conductive arc of the motors. When the coil of relay RL1 is in its unenergised state batteries 1 and 2 that drive motors RHM and LHM are connected in parallel as shown to provide a half speed power output and when SW1 is moved from the battery charge to the wheelchair drive position the 12 volts potential that they supply is applied across the circuit as shown.The left-hand and right-hand motors may be driven forwardly either individually or together by closing switch SW5 or SW7 or both of them, thereby energising the coils of relays RL3 and RL5 whose normally open contacts close to cause power to be passed through the appropriate motor(s). This condition applies when a joystick control on the wheelchair is moved a small distance corresponding to a half speed position and the contacts of relay RL1 are in the position shown so that batteries 1 and 2 are connected in parallel and apply a voltage of 1 2 volts across the circuit. When the joystick is moved further forward to a full speed position, switch SW2 and/or SW3 is closed thereby energising the coil of relay RL1 (assuming high speed availability switch SW4 also to be closed) and the contacts of relay RL1 are moved to their other position.Capacitor C1 maintains energisation of the coil of RL1 during the changeover, when the batteries are momentarily disconnected from the circuit. The batteries are now connected in series so that 24 volts are applied across the circuit and motor LHM and/or RHM is/are driven at high speed. The change-over also causes the coil of relay RL2 to be energised, thereby switching the coils of relays RL3 to RL6 from direct connection to the power supply to connection via voltage step-down resistors R2 to R5. The result is that the applied voltage across coils of relays RL3 to RL6 is 1 2 volts irrespective of whether the wheelchair is being driven at half speed or full speed. Reverse movement of the wheelchar at half speed is initiated via switches SW6 and SW8 that cause a reversed flow of current through motors LHM and/or RHM. But there are no switches corresponding to SW2 and SW3 so that the user of the wheelchair cannot drive it at full speed in reverse. The above described control circuit is simple but provides effective ON-OFF type control of the motor of a powered wheelchair in both half speed and full speed modes, the two batteries present being simultaneously in use in both modes, giving even battery discharge and prolonging battery life. Claims
1. A motor control circuit for an electrically powered vehicle operated by an an ON-OFF type joystick control for motors LHM, RHM that operates through first stage switches SW5 to SW8 to cause power to be passed in forward or reverse direction through left-hand or right-hand motors LHM or RHM for the driving wheels and through second stage switches SW2 and SW3 to cause increased power to be supplied to the motors LHM and RHM, first and second batteries and change-over means RL1 responsive to the or each second stage switch SW2 or SW3 to change the batteries from a half motor speed state in which they are connected in parallel to a full motor speed state in which they are connected in series.
2. A control circuit according to claim 1, wherein second stage switches are only provided for forward joystick positions.
3. A control circuit according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the change-over means RL1 further responds to the second stage switches by connecting load resistors R2 to R5 in series with the first stage switches RL3 to RL6 whereby the same voltage is applied across the first stage switches irrespective of whether the wheelchair is at half speed or at full speed.
4. A control circuit for an electrically powered vehicle operated by an on-off joystick control that gives half motor speed and full motor speed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
GB08322009A 1982-10-28 1983-08-16 Powered wheelchair having improved control circuit Withdrawn GB2129234A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08322009A GB2129234A (en) 1982-10-28 1983-08-16 Powered wheelchair having improved control circuit

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8230851 1982-10-28
GB08322009A GB2129234A (en) 1982-10-28 1983-08-16 Powered wheelchair having improved control circuit

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB8322009D0 GB8322009D0 (en) 1983-09-21
GB2129234A true GB2129234A (en) 1984-05-10

Family

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Family Applications (1)

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GB08322009A Withdrawn GB2129234A (en) 1982-10-28 1983-08-16 Powered wheelchair having improved control circuit

Country Status (1)

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GB (1) GB2129234A (en)

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB922659A (en) * 1961-01-10 1963-04-03 Electro Hydraulics Ltd Control system for trucks
GB1330232A (en) * 1970-04-10 1973-09-12 Brev Et Dapplications Technolo Control means for electrically controlling a dc motor
GB1347211A (en) * 1971-02-09 1974-02-27 Matral Sa Control systems for starting electrically driven vehicles
GB1384496A (en) * 1972-06-13 1975-02-19 Siemens Ag Electric motor drive
GB1416636A (en) * 1972-08-02 1975-12-03 Deutsche Automobilgesellsch Driving arrangement for an electrically propelled vehicle
GB2003679A (en) * 1977-08-31 1979-03-14 Bbc Brown Boveri & Cie Circuit for electrical propeller drive for an under-water vehicle
GB2015835A (en) * 1978-03-06 1979-09-12 Everest & Jennings Wheelchair electral control circuit

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB922659A (en) * 1961-01-10 1963-04-03 Electro Hydraulics Ltd Control system for trucks
GB1330232A (en) * 1970-04-10 1973-09-12 Brev Et Dapplications Technolo Control means for electrically controlling a dc motor
GB1347211A (en) * 1971-02-09 1974-02-27 Matral Sa Control systems for starting electrically driven vehicles
GB1384496A (en) * 1972-06-13 1975-02-19 Siemens Ag Electric motor drive
GB1416636A (en) * 1972-08-02 1975-12-03 Deutsche Automobilgesellsch Driving arrangement for an electrically propelled vehicle
GB2003679A (en) * 1977-08-31 1979-03-14 Bbc Brown Boveri & Cie Circuit for electrical propeller drive for an under-water vehicle
GB2015835A (en) * 1978-03-06 1979-09-12 Everest & Jennings Wheelchair electral control circuit

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Publication number Publication date
GB8322009D0 (en) 1983-09-21

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WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)