JP2000072071A - Electric bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily attach/detach a battery case together with a power supply cord, and to prevent damages and disconnection of a connection part of the power supply cord. SOLUTION: A holding plate 8 provided with a support plate 80 fixed along an upright pipe 10 and a terminal plate 81 erected in an approximately perpendicular manner at a lower part of the support plate 80 is fitted to a front surface of the upright pipe. A fitting plate 7 is fixed to a fitting surface of a battery case 6 to the holding plate 8, engagement holes 7a, 7a formed in the fitting plate 7 are engaged with hook-shaped locking claws 8a, 8a projected on the support plate 80, and the battery case 6 is fitted to the support plate 80. An output terminal 83 projected on the terminal plate 81 enters from a lower surface of the battery case 6, and is brought into elastic contact with a power supply terminal 63 to connect both terminals.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric bicycle provided with an electric motor for assisting manual driving by pedaling force, and more particularly, to a structure for mounting a battery case containing a battery for supplying power to the electric motor. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an electric bicycle, an electric motor is attached to a drive system of a rear wheel, which is a traveling wheel, and the rotational force of the electric motor is transmitted to a rear wheel hub via an appropriate transmission such as a belt or gear. In addition, the original running of the bicycle performed by the pedaling force is assisted by the rotational force of the electric motor, and when starting, reducing the human load on the user when traveling uphill, etc. In recent years, it has been in the limelight as a possibility.

In this type of electric bicycle, a rechargeable battery for supplying power to the electric motor is mounted. Since this battery becomes a bulky heavy object,
In order to maintain the balance of the vehicle body without hindering the driving operation, it is housed in a long case made of synthetic resin or the like and attached to a part of the vehicle body frame. Further, in many electric bicycles, the battery case is made detachable so that the battery stored in the battery case can be charged and removed from the vehicle body frame to improve the usability.

Various types of mounting structures for such a battery case have been proposed in the past, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-268362 (B62J 11/00, B62M 23/02) by the present applicant has disclosed:
A mounting structure having a simple configuration has been proposed.

In this mounting structure, a flat holding plate is fixed to a part of a frame pipe constituting a body frame along the same, and the holding plate is directed to the same side at a plurality of positions in the plane of the holding plate. While a hook-shaped bending claw is protruded, a mounting plate is integrally provided on one surface of the battery case facing the holding plate, and the locking claw can be received at a corresponding position of the mounting plate. A plurality of engagement holes are formed, the mounting plate of the battery case is opposed to the holding plate on the vehicle body frame side, the latter engaging claw is fitted into the former engagement hole, and then the battery is placed along the holding plate. The case is moved in a direction opposite to the direction of the locking claws, and the hooks of these locking claws are engaged with the peripheral edges of the engagement holes to obtain a fixed state.

Further, one end of the battery case is screwed to the corresponding end of the holding plate by using a screw member which can be turned by hand, and the movement of both is restricted so that the engagement with the locking claw is achieved. By maintaining the engagement state with the hole, detachment due to vibration or the like during running is prevented. The attachment of the battery case is completed by connecting the power supply cord for supplying power to the electric motor for driving assistance to the power supply terminal provided on one side of the battery case after the fixing operation described above.

To remove the battery case, first remove the power supply cord, loosen the screw member and remove it, and move the battery case along the holding plate in the opposite direction to when the battery case was attached. After disengaging from the battery case, the battery case is pulled out toward the user, that is, in a direction away from the holding plate.

[0008]

As described above, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
The mounting structure of the battery case disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 268362 discloses a simple structure that allows the mounting and dismounting of the battery case. In mounting the battery case, as described above, the operation of fixing the battery case, A two-step operation of connecting the power supply cord is required, and the removal of the battery case requires two steps of the operation of removing the power supply cord and the operation of releasing the fixing of the battery case. there were.

In addition, since the connection between the battery case and the power supply cord is exposed to the outside, there is a problem that inconveniences such as damage and disconnection due to the action of various external forces cannot be avoided.

Further, when the battery case is mounted, it is necessary to align the engaging holes with the engaging claws, so that the mounting plate on the battery case side and the holding plate on the body frame side are difficult to see from the outside. However, there is a problem that this alignment performed in the unit involves troublesomeness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is possible to easily attach and detach a battery case together with attaching and detaching a power supply cord. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric bicycle that can prevent occurrence.

[0012]

In the electric bicycle according to the present invention, a battery case accommodating a battery is detachably attached to a holding plate fixed to a part of a vehicle body frame along one surface of the battery case. In the electric bicycle, the holding plate is fixed along the vehicle body frame in a configuration in which the electric motor is driven by power supply from a power supply terminal provided on one side of the battery case and assists running by human power. A support plate, and a terminal plate formed by bending one side of the support plate into an L-shape and rising in a direction away from the vehicle body frame, and an output terminal engaged with the power supply terminal is provided on the terminal plate. It is characterized by having been established.

In the present invention, as the holding plate of the battery case, a plate material having an L-shaped bent part in the middle is used, one side of the plate material is used as a support plate along the body frame, and the other side is separated from the body frame. When the terminal terminal is set up in the direction of the terminal plate, the output terminal is arranged on this terminal plate, and when the battery case is attached to the support plate along one surface of the battery case,
An output terminal provided on the terminal plate facing one side of the battery case is engaged with a power supply terminal of the battery case, and a connection between a power supply cord connected to the output terminal and the battery case is made by attaching the battery case. Performed simultaneously with the operation.

[0014] In addition, an exterior cover having an opening capable of receiving one side of the battery case and covering the outside of the terminal plate is provided.

In the present invention, the outside of the terminal plate having the output terminal is covered by the outer cover to protect the connection portion of the battery case with the power supply terminal from being inaccessible from the outside,
Prevents damage to connection parts and disconnection. In addition, the opening provided in the outer cover, when attaching the battery case,
It is used as a guide for positioning performed in a portion facing the support plate, which is difficult to see, and the trouble of the positioning is reduced.

Further, the battery case and the support plate are attached by engaging a plurality of engaging claws projecting on one side with respective different engaging holes formed on the other side. The battery case is characterized by being screwed to a part of the support plate.

In the present invention, the support plate and the battery case can be attached and detached with a simple structure by the engagement between the engagement claw and the engagement hole. The movement of the both is restrained by screwing, the engagement state between the locking claw and the engagement hole is maintained, the fixing is prevented from being detached due to vibration or the like during running, and the fixed state is reliably maintained.

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments. FIG. 1 is a side view showing the entire configuration of the electric bicycle according to the present invention. This electric bicycle includes a vehicle body frame 1 supported front and rear by front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3. The body frame 1 includes a standing pipe 10 provided with a seating saddle 4 at an upper part thereof and pedals 5 and 5 (only one side is shown) for human power traveling at a lower part thereof, and a head pipe 11 supporting the front wheel 2. The space is connected by a main pipe 12.

The front wheel 2 is attached to a lower end of a support fork 40 inserted and supported by the head pipe 11 so as to be rotatable about an axis. A bar-like steering handle 41 is fixed to the upper end of the support fork 40 extending above the head pipe 11 so as to be substantially perpendicular to the support fork 40.
The operation of 41 changes the direction of the support fork 40 to steer the front wheel 2.

The rear wheel 3 projects from the rear side of the upright pipe 10 and is supported from both sides in the vehicle width direction by a back fork 14 and a chain stay 15 framed in a triangular shape together with the upright pipe 10. . A hub plate 30 is fixed to the rear ends of the back fork 14 and the chain stay 15 coaxially with the rear wheel 3, and an electric motor M for driving assistance is mounted on the hub plate 30. It is connected to the hub shaft of the rear wheel 3 via transmission means (not shown) such as a belt and a gear built in the plate 30.

A rear gear (not shown) is attached to an end of the hub axle of the rear wheel 3 which protrudes from the side shown in FIG.
On the other hand, a front gear 50 that is paired with the rear gear is rotatably supported at the lower end of the standing pipe 10, and a chain C is stretched between the front gear 50 and the rear gear. . Front gear 50 protruding on both sides in the vehicle width direction
The pedals 5, 5 (only one side is shown) are attached to both ends of the rotary shaft through separate cranks having a phase difference of 180 °.

With the above configuration, the front gear 50
The user is seated on the saddle 4 and is rotated by the pedaling force of the pedals 5, 5, and the rotation is transmitted to the rear wheel 3 via the chain C and the rear gear, and the rear wheel 3 rotates to perform human power traveling. On the other hand, when the electric motor M is driven, the rotational force is transmitted to the rear wheels 3 via a transmission mechanism built in the hub plate 30, and the manual driving performed as described above is assisted.

The rotational torque applied to the rear wheel 3 by the pedaling force of the pedals 5, 5 is detected by a torque sensor (not shown) built in the hub plate 30, and when the torque detected by the torque sensor exceeds a predetermined level, That is, the electric motor M is driven when the depression force of the pedals 5, 5 by the user exceeds a predetermined level. Thus, the electric motor M is driven in a traveling state in which a large pedaling force is applied to the pedals 5, 5 such as when traveling uphill or when starting up, so that traveling by human power is assisted, and light traveling is possible.

The feature of the electric bicycle according to the present invention lies in the structure for mounting the battery case 6 for supplying power to the electric motor M driven as described above. This battery case 6
Is mounted on the front surface of the standing pipe 10 so as to be along the same as shown. At the bottom of the battery case 6, a power supply cord
16 is drawn out, and the power supply cord 16 is
And is extended rearward along the chain stay 15 on one side, guided to the inside of a hub plate 30 attached to the rear wheel 3, and connected to an electric motor M for driving assistance via a drive circuit (not shown). The electric motor M is driven by power supplied from a battery B (see FIG. 2) housed in the battery case 6.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the vicinity of the mounting position of the battery case 6. The battery case 6 is a hollow container made of a synthetic resin in which a rechargeable battery B is housed, and an outer surface of a bottom plate 60 supporting the battery B has
A metal mounting plate 7 is fixed by screws along this.

On the other hand, a metal holding plate 8 is fixed to the front surface of the vertical pipe 10 as a mounting portion of the battery case 6 by screws along the front surface thereof. As shown in the figure, the holding plate 8 has a flat support plate 8a extending along the front surface of the standing pipe 10 and a lower edge side of the supporting plate 80 bent at a substantially right angle over an appropriate length to form a vertical pipe. And a terminal plate 81 that rises in a direction away from the front surface of the terminal 10, and has an L-shaped cross-sectional shape in a side view.

The support plate 80 is provided with locking claws 8a, 8a which are bent upward in a hook shape at two places which are separated from each other by an appropriate length in the longitudinal direction.
Is protruding. The mounting plate 7 fixed to the battery case 6 has a size at which the locking claws 8a, 8a can be received at positions corresponding to the projecting positions of the locking claws 8a, 8a on the support plate 80. The engaging holes 7a, 7a are formed to penetrate.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a state where the battery case 6 is attached or detached. As shown in the figure, the battery case 6 has the fixing surface of the mounting plate 7 opposed to the supporting plate 80 fixed to the front surface of the standing pipe 10.
The engaging claws 8a, 8a protruding from the fitting 80 are fitted into the engaging holes 7a, 7a formed in the mounting plate 7, and the battery case 8 is moved downward in this state, whereby the engaging claws 8a are formed. ,
The hooks 8a are attached to the respective engaging holes 7a by engaging the upper edges of the engaging holes 7a.

In this mounted state, the battery case 6
As shown in FIG. 2, the upper part of the support plate 80 is adapted to be covered so as to cover the upper edge of the support plate 80. In this part, a fixing screw 61 configured to be manually turned by operating a tip knob is provided. Installed. In the vicinity of the upper edge of the support plate 80,
A screw hole 82 capable of screwing with the fixing screw 61 is provided, and the battery case 6 obtains the above-described engagement state between the mounting plate 7 and the support plate 80, and It is fixed by rotating 61 and screwing it into the screw hole 82. By this fixing, the engagement between the locking claws 8a, 8a and the engagement holes 7a, 7a is maintained without being affected by vibration during traveling, and there is no possibility that the battery case 6 may be unfixed.

The terminal plate 81 provided continuously below the support plate 80 is
It is provided so as to face the lower surface of the battery case 6 attached as described above. The outside of the terminal plate 81 is covered with a resin outer cover 9 having an opening 9a (see FIG. 3) capable of receiving the lower portion of the battery case 6 on the entire upper surface thereof. At this time, by aligning the lower part of the battery case 6 with the opening 9a of the outer cover 9, the locking claws 8a, 8a and the engaging holes 7a, 7a face each other at a position where they can be fitted as shown in FIG. Can be done.

That is, the engagement between the engaging claws 8a, 8a and the engaging holes 7a, 7a performed at a position hidden behind the battery case 6 causes the battery case 6 to be opened to the opening 9a of the outer cover 9.
Can be easily realized by positioning
The battery case 6 can be easily attached. The lower part of the attached battery case 6 is inserted into the exterior cover 9 for an appropriate length as shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the inside of the exterior cover 9 along the line IV-IV in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 3, a pair of output terminals 83, 83 each having a rod shape and projecting upward are protruded from a terminal plate 81 covered by the exterior cover 9 at a predetermined position in the plane. These are connected to the power supply cord 16 below the terminal plate 81. On the other hand, on the lower surface of the battery case 6 facing the terminal plate 81 at the time of mounting, through-holes are formed at corresponding positions of these output terminals 83.
62, 62 (only one side is shown) are formed.

Inside the battery case 6, power supply terminals 63, 63 (only one side is shown in FIG. 2) which are urged downward by a spring are provided at positions facing these through holes 62, 62. When the battery case 6 is attached as described above,
The output terminals 83, 83 penetrate into the battery case 6 through the respective through holes 62, 62, and as shown in FIG. 2, elastically contact the corresponding power supply terminals 63, 63, respectively, and are connected to be conductive. It is done.

With this connection, the battery B inside the battery case 6 is connected to the power supply cord 16 via the power supply terminals 62, 62 and the output terminals 83, 83, and power is supplied to the electric motor M as described above. Such a connection state is automatically realized by attaching the battery case 6 to the holding plate 8, so that a connection operation after the attachment is unnecessary as in the related art, and the attachment operation is greatly simplified. Further, the connection as described above occurs inside the exterior cover 9 that covers the outside of the terminal plate 81, and the connection portion is protected by the exterior cover 9 from contact from the outside. Damage and disconnection can be prevented from occurring.

The battery case 6 attached as described above
First, the fixing screw 61 is loosened to release the fixing of the upper part of the battery case 6, then the battery case 6 is pulled up, and the engaging claw between the engaging holes 7 a, 7 a of the mounting plate 7 and the support plate 80 is removed. 8a, 8a, and the battery case 6
Is pulled out forward and upward. At this time, the connection between the output terminals 83, 83 and the power supply terminals 63, 63 is also released at the same time, so that the labor required for removal is reduced.

In the above embodiment, the case where the battery case 6 is attached to the front portion of the upright pipe 10 has been described. However, the attachment position of the battery case 6 may be set to an appropriate position of the body frame 1. it can. FIG.
FIG. 9 is a side view showing another embodiment of the electric bicycle according to the present invention, in which a battery case 6 includes a standing pipe 10.
It is mounted on the upper surface of a main pipe 12 connecting the head pipe 11 with the main pipe 11.

[0037]

As described in detail above, in the electric bicycle according to the present invention, the holding plate of the battery case is formed by an L-shaped plate member having a support plate along the body frame and a terminal plate rising up in a direction away from the body frame. Since the output terminal is arranged on the terminal plate, the output terminal is engaged with the power supply terminal provided on one side of the battery case when the battery terminal is attached to the support plate along one surface of the battery case. Since the connection between the cord and the battery case is performed simultaneously with the attachment of the battery case, the attachment operation is greatly simplified, and a reliable attachment state can be easily obtained.

Further, since the outside of the terminal plate is covered with an exterior cover having an opening capable of receiving one side of the battery case, the connection portion between the power supply terminal and the output terminal of the battery case is protected from external contact. , Damaged connections,
Disconnection can be prevented beforehand, and the opening provided in the outer cover can be used for positioning when attaching the battery case, and is performed at the facing portion between the support plate and the battery case, which are difficult to see. The trouble of positioning can be reduced.

The battery case and the supporting plate are attached by engaging a plurality of engaging claws protruding on one side with respective different engaging holes formed on the other side. It is possible to attach and detach the support plate and the battery case with a simple configuration because it is screwed and fixed to a part of the, and to prevent detachment due to vibration etc. during traveling and to maintain the fixed state securely For example, the present invention has excellent effects.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the entire configuration of an electric bicycle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view near a mounting position of a battery case.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a state of attachment or detachment of a battery case.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the inside of the exterior cover taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side view showing another embodiment of the electric bicycle according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Body frame 2 Front wheel 3 Rear wheel 4 Saddle 5 Pedal 6 Battery case 7 Mounting plate 8 Holding plate 10 Vertical pipe 11 Head pipe 12 Main pipe 16 Power supply cable 63 Power supply terminal 80 Support plate 81 Terminal plate 83 Output terminal B Battery M Electric motor

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A battery case accommodating a battery is detachably attached to a holding plate fixed to a part of a vehicle body frame along one surface of the battery case, and a power supply provided on one side of the battery case. In an electric bicycle configured to drive an electric motor by power supply from a terminal to assist running by human power, the holding plate includes a support plate fixed along the body frame, and one side of the support plate. An electric bicycle comprising: a terminal plate bent in an L-shape and rising in a direction away from the vehicle body frame; and an output terminal engaged with the power supply terminal is provided on the terminal plate. 2. The electric bicycle according to claim 1, further comprising an exterior cover having an opening capable of receiving one side of the battery case and covering the outside of the terminal plate. 3. The battery case and the support plate are attached by engaging a plurality of engagement claws protruding on one side with respective engagement holes formed on the other side. Claim 2
The electric bicycle described. 4. The electric bicycle according to claim 3, wherein the battery case is screwed to a part of the support plate.