JP2000095180A - Batter-assisted bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent any object from contacting a push-walking switch to inadvertently activate the switch and, at the same time, ensure that the push- walking switch can be easily operated. SOLUTION: In a battery-assisted bicycle that is provided with both a manually-powered drive system and an electric motor 11 drive system. The drive force provided by the electric motor 11 provides power assist for the manually-powered drive system and when the bicycle is pushed while walking. An operating portion of a push-walking switch 24, which is used to provide power assist when the bicycle is pushed while walking is located near a portion to which a brake lever 30 is installed and an inner area enclosed by a grip 23 on a handlebar 5 and the brake lever 30.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bicycle having an electric motor mounted on a vehicle body, and assisting pedal depression with an auxiliary driving force output from the electric motor, thereby enabling the vehicle to travel uphill or travel while receiving a headwind. Related to an assisted electric bicycle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In this type of electric assisted bicycle, a weak auxiliary driving force (hereinafter referred to as pushing assisting force) is applied to an electric motor not only during normal running but also when pushing down a bicycle on a steep slope or the like. ) Is output to reduce the effort of pushing and walking the vehicle body.

[0003] Such an electric assisted bicycle is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-358988 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-12773.
No. 86 is disclosed. JP-A-Hei 4-3
The electric assisted bicycle disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 58988 discloses a push-walking determining means for determining a state of walking while pushing a vehicle body with a hand, and a pushing-walking speed (2 to 3 km / sec. h).

The electric assist bicycle disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-127386 switches the drive system by the electric motor to the push-walk mode when pushing the vehicle body.
The electric motor generates a torque corresponding to a difference between a torque required to push and walk the entire vehicle body and a virtual torque required to push and walk the vehicle body by removing a constant load from the entire vehicle body. It is.

That is, in this conventional example, the electric motor does not bear all of the force required to push and walk the entire vehicle body. The weight required to push and walk the bicycle) is not borne by the electric motor, but is borne by human power.

[0006]

In the prior art described above, the electric assisted bicycle disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-358988 has a push / walk switch for manual operation mounted on the upper portion of the handle post. In addition, there is a possibility that another object easily hits the push-walk switch and malfunctions, and it is difficult to operate the push-walk switch, resulting in poor usability.

On the other hand, the electric assisted bicycle disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-127386 has a grip switch, which is a push-walk switch, provided on a grip attached to an upper portion of a main tube. And, when pushing and walking the vehicle body, one hand grasps the handlebar, and the other hand grasps the grip, so there is a large height difference between the position grasped by one hand and the other hand, Downhills and the like are difficult to push.

[0008] Therefore, when the user tries to walk by holding the handlebar with both hands, it is difficult to operate the grip switch from the state in which the handlebar is grasped, resulting in poor operability. In addition, since the grip switch is provided on the grip above the main tube, there is a possibility that the grip switch may be accidentally pressed to operate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to prevent other objects from hitting a push-walk switch and erroneously operating the switch, and to easily operate the push-walk switch. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric assisted bicycle.

[0010]

In order to achieve the first object, an electric assist bicycle according to the present invention is provided with a drive system using human power and a drive system using an electric motor. And, in a driving system driven by human power with the driving force of the electric motor and an electric assist bicycle for assisting driving during pushing while walking, an operation unit of a push walking switch for assisting driving during pushing while walking is attached to a handlebar. The brake lever is provided on the inner side surrounded by the grip and the brake lever and near the mounting portion of the brake lever.

Further, in the electric assisted bicycle according to the present invention, as described in claim 2, the push / walk switch according to claim 1 is provided at a position where an index finger is separated by an operation of gripping the brake lever.

Further, the electric assisted bicycle according to the present invention includes:
As described in claim 3, the push walking switch according to claim 1 or 2 is a momentary push button switch.

Further, the electric assisted bicycle according to the present invention, as described in claim 4, is provided with a drive system by human power and a drive system by electric motor, and the drive system by human power by the driving force of the electric motor. In addition, in an electric assist bicycle that assists driving during pushing and walking, a grip is attached to the handlebar so as to be in the front and rear direction of the vehicle body, and this grip is configured to be movable in its axial direction, and it is turned on by this axial movement. A grip switch to be turned off is connected in series with a push-walk switch for assisting driving during walking, and the grip switch moves the grip to a side opposite to the forward direction of the vehicle body with a force exceeding a certain load. Off with
Further, the operating section of the push-walk switch is provided inside the area surrounded by the grip and the brake lever and near the mounting section of the brake lever.The electric assisted bicycle according to the present invention, As described in claim 5, the push-walk switch according to claim 4 is a push-push switch.

Further, in the electric assist bicycle according to the present invention, as described in claim 6, the grip switch according to claim 4 is provided at an axial end of the grip.

When the electric assisted bicycle is constructed as in claim 1, the operation section of the push-walk switch is located inside the area surrounded by the grip attached to the handlebar and the brake lever, and in the vicinity of the attachment section of the brake lever. With this arrangement, it is possible to prevent the push-walk switch from directly colliding with the ground or other objects when the vehicle body falls or travels, and it is possible to easily operate the push-walk switch.

When the electric assistive bicycle is constructed as in claim 2, the push-walk switch is provided at a position where the index finger is separated by the operation of gripping the brake lever, so that when the brake is applied, the index finger naturally push-walks. Away from the vehicle, the braking is more effective.

When the electric assisted bicycle is constructed as in claim 3, the push-walk switch is a momentary push-button switch, so that delicate on / off control can be performed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first aspect, in addition to the first aspect, a grip is attached to the handlebar so as to extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and the grip is configured to be movable in the axial direction. The grip switch, which is turned on and off by this axial movement, is connected in series with the push-walk switch which assists the drive during walking. The grip switch moves the grip with a force exceeding a certain load in the forward direction of the vehicle body. By turning off by moving to the other side,
When the speed of the vehicle body becomes faster than the speed of the person who pushes and walks, the grip switch is automatically turned off, and the operability can be improved.

When the electric assisted bicycle is constructed as in claim 5, the push-walk switch is a push-push switch, so that it is not necessary to keep pressing the switch, and the usability is improved.

When the electric assisted bicycle is constructed as in claim 6, the grip switch is provided at the axial end of the grip, so that it operates reliably and reliability can be improved.

[0021]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an electric assist bicycle according to the present invention.
It is a left view which shows embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electric assisted bicycle includes a body frame 1 made of, for example, a metal tube, and a front fork 3 for supporting a front wheel 2 is pivotally mounted on the front head of the body frame 1. The handle bar 5 is provided freely on the front fork 3 via a handle post 4. On the other hand, the body frame 1
A rear wheel 6 is pivotally supported at a rear portion of the vehicle body 1, and a saddle 8 is installed at a center upper portion of the body frame 1 via a saddle post 7.

Then, at the lower center of the body frame 1,
An electric assist device (power unit) 10 is mounted. The electric assist device 10 includes devices such as an electric motor 11, a resultant device 12, a torque sensor 13, and the like, and a crankshaft 14 is pivotally supported so as to penetrate in the vehicle width direction. A pair of left and right cranks 15 are rotatably fixed to both ends, and pedals 16 are rotatably provided at the distal ends of both cranks 15, respectively.

Further, the electric assist device 1 is mounted on the crankshaft 14.
A drive sprocket (not shown) located on the right side of the wheel 0 is mounted on the shaft, and a drive chain 17 (or drive belt) is wound around the drive sprocket and a driven sprocket (not shown) provided on the right side of the rear wheel 6. .

Further, a controller 18 for controlling the output of the electric motor 11 is mounted on the upper part of the electric assist device 10, and the controller 18 is a control device constituted by a microcomputer or the like. On the other hand, a frame cover 20 made of synthetic resin or the like covers from the front half of the body frame 1 to the electric assist device 10 and the controller 18.
A battery unit 21 serving as one power supply is detachably provided. A key-type main switch 22 is provided on the front end side surface of the frame cover 20, and the main switch 22 is turned on to start the electric assist bicycle.

Left and right grips 23 are provided at both ends of the handlebar 5. Of these grips 23, a push / walk switch 24 is attached to the handlebar 5 near the left grip 23. A vehicle speed sensor 26 is provided on the axle portion of the front wheel 2. The vehicle speed sensor 26 detects the vehicle speed during normal running, and is also used to detect a vehicle speed and a change in vehicle speed during execution of a push-walk motor control described later. You.

A saddle switch 28 is provided in the saddle 8.
The saddle switch 28 is provided as one means for determining whether or not the electric assisted bicycle is in a pushing-walking state. The saddle switch 28 is provided by detecting the presence or absence of a load applied to the saddle 8. 8 to determine whether or not a person is sitting thereon, and sends the determination signal to the controller 18.
To send to. In this embodiment, for example, when a person sits on the saddle 8, the saddle switch 28 is turned off.

FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of the electric assisted bicycle according to the present invention.
It is a block diagram showing a control system in an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the controller 18 includes the electric motor 1
1, devices such as a torque sensor 13, a battery unit 21, a push / walk switch 24, a vehicle speed sensor 26, and a saddle switch 28 are connected.

During normal running of the power-assisted bicycle, the crankshaft 14 of the power-assisted device 10 is driven forward by the occupant sitting on the saddle 8 depressing the pedal 16 with his / her foot. At the same time, the electric motor 11 in the electric assist device 10 is operated, and the driving torque of the crankshaft 14 (pedal force P) and the output of the electric motor 11 (auxiliary driving force M) are combined.
2 and the resultant force P + M is transmitted to the rear wheel 6 via the drive chain 17.

At this time, the torque sensor 13 always detects the driving torque applied to the crankshaft 14 and sends the data to the controller 18. The controller 18 calculates a pedal depression force P from the driving torque data, and controls the electric motor so that the ratio (assist ratio) between the pedal depression force P and the auxiliary driving force M always becomes a constant ratio (for example, 1: 1). 11 is controlled. In this manner, the pedaling force P is greatly reduced by the assist of the auxiliary driving force M, so that traveling uphill or traveling while receiving a headwind is greatly facilitated.

Further, the controller 18 outputs a weak auxiliary driving force (push-walking assist force m) to the electric motor 11 not only during the normal running as described above but also when walking while pushing the vehicle body. It is programmed to execute a push-and-walk mode that reduces effort.

Whether the push-walk mode can be executed or not is determined by the controller 1 according to any of the following conditions.
8 is determined. That is, (1) the main switch 22
Is turned on and the torque sensor 13 does not detect the drive torque applied to the crankshaft 14, (2) the main switch 2
2 is on, the saddle switch 28 is on, (3) the main switch 22 is on, and the push-walk switch 24 is on, (4) the main switch 22 is on, the push-walk switch 24 is on, the torque sensor 13 is the crankshaft 1
When the drive torque applied to the main switch 4 is not detected, (5) when the main switch 22 is on, the push-walk switch 24 is on, and when the saddle switch 28 is on, (6) the main switch 22
Is ON, the push-walk switch 24 is ON, the saddle switch 28 is ON, and the torque sensor 13 does not detect the driving torque applied to the crankshaft 14.

As described above, the push-walk mode determines whether the controller 18 is in the push-walk state, and if it determines that the controller is in the push-walk state, the controller 18 switches to a constant driving force or a constant vehicle speed (rotational speed). The electric motor 11 outputs the pushing walking assist force m so that

Therefore, when the push-walk switch 24 is turned on as shown in FIG. 3, the driving force of the electric motor 11 gradually increases, and the vehicle speed also gradually increases. When the push-walk switch 24 is on, the driving force or the vehicle speed of the electric motor 11 is maintained at a constant value. When the push-walk switch 24 is turned off, the driving force of the electric motor 11 becomes 0 at the same time, and the vehicle speed also decreases. It will decrease sharply.

Next, a mounting structure of the grip and the brake lever will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional plan view showing the grip and brake lever of FIG.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a left side view of FIG. The grip 23 and the brake lever 30 in FIGS. 4 to 6 indicate the left grip and the brake lever.

As shown in FIG. 4, the operation section of the push / walk switch 24 includes the grip 23 and the brake lever 3.
0 and provided near the mounting portion of the brake lever 30 and the brake lever 3
The index finger is provided at a position where the index finger is separated by the operation of gripping zero. The push-walk switch 24 is a momentary-type push-button switch that keeps the ON state when the operation section is continuously pressed with the index finger, and turns off when the index finger is released from the operation section.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the lever bracket 31 is wound around the handlebar 5 adjacent to the left grip 23, and the bracket nut 33 is screwed into the bracket nut 33, so that the handlebar 5 is rotated.
Fixed to Further, a bracket cover 35 is fixed to the lever bracket 31, and this lever bracket 3
A lever bush (not shown) provided in the brake lever 30 is fitted into 1, and the lever rivet 36 is inserted into and fixed to the lever bush, whereby the brake lever 30 rotates (displaces) on the lever bracket 31. ) It is fixed as firmly as possible.

As shown in FIG. 4, an end of a brake cable 37 is guided to the lever bracket 31, and a drum-shaped engaging portion 38 is fixed to this end. On the other hand, one end of a nipple puller 39 is rotatably fixed to the brake lever 30 by a puller rivet 40, and a locking portion 38 fixed to an end of a brake cable 37 is fitted to the other end of the nipple puller 39. Is being worn. Therefore, by rotating the brake lever 30 about the lever rivet 36, the brake cable 37 is pulled through the nipple puller 39 to apply a brake.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the operating portion of the push-walk switch 24 is located inside the grip 23 and the brake
Provided near the mounting portion of the vehicle, it is possible to prevent the push-walk switch 24 from directly colliding with the ground or other objects when the vehicle body falls or travels, and to easily operate the push-walk switch 24. Can be.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the push-walk switch 24 is provided at a position where the index finger is separated by the operation of gripping the brake lever 30, so that when the brake is applied, the index finger naturally separates from the push-walk switch 24. Therefore, the effectiveness of the brake is improved. Further, according to the present embodiment, the push-walk switch 24 is a momentary push-button switch, so that delicate on / off control can be performed.

FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the electric assist bicycle according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a control system in the embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing a control switch of FIG. In addition,
Portions that are the same as or correspond to those in the first embodiment will be described using the same reference numerals. Further, in the second embodiment, description overlapping with the first embodiment will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, a momentary grip switch 41 is electrically connected in series with the push-walk switch 24a, and the grip switch 41 is connected to the controller 18. Also,
The push-walk switch 24a is electrically connected to the main switch 22, as shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a partial sectional plan view showing a grip and a brake lever of the second embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a left side view of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the push / walk switch 24a is a push / push switch that repeats an on / off state by being pressed, and is surrounded by a grip 23 and a brake lever 30 as in the first embodiment. It is provided inside and near the mounting portion of the brake lever 30, and is provided at a position where the index finger is separated by the operation of gripping the brake lever 30.

On the other hand, both ends of the handlebar 5 are bent (not shown) so as to extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and grips 23 are attached to both ends. Handlebar 5
As shown in FIG. 9, a cylindrical grip holder 42 is fitted between the end of the handlebar 23 and the grip 23, and the grip holder 42 is movable integrally with the grip 23 in the axial direction of the handlebar 5. Is configured. The grip switch 41 is provided at an axial end of the grip 23, and performs an on / off operation by moving the grip 23 in the axial direction of the handlebar 5.

The grip switch 41 has a section T fixed to the end of the handlebar 5 by press fitting or welding.
The handle end 43 has a base portion 43a fixed in the handlebar 5;
The base 43a is integrally formed with a protrusion 43b formed integrally with the handle bar 5 and protruding in the axial direction from the end of the handle bar 5.

The protrusion 43b is provided with the grip holder 4
A slider 44 fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the handlebar 2 by press-fitting or welding, a spring 45 for pressing the slider 44 against an end of the handlebar 5, and a spring cap 46 for holding the end of the spring 45 are sequentially inserted. The spring cap 46 is locked to the tip of the protruding portion 43b by the circlip 47. At an end of the handlebar 5, a switch 49 connected to the conductor 48 is provided.

In the above configuration, the slider 44
When an initial (initial) load is applied to the end portion of the handle bar 5 by the spring 45 and pressed against the end portion, the switch portion 49 is conducted and the ON state is maintained. When the grip 23 is moved to the opposite side (rear side) with respect to the forward direction of the vehicle body by a force equal to or more than a certain load, the grip holder 42 is moved.
The slider 44 moves along the protruding portion 43b against the urging force of the spring 45, and the switch portion 49 is turned off and becomes off.

Therefore, when a person who suddenly goes downhill or a person who pushes and walks needs to stop suddenly becomes necessary, the speed of the vehicle body becomes faster than the speed of the person who pushes and walks, and the force exceeding the initial load is applied. When activated, the grip switch 41
Turns off.

In the present embodiment, an illuminated display is used to always display the push-walk switch 24a on or off so that the person who pushes and walks can know whether the push-walk switch 24a is in the ON or OFF state. Or an indicator lamp is preferably provided.

The grip 23 in the present embodiment is
Are attached to the both ends of the handlebar 5 which is slightly bent behind the vehicle body. The grip 23 is provided when the speed of the vehicle body becomes faster than the speed of the person who pushes and walks regardless of the bending angles of both ends of the handlebar 5. May be configured to move in the axial direction.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the grip 23 is attached to the handlebar 5 so as to be in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and the grip 23 is configured to be movable in the axial direction. The on / off grip switch 41 is connected in series with the push / walk switch 24a for assisting the driving during walking, and the grip switch 41 moves the grip 23 to a side opposite to the forward direction of the vehicle body with a force exceeding a certain load. When the speed of the vehicle body becomes faster than the speed of the person walking by pushing by turning off by moving, the grip switch 41 is automatically turned off, and operability can be improved.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the push-walk switch 24a is a push-push switch, it is not necessary to keep pushing the switch, and the usability is improved.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the grip switch 41 is provided at the end of the grip 23 in the axial direction, so that the grip switch 41 operates reliably and the reliability can be improved.

Each of the above-described structures can be widely applied to not only electric assist bicycles but also electric scooter type vehicles, electric wheelchairs, and other electric vehicles and lawnmowers.

[0056]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention,
According to this, the operation section of the push-walk switch is provided inside the area surrounded by the grip and the brake lever attached to the handlebar and near the attachment section of the brake lever, so that the push switch can be pushed when the vehicle body falls or runs. The walking switch can be prevented from directly colliding with the ground or another object, and the push walking switch can be easily operated, so that the operability can be improved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the push-walk switch is provided at a position where the index finger is separated by the operation of gripping the brake lever, so that when the brake is applied, the index finger naturally separates from the push-walk switch. The effectiveness of the brake is improved.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the push-walk switch is a momentary push-button switch, so that delicate on / off control can be performed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first aspect, a grip is attached to the handlebar so as to extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and the grip is configured to be movable in the axial direction. The grip switch that turns on and off with the movement of the switch is connected in series with the push-walk switch that assists driving when walking, and the grip switch moves the grip to the opposite side to the forward direction of the vehicle body with a force exceeding a certain load By turning off by doing, in addition to the effect of claim 1,
When the speed of the vehicle body becomes faster than the speed of the person who pushes and walks, the grip switch is automatically turned off, and the operability can be improved.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the push-walk switch is a push-push switch, it is not necessary to keep pushing the switch, and the usability is improved.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the grip switch is provided at the end of the grip in the axial direction, the grip switch can be reliably operated and the reliability can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a left side view showing a first embodiment of an electric assist bicycle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system in the first embodiment of the electric assist bicycle according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart showing a relationship among a push-walk switch, an electric motor driving force, and a vehicle speed in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional plan view showing a grip and a brake lever of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a left side view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a control system in a second embodiment of the electric assist bicycle according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing the control switch of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional plan view showing a grip and a brake lever according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a left side view of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a timing chart showing a relationship among a push-walk switch, a grip switch, an electric motor driving force, and a vehicle speed in the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Body frame 2 Front wheel 3 Front fork 4 Handle post 5 Handlebar 6 Rear wheel 7 Saddle post 8 Saddle 10 Electric auxiliary device 11 Electric motor 12 Combining device 13 Torque sensor 14 Crankshaft 15 Crank 18 Controller 22 Main switch 23 Grip 24 Push walking Switch 24a Push-and-walk switch 26 Vehicle speed sensor 28 Saddle switch 30 Brake lever 37 Brake cable 41 Grip switch 42 Grip holder 44 Slider 45 Spring 48 Conductor 49 Switch part

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An electric assist bicycle comprising a drive system using human power and a drive system using an electric motor 11 provided side-by-side, and using a driving force of the electric motor 11 to assist driving when pushing and walking. The operation unit of the push-walk switch 24 for assisting driving during walking is
A battery-assisted bicycle provided on the inner side surrounded by the grip 23 attached to the brake lever 30 and the brake lever 30 and near the mounting portion of the brake lever 30. 2. The battery-assisted bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the push-walk switch is provided at a position where an index finger is separated by an operation of gripping the brake lever. 3. The battery-assisted bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the push-walk switch 24 is a momentary push-button switch. 4. An electric assist bicycle in which a driving system using human power and a driving system using an electric motor 11 are provided side by side, and a driving system using human power and assisting driving during pushing while walking with the driving force of the electric motor 11 are provided. A grip 23 is attached to the body 5 so as to be in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and the grip 23 is configured to be movable in the axial direction. The grip switch 41 which is turned on and off by the axial movement is pushed to drive when walking. The grip switch 41 is connected in series with an assisting push-walk switch 24a, and the grip switch 41 is turned off by moving the grip 23 to the opposite side to the forward direction of the vehicle body with a force of a certain load or more.
a. The operation unit of FIG.
The electric assist bicycle is provided on the inner side surrounded by: and near the mounting portion of the brake lever 30. 5. The battery-assisted bicycle according to claim 4, wherein the push-walk switch is a push-push switch. 6. The battery-assisted bicycle according to claim 4, wherein the grip switch 41 is provided at an axial end of the grip 23.