JP2000247287A - External environment detection control auxiliary power system of bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To lightly depress the pedals of a bicycle for an advance by detecting the whole external environment about a bicycle travel, and collating it with the data stored in a microcomputer as optimum results of experiments in advance. SOLUTION: A body weight sensor measures the body weight of a rider, a microcomputer sends the data corresponding to the body weight to a switching circuit, a current flows in an electric motor 1, a bicycle is barely kept at the stopped state, and the bicycle starts to move when the rider lightly depresses pedals. When the pedals are continuously depressed in the advancing direction of the bicycle, a weak current is generated by a rotation detector interlocked with a chain, and a weak current generated by a speed detector/generator 2 is sent to an external environment integrator 3 via a transformer. The data stored in the memory of the microcomputer in advance according to the speed of the bicycle are sent to the switching circuit, and the bicycle is advanced by the electric motor 1 when the feet are mounted on the pedals merely to depress them lightly.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to sensing an environment according to each environment so as to reduce a resistance applied to a human-powered drive system due to an external environment such as climbing a hill or wind resistance when a bicycle or a wheelchair is started manually. The present invention relates to a bicycle equipped with an electric motor and an environmental sensor for controlling data output from a computer by a computer, or a system for attaching the bicycle to an existing bicycle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art It is well known that a bicycle with auxiliary power detects the pedaling force of a pedal and controls the driving force of an electric motor in accordance with the magnitude of the driving force.
0, JP-A-2-74491, JP-A-6-107266,
JP-A-6-107267 and the like. These are very heavy because they use an electric motor and a storage battery with a large output on a frame different from a conventional bicycle, and they tend to be too expensive to manufacture. In addition, the storage battery also needs to be recharged, and if the power of the storage battery is insufficient, self-propelling by manual power is difficult.

[0003]

The problem to be solved by the present invention is that a very light auxiliary power which can be easily attached to an existing bicycle or wheelchair and does not need to be recharged for the power supply battery of the electric motor every time. It is intended to provide a bicycle with a bicycle or a system thereof.

[0004]

According to the present invention, in order to solve this problem, an electric motor 1, a speed detector / generator 2, an external environment controller 3, an anemometer 4, and a pedal rotation detector 5, which are drive units, are provided. The system consists of a bicycle that is already on the market, detects any external environment related to cycling, tests this in advance, compares the optimal results with data stored in the microcomputer, Electric motor 1 to move forward if you step on the pedal lightly
Was programmed in the microcomputer so that the power supplied to the microcomputer was adjusted by the switching circuit.

[0005] The electric motor 1 has a torque that allows a person weighing 80 kg to start on a slope having a maximum inclination angle of 40 degrees using the bicycle. When the weight is 80 kg or more, the electric motor 1 having a torque corresponding to the weight is used.
The electric motor 1 is attached to the front fork 18 of the bicycle, pressed against the tire 7 with a spring, and controlled by the speed detector 2 and the level, the anemometer 4 and the rotation detector 5 according to the external environment. The microcomputer calculates the program so that the driver can move forward if the player steps lightly, and supplies and drives the optimum power. Should the electric motor 1 fail, the running load is reduced by returning the spring so that the electric motor 1 can be lifted off the tires 7.

[0006] The speed detector / generator 2 is a generator pressed against the front fork 5 against the tire 7 on the opposite side of the electric motor 1 as a drive unit, and includes a diode for preventing a current corresponding to the rotation of the tire 7 from flowing backward. At the same time, a very small current is sent to the external environment controller 3 via a transformer, and at the same time, most of the generated power is sent to the storage battery during the day to be stored. At night, the switch is switched by the light sensor, and the headlight 6 is turned on instead of power storage. The speed detector / generator 2 does not necessarily come into pressure contact with the front fork 5 against the tire 7 on the side opposite to the electric motor 1 as a driving unit, and may be incorporated in the front hub. Rather, the running load is smaller.

When the speed of the bicycle becomes 20 km / h or more by the speed detector / generator 2, the supply of electric power to the electric motor 1 is stopped, and the bicycle is moved by human power alone, and the speed is not increased more than necessary. Is programmed to

[0008] The external environment control device 3 is a device in which a storage battery for power supply, a switching circuit, an anemometer 4, a level, and a microcomputer are put in one box. The external environment control device 3 is attached to a front basket 12 of a bicycle or a front portion of a steering wheel. This is for supplying optimal electric power to the electric motor 1 as auxiliary power by organically connecting incoming external environmental data.

The power supply for the external environment controller 3 is a key switch 8
Also, if the rider does not enter the key, it will not move. The external environment control device 3 includes a microcomputer having a memory, includes a switching circuit for controlling the driving force of the electric motor 1, and controls a current of a storage battery that supplies power to the electric motor 1 by an external environment. . The microcomputer supports the total weight of the bicycle and the rider's weight, and can be started simply by placing a light foot on the pedal 13 in consideration of all external environmental conditions such as starting on a slope and wind pressure, or the bicycle moves continuously. In this way, every situation is measured in advance and stored in a memory as data, and data according to the external environment is sent to the switching circuit.

The external environment control unit 3 has a level as shown in FIG. 4, and includes electrode sections SS'AA'BB'C in six thin glass tubes.
C'DD'EE 'is at both ends, the conductive liquid is confined, and switches according to the degree of the uphill slope, the level of the road, and the downhill.

When the road is horizontal, the DD 'circuit is activated, and a sensor for measuring the weight of a person who rides inside the saddle cover 14 is attached to the upper part of the saddle of the bicycle. When a person with a weight rides on a bicycle, the weight of the bicycle and the weight of the person are measured, and the switching circuit of the external environment control device 3 sets a switching circuit in advance so that the electric motor 1 starts moving as soon as the foot is lightly put on the pedal 13 by the switching circuit. Set it. Once the bicycle starts running, the resistance due to the wind pressure measured by the anemometer 4 is always set to 0, and the speed detection unit 2 sets the resistance to 0 per hour.
The electric motor 1 supplies the electric motor 1 with electric power set so that the bicycle can be moved by simply depressing the pedal 13 by the switching circuit until the electric motor 1 reaches 20 km. External environment control device 3 so that the speed does not increase any more according to the wishes of the cyclist from 0 to 20 km / h
To be able to adjust the switching circuit. If the pedal 13 is not depressed, the weak current coming from the rotation detector 5 becomes 0, the power supply to the electric motor 1 is stopped, and the switching circuit is set so that the bicycle eventually stops.

An anemometer 4 has a small windmill fitted to a rotating shaft of a small toy electric motor such as a Mabuchi motor,
It is housed in a cylinder for avoiding rain and incorporated in the external environment control device 3. The rotation speed of the windmill changes according to the strength of the wind, thereby detecting the strength of the current.

The rotation detector 5 is fixed to the seat post 9,
A very small toy electric motor such as a Mabuchi motor is used as the rotation detector 5, and the gear 10 fitted to the rotation shaft thereof is used.
Only when the chain 11 meshing with the chain moves in the forward direction of the bicycle, a minute current is sent to the external environment controller 3 by the diode connected to the rotation detector 5, and the electric motor 1 is operated. When there is no minute electric current, the electric power supplied to the electric motor 1 is supplied while gradually decreasing so that there is no load on human power such as the speed detector / generator 2 and the electric motor 1, and the bicycle stops soon.

When the road is downhill, EE 'is activated to stop the supply of electric power to the electric motor 1, the electric motor 1 is operated as a generator, and the generated electric power passes through a diode for preventing backflow to a storage battery. Send and store electricity. Similarly, the speed detector / generator 2 is also sent to a storage battery through a diode for preventing backflow to store electricity. Also, when the brake lever is depressed to stop the bicycle, the switch 15 attached to the brake lever is turned on, all the external environmental devices are stopped, and the electric power generated by the electric motor 1 and the power generation unit 2 is stored in the storage battery. Power is transmitted to and stored.

In the case of starting on an uphill, the inclination angle is CC 'at 10 degrees, BB' at 20 degrees, and C at 30 degrees.
At C ', 40 degrees, it switches to SS', and sends the data set in the microcomputer to the switching circuit according to each case to the switching circuit. Is a speed detector and generator 2
Is detected and the speed is always set to 2 to 10 km / h. The setting of the speed of 2 to 10 km / h allows the seller to adjust the switching circuit of the external environment control device 3 at the time of sale according to the wishes of the cyclist. In any case, the external environment control device 3 is locked so as not to be manipulated by anyone other than the manufacturer and the seller.

In any case, when the brake lever is depressed to stop the bicycle, the brake switch 15 attached to the brake lever is turned on,
All external environmental devices stop and the bicycle stops immediately. The electric power generated by the electric motor 1 and the power generation unit 2 is transmitted to the storage battery and stored until the brake is applied and the bicycle stops.

In order to maintain double safety when the system goes down, a certain amount of current is supplied from the storage battery to the electric motor 1.
When the current flows into the storage battery or when a certain amount of current flows from the speed detector / generator 2 to the storage battery, the respective breakers connected to the electric motor 1 and the speed detector / generator 2 immediately operate, and the electric motor The current flowing to 1 is cut off.

When the bicycle is stopped and the pedal 13 is not depressed in the forward direction (the current of the rotation detector 5 is 0), the current is detected by the external environment controller 3 from the speed detector / generator 2 In such a case, the current flowing through the electric motor 1 is immediately reduced, and is incorporated in the program of the microcomputer so that the bicycle is stopped just before the bicycle moves forward with a person.

In order to prevent runaway of the electric motor 1, a small transformer for current detection is incorporated. When the current of the rotation detector 5 is 0 and the electric motor 1 detects that the current is constant or gradually increases, the electric motor is immediately turned on. It is incorporated in the program so as to cut off the current flowing through the motor 1. Further, in order to prevent the microcomputer or the switching circuit from running out of control due to a malfunction or mischief, a storage battery having a voltage higher than the rated voltage of the electric motor 1 is used.

Conversely, although the current of the rotation detector 5 is not 0,
If it is detected that no electric current is flowing through the electric motor 1, it is determined that a failure has occurred, and the buzzer in the external environment control device 3 is sounded to notify a person riding a bicycle, and the switch connected to the buzzer is turned off. Stop ringing.

Similarly, when the current from the rotation detector 5 is not 0 and the current from the speed detector / generator 2 is 0, the buzzer in the external environment control unit 3 is sounded to give a person riding a bicycle. Notify and stop the sound if you switch off the buzzer.

In the present invention, the electric power from the electric motor 1 and the electric power from the speed detector / generator 2 generated by human power and surplus are stored in the storage battery. Machine 2 and other surplus power must be stored. Therefore, a generator having an output slightly larger than that of the electric motor 1 is used as the speed detector / generator 2. Alternatively, the power of the anemometer 4 may be transferred to power storage. If there is a further shortage, hinge 1 on the external environment controller 3
At 7, the solar battery 16 is attached to the storage battery via a diode for preventing backflow from the storage battery, and the battery is charged to the power that is always consumed or more. In this case, the solar cell 16 is directly connected to the storage battery irrespective of the external environment controller 3, and is always in a charged state.

When starting from a stopped state, since a force for depressing the pedal 13 is particularly required, a switch 15 is attached to the brake lever for an elderly person, a person with weak feet, or the like. If the pedal is released from the gripped state and the pedal rotation detector is not 0, the bicycle may be programmed to run at a speed of about 1 km per hour for 1 minute. Once you start running, the rest is pedal 13
Just step on lightly to proceed.

The system of the present invention can be mounted on a wheelchair as well as a bicycle in a similar manner. That is, the external environment controller 3 is on the side of the seat, and the electric motor 1 is 2
Attach two inside the wheels and stop immediately if no human power is applied. The speed detector / generator 2 is mounted inside one of the wheels, and the anemometer 4 is mounted on the side of the wheelchair. The rotation detector is not used. The maximum speed of the wheelchair is 4 km / h. A spring and a pressure sensor are attached to the front wheel. When the front wheel hits an obstacle, the spring shrinks to get over the obstacle, and if the pressure sensor responds appropriately, electric power corresponding to the pressure is applied so that the obstacle can be overcome. Send to In the case of a downhill, a reverse current flows so as to apply a brake depending on the angle. Should the wheelchair run away on a slope, the spring will come off and the brake will be applied.

Since the wind pressure on the bicycle can be completely eliminated, a transparent windshield covering the entire body coated with a water-repellent titanium compound is attached to the bicycle frame in order to prevent rain and cold. You can also.

[0026]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. A key is inserted into a power switch 8. When starting the bicycle of the present invention on level ground, when a person who is basically set on the bicycle of the present invention sits on the saddle, the weight sensor built in the saddle cover and the weight sensor as a safety check measures the weight of the person riding, The microcomputer sends data corresponding to the weight to the switching circuit, a current flows through the electric motor 1, and the bicycle is barely stopped. When a person steps on the pedal lightly, the bicycle starts to move. When the bicycle starts moving, if the pedal is continuously depressed in the forward direction (positive direction), a weak current coming from the rotation detector 5 linked to the chain is generated, and the current generated from the speed detector / generator 2 is transmitted through the transformer. The induced weak current is sent to the external environment control device 3, and the data stored in the memory of the microcomputer in advance is sent to the switching circuit in accordance with the speed of the bicycle, and the electric motor 1 just steps on the pedal by lightly stepping on the pedal. The bicycle moves forward, and if you stop stepping on the pedal, the bicycle will eventually stop naturally. The electric current generated from the power generation unit 2 is stored in the storage battery through the diode during the day, and the light sensor is automatically turned on at night before turning off the light.

When the brake lever is depressed when the bicycle is moving forward, the switch 15 of the line connected to the electric motor 1 of the power storage battery attached to the brake lever
Is cut off in any case and the bicycle stops immediately. While the bicycle stops, the electric power generated by the electric motor 1 and the power generation unit 2 is stored in the power storage battery via the respective diodes.

In the case of an uphill, the level of the external environment control unit 3 switches the switches SS'AA'BB'C according to the angle of the slope.
C 'is switched, and the data corresponding to each switch section comes out of the memory of the microcomputer in which data is stored in advance so that the bicycle can be started or climbed lightly by human power, sent to the switching circuit, and can be started or climbed by lightly depressing the pedal.

In the case of a downhill, the level of the external environmental control unit 3 is switched to EE ', the electric power supplied to the electric motor 1 is stopped, and the electric motor 1 generated by the rotational force of the wheel of the bicycle running by inertia. The power generated by the power generation unit 2 is stored in the power storage battery via the respective diodes.

[0030]

As described above, since the present invention can be used by attaching it to a bicycle already on the market, the user only needs to purchase an external system, and it is much cheaper than a bicycle-integrated type.

Since the electric motor 1 is pressed against the tire of the bicycle to drive the bicycle, the torque of the electric motor 1 may be much smaller than that of driving the rotating shaft orthogonal to the crankshaft 10. This is a factor that can reduce costs.

For driving the tires, the electric motor 1 of low power can be used, and all of the storage batteries and the like can be small and light, so that the weight can be much lighter than the conventional bicycle integrated type.

Since all the power generated by the power generation unit 2 and other surplus power are always stored in the power storage battery,
There is no need to charge the storage battery from an external power source.

If the electric motor 1 breaks down, the electric motor 1 can be lifted off the tires and run with only human power.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a bicycle equipped with the system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a bicycle equipped with the system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a bicycle pedal and a chain portion.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a level.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electric motor 2 Speed detector / generator 3 External environment controller 4 Anemometer 5 Pedal rotation detector 6 Headlight 7 Tire 8 Key switch 9 Seat post 10 Gear 11 Chain 12 Bicycle front basket 13 Pedal 14 Saddle cover 15 Brake switch 16 Solar cell 17 Hinge 18 Front fork SS 'Side view of level that detects uphill 40 degrees AA' Side view of level that detects uphill 30 degrees BB 'Level level that detects uphill 20 degrees Side view CC 'Side view of a level that detects an uphill 10 degrees DD' Side view of a level that detects a horizontal level EE 'Side view of a level that detects a downhill

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A bicycle, a wheelchair or a system equipped with an electric motor for detecting and controlling any running resistance and speed generated when a person rides on the bicycle or a wheelchair and various detecting devices.