JP2000272567A - Battery mounting and demounting structure for motor- assisted bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a battery mounting and demounting structure capable of mounting and demounting easily a battery on a body frame, and capable of adjusting freely the height of a saddle. SOLUTION: In a motor-assisted bicycle, a battery 26 is stored removably inside a hollow top tube 8 (body frame) from a rear end opening part of the top tube 8, the rear end opening part of the top tube 8 is opened and closed by a turnable lid member 29, and a saddle 35 is attached height-adjustably in a position offset from the rear end opening part of the top tube 8 in the lid member 29. Since the battery 26 is attached detachably to the top tube 8 via the rear end opening part of the top tube 8 by this manner, the battery 26 is easily attached and detached to/from the top tube 8. The height of the saddle is freely adustable because the saddle is attached in the position offset from the rear end opening part of the top tube 8 in the lid member 29.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric bicycle equipped with a controller and an electric motor powered by a battery, and to a detachable structure of the battery.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, electric bicycles have been proposed and put to practical use. This type of electric bicycle supplements the driving force of human power with auxiliary power of an electric motor. Mounting is indispensable.

By the way, the battery should be arranged in a place where it does not obstruct the rider from getting on and off, and in consideration of this point, it has been proposed to store the battery in the vehicle body frame (for example, see British Patent Publication GB205270B). ).

[0004]

However, the configuration according to the above proposal has a problem that the battery cannot be attached to or detached from the vehicle body frame during charging or the like.

A seat tube portion of the electric bicycle is a saddle mounting frame, a battery is removably stored in the saddle mounting frame, and an upper end opening of the saddle mounting frame is opened and closed by a rotatable lid member. Has been proposed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-531).
No. 78).

However, in the configuration according to the above proposal, since the saddle is directly supported by the lid member, there is a problem that the height of the saddle cannot be adjusted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems. It is an object of the present invention to easily attach / detach a battery to / from a vehicle body frame and to freely adjust the height of a saddle. It is an object of the present invention to provide a battery detachable structure for an electric bicycle.

[0008]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric bicycle including an electric motor powered by a battery and a controller. The battery is detachably housed in the body frame, one end opening of the body frame is opened and closed by a rotatable lid member, and the saddle is raised at a position offset from the one end opening of the body frame of the lid member. It is characterized by being adjustable.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a top tube extending rearward from the middle of the down tube extending obliquely downward from the head pipe toward the rear of the vehicle is provided. The battery is detachably housed from the end opening.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, a part of the top tube penetrates the down tube, a front end opening thereof is closed by the controller, and the battery and the controller are connected to each other. It is characterized by being electrically connected directly.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the battery can be detached into the top tube from a rear end opening of the top tube extending substantially horizontally from the head pipe toward the rear of the vehicle body. It is characterized by being stored in

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, a top tube extending substantially horizontally from the head pipe toward the rear of the vehicle body and a down tube extending diagonally downward toward the rear of the vehicle body. The battery is detachably housed in the vertical pipe from an upper end opening of the vertical pipe provided between the vertical pipes.

Therefore, according to the present invention, since the battery is attached to and detached from the vehicle body frame through the one end opening of the vehicle body frame, the battery can be easily attached to and detached from the vehicle body frame.

Further, according to the present invention, the height of the saddle is adjusted by mounting the saddle at a position offset from the one end opening of the body frame of the lid member for opening and closing the one end opening of the body frame. Can be performed freely.

[0015]

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

<Embodiment 1> FIG. 1 is a side view of an electric bicycle having a battery detachable structure according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cutaway side view of a battery storage portion of the electric bicycle.

In the electric bicycle 1 shown in FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 denotes a head pipe located at an upper front part of the vehicle body, and a steering shaft 3 is rotatably inserted into the head pipe 2. A steering wheel 4 is attached to an upper end of the steering shaft 3, an upper end of a pair of left and right front forks 5 is attached to a lower end of the steering shaft 3, and a front wheel 6 is rotatably mounted to a lower end of the front fork 5. Supported.

A down tube 7 extends obliquely downward from the head pipe 2 toward the rear of the vehicle body.
Extends obliquely upward toward the rear of the vehicle body.

A power unit 10 is attached to the lower end of the down tube 7 via a metal bracket 11. The power unit 10 includes a drive system using human power and a drive system using an electric motor 12 arranged side by side. The controller 1 controls the output (auxiliary power) of the electric motor 12 in addition to the electric motor 12.
3, a treading force detecting means (not shown) and the like are included.

The power unit 10 has a crankshaft 14 disposed in a lateral direction (perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1).
Are rotatably supported. Cranks 15 (only one is shown in FIG. 1) are attached to left and right ends of the crankshaft 14, respectively.
Is supported.

A front end of a rear arm 17, which is bent and formed in the shape of a letter when viewed from the side, is pivotally attached to the lower end of the down tube 7 by a pivot shaft 18 so as to be swingable up and down. A rear wheel 19 is rotatably supported at the rear end portion.

Incidentally, a bracket 20 welded to a corner of the down tube 7 and the top tube 8 is provided.
Is connected to one end of a rear cushion 21, and the other end of the rear cushion 21 is connected to the rear arm 17. Accordingly, the rear arm 17 and the rear wheel 19 supported by the rear arm 17 are suspended by the rear cushion 21 on the vehicle body side.

On the other hand, a large-diameter drive sprocket 22 is mounted on the crankshaft 14, and an endless endless sprocket is provided between the drive sprocket 22 and the small-diameter wheel sprocket 23 mounted on the rear wheel 19. A chain 24 is wound. A predetermined tension is applied to the chain 24 by a tensioner 25.

In the electric bicycle 1, it is essential to mount a battery as a drive source of the power unit 10. In this embodiment, the battery 26 is detachably housed in the hollow top tube 8. ing.

Here, the details of the structure for attaching and detaching the battery 26 to and from the top tube 8 will be described with reference to FIG.

The rear end surface of the top tube 8 is open to form a rear end opening 8a, and brackets 27 and 28 are provided at the top and bottom of the rear end of the top tube 8, respectively. A lid member 29 for opening and closing the rear end opening 8a of the top tube 8 is pivotally attached to the upper bracket 27 so as to be vertically rotatable about a shaft 30. A rod 31 constituting a lock mechanism for locking the fixing of the lid member 29 is rotatably connected, and a nut member 32 is screwed to the rod 31 so as to be able to advance and retreat.

By the way, with the battery 26 housed in the top tube 8, the lid member 29 is opened at the rear end opening 8a (see FIG. 2) of the top tube 8 as shown by a solid line in FIG.
In this state, the seat tube 33 is attached to the rear end of the lid member 29 (a position offset from the rear end opening 8a of the top tube 8) so as to be inclined obliquely upward toward the rear of the vehicle body. ing. A seat post 34 is slidably fitted and held in the seat tube 33, and a saddle 35 is attached to an upper end of the seat post 34. Accordingly, the lock portion 36 is loosened and the seat post 34 is
The height of the saddle 35 can be arbitrarily adjusted by sliding the saddle 35 up and down.

Further, as shown in detail in FIG.
A projection 29a is formed at the lower end of the rear end. The projection 29a has a notch 29a-1 through which the rod 31 constituting the lock mechanism passes, and a circular seat 29a-2 connected to the notch 29a-1. Are formed. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the lid member 29 is connected to the rear end opening 8 of the top tube 8.
a is closed, the rod 31 constituting the lock mechanism is passed through the notch 29a-1 formed in the projection 29a of the cover member 29 and the circular seat 29a-2, and the rod 31
The nut member 32 screwed into the cover member 29a is tightened and engaged with the circular seat 29a-2.
Is closed.

The battery 26 is formed by stacking a plurality of rechargeable secondary batteries 26a. To store the secondary battery 26a in the top tube 8, the nut member 32 is used.
To release the fixing of the lid member 29 by the lock mechanism, the lid member 29 is rotated about the shaft 30 together with the saddle 35 as shown in FIG. Fold forward. Then, since the rear end opening 8a of the top tube 8 is opened, the rear end opening 8a is opened.
a, the battery 26 is inserted into the top tube 8 and pushed into the front of the vehicle body, so that the battery 26 is housed in the top tube 8 and a connector 37 facing the lower front end of the top tube 8 is connected to the battery 26 side. (Not shown) are connected. The lead wire 38 led out from the connector 37 is connected to the electric motor 1 of the power unit 10.
2, the controller 13 and a treading force detecting means (not shown), and the electric motor 12, the controller 13 and the treading force detecting means are supplied with power from the battery 26 via a lead wire 38.

When the battery 26 is stored in the top tube 8 as described above, the lid member 29 is
When it is rotated in the opposite direction about the shaft 30 together with the shaft 5, the rear end opening 8a (see FIG. 2) of the top tube 8 is closed by the lid member 29 as shown by a solid line in FIG. Is set in a use state, and the lock of the cover member 29 is locked by the rod 31 and the nut member 32 constituting the lock mechanism as described above, so that the battery 26 becomes usable and the electric bicycle 1 can run.

The pedaling force of the rider while the electric bicycle 1 is traveling is detected by a pedaling force detecting means (not shown) built in the power unit 10, and a detection signal is input to the controller 13. Then, the controller 13
Supplies electric power according to the magnitude of the pedaling force from the battery 26 to the electric motor 12. Therefore, the electric motor 12 generates auxiliary power according to the pedaling force and outputs the auxiliary power to the crankshaft 14. As a result, the crankshaft 14 is rotationally driven by both the pedaling force and the auxiliary power, and the rotation is transmitted to the rear wheel 19 via the drive sprocket 22, the chain 24, and the wheel sprocket 23, and the rear wheel 19 is rotationally driven, and the electric bicycle is rotated. 1 is made to run. Thus, in the electric bicycle 1, the driving force of the rear wheel 19 is
2, the physical load on the rider is reduced accordingly.

When it is necessary to charge the battery 26 because the remaining amount of the battery 26 has decreased due to use, the nut member 32 is loosened and the lid member 29 is fixed by the lock mechanism as described above. After the release, as shown in FIG. 2 (as indicated by a chain line in FIG. 1), the lid member 29 is rotated about the shaft 30 together with the saddle 35 to open the rear end opening 8a of the top tube 8, and Top tube 8
What is necessary is just to pull out the battery 26 stored in the rear of the vehicle body as it is. Then, the charged battery 26
Is stored in the top tube 8 in the same manner as described above,
After the rear end opening 8a of the top tube 8 is closed by the lid member 29, the fixing of the lid member 29 is locked.

In the above, in the present embodiment, the battery 26 is detached from the top tube 8 through the rear end opening 8a of the top tube 8, so that the detachment of the battery 26 from the top tube 8 is easy. Become

In the embodiment, the rear end of the lid member 29 for opening and closing the rear end opening 8a of the top tube 8 (a position offset from the rear end opening 8a of the top tube 8).
The saddle 35 is attached via a seat tube 33 and a seat post 34 so as to be adjustable in height.
Can be adjusted freely.

<Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an electric bicycle having a battery detachable structure according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a cutaway side view of a battery storage portion of the electric bicycle, and FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along a line, in which FIG.
The same elements as those shown in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted below.

Also in this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the battery 26 rotates the lid member 29 about the shaft 30 together with the saddle 35, and moves these members forward as shown by the chain line in FIG. In a folded state, the top tube 8 is detached via a rear end opening 8a. In the present embodiment, the front end portion of the top tube 8 penetrates the down tube 7, and the front end of the top tube 8 The opening is closed by a controller 13 attached to the lower surface of the down tube 7, and the controller 13 and the battery 26 are electrically connected directly.

The fixed locking mechanism of the lid member 29 includes a key cylinder 39 provided on the lid member 29 side, a lock bar 40 which slides up and down by rotating the key cylinder 39, and a top tube 8. The lock bar 40 is slid up and down by rotating the key cylinder 39 with a key (not shown), and the leading end of the lock bar 40 is engaged with the engagement protrusion 41. Projection 4
The fixing of the lid member 29 is locked or released by engaging and disengaging from the one engagement hole 41a.

As shown in FIG. 5, the top tube 8 is formed into a substantially rectangular pipe shape, and resin guide rails 42 are fixed on the upper and lower sides of the top tube 8 with screws 43 from the outside. 26 is Case 2
The guide rail 42 is slid along the guide rail 42 in a state where the convex part 42a of the guide rail 42 is fitted into the concave groove 26c formed in the center of the upper and lower surfaces of the upper and lower surfaces in the width direction, thereby taking the top tube 8 in and out. Is done. Although not shown, the guide rail 42 is integrally formed into a rectangular pipe shape along the inner wall of the top tube 8, and the controller 13 is brought into contact with a flange formed on the periphery of the opening at the distal end of the guide rail 42. Guide rail 4 with controller 13
2 may be configured to cover the front end opening, and according to this configuration, the screw 43 exposed to the outside can be omitted,
The number of parts and the number of assembling steps can be reduced and the appearance can be improved.

In this embodiment, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. However, in this embodiment, the front end portion of the top tube 8 is made to penetrate the down tube 7 as described above. Since the front end opening of the top tube 8 is closed by the controller 13 and the controller 13 and the battery 26 are electrically connected directly, the number of wirings can be reduced and the cost can be reduced. Since the components such as the controller 13 and the battery 26 can be collectively arranged at the center of the vehicle body, the steering stability of the electric bicycle 1 is improved, and the effect that the design can be neatly organized can be obtained.

Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are side views of an electric bicycle having a battery attaching / detaching structure according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In these figures, the same elements as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 have the same reference numerals. , And a description thereof will be omitted below.

In the present embodiment, the battery 26 is attached to and detached from the top tube 8 extending substantially horizontally from the head pipe 2 of the electric bicycle 1 toward the rear of the vehicle body. This is the same as that of the first and second embodiments. That is, the battery 26 is put in and out through the rear end opening 8a of the top tube 8, and the rear end opening 8a of the top tube 8 is opened and closed by the rotatable lid member 29. At the rear end of the lid member 29 (at a position offset from the rear end opening 8a of the top tube 8), the saddle 35 is provided with a seat tube 33 and a seat post 34.
It is mounted so as to be adjustable in height.

The electric bicycles shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are different from each other only in the structure of the body frame, and the other structures are the same. That is, in the electric bicycle 1 shown in FIG. 6, the chain stays 44 and 45 extend bifurcated from the head pipe 2 toward the rear of the vehicle body. Supported. In the electric bicycle 1 shown in FIG. 7, a vertical pipe 46 is vertically provided between the down tube 7 and the top tube 8, and the vertical pipe 46, the vertical pipe stay 47 and the chain stay 4 are provided.
5 form a frame structure having a triangular shape in a side view, and a rear wheel 19 is rotatably supported at a rear end connecting portion between the vertical pipe stay 44 and the chain stay 45.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the battery 26 can be easily attached to and detached from the top tube 8 as in the first embodiment, and the saddle 35
The height can be adjusted freely.

<Fourth Embodiment> Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 8 is a side view of an electric bicycle showing a battery attaching / detaching structure according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a view B of FIG.
FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line B-B. In these figures, the same elements as those shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted below.

In the electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment, the top tube 8 extending substantially horizontally from the head pipe 2 toward the rear of the vehicle and the down tube 7 extending diagonally downward toward the rear of the vehicle. A large-diameter vertical pipe 46 in the form of a substantially rectangular pipe is installed between the upper pipe 46a and the upper pipe 46a so as to be inclined obliquely upward toward the rear of the vehicle body.
From the vertical pipe 46.

Then, the upper end opening 4 of the vertical pipe 46 is formed.
6a is openable and closable by a lid member 29, and the lid member 29 is pivotally attached to the rear end of the top tube 8.

The battery 26 is inserted in the vertical pipe 46.
The lid member 29 closes the upper end opening 46a of the vertical pipe 46 as shown by a solid line in FIG.
In this state, a seat tube 33 is attached to the rear end of the lid member 29 (a position offset rearward from the upper end opening 46a of the vertical pipe 46) so as to be inclined obliquely upward toward the rear of the vehicle body. A seat post 34 is slidably fitted and held in the seat tube 33, and a saddle 35 is attached to an upper end of the seat post 34.
Is attached. Accordingly, the height of the saddle 35 can be arbitrarily adjusted by loosening the lock portion 36 and sliding the seat post 34 up and down within the seat tube 33.

When the battery 26 is taken in and out of the vertical pipe 46, the lid member 29 by the lock mechanism is used.
Is released, the lid member 29 is rotated together with the saddle 35 as shown by a chain line in FIG. 8 to fold them forward. Then, since the upper end opening 46a of the vertical pipe 46 is opened, the battery 26 can be taken in and out of the vertical pipe 46 from the upper end opening 46a.

As shown in FIG. 9, a resin guide rail 42 is fixed from the outside by screws 43 around the inside of the vertical pipe 46 formed into a substantially rectangular pipe shape. Reference numeral 26 denotes a guide rail 4 in a state where the convex portion 42a of the guide rail 42 is fitted into a concave groove 26c formed at the center in the width direction of the front and rear surfaces of the case 26b.
It is moved in and out of the vertical pipe 46 by sliding it up and down along 2.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the battery 26 can be easily attached to and detached from the vertical pipe 46, and the height of the saddle 35 can be adjusted freely.

[0054]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the battery is attached to and detached from the vehicle body frame through one end opening of the vehicle body frame. The effect of facilitation is obtained.

According to the present invention, since the saddle is attached to the cover member for opening and closing the one end opening of the vehicle body frame at a position offset from the one end opening of the vehicle body frame so that the height can be adjusted, the height adjustment of the saddle can be performed. Can be performed freely.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an electric bicycle including a battery detachable structure according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cutaway side view of a battery storage portion of the electric bicycle including the battery detachable structure according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an electric bicycle including a battery detachable structure according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cutaway side view of a battery storage portion of an electric bicycle including a battery detachable structure according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

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

FIG. 6 is a side view of an electric bicycle including a battery detachable structure according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view of an electric bicycle including a battery detachable structure according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side view of an electric bicycle including a battery detachable structure according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 8;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 electric bicycle 2 head pipe 7 down tube (body frame) 8 top tube (body frame) 8a rear end opening (one end opening) 10 power unit 12 electric motor 13 controller 26 battery 29 lid member 35 saddle 46 vertical pipe (body frame) ) 46a Upper end opening (one end opening)

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An electric bicycle comprising an electric motor and a controller using a battery as a power supply, wherein the battery is detachably housed in a body frame from one end opening of a hollow body frame, and one end opening of the body frame is provided. A battery detachable structure for an electric bicycle, wherein the saddle is opened and closed with a rotatable lid member, and a saddle is mounted at a position offset from one end opening of the body frame of the lid member so as to be adjustable in height. 2. A battery according to claim 1, wherein said battery is detachably accommodated from a rear end opening of a top tube extending rearward from the middle of a down tube extending obliquely downward from the head pipe toward the rear of the vehicle body. The battery detachable structure for an electric bicycle according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The battery according to claim 2, wherein a part of the top tube penetrates through the down tube, a front end opening thereof is closed by the controller, and the battery and the controller are electrically connected directly. Battery removal structure for electric bicycle. 4. The electric motor according to claim 1, wherein the battery is detachably housed in the top tube from a rear end opening of the top tube extending substantially horizontally from the head pipe toward the rear of the vehicle body. Bicycle battery detachable structure. 5. A vertical pipe extending between a top tube extending substantially horizontally toward the rear of the vehicle body from the head pipe and a down tube extending obliquely downward toward the rear of the vehicle body, from an upper end opening of the vertical pipe. The battery detachable structure for an electric bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the battery is detachably stored in the vertical pipe.