JP2002120782A - Power-assisted bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily lock a power-assisted bicycle. SOLUTION: A seat post 3 is held by seat post holding parts 231 and 26 formed on a bicycle body frame 23. A vertical stroke of the seat post 3 is set so that a lower end thereof can protrude downward from the bicycle body frame 23. A robbery preventing wire 71 is inserted into a hole 72 provided on the lower end part of the seat post 3 protruded and is turned to a front wheel WF and locked with a key 73.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a battery-assisted bicycle, and more particularly, to a battery-assisted bicycle provided with locking means for preventing theft.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electric motor having a human-powered driving system for transmitting a pedaling force applied to a pedal to a rear wheel, and a motor driving system capable of adding auxiliary power to the human-powered driving system in accordance with the pedaling force. Assisted bicycles are known. There has been proposed a locking means capable of avoiding the theft of such an electric assist bicycle. For example, a locking means disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-142349 is provided with an anti-theft wire penetrating through a main frame and a seat post of a vehicle body so as to be able to be pulled out from the main frame. To immobilize the vehicle body. The anti-theft wire can be stored in the main frame and the seat post when not in use.

[0003]

In the locking means described above, the anti-theft wire is drawn into the hollow portions of the main frame and the seat post when not in use. It is limited to a communicating structure. Therefore, the structure becomes complicated and
The degree of freedom in designing the body frame structure is low.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric assisted bicycle which can solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and can prevent theft with a simple structure of a vehicle body.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, an electric assisted bicycle according to the present invention comprises a seat post holding portion formed on a body frame, and an up-and-down direction in which at least a lower portion projects downward from the body frame. A seat post having a dynamic stroke set and detachably held by the seat post holding portion, the seat post being engaged with a lower portion thereof for engaging a locking means of the electric assist bicycle. There is a first feature in having a portion.

[0006] The present invention is also directed to the invention, wherein the engaging portion is a through hole formed in the seat post, and the locking means includes a wire which is passed over the front wheel through the through hole during locking and both ends of the wire. The point consisting of the connecting parts
There is a feature.

[0007] According to the above feature, since the locking means is engaged with the lower portion of the seat post, the vehicle body can be locked together with the seat post detachably held by the seat post holding portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent theft of the vehicle body by locking the vehicle body and also prevent mischievous acts such as taking away only the seat post. In addition, the lower end portion where the seat post protrudes downward comes closer to the front wheel, so that the wire can be easily wound around and the locking operation is facilitated. Further, in this embodiment in which the frame is divided into front and rear portions, the front wheels on the front frame side and the seat posts on the rear frame side are connected, so that the lock is effective even when dividing the frame. FIG.
If the sheet is locked at the lowest position at the position shown by the broken line and the wire is locked without slack, the sheet is located in the opening and closing range of the lid 162, and the sheet cannot be moved upward by the wire. Even if locking is forgotten, the seat makes it impossible to attach / detach the battery, making the battery locking more advantageous.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of an electric assist bicycle according to one embodiment of the present invention. The body frame 2 of the battery-assisted bicycle includes a head pipe 21 located in front of the body.
A front frame 22 extending substantially horizontally rearward from the head pipe 21, and a rear frame 23 connected to the rear end of the front frame 22. The rear frame 23 is a split frame made of a pair of left and right aluminum die-cast products. This divided frame forms a forked structure having a joint 231 near the front of the vehicle body.
A boss 232 extending obliquely rearward and upward from there to hold the seat post 3.

The boss 232 is provided with an interference,
By tightening with the clamper 233, the seat post 3 is securely held by the boss 232. The structure of the clamper 233 will be further described later. By loosening the clamper 233, the seat post 3 can slide vertically with respect to the boss 233, and the height of the seat 4 mounted on the upper end of the seat post 3 can be adjusted.

The seat post 3 extends between the rear frames 23 divided into the left and right sides of the vehicle body. The lower end of the seat post 3 is located below the bolt 26 connecting the parts of the divided rear frames 23 to each other. With such a structure, the seat post 3
Is secured not only by the boss 232 but also by the bolts 26 located near the lower end of the seat post 3, so that the load applied to the seat 4 is securely carried.

Further, the seat post 3 can be completely separated by pulling out the seat post 3 from the boss 233. Further, the connection structure between the seat post 3 and the boss 232 is adopted also for the connection between the seat 4 and the seat post 3, so that the seat 4 and the seat post 3 can be easily connected and separated.

When the vehicle is not in use, the seat post 3 can be lowered further by loosening the clamper 233. As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG.
In the lowermost position, a vertical stroke is set so that the seat post 3 penetrates the rear frame 23 downward, and its lower end extends to a position in front of the electric assist unit (assist unit) 1. At the lower end of the seat post 3, a wire passage hole 72 is formed so that the anti-theft wire 71 can be penetrated. The anti-theft wire 71 (or chain, hereinafter referred to as a “wire”) that can penetrate through the wire through hole 72 is, for example, wrapped around the front wheel WF as shown in the figure and locked with the key 73 so that the front wheel WF is Rotation is restricted in a range where the anti-theft wire 71 extends. In this way, the movement of the vehicle is substantially restricted, so that the vehicle cannot be rolled and moved by another person. Therefore, it is possible to not only prevent the vehicle body from being stolen, but also to adopt a structure in which the seat post 3 can be pulled out from the boss 233 and separated therefrom, while also avoiding the possibility that the seat post 3 is pulled out by another person. Further, in this embodiment in which the frame is divided into front and rear portions, the front wheels on the front frame side and the seat posts on the rear frame side are connected, so that the lock is effective even when dividing the frame.

The head pipe 21 has a front fork 5
Are rotatably held. A handle post 7 is connected to an upper end of a shaft formed on an upper portion of the front fork 5 via a joint 6, and a steering handle 8 is connected to an upper portion of the handle post 7. The joint 6 can be loosened by operating the knob 61, and this operation allows the handle post 7 to be folded around the joint 6. This folding mode will be described later. A front wheel WF is rotatably supported at the lower end of the front fork 5. A distal end of a wire 82 extending downward from a brake lever 81 of the steering handle 8 is connected to a front brake 9 provided on the front wheel WF.
Is combined with

The rear frame 23 is connected to the front frame 22 by a hinge 24 and a lock device provided on the opposite side of the hinge 24, that is, on the left side of the vehicle body. By releasing the lock of the lock device, the vehicle body can be folded around the hinge 24 as a pivot. Further, by releasing the connection of the hinge 24, the front frame 22 and the rear frame 23 can be separated from each other. . Details of the lock device and the hinge 24 will be described later.

The side view of the rear frame 23 has such a shape that the portion near the front of the vehicle body is wide and the width decreases toward the rear. A rear wheel WR as a drive wheel is supported between the rear ends of the pair of left and right rear frames 23. A rear brake 10 is provided on the rear frame 23, and a wire 83 is extended from the steering handle 8 and connected to the rear brake 10.

An electric auxiliary unit 1 arranged behind the seat post 3 is suspended from a wide portion of the rear frame 23, that is, a lower portion near the front. The electric auxiliary unit 1 is connected to the rear frame 23 by the bolts 25 and 27 for fastening the left and right divided portions of the rear frame 23.
It is fixed by joint tightening when assembling. The electric assist unit 1 has an electric motor M for assisting pedaling arranged at the lowermost part thereof, and a crankshaft 11 arranged above and forward of the motor M. A crank 12 is fixed to each of the left and right ends of the crankshaft 11, and a pedal 13 is provided at a tip of the crank 12. The pedal 13 is used in a state that the pedal 13 extends horizontally in the left-right direction of the vehicle body. However, a hinge is adopted at a connecting portion between the pedal 13 and the crank 12 so that the pedal 13 can be folded along the crank 12 when not in use. .

The pedaling force input from the pedal 13 and the assisting force generated by the motor M so as to reduce the pedaling force in accordance with the pedaling force are combined via a transmission device including gears in the electric assist unit 1 and the output thereof is output. Is taken out as the rotation of a drive sprocket (not shown) covered by the sprocket cover 14. A chain 15 for transmitting the rotation of the drive sprocket to the rear wheel WR is provided. The diameters of the front wheel WF and the rear wheel WR are both 16 inches.

In the space surrounded by the wide portion of the rear frame 23 and the connecting portion 231, and a bolt 25 (or a boss supporting the bolt) connecting the pair of right and left rear frames 23 to each other at a rear portion, the electric motor is provided. A battery box 16 containing a battery serving as a power source for M and other electrical components is mounted. In order to connect the left and right divided rear frames 23 to each other, in addition to the bolts 25 and 27, as described above, the bolt 26 disposed near the connection portion with the front frame 22 is used.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rear frame 23 as viewed from the left front of the vehicle body, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same. In both figures, the rear frame 23 includes a left portion 23L and a right portion 23R, and the boss 25B through which the bolts 25 and 27 can be inserted.
L, 25BR, 27BL, and 27BR are provided. Bosses for the bolts 26 are also formed, but are not shown in FIGS. A hanger portion (described later) formed at the upper end of the electric assist unit 1 is attached between the bosses 25BL and 25BR and between the bosses 27BL and 27BR.

On the upper surface of the rear frame 23, seats 234, 235, 236 for attaching the battery box 16 are provided.
And a seat 237 for mounting the rear brake 10
L, 237R are formed. At the front of the seat post boss 232 on the upper surface of the rear frame 23, there is formed a mounting seat 238 for mounting a power switch for supplying electric current from a battery to the electric auxiliary unit 1 and the like.

Further, on the front end of the rear frame 23, that is, on the mating surface with the front frame 22, a boss 241 which is one part of the hinge 24 and a pin (not shown) of the lock device are provided.
A boss 28 that rotatably supports is formed. Boss 24
A pivot pin 242 is inserted into 1, and a washer 243 and a retaining ring 244 are attached to the tip of the pivot pin 242. A hook (described later) on the front frame 22 side, which forms a part of the hinge, is engaged with the pin 242.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a main part showing a mounting positional relationship between the rear frame 23, the battery box 16 and the electric auxiliary unit 1, and the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 denote the same or equivalent parts. In FIG. 4, hangers 70a and 70b for connecting the electric auxiliary unit 1 to the rear frame 23 are formed around a case body 70 of the electric auxiliary unit 1, and the hangers 70a and 70b are connected to the bolts 2 respectively.
By fastening to the rear frame 23 at 5 and 27, the electric auxiliary unit 1 is suspended on the rear frame 23. The case main body 70 of the electric auxiliary unit 1 is desirably made of a resin molded product for weight reduction.

A pedaling force input gear 30 is connected to the crankshaft 11 via a one-way clutch (not shown).
The pedaling force input gear 30 meshes with the small gear 31a of the composite gear 31. On the other hand, a large gear 32a of an auxiliary power gear (assist gear) 32 is provided on the pinion 29 of the motor M so as to mesh with the small gear 32b, which rotates integrally with the large gear 32a. Mesh with each other. The large gear 31 b of the composite gear 31 meshes with an output gear 34 fixed to the shaft of the driving sprocket 33. The assist gear 32 is desirably made of a resin molded product for weight reduction, and is preferably a helical gear from the viewpoint of quietness and the like.

Thus, the rotation of the motor M is controlled by the pinion 2
The pedaling force transmitted from the crankshaft 11 is transmitted to the composite gear 31 via the pedaling force input gear. Then, the pedaling force and the auxiliary power are combined by the combined gear 31 and transmitted to the driving sprocket 33. The controller 37 arranged at the front part in the case 70 controls the rotation of the motor M based on the pedaling force value input from the pedaling force detecting means (not shown).

A pivot 36 for rotatably supporting a main stand 35 made of aluminum is attached to a lower rear portion of the main body case 70. The protrusion 70c provided at the lower end of the main body case 70 is a foot for allowing the rear portion of the bicycle including the rear frame 23 to stand on its own when the front frame 22 and the rear frame 23 are separated from each other. When placed, the protrusion 70c and the rear wheel W
With R, you can stand alone on the ground.

The boss 2 provided at the front end of the rear frame 23
Lock pins 39 having lock levers 38 are provided at 8 and 28.
Is inserted. A bolt 391 is provided rotatably around the lock pin 39, and a nut 392 is screwed to the bolt 391. The bolt 391 is passed through a groove (refer to FIGS. 13 to 16 for a detailed shape) of the engaging portion 40 formed so as to protrude from the front frame 22, and one surface of the nut 392 contacts the engaging portion 40. Form a clamping surface.

The central portion of the lock pin 39, that is, the bolt 3
The portion on which 91 is mounted is eccentric with respect to the hole of the boss 28, and by rotating the lock lever 38, the contact strength between the tightening surface of the nut 392 and the engaging portion 40 is increased or decreased. be able to. The maximum value of the contact strength between the fastening surface of the nut 392 and the engaging portion 40 is
Can be determined by the amount of rotation of.

As shown, when the lock lever 38 is rotated to a position along the rear frame 23, the nut 39 is rotated.
The front frame 22 and the rear frame 23 are strongly connected to each other by strongly contacting the engagement portion 40 with the engagement portion 40. On the other hand, when the lock lever 38 is rotated in a direction away from the rear frame 23, that is, in a direction orthogonal to the vehicle body, the nut 392 is displaced from the engagement portion 40 by a distance corresponding to the eccentric amount due to the eccentric shape of the lock pin 39. As a result, the contact strength between the nut 392 and the engaging portion 40 is reduced.
When the bolt 391 is rotated around the lock pin 39 when the contact strength is weakened, the nut 392 and the engaging portion 40
With the front frame 22 and the rear frame 23.
Can be folded about the hinge 24.

A power switch 50 operated by a key K is mounted on the mounting seat 238 (FIG. 2) provided at the front of the rear frame 23, that is, at the front of the boss 232 for holding the seat post.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the structure of the battery. In the figure, a battery 41 is a battery body (for example, a stack of 20 nickel-metal hydride battery cells) 4 wrapped in a shrink film package 410.
11 and a case 412 of a resin molded product divided into two housing the battery body 411. The case 412 includes an indicator 42 for lighting a plurality of LEDs and displaying the remaining battery level based on the number of lights, and a connector 43 for charging.
And a fuse 44. In addition, a handle 46 for carrying and attaching to and detaching from the battery box 16 is rotatably attached to the case 412. Terminals 47, 47 connected to the battery body 411 are provided at the bottom of the case 412.
Is provided.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the battery box 16, FIG. 11 is a side sectional view, and FIG.
FIG. In these figures, the battery box 16 is supported by the seats 234, 235 and 236, is disposed so that its longitudinal direction coincides with the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and is accommodated between the left portion 23L and the right portion 23R of the rear frame 23. You. The battery box 16 includes a box body 161 whose upper part is opened so that the battery 41 can be attached and detached from above, and a lid 162 which covers this open upper part. The cover 162 is hinged so that the cover 162 can be pivotally opened in the lateral direction of the vehicle body.
63 is used to be rotatably attached to the box body 161. A two-dot chain line in FIG. 16 shows a state where the lid 162 is opened. By arranging the box body 161 such that the longitudinal direction matches the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, the frontage of the open upper portion is wider than when the box body 161 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction is substantially vertical.
The attachment / detachment operation of the battery 41 becomes easy.

The cover 162 is provided with a window 48 so that the indicator 42 can be seen through, and a key device 54 is provided. This key device 54 has a claw 541 that can be turned in and out by turning a key (preferably shared with a key for operating a power switch).
And the claw 541 is engaged with the upper end of the box body 161 to be locked.

The battery 41 is housed in the box body 161, and the terminal box 1 is provided at the bottom of the box body 161.
64 are formed. The terminal box 164 has a battery 4
Terminals 49, 49 coupled to the terminals 47, 47 on the first side are accommodated. The terminals 49, 49 are connected to the controller 37 by a cable (not shown). A U-shaped member 46 is provided at an upper portion of the box body 161 so as to protrude laterally from a notch formed at an edge of the lid 162. The U-shaped member 46 is used as a holder for holding the lock lever 38 at a position along the rear frame 23.

A lock arm 51 for holding the battery 41 in the battery box 16 is provided near the rear of the vehicle body of the box body 161. The lock arm 51 is pivotally supported by the box main body 161 using the pin 52 so as to be able to tilt in the vehicle longitudinal direction. In the part where the lock arm 51 is installed, the box body 161 is doubled,
The lock arm 51 is accommodated in the double wall. The lock arm 51 extends upward from the pin 52, and its tip faces the inside of the box body 161 from the inner side wall of the double wall portion. The position and shape of the lock arm 51 are set such that the tip protruding toward the battery 41 is fitted into the concave portion RS of the case 412 of the battery 41.

A hanging piece 53 is mounted or integrally formed on the edge of the lid 162 near the rear of the vehicle body. This hanging piece 53
Is inserted between the back of the lock arm 51 (the surface near the rear of the vehicle body) and the outer wall of the double wall with the lid 162 closed to apply a pressing force to the back.
Is opened, the position and shape are set so as to leave a space in which the lock arm 51 can be tilted in the direction of the outer wall. When the sheet is locked at the position shown by the broken line in FIG.
Since the sheet is located in the opening / closing range of 62 and the sheet cannot be moved upward by the wire, even if the user forgets to lock the lid, the battery cannot be attached or detached by the sheet, and the locking of the battery becomes more advantageous.

Next, the hinge 24 for connecting the front frame 22 and the rear frame 23 will be described in detail. FIG. 13 is a plan sectional view of a rear end portion of the front frame 22 including the hinge 24, and FIG. 14 is a front view (view from the rear of the vehicle body).
In addition, this rear end part can be comprised by the rear end part (henceforth an "end block") integrated with the pipe-shaped part which comprises the front frame 22 by welding. In both figures, a hook 451 is formed on the end block 45, and the hook 451 is provided on the boss 24 provided on the rear frame 23.
The dimensions and the position are set so that they fit between the first and second 241 and can be engaged with the pivot pin 242.

A lock plate 452 is provided so as to cover the opening (notch) of the hook 451 formed in a U-shape. The lock plate 452 is pivotally supported on the end block 45 by pins 453. Further, the end block 45 is provided with an operation lever 455 pivotally supported by a spring pin 454. Operation lever 4
An operation unit 455a for pressing a finger and a hook 455
b. The operation lever 455 is connected to the lock plate 452 by a tension spring 456, and the hook 455
b denotes a cutout window 452a formed in the lock plate 452.
From the front side of the lock plate 452, that is, the rear frame 23
And is engaged with the frame of the cutout window 452a. Since the hook 455b is engaged with the lock plate 452, the rotation of the lock plate 452 in the direction of the arrow R is restricted even though the tension spring 456 is acting. The operation lever 455 is a contact portion 455c that comes into contact with the end block 45 near the pivot support portion.
From the illustrated position of the operation lever 455 with the arrow R
Rotation in the R direction is prohibited.

With this configuration, since the opening of the hook 451 is closed by the tip of the lock plate 452, the pivot pin 242 engaged with the hook 451 cannot escape from the hook 451. Therefore,
Even if the lock device operated by the lock lever 38 is released, the vehicle body frame (consisting of the front frame and the rear frame) can only be folded about the pivot pin 242.

In order to further separate the body frame into the front frame 22 and the rear frame 23 after being folded, the operating portion 455a of the operating lever 455 is pushed into the end block 45 (in the direction of the arrow RF). Then,
The operation lever 455 rotates about the pin 454, and the lock plate 452 rotates about the pin 453 to rotate the hook 4.
The opening 51 is open. Therefore, the pivot pin 2
42 can escape from the hook 451, and the vehicle body frame can be completely separated at the connecting portion of the front frame 22 and the rear frame 23.

Operation lever 455 and lock plate 452
As a result, the hook 455 of the operation lever 455 is rotated.
Even after the engagement between b and the lock plate 452 is released and the pressing of the operation lever 455 is stopped, the open state of the opening is maintained. Therefore, the pressing operation of the operation lever 455 and the separating operation of the vehicle body frame can be easily performed stepwise using both hands.

When assembling the separated vehicle body frame again, the pivot pin 242 is hooked on the hook 451, and then the lock plate 452 is pushed into the hook 451, so that the hook 456b of the operation lever 455 and the lock plate 452 are connected. Engage. With this operation, the opening of the hook 451 is closed. Subsequently, the front frame 22
The nut 392 of the lock device shown in FIG. 4 is hooked on the engaging portion 40, and the lock lever 38 is rotated in a direction along the rear frame 23 to lock.

Next, a modification of the hinge 24 will be described. FIG. 15 shows a front frame 22 according to a modified example of the hinge 24.
FIG. 16 is a front sectional view of the rear end portion of FIG.
3, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 14 indicate the same or equivalent parts. In the figure, a pivot pin 242 fixed to the rear frame 23 side
Is engaged with the hook 451, and the opening (notch) of the hook 451 is formed so that the pivot pin 242 cannot escape.
A lock plate 457 is provided at a position to close the lock. The lock plate 457 has an operation portion 457a formed so that a finger can be hooked thereon and a lock portion 457b for closing the cutout portion, and is pivotally supported by the end block 45 using a pin 453. The operation unit 4 is provided on the lock plate 457.
A spring (a torsion coil spring) is applied so that a force acts in a direction to move the lock portion 457b away from the end block 45 in a direction to move the lock portion 457b away from the end block 45.
458 are engaged. However, since the rear end of the lock portion 457b, that is, the end portion 452c on the operation portion 457a side contacts the end surface of the end block 45, the lock plate 457 is not provided.
Is not rotated in a direction away from the end block 45 beyond a position where the lock portion 457b faces the cutout portion.

On the other hand, a relief portion (recess) 459 is formed in the end block 45 so that the lock portion 457b can rotate in a direction approaching the end block 45 (arrow RA). The depth of the escape portion 459 is set so that the lock portion 457b escapes toward the end block 45 and the notch portion of the hook 451 is opened.

With this configuration, since the lock plate 457 is urged by the spring 458 and the opening of the hook 451 is closed by the lock portion 457b, the pivot pin 242 cannot escape from the hook 451. Therefore, only by releasing the lock device operated by the lock lever 38, the body frame can only be folded about the pivot pin 242.

In order to further separate the body frame into the front frame 22 and the rear frame 23 after being folded, a direction in which the finger is hooked on the operation portion 457a of the lock plate 457 and separated from the end block 45 (in the direction of arrow RR) )
To pull. Then, the lock portion 457b becomes the escape portion 4
The hook 451 is retracted into the opening 59 and the opening portion of the hook 451 is opened. Therefore, the pivot pin 242 can escape from the hook 451, and the body frame can be completely separated at the connecting portion of the front frame 22 and the rear frame 23.

When assembling the separated vehicle body frames again, the pivot pin 242 is pressed against the lock portion 457b to retract the lock portion 457b into the escape portion 459. If the pivot pin 242 is set on the hook 451,
The pressing force of the pivot pin 242 against the lock portion 457b is released. As a result, the urging force of the spring 453 causes the lock portion 457b to rotate in the direction opposite to the arrow RA and
The opening 1 is closed.

In the embodiment of the hinge 24, the pivot pin 242 is provided on the rear frame 23 side, and
The hook 451 with which the lock member 42 is engaged, the lock plate 45
2, 457 and a lock device including an operation lever 455 are provided on the front frame 22 side. However, in the opposite manner, the pivot pin 242 may be provided on the front frame 22 side, and the lock plate 452 and the like may be provided on the rear frame 23 side.

Next, the joint 6 for connecting the handle post 7 to the front fork 5 will be described in detail. FIG.
Is a plan sectional view of the joint 6, and FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a main part. The joint block 62 provided on the top of the front fork 5 has a hole 62a through which the shaft 63 of the knob 61 can pass horizontally and a hole 62b orthogonal to the hole 62a. The holes 62a and 62b are provided with notches 6 so that the shaft 63 can rotate in a horizontal plane in the joint block 62.
2c and 62d.

A male screw 6 formed at the tip of the shaft 63
3a is formed at the lower end of the handle post 7 so that the screw 7a
Is screwed into. At the lower end of the handle post 7, a hub 7b fitted to the end surface of the joint block 62, and a convex portion 7 which engages with a concave portion 62e formed on the end surface of the joint block 62 to define the direction with respect to the joint block 62.
c is formed. Around the terminal end of the cutout groove 62c, a projection 62f having a vertical groove into which the hub 7b of the handle post 7 is fitted and the projection 7c is engaged is formed. Also,
A pin 6 is attached to the rear end of the joint block 62 on the vehicle body side.
A stopper 55 rotatably supported at 4 is provided.

The folding operation of the handle post 7 will be described. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the joint 6 showing the folding procedure. FIG. 5A shows the joint 6 when the electric assisted bicycle is used. In this state, the handle post 7 stands vertically upward, and the lower end of the handle post 7 is fitted in the joint block 62. To fold the handle post 7, first, the knob 61 is turned to loosen the tightening.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 19B, the stopper 55 is opened upward with the pin 64 as the center, and the knob 61 is urged forward of the vehicle body. By opening the stopper 55,
As shown in the view from the knob 61 side in FIG. 19C, a large space is generated between the knob 61 and the joint block 62, and the knob 61 can be displaced to the front of the vehicle body. When the knob 61 is displaced to the front of the vehicle body, the convex portion 7c of the handle post 7 is moved to the concave portion 62e of the joint block 62.
(See FIG. 19B). As a result, the shaft 63 is rotatable in a counterclockwise direction (leftward toward the vehicle body traveling direction) in plan view. FIG. 19D shows the shaft 63.
It is a figure showing the state where turned 90 degrees.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 19 (e), the handle post 7 is tilted vertically downward, and the projection 7c is aligned with the vertical groove of the projection 62f. Finally, turn the knob 61 to turn the shaft 63
Is screwed into the handle post 7 and tightened.

FIG. 20 is a plan view of the pedal. The pedal 13 used in a state of extending horizontally in the left-right direction of the vehicle body,
It can be folded along the crank 12 when not in use. The pedal 13 has a fixed side 131 rotatably attached to the crank 12 and a movable side 133 connected to the fixed side 131 by a pivot pin 132. The movable side 133 has a U-shaped frame 132a supported by a pivot pin 131.
2b are provided. The stopper 132b is urged by the compression coil spring 132c and is pressed against the side surface of the fixed side 131. The stopper 132b has a frame 132a from the outside.
Is connected to the operation unit 134 provided therethrough.

When the pedal 13 is folded, the spring 1
The operation unit 134 is displaced to the outside of the vehicle body in opposition to 32c.
Then, since the contact force between the fixed side 131 and the stopper 132b is loosened, the frame 132a can rotate around the pivot pin 131, and the pedal 13 can be folded along the crank 12.

FIG. 21 shows a state in which the seat post 3 is connected to the rear frame 2.
FIG. 22 is a plan view of the clamper 233 to be fixed to No. 3, and FIG. In both figures, the clamp 233 is the rear frame 2
The boss 232 provided on the third coupling part 231 is formed on the upper part thereof. The clamp 233 includes a ring 233a having a part of the circumference cut out, a bolt 233b provided in a notch of the ring 233a, and a bolt 233.
3b has a clamper lever 233d pivotally supported by a pin 233c on the head. The bolt 2 is attached to the ring 233a.
A nut 233e suitable for 33b is welded.

The clamper lever 233d forms an eccentric cam with respect to the pin 233c, and the force with which the clamper lever 233d tightens the ring 233a changes according to the rotation angle of the clamper lever 233d in a plane perpendicular to the seat post 3. . At the position indicated by the two-dot chain line, the tightening force is small, and the eccentricity is set so that when the clamper lever 233d is rotated in the direction of the arrow from this position, the tightening force increases. By doing so, the clamper lever 233
The seat post 3 can be tightened and released and the tightening can be released by the rotation operation d. The amount of screwing the bolt 233b into the nut 233e can be adjusted in advance so that the seat post 3 can be suitably tightened by the rotation of the clamper lever 233d.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a tray provided so as to be able to be taken in and out from the rear of a four-wheeled vehicle (here, a wagon type vehicle or an RV vehicle) together with a stored electric assist bicycle, and FIG. It is a perspective view from the front.
In both figures, the front frame 56 is fixed below the rear seat 57 in the car WGN, and the tray 5 in the car WGN is fixed.
8 defines the forward position limit. The upper frame 59 is fixed to the WGN in the vehicle behind the front frame 56, and supports a shelf (not shown) at the upper part. A tray 58 preferably made of a resin material is guided by rails (not shown) in a space surrounded by the front frame 56 and the upper frame 59, and is slidably disposed in the vehicle front-rear direction. The upper frame 59 has a charger 60 for the battery 41 on its left side.
Is held.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a procedure for mounting the electric assisted bicycle on a vehicle for transportation will be described. The tray 58 is pulled out toward the rear of the vehicle so that the electric bicycle can be easily mounted. Then, first, the lid 162 of the battery box 16 is opened, the battery 41 is removed from the electric bicycle, and is stored in the front center of the tray 58. Next, the clamper 233 is loosened and the seat post 3 is
, And the seat post 3 and the seat 4 are separated from each other. The seat 4 is stored on the right side of the battery 41, and the seat post 3 is stored on the right corner of the tray 58.

Subsequently, the vehicle body frame is separated. Prior to this separation, the handle post 7 is folded from the joint 6 by operating the knob 61 of the joint 6. And
The lock lever 38 is operated to unlock the connection between the front frame 22 and the rear frame 23, and the body frame is folded around the pivot pin 242. Then, by pushing the operation lever 455 (example of FIG. 13) or pulling the lock plate 457 (example of FIG. 15), the pivot pin 24 is moved.
2 is removed from the hook 451 of the front frame 22 to separate the vehicle body frame. Front frame 22, handle post 7, handle 8, front fork 5, and front wheel WF
Are stored together with the tray 58 on the left side. On the other hand, after folding the pedal 13, the rear frame 23, the electric auxiliary unit 1, and the rear wheel WR
8 to the right side.

FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of the automobile WGN, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the main part. As shown in FIG. 7, when the tray 58 is pulled out, most of the battery-assisted bicycle has escaped from the area entirely covered by the shelf 65 to the rear of the vehicle, and the user is obstructed by the shelf 65. The electric vehicle can be easily lifted and lowered from the vehicle without the need.

Further, AC1 is provided on the inner side wall of the automobile WGN.
A 00 volt outlet 66 is provided. As shown in FIG. 8, power is supplied to the charger 60 mounted on the back side of the shelf board 65 from an outlet 66 through a cord 67,
Further, the DC of a predetermined voltage rectified by the charger 60 is supplied to the battery 41 through the cord 68. The cord 68 and the battery 41 are connected through the connector 43.

As described above, by using the AC outlet 66, the battery 41 can be charged by the generator driven by the engine of the automobile WGN, for example, by effectively using the time required to reach a destination such as a resort. Can be.

[0063]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, since the locking means is engaged with the seat post, it is possible to prevent theft of the vehicle body and to pull out only the seat post. Prevent mischief. In particular, according to the second aspect of the invention, the movement of the vehicle can be disabled by locking the front wheel to the seat post.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rear frame as viewed from the front left.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a rear frame.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a main part around an assist unit.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a tray storing the battery-assisted bicycle.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a tray storing the battery-assisted bicycle.

FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of a four-wheeled vehicle provided with a tray.

FIG. 8 is a rear sectional view of a four-wheeled vehicle provided with a tray.

FIG. 9 is a sectional perspective view showing the structure of a battery.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a battery box.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of the battery box.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional plan view of an end block provided on a front frame.

FIG. 14 is a front view of an end block provided on a front frame.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional plan view according to a modification of the end block.

FIG. 16 is a front view according to a modification of the end block.

FIG. 17 is a sectional plan view of a joint of the handle post.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a main part of a joint of the handle post.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a joint of the handle post.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional plan view of a main part of the pedal.

FIG. 21 is a plan view of a clamper of the seat post.

FIG. 22 is a front view of a clamper of the seat post.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electric auxiliary unit, 2 ... Body frame, 3 ... Seat post, 8 ... Steering handle, 11 ... Crankshaft, 13 ... Pedal, 14 ... Sprocket cover,
16 ... battery box, 22 ... front frame, 23
... Rear frame, 24 ... Hinge, 25,26,27 ...
Bolt, 28 boss, 29 pinion, 32 assist gear, 33 sprocket, 38 lock lever, 58 tray, 60 charger, 71 anti-theft wire, 72 through hole, 73 lock

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Hidenori Nakura 1-4-1 Chuo, Wako-shi, Saitama F-term in Honda R & D Co., Ltd. (Reference) 3D012 BA02 BA11

Claims (4)

[Claims] An electric assist unit, which supports an electric assist unit including a human-powered driving system for transmitting a pedaling force applied to a pedal and a motor driving system for adding auxiliary power to the human-powered driving system in accordance with the pedaling force, is supported by a body frame. In the assist bicycle, a seat post holding portion formed on the body frame, and a seat having a vertically moving stroke set so that at least a lower portion protrudes downward from the body frame, and the seat is detachably held on the seat post holding portion. And a post, wherein the seat post has, at a lower portion thereof, an engaging portion for engaging a locking means of the electric assist bicycle. 2. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion is a through hole formed in the seat post, and wherein the locking means is connected to the front wheel through the through hole at the time of locking, and a connecting portion for connecting both ends of the wire. The battery-assisted bicycle according to claim 1, comprising: 3. The battery-assisted bicycle according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle body frame can be divided into a front frame supporting a front wheel and a rear frame supporting a seat post. 4. The battery-assisted bicycle according to claim 1, wherein a battery is mounted on a lower rear portion of the seat post, and the battery cannot be detached when the seat post projects downward.