JP2003324807A - Motor car - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a motor car which allows the user to put the car body in stop position without fail, when the user selects a hand-pushing mode, enabling him to put itself in stable condition by usual hand-pushing operation, thus wherein the further improvement of safety and handiness is contrived. <P>SOLUTION: This motor car has a running mode, in which it runs by the acceleration operation of the user and hand-pushing mode in which it can run by the hand pushing of the user; and also this has a braking means which brakes the car body 1 in a stop state, a hand-pushing mode selection means which selects the hand-pushing mode, a detection means (contact detector 23) which detects the hand pushing of the user, and a control means, which brakes the card body 1 into the stop state by the braking means, when the hand-pushing mode is selected by the hand-pushing mode selection means and removes the braking force of the braking means, when the hand-pushing mode is selected and further the hand-pushing operation of the user is detected by the detection means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a driving mode in which a user operates an accelerator, such as an electric three-wheeled vehicle or an electric four-wheeled vehicle used by an elderly person or a disabled person, and a user's accelerator operation. The present invention relates to an electric vehicle having a hand-pushing mode capable of traveling by hand-pushing, and particularly to improvement of the hand-pushing mode.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in this type of electric vehicle, generally, a switch for a manual pushing operation is "manually pushed" so that a braking force by an electromagnetic brake or the like can be released and the vehicle can be pushed manually. .

[0003] In this case, there is a danger that the vehicle body will be in a free running state when the switch is pushed by hand on a downhill or the like, and if the user releases his / her hand, he / she may start running.

In order to solve such a problem, the applicant of the present application has disclosed the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-166025 (B60L).
15/00), when the mode switching means is set to the manual pushing mode, the vehicle body stopping means sets the vehicle body in the stopped state, and when the accelerator means is operated in this state, the vehicle body stopping means is set. Is proposed to be canceled.

[0005]

However, since a general accelerator lever that constitutes the above-mentioned accelerator means is provided in the vicinity of the handle and is operated by placing both hands on the handle and the accelerator, it can be pushed by hand. Sometimes I couldn't grasp the handle firmly, and I couldn't push the handle in a stable state, so further improvement of usability was an issue.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and when the hand-pushing mode is selected, the vehicle body can be surely stopped, and the hand-pushing can be carried out in a stable state by a normal hand-pushing operation. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric vehicle that is capable of further improving safety and usability.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has a traveling mode in which the vehicle is driven by an accelerator operation by a user, and a manual pushing mode in which the vehicle can be driven by a user's manual pushing. Braking means for braking the vehicle body to a stopped state, manual pushing mode selecting means for selecting the manual pushing mode, detecting means for detecting the manual pushing operation of the user, and the manual pushing mode when the manual pushing mode is selected by the manual pushing mode selecting means. It is characterized by further comprising a control means for braking the vehicle body in a stopped state by the braking means, releasing the braking force of the braking means when the manual pushing mode is selected and the manual pushing operation of the user is detected by the detecting means. It is what

Further, the detecting means is provided on the backrest of the seat.

Further, the detecting means is provided on the handle.

Further, the detecting means is provided on the backrest and the handle of the seat.

An electromagnetic brake is used as the braking means.

Further, a pressure-sensitive rubber is used for the detecting means.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 to 4 are external views of an electric four-wheel vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a top view, FIG. 2 is a side view, FIG. 3 is a front view, and FIG. It is a figure.

The electric four-wheeled vehicle of this embodiment is provided with a pair of drive wheels (rear wheels) 2 rotatably driven by a motor, which will be described later, on both sides of the rear portion of the vehicle body 1, and a pair of front wheels on both sides of the front portion. 3 is provided.

The front wheel 3 is connected to a handle shaft 5 covered with a front cover 4, and a loop-shaped handle 6 is attached to the upper end of the handle shaft 5. By operating the handle 6 to the left and right, the front wheels 3 move in the left and right directions, and the traveling direction can be changed. A storage basket 7 that can store shopping bags and the like is attached to the front surface of the front cover 4, winker lamps 8 are provided on both lower sides of the storage basket 7, and headlights 9 are provided on the front side.

Between the drive wheel (rear wheel) 2 and the front wheel 3,
Floor part 10 for the user to put his / her feet on
Is provided. A cover 11 for accommodating a battery, a motor, and the like, which will be described later, is provided behind the floor portion 10, and a seat 1 for a user to ride on the cover 11.
2 is attached, and this seat 12 has a backrest 13
And an armrest 14 are provided.

In addition, a recess (not shown) is formed on the upper front side of the cover 11 and below the seat 12, and a manual push select switch (to be described later) for selecting the manual push mode is provided therein. It is covered with a switch cover to prevent accidental operation so that it can be opened and closed.

On the other hand, an operation display panel 15 is provided at the center of the handle 6, and this operation display panel 1
5, a battery lamp 16 for displaying the remaining amount of the battery, a dial type speed control knob 17 for adjusting the upper limit speed, a forward / backward changeover switch 1 for switching between forward and reverse.
8, a winker switch 19 for blinking the winker lamps 8 provided on both sides of the lower portion of the front cover 4, a push-type horn switch 20, and the like are provided. In addition, the rearview mirror 2 is provided on both sides of the front part of the handle 6.
1 is attached.

On both sides of the operation display panel 15, an accelerator lever 22 which is connected by a shaft and operates integrally is attached. When the accelerator lever 22 is pressed from above, the forward / backward traveling changeover switch 18 is operated. Further, the vehicle advances at a speed corresponding to the amount of pressing of the accelerator lever 22.

In the present embodiment, the backrest 1
A contact detection unit 23 for detecting a manual pushing operation is provided on the front and rear surfaces of the upper part of 3 and on the front and rear surfaces of the front grip 6a of the handle 6. The contact detection unit 23 may be of a switch type, but a sensor type of pressure-sensitive rubber is preferable because of less malfunction such as malfunction. In addition, the reason why it is provided not only on the rear surface side but also on the front surface side is to ensure that both the pushing operation and the pulling operation can be handled.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a control unit and its peripheral circuits according to the present embodiment.

A microcomputer (hereinafter abbreviated as "microcomputer") 30, which constitutes the control means of the present invention, receives the contact detection unit 23 according to this embodiment as its input.
And the output of the hand push selection switch 24 is input,
A motor rotation pulse signal S1 or the like for detecting the rotation of the motor 31 in each of forward and backward movements is input. Also, FIG.
Although not shown, signals from various switches of the operation display panel 15, signals indicating the operation amount of the accelerator lever 22 and the like are also input.

Further, the output of the microcomputer 30 is to drive a motor 31 (dynamic braking) to drive the motor 31 (dynamic braking).
The motor drive signal S2 for controlling the circuit 32, the motor power generation braking signal S3, the electromagnetic brake signal S4 for controlling the brake drive circuit 34 for driving the electromagnetic brake 33, etc. are output.

The voltage from the battery 35 is directly supplied to the motor drive (dynamic braking) circuit 32 and the electromagnetic brake drive circuit 34 through a power switch or the like (not shown), but the microcomputer 30 is provided with a constant voltage circuit 36. Through DC
The voltage is reduced to a constant voltage such as 5V and supplied.

Next, the operation of the main part of this embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG.

When the process shown by the flowchart in FIG. 6 starts, first, it is checked whether or not the vehicle is currently stopped based on the motor rotation pulse signal S1 shown in FIG. 5 (decision 101). If the vehicle is stopped, it is checked whether the accelerator is "ON", that is, whether or not the accelerator lever 22 has been operated. If the accelerator is "ON", the mode shifts to the normal running mode (YES in judgment 101 → judgment 102). Yes
→ Process 103).

On the other hand, if the accelerator is not "ON", that is, if the accelerator lever 22 is not operated, then it is checked whether or not the manual push selection switch 24 is "ON" (NO in decision 102 → decision 104). . If the manual push selection switch 24 is not "ON", the process returns to the determination 101 and the above-described processing is repeated. However, if the manual push selection switch 24 is "ON", the manual push mode is entered (YES in decision 104 → process) 105).

When the mode is changed to the hand pushing mode, first, it is checked whether or not the contact detecting portion 23 is "ON", that is, whether the user is in the hand pushing posture by grasping the upper portion of the backrest 13 of the seat 12 or the handle 6 (decision 106). ).

If the contact detection unit 23 is not "ON", the electromagnetic brake 33 is "closed" to lock the motor 31 and maintain the vehicle body 1 in a stopped state (N in judgment 106).
O → Process 107). As a result, when the hand-pushing mode is selected, the vehicle body 1 can be reliably maintained in the stopped state by the electromagnetic brake 33, and it is possible to prevent the risk of traveling on a steep slope or the like without permission.

On the other hand, if the contact detector 23 is "ON", the electromagnetic brake 33 is opened and the braking force of the electromagnetic brake 33 is released (YES in decision 106-> process 108). As a result, the user can perform the hand-pushed traveling.

As described above, only when the user touches the backrest 13 of the seat 12 or the handle 6 to push the hand, the electromagnetic brake 33 is "opened" to release the braking force. Is secured.

Further, normally, by providing the contact detection portion 23 on the backrest 13 of the seat 12 and the handle 6 which are positions to be touched by the user during the manual pushing operation, an easy and stable manual pushing operation becomes possible.

Therefore, when the hand pushing mode is selected, the vehicle body 1 can be surely brought into a stopped state and can be pushed by a normal hand pushing operation in a stable state, so that safety and usability can be further improved.

Even if the contact detecting portion 23 is provided only on either the backrest 13 of the seat 12 or the handle 6, one hand rests on the backrest 13 of the seat 12 during normal pushing, and the handle 6 is held by the other hand. Since it is grasped, the hand pushing operation can be easily detected. However, by providing the both in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, when the handle 6 is grasped by both hands and pushed, the backrest 13 is held by both hands. Since it is possible to deal with the case of pulling to, it is possible to detect the manual pushing operation more reliably.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, the braking means has the traveling mode in which the vehicle is operated by the accelerator operation by the user and the manual pushing mode in which the vehicle can be operated by the manual pushing of the user, and also brakes the vehicle body in the stopped state. When the hand pushing mode is selected by the hand pushing mode selecting means, the hand pushing mode selecting means for selecting the hand pushing mode, and the hand pushing operation by the user, and when the hand pushing mode is selected by the hand pushing mode selecting means, the vehicle body is braked to the stopped state by the hand pushing By providing the control means for releasing the braking force of the braking means when the mode is selected and the user's manual pushing operation is detected by the detecting means, the vehicle body is securely stopped at the time when the manual pushing mode is selected. In addition to being able to do so, it can be pushed in a stable state by a normal pushing operation, further improving safety and usability.

Further, since the detecting means is provided on the backrest of the seat, one hand rests on the backrest of the seat during a normal manual pushing operation, so that the pushing operation can be easily detected.

Since the handle is provided with the detecting means, the handle can be grasped by one hand during normal hand pushing, so that the hand pushing operation can be easily detected.

Further, since the detection means is provided on the backrest and the handle of the seat, it is possible to handle when the handle is held by both hands and pushed, or when the backrest is held by both hands and pulled backward. It is possible to reliably detect a manual pushing operation.

Further, by using the electromagnetic brake as the braking means, the vehicle body can be reliably maintained in the stopped state even if the manual pushing mode is selected on a steep slope or the like, and the safety is improved.

Further, it is preferable to use a pressure sensitive rubber for the detecting means in that malfunctions and the like are less likely to occur as compared with the switch type.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a top view of an electric four-wheel vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same.

FIG. 3 is likewise a front view.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the same.

FIG. 5 is a block configuration diagram showing a control unit of the present embodiment and its peripheral circuits.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the main part of this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 car body 2 drive wheels (rear wheels) 3 front wheels 6 handles 12 sheets 13 backrest 15 Operation display panel 22 accelerator lever 23 Contact detector 24 Manual push select switch 30 microcomputer 31 motor 32 Motor drive (dynamic braking) circuit 33 Electromagnetic brake 34 Electromagnetic brake drive circuit 35 battery

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) B62K 5/00 B62B 3/00 GF term (reference) 3D011 AA07 AD05 3D035 AA00 3D050 AA03 DD01 EE15 GG06 JJ01 KK14 5H115 PA08 PC06 PG04 PI16 PU01 QE05 QE06 QE10 QI03 QN03 QN06 RE02 SE04 SJ13

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A travel mode in which the vehicle is operated by an accelerator operation by a user and a manual mode in which the vehicle can be operated by manual pushing by the user, and a braking means for braking the vehicle body in a stopped state, and a manual mode for selecting the manual pushing mode. When the manual pushing mode is selected by the selecting means, the detecting means for detecting the manual pushing operation of the user, and the manual pushing mode selecting means, the braking means brakes the vehicle body to a stopped state, and the manual pushing mode is selected. An electric vehicle comprising control means for releasing the braking force of the braking means when the detection means detects a user's manual pushing operation. 2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means is provided on a backrest of a seat. 3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the detection means is provided on a steering wheel. 4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means is provided on a seat back and a steering wheel. 5. The electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an electromagnetic brake is used as the braking means. 6. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a pressure sensitive rubber is used for the detection means.