JP2007283856A - Riding detection device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a riding detection device which highly accurately detects riding with a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: In this riding detection device, a seat load sensor 40 for detecting an occupant's riding condition by a load applied from above a seat is installed directly on the surface of a seat base plate 36, and covered with a sensor cover 50 with higher hardness than a cushion 35. The sensor cover 50 is formed with circular projection portions 51 in the positions facing contacts 43. When a load over a predetermined value is applied to the seat, upstanding portions 51a become elastically deformed, so that the pressing portions 54 of the projection portions 51 press the contacts 43. A first gap 56 formed between the pressing portions 54 and the contacts 43, and a second gap formed between the cushion 35 and the projection portions 51 absorb loads less than or equal to the predetermined value and dimension errors of components, thereby preventing error detection. The accuracy in riding detection further is enhanced by a combined use of a load sensor mounted on a handle grip. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a boarding detection apparatus, and more particularly to a boarding detection apparatus that enables highly accurate boarding detection with a simple configuration.

  Conventionally, when the occupant stays in the vehicle for more than a predetermined time, such as when waiting for traffic lights or in traffic jams, the engine is automatically stopped to save fuel resources and reduce exhaust gas. There is known an idling stop device for reducing the discharge amount. Normally, an idling stop device that stops an engine in a state where it can be restarted instantaneously only by a throttle operation is provided with a boarding detection device that detects the passenger's boarding state because it operates only when the passenger is in the boarding state. ing.

Patent Document 1 discloses a seat detection device for a seat in which a pressure-sensitive sensor is disposed at an intermediate portion in the vertical direction of a seat cushion and detects whether or not a passenger is seated on the seat. Has been.
JP 2002-29480 A

  However, the technique of Patent Document 1 has a problem that the product error due to the hardness of the seat cushion and the tension of the seat skin has a great influence on the detection accuracy. In addition, since the pressure sensor is arranged in the middle of the cushion, the entire sensor may be distorted and affect the sensitivity. As a result, there is a problem that the number of assembly steps increases. Furthermore, there is still room for improvement in the method for improving the accuracy of the boarding detection in consideration of the boarding posture peculiar to the motorcycle.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems of the prior art and to provide a boarding detection device that enables highly accurate boarding detection with a simple configuration.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention includes a seat sensor for detecting a load applied to the seat in a riding detection device for a motorcycle having a seat bottom plate and a seat comprising a cushion attached to the seat bottom plate. The seat sensor is attached to the upper surface of the seat bottom plate and covered with a sensor cover made of an elastic member having a hardness higher than that of the cushion.

  The sheet sensor includes a plurality of contacts arranged in a plane and a film covering the contacts, and the sensor cover is formed so as to have a first gap between the contacts. There is a second feature.

  The sensor cover has a third feature in that a protrusion is provided at a position facing the peripheral portion of the contact.

  The cushion is provided with a recess in a portion where the sensor cover is disposed, and the recess is formed above the contact point so as to have a second gap with the sensor cover. There is a fourth feature.

  Furthermore, a grip sensor for detecting a load applied to a handle grip attached to the left and right ends of the handle bar is provided, and a passenger's riding state based on the detection signal of the seat sensor and the detection signal of the grip sensor There is a fifth feature in that it is detected.

  The grip sensor is characterized in that it is provided on at least one of the left and right handle grips.

  The grip sensor has a seventh feature in that the pressure conductive rubber is configured as a switch element.

  Further, an eighth feature is that a plurality of grip sensors are provided inside the handle grip.

  In addition, the grip sensor is characterized in that it is spirally disposed along the outer periphery of the handle bar inside the handle grip.

  Furthermore, the grip sensor has a tenth feature in that the grip sensor is provided inside the handle grip so as to face the front-rear direction of the vehicle body.

  According to the first invention, since the load applied to the seat is transmitted to the seat sensor via the sensor cover made of an elastic member having a hardness higher than that of the cushion, the load dispersed by the cushion is concentrated on the seat sensor. It is possible to maintain good sensor sensitivity with a simple configuration, and it is difficult to be affected by variations in cushion hardness. In addition, the cushion does not need to be divided, compared to a method in which a seating load sensor is disposed at the middle part of the cushion in the vertical direction, so that the seating comfort does not give an uncomfortable feeling. It becomes possible to reduce adhesives and assembly man-hours. Furthermore, since the seat sensor is directly attached to the surface of the seat bottom plate, the seat sensor itself is not deformed even when a load is applied, and it is possible to perform highly accurate boarding detection.

  According to the second invention, since the first gap is formed between the contact point of the film-like sensor and the sensor cover that presses the contact point, a load equal to or less than a predetermined value is absorbed by the first gap. Thus, the sensor cover and the contact point do not come into contact with each other, thereby preventing erroneous detection and improving the accuracy of boarding detection. Further, even when the cushion or the like has a manufacturing variation, a dimensional error or the like is absorbed in the gap, and the influence on the accuracy of boarding detection is reduced.

  According to the third invention, since the sensor cover is provided with a protrusion at a position facing the peripheral portion of the contact, even if the sensor cover hangs down due to a decrease in elasticity due to secular change or the like, the contact Since the protrusions at the periphery of the first contact with the sheet sensor first, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection due to the contact being pressed even though a predetermined load is not applied.

  According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the recess provided in the cushion is formed so as to have the second gap above the contact point and the sensor cover, so that a load of a predetermined value or less is absorbed by this gap. As a result, the sensor cover and the contact do not come into contact with each other, so that erroneous detection can be prevented and the detection accuracy can be improved. Further, even when the cushion or the like has a manufacturing variation, a dimensional error or the like is absorbed in the gap, and the influence on the accuracy of boarding detection is reduced. In addition, since the gap amount can be easily adjusted, it is possible to easily set a load necessary for turning on the contact point together with the first gap.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the grip sensor is provided as a load sensor applied to the handle grip attached to the distal ends of the left and right handlebars, and the occupant's sensor is based on the detection signal of the seat sensor and the detection signal of the grip sensor. Since the boarding state is detected, it is possible to improve the accuracy of boarding detection without changing the configuration of the seat sensor.

  According to the sixth invention, since the grip sensor is provided on both the left and right sides or one side of the handle grip, it is possible to detect a state of gripping the handle with both hands, a state of gripping only the handle on the throttle side, and the like. Thus, more accurate boarding detection can be performed by increasing the boarding detection criteria.

  According to the seventh invention, since the grip sensor is configured with the pressure conductive rubber as a switch element, it is possible to obtain a small boarding detection device that does not affect the appearance.

  According to the eighth invention, since a plurality of grip sensors are provided in the inside of the handle grip, the riding state such as whether a hand is put on a part of the handle or the entire circumference is gripped is more detailed. By detecting, boarding detection with high accuracy can be performed.

  According to the ninth invention, since the grip sensor is spirally disposed inside the handle grip, even if the position where the load is applied varies in the circumferential direction due to the length of the occupant's arm, the riding posture, etc. Accurate boarding detection can always be performed.

  According to the tenth invention, the grip sensor is provided in the handlebar grip so as to oppose the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. Therefore, by measuring the difference between the detected values of the two grip sensors, the occupant can move from the motorcycle. It is possible to determine that the user is getting off and pushing the vehicle body only with the handle.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a motorcycle to which the present invention is applied. The motorcycle 1 is a scooter type motorcycle having a unit swing type power unit incorporating a continuously variable transmission. A head pipe 4 is fixedly coupled to a pair of left and right main frames 8 covered by a vehicle body cover 23 in front of the vehicle body together with a gusset 6 as a joint reinforcing member. A front wheel WF is rotatably supported at the lower end of the front fork 5. The front fork 5 can be steered by a handle bar 3 connected to a stem shaft 2 that is rotatably supported inside a cylindrical head pipe 4. The handlebar 3 is attached with a pair of left and right handle grips 39, 39 held by an occupant.

  The main frame 8 is provided with a cross member 9 that is arranged in the vehicle width direction and connects the left and right pipe members, and one center frame 7 is provided on the rear side of the vehicle body. The center frame 7 adjacent to the leg shield 24 disposed in front of the occupant's legs is connected to a pair of left and right connecting frames 13 below the vehicle body. The connecting portion and the main frame 8 are a pair of left and right pipe members. 14 are connected. A guard pipe 15 that protects the radiator 25 is connected in the vicinity of the pipe member 14. The end of the connecting frame 13 on the vehicle body rear side is connected to a side frame 10 formed integrally with the main frame 8.

  A pivot shaft 17 serving as a rotation shaft of a power unit 22 described later is provided between the rising frame portion 11 formed integrally with the side frame 10 and the rear subframe 18 connected to the rising frame portion 11. A pair of left and right pivot plates 16 are attached. A seat rail portion 12 that supports a storage box 30 and a fuel tank 32 disposed below a seat 31 on which an occupant sits is connected above and behind the rising frame portion 11. The seat 31 on which two passengers can ride is configured to be openable and closable around a hinge (not shown) attached to the front end of the vehicle. When the seat 31 is opened, the seat 31 is disposed below the seat 31. It is possible to access the storage box 30 and the fuel filler port of the fuel tank 32.

  A power unit 22 including an engine 21, a carburetor 27, and an air cleaner box 26 is supported by a pivot shaft 20 on a link mechanism 19 that is rotatably supported by the pivot shaft 17. The power unit 22 is suspended by a rear cushion 28 attached to the seat rail portion 12, so that the power unit 22 can swing about the pivot shaft 17. The rear end portion of the power unit 22 serves as a drive wheel. A wheel WR is rotatably supported.

  2 and 3 are a partially enlarged sectional view of the seat 31 and a top view of the seating load sensor 40. FIG. In the sheet 31, a cushion 35 made of foamed resin such as polyurethane is bonded to the surface of a hard sheet bottom plate 36 made of resin such as polypropylene with an adhesive or the like, and the entire outer surface is covered with a sheet skin 34. It is configured. In the present embodiment, a seating load sensor 40 as a seat sensor for detecting the seating state of the occupant is provided inside the seat 31.

  The seating load sensor 40 formed in a film shape, that is, thinly, is composed of eight circular contacts 43 so that a detection output is obtained when a load exceeding a predetermined value is applied from above the seat 31. Since the seating load sensor 40 is directly attached to the surface of the seat bottom plate 36, the seating load sensor 40 itself is not deformed even when a load is applied, and good sensitivity can be maintained. Further, the eight contact points 43 are arranged in two rows in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and are configured so that accurate boarding detection can always be performed even if the seating position fluctuates in the longitudinal direction depending on the physique and riding posture of the occupant. Yes. The arrangement of the contacts 43 is not limited to this embodiment, and the contacts 43 may be alternately arranged on the left and right sides, or may be arranged within a predetermined range.

  The seating load sensor 40 has a configuration in which the wiring 42 and the contact 43 are disposed and sealed between two upper and lower surface sheets 41 formed of a polyester film or the like. The contact 43 is screen-printed with conductive paste to form upper and lower electrode sheets, and spacers are stacked between the electrode sheets so that the upper and lower electrode sheets come into contact when a load exceeding a predetermined value is applied. Thus, a membrane switch in which the switch is turned on is suitable. The seating load sensor 40 according to the present embodiment is configured to detect that an occupant is in a seating state if any one of the eight contact points 43 is connected in parallel and any one of them is turned on. The output from the seating load sensor 40 is transmitted from the extending portion 44 to an ECU (not shown) that controls the operation of the engine.

  On the upper part of the seating load sensor 40, a sensor cover 50 that covers the entire seating load sensor 40 and has circular convex portions at eight locations corresponding to the contact points 43 is disposed. The sensor cover 50 is formed so as to have a first gap (see FIG. 6) between the sensor cover 50 and the seating load sensor 40. The sensor cover 50 is formed of an elastic body such as rubber having a hardness higher than that of the cushion 35 (“deflection amount / load” is small), and the seat bottom plate is formed by an engagement protrusion 36 a and the like that is engaged through the sensor cover 50. By attaching to 36, it has the function to hold | maintain the seating load sensor 40 in a predetermined position. Further, on the back side of the cushion 35, a recess 37 is provided in a portion for housing the sensor cover 50. The recess 37 is formed so as to cover the sensor cover 50 and to have a second gap (see FIG. 6) between the sensor cover 50 and the contact 43.

  FIG. 4 is a top view of the seating load sensor 40 and the sensor cover 50. The sensor cover 50 is configured such that a circular convex portion 51 is formed on a substantially rectangular base portion 50a at eight locations corresponding to the contact points 43 of the seating load sensor 40 with the apexes facing upward. On the outer periphery of the base portion 50a, there are engaging holes 52 for engaging four engaging protrusions 36a (see FIG. 2) formed on the seat bottom plate 36, and eight engaging protrusions (formed on the seat bottom plate 36). Engagement holes 53 are formed to engage with each other (see FIG. 5).

  5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. On the upper surface of the seat bottom plate 36, a step portion corresponding to the outer shape of the seating load sensor 40 is formed. The seating load sensor 40 having a thickness of about 20% of the seat bottom plate 36 is engaged with the stepped portion and further covered with the sensor cover 50 from above to be held at a predetermined position. While the engagement protrusion 52a (see FIG. 2) in which an umbrella portion for preventing detachment is formed at the tip of the cylindrical member is engaged with the engagement hole 52 (see FIG. 4) of the sensor cover 50, As shown in FIG. 5, a cylindrical engagement protrusion 36 b is engaged with the engagement hole 53. The engagement hole 53 and the engagement protrusion 36b may be loosely fitted in consideration of the dimensional error of the parts, or the sensor cover 50 may be held lightly by being slightly tightly engaged.

  6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. The same reference numerals as those described above denote the same or equivalent parts. In the present embodiment, the eight contact points 43 and the convex portions 51 have the same configuration. The concave portion 37 of the cushion 35 is formed so as to have a second gap 38 between the left and right contact points 43, 43 in the vehicle width direction and between the convex portion 51 of the sensor cover 50. A pressing portion 54 is formed on the back surface side of the convex portion 51 at a position separating the contact 43 from the first gap 56. Since the annular rising portion 51a at the peripheral edge of the pressing portion 54 is configured to be elastically deformed by a load applied from above the convex portion 51, when a load exceeding a predetermined value is applied to the sheet 31, the convex portion The portion 51 is pushed downward, and the central portion of the pressing portion 54 presses the contact 43, whereby the seating load sensor 40 is switched to the on state.

  As described above, according to the seat sensor mounting structure according to the present embodiment, the contact point 43 of the seating load sensor 40 fixed directly to the seat bottom plate 36 is moved by the pressing portion 54 of the sensor cover 50 having a higher hardness than the cushion 35. Since the pressure is configured to be pressed, the sensitivity of the seating load sensor 40 can be kept good by concentrating the load dispersed by the cushion 35 on the contact point 43. When the load is no longer applied to the seat 31, the convex portion 51 is restored to the original shape by the elastic force of the rising portion 51a, so that the seating load sensor 40 also returns to the off state.

  In the configuration as described above, the pressing force is not transmitted to the convex portion 51 unless the load that fills the second gap 38 by deforming the cushion 35 is applied, and the rising portion 51a of the convex portion 51 is The contact point 43 is not pressed unless a load for elastically deforming and filling the first gap 56 is applied. Thereby, by changing the dimensions of the first gap 56 and the second gap 38 and the shape of the sensor cover 50, it is possible to arbitrarily adjust the load required to turn on the contact 43. . Furthermore, even when a dimensional error during manufacturing occurs in the cushion 35, the sensor cover 50, etc., the first gap 56 and the second gap 38 absorb the dimensional error, and the influence on the accuracy of boarding detection is reduced. Will be. In addition, the cushion does not need to be divided, compared to the method of disposing a seating load sensor in the middle part of the cushion in the vertical direction, and it is possible to reduce the adhesive and assembly man-hour used for the divided part. Become.

  A protrusion 55 is formed on the pressing portion 54 of the sensor cover 50 at a portion facing the peripheral portion of the contact 43. Even when the elasticity of the rising portion 51a decreases due to secular change or the like and the pressing portion 54 hangs down, the contact 43 is pressed by the protrusion 55 by contacting the peripheral portion of the contact 43 before the pressing portion 54. And has a role of a stopper that prevents the seating load sensor 40 from being erroneously detected. The protrusion 55 can be formed in a plurality of dot shapes or annular shapes.

  7A and 7B are a partial cross-sectional front view of the handlebar grip 39 and a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 7A, respectively. A handlebar grip 39 that is formed of rubber or the like and is gripped by an occupant during operation is attached to a handlebar 3 that is formed of a metal pipe material and steers the front wheel WF of the motorcycle 1. In the present embodiment, a grip force sensor 60 as a grip sensor is provided between the handle bar 3 and the handle grip 39. The gripping force sensor 60 is an on / off switch type load sensor that uses a pressurized conductive rubber whose electrical resistance value decreases as pressure is applied as a switch element. In this embodiment, the flat pressure conductive rubber 63 is flattened. It is configured in a cord shape by being sandwiched between the knitted wire electrodes 62 and 62 and covered with silicon rubber 64. The grip force sensor 60 is disposed so that one side surface thereof comes into contact with the handle bar 3 by being engaged with a groove formed in the inner peripheral portion of the handle grip 39. Since the grip force sensor 60 can detect whether or not a load is applied to the handle grip 39, the ride using the characteristic of the motorcycle that the handle is gripped when the occupant is in the riding state. Detection can be performed. A wiring cord 61 that transmits a sensor signal to the ECU is connected to one end of the grip force sensor 60.

  According to the grip force sensor 60 as described above, it is possible to obtain a small boarding detection device that does not affect the appearance and allows the ECU to execute a determination combined with a sensor signal from the seating load sensor 40. It is possible to further improve the accuracy of boarding detection. For example, if it is determined that the occupant is in the riding state only when both the seating load sensor 40 and the grip force sensor 60 are on, a heavy object is placed on the seat 31 or the occupant sits down without getting on. For example, a state in which only the seating load sensor 40 is on is not erroneously detected as a boarding state. Therefore, since it is not necessary to provide the seating load sensor 40 with sensor accuracy that can detect whether or not the load applied to the seat 31 is caused by a desired riding state, the occupant is not required to change the configuration of the sensor. The accuracy of detection will be improved.

  FIG. 8 is a front view of a handle grip according to a modification of the embodiment of the present invention. A gripping force sensor 70 according to this modification is configured such that a cord-like sensor made of pressurized conductive rubber is spirally wound around the handle bar 3. According to the gripping force sensor 70, the load can be detected over the entire circumference of the handle grip 39. Therefore, even if the position where the load is applied fluctuates in the circumferential direction due to the length of the occupant's arm, the riding posture, etc., accurate boarding detection is always possible. It can be carried out. Note that the cord-like sensor as described above can perform various detections depending on the arrangement method. For example, it is possible to detect whether or not the handle is held with both hands by attaching it to both the left and right handle grips, or by attaching a plurality of handles to one handle grip so that only a part of the handle is put on the hand. It is possible to increase the determination conditions for boarding detection. Thereby, it becomes possible to further improve the accuracy of the boarding detection performed by combining the information of the grip sensor and the seat sensor.

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a handle grip according to a second modification of the embodiment of the present invention. The same reference numerals as those described above denote the same or equivalent parts. The present modification is characterized in that the grip force sensor 60 shown in FIG. 7 is attached facing the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. According to this configuration, the two grip force sensors 60, 60 can detect the difference in the vehicle longitudinal direction of the load applied to the handle grip 39. Therefore, for example, when the occupant gets out of the motorcycle, grabs the handle grip 39 and pushes the vehicle body, the detected value of the grip force sensor 60 on the rear side of the vehicle body becomes larger than the grip force sensor 60 on the rear side of the vehicle body. From the detection values of the grip force sensors 60, 60, it can be determined that the vehicle is in a pushing state. According to this configuration, it is possible to perform control such as not operating the idling stop device by detecting that the occupant is gripping the handlebar grip 39 but is in a pushing state, that is, not in the riding state. . Note that if it is determined that the vehicle is in the pushing state only when the difference between the detection values exceeds a predetermined value, the detection value generated by the turning operation of the handlebar to the left or right or the gripping method of the handlebar grip 39 can be reduced. It is also possible to prevent erroneous detection of a push-walking state due to the difference.

  Of course, the number of contacts of the sheet sensor, the structure of the contacts, the shape of the grip sensor, the structure of the switch element, and the like are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible.

1 is a side view of a motorcycle according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a partial expanded sectional view of the sheet | seat which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the seating load sensor which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the seating load sensor and sensor cover concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is the BB sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG. Fig.7 (a) is sectional drawing of the handlebar grip which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, FIG.7 (b) is CC sectional view taken on the line of Fig.7 (a). It is a front view of the handlebar grip which concerns on the modification of one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the handlebar grip which concerns on the 2nd modification of one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  3 ... handlebar, 35 ... cushion, 36 ... seat bottom plate, 37 ... recess, 38 ... second gap, 39 ... handle grip, 40 ... seating load sensor (seat sensor), 43 ... contact, 50 ... sensor cover, 51 ... convex part, 51a ... rising part, 55 ... projection, 56 ... first gap, 60 ... grip force sensor (grip sensor)

Claims (10)

In a riding detection device for a motorcycle having a seat comprising a seat bottom plate and a cushion attached to the seat bottom plate,
A sheet sensor for detecting a load applied to the sheet;
The boarding detection device, wherein the seat sensor is attached to an upper surface of the seat bottom plate and is covered with a sensor cover made of an elastic member having higher hardness than the cushion. The sheet sensor is composed of a plurality of contacts arranged in a plane and a film covering the contacts,
The boarding detection device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor cover is formed to have a first gap between the sensor cover and the contact point.   The boarding detection device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor cover is provided with a protrusion at a position facing a peripheral portion of the contact. The cushion is provided with a recess in a portion where the sensor cover is disposed,
The boarding detection device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the recess is formed so as to have a second gap between the recess and the sensor cover above the contact. Furthermore, it has a grip sensor that detects the load applied to the handle grip attached to the left and right ends of the handlebar,
The boarding detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a boarding state of an occupant is detected based on a detection signal of the seat sensor and a detection signal of the grip sensor.   The boarding detection device according to claim 5, wherein the grip sensor is provided on at least one of the left and right handle grips.   The boarding detection device according to claim 5, wherein the grip sensor is configured by using a pressure conductive rubber as a switch element.   The boarding detection device according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of the grip sensors are provided inside the handle grip.   The boarding detection device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the grip sensor is spirally disposed along the outer periphery of the handle bar inside the handle grip.   The boarding detection device according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the grip sensor is provided inside the handlebar grip so as to be opposed to the front-rear direction of the vehicle body.

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