JP2012148580A - Bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bicycle which has functions of changing dimensions and mutual relationships of main mechanical members according to physical features and the preference of the operation of a person who rides on the bicycle, conditions of traveling road surfaces and the like.SOLUTION: The bicycle 1 includes: a frame fixing part which has a down tube 43 fixed to a head tube 10 for holding a front wheel 14 and a chain stay for holding a rear wheel 30; a seat tube 44 rotatable around a rotating shaft to the frame fixing part; a seat stay 45 which rotates the seat tube 44; and a control part 23 which controls the seat stay 45, thereby making an angle of the seat tube 44 formed to the chain stay changeable.

Description

  The present invention relates to a bicycle, and more particularly to a bicycle capable of changing the dimensions of main mechanism members and the mutual positional relationship of main mechanism members.

  FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a conventional bicycle as a typical example of a motorcycle (see Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, an angle between a straight line connecting the crankshaft 107 and the seating center of the saddle 111 and a horizontal line passing through the crankshaft 107 is set to 58 ° to 65 °, and from the crankshaft 107 to the rotation center of the pedal 109. The technology of the bicycle which makes the crank length which is distance 127mm-152mm is described. By setting the dimensions of the main mechanism members of the bicycle in this way, it is said that even if a woman wears a skirt, the woman can sit without discomfort. In addition, you can get a natural sitting posture on the saddle with your back straight and sufficient pedaling force, and even if your feet reach the ground reliably, you can extend your knee joint to some extent and pedal, However, it is said that it can run safely with little fatigue.

  FIG. 23 is a diagram showing another conventional bicycle (see Patent Document 2). In the electric bicycle 120 described in Patent Document 2, a battery box 131 containing a battery is detachably disposed along the space behind the seat tube 112. In the electric bicycle 120, since the backrest 143 is attached to the saddle body 134, the backrest 143 inhibits the attaching / detaching operation of the battery box 131. Therefore, the saddle is a retractable saddle 114 that rotates about a shaft 136. When the battery box 131 disposed below the saddle 114 is attached to and detached from the seat tube 112, the backrest 143 is the saddle body. A technique is described in which the battery box 131 can be easily attached and detached by being flipped up and retracted together with the battery 134.

  FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating a technique related to a communication system (see Patent Document 3). In the communication system described in FIG. 24, a transmitter 201 that applies an electric field obtained by modulating an information signal to a transmission medium 202, and a demodulated signal corresponding to the information signal by detecting the electric field via the transmission medium 202 And a receiver 203 for obtaining The receiver 203 is provided on each of the receiving electrode 231 facing the transmission medium 202, the sensor electrodes 232a and 232b connected to the receiving electrode 231, and the sensor electrodes 232a and 232b, and the coils 233a and 233b connected in series. And have. A technology of a communication system having a high-sensitivity receiver with such a simple circuit configuration is described.

FIG. 25 is a diagram showing a technique related to the vibration type gyroscope (see Patent Document 4). In the vibrating gyroscope 311, the first electrode 313a and the second electrode 313b are formed on the same surface of the elastic body 312 formed of a piezoelectric material made of a single crystal material, and the counter electrode is formed on the other surface. . When alternating-phase AC power is applied to the electrodes 313a and 313b, the elastic body 312 bends and vibrates in the X direction. In the rotation system around the Z axis, the elastic body 312 vibrates in the Y direction due to the Coriolis force, and the electric power induced by this vibration appears in the electrodes 313a and 313b. By adding the detected power of both electrodes 313a and 313b by the adding means 317, the driving power is eliminated and only the vibration component due to the Coriolis force is extracted. In this manner, a voltage _VOUT proportional to the acceleration applied to the vibration gyroscope can be obtained.

  As an actuator technology, a SQUIGLE (registered trademark) motor is known. The SQUIGLE motor drives the piezo element with two AC signals having a phase difference of 90 degrees, and vibrates the nut at a cylindrical resonance frequency. The screw is rotated by the vibration of the nut, and the driving force is output in the axial direction by the screw groove (see Non-Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-119863 Japanese Patent No. 4129070 JP 2008-271360 A Japanese Patent No. 3439861

Internet <URL: http://www.tomuki.co.jp/seihin_NewScale_01_01.htm>

  Patent Document 1 describes a bicycle in which the dimensions of the main mechanism members and the mutual positional relationship are set in advance so as to match the specific physical characteristics of the person who operates the bicycle. Further, Patent Document 2 describes a bicycle that can change the positional relationship between main mechanism members of the bicycle in order to achieve the purpose of battery replacement when the bicycle is stopped. Here, the techniques described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 do not change the dimensions of the main mechanism members of the bicycle and the mutual positional relationship according to different physical characteristics and preferences of a plurality of persons riding the bicycle. Absent.

  Conventionally, various commercially available stems and handles (flat handle, up handle, riser bar, etc.) are used to change the physical characteristics of the person riding the bicycle, the dimensions of the main mechanism members of the bicycle, and the mutual positional relationship according to preference. It is done to wear the specifications you like. However, with this method, bicycle owners had to make their own modifications. In other words, many users have to spend time and effort to find a bicycle having a size and specification that suits their preference from among a large number of products. In addition, there were many cases where bicycles with the desired specifications were not available on the market.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems, and when there are various body characteristics and operability preferences of the person riding the bicycle, or when the road surface conditions are various, the bicycle according to these conditions. The present invention provides an unprecedented bicycle technology having a function of changing the dimensions of the main mechanism members and the mutual positional relationship of the main mechanism members.

  The bicycle according to the present invention includes a frame fixing portion having a down tube fixed to a head tube for holding a front wheel and a chain stay for holding a rear wheel, and a rotation axis with respect to the frame fixing portion. A seat tube that is rotatable, a seat tube actuator that rotates the seat tube, and a control unit that controls the seat tube actuator.

  Further, another bicycle according to the present invention includes a frame fixing portion having a down tube fixed to a head tube for holding a front wheel and a chain stay for holding a rear wheel, and a seat connected to the frame fixing portion. A tube, a seat post connected to the seat tube, a saddle that is pivotable about a pivot shaft coupled to the seat post, and the saddle is pivoted to A saddle actuator that varies an angle formed by a seating surface of the saddle, and a controller that controls the saddle actuator.

  Still another bicycle according to the present invention includes a frame fixing portion having a down tube fixed to a head tube for holding a front wheel and a chain stay for holding a rear wheel, and a handle inserted into the head tube. A post, a handle lever rotatably connected to one end of the handle post, and steering the traveling direction of the front wheel; and turning the handle lever to make an angle formed by the handle lever with respect to the handle post. A handle lever actuator that is variable; and a control unit that controls the handle lever actuator.

  Still another bicycle according to the present invention includes a frame fixing portion having a down tube fixed to a head tube for holding a front wheel and a chain stay for holding a rear wheel, and a frame fixing portion connected to the frame fixing portion. Seat tube, seat post inserted into the seat tube, saddle disposed at the tip of the seat post, and a seat post having a variable length of a portion of the seat post inserted into the seat tube A variable length actuator; and a controller that controls the variable seat post length actuator.

  The bicycle of the present invention can change the dimensions of the main mechanism members of the bicycle and the mutual positional relationship of the main mechanism members, can be adapted to the body characteristics and operability preferences of the rider of the bicycle, and travels. Good operability can be provided even when the road surface is inclined.

It is a figure which shows the bicycle of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the principal part of the flame | frame which is a main mechanism member of a bicycle. It is a figure which shows typically the cross section of a sheet stay. It is a figure which shows typically the relationship between a handle lever, a handle stick, and a handle post. It is a figure which shows the position change of the saddle rotated centering on a saddle rotation axis. It is a figure which shows typically how the position of each member part and the mutual positional relationship of each member part change with an angle rotation mechanism. It is a figure which shows a control system. It is a figure which shows the driving | running state of the slope of the conventional bicycle as a comparative example. It is a figure which shows typically the driving | running | working state of the bicycle obtained by the control method of 1st Example. The content of the seat tube rotation angle setting process for rotating the seat tube is shown in a flowchart. It is a figure which shows typically the control method of 2nd Example. The content of the saddle rotation angle setting process (control method of 2nd Example) which rotates a saddle is shown with a flowchart. The content of the process of the control method of 3rd Example is shown with a flowchart. The flowchart shows the contents of a handle lever rotation angle setting process (control method of the fourth embodiment) for rotating the handle lever. The content of the process of the control method of 5th Example is shown with a flowchart. 2 shows a cross-sectional structure of a seat post length variable member. It is a figure which shows the rotation mechanism by a rack and pinion system. It is a figure which shows the rotation mechanism by a hydraulic cylinder system. It is a schematic diagram explaining operation | movement of a hydraulic cylinder. It is a figure which shows the rotation mechanism using a motor with a gear. It is a flowchart of a control process in case a control part is provided with a speech recognition circuit and a speech response circuit. It is a figure which shows the conventional bicycle. It is a figure which shows another conventional bicycle. It is a figure which shows the technique regarding the electric field communication system as background art. It is a figure which shows the technique regarding the vibration-type gyroscope as background art.

  In the bicycle according to the embodiment, the positional relationship between one of the seat tube, the saddle, or the handle lever and other members, and the dimensions of these main mechanisms are changed by an actuator controlled by the controller. Is something that can be done. Here, the control unit can not only individually control each of the seat tube, the saddle, and the handle lever, but also can control them in combination by arbitrarily combining two or more of these. Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
(Description of structure of bicycle of embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a bicycle according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a view showing a main part of a frame which is a main mechanism member of the bicycle. A bicycle 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a frame 2 shown in FIG. 2 as a main mechanism member, and various parts are assembled to the frame 2. The structure of the bicycle 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

  With reference to FIG. 2, first, the frame 2 will be briefly described. The frame 2 is a part that forms a skeleton of the bicycle, and includes a frame fixing member 41, a chain stay 42 and a down tube 43 that are fixed to the frame fixing member 41, and a seat that is rotatable with respect to the frame fixing member 41. Tube 44. The frame fixing member 41, the chain stay 42, and the down tube 43 may be fixed by welding or integrally formed, and these form a frame fixing portion. The down tube 43 fixed to the frame fixing member 41 has a tube shape (tube shape). A sheet stay 45 is disposed between the sheet stay left fixing portion 453 a and the seat stay right fixing portion 453 b that are members fixed to the chain stay 42 and the seat tube 44.

  A crankshaft 46 is rotatably attached to a frame fixing member 41 that is a part of the frame fixing portion. A left pedal 20a (see FIG. 1) is attached to the crankshaft 46 via a left crank (not shown), and a pedal 20b (see FIG. 1) is attached via a right crank 24b. The driving force from the left pedal 20a and pedal 20b is transmitted to a chain (not shown).

  The chain stay 42 has a chain stay left member 42a and a chain stay right member 42b, and the rear wheel 30 (see FIG. 1) can rotate between the stay left member 42a and the stay right member 42b. Arranged. A left rear wheel bearing 47a is provided on the left side member 42a, and a right rear wheel bearing 47b is provided on the right side member 42b. The rear wheel bearing includes a left rear wheel bearing 47a and a right rear wheel bearing 47b. The rear wheel 30 is rotatably held by 47.

  The bicycle 1 according to the embodiment has a feature that the seat tube 44 is rotatable with respect to the frame fixing member 41. For example, the seat tube 44 is rotatable with respect to the frame fixing member 41 around the seat tube rotating shaft 48 disposed in the vicinity of the crankshaft 46. The seat tube 44 has a tube shape and is a member that holds the seat post 24 (see FIG. 1) inside. The seat tube 44 is connected to the frame fixing member 41 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction in which the chain stay 42 and the down tube 43 extend about the seat tube rotation shaft 48. The direction of rotation of the seat tube 44 is the direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG. The vicinity of the crankshaft 46 includes that the seat tube rotation shaft 48 is provided on the outer periphery of the crankshaft 46 and the rotation centers of the crankshaft 46 and the seat tube rotation shaft 48 are on the same axis. The distance from the crankshaft 46 to the seat tube rotation shaft 48 is, for example, within 20 cm. When the rotation center of the crankshaft 46 and the seat tube rotation shaft 48 is on the same axis, the crankshaft 46 performs a rotational motion inside the seat tube rotation shaft 48 fixed to the fixed portion. Then, the seat tube 44 rotates outside the seat tube rotation shaft 48.

  The amount of rotation of the seat tube 44 depends on the length of the seat stay 45. That is, a substantially triangular shape is formed by the seat tube 44, the chain stay 42, the sheet stay 45, and the sheet stay fixing portion (the sheet stay left fixing portion 453a and the seat stay right fixing portion 453b). Is changed so that the angle θ formed between the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42 is determined. How to change the length of the sheet stay 45 will be described later.

  The sheet stay 45 includes a sheet stay outer cylinder 451 and a sheet stay inner cylinder 452 movable in the length direction (the direction in which the tube extends) inside the sheet stay outer cylinder 451. The sheet stay inner cylinder 452 has a tube shape, and the portion of the sheet stay outer cylinder 451 that contacts the sheet stay inner cylinder 452 has a tube shape. A sheet stay 45 is formed by the sheet stay outer cylinder 451 and the sheet stay inner cylinder 452. A sheet stay left fixing portion 453a and a seat stay right fixing portion 453b for holding the sheet stay outer tube 451 are disposed on the side of the seat stay outer tube 451 that does not contact the seat stay inner tube 452. One end of the sheet stay left fixing portion 453a is fixed to the chain stay left member 42a, and one end of the seat stay right fixing portion 453b is fixed to the chain stay right member 42b. The rear wheel 30 is rotatably arranged between the seat stay left fixing portion 453a and the seat stay right fixing portion 453b.

  The sheet stay inner cylinder 452 is rotatable about a seat stay inner cylinder rotation shaft 49 extending from the front surface to the rear surface in FIG. 2, and both ends of the sheet stay inner cylinder rotation shaft 49 are connected to the seat tube 44. It is connected. On the other hand, the sheet stay outer cylinder 451 is rotatable about a seat stay outer cylinder rotation shaft 50 extending from the front surface to the rear surface in FIG. The other end of the left fixing portion 453a and the other end of the sheet stay right fixing portion 453b are fixed to each other.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the overall structure of the bicycle 1 will be briefly described. The bicycle 1 is an electrically assisted bicycle in the embodiment. Since the electrically assisted bicycle is a well-known technique described in the cited document 2, description thereof is omitted.

  Various parts are attached to the frame 2. The head tube 10 is fixed to the tip of the down tube 43 by welding or the like. The head tube 10 has a tube shape, and a handle post 11 is inserted into the head tube 10. The handle post 11 rotates inside the head tube 10. A handle lever 12 is connected to one end of the handle post 11 and a front fork 13 is connected to the other end so that the traveling direction of the front wheel 14 attached to the front fork 13 can be steered by the handle lever 12. Has been.

  The handle lever 12 of the bicycle 1 according to the embodiment has a characteristic angle turning mechanism connected to a handle stay 15. The handle lever 12 is rotatable about the handle lever rotation shaft 16, and the handle lever 12 is rotated in the extending direction of the chain stay 42 indicated by the arrow B in FIG.

  The turning force for rotating the handle lever 12 is applied by the handle stay 15. The handle stay 15 has a tube-shaped handle stay outer cylinder 151 and a handle stay inner cylinder 152 movable in the length direction inside the handle stay outer cylinder 151. The distal end portion of the handle stay inner cylinder 152 is rotatably connected to the handle stay inner cylinder rotation shaft 18 fixed to the handle lever 12, and the distal end portion of the handle stay outer cylinder 151 is fixed to the handle post 11. The outer cylinder rotating shaft 17 is rotatably connected.

  The length of the handle stay 15 is changed in accordance with the amount of insertion of the handle stay inner cylinder 152 into the handle stay outer cylinder 151. As a result, the handle lever 12 is centered on the handle lever rotating shaft 16. Rotate as The detailed structure of the handle stay 15 will be described later.

  The battery 22 and the control unit 23 are fixed to the seat tube 44. On the back surface side of the chain cover 21, a mechanism 42 such as an electric motor, a chain, a gear, and an electromagnetic clutch, all of which are not shown, is disposed. The battery 22 is an assist electric motor, each actuator constituting the control system of the embodiment, the control unit 23, and a power source for peripheral circuits.

  The control unit 23 controls the ratio of the force transmitted to the chain between the driving force from the assist electric motor and the driving force from the pedal 20a and the pedal 20b rotated by human power around the crankshaft 46. . The driving force transmitted by the chain is transmitted to the rear wheel 30.

  A tube-shaped seat post 24 is fitted inside the seat tube 44. By adjusting the length of the seat post 24 protruding from the seat tube 44, the height of the saddle 25 attached to the front end of the seat post 24 from the ground can be adjusted. Conventionally, the length of the portion of the seat post 24 protruding from the seat tube 44 is manually set. In the embodiment, automatic setting is possible. This will be described later.

  The saddle 25 of the bicycle 1 according to the embodiment has a characteristic angle rotation mechanism that rotates with respect to the seat post 24. The saddle 25 is attached so as to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow C in FIG. The saddle 25 includes the saddle stay inner cylinder 272 fixed to the saddle 25 and the saddle stay outer cylinder 271 fixed to the seat post 24, so that the saddle 25 extends in the direction in which the chain stay 42 extends around the saddle rotation shaft 26. The seat post 24 is rotated in the front-rear direction. The detailed structure of the saddle stay 27 will be described later.

  A left rear wheel bearing 47a and a right rear wheel bearing 47b are provided at the front ends of the left and right members 42a and 42b, respectively, and a rear rear wheel bearing 47a and a right rear wheel bearing 47b. The rear wheel 30 is held by the ring bearing 47. The driving force from the chain is converted into a rotational force by a gear (not shown) connected to the rear wheel 30, and the rear wheel 30 rotates.

(Detailed description of the angle rotation mechanism which is a characteristic part of the bicycle of the embodiment)
The features of the bicycle 1 of the embodiment are an angle rotation mechanism that rotates the seat tube 44 around the seat tube rotation shaft 48, and an angle rotation mechanism that rotates the handle lever 12 around the handle lever rotation shaft 16. In addition, an angle rotation mechanism for rotating the saddle 25 about the saddle rotation shaft 26 is provided. The seat tube actuator for rotating the seat tube 44 is the seat stay 45, the handle lever actuator for rotating the handle lever 12 is the handle stay 15, and the saddle actuator for rotating the saddle 25 is the saddle stay 27. . Hereinafter, actuators that rotate these parts will be described in order.

  FIG. 3 is a view schematically showing a cross section of the sheet stay 45 including the sheet stay outer cylinder 451 and the sheet stay inner cylinder 452. An inner cylinder hole 452a is provided at one end of the sheet stay inner cylinder 452, and the sheet stay inner cylinder rotation shaft 49 is passed through the inner cylinder hole 452a so as to be rotatable. The other end of the sheet stay inner cylinder 452 is provided with a protrusion 452b having a diameter larger than that of other portions. The protruding portion 452b is locked by a stopper 451e screwed into the sheet stay outer cylinder 451 so that the sheet stay inner cylinder 452 is not detached from the sheet stay outer cylinder 451. A grooved bearing 452 c is disposed inside the sheet stay inner cylinder 452.

  An outer cylinder hole 451a is provided at one end of the sheet stay outer cylinder 451, and the seat stay outer cylinder rotation shaft 50 is passed through the outer cylinder hole 451a so as to be rotatable. An inner cylinder moving motor having an inner cylinder moving motor fixing portion 451b and a screwed rotary shaft 451c extending in the length direction from the center of the sheet stay outer cylinder 451 is mounted inside the sheet stay outer cylinder 451.

  The threaded rotary shaft 451c and the grooved bearing 452c are screwed together, and by supplying power to the inner cylinder moving motor, the threaded rotating shaft 451c rotates relative to the inner cylinder moving motor fixing portion 451b. The length of the sheet stay inner cylinder 452 taken into the sheet stay outer cylinder 451 is changed. Here, by switching the polarity of the voltage applied to the inner cylinder moving motor fixing portion 451b, the rotation direction of the screwed rotary shaft 451c can be switched, and the movement direction of the seat stay inner cylinder 452 relative to the seat stay outer cylinder 451 is controlled. it can.

In addition, a resolver 451d for detecting a rotation angle of the screwed rotary shaft 451c is connected to the screwed rotary shaft 451c of the inner cylinder moving motor. The resolver 451d can detect how many radians have been rotated from the reference position by setting one rotation of the screwed rotary shaft 451c to 2π radians so that the position of the sheet stay inner cylinder 452 relative to the sheet stay outer cylinder 451 can be detected. Has been made. Then, it has been made to detect the distance L _ST to the center of the inner cylindrical hole 452a to allow the control unit 23 signals from the resolver 451d is input to the control unit 23 from the center of the outer cylinder hole 451a of the seat stay 45 .

Specifically, the rotation axis 451c with screws by rotating 2π radians, the distance L _ST varies the length of one pitch of the rotation shaft 451c threaded. That is, it is possible to accurately detect the distance _LST by detecting how many radians have changed from the reference position to positive and negative, multiplying this by the length of one pitch, and adding the reference position.

  FIG. 3 is also a cross-sectional view of the handle stay 15 and the saddle stay 27 having the same structure, and the reference numerals in parentheses in FIG. 3 indicate the same portions of the handle stay 15 and the saddle stay 27, respectively. .

  FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship among the handle lever 12, the handle stay 15, and the handle post 11. A handle stay inner cylinder rotation shaft 18 is disposed at the center of the handle lever 12, and a handle stay outer cylinder rotation shaft 17 is disposed on the handle post 11. A handle stay 15 is bridged between the handle stay inner cylinder turning shaft 18 and the handle stay outer cylinder turning shaft 17.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the structure of the handle stay 15 is the same as that of the seat stay 45. The handle stay 15 has a handle stay outer cylinder 151 and a handle stay inner cylinder 152. The handle stay outer cylinder 151 is provided with an outer cylinder hole 151a, an inner cylinder moving motor having an inner cylinder moving motor fixing portion 151b and a screwed rotating shaft 151c, a resolver 151d, and a stopper 151e.

  Further, the handle stay inner cylinder 152 is provided with an inner cylinder hole 152a, a protrusion 152b, and a grooved bearing 152c.

  When power is supplied to the inner cylinder moving motor fixing portion 151b, the threaded rotary shaft 151c rotates relative to the inner cylinder moving motor fixing portion 151b and is taken into the handle stay outer cylinder 151. The distance between the inner cylinder hole 152a and the outer cylinder hole 151a can be changed.

  The structure of the saddle stay 27 is the same as that of the sheet stay 45 shown in FIG. The saddle stay 27 has a saddle stay outer cylinder 271 and a saddle stay inner cylinder 272. The saddle stay outer cylinder 271 is provided with an outer cylinder hole 271a, an inner cylinder moving motor having an inner cylinder moving motor fixing portion 271b and a screwed rotating shaft 271c, a resolver 271d, and a stopper 271e. Further, the saddle stay inner cylinder 272 is provided with an inner cylinder hole 272a, a protruding portion 272b, and a grooved bearing 272c.

  When power is supplied to the inner cylinder moving motor fixing portion 271b of the saddle stay 27, the threaded rotary shaft 271c rotates relative to the inner cylinder moving motor fixing portion 271b and is taken into the saddle stay outer cylinder 271. The length of the stay inner cylinder 272 is changed so that the distance between the inner cylinder hole 272a and the outer cylinder hole 271a can be changed.

  A saddle stay inner cylinder rotation shaft 29 passes through the inner cylinder hole 272a of the saddle stay 27, and a saddle stay outer cylinder rotation shaft 28 passes through the outer cylinder hole 271a of the saddle stay 27. Therefore, the angle of the saddle 25 with respect to the seat post 24 can be changed according to the distance between the inner cylinder hole 272a and the outer cylinder hole 271a.

  FIG. 5 is a view showing a change in position of the saddle 25 that rotates about the saddle rotation shaft 26. FIG. 5A shows the normal position, for example, the position of the saddle 25 suitable when the ground is not inclined. FIG. 5B shows the position of the saddle 25 when the saddle 25 tilts forward by an angle ψ. When the saddle 25 is tilted forward (when the value of the angle ψ is reduced), the distance between the inner cylinder hole 272a and the outer cylinder hole 271a than in the normal position, that is, the saddle stay inner cylinder rotation shaft 29 and The distance between the saddle stay outer cylinder rotation shaft 28 is large.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating how the position of each member portion and the mutual positional relationship between the member portions are changed by the angle rotation mechanism that is a characteristic portion of the mechanism of the bicycle according to the embodiment. . Assuming that the horizontal road surface is a plane including the X axis and the Y axis, and the negative direction of the Z axis (the direction opposite to the arrow) is the direction of gravity (perpendicular direction), the X axis, the Y axis, The operation of the angle rotation mechanism will be described using the Z axis. The positive direction of the Y axis is the direction from the front surface to the back surface of FIG.

The rotation angle of the seat tube 44 around the seat tube rotation shaft 48 changes, for example, as an angle θ ₁ and an angle θ ₂ . The rotation angle of the handle lever 12 around the handle lever rotation shaft 16 changes, for example, as an angle φ ₁ and an angle φ ₂ . The rotation angle of the saddle 25 around the saddle rotation shaft 26 changes, for example, as an angle ψ ₁ and an angle ψ ₂ . These angle changes occur in a plane including the X axis and the Z axis (in the plane of FIG. 6). The distance La is the distance between the seat tube rotation shaft and the center of the seating surface of the saddle 25, and the distance Lb is the distance between the handle lever rotation shaft 16 and the center of the grip portion of the handle lever 12. is there.

(Description of control system of embodiment)
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a control system of the embodiment. The control system of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The control system is configured around the control unit 23. The control unit 23 includes a gyroscope 61, an operation input unit / display unit 62, an ID detection unit (personal information detection unit) 63, a power amplification unit 64, a power amplification unit 65, a power amplification unit 66, and a resolver 151d of the handle stick 15. The resolver 451d of the sheet stay 45 and the resolver 271d of the saddle stay 27 are connected to each other. The power amplifying unit 64 includes an inner cylinder moving motor fixing unit 151b of the handle stay 15, the power amplifying unit 65 includes an inner cylinder moving motor fixing unit 451b of the seat stay 45, and the power amplifying unit 66 includes an inner cylinder of the saddle stay 27. Each of the movement motor fixing | fixed part 271b is connected. In FIG. 7, the control system is described using an example of an electrically assisted bicycle. However, even in a bicycle that does not include an assist motor and an electric bicycle that is always supplied with a driving force by an electric motor, the mechanism unit of the embodiment and the control thereof. The method is applicable.

  The control unit 23 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (RAM), a rewritable nonvolatile memory, a ROM (ROM), and an I / O interface circuit (input / output interface circuit), all not shown. . A CPU, a RAM (RAM), a ROM (ROM), and an I / O interface circuit are connected to the CPU bus line (address bus line / data bus line).

  The ROM stores a program executed by the CPU, and the RAM temporarily stores calculation data in the CPU. The I / O interface circuit has an A / D converter, a D / A converter, and the like for assisting signal input / output between the external circuit and the CPU. The ROM also includes a look-up table for controlling the handle stay 15, a look-up table for controlling the seat stay 45, a look-up table for controlling the saddle stay 27, and a seat post length described later. Each of lookup tables for controlling variable members (see reference numeral 54 in FIG. 16) is stored. The non-volatile memory stores the memory content that is to be retained even after the power is turned off after the memory content is rewritten.

  As the gyroscope 61, a gyroscope as shown in Patent Document 4 is used. The gyroscope 61 is fixed to a non-movable part (for example, a chain stay) of the bicycle so as to detect an angular velocity around the Y axis shown in FIG. Such a gyroscope (gyro sensor) is a so-called rate gyro, and is a sensor that detects an angular velocity rather than directly detecting an angle.

In order to detect the angle δ of how much the bicycle is tilted from the horizontal road surface, a signal corresponding to the angular velocity converted to the voltage _VOUT detected by the gyroscope is time integrated by the CPU. To find the angle. Using the voltage V _OUT obtained from the gyroscope, the initial value C ₁ , the gyroscope-specific constant C ₂ , and the angle at the time τ as the initial value C ₁ , the angle δ is obtained by (Equation 1).

  The ID detection unit 63 uses the receiver 203 of the communication system described in Patent Document 3. Then, the transmitter 201 of the communication system is worn by the owner of the bicycle or a person who operates the bicycle with permission from the owner. In this way, with the human body as the transmission medium 202, when the human body approaches the vehicle body, the ID (personal authentication information) and control setting information (ID and control) that are information related to the bicycle for each person are transmitted from the transmitter. The receiver 203 receives the setting information together with the setting information). The control unit 23 decodes the ID, and when the ID is registered in advance, the control unit 23 can unlock the anti-theft key and enable the bicycle to travel. Further, the control unit 23 can obtain control setting information regarding the bicycle obtained from the ID detection unit 63. Detailed contents of various controls performed by the control unit 23 that has obtained the control setting information will be described later.

(Operation of control system in embodiment)
The bicycle 1 of the embodiment has a control system as shown in FIG. 7 and can control the bicycle 1 in various ways. In the control system shown in FIG. 7, each of the handle stay 15, the seat stay 45, the saddle stay 27, and the four actuators of the electric assist motor can be controlled, and various control methods can be adopted. Several control methods will be described below as examples.

(First embodiment of control method)
The first embodiment relates to a control method for controlling the seat stay 45 to rotate the seat tube 44. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a running state on a slope (inclined road surface) by a conventional bicycle as a comparative example. As shown in FIGS. 8A to 8C, in the conventional bicycle, the seat tube 44 has an angle θs that is an angle suitable for traveling on a flat road surface (normal angle) with respect to the chain stay 42. The normal angle θs does not change depending on the inclination of the traveling ground.

  FIG. 8A shows a case where the vehicle travels on a flat ground having a road surface angle δ = 0, which is an angle between a horizontal plane and a road surface. In this case, the surface of the saddle 25 on which a person sits is substantially horizontal to the ground. It is kept in. FIG. 8B shows a case where the vehicle travels on an uphill with a road surface angle δ = Δθu (Δθu> 0). In this case, the surface of the saddle 25 on which a person sits is rearwardly lowered with respect to the ground. FIG. 8C shows a case where the vehicle travels on a downhill with a road surface angle δ = Δθd (Δθd <0). In this case, the surface of the saddle 25 on which a person sits is forwardly lowered with respect to the ground.

  In the state shown in FIG. 8 (b), the rider (operator) of the bicycle feels a feeling of falling backward from the saddle 25, and thus tends to forcibly maintain the leaning posture and prevent the fall. is there. On the other hand, in the state shown in FIG. 8 (c), the driver feels that he / she falls forward from the saddle 25, and thus tends to maintain the posture (posture) that forcibly curves backward and prevent the fall. It becomes. In this way, the posture must be changed when going up and down the hill, and the driver's fatigue became significant. In particular, it is a heavy burden for elderly people to maintain a leaning posture and a posture that warps backward for a long time. In addition, on the slope, the force described above is applied to the human body due to the influence of gravity, and thus a sense of fear is felt.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a running state of the bicycle obtained by the control method of the first embodiment. FIG. 9A shows a case where the vehicle travels on a flat ground. In this case, the surface of the saddle 25 on which a person sits is kept substantially horizontal with respect to the ground. FIG. 9B shows a case where the vehicle travels on an uphill road surface angle δ = Δθu. In this case as well, the surface of the saddle 25 on which a person sits is kept substantially horizontal with respect to the ground. FIG. 9C shows a case where the vehicle travels on a downhill with a road surface angle δ = Δθd. In this case as well, the surface of the saddle 25 on which a person sits is kept substantially horizontal with respect to the ground.

  Here, the angle formed by the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42 will be described. When traveling on the flat ground shown in FIG. 9A, the angle θs is set as a suitable angle. Then, as shown in FIG. 9B, when traveling on an uphill road surface angle δ = Δθu, a seat for keeping the surface of the saddle 25 on which a person sits substantially horizontal with respect to the ground The size of the angle formed by the tube 44 and the chain stay 42 is expressed by (Expression 2). Here, since the road surface angle δ = Δθu (Δθu> 0), the angle θn = θs + Δθu (θn> θs).

  Further, when traveling on a downhill road surface angle δ = Δθd shown in FIG. 9C, the seat tube 44 is provided so that the surface of the saddle 25 on which a person sits is kept substantially horizontal with respect to the ground. Since the road surface angle δ = Δθd (Δθd <0), the angle θn formed by the chain stay 42 is an angle θn = θs + Δθd (θd <θs).

  Thus, if the angle between the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42 is set to change according to the inclination angle of the slope, the driver can operate the vehicle in an easy state in which he sat down on the saddle 25. Is possible. And since there is no need to change the posture according to the slope of the hill, fatigue is reduced and fear is diminished. In particular, the burden can be reduced for elderly people with poor physical strength. In this way, it is possible to perform control to rotate the seat tube 44 so that the angle formed by the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42 is a desired value.

  FIG. 10 shows the content of the seat tube rotation angle setting process for rotating the seat tube 44 in a flowchart of the process performed by the CPU. The seat post rotation angle setting process is an interrupt process at predetermined intervals.

  With reference to the block diagram of the control system shown in FIG. 7, the contents of the process performed by the CPU of the control unit 23 executed in the first embodiment will be described along the flowchart of FIG.

In step ST101, the gyroscope 61 detects a signal (voltage V _OUT ) corresponding to the angular velocity, and the CPU takes in the detected voltage V _OUT to obtain an angle change amount.
Here, the conversion from the voltage _{V OUT} to the angle variation is carried out by executing the CPU a multiplication of a constant _{C 2} and the voltage _{V OUT} shown in equation (1). Value of the constant C ₂ is a characteristic of the gyroscope 61, an interrupt period of the sum amount instead of the integration in a continuous system of the CPU (number 1) is performed, it is determined according to.

In step ST102, the CPU adds the angle change amount obtained in the previous process to the angle change amount obtained in step ST101 to obtain the current road surface angle.
Here, in order to obtain the angle (initial value C ₁ of (Equation 1)) obtained in the previous process, the initial angle C _{0 at} any time is required.
The initial angle _C0 is obtained as follows, for example.
The gyroscope 61 and the control unit are placed in a state where the bicycle is placed on the horizontal road surface (including a state equivalent to placing the bicycle on the horizontal road surface) when the operation is started for the first time after the bicycle is not operated for a predetermined period. 23 is turned on. Then, the initial angle C ₀ at this time is written as 0 degree in the RAM of the control unit.

In step ST103, the CPU controls the control unit 23 to control the length of the seat stay 45 according to the current road surface angle δ with reference to the ROM lookup table.
That is, as shown in FIG. 9A, when the road surface angle δ = 0 degrees, the angle formed between the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42 is set to an angle θs.
Further, in the case of the road surface angle δ, the angle formed between the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42 is set to an angle θn expressed by (Equation 2). Here, in the look-up table arranged in the ROM, the control in the control unit 23 can be performed by storing the relationship between the road surface angle δ and the detected value of the resolver 451d without storing the angle θn. It can be simple.

For example, when the road surface angle δ = 0, the desired angle formed between the seat tube 44 and the chain 42 is the angle θs. However, referring to the lookup table, the detected value of the resolver 451d at this time is the target detected value. Rss is stored.
When the road surface angle δ = Δθu, the desired angle formed between the seat tube 44 and the chain 42 is the angle θn = θs + Δθu, but referring to the lookup table, the detected value of the resolver 451d is stored as the target detected value Rsu. Has been.
When the road surface angle δ = Δθd, the desired angle between the seat tube 44 and the chain 42 is the angle θn = θs + Δθd, but when the lookup table is referenced, the detection value of the resolver 451d is stored as the target detection value Rsd. Has been.

The process of rotating the threaded rotary shaft 451c until the desired detection value of the resolver 451d is obtained is performed by feedback control. More specifically, it is performed as follows.
The CPU obtains a difference between the target detection value of the resolver for the current road surface angle and the current detection value Rs (see FIG. 7) of the resolver 451d with reference to the lookup table. Further, the CPU performs digital filtering processing for performing phase compensation for optimizing the servo system, which is a well-known technique, with respect to this difference, and sends a signal corresponding to the final result of the calculation to the power amplification unit 65. . The screwed rotary shaft 451c is rotated by a signal Ds applied from the power amplifying unit 65 to the inner cylinder moving motor fixing unit 451b of the seat stay 45.
If the current road surface state is as shown in FIG. 9A, the threaded rotary shaft 451c stops rotating when the current detected value of the resolver 451d reaches the target detected value Rss, and the seat tube The angle formed by 44 and the chain stay 42 is maintained at the angle θs.
In the state shown in FIG. 9B, the threaded rotary shaft 451c stops rotating when the detection value of the resolver 451d reaches the target detection value Rsu, and the angle formed between the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42 is an angle. θn = θs + Δθu is maintained.
In the state shown in FIG. 9 (c), the threaded rotary shaft 451c stops rotating when the detection value of the resolver 451d reaches the target detection value Rsd, and the angle formed between the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42 is an angle. θn = θs + Δθd is maintained.

In step ST104, the CPU rewrites the previously obtained angle to the current angle (the angle used in step ST102 in the next processing). Then, the process ends.
The process is started again from step ST101 by the next interruption.

By adopting such a control method, the positional relationship between the seat tube 44, which is the main mechanism member of the bicycle, and the chain stay 42 is determined according to the angle of inclination, no matter how the traveling road surface is inclined. By controlling automatically, the surface of the saddle 25 can be kept horizontal. And it becomes possible for a driver | operator to operate a vehicle in an easy state, and can reduce a burden especially for elderly people.

In addition, the preferred angle of the driver is not necessarily limited to the fact that the saddle surface on which the person sits is kept substantially horizontal with respect to the ground, but is set to a slightly forward leaning posture or a slightly backward leaning posture. You may do it. That is, the control method shown by (Formula 2) is only an example. For example, by setting a predetermined offset angle instead of horizontal, the surface of the saddle 25 can be always set to the angle desired by the operator regardless of the inclination of the road surface. Furthermore, the angle of the saddle surface on which the person sits can be appropriately determined according to the inclination of the traveling road surface. In this case, how the saddle surface determines the angle with respect to the ground can be determined in any way by the contents of the lookup table. Furthermore, the look-up table is not placed in the ROM but in the non-volatile memory, so that the contents of the look-up table (the relationship between the inclination of the road surface and the angle of the saddle surface with respect to the ground) can be made by the operator. It may be rewritten as needed.

(Second embodiment of control method)
The second embodiment relates to a control method for controlling the saddle stay 27 to rotate the saddle 25.

  In the second embodiment, the angle formed between the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42 is kept constant without changing, and the saddle stay 27 is controlled to travel on a flat ground, when traveling uphill, In any case of traveling downhill, the surface of the saddle 25 on which a person sits is kept substantially horizontal with respect to the ground.

  As described above, the inclination of the seating surface of the saddle 25 with respect to the seat post 24 inserted into the seat tube 44 can be controlled around the saddle rotation shaft 26 as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the inclination of the surface of the saddle 25 with respect to the seat post 24 can be controlled by changing the length of the protruding portion of the saddle stay inner cylinder 272 inserted in the saddle stay outer cylinder 271. I already explained what I can do. The second embodiment is a control method performed using such a characteristic mechanism.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically illustrating the control method of the second embodiment. FIG. 11A shows a case where the vehicle travels on a flat ground, and the seating surface of the saddle 25 is kept substantially horizontal (perpendicular to the direction of gravity). FIG. 11B shows a case where the vehicle travels on an uphill road surface angle δ = Δθu. In this case as well, the seating surface of the saddle 25 is kept at right angles to the direction of gravity. FIG. 11C shows a case where the vehicle travels on a downhill with a road surface angle δ = Δθd. In this case as well, the seating surface of the saddle 25 is kept at right angles to the direction of gravity.

  How to control the angle ψ (see FIG. 5) formed by the surface of the saddle 25 with respect to the seat post 24 in order to keep the seating surface of the saddle 25 perpendicular to the direction of gravity will be described below.

  The size of the angle ψ formed by the surface of the saddle 25 with respect to the seat post 24, which is preferable when traveling on the flat ground shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 11B, the angle angle ψn formed by the surface of the saddle 25 with respect to the seat post 24, which is suitable for traveling on an uphill road surface angle δ = Δθu, is expressed by the following equation (3). Is done. Here, since road surface angle δ = Δθu (Δθu> 0), angle ψn = ψs−Δθu (ψn <ψs).

  (Equation 3) holds true regardless of whether the slope of the road surface is positive or negative. As shown in FIG. 11C, the magnitude of the angle ψn formed by the surface of the saddle 25 with respect to the seat post 24, which is suitable for traveling on a downhill with a road surface angle δ = Δθd, is the road surface angle δ = Δθd (Δθd < 0), the angle ψn = ψs−Δθd (ψn> ψs) obtained from (Equation 3).

  In this manner, if the angle formed by the surface of the saddle 25 with respect to the seat post 24 is set to be different depending on the inclination angle of the slope, the driver can operate the vehicle in an easy state in which he sat on the saddle 25. It becomes possible. And since there is no need to change the posture according to the slope of the slope, there is little fatigue, and the burden can be reduced especially for elderly people.

  FIG. 12 shows the contents of the saddle rotation angle setting process for rotating the saddle 25 in a flowchart of the process performed by the CPU. The seat post rotation angle setting process is an interrupt process at predetermined intervals.

  With reference to FIG. 11, the content of the process performed by the control unit 23 executed in the second embodiment will be described along FIG.

In step ST201, the gyroscope 61 detects a signal (voltage V _OUT ) corresponding to the angular velocity, and the CPU takes in the detected voltage V _OUT to obtain an angle change amount.
The calculation in step ST201 is the same as that in step ST101 shown in FIG.

In step ST202, the CPU adds the angle obtained in the previous process to the angle change amount obtained in step ST201, and obtains the road surface angle δ of the current traveling road surface.
Determination of initial angle _{C 0} are the same as in the step ST102 shown in FIG. 10.

In step ST203, the CPU refers to the lookup table in the ROM, controls the control unit 23, and controls the length of the saddle stay 27 according to the current road surface angle δ.
The relationship between the road surface angle δ and the target detection value of the resolver 271d is stored in the ROM as a lookup table. The process of rotating the threaded rotary shaft 271c until the detection value of the resolver 271d reaches the target detection value is performed by feedback control as in step ST103.

In step ST204, the CPU rewrites the previously obtained angle to the current angle (the angle obtained in step ST202). Then, the process ends.
The processing is started again from step ST201 by the next interruption.

By adopting such a control method, the mutual positional relationship between the seat post 24 and the saddle 25, which are the main mechanism members of the bicycle, is controlled according to the inclination angle, no matter how the road surface is inclined. The angle can be set as desired. And it becomes possible for a driver | operator to operate a vehicle in an easy state, and can reduce a burden especially for elderly people.

Further, as in the first embodiment, the preferred angle of the operator is not necessarily limited to the surface of the saddle on which the person sits is kept substantially horizontal with respect to the ground. The posture may be set to a slightly tilted posture. That is, the control method shown in (Equation 3) is only one example. Also, the angle of the saddle surface with respect to the ground can be appropriately determined according to the magnitude of the inclination of the road surface. In this case, the look-up table shows how the saddle surface determines the angle with respect to the ground. The contents of can be determined in any way. Furthermore, the look-up table is not placed in the ROM but in the non-volatile memory, so that the contents of the look-up table (the relationship between the inclination of the road surface and the angle of the saddle surface with respect to the ground) can be made by the operator. It may be rewritten as needed.

(Third embodiment of control method)
The third embodiment relates to a linked control method in which the seat stay 45 is controlled to rotate the seat tube 44 and the saddle stay 27 is controlled to rotate the saddle 25.

  In the first embodiment, the sheet stay 45 is controlled so that the positional relationship between the sheet tube 44 and the chain stay 42 is suitable. In the second embodiment, the saddle stay 27 is controlled so that the positional relationship between the seat post 24 and the saddle 25 is suitable. In the third embodiment, the mutual positional relationship between the seat tube 44 (seat post 24), the chain stay 42 and the saddle 25 is made suitable, and a better riding comfort is obtained.

  In the first embodiment, when the angle formed between the seat tube 44 and the chain 42 changes greatly from the angle θs on the horizontal road surface, for example, when the traveling road surface is an upward slope, the angle θn increases as the slope increases. As a result, when the legs are extended and the soles are grounded on the road surface, the legs extend in the direction of gravity, so that the soles may not sufficiently reach the road surface (see FIG. 9B). In other words, a safety problem may occur when stopping suddenly on an uphill. In addition, the handle lever 12 may be too close to the body, making it difficult to operate the handle.

  In the first embodiment, when the traveling road surface has a downward slope, the angle θn decreases as the slope increases. As a result, although the sole of the foot is sufficiently in contact with the road surface (see FIG. 9C), the handle lever 12 is too far away from the body, which may make it difficult to operate the handle.

  In the second embodiment, when the angle between the seat post 24 and the surface of the saddle 25 changes greatly from the angle ψs on the horizontal road surface, the angle ψn also changes greatly. For example, when the traveling road surface is an upward slope, the angle ψn decreases as the slope increases. As a result, the distribution ratio of the load (weight of the human body) to the rear wheel 30 is increased, and the distribution ratio of the load to the front wheel 14 is decreased. For this reason, the front wheel 14 may float and the handle operation may be difficult.

  In the second embodiment, when the traveling road surface has a downward slope, the angle ψn increases as the slope increases. As a result, the distribution ratio of the load to the front wheel 14 is increased, and the distribution ratio of the load to the rear wheel 30 is decreased. For this reason, the rear wheel 30 may float and safety may be impaired.

  The third embodiment solves the problems of the first embodiment and the problems of the second embodiment. That is, the road surface angle δ is distributed between an angle formed by the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42 and an angle formed by the seat post 24 and the surface of the saddle 25. The distribution of the road surface angle δ can be set to various ratios. For example, the distribution to the angle between the seat post 24 and the surface of the saddle 25 and the distribution to the angle between the seat post 24 and the surface of the saddle 25 can be equally divided by half.

  In the third embodiment, when the road surface angle is an angle δ, the angle θn formed by the seat tube 44 and the chain 42 and the angle ψn formed by the seat post 24 and the surface of the saddle 25 are expressed by the equation (4). It is represented by Formula 1 and Formula 2, respectively. (Equation 4) is an expression that can be applied to both the upward gradient and the downward gradient. Here, the value of the distribution ratio k is in the range from 0 to 1, and when the distribution is performed in half, the value of the distribution ratio k is 0.5.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of processing performed by the CPU executing the control method of the third embodiment. The seat post rotation angle setting process and the saddle rotation angle setting process are the above-described interrupt processes for each predetermined period.

In step ST 301, CPU sets the value of the distribution ratio k to determine the ratio of the distribution described above, sets the value of the initial angle C _0.

In step ST302, the CPU performs seat tube rotation angle processing. The seat tube rotation angle process is a process from steps ST101 to ST104 shown in FIG.
The processing at this time follows the first expression of (Equation 4).

In step ST303, the CPU performs saddle rotation angle processing. The saddle rotation angle process is a process from steps ST201 to ST204 shown in FIG.
The processing at this time follows the second equation of (Equation 4).

  When the process in step ST303 ends, the process returns to step ST301, the seat tube rotation angle process is performed again, and the saddle rotation angle process is performed again. Then, the same processing is sequentially repeated.

  In this manner, the distribution of the gradient angle δ is appropriately determined by the value of the distribution ratio k in (Equation 4), and the angle θn formed by the seat tube 44 and the chain 42 is formed between the seat post 24 and the saddle 25 surface. The angle δ of the ascending slope can be distributed to the angle ψn. Further, the angle δ of the downward gradient can be distributed between the angle θn formed by the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42 and the angle ψn formed by the seat post 24 and the surface of the saddle 25. As a result, the load applied to the front wheel 14 and the rear wheel 30 can be within a range that does not impair the operability and safety, and the relationship between the handle lever 12 and the body can be established so that the sole of the foot is in full contact with the road surface. It is possible to keep it properly (for example, at a reasonable bending angle).

(Fourth embodiment of control method)
The fourth embodiment relates to a control method for controlling the handle stay 15 to rotate the handle lever 12.

As shown in FIG. 6, the handle lever rotates around the handle lever rotation shaft 16, whereby the handle lever can be disposed at a position desired by the operator. For example, the angle between the handle post 11 and the handle lever 12 can be an angle phi ₁ Tosureba sports specifications as shown in FIG. 6, suitable for angle phi ₂ Tosureba shopping 6 It can be a specification.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a process performed by the CPU, showing the content of the handle lever rotation angle setting process for rotating the handle lever 12. The handle lever rotation angle setting process is an interrupt process at predetermined intervals.

  The contents of the processing executed by the CPU of the control unit 23 in the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

In step ST401, the CPU instructs to set the angle formed by the handle post 11 and the handle lever 12.
The angle between the handle post 11 and the handle lever 12 can be set by inputting from the keys arranged on the operation input unit / display unit. The CPU can also issue an instruction to the ID detection unit 63 to automatically read the control setting information by electric field communication and set the angle formed by the handle post 11 and the handle lever 12. Further, the set value of the angle formed by the handle post 11 and the handle lever 12 can be read from the ROM or nonvolatile memory according to the CPU program.

  In step ST402, the CPU reads the angle formed by the handle post 11 and the handle lever 12 set in step ST401.

  In step ST403, the control unit 23 refers to the ROM look-up table, and obtains a desired target detection value of the resolver 151d corresponding to the angle formed by the handle post 11 and the handle lever 12 obtained in step ST401.

In step ST404, the CPU controls the control unit 23 to rotate the screwed rotating shaft 151c until the detection value of the resolver 151d reaches the target detection value.
This process is performed by feedback control as in step ST103. Then, the process ends.

  The smaller the angle formed by the handle post 11 and the handle lever 12, the more the position of the handle lever 12 moves in the road surface direction, and the closer the distance between the saddle 25 and the handle lever 12 is. Therefore, by adopting such a control method for rotating the handle lever 12, it is possible to change the rotation angle of the handle lever 12 and set the position of the handle lever 12 according to the preference of the driver.

(Fifth embodiment of control method)
In the fourth embodiment, the seat stay 45 and the saddle stay 27 are combined to control the rotation amount of the seat tube 44 and the rotation amount of the saddle 25. In contrast, the fifth embodiment controls the seat stay 45, the saddle stay 27, and the handle stay 15 to link the rotation amount of the seat tube 44, the rotation amount of the saddle 25, and the rotation amount of the handle lever 12. Control.

  In the fifth embodiment, the angle between the handle post 11 and the handle lever 12 is further controlled while controlling the relationship between the handle lever 12 and the body appropriately.

  In the fifth embodiment, when the inclination angle is an angle δ, the angle θn formed between the seat tube 44 and the chain 42, the angle ψn formed between the seat post 24 and the saddle 25, the handle post 11 and the handle. The angle φn formed with the lever 12 is expressed by (Equation 5). The angle θn is expressed by the first equation, the angle ψn is expressed by the second equation, and the angle φn is expressed by the third equation. That is, in the fifth embodiment, the three points of the seat stay 45, the saddle stay 27, and the handle stay 15 are controlled in cooperation.

  Here, La is a distance between the seat tube rotation shaft 48 and the center of the surface of the saddle 25 (see FIG. 6), and Lb is between the handle lever rotation shaft 16 and the handle lever 12 grip portion. Distance (see FIG. 6).

  In (Expression 5), the first expression and the second expression are the same as in (Expression 4), but the third expression is derived from (Expression 6).

  Here, in (Equation 6), a straight line La connecting the seat tube rotation shaft 48 and the center of the surface of the saddle 25 and a straight line Lb connecting the handle lever rotation shaft 16 and the grip portion of the handle lever 12 are: It is a relational expression that is established on the assumption that they are substantially parallel. The left side is the amount of change in the distance in the X-axis direction when the angle formed by the seat tube 44 and the chain 42 changes by an angle (δ × k) from the angle θs to the angle θn. The right side of (Equation 6) is the amount of change in the distance in the X-axis direction of the grip portion of the handle lever 12 when the angle between the handle post 11 and the handle lever 12 changes from the angle s to the angle φn. When the amount of change between the right side and the left side of (Equation 6) is equal, the distance between the center of the surface of the saddle 25 and the grip portion of the handle lever 12 is kept constant. Is kept constant. The third equation of (Equation 5) is an equation obtained by shifting (Equation 6). Note that (Equation 6) is a linear approximation formula when δ is small.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the contents of processing performed by the CPU of the control unit 23 that executes the control method of the fifth embodiment. The seat post rotation angle setting process, the saddle rotation angle setting process, and the handle lever rotation angle process are the above-described interrupt processes at predetermined intervals.

In step ST501, initial processing is performed. The value of the angle distribution ratio k, the initial angle C ₀ , the distance La between the seat tube rotation shaft 48 and the surface of the saddle 25, the handle lever rotation, Each value of the distance Lb between the moving shaft 16 and the grip portion of the handle lever 12 is acquired and written. In the subsequent calculation, the calculation of (Equation 5) is performed using the register in which these parameters are written.

  In step ST502, the CPU performs a seat tube rotation angle setting process in which the angle formed between the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42 is an angle θn according to the first equation of (Equation 5). The seat tube rotation angle setting process is the process shown in FIG.

  In step ST503, the CPU performs a saddle rotation angle setting process in which an angle formed between the seat post 24 and the surface of the saddle 25 is an angle ψn according to the second equation of (Equation 5). The saddle rotation angle setting process is the process shown in FIG.

  In step ST504, the CPU performs a handle lever rotation angle setting process in which the angle formed between the handle post 11 and the handle lever 12 is an angle φn according to the third equation of (Equation 5). The handle lever rotation angle setting process is a process shown in FIG.

  If the control according to (Equation 5) is performed in this manner, the front surface of the saddle 25 and the rear wheel 30 are appropriately maintained so that the person who operates the bicycle does not take an unreasonable posture. Thus, the length of the operator's arm up to the grip portion of the handle lever 12 can be maintained at a substantially constant length regardless of the slope of the road surface.

  In addition to the value of the angle distribution ratio k in the first equation and the second equation in (Equation 5) and the arithmetic expression shown in the third equation, refer to the lookup table arranged in the ROM or the non-volatile memory. Alternatively, the angle δ of the road surface inclination may be input to obtain each of the angle θn, the angle ψn, and the angle φn, and the respective actuators may be controlled to be the angle θn, the angle ψn, and the angle φn. In this case, the look-up table is created assuming a person (standard figure person) having a standard height, a standard arm length, a standard weight, and a standard weight center of gravity. Anyway.

(Sixth embodiment of control method)
Furthermore, instead of setting each of the angle θn, the angle ψn, and the angle φn according to the road surface angle δ, another control method can be realized by pushing and pulling the grip portion of the handle lever 12 by the driver. it can.

  The sixth embodiment can also be controlled according to (Equation 5). In the third equation of (Equation 5), the distance La from the reference position in the X-axis direction of the seat tube 44 and the distance Lb from the reference value in the X-axis direction of the handle lever 12 are related. As a result, the person controlling the distance Lb of the handle lever 12 controls the angle θn formed between the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42 for maintaining the arm length at a predetermined length. This is an example.

  In this case, a pressure sensor (not shown) is disposed on the handle lever 12, and the control unit 23 controls the inner cylinder moving motor fixing unit 271b of the handle stay 15 so that the pressure detected by the pressure sensor becomes zero. To control. Then, the calculation of the third expression of (Equation 5) is performed, and the control unit 23 controls the inner cylinder moving motor fixing unit 451b of the seat stay 45 to control the angle θn formed by the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42. To do. Furthermore, the angle ψn formed between the seat post 24 and the surface of the saddle 25 may be controlled in accordance with the angle θn formed between the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42. In this way, the operator can keep the arm bent at a comfortable angle while adjusting the angle of the handle lever 12 to his liking.

  The above-described arithmetic expressions (Equation 1) to (Equation 5) are merely examples of control rules for how to perform control, and any calculation is used in the same manner. Each of θn, angle ψn, and angle φn can be linked and controlled.

As for the calculation of the equation (1), in order to adopt the rate gyroscope, the initial value C ₁ and the integral calculation is than is necessary, if the directly angles used gyroscope angle detection type capable of detecting the initial value C ₁ is also not required also integral operation. In addition, an angle detector with a slow response speed (for example, a weight attached to the tip of the lever and a rotary potentiometer shaft attached to the other end of the lever) and a rate gyroscope are combined, and the rate is output from the angle detector. The output from the gyroscope may be corrected.

  Further, the control law collects each of the most desirable angle θn, angle ψn, and angle φn according to the traveling road surface as experimental data without using an arithmetic expression, and controls it as a lookup table with reference to this. You may do it.

(Seventh embodiment of control method)
In the first to sixth embodiments described above, when a specific operator operates a bicycle, the mutual positional relationship between the main mechanism members of the bicycle is automatically changed according to the inclination of the road surface. there were. In the seventh embodiment, the positional relationship between the main mechanism members of the bicycle is changed in accordance with the body characteristics and preferences of the driver.

  In some cases, a single bicycle is shared by multiple people. Here, the physical characteristics of a plurality of persons are various, and their preferences are also various. For example, the body features range from about 150 cm to 200 cm for height, ranges from 12 to 70 years for age, and women and men are mixed for sex. In addition, there are various preferences such as sports cars (bicycles for riding as sports), commuter cars (bicycles used for commuting), and shopping cars (bicycles used for shopping daily goods).

  In general, a younger person has a short height and a short arm, so the position of the saddle 25 from the road surface is lowered and the position of the handle lever 12 is often lowered. Further, at a certain age, generally, the height is higher and the length of the arm is longer, so the position of the saddle 25 from the road surface is often raised and the position of the handle lever 12 is often raised.

  In the case of a sports car, the position of the saddle 25 from the road surface is increased, the seating surface of the saddle 25 is inclined forward, the seat tube 44 is inclined forward, and the position of the handle lever 12 is often decreased. In the case of a commuter car or shopping car, the position of the saddle 25 from the road surface is lowered, the seating surface of the saddle 25 is horizontal, the seat tube 44 is in a neutral position, neither forward nor backward, and the position of the handle lever 12 Is often high.

  Such a setting according to personal preference can be performed in the bicycle according to the embodiment by either manual setting or automatic setting. First, the manual setting will be briefly described. Using the operation input unit / display unit 62 shown in FIG. 7 is the simplest method for setting various variables of the bicycle. In the operation input unit / display unit 62, for example, a liquid crystal display is arranged, and graphics of an overall view of the bicycle are displayed.

  The actual seat tube 44 is rotated in a direction in which the finger touches the display portion of the graphics seat tube 44 and moves the finger. Further, the actual saddle 25 is rotated in a direction in which the finger is touched on the display portion of the saddle 25 and the finger is moved. Further, the actual handle lever 12 is rotated in a direction in which the finger is touched on the display portion of the handle lever 12 and the finger is moved. In this way, the mutual relationship between the mechanism members can be easily set.

  Further, by using the numeric keypad arranged on the operation input unit / display unit 62, a desired angle θn, a desired angle ψn, and a desired angle φn are input, and the seat tube 44, the saddle 25, and the handle lever 12 are input. Each rotation angle may be set as desired. Furthermore, simply input age, gender, height, etc., and set each of the rotation angle of the seat tube 44, the rotation angle of the saddle 25, and the rotation angle of the handle lever 12 set in advance for the standard model. You may make it do.

  The above settings can be freely set according to the preference of the driver, and in this way, the bicycle can be set to a desired specification. However, the operator has to input himself and is troublesome. Next, automatic setting will be described. A block diagram of the control system shown in FIG. 7 and the patent document shown in FIG. 25 show how to change the mutual positional relationship of the main mechanism members of the bicycle automatically according to the body characteristics and preferences of the driver. 3 will be described with reference to the technique described in 3.

  The ID detector 63 shown in FIG. 7 incorporates the receiver 203 shown in FIG. On the other hand, the operator wears the transmitter 201, and an ID (personal authentication information) from the transmitter 201 is sent to the receiver 203 using the human body as the transmission medium 202.

  The content of information detected by the ID detection unit 63 includes ID (personal authentication information) that is information for identifying an individual and personal preference control setting information. The transmitter 201 is provided with a mode switching key, and the content of the control setting information to be transmitted is switched depending on which key is set. For example, if the mode 1 key is set, the control method of the first embodiment described above, the mode 2 key is set, the control method of the second embodiment described above, and the mode 3 key is set, the mode 3 described above. If the control method of the third embodiment, the mode 4 key is set, the control method of the fourth embodiment described above and the control method of the fifth embodiment described above are adopted if the mode 5 key is set, respectively. can do. Of course, in addition to these, the owner of the transmitter 201 can newly register a mode unique to him / her by combining his / her favorite settings.

  In addition, in this way, the control method to be selected is determined and, as a mode unique to the user, for example, a preferred value for predetermining the angle θs on the horizontal road surface of the seat tube 44, the horizontal road surface of the saddle 25 Can be set to a predetermined favorite value, and the angle φs on the horizontal road surface of the handle lever 12 can be set to a predetermined favorite value.

  For example, if the mode 6 key is pressed, the angle ψs of the saddle 25 is set to a predetermined favorite value, and the angle φs on the horizontal road surface of the handle lever 12 is set to a predetermined favorite value so as not to change depending on the inclination of the traveling road surface. can do. Further, for example, mode 7 can be set to sports specifications, and mode 8 can be set to commuting specifications, which are different preferences set in advance. Furthermore, since ID (personal authentication information) and personal preference control setting information are related, the control unit 23 can determine which mode is set only by recognizing the ID. . For example, a specific person recognized by the ID can be registered in advance so as to keep the bicycle in exactly the same state on an inclined road surface or a horizontal road surface.

(Eighth embodiment of control method)
Since the content of the information obtained from the ID detection unit 63 includes an ID for identifying an individual as described above, the power saving mode can be set until the registered ID is recognized. Specifically, only the ID detection unit 63 is always energized, and the control unit 23 can be set in the sleep mode. Then, after the ID detection unit 63 detects that the person is registered in advance by electric field communication, the control unit 23 is released from the sleep mode, power is supplied to each unit, and the wheels are unlocked. Thus, the bicycle can be used, and the time and effort required to unlock the conventional bicycle can be saved.

  As for locking, when the body is separated from the body of the bicycle and the transmission signal from the transmitter 201 is not detected by the receiver 203 arranged in the ID detection unit 63, the locking is automatically performed. Thus, it is possible to save the trouble of conventional locking. In this case, since electric field communication is adopted, the body and the bicycle are locked without being separated so much that the safety is high.

  In this way, it is possible to perform good communication by including the interface by electric field communication that includes the transmitter 201 and the receiver 203 and uses the human body as the transmission medium 202. In particular, in electric field communication, information is not unnecessarily emitted to a long distance and other devices are not disturbed. On the other hand, the purpose of transmitting information from the transmitter 201 to the receiver 203 can be sufficiently achieved when a part of the body touches the bicycle directly or through clothing.

[Second Embodiment]
(Description of structure of bicycle of embodiment)
2nd Embodiment changes the dimension of the main mechanism member of a bicycle. As a main mechanism member for changing the dimensions, a seat post length variable member which is a mechanism member for changing the length of the seat post 24 protruding from the seat tube 44 and a mechanism for changing the length of the handle post 11 protruding from the head tube 10 The handle post length variable member which is a member is employed in the second embodiment.

  FIG. 16 shows a cross-sectional structure of a seat post length variable member 54 that functions as a seat post length variable actuator. The seat post length varying member 54 is a combination of the above-described seat tube 44 and the seat post 24, and further incorporating a movable mechanism inside each of the seat tube 44 and the seat post 24.

  Inside the seat tube 44, a seat post rotation preventing plate 441a, a seat post moving motor fixing portion 441b, and a screwed rotating shaft 441c rotating with respect to the seat post moving motor fixing portion 441b are arranged. Inside the seat post 24, a grooved bearing 241c screwed with the threaded rotary shaft 441c is disposed. At the tip of the seat post 24, a protruding portion 241b having a larger diameter than other portions is provided. The protrusion 241b is locked by the stopper 441e screwed into the seat tube 44 so that the seat post 24 does not come out of the seat tube 44.

  The seat post rotation prevention plate 441 a is a member extending in the longitudinal direction of the seat tube 44, and the surface of the seat post rotation prevention plate 441 a faces the surface of an elongated groove-like rotation prevention slit 241 a provided in the seat post 24. Has been. The groove width of the rotation prevention slit 241a is wider than the width of the seat post rotation prevention plate 441a, and the rotation of the surface of the rotation prevention slit 241a and the rotation of the seat post while preventing the seat post 24 from rotating inside the seat tube 44. A part of the surface of the prevention plate 441a comes into contact, and the seat post 24 is freely movable in the direction of arrow D.

  It should be noted that if the cross-sectional shape of the contact portion between the inner surface of the seat tube 44 and the outer surface of the seat post 24 is not a circular shape but a square shape (for example, a quadrangular shape), the seat post rotation prevention plate 441a also has the rotation prevention slit 241a. Even if not provided, the seat post 24 does not rotate inside the seat tube 44.

  When electric power is supplied to the seat post moving motor fixing portion 441b, the length of the seat post 24 taken into the seat tube 44 is changed by rotating the threaded rotary shaft 441c. Here, by switching the polarity of the voltage applied to the seat post moving motor fixing portion 441b, the rotation direction of the screwed rotating shaft 441c can be switched, and the moving direction of the seat post 24 can be switched.

  A resolver 441d for detecting the rotation angle of the screwed rotary shaft 441c is connected to a screwed rotary shaft 441c extending from the seat post moving motor fixing portion 441b. The rotation of the threaded rotary shaft 441c is set to 2π radians, and the number of radians rotated from the reference position is detected by the resolver 441d so that the length of the seat post length variable member 54 can be detected. . The signal from the resolver 441d is input to the control unit 23 shown in FIG. 7 so that the control unit 23 can detect the length of the seat post length variable member 54.

  Although not shown, the handle post length variable member has the same structure as the seat post length variable member 54, and the head tube 10 is used instead of the seat tube 44, and the handle post 11 is replaced with the seat post 24. Is only used and there is no change to the basic structure.

  By using the seat post length variable member 54 and the handle post length variable member, which are members whose dimensions of the main mechanism portion are changed, the bicycle becomes more friendly to the driver and is a comfortable vehicle for the driver. It becomes. For example, by controlling the seat post length variable member 54, it is possible to obtain the optimum height of the saddle 25 according to the height of the driver. Further, the optimum height of the handle lever 12 can be obtained according to the body shape of the operator by controlling the handle post length variable member.

  Further, when getting on and off the bicycle, the length of the seat post length variable member 54 can be shortened to make it easy to get on and off. Furthermore, if the control of the mutual positional relationship of the main mechanism members of the first embodiment and the control of the dimensions of the main mechanism members of the second embodiment are combined, a wider and highly adaptable control becomes possible.

[Other Modifications]
(Modification of actuator)

  The seat tube actuator rotates the seat tube 44 in the direction in which the chain stays. In addition, the saddle actuator rotates the saddle 25 in the direction in which the chain stay extends, so that the angle formed by the seating surface of the saddle 25 with respect to the seat post 24 is variable. Further, the saddle actuator rotates the handle lever 12 in the direction in which the chain stay extends, thereby making the angle formed by the handle lever 12 with respect to the handle post 11 variable. In short, any actuator having such a function can employ mechanisms based on various principles in addition to those described above. These will be described below.

  Various systems other than the screw system as shown in FIG. 3 will be described using a mechanism for rotating the seat tube 44 as an example.

  FIG. 17 is a view showing a rotation mechanism based on a rack and pinion system. As shown in FIG. 17, in the frame 3, the chain stay left member 42a and the sheet stay 455a are fixed by welding or the like, and the down tube 43 and the sheet stay 455a are fixed by welding or the like. A sheet stay 455a is bridged between the chain stay left member 42a and the down tube 43. Further, the chain stay right member 42b and the rack-equipped seat stay 455b are fixed by welding or the like, and the down tube 43 and the rack-mounted sheet stay 455b are fixed by welding or the like. In this way, the seat stay 455b with a rack is bridged between the chain stay right member 42b and the down tube 43.

  A seat tube rotation motor 55 is fixed to the seat tube 44 via a motor fixing plate 57. A small-diameter circular gear (pinion) 56 is attached to the rotation shaft of the seat tube rotation motor 55. The circular gear 56 meshes with the rack disposed on the seat stay 455b with rack, and the circular gear 56 moves on the rack while rotating according to the rotation of the seat tube rotation motor 55. As a result, the seat tube 44 rotates about the seat tube rotation shaft 48 as a rotation center. Note that a resolver (not shown) is attached to the seat tube rotation motor 55 and can be controlled based on a signal detected from the resolver in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

  The rotation mechanism of the handle lever 12 and the rotation mechanism of the saddle 25 are not shown, but the rack and pinion system can be similarly adopted. Further, the rack and pinion system can be adopted for the seat post length variable member and the handle post length variable member.

  FIG. 18 is a view showing a rotation mechanism using a hydraulic cylinder system. The frame 4 includes a hydraulic cylinder 59 instead of the seat stay 45 as shown in FIG. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the hydraulic cylinder 59. As shown in the left diagram of FIG. 19, oil enters from the port P3, and the fast-forwarding cylinder moves in the direction indicated by the arrow. As shown in the central view of FIG. 19, when the fast-forwarding cylinder moves in the direction of the arrow and the pressure rises, the sequence valve operates, oil enters from the port P1, and the pressure-increasing cylinder moves in the direction of the arrow. In this way, the angle θ formed by the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42 can be increased. As shown in the right diagram of FIG. 19, the oil enters from the ports P2 and P4, and the rapid feed cylinder and the pressure increasing cylinder return, so that the angle θ can be reduced.

  The rotation mechanism of the handle lever 12 and the rotation mechanism of the saddle 25 are not shown, but a hydraulic cylinder system can be similarly employed. Furthermore, the hydraulic cylinder system can be adopted also in the seat post length variable member and the handle post length variable member.

  FIG. 20 is a view showing a turning mechanism using a geared motor. In the frame 5, the fixing portion of the geared motor 60 is screwed to the frame fixing member 41 so that the seat tube 44 is directly fixed to the rotating shaft of the geared motor 60. That is, this is a method of rotating the rotation shaft itself. Here, the rotating shaft of the geared motor 60 is rotatably held by the shaft holding member 70, and the load applied to the seat tube 44 is distributed between the rotating shaft of the geared motor 60.

  Although not shown, the angle θ formed by the seat tube 44 and the chain stay 42 can be changed by using a linear motor which is a well-known technique. Furthermore, the mechanism part may be simplified using the SQUIGLE motor described in Non-Patent Document 1.

  As mentioned above, although the modification example of various rotation mechanisms was demonstrated taking the rotation mechanism of the seat tube 44 as an example, any system of the system using a geared motor, the system using a linear motor, and the system using a SQUIGLE motor is mentioned. Even in the case of using these, these rotation mechanisms can also be used as the saddle 25 and the rotation mechanism of the handle lever 12. Furthermore, it can be used as a seat post length variable member and a handle post length variable member.

(Other variations)
FIG. 21 is a flowchart of processing performed by the CPU when the control unit 23 includes a voice recognition circuit (not shown) and a voice response circuit (not shown). The contents of the processing will be described with reference to FIG.

In step ST601, the CPU acquires an ID (personal authentication information). Also, control setting information is obtained.
The control setting information is a parameter for setting a desired mechanism unit set for each individual.
Electric field communication is employed for acquiring the ID and the control setting information.

In step ST602, the CPU determines whether the acquired ID is a registered ID.
If it is a registered ID (Yes), the process moves to step ST603. If it is not a registered ID (No), the process returns to step ST601.

In step ST603, the CPU determines whether the road is on a slope.
If it is a slope (Yes), the process moves to step ST604. If it is not a slope (No), the process returns to step ST601.
Here, whether or not the road is a slope is determined to be a slope when the slope (absolute value of the slope of the road surface) detected by the gyroscope has a predetermined slope or more.

In step ST604, the CPU performs voice guidance by controlling the voice response circuit. The content of the voice guidance is “It becomes slope mode” or the like.
This warning informs the operator that the bicycle mechanism is moving, so that the mechanism does not suddenly move and panic the operator.

In step ST605, the CPU controls the voice recognition circuit to determine whether or not there is a tilt mode rejection response.
If the speech recognition circuit recognizes a “stop” or “no” response (Yes), the process returns to step ST601. If the speech recognition circuit does not recognize the “stop” or “no” response (No), the process proceeds to step ST606.

  In step ST606, the CPU controls the tilt mode. The contents of the tilt mode control are any of the above-described change to the angle θn, change to the angle ψn, change to the angle φn, change the length of the seatpost, and change the length of the handle host. Or a combination of any two or more.

In step ST607, the CPU determines whether the vehicle stops or gets off.
If it is determined that the vehicle stops or gets off, the process proceeds to step ST608. If it is not determined that the vehicle has stopped or got off, the process returns to step ST601.
Stopping can be determined by a speedometer or a wheel tachometer (both not shown).
Moreover, since electric field communication is used, when the receiver stops detecting the electric field, it can be determined that the operator wearing the transmitter has got off the vehicle.

  In step ST608, the CPU releases the tilt mode, returns the angle θn, angle ψn, angle φn, seat post length, and handle host length to the initial state, and the process returns to step ST601 again.

  As described above, the technique of the bicycle according to the embodiment can be implemented regardless of whether it is a normal bicycle, an assist bicycle, or an electric bicycle. In the bicycle according to the embodiment, the seat tube, the saddle, or the handle lever, or each of these two or more members, the mutual positional relationship between the other members, or the dimensions of each member, It can be changed by an actuator controlled by the control unit, and can be adapted to the body characteristics and operability preferences of the person riding the bicycle. In addition, even when the road surface conditions are various, it is possible to obtain good operability by changing the mutual positional relationship of the above-mentioned components or the dimensions of each member so as to adapt to the road surface conditions. be able to.

10 head tube, 11 handle post, 12 handle lever, 13 front fork, 14 front wheel, 15 handle stay, 16 handle lever rotation shaft, 17 handle stay outer cylinder rotation shaft, 18 handle stay inner cylinder rotation shaft, 20a, Pedal, 21 Chainsty Cover, 22 Battery, 23 Control, 24 Seatpost, 24b Right Crank, 25 Saddle, 26 Saddle Rotating Shaft, 27 Saddle Stick, 28 Saddle Stick Outer Rotating Shaft, 29 Saddle Stick Inner Cycle Dynamic shaft, 30 rear wheel, 41 frame fixing member, 42 chain stay, 42a chain stay left member, 42b chain stay right member, 43 down tube, 44 seat tube, 45 seat stay, 46 crankshaft, 47 rear wheel bearing, 47a Left rear wheel bearing, 47b Right rear wheel bearing, 48 49 seatstay inner cylinder rotation shaft, 50 seatstay outer cylinder rotation shaft, 54 seat post length variable member, 55 seat tube rotation motor, 56 circular gear, 57 motor fixing plate, 59 hydraulic cylinder, 60 motor with gear, 61 gyroscope, 62 operation input / display unit, 63 ID detection unit, 64, 65, 66 power amplification unit, 70 shaft holding member, 151 handle stay outer cylinder, 151a, 271a, 451a outer cylinder hole 151b, 271b, 451b Inner cylinder moving motor fixing part, 151c, 271c, 441c, 451c Rotating shaft with screw, 151d, 271d, 441d, 451d Resolver, 151e, 271e, 441e, 451e Stopper, 152 Handle stay inner cylinder, 152a 272a, 452a, inner cylinder hole, 1 2b, 241b, 272b, 452b Protruding part, 152c, 241c, 272c, 452c Grooved bearing, 201 Transmitter, 203 Receiver, 241a Anti-rotation slit, 271 Saddle stay inner cylinder, 272 Saddle stay inner cylinder, 441a Seat post rotation Prevention plate, 441b Seat post moving motor fixing part, 451 Seat stay outer cylinder, 452 Seat stay inner cylinder, 453a Seat stay left fixing part, 453b Seat stay right fixing part, 455a Seat stay, 455b Seat stay with rack

Claims (12)

A frame fixing portion having a down tube fixed to a head tube for holding a front wheel and a chain stay for holding a rear wheel;
A seat tube that is rotatable about a rotation axis with respect to the frame fixing portion;
A seat tube actuator for rotating the seat tube;
A control unit for controlling the seat tube actuator;
A bicycle with A frame fixing portion having a down tube fixed to a head tube for holding a front wheel and a chain stay for holding a rear wheel;
A seat tube connected to the frame fixing portion;
A seat post connected to the seat tube;
A saddle that is rotatable about a pivot shaft connected to the seat post;
A saddle actuator that rotates the saddle to change an angle formed by a seating surface of the saddle with respect to the seat post;
A control unit for controlling the saddle actuator;
A bicycle with A frame fixing portion having a down tube fixed to a head tube for holding a front wheel and a chain stay for holding a rear wheel;
A handle post inserted into the head tube;
A handle lever that is pivotally connected to one end of the handle post and steers the traveling direction of the front wheel;
A handle lever actuator that rotates the handle lever to change an angle formed by the handle lever with respect to the handle post;
A control unit for controlling the handle lever actuator;
A bicycle with A seat post connected to the seat tube;
A saddle that is rotatable about a pivot shaft connected to the seat post;
A saddle actuator that rotates the saddle to vary the angle formed by the seating surface of the saddle with respect to the seat post; and
The controller is
The bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the seat tube actuator and the saddle actuator are controlled. A handle post inserted into the head tube;
A handle lever that is pivotally connected to one end of the handle post and steers the traveling direction of the front wheel;
A handle lever actuator that rotates the handle lever to change an angle formed by the handle lever with respect to the handle post;
The controller is
The bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the seat tube actuator and the handle lever actuator are controlled. A seat post connected to the seat tube;
A saddle that is rotatable about a pivot shaft connected to the seat post;
A saddle actuator that rotates the saddle to change an angle formed by a seating surface of the saddle with respect to the seat post;
A handle post inserted into the head tube;
A handle lever that is pivotally connected to one end of the handle post and steers the traveling direction of the front wheel;
A handle lever actuator that rotates the handle lever to change an angle formed by the handle lever with respect to the handle post;
The controller is
The bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the seat tube actuator, the handle lever actuator, and the saddle actuator are controlled. An angle detection means for detecting the inclination angle of the road surface,
The controller is
The bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein control is performed based on the inclination angle detected from the angle detection means.   The bicycle according to claim 7, wherein the angle detection means includes a gyroscope. An operation input unit is further provided,
The controller is
The bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein control is performed based on information input from the operation input unit.   The bicycle according to claim 9, wherein the operation input unit includes a voice recognition circuit. A personal information detection unit for detecting personal information by electric field communication;
The controller is
The bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein control is performed based on information input from the personal information detection unit. A frame fixing portion having a down tube fixed to a head tube for holding a front wheel and a chain stay for holding a rear wheel;
A seat tube connected to the frame fixing portion;
A seat post inserted into the seat tube;
A saddle disposed at the tip of the seat post;
A seat post length variable actuator that varies the length of the portion of the seat post that is inserted into the seat tube;
A control unit for controlling the seat post length variable actuator;
A bicycle with

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