JP2021187273A - Electrically-driven motorcycle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an electrically-driven motorcycle.SOLUTION: An electrically-driven motorcycle, having an accelerator grip formed at a steering handle and an electrically-driven motor generating driving torque corresponding an operation of the accelerator grip, includes: a reverse switch for giving a backing instruction and a motor control section for controlling the electrically-driven motor to generate driving torque for executing backing driving of a wheel when the accelerator grip is operated while the reverse switch is being operated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to an electric motorcycle.

In recent years, instead of a motorcycle equipped with a gasoline engine as a drive source, an electric motorcycle that runs on electric power supplied from a battery has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This type of electric bike is equipped with an electric motor for driving the wheels, and is configured to move forward or backward by transmitting the driving torque generated by the electric motor to the wheels. The magnitude of the drive torque transmitted to the wheels is adjusted by operating the accelerator grip provided on the steering wheel.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-103754

However, in the past, when the electric motorcycle is moved backward, an operation different from the forward drive is required, and the rider is often confused.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electric motorcycle that can be intuitively driven backward by the same operation as forward driving.

The electric motorcycle according to one aspect of the present invention includes an accelerator grip provided on the steering handle and an electric motor that generates a drive torque according to the operation of the accelerator grip, and drives the wheels by the drive torque. In an electric motor motor vehicle that moves forward or backward, if the accelerator grip is operated while the reverse switch is operated and the reverse switch is operated, a drive torque for driving the wheel backward is generated. A motor control unit that controls the electric motor is provided.

According to the present application, the reverse drive can be performed by the same operation as the forward drive.

It is external perspective view of the electric motorcycle which concerns on this embodiment. It is a partially enlarged view of a handle. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control system of an electric motorcycle. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure when moving forward or backward of an electric motorcycle. It is a flowchart explaining the control procedure at the time of switching from a reverse drive to a forward drive.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments thereof.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an electric motorcycle according to the present embodiment. The electric motorcycle according to the present embodiment includes a vehicle body frame 1, and the vehicle body frame 1 is provided with a floor board 2, a front cover 3, a rear cover 4, a loading platform 5, and the like. The floor board 2 extends in the front-rear direction. The front cover 3 has a cylindrical shape with the vertical direction as the axial direction, and projects upward from the front portion of the floor board 2. The rear cover 4 has a rectangular box shape and protrudes upward from the rear portion of the floor board 2. A seat 6 is provided on the upper surface of the rear cover 4. The front-back, left-right, and up-down directions shown in FIG. 1 are determined based on the state in which the rider is seated on the seat 6 of the electric motorcycle.

Inside the front cover 3, two shafts 31 with the vertical direction as the axial direction are arranged in a slightly slanted rearward posture. A front suspension 32 is provided at the lower end of each shaft 31, and the front wheels 30 are rotatably supported between the two front suspensions 32. The upper ends of the two shafts 31 are attached to a steering portion 33 that can rotate around the axis of the shaft 31, and two handles 10 project to the left and right from the steering portion 33, respectively. A brake lever 12 is attached to the lower side of the handle 10.

A battery 110 (see FIG. 3) that can be charged and discharged is housed inside the rear cover 4. A connection port 4a is provided on the front surface of the rear cover 4. The battery 110 can be charged by connecting, for example, a plug of a charging stand to the connection port 4a.

A loading platform 5 is provided on the rear side of the seat 6. The loading platform 5 has a plate shape extending in the horizontal direction. Two rear wheels 40 are arranged under the loading platform 5. The rear wheel 40 includes a wheel 41 and a tire 42. An in-wheel motor 43, which is an example of an electric motor, is arranged inside the wheel 41, and a tire 42 is attached around the wheel 41. The in-wheel motor 43 generates a drive torque for driving the rear wheels 40 forward or backward by the electric power supplied from the battery 110.

Two mounting pipes 7 project upward from between the loading platform 5 and the seat 6. The two mounting pipes 7 are separated from each other in the left-right direction. A roof 8 is provided above the floor board 2 and the seat 6. The roof 8 has a curved surface that protrudes upward, and is inclined so as to descend toward the front side. Two legs 8a project downward from the rear end of the roof 8. The two legs 8a are separated from each other in the left-right direction, and are attached to the two attachment pipes 7, respectively. A backrest 6a is provided between the mounting pipes 7 and between the legs 8a.

A transparent screen 9 projects upward from the upper part of the front cover 3. The upper end of the screen 9 is connected to the front end of the roof 8. The screen 9 is arranged in front of the handle 10 and the brake lever 12. A headlight device 34 is provided on the front surface of the front cover 3.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the handle 10. FIG. 2 shows the right handle 10 gripped by the rider's right hand. The steering wheel 10 includes a handlebar 10a extending in the left-right direction, and an accelerator grip 11 is provided at the right end of the handlebar 10a. The accelerator grip 11 is an operating tool that receives the rider's operation by rotating around the axis of the handlebar 10a. The rider can adjust the output of the in-wheel motor 43 that drives the rear wheel 40 by grasping the accelerator grip 11 and rotating it back and forth. The output (drive torque) of the in-wheel motor 43 increases as the accelerator grip 11 rotates to the rear side (front side in the figure) regardless of the traveling direction of the electric motorcycle, and the accelerator grip 11 moves to the front side (front side (front side in the figure)). The output (drive torque) is controlled to decrease by rotating to the back side of the figure). When the operation of the accelerator grip 11 is released (that is, when the accelerator grip 11 returns to the position where it is not rotating), the output of the in-wheel motor 43 is stopped.

A switch case 20 is provided on the left side of the accelerator grip 11. The switch case 20 is fixed to the handlebar 10a. The switch case 20 includes, for example, a stop switch 22, a light switch 23, and a reverse switch 24. The stop switch 22 is a switch for stopping all controls including the control of the in-wheel motor 43. The light switch 23 is a switch for switching on and off of the headlight device 34. When the automatic lighting of the headlight device 34 is obligatory, the light switch 23 may not be mounted, and the switch case may be locked softly or hard so as not to function as a switch. It may be mounted on 20. The reverse switch 24 is a switch for giving a reverse instruction. The reverse switch 24 is a momentary type switch in which the contacts are opened in a normal state and the contacts are closed only while being pressed by the finger of the rider's hand.

In the present embodiment, the stop switch 22 is arranged on the upper surface of the switch case 20, and the light switch 23 and the reverse switch 24 are arranged on the rear side (front side in the figure) of the switch case 20. For example, the light switch 23 is arranged so that the operation unit projects in the rear direction (horizontal direction), and the reverse switch 24 is arranged at a position rotated downward by 5 to 30 degrees from the light switch 23. The stop switch 22, the light switch 23, and the reverse switch 24 are switches that can be operated with the fingers (for example, the thumb) of the rider's hand holding the accelerator grip 11. Further, the switch case 20 may include an accelerator sensor 25 (see FIG. 3) that detects the operation amount of the accelerator grip 11 and outputs a signal corresponding to the operation amount.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control system of an electric motorcycle. The electric motorcycle includes a controller 100 that is operated by electric power supplied from the battery 110. The controller 100 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The CPU included in the controller 100 controls the operation of various components included in the electric motorcycle by reading and executing the control program stored in the ROM. An example of a controlled component is an in-wheel motor 43. Information necessary for control is temporarily stored in the RAM.

Various switches such as a main switch 21, a stop switch 22, a light switch 23, and a reverse switch 24, and various sensors such as an accelerator sensor 25, a rotation speed sensor 26, and a brake sensor 27 are connected to the controller 100, and these switches are operated. A signal indicating that the operation has been performed or a signal indicating the detection result of the sensor is input. Further, in addition to the in-wheel motor 43, a headlight device 34, a brake 120, and the like are connected to the controller 100 as components to be controlled.

The main switch 21 is a switch operated to turn on the power to the control system including the controller 100, and is provided on the rear surface of the front cover 3, for example. When the main switch 21 is operated, electric power is supplied to the controller 100 from the battery 110, and the controller 100 can control various components.

The stop switch 22 is a switch for stopping all controls including the control of the in-wheel motor 43. When a signal indicating that the stop switch 22 has been operated is input, the controller 100 stops all control even when power is supplied from the battery 110.

The light switch 23 is a switch for turning on or off the headlight device 34. The controller 100 executes control to turn on the headlight device 34 when a signal instructing lighting is input from the light switch 23. Further, the controller 100 executes control to turn off the headlight device 34 when a signal instructing to turn off is input from the light switch 23. When the automatic lighting function of the headlight device 34 is enabled, the controller 100 may execute control to turn on the headlight device 34 regardless of whether or not the light switch 23 is operated.

The reverse switch 24 is a switch for giving a reverse instruction. While the reverse switch 24 is pressed and the contacts are closed, a signal indicating that the contacts of the reverse switch 24 are in the closed state (on state) is input to the controller 100. In the present embodiment, when the reverse switch 24 is in the ON state and the controller 100 receives an operation to rotate the accelerator grip 11 to the rear side, the controller 100 is intended to generate a drive torque for moving the electric motorcycle backward. It controls the operation of the in-wheel motor 43.

The accelerator sensor 25 is a sensor that detects the operation amount of the accelerator grip 11 and outputs a signal corresponding to the operation amount. The controller 100 determines the rotational speed of the in-wheel motor 43 according to the amount of operation of the accelerator grip 11. The relationship between the operation amount of the accelerator grip 11 and the rotation speed of the in-wheel motor 43 may be stored in advance in the ROM included in the controller 100. The rotation speed of the in-wheel motor 43 corresponding to the operation amount of the accelerator grip 11 may be different depending on whether the electric bike is moved forward or backward.

The controller 100 controls the operation of the in-wheel motor 43 so that the rotation speed is determined. At this time, the controller 100 may feedback-control the in-wheel motor 43 with reference to the output of the rotation speed sensor 26 that detects the rotation speed of the in-wheel motor 43. The controller 100 generates a drive torque by driving the in-wheel motor 43 at a rotation speed corresponding to the operation amount of the accelerator grip 11. The drive torque generated in the in-wheel motor 43 is transmitted to the rear wheels 40 to move the electric motorcycle forward or backward.

The brake sensor 27 is a sensor that detects the operation of the brake lever 12 and outputs a signal according to the detection result. The controller 100 operates the brake 120 in response to the signal input from the brake sensor 27. When the brake 120 is activated, the electric motorcycle decelerates or stops.

Hereinafter, the control procedure by the controller 100 will be described.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control procedure when the electric motorcycle is moved forward or backward. When the main switch 21 of the electric motorcycle is ON (step S101), the controller 100 determines whether or not the reverse switch 24 is ON (step S102).

When it is determined that the reverse switch 24 is in the ON state (S102: YES), the controller 100 determines whether or not the accelerator grip 11 has been operated (step S103). When a signal corresponding to the operation amount of the accelerator grip 11 is input, the controller 100 can determine that the accelerator grip 11 has been operated. If it is determined that the accelerator grip 11 is not operated (S103: NO), the controller 100 returns the process to step S102.

When the controller 100 determines that the accelerator grip 11 has been operated in step S103 (S103: YES), the controller 100 drives the rear wheel 40 in the reverse direction (step S104). That is, the controller 100 controls the operation of the in-wheel motor 43 to generate a drive torque for reverse drive. The drive torque for reverse drive generated in the in-wheel motor 43 is transmitted to the rear wheels 40. The electric motorcycle moves backward when the rear wheels 40 are driven backward.

Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the reverse switch 24 is turned off (step S105). When the ON state of the reverse switch 24 is continued (S105: NO), the controller 100 returns the process to step S104 and continues the reverse drive. On the other hand, when the operation of the reverse switch 24 is released and turned OFF (S105: YES), the controller 100 stops the reverse drive of the rear wheel 40 (step S106). That is, the controller 100 stops the operation of the in-wheel motor 43.

When the controller 100 determines in step S102 that the reverse switch 24 is not in the ON state (S102: NO), the controller 100 determines whether or not the accelerator grip 11 has been operated (step S107). When a signal corresponding to the operation amount of the accelerator grip 11 is input, the controller 100 can determine that the accelerator grip 11 has been operated. If it is determined that the accelerator grip 11 is not operated (S107: NO), the controller 100 returns the process to step S102.

When the controller 100 determines that the accelerator grip 11 has been operated in step S107 (S107: YES), the controller 100 drives the rear wheel 40 forward (step S108). That is, the controller 100 controls the operation of the in-wheel motor 43 to generate a drive torque for forward drive. The drive torque for forward drive generated in the in-wheel motor 43 is transmitted to the rear wheels 40. The electric motorcycle advances by driving the rear wheels 40 forward.

Although the flowchart of FIG. 4 shows only the reverse drive stop procedure, the forward drive stop procedure is the same as in the conventional case. That is, when the signal indicating that the brake lever 12 has been operated is input, the controller 100 may execute the control to operate the brake 120 and stop the forward drive.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a control procedure when switching from reverse drive to forward drive. When the rear wheel 40 is driven backward, the controller 100 sets the forward drive prohibition flag to ON (step S201). The prohibition flag is stored in, for example, a RAM included in the controller 100, and is set to ON when the forward drive of the electric motorcycle is prohibited and OFF when the forward drive is not prohibited.

Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the reverse switch 24 is turned off (step S202). When the reverse switch 24 is not turned off (S202: NO), the controller 100 determines whether or not the operation of the accelerator grip 11 is released (step S203). If the operation of the accelerator grip 11 is not released (S203: NO), the controller 100 returns the process to step S202. If it is determined that the operation of the accelerator grip 11 has been released (S203: YES), the controller 100 sets the prohibition flag to OFF (step S204), and returns the process to step S202. When the operation of the accelerator grip 11 is released, the reverse drive of the rear wheel 40 is stopped.

When the reverse switch 24 is turned off (S202: YES), the controller 100 determines whether or not the accelerator grip 11 is being operated at an appropriate timing (step S205). When the accelerator grip 11 is not operated (S205: NO), the controller 100 ends the process according to this flowchart. When the reverse switch 24 is OFF and the accelerator grip 11 is not operated, the driving of the rear wheel 40 is stopped.

When it is determined that the accelerator grip 11 is being operated (S205: YES), the controller 100 refers to the built-in RAM and determines whether or not the prohibition flag is ON (step S206). When the prohibition flag is ON (S206: YES), that is, when the reverse switch 24 is turned off without releasing the operation of the accelerator grip 11, the controller 100 prohibits the forward drive of the rear wheel 40 (step). S207). This avoids a sudden switch from reverse drive to forward drive.

On the other hand, when the prohibition flag is OFF (S206: NO), the controller 100 drives the rear wheels 40 forward (step S208). That is, the controller 100 controls the operation of the in-wheel motor 43 to generate a drive torque for forward drive. The drive torque for forward drive generated in the in-wheel motor 43 is transmitted to the rear wheels 40. The electric motorcycle advances by driving the rear wheels 40 forward.

In the flowchart of FIG. 5, the procedure for switching from the reverse drive to the forward drive has been described, but the same applies to the procedure for switching from the forward drive to the reverse drive. That is, when switching from the forward drive state to the reverse drive, when the reverse switch 24 is operated and the accelerator grip 11 is operated after the operation of the accelerator grip 11 is once released, the controller 100 moves backward. The reverse drive of the wheel 40 may be carried out.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the electric motorcycle can be advanced by rotating the accelerator grip 11 to the rear side, and by rotating the accelerator grip 11 to the rear side while pressing the reverse switch 24. The electric motorcycle can be moved backward. In the present embodiment, since the rotation direction of the accelerator grip 11 does not change depending on whether the electric motorcycle is moved forward or backward, the rider can move the electric motorcycle backward by intuitive operation. Further, when the reverse switch 24 is released, the reverse movement is stopped, so that the electric motorcycle can be stopped without accepting further operations such as a brake operation.

The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered to be exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of claims, not the above-mentioned meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

1 Body frame 2 Floor board 3 Front cover 4 Rear cover 5 Loading platform 6 Seat 10 Handle 11 Accelerator grip 12 Brake lever 20 Switch case 21 Main switch 22 Stop switch 23 Light switch 24 Reverse switch 30 Front wheel 40 Rear wheel 41 Wheel 42 Tire 43 In-wheel Motor 100 controller 110 battery

Claims (5)

In an electric motorcycle that includes an accelerator grip provided on the steering wheel and an electric motor that generates a drive torque according to the operation of the accelerator grip, and drives the wheels with the drive torque to move forward or backward.
A reverse switch that gives a reverse instruction,
An electric motorcycle including a motor control unit that controls the electric motor to generate a drive torque for driving the wheels in reverse when the accelerator grip is operated while the reverse switch is being operated. The electric motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein the motor control unit controls the electric motor in order to stop the reverse drive when the operation of the reverse switch is released. The electric motorcycle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the motor control unit permits switching between forward drive and reverse drive after the operation of the accelerator grip is released. The electric motorcycle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the reverse switch is provided at a position that can be operated by a finger of a hand holding the accelerator grip. Equipped with a switch case attached to the steering handle
In the switch case, a stop switch for stopping all control including the control of the electric motor, a light switch for turning on or off the headlight, and the reverse switch are arranged side by side around the axis of the steering handle. The electric motor according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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