JP2023103004A - trailer - Google Patents

Abstract

To suppress a reduction in running stability of a bicycle when packages are loaded on a trailer.SOLUTION: A single-wheel trailer attachable to the rear of a bicycle is provided. A motor drives the single-wheel trailer. A battery supplies electric power to the motor. A storage can store packages. A rear end of the storage and a rear end of the battery are located on the front side of an axle of a wheel in a front-back direction of the bicycle in a state where the trailer is attached to the bicycle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to trailers.

An electric trailer attached to a two-wheeled bicycle or the like is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-511977

In the trailer of the prior art, when cargo is loaded, depending on the relationship between the position of the wheels and the position of the center of gravity of the trailer including the loaded cargo, a force may be generated that lifts the bicycle. In such a case, the gripping force of the rear wheel of the bicycle may decrease, and the running stability of the bicycle may decrease.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a technique for suppressing deterioration in running stability of a bicycle when luggage is loaded on a trailer.

According to one aspect of the invention,
A one-wheel trailer mountable to the rear of a bicycle,
a motor that drives the one wheel;
a battery that powers the motor;
A storage unit that can store luggage,
The rear end of the storage section and the rear end of the battery are located forward of the axle of the wheel in the front-rear direction of the bicycle with the trailer attached to the bicycle.
There is provided a trailer characterized by:

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress deterioration in running stability of a bicycle when luggage is loaded on a trailer.

The side view which shows the outline of a trailer. 2 is a plan view of the trailer of FIG. 1; FIG. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the trailer showing a state in which the cover is opened; The side view which shows the internal structure of a trailer. The top view which shows the internal structure of a trailer. The top view explaining the example of a structure of a deceleration unit. The top view which shows the internal structure of a trailer.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. Also, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

In each figure, the X direction indicates the front-rear direction of the bicycle V, the Y direction indicates the vehicle width direction of the bicycle V, and the Z direction indicates the vertical direction. In this specification, expressions such as front/rear, left/right (lateral), and up/down indicate relative positional relationships with respect to the vehicle body. For example, expressions such as front and front correspond to the +X direction, and expressions such as rear and rear correspond to the -X direction. For example, expressions such as left and left correspond to the +Y direction, and expressions such as right and right correspond to the -Y direction. Similarly, expressions such as inside the vehicle body/outside the vehicle body (interior and exterior of the vehicle) indicate relative positional relationships based on the vehicle body.

<First Embodiment>
<Outline of the trailer>
FIG. 1 is a side view showing an outline of the trailer 1, and shows a state in which it is attached to a bicycle V. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the trailer 1 of FIG. 1. FIG.

The trailer 1 is a one-wheel electric trailer that can be attached to a bicycle V. For example, by attaching the trailer 1 to a bicycle V that does not have an electric assist function, it is possible to carry out the electric assist function of the bicycle V in addition to loading luggage. The trailer 1 includes wheels 10 , axles 11 , a housing 12 , a cover 13 and mounting portions 18 .

The wheels 10 are provided at the rear portion of the trailer 1 and at the center in the vehicle width direction (Y direction). Axle 11 connected to wheel 10 is rotatably supported, for example, by a bearing (not shown) provided in housing 12 .

The housing 12 forms part of the outline of the trailer 1 . For example, the housing 12 may be configured including a metal frame member and a resin exterior member. The housing 12 includes a storage portion 121 for storing luggage and the like, and a drive mechanism storage portion 122 for storing a drive mechanism including a motor 14, a battery 15, a reduction unit 16, and a control unit 17, which will be described later. Details will be described later.

The cover 13 forms part of the profile of the trailer 1 . The cover 13 is provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the housing 12 . Here, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the trailer 1 showing a state in which the cover 13 is opened. The cover 13 includes an exterior member 131 and a hinge portion 132 that rotatably supports the exterior member 131 with respect to the housing 12 . The user can store the packages 21 and 22 in the storage section 121 by opening the cover 13 .

The attachment part 18 is a connection part with the bicycle V. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the attachment portion 18 is configured to be attachable to the body frame of the bicycle V. As shown in FIG. The attachment portion 18 includes an extension portion 181 extending forward from the housing 12 in the front-rear direction, and an opening forming portion 182 provided at the front end portion of the extension portion 181 and having an opening. The opening forming part 182 includes a fixing part 1821 fixed to the extension part 181 and a detachable part 1822 detachable from the fixing part 1821 . For example, the detachable portion 1822 can be attached to the fixed portion 1821 with a fastening member such as a bolt. An opening is formed between the fixing portion 1821 and the attachment/detachment portion 1822 in a state where the fixing portion 1821 is attached. For example, the trailer 1 is attached to the bicycle V by attaching the attachment/detachment portion 1822 to the attachment/detachment portion 1821 with the body frame of the bicycle V sandwiched between the attachment portion 1821 and the attachment/detachment portion 1822 . It should be noted that the method and place of attachment of the trailer 1 to the bicycle V can be changed as appropriate. For example, the attachment portion 18 may be attachable to a member extending from the axle of the rear wheel RW of the bicycle V.

<Trailer internal configuration>
FIG. 4 is a side view showing the internal configuration of the trailer 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the internal configuration of the trailer 1. As shown in FIG. Trailer 1 includes motor 14 , battery 15 , deceleration unit 16 and control unit 17 .

The motor 14 is an electric motor that drives the wheels 10 . Although the motor 14 is provided independently of the wheel 10 here, the motor 14 may be an in-wheel motor built into the wheel 10 .

A battery 15 supplies power to the motor 14 . The battery 15 may be provided so as to be removable from the housing 12 during charging. In this case, the housing 12 may be provided with a door or the like for taking out the battery 15 . Alternatively, power may be supplied from the outside to the battery 15 attached to the housing 12 .

The deceleration unit 16 decelerates the rotation of the motor 14 and transmits it to the wheels 10 . In this embodiment, the deceleration unit 16 is composed of a plurality of gears as described later. However, known technology can be used for the deceleration unit 16 . For example, the deceleration unit 16 may be a deceleration mechanism using a chain, belt, or the like. Also, the motor 14 and the deceleration unit 16 may be provided as one unit. Alternatively, a configuration in which the deceleration unit 16 is omitted can also be adopted.

A control unit 17 controls the motor 14 . The control unit 17 is, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The control unit 17 includes, for example, a processor represented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device such as a semiconductor memory, an interface with an external device, and the like. The storage device stores programs executed by the processor, data used for processing by the processor, and the like. For example, the control unit 17 controls the output of the motor 14 based on the detection result of a sensor (not shown) provided on the trailer 1 . As an example, the control unit 17 may determine that the bicycle V has started to be pedaled and drive the motor 14 based on the output value of a strain gauge provided on the housing 12 or the extension portion 181 or the like, or may determine that the bicycle V has decelerated due to braking and stop driving the motor 14. Further, for example, the control unit 17 may control the output of the motor 14 based on the detection result of another sensor such as an acceleration sensor.

<Parts layout>
By the way, when a trailer is attached to a bicycle, it is desirable not to impair the running stability of the bicycle as much as possible. The following are examples of how the running stability of a bicycle is impaired. That is, when the center of gravity of the trailer, including the load, is located behind the axle of the trailer in the longitudinal direction, a force that lifts the bicycle may be generated at the joint between the trailer and the bicycle. In this case, the gripping force of the rear wheel of the bicycle may decrease, and the running stability of the bicycle may decrease. In addition, in the case of a one-wheeled trailer, if the gripping force of the rear wheel of the bicycle is reduced, there is a risk that the running stability of the bicycle will be further reduced when the bicycle and the trailer are banked together.

Therefore, the trailer 1 of this embodiment employs the following parts layout. In other words, the rear end of the storage portion 121 and the rear end of the battery 15 are positioned forward of the axle 11 that rotatably supports the wheel 10 in the front-rear direction of the bicycle V with the trailer 1 attached to the bicycle V. Referring to FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, a virtual line VL2 extending in the vehicle width direction passing through the rear end of the storage portion 121 and a virtual line VL3 extending in the vehicle width direction passing through the rear end of the battery 15 are located in front of a virtual line VL1 passing through the axle 11 and extending in the vehicle width direction.

Therefore, in this embodiment, even when the trailer 1 is loaded with luggage, the center of gravity of the trailer 1 is located behind the axle 11, and thus the trailer 1 suppresses the generation of a force that lifts the bicycle V. Therefore, the trailer 1 of the present embodiment can suppress deterioration in running stability of the bicycle V. In addition, in the present embodiment, the battery 15, which is particularly heavy among the parts for driving the trailer 1, is positioned forward of the axle 11, thereby more effectively suppressing a decrease in running stability of the bicycle V.

Further, in this embodiment, the rear end of the motor 14 is positioned forward of the axle 11 in the front-rear direction of the bicycle V with the trailer 1 attached to the bicycle V. As shown in FIG. As a result, it is possible to more effectively prevent the trailer 1 from generating a force that causes the bicycle V to float.

Now refer to FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view for explaining a specific example of the configuration of the deceleration unit 16. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the reduction unit 16 includes multiple gears 161-163. Gear 161 connects to axle 11 . Gear 162 connects to the output shaft of motor 14 . Gear 163 transmits the rotation of gear 162 to gear 161 . In this embodiment, the rear ends of the gears 162 to 163 other than the gear 161 connected to the axle 11 among the plurality of gears 161 to 163 are positioned forward of the axle 11 in the longitudinal direction. As a result, most of the mechanism for decelerating the motor 14 is located in front of the axle 11, so that the generation of the force that causes the bicycle V to rise from the trailer 1 can be suppressed more effectively.

In this embodiment, when the trailer 1 is attached to the bicycle V, the storage unit 121, the battery 15, the motor 14, and the plurality of gears 161 to 163 are positioned behind the rear wheel RW of the bicycle V in the front-rear direction. Thereby, a heavy object can be arranged between the wheel 10 of the trailer 1 and the rear wheel RW of the bicycle V in a well-balanced manner.

Further, in this embodiment, the battery 15 as a whole is provided so as to be located on one side of the center of the wheel 10 in the vehicle width direction of the bicycle V with the trailer 1 attached to the bicycle V. As shown in FIG. In the vehicle width direction, the motor 14 and the control unit 17 as a whole are provided so as to be located on the side opposite to the side on which the battery 15 is provided with respect to the center of the wheel 10 .

Referring to FIG. 5, the entire battery 15 is positioned on the positive side in the Y direction (left side in the traveling direction of the bicycle V) with respect to an imaginary line VL4 that passes through the center of the wheel 10 in the vehicle width direction and extends in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the motor 14 and the control unit 17 as a whole are provided so as to be located on the negative side in the Y direction (on the right side in the traveling direction of the bicycle V) with respect to the virtual line VL4. As a result, the components of the trailer 1 can be arranged in a well-balanced manner on the left and right sides, so that deterioration in running stability of the bicycle V can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the front end of the motor 14 and the front end of the battery 15 are positioned rearward of the center point of the axle 11 and the axle of the rear wheel RW of the bicycle V in the longitudinal direction when the trailer 1 is attached to the bicycle V. 4, a virtual line VL6 extending vertically passing through the front end of the motor 14 and a virtual line VL7 extending vertically passing through the front end of the battery 15 are positioned rearward of a virtual line VL5 extending vertically passing through the longitudinal midpoint of the axle 11 and the axle of the rear wheel RW of the bicycle V. As a result, since at least the weight of the motor 14 and the battery 15 is applied to the wheels 10, the gripping force of the wheels 10 is improved. As a result, the running stability of the bicycle V to which the trailer 1 is attached is improved.

Moreover, in the present embodiment, the entire battery 15, which is a heavy object, is positioned below the bottom of the storage section 121. As shown in FIG. As a result, the center of gravity of the trailer 1 can be lowered, and the running stability of the bicycle V to which the trailer 1 is attached can be further improved.

Further, in this embodiment, at least part of the motor 14, the battery 15, the deceleration unit 16, and the control unit 17 are provided so as to be positioned within the width of the wheel 10 in the front-rear direction. In other words, the entire motor 14 and the entire reduction unit 16 are positioned within the width of the wheel 10 in the longitudinal direction, and more than half of the battery 15 and more than half of the control unit 17 are positioned within the width of the wheel 10 in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, since these parts are arranged together in the rear part of the trailer 1, a larger space for the storage part 121 can be secured in the front part of the trailer 1. - 特許庁

Further, in this embodiment, in the trailer 1 composed of one wheel 10, the motor 14, the battery 15, the deceleration unit 16, and the control unit 17 are arranged on both sides of the wheel 10 in the vehicle width direction so that there are portions overlapping the wheel 10 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, in the trailer 1 consisting of one wheel 10, since these parts are arranged at the positions on both sides of the wheel 10 where it is difficult to make a cargo loading space, a larger space for the storage part 121 can be secured in other areas.

<Second embodiment>
The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the layout of parts inside the trailer. Hereinafter, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the internal configuration of the trailer 5. As shown in FIG.

Further, in this embodiment, the battery 55 is provided so as to straddle from one side to the other side of the center of the axle 11 in the vehicle width direction of the bicycle V with the trailer 5 attached to the bicycle V. In the vehicle width direction, the entire motor 54 is provided on one side of the center of the axle 11, and the entire control unit 57 is provided on the opposite side of the center of the axle 11 to the side on which the motor 54 is provided.

Referring to FIG. 7, a battery 55 is provided across a virtual line VL4 passing through the center of the wheel 10 in the vehicle width direction and extending in the longitudinal direction, from the positive side in the Y direction (the left side in the traveling direction of the bicycle V) to the negative side in the Y direction (the right side in the traveling direction of the bicycle V). In addition, the entire motor 54 is provided on the negative side in the Y direction with respect to the virtual line VL4, and the entire control unit 57 is provided on the positive side in the Y direction. As a result, the component parts of the trailer 5 can be arranged in a well-balanced manner on the left and right sides, so that deterioration in running stability of the bicycle V can be suppressed.

Note that the battery 55 may be arranged on one side of the trailer 1 in the Y direction (here, the positive side) as shown in FIG. 7, or may be arranged over substantially the entirety of the trailer 1 in the Y direction. For example, when the weight of the control unit 57 provided on the +Y side is smaller than the sum of the weights of the deceleration unit 16 and the motor 54 provided on the -Y side, the components of the trailer 1 can be arranged with good left-right balance by arranging the battery 55 biased toward the +Y side. Further, for example, by arranging the battery 55 over substantially the entirety of the trailer 1 in the Y direction, a larger battery 55 can be arranged, so that the capacity of the battery 55 mounted on the trailer 1 can be increased.

<Summary of embodiment>
The above embodiment discloses at least the following trailers.

1. The trailer of the above embodiment (for example 1)
A one-wheel trailer mountable to the rear of a bicycle (e.g. V),
a motor (eg, 14) that drives the one wheel (eg, 10);
a battery (e.g. 15) that powers the motor;
A storage unit (for example, 121) that can store luggage,
In the front-rear direction of the bicycle with the trailer attached to the bicycle, the rear end of the storage section and the rear end of the battery are positioned forward of the axle (eg, 11) of the wheel.

According to this embodiment, deterioration in running stability of the bicycle can be suppressed. Specifically, by locating the rear end of the storage portion on the front side of the axle, it is possible to suppress deterioration in running stability of the bicycle even when luggage is loaded in the storage portion. Furthermore, by locating the battery, which is particularly heavy among the parts for driving the trailer, in front of the axle, it is possible to more effectively suppress deterioration in the running stability of the bicycle.

2. According to the above embodiment,
In the longitudinal direction, the rear end of the motor is located forward of the axle.

According to this embodiment, since the motor is positioned forward of the axle, it is possible to more effectively suppress deterioration in running stability of the bicycle.

3. According to the above embodiment,
A plurality of gears (e.g., 161 to 163) are further provided for decelerating the rotation of the motor and transmitting it to the wheels. In the longitudinal direction, among the plurality of gears, the rear ends of the gears (e.g., 162 to 163) other than the gears connected to the axle are positioned forward of the axle of the wheel.

According to this embodiment, part of the gear for speed reduction is positioned forward of the axle, thereby more effectively suppressing deterioration in running stability of the bicycle.

4. According to the above embodiment,
The trailer can be attached to the bicycle such that the storage unit, the battery, the motor, and the plurality of gears are located behind the rear wheel of the bicycle in the front-rear direction when attached to the bicycle.

According to this embodiment, this allows for a well-balanced arrangement of heavy objects between the wheels of the trailer and the rear wheels of the bicycle.

5. According to the above embodiment,
further comprising a control unit (for example, 17) that controls driving of the motor;
The battery is positioned entirely on one side with respect to the center of the wheel in the vehicle width direction of the bicycle with the trailer attached to the bicycle,
The motor and the control unit are provided so as to be entirely positioned on the side opposite to the one side with respect to the center of the wheel in the vehicle width direction.

According to this embodiment, the components of the trailer can be arranged in a well-balanced manner on the left and right sides, so that deterioration in running stability of the bicycle can be suppressed.

6. According to the above embodiment,
further comprising a control unit (for example, 17) that controls driving of the motor;
The battery is provided so as to straddle from one side to the opposite side with respect to the center of the wheel in the vehicle width direction of the bicycle with the trailer attached to the bicycle,
The motor is provided so as to be entirely positioned on the one side in the vehicle width direction,
The control unit is provided so as to be entirely positioned on the opposite side in the vehicle width direction.

According to this embodiment, the components of the trailer can be arranged in a well-balanced manner on the left and right sides, so that deterioration in running stability of the bicycle can be suppressed.

7. According to the above embodiment,
A front end of the motor and a front end of the battery are positioned rearward of a middle point between the axle and the axle of the rear wheel of the bicycle in the longitudinal direction when the trailer is attached to the bicycle.

According to this embodiment, at least the weight of the motor 14 and battery 15 will be on the wheels 10 . Therefore, the grip force of the wheels 10 is improved, and the running stability of the bicycle V to which the trailer 1 is attached can be improved.

The invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the invention.

1: trailer, 14: motor, 15: battery, 121: housing, V: bicycle

Claims (7)

A one-wheel trailer mountable to the rear of a bicycle,
a motor that drives the one wheel;
a battery that powers the motor;
A storage unit that can store luggage,
The rear end of the storage section and the rear end of the battery are located forward of the axle of the wheel in the front-rear direction of the bicycle with the trailer attached to the bicycle.
A trailer characterized by: A trailer according to claim 1,
A rear end of the motor is located forward of the axle in the front-rear direction,
A trailer characterized by: A trailer according to claim 2,
further comprising a plurality of gears for decelerating the rotation of the motor and transmitting it to the wheels, wherein in the longitudinal direction, a rear end of each of the plurality of gears other than the gear connected to the axle is located forward of the axle of the wheel;
A trailer characterized by: A trailer according to claim 3,
The trailer is attachable to the bicycle such that the storage unit, the battery, the motor, and the plurality of gears are located behind the rear wheel of the bicycle in the front-rear direction when attached to the bicycle.
A trailer characterized by: A trailer according to claim 1,
further comprising a control unit that controls driving of the motor;
The battery is positioned entirely on one side with respect to the center of the wheel in the vehicle width direction of the bicycle with the trailer attached to the bicycle,
The motor and the control unit are provided so as to be positioned entirely on the side opposite to the one side with respect to the center of the wheel in the vehicle width direction.
A trailer characterized by: A trailer according to claim 1,
further comprising a control unit that controls driving of the motor;
The battery is provided so as to straddle from one side to the opposite side with respect to the center of the wheel in the vehicle width direction of the bicycle with the trailer attached to the bicycle,
The motor is provided so as to be entirely positioned on the one side in the vehicle width direction,
The control unit is provided so as to be entirely positioned on the opposite side in the vehicle width direction.
A trailer characterized by: A trailer according to claim 1,
The front end of the motor and the front end of the battery are positioned rearward of an intermediate point between the axle and the axle of the rear wheel of the bicycle in the longitudinal direction when the trailer is attached to the bicycle.
A trailer characterized by:

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