JP2023174985A - Electric vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To enhance safety by inhibiting self-propelling of an electric bicycle attributable to an erroneous manipulation for pushing and walking.SOLUTION: An electric bicycle 1 having an electric motor 21 includes a control unit 221 that selectively implements a first mode in which the electric bicycle is run by adding a first auxiliary driving force exerted by the electric motor 21, to a man power driving force based on an effort made to depress a pedal 17 and a second mode in which the electric bicycle is pushed by a walking user with a second auxiliary driving force exerted by the electric motor 21, added to a pushing force applied to a body 10, or is made self-propelled by applying the second auxiliary driving force, an operation unit 40 that accepts a manipulation for implementing the second mode, and a movement detection unit (vehicle speed sensor 243) that detects a movement of the electric bicycle 1. The control unit 221 implements the second mode during a period when an accepting state in which the operation unit 40 accepts the manipulation coincides with a detecting condition in which the movement detection unit detects the movement of the electric bicycle 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to an electric bicycle and a control method for an electric bicycle.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, an electric bicycle has been disclosed that is equipped with an electric motor and is capable of exerting an auxiliary driving force of the electric motor when pushing the electric bicycle while walking (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to this electric bicycle, by pushing the electric bicycle while walking, it is possible to obtain auxiliary driving force from the electric motor when pushing the electric bicycle.

Patent No. 4118985

By the way, in an electric bicycle equipped with a push-and-walk mode, an auxiliary driving force is generated based on a user's push-and-walk operation, and the electric bicycle accelerates to a predetermined speed. Therefore, if the user mistakenly performs a pushing operation, the electric bicycle will move on its own against the user's intention. This self-propelled movement not only confuses users, but can also cause accidents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electric bicycle and an electric bicycle control method that can suppress self-propulsion of an electric bicycle caused by an erroneous push-walking operation and improve safety.

In order to achieve the above object, an electric bicycle according to one aspect of the present invention is an electric bicycle equipped with an electric motor, which adds a first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor to a human driving force based on pedal force. Switch between the first mode in which the vehicle travels by itself, and the second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force from the electric motor is added to the pushing force on the vehicle body to push it around, or the second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added to the vehicle and it runs on its own. a control unit that accepts an operation for executing the second mode; and a movement detection unit that detects movement of the electric bicycle; The second mode is executed during a period when the detection state in which the movement detection section detects movement of the electric bicycle overlaps.

Further, a method for controlling an electric bicycle according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first mode in which the electric bicycle runs by adding a first auxiliary driving force from an electric motor to a human driving force based on pedal force; The second mode is executed when switching between the second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force by the motor is added to the pushing force on the vehicle body and the vehicle is pushed around, or the second auxiliary driving force is added to the second mode in which the vehicle moves on its own. During a period in which the reception state in which the operation unit accepts an operation to perform the electric bicycle and the detection state in which the movement detection unit detects movement of the electric bicycle overlap, the second Run mode.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress self-propulsion of an electric bicycle caused by an erroneous operation in a push-and-walk operation, and to improve safety.

FIG. 1 is a side view of an electric bicycle according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the handle and operation section of the electric bicycle according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the electric bicycle according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the electric bicycle control method according to the embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that all of the embodiments described below are specific examples of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement and connection forms of the components, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not described in the independent claims representing the most significant concept of the present invention will be explained as arbitrary constituent elements.

Furthermore, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily strictly illustrated. Therefore, for example, the scales and the like in each figure do not necessarily match. Further, in each figure, substantially the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping explanations will be omitted or simplified.

Furthermore, in the following description, "front" refers to the direction in which the electric bicycle travels, and "rear" refers to the opposite direction. Specifically, the handle side is "in front" of the electric bicycle's saddle. The "left-right direction" is a direction perpendicular to the front-back direction.

(Embodiment)
[composition]
First, the configuration of the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment will be explained.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an electric bicycle 1 according to an embodiment.

The electric bicycle 1 has a first mode and a second mode. The first mode is, for example, an assist mode, which assists the vehicle body 10 to move forward based on the user's pressing force on the pedal 17. The second mode includes, for example, a push walking mode or a self-propelled mode. In the push walking mode, when the user pushes the electric bicycle 1 while walking, the forward movement of the vehicle body 10 is assisted based on the force of the user pushing the vehicle body 10 forward. In the self-propelled mode, the forward movement of the vehicle body 10 while supporting the electric bicycle 1 is assisted.

The electric bicycle 1 includes a vehicle body 10, a motor drive unit 20 attached to the vehicle body 10, an operating section 40, a battery 50, a headlight 60, a crank rotation sensor 31, a pedal force sensor 33, and a current sensor 130. , a vehicle speed sensor 243 , and a gear position measuring section 70 .

The vehicle body 10 includes a frame 11, a front wheel 12, a rear wheel 13, a handle 14, a saddle 15, a crank 16, pedals 17, a sprocket 18, and a chain 19.

The frame 11 includes a head pipe 111, a main frame 112, a vertical pipe 113, a fork 114, and a chainstay 115. The head pipe 111 rotatably supports a fork 114 that supports the front wheel 12 and a handle 14 about the axis of the head pipe 111 . By turning the handle 14 left and right, the direction of the front wheel 12 supported by the fork 114 can be rotated left and right.

The main frame 112 is a part that connects the head pipe 111 and the vertical pipe 113. A crank 16 and a motor drive unit 20 are attached to the lower end of the main frame 112. The electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment is a so-called center unit type electric bicycle 1 in which a crank 16 and a motor drive unit 20 are integrated.

The vertical pipe 113 supports the saddle 15 in a detachable manner. Specifically, a seat post that supports the saddle 15 is inserted into and fixed to the vertical pipe 113. In this embodiment, the battery 50 is detachably attached to the vertical pipe 113.

The fork 114 rotatably supports the front wheel 12. A headlamp 60 is attached to a fork 114 that supports the front wheel 12. Chain stay 115 rotatably supports rear wheel 13.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the handlebar 14 and the operating section 40 of the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the handle 14 is provided with a pair of grips 141 and a brake lever 142 on the left and right sides. The pair of grips 141 are parts that are held by hands when riding in an appropriate posture. Furthermore, the pair of grips 141 are held in the hands when pushing or supporting the electric bicycle 1 while walking, and receive a forward pushing force. At least one of the pair of grips 141 may be provided with a grip sensor that detects gripping force or pressing force.

The pair of brake levers 142 are operation levers of a brake device (not shown) attached to each of the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 13. By operating one of the brake levers 142, a brake device attached to the front wheels 12 is driven, and a mechanical braking force is applied to the front wheels 12. By operating the other brake lever 142, the brake device attached to the rear wheel 13 is driven, and provides mechanical braking force to the rear wheel 13.

The brake lever 142 is provided with a brake sensor 143 (see FIG. 3), and this brake sensor 143 detects an operation on the brake lever 142.

An operating section 40 is provided near one of the pair of brake levers 142 (the left brake lever 142 in this embodiment). The operation unit 40 is a terminal device that includes a light switch (not shown) that turns on the headlight 60, a power switch 41 (see FIG. 3), and the like. Further, the operating section 40 includes a mechanical manual switch 42. The manual switch 42 accepts a pushing operation for executing the second mode. The manual switch 42 is, for example, a momentary type switch. Specifically, while the manual switch 42 is being pressed by the user, the operating unit 40 continues to output a second mode on signal for executing the second mode to the control device 22 (described later). On the other hand, during the period when the manual switch 42 is not pressed down, the operating unit 40 does not output the second mode-on signal to the control device 22.

As shown in FIG. 1, the saddle 15 is a part on which a person (user) sits when the user rides in an appropriate posture.

The crank 16 has a crankshaft 161 and a pair of crank arms 162. One crank arm 162 is provided on each side of the main frame 112, and is fixed to both ends of the crankshaft 161 extending in the left-right direction. One end of the crank arm 162 is fixed to the crankshaft 161, and the pedal 17 is rotatably fixed to the other end. When a pedal force is applied to the pedal 17, the crank arm 162 rotates around the crankshaft 161, and the human driving force resulting from the rotation is transmitted to the rear wheel 13 via the sprocket 18 and chain 19. When operating in the first mode, the human driving force based on the pedal effort and the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 added to the human driving force are transmitted to the rear wheels 13.

The motor drive unit 20 is a unit in which an electric motor 21 and a control device 22 are housed in a resin or metal casing.

The electric motor 21 is driven by receiving power from the battery 50 under the control of the control device 22 . The rotational torque of the electric motor 21 is transmitted to the sprocket of the rear wheel 13, causing the rear wheel 13 to rotate. Rotational torque means the first auxiliary driving force and the second auxiliary driving force. Further, the electric motor 21 can perform a regenerative operation of generating regenerative power to charge the battery 50 when not being driven and does not output a motor output, and can operate as a regenerative brake.

The electric motor 21 is a motor that provides a first auxiliary driving force and a second auxiliary driving force. The electric motor 21 adds the first auxiliary driving force to the human power driving force based on the pedal force applied to the pedal 17 while executing the first mode. Further, the electric motor 21 adds a second auxiliary driving force to the force of pushing or supporting the electric bicycle 1 while executing the second mode.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 22 controls the operation of the electric motor 21 based on sensing information from sensors such as a crank rotation sensor 31, a pedal force sensor 33, a current sensor 130, a vehicle speed sensor 243, and a gear position measuring section 70. Control. In this embodiment, the control device 22 is housed inside the casing of the motor drive unit 20, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The control device 22 may be provided separately from the motor drive unit 20.

The control device 22 is realized by, for example, a microcontroller, and includes a nonvolatile memory in which a program is stored, a volatile memory that is a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input/output port, and an input/output port for executing the program. It consists of a processor, etc. Alternatively, the control device 22 may be implemented with a dedicated electronic circuit.

The control device 22 is connected to an electric motor 21 , a crank rotation sensor 31 , a pedal force sensor 33 , a current sensor 130 , a vehicle speed sensor 243 , a gear position measuring section 70 , a power switch 41 , an operation section 40 , a battery 50 , and a headlight 60 has been done. The control device 22 receives operation signals for each switch and detection results from each sensor.

The crank rotation sensor 31 and the pedal force sensor 33 are arranged near the crankshaft 161. Current sensor 130 is placed near the rotating shaft of electric motor 21 .

The crank rotation sensor 31 can detect the number of rotations of the crank 16 per unit time. The crank rotation sensor 31 is realized by having a gear-shaped rotating body and a photodetector having a light emitting part and a light receiving part arranged so as to sandwich the teeth of the rotating body. Note that the crank rotation sensor 31 may have any configuration as long as it can detect the rotation speed of the crank 16.

The current sensor 130 is a circuit that calculates the value of the current flowing through the electric motor 21, and outputs current information indicating the current value. Current sensor 130 includes a motor rotation sensor 32 and a motor torque sensor 131. The current sensor 130 calculates a current value using the number of rotations of the electric motor 21 per unit time detected by the motor rotation sensor 32 and the torque of the electric motor 21 detected by the motor torque sensor 131. Note that the calculation of the current value can be performed by the motor rotation sensor 32 and the motor torque sensor 131, respectively. Therefore, it is not necessary to use both the motor rotation sensor 32 and the motor torque sensor 131 to calculate the current value.

The motor rotation sensor 32 includes a magnet that rotates integrally with the rotation shaft of the electric motor 21 and a Hall IC. The Hall IC detects the number of rotations of the magnet per unit time, that is, the number of rotations of the electric motor 21, by detecting a change in the magnetic field that changes according to the rotation of the magnet. Note that the motor rotation sensor 32 may have any configuration as long as it can detect the rotation speed of the electric motor 21.

Motor torque sensor 131 can detect the torque of electric motor 21. The motor torque sensor 131 is, for example, a magnetostrictive type, strain gauge type, or optical type torque sensor, but is not limited thereto, and may have any configuration as long as it can detect the torque of the electric motor 21.

The pedal force sensor 33 is a magnetostrictive torque sensor, and detects the human power driving force generated when the crankshaft 161 rotates based on the human power driving force applied to the pedal 17 . The pedal force sensor 33 includes a coil and a magnetostriction generating section. For example, when a pedal force is applied to the pedal 17 and human driving force is generated, distortion occurs in the magnetostriction generating section. In the magnetostriction generating portion, there are areas where magnetic permeability increases and areas where magnetic permeability decreases. By detecting the inductance difference between these coils, the human power driving force is detected. Note that the configuration of the pedal force sensor 33 is not particularly limited, and any configuration may be used as long as it can detect the human driving force applied to the pedal 17. Human power driving force is synonymous with pedal force.

Vehicle speed sensor 243 is provided, for example, at the lower end of fork 114. Vehicle speed sensor 243 detects the running speed of electric bicycle 1 from the rotation of front wheel 12 and transmits speed information indicating the running speed to control device 22 . In other words, the vehicle speed sensor 243 is a movement detection section that detects movement of the electric bicycle 1. Vehicle speed sensor 243 is, for example, a speed sensor. Vehicle speed sensor 243 outputs speed information regarding the traveling speed of electric bicycle 1 to control device 22 . The speed sensor may be, for example, a foil sensor or the like, but it may also be a cycle computer that calculates based on the ground speed, and may have any configuration as long as it can detect the speed of the electric bicycle 1.

The gear position measuring unit 70 measures the gear position of the rear wheels 13 and transmits information indicating the gear position to the control device 22. The measurement of the gear position may be realized, for example, by outputting information indicating the gear position output from the gear position switching device to the control unit 221.

The control device 22 controls the operation of the electric motor 21 based on sensing information from sensors such as the crank rotation sensor 31, the pedal force sensor 33, the current sensor 130, the vehicle speed sensor 243, and the gear position measuring section 70, that is, the appropriate first assistance. The output of the electric motor 21 for applying the driving force and the second auxiliary driving force is controlled. In this embodiment, the control device 22 is housed inside the casing of the motor drive unit 20, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The control device 22 may be provided separately from the motor drive unit 20.

The control device 22 supplies electric power supplied from the battery 50 to the electric motor 21 and the headlight 60.

The control device 22 has a control section 221. The control unit 221 drives the electric motor 21 according to the operation mode of the electric bicycle 1. Specifically, the control unit 221 has a first mode and a second mode, and executes the process by switching between the first mode and the second mode.

The assist mode, which is an example of the first mode, is a mode in which the vehicle travels by adding the first auxiliary driving force from the electric motor 21 to the human power driving force based on the pedal force applied to the pedal 17 . The assist mode is executed when the user is riding the electric bicycle 1 after the power switch 41 is pressed and the power is turned on. Specifically, the assist mode is executed when the pedal force on the pedal 17 detected by the pedal force sensor 33 is greater than a predetermined threshold.

The second mode is a mode in which the second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 is added to the pushing force on the vehicle body 10 to push the vehicle, or a mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added to the vehicle to self-propel (push-walking mode or self-propelling mode). ). That is, the push walking mode is a mode in which the second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 is applied to the vehicle body 10 when the user pushes the electric bicycle 1 while the power is on. The push walking mode is executed when the user is not riding the electric bicycle 1 and walks while pushing the body 10 of the electric bicycle 1.

The self-propelling mode is a mode in which the electric bicycle 1 is supported by the user and the second auxiliary driving force from the electric motor 21 is applied to the vehicle body 10 to make the electric bicycle 1 self-propelled. The self-propelled mode, like the push-and-walk mode, is executed when a person is not riding the electric bicycle 1 and walks while supporting the body 10 of the electric bicycle 1. In the self-propelled mode, the user is not applying any force to push the vehicle body 10 forward.

Note that the push walking mode and the self-propelling mode can be determined by the presence or absence of a forward pushing force on the vehicle body 10. For example, the control unit 221 may detect the presence or absence of a forward pushing force using a grip sensor provided on the grip 141 or the like, and may switch between a push walking mode and a self-propelled mode depending on the detection result. . Alternatively, the control unit 221 may execute the mode as a second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added, without distinguishing between the push walking mode and the self-propelled mode.

When executing the assist mode, the control unit 221 determines the magnitude of the first auxiliary driving force generated by the electric motor 21 based on the pressing force on the pedals 17 and the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1. The pedal force on the pedal 17 is obtained from the detection result by the pedal force sensor 33. The traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1 is calculated by the vehicle speed sensor 243.

Note that a table in which the rotational speed of the crank 16 and the speed of the electric bicycle 1 are associated in advance may be stored in the memory of the control device 22. The control unit 221 may determine the running speed of the electric bicycle 1 from the rotation speed of the crank 16 by referring to the table.

The first auxiliary driving force in the assist mode varies depending on the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1, but is, for example, twice as large as the force applied to the pedals 17 or less. For example, when the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1 is less than 10 km/h, the control unit 221 generates a first auxiliary driving force that is twice or less the force applied to the pedals 17 by driving the electric motor 21 . The control unit 221 does not cause the electric motor 21 to generate the first auxiliary driving force when the speed is 24 km/h or more. When the speed is greater than or equal to 10 km/h and less than 24 km/h, the control unit 221 drives the electric motor 21 to generate a first auxiliary driving force determined according to the speed.

The control unit 221 executes the second mode during the period when the acceptance state and the detection state overlap. The reception state is a state in which the operation unit 40 is accepting an operation (pushing operation) for executing the second mode. Specifically, the reception state is a state in which the second mode-on signal is output from the operation unit 40 to the control device 22 by pressing the manual switch 42 by the user. The accepting state can also be said to be a state in which the user indicates that he/she wants the second auxiliary driving force to be added to the electric bicycle 1 while pushing the electric bicycle 1.

The detection state is a state in which the vehicle speed sensor 243, which is a movement detection section, is detecting movement of the electric bicycle 1. Specifically, the detection state is a state in which the traveling speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 243 is greater than zero. The detection state occurs when the electric bicycle 1 is running, and also occurs when the electric bicycle 1 is being pushed while walking. Here, during push walking, the pedal force sensor 33 does not detect human driving force. Therefore, the control unit 221 can determine, based on the detection result of the pedal force sensor 33, whether the detected state occurs during running or the detected state occurs when pushing the vehicle. In other words, the detection state when the pedal force sensor 33 is not detecting human power driving force can be said to be a state in which the user indicates an intention to push the electric bicycle 1 while walking.

In this way, the second mode is executed during a period in which the reception state and the detection state overlap, so even if the user accidentally operates the manual switch 42 while the electric bicycle 1 is stopped (non-detection state), the second mode will not be activated. Bimodal is not executed.

The control section 221 has a clock section 222. The clock section 222 clocks the time that the detection state continues. If the detection state occurs after the acceptance state occurs, the control unit 221 executes the second mode when the time measurement result of the time measurement unit 222 exceeds a predetermined time. In this way, the second mode is executed after the reception state and the detection state are aligned and the detection state continues for a predetermined period of time. The second mode will not be executed if you simply do so.

Note that the control unit 221 can calculate the distance since the detection state occurred based on the duration of time since the detection state started to occur and the traveling speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 243 during that time. be. The control unit 221 may execute the second mode after the detection state continues for a predetermined distance.

The predetermined time or the predetermined time is a time or distance that reflects the user's intention to push the electric bicycle 1 while walking. For example, the predetermined time may be 1 second or more, and the predetermined distance may be 50 cm or more.

On the other hand, if the reception state occurs after the detection state occurs, the control unit 221 executes the second mode immediately after the reception state occurs. For example, when the user operates the manual switch 42 while pushing the electric bicycle 1 while walking, the user's intention to push the electric bicycle 1 while walking is already reflected. In this case, since the second mode is executed immediately after the acceptance state occurs, time loss can be suppressed.

The control unit 221 stops the second mode when at least one of the reception state and the detection state is canceled during execution of the second mode. Canceling the acceptance state is a state in which the operation unit 40 does not accept an operation for executing the second mode. Specifically, this is a state in which the manual switch 42 is no longer pressed by the user and the second mode-on signal is not output from the operation unit 40 to the control device 22. Canceling the detection state is a state in which the vehicle speed sensor 243, which is a movement detection section, does not detect movement of the electric bicycle 1. Specifically, this is a state in which the traveling speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 243 is zero.

The control unit 221 also functions as a stop detection unit that detects a stopping operation of the electric bicycle 1 based on the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor 243. The stopping operation is an operation until the electric bicycle 1 comes to a complete stop. Specifically, the control unit 221 determines that the electric bicycle 1 is performing a stopping operation when the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor 243 indicates a deceleration or negative acceleration compared to immediately before. . When the control unit 221 detects a stopping operation of the electric bicycle 1 during execution of the second mode, the control unit 221 stops the second mode. Moreover, the control unit 221 stops the second mode when the brake sensor 143 detects an operation on the brake lever 142 while the second mode is being executed. In these cases, the second mode is stopped before the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1 reaches zero.

Note that the second mode does not need to be executed when the pressing force on the pedal 17 is greater than a predetermined threshold. That is, the first mode and the second mode are executed exclusively.

When executing the second mode, the control unit 221 causes the electric motor 21 to generate the second auxiliary driving force so that the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1 does not exceed a predetermined upper limit. The second auxiliary driving force in the second mode is, for example, such that the speed of the electric bicycle 1 is less than 6 km/h. Here, the upper limit of the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1 is 6 km per hour, but it may be 3 km and is not particularly limited.

The battery 50 is a storage battery that stores power for driving the electric motor 21. The battery 50 is, for example, a secondary battery, but may also be a capacitor or the like. Battery 50 is electrically connected to electric motor 21 . Specifically, the battery 50 supplies electric power to the electric motor 21 and charges regenerated electric power from the electric motor 21 .

[How to control an electric bicycle]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the control method for the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment.

Here, assuming that the power switch 41 is turned on in advance, a process for causing the electric bicycle 1 to execute the second mode will be described. Note that if the power switch 41 is turned off during execution of the second mode, the power supply to the electric motor 21 is stopped, and therefore the second mode is also stopped.

In step S1, the control unit 221 determines whether or not the acceptance state and the detection state overlap. If they overlap, the process proceeds to step S2; if they do not overlap, the control unit 221 continues in that state.

In step S2, when the reception state and the detection state overlap, the control unit 221 determines whether or not the reception state has occurred first, and if the reception state has occurred first, the control unit 221 proceeds to step S3. If the detected state has occurred first, the process moves to step S4.

In step S3, the control unit 221 determines whether the detection state has been continued for a predetermined time, and if the detection state has been continued for a predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S4, and if the detection state has not been continued for a predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S1. do.

In step S4, the control unit 221 executes the second mode. That is, if the reception state and the detection state are aligned after the reception state occurs first (YES in step S2), the second mode is executed after a predetermined period of time has passed since the reception state and detection state are aligned. On the other hand, if the reception state and the detection state are aligned after the detection state occurs first (NO in step S2), the second mode is executed immediately after they are aligned. In either case, the electric bicycle 1 is running when the second mode starts. Therefore, the control unit 221 may gradually increase the starting speed of the electric motor 21 in the second mode so as to correspond to the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1 immediately before executing the second mode. This makes it possible to reduce the impact immediately after executing the second mode.

In step S5, the control unit 221 determines whether or not a stopping motion of the electric bicycle 1 is detected based on the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor 243, and if it is detected, the process moves to step S8, and if it is not detected. If so, the process moves to step S6.

In step S6, the control unit 221 determines whether or not an operation on the brake lever 142 is detected based on the detection result of the brake sensor 143, and if detected, the process moves to step S8; if not detected Then, the process moves to step S7.

In step S7, the control unit 221 determines whether or not the accepting state has been released. If the acceptance state has been released, the process moves to step S8; if it has not been released, the process moves to step S5.

In step S8, the control unit 221 stops the second mode. In this way, the second mode is executed during the period when the acceptance state and the detection state overlap. After the second mode is stopped, the control unit 221 ends this process and returns to the beginning.

[Effect]
Next, the effects of the electric bicycle 1 and the control method for the electric bicycle 1 in this embodiment will be explained.

As described above, the electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment is an electric bicycle 1 equipped with an electric motor 21, and the first auxiliary driving force from the electric motor 21 is added to the human driving force based on the pedal force on the pedals 17. A first mode in which the vehicle is driven by adding the second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 to the pushing force on the vehicle body 10, or a second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added to the pushing force on the vehicle body 10 and the vehicle is driven by itself. The electric bicycle 1 includes a control section 221 that switches and executes the electric bicycle 1, an operation section 40 that accepts an operation (push-walking operation) for executing the second mode, and a movement detection section (vehicle speed sensor 243) that detects movement of the electric bicycle 1. , the control unit 221 executes the second mode during a period in which the reception state in which the operation unit 40 is accepting the operation and the detection state in which the movement detection unit is detecting movement of the electric bicycle 1 overlap.

Further, the control method for the electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment includes a first mode in which the electric bicycle 1 is run by adding a first auxiliary driving force from the electric motor 21 to the human driving force based on the pedal force applied to the pedals 17. and a second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 is added to the pushing force on the vehicle body 10 and the vehicle is pushed around, or the second auxiliary driving force is added to the second mode in which the vehicle moves by itself. A reception state in which the operation unit 40 that accepts an operation for executing the second mode is accepting the operation, and a detection state in which the movement detection unit that detects movement of the electric bicycle 1 is detecting movement of the electric bicycle 1. The second mode is executed during the period in which the two overlap.

In this way, the second mode is executed during the period when the reception state and the detection state overlap, so even if the user accidentally operates the manual switch 42 when the electric bicycle 1 is stopped, the second mode will not be executed. In other words, it is possible to prevent the electric bicycle 1 from running on its own against the user's intention. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the electric bicycle 1 from running on its own due to an erroneous push-walking operation, thereby increasing safety.

Furthermore, the start of execution of the second mode is a period in which the acceptance state and the detection state overlap, so it is when the electric bicycle 1 is running. That is, in the second mode, the electric motor 21 is activated when the electric bicycle 1 is traveling. Therefore, even compared to the case where the electric motor 21 is driven from the time when the electric bicycle 1 is stopped, the load on the electric motor 21 and each driving section can be reduced. If the load on the electric motor 21 is small, the electromotive force can also be reduced, and as a result, the load on the battery 50 can also be suppressed. Furthermore, if the load on each drive section is small, the reinforcement for each drive section can be reduced accordingly. Thereby, an increase in the weight of the electric bicycle 1 itself can be suppressed.

Further, if the detection state occurs after the acceptance state occurs, the control unit 221 executes the second mode after the detection state continues for a predetermined time or a predetermined distance.

In this way, the second mode is executed after the reception state and the detection state are aligned and the detection state continues for a predetermined period of time. The second mode will not be executed if you simply do so. Therefore, the safety of the electric bicycle 1 can be further improved.

Furthermore, if the reception state occurs after the detection state occurs, the control unit 221 executes the second mode immediately after the reception state occurs.

For example, if the user operates the manual switch 42 while pushing the electric bicycle 1 while walking, the user's intention to push the electric bicycle 1 while walking is already reflected. In this case, since the second mode is executed immediately after the acceptance state occurs, it is possible to suppress the time loss until the start of execution of the second mode.

Furthermore, the electric bicycle 1 includes a stop detection section (control section 221) that detects a stop operation of the electric bicycle 1, and the control section 221 is configured to detect a stop operation when the stop detection section detects a stop operation during execution of the second mode. to stop the second mode.

For example, when the user senses some kind of danger and performs an action to stop the electric bicycle 1, the electric bicycle 1 also performs a stopping action due to this action. Since the control unit 221 stops the second mode based on the stopping operation of the electric bicycle 1, the application of the second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 is stopped. Therefore, the electric bicycle 1 can be stopped quickly, and safety can be further improved.

Furthermore, the electric bicycle 1 includes a brake sensor 143 that detects an operation on the brake lever 142, and when the brake sensor 143 detects an operation on the brake lever 142 during execution of the second mode, the control unit 221 Stop the second mode.

For example, when the user operates the brake lever 142 during push walking, the control unit 221 stops the second mode, and therefore the application of the second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 is stopped. Therefore, the electric bicycle 1 can be stopped quickly, and safety can be further improved.

(others)
Although the electric bicycle and the control method for the electric bicycle according to the present invention have been described above based on the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the vehicle speed sensor 243 is illustrated as the movement detection section. The movement detection section may be of any type as long as it can detect movement of the electric bicycle 1. Other movement detection units include, for example, a grip sensor provided on the grip of the handle, a vibration sensor that detects vibrations of the electric bicycle 1 itself, and a GPS sensor. In the case of a grip sensor, it is assumed that movement of the electric bicycle 1 is detected when the grip sensor detects a forward pushing force. In the case of a vibration sensor, it is assumed that movement of the electric bicycle 1 is detected when the vibration sensor detects vibration of the electric bicycle 1 itself.

Further, in the above embodiments, the time measurement section is provided in the control device, but it may be provided in the control section, or it may be provided outside the control device.

Furthermore, in the above embodiments, all or part of the components of the control device may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. good. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a semiconductor memory. good.

Furthermore, the components of the control device 22 may be composed of one or more electronic circuits. Each of the one or more electronic circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

The one or more electronic circuits may include, for example, a semiconductor device, an IC (Integrated Circuit), an LSI (Large Scale Integration), or the like. An IC or LSI may be integrated into one chip or into multiple chips. Here, it is called an IC or LSI, but the name changes depending on the degree of integration, and may be called a system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). Furthermore, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that is programmed after the LSI is manufactured can also be used for the same purpose.

Further, general or specific aspects of the invention may be implemented in a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, or computer program product. Alternatively, the computer program may be implemented in a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium such as an optical disk, HDD, or semiconductor memory. Further, the present invention may be realized by any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

In addition, forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that those skilled in the art can think of, or by arbitrarily combining the constituent elements and functions of each embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The form is also included in the present invention.

1 Electric bicycle 10 Vehicle body 14 Handle 17 Pedal 21 Electric motor 40 Operation section 142 Brake lever 143 Brake sensor 221 Control section (stop detection section)
243 Vehicle speed sensor (movement detection unit)

The present invention relates to an electric vehicle .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electric vehicle that can suppress self-propulsion of the electric vehicle caused by an erroneous push-walking operation and improve safety.

In order to achieve the above object, an electric vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention is an electric vehicle equipped with an electric motor, and the electric vehicle runs while applying a first auxiliary driving force from the electric motor to the vehicle body with a first speed as an upper limit. a control unit that switches and executes a first mode in which the vehicle runs while applying a second auxiliary driving force from the electric motor to the vehicle body with a second speed lower than the first speed as the upper limit; The control unit includes an operation unit that accepts an operation to execute the second mode, and a movement detection unit that detects movement of the electric vehicle . When the second mode is executed during a period in which the detection state in which movement of the vehicle is detected overlaps , and the operation unit is operated and the second mode is executed, switching to the first mode is possible. Can not .

Claims (6)

An electric bicycle equipped with an electric motor,
A first mode in which the vehicle runs by adding a first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor to the human driving force based on the pedal force, and a second mode in which the vehicle runs by adding a second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor to the pushing force on the vehicle body. a control unit that switches and executes a second mode in which the vehicle is pushed around or self-propelled by adding the second auxiliary driving force;
an operation unit that accepts an operation for executing the second mode;
a movement detection unit that detects movement of the electric bicycle,
The control unit executes the second mode during a period in which a reception state in which the operation unit is accepting the operation and a detection state in which the movement detection unit is detecting movement of the electric bicycle overlap. Electric bicycle. The electric motor according to claim 1, wherein when the detection state occurs after the acceptance state occurs, the control unit executes the second mode after the detection state continues for a predetermined time or a predetermined distance. bicycle. The electric bicycle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein if the acceptance state occurs after the detection state occurs, the control unit executes the second mode immediately after the acceptance state occurs. comprising a stop detection unit that detects a stop operation of the electric bicycle,
The electric motor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit stops the second mode when the stop detection unit detects the stop operation during execution of the second mode. bicycle. Equipped with a brake sensor that detects operations on the brake lever,
The control unit stops the second mode when the brake sensor detects an operation on the brake lever during execution of the second mode. Electric bicycle. A first mode in which the electric bicycle travels by adding a first auxiliary driving force by an electric motor to the human driving force based on the pedal force, and a second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor is added to the pushing force against the vehicle body. When performing the operation by switching between the second mode in which the vehicle is pushed and walked, or the second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is added and the vehicle is self-propelled,
a reception state in which an operation unit that accepts an operation for executing the second mode is accepting the operation; and a detection state in which a movement detection unit that detects movement of the electric bicycle is detecting movement of the electric bicycle. A method for controlling an electric bicycle, wherein the second mode is executed during a period in which the two modes overlap.

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