JP2617059B2 - Electric transmission for bicycle - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bicycle electric transmission for controlling a transmission position of a transmission mounted on a bicycle by a motor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The prior art relating to this type of bicycle electric transmission is as follows. (1) As the automatic transmission, a technique as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-8955, that is, the running speed and crank speed of a bicycle are measured, and the running speed and crank speed are set in advance. It is known that the chain is automatically changed so as to stay within the set range. (2) As a technique for designating a shift position, a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 3-16316 or Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 3-16317, that is, a change guide device is moved by a motor. An electric shift mechanism for shifting a chain from one transmission gear to another transmission gear, wherein the shift position shift due to the influence of gear backlash, elongation of an operation wire, etc. is detected by a gear position detection unit or an overrun control. Some are intended to be eliminated by providing a means. (3) As a speed change switch, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-23
As disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 674/67, the electrical contact is mechanically switched by operating a speed change lever,
A device using a mechanical contact such as a key switch as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 790 is known. (4) As the shift position display section, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-895
As disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-8350 and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 55-8708, there has been known one provided at a place separated from a speed change switch.

[0003]

The above prior arts have the following problems. That is, the automatic transmission described in the above (1) has the following problems. Humans have various sensitivities. In other words, there are those who prefer to reduce the pedal rotation speed with a large pedaling force even if they run at the same speed, and conversely, those who like to run with a higher pedaling speed with a small pedaling force. Depending on the condition and fatigue of the person, the position of the gear required by the person will be different, so with a certain automatic transmission, the gear will automatically shift unexpectedly,
Or, there was a problem that the gear was not shifted when the gear was desired. Further, in the device of the above item (1), a sensor for detecting the traveling speed and a sensor for detecting the gear position are required, and the structure becomes complicated, which causes an increase in cost and a failure.

[0004] Also, in the shift positioning device described in the above item (2), the accuracy of the shift position is improved by providing a gear position detecting device and an overrun control device, so that the structure is also complicated, which leads to cost reduction. It was causing the up and breakdown.

Further, since the speed change switch described in the above item (3) uses mechanical contacts, there are problems such as wear of the contacts, poor contact due to dust, and short-circuit due to rainwater.

Further, in the shift position display device described in the above item (4), when the shift operation is performed because the shift position display section is separated from the shift switch or the shift lever.
First, read the current gear position from the shift position display section,
Then, it is necessary to search for the intended switch button and press it, or press the Up / Down switch to perform the shift operation while checking the number of gears. Safe operation was required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, so that the stepping at the start of the bicycle is light, and the speed change operation can be reliably performed with a light touch. It is an object of the present invention to provide a bicycle electric transmission that can easily and reliably select a designated gear position.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, in a bicycle having a transmission, a traveling stop determination circuit for determining whether the vehicle is traveling or stopped and a shift position of the transmission are controlled. An electric transmission device for a bicycle, comprising: a control circuit that reads an output of the travel stop detection circuit when the bicycle stops and drives a motor to automatically set a shift position of the transmission to a designated position. Thus, the bicycle electric transmission is configured.

Further, the above-mentioned transmission is used as an external transmission,
A traveling stop determination circuit that determines whether the vehicle is traveling or stopped and a control circuit that controls a shift position of the transmission; reads an output of the traveling stop detection circuit when the bicycle stops, and drives a motor to change the speed; The shift position of the machine may be automatically set to the designated position.

The above-mentioned transmission is a transmission equipped with a planetary gear mechanism, and includes a traveling stop determination circuit for determining whether the vehicle is traveling or stopped and a control circuit for controlling a shift position of the transmission. Sometimes, the output of the travel stop detection circuit is read, and the motor is driven to automatically set the shift position of the transmission to the designated position.

The transmission may be provided with a step cam, a hub generator provided on the axle of the bicycle may be used as a power source, and a shift switch in the shift operating device may be a touch sensor. Alternatively, a shift switch may be provided for each shift speed, and a light emitting unit may be provided for each of the shift switches so that the switch corresponding to the shift position emits light.

[0012]

In the electric transmission device for a bicycle constructed as described above, when the bicycle stops, the travel stop detection sensor and the shift control circuit work, and the motor and the speed reducer are activated, and as a result, the transmission is operated via the operation wire and the like. Is set to the designated gear position, so that the vehicle can start smoothly with a light driving force.

In particular, in the case of a transmission having a step cam, when a shift switch is operated, a motor or a speed reducer is operated, and as a result, a step cam provided on a reel portion of the transmission via an operation wire or the like. Rotates, and the transmission is set to a designated gear position corresponding to the shift switch in conjunction with the rotation of the transmission. Therefore, the step cam can improve poor gear shifting due to the effects of gear backlash in the reduction gear, elongation of the operating wire, and the like, and can surely perform the gear shifting operation with a light operation.

[0014] The hub generator provided on the hub axle of the axle includes:
The battery is constantly charged while the bicycle is running, so the secondary battery is constantly charged. Therefore, the shift operation can be performed whenever necessary. That is, there is no possibility that the shift operation cannot be performed due to the exhaustion of the battery as in the related art.

When a touch sensor is used as the operation switch, a shift position can be designated by lightly touching the switch. In addition, since sufficient sealing can be performed, intrusion of rainwater and dust can be prevented, and poor contact and short circuit can be prevented.

A switch (such as a touch sensor or a key switch) is provided for each gear, and the number of gears is displayed on each of the gears. The switch button corresponding to the current gear position emits light to light or flash. With this configuration, it is very safe because the gearshift operation can be performed quickly and without mistake in the intended gearshift position.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the figure, 1 (see FIG. 2) is a front wheel of a bicycle, 2 is a rear wheel,
3 is a bicycle frame head pipe, 4 is a front fork,
5 is a handle post, 6 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) is a handlebar, 7 is a handle grip, 8 is a brake lever, 9 is a basket, 10 is a ramp, 11 is an upper pipe, 12 is a lower pipe, 13 is a standing pipe, 14 is a chain stay, 15 is a backhoe, 16 is a rear pawl, and 17 is a gear crank.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a hub generator D used as a power source in the present invention is used.
To the axle 18 of the front wheel 1. FIG. 3 shows an example of the hub generator D (Japanese Patent Application No. 3-287947).
In this method, a wheel hub 19 is rotatably fitted to an axle 18 fixed to a bicycle frame, and a hollow cylindrical fixed cylinder 20 is fixed to the axle 18 inside the hub 19. The generator coil 21 is fixedly provided in the fixed cylindrical body 20, and a rotor 23 integrally formed with the magnet 22 is rotatably provided on the axle 18 to increase the rotation of the hub 19. And a planetary gearing X that transmits the rotation to the rotor 23.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a block diagram of a circuit of the device of the present invention, wherein D is a hub generator provided in a hub body 19 of the front wheel 1, 24 is a rectifier circuit, and 25 is a running stop determination circuit. ,
The output of the rectifier circuit 24 is detected, and is constituted by an IC or a transistor. Reference numeral 26 denotes a one-shot multivibrator constituted by an IC or a transistor. 27 is a secondary battery such as a battery, and 28 is a shift operation switch, which is configured by a touch sensor. Reference numerals 29a and 29b denote control circuits, each comprising an IC for a mutual reset type touch switch, for example, TC9135P, and a selector for selecting an output thereof. Reference numeral 30 denotes an electronic buzzer, 31 denotes a shift position display LED, 32 denotes a DC motor, 33 denotes a speed reducer, 34 denotes an operation wire, and S denotes a transmission.
That is, in the present invention, the electric power transmission for the bicycle is performed by using the hub generator D provided on the axle portion 18 of the bicycle as a power source, activating the motor 32, the speed reducer 33, and the transmission S via the operation wire 34. Configure the machine.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment in which the electric transmission according to the present invention is mounted on a bicycle having a multi-stage freewheel 35, in which a hub generator D is mounted on an axle portion 18 of a front wheel, and a grip portion of a steering wheel. 7, a speed change switch 28 (FIG. 4,
5), a battery (rechargeable battery) 27 is attached to the back of the basket 9, a DC motor 32 and a speed reducer 33 are provided below the chain stay 14 near the hanger, and a rear claw is provided.
A rear derailleur (exterior transmission) 36 having a step cam 36a (see FIG. 6) is provided at 16 and is configured to interlock with a reel 33a provided on a reduction gear 33 via an operation wire 37. 38 is a chain.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the speed change switch 28, which is provided with a number of switches or touch sensors 28a, 28b, 28c --- corresponding to the gear positions.
Also, the corresponding gear numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are displayed on the respective switches or the touch sensors 28a to 28e, and the switch 28 at each shift position emits light (lights up or flashes) to facilitate light emission. So that the shift position can be confirmed.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the speed change switch 28, which is provided with two switches 28A and 28B. When one of the switches is pressed, the speed is shifted to the high side, and when the other is pressed, the speed is shifted to the low side. To do it. A step number display section 39 is provided near the switches 28A and 28B so that the shift position can be checked at a glance.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show an example of the rear derailleur (exterior transmission) 36 shown in FIG. 2. A reel 36b is provided coaxially with the step cam 36a. The other end of the operation wire 37 wound around 33a is wound. 36c is a bracket fixed to the bicycle frame, 36d and 36e are parallel links pivotally supported at one end to this bracket 36c, and 36f is one of these links
A cam follower pivotally supported by 36e and constantly pressed against the step cam 36a, 36g is a chain guide connected to the other ends of the parallel links 36d and 36e, and 36h and 36i are for a chain guide pivotally supported by the chain guide 36g. It is a sprocket.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the same reference numerals as those described above denote the same components. In this embodiment, a hub transmission 40 having a planetary gear mechanism Y in a hub 2a of the rear wheel 2 is used in place of the external transmission 36 described above.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the hub transmission 40.
41 is an axle that pivots the rear wheel 2 to the frame, 42 is a hub transmission
40 is a sprocket, which is an input member, and 43 is a push rod slidably provided in the axle 41.
, The rotation input from the sprocket 42 can be shifted and output to the hub 2a.
44 is a step cam for operating the push rod 43, and 45 is a reel coaxial with the cam 44, around which the operation wire 37 is wound.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the same reference numerals as those described above denote the same components. In this embodiment, a gear crank 17 is equipped with a planetary gear mechanism Z (a bicycle transmission disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 4-45512), and a DC motor 32 provided below the chain stay 14 near the hanger. The input rotation of the crankshaft 46 is speed-changed by the planetary gear mechanism Z and output to the crank gear 47 via an operation wire 37 wound around a reel 33a driven via the speed reducer 33.

Next, the operation of the apparatus of the present invention configured as described above will be described. First, an embodiment in which the electric transmission of the present invention is mounted on a bicycle having the multi-stage freewheel 35 will be described. The hub generator D provided on the axle 18 of the front wheel 1 can be used as a power source any time the bicycle is running, and the generated power is rectified by the rectifier circuit 24 shown in FIG. doing. When performing a shift operation, touching the shift switch (touch sensor) 28 detects the switch operation with the control circuit 29a and turns on the buzzer output for operation confirmation.
, And the electronic buzzer 30 sounds.

At the same time, the output corresponding to the operated shift switch 28 is turned ON, and the DC motor 32 rotates to a predetermined position by the action of the selector in the control circuit 29b. The rotation of the DC motor 32 is reduced by a speed reducer 33 to reduce the speed.
The reel 33a (see FIG. 2) fixed to the shaft of 33 rotates. The rotation is transmitted to a reel 36b (see FIGS. 6 and 7) provided on the rear derailleur 36 via an operation wire 37, and rotates together with a step cam 36a provided integrally therewith. The rotation of the step cam 36a causes the chain guide 36g of the rear derailleur 36 to move to the multi-stage freewheel 35.
Is moved to the position of the desired sprocket, and the chain 38 is shifted to complete the speed change. At the same time, the LED of the light emitting section 31 (see FIG. 4) of the shift switch 28 emits light.
As described above, when the shift switch 28 is operated, the corresponding LED of the light emitting unit 31 emits light, the electronic buzzer 30 (see FIG. 1) for operation confirmation sounds, and the number of gears corresponding thereto is set.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are explanatory views of the operation of the rear derailleur 36 by the action of the step cam 36a. That is, when the operation wire 37 is pulled in the direction of arrow A, the step cam 36a rotates in the direction of arrow E together with the reel 36b. Then, the links 36d and 36e rotate in the direction of arrow K, and the chain guide 36g moves in the direction of arrow H. Conversely, when the operation wire 37 is loosened in the direction of arrow B, the step cam 36a rotates in the direction of arrow F together with the reel 36b. Then, the links 36d and 36e rotate in the arrow J direction, and the chain guide 36
g moves in the direction of arrow G.

FIG. 12 (a) is a graph showing the appropriate range of the derailleur shift by the step cam 36a by a thick line M, and FIG. 12 (b) is the point P showing the appropriate derailleur shift range in the general system. It is a graph. That is, if the shift position is controlled by the step cam 36a, the appropriate shift range is much wider than the point P which is the appropriate shift range of the general system, as indicated by the thick line M, so that the shift is always performed reliably. Become like

As shown in FIG. 13A, the hub generator D generates power while the bicycle is running, so there is a rectifier circuit output, but when the bicycle stops, the output of the hub generator D disappears. This is detected by the traveling stop determination circuit 25 as shown in FIG. 13 (b), and the one-shot multivibrator 26 is turned on as shown in FIG. 13 (c). A pulse of several hundred ms is generated from the one-shot multivibrator 26 and input to the shift control circuit 29a (see FIG. 1). Since the optimal gear position for starting the bicycle is set on this circuit in advance, the motor 32 is driven as shown in FIG. 13 (d) in the same manner as when the shift switch 28 is operated by this input. By doing so, the chain 38 is replaced at the designated position, so that the bicycle can start smoothly.

FIG. 8 shows an example in which the present invention is applied to a bicycle having a transmission hub 40. In this case, the same operation as in the above embodiment is performed. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the transmission hub 40 operated by the step cam 44. That is, when the operation wire 37 is pulled in the direction of arrow A, the step cam 44 rotates in the direction of arrow E, and the push rod 43 is pushed in the direction of arrow N. Accordingly, the corresponding claw in the planetary gear mechanism Y is disengaged. Select and shift. Conversely, when the operation wire 37 is loosened in the direction of the arrow B, the step cam 44 rotates in the direction of the arrow F, and the push rod 43 is returned in the direction of the arrow M accordingly, so that another claw is selected and the speed is changed. .

FIGS. 10 and 11 show the case where the present invention is applied to a bicycle having a transmission provided with a planetary gear mechanism Z in a gear crank portion 17, which also operates in the same manner as in the above embodiment. That is, the power is turned on by the shift switch 28,
By rotating the DC motor 32 in the direction of the arrow P or Q, the operating wire 37 can be moved in the direction of the arrow R or T via the speed reducer 33 to select a desired gear and shift.

[0034]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. (1) Since the gear is always shifted to the designated gear at the time of starting, the vehicle can start smoothly with a small driving force. (2) To change gear, just push the operation switch lightly.
(In the case of a touch sensor, just touch it lightly), anyone can easily and with a light operating force. (3) Since the transmission is operated using the step cam, the influence of the elongation of the operation wire and the backlash of the gear of the speed reducer can be reduced, and the gear can be shifted reliably.
Further, since the adjustment interval of the operation wire can be lengthened, maintenance becomes easy. (4) Since the secondary battery is being charged from the hub generator which is constantly generating power during running, there is no trouble that the battery runs out and the shift operation cannot be performed as in the conventional case. The troublesome work of charging from a power source is extremely reduced. (5) Since the hub generator is used as the travel stop signal source (travel stop detection sensor), the number of components of the travel stop detection unit can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced. (6) When a touch sensor is used for the shift switch, the shift position can be specified by lightly touching, and since there is no wear of the contacts and rainwater and dust can be prevented from entering, it is possible to prevent poor contact or short circuit. Can be. (7) When an electronic buzzer is provided, an electronic sound is generated when the shift switch is operated, and the operation can be confirmed. Further, in the shift switch section, the switch corresponding to the current gear position emits light, lights up or flashes, so that the shift position can be easily confirmed, and the intended switch can be pressed quickly. Therefore, it is not necessary to turn the line of sight downward to check the gear position or to press the shift switch while checking the display of the number of gears, and the vehicle can always run forward, so that it is possible to provide a highly safe bicycle electric transmission. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an example in which the device of the present invention is mounted on a bicycle having a multi-stage freewheel.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an example of a bicycle hub generator used as a power source in the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial plan view showing an example of a speed change switch.

FIG. 5 is a partial plan view showing another example of the speed change switch.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing an example of an external transmission having a step cam, and FIG. 6B is a plan view of the step cam.

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view of the external transmission having a step cam.

FIG. 8 is a side view showing an example in which the device of the present invention is mounted on a bicycle having a transmission hub.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a speed change hub having a step cam.

FIG. 10 is a partial side view showing an example in which the device of the present invention is mounted on a bicycle having a transmission having a planetary gear mechanism in a gear crank portion.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of a transmission having a planetary gear mechanism in a gear crank section.

FIG. 12A is a graph showing an appropriate shift range of an external transmission having a step cam, and FIG. 12B is a graph showing an appropriate shift range of a general system.

FIG. 13 is an operation explanatory diagram of the circuit in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Front wheel 2 Rear wheel 3 Head pipe 4 Front fork 5 Handle post 6 Handlebar 7 Handle grip 8 Brake lever 9 Basket 10 Lamp 11 Upper pipe 12 Lower pipe 13 Vertical pipe 14 Chainstay 15 Backhawk 16 Rear claw 17 Gear crank 18 Axle D Hub generator 19 Hub body 20 Fixed cylinder 21 Power generation coil body 22 Magnet 23 Rotor X Planetary gear 24 Rectifier circuit 25 Travel stop determination circuit 26 One-shot multivibrator 27 Secondary battery (battery) 28 Shift switch (touch) Sensor) 29a, 29b Control circuit 30 Electronic buzzer 31 Light emitting unit 32 Motor 33 Reducer 33a Reel 34 Operation wire S transmission 35 Multi-stage freewheel 36 Exterior transmission (rear derailleur) 37 Operation wire 38 Chain 39 Stage number display Y planetary gear Mechanism 40 Hub transmission 41 Axle 42 Sprocket 43 Push rod 44 Step cam 45 Reel Z Planetary gear mechanism 46 Crankshaft 47 Crank gear

Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. A bicycle electric transmission device comprising: a bicycle having a transmission; a traveling stop determination circuit for determining whether the vehicle is traveling or stopped; and a control circuit for controlling a shift position of the transmission. An electric transmission device for a bicycle, wherein the output of the travel stop detection circuit is read when the vehicle stops, and the motor is driven to automatically set the shift position of the transmission to a designated position. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a traveling stop determination circuit for determining whether the vehicle is traveling or stopped and a control circuit for controlling a shift position of the transmission. An electric transmission for a bicycle, wherein an output of the travel stop detection circuit is read and a motor is driven to automatically set a shift position of the transmission to a designated position. 3. The transmission according to claim 1, wherein the transmission includes a planetary gear mechanism. The transmission includes a travel stop determination circuit that determines whether the vehicle is traveling or stopped and a control circuit that controls a shift position of the transmission. An electric transmission device for a bicycle, wherein when the bicycle is stopped, the output of the travel stop detection circuit is read, and the motor is driven to automatically set the shift position of the transmission to a designated position. 4. An electric transmission for a bicycle according to claim 2, wherein said transmission comprises a step cam. 5. The bicycle electric transmission according to claim 1, wherein a hub generator provided on an axle of the bicycle is used as a power source. 6. The speed change operation device according to claim 1, wherein the speed change switch is a touch sensor.
The electric transmission for a bicycle according to claim 3, 4, or 5. 7. A shift switch is provided for each shift speed, and a light emitting portion is provided in each of the shift switches, so that a switch corresponding to a shift position emits light.
7. The electric transmission for a bicycle according to 4, 5, or 6.