JP3082832B2 - Electric vehicle - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric vehicle capable of utilizing a battery by utilizing a human operating force.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 6-304204 discloses that in an electric vehicle propelled by a driving force of a motor, an operation force generated when the vehicle is moved forward or backward by human power is detected, and an operation force corresponding to the operation force is detected. An operation force detection unit that generates an electric signal is attached to a vehicle, and a conversion unit that generates a motor drive signal based on the electric signal of the operation force detection unit is provided, and the output of the motor is controlled by the drive signal of the conversion unit. An electric vehicle provided with a control unit that performs the control is disclosed.

[0003]

However, in the above-described electric vehicle, the driving force is increased in accordance with the operating force. Therefore, when the running load increases and the driving force needs to be increased, It is necessary to increase the operation force of the person, and there is a problem that the burden increases when the operator is a weak person.

In addition, since the starting point (threshold) of the drive signal with respect to the operation force and the output ratio of the drive force are constant values, if the operator is a person who has extra power, it is unnecessarily necessary. There is a problem that the driving force is output and the human operating force cannot be utilized.

Further, there is a tendency that a person whose strength of one arm is inferior to the strength of the other arm is operated due to an obstacle or the like, or that the strength of the dominant arm always exceeds the strength of the other arm. There is also a problem that it is difficult to keep the vehicle straight when an operation is performed by a person.

Therefore, the present invention can increase the driving force without increasing the burden on the operator even if the operator is a weak person.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric vehicle that can easily operate a vehicle using a human operating force.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a driving unit for applying a driving force to wheels provided on a vehicle body, and a driving unit provided on the vehicle body for propelling a vehicle. An operation unit that detects an operation force and outputs an electric signal corresponding to the operation force, and outputs a drive signal for supplementing the operation force when the electric signal of the operation unit reaches a preset threshold value. In the electric vehicle including a control unit, the control unit, after the electric signal reaches the threshold value,
This for generating and outputting a new drive signal based on the value of the threshold is subtracted from the sum of said electrical signal and the drive signal
Is repeated .

Conventionally, when the running load increases and the driving force needs to be increased, it is necessary to increase the operating force of a person. However, according to the above, the total of the operating force and the driving force is required. A new driving force is set based on the value obtained by subtracting the threshold value from the value. Therefore, even if the running load increases,
It is possible to have a function of keeping the operation force of a person near the threshold value.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, a threshold value setting means for setting the threshold value is connected. The threshold can be set to any predetermined value by the threshold setting means. Therefore, it is possible to have a function capable of setting the starting point of the rising of the driving force according to the muscle strength of the operator.

[0010] The invention of claim 3 relates to claim 1 or 2.
And the control unit determines that the electric signal has reached the threshold value.
After that, the sum of the electric signal and the drive signal is calculated.
The value obtained by subtracting the threshold value is output as a new drive signal,
Before the driving force reaches the upper limit,
The control is performed so as to maintain the operating force. To the threshold
After that, the driving force rises while the
Propulsion is secured.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a driving unit for generating a driving force independent of each other by receiving a driving signal corresponding to each of the wheels provided on both sides of the vehicle body. An operation unit that is provided on the vehicle body, detects an operation force when a person propells the vehicle, and outputs an electric signal corresponding to the operation force, and a predetermined threshold value of the electric signal of the operation unit. And a control unit that outputs the drive signal for compensating for the driving force for each of the operation units when the threshold value is reached. The setting means is connected.

A threshold value can be set individually by, for example, a desired threshold value for each of the left and right wheels by a control unit for an operation unit corresponding to each wheel. Therefore, it is possible to have a function capable of appropriately setting the rising start points of the driving force in accordance with the left and right muscle strengths of the operator.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a wheel incorporated in the electric vehicle of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a fixed shaft of the wheel, FIG. 3 is a side view of the wheel viewed from the inside, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a wheel to which a cover is attached.

FIG. 1 shows the right wheel 1 as viewed from the front of the vehicle, but the left wheel 2 has a similar shape to the left and right. The wheels 1 and 2 include a fixed shaft 11, a hub 12, a spoke 13, a rim 14, a tire 15,
It is an integral body with the hand rim 16 as the main part.

The portion of the fixed shaft 11 is shown in detail in FIG. The fixed shaft 11 is formed in a hollow shape, and has a hollow portion 21 penetrating along the center of the shaft. This hollow part 21
Is provided with a signal wiring 22. The inside end 22a of the signal wiring 22 and the end 23a of the signal wiring 23 extending from the operation unit 4 described later are attached by a connector member 24, and the connection work of attaching and detaching the signal wirings 22 and 23 by the connector member 24. Can be done with one touch.

The outer end of the hollow portion 21 is provided with a large-diameter hole 21a.
The shaft 25a of the slip ring 25 is inserted into the end of the large-diameter hole 21a, and the O-ring 25c as a friction member prevents the shaft 25a from idling. The slip ring 25 has a structure capable of transmitting an electric signal even when there is a relative rotational movement between the side of the shaft 25a integral with the fixed shaft 11 and the main body 25b of the rotating wheel. Since the electric signal is compactly transmitted from the fixed operation unit 4 to the rotating wheels 1 and 2, the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the devices on the wheels 1 and 2 can be increased.

An external screw 11a is machined over at least half of the fixed shaft 11 from the inner end of the vehicle. Both ends of the boss portion 6 provided with the suspension hole 6a and the gap adjusting sleeve 26 are fastened by nuts 27 and 28 screwed to the external screw 11a, and the fixed shaft 11 is fixed to the vehicle body 7.

At the outer end of the fixed shaft 11, an inner ring portion 11b for the bearing ball 29 is provided to secure the strength of the fixed shaft 11 by inserting the shaft 25a of the slip ring into the hollow portion 21. . A deformed nut 31 having an inner ring portion 31a for the bearing ball 30 is screwed into the outer screw 11a of the fixed shaft 11. Outer ring portions 12a and 12b are formed on the hub 12 with respect to the bearing balls 29 and 30, and an appropriate rolling gap between the bearing balls 29 and 30 is secured by the degree of engagement of the deformed nut 31.

A support plate 32 is sandwiched and fixed between the nut 27 on the side opposite to the bearing of the deformed nut 31 and the nut 27. A sun gear 33 is fixed to the support plate 32 with bolts, and a planetary gear 34 fitted on the shaft of a motor 35 on the wheels 1 and 2 meshes with the sun gear 33. Since the sun gear 33, the support plate 32, and the fixed shaft 11 are fixed to the vehicle body 7, the planetary gear 34
Rotates around the sun gear 33 to drive the wheels 1 and 2.

Next, details of the driving mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 3, the six spokes 1 of the wheel
3, mounting brackets 37, 38, and 39 having a substantially triangular shape are fixed via brackets 36. As clearly shown in FIG. 4, the inside of the wheel is equally divided into six, a1, a2, b1, b2, c1, and c2, by the mounting plates 37, 38, and 39. The motor 35 is attached to the mounting plates 37 of the sections a1 and a2 symmetrically with respect to the center O with bolts, and the mounting plate 38 of the sections b1 and b2 is bolted with the battery unit 41 symmetrically with respect to the center O. The control unit 42 is attached to the attachment plates 39 of the sections c1 and c2 by bolts symmetrically with respect to the center O. As described above, the two sets of motors 35, two sets of battery units 41, and two sets of control units 42 constituting the drive mechanism are disposed symmetrically with respect to the midpoint O, so that Both effective use of space and running balance are ensured. In addition, each of the motor 35, the battery unit 41, and the control unit 42 is surrounded by a waterproof cover to prevent water from entering inside.

Although the motor 35 and the individual units 41 and 42 are waterproof with a waterproof cover or the like, if they are left exposed, they may be damaged by external force or impair the aesthetic appearance. Therefore, as shown in FIG. It is preferable to cover a cover 45 that surrounds the whole. The cover 45 is attached to the mounting plate 37.
The vehicle interior disk 41a is fixed by bolts to a column 46a standing upright and a column 47 standing upright on the mounting plate 38, and a column 48 attached to the spokes 13 and is bolted to the hand rim 16 by bolts. Outer disk 41b
And a cylindrical plate 41 fixed to the outer periphery of the circular plates 41a and 41b
c and 41d. The cylindrical plates 41c, 4
The outer diameter of 1d can be made smaller than the inner circumference of the hand rim 16 so that the hand rim 16 can be used.

As described above, when the wheels are covered with the cover 45,
A cover 41e is provided to make maintenance of the battery unit 41 difficult. The position of the lid 41e is the position indicated by the two-dot chain line a in FIG. 4. When the lid 41e is opened, replacement of the battery or the like can be easily performed.

Next, a procedure for retrofitting the wheels 1 and 2 will be described below. In FIG. 1, the connector member 24
The wheels 1 and 2 including the signal wiring 22 separated by the above are integrally assembled. First, the nut 28 and the sleeve 26 are removed. Since the connector member 24 has a smaller diameter than the fixed shaft 11, the nut 28 and the sleeve 26
Can be removed through 4. As shown in FIG.
The sleeve 26 is press-fitted. If the size of the suspension hole 6a of the boss 6 varies, the sleeves 26 having different outer diameters may be used.
Adjust by fitting. Then, one half of the connector member 24 is passed through the sleeve 26, and the signal wiring 22 is hung inside the vehicle. Next, the nut 28 is passed through the connector member 24, and the nut 28 is screwed into the outer screw 11 a of the fixed shaft 11 to fix the vehicle body 7 and the fixed shaft 11. After the operation device 3 described later is attached, the signal wiring 23 from the operation device 4 and the signal wiring from the wheels 1 and 2 are connected to the connector member 24.
To complete the retrofit.

Since the battery unit 41 and the motor 35 as a power supply are incorporated in the wheels 1 and 2, the signal wiring 22 sends out an electric signal, or when the operation device 3 does not have a built-in power supply, Since only the wiring including the power supply line is used, it is not necessary to pass the power supply line whose wiring outer diameter becomes large in proportion to the supplied power through the fixed shaft 11. Therefore, it is possible to secure the strength of the fixed shaft 11 by making the hollow hole 21 of the fixed shaft 11 a minimum hole. Although the control unit 42 is provided on the wheels 1 and 2 in the embodiment,
It may be incorporated in the operation device 3. Again,
The same wiring as described above is applied to the fixed shaft 11.

Next, the operating device 3 to be retrofitted similarly to the wheels 1 and 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 is a top view of the operating device, FIG. 7 is a front view of the operating device, FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 6, FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 6.

The operating device 3 is provided between the pair of hand-operated handles 8 on the vehicle body side, and the right operating portion 4 corresponding to the right wheel 1 is provided.
And a left operation unit 5 corresponding to the left wheel 2. Each of the operation units 4 and 5 is attached to a mounting portion 51 fitted to the push handle 8, a laterally concave main body 52 having one end integrated with the mounting portion 51, and a concave portion of the main body 52. A movable grip 53 movable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle,
An operation force detection unit 54 is provided in the main body 52 and connected to the movable grip 53.

The operating portions 4 and 5 are connected to each other by a pair of hinge portions 55 provided at predetermined intervals in the propulsion direction of the vehicle at the inner ends of the main bodies 52 and 52. By being rotatable about the center, the pair of opposed main bodies 52, 52 can be folded. The horizontal posture of the pair of main bodies 52 and 52 facing the ground between the push handles 8 is maintained by a stopper member 56. When the stopper member 56 is removed, the integral main bodies 52 and 52 can be folded.

The movable grip 53 can be gripped with a hand and can push and pull the vehicle body, and is provided at right angles to the propulsion (back and forth) direction of the vehicle and horizontally with respect to the ground. One end of the outer side of the movable grip 53 is rotatably supported by a shaft 61 in a horizontal plane with respect to the main body 52, and the other inner end of the movable grip 53 is connected to an operation force detecting unit 54. A holding area is secured. That is, the one end is on the side of the hand push handle 8 and the other end is on the center side of the vehicle, and the operation force detecting unit 54 is collectively located on the center side of the vehicle, and the movable grip 5
3 can be arranged in accordance with the width of a human shoulder.

The operating force detecting section 54 detects a moving amount of the other end of the movable grip 53 and outputs a signal corresponding to the moving amount, such as a potentiometer. An elastic member 62 that sometimes generates a repulsive force against the pressing force of the movable grip 53. The position detecting unit 60 and the elastic member 62 are provided on both the left and right main bodies 52, 52, respectively, and output independent electric signals to the driving mechanisms of the wheels 1, 2 corresponding to the left and right wheels 1, 2, respectively. It can output. By making the left and right operation units 4 and 5 independent, the driving force of the wheels can be changed corresponding to the left and right operation units 4 and 5 when the traveling direction of the vehicle is bent.

The details of the elastic member 62 are shown in FIG. The elastic member 62 has a structure that generates a reaction force corresponding to a displacement in any of the pushing and pulling directions, and includes a Y-type connector 63, a connecting rod 64, a first spring receiver 65, a coil spring 66, and a second spring receiver. The housing 66 and the housing 68 are main parts. The connecting rod 64 has a large diameter portion 64a.
A stepped portion 64c is formed between the stepped portion and the small diameter portion 64b, and both ends thereof are externally threaded portions 64d and 64e. A female screw portion 63a of a Y-type connector 63 is screwed into a male screw portion 64d on one end side of the connecting rod 64, and both are connected.
The end of the movable grip 53 is pin-connected to the mold connector 63. The first spring receiver 65 abuts on the stepped portion 64c side of the small diameter portion 64b of the connecting rod 64, and a round nut 64f is fixed to the male screw 64e of the small diameter portion 64b by screwing. Is abutted. A coil spring 66 is provided between the first spring receiver 65 and the second spring receiver 67 with an appropriate preload applied thereto.
The housing 68 includes a small-diameter hole 68b that supports the large-diameter portion 64a slidably in the axial direction, a large-diameter hole 68c that houses the first spring receiver 65 and the second spring receiver 67, and a first spring receiver 65. A stepped portion 68a is formed to be in contact therewith, and a large-diameter female screw portion 68d is machined on the other end side. An outer diameter of the round nut 64f is slidably supported in the female screw portion 68d in the axial direction, and a sleeve 69a with which the second spring receiver 67 abuts is screwed.
Are screwed together to position the sleeve 69a.

When the connecting rod 64 is pushed, the first spring receiver 65 is pushed by the step 64c of the connecting rod 64 and moves in the axial direction, but the second spring receiver 67 is moved to the sleeve 69a.
, The coil spring 66 is compressed, and a repulsive force corresponding to the pressing force is generated. When the connecting rod 64 is pulled, the second spring receiver 67 is pushed by the round nut 64f of the connecting rod 64 and moves in the axial direction. However, the first spring receiver 65 hits the step 68a of the housing and does not move. Is compressed to generate a repulsive force corresponding to the pressing force. Eventually, the coil spring 66 constituting the elastic member 62 has a structure in which when one of the front and rear ends receives a pressing force, the other end is supported on the fixed side, and a repulsive force corresponding to the pressing force of the movable grip 53 is generated. Has become. As a result, the movable grip 53 moves in accordance with the operation force of the person, and the position detector 61 converts this movement amount into an electric signal.

Further, the left and right operation units 4 and 5 of the operation device 3
The foldable structure of will be described. First, it is necessary that the mounting portion 51 be rotatably fitted to the push handle 8. As shown in FIG. 8, the sleeve member 71 is provided in a press-fit state with respect to the outer peripheral portion of the push handle 8.
Even when the outer diameter of the push handle 8 is not uniform, the sleeve member 71 ensures rotation of the mounting portion 51. The main body of the mounting portion 51 is rotatably fitted around the outer periphery of the sleeve member 71, and the front end of the mounting portion 51 is in contact with the flange portion 71 a of the sleeve member 71. A stepped small-diameter portion 72 is formed at a front portion of the main body of the mounting portion 51, and a split clamp member 74 having a ring-shaped convex portion 73 that fits into the small-diameter portion 72 is provided.
When the halved clamp member 74 is tightened with the bolt 75, the hand-push handle 8 is sandwiched by the grip portion 76 to be integrated. However, since the mounting portion 51 is rotatably fitted at the portion of the ring-shaped convex portion 73 of the clamp member 74 and is positioned in the front-rear direction, the mounting portion 51 slides on the outer periphery of the sleeve member 71 and rotates. it can.

As shown in FIG. 7, the inner ends of the main bodies 52, 52 are rotatably held by hinge shafts 55a, 55a, so that the vehicle body is folded and the push handles 8, 8 are moved inward. The hinge shafts 55a, 55
The portion 5a can be folded down as shown by the arrow b. Fig. 1 shows the details of the rotatable structure by this hinge member.
0 will be described. A pair of bracket plates 5 spaced apart in the thickness direction of the paper by a predetermined distance are provided at the inner ends of the main bodies 52, 52, respectively.
5b is fixedly provided, and a shaft hole 55c is formed in the pair of bracket plates 55b. Between the pair of brackets 55b, each of the brackets 55b of the main bodies 52, 52
, A common hinge plate 55d is provided. Penetrating the hinge plate 55d, the bracket 5
There are provided shafts 55a, 55a supported by shaft holes 55c of 5b, and the shafts 55a, 55a are set screws 55e, 55e.
Is locked in. With such a hinge member,
Each of the thick main bodies 52, 52 can be folded so that the two main points of the shafts 55a, 55a serve as fulcrums, as shown by a two-dot chain line. Notches 55f, 55f are provided at inner ends of the main bodies 52, 52 so that the hinge plate 55d does not interfere with the main bodies 52, 52.

Incidentally, the main bodies 52, 52 in the normal state
7 is maintained by the stopper member 56 in FIG. The stopper member 56 pivotally supports the plate 81 about a shaft 82 on the one main body 52 side, and a downward grip 8.
The plate 81 to which the plate 3 is attached is adapted to get over the retaining portion 84 and enter the other main body 52 side. In the illustrated state, the plate 81 of the stopper member 56 is
The main bodies 52, 52 are stably held in the horizontal posture via the. When the grip 81 is pulled over the retaining portion 84 and the plate 81 is pulled forward, the plate 81 is detached from the other main body 52, and the main bodies 52, 52 can be folded.

Each body 52 has two LEDs.
The lamps 85 and 86 are attached. The LED lamp 85 indicates power on / off, and the LED lamp 86 indicates remaining battery power. Potentiometer 61 and LED
The signal wires of the lamps 85 and 86 are wired to the vehicle body along the push handle 8. The mounting positions of the LED lamps 85 and 86 of the left and right operation units 4 and 5 are shifted in the front-rear direction so as not to interfere with each other when folded.

The retrofitting of the operating device 3 will be described below. First, as shown in FIG. 8, the sleeve member 71 is pressed into the push handle 8, and the mounting portion 51 of the operating device 3 is inserted into the sleeve member 71. And the split clamp member 7
When the hand-push handle 8 is clamped at 4, the clamp member 74 is pressed.
The mounting portion 51 is rotatably mounted at the portion of the ring-shaped convex portion 73. When the operator pushes or pulls the movable grips 53 to drive the vehicle, an electric signal corresponding to the force exerted on the movable grips 53 by the operator is transmitted through the signal line 23.
Sent to As shown in FIG. 1, the signal wiring 23 of the operating device 3 is connected to the signal wiring 22 on the wheels 1 and 2 by a connector member 24.

Next, the operating device 3 and the wheels 1, 2
The electric circuit and its operation will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an electric vehicle, and FIGS.
Fig. 14 is a block diagram of the equipment of the wheels 1 and 2, Fig. 14 is a graph showing the setting of the threshold value and its operation, and Fig. 15 is a graph showing the setting of the output ratio and its operation.

In FIG. 11A, 1 is a right wheel, 2 is a left wheel, and 3 is an operation device. The operating device 3 includes a right operating force detecting unit 54R and a left operating force detecting unit 54L, and the wheels 1 and 2 have motors 35R and 35L and a battery 41, respectively.
R, 41L and control units 42R, 42L are incorporated. The control units 42R and 42L include control units 91R and 91
1L and drive units 92R and 92L. The control units 91R and 91L perform predetermined processing on the electric signals from the operation force detection units 54R and 54L, and output the signals to the drive units 92R and 92L so as to obtain a predetermined driving force, thereby performing feedback control. The driving units 92R and 92L are connected to the battery 41.
The motors 35R and 35L are driven using the power supplies of R and 41L.

The control of the driving force by the control units 42R and 42L is performed based on the following equation (1). (Current man's operating force + current motor driving force-threshold)
× α = next motor driving force Equation 1 where α is a coefficient that determines the distribution of the auxiliary driving force when 0 <α ≦ 1. Equation 1 is used to determine a ratio of a driving force to be applied to a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined threshold value from a sum of a human operating force and a motor driving force. When α = 1, when the operating force of the person reaches the threshold value, all the propulsion force equal to or higher than the threshold value can be supplemented by the motor driving force. In this case, the operating force of the person is The threshold remains until the upper limit is reached. α
Becomes closer to 0, such as 0.5 or 0.3, the proportion of the motor driving force to the running load decreases.

The concept of Equation 1 will be further described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 (b) is a graph in which the horizontal axis represents (driving force + operating force), the sum of the human operating force and the motor driving force, and the vertical axis represents the generated driving force for this combined value. . The solid line in the illustrated example is the generated driving force when α = 1,
The dashed line indicates the total propulsion force, which is the sum of the operation force and the driving force. a corresponds to the threshold value,
No driving force is generated until the sum reaches the threshold value a, and since the output ratio α is 1, after the sum value reaches the threshold value a, the driving force is parallel to the total propulsion force. driving force is to be generated. Therefore, the control is such that after reaching the threshold value a, the driving force increases while the operation force of the person remains constant, and the total propulsion force is secured.

In the equation 1, the threshold a and the output ratio α (0
<Α ≦ 1) is an element that can change the burden ratio between the human operating force and the motor driving force, and is set by the setting units 93 and 9 described below.
3 '(see FIGS. 12 and 13) can be set individually. That is, the setting units 93 and 93 'constitute threshold value setting means and output ratio setting means.

Further details of the control will be described. 12, a setting unit 93 is provided in a control unit 91. That is, a dip switch or a rotary switch is provided at an appropriate position on the surface of the control unit 42 in the wheel in FIG. 4, and by operating this switch, the threshold value a and the output ratio α can be individually set. The setting unit 93 is provided by the CPU 9
4 and the signal of the operation force detection unit 54 is connected to the CPU 94 via the A / D conversion unit 95. Also, CP
The U 94 outputs necessary signals to the drive circuit 92 via the PWM circuit 96 so that the output can be adjusted by the pulse width. An external computer 98 for the communication section 97 connected to the CPU 94 and a charger 99 for the power supply 41 can be connected as necessary.

In FIG. 13, a setting section 93 'is provided in the operating device 4'. That is, a dip switch or a rotary switch is provided at an appropriate position near the LED lamps 85 and 86 in FIG. 6, and by operating this switch, the threshold value a and the output ratio α can be individually set. The electric signal from the setting section 93 ′ is supplied to the signal
Connected to PU94. Other points are the same as those in FIG.

Next, the operation when the predetermined threshold value is individually set for the left and right wheels 1 and 2 by the threshold value setting means will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14A is a graph showing the generation ratio of the driving force when the threshold value is set individually for the left and right, and FIGS. 14B and 14C are respectively the left operation force detection unit and the right operation force. It is a graph which shows the burden ratio of the force (operation force) which a person pushes a vehicle with respect to the running load in a detection part, and the motor which pushes a vehicle (drive force). Here, the running load is a load with respect to a force for propelling the wheelchair at an arbitrary speed, and includes a road surface condition such as a frictional resistance and a climbing angle, a running resistance such as a wind pressure, a wheelchair total weight including a passenger, and the like. It is based on The total propulsion force is a force for moving the wheelchair, and is obtained by adding the driving force and the operating force for a certain traveling load, and is directly proportional to the traveling load described above (one-to-one).
In a relationship.

In FIG. 14A, for example, a small threshold value a is set for the left operation force detection unit, and a large threshold value b is set for the right operation force detection unit. . As shown in FIG. 14 (b), when the threshold value a is small, the force of the motor pushing the vehicle is output earlier with respect to the traveling load, and the force of pushing the vehicle by the person also assists the motor from a small traveling load stage. receive. As shown in FIG.
Is large, the force that the motor pushes the vehicle is output late,
The force by which a person pushes the vehicle is assisted by the motor after the traveling load reaches a large stage.

As described above, when the threshold value setting means for individually setting the threshold values of the left and right operation units is provided, for example, when a person having different muscle strength of the left and right arms is operated due to an obstacle or the like,
The straightness of the vehicle can be maintained according to the person. Also, even if the driving force of the left and right wheels varies,
Variation can be compensated for by the threshold setting means.

Next, the operation by setting the output ratio of the generated driving force will be described with reference to FIG. The output ratio may be set for the entire vehicle, or may be set individually for each of the left and right wheels. When the output ratio setting means is provided on the entire vehicle, adjustment according to human power is possible. If the output ratio setting means is individually provided for each of the left and right wheels, the variation can be compensated for by the output ratio setting means even when the driving force of the left and right wheels varies.

FIG. 15 shows a case where the output is set for the entire vehicle. In FIGS. 15A and 15B, the output is set with a large output ratio α1, a medium output ratio α2, and a small output ratio α3. 2 shows the generation ratio of the driving force in the case where is switched. Here, α1 means α = 1, and α1
2, α3 is a numerical value smaller than 1 and satisfying α2> α3. FIGS. 15C, 15D, and 15E show the respective output ratios α.
6 is a graph showing a load ratio of a force (operation force) by which a person pushes a vehicle and a force (drive force) by which a motor pushes a vehicle with respect to a running load at 1, α2, and α3. FIG. 15C shows a case where the output ratio is α1 (α = 1), and shows the same pattern as in FIGS. 11B and 14 described above. In this case, as described above, after the traveling load reaches the threshold, until the output of the motor reaches the upper limit,
The driving force of the motor compensates for the required propulsion force, and the force by which a person pushes the vehicle can be controlled to be constant. Under normal driving conditions, the running load does not increase as the motor output reaches the upper limit, so a person only needs to output a threshold value as the force to push the vehicle, and a person with a weak force depends on the motor. While the vehicle is being pushed, the output ratio is set appropriately.

In FIG. 15D, the output ratio is α2
Assuming that (1>α2> α3), in order to obtain a necessary propulsion force (total propulsion force) for a traveling load larger than the threshold value, a person's pushing force on the vehicle is gradually increased. Is required, and the force of the motor pushing the vehicle increases in accordance with the increase. The total propulsion will be obtained by the joint work of human power and motor power against the running load. FIG.
In 5 (e), assuming that the output ratio is α3 (α2> α3), the ratio of the load on the running load of the force pressing the vehicle by the person increases, and the ratio of the load on the motor pressing the vehicle decreases. That is, the output ratio is set to be suitable for a case where a person who has relatively little power pushes the vehicle while saving the battery.

As described above, when the output ratio setting means capable of setting the output ratio for the entire vehicle or for each of the left and right wheels is provided, the operation force is maintained at a constant value (threshold value) for a person having a weak force. In the case of a person who can propell the vehicle in a state and has relatively extra power, the share of the driving force according to the power (output ratio)
Can be set to efficiently save battery and compensate for any imbalance in muscle strength.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a manual vehicle that can be modified so that the wheels and the operating device described above can be retrofitted. The driving wheel 101 has a large diameter of 22 or 24 inches,
A hand rim 102 formed into a ring shape with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the drive wheel 101 is connected to the drive wheel 1 via a mounting portion (not shown).
01 outside. In this wheelchair, a caregiver propels the vehicle by the push handle 103, or a person in the wheelchair turns the hand rim 102 by hand to propel the vehicle.

In the manual vehicle as described above, generally, a person whose upper body power is maintained is made to self-propell by using the hand rim 102. Becomes difficult. Therefore, in such a case, it is possible to easily change to an electric vehicle by replacing the wheel with a wheel provided with a drive mechanism. When the caregiver pushes by hand, the wheels can be replaced, and the operating device described in the present specification can be retrofitted into an energy-saving electric vehicle that can easily add electric power to human power. Further, as described in the present specification, when the operating device is of a type that utilizes a human operating force, if the configuration is such that the threshold value or the output ratio of the generated driving force can be appropriately set, the electric vehicle can be operated. It can be set to an easy-to-use state according to the person who does it.

[0053]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a new driving force is set based on a value obtained by subtracting a threshold value from the sum of the operating force and the driving force. Even if it becomes large, the operation force of the person can be kept near the threshold value (for example, a constant value of the threshold value), so that even a weak person can easily operate the vehicle according to the power that he can hold. This has the effect that it can be performed.

According to the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the threshold value can be set to an arbitrary predetermined value, so that the starting point of the driving force can be set according to the muscle strength of the operator. There is an effect that the operating force according to the operator can be utilized.

The invention of claim 3 provides the effects of claim 1 or 2.
In addition to the result, the human operating force is constant after the threshold is reached
The driving force rises and the total propulsion can be secured.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a threshold value can be individually set, for example, a desired threshold value for each of the left and right wheels by a control unit for an operation unit corresponding to each wheel, and the threshold value can be set in accordance with a human operating force. In addition, it is possible to obtain the left and right motor driving forces, so that even a weak person who has an imbalance in the left and right muscle strength can easily operate the vehicle.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a wheel incorporated in an electric vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a fixed shaft of a wheel.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the wheel as viewed from inside the vehicle.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the wheel as viewed from the outside of the vehicle.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a wheel to which a cover is attached.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the operation device.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the operation device.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 6;

FIG. 11 is an equipment block diagram of the electric vehicle.

FIG. 12 is a device block diagram of wheels.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of another device of the wheel.

FIG. 14 is a graph showing the setting of a threshold value and its operation.

FIG. 15 is a graph showing the setting of the output ratio and its operation.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a manual vehicle to be retrofitted.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2 Wheel 3 Operating device 7 Body 8 Push handle 11 Fixed shaft 12 Hub 13 Spoke 21 Hollow portion 22 Signal wiring 24 Connector member 25 Slip ring 25c O-ring (friction member) 29, 30 Bearing ball (bearing portion) 35 Motor ( Driving unit) 41 Battery unit (battery) 42 Control unit 51 Mounting unit 52 Main body 53 Movable grip 54 Operating force detection unit 55 Hinge unit 56 Stopper member 61 Position detection unit 62 Elastic member 71 Sleeve member 74 Clamp member 91 Control unit 93, 93 ′ Setting section (threshold setting means, output ratio setting means)

Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-6-304207 (JP, A) JP-A-3-31063 (JP, A) JP-A-8-206157 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int) .Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A61G 5/04 B62B 3/00

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] A driving unit for applying driving force to wheels provided on a vehicle body, an operating force provided when a person propells the vehicle, and an electric signal corresponding to the operating force is output. an operation unit that, in the electric vehicle and a control unit for outputting a driving signal to compensate for the operating force and the electric signal of the operating unit reaches a predetermined threshold value to the drive unit, the control Section, when the electric signal reaches the threshold value
After that, the electric vehicle repeatedly generates and outputs a new drive signal based on a value obtained by subtracting a threshold value from a sum of the electric signal and the drive signal. 2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein threshold value setting means for setting the threshold value is connected to the control unit. 3. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein:
After the electrical signal reaches the threshold,
The threshold was subtracted from the sum of the electric signal and drive signal
The value is output as a new driving signal, and the driving force is the upper limit value.
Keep the operating force at the threshold value until
Electric vehicle that controls the vehicle. 4. For each wheel provided on both sides of the vehicle body,
A drive unit that receives a drive signal corresponding to each of these wheels and generates a driving force independent of each other, and is provided on the vehicle body corresponding to each wheel, and detects an operation force when a person propells the vehicle to perform this operation. An operation unit that outputs an electric signal corresponding to a force, and a control unit that outputs the drive signal that supplements the driving force for each of the operation units when the electric signal of the operation unit reaches a preset threshold value. And a threshold value setting means for individually setting a threshold value of each operation unit is connected to the control unit.