JP3832705B2 - Electric auxiliary unit - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electric auxiliary unit that combines auxiliary power in response to a pedaling force input to a crankshaft with the pedaling force and transmits it to a drive wheel, and more particularly to an electric auxiliary unit that is excellent in waterproofness.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An electrically assisted bicycle that combines a drive system using pedal force and a drive system using an electric motor, that is, a so-called assist bicycle, combines auxiliary power in response to the pedal force input to the crankshaft with the pedal force and transmits it to the drive wheels. Is installed. Since the assist bicycle may be stored outdoors and may be used in rainy weather, a liquid-tight seal is required for the electric auxiliary unit.
[0003]
Regarding the sealing of the electric auxiliary unit, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-167159, the case pieces that are combined with each other to form the unit case are sealed with each other via a sealing member. .
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the conventional electric auxiliary unit, the waterproof property may be lowered due to aging of the sealing material. If the cover member of the exterior case is made of resin in order to promote weight reduction of the battery-assisted bicycle, the amount of deformation of the resin cover member with respect to external force is larger than that of aluminum, and the amount of deformation due to deterioration over time. Since it is larger than aluminum, there is a technical problem that it is difficult to obtain a high sealing performance when the cover member is fastened with a bolt to the exterior case of the electric auxiliary unit.
[0005]
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described conventional technical problems and to provide an electric auxiliary unit excellent in waterproofness.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides an electric auxiliary unit that combines auxiliary power in response to a pedaling force input to a crankshaft with the pedaling force and transmits it to a drive wheel. Is characterized in that a cover member is mounted via a seal member, and a waterproof rib covering the seal line by the seal member is provided along the outer periphery of the seal line.
[0007]
According to the above feature, even when rainwater or sludge falls on the electric auxiliary unit during raining or running, rainwater or the like does not fall directly on the seal line due to the shielding function of the waterproof rib. Therefore, substantially high waterproofness can be obtained without giving a high waterproof function to the seal line between the exterior case and the cover member.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 is a left side view of a battery-assisted bicycle to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a right side view showing a main part of the bicycle, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG.
[0009]
As shown in FIG. 1, the body frame 2 of the battery-assisted bicycle includes a head pipe 21 positioned in front of the vehicle body, a down pipe (main frame) 22 that extends rearward and downward from the head pipe 21, And a seat post 23 that rises upward and backward from the vicinity of the terminal end of the down pipe 22.
[0010]
The seat post 23 is integrally coupled to the down pipe 22, so that the vehicle body frame 2 is formed in a U-shape that is convex downward as a whole. The seat post 23 extends upward and rearward from the joint portion with the down pipe 22, and the down pipe 22 itself extends forward and upward from the joint portion, so that the distance between the two increases greatly as the distance from the joint portion increases. ing. Therefore, when getting on and off, the user can easily cross the U-shaped body frame 2.
[0011]
The connecting portion between the down pipe 22 and the seat post 23 and the peripheral portion thereof are covered with a resin cover 33 that is divided into two parts in the vertical direction and is attached and detached. A handle post 27A is rotatably inserted into the head pipe 21, and a handle 27 is coupled to an upper end portion thereof, and a front fork 26 is coupled to a lower end portion thereof. Since the front fork 26 is coupled to the handle post 27A, the front fork 26 can be steered by the handle 27. A front wheel WF is rotatably supported at the end of the front fork 26.
[0012]
An electric auxiliary unit 1 including an electric motor for assisting pedal effort is provided at the lower part of the body frame 2. The power switch 29 of the electric auxiliary unit 1 is provided in the vicinity of the head pipe 21 on the down pipe 22. The power switch 29 may be provided on the handle 27 in front of the handle post 27A.
[0013]
Pedals 12 are pivotally supported via cranks 11 at both left and right ends of a crankshaft 101 that is rotatably supported by the electric auxiliary unit 1. A rear wheel WR as a drive wheel is pivotally supported between the rear ends of the pair of left and right rear lower arms 25 extending rearward from the electric auxiliary unit 1. A pair of left and right rear upper arms 24 are provided between the upper portion of the seat post 23 and the terminal ends of both rear lower arms 25. A seat pipe 31 having a seat 30 at its upper end is slidably mounted on the seat post 23 so that the vertical position of the seat 30 can be adjusted.
[0014]
A battery storage case 5 (hereinafter referred to as a storage case) in which the battery 4 is stored is attached to the rear of the seat post 23 below the seat 30. The battery 4 includes a plurality of battery cells housed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped battery case, and the battery 4 is installed along the seat post 23 so that the longitudinal direction is substantially vertical.
[0015]
A handle 41 is provided at the end of the battery 4 in the longitudinal direction (upper end in FIG. 1). The handle 41 is pivotally supported with respect to the battery 4, and is normally retracted to a recess provided in a corner portion of the battery 4. In general, since the driver often stands on the left side of the vehicle body, the handle 41 can be easily set up by arranging the grip portion of the handle 41 on the right side of the vehicle body and the rotation shaft (not shown) at the center of the vehicle body. Further, a battery level indicator 42 is provided at a position biased to the left side from the seat 30 so that the remaining battery level can be easily confirmed from the position where the user is in the vehicle.
[0016]
In FIG. 3, an operation lever 45 for locking and unlocking the battery 4 and a wheel lock device 100 are installed behind the battery 4. The operation lever 45 is inserted in a side chamber 50 provided on the rear side of the battery storage case and extending in the vertical direction and having a substantially rectangular cross section. An engagement hook 52 that is urged clockwise by a torsion spring 51 in the clockwise direction is provided at the lower portion of the side chamber 50. When the battery is loaded, the engagement hook 52 engages with a concave portion 47 having a “<” shape in cross section provided at the lower portion of the battery 4 to fix the battery to the storage case 5. Since the lower portion of the battery 4 is fixed by the engagement hook 52, the battery 4 does not move up and down and left and right even when the vehicle body vibrates and maintains a stable mounting state.
[0017]
The seat 30 provided on the upper portion of the seat post 23 can be rotated forward to a position where it does not interfere with the drawing of the battery 4 by an unlocking operation of the lever 65. However, even if the seat 30 is tilted forward, the battery 4 cannot be pulled upward when the engagement hook 52 is engaged with the recess 47.
[0018]
The operation lever 45 is always urged upward by a spring (not shown) suspended between the walls forming the side chamber 50. When the battery 4 is mounted on the bicycle, the seat 30 is moved forward and the charged battery 4 is inserted into the storage case 5 from above. When almost the entire battery 4 enters the storage case 5, the lower end of the battery 4 comes into contact with the side portion of the engagement hook 52, and the engagement hook 52 is pressed counterclockwise. Further, when the battery 4 is stored in the back of the storage case 5, the engagement hook 52 is elastically engaged with the “<”-shaped concave portion 47 of the battery 4, and the battery 4 is fixed to the storage case 5. . At the same time, the + and-output terminals (discharge contacts) provided at the bottom of the battery 4 and the contact unit 60 fixed by screws to the battery bracket 49 fixed to the seat post 23 by welding or the like are electrically connected. And mechanically connected. This connection is stabilized by the weight of the battery 4 and the pressing by the engagement hook 52.
[0019]
When removing the battery 4, the operation lever 45 is pushed down and the engagement hook 52 is pressed at the tip thereof. When the engagement hook 52 is pushed by the tip of the operation lever 45, it is rotated counterclockwise in the figure against the spring 51. Then, the engagement hook 52 escapes from the recess 47 and the locking is released. When the engagement between the engagement hook 52 and the recess 47 is released, the battery 4 can be pulled upward. The handle 41 can be used to pull out the battery 4.
[0020]
The upper part of the battery storage case 5 is fixed to a bracket 40 fixed to the rear upper arm 24 by welding or the like by screws 39, and the wheel lock device 100 and the rear fender 34 are also fixed to the bracket 40 by screws 44a and 44b, respectively.
[0021]
The front end of the battery bracket 49 is welded to the seat post 23, and the front end of the rear lower arm 25 is coupled to the hanger portion 90 with a bolt at the rear end of the battery bracket 49. The electric auxiliary unit 1 is attached to the vehicle body frame 2 by the hanger portions 92, 91, and 90 at three locations of the rear end of the down pipe 22, the vicinity of the front end of the battery bracket 49, and the rear lower arm 25 near the rear end of the battery bracket 49. It is fixed and suspended by bolting. In particular, the hanger portion 92 is positioned below the crankshaft 101 of the electric auxiliary unit 1, and the valley portion, that is, the lowermost end portion of the U-shaped body frame 2 is positioned below the crankshaft 101.
[0022]
Thus, the height of the valley portion of the vehicle body frame 2 can be kept low, so that “easiness to straddle” is improved. Moreover, since the electric auxiliary unit 1 can be supported by the hanger portion 92 provided at the lower end portion of the down pipe 22, the electric auxiliary unit 1 can be disposed further downward and a low center of gravity is realized.
[0023]
In the electric auxiliary unit 1, the crankshaft 101, the first idle shaft 102, the second idle shaft 103, the output shaft 105 to which the drive sprocket 13 is coupled, and gears 111 and 102 d that transmit power between these shafts. , 102e, 115, and the like. An electric motor M having a rotating shaft 104 parallel to the crankshaft 101 is attached. The motor M is arranged so that the rotating shaft 104 thereof is parallel to the crankshaft 101 in order to reduce the rearward projecting portion from the electric auxiliary unit 1. Therefore, the distance between the crankshaft 101 and the rear wheel WR can be reduced, and the wheel base can be prevented from becoming longer.
[0024]
The pedaling force input from the crankshaft 101 is transmitted to the first idle shaft 102 at an increased speed, further transmitted from the first idle shaft 102 to the output shaft 105, and the drive sprocket 13 is rotated. The rotation of the drive sprocket 13 is transmitted to the wheel sprocket 14 (see FIG. 1) of the rear wheel WR via the chain 6. The structure of the electric auxiliary unit 1 will be further described later with reference to FIGS.
[0025]
The battery 4 mounted on the battery bracket 49 behind the seat post 23 supplies power to the motor M, and the motor M was detected by a pedaling force detection mechanism (described in detail later) provided on the first idle shaft 102. Auxiliary power is generated according to the pedal effort. The rotation of the motor M is transmitted to the second idle shaft 103, combined with human power (stepping force) by the first idle shaft 102, and transmitted to the output shaft 105.
[0026]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the entire drive sprocket 13 and the upper half of the chain 6 are covered with a chain cover 32. In this bicycle, the drive sprocket is not arranged concentrically with the crankshaft 101, and therefore it is not essential that the chain cover has an arc portion with the crankshaft 101 as an axis. However, the chain cover 32 has a circumferential shape centered on the crankshaft 101 for the purpose of preventing the appearance and catching of the foot, protecting the electric auxiliary unit 1 and leaving the image of the bicycle that has been familiar for many years. It is extended to the surroundings.
[0027]
4 is a partially transparent side view of the first embodiment of the electric auxiliary unit 1, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a gear train along the line AA in FIG. 4, and FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the gear train along B line, and the same code | symbol as the above represents the same or equivalent part, respectively.
[0028]
4 and 5, the exterior case 10 of the electric auxiliary unit 1 is made of aluminum, and the left half (left case) 10 </ b> L and the right half (right case) 10 </ b> R of the exterior case 10 are coupled by a plurality of bolts 781. Composed.
[0029]
In the present embodiment, since each of the hanger portions 90, 91, 92 does not have a split surface for the left and right cases, the left and right cases can be broken by removing the bolts 781 while the electric auxiliary unit 1 is mounted on the vehicle body frame 2. it can. Specifically, each hanger part 90, 91, 92 is provided only in the left case 10L, and the right case 10R can be removed while leaving the left case 10L in the vehicle body frame 2, so that the built-in control unit 8 and motor Maintenance of M becomes easy. When maintaining the motor M on the left case 10L side and its drive system, a resin cover 10A described later is removed to expose the inside of the unit.
[0030]
A crankshaft 101 as a pedal input shaft is rotatably supported on the case 10 by bearings 181 and 182. A large-diameter speed increasing gear 111 is pivotally supported on the crankshaft 101 via a one-way clutch 161. Therefore, even if the crankshaft 101 is reversely rotated, the speed increasing gear 111 is not reversely rotated. A first idle shaft 102 for supporting the rotation direction of the crankshaft 101 and the rotation direction of the drive sprocket 13 is pivotally supported at the lower rear portion of the crankshaft 101. In the present embodiment, the first idle shaft 102 is A pedaling force (torque) detection mechanism is provided.
[0031]
The first idle shaft 102 is inserted into hollow first and second drive shafts 102a and 102b, which are divided into left and right parts and arranged coaxially in the lateral direction, and inserted into the drive shafts 102a and 102b. A torsion bar 102c that is splined to both ends of the drive shafts 102a and 102b and a spring 102s that repels the drive shafts 102a and 102b in the axial direction are the main components, and the outer peripheral small diameter portion of the first drive shaft 102a The gear teeth 113 having a small diameter formed on the gears mesh with the speed increasing gear 111 of the crankshaft 101. The first and second drive shafts 102a and 102b are rotatably supported by the left case 10L and the right case 10R, respectively, by bearings 183a and 183b and a bearing 184, respectively.
[0032]
According to such a configuration, the pedal effort input to the crankshaft 101 is increased by the speed increasing gear 111 and the gear teeth 113, and the torque is reduced. Therefore, the torque applied to the torsion bar 102c is kept low. For this reason, the torsion bar 102c can be downsized, and the entire pedal force detection mechanism can be made compact.
[0033]
Further, in the present embodiment, the clip 771 is fitted to the left end of the torsion bar 102c so that the first idle shaft 102 is assembled and can be easily handled as a single unit. In addition, the dissipation of other components is also prevented. That is, the second drive shaft 102b is press-fitted and fixed to the right end of the torsion bar 102c, and the second drive shaft 102a is detachably held at the left end.
[0034]
A first gear 102d is connected to the outer peripheral small diameter portion of the second drive shaft 102b, and a second gear 102e is connected to the outer peripheral large diameter portion via a one-weiler checker 162. Therefore, when the motor M is stopped and traveling by human power, the motor side does not rotate from the gear 102e.
[0035]
A slider 921 having two convex cam portions 921a on the end surface is coupled to the outer peripheral large diameter portion of the first drive shaft 102a by allowing the sliding in the axial direction by spline coupling. The ball cup 924 engages with the displacement detection lever 152 (FIG. 6), and is always pressed against the second drive shaft 102b side by the coil spring 923. The ball cup 924 constantly presses the slider 921 against the second drive shaft 102b while absorbing the rotation.
[0036]
FIG. 10 is a view for explaining the function of the second drive shaft 102b. FIG. 10 (a) is a sectional view, and FIG. 10 (b) is a view of FIG. 10 (a) from the CC line side. FIG. 1 (c) is a diagram showing a side surface of the end face in a straight line, and the same reference numerals as those described above represent the same or equivalent parts.
[0037]
In the present embodiment, two concave cam grooves 922 that engage with two convex cam portions 921a provided on the end surface of the slider 921 on the second drive shaft 102b side are provided on the end surface of the second drive shaft 102b in the circumferential direction. Is formed.
[0038]
If a rotational twist (phase difference) occurs between the first and second drive shafts 102a and 102b in accordance with the pedaling force input to the crankshaft 101, the second drive shaft 102b and the slider 921 are also displaced. A phase difference occurs, and the relative position of the convex cam 921a and the concave cam groove 922 changes from the relationship shown on the left side of FIG. 10 (c) to the relationship shown on the right side, and the slider 921 moves along the axis of the vehicle body. Slide to the left. As a result, the displacement detection lever 152 is displaced in the left direction of the vehicle body along the axial direction against the elastic force of the coil spring 923.
[0039]
Therefore, in this embodiment, the amount of displacement of the displacement detection lever 152 in the axial direction represents the pedal effort input to the crankshaft 101. The pedaling force detected as the amount of displacement in the axial direction by the pedaling force detection mechanism described above is converted into an electrical signal by a stroke sensor 150 (see FIG. 6) described later and transmitted to the control unit 8.
[0040]
Further, the end surface of the second drive shaft 102b is provided with a stopper hole 922a that engages with the stopper convex portion 921b provided on the end surface of the first drive shaft 102a, thereby preventing excessive twisting of the drive shafts 102a and 102b. It is configured to be. As a result, the downsized torsion bar 102c can be effectively protected, and further downsizing can be achieved.
[0041]
5 and 6, the right side with respect to the torsion bar 102 c shows the state without the pedaling torque where the convex cam 921 a and the concave cam 922 match (the left side in FIG. 10C), and the left side shows each A state in which there is a pedaling torque with the slider 921 moving to the left side of the vehicle body due to the action of the cam (right side in FIG. 10C) is shown.
[0042]
A second idle shaft 103 is rotatably supported by bearings 185 and 186 below the first idle shaft 102. A gear tooth 114 that meshes with the second gear 102e of the second drive shaft 102b is formed on the outer periphery of the second idle shaft 103, and a resin gear 115 is fixed to the end by a screw.
[0043]
An electric motor M is disposed below and behind the second idle shaft 103, and the rotation shaft 104 is rotatably supported by bearings 187 and 188. The bearing 188 and the motor housing 10M are held only with respect to the left case 10L, and are not held with the right case 10R. Therefore, it is not necessary to attach or detach the electric motor M when attaching or detaching the right case 10R, and the right case 10R can be easily attached or detached.
[0044]
The motor housing 10M is fastened to the left case 10L via an O-ring 10S by a bolt 782. A stator rotor 131 including a motor coil 130 is fixed to the rotating shaft 104 of the motor M, and a magnet 132 is provided around the stator rotor 131. A gear tooth 116 that meshes with the resin gear 115 of the second idle shaft 103 is fixed to one end of the rotating shaft 104. Thereby, the gear sound of the gears 115 and 116 rotating at high speed can be suppressed. A resin cover 10A is fastened to the left case 10L by a bolt 783 on the left side of the vehicle body of each gear 115, 116, further enhancing the soundproofing effect. As will be described in detail below, a waterproof seal 10B is provided on the entire joint surface of the resin cover 10A and the left case 10L.
[0045]
11 is a plan view of the exposed surface side of the resin cover 10A, FIG. 12 is a plan view of the back surface side thereof, and FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. Represents the same or equivalent part.
[0046]
As shown in FIG. 12, a waterproof seal 10 </ b> B is provided on the joint surface (seal line) of the resin cover 10 </ b> A that mainly covers the motor M and the left case 10 </ b> L. Further, a waterproof rib 10C is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the seal line over almost the entire circumference except for the drain region Dr secured at the center of the bottom in the in-vehicle posture.
[0047]
With this configuration, in the present embodiment, even when rainwater or sludge falls on the electric auxiliary unit 1 during raining or running, rainwater or the like is sealed by the waterproof seal 10B by the shielding function of the waterproof rib 10C. There is no direct landing. Therefore, substantially high waterproofness can be obtained without giving a high waterproof function to the seal line itself between the resin cover 10A and the left case 10L.
[0048]
Further, in the present embodiment, the waterproof rib 10C is integrally extended from the resin cover so as to cover the seal line, so that the number of parts increases and the manufacturing process of the resin cover 10A becomes complicated. Absent.
[0049]
Further, in the present embodiment, the waterproof rib 10C is not provided on the outer peripheral portion of the drain region Dr secured in the center of the bottom in the vehicle-mounted posture. Even if it is submerged, its discharge is not hindered by the waterproof rib 10C.
[0050]
In the structure in which the electric auxiliary unit 1 is arranged at a low position of the vehicle body frame as in the present embodiment, rain water or the like splashed up by the front wheels during traveling falls down below the electric auxiliary unit 1, Particularly high waterproof performance is required. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the second waterproof rib 10D is further provided along the outer periphery of the waterproof rib 10C in the portion excluding the center of the bottom that functions as the drain.
[0051]
In FIG. 6, an output shaft 105 is rotatably supported by bearings 191 and 192 on the rear upper side of the first idle shaft 102. The output shaft 105 is provided with a fourth gear 118 that meshes with the first gear 102 d of the second drive shaft 102 b, and the drive sprocket 13 is fixed to the end exposed from the case 10.
[0052]
In the front space of the case 10, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a flat plate-like control unit 8 that controls the electric auxiliary unit 1 is mounted on the lower front portion of the crankshaft 101. The control unit 8 is configured by accommodating a control substrate 82 in a resin-made dish-like case 81 and resin-molding the gap portion and the substrate surface with an insulating resin 83. A rotation sensor 822 is mounted on the control board 82 together with various control circuits 820, a plurality of power transistors (FETs) 821a and a diode 821b, and the elements 821a and 821b which generate heat are in surface contact with an aluminum heat sink 829. It is fixed. The heat sink 829 is fixed in surface contact with the right case 10R made of aluminum.
[0053]
The control unit 8 is disposed so as to be rearwardly lowered from the front to the rear of the vehicle body, and is attached so that the component mounting surface of the control board 82 faces inward. The rotation sensor 822 is fixed in the vicinity of the end of the control board 82 so as to face the gear teeth of the speed increasing gear 111 of the crankshaft 101. Therefore, the heat generated by each of the heat generating elements 821a and 821b is radiated to the right case 10R, and there is no thermal adverse effect on the rotation sensor disposed in the vicinity of the left case 10L.
[0054]
As described above, in this embodiment, the control unit 8 is provided with the rotation sensor 822, and the control unit 8 is arranged so that the rotation sensor 822 is disposed in the vicinity of the rotating body (large-diameter gear 111) that rotates in synchronization with the crankshaft 101. Since it is arranged, it is not necessary to secure a separate installation space for the rotation sensor, and the entire electric auxiliary system can be made compact. In addition, since the distance between the rotation sensor 822 and the control unit 8 can be shortened, not only a wiring cord is unnecessary, but also the mixing of noise into the output signal of the rotation sensor 822 can be suppressed.
[0055]
Further, since the control unit 8 is arranged at the lower front part of the crankshaft 101 in a posture in which the electric auxiliary unit 1 is attached to the vehicle body frame 2, a high air cooling effect is obtained during traveling and the cooling efficiency is improved. .
[0056]
Further, in the present embodiment, the control board 82 is disposed so as to be rearwardly lowered from the front to the rear of the vehicle body frame in the posture in which the electric auxiliary unit 1 is attached to the vehicle body frame. The control board can be built in the electric auxiliary unit without changing the shape and effectively using the existing internal space. At this time, if the control board 82 is arranged so that the mounting surface of the circuit component faces inward, maintenance becomes easy.
[0057]
On the other hand, a positioning pin 811 extending in parallel along the bottom surface is formed on the outer side of the bottom of the dish-shaped case 81 corresponding to the mounting position of the rotation sensor 822, and the positioning pin 811 is attached to the opposite portion of the case 10. A positioning hole 911 to be inserted is formed. Similarly, a positioning pin 812 extending in parallel along the side surface is formed on the outer side surface of the dish-shaped case 81 (see FIG. 4), and the positioning pin 812 is inserted into the opposite portion of the case 10. A positioning hole 912 is formed. As a result, the two surfaces of the unit 8 can be positioned, and the clearance between the rotation sensor 822 and the large-diameter gear 111 can be maintained in a specified state.
[0058]
When the positioning pins 811 and 812 are applied to the inlets of the positioning holes 911 and 912, the rotation sensor 822 is not yet opposed to the large-diameter speed increasing gear 111. After that, after the pins 811 and 812 start to be inserted into the holes 911 and 912, the relative positional relationship (opposite relationship) between the gear teeth of the speed increasing gear 111 and the rotation sensor 822 becomes a predetermined relationship. Positioned with respect to the case 10. For this reason, when the control unit 8 is fixed, the adjacent speed increasing gear 111 and the rotation sensor 822 do not interfere with each other, and the assembly is easy.
[0059]
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 8 is fixed to the case 10 at both ends of the dish-like case 81 at the end opposite to the end where the rotation sensor 822 and the positioning pin 811 are provided. Is fixed to the case 10 with screws 831 (831a, 831b: see FIG. 4).
[0060]
As described above, in this embodiment, the control unit 8 is provided with the positioning pins 811 and 812 as positioning means so that the control unit 8 can be fixed at a predetermined position in the auxiliary power unit 1 in a predetermined posture. By simply positioning and fixing the control unit 8, the relative positional relationship between the rotation sensor 822 and the rotating body (speed increasing gear 111) can be maintained in a predetermined relationship, and the detection accuracy of the rotational speed can be ensured. it can.
[0061]
Moreover, in the present embodiment, one side portion of the control unit 8 is engaged with the electric auxiliary unit 1 by positioning means provided on one side portion of the control unit 8, and is fastened by fastening means on the other side portion. The fastening structure is simple and the number of parts is reduced.
[0062]
Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 6, the electric motor M of the present embodiment has the power supply terminal 752 disposed on the end face on the output extraction side, so that the power cord 751 is connected to the control from the output extraction side of the electric motor M. Must be routed to unit 8. However, since a large number of gear trains are arranged on the output extraction side of the electric motor M in the case 10, the power cord 751 is arranged along the inner end surface of the right case 10R rather than being routed along the inner end surface of the left case 10L. It is desirable to route.
[0063]
Therefore, in the present embodiment, a space (code path) is provided by separately providing the second inner wall 754 in parallel with the inner wall 756 of the left case 10L provided adjacent to the motor housing 10M and enclosing the inner walls 754 and 756. ) 753 is formed, and the power cord 751 drawn from the end surface on the output extraction side of the electric motor M is routed to the inner end surface of the right case 10R through the cord passage 753, and further to the control unit 8 along the inner end surface. I have to.
[0064]
According to the above-described feature, since the power cord is guided from the inner end surface on the left case 10L side in the unit case to the inner end surface on the right case 10R side through the cord passage, the power cord is connected to the gear train and other components. There is no fear of interfering with etc.
[0065]
Further, in the present embodiment, the power cord 751 is constrained to the inner end surface of the right case 10R, so that the bearing bosses 749, 748 are erected on the inner end surface of the right case 10R to support the bearings 184, 185. The power cord 751 is clamped by passing through a passage surrounded by the bosses 749 and 748 and the clamper 755. Thus, if the clamper 755 is provided so as to bridge the existing bosses 749, 748, the power cord 751 can be reliably clamped with a simple configuration.
[0066]
In such a configuration, the pedaling force as human power is input to the crankshaft 101 via the pedal 12 and the crank 11, and further from the first drive shaft 102a of the first idle shaft 102 to the second drive via the speed increasing gear 111. It is transmitted to the shaft 102b. On the other hand, the rotational torque of the electric motor M is transmitted to the second drive shaft 102b via the gear 115, the second idle shaft 103, the gear teeth 114, and the second gear 102e, and is combined with the pedal effort. The resultant force on the second drive shaft 102b is transmitted to the output shaft 105 via the first gear 102d and the fourth gear 118, and further transmitted to the rear wheel WR via the drive sprocket 13 and the chain 6.
[0067]
Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the ball cup 924 of the first idle shaft 102 is engaged with the substantially central portion of the displacement detection lever 152 supported at one end by a pin 153 so as to be swingable. A stroke detection shaft 151 of a stroke sensor 150 fixed to the right case 10R is connected to the other end of the displacement detection lever 152. Accordingly, a phase difference is generated between the first and second drive shafts 102a and 102b of the first idle shaft 102 in accordance with the pedaling force input to the crankshaft 101, and the ball cup 924 is displaced in the axial direction in accordance with this phase difference. Then, this causes the displacement detection lever 152 to swing and is transmitted to the stroke sensor 150 to be detected.
[0068]
The detected pedaling force is converted into an electric signal and supplied to the control unit 8. The control unit 8 determines an optimum assist torque based on the rotation speed of the crankshaft (acceleration gear 111) detected by the rotation sensor 822 and the detected pedaling force, and the electric motor M uses the assist torque. The drive current supplied to the electric motor M is appropriately controlled by the power transistor 821a so as to be generated.
[0069]
In the present embodiment, the pedal force detection mechanism that converts the pedal force input to the crankshaft 101 into a mechanical displacement amount is provided on the first idle shaft 102 adjacent to the crankshaft 101, so that the pedal force detection mechanism is provided separately. In this case, a necessary space is not required, and an installation space for the control unit 8 can be secured without increasing the size of the electric auxiliary unit 1.
[0070]
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the second drive shaft 102b is always pressed and positioned by the spring 102s toward the right case 10R (bearing 184), so that the concave cam groove 922 formed on the end surface on the first drive shaft 102a side is positioned. The position in the axial direction is also positioned with respect to the right case 10R. And since the stroke sensor 150 is also fixed to the boss | hub provided in the right case 10R, it will be correctly positioned with respect to the right case 10R.
[0071]
Here, in this embodiment, since the displacement amount of the first drive shaft 102a relative to the second drive shaft 102b is detected as a pedaling force by the stroke sensor 150, there is an individual difference in the relative position between the second drive shaft 102b and the stroke sensor 150. If there is, the pedaling force cannot be detected accurately. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the second drive shaft 102b and the stroke sensor 150 are positioned with respect to the same object (the right case 10R), the relative position of the two is always kept constant. It can be detected with high accuracy.
[0072]
7 is a partially transparent side view of the second embodiment of the electric auxiliary unit 1, FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a gear train along the line BB in FIG. 7, and FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the gear train along the AA line, and the same code | symbol as the above represents the same or equivalent part, respectively.
[0073]
In the first embodiment described above, the auxiliary power generated by the drive motor M is transmitted to the first idle shaft 102 via the second idle shaft 103 and is combined with the pedaling force on the first idle shaft 102, and then the output shaft 105. However, in this embodiment, the auxiliary power generated by the drive motor M is directly transmitted to the output shaft 105 via the second idle shaft 103.
[0074]
That is, auxiliary power generated on the rotating shaft 104 of the drive motor M is transmitted to the second idle shaft 103 via the resin gear 115. The second idle shaft 103 is formed with gear teeth 103a that mesh with the gear 119 of the output shaft 105. The auxiliary power transmitted to the second idle shaft 103 is output via the gear teeth 103a and the gear 119. It is transmitted to the shaft 105.
[0075]
On the other hand, the pedaling force input to the crankshaft 101 is transmitted to the first idle shaft 102 via the speed increasing gear 111, the second idle shaft 103 and the gear teeth 113 of the first drive shaft 102a, and further to the second drive shaft. It is transmitted to the output shaft 105 through the gear teeth of 102b and the fourth gear 118 of the output shaft 105, where it is configured as the auxiliary power.
[0076]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the auxiliary power generated by the electric motor M can be directly transmitted to the output shaft 105. Therefore, as in each of the above-described embodiments, the first idle shaft as the resultant force shaft is used. As compared with the above, the number of gears provided on the first idle shaft is reduced. For this reason, the space occupied by the pedaling force detection mechanism provided on the first idle shaft increases, and the degree of freedom in design increases.
[0077]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the following effects are achieved.
[0078]
(1) Since a waterproof rib is provided along the outer periphery of the electric auxiliary unit so as to cover the seal line between the outer case and the cover member, rainwater or sludge falls on the electric auxiliary unit when it rains or travels. However, rainwater or the like does not directly fall on the seal line due to the shielding function of the waterproof rib. Therefore, substantially high waterproofness can be obtained without giving the seal line itself a high waterproof function.
[0079]
(2) Even if the sealing line between the outer case and the cover member itself does not have a high waterproof function, sufficient waterproof performance can be obtained by the shielding function of the waterproof rib. Is possible.
[0080]
(3) Since the waterproof rib is formed integrally extending from the cover member so as to cover the seal line, there is no increase in the number of parts or a complicated manufacturing process of the cover member.
[0081]
(4) Since the waterproof rib is provided so as to cover the seal line other than the drain region secured at the bottom of the electric auxiliary unit in the on-vehicle posture, even if rainwater or the like is submerged in the electric auxiliary unit, the waterproof rib is discharged. It is not hindered by the waterproof rib.
[0082]
(5) Since the second waterproof rib is further provided along the outer periphery of the waterproof rib in the portion excluding the center of the bottom that functions as the drain, the lower portion where particularly high waterproof performance is required. The waterproof performance can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of a battery-assisted bicycle to which a battery-assisted unit of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a right side view showing a main part of the bicycle shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a partially transparent side view of the first embodiment of the electric auxiliary unit.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a gear train along the line AA in FIG. 2;
6 is a cross-sectional view showing a gear train along the line BB in FIG. 2. FIG.
FIG. 7 is a partially transparent side view of the second embodiment of the electric auxiliary unit.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a gear train along the line AA in FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a gear train along the line BB in FIG. 7;
FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a function of a first idle shaft.
FIG. 11 is a plan view of the exposed surface side of the resin cover 10A.
FIG. 12 is a plan view of the back side of the resin cover 10A.
13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electric auxiliary unit, 4 ... Battery, 5 ... Battery accommodation case, 8 ... Control unit, 10 ... Case, 10R ... Right case, 10L ... Left case, 13 ... Drive sprocket, 81 ... Dish case, 82 ... Control board , 102 ... first idle shaft, 102a ... first drive shaft, 102b ... second drive shaft, 102e ... second gear, 103 ... second idle shaft, 105 ... output shaft, 111 ... speed increasing gear, 115 ... resin gear 118 ... 4th gear, 131 ... rotor, 150 ... stroke sensor, 152 ... displacement detection lever, 161, 162 ... one-way clutch, 181, 182, 183a, 183b, 185, 186, 187, 188 ... bearing, 811, 812 ... Positioning pin, 921 ... Slider, 924 ... Ball cup

Claims (4)

In the electric auxiliary unit for transmitting the auxiliary power in response to the pedal force input to the crankshaft to the driving wheel by combining with the pedal force,
A cover member is attached to the exterior case of the electric auxiliary unit via a seal member, and a waterproof rib that covers the seal line by the seal member is provided along the outer periphery of the seal line,
The electric auxiliary unit, wherein the waterproof rib is provided so as to cover a seal line other than a drain region secured at a bottom portion of the electric auxiliary unit in a vehicle-mounted posture .  The electric auxiliary unit according to claim 1, wherein the waterproof rib is integrally extended from the cover member.  The electric auxiliary unit according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is made of resin. 2. The electric auxiliary unit according to claim 1 , wherein a second waterproof rib is further provided on an outer peripheral portion of a portion of the waterproof rib that is positioned below the electric auxiliary unit in a vehicle-mounted posture. .

Images