JP3867836B2 - Electric assist bicycle - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a battery-assisted bicycle equipped with a power-assisted unit that detects pedaling force applied to a bicycle pedal and generates auxiliary power, and in particular, improves the ease of straddling as well as lowering the center of gravity and concentrating mass. It relates to a battery-assisted bicycle.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a battery-assisted bicycle, it is necessary to mount a battery auxiliary unit that generates auxiliary power and a battery that is a power source on the vehicle body frame. In a conventional battery-assisted bicycle, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-129571, a battery-assisted unit is connected to the lower part of the frame, and a battery is mounted on the upper rear part of the seat post. And was connected by external wiring.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Since the battery-assisted bicycle needs to be equipped with heavy objects such as a battery-assisted unit and a battery, the vehicle weight is heavier than that of a normal bicycle. Therefore, improvement in stability and operability by lowering the center of gravity and concentration of mass is required.
[0004]
However, the above-described conventional technique has a problem that the position of the center of gravity increases because a heavy battery is mounted on the upper rear portion of the seat post. Furthermore, since the heavy electric auxiliary unit and the battery are spaced apart from each other, there is a problem that heavy objects are dispersedly arranged.
[0005]
An object of the present invention is to provide a battery-assisted bicycle that solves the above-described problems of the prior art, enables a low center of gravity and mass concentration, and further improves the ease of straddling.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-described object, according to the present invention, an electric auxiliary unit that outputs an auxiliary power in response to a pedaling force input to a crankshaft and the pedaling force is output, and the electric auxiliary unit is connected to a lower rear part. It includes a front frame, a rear frame in which the electric auxiliary unit is connected to a lower front portion, and at least one battery mounted on the electric auxiliary unit.
[0007]
According to the above-described feature, the front frame, the electric auxiliary unit, and the front frame constitute a vehicle body frame, and the electric auxiliary unit that is a heavy object is disposed at the center lower part of the vehicle body frame, and is another heavy object. The battery is mounted on the electric auxiliary unit. Therefore, heavy objects can be concentrated and arranged at the lower part of the center of the vehicle body, and the center of gravity of the vehicle body can be lowered, the mass can be concentrated and the ease of straddling can be improved.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of a battery-assisted bicycle to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the vicinity of the battery-assisted unit 1, and FIG. 3 is an assembly view showing a body frame structure. 2 and 3, the chain cover 42 and the like in FIG. 1 are not shown for easy viewing.
[0009]
The vehicle body frame applied to the battery-assisted bicycle of the present invention includes a battery-assisted unit 1, a front frame 2 to which the battery-assisted unit 1 is connected to the lower rear part, and a rear frame 3 to which the battery-assisted unit 1 is connected to the lower front part. It consists of.
[0010]
As shown in FIG. 1, the front frame 2 includes a head pipe 21 located in front of the vehicle body and a down pipe 22 extending rearward and downward from the head pipe 21. A steering handle 4 is rotatably inserted in the upper part of the head pipe 21, and a front fork 5 steered by the steering handle 4 is supported so as to be steerable in the lower part.
[0011]
A front wheel WF is rotatably supported at the end of the front fork 5. The power switch 23 of the electric auxiliary unit 1 is provided in the vicinity of the head pipe 21 on the down pipe 22. The power switch 23 may be provided on the handle 27.
[0012]
The rear frame 3 includes a seat post 31, a pair of left and right chain stays 34, and a pair of left and right seat stays 33 joined between the upper portion of the seat post 31 and the terminal ends of both chain stays 34. A seat pipe 7 having a seat 6 at the upper end is slidably mounted on the seat post 31 so that the vertical position of the seat 6 can be adjusted.
[0013]
In the lower rear part of the front frame 2, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a connecting member 22a made of sheet metal is welded and fixed to the end portion of the down pipe 22, and the electric auxiliary unit 1 and the front frame 2 are connected to each other. The connecting member 22 a is fixed by screws with two bolts 44.
[0014]
In the lower front part of the rear frame 3, a sheet metal connecting member 31a is welded and fixed to the lower end of the seat post 31 and the front end of the chain stay 34, and the electric auxiliary unit 1 and the rear frame 3 are connected to the connecting member 31a. In FIG. 2, the screws are fixed by two bolts 45.
[0015]
A battery storage case 11 for storing the battery 8 is integrally attached to the upper portion of the electric auxiliary unit 1. A positive / negative contact 851 to be described later penetrates from the inside of the electric auxiliary unit 1 to the bottom of the battery storage case 11, and the surface thereof is exposed. The battery 8 includes a plurality of battery cells accommodated in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped battery case, and is accommodated in a standing posture along the front surface of the seat post 31.
[0016]
In this embodiment, since the down pipe 22 of the front frame 2 and the seat post 31 and the chain stay 34 of the rear frame 3 are connected via the electric auxiliary unit 1, the electric auxiliary unit 1 can be disposed at a low position, and the low Not only can the center of gravity and mass be concentrated, but the height of the frame can be kept low, so that “easiness to straddle” is improved.
[0017]
The electric auxiliary unit 1 is powered by the battery 8 and transmits a driving force to the wheel sprocket 14 of the rear wheel WR via the output shaft and the chain 9. The whole electric auxiliary unit 1 and a part of the chain 9 are covered with a chain cover 42.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 4, a handle 86 is provided at the end of the battery 8 in the longitudinal direction (upper end in FIG. 1) toward the rear of the vehicle (rotating shaft 86a is on the front of the vehicle). The handle 86 is rotatably attached and is normally pressed against the battery 8. A remaining charge meter 88 is provided on the upper surface of the battery 8 provided with the handle 86, and when the push button 87 is pressed, the remaining charge is displayed.
[0019]
FIG. 5 is a view of the inside of the bottom of the battery housing case 11 as viewed from above. A contact holder 860 is formed on the mounting surface of the battery, and a pair of positive and negative contacts 851a and 851b are exposed in the contact holder 860. Grommets 852 for transmitting control system signals such as switching signals and sensor signals input / output from the control circuit in the electric auxiliary unit 1 are formed. The bottom surface of the battery 8 is provided with a contact (not shown) connected to the electrodes 851a and 851b and electrically connected to the electrodes 851a and 851b and the grommet 852 when stored in the battery storage case 11. ing.
[0020]
6 is a partially transparent side view of the electric auxiliary unit 1, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a gear train along the line AA in FIG. 6. The same reference numerals as those described above denote the same or equivalent parts. Represents.
[0021]
In FIG. 7, the case of the electric auxiliary unit 1 is made of aluminum, and a left half (left case) 10L and a right half (right case) 10R of the left case 10L are connected by a plurality of bolts (not shown). Composed.
[0022]
The crankshaft 201 to which the pedaling force is input includes a pedaling force detection mechanism, and one end of the crankshaft 201 is rotatably supported by a bearing 281 with respect to the left case 10L. A first drive gear 202 is loosely passed through needle bearings 291 and 292 on the outer periphery of the other end of the crankshaft 201, and the first drive gear 202 is rotatably supported by the bearing 282 with respect to the right case 10R. Has been. A pedal sprocket 200 is splined to the outer periphery of the first drive gear 202 exposed from the right case 10 </ b> R and is tightened by a nut 782.
[0023]
A second drive gear 203 is attached to a substantially central portion of the crankshaft 201 via a one-way clutch 261, and the first and second drive gears 202, 203 exhibit elastic force in the circumferential direction thereof. The coil spring 204 is connected so as to be relatively rotatable. A slider 205 having a groove formed along the circumferential direction is mounted on the small outer diameter portion of the second drive gear 203 so as to be slidable in the axial direction by spline coupling, and the depth of the groove extends in the circumferential direction. It is changing continuously along. An engagement pin 271 is fixed to the large diameter portion of the first drive gear 202, and the engagement pin 271 is engaged with the groove 205 a of the slider 205.
[0024]
Behind the crankshaft 201, a first idle shaft 210 is supported by bearings 284 and 285, and gear teeth 262 formed on the outer periphery thereof mesh with the first drive gear 202 of the crankshaft 201. Further, a gear 264 is connected to the first idle shaft 210 via a one-weiler check 263.
[0025]
At the rear of the first idle shaft 210, the second idle shaft 220 is supported by bearings 286 and 287, and gear teeth 265 formed on the outer periphery thereof mesh with the gear 264 of the first idle shaft 210. . A resin gear 266 is connected to one end of the second idle shaft 220, and gear noise can be suppressed by employing this resin gear. A resin cover 10A is fastened to the left case 10L with a bolt 783 on the left side of the vehicle body of the resin gear 266, further enhancing the soundproofing effect.
[0026]
Behind the second idle shaft 220, the rotating shaft 230 of the electric motor M is rotatably supported by bearings 288 and 289. A rotor 231 is fixed to the rotating shaft 230, and a stator 232 is provided around the rotor 231. A gear tooth 267 is formed at one end of the rotating shaft 230, and the gear tooth 267 meshes with the resin gear 266 of the second idle shaft 220. The motor housing 10M is fastened to the left case 10L via an O-ring 10S.
[0027]
In the above-described configuration, the pedaling force as human power is input to the crankshaft 201, and the second drive gear 203 is synchronously rotated via the one-way clutch 261 and transmitted to the first drive gear 202 via the spring 204. .
[0028]
On the other hand, the rotational torque (auxiliary power) of the electric motor M is transmitted to the first idle shaft 210 via the gear teeth 267, the resin gear 266, the second idle 220 and the one-weiler check 263, and further via the gear teeth 262. It is transmitted to the first drive gear 202. The resultant force of the stepping force and auxiliary power transmitted to the first drive gear 202 is transmitted to the rear wheel WR via the pedal sprocket 200 and the chain 9.
[0029]
At this time, the spring 204 is compressed in the circumferential direction in accordance with the pedaling force input to the crankshaft 201, and the drive gears 202 and 203 rotate relatively to cause a phase difference therebetween. As a result, the engagement pin 271 rotates in the groove 205 a of the slider 205, and the slider 205 resists the elastic force of the spring 260 by the amount of the groove changed according to the rotation amount. Slide.
[0030]
The sliding amount of the slider 205 in the axial direction displaces the detection shaft 151 of the stroke sensor 150 via the position detection lever 152 pivotally supported by the pin 153, so that the pedaling force is detected by the stroke sensor 150. The detected pedaling force is converted into an electric signal and transmitted to the control unit 80 that controls the electric auxiliary unit 1.
[0031]
As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 80 is arranged inside the back surface of the battery mounting surface, accommodates the control circuit board 82 in the dish-like case 81, and resin-molds the gap and the board surface with the insulating resin 83. Configured. A rotation sensor 822 is mounted on the control circuit board 82 together with various control circuits, power transistors (FETs) 821a, and diodes 821b. The power transistors 821a and the diodes 821b that generate heat are fixed to the heat sink 829 in contact with each other. .
[0032]
The rotation sensor 822 is fixed on the control circuit board 82 so as to face the gear teeth of the first drive gear 202 of the crankshaft 201. Positioning pins 831a and 831b are formed in the dish-shaped case 81, and positioning holes (not shown) are formed in corresponding portions of the case 10R. When the positioning pins 831a and 831b are inserted into the positioning holes, the rotation sensor 822 is fixed at a predetermined position on the control circuit board 82 at a predetermined height, and the control unit 80 is connected to the gear teeth. Positioning is performed such that the relative positional relationship is a predetermined relationship.
[0033]
According to the present embodiment, since the external electrode is integrally provided on the outer surface of the case of the electric auxiliary unit 1, the battery 8 can be arranged directly on the electric auxiliary unit 1, and the electric auxiliary unit 1 and the battery 8 can be shortened.
[0034]
In the present embodiment, since the pedal force detection mechanism is provided on the crankshaft 201, a space required when the pedal force detection mechanism is separately provided is unnecessary, and the control unit 80 is not increased in size. The installation space can be secured.
[0035]
In the above-described embodiment, the battery 8 is described as being housed on the electric auxiliary unit 1 in a standing posture along the front surface of the seat post 31, but the present invention is not limited to this. As in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the battery 8A may be mounted on the electric auxiliary unit 1 in a lying posture. According to such a configuration, lowering of the center of gravity and concentration of mass are further promoted.
[0036]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, it has been described that only one battery is mounted on the electric auxiliary unit 1. However, as in the third embodiment shown in FIG. And the sub battery 8B may be mounted in a lying position. According to such a configuration, it is possible to extend the cruising distance while achieving a low center of gravity and concentration of mass.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the following effects are achieved.
(1) The front frame, the electric auxiliary unit and the front frame constitute the body frame, and the heavy electric auxiliary unit is arranged at the lower center of the body frame. It is possible to improve the height.
(2) Since heavy batteries are mounted on the electric auxiliary unit, heavy objects can be concentrated in the lower part of the center of the vehicle body, reducing the center of gravity of the vehicle body, concentrating mass and improving ease of straddling. It becomes possible.
(3) Since the battery is mounted on the electric auxiliary unit, the wiring connecting the control unit and the battery in the electric auxiliary unit can be shortened.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of a battery-assisted bicycle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of a main part of FIG.
3 is an assembly view showing the vehicle body frame structure of FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of an operation / display panel of a remaining charge meter provided in a battery.
FIG. 5 is a view of the inside of the bottom of the battery housing case as viewed from above.
FIG. 6 is a partially transparent side view of the electric auxiliary unit.
7 is a cross-sectional view showing a gear train along the line AA in FIG. 6. FIG.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration of a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electric auxiliary unit, 2 ... Front frame, 3 ... Rear frame, 8 ... Battery, 11 ... Battery storage case, 21 ... Head pipe, 22 ... Down pipe, 22a, 31a ... Connecting member, 23 ... Power switch, 31 ... Seatpost, 44, 45 ... Bolt

Claims (5)

An electric auxiliary unit that synthesizes and outputs auxiliary power in response to the pedal force input to the crankshaft, and the pedal force;
A front frame to which the electric auxiliary unit is connected to a lower rear part;
A rear frame in which the electric auxiliary unit is connected to the lower front part;
At least one battery mounted on the electric auxiliary unit;
A positive and negative contact disposed on the electric auxiliary unit and in contact with and electrically connected to a contact provided on the bottom surface of the battery ;
The battery-assisted bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the front frame and the rear frame are connected via a battery-assisted unit.   The battery-assisted bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the rear frame includes a seat post, and the battery is mounted on the battery-assisted unit in a standing posture along the front surface of the seat post.   The battery-assisted bicycle according to claim 2, wherein the second battery is mounted on the battery-assisted unit in a lying posture.   The battery-assisted bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the battery is mounted on the battery-assisted unit in a lying posture.   The battery-assisted bicycle according to claim 1, wherein a battery housing case is fixed to the battery-assisted unit.

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