JP4065275B2 - Bicycle shifting system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a bicycle transmission system mounted on a bicycle.

A so-called cycle computer is known as a display system mounted on a bicycle. The cycle computer has a display device that displays various kinds of information, such as an LCD. As various types of information, for example, time and the like are displayed in addition to information on the traveling state such as a bicycle speed, various traveling distances, cadence (crank rotation number), and shift position.

  In addition, a transmission system mounted on a bicycle, particularly an automatic transmission system, upshifts or downshifts a transmission according to a traveling state such as a bicycle speed. The transmission system includes a traveling state detection unit that detects a traveling state of the bicycle, a transmission, and a transmission control unit that controls the transmission according to the traveling state.

  When traveling on a bicycle, the brightness of the surroundings differs between daytime and nighttime, so it may be more convenient to have different display conditions and driving conditions. For example, since the surroundings are dark at night, it is difficult to see the display device or it is difficult to run even if the headlight is turned on. Also, the information required in the morning and at night may differ. However, in the past, there are only a few things that change the display conditions and the running conditions in accordance with such surrounding conditions, for example, there are those that change the on / off of the headlamps according to the illuminance. For this reason, there exists a problem that suitable driving conditions cannot be provided according to the surrounding situation.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to enable a bicycle transmission system to change gears under suitable driving conditions according to the surrounding conditions.

A bicycle transmission system according to a first aspect of the present invention is a system that controls a transmission that is mounted on a bicycle and that has a plurality of shift stages with different gear ratios, and includes a traveling state detection unit, a light detection unit, and a transmission control unit. It has. The traveling state detecting means is means for detecting the traveling state of the bicycle. The light detection means can be attached to a bicycle or a rider and can detect ambient illuminance. The shift control device is a device that can be mounted on a bicycle, controls the shift of the transmission according to the detection result of the running state detection means, and changes the shift control according to the detection output of the light detection means. The shift control device changes the shift control so that the shift frequency is less when the illuminance of the light detection means is less than or equal to the predetermined illuminance than when the illuminance exceeds the predetermined illuminance.

  In this speed change system, the speed change of the speed change device is controlled according to the travel state detected by the travel state detection means. For example, an upshift occurs when the vehicle speed as the running state exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and a downshift occurs when the vehicle speed becomes a predetermined threshold value or less. Further, when the illuminance around the bicycle is detected by the light detection means, the control of the transmission is changed according to the detected illuminance. For example, since the light is turned on at night to consume more power than in the daytime, it is possible to change the control such as reducing the frequency of shifting to reduce power consumption. It is also possible to switch from automatic gear shift to manual gear shift at night, or to prevent the alarm buzzer sounding during gear shift. Here, since the shift control can be changed according to the ambient illuminance, the shift can be performed under suitable driving conditions according to the surrounding situation.

  A bicycle transmission system according to a second aspect is the system according to the first aspect, wherein the traveling state detecting means detects the vehicle speed of the bicycle. In this case, a suitable automatic shift control can be performed depending on the vehicle speed.

  A bicycle transmission system according to a third aspect is the system according to the first aspect, wherein the running state detecting means detects the number of rotations of the crank of the bicycle. In this case, automatic shift control can be performed so that the crank rotation speed falls within a predetermined range.

  A bicycle transmission system according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the system according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising an electric light that can be attached to the bicycle, and the transmission control device turns on the electric light according to the detection output of the light detection means. Control. In this case, since lighting control such as on / off control and light amount control is also performed on electric lights such as a headlight and a taillight of the bicycle in accordance with the ambient illuminance, various information can be more easily visually confirmed.

  A bicycle transmission system according to a fifth aspect of the invention is the system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising an AC power generator that supplies power to the transmission and the transmission control device. In this case, since the speed change device and the speed change control device are operated by the electric power from the AC power generation device, it is not necessary to replace the power source as compared with the case where a battery is used.

  A bicycle transmission system according to a sixth aspect is the system according to the fifth aspect, wherein the AC power generation device is provided on a hub axle of a bicycle wheel. In this case, since the power generation device is provided on the hub shaft located at the center, the generated torque is reduced and the running resistance is reduced. For this reason, even if it generates electric power, pedaling is hard to become heavy.

  A bicycle transmission system according to a seventh aspect is the system according to the sixth aspect, wherein the traveling state detecting means detects the traveling state based on an AC signal from the AC power generator. In this case, since the traveling state can be detected by a signal from the AC power generator, a sensor used for detecting the traveling state is not necessary.

  A bicycle transmission system according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the system according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the shift control device changes the shift timing according to the detection output of the light detection means. In this case, for example, by shifting the shift timing at night from the daytime to a high speed side, the shift is less likely to occur at night, so that power consumption can be suppressed and increase in speed at night can also be suppressed. it can.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the bicycle transmission system according to the eighth aspect, the shift control device changes the shift timing between the upshift and the downshift according to the detection output of the light detection means. In this case, for example, in the case of nighttime, it is possible to suppress useless shifts by increasing the width of the threshold value between shift stages compared to the daytime.

  A bicycle transmission system according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the system according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the shift control device is a shift signal for shifting to any one of a plurality of stages according to the detection result of the running state detection means. And a control signal is output to the transmission by the generated shift signal. In this case, the transmission is reliably controlled based on the shift signal corresponding to the traveling state.

  A bicycle shift system according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention is the bicycle shift system according to the tenth aspect, wherein the shift signal generating means stores a shift table in which a shift-up threshold value and a shift-down threshold value corresponding to each shift stage are described. A shift threshold storage means is provided, and when the running state detected by the running state detection means exceeds (or falls below) the shift-up threshold (or shift-down threshold), a shift-up shift signal (or shift-down shift) Signal). In this case, since the shift-up or shift-down shift signal is output using different threshold values for the upshift and the downshift, chattering that repeats the shift near the threshold is less likely to occur.

  The bicycle transmission system according to a twelfth aspect of the invention is the system according to the eleventh aspect, wherein the shift threshold value storing means is provided with a plurality of shift tables corresponding to the detection output of the light detecting means, and the shift signal generating means is Depending on the detection output of the light detection means, one of a plurality of shift tables is selected and an upshift signal or a downshift signal is output. In this case, since one of the plurality of shift tables is selected according to the light detection result and the shift signal is output, the shift signal corresponding to the light detection output is easily output by simple control. it can.

A bicycle transmission system according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention is the system according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, wherein the shift control device changes the detection timing of the traveling state detection means according to the detection output of the light detection means. In this case, by making the detection timing interval of the running state longer at night than at daytime, shifting becomes difficult to occur, and power consumption at night can be suppressed.

A bicycle transmission system according to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention is a system that controls a transmission that is mounted on a bicycle and that has a plurality of shift stages having different gear ratios, and includes a traveling state detection means, a light detection means, and a transmission control device. It has. The traveling state detecting means is means for detecting the traveling state of the bicycle. The light detection means can be attached to a bicycle or a rider and can detect ambient illuminance. The shift control device is a device that can be mounted on a bicycle, controls the shift of the transmission according to the detection result of the running state detection means, and changes the shift control according to the detection output of the light detection means. The shift control device prevents shifting to a specific shift stage according to the detection output of the light detection means. In this case, the shift to the highest speed stage is not performed at night so that the shift is less likely to occur and the power consumption at night can be suppressed. In addition, the speed can be reduced if the speed is not shifted to the highest speed.

A bicycle transmission system according to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention is a system that controls a transmission that is mounted on a bicycle and that has a plurality of shift stages with different gear ratios, and includes a traveling state detection means, a light detection means, and a transmission control device. And a speed change operation unit. The traveling state detecting means is means for detecting the traveling state of the bicycle. The light detection means can be attached to a bicycle or a rider and can detect ambient illuminance. The shift control device is a device that can be mounted on a bicycle, controls the shift of the transmission according to the detection result of the running state detection means, and changes the shift control according to the detection output of the light detection means. The speed change operation unit can be attached to the bicycle and can manually operate the speed change control device . The shift control device switches between automatic shift control according to the result of the traveling state detection means and manual shift control according to the operation of the shift operation unit according to the detection output of the light detection means. In this case, by preventing automatic shifting at night, the frequency of shifting can be reduced and power consumption at night can be suppressed.

A bicycle transmission system according to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention is a system that controls a transmission that is mounted on a bicycle and that has a plurality of shift stages with different gear ratios, and includes a traveling state detection means, a light detection means, and a transmission control device. And shift notification means. The traveling state detecting means is means for detecting the traveling state of the bicycle. The light detection means can be attached to a bicycle or a rider and can detect ambient illuminance. The shift control device is a device that can be mounted on a bicycle, controls the shift of the transmission according to the detection result of the running state detection means, and changes the shift control according to the detection output of the light detection means. Shifting notification means is, it informs the shift timing of the bicycle in the sound. The shift control device controls the sound of the shift notification means according to the detection output of the light detection means. In this case, by controlling the notification sound, it is possible to maintain quieter peace at night than in the daytime.

  A bicycle transmission system according to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention is the system according to the sixteenth aspect, wherein the shift control device controls any one of a volume, a timbre, and on / off of the shift notification unit according to a detection output of the light detection unit. In this case, by controlling any one of the volume, tone color, and on / off of the notification sound, it is possible to reliably keep the peace at night.

  According to the bicycle transmission system of the present invention, the shift control can be changed according to the ambient illuminance, so that the shift can be performed under suitable driving conditions according to the surrounding situation.

〔Constitution〕
In FIG. 1, a bicycle adopting an embodiment of the present invention is a light vehicle, and includes a frame 1 having a double-loop frame body 2 and a front fork 3, a handle portion 4, a drive portion 5, and a brake. The front wheel 6 to which the dynamo hub 8 is attached, the rear wheel 7 to which the internal speed change hub 10 is attached, the speed change operation part 20 for operating the internal speed change hub 10 at hand, and the operation of the speed change operation part 20 And a gear shift control unit 12 for controlling gear shift of the internal gear shift hub 10.

  The frame body 2 of the frame 1 is manufactured by welding pipes. Each part including the saddle 11 and the drive part 5 is attached to the frame body 2. The front fork 3 is attached to the front portion of the frame body 2 so as to be swingable about an inclined axis.

  The handle portion 4 includes a handle stem 14 fixed to the upper portion of the front fork 3 and a handle bar 15 fixed to the handle stem 14. A brake lever 16 and a grip 17 are attached to both ends of the handle bar 15. A shift operation unit 20 is integrally formed with the right brake lever 16.

  The drive unit 5 includes a gear crank 37 provided at the lower portion (hanger portion) of the frame body 2, a chain 38 spanned over the gear crank 37, and the internal transmission hub 10. The internally geared hub 10 is a three-speed internally geared hub having three gear speeds: a low speed (first speed), a medium speed (second speed), and a high speed (third speed). Three shift positions can be taken by the motor unit 29 (FIG. 6).

  The dynamo hub 8 of the front wheel 6 fixed to the front end of the front fork 3 is a hub to which a roller-type front brake can be attached, and has an AC generator 19 (FIG. 6) that generates electricity by rotating the front wheel 6 inside. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the transmission control unit 12 is electrically connected to an AC generator 19 in the dynamo hub 8 via an electrical wiring 40. The shift control unit 12 is also electrically connected to the shift operation unit 20 via the electric wiring 41. Further, the transmission control unit 12 is mechanically connected to the internal transmission hub 10 via a transmission cable 42. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the transmission control unit 12 includes a lamp case 13 mounted on the lamp stay 3 a in the middle of the front fork 3, and a motor unit 29 and a circuit unit 30 housed in the lamp case 13. Have.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the motor unit 29 includes a transmission motor 45, a cable operation unit 46 that is moved to three transmission positions by the transmission motor 45, and an operation position sensor that detects the transmission position of the cable operation unit 46. 47 (FIG. 6). One end of the transmission cable 42 is connected to the cable operating unit 46.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the circuit unit 30 includes a speed change control unit 25 including a microcomputer including a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and an I / O interface. In the figure, for example, a thick line indicates a current line of about 1 A, a solid line indicates a current line of about 5 mA, and a broken line indicates a signal line.

  The transmission control unit 25 performs automatic transmission control of the internal transmission hub 10 according to the speed in accordance with the operation of the transmission operation unit 20 and performs display control of the liquid crystal display device 24 provided in the transmission operation unit 20. In the shift control and the display control, different controls are performed when the surrounding situation becomes a predetermined brightness (illuminance) or less. Further, lamp control is performed so that the lamp 18 mounted integrally with the lamp case 13 is turned on when the ambient condition is equal to or lower than a predetermined brightness (illuminance) and is turned off when the predetermined brightness is exceeded. The shift control unit 25 is provided with a threshold value memory 25a for storing a shift threshold value used at the time of shifting. The transmission control unit 25 includes an operation switch 26 including an operation dial 23 and operation buttons 21 and 22 provided in the transmission operation unit 20, a liquid crystal display device 24, a lamp 18, an internal transmission hub 10, and a liquid crystal display device 24. An optical sensor 36 serving as a light detection means for controlling and a dynamo waveform shaping circuit 34 for generating a speed signal based on an output from the AC generator 19 are connected. In addition, a charge control circuit 33, a power storage element 32, and an auto light circuit 35 are connected to the shift control unit 25 via a power saving circuit 31. Further, the motor driver 28, the operation position sensor 47 of the motor unit 29, and other input / output units are connected.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the speed change operation unit 20 includes two operation buttons 21 and 22 arranged side by side at the bottom, an operation dial 23 disposed above the operation buttons 21 and 22, and an operation dial 23. And a liquid crystal display device 24 arranged on the left side.

The operation buttons 21 and 22 are triangular push buttons. The left operation button 21 is a button for manually shifting from a low speed to a medium speed, and from a medium speed to a high speed, and the right operation button 22 is a high speed to a medium speed, and from a medium speed to a low speed. It is a button for performing manual shifting to The operation dial 23 is a dial for switching between three automatic transmission modes from the automatic transmission 1 (A1) mode to the automatic transmission 3 (A3) mode and the manual (M) mode, including the parking (P) mode. There are five stop positions P, M, A1 to A3. Here, the three automatic transmission modes from the automatic transmission 1 mode to the automatic transmission 3 mode are modes in which the internal transmission hub 10 is automatically shifted by the vehicle speed signal from the AC generator 19, and the manual transmission mode is the operation button 21. , 22 is a mode for shifting the internal transmission hub 10. The parking mode is a mode for locking the internally geared hub 10. In the three automatic shifts 1 to 3, the upshift (shift from the low speed side to the high speed side) and the downshift (shift from the high speed side to the low speed side) are performed. Then, automatic shifting is performed by changing the shift timing, specifically, the speed at the time of shifting. The shift threshold value at this time is stored as a table in the threshold value memory 25a in the shift control unit 25 for each shift mode. An example of the shift threshold value is shown in FIG. Here, as the A1 mode is shifted to the A3 mode, the shift timing of the up and down shift is gradually advanced. That is, in the A1 mode, the speed is changed at the highest speed, and in the A3 mode, the speed is changed at the lowest speed. Usually, it is preferable to shift in the A2 mode. In addition, the threshold width (difference) between the respective gears decreases as the A1 mode changes to the A3 mode. On the uphill, you can select the mode according to the slope. Further, when the brightness is lower than a predetermined brightness (for example, 15 lux), the A1 mode, that is, the mode for shifting at the highest speed, is set and the predetermined brightness (for example, 20 lux) is set regardless of the shift mode selected. ) When the above is reached, the original shift mode is restored. As a result, it is possible to reduce the frequency of shifting at night when power consumption is high, and to suppress power consumption. Further, it is possible to suppress the speed by making it difficult to travel at a high speed.

  The liquid crystal display device 24 includes a liquid crystal display unit 24a capable of displaying a speed, a shift speed, and the like, and a backlight 24b that faces the liquid crystal display unit. The liquid crystal display unit 24a displays the current traveling speed and the operated gear position. The backlight 24b uses, for example, an LED that can be illuminated with seven colors. The backlight 24b is turned on when the brightness becomes lower than a predetermined brightness (for example, 15 lux), and turned off when the brightness becomes higher than the predetermined brightness (for example, 20 lux).

  The power saving circuit 31 is provided to reduce power consumption when the bicycle is stopped. The power saving circuit 31 is supplied with the power stored in the power storage element 32. The power saving circuit 31 is connected to the shift control unit 25, the motor driver 28, the charge control circuit 33, and the auto light circuit 35, and supplies power for operation stored in the power storage element 32 to them, and also when the bicycle is stopped. Shut off the power supply to A signal from the AC generator 19 is input to the power saving circuit 31, and it is determined by this signal whether or not the bicycle is stopped. By providing such a power saving circuit 31, useless consumption of the power stored in the power storage element 32 can be suppressed.

  The storage element 32 is made of, for example, a large-capacity capacitor, and stores the DC power output from the AC generator 19 and rectified by the charge control circuit 33. The 1 mA current stored in the storage element 32 is supplied to the shift control unit 25, the motor driver 28, the charge control circuit 33, and the auto light circuit 35 via the power saving circuit 31. The motor driver 28 is also directly supplied with the 1 A current stored in the power storage element 32. The storage element 32 may be constituted by a secondary battery such as a nickel-cadmium battery, a lithium ion battery, or a nickel metal hydride battery instead of the capacitor.

  The motor driver 28 controls the positioning of the transmission motor 45. The motor driver 28 operates with a current of 1 mA supplied from the power saving circuit 31, controls the current of 1 A supplied from the power storage element 32 for positioning, and supplies it to the transmission motor 45.

  The charging control circuit 33 is constituted by, for example, a half-wave rectifier circuit, and rectifies the alternating current output from the alternating current generator 19 into direct currents of 1 A and 5 mA, for example.

  The dynamo waveform shaping circuit 34 generates a speed signal from the alternating current output from the alternating current generator 19. That is, an AC signal of a sine curve is extracted, for example, for a half cycle, and is passed through an appropriate waveform shaping circuit such as a Schmitt circuit to generate a pulse signal corresponding to the speed.

  The auto light circuit 35 operates in response to an on / off signal output from the shift control unit 25 based on the detection output from the optical sensor 36, and supplies / blocks the 1 A current output from the AC generator 19 to the lamp 18. Thereby, the lamp 18 is automatically turned on when the illuminance falls below a predetermined level, and is turned off when the predetermined illuminance is exceeded.

  In the shift control unit 12 configured in this manner, the shift hub 10 is shift-controlled in the automatic shift mode or the manual shift mode selected by the shift operation unit 20. Specifically, for example, when the A2 mode of the automatic transmission mode is selected, as shown in FIG. 7, when the vehicle speed becomes 12.7 km / h, the first speed is changed to the second speed. Further, when the speed reaches 17.1 km / h, the speed is changed to the third speed. On the other hand, when the vehicle speed subsequently decreases to 15.6 km / h, the gear shifts down to the second gear, and when the vehicle speed further decreases to 11.5 km / h, the gear shifts down to the first gear. Here, in order to prevent chattering at the time of shifting, the timing of the upshift and the timing of the downshift are lowered on the downside, and the vehicle speed is detected by an AC signal from the AC generator 19 at such a shift. Therefore, the vehicle speed can be obtained finely per one wheel rotation, and the speed change is performed in real time following the change in the actual vehicle speed as compared with the conventional one.

  On the other hand, when the wheel rotates, the power saving circuit 31 detects this and supplies power for control operation to the shift control unit 25, the charging control circuit 33, and the like. As a result, the shift control unit 25 starts operation, and the liquid crystal display device 24, the motor driver 28, the auto light circuit 35, and the charge control circuit 33 are controlled. Then, the electric power from the AC generator 19 is charged in the storage element 32. A vehicle speed signal is given from the dynamo waveform shaping circuit 34 to the shift control unit 25. When the wheel stops, the power saving circuit 31 detects it and cuts off the supply of power for control. Thereby, useless power is not consumed at the time of a stop. For this reason, the power storage element 32 is not consumed during the stop.

  Here, since the storage element 32 is provided to store the electric power from the AC generator 19 and each part including the shift control unit 25 is operated by the electric power, battery replacement and charging work are not required. Further, it is not necessary to manage the remaining battery level and carry a spare battery, and automatic shifting can be performed without performing troublesome work related to the power source.

  In addition, the vehicle speed is detected based on the AC signal output from the AC generator 19, and the shift control is performed based on the detected vehicle speed. Since the AC generator generally has a plurality of magnetic poles, an AC signal having a frequency related to the number of magnetic poles and the vehicle speed is output from the AC generator. For this reason, many pulse signals per rotation can be obtained from an AC signal as compared with a speed signal obtained from a speed sensor that detects a magnet attached to a wheel, for example, which is usually used in a bicycle. Therefore, the vehicle speed can be detected finely during one rotation, and high-precision shift control can be performed in real time. Further, since the control is performed based on the AC signal from the AC generator 19, it is not necessary to dispose the transmission control unit 12 near the wheel as in the prior art, and the mounting position of the transmission control unit 12 is not limited.

  In addition, the power of the alternator 19 that has not been used in the daytime can be effectively used by the shift control unit 12.

  Further, since the backlight 24b is turned on / off and the speed change mode is fixed to / released from the high speed mode by the detection output from the optical sensor 36, the speed change and display control are performed under suitable driving conditions / display conditions according to the surrounding conditions. it can.

  Next, the control operation of the shift control unit 25 will be described based on the control flowcharts shown in FIGS.

  When the power is turned on, initialization is performed in step S1 of FIG. Here, the circumference data for speed calculation is set to, for example, a 26 inch diameter, the gear position is set to the second speed (V2), and various flags are reset.

  In step S2 to step S7, an on / off process of the night flag NF is performed. The night flag NF is a flag for distinguishing between day and night, and is turned on when the ambient illuminance IL is 15 lux or less, and is turned off when the illuminance IL is turned on and becomes 20 lux or more. Specifically, the illuminance IL is captured from the optical sensor 36 in step S2. In step S3, it is determined whether or not the night flag NF is already on (= 1). When the night flag NF is not turned on, the process proceeds to step S4 to determine whether the illuminance IL is 15 lux or less. In the case of 15 lux or less, the process proceeds to step S5 and the night flag NF is turned on. If it exceeds 15 lux, this process is skipped and the process proceeds to step S8.

  If the night flag NF is already on, the process proceeds from step S3 to step S6. In step S6, it is determined whether the illuminance IL is 20 lux or more. When the illuminance IL is 20 lux or more, the process proceeds to step S7 and the night flag NF is turned off. If the illuminance IL is less than 20, the process skips step S7 and proceeds to step S8.

  In step S8, the display process shown in FIG. 9 is performed. In step S9, it is determined whether or not the operation dial 23 is set to the parking (P) mode. In step S10, it is determined whether or not the operation dial 23 is set to the automatic transmission 1 (A1) mode. In step S11, it is determined whether or not the operation dial 23 is set to the automatic transmission 2 (A2) mode. In step S12, it is determined whether or not the operation dial 23 is set to the automatic transmission 3 (A3) mode. In step S13, it is determined whether or not the operation dial 23 is set to the manual shift (M) mode. In step S14, it is determined whether other processing such as tire diameter input has been selected.

  When the operation dial 23 is turned to the P position and set to the parking (P) mode, the process proceeds from step S9 to step S15. In step S10, a parking (P) process is executed. When the operation dial 23 is turned to the A1 position and the automatic transmission 1 mode is set, the process proceeds from step S10 to step S16. In step S16, the automatic transmission 1 (A1) process shown in FIG. 10 is executed. When the operation dial 23 is turned to the A2 position and the automatic transmission 2 mode is set, the process proceeds from step S11 to step S17. In step S17, automatic shift 2 (A2) processing shown in FIG. 11 is executed. When the operation dial 23 is turned to the A3 position and the automatic transmission 3 mode is set, the process proceeds from step S12 to step S18. In step S18, an automatic shift 3 (A3) process similar to the automatic shift 2 (A2) process is executed. When the operation dial 23 is turned to the M position and the manual transmission mode is set, the process proceeds from step S13 to step S19. In step S19, the manual shift (M) process shown in FIG. 12 is executed. If another process is selected, the process proceeds from step S14 to step S20, and the selected process is executed.

  In the display process of step S8, it is determined in step S21 of FIG. 9 whether the night flag NF is on (= 1). When the night flag NF is on, that is, at night, the process proceeds to step S22 to determine whether the backlight 24b and the lamp 18 are lit. If it is determined that it is lit, the process proceeds to step S23, where various display processes are performed and the process returns to the main routine. If it is determined that it is not lit, the process proceeds to steps S28 and S29, the backlight 24b and the lamp 18 are lit, and the process proceeds to step S23.

  When the night flag NF is off, that is, in the daytime, the process proceeds from step S21 to step S25. In step S25, it is determined whether the backlight 24b and the lamp 18 are turned off. If it is turned off, the process proceeds to step S23. If not turned off, the process proceeds to steps S26 and S27, the backlight 24b and the lamp 18 are turned off, and the process proceeds to step S23.

  Here, for example, the backlight 24b and the lamp 18 are turned on / off in accordance with the ambient illuminance, so that various information can be easily seen according to the surrounding conditions, and various information can be displayed under display conditions suitable for the liquid crystal display unit 24a. Can be displayed.

  In the parking (P) process of step S15, a password registration process for locking the internal speed change hub 10 or registering a password for releasing the lock state of the internal speed change hub 10 or a password input process for releasing the lock state. In addition, processing such as password collation processing for performing collation is executed in accordance with the operation of the operation buttons 21 and 22.

  In the automatic shift 1 (A1) process in step S16, the operation position VP is set to a shift stage corresponding to the vehicle speed S. And when it remove | deviates from it, it changes in the direction which approaches one step at a time. Here, the operation position VP of the operation position sensor 26 is captured in step S31 of FIG. In step S32, the current vehicle speed S of the bicycle is captured by the speed signal from the AC generator 19. In step S33, it is determined whether or not the captured current vehicle speed S exceeds an upward threshold value U (VP) corresponding to the operating position VP of the operating position sensor 26 as shown in FIG. In step S34, it is determined whether or not the captured current vehicle speed S is lower than a falling threshold value D (VP) corresponding to the operating position VP of the operating position sensor 26.

  If the current vehicle speed S exceeds the upward threshold value U (VP) corresponding to the current gear position shown in FIG. 7, the routine proceeds from step S33 to step S35. For example, when the gear position is 2nd speed (VP = 2), this determination is “Yes” when the vehicle speed S becomes higher than 22.6 km / h. In step S35, it is determined whether or not the gear position is the third speed. Since it is not possible to shift up any further at the third speed, the process proceeds to step S34 without any processing. When the speed is less than the third speed, the process proceeds to step S36, and the operation position VP is increased by one to shift up the shift stage by one stage, and the process proceeds to step S34. As a result, the transmission motor 45 operates and the internal transmission hub 10 is shifted up by one stage.

  When the current vehicle speed S is lower than the downward threshold value D (VP) corresponding to the current gear position shown in FIG. 7, the routine proceeds from step S34 to step S37. For example, when the gear position is 2nd speed (VP = 2), this determination is “Yes” when the vehicle speed S becomes slower than 15.2 km / h. In step S37, it is determined whether or not the gear position is the first speed. At the first speed, the main routine is entered without any processing. When the speed is 2nd or higher, the process proceeds to step S38, and the operating position VP is lowered by one to return to the main routine in order to downshift the shift stage by one stage. As a result, the transmission motor 45 is operated and the internal transmission hub 10 is shifted down by one stage.

  Also in the automatic shift 2 (A2) process of step S17, the operation position VP is set to a shift stage corresponding to the vehicle speed S. And when it remove | deviates from it, it changes in the direction which approaches one step at a time. Here, in step S41 of FIG. 11, it is determined whether or not the night flag NF is on. When the night flag NF is on, the process proceeds to step S16 in FIG. 8 and the automatic transmission 1 (A1) process is executed. That is, in the case of automatic shift at night, the automatic shift 1 process is executed in any shift mode. As a result, it is possible to reduce power consumption at night when the frequency of shifting is reduced and the lamp 18 is lit up, and the consumption is severe.

  When the night flag NF is not turned on, the process proceeds to step S42. The processing of step S42 to step S49 is the same as step S33 to step S38 of the automatic transmission 1 (A1) processing shown in FIG. Further, since the automatic transmission 3 (A3) process in step S18 is the same as the automatic transmission 2 (A2) process except for the threshold value, the description thereof is also omitted.

  In the manual shift (M) process of step S19, the operation buttons 21 and 22 are operated to shift one step at a time. In step S51 of FIG. 12, the operation position VP of the operation position sensor 26 is captured. In step S52, it is determined whether or not the operation button 21 has been operated. In step S53, it is determined whether or not the operation button 22 has been operated. When the operation button 21 is operated, the process proceeds from step S52 to step S54. In step S54, it is determined whether or not the third speed is based on the current operation position VP. If the current gear position is not the third speed, the process proceeds to step S55, and only one operation position VP is shifted to the high speed side to shift up by one stage. This process is skipped when the current gear position is the third speed.

  When the operation button 22 is operated, the process proceeds from step S53 to step S56. In step S56, it is determined whether the first speed is based on the current operation position VP. If the current gear position is not the first speed, the process proceeds to step S57, and only one operation position VP is shifted to the low speed side to shift down by one stage. This process is skipped when the current gear position is the first speed.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the backlight 24b is turned on and off according to day and night, and the speed change operation at the time of automatic speed change is changed. Can be displayed and can be shifted under suitable driving conditions.

[Other Embodiments]
(A) In the above embodiment, the internal transmission hub is controlled to shift, but the transmission to be controlled is not limited to the internal type and may be an external type. In the case of the exterior type, the front derailleur may be controlled without being limited to the rear derailleur. Two motor units may be provided to control both. Further, although the display device is controlled by the shift control unit, a display-dedicated control unit may be provided separately. Further, although the vehicle speed is detected by a signal from the power generation hub, it may be detected by a signal from a power generation device that contacts the rim or tire, or may be detected by a signal from a separately provided vehicle speed detection sensor. .

  (B) In the above embodiment, the upshift is performed as soon as the up threshold value U (VP) is exceeded. However, after the up threshold value U (VP) is exceeded, the upshift is resumed after waiting for a predetermined time T1 or T2. It may be determined whether or not the threshold value U (VP) has been exceeded, and the shift operation may be performed. An example of the automatic transmission 1 (A1) process in this case is shown in FIG. In this case, even if the speed signal is frequently detected, the speed change is not frequently performed, and the speed change operation contrary to the rider's will is reduced.

  In step S61 of FIG. 13, the operation position VP of the operation position sensor 26 is captured. In step S62, the current vehicle speed S of the bicycle is captured by the speed signal from the AC generator 19. In step S63, it is determined whether or not the captured current vehicle speed S exceeds an upward threshold value U (VP) corresponding to the operating position VP of the operating position sensor 26 as shown in FIG. In step S64, it is determined whether or not the captured current vehicle speed S is less than a falling threshold value D (VP) corresponding to the operating position VP of the operating position sensor 26.

  When the current vehicle speed S exceeds the upward threshold value U (VP) corresponding to the current gear position shown in FIG. 7, the routine proceeds from step S63 to step S65. For example, when the gear position is 2nd speed (VP = 2), this determination is “Yes” when the vehicle speed S becomes higher than 22.6 km / h. In step S65, it is determined whether or not the night flag NF is on (= 1). When the night flag NF is not turned on, the process proceeds to step S66, and the waiting time T is set to the predetermined time T1. When the night flag is on, the process proceeds to step S67, and the waiting time T is set to a time T2 longer than the predetermined time T1. Then, control goes to a step S68.

  In step S68, it is determined whether town time T has elapsed from the determination result in step S93. If the predetermined time T has not elapsed, the process proceeds to step S71, and the vehicle speed S is read again. In step S72, it is determined whether or not the current vehicle speed S captured again exceeds the current threshold value U (VP) of the shift stage. If the vehicle speed S does not exceed the upward threshold value U (VP), no processing is performed and the process proceeds to step S64. If the vehicle speed S exceeds the upward threshold value U (VP), the process returns to step S68. Then, it is determined again whether the waiting time T has elapsed from the determination result in step S68.

  If it is determined that the waiting time T has elapsed, the process proceeds from step S68 to step S69. In step S69, it is determined whether or not the gear position is the third speed. Since it is not possible to shift up any further at the third speed, the process proceeds to step S64 without any further processing. When the speed is less than the third speed, the process proceeds to step S70, and the operation position VP is increased by one to shift up the shift stage by one, and the process proceeds to step S64. As a result, the transmission motor 45 operates and the internal transmission hub 10 is shifted up by one stage.

  In this way, by changing the setting value of the waiting time T for setting the shift timing according to whether it is daytime or nighttime and making the predetermined time T2 at night longer than the predetermined time T1 in the daytime, the shift frequency is also reduced and power consumption is suppressed. Can do.

  (C) In the case of automatic gear shifting, the gear may not be shifted to a specific gear position at night. For example, it may be possible to shift only to the first speed and the second speed without entering the third speed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 14, it is determined in step S85 whether or not the night flag NF is on. Then, when the night flag NF is on, the process proceeds to step S86 to determine whether or not the gear stage VP is 2nd or higher. If it is 2nd or higher, the process proceeds to step S84 and no processing is performed. What should I do? The other processes are the same as the automatic transmission 1 (A1) process shown in FIG.

  (D) At night, even if the automatic transmission mode is selected, only the manual transmission mode may be executed. In this case, when the night flag NF is turned on in step S41 of FIG. 11 in each of the shift modes A1 to A3, it is only necessary to jump to the manual shift process of step S19 of FIG.

  (E) In the above embodiment, the backlight 24b is controlled to be turned on / off according to whether it is daytime or nighttime. However, at least one of hue, saturation, and brightness of the backlight 24b may be changed according to daytime / nighttime. Further, the display contents may be switched according to whether it is day or night. For example, the time may be displayed during the day and the speed may be displayed at night. In this case, at least one of hue, saturation, and lightness or time or speed may be changed in step S27 and step S30 of the display process of FIG.

  (F) In the above embodiment, the speed change motor unit is provided in the speed change control unit. However, a motor unit such as a speed change motor or an operation position sensor may be provided on the internal speed change hub 10 side. In this case, the speed change control unit and the internal speed change hub 10 need only be connected by electric wiring instead of the speed change cable.

  (G) In the above embodiment, the vehicle speed is detected as the traveling state, but the crank rotational speed may be detected as the traveling state. In this case, the crank rotation number may be detected directly, or the crank rotation number may be detected by calculating backward from the vehicle speed and the gear position.

  (H) When the notification sound is generated at the time of shifting, the notification sound may be turned off, the volume may be reduced, or the tone may be different from that in the daytime at night. In this case, a notification sound is generated in each speed change process (for example, step S35 and step S37 in FIG. 10), and either on / off of the notification sound, volume, or tone is changed between day and night. Control is sufficient.

  (I) In the above-described embodiment, the optical sensor is mounted on the bicycle. However, the optical sensor may be mounted on the rider and the illuminance data may be transmitted to the shift control unit by communication means such as wireless communication.

1 is a side view of a bicycle adopting an embodiment of the present invention. The schematic diagram which shows the connection relationship of an internal transmission hub, a transmission control unit, and a dynamo hub. FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view of the transmission control unit. The perspective view of a speed change operation part. The block diagram which shows the structure of a transmission control unit. Table showing shift timing for each automatic shift mode The control flowchart of the main routine of a transmission control part. The control flowchart of a display process. The control flowchart of an automatic transmission 1 (A1) process. The control flowchart of an automatic transmission 2 (A2) process. 7 is a control flowchart of manual shift (M) processing. 11 is a flowchart corresponding to FIG. 10 of another embodiment. 11 is a flowchart corresponding to FIG. 10 of another embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Frame 8 Dynamo hub 10 Internal transmission hub 12 Transmission control unit 18 Lamp 19 Alternator 20 Transmission operation part 24 Liquid crystal display device 24a Liquid crystal display part 24b Backlight 25 Transmission control part 36 Optical sensor

Claims (17)

A transmission system for controlling a transmission mounted on a bicycle and having a plurality of shift stages with different gear ratios,
Traveling state detecting means for detecting the traveling state of the bicycle;
A light detecting means that can be attached to the bicycle or rider and can detect the illuminance of the surroundings;
Is mountable to the bicycle, as well as shifting control the transmission in accordance with a detection result of the running state detecting means, and a shift control device that changes the speed change control in accordance with a detection output of said light detecting means Prepared,
The bicycle shift system , wherein the shift control device changes the shift control so that the shift frequency is less when the illuminance of the light detection means is less than or equal to a predetermined illuminance than when the illuminance exceeds the predetermined illuminance .   The bicycle transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the running state detection means detects a vehicle speed of the bicycle.   2. The bicycle transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the running state detection means detects a rotation speed of a crank of the bicycle. It also has an electric light that can be attached to the bicycle,
The bicycle shift system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the shift control device controls the lighting of the electric light in accordance with a detection output of the light detection means.   The rotation transmission system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an AC power generation device that supplies electric power to the transmission device and the transmission control device.   The bicycle transmission system according to claim 5, wherein the AC power generation device is provided on a hub axle of the bicycle wheel.   The bicycle transmission system according to claim 6, wherein the traveling state detection unit detects the traveling state based on an AC signal from the AC power generator.   The bicycle shift system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the shift control device changes a shift timing in accordance with a detection output of the light detection means.   The bicycle shift system according to claim 8, wherein the shift control device changes the shift timing of at least one of an upshift and a downshift according to the detection output of the light detection unit. The shift control device includes:
Shift signal generating means for generating a shift signal for shifting to any of the plurality of stages according to the detection result of the running state detecting means;
The bicycle transmission system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a control signal is output to the transmission device according to the generated transmission signal. The shift signal generating means includes
Shift threshold value storing means for storing a shift table in which a shift-up threshold value and a shift-down threshold value corresponding to each shift stage are described;
The shift-up shift signal (or shift-down shift signal) is output when the traveling state detected by the traveling state detection means exceeds (or falls below) the shift-up threshold (or shift-down threshold). The bicycle transmission system according to claim 10. The shift threshold value storage means is provided with a plurality of shift tables corresponding to the detection output of the light detection means,
12. The shift signal generation unit according to claim 11, wherein the shift signal generation unit selects any of the plurality of shift tables according to a detection output of the light detection unit and outputs the shift-up shift signal or the shift-down shift signal. Bicycle shifting system. The bicycle transmission system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the shift control device changes a detection timing of the running state detection unit according to a detection output of the light detection unit. A transmission system for controlling a transmission mounted on a bicycle and having a plurality of shift stages with different gear ratios,
Traveling state detecting means for detecting the traveling state of the bicycle;
A light detecting means that can be attached to the bicycle or rider and can detect the illuminance of the surroundings;
A shift control device that is attachable to the bicycle and controls the shift of the transmission according to the detection result of the running state detection means, and changes the shift control according to the detection output of the light detection means; Prepared,
The shift control device, you do not shift to the specific shift speed in accordance with a detection output of said light detecting means, the transmission system for a bicycle. A transmission system for controlling a transmission mounted on a bicycle and having a plurality of shift stages with different gear ratios,
Traveling state detecting means for detecting the traveling state of the bicycle;
A light detecting means that can be attached to the bicycle or rider and can detect the illuminance of the surroundings;
A shift control device that can be mounted on the bicycle, shift-controls the transmission according to the detection result of the running state detection means, and changes the shift control according to the detection output of the light detection means;
A shift operation unit that can be attached to a bicycle and can manually operate the shift control device ;
The shift control device, and the automatic transmission control according to the result of the running state detecting means according to the detection output of said light detecting means, Ru switches the manual shift control according to the operation of the gearshift operating parts, bicycle Gear shifting system. A transmission system for controlling a transmission mounted on a bicycle and having a plurality of shift stages with different gear ratios,
Traveling state detecting means for detecting the traveling state of the bicycle;
A light detecting means that can be attached to the bicycle or rider and can detect the illuminance of the surroundings;
A shift control device that can be mounted on the bicycle, shift-controls the transmission according to the detection result of the running state detection means, and changes the shift control according to the detection output of the light detection means;
A shift informing means for informing the shift timing of the bicycle sound, comprising,
The shift control device that controls the sound of the transmission notification means in accordance with a detection output of said light detecting means, the transmission system for a bicycle.   The bicycle transmission system according to claim 16, wherein the shift control device controls any one of a volume, a tone, and an on / off state of the shift notification unit according to a detection output of the light detection unit.

Images