JP5940491B2 - Bicycle with electric motor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a bicycle with an electric motor including a motor that generates an auxiliary driving force.

  A bicycle with an electric motor such as a so-called electric assist bicycle includes a motor that generates an auxiliary driving force and a battery for supplying electric power to the motor. In such a bicycle with an electric motor, one having a regenerative charging function for generating electric power in the motor by transmitting the rotational force of the wheels to the motor and charging the battery with this electric power is known.

  For example, Patent Document 1 describes performing regenerative charging as follows. That is, when the brake is operated during driving and the brake switch is turned on, a regeneration control signal corresponding to the vehicle speed is output from the regeneration charge map to the drive / regeneration driver. On the other hand, a regenerative instruction is output to the drive / regenerative driver if the pedaling force continues to fall below a predetermined lower limit during downhill travel or flat road travel. When the drive / regeneration driver receives the regeneration control signal or the regeneration instruction, the drive / regeneration driver drives the actuator, and as a result, regenerative charging is started.

JP 2003-104277 A

  2. Description of the Related Art A bicycle with an electric motor is known that has a plurality of travel modes with different regenerative charging frequencies in order to extend the distance of assist travel by a motor. In addition, in the case of a lamp equipped with a light that is turned on by power supplied from the battery, when the battery voltage falls below a certain value, power supply from the battery to the light is allowed, while power supply from the battery to the motor is cut off Things are known.

  When the battery voltage drops, there is a case where it is desired to efficiently recover the battery voltage by performing regenerative charging during traveling, but in any of the above, the battery repeats charging and discharging, It has been difficult to efficiently recover the battery voltage.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle with an electric motor that can efficiently recover battery voltage even during traveling by performing regenerative charging.

In order to achieve the above object, an electric bicycle according to the present invention generates an auxiliary driving force having a magnitude corresponding to a pedaling force applied to a pedal by a motor, and drives the wheels by the auxiliary driving force. A system, a light that emits light, a battery for supplying power to the motor and the light, a first operation unit that receives an input operation for turning on and off the light, and the auxiliary driving force In the first state where generation is stopped and power supply from the motor for charging the battery to the battery is stopped and the light is kept off, an input operation to the first operation unit is performed When it has been made, the state shifts to the second state, and the battery is charged in a predetermined case while maintaining the generation of the auxiliary driving force in the second state. And from the motor because performs power supply to the battery is turned the lights, proceeds to the third state when the input operation to the first operation section in the second state is made, the Control means for supplying power to the battery from the motor for charging the battery in a predetermined case while maintaining the stop of the generation of the auxiliary driving force in the third state and turning off the light ; including.

Another bicycle with an electric motor according to the present invention generates an auxiliary driving force having a magnitude corresponding to a pedaling force applied to a pedal by a motor, and emits light by driving the wheel by the auxiliary driving force. A light, an illuminance sensor that outputs a detection signal indicating the brightness detected by detecting ambient brightness, a battery for supplying power to the motor and the light, and for turning on and off the light A first operation unit that receives an input operation, generation of the auxiliary driving force is stopped, power supply from the motor for charging the battery to the battery is stopped, and the light is kept off. When an input operation to the first operation unit is performed in the first state, the second state is entered, and the auxiliary driving force is generated in the second state. Power is supplied to the battery from the motor for charging the battery in a predetermined case while maintaining the stop, and the light is turned on based on the detection signal, and the first state in the second state When the input operation is performed on the operation unit, the state shifts to the third state, and the battery for charging the battery in a predetermined case while maintaining the stop of the generation of the auxiliary driving force in the third state. Control means for supplying power from the motor to the battery and turning on or off the light.

  The electric bicycle may further include a second operation unit that receives an input operation for changing the magnitude of the auxiliary driving force. In this case, the control means is activated when an input operation is performed on one of the first operation unit and the second operation unit in the first state and is stopped in the first state. An arithmetic processing device may be included.

  In addition, the electric bicycle has a second operation unit that receives an input operation for changing the magnitude of the auxiliary driving force, and an illuminance that outputs a detection signal indicating the brightness detected by detecting the surrounding brightness. And a sensor. In this case, the control means shifts to the fourth state when an input operation is performed on the second operation unit in the first state, and the auxiliary driving force is applied to the motor in the fourth state. May be generated and power may be supplied to the battery from the motor for charging the battery in a predetermined case, and the light may be turned on based on the detection signal.

  Also. The control means shifts to a fifth state when an input operation is performed on the first operation unit in the fourth state, generates the auxiliary driving force in the fifth state, and generates the auxiliary driving force. Power may be supplied from the motor for charging the battery to the battery and the light may be turned on or off.

  The second operation unit accepts an input operation for selecting one of a plurality of assist modes in which the setting of the ratio of the auxiliary driving force to the pedaling force is different from each other, and the control means The assist mode may be switched when an input operation is performed on the second operation unit in the state 4 and the fifth state.

  The control means may shift to the fifth state when an input operation is performed on the second operation unit in the second state and the third state.

  The first operation unit and the second operation unit may include a button switch, and the control unit may be configured such that the first operation unit is in each state other than the first state. Alternatively, the first state may be entered when a button switch constituting the second operation unit is continuously pressed for a predetermined period.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to provide the bicycle with an electric motor which can recover a battery voltage efficiently also during driving | running | working.

It is a side view showing the composition of the bicycle with an electric motor concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the electric system of the bicycle with an electric motor which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the connection relation of the battery which concerns on embodiment of this invention, a motor drive circuit, and a motor in detail. 4A is a plan view showing the configuration of the display surface of the operation / display unit according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a plan view showing the configuration of the operation surface of the operation / display unit. . FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electric system of the operation / display unit. It is a figure which shows the transition of the state switched by operation of the light button and mode selection button which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process when the control part which concerns on embodiment of this invention changes to each 1st-5th state.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent components and parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  FIG. 1 is a side view showing a configuration of an electric bicycle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The bicycle 1 with an electric motor has a frame including a front fork 11, a head pipe 12, a down tube 13, a seat tube 14, a seat stay 15, and a chain stay 16. The front wheel 21 is rotatably attached to the front fork 11, and the rear wheel 22 is rotatably attached to the intersection of the seat stay 15 and the chain stay 16.

  A handle stem 23 is rotatably inserted into the head pipe 12, and a handle 24 is attached to the upper end of the handle stem 23. On the other hand, a seat post 25 is fitted to the seat tube 14, and a saddle 26 is attached to the upper end of the seat post 25.

  The pedal 27 is connected to a sprocket (not shown) via a crank 28. When the user applies a pedaling force to the pedal 27, the sprocket rotates, and the driving force is transmitted to the rear wheel 22 via the chain 29 as the sprocket rotates.

  The drive unit 40 is supported by the down tube 13, the seat tube 14, and the chain stay 16 at a substantially central portion of the vehicle body. The drive unit 40 includes a torque sensor 200 (see FIG. 2) that detects a pedaling force applied to the pedal 27, a vehicle speed sensor 210 (see FIG. 2) that detects a running speed, and a running situation based on detection signals from these sensors. A control unit 100 (see FIG. 2) for deriving an assist amount suitable for the calculation, and a motor drive circuit 120 (see FIG. 2) for driving the motor 160 by taking out electric power corresponding to the derived assist amount from the battery 110. A motor 160 driven by the electric power supplied from the motor drive circuit 120, and a power transmission mechanism (not shown) for transmitting the auxiliary driving force generated by the driving of the motor 160 to the chain 29. It is out. In the present embodiment, a so-called center mount type bicycle with a motor that mounts the motor 160 near the bottom bracket and transmits the auxiliary driving force of the motor 160 to the chain 29 is illustrated, but the driving method is particularly limited. The present invention can be applied to a system in which a hub motor is incorporated in the front wheel 21 or the rear wheel 22 instead of the above.

  Electric power for driving the motor 160 is supplied from a battery 110 that is detachably provided along the seat tube 14. The battery 110 is composed of, for example, a lithium ion secondary battery, and can be repeatedly used by charging.

  A stay 31 for supporting the basket 30 is connected to the front end portion of the front fork 11. A light 170 is attached to the stay 31. The light 170 is a lamp that emits light toward the front of the host vehicle. The light 170 is configured to include a light source such as an LED or an incandescent bulb that emits light when supplied with power from the battery 110. The light 170 may be provided at an appropriate position on the handle 24 or the front fork 11 so that the light projecting direction faces the front of the host vehicle.

  The handle 24 is provided with a mode selection button 185 (see FIGS. 4B and 5) for receiving an operation input for selecting a setting of a ratio of auxiliary driving force to pedaling force (hereinafter also referred to as assist ratio), and a light 170. A light button 186 (see FIGS. 4B and 5) for receiving an input operation for turning on and off, and various display units 181 to 184 (see FIGS. 4A and 5) for displaying the state of the host vehicle. An operation / display unit 180 is provided. Note that the installation position of the operation / display unit 180 is not limited to the handle 24, but it is preferable that the operation surface 180B and the display surface 180A are provided at positions where the user can easily operate and view the vehicle when riding. .

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electric system of the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The control unit 100 comprehensively controls driving of the light 170 and the motor 160 based on an operation input to the operation / display unit 180 by the user. For example, a single semiconductor chip includes a CPU (arithmetic processing unit), a memory In addition, an LSI (Large Scale Integration) in which a computer system including an input / output circuit, a timer circuit, and the like is integrated is configured. Note that the control unit 100 operates with electric power supplied from the battery 110.

  Based on the detection signals supplied from the torque sensor 200 and the vehicle speed sensor 210, the control unit 100 derives an assist amount suitable for the driving situation by calculation. For example, when the vehicle speed is low and the input torque (stepping force) is large, it is estimated that the vehicle is in a state immediately after starting or a state where the vehicle is traveling uphill. Deriving a large assist amount. The control unit 100 changes the assist ratio in accordance with the assist mode selected by the input operation on the mode selection button 185 (see FIGS. 4B and 5) of the operation / display unit 180. In the bicycle 1 with an electric motor according to the present embodiment, three assist modes (eco, standard, power) having different assist ratios are determined in advance, and one of these is pressed by pressing the mode selection button 185. Can be selected. The control unit 100 supplies a control signal (torque command value) indicating the derived assist amount to the motor drive circuit 120.

  For example, when the vehicle speed of the host vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor 210 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value and the torque (stepping force) detected by the torque sensor 200 is smaller than the predetermined value, the control unit 100 The operation shifts to a regenerative charging mode in which the battery 110 is charged by the electric power generated with the rotation of 160. The control unit 100 supplies a power signal from the battery 110 to the motor 160 by supplying a control signal to the motor drive circuit 120 to obtain an auxiliary driving force by the motor 160, and uses the power generated by the motor 160. Switching to the regenerative charging mode for charging the battery 110. The conditions for shifting to the regenerative charging mode are not limited to those described above. For example, the control unit 100 may shift to the regenerative charging mode when a brake operation is detected. In this case, a brake sensor for detecting a brake operation is provided, and the control unit 100 shifts to the regenerative charging mode based on a detection signal from the brake sensor. Moreover, the control part 100 may transfer to regenerative charge mode, when the inertial driving | running | working to which the treading force is not applied is detected.

  The motor drive circuit 120 is connected to the battery 110 via the power supply line L1. In the power running mode, the motor drive circuit 120 extracts drive power corresponding to the assist amount (torque command value) derived by the control unit 100 from the battery 110 and supplies it to the motor 160, and in the regenerative charge mode, the motor 160 The battery 110 is charged by supplying the generated power to the battery 110.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing in detail the connection relationship between battery 110, motor drive circuit 120, and motor 160. The motor drive circuit 120 includes an inverter circuit 121 including transistors T1 to T6 and an inverter control circuit 122 that generates a gate signal for individually turning on and off the transistors T1 to T6 constituting the inverter circuit 121. Further, the motor drive circuit 120 includes a transistor T7 connected to the inverter circuit 121. The transistor T7 is also turned on / off according to the gate signal supplied from the inverter control circuit 122. Each of the transistors T1 to T6 includes an n-channel MOSFET having a diode having a cathode connected to the drain side and an anode connected to the source side. That is, the transistors T1 to T6 can pass a current in the reverse direction via the diode even in the off state. On the other hand, the transistor T7 is configured by a p-channel MOSFET having an anode connected to the drain side and a cathode connected to the source side. That is, the transistor T7 can flow a current in the reverse direction via the diode even in the off state.

  In the present embodiment, the motor 160 is an inner rotor type brushless motor, and includes a rotor including a permanent magnet, a stator having a motor winding C, and three Hall elements H for detecting the rotational position of the rotor, Is included.

  Connection points u, v, transistors T1, T3, T5 connected to the positive side (high side) of the battery 110 and transistors T2, T4, T6 connected to the negative side (low side) of the battery 110, w is connected to each of the three motor windings C. The inverter control circuit 122 detects the angular position of the rotor based on the detection signals output from the three hall elements H, and turns on the transistors T1 to T6 in a predetermined order according to the detected angular position. Thereby, the direction of the current flowing through the motor winding C is sequentially switched, and the rotor rotates.

  The inverter control circuit 122 performs torque control of the motor 160 by performing PWM control for adjusting the on-duty of the transistors T1 to T6 in accordance with a control signal indicating the assist amount (torque target value) supplied from the control unit 100. . Further, the inverter control circuit 122 cuts off the power supply from the motor 160 to the battery 110 by turning off the transistor T7 in the powering mode. Note that the current from the battery 110 is supplied to the motor 160 via the diode of the transistor T7.

  On the other hand, in the regenerative charge mode, the inverter control circuit 122 turns on and off the low-side transistors T2, T4, and T6 at the same timing while maintaining all the high-side transistors T1, T3, and T5 in the off state. PWM control is performed and the transistor T7 is turned on. During the period when the transistors T2, T4 and T6 on the low side are in the ON state, a short-circuit current flows through the motor winding C and energy is stored in the motor winding C, thereby generating a braking force in the motor 160. To do. When the low-side transistors T2, T4, and T6 are turned off from this state, an induced voltage is generated in the motor winding C, and a regenerative current is supplied to the battery 110 via the diodes of the transistors T2, T4, and T6 and the transistor T7. This causes the battery 110 to be charged.

  The write drive circuit 130 is connected to the battery 110 via the power supply line L2. Based on the control signal supplied from the control unit 100, the light driving circuit 130 takes out the driving power from the battery 110 and supplies it to the light 170 to turn on the light 170. The control unit 100 controls turning on and off of the light 170 by controlling the light driving circuit 130 based on an operation input to the operation / display unit 180. In addition, when the automatic lighting mode is selected based on an input operation on the operation / display unit 180, the control unit 100 turns on and off the light 170 based on the illuminance detection signal supplied from the illuminance sensor 220. Control. Note that the automatic lighting mode is a mode in which the light 170 is automatically turned on and off according to the ambient brightness.

  The illuminance sensor 220 includes a photoelectric conversion element such as a photodiode or a phototransistor and a photoconductive element such as a Cds cell, and has a signal level corresponding to the brightness detected by detecting ambient brightness. Output illuminance detection signal. The illuminance sensor 220 is arranged so that light around the host vehicle is irradiated on the light detection surface.

  The control unit 100 is connected to the operation / display unit 180 via a signal line, and controls the motor drive circuit 120 and the light drive circuit 130 in accordance with an operation input to the operation / display unit 180 by the user. Further, the control unit 100 displays the remaining battery level on the display surface 180A (see FIG. 4A) of the operation / display unit 180 based on the voltage detection signal from the voltage sensor 230 that detects the voltage level of the battery 110. .

  4A is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the display surface 180A of the operation / display unit 180, and FIG. 4B is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the operation surface 180B of the operation / display unit 180. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the electrical system of the operation / display unit 180.

  In the present embodiment, the operation / display unit 180 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the display surface 180A and the operation surface 180B constitute two adjacent surfaces of the rectangular parallelepiped. In the present embodiment, the operation / display unit 180 is installed on the handle 24 so that the display surface 180A faces upward and the operation surface 180B faces the user.

  Various display units 181 to 184 for displaying the state of the host vehicle are provided on the display surface 180 </ b> A of the operation / display unit 180. Further, on the operation surface 180B of the operation / display unit 180, a mode selection button 185 for the user to select setting of the assist ratio by the motor 160, and a light button 186 for the user to select whether the light 170 is turned on or off. And are provided.

  The battery remaining amount display unit 181 is a display unit that displays the current voltage level of the battery 110. As shown in FIG. 4A, the battery remaining amount display unit 181 includes five light emitting units for displaying the current battery voltage level in five stages. When the display control unit 187 receives information indicating the voltage level of the battery 110 from the control unit 100, the display control unit 187 turns on the light emitting units by the number corresponding to the voltage level.

  The assist mode display unit 182 is a display unit that displays the assist mode selected by operating the mode selection button 185. In the present embodiment, any one of three assist modes (eco, standard, power) having different assist ratios can be selected by pressing the mode selection button 185. Each time the mode selection button 185 is pressed, the above three assist modes are sequentially selected. When the display control unit 187 receives information indicating the currently selected assist mode from the control unit 100, the display control unit 187 turns on the light emitting unit corresponding to the selected assist mode.

  The light lighting display unit 183 is a display unit indicating that the light 170 is turned on. The light lighting unit 183 includes a light emitting unit that is turned on when the light 170 is turned on and turned off when the light 170 is turned off. When the display control unit 187 receives information indicating that the light 170 is turned on from the control unit 100, the display control unit 187 turns on the light emitting unit.

  The power saving mode display unit 184 is a display unit indicating that the host vehicle is currently in the power saving mode. The power saving mode display unit 184 includes a light emitting unit that is turned on in the power saving mode. For example, when the control unit 100 determines that the host vehicle is continuously stopped for a predetermined period (for example, 3 minutes) based on detection signals supplied from the torque sensor 200 and the vehicle speed sensor 210, the control unit 100 shifts to the power saving mode. To do. When the display control unit 187 receives information indicating the transition to the power saving mode from the control unit 100, the display control unit 187 turns on the light emitting unit of the power saving mode display unit 184 and also displays the remaining battery level display unit 181, the assist mode display unit 182, and the light. The light emitting unit of the lighting display unit 183 is turned off.

  In addition, when the control unit 100 shifts to the power saving mode, the control unit 100 controls the light driving circuit 130 so that the light 170 is maintained in the off state. When the control unit 100 returns from the power saving mode, the control unit 100 controls the light driving circuit 130 to drive the light 170 in a state before the transition to the power saving mode. The condition for shifting to the power saving mode is not limited to the above case. For example, in addition to the above case, when the operation input to the light button 186 and the mode selection button 185 is not performed for a predetermined period, the brake is applied. When the operation is not performed for a predetermined period, the power saving mode may be entered. The electric system of the operation / display unit 180 is operated by the power supplied from the battery 110. By shifting to the power saving mode described above, the number of lighting of the light emitting units is reduced, so that the consumption of the battery 110 can be reduced.

  When the light button 186 and the mode selection button 185 are pressed, the display control unit 187 supplies a control signal indicating that these buttons have been pressed to the control unit 100. The control unit 100 that has received such a control signal performs the following control.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state transition of the electric bicycle 1 that is switched by the operation of the light button 186 and the mode selection button 185.

(First state)
The first state corresponds to a so-called power-off state, and the control unit 100 stops functioning in the first state. That is, power is not supplied to a CPU (arithmetic processing unit) constituting the control unit 100, and the function of the CPU is stopped. Further, in the first state, the motor drive circuit 120 and the light drive circuit 130 are in an off state, so that power is not supplied from the battery 110 to the motor 160 and the light 170. That is, in the first state, assist (generation of auxiliary driving force) and regenerative charging by the motor 160 are stopped, and the light 170 is turned off.

(Second state)
When the light button 186 is pressed in the first state, the CPU constituting the control unit 100 is activated and shifts to the second state. In the second state, the control unit 100 supplies a control signal to the light driving circuit 130 to forcibly turn on the light 170. As a result, the light 170 is turned on regardless of the surrounding brightness.

  Further, in the second state, stop of assist (generation of auxiliary driving force) by the motor 160 is maintained, while regenerative charging by the motor 160 is made effective. That is, in the second state, the control unit 100 supplies a control signal to the motor drive circuit 120 in order to stop the power supply from the battery 110 to the motor 160. On the other hand, in the second state, the control unit 100 supplies a control signal to the motor drive circuit 120 to perform regenerative charging when a predetermined condition for shifting to the regenerative charging mode is satisfied. As a result, the high-side transistors T1, T3 and T5 constituting the motor drive circuit 120 are all maintained in the off state, and the PWM control is performed so that the low-side transistors T2, T4 and T6 are turned on and off at the same timing. And the transistor T7 is turned on. Thereby, the battery 110 is charged with the electric power generated by the rotation of the motor 160.

(Third state)
In the second state, when the light button 186 is pressed, the state shifts to the third state. In the third state, the control unit 100 supplies a control signal to the light driving circuit 130 to forcibly turn off the light 170. As a result, the light 170 is turned off regardless of the surrounding brightness. The stop of the assist (supply of auxiliary driving force) by the motor 160 is maintained in the third state, while the regenerative charging by the motor 160 is made effective as in the second state. As described above, in the third state, power is not consumed by the light 170 and the motor 160, and only regenerative charging is effective. In other words, when the remaining amount of the battery 110 is low, the battery can be charged while maximizing the battery consumption by shifting to the third state. It is valid.

  When the light button is pressed in the third state, the state shifts to the second state. That is, after the transition to the second state, every time the light button 186 is pressed, the state is switched to the third state and the second state in sequence, thereby maintaining the assist stop and regenerative charging enabled state. The light 170 is switched on and off. On the other hand, when the mode selection button 185 is pressed in the second state and the third state, the state shifts to a fifth state described later.

(Fourth state)
When the mode selection button 185 is pressed in the first state, the CPU constituting the control unit 100 is activated and shifts to the fourth state. In the fourth state, the control unit 100 drives the light 170 in the automatic lighting mode. That is, when the signal level of the illuminance detection signal supplied from the illuminance sensor 220 is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold (that is, when the surrounding brightness is darker than the predetermined brightness), the control unit 100 turns the light 170 on. When a control signal is supplied to the light drive circuit 130 to turn on and the signal level of the illuminance detection signal supplied from the illuminance sensor 220 is higher than a predetermined threshold (that is, when the surrounding brightness is brighter than the predetermined brightness) ), A control signal is supplied to the write drive circuit 130 to turn off the light 170. Thus, in the fourth state, the light 170 is turned on or off according to the ambient brightness. When the light 170 is turned on, the light emitting unit of the light lighting display unit 183 of the operation / display unit 180 is in a lighting state, so that the user can recognize that the light 170 is turned on or off.

  In the fourth state, assist (generation of auxiliary driving force) by the motor 160 is effective. That is, in the fourth state, the control unit 100 calculates an assist amount suitable for the driving situation based on the detection signals supplied from the torque sensor 200 and the vehicle speed sensor 210, and a control signal corresponding to the calculated assist amount. (Torque command value) is supplied to the motor drive circuit 120. Note that the control unit 100 stores the last assist mode selected by the user, and when shifting from the first state to the fourth state, the assist ratio is in accordance with the stored assist mode. Thus, a control signal (torque command value) is generated and supplied to the motor drive circuit 120. For example, after the standard mode is selected, when the state transitions to the first state (that is, the power is turned off) and then transitions to the fourth state, the motor 160 in the fourth state Driven in mode.

  Further, in the fourth state, when the mode selection button 185 is pressed, the assist mode can be switched. That is, every time the mode switching button 186 is pressed in the fourth state, the control unit 100 sequentially switches the assist mode to “power”, “standard”, “eco”, “power”,. Note that the order of switching the assist mode by pressing the mode selection button 185 can be changed as appropriate. Since the selected assist mode is displayed on the assist mode display unit 182 of the operation / display unit 180, the user can recognize which assist mode is currently selected.

  In the fourth state, regenerative charging by the motor 160 is enabled. That is, in the fourth state, the control unit 100 supplies a control signal to the motor drive circuit 120 to perform regenerative charging when a predetermined condition for shifting to the regenerative charging mode is satisfied. Thereby, the transistors T1 to T6 constituting the motor drive circuit 120 are turned off, while the transistor T7 is turned on, and the battery 110 is charged by the electric power generated by the rotation of the motor 160.

(5th state)
In the fourth state, when the light button 186 is pressed, the state shifts to the fifth state. In the fifth state, the control unit 100 forcibly turns on or off the light 170. That is, the control unit 100 switches on / off the light 170 in accordance with the operation of the light button 186 by the user regardless of the ambient brightness detected by the illuminance sensor 220. For example, when the light 170 is automatically turned on in the fourth state, when the light button 186 is pressed, the state shifts to the fifth state, and the control unit 100 performs the light so that the light 170 is turned off. The drive circuit 130 is controlled. Thereafter, each time the light button 186 is pressed, the light 170 is switched on and off.

  Note that, in the fifth state, the point that the assist (generation of auxiliary driving force) and regenerative charging are enabled is the same as in the fourth state. When the mode selection button 185 is pressed in the fifth state, the assist mode can be switched. That is, every time the mode selection button 185 is pressed, the control unit 100 sequentially switches the assist mode to “power”, “standard”, “eco”, “power”,.

  In the present embodiment, in the second to fifth states, the light button 186 or the mode selection button 185 is continuously pressed for a predetermined period (for example, 2 seconds), whereby the first state (that is, the power is turned off). State). In addition, after shifting from the fourth state in which the light 170 is automatically turned on according to the ambient brightness to the fifth state in which the light 170 is forcibly turned on or off, the first mode (power After shifting to the off state), it is possible to shift to the fourth state. In addition, after the transition to the fourth state or the fifth state where the assist is enabled, the second state or the assist is stopped after the transition to the first mode (power off state) by the above-described operation. It is possible to transition to the third state.

  Further, as described above, for example, the control unit 100 determines that the host vehicle is continuously stopped for a predetermined period (for example, 3 minutes) based on detection signals supplied from the torque sensor 200 and the vehicle speed sensor 210. If this happens, it will switch to the power saving mode. When the control unit 100 shifts to the power saving mode, the control unit 100 supplies a control signal to the display control unit of the operation / display unit 180 to 187. When the display control unit 187 receives the control signal from the control unit 100, the display control unit 187 turns on the light emitting unit of the power saving mode display unit 184 and emits light from the remaining battery level display unit 181, the assist mode display unit 182, and the light lighting display unit 183. Turn off the light. In addition, when the control unit 100 shifts to the power saving mode, the control unit 100 controls the light driving circuit 130 so that the light 170 is maintained in the off state.

  When the control unit 100 determines that the state in which the host vehicle is stopped after shifting to the power saving mode continues for a predetermined period (for example, 2 minutes), the control unit 100 shifts to the first state (that is, the power-off state). . As a result, the control unit 100, the motor drive circuit 120, and the light drive circuit 130 are turned off, and all the light emitting units constituting the display units 181 to 184 in the operation / display unit 180 are turned off.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing when the control unit 100 transitions to the first to fifth states based on an input operation on the operation / display unit 180.

  The control unit 100 is activated when either the mode selection button 185 or the light button 186 is pressed in the first state (step S1) corresponding to the power-off state. The control unit 100 determines whether or not it is the mode selection button 185 that has been pressed in step S2. If the control unit 100 determines that the mode selection button 185 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S3. If it is determined that the mode selection button 185 has not been pressed, the process proceeds to step S8.

  In step S3, the control unit 100 shifts to the fourth state, and determines whether or not the light button 186 is pressed in step S4. If it is determined in step S4 that the light button 186 has been pressed, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S5, and if it is determined that the light button 186 has not been pressed, the process proceeds to step S5. The process proceeds to S6.

  The control unit 100 transitions to the fifth state in step S5. On the other hand, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the mode selection button 185 or the light button 186 is continuously pressed for a predetermined period (for example, 2 seconds or more) in step S6, and the long press is made. If it is determined that it has been determined, the process proceeds to step S1 (that is, shifts to the first state), and if it is determined that the long press has not been performed, the process returns to step S4.

  When the control unit 100 shifts to the fifth state in step S5, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the mode selection button 185 or the light button 186 is pressed for a long time in step S7, and determines that the long press is performed. In step S1, the process returns to step S1 (that is, shifts to the first state). If it is determined that the long press has not been performed, the process returns to step S5 and the fifth state is maintained.

  If the control unit 100 determines in step S8 that the light button 186 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S9. If the control unit 100 determines that the light button 186 has not been pressed, the process proceeds to step S2. return. In step S9, the control unit 100 shifts to the second state, and determines whether or not the mode selection button 185 is pressed in step S10. When the control unit 100 determines in step S10 that the mode selection button 185 has been pressed, the control unit 100 shifts the processing to step S5 (that is, shifts to the fifth state), and the mode selection button 185 is pressed. If it is determined that it is not, the process proceeds to step S11.

  In step S11, the control unit 100 determines whether the light button 186 has been pressed. If the control unit 100 determines that the light button 186 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S12, where the light button 186 is pressed. If it is determined that the process has not been performed, the process proceeds to step S14. In step S12, the control unit 100 shifts to the third state. In step S14, the control unit 100 determines whether the mode selection button 185 or the light button 186 has been pressed for a long time. If the control unit 100 determines in step S14 that the mode selection button 185 or the light button 186 has been pressed for a long time, the control unit 100 returns the processing to step S1 (that is, shifts to the first state) and presses the long press. If it is determined that the process has not been performed, the process returns to step S10.

  In step S12, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the mode selection button 185 has been pressed in step S13 after shifting to the third state. If the control unit 100 determines in step S13 that the mode selection button 185 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S5 (that is, shifts to the fifth state), and the mode selection button 185 is pressed. If it is determined that it is not, the process proceeds to step S15. If the control unit 100 determines in step S15 that the mode selection button 185 or the light button 186 has been pressed for a long time, the control unit 100 returns the process to step S1 (that is, shifts to the first state) and presses the long press. If it is determined that the process has not been performed, the process returns to step S13.

  As is apparent from the above description, in the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, in the first state corresponding to the power-off state, the control unit 100, the motor drive circuit 120, the light drive circuit 130, the motor The power supply to 160 and the light 170 is cut off. In the first state, when one of the mode selection button 185 and the light button 186 provided on the operation / display unit 180 is pressed, the control unit 100 is activated to enter the fourth state or the second state. Transition. That is, according to the electric bicycle 1 according to this embodiment, the electric system is activated in either the fourth state or the second state.

  According to the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, in the second state, the stop of the assist (generation of auxiliary driving force) by the motor 160 is maintained, while the regenerative charging by the motor 160 is enabled, In addition, the light 170 is turned on. As described above, in the second state, the driving of the motor 160 with large power consumption is stopped and the regenerative charging is made effective, so that the regenerative charging can be performed during traveling to efficiently recover the battery voltage. It becomes. Further, when the light button 186 is pressed in the second state, the light 170 is turned off and the state is shifted to the third state. As described above, in the third state, power consumption by the light 170 is further eliminated, so that the battery voltage can be recovered more efficiently.

  In addition, according to the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the light 170 can be turned on and the assist travel can be performed only by pressing one of the mode selection button 185 and the light button 186 once. The complexity of operation due to can be eliminated.

  Further, according to the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the light 170 is pressed in the automatic lighting mode in the fourth state, the light button 186 is pressed to shift to the fifth state. 170 can be forcibly turned on or off. That is, by shifting to the fifth state, the light 170 can be turned on and off by a user operation.

  In addition, in the bicycle with an electric motor according to the embodiment of the present invention, only two buttons, a mode selection button 185 and a light button 186, are provided as operation units that receive user input operations. A general bicycle with an electric motor further includes a power button for starting the electric system in addition to these buttons. In the bicycle with an electric motor according to the embodiment of the present invention, when one of the mode selection button 185 and the light button 186 is pressed, the electrical system is activated, and by pressing and holding one of these buttons for a long time. The power is turned off. That is, according to the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the mode selection button 185 and the light button 186 have the function of a conventional power button. In the bicycle with an electric motor according to the embodiment of the present invention, the operation / display unit 180 is made compact by eliminating the conventional power button, and the complexity of the operation by the user is eliminated.

  Further, according to the bicycle with an electric motor according to the embodiment of the present invention, the light 170 can be turned on even when the assist running by the motor 160 is not performed by shifting to the second state. That is, when the battery remaining amount is low and the assist driving with large power consumption is stopped, the light 170 can be turned on, and the driving safety is suppressed while suppressing the power consumption in a dark environment such as at night. It becomes possible to ensure the sex.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the mode selection button 185 and the light button 186 are integrally provided in the operation / display unit 180 is illustrated, but these buttons may be configured separately. In this case, for example, a mode selection button may be provided on the right handle, and a light button may be provided on the left handle.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the light 170 is forcibly turned on in the second state has been described. However, the light 170 may be driven in the automatic lighting mode in the second state. Thus, when the light 170 is driven in the automatic lighting mode in the second state, the light 170 may be switched on and off by pressing the light button 186 in the third state. That is, the light 170 is forcibly turned on or off in the third state. In the above-described embodiment, the mode is changed to the fifth state when the mode selection button 185 is pressed in the second state and the third state. However, as described above, the light is written in the second state. When the 170 is driven in the automatic lighting mode and the light 170 is turned on and off by pressing the light button 186 in the third state, the fourth state is selected when the mode selection button 185 is pressed in the second state. The state may be shifted to the fifth state when the mode selection button 185 is pressed in the third state. Further, when the mode selection button 185 is pressed in the third state, the fourth state may be entered.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the mode selection button 185 and the light button 186 that are button switches are provided as the operation unit that receives an input operation by the user is illustrated. You may implement | achieve with forms other than a switch, for example, forms, such as a toggle switch and a rotary switch.

  In addition to the mode selection button 185 and the light button 186, a conventional power button may be further provided. In this case, the first state, which is the power-off state, may be shifted to the fourth state by pressing the power button. The transition from the second state and the third state to the fifth state may be performed by pressing a power button. Further, as described above, when the light 170 is driven in the automatic lighting mode in the second state and the light 170 is turned on and off by pressing the light button 186 in the third state, the light 170 is switched from the second state to the second state. The transition to the state 4 and the transition from the third state to the fifth state may be performed by pressing the power button.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Bicycle 100 with an electric motor Controller 110 Battery 120 Motor drive circuit 130 Light drive circuit 160 Motor 170 Light 180 Operation / display unit 185 Mode selection button 186 Light button

Claims (8)

An auxiliary driving system that generates an auxiliary driving force having a magnitude corresponding to a pedaling force applied to the pedal by a motor and drives a wheel by the auxiliary driving force; and
A light that emits light;
A battery for supplying power to the motor and the light;
A first operation unit for receiving an input operation for turning on and off the light;
The first operation in a first state in which generation of the auxiliary driving force is stopped and power supply from the motor for charging the battery to the battery is stopped and the light is kept off. When the input operation to the unit is performed, the state shifts to the second state, and from the motor for charging the battery in a predetermined case while maintaining the stop of the generation of the auxiliary driving force in the second state When power is supplied to the battery and the light is turned on, and an input operation is performed on the first operation unit in the second state, the state shifts to the third state, and in the third state, turns off the and the light performs power supply from the motor for charging to the battery the battery in a predetermined case while maintaining the stop of the generation of the auxiliary driving force And control means,
Including electric bicycle. An auxiliary driving system that generates an auxiliary driving force having a magnitude corresponding to a pedaling force applied to the pedal by a motor and drives a wheel by the auxiliary driving force; and
A light that emits light;
An illuminance sensor that detects ambient brightness and outputs a detection signal indicating the detected brightness;
A battery for supplying power to the motor and the light;
A first operation unit for receiving an input operation for turning on and off the light;
The first operation in a first state in which generation of the auxiliary driving force is stopped and power supply from the motor for charging the battery to the battery is stopped and the light is kept off. When the input operation to the unit is performed, the state shifts to the second state, and from the motor for charging the battery in a predetermined case while maintaining the stop of the generation of the auxiliary driving force in the second state The power is supplied to the battery and the light is turned on based on the detection signal. When an input operation to the first operation unit is performed in the second state, the state shifts to the third state. And supplying power from the motor to the battery for charging the battery in a predetermined case while maintaining the stop of the generation of the auxiliary driving force in the state of 3. And control means for turning on or off the serial write,
Including electric bicycle. A second operation unit for receiving an input operation for changing the magnitude of the auxiliary driving force;
The control means is an arithmetic processing that is activated when an input operation is performed on one of the first operation unit and the second operation unit in the first state when the control unit is stopped in the first state. bicycles electric motor according to claim 1 or 2 including a device. A second operation unit for receiving an input operation for changing the magnitude of the auxiliary driving force;
An illuminance sensor that detects ambient brightness and outputs a detection signal indicating the detected brightness; and
The control means shifts to a fourth state when an input operation is performed on the second operation unit in the first state, and causes the motor to generate the auxiliary driving force in the fourth state. The electric bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein power is supplied to the battery from the motor for charging the battery in a predetermined case and the light is turned on based on the detection signal. . The control means shifts to a fifth state when an input operation is performed on the first operation unit in the fourth state, generates the auxiliary driving force in the fifth state, and generates the auxiliary driving force. The electric bicycle according to claim 4 , wherein power is supplied from the motor for charging the battery to the battery and the light is turned on or off. The second operation unit receives an input operation for selecting any one of a plurality of assist modes in which the setting of the ratio of the auxiliary driving force to the pedaling force is different from each other,
The bicycle with electric motor according to claim 5 , wherein the control means switches the assist mode when an input operation is performed on the second operation unit in the fourth state and the fifth state. The motor control unit according to claim 5 or 6 , wherein the control unit shifts to the fifth state when an input operation is performed on the second operation unit in the second state and the third state. bicycle. The first operation unit and the second operation unit are configured to include a button switch,
The control means enters the first state when a button switch constituting the first operation unit or the second operation unit is continuously pressed for a predetermined period in each state other than the first state. The bicycle with an electric motor according to any one of claims 3 to 7 , which shifts.

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