JP6991564B2 - Electric bicycle battery device and electric folding bicycle - Google Patents

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Law 1. Exhibition date November 3, 2017-November 5, 2017 Exhibition name CYCLE MODE international 2017 Makuhari Messe Hall 1-4 (2-1 Nakase, Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba) 2. Date November 1, 2017-November 2, 2017 Meeting name, venue Gic Co., Ltd. Business meeting Theater 1010 (Senju) "Atelier" Hall (3-92 Senju, Adachi-ku, Tokyo Senju Mildis 1st Building 10F)

The present invention relates to a battery device of an electric bicycle for supplying power to a motor drive unit mounted on the electric bicycle, and the present invention particularly relates to a foldable electric bicycle (hereinafter referred to as "electric folding bicycle"). It relates to a suitable battery device and an electric folding bicycle equipped with the battery device.

Electric bicycles are equipped with a battery device that uses a rechargeable battery such as a lithium-ion battery. Since the battery device of an electric bicycle (hereinafter referred to as "battery device") uses a large capacity battery, it is heavy and is firmly fixed in the vicinity of the center of gravity of the electric bicycle in consideration of the balance of the vehicle body. .. For example, the battery device described in Patent Document 1 is installed in a space sandwiched between an upper post and a lower post of an electric bicycle.

In recent years, a foldable bicycle equipped with a battery device has been proposed. Since the electric folding bike has a foldable structure, there are restrictions on the position where the battery device can be attached. be.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-58563

If the battery capacity is increased in order to sufficiently lengthen the mileage, the weight and size of the battery device will increase, the appearance of the electric folding bicycle will deteriorate, and the vehicle body will become larger and heavier. In addition, the heavy and large battery device is difficult to remove and carry when the vehicle is stopped, and since the battery device is not easy to remove, it remains attached to and fixed to the electric folding bicycle. Therefore, the battery device may be stolen, and in order to prevent this, it is necessary to incorporate a locking mechanism into the battery device, which complicates the structure of the battery device and causes high cost.

Electric folding bicycles are required to be simple and convenient to carry. Therefore, it is most important to reduce the weight of the vehicle body, and it is unacceptable for users to increase the weight of the vehicle body by installing a battery device. On the other hand, regarding the mileage, the user's request is generally satisfied if the minimum necessary distance (for example, about 10 km) can be secured in consideration of the convenience of the folding bicycle. In order to secure a mileage of about 10 km, the battery capacity may be about 2.8 A · h, the weight of the battery device can be suppressed to 500 g or less, and the battery device can be significantly miniaturized.

The present invention has been made from the above viewpoint, and the object of the present invention is to improve the appearance of the electric bicycle, to be easily attached to and detached from the electric bicycle, to have a simple structure, and to be low-cost electric. It is an object of the present invention to provide a bicycle battery device and an electric folding bicycle equipped with the battery device.

The battery device for an electric bicycle according to the present invention includes a mounting base fixed on the handlebar of the electric bicycle and a battery case removably mounted on the mounting base. The battery case has a battery compartment for storing the battery and a charging terminal for charging the battery. Between the mounting base and the battery case, an electrical connection part that electrically connects the motor drive part of the electric bicycle and the battery, and an electrical connection part that localizes the battery case on the mounting base are connected. A holding mechanism for holding the state is provided. The electrical connection portion is provided by contact between a first connection terminal provided on the upper surface of the mounting base and electrically connected to the motor drive unit via a cord wire and a first connection terminal provided on the lower surface of the battery case. It includes a second connection terminal in which the motor drive unit and the battery are electrically connected via a cord wire. The holding mechanism portion has a first permanent magnet composed of N magnetic poles and S magnetic poles provided at a peripheral position surrounding the first connection terminal of the mounting base, and a first permanent magnet at a peripheral position surrounding the second connection terminal of the battery case. It includes a permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet composed of N magnetic poles and S magnetic poles provided so that magnetic poles different from each other face each other .

Prior to riding a bicycle, an external power source is connected to the charging terminal of the battery case to charge the battery, and then the holding mechanism positions the battery case on the mounting base fixed on the steering wheel and connects the electrical connection. Hold in the state. As a result, the motor drive unit mounted on the electric bicycle and the battery in the battery case are electrically connected, and the drive power is supplied from the battery to the motor drive unit.
When the battery case is removed from the mounting base at the end of running, the electrical connection becomes non-conducting and the power supply to the motor drive stops. The removed battery case is lightweight by itself, does not interfere with carrying the battery case, and the battery device is not stolen.

Further, by the magnetic attraction acting between the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet of the holding mechanism part, the battery case is localized on the mounting base and held in a state where the electric connection part is connected. Will be done. Therefore , by localizing the battery case on the mounting base, the first and second connection terminals become conductive, and power is supplied from the battery to the motor drive unit.

It is desirable that the battery case is provided with a shutter that can be opened and closed to cover the second connection terminal in order to prevent a short circuit.

It is desirable that the holding mechanism portion is provided with a restraining mechanism for restraining the battery case in a fixed position on the mounting base.
According to this embodiment, since the battery case localized on the mounting base is restrained in a fixed position, the battery case may be displaced and the connection terminal of the electrical connection portion may become non-conducting while driving, or the battery case may be disengaged. It is prevented from falling off from the mounting base.

The battery case may be further provided with a terminal for supplying power for supplying power to the outside, or may be further provided with a light source for lighting that is lit by a battery.
According to these embodiments, a smartphone or the like can be connected to a terminal for power supply and used, or a light source for lighting can be turned on and used instead of a lamp, increasing the utility value of the battery device. do.

The scope of the present invention includes, in addition to the above-mentioned battery device, an electric folding bicycle equipped with the above-mentioned battery device. By attaching a lightweight and compact battery device with a small battery capacity to the electric folding bike, the appearance of the electric folding bike will be good, and the battery case can be easily attached and detached.

According to the present invention, due to the miniaturization, it can be installed at a place away from the center of gravity of the electric bicycle, for example, on the handle of the electric bicycle, which is suitable for installation on an electric folding bicycle and improves the appearance of the electric bicycle. can. In addition, only the battery case can be removed from the electric bicycle, and the battery case can be easily attached and detached. Further, it is not necessary to incorporate a locking mechanism, and the cost can be reduced by simplifying the structure.

It is a front view which shows the appearance of the electric folding bicycle to which the battery device is attached. It is a side view which shows one Embodiment of a battery device. It is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. It is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows one Embodiment of a mounting base. It is a front view of the mounting base of FIG. It is a rear view of the mounting base of FIG. It is a side view which shows one Embodiment of a battery case. It is a bottom view of the battery case of FIG. It is a front view of the battery case of FIG. It is a top view which shows the internal structure of the battery case of FIG.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an electric folding bike 1. It should be noted that the present invention can be applied not only to an electric folding bicycle having a folding structure but also to an electric bicycle not having a folding structure. The electric folding bicycle 1 is equipped with a motor drive unit 5 which is an auxiliary drive device and a battery device 6 which supplies drive power to the motor drive unit 5. The top tube 11 which forms the center of the vehicle body frame 10 has a structure in which the central portion thereof can be folded in half. The bi-folded portion is joined by the joint portion 2. The connected state of the joint portion 2 can be fixed or released by operating the lever 20.

A pair of left and right back forks 13L and 13R are provided at the rear end of the top tube 11 via a seat tube 12 facing in the vertical direction. The space between the top tube 11 and the seat tube 12 and the space between the seat tube 12 and the left and right back forks 13L and 13R are integrally connected by welding. At the front end of the top tube 11, front forks 15L and 15R forming a pair on the left and right are provided via a head tube 14 facing in the vertical direction. The head tube 14 also has a structure that can be folded in half, and the folded portion is connected by a joint portion 21 having a lever 22. The space between the top tube 11 and the head tube 14 and the space between the head tube 14 and the left and right front forks 15L and 15R are integrally connected by welding.

A seatpost 16 is supported on the seat tube 12 so that the height can be adjusted. A saddle 16a is attached to the upper end of the seatpost 16. A stem 17 is supported on the head tube 14 so that the height can be adjusted. A handle 19 is provided at the upper end of the stem 17. The left and right back forks 13L and 13R extend diagonally downward, and the rear wheels 3 are freely rotatably supported between the rear ends. The left and right front forks 15L and 15R extend substantially downward, and the front wheels 30 are freely rotatably supported between the lower ends.

The seat tube 12 includes a series of downward extending portions 12a. A support pipe 18 is welded to the lower surface of the rear portion of the top tube 11, and a bearing cylinder 40 is attached by welding between the lower end portion of the extension portion 12a and the lower end portion of the support pipe 18. The bearing cylinder 40 freely supports the drive shaft 4. Crank arms 41 are attached to both ends of the drive shaft 4. A pedal 42 is attached to the tip of each crank arm 41. A rotational driving force is transmitted from the motor driving unit 5 to the driving shaft 4. The rotations of the drive shaft 4 and the crank arm 41 are transmitted to the rear wheels 3 via the chain 43.

The top tube 11, seat tube 12, back forks 13L and 13R, head tubes 14, and front forks 15L and 15R constitute a vehicle body frame 10 that forms the skeleton of the electric folding bicycle 1. Each member constituting the vehicle body frame 10 is made of an aluminum alloy wrought material. It should be noted that the top tube 11, the back forks 4L, 4R, or all the constituent members of the vehicle body frame 10 may be made of a magnesium alloy wrought material.

A battery device 6 having the configurations shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 is mounted on the central portion of the handle 19 of the electric folding bicycle 1. Since the battery device 6 in the illustrated example has a small battery capacity, is small and lightweight, it can be installed on the handle 19 away from the center of gravity of the electric folding bicycle 1, but the installation position is not necessarily on the handle 19. It is not necessary, for example, it may be on the top tube 11. The battery device 6 of this embodiment includes a mounting base 7 fixed on the handle 19 and a battery case 8 removably mounted on the mounting base 7. The pair of connection terminals 61, 61 (details will be described later) incorporated in the mounting base 7 are electrically connected to the motor drive unit 5 via a cord wire 51. The cord wire 51 passes through the inside of the stem 17 and the head tube 14, is once pulled out, and then passes through the inside of the top tube 11 and the support pipe 18 and is connected to the motor drive unit 5.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and 5 to 7, the mounting base 7 includes a base plate 70, a holding plate 71 screwed to a rear position on the upper surface of the base plate 70, and an upper surface of the base plate 70. It is provided with a support plate 72 that is screwed to the front position. A concave curved support groove 74 is formed in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the rear portion of the base plate 70. A through hole 73 is provided in the vertical direction in the central portion of the support groove 74, and the stem 17 penetrates the through hole 73. The outer peripheral surface of the stem 17 and the lower surface of the base plate 70 are welded and integrated. The handle 19 is horizontally supported on the support groove 74, and the holding plate 71 is placed on the handle 19. The four corners between the holding plate 71 and the base plate 70 are screwed together.

The upper surfaces of the holding plate 71 and the support plate 72 form support surfaces 71a and 72a for supporting the battery case 8. The support surface 72a of the support plate 72 is located at a position lower than the support surface 71a of the holding plate 71, and the first positive and negative connection terminals 61 and 61 constituting the electrical connection portion 60 are exposed on the support surface 72a.

The electrical connection unit 60 electrically connects the motor drive unit 5 and the battery 81 (shown in FIG. 11) housed in the battery case 8 via the cord wire 51. The electrical connection portion 60 is composed of the first connection terminals 61, 61 and the positive and negative second connection terminals 62, 62 provided on the lower surface of the battery case 8. A cord wire 51 is connected to the first connection terminals 61, 61, and when the first connection terminals 61, 61 and the second connection terminals 62, 62 come into contact with each other and conduct electricity, the battery 81 and the motor drive unit are connected. 5 is electrically connected to and from the cord wire 51. The base plate 70, the holding plate 71, and the support plate 72 are formed of a non-magnetic metal such as aluminum, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the holding plate 71 and the support plate 72 may be made of synthetic resin. good.

The battery case 8 made of synthetic resin has a rectangular planar shape, is small in thickness with respect to the vertical and horizontal lengths, and is flat. As shown in FIG. 11, battery storage portions 80a and 80b are provided in the internal space of the battery case 8. A battery 81 composed of a total of six lithium ion batteries 81a is housed in each of the battery storage portions 80a and 80b. The second connection terminals 62, 62 and the second permanent magnets 92a, 92b, which will be described later, are assembled between the battery housing portions 80a and 80b, and the battery charge / discharge circuit, LED lighting circuit, LED display circuit, and power supply are supplied. A circuit board 82 on which a circuit, a switch changeover circuit, and the like are mounted is housed.

The battery charge / discharge circuit controls charging and discharging of the battery 81. The LED lighting circuit controls the lighting operation of the LED 85 for lighting, which will be described later. The LED display circuit controls the lighting operation of the LEDs constituting the LED display unit 89 described later. The power supply circuit outputs the power supply voltage from the battery 81 to the USB terminal 84 for power supply, which will be described later. The switch changeover circuit enables any of the above-mentioned circuits to operate according to the operation of the switch 86 described later.

The second connection terminals 62, 62 constituting the electrical connection portion 60 are exposed on the lower surface of the battery case 8. Each connection terminal 62, 62 is urged by a spring (not shown) so as to slightly protrude from the lower surface of the battery case 8 and is connected to the battery charge / discharge circuit. An openable / closable shutter 87 that covers the second connection terminals 62, 62 is provided on the lower surface of the battery case 8. The shutter 87 prevents a short circuit between the second connection terminals 62, 62. Both ends of the shutter 87 are slidably engaged with guide grooves 88 formed on both sides of the battery case 8, and can be opened and closed in the front-rear direction.

A charging terminal 83 connected to a battery charging / discharging circuit is provided on one side surface of the battery case 8. By connecting a charging device to the charging terminal 83, charging is performed from an external power source. On the other side surface of the battery case 8, a USB terminal 84 for power supply that can supply power to a smartphone or the like is provided. The charging terminals 83 and the USB terminals 84 are covered with rubber lids 83a and 84a. An LED 85 for lighting is provided on the front end surface of the battery case 8. The lighting operation of this LED 85 is controlled by the LED lighting circuit. A switch 86 and an LED display unit 89 are provided on the upper surface of the battery case 8. This switch 86 constitutes a changeover circuit. When the switch 86 is pressed once, the battery charge / discharge circuit, the power supply circuit, and the LED display circuit are turned on, and when the switch 86 is subsequently pressed, the LED lighting circuit is turned on. Turns on and the lighting LED 85 lights up. Press and hold the switch 86 to turn off all circuits. When the LED display unit 89 is turned on by the switch 86, the number of LEDs corresponding to the remaining charge of the battery 81 is turned on.

Between the support plate 72 of the mounting base 7 and the battery case 8, the battery case 8 is localized on the support surfaces 71a and 72a of the holding plate 71 and the support plate 72 by the magnetic attraction of the permanent magnet, and electricity is applied. A holding mechanism portion 9 for holding the connecting portion 60 in a connected state is provided.

The holding mechanism portion 9 of this embodiment includes two first permanent magnets 91a and 91b provided at peripheral positions on the inside of the support surface 72a of the support plate 72 and surrounding the first connection terminals 61 and 61. It includes two second permanent magnets 92a and 92b provided at peripheral positions on the inside of the lower surface of the battery case 8 and surrounding the second connection terminals 62 and 62. One of the first permanent magnets 91a and 91b has an N magnetic pole, and the other has an S magnetic pole, which are arranged at positions sandwiching the second connection terminals 62 and 62 so as to face the battery case 8, respectively. Further, one of the second permanent magnets 92a and 92b is arranged at a position sandwiching the first connection terminals 61 and 61 so that the N magnetic pole and the other S magnetic pole face the support plate 72, respectively. .. The distance between the first permanent magnets 91a and 91b and the distance between the second permanent magnets 92a and 92b match, whereby the first permanent magnets 91a and 91b and the second permanent magnets 92a and 92b The magnetic poles different from the above are magnetically attracted to each other, and the first connection terminals 61, 61 and the second connection terminals 62, 62 are in contact with each other and the contact state is maintained.

In this embodiment, the first permanent magnets 91a and 91b and the second permanent magnets 92a and 92b are both configured with individual permanent magnets, but are not limited to this, and are U-shaped having different magnetic poles at both ends. Alternatively, if a horseshoe-shaped permanent magnet is used, one permanent magnet can be used to form the first permanent magnets 91a and 91b and the second permanent magnets 92a and 92b.
Further, as the first permanent magnets 91a and 91b and the second permanent magnets 92a and 92b, any form such as a square axis shape, a cylindrical shape, and a semi-cylindrical shape can be used.

Further, the holding mechanism portion 9 of this embodiment is electrically connected by localizing the battery case 8 on the mounting base 7 by applying a magnetic attraction force between the support plate 72 of the mounting base 7 and the battery case 8. The first connection terminal 61 and the second connection terminal 62 of the unit 60 are held in a conductive state, but one of the support plate 72 of the mounting base 7 and the battery case 8 is provided with a protrusion or a ridge, and the other is provided. Other embodiments may also be employed, such as forming a recess or groove into which a protrusion or ridge fits.

Further, in this embodiment, the first connection terminals 61, 61 and the second connection terminals 62, 62 are configured to be electrically connected by overlapping and contacting each other, but have a plug-in device including a plug and a socket. Various aspects such as configuration can be adopted.

The holding mechanism portion 9 further holds the battery case 8 in a fixed position on the support surfaces 71a, 72a of the holding plate 71 and the support plate 72, that is, the first permanent magnets 91a, 91b and the second permanent magnets 92a, 92b. It is provided with a restraint mechanism 93 that restrains the position attracted by the magnetic attraction force between the two. The restraint mechanism 93 of this embodiment is composed of a belt 94 that is wound around and tightened around the battery case 8. The belt 94 has a plurality of engaging holes 94a formed on the side of the tip end portion, and the base end portion is screwed to one side surface of the support plate 72. A hook-shaped piece 95 is screwed to the other side surface of the support plate 72, and an engaging hole 94a of any of the belts 94 wound around the outer periphery of the battery case 8 is hooked on the hook-shaped piece 95. The battery case 8 is restrained by the belt 94.

Prior to the running of the electric folding bicycle 1, a charging device is connected to the charging terminal 83 provided in the battery case 8 to charge the battery 81. The charging device generally has a plug inserted into an outlet at one end, a plug inserted into the charging terminal 83 at the other end, and an AC / DC converter in the middle. After charging the battery 81, the battery case 8 is localized on the support surfaces 71a, 72a of the holding plate 71 and the support plate 72 of the mounting base 7, and the first permanent magnets 91a, 91b and the second of the holding mechanism portion 9 are localized. The first and second connection terminals 61 and 62 of the electrical connection portion 60 are held in a conductive state by the magnetic attraction force between the permanent magnets 92a and 92b. As a result, the battery 81 and the motor drive unit 5 are electrically connected to each other via the cord wire 51, and drive power is supplied to the motor drive unit 5 from the battery 81.

When the battery case 8 is removed from the support surfaces 71a, 72a of the holding plate 71 and the support plate 72 when the running of the electric folding bicycle 1 is finished, the first connection terminals 61, 61 and the second of the electric connection portion 60 are removed. The connection terminals 62 and 62 are separated from each other to be in a non-conducting state, and the power supply from the battery 81 to the motor drive unit 5 is stopped. By carrying the removed battery case 8, the battery case 8 will not be stolen.

1 Electric folding bike 5 Motor drive part 6 Battery device 7 Mounting base 8 Battery case 9 Holding mechanism part 19 Handle 51 Cord wire 60 Electrical connection part 61 First connection terminal 62 Second connection terminal 80 Battery storage part 81 Battery 83 Charging Terminal 84 USB terminal 85 LED
87 Shutters 91a, 91b First permanent magnet 92a, 92b Second permanent magnet 93 Restraint mechanism

Claims (6)

The battery case includes a mounting base fixed on the handle of the electric bicycle and a battery case removably mounted on the mounting base, wherein the battery case includes a battery housing for storing the battery and for charging the battery. Between the mounting base and the battery case, an electrical connection portion for electrically connecting the motor drive unit of the electric bicycle and the battery, and the battery on the mounting base. A holding mechanism unit that positions the case and holds the electrical connection unit in a connected state is provided .
The electrical connection portion is provided at a first connection terminal provided on the upper surface of the mounting base and electrically connected to the motor drive portion via a cord wire, and the first connection portion provided on the lower surface of the battery case. It includes a second connection terminal in which the motor drive unit and the battery are electrically connected via the cord wire by contact with the terminal.
The holding mechanism portion includes a first permanent magnet composed of N magnetic poles and S magnetic poles provided at peripheral positions surrounding the first connection terminal of the mounting base, and a peripheral periphery surrounding the second connection terminal of the battery case. A battery device for an electric bicycle including a second permanent magnet composed of an N magnetic pole and an S magnetic pole provided at a position so that different magnetic poles face each other from the first permanent magnet . The battery device for an electric bicycle according to claim 1 , wherein the battery case includes a shutter that can be opened and closed to cover the second connection terminal . The battery device for an electric bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the holding mechanism portion includes a restraining mechanism for restraining the battery case in a fixed position on the mounting base . The battery device for an electric bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the battery case is a battery device for an electric bicycle further provided with a terminal for supplying power to supply power to the outside . The battery device for an electric bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the battery case is further provided with a light source for lighting lit by the battery. An electric folding bicycle equipped with the battery device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .

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