JP7108915B2 - Electric bicycles and methods of controlling electric bicycles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electric bicycle and an electric bicycle control method.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been disclosed an electric bicycle that has an electric motor and is capable of exerting an auxiliary driving force of the electric motor when the electric bicycle is pushed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to this electric bicycle, by pushing the electric bicycle while walking, it is possible to obtain an auxiliary driving force from the electric motor when walking.

Japanese Patent No. 4118985

For example, when an electric bicycle is in the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode for a long time, some kind of load is applied to the electric bicycle, and some problems may occur. For example, if the device that executes the push-walking mode or the free-running mode fails, the pushing-walking mode or the free-running mode cannot be stopped. Therefore, in order to provide an electric bicycle with higher safety, it is necessary to somehow stop the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric bicycle and a control method for an electric bicycle that can improve safety by stopping the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode.

In order to achieve the above object, an electric bicycle according to one aspect of the present invention is an electric bicycle including an electric motor, wherein a first auxiliary driving force is added by the electric motor to a human power driving force based on a force applied to a pedal. and a second mode in which the vehicle is pushed by adding a second auxiliary driving force from the electric motor to the pushing force on the vehicle body, or is self-propelled by adding the second auxiliary driving force. wherein the control unit stops the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor when the elapsed period from the start of the second mode is equal to or longer than a first predetermined period and the control unit sets the first predetermined period to be shorter when the electric bicycle descends a slope in the second mode than the first predetermined period calculated when moving on flat ground in the second mode. When the electric bicycle climbs a slope in the second mode, compared to the first predetermined period calculated when traveling on flat ground in the second mode, the first predetermined period is calculated to be The first predetermined period is calculated so that one predetermined period is longer .

Further, an electric bicycle according to an aspect of the present invention is an electric bicycle including an electric motor, and runs by adding a first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor to a human-powered driving force based on a pedaling force on a pedal. 1 mode and a second mode in which the vehicle is pushed by adding a second auxiliary driving force from the electric motor to the pushing force on the vehicle body, or self-propelled by adding the second auxiliary driving force. a control unit, wherein the control unit automatically stops the second mode without requiring an operation by a user when the elapsed time since starting the second mode is equal to or longer than a first predetermined time; The control unit has a stop function, and the control unit controls, when the electric bicycle descends a slope in the second mode, compared with the first predetermined period calculated when traveling on flat ground in the second mode, the first predetermined period of time. The first predetermined period is calculated so as to shorten the predetermined period, and the first predetermined period calculated when the electric bicycle climbs a slope in the second mode is compared with the first predetermined period calculated when the electric bicycle travels on flat ground in the second mode. Then, the first predetermined period is calculated so that the first predetermined period becomes longer .

Further, a method for controlling an electric bicycle according to an aspect of the present invention includes a first mode in which a first auxiliary driving force by an electric motor is added to a human-powered driving force based on a force applied to a pedal; a mode execution step of switching between a second mode in which a second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor is added to the force to push the vehicle or a second mode in which the vehicle is self-propelled by adding the second auxiliary driving force; a stop control step of stopping the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor when a period of time elapsed from the start of the second mode is equal to or longer than a first predetermined period of time in the second mode; calculating the first predetermined period so that when the electric bicycle descends a slope, the first predetermined period is shorter than the first predetermined period calculated when traveling on flat ground in the second mode; When the electric bicycle climbs a slope in the second mode, the first predetermined period is longer than the first predetermined period calculated when moving on a flat ground in the second mode. Calculate duration .

According to the electric bicycle and the electric bicycle control method according to the present invention, safety can be enhanced by stopping the push-walking mode or the self-running mode.

FIG. 1 is a side view of an electric bicycle according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a handle and an operating portion of the electric bicycle according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the electric bicycle according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the display section of the electric bicycle according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of the electric bicycle according to the embodiment.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Below, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that each of the embodiments described below is a specific example of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement and connection of components, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not described in independent claims representing the highest level concept of the present invention will be described as optional constituent elements.

Each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily strictly illustrated. Therefore, for example, scales and the like do not necessarily match in each drawing. Moreover, in each figure, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected about the substantially same structure, and the overlapping description is abbreviate|omitted or simplified.

In the following description, "forward" is the direction in which the electric bicycle travels, and "backward" is the opposite direction. Specifically, the handle side is "forward" with respect to the saddle of the electric bicycle. A “left-right direction” is a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction.

(Embodiment)
[Constitution]
First, the configuration of the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an electric bicycle 1 according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electric bicycle 1 can weaken the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 so as to weaken the idling of the wheels when the wheels are separated from the ground.

The electric bicycle 1 has a first mode and a second mode. The first mode is, for example, an assist mode, and assists the forward movement of the vehicle body 10 based on the user's stepping force on the pedal 17 . The second mode includes, for example, a push-walking mode or a free-running mode. In the push-walking mode, when the user walks while pushing the electric bicycle 1, forward movement of the vehicle body 10 is assisted based on the user's force pushing the vehicle body 10 forward. In the self-propelled mode, the forward movement of the vehicle body 10 is assisted while the electric bicycle 1 is being supported. Note that in the second mode, the electric bicycle 1 may run by itself while the user is supporting the electric bicycle 1 while moving forward.

The electric bicycle 1 includes a vehicle body 10, a motor drive unit 20 attached to the vehicle body 10, an operation unit 40, a battery 50, a headlight 60, a crank rotation sensor 31, a pedaling force sensor 33, and a current sensor 130. , a vehicle speed sensor 243 , a manual switch 42 , and a gear stage measuring section 70 .

The vehicle body 10 includes a frame 11, front wheels 12, rear wheels 13, a steering wheel 14, a saddle 15, cranks 16, pedals 17, sprockets 18 and chains 19. - 特許庁

The frame 11 includes a head pipe 111 , a main frame 112 , a standing pipe 113 , a fork 114 and chain stays 115 . The head pipe 111 supports a fork 114 supporting the front wheel 12 and the handle 14 so as to be rotatable around the axis of the head pipe 111 . By turning the handle 14 left and right, the direction of the front wheel 12 supported by the fork 114 can be turned left and right.

The main frame 112 is a portion that connects the head pipe 111 and the standing pipe 113 . A crank 16 and a motor drive unit 20 are attached to the lower end of the main frame 112 . The electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment is a so-called center unit type electric bicycle 1 in which the crank 16 and the motor drive unit 20 are integrated.

The standing pipe 113 detachably supports the saddle 15 . Specifically, a seat post that supports the saddle 15 is inserted into and fixed to the standing pipe 113 . In this embodiment, the battery 50 is detachably attached to the standing pipe 113 .

The fork 114 rotatably supports the front wheel 12 . A headlamp 60 is attached to the fork 114 that supports the front wheel 12 . Chain stay 115 rotatably supports rear wheel 13 .

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the handle 14 and the operating portion 40 of the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the handle 14 is provided with a pair of grips 141 and brake levers 142 on the left and right. A pair of grips 141 are portions that are held by hands when the vehicle is ridden in an appropriate posture. Also, the pair of grips 141 are grasped by hands when walking while pushing or supporting the electric bicycle 1 and receive a forward pushing force. At least one of the pair of grips 141 may be provided with a grip sensor that detects gripping force or pressing force.

A pair of brake levers 142 are operation levers of a brake device (not shown) attached to each of the front wheel 12 and the rear wheel 13 . By operating one brake lever 142 , the brake device attached to the front wheel 12 is driven to apply mechanical braking force to the front wheel 12 . By operating the other brake lever 142 , the brake device attached to the rear wheel 13 is driven to apply mechanical braking force to the rear wheel 13 .

A brake sensor is provided on the brake lever 142 , and the brake sensor detects the operation of the brake lever 142 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the saddle 15 is the part on which a person sits when the user is in the proper posture.

The crank 16 has a crankshaft 161 and a pair of crank arms 162 . One crank arm 162 is provided on each side of the main frame 112 and fixed to both ends of a crank shaft 161 extending in the left-right direction. One end of the crank arm 162 is fixed to the crankshaft 161, and the pedal 17 is rotatably fixed to the other end. When a pedaling force is applied to the pedal 17 , the crank arm 162 rotates about the crankshaft 161 , and the human power driving force generated by this rotation is transmitted to the rear wheel 13 via the sprocket 18 and chain 19 . When operating in the first mode, the human-powered driving force based on the pedaling force and the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 added to the human-powered driving force are transmitted to the rear wheels 13 .

The motor drive unit 20 is unitized by housing an electric motor 21 and a control device 22 in a housing made of resin or metal.

The electric motor 21 is driven by receiving power from the battery 50 under the control of the control device 22 . Rotational torque of the electric motor 21 is transmitted to the sprocket of the rear wheel 13 to rotate the rear wheel 13 . Rotational torque means the first auxiliary driving force and the second auxiliary driving force. Further, the electric motor 21 can perform regenerative operation to generate regenerative electric power and charge the battery 50 during non-drive in which no motor output is produced, and can operate as a regenerative brake.

The electric motor 21 is a motor that provides a first auxiliary driving force and a second auxiliary driving force. The electric motor 21 adds the first auxiliary driving force to the human-powered driving force based on the force applied to the pedal 17 during execution of the first mode. In addition, the electric motor 21 adds the second auxiliary driving force to the power of pushing or supporting the electric bicycle 1 while the second mode is being executed.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the control device 22 controls the operation of the electric motor 21 based on sensing information from sensors such as the crank rotation sensor 31, the pedal force sensor 33, the current sensor 130, the vehicle speed sensor 243, and the gear stage measuring section 70. Control. In the present embodiment, the control device 22 is housed inside the housing of the motor drive unit 20, but it is not limited to this. The control device 22 may be provided separately from the motor drive unit 20 .

The control device 22 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer (microcontroller), etc., and includes a nonvolatile memory storing a program, a volatile memory that is a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input/output port, and executing the program. It consists of a processor that Alternatively, controller 22 may be implemented with dedicated electronic circuitry.

The electric motor 21, the crank rotation sensor 31, the pedal force sensor 33, the current sensor 130, the vehicle speed sensor 243, the speed measuring unit 70, the manual switch 42, the operation unit 40, the battery 50, and the headlight 60 are connected to the control device 22. It is An operation signal for each switch and a detection result by each sensor are input to the control device 22 .

Crank rotation sensor 31 and pedaling force sensor 33 are arranged near crankshaft 161 . The current sensor 130 is arranged near the rotating shaft of the electric motor 21 .

The crank rotation sensor 31 can detect the rotation speed of the crank 16 per unit time. The crank rotation sensor 31 is realized by having a gear-shaped rotating body and a photodetector having a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion arranged so as to sandwich the teeth of the rotating body. Note that the crank rotation sensor 31 may have any configuration as long as it can detect the rotation speed of the crank 16 .

The current sensor 130 is a circuit that calculates the value of current flowing through the electric motor 21 and outputs current information indicating the current value. Current sensor 130 has motor rotation sensor 32 and motor torque sensor 131 . The current sensor 130 calculates a current value using the number of revolutions per unit time of the electric motor 21 detected by the motor rotation sensor 32 and the torque of the electric motor 21 detected by the motor torque sensor 131 . The current value can be calculated by the motor rotation sensor 32 and the motor torque sensor 131 independently. Therefore, it is not always necessary to use both the motor rotation sensor 32 and the motor torque sensor 131 to calculate the current value.

The motor rotation sensor 32 has a magnet that rotates integrally with the rotating shaft of the electric motor 21 and a Hall IC. The Hall IC detects the number of rotations of the magnet per unit time, that is, the number of rotations of the electric motor 21, by detecting a change in the magnetic field that changes according to the rotation of the magnet. Note that the motor rotation sensor 32 may have any configuration as long as it can detect the rotation speed of the electric motor 21 .

A motor torque sensor 131 can detect the torque of the electric motor 21 . The motor torque sensor 131 is, for example, a magnetostrictive, strain gauge, or optical torque sensor, but is not limited thereto, and may be of any configuration as long as the torque of the electric motor 21 can be detected.

The pedaling force sensor 33 is a magnetostrictive torque sensor, and detects a human-powered driving force generated by rotating the crankshaft 161 based on the human-powered driving force applied to the pedals 17 . The pedal force sensor 33 has a coil and a magnetostriction generator. For example, when a pedaling force is applied to the pedal 17 to generate a human-powered driving force, distortion occurs in the magnetostrictive portion. The magnetostrictive portion has a portion where the magnetic permeability increases and a portion where the magnetic permeability decreases. By detecting the inductance difference between the coils, the human power driving force is detected. The configuration of the pedal force sensor 33 is not particularly limited, and any configuration may be used as long as it can detect the human power driving force applied to the pedal 17 . The manpower driving force is synonymous with the pedaling force.

The vehicle speed sensor 243 is provided at the lower end of the fork 114, for example. Vehicle speed sensor 243 detects the running speed of electric bicycle 1 from the rotation of front wheel 12 and transmits speed information indicating the running speed to control device 22 . The vehicle speed sensor 243 is, for example, a speed sensor or the like. The vehicle speed sensor 243 outputs speed information regarding the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1 to the control section 221 . The speed sensor may be, for example, a wheel sensor or the like, but may also be a cycle computer that calculates ground speed, and may have any configuration as long as it can detect the speed of the electric bicycle 1 .

The gear stage measuring unit 70 measures the gear stage of the rear wheels 13 and transmits information indicating the gear stage to the control unit 221 . The measurement of the gear stage may be realized by, for example, outputting to the control unit 221 information indicating the gear stage output by the gear stage switching device.

The control device 22 controls the operation of the electric motor 21, i.e., appropriate first assistance, based on sensing information from sensors such as the crank rotation sensor 31, the pedaling force sensor 33, the current sensor 130, the vehicle speed sensor 243, and the gear stage measuring unit 70. It controls the output of the electric motor 21 for applying the driving force and the second auxiliary driving force. In the present embodiment, the control device 22 is housed inside the housing of the motor drive unit 20, but it is not limited to this. The control device 22 may be provided separately from the motor drive unit 20 .

Control device 22 supplies electric power supplied from battery 50 to electric motor 21 and headlight 60 .

The control device 22 has a control section 221 . The controller 221 drives the electric motor 21 according to the operation mode of the electric bicycle 1 . Specifically, the control unit 221 has a first mode and a second mode, and switches and executes the first mode and the second mode.

The assist mode, which is an example of the first mode, is a mode in which a first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 is added to the human power driving force based on the force applied to the pedal 17 to run. The assist mode is executed when a person is riding the electric bicycle 1 after the power switch 41 is pressed to turn on the power. Specifically, the assist mode is executed when the force applied to the pedal 17 detected by the force sensor 33 is greater than a predetermined threshold.

The second mode is a mode in which the vehicle body 10 is pushed by adding a second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 to push the vehicle body 10, or the second auxiliary driving force is added to the vehicle body 10 to make it run by itself (push-walking mode or self-running mode). mode). In other words, the push-walking mode is a mode in which a person pushes the electric bicycle 1 while walking by adding the second auxiliary driving force from the electric motor 21 to the vehicle body 10 . The push-walking mode is executed when a person is not riding the electric bicycle 1 and walks while pushing the body 10 of the electric bicycle 1 .

The self-propelled mode is a mode in which the electric bicycle 1 is self-propelled by applying a second auxiliary driving force from the electric motor 21 to the vehicle body 10 while the electric bicycle 1 is supported by a person. Similar to the push-walking mode, the self-propelled mode is executed when a person is not riding the electric bicycle 1 and walks while supporting the body 10 of the electric bicycle 1 . In the self-propelled mode, the person does not apply force to push the vehicle body 10 forward.

It should be noted that the push-walking mode and the self-propelled mode can be distinguished by the presence or absence of forward pushing force on the vehicle body 10 . For example, the control unit 221 may detect the presence or absence of a forward pushing force by a grip sensor or the like provided in the grip 141 or the like, and switch between the push-walking mode and the self-running mode according to the detection result. . Alternatively, the control unit 221 may execute the second mode in which the second auxiliary driving force is applied without distinguishing between the push-walking mode and the free-running mode.

In this embodiment, the push-walking mode or the self-running mode is executed while the manual switch 42 is pressed. Note that the pushing-walking mode or the self-running mode may not be executed when the force applied to the pedal 17 is greater than a predetermined threshold. That is, the assist mode and the push-walking mode or the self-running mode are executed exclusively.

When executing the assist mode, the control unit 221 determines the magnitude of the first auxiliary driving force generated by the electric motor 21 based on the force applied to the pedal 17 and the running speed of the electric bicycle 1 . The force applied to the pedal 17 is obtained from the detection result of the force sensor 33 . The running speed of the electric bicycle 1 is calculated by the vehicle speed sensor 243 .

A table in which the number of revolutions of the crank 16 and the speed of the electric bicycle 1 are associated in advance may be stored in the memory of the control device 22 . The control unit 221 may determine the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1 from the rotation speed of the crank 16 by referring to the table.

The first auxiliary driving force in the assist mode varies depending on the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1, but is, for example, twice or less than the force applied to the pedal 17. For example, when the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1 is less than 10 km/h, the control unit 221 drives the electric motor 21 to generate a first auxiliary driving force that is less than twice the force applied to the pedal 17 . The control unit 221 does not cause the electric motor 21 to generate the first auxiliary driving force when the speed is 24 km/h or more. When the speed is 10 km/h or more and less than 24 km/h, the control unit 221 drives the electric motor 21 to generate a first auxiliary driving force determined according to the speed.

When executing the push-walking mode or the self-running mode, the control unit 221 causes the electric motor 21 to generate the second auxiliary driving force so that the running speed of the electric bicycle 1 does not exceed a predetermined upper limit. The second auxiliary driving force in the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode is, for example, a magnitude that makes the speed of the electric bicycle 1 less than 6 km/h. Although the upper limit of the running speed of the electric bicycle 1 is 6 km/h here, it may be 3 km/h, and is not particularly limited.

The control unit 221 has a clock unit 222 that measures the elapsed time after starting the push-walking mode or the free-running mode. The control unit 221 determines whether or not the elapsed period calculated by the clock unit 222 is longer than or equal to the first predetermined period. The control unit 221 stops the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 when the elapsed period from the start of the pushing-walking mode or the free-running mode is equal to or longer than the first predetermined period. That is, if the first predetermined period has passed since the start of the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode, the control unit 221 applies the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 even if the manual switch 42 is pressed. stop.

In addition, the control unit 221 gradually reduces the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 over a prescribed period of time, and stops the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 . When stopping the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21, the control unit 221 may stop it abruptly.

The control unit 221 measures the accumulated time indicating the period during which the electric motor 21 is activated in the push-walking mode or the self-running mode within a preset period, and the accumulated time reaches the second predetermined time in the push-walking mode or the self-running mode. If it is longer than or equal to the period, the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 is stopped. The control unit 221 acquires from the clock unit 222 information indicating an accumulated time indicating a period during which the electric bicycle 1 has been activated within a preset period. Here, the preset period is, for example, a period of 1 hour, 1 day, or 1 week. The cumulative time is the sum of the times during which the electric motor 21 is running within a preset period.

In addition, the control unit 221 performs determination using the accumulated time before determination using the elapsed period. In other words, when the clock unit 222 calculates the accumulated time and the elapsed period, the control unit 221 determines that if the accumulated time is equal to or longer than the second predetermined period, even if the elapsed period is less than the first predetermined period, the electric motor 21 will continue to operate. Stop the second auxiliary driving force. Therefore, if the accumulated time becomes equal to or longer than the second predetermined period from when the user turns on the manual switch 42 until the elapsed period elapses, the control unit 221 stops the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21. Let

The control unit 221 controls the driving time of the electric motor 21, the value of current flowing through the electric motor 21, the number of rotations per unit time of the electric motor 21, the number of rotations of the crank per unit time, the gear shift state of the electric bicycle 1, and the electric bicycle 1. and the running speed of the electric bicycle 1, the first predetermined period is calculated based on at least one information. The control unit 221 acquires information indicating the value of current flowing through the electric motor 21 from the current sensor 130 and information indicating the number of revolutions per unit time of the electric motor 21 from the motor rotation sensor 32 . The control unit 221 also receives information indicating the number of revolutions of the crank per unit time from the crank rotation sensor 31 , information indicating the gear shift state of the electric bicycle 1 from the gear stage measuring unit 70 , and the running speed of the electric bicycle 1 from the vehicle speed sensor 243 . Get speed information that indicates Furthermore, the control unit 221 acquires information indicating the drive time of the electric motor 21 from the clock unit 222 . The control unit 221 may also calculate information indicating the distance traveled by the electric bicycle 1 from information indicating the accumulated time and speed information, for example.

The first predetermined period calculated by the controller 221 will be described.

When the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode is executed, the load applied to the electric motor 21 differs depending on whether the electric bicycle 1 is traveling on flat ground, descending a slope, or ascending a slope. An example of the case where the control unit 221 calculates the first predetermined period based on the driving time of the electric motor 21 will be given. For example, when the user pushes the electric bicycle 1 down a slope in the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode, the driving time of the electric motor 21 is shorter than when the user pushes the electric bicycle 1 on a level ground. tend to Therefore, if the driving time of the electric motor 21 is short, the first predetermined period is shortened compared to the first predetermined period calculated when moving on flat ground in the push-walking mode or the free-running mode.

On the other hand, for example, in the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode, when the user pushes the electric bicycle 1 up a slope, the driving time of the electric motor 21 is longer than when the user pushes the electric bicycle 1 on flat ground. It tends to be long. Therefore, if the driving time of the electric motor 21 is long, the first predetermined period is set longer than the first predetermined period calculated when moving on flat ground in the push-walking mode or the free-running mode.

Specifically, if the first predetermined period is set to 10 minutes in the case of flat ground, in the case of an uphill road, by multiplying 10 minutes (the default period) by a predetermined coefficient greater than 1, the new A predetermined period may be calculated. In the case of a downward slope, a new predetermined period may be calculated by multiplying 10 minutes (first predetermined period) by a predetermined coefficient less than 1. Also, the predetermined coefficient may be changed according to the inclination angle of the slope.

An example of the case where the control unit 221 calculates the first predetermined period based on the travel distance of the electric bicycle 1 will be given. For example, when the user moves by pushing the electric bicycle 1 in the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode, it takes time to push-walk because the speed is not so high. For example, if the moving distance in the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode per day is equal to or greater than a specified distance, the first predetermined period is lengthened. On the other hand, if the traveled distance in the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode per day is less than the specified distance, it is conceivable that the movement in the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode will not be performed so much, so the first predetermined period is set. shorten.

Regarding the calculation of the first predetermined period, the current value flowing through the electric motor 21, the number of revolutions per unit time of the electric motor 21, the number of revolutions per unit time of the crank, and the shifting state of the electric bicycle 1 are similar to these. is. Also, in the present embodiment, the first predetermined period may be set by combining these pieces of information.

Note that the control unit 221 controls the driving time of the electric motor 21, the value of the current flowing through the electric motor 21, the number of revolutions per unit time of the electric motor 21, the number of revolutions per unit time of the crank, the shift state of the electric bicycle 1, the electric Each first predetermined period may be calculated based on information indicating the distance traveled by the bicycle 1 and the travel speed of the electric bicycle 1 . Then, the control section 221 may adopt the shortest first predetermined period or the longest first predetermined period from among the calculated first predetermined periods.

In this way, the control unit 221 calculates the optimum time for stopping the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 by calculating the first predetermined period based on each piece of information.

The clock unit 222 calculates the driving time of the electric motor 21 and the integrated time indicating the period during which the electric motor 21 is started after the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode is started. The timer 222 outputs the calculated time to the controller 221 .

The battery 50 is a storage battery that stores electric power for driving the electric motor 21 . The battery 50 is, for example, a secondary battery, but may be a capacitor or the like. Battery 50 is electrically connected to electric motor 21 . Specifically, the battery 50 supplies power to the electric motor 21 and charges regenerated power from the electric motor 21 .

The operation unit 40 is a terminal device provided with a power switch 41, a light switch for turning on the headlamp 60, and the like. The operation unit 40 is a touch panel display, mechanical buttons, or the like that receives user operations.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the display section 44 of the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the operation unit 40 includes a display unit 44 that displays that the rear wheels 13 are spinning. The display unit 44 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like.

[motion]
FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of the electric bicycle 1 according to the embodiment.

Here, assuming that the power switch 41 has been turned on in advance, the operation of stopping the electric bicycle 1 from the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode will be described. In this flow, turning off the power switch 41 or turning off the manual switch 42 resets the elapsed period count, and returns the process to the beginning even if these are turned off during treatment. or

As shown in FIG. 5, first, the manual switch 42 is pushed by the user (S11). The control unit 221 executes the push-walking mode or the free-running mode (second mode) (S12). Specifically, the control unit 221 drives the electric motor 21 to generate the second auxiliary driving force. Thereby, the second auxiliary driving force according to the rotation of the electric motor 21 is added to the user's pushing force. Note that the assist mode may be executed when the manual switch 42 is not pressed. Step S12 is an example of a mode execution step.

Next, the control unit 221 causes the clock unit 222 to count the time after the start of the push-walking mode or the free-running mode (S13). The clock unit 222 starts counting after starting the push-walking mode or the free-running mode, and outputs time information indicating time to the control unit 221 at predetermined time intervals. That is, the timer 222 measures the integrated time used in step S16 and also measures the elapsed time used in step S17.

Next, the control unit 221 acquires sensing information from each sensor (S14).

Next, the control unit 221 calculates the first predetermined period based on the sensing information (S15). The control unit 221 calculates a first predetermined period for comparison with the elapsed period and a second predetermined period for comparison with the accumulated time.

Next, based on the time information measured by the timer 222 in step S13 and the second predetermined period for comparison with the accumulated time calculated in step S14, the control unit 221 calculates the accumulated time as a second predetermined period. It is determined whether or not the period is longer than the period (S16).

When the accumulated time is equal to or longer than the second predetermined period (Yes in S16), the control unit 221 sets the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 to zero. is controlled (S18).

Next, the controller 221 resets the time counted by the timer 222 in step S13 (S19). Then, the electric bicycle 1 ends this process and returns to the beginning.

On the other hand, when the accumulated time is less than the second predetermined period (No in S16), the control unit 221 determines whether the elapsed period from the start of the pushing-walking mode or the free-running mode is equal to or longer than the first predetermined period. (S17).

When the controller 221 determines that the elapsed time from the start of the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode is equal to or longer than the first predetermined period (Yes in S17), the process proceeds to step S18 and similar processing is performed.

On the other hand, if the accumulated time since the start of the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode is less than the second predetermined period (No in S16), the control section 221 proceeds to step S16 and performs the same processing.

[Effect]
Next, functions and effects of the electric bicycle 1 and the control method of the electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

As described above, the electric bicycle 1 according to this embodiment is the electric bicycle 1 including the electric motor 21 . The electric bicycle 1 operates in an assist mode in which the electric bicycle 1 runs by adding a first auxiliary driving force from the electric motor 21 to the human-powered driving force based on the pedaling force on the pedal 17, and an assist mode in which the pressing force on the vehicle body 10 is combined with a second auxiliary driving force from the electric motor 21. A control unit 221 is provided for switching between a second mode (push-walking mode or self-propelled mode) in which the robot is pushed while applying an auxiliary driving force or self-propelled by applying a second auxiliary driving force. Then, the control unit 221 stops the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 when the elapsed period from the start of the pushing-walking mode or the self-propelled mode is equal to or longer than the first predetermined period.

As described above, in the pushing-walking mode or the self-running mode, the control unit 221 controls the second assisting operation of the electric motor 21 when the elapsed period from the start of the pushing-walking mode or the self-running mode is equal to or longer than the first predetermined period. Stop driving force. Therefore, in the electric bicycle 1, even if the device for executing the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode fails, the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 can be stopped after the first predetermined period of time has passed. Execution of walking mode or self-running mode does not extend for a long time.

Therefore, in this electric bicycle 1, safety can be enhanced by stopping the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode.

Also, the electric bicycle 1 of the electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment is the electric bicycle 1 including the electric motor 21 . The electric bicycle 1 operates in a first mode in which a first auxiliary driving force is added by the electric motor 21 to the human-powered driving force based on the pedaling force on the pedal 17 , and in which the pressing force on the vehicle body 10 is combined with the first driving force by the electric motor 21 . A control unit 221 is provided for switching between a second mode in which a second auxiliary driving force is applied for pushing and a second auxiliary driving force is applied for self-running. The control unit 221 has an automatic stop function that stops the second mode without user's operation.

In addition, the control method of the electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment includes an assist mode in which the first auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 is added to the human-powered driving force based on the force applied to the pedal 17, and a mode execution step of switching between a second mode of pushing while adding a second auxiliary driving force by the electric motor 21 to the pushing force of the electric motor 21 and a second mode of self-running with the addition of the second auxiliary driving force; and a stop control step of stopping the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 when the elapsed time from the start of the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode is equal to or longer than a first predetermined period in the mode or the self-propelled mode. .

Also in these, there exists an effect similar to the above.

The electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment further includes a timer 222 that measures the accumulated time during which the electric motor 21 has been activated in the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode during a preset period. Then, in the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode, the control section 221 stops the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 when the accumulated time measured by the timer section 222 is equal to or longer than the second predetermined period.

According to this configuration, the clock unit 222 calculates the accumulated time during which the push-walking mode or the free-running mode is executed, for example, within one day as a preset period. The control unit 221 stops the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 when the accumulated time calculated by the clock unit 222 is equal to or longer than the second predetermined period. In this way, by determining a period during which the pushing-walking mode or the self-running mode can be executed within a preset period, the electric motor 21 can can be stopped. Therefore, with this electric bicycle 1, the safety can be further enhanced.

Further, in the electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 221 controls the driving time of the electric motor 21, the value of the current flowing through the electric motor 21, the number of revolutions per unit time of the electric motor 21, and the rotation speed of the crank per unit time. The first predetermined period is calculated based on at least one of the number of rotations, the gear shift state of the electric bicycle 1, and the traveling speed of the electric bicycle 1.

When the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode is executed, the load applied to the electric motor 21 differs depending on whether the electric bicycle 1 is traveling on flat ground, descending a slope, or ascending a slope. For example, when the electric bicycle 1 descends a slope, the load on the electric motor 21 is less than when the electric bicycle 1 travels on flat ground, so the first predetermined period is calculated shorter than when traveling on flat ground. Also, when the electric bicycle 1 climbs a slope, the electric motor 21 is subjected to a greater load than when the electric bicycle 1 travels on flat ground, so the first predetermined period is calculated longer than when traveling on flat ground. In this way, the control unit 221 calculates the optimum time for stopping the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 by calculating the first predetermined period based on the value of the current flowing through the electric motor 21. be able to.

The electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment further includes a current sensor 130 that calculates the current value flowing through the electric motor 21 and outputs current information indicating the current value. Then, the control unit 221 calculates the first predetermined period based on the current information.

For example, when the electric bicycle 1 is running in the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode, it is difficult for the electric bicycle 1 to increase its running speed and it takes time to climb up the hill. On the other hand, when the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode is executed, when the electric bicycle 1 descends a slope, the running speed of the electric bicycle 1 tends to increase, and it takes more time to go down the slope than when going up the slope. It doesn't take. Therefore, when the electric bicycle 1 ascends a slope, the first predetermined period is calculated longer than when descending the slope, and when the electric bicycle 1 descends the slope, the first predetermined period is calculated shorter.

Electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment further includes vehicle speed sensor 243 that detects the running speed of electric bicycle 1 and outputs speed information indicating the running speed. Then, the control unit 221 calculates the first predetermined period based on the speed information.

According to this, the control unit 221 controls the driving time of the electric motor 21, the integrated time indicating the period in which the electric motor 21 is started, the current value flowing through the electric motor 21, the running speed of the electric bicycle 1, the unit time of the electric motor 21, a first predetermined number based on at least one of the number of rotations per unit time, the number of rotations of the crank per unit time, the gear shift state of the electric bicycle 1, the distance traveled by the electric bicycle 1, and the travel speed of the electric bicycle 1. Calculate duration. Therefore, for example, even if a device that senses these pieces of information fails, the first predetermined period can be calculated based on the remaining information.

In addition, in the electric bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 221 controls the second assist mode of the electric motor 21 when the elapsed period from the start of the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode is equal to or longer than the first predetermined period. The driving force is gradually reduced to stop the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 .

According to this, the control unit 221 gradually reduces the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 and stops it later. If the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor 21 suddenly stops, the user may feel uncomfortable due to the sudden load. It becomes difficult to give discomfort to.

(others)
As described above, the electric bicycle and the method for controlling the electric bicycle according to the present invention have been described based on the above embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example of including a manual switch as an example of an input unit that receives an instruction to start the push-walking mode or the self-running mode has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, instead of the manual switch, a grip sensor provided on the grip of the handle may be provided. The control unit may execute the push-walking mode or the self-propelled mode when the grip sensor detects a forward pushing force. The control unit may stop the push-walking mode or the free-running mode when the grip sensor does not detect a forward pushing force.

Further, in the above embodiment, in the electric bicycle, either step S16 or step S17 in FIG. 5 may be omitted.

Further, in the above-described embodiments, the timer is provided in the control device, but may be provided in the control unit or may be provided outside the control device.

Further, in the above embodiments, all or part of the components of the control device may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. good. Each component may be implemented by a program execution unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or processor reading and executing a software program recorded in a recording medium such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or semiconductor memory. good.

Also, the components of the controller 22 may consist of one or more electronic circuits. Each of the one or more electronic circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

One or more electronic circuits may include, for example, a semiconductor device, an IC (Integrated Circuit), or an LSI (Large Scale Integration). An IC or LSI may be integrated on one chip or may be integrated on a plurality of chips. Although they are called ICs or LSIs here, they may be called system LSIs, VLSIs (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSIs (Ultra Large Scale Integration) depending on the degree of integration. An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that is programmed after the LSI is manufactured can also be used for the same purpose.

Also, general or specific aspects of the invention may be implemented in a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit or computer program product. Alternatively, the computer program may be implemented by a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium such as an optical disc, HDD, or semiconductor memory. It may also be implemented in any combination of systems, devices, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs and recording media.

In addition, it is realized by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art can think of, and by arbitrarily combining the constituent elements and functions of each embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Forms are also included in the present invention.

1 electric bicycle 10 vehicle body 17 pedal 21 electric motor 130 current sensor 221 control unit 222 clock unit 243 vehicle speed sensor

Claims (8)

An electric bicycle comprising an electric motor,
A first mode in which the vehicle travels by adding a first auxiliary driving force from the electric motor to the human-powered driving force based on the force applied to the pedal, and a second auxiliary driving force from the electric motor that is added to the pushing force on the vehicle body. a control unit that switches between and executes a second mode in which the vehicle is pushed by pushing or self-propelled by adding the second auxiliary driving force,
The control unit stops the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor when a period of time elapsed from the start of the second mode is equal to or longer than a first predetermined period of time ,
When the electric bicycle descends a slope in the second mode, the control unit makes the first predetermined period shorter than the first predetermined period calculated when moving on flat ground in the second mode. When the electric bicycle climbs a slope in the second mode, the first predetermined period calculated when the electric bicycle travels on a flat ground in the second mode is compared with the first predetermined period. calculating the first predetermined period so that the period is longer
Electric bicycle. Further comprising a timer for measuring the integrated time during which the electric motor is activated in the second mode during a preset period,
2. The electric motor according to claim 1, wherein, in the second mode, the control unit stops the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor when the integrated time measured by the clock unit is equal to or longer than a second predetermined period. bicycle. The control unit controls the driving time of the electric motor, the value of the current flowing through the electric motor, the number of rotations per unit time of the electric motor, the number of rotations of the crank per unit time, the shift state of the electric bicycle, and the The electric bicycle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first predetermined period is calculated based on at least one piece of information of the running speed of the electric bicycle. a current sensor that calculates a current value flowing through the electric motor and outputs current information indicating the current value;
The electric bicycle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control section calculates the first predetermined period based on the current information. a vehicle speed sensor that detects a running speed of the electric bicycle and outputs speed information indicating the running speed;
The electric bicycle according to any one of claims 1, 2, or 4, wherein the control section calculates the first predetermined period based on the speed information. The control unit gradually reduces the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor to reduce the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor when the elapsed period of time from the start of the second mode is equal to or longer than the first predetermined period of time. 2. The electric bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the auxiliary driving force is stopped. An electric bicycle comprising an electric motor,
A first mode in which the vehicle travels by adding a first auxiliary driving force from the electric motor to the human-powered driving force based on the force applied to the pedal, and a second auxiliary driving force from the electric motor that is added to the pushing force on the vehicle body. a control unit that switches between and executes a second mode in which the vehicle is pushed by pushing or self-propelled by adding the second auxiliary driving force,
The control unit has an automatic stop function that stops the second mode without requiring an operation by the user when the elapsed time since starting the second mode is equal to or longer than a first predetermined time. ,
When the electric bicycle descends a slope in the second mode, the control unit makes the first predetermined period shorter than the first predetermined period calculated when moving on flat ground in the second mode. When the electric bicycle climbs a slope in the second mode, the first predetermined period calculated when the electric bicycle travels on a flat ground in the second mode is compared with the first predetermined period. calculating the first predetermined period so that the period is longer
Electric bicycle. A first mode in which the vehicle travels by adding a first auxiliary driving force from an electric motor to the human power driving force based on the force applied to the pedal, and a second mode in which the pushing force to the vehicle body is added with the second auxiliary driving force from the electric motor. a mode execution step of switching between and executing a second mode of pushing and running or self-propelled by adding the second auxiliary driving force;
a stop control step of stopping the second auxiliary driving force of the electric motor when the elapsed time from starting the second mode is equal to or longer than a first predetermined time in the second mode ,
When the electric bicycle descends a slope in the second mode, the first predetermined period is shorter than the first predetermined period calculated when traveling on flat ground in the second mode. to calculate
When the electric bicycle climbs a slope in the second mode, the first predetermined period is longer than the first predetermined period calculated when moving on a flat ground in the second mode. Calculate duration
How to control an electric bicycle.

Images