JP7281664B2 - tricycle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to tricycles.

Patent Literature 1 describes a conventional three-wheeled bicycle. A three-wheeled bicycle described in Patent Document 1 includes a front frame to which a front wheel is attached via a front fork, and a rear frame to which two rear wheels are attached.

A front frame rear main pipe is provided at the rear portion of the front frame. The front frame rear main pipe connects the front portion of the front frame and the rear frame. The front frame rear main pipe is rotatably attached to the rear frame about the central axis of the front frame rear main pipe as a rotation axis.

Thus, since the front frame is rotatable with respect to the rear frame, when the user wants to turn left or right, the center of gravity can be moved by tilting the front frame left or right. can. As a result, the user can turn the tricycle in any desired direction, left or right.

JP-A-2007-50723

By the way, in the three-wheeled bicycle described in Patent Document 1, the front frame is rotatable with respect to the rear frame. , the running is stable.

However, when moving at less than a certain speed (in other words, at low speed), the inertial force acting on the front frame is small, and the front frame becomes unstable on its own, which may result in unstable running.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a three-wheeled bicycle that can prevent the front frame from becoming unstable on its own, for example, at low speeds. It is in.

A tricycle according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a frame, one front wheel and two rear wheels attached to the frame. The frame has a front frame to which the one front wheel is attached, a rear frame to which the two rear wheels are attached, and a connecting frame. The connecting frame extends in the front-rear direction in a plan view, and connects the front frame and the rear frame. The connection frame is rotatably connected to one of the front frame and the rear frame about a rotation shaft along the longitudinal direction of the connection frame, and is non-rotatable to the other about the rotation shaft. It is connected. The tricycle further comprises a connecting frame braking device for braking the rotation of the connecting frame about the axis of rotation.

The three-wheeled bicycle of the above aspect of the present invention has the advantage of being able to prevent the front frame from becoming unstable on its own, for example, at low speeds.

FIG. 1 is a side view of the tricycle of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same three-wheeled bicycle. 3 is an enlarged view of the rear frame in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the rear frame of the same. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the rear frame, omitting the configuration of the connecting portion and the like. 6A to 6C are enlarged views showing the operation of the rocking restoration mechanism in the same three-wheeled bicycle. FIG. 7 is a rear view showing the connecting frame braking device of the same. FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the speed sensor, control unit, and coupling frame braking device of the same. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the tricycle with the front frame tilted. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the rear frame of Modification 1. FIG. FIG. 11 is a side view of a tricycle of Modification 2. FIG. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a hub motor in the same three-wheeled bicycle.

(1) Embodiment (1.1) Overview A three-wheeled bicycle 1 according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. , provided. The frame 2 includes a front frame 21 to which a front wheel 92 is attached, a rear frame 28 to which a rear wheel 91 is attached, and a connecting frame 32 . The connecting frame 32 extends in the front-rear direction in plan view and connects the front frame 21 and the rear frame 28 . Here, “planar view” as used in the present disclosure means viewing an object from above in the direction orthogonal to the running surface 100 .

The connecting frame 32 is rotatably connected to either one of the front frame 21 and the rear frame 28 (here, the rear frame 28), as shown in FIG. This rotating shaft 331 extends along the longitudinal direction of the connecting frame 32 . In addition, the connecting frame 32 is connected to the other of the front frame 21 and the rear frame 28 (here, the front frame 21) so as to be non-rotatable by the rotating shaft 331. As shown in FIG.

The tricycle 1 includes a connecting frame braking device 8 that brakes the rotation of the connecting frame 32 about the rotation axis 331 .

Therefore, for example, at low speeds, it is possible to prevent the front frame 21 from becoming unstable on its own. Therefore, the three-wheeled bicycle 1 according to this embodiment can easily achieve stable running. The term “low speed” as used in the present disclosure means a speed at which the front frame 21 becomes unstable on its own even if an inertial force is generated in the front frame 21 due to forward movement of the tricycle 1 . In the present disclosure, "low speed" is 1-5 km/h, as an example.

(1.2) Details (1.2.1) Overall Configuration Hereinafter, the three-wheeled bicycle according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

The three-wheeled bicycle 1 according to this embodiment is a power-assisted bicycle, and includes a motor unit 7 that outputs rotational power to at least one of the front wheel 92 and the rear wheel 91, as shown in FIG. A “electrically assisted bicycle” as used in the present disclosure means a bicycle having a motor unit 7 that compensates for the user's stepping force (hereinafter referred to as “pedaling force”) with drive assistance output. Therefore, the term "electrically assisted bicycle" as used in the present disclosure includes not only legally regulated electrically assisted bicycles, but also bicycles having motor units 7 that do not belong to legally regulated electrically assisted bicycles. The "driving assistance output" referred to in the present disclosure means rotational output that the motor gives to the wheels.

The three-wheeled bicycle 1 according to the present embodiment is a power-assisted bicycle, but in the present disclosure, a drive system (human power drive system) that applies power to the wheels by pedaling force and a drive system (motor drive system) that applies power to the wheels by a motor ) may be independent (a bicycle that can run only with a motor). Here, a bicycle including a bicycle having an independent human power drive system and a motor drive system and an electrically assisted bicycle is referred to as an "electric bicycle". Note that the “three-wheeled bicycle” referred to in the present disclosure may not be an electric bicycle, and may be a bicycle having only a human power drive system without the motor unit 7 .

Users of the three-wheeled bicycle 1 according to this embodiment are mainly elderly people, people with weak legs, people who are not good at balancing, people with disabilities, and the like. However, in the present disclosure, the user is not particularly limited, and may be a young person, a middle-aged person, a healthy person, or the like.

Here, in the present disclosure, the direction in which the tricycle 1 travels along the running surface 100 is defined as the "forward direction", and the opposite direction is defined as the "rearward direction". Further, the two directions of the forward direction and the rearward direction are defined as "front and rear directions", and the two directions orthogonal to the front and rear directions and along the horizontal plane are defined as "left and right directions". In this embodiment, the running surface 100 is described as being a horizontal surface. However, in practice, the running surface 100 is not necessarily a horizontal plane, and may be, for example, an uneven surface, an inclined surface having a slope with respect to the horizontal surface, a curved surface, a spherical surface, or the like. These directional definitions are not intended to limit the manner in which the tricycle 1 is used. In addition, the arrows indicating each direction in the drawings are only shown for explanation and are not substantial.

1, the tricycle 1 comprises a frame 2, a front wheel 92, two rear wheels 91, a handlebar 38, a saddle 40, a pair of crank arms 96, a pair of pedals 95, and a battery device. 6, a motor unit 7 and a motor bracket 73; The tricycle 1 also includes a connecting frame braking device 8 ( FIG. 2 ), a speed sensor 52 and a control board 5 .

(1.2.2) Front Wheels/Rear Wheels The front wheels 92 and the rear wheels 91 support the frame 2 on the running surface 100 . Each of the front wheels 92 and rear wheels 91 includes tires 920 , wheels 921 and hubs 922 .

A front wheel axle 93 passes through a hub 922 of the front wheel 92 , and the front wheel 92 is rotatably attached to the front fork 26 of the front frame 21 by the front wheel axle 93 . The rotation axis of the front wheel 92 is the same as the center axis of the front wheel shaft 93 and is substantially parallel to the left-right direction.

Two rear wheels 91 are rotatably attached to a rear frame 28 included in frame 2 . The two rear wheels 91 are separated in the left-right direction as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3 , a rear wheel axle 94 passes through a hub 922 of the rear wheel 91 , and the rear wheel 91 is rotatably attached to the rear frame 28 by the rear axle 94 . The rotation axis of the rear wheel 91 is the same as the central axis of the rear wheel shaft 94 and is substantially parallel to the left-right direction. In the tricycle 1 according to this embodiment, one of the two rear wheels 91 is a driving wheel and the other is a driven wheel.

(1.2.3) Frame The frame 2 is a framework to which at least one front wheel 92 and two rear wheels 91 are attached. The frame 2 is made of an aluminum alloy containing aluminum as a main component in this embodiment. However, in the present disclosure, the frame 2 is not limited to aluminum alloy, and may be made of iron, chromium molybdenum steel, high-tensile steel, titanium, magnesium, or the like. In addition, the frame 2 according to the present disclosure is not limited to metal, and may be made of carbon, wood, bamboo, fiber-reinforced synthetic resin (for example, CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics)), or the like. The frame 2 includes a front frame 21, a rear frame 28, and a connecting frame 32, as shown in FIG.

(1.2.3.1) Front Frame The front frame 21 constitutes the front portion of the frame 2 . Attached to the front frame 21 in this embodiment are a front wheel 92 , a battery device 6 , a steering wheel 38 , a saddle 40 , a motor bracket 73 , a motor unit 7 , a crank arm 96 and pedals 95 . Here, "attach" as used in the present disclosure means to directly or indirectly install an object on an object to be attached. Here, "directly placing an object on an object to be attached" means placing an object in contact with the object to be attached. "Installing an object indirectly on an object to be installed" means placing an object on the object with packing or the like sandwiched between the object and the object, or placing an object on the object means to set something up with a fixture or the like.

The front frame 21 is composed of a plurality of pipes. The front frame 21 includes a front fork 26, a head pipe 24, a down tube 22 and a seat tube 23 in this embodiment. The front frame 21 also includes seat stays 25 and a battery bracket 27 .

As used in this disclosure, "pipe" means an elongated hollow member. The cross-sectional shape of the pipe according to the present disclosure may be, for example, circular (including perfect circles, ovals, and ellipses), rectangular (including square), hexagonal, octagonal, and the like.

Front fork 26 supports front wheel 92 . The front fork 26 includes a pair of legs 261 , a crown 262 connecting upper ends of the pair of legs 261 , and a steering column 263 projecting from the crown 262 . A front wheel 92 is rotatably attached to the pair of legs 261 via a front wheel axle 93 passed through a hub 922 . The rotation axis of the front wheel 92 is substantially parallel to the running surface 100 and coincides with the central axis of the front wheel axle 93 that supports the front wheel 92 . The projection direction (longitudinal direction) of the steering column 263 is inclined with respect to the running surface 100 so as to go rearward as it goes upward from the crown 262 .

A head pipe 24 supports a front fork 26 . The central axis of the head pipe 24 is inclined with respect to the running surface 100 so as to go rearward as it goes upward. A steering column 263 is passed through the head pipe 24 so that the central axis of the head pipe 24 and the central axis of the steering column 263 are aligned. This allows the head pipe 24 to rotatably support the steering column 263 . The rotation axis of the steering column 263 is the same as the central axis of the head pipe 24 in this embodiment.

The down tube 22 connects the head pipe 24 and the seat tube 23 . The down tube 22 includes a first lower tube 221 and a second lower tube 222 in this embodiment. The first lower pipe 221 connects the lower end of the seat tube 23 and the second lower pipe 222 . The central axis of the first lower pipe 221 is inclined with respect to the running surface 100 so as to go upward as it goes forward. The front end portion of the first lower pipe 221 is connected to the rear end portion of the second lower pipe 222 in the front-rear direction, and is formed in an arc shape.

The second lower pipe 222 connects the first lower pipe 221 and the head pipe 24 . The second lower pipe 222 is formed linearly, and the central axis of the second lower pipe 222 is inclined with respect to the running surface 100 so as to go upward as it goes forward. In the down tube 22 according to the present embodiment, the angle between the running surface 100 and the imaginary straight line passing through the front end and the rear end of the second lower pipe 222 (the center axis of the second lower pipe 222) is It is larger than the angle formed by the running surface 100 and an imaginary straight line passing through the front end and the rear end. The second lower pipe 222 and the first lower pipe 221 are integral and continuous.

Seat tube 23 holds saddle 40 . A lower end of the seat tube 23 is connected to a rear end portion of the down tube 22 . The seat tube 23 is formed linearly, and the central axis of the seat tube 23 is inclined with respect to the running surface 100 so as to go rearward as it goes upward. The seat tube 23 is positioned between the front wheel 92 and the rear wheel 91 in the front-rear direction. A saddle 40 is attached to the seat tube 23 so as to be movable along the direction (longitudinal direction) along the central axis of the seat tube 23 .

The saddle 40 has a seat pillar 401 . The seat pillar 401 protrudes downward from the portion of the saddle 40 on which the user sits. In this embodiment, the seat pillar 401 is inclined with respect to the running surface 100 so as to go forward as it goes downward. The seat pillar 401 is passed through the seat tube 23 along the central axis of the seat tube 23 .

The battery device 6 is attached to the battery bracket 27 . The battery bracket 27 is attached to the rear end of the down tube 22 in the longitudinal direction. The battery bracket 27 has a top plate portion 271 on which the battery device 6 is mounted in this embodiment. Here, the battery device 6 includes a battery 62 and a mounting portion 61 to which the battery 62 is detachably mounted. Details of the battery device 6 will be described later in the section “(1.2.6) Battery device”.

A mounting portion 61 is attached to the top plate portion 271 . More specifically, the mounting portion 61 is mounted on the upper surface of the top plate portion 271 and fixed to the top plate portion 271 .

A seat stay 25 reinforces the seat tube 23 . The seat stay 25 connects the seat tube 23 and the battery bracket 27 in this embodiment. The seat stay 25 has a pair of vertical supports 251 and a horizontal support 252 . The pair of vertical supports 251 are arranged apart in the left-right direction. Each vertical support 251 is a pipe in this embodiment, and its central axis is substantially parallel to the central axis of the seat tube 23 . The lateral supports 252 connect the pair of vertical supports 251 and the seat tube 23 . The lateral support 252 is formed in a T shape in plan view in this embodiment. Note that the central axis of the vertical support 251 does not have to be parallel to the central axis of the seat tube 23 .

(1.2.3.2) Rear Frame The rear frame 28 constitutes the rear portion of the frame 2 . A rear wheel 91 is attached to the rear frame 28 . As shown in FIG. 2, the rear frame 28 is arranged on the rear side of the front frame 21 in plan view. The rear frame 28 and the front frame 21 are connected via a connecting frame 32 . The rear frame 28, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, includes a connecting portion 29 (FIG. 4), a rear wheel bearing portion 30, and a swing restoration mechanism 31. As shown in FIG.

The connecting portion 29 is a portion where the rear frame 28 and the connecting frame 32 are connected, as shown in FIG. A shaft 33 included in the connecting frame 32 is rotatably connected to the connecting portion 29 . The rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 is the same as the central axis of the shaft 33 in this embodiment. The connecting portion 29 includes a case 291 and a plurality of (here, two) bearings 292 in this embodiment.

A plurality of bearings 292 are attached to the case 291 . In this embodiment, the case 291 is formed in a cylindrical shape (in this case, a cylindrical shape), and both end surfaces in the central axis direction are opening surfaces. However, in the present disclosure, the case 291 only needs to be able to support the plurality of bearings 292, and may be in the shape of a square tube, or may have an open bottom surface. Case 291 is attached to rear wheel bearing portion 30 .

A plurality of bearings 292 support the shaft 33 of the connecting frame 32 . A plurality of bearings 292 are attached to the case 291 so that the respective rotating shafts are positioned on a straight line. Bearing 292 is a plain bearing in this embodiment, but may also be a rolling bearing in the present disclosure. Examples of sliding bearings include hydrostatic gas bearings, hydrodynamic gas bearings, hydrostatic fluid bearings, hydrodynamic fluid bearings, squeeze oil film bearings, hybrid bearings, solid lubrication bearings, non-lubricating bearings, self-lubricating bearings, and porous self-lubricating bearings. It may be a bearing, a sintered oil impregnated bearing, a self-contained sliding bearing unit, or the like. The rolling bearing may be, for example, a radial ball bearing, a radial roller bearing, or the like.

The rear wheel bearing portion 30 rotatably supports a plurality of rear wheel axles 94, as shown in FIG. The rotation axis of the rear wheel axle 94 is substantially parallel to the left-right direction and is the same as the central axis of the rear wheel axle 94 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the rotation axis of the rear wheel axle 94 and the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 of the connection frame 32 are orthogonal in plan view. Here, FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the rear wheel bearing portion 30 with the connector 303 omitted. The rear wheel bearing portion 30 includes a rear frame main body 301 and a plurality of (here, four) bearings 304, as shown in FIG.

The rear frame main body 301 is a skeleton of the rear wheel bearing portion 30 . The rear frame main body 301 includes a plurality (here, six) of plates 302 along the vertical plane and a plurality (here, two) of connectors 303 (FIG. 2) that connect the plurality of plates 302 .

A bearing 304 or a rear wheel brake 41 is attached to each of the plurality of plates 302 . In this embodiment, the rear wheel brake 41 is attached to the outermost plate 302 in the left-right direction among the plurality of plates 302 , and bearings 304 are attached to the other plates 302 . A plurality of plates 302 are connected by a plurality of connectors 303 as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the plurality of connecting bodies 303 are arranged apart from each other in the vertical direction. A case 291 is attached to the lowermost connecting body 303 among the plurality of connecting bodies 303 . The case 291 is thereby fixed to the rear frame main body 301 .

A plurality of bearings 304 rotatably support the rear wheel axle 94 as shown in FIG. A plurality of bearings 304 are attached to the plurality of plates 302 .

Here, in this embodiment, there are two rear wheel axles 94 separated in the left-right direction. The two rear axles 94 are separate and rotatable independently of each other. One rear wheel axle 94 is attached to a hub 922 of one rear wheel 91 of the two rear wheels 91 . The other rear wheel axle 94 is attached to the hub 922 of the other rear wheel 91 of the two rear wheels 91 .

A rear sprocket 305 is fixed to one rear wheel shaft 94 . Therefore, the rotation axis of the rear sprocket 305 is the same as that of the rear wheel axle 94 . The rear sprocket 305 is connected to the drive sprocket 71 of the motor unit 7 via a power transmission body 74, as shown in FIG. As a result, the rotational power output from the drive sprocket 71 is transmitted to the rear sprocket 305 via the power transmission body 74 to rotate one of the rear wheels 91 .

In this embodiment, the rear wheel axle 94 to which the rear sprocket 305 is not fixed is rotatable with respect to the rear frame main body 301 . Therefore, in this embodiment, one of the two rear wheels 91 is a driving wheel and the other is a driven wheel. However, both rear wheels 91 may be used as driving wheels. By using a differential gear, it is possible to realize that both rear wheels 91 are driving wheels.

(1.2.3.2.1) Swing Restoration Mechanism The swing restoration mechanism 31 rotates the front frame 21 relative to the rear frame 28 around the rotation shaft 331 . It is a mechanism that applies a force to the front frame 21 to return it to the reference position. Therefore, in the tricycle 1 according to the present embodiment, the front frame 21 can be tilted in either the left or right direction with respect to the rear frame 28 when changing the direction of travel to either the left or right direction while the user is riding. , the front frame 21 tends to return to the reference position.

The “reference position” referred to in the present disclosure means the position of the front frame 21 when the central axis of the seat tube 23 is perpendicular to the running surface 100 in the front view of the tricycle 1 . In other words, the front frame 21 at the reference position stands up from the running surface 100 . Hereinafter, the position of the connecting frame 32 when the front frame 21 is at the reference position may also be referred to as the "reference position".

The swing restoration mechanism 31 according to this embodiment is attached to a shaft 33 in front of the rear frame 3, as shown in FIG. However, the rocking restoration mechanism 31 may be attached to the shaft 33 behind the rear frame 3, for example, and the attachment position is not particularly limited. The swing restoration mechanism 31 includes a first lever 313, a second lever 317, and an elastic body 318, as shown in FIG. 6A.

Rotating body 310 transmits rotational power of shaft 33 to first lever 313 or second lever 317 . The rotating body 310 is attached to the shaft 33 as shown in FIG. 4, and is fixed to the shaft 33 in this embodiment. Therefore, the rotation axis of the rotating body 310 is the same as the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 . The rotating body 310 is directly fixed to the shaft 33 in this embodiment. The rotating body 310 includes a fixture 311 and a shaft member 312 .

The fixture 311 radially separates the shaft member 312 from the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 . The fixture 311 is formed in a block shape in this embodiment and protrudes radially from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 33 . However, in the present disclosure, the fixture 311 may be formed in a rod shape, a plate shape, or the like, for example. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the fixture 311 protrudes upward on a plane orthogonal to the rotating shaft 331 when the shaft 33 is at the reference position.

The shaft member 312 is attached to the fixture 311 . The longitudinal direction of shaft member 312 is substantially parallel to the central axis of shaft 33 . The shaft member 312 is radially separated from the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 . The axis of rotation of the shaft member 312 is the same as the central axis of the shaft 33 , and the shaft member 312 rotates together with the shaft 33 as the shaft 33 rotates.

Each of first lever 313 and second lever 317 are rotatably mounted relative to shaft 33, as shown in FIGS. 6A-6C. The rotating shafts of the first lever 313 and the second lever 317 are the same as the rotating shaft 331 of the case 35 (the central axis of the shaft 33). The first lever 313 rotates in one direction by being pushed by the shaft member 312 . The second lever 317 rotates in the other direction by being pushed by the shaft member 312 . “One direction” and “other direction” as used in the present disclosure are directions facing opposite to each other around the rotating shaft 331 . "One direction" and "other direction" in the present disclosure are merely expressions that mean opposite directions about the rotation axis 331, and are not intended to express a specific direction such as the right direction or the left direction.

Each of the first lever 313 and the second lever 317 includes a lever body 320 and an elastic body mounting portion 314 . Although the two levers 313 and 317 are formed in the same shape in this embodiment, they may be formed in mirror image symmetry. In this embodiment, since the two levers 313 and 317 have the same structure, the first lever 313 will be mainly described, and the description of the second lever 317 will be omitted.

The lever body 320 is a member that constitutes the main body of the first lever 313 and includes an attachment portion to the shaft 33 . The lever body 320 is rotatably attached to the axially intermediate portion of the shaft 33 . The rotation axis of the lever body 320 is the same as the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 . In this embodiment, the lever body 320 is formed in a substantially L shape when viewed along the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 . However, the lever body 320 may be formed in, for example, a circular shape, a rectangular shape, or the like when viewed in the direction along the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33, and the shape is not particularly limited.

The lever body 320 has a pressing portion 315 above the rotating shaft 331 in the vertical direction when it is at the reference position. The pressing portion 315 is a surface facing the side surface of the shaft member 312 . The pushing portion 315 pushes the shaft member 312 when the shaft member 312 moves in one direction (the other direction in the case of the second lever 317). The lever body 320 rotates about the rotation axis (the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33) when the pressing portion 315 is pressed. The rotation axis of the lever body 320 is between the pushing portion 315 and the movement restricting portion 316 in the vertical direction.

Lever body 320 has a plurality of rising pieces 3190 . A plurality of rising pieces 3190 are provided at a location where the elastic body attachment portion 314 is attached and a location where the movement restricting portion 316 is attached. The rising piece 3190 is formed in the shape of a rib protruding in a direction intersecting a plane perpendicular to the rotating shaft 331 . By providing the rising piece 3190, the strength of the lever body 320 is increased, and the movement restricting portion 316 and the elastic body mounting portion 314 are easily attached.

The elastic attachment portion 314 is attached to the lever body 320 . An elastic body 318 is attached to the elastic body attachment portion 314 . In this embodiment, the elastic body mounting portion 314 is positioned above the rotating shaft 331 in the vertical direction when the lever body 320 is at the reference position. The elastic body mounting portion 314 is an eyebolt in this embodiment and is mounted to the lever body 320 with a nut. However, in the present disclosure, the elastic body attachment portion 314 is not limited to the eyebolt as long as the elastic body 318 can be attached. good. Also, the elastic body attachment portion 314 may not be attached to the rising piece 3190 and may be attached to the surface of the lever body 320 facing the axial direction of the shaft 33 .

The elastic body 318 applies force in the direction opposite to the rotational force due to the force from the shaft member 310 to the first lever 313 or the second lever 317 . The elastic body 318 is an extension coil spring in this embodiment. However, in the present disclosure, the elastic body 318 only needs to apply force to the levers 313 and 317, and does not have to be an extension coil spring. Examples of the elastic body 318 include leaf springs, torsion coil springs, and rubber. In this embodiment, the elastic body 318 spans between the elastic body mounting portion 314 of the first lever 313 and the elastic body mounting portion 314 of the second lever 317 . Therefore, for example, when the elastic body 318 receives a tensile force due to the rotation of the first lever 313, the second lever 317 is pulled in the same direction. At this time, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. is restricted.

The movement restricting portion 316 is a portion that contacts the fixed body 319 when a rotational force is applied to the first lever 313 at the reference position in the other direction of the rotating shaft 331 (one direction for the second lever 317). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6C, when a force is applied from the shaft member 310 to the second lever 317 in the other direction, a rotational force is applied from the elastic body 318 to the first lever 313 in the other direction. However, when the movement restricting portion 316 hits the fixed body 319, the rotation is restricted. In this embodiment, the movement restricting portion 316 is a bolt and attached to the lever body 320 (specifically, the rising piece 3190) with a nut. By adjusting the projection dimension of the bolt head with respect to the rising piece 3190, the tensile force by the elastic body 318 can be adjusted.

Note that the movement restricting portion 316 is also provided on the second lever 317 . The fixed body 319 contacts the movement restricting portion 316 of the second lever 317, so that the second lever 317 in the reference position rotates in one direction (the same direction as the rotation of the first lever 313) as shown in FIG. 6B. to regulate.

The movement restricting portion 316 may be omitted, and a portion of the lever body 320 may directly contact the fixed body 319 .

The fixed body 319 is fixed to the case 291 . The fixed body 319 includes a fixture 351 and a shaft 352, as shown in FIG. The fixture 351 is fixed to the rear frame main body 301 . In this embodiment, the fixture 351 protrudes downward in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 .

The shaft 352 is attached to the fixture 351 . The shaft 352 is substantially parallel to the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 . The shaft 352 is arranged between the movement restricting portion 316 of the first lever 313 and the movement restricting portion 316 of the second lever 317, as shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C.

When the shaft 33 rotates (here, this direction is defined as one direction), the rotating body 310 rotates in one direction (the direction of the black arrow in FIG. 6B) around the rotating shaft 331 as shown in FIG. 6B. Then, the shaft member 312 of the rotating body 310 pushes the pushing portion 315 of the first lever 313 to rotate the first lever 313 in one direction. When the first lever 313 rotates in one direction, one end of the elastic body 318 is pulled by the elastic body mounting portion 314 of the first lever 313 (here, to the right).

At this time, the other end of the elastic body 318 applies a tensile force to the second lever 317 . When the second lever 317 receives a tensile force from the elastic body 318 , it tries to rotate in one direction, but the movement restricting portion 316 hits the fixed body 319 . Therefore, the second lever 317 does not rotate in one direction. Therefore, the elastic body 318 elastically expands and applies a rotational force in the other direction (white arrow in FIG. 4B) to the first lever 313 .

As a result, the rotating body 310 rotating in one direction from the reference position is applied with a rotational force in the other direction from the first lever 313 to return the rotating body 310 to the reference position. Therefore, when the front frame 21 connected to the case 35 is tilted from the reference position, a force is applied to return it to the reference position.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6C, when the shaft 33 rotates in the other direction, the rotating body 310 rotates in the other direction (the direction of the black arrow in FIG. 6C) around the rotation axis 331. As shown in FIG. Then, the shaft member 312 of the rotating body 310 pushes the pushing portion 315 of the second lever 317 to rotate the second lever 317 in the other direction. When the second lever 317 rotates in the other direction, one end of the elastic body 318 is pulled by the elastic body mounting portion 314 of the second lever 317 (to the left here).

At this time, the other end of the elastic body 318 applies a tensile force to the first lever 313 . When the first lever 313 receives a tensile force from the elastic body 318 , it tries to rotate in the other direction, but the movement restricting portion 316 hits the fixed body 319 . Therefore, the first lever 313 does not rotate in the other direction. Therefore, the elastic body 318 elastically stretches and gives the second lever 317 a rotating force in one direction (white arrow in FIG. 6C).

As a result, a rotating force in one direction is applied from the second lever 317 to the rotating body 310 rotating in the other direction from the reference position so as to return it to the reference position.

(1.2.3.3) Connection Frame As shown in FIG. 2, the connection frame 32 extends in the front-rear direction in plan view and connects the front frame 21 and the rear frame 28 . In the present disclosure, "extends along the front-rear direction in plan view" means, for example, as shown in FIG. It means that they may be substantially parallel to each other. The connection frame 32 includes a shaft 33 and a fixture 34, as shown in FIG.

The shaft 33 is rotatably attached to the frames 21 and 28 to which it is attached. The term "mounting target" used herein means the frame that supports the shaft 33, of the front frame 21 and the rear frame 28. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, shaft 33 is rotatably attached to rear frame 28 . However, the shaft 33 may be rotatably attached to the front frame 21 . The rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 is the same as the central axis of the shaft 33 as described above. The shaft 33 is connected to the connecting portion 29 of the rear frame 28 in this embodiment.

The fixture 34 is fixed to the shaft 33 and non-rotatably connected to the frames 21 and 28 to which it is attached about the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 . The term "attachment target" used herein means the frame, of the front frame 21 and the rear frame 28, to which the fixture 34 is directly attached. Therefore, when the shaft 33 is attached to the rear frame 28 , the attachment target is the front frame 21 . However, the attachment target of the fixture 34 may be the rear frame 28 . In the present disclosure, "to connect the shaft 33 so as not to rotate around the rotation axis 331" means to connect the shaft 33 to the attachment target in a manner that does not allow the shaft 33 to rotate about the rotation axis 331 at least. In this embodiment, the fixture 34 is rotatably attached to the front frame 21, and the rotation axis of the fixture 34 is substantially parallel to the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the fixture 34 is attached to the battery bracket 27 by an attachment shaft 341 . The rotation axis of the mounting fixture 34 is the same as the central axis of the mounting shaft 341 .

A fixture 34 is fixed relative to the shaft 33 . In this embodiment, fixing between the fixture 34 and the shaft 33 is achieved by welding. However, the fixing between the fixture 34 and the shaft 33 may be achieved by bolting, fitting, spline coupling, key coupling, or the like, for example.

The tricycle 1 according to this embodiment includes a damping device 36, as shown in FIG. A damping device is provided across the fixture 34 and the seat stay 25 . Damping device 36 damps vibrations input from fixture 34 . This makes it difficult for the vibration of the rear frame 28 to be transmitted to the front frame 21 .

The damping device 36 is a suspension with a spring and an oil damper in this embodiment. However, in the present disclosure, the damping device 36 may consist of only an elastic body such as a spring, or may consist of only a damper.

The longitudinal direction of the connecting frame 32 (in this embodiment, the direction substantially parallel to the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 ) is inclined with respect to the running surface 100 . Specifically, the angle between the longitudinal direction of the connecting frame 32 and the horizontal plane is greater than 0° and less than or equal to 30°. More preferably, the angle between the longitudinal direction of the connecting frame 32 and the horizontal plane is 15°±5°.

The running surface 100 referred to here coincides with a virtual plane passing through the lower ends of the front wheels 92 (grounding points) and the lower ends of the rear wheels 91 . Therefore, the longitudinal direction of the connecting frame 32 is inclined with respect to the imaginary plane.

By the way, the tricycle 1 of this embodiment operates as follows when the front frame 21 is tilted with respect to the rear frame 28 . As shown in FIG. 9 , when the front frame 21 is tilted to the left, the connecting frame 32 rotates around the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 with respect to the rear frame 28 . At this time, the front side of the shaft 33 follows the displacement of the front frame 21, so that it moves to the left with the lower end of the front wheel 92 as the center. The rear side of the shaft 33 supported by the rear frame 28 stays in place in plan view due to the independent rotation of the two rear wheels 91 . In short, when the front frame 21 tilts, the shaft 33 rotates around the intersection of the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 and the rotation axis of the rear wheel axle 94 in plan view. At this time, one of the two rear wheels 91 rotates in the direction in which the tricycle 1 moves forward, and the other rear wheel 91 rotates in the opposite direction. In short, when the front frame 21 is tilted, the one rear wheel 91 and the other rear wheel 91 rotate in opposite directions.

(1.2.4) Connection frame braking device The connection frame braking device 8 brakes the rotation of the connection frame 32 about the rotation shaft 331 . In the present disclosure, "braking the rotation" means applying a braking force to the rotational force. Therefore, "braking the rotation" includes stopping the rotation of the object as a result of exerting a braking force on the object, and reducing the angular velocity of the object even though the object does not stop. be The connection frame braking device 8 includes a plate 81 and a brake 85, as shown in FIG.

The plate 81 is attached to the connecting frame 32 as shown in FIG. 4 and is thereby fixed to the connecting frame 32 . In this embodiment, the plate 81 includes a mounting portion 82 and an arcuate portion 83 provided on the mounting portion 82, as shown in FIG.

The attachment portion 82 includes a portion (here, a through hole) attached to the shaft 33 . In this embodiment, the attachment portion 82 is a plate-like portion attached to the shaft 33 and the shaft member 312 at a plurality of locations (here, two locations). The shaft member 312 and the mounting portion 82 are fixed by, for example, bolting, screwing, or the like.

The arcuate portion 83 is a portion sandwiched by the brake 85 . The arcuate portion 83 is formed integrally with the mounting portion 82 in this embodiment. The arcuate portion 83 has an arcuate upper edge, and the center of the arc is substantially the same as the central axis of the shaft 33 . However, the center of the arcuate portion 83 need not be the same as the central axis of the shaft 33 .

Plate 81 rotates with shaft 33 as shaft 33 rotates. The rotation axis of the plate 81 is the same as the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 (in other words, the rotation axis of the connecting frame 32).

A brake 85 applies a braking force to the movement of the plate 81 . The brake 85 is attached to the rear frame 28 (connector 303) as shown in FIG. The brake 85 is a wire brake in this embodiment, but in the present disclosure, for example, a negative pressure boost type that uses negative pressure, an air pressure boost type that uses compressed air, and a hydraulic boost type that uses hydraulic pressure. It may have a booster such as a mold. The brake 85 can move the pair of brake pads 86 toward and away from each other. With the plate 81 positioned between the pair of brake pads 86, the brake 85 moves the pair of brake pads 86 in a direction toward each other, and sandwiches the plate 81 between the pair of brake pads 86, thereby moving the plate. A braking force is applied to 81.

Hereinafter, moving the pair of brake pads 86 toward each other to hold the plate 81 between them is referred to as "applying the brakes 85," and moving the pair of brake pads 86 away from each other is referred to as "releasing the brakes 85." ”.

The control board 5 ( FIG. 1 ) has a control section 51 ( FIG. 8 ) that controls the brake 85 . The control board 5 is a printed circuit board in this embodiment. The control unit 51 is mainly composed of a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. That is, the functions of the control unit 51 are realized by the processor of the microcontroller executing a program recorded in the memory of the microcontroller. The program may be prerecorded in a memory, or may be provided by being recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card. A brake 85 and a speed sensor 52 are connected to the controller 51 .

A speed sensor 52 detects the traveling speed of the tricycle 1 . The “running speed” referred to in this disclosure is the speed at which the tricycle 1 is running on the running surface 100 . In this embodiment, the speed sensor 52 includes a magnet 520 provided on a portion of the spokes of the front wheel 92 and a Hall sensor 521 for detecting movement of the magnet 520. A detection signal from the Hall sensor 521 is sent to the control unit 51. The traveling speed is detected from the angular speed of the front wheels 92 by outputting and calculating. However, the speed sensor 52 may adopt, for example, a Doppler type or a spatial filter type. Further, the speed sensor 52 may include a detection element and a control unit 51 for determining the speed from the electric signal received from the detection element, which may be housed in one housing.

The controller 51 controls the brake 85 of the connecting frame braking device 8 based on the detection result of the speed sensor 52 . In this embodiment, the control unit 51 controls the connection frame braking device 8 so as to apply a braking force to the rotation of the shaft 33 about the rotation axis 331 when the detection result of the speed sensor 52 is equal to or less than a predetermined speed. do. Here, the connection frame braking device 8 only needs to be able to apply a braking force to the rotation of the shaft 33 about the rotation axis 331 , and the braking force may be gradually weakened while releasing the brake 85 .

The control unit 51 according to the present embodiment controls a motor capable of winding the wire of the wire brake as the brake 85 . The controller 51 can control the brake 85 by controlling the motor. When the brake 85 is a hydraulic brake, the controller 51 controls the hydraulic pump.

In this embodiment, the controller 51 changes the braking force of the connecting frame braking device 8 according to the detection result of the speed sensor 52 . Specifically, the control unit 51 controls the connection frame braking device 8 so that the braking force is gradually weakened as the running speed of the tricycle 1 increases.

On the other hand, the control unit 51 controls the connecting frame braking device 8 so as to release braking when the detection result of the speed sensor 52 exceeds a predetermined speed. In the present disclosure, “releasing the braking” means that the coupling frame braking device 8 does not generate a braking force against the rotation of the shaft 33 about the rotation axis 331 .

A “predetermined speed” as used in the present disclosure means a speed at which the front frame 21 is stabilized on its own due to inertial force. The "predetermined speed" is, for example, 7 km/h or less, more preferably 5 km/h or less.

(1.2.5) Handle The handle 38 controls the orientation of the front wheels 92 . The handle 38 is formed in a substantially U-shape when viewed from the front in this embodiment. The handle 38 has a grip 381 at its tip. A handle 38 is fixed to the upper end of the steering column 263 . A basket 39 is attached above the connecting portion between the handle 38 and the steering column 263 .

(1.2.6) Battery Device The battery device 6 is a device that supplies power to at least the motor. The battery device 6 includes a mounting portion 61 and a battery 62, as shown in FIG.

The mounting portion 61 is a portion to which the battery 62 is mounted. A battery 62 is detachably attached to the mounting portion 61 . The mounting portion 61 is fixed to the top plate portion 271 of the battery bracket 27 while being placed thereon.

The battery 62 is a secondary battery that stores electrical energy to be supplied to the motor. The battery 62 contains one or more cells. Battery 62 is electrically connected to mounting portion 61 . This allows the battery 62 to power the motor.

In the present disclosure, the battery device 6 may be configured to supply power only to the motor unit 7, or in addition to the motor unit 7, for example, a headlight, a motor ON/OFF operation unit, or the like. may be configured to provide power to the

(1.2.7) Motor Unit/Motor Bracket The motor unit 7 outputs a force that assists the depression force input from the pedal 95 . The motor unit 7 rotates the crankshaft when the user pedals the pedal 95 and a pedaling force (external force) is input to the crankshaft via the crank arm 96 . The motor unit 7 according to the present embodiment detects the rotational speed of the crankshaft and the torque generated in the crankshaft when the crankshaft rotates due to the pedaling force, and outputs a force according to the detection results. In short, the motor unit 7 according to the present embodiment can output a force obtained by adding a drive assist output to the pedaling force.

The motor unit 7 according to this embodiment has a motor (not shown) and a drive sprocket 71 on which a power transmission body 74 is engaged. As drive sprockets 71, a first drive sprocket 710 rotated by pedal force and a second drive sprocket (not shown) rotated by a motor are provided. In short, the motor unit 7 according to the present embodiment is a two-shaft type motor unit that separately transmits the pedaling force and the auxiliary drive output to the power transmission body 74 .

However, in the present disclosure, the motor unit 7 transmits the pedaling force transmitted via the pedal 95 and the crank arm 96 and the output of the motor to the drive sprocket 71, and then transmits power to the power transmission body 74. A uniaxial motor unit 7 may be used.

A crank arm 96 and a pedal 95 are attached to each end of the crankshaft of the motor unit 7 . In short, the pair of crank arms 96 and the pair of pedals 95 are arranged on the right and left sides of the frame 2 . The pedals 95 drive at least one of the two rear wheels 91 in this embodiment.

In the embodiment, power transmission 74 is a chain, but the present disclosure is not so limited. For example, the power transmission body 74 may be a belt, wire, or the like.

The motor unit 7 is attached to the frame 2 via a motor bracket 73 . The motor bracket 73 is attached to the first lower pipe 221 . In this embodiment, the motor bracket 73 is arranged forward of the battery bracket 27 and forward of the extension of the central axis of the seat tube 23 . Note that the motor bracket 73 and the battery bracket 27 may be connected.

In this embodiment, the motor bracket 73 is arranged forward of the extension line of the central axis of the seat tube 23 , so the user is more likely to pedal than when the motor bracket 73 is on the extension line of the central axis of the seat tube 23 . Easy to row 95. This is because if the motor bracket 73 is arranged forward of the extension line of the central axis of the seat tube 23, it is easy to secure a large distance between the pedals 95 and the saddle 40.

(2) Modifications The embodiment described above is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiment can be modified in various ways according to design and the like, as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved.

(2.1) Modification 1
In the tricycle 1 according to the above embodiment, the connection frame 32 is attached to the rear frame 28 so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis 331, and is rotatable relative to the front frame 21 around the rotation axis 331. was incapacitated. On the other hand, in this modification, as shown in FIG. 11, the connecting frame 32 is attached to the front frame 21 so as to be rotatable around a rotation shaft 331, and is rotatable with respect to the rear frame 28. It is different in that it is mounted so as not to rotate around the shaft 331 . In the following, differences of the three-wheeled bicycle 1 according to the present modification from the three-wheeled bicycle 1 according to the above-described embodiment will be mainly described, and common points will be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted. Note that the front frame 21 according to this modification is the same as that of the above-described embodiment.

(2.1.2) Rear Frame The rear frame 28 constitutes the rear portion of the frame 2 . The rear frame 28 includes a connection portion 29, a rear wheel bearing portion 30, and a swing restoration mechanism 31, as shown in FIG. Since the rear wheel bearing portion 30 has the same structure as that of the above-described embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

The connecting portion 29 is a portion that connects the connecting frame 32 to the rear wheel bearing portion 30 . In the present embodiment, the connecting portion 29 has the shaft 33 of the connecting frame 32 fixed to the rear wheel bearing portion 30 . Specifically, the connection portion 29 and the shaft 33 are fixed by, for example, welding, spline, key groove and key, wedge, fitting, screw, or the like. . Also, the connecting portion 29 is fixed to the connecting body 303 . The connection portion 29 is fixed to the connecting body 303 by, for example, joining by welding, joining by wedges, joining by fitting, joining by screws, or the like.

The term "spline connection" as used in the present disclosure includes, for example, connection by square splines, involute splines, ball splines, triangular serrations, involute serrations, and the like.

(2.1.3) Connection Frame The connection frame 32 has a shaft 33 having a longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction in plan view. The connection frame 32 includes a fixture 34 , an outer cylindrical body 35 , a shaft 33 and a plurality of (here, two) bearings 353 .

The fixture 34 is the attachment portion of the connecting frame 32 to the front frame 21 . The fixture 34 is rotatably attached to the battery bracket 27 by an attachment shaft 341 . The rotation axis of the mounting fixture 34 is the same as the central axis of the mounting shaft 341 and substantially parallel to the left-right direction.

The outer cylindrical body 35 is attached to the fixture 34 . The outer cylindrical body 35 according to this embodiment is fixed to the fixture 34 . The outer cylindrical body 35 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The central axis of the outer cylindrical body 35 is substantially parallel to the front-rear direction in plan view. In this embodiment, the central axis of the outer cylindrical body 35 is inclined with respect to the running surface 100 so as to go downward as it goes rearward.

The shaft 33 is attached to the outer cylindrical body 35 so as to be relatively rotatable. A rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 with respect to the outer cylinder 35 is the same as the central axis of the outer cylinder 35 and the same as the central axis of the shaft 33 . A rear end of the shaft 33 in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the rear frame 28 by a connecting portion 29 . In short, shaft 33 allows front frame 21 to rotate relative to rear frame 28 . Therefore, in the present embodiment, the rotation axis 331 of the front frame 21 with respect to the rear frame 28 is the central axis of the shaft 33 and extends in the front-rear direction in plan view. The rotating shaft 331 for relative rotation between the shaft 33 and the outer cylindrical body 35 may be referred to as the "rotating shaft 331 of the shaft 33" or the "rotating shaft 331 of the outer cylindrical body 35" below. It's about.

The longitudinal direction of the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 is inclined with respect to the running surface 100 . Specifically, the angle between the longitudinal direction of the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 and the horizontal plane is greater than 0° and equal to or less than 30°. More preferably, the angle between the longitudinal direction of the rotation axis 331 of the shaft 33 and the horizontal plane is 15°±5°.

Movement of the shaft 33 with respect to the outer cylinder 35 in a direction parallel to the central axis is restricted. Limitation of the movement of the shaft 33 with respect to the outer cylindrical body 35 in the direction parallel to the central axis is realized by, for example, an E-shaped retaining ring 354 or the like.

A plurality of bearings 353 are provided between the shaft 33 and the outer cylindrical body 35 . The plurality of bearings 353 are attached to both ends of the outer cylindrical body 35 in the longitudinal direction in this embodiment. The bearing 353 according to this embodiment is, for example, a slide bearing.

The tricycle 1 according to this embodiment includes a damping device 36 . Since the damping device 36 has the same structure as that of the embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

(2.1.4) Rotating Body The rotating body 310 rotates about the rotating shaft 331 according to the rotation of the front frame 21 with respect to the rear frame 28 . As shown in FIG. 4, the rotating body 310 is attached to the outer cylinder 35 and fixed to the outer cylinder 35 . Therefore, the rotation axis of the rotor 310 is the same as the rotation axis 331 of the outer cylindrical body 35 . The rotating body 310 includes a fixture 3101 and a shaft member 312 . In addition, the shaft member 312 has the same structure as that of the embodiment.

The fixture 3101 is a member that separates the shaft member 312 from the rotating shaft 331 of the outer cylindrical body 35 in the radial direction. The fixture 3101 is formed in a plate shape in this embodiment, and protrudes radially from the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical body 35 . However, in the present disclosure, the fixture 3101 may be formed into, for example, a bar shape, a block shape, or the like. The fixture 3101 according to the present embodiment protrudes upward in the direction orthogonal to the rotating shaft 331 from the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical body 35 when the front frame 21 is at the reference position.

When the rotating body 310 rotates about the rotating shaft 331 , the shaft member 312 rotates about the rotating shaft 331 and applies force to the swing restoration mechanism 31 . Since the configuration of the swing restoring mechanism 31 is the same as that of the above-described embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

Further, when the rotating body 310 rotates about the rotating shaft 331, the plate 81 rotates along the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 33. The rotating shaft of the plate 81 is the same as the rotating shaft 331 of the outer cylindrical body 35. . Movement of the plate 81 is braked by a brake 85 as in the above embodiment.

Thus, in this embodiment, the connection frame 32 is attached to the front frame 21 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis 331 and is not rotatable to the rear frame 28 about the rotation axis 331 . Although it is attached to , it has the same effect as the above embodiment.

(2.2) Modification 2
In the three-wheeled bicycle 1 of the above-described embodiment, the motor unit 7 is attached to the down tube 22, which is a so-called center unit type motor unit 7. However, as shown in FIG. may In this modified example, in FIG. 11, the same components as in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

The three-wheeled bicycle 1 of this modified example includes a hub motor 75 as the motor unit 7 , a pedaling force detection unit 70 , and a pedaling force detection unit bracket 730 , as shown in FIG. 11 .

The pedaling force detection unit bracket 730 attaches the pedaling force detection unit 70 to the first lower pipe 221 of the down tube 22 . In this modification, the pedaling force detection unit bracket 730 is arranged forward of the battery bracket 27 and forward of the extension line of the central axis of the seat tube 23 . The pedaling force detection unit bracket 730 of this modified example has the same structure as the motor bracket 73 of the above-described embodiment, and can be used in common with the pedaling force detection unit bracket 730 and the motor unit 7 . The pedaling force detection unit bracket 730 and the motor bracket 73 may be collectively referred to as a "mounting bracket".

The pedaling force detection unit 70 detects the pedaling force input from the pedal 95 connected to the crankshaft. In this modification, the pedaling force detection unit 70 detects torque as detection of the pedaling force. The detection of this torque is performed by detecting the strain generated in the crankshaft by, for example, a magnetostrictive torque sensor. It should be noted that rotation of the crankshaft around the axis may be detected by a rotation sensor to detect the pedaling force.

A detection result detected by the pedaling force detection unit 70 is output to the hub motor 75 .

Hub motor 75 generates an assist force based on the detection result of pedaling force detection unit 70 . The hub motor 75 according to this embodiment is attached concentrically to the front wheel shaft 93 of the front wheel 92 . The hub motor 75 includes a pair of fixed shafts 76, a motor device 77, a reduction mechanism 78, and a hub case 79, as shown in FIG.

The fixed shaft 76 extends along the rotation axis of the front wheel and is attached to the frame 2 . The fixed shaft 76 is attached to a pair of legs 261 and fixed to the pair of legs 261 in this embodiment.

The motor device 77 uses a motor 771 as a drive source and outputs rotational power. The motor device 77 has a motor 771 and a housing 772 . One of the fixed shafts 76 is fixed to the housing 772 . The motor 771 is arranged inside the housing 772 . The motor 771 has a rotor 774 and a stator 773 . An output shaft 775 is attached to the rotor 774, and the rotor 774 and the output shaft 775 are fixed to each other. A toothed portion 776 is formed on the outer circumference of the output shaft 775 .

When the rotational power output from the motor device 77 is input, the reduction mechanism 78 reduces the speed and rotates the hub case 79 . The reduction mechanism 78 includes a plurality of spur gears 781 arranged around the output shaft 775 and in mesh with the toothed portion 776 in this modification. In this modification, the plurality of spur gears 781 do not revolve around the output shaft 775, but may be planetary gears that can revolve. The speed reduction mechanism 78 is arranged inside the hub case 79 . The spur gear 781 meshes with the tooth portion 776 and also meshes with the inner peripheral surface of the hub case 79 .

The hub case 79 is rotatable with respect to the fixed shaft 76 . In this modified example, the hub case 79 is rotatably attached to the housing 772 of the motor device 77 via bearings 791 . Spokes 942 of the wheel 921 of the front wheel 92 are attached to the hub case 79 . It should be noted that the hub case 79 is configured to be rotatable about the rotating shaft of the front wheel even when the motor 771 is stopped.

When the rotor 774 of the motor device 77 rotates, its power is transmitted to the speed reduction mechanism 78 to rotate the hub case 79 . The hub case 79 rotated around the fixed shaft 76 rotates the wheel 921 and transmits assist force to the front wheel 92 .

In the three-wheeled bicycle 1 of Modification 2, the motor unit 7 is composed of the hub motor 75, so the structure below the down tube 22 can be made simple.

(2.3) Other Modifications Modifications of the embodiment are listed below. Modifications described below can be applied in combination as appropriate.

In the above embodiment, the connecting frame braking device 8 includes the plate 81 and the brake 85, but in the present disclosure, the connecting frame 32 is controlled by the frictional force between the connecting frame 32 and the connecting frame 32 like a caliper brake or a drum brake. may be braked.

In the tricycle 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the rotation of the connecting frame 32 about the rotating shaft 331 is braked according to the running speed. The connection frame braking device 8 may be controlled so as to apply 85 . According to this, it is possible to prevent the front frame 21 from tilting when the vehicle is stopped, and it is possible to make it easier for the user to get on the saddle 40 when straddling it.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the three-wheeled bicycle 1 controls the connection frame braking device 8 by the control unit 51, but in the present disclosure, the connection frame braking device 8 may be operated by manual operation. For example, the grip 381 of the handle 38 may be provided with an operation lever, and the connection frame braking device 8 may be operated by operating the operation lever.

In the above embodiment, the connection frame 32 was rotatably connected to the rear frame 28 about the rotation axis 331 of the connection frame 32, but in the present disclosure, the connection frame 32 is connected to the front frame 21. On the other hand, it may be connected so as to be rotatable around the rotating shaft 331 . In this case, the connecting frame 32 and the rear frame 28 are preferably connected rotatably about an axis extending in the left-right direction.

In the above-described embodiment, the connecting frame 32 and the front frame 21 were attached rotatably around an axis extending in the left-right direction. , and the corresponding frame 2 may be fixed to each other. For example, in the above embodiment, the connecting frame 32 and the front frame 21 may be fixed by welding. In this case, the connection frame 32 and the battery bracket 27 may be integrated.

In the above-described embodiment, the swing restoring mechanism 31 is provided on the rear frame 28, but may be provided on the front frame 21 in the present disclosure. Further, in the present disclosure, the swing restoring mechanism 31 may be omitted.

Although the longitudinal direction of the connecting frame 32 intersects the running surface 100 in the above embodiment, it may be substantially parallel to the running surface 100 in the present disclosure.

Although the pedal 95 drives one of the two rear wheels 91 in the above embodiment, both the two rear wheels 91 may be driven. Also, the pedals 95 may drive only the front wheels 92 .

In the above embodiment, the tricycle 1 has been described based on an electric bicycle, but the present disclosure may be a tricycle 1 that is not an electric bicycle.

In the second modification, the motor unit 7 is of the front hub unit type, but the hub motor 75 of the modification 2 is attached to the hub of the driving wheel of the two rear wheels 91, that is, the motor unit of the so-called rear hub unit type. 7 may be used.

In the present disclosure, expressions with "substantially" such as "substantially parallel" may be used. For example, "substantially parallel" means substantially "parallel", and includes not only a strictly "parallel" state but also an error of several degrees. The same applies to expressions with other "abbreviations".

Also, in the present disclosure, expressions such as "front end" and "front end" are used to distinguish between "... end" and "... end". For example, "front end" means a portion having a certain range that includes the "front end". The same applies to expressions with other "... ends".

(3) Mode As described above, the tricycle (1) according to the first mode includes a frame (2), one front wheel (92) and two rear wheels (91) attached to the frame (2). ) and The frame (2) comprises a front frame (21) to which one front wheel (92) is attached, a rear frame (28) to which two rear wheels (91) are attached, and a connecting frame (32). Prepare. The connecting frame (32) extends longitudinally in plan view and connects the front frame (21) and the rear frame (28). The connection frame (32) is rotatably connected to either one of the front frame (21) and the rear frame (28) by a rotation axis (331) along the longitudinal direction of the connection frame (32), and It is non-rotatably connected to the other by a rotating shaft (331). The tricycle (1) further comprises a connecting frame braking device (8) for braking the rotation of the connecting frame (32) about the rotation axis (331).

According to this aspect, for example, at low speeds, it is possible to prevent the front frame (21) from becoming unstable on its own, and it is easy to realize stable running.

A three-wheeled bicycle (1) according to a second aspect comprises, in the first aspect, a speed sensor (52) for detecting running speed, and a connection frame braking device (8) based on the detection result of the speed sensor (52). ), and a control unit (51) for controlling ).

According to this aspect, for example, when the speed sensor (52) determines when the tricycle (1) becomes slow, the connection frame braking device (8) can be operated, and stable running can be realized. .

In the tricycle (1) according to the third aspect, in the second aspect, the control unit (51) changes the braking force of the coupling frame braking device (8) according to the detection result of the speed sensor (52). Let

According to this aspect, for example, the braking force can be increased at lower speeds and decreased as the speed increases, thereby realizing more stable running.

In the tricycle (1) according to the fourth aspect, in the second or third aspect, when the detection result is equal to or less than the predetermined speed, the controller (51) controls the rotating shaft (331) of the connecting frame (32) ) to brake the rotation. Further, when the detection result exceeds a predetermined speed, the control unit (51) activates the connection frame braking device (8) so as to release the braking of the rotation of the connection frame (32) about the rotating shaft (331). Control.

According to this aspect, when the speed of the three-wheeled bicycle (1) increases to the extent that the front frame (21) is stably self-supporting, the coupling frame braking device (8) releases the braking by the coupling frame braking device (8). Stable running can be achieved without (8). At this time, turning in the left-right direction also becomes easier.

In the tricycle (1) according to the fifth aspect, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the connecting frame braking device (8) comprises a plate (81) fixed to the connecting frame (32), a brake (85) for braking movement of the plate (81).

According to this aspect, a strong braking force can be exerted in the connection frame braking device (8) as required.

In the tricycle (1) according to the sixth aspect, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the longitudinal direction of the connecting frame (32) is the lower end of one front wheel (92) and the two rear wheels ( 91) is inclined with respect to the imaginary plane passing through the lower end of .

According to this aspect, while the front frame (21) tends to tilt in the left-right direction, it is possible to realize stable running at low speeds.

A tricycle (1) according to a seventh aspect, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, further comprises a motor unit (7). The motor unit (7) has a motor and outputs rotational power to at least one of one front wheel (92) and two rear wheels (91).

According to this aspect, in the electric bicycle, it is possible to realize stable running even at low speed.

The configurations according to the second to seventh aspects are not essential to the three-wheeled bicycle (1), and can be omitted as appropriate.

2 frame 21 front frame 28 rear frame 32 connecting frame 331 rotating shaft 51 control unit 52 speed sensor 7 motor unit 8 connecting frame braking device 81 plate 85 brake 91 rear wheel 92 front wheel

Claims (4)

a frame;
one front wheel and two rear wheels attached to the frame;
a speed sensor for detecting travel speed ;
The frame is
a front frame to which the one front wheel is attached;
a rear frame to which the two rear wheels are attached;
One of the front frame and the rear frame is connected to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the longitudinal direction, and
a braking device that brakes the rotation when rotation about the rotation axis occurs ;
a control unit that controls the braking device based on the detection result of the speed sensor;
a rocking restoration device that attempts to return the front frame to a reference position without depending on the detection result when rotation about the rotation axis occurs;
tricycle. The control unit
braking rotation of the front frame about the rotation shaft when the detection result is equal to or less than a predetermined speed;
controlling the braking device to release braking of rotation of the front frame about the rotation shaft when the detection result exceeds the predetermined speed;
A tricycle according to claim 1 . The longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft is inclined with respect to an imaginary plane passing through the lower end of the one front wheel and the lower ends of the two rear wheels,
A tricycle according to claim 1 or 2 . Further comprising a motor unit that has a motor and outputs rotational power to at least one of the one front wheel and the two rear wheels,
A tricycle according to claim 1 or 2 .

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