JPH08108881A - Small motor car - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a riding feeling close to the riding feeling of a normal bicycle and prevent the misoperation of a driver so as to improve safety by controlling car speed by the rotating speed of pedals. CONSTITUTION: A small motor car is provided with driving wheels 20, 21, a steering wheel 4, a driving motor 15 for driving the driving wheels 20, 21, and a means for supplying the driving motor 15 with electric power from batteries 13a, 13b through a controller 14. The driving wheels 20, 21 are driven at the time of detecting that rotation is imparted to manual pedals 8 by input mechanically independent of a driving system by the driving motor 15. The driving motor 15 is controlled in proportion to the rotating speed of the pedals 8. As an input device to the controller 14 for controlling the driving motor 15, the pedals 8 or a hand-operated accelertor lever can be optionally selected by a driver.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a small electric vehicle, and more particularly to a small electric vehicle suitable for elderly people or people with mild disabilities.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional small electric vehicle, JP-A-3-15348
No. 6 publication is known. This uses the change in the pedal effort input by the driver as the input value of the drive motor control, and the pedal is a pedal effort-voltage converter. Further, JP-A-4-321482, JP-A-5-58379, and JP-A-5-58379
-238461, JP-A-5-246377, JP-A-5-246378,
JP-A-5-310175, JP-A-5-310176, JP-A-5-310
In Japanese Patent No. 177 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-107266, a drive system by human power and a drive system by a drive motor are provided in parallel.

[0003]

The drawback of the above-mentioned prior art is that, for example, when traveling on a flat road at a constant speed, the pedaling force must be kept constant and the operator must continue to row, which imposes a heavy burden on the driver. If you put a force on the pedal with the same feeling as a normal bicycle when you start, you will start suddenly because the vehicle speed is based on the pedal effort, and if the driver does not pedal Since the vehicle has a structure that does not run, for example, if the driver is tired,
Alternatively, the driver could not drive if the driver injured his leg for some reason.

Further, since the drive system driven by human power and the drive system driven by the drive motor are provided in parallel, if the driving speed is fast and the driver is an elderly person or the like, a mistake in driving operation is likely to occur.

An object of the present invention is to improve the safety and riding feeling of an electric vehicle so that an elderly person who has weak legs and a weak person and a person with a slight disability can easily rehabilitate.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional technique, the following technical means were taken. That is, the pedal can be rotated by a driver with his / her foot and is mechanically independent of the drive system of the drive motor, a pedal rotation detector for extracting the rotation speed of the pedal as an electrical signal, and the pedal rotation detector. The controller includes a controller that controls the drive motor according to the electrical signal detected by the controller, the drive motor, and a battery that supplies power to the controller.

[0007]

Since the small electric vehicle according to the present invention controls the vehicle speed by the rotation speed of the pedal, it is close to a normal riding feeling of a bicycle, and it is safe because a driver's operation mistake can be prevented. In addition, since the pedal drive system by human power and the drive system by the drive motor are mechanically independent, the pedal operation force is light and constant regardless of the running resistance of the vehicle, the traveling speed is slow, and the driver's legs are not stable. It is suitable for rehabilitation for the recovery of walking function because it can be operated even if it has deteriorated considerably.

[0008]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The appearance of a small electric vehicle according to the present invention is a three-wheeled bicycle, and mainly includes a main frame 1, a handle 2 rotatable with the main frame, a steering wheel 4 attached to the handle via an arm 3, and a handle. The main switch box 5 is attached to the center of the main frame 2, and the saddle 6 is attached to the main frame 1 so that the height can be adjusted. The saddle 6 and the main frame 1 are attached via a rotatable sprocket 7. Pedal 8, sprocket 10 connected by sprocket 7 and chain 9
A pedal rotation detector 11 for detecting the rotation speed of the pedal 8 via a battery, a battery 13 and a controller 14 placed on an upper portion of a subframe 12 connected to the main frame 1 and located at the rear of the vehicle body, and electric power is supplied from the battery. Drive motor 15 whose rotation speed is controlled by the controller
And a reducer 16 for reducing the rotational speed of the drive motor
And a differential device 19 that distributes the rotation of the speed reducer to the drive shafts 17 and 18, and drive wheels 20 and 21 that are mechanically independent of the pedal 8 and that transmit the power of the drive motor 15 to the ground.

Next, the operation will be described. When the driver sits on the saddle 6, the false start prevention switch 22 installed below the seat surface is turned on. When the key switch of the main switch box 5 is turned to the ON position, the negative operation type electromagnetic brake 24 directly connected to the drive motor 15 is turned on, that is, the shaft of the drive motor 15 is opened, and when the pedal 8 is started, the rotation thereof is sprocket 7, chain. 9. The pedal rotation detector 11 transmits an electric signal that is transmitted to the pedal rotation detector 11 via the sprocket 10 and is rotated by conduction to the pedal rotation detector 11.
Occurs. The controller 14 is the pedal rotation detector 11
The drive motor 15 is controlled in accordance with the electric signal generated by the drive motor 20, and the power of the drive motor is transmitted to the drive wheels 20 and 21 through the reduction gear 16 and the drive shafts 17 and 18 to rotate the small electric vehicle. If the driver gradually pedals the pedal 8, the small electric vehicle accelerates, if the driver pedals at a constant speed, the small electric vehicle maintains a constant speed, and if the driver slowly pedals, the small electric vehicle slows down. When the rowing is stopped, electric power is not supplied to the drive motor 15. To completely stop the small electric vehicle, the brake lever 25 for braking the steered wheels 4 and the drive wheels 2
The brake lever 26 for braking 1 may be gripped in the same manner as a normal bicycle. When the small electric vehicle stops and the driver walks the vehicle, the erroneous start prevention switch 22 installed in the saddle 6 is turned off and the negative operation type electromagnetic brake 24 is turned off, that is, the shaft of the drive motor 15 is restrained and the parking brake of the vehicle. Play the role of.

Here, since the pedal 8 and the driving wheels 20 and 21 are mechanically separated, and the force for pedaling the pedal 8 is constant regardless of the running resistance of the electric vehicle and needs only a very small force, a person with weak legs and feet It is extremely easy to extend the range of action even for the elderly and people with mild disabilities. In addition, the driver can drive with almost the same riding feeling as a normal bicycle that he / she is familiar with, and because the traveling speed is slow, it is possible to prevent operational mistakes and be safe.

The small electric vehicle of the present invention can be operated by light pedaling, but is installed in the main switch box 5 when the foot becomes tired after a long time of driving or when the foot is injured for some reason. By operating the driving mode changeover switch 27, the vehicle speed is controlled by the pedal 8 to the mode controlled by the opening degree of the accelerator 28 operated by hand, and only the accelerator operation by hand is required without pedaling. You can drive in. Therefore, even if the vehicle suddenly becomes unable to travel in the pedal control mode for some reason, it is possible to safely move to the destination by selecting the accelerator control mode.

[0012]

【The invention's effect】

(1) According to the small-sized electric vehicle of the present invention, the rotation speed of the drive motor is controlled according to the rotation speed of the pedal, so that the operation feeling of the driver can be prevented in advance, which is close to the riding feeling of a normal bicycle. You can be safe.

(2) Since the pedal operation force is light and it is constant regardless of the running resistance of the vehicle, it is possible to operate the driver even if the driver's legs are considerably weakened, and it is most suitable for rehabilitation for the recovery of walking function. is there.

(3) Even if the legs and waist are tired or injured, it is possible to move to the destination by selecting the accelerator control mode operated by hand.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a small electric vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a drive motor and its transmission system.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system showing connection of constituent devices.

[Explanation of symbols]

4 ... Steering wheel, 8 ... Pedal, 11 ... Pedal rotation detector, 1
3 ... Battery, 14 ... Controller, 15 ... Drive motor, 20, 21 ... Drive wheel, 27 ... Driving mode changeover switch, 28 ... Accelerator.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A small electric vehicle comprising drive wheels, steered wheels, a drive motor for driving the drive wheels, and means for supplying electric power from a battery to the drive motor via a controller. A small electric vehicle, wherein the drive wheel is driven when it is detected that a pedal is rotated by human power mechanically independent of a drive system of the drive motor. 2. The small electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the drive motor is controlled in proportion to a rotation speed of the pedal. 3. The small electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a driver can arbitrarily select a pedal or an accelerator lever operated by hand as an input device to the controller for controlling the drive motor.