JPH08142967A - Power assist bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To discover an abnormality of a power assist system at an early stage by providing a means to preferentially display a failure alarming means to match the alarm display with the system condition when the voltage drop signal and the failure signal are duplicatedly inputted. CONSTITUTION: A power assist bicycle is provided with a voltage detecting means 53a to detect the battery voltage, a failure diagnosing means 53b to make the self-diagnosis of the presence/absence of the system abnormality, and an alarm display control means 53c to make the alarm display of the voltage drop or the failure when the voltage drop signal or the failure signal is inputted. An abnormality preferential display means 53d is provided which preferentially displays the failure alarm display when the voltage drop signal and the failure signal are duplicatedly inputted. The system abnormality can be discovered at an early stage. Even when an abnormality attributed to the battery voltage drop is generated in the system, the system abnormality is preferentially displayed, and identification of parts or a circuit element, etc., to indicate the abnormal mode only when the voltage is dropped becomes possible.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a power assisted bicycle in which an auxiliary driving force corresponding to the pedaling force of a pedal is supplied to a rear wheel by a motor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A large pedaling force is required when riding a bicycle, for example, on an uphill road, in a headwind, or while carrying a load. In order to reduce such a burden during running, a power assisted bicycle equipped with a power assist unit that gives an auxiliary driving force according to the pedaling force of a pedal has been proposed (for example,
(See Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-21179). This power assist unit is composed of a motor that rotationally drives the rear wheels, a battery that supplies power to the motor, and a controller that controls the driving force of the motor according to the torque applied to the pedal and the vehicle speed.

Further, the power assisted bicycle is provided with a warning display device for displaying a warning of a battery voltage drop and a system abnormality. This warning display device is provided with one common warning lamp. The warning lamp starts blinking when the battery voltage drops below a predetermined value, and when the battery voltage drops below a predetermined voltage that is lower than the predetermined value. It is configured to be continuously lit, and when an abnormality of the power assist system is detected by the self-diagnosis function of the controller, it is configured to blink with a pattern according to the content of the abnormality. In the conventional warning display device, when a warning lamp indicates the battery voltage drop and an abnormality occurs in the system, the voltage drop is generally displayed continuously.

[0004]

By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional power-assisted bicycle, since the blinking display of the low voltage is continued when the system abnormality occurs while the low battery voltage is blinking, the warning display and the system state are changed. There is a problem that they do not always match. That is, although the controller is stopped due to a system abnormality, the user may mistakenly think that it is simply a voltage drop, which delays the discovery of a failure.

Further, some system abnormalities can be detected only when the battery voltage is low, but it is difficult to detect this type of abnormality as long as the above-mentioned low voltage warning display is continued. .

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a power-assisted bicycle that can make a warning display and a system state coincide with each other and can detect an abnormality of the power assist system at an early stage. I am trying.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a power assist unit comprising a motor for rotating a wheel, a battery for supplying power to the motor, and a controller for controlling the driving force of the motor according to the pedaling force of a pedal. In a power assisted bicycle equipped with, a voltage detecting means for detecting a battery voltage, a failure diagnosing means for self-diagnosing whether or not there is a system abnormality, and a voltage drop warning display or a failure warning when a voltage drop signal or a failure signal is input. A warning display control means for displaying and an abnormality warning priority display means for preferentially displaying the failure warning display when the voltage drop signal and the failure signal are input in duplicate are provided.

[0008]

According to the power assisted bicycle of the present invention,
When an abnormality occurs in the power assist system while displaying the low battery voltage, the system abnormality is preferentially switched and displayed, so that the system state and the warning state can be matched, and the system abnormality can be detected early. be able to. In addition, even if an abnormality occurs in the system due to a low battery voltage, the system abnormality is prioritized and displayed, so a component that indicates an abnormal mode only when the voltage drops,
Alternatively, it becomes possible to specify the circuit element and the like.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 8 are views for explaining a power assisted tricycle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 1 and 2 are a side view and a plan view of the power assisted tricycle, and FIG. 3 is a pedal. Schematic configuration diagram showing the shaft drive unit,
4 is a sectional side view showing the swinging portion of the front frame, FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 4, FIGS. 6 and 7 are block configuration diagrams, and FIG.
[Fig. 6] is a flow chart showing an operation.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a power assisted three-wheeled bicycle of this embodiment, and a body frame 2 of the three-wheeled bicycle 1.
Connects a rear end portion 4a of a front frame 4 extending obliquely downward and rearward from the head pipe 3 to a rear frame 5 so that the rear frame 5 can swing. The seat tube 6 mounted with is installed upright.

A steering shaft 8a of a front fork 8 is pivotally supported by the head pipe 3, a front wheel 9 is pivotally supported at a lower end of the front fork 8, and a handle 10 is fixedly secured at an upper end thereof. Furthermore, the front fork 8
A front basket 11 is attached to this via a bracket.

The rear frame 5 includes a lower frame 15 having a generally U-shape in a plan view and an upper frame 16 having a generally U-shape in a plan view and arranged in parallel therewith. And the left and right side portions of the upper frame 16 are bent downward in a V shape to integrally form the bearing portion 16a. A reinforcing plate 18 extending in the vehicle width direction is bridged and joined to the lower frame 15, and two reinforcing plates 19, 19 extending in the vehicle body front-rear direction are bridged and joined to the upper frame 16. . A rear basket 20 is placed on the upper surface of the upper frame 16, and the rear basket 20 is bolted and fixed to the reinforcing frame 19.

A swing shaft 22 is fixed to the rear end portion 4a of the front frame 4 through a pair of brackets 21 and 21, as shown in FIGS. Both ends 22a of the swing shaft 22 are cylindrical, and the central portion 22b is a square prism. Both ends 22a are rotatably supported by the reinforcing plate 18 via bearings 18a. Further, a bearing pipe 23 in the shape of a rectangular tube fixed to the reinforcing plate 18 is mounted on the swing shaft 22.
A Nyquid rubber 24 is disposed between the shaft 3 and the swing shaft 22. As a result, the front frame 4 is swingable to the left and right, and is returned to the original vertical position by the elastic force of the Nyquid rubber 24.

Rear wheels 3 are provided on the left and right outer portions of the rear frame 5.
0, 30 are provided, and the axle 30a of the rear wheel 30 is pivotally supported by the left and right bearing portions 16a of the upper frame 16 and the bearing portion of the lower frame 15, respectively.

Further, as shown in FIG.
A driven sprocket 32 is coupled to the inner end of a with a one-way clutch 31 interposed therebetween. An intermediate shaft 33 is arranged in front of both axles 30a in parallel with the axles 30a, and the intermediate shaft 33 is rotatably supported by the lower frame 15 via a bearing (not shown). The drive sprockets 34 and 35 are provided on both ends of the intermediate shaft 33, respectively.
Are connected to each other, and the respective sprockets 34, 35 are connected to the drive sprockets 32, 3 via chains 37, 37.
It is connected to 2.

A support boss 4b is formed at the base of the seat tube 6 of the front frame 4, and the boss 4b is formed.
A pedal shaft 40 is rotatably inserted in the pedal. Pedals 42 are attached to both ends of the pedal shaft 40 via cranks 41. The driving force of the pedal shaft 40 is transmitted to the intermediate shaft 33 from the resultant shaft 49a of the planetary gear type transmission 49 through the drive sprocket 43, the chain 44, and the driven sprocket 36 via the one-way clutch 80. In this embodiment, the power from the pedal 42 is simultaneously transmitted to the left and right rear wheels 30 via the intermediate shaft 33. Therefore, the one-way clutch 31 absorbs the rotation difference between the two wheels during turning. Become.

A power assist unit 50 of this embodiment is arranged on the vehicle body frame 2. The power assist unit 50 includes a motor 51 that rotationally drives both rear wheels 30 via a pedal shaft 40, a battery 52 that supplies power to the motor 51, and a controller 53 that controls the driving force of the motor 51. A torque sensor 54 and a vehicle speed sensor 55 are connected to the controller 53. A warning lamp 56 is mounted on the base portion of the seat tube 6 of the front frame 4, and the display content of the warning lamp 56 is controlled by the controller 53.

The torque sensor 54 detects a reaction force acting on a fixed element in the planetary gear type transmission 49 as torque, and outputs the detected value to the controller 53. The vehicle speed sensor 55 is configured to detect the peripheral speed of the bevel gear 49b fixed to the resultant shaft 49a of the transmission 49 and output the detected value to the controller 53.

The battery 52 is a 12V battery, which is vertically stacked and connected in series, and is housed in a battery box 60 having a vertically long rectangular parallelepiped shape. The battery box 60 is vertically arranged on the front frame 4 on the rear side of the seat tube 6, and has a support frame 62 and a support pipe 62 joined to the seat tube 6 and having a rectangular frame shape in plan view. It is supported by a support pipe 63 which is bridged and joined to the front frame 4. The rear portion of the support pipe 62 and the front frame 4 are joined by a reinforcing pipe 64 extending obliquely rearward. A handle 65 is attached to the upper surface of the battery box 60, and the battery box 60 can be pulled out by removing the saddle 6a. Although not shown, the battery box 60 is provided with a charging outlet.

The motor 51 is arranged on the lower surface of the central portion of the front frame 4, and is fixed to the front frame 4 via a mounting bracket (not shown). The motor 5
The output of 1 is input to the drive sprocket 43 from the resultant shaft 49a of the speed change mechanism 49 via the one-way clutch 39, and is transmitted to the left and right rear wheels 30 through the intermediate shaft 33.

The controller 53 is arranged on the lower surface of the front frame 4 in front of the motor 51, and is fixed to the front frame 4 via a mounting bracket (not shown).
In this way, the controller 53, the motor 51, and the speed change mechanism 49 are arranged in series along the lower surface of the front frame 4.

Further, the controller 53 and the motor 5
1, the transmission mechanism 49 is covered with a cover 75. The cover 75 is an upper cover 75a fixed to the front frame 4.
And a lower cover 75b detachably attached to the lower surface of the upper cover 75a, the structure is divided into two, thereby improving the appearance and avoiding damage to each component. Further, a main key switch 75c for operating the power assist system is arranged at the front part of the lower cover 75b.

Then, the controller 53 obtains the magnitude of the torque (pedaling force) generated in the pedal 42 from the detection value of the torque sensor 54 and the vehicle speed from the detection value of the vehicle speed sensor 55, based on a built-in map. The auxiliary driving force is calculated, and a current corresponding to the auxiliary driving force is supplied from the battery 52 to the motor 51. This auxiliary driving force is 1 for 1 pedaling force of the occupant.
Is set below, and the vehicle speed is, for example, 15 km / h.
It is set so that the auxiliary power is gradually weakened when the value exceeds 24 km, and becomes zero when the value reaches 24 km / h.

The controller 53 also functions as battery voltage detection means 53a, power assist system failure diagnosis means 53b, warning display control means 53c, and failure warning priority display means 53d.

The voltage detecting means 53a determines whether the battery voltage is in a normal drop state or an abnormal drop state, and outputs a normal drop signal and an abnormal drop signal, respectively. When the main switch 75c is turned on, the failure diagnosis means 53b self-diagnoses the presence or absence of a system abnormality in the controller 53, and outputs a failure signal when an abnormality is found. Further, the warning display control means 53c causes the warning lamp 56 according to the contents of the respective signals.
Controls blinking and lighting. For example, in the case of the above normal decrease signal, the warning lamp 56 is made to blink at regular intervals, and in the case of the abnormal decrease signal, it is continuously turned on. Further, in the case of a failure signal, it is made to blink in a pattern determined for each failure content.

Then, the failure warning priority display means 53d.
Displays a voltage drop warning display by switching it to a failure warning display when any one of the normal voltage drop signal and the failure signal is input in duplicate.

Next, the function and effect of this embodiment will be described. The power assist unit 50 of the present embodiment supplies a larger auxiliary driving force as the occupant's pedal effort increases when the vehicle speed is below a predetermined value (for example, 15 km / h), and increases when the speed exceeds the above predetermined value. The auxiliary driving force is decreased as the speed increases, and the auxiliary driving force becomes zero when the speed exceeds the maximum value (for example, 24 Km / h). In this way, labor can be reduced when climbing uphill, headwinds, loading luggage, and starting. The above-mentioned one-way clutches transmit the rotational force from the pedal shaft / motor shaft side to the rear wheel side, but do not transmit the rotational force in the opposite direction.

Further, the controller 53 of this embodiment is shown in FIG.
As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7, it is determined whether or not there is an abnormality in the power assist system, and if there is an abnormality, the voltage drop warning process is canceled and the system abnormality display process is switched to (steps S1 and S2). If there is no abnormality in the system, the voltage detection value is read, and if the detection value is less than or equal to a predetermined value, a voltage drop warning process is performed (step S
3, S4).

As described above, according to this embodiment, when the voltage drop signal and the failure signal are input in duplicate, the failure warning is displayed with priority given to the failure signal, so that the battery voltage drops. If a system error occurs when
It is possible to prevent the user from misunderstanding the control stop due to the system abnormality as the control stop due to a simple voltage drop, and it is possible to detect the system failure at an early stage.

Further, in this embodiment, since the failure warning display is prioritized, it is possible to cope with an abnormality in the system which can occur only when the battery voltage drops, for example, a failure of the Zener diode. In the case of prioritizing the prior art voltage drop display, even if the Zener diode becomes abnormal, the battery voltage drop display is continued, so it is difficult to find a failure of the Zener diode.

In the above embodiment, the case where the power assist unit is mounted on the three-wheeled bicycle is taken as an example, but the present invention can of course be applied to the two-wheeled bicycle.

[0032]

As described above, the power assisted bicycle according to the present invention is provided with the failure warning priority display means for giving priority to the failure warning display when the voltage drop signal and the failure signal are input in duplicate. The warning state and the system state can be matched with each other, and the system failure can be detected early.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a power assisted tricycle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the tricycle according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a rear wheel drive mechanism of the above-described three-wheeled bicycle.

FIG. 4 is a sectional side view showing a swinging portion of a front frame of the tricycle according to the embodiment.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 4 showing the swinging portion.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a power assist unit of the above embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the controller of the above embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the controller of the above embodiment.

[Explanation of reference signs] 1 power assisted three-wheeled bicycle 2 vehicle body frame 30 rear wheel 50 power assisted unit 51 motor 52 battery 53 controller 53a battery voltage detection means 53b failure diagnosis means 53c warning lamp display means 54d failure priority determination means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A power assisted bicycle including a power assist unit including a motor that rotationally drives wheels, a battery that supplies power to the motor, and a controller that controls the driving force of the motor according to the pedal effort. Voltage detection means for detecting battery voltage, failure diagnosis means for self-diagnosing the presence or absence of system abnormality, and warning display control means for performing a voltage drop signal or a voltage drop warning display or failure warning display when a failure signal is input A power-assisted bicycle comprising: an abnormality warning priority display means for preferentially displaying a failure warning display when the voltage drop signal and the failure signal are input in duplicate.