JPH0834384A - Vehicle with electric motor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent remodeling for increasing an auxiliary force increasing ratio and an increasing speed ratio of an electric motor by providing a drive side wrapping rotating body of a wrapping transmission mechanism for transmitting a resultant of an input drive system and an electric drive system, or a vehicle speed detection means and a mechanism for preventing the speed increasing ratio increasing remodeling of a wrapping transmission mechanism in the upstream of the drive side wrapping rotating body. CONSTITUTION:A vehicle speed sensor 84 is provided in a transmission case 30 to detect the rotating speed of a pulley 60 so as to calculate a vehicle speed. The vehicle speed is input into a controller to determine an auxiliary ratio according to the vehicle speed. Also a wall 150 is installed projectedly on the inside of the transmission case 30 to form a remodeling preventing mechanism for a chain transmission mechanism 73. The wall 150 is installed projectedly at an area close to the outer periphery of a drive sprocket 74. Thus, even if the drive sprocket 74 is tried to be replaced with a large diameter sprocket with increased number of teeth, the wall 150 prevents the replacement, thus unabling the remodeling.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention has an electric drive system having a human-powered drive system and an electric drive system, and the drive power of the electric drive system is controlled in response to changes in the drive power (hereinafter referred to as pedaling force) due to human power. It concerns motorized vehicles.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A vehicle such as a bicycle is known in which human power is detected by, for example, pedaling force, and the driving force of an electric motor is controlled according to the magnitude of the pedaling force (for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 56-76).
590, JP-A-2-74491). That is, when the load of human power is large, the driving force of the electric motor is also increased to reduce the load of human power, so that the vehicle can travel with light pedaling force.

It is conceivable that the traveling speed will be unnecessarily increased if the assistance provided by the electric motor is large. Therefore, the applicant of the present application has proposed that the assisting force of the electric motor is gradually reduced when the vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined speed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 107107/1994).
No. 266).

[0004]

2. Description of the Related Art When changing the auxiliary force of the electric motor depending on the vehicle speed, it is necessary to detect the vehicle speed. The vehicle speed detecting means may be provided on the front wheels or the rear wheels, but in this case, it is necessary to take into consideration prevention of damage or modification of the vehicle speed detecting means, as well as deterioration of the assemblability or exclusive use. It will be necessary to prepare wheels and hubs.

Therefore, it is conceivable to unitize the power portion. That is, the human power drive system including the crankshaft and the electric drive system including the electric motor are housed in a common case, and the resultant force of both drive systems is transmitted to the rear wheels by the winding transmission mechanism.
Vehicle speed detecting means and pedaling force detecting means are also incorporated in this case.

However, this winding transmission mechanism has a problem that it can be easily remodeled into one capable of running at high speed by changing the winding rotating body on the drive side to one having a large diameter. That is, in this case, even if the vehicle is actually traveling at a high speed, the vehicle speed detection means determines that the vehicle speed is low, so that the assisting force of the electric motor becomes too large.

[0007] For example, when this winding transmission mechanism is driven by a chain, there has been a standard for crank gears for bicycles, and various types of crank gears having different numbers of teeth are commercially available and easily available. Therefore, the replacement of the crank gear was easy. Similarly, there are many kinds of driven prockets on the rear wheel side that have different numbers of teeth, and therefore, it is possible to easily modify the same for high speed running by replacing the driven sprockets with a small number of teeth.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the vehicle speed detecting means always detects the correct vehicle speed so that the electric motor cannot be remodeled to make the auxiliary force excessive. It is intended to provide a motorized bicycle.

[0009]

According to the present invention, an object of the present invention is to provide a human-powered drive system based on treading force and an electric drive system based on an electric motor, and to control the output of the electric motor in response to changes in treading force and changes in vehicle speed. In a motor-equipped bicycle, a winding transmission mechanism that transmits the resultant force of the human power drive system and the electric drive system to a rear wheel, and a rotation of a drive side winding rotating body of the winding transmission mechanism or a rotating portion on the upstream side of the rotation. The present invention is achieved by a bicycle with an electric motor, which is provided with a vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the vehicle speed and a modification preventing mechanism for preventing modification for increasing the speed increasing ratio of the winding transmission mechanism.

Here, the winding transmission mechanism may be a chain transmission mechanism or a toothed belt transmission mechanism. The modification preventing mechanism includes a mechanism for preventing the driving-side winding rotor from being changed to a large diameter one and a mechanism for preventing the driven-side winding rotor from being changed to a small diameter one. Furthermore, it also includes ones that prevent modification to change the rear wheels to large diameter wheels. On the inner surface of the case that houses the drive-side wrapping rotary body, a wall is provided so as to be close to the outer circumference of the rotator, and the wall becomes an obstacle when a large drive-side wrapping rotary body is attached. Good.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a developed view of II-II line thereof, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the function of the controller, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of control characteristics of the auxiliary ratio, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing auxiliary ratio correction characteristics by operating time, and FIG. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a battery lock device, Fig. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the battery lock device, and Fig. 11 is a flow chart of the operation.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bicycle of this embodiment has a substantially U-shaped front frame 10 from the rear to the rear frame 1.
2 is fixed. The front frame 10 includes a head pipe 14 and a down tube 1 extending obliquely downward and rearward from here.
6, a seat tube 18 rising from the rear end of the down tube 16, a steering handle 20 and a front fork 22 rotatably held by the head pipe 14, a front wheel 24 held by the front fork 22, and a seat. Tube 18
And a saddle 26 held at the upper end of the.

The rear frame 12 is a cantilevered rear arm 2
8 is formed of an integrally-cast aluminum-made substantially box-shaped transmission case 30. The transmission case 30 has a rear wheel 32 located at a rear end thereof and a front portion of the case 30. A pair of left and right crank arms 34, 34 (see FIG. 2), an electric motor 36 (see FIG. 3) attached to the front upper surface of the case 30, and batteries 38, 38 attached above the motor 36 are provided. Is held.

The rear frame 12 has three brackets 40, 42, 44 fixed to the front frame 10 and bolts 4 attached thereto.
It is bolted at 0A, 42A and 44A. That is, the front portion of the transmission case 30 is fixed to the brackets 40 and 42, and the battery holding frame 46 located at the upper end of the motor 36.
Are fixed to the bracket 44. Also after this frame 1
As shown in FIG. 1, a controller 48, a circle lock 50, and a brake 52 are attached to the unit 2.

The transmission case 30 is formed in a box shape as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and a crankshaft 54 penetrates the case 30 and the crank arms 34, 34 are fixed to both ends thereof. In the case 30, a resultant shaft 56 is rotatably held behind the crankshaft 54 obliquely above. The rotation of the crankshaft 54 is caused by the toothed belt 58.
6. A one-way clutch 62 is mounted on the pulley 60 on the crankshaft 54 side around which the belt 58 is wound, as shown in FIG. This clutch 62
Transmits the rotation of the crankshaft 54 to the pulley 60, but does not transmit the rotation in the opposite direction.

A tread force sensor 64 is attached to the tight side of the belt 58 as shown in FIG. The depression force sensor 64 is provided with an idle roller for absorbing the slack rolling contact with the belt 58, it detects the tension i.e. pedaling force F _L of the belt 58 from the displacement amount of the idle roller.

A large reduction gear 68 is attached to the resultant shaft 56 via a one-way clutch 66, and a small reduction gear 70 driven by the motor 36 is meshed with the gear 68. Therefore, the rotation of the motor 36 is limited to the gears 68, 70.
Is transmitted to the resultant force shaft 56 via a speed reducer 72 and a one-way clutch 66. In addition, from the resultant shaft 56 to the motor 36
Transmission of rotation to the clutch is interrupted by the clutch 66.

The rotation of the resultant shaft 56 is transmitted to the rear wheel 32 by a chain transmission mechanism 73 as a winding transmission mechanism. A drive sprocket 74 is integrally fixed to the left end of the resultant shaft 56, and a driven sprocket 80 is attached to a hub 76 of the rear wheel 32 via a one-way clutch 78. A chain 82 passing through the inside of the rear arm 28 of the case 30 is wound around these sprockets 74 and 80. The chain transmission mechanism 73 is formed by the sprockets 74, 80 and the chain 82. The hub 76 may have a transmission built therein.

In FIG. 4, a vehicle speed sensor 84 is provided in the transmission case 30 as shown in FIG. 1, detects the rotational speed of the pulley 60, and calculates the vehicle speed S.
When the hub 76 has an internal transmission, a signal indicating the gear ratio is input to the controller 48 and the formula for calculating the vehicle speed S is changed at each gear shift.

The pedal force F _L to the depression force sensor 64 detects
The vehicle speed S detected by the vehicle speed sensor 84 is input to the controller 48. The controller 48 controls the motor current in response to changes in the pedal force F _L, the output F _M of the motor 36
Control. Here, since the reduction ratios of the human power drive system and the electric drive system are different, even if the pedaling force applied to the crank arm 34 and the output of the motor 36 are the same, the driving force at the rear wheel 32 is different. Here To unaffected by differences in the speed reduction ratio is each pedal force F _L and the motor output F _M is assumed to represent the driving force applied to the rear wheel 32.

The controller 48, as shown in FIG.
PU 90, memory 92, motor power control unit 94,
Other various devices are provided. The CPU 90 includes a traveling control means 96, a start determination means 98, and an auxiliary rate calculation means 100.
, Auxiliary rate correction means 102, and battery lock determination means 10
4 and various control means having other functions.

The traveling control means 96 outputs a motor output (torque) F _M = η · F _L which changes in synchronization with the cycle of the pedal effort F _L based on the pedal effort F input from the crank arm 34. That outputs a PWM (pulse width control) signal which changes the duty ratio corresponding to the pedal force F _L to the motor power control unit 94. Here, the auxiliary ratio η is calculated by the auxiliary ratio calculating means 100 and changes as shown in FIG. 6, but the auxiliary ratio η is further corrected by the auxiliary ratio correcting means 102. This point will be described later. Motor power control unit 94
Supplies a motor current that turns on and off at this duty ratio to the motor 36 to generate a predetermined output F _M.

The start determination means 98 determines the speed range from the start of the bicycle to the speed at which stable independent driving is possible as a low speed range. In this embodiment, based on the vehicle speed S which is the output of the vehicle speed sensor 84, the range during acceleration (point a → b in the figure) from S≈0 to about 6 km / h as shown in FIG. ). It should be noted that it is not necessary to determine only the low speed range (L) when starting, and to determine this low speed range (L) during deceleration immediately before stopping. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 106 is a main key switch provided near the head pipe 14, and reference numeral 108 is a brake switch that is interlocked with a manual brake lever.

The auxiliary ratio calculating means 100 changes the auxiliary ratio η with respect to the vehicle speed S as shown in FIG. That is, when the start determination means 98 determines that the vehicle is in the low speed range (L) while starting, the auxiliary ratio calculation means 100 sets the auxiliary ratio η to the auxiliary ratio η _M (for example, 1.0) in the medium speed range (M). Increase about 3 times. Middle speed range (M) is about 6-15km / h
Is the range (point b → d in the figure), and in the initial (about 6 to 8 km / h) range (point b → c in the figure) of the medium speed range (M), the auxiliary ratio η is the low-speed auxiliary ratio η _L. ≈3.0 to medium speed auxiliary ratio η _M
It smoothly changes to ≈1.0.

When the vehicle speed S exceeds 15 km / h, the vehicle enters the high speed range (H), and in this speed range (point d → e in the figure), the auxiliary ratio η _H gradually decreases as the vehicle speed S increases. This assist rate η _H may be decreased linearly as shown in FIG.
It may be reduced non-linearly.

In this way, the starting determination means 98 determines the low speed range (L, point a → b) at the time of starting, and the auxiliary rate calculating means 100 increases the auxiliary rate η _L by about 3 times in this range, so The acceleration performance at the time is improved, and the vehicle speed (for example, about 6 km / h) that enables stable self-sustaining travel is quickly reached. For this reason, even when a person with weak leg strength rides or starts on a slope, the period during which the vehicle body fluctuates at the time of starting is shortened, and stable starting is possible.

Since the start determination means 98 does not determine the low speed range (L) during deceleration, the auxiliary ratio calculation means 100 maintains the auxiliary ratio η _L0 at this time to be the same as the auxiliary ratio η _{M in the} medium speed range (M). (Point c → f in FIG. 6). Therefore, when decelerating to stop the vehicle, the auxiliary ratio η does not increase, and the motor output F _M does not unnecessarily increase. The determination as to whether or not the vehicle is decelerating can be made by monitoring the vehicle speed S, but it may also be made from the fact that the brake switch 108 is turned on (the brake is being operated).

The auxiliary ratio η obtained from the characteristics shown in FIG. 6 as described above is further corrected by the operating conditions. This correction is performed by the operating time monitoring means 10 of the auxiliary rate correction means 102 (FIG. 5).
2A and discharge amount monitoring means 102B. In consideration of the fact that the driver's fatigue accumulates when the continuous driving time becomes long, the driving time monitoring means 102A makes a correction for increasing the auxiliary rate η with the elapse of the driving time t. The correction coefficient, that is, the auxiliary increase coefficient j is obtained from the characteristic shown in FIG.

In the discharge amount monitoring means 102B, the battery 38
The discharge amount D of is calculated based on the battery voltage, discharge time, discharge current, etc., and is set to a constant standard auxiliary coefficient k ₁ until the discharge amount D reaches the set value D ₀ , and gradually decreases when the set value D ₀ or more is reached. A reduction auxiliary coefficient k ₂ . These auxiliary factors k
₁ and k ₂ are obtained from the characteristics shown in FIG. With this correction, the traveling distance can be extended. The correction factors such as the auxiliary increase coefficient j and the auxiliary coefficient k (k ₁ , k ₂ ) thus obtained are integrated with the auxiliary rate η obtained in FIG. 6, and η × j × k
Is used as a new auxiliary rate η to obtain the motor output F _M = η × F _L.

Next, the battery lock device 110 will be described with reference to FIG. The battery lock device 110 includes an engaging claw 112 provided on the battery holding frame 46 described in FIG.
112, a lock key 114, and engagement claws 118, 118 provided on the bottom surface of a battery case 116 that houses the battery 38. The engaging claws 118, 118 are engaged with the engaging claws 112, 112 by moving horizontally from the rear to the front.

The upper portion of the battery case 116 is locked to the seat tube 18 by a hook (not shown). Further, a charging plug insertion port 117 to which a charging plug (not shown) is attached / detached from the rear is attached to the upper part of the battery case 116.

The lock claw 120 of the lock key 114 is engaged with the rear edge of one of the engagement claws 118 in the locked state, and the battery case 116 is prevented from moving rearward with the engagement of the engagement claws 118 and 112. Battery case 11 by regulation
It is to lock 6. In FIG. 9, reference numeral 122 is a reinforcing member for connecting the rear end of the battery holding frame 46 to the upper end of the seat tube 18, and 124 is the controller 38 for the battery 38.
It is a connector for electrically connecting to the 8 side. When the battery case 116 is horizontally moved from the rear side and locked to the battery holding frame 46, the connector 124 is engaged with the pair of the vehicle body side and the battery case side.

FIG. 10 is a view showing another lock device 110A. In this embodiment, the battery holding frame 48A and the battery case 116A have engaging claws 112A and 118A for moving the battery case 116A from the rear to the front in a direction orthogonal to the seat tube 18 and engaging the same. A lock key 114A is fixed to the seat tube 18, and a lock claw 120A of the lock key 114A can be projected downward. Then, the engaging claw 118 is attached to the engaging claw 112A.
If the battery case 116A is locked to the battery holding frame 48A while engaging A, the ring member 126 fixed to the front surface of the battery case 116A faces below the lock key 114A. In this state, the lock claw 120 of the lock key 114A
When A is projected, the lock claw 120A engages with the ring member 126 and the lock state is achieved. 124A is a connector.

As shown in FIG. 5, the battery lock device 110 (110A) has a lock switch 128 which is interlocked with the lock key 114 (114A). This lock switch 1
28 is closed with the lock key 114 (114A) locking the battery. When the main switch 106, which is a power switch, is turned on (step 200 in FIG. 11), the battery lock determination means 104 (FIG. 5) determines whether the lock device 110 (110A) is locked due to the closing of the lock switch 128. Determine (Step 2 of FIG. 11)
02). If it is determined that it is not locked, the warning device 1
30 (FIG. 5) is turned on to generate a warning (alarm) (step 204 in FIG. 11).

If it is determined that the battery case 116 (116A) is locked, the warning device 130 is turned off to stop the warning (alarm) (step 205), and then the motor 36 is driven by the motor power control means 94 and the battery 38. The relay of the relay switch 132 (FIG. 5) connected to is turned on (step 206). When the motor control main circuit is connected to the battery 38 or the like is started, CPU 90 is pedal force F _L
After the start determination means 98 confirms the start according to the driving conditions and the traveling conditions (step 208), the auxiliary rate η is calculated as the auxiliary calculation means 10
Calculation is performed with 0 (step 210).

Next, in the auxiliary rate correction means 102, the operating time t
And the auxiliary rate η is corrected by the discharge amount D. That is, the operating time monitoring means 102A starts measuring the operating time t when the relay switch 126 is turned on (step 21).
2). Then, the auxiliary increase coefficient j is obtained according to the characteristic shown in FIG. 7 (step 214).

Next, the discharge amount monitoring means 102B finds the discharge amount D of the battery, and if it is larger than the set amount D ₀ (step 21).
6) Since the remaining capacity of the battery is large, a large auxiliary coefficient k ₁ is selected (step 218). If D ≦ D _{0, the} remaining capacity is small, so the reduction assist coefficient k ₂ that decreases with the discharge amount D is selected (step 220).

The traveling control means 96 obtains η × j × k from the above calculation results and controls the output of the motor 36 by using this as a new auxiliary ratio η (step 222). Then, when a certain condition for stopping the assistance of the motor 36 is satisfied (step 224), the assistance by the motor 36 is stopped (step 226). The conditions for stopping the auxiliary, it has turned off the main key 106, the brake switch 108 is turned on, the battery voltage drops below a predetermined level, the vehicle speed s and pedal force F _L becomes substantially 0 And the main key switch 106 is kept on for a certain period of time, and so on.

In the above embodiment, the battery case 116 (116
Although the lock device 110 (110A) of A) is provided separately from the main key switch 106, both may be integrated. FIG. 12 shows a switch structure of such an embodiment. In this switch, the lock key 114B of the lock device has the function of the main key switch 106. That is, when the main key switch 106 is in the ON position and the OFF position, the lock key 114B is in a position to lock the battery, and the main key switch 106 is unlocked only in the unlock position provided on the opposite side of the OFF position from the battery. It is possible to attach and detach.

Next, a mechanism (remodeling prevention mechanism) for preventing the chain transmission mechanism 73 as a winding transmission mechanism from being modified is shown in FIG.
3 will be described. This mechanism is formed by a wall 150 protruding from the inner surface of the transmission case 30. This wall 150
Are projected so as to be close to the outer periphery of the drive sprocket 74, which is the drive-side winding rotor. Therefore, even if the drive sprocket 74 is to be replaced with a large-diameter sprocket having a large number of teeth, the wall 150 becomes an obstacle and becomes impossible. Therefore, it is impossible to increase the speed increasing ratio (or decrease the speed reducing ratio) by changing the drive sprocket 74.

The driven sprocket 80 is assumed to have the smallest number of teeth among the sprockets which can be attached to the one-way clutch 78 provided on the hub 76. If the driven sprocket 80 having the smallest number of teeth is used, the number of teeth is always increased even if the sprocket is replaced with another sprocket, so that the speed increasing ratio decreases (the reduction ratio increases). As a result, modification to increase the speed increasing ratio (decrease the speed reducing ratio) of the chain transmission mechanism 73 becomes impossible.

In the above embodiment, the vehicle speed sensor 84, which is the vehicle speed detecting means, detects the rotational speed of the pulley 60 mounted on the crankshaft 54 via the one-way clutch 62. For example, a large number of irregularities may be provided on the side surface of the pulley 60, and the vehicle speed sensor 84 facing this may be configured to detect a magnetic change or a capacitance change, or to have an optical detection structure. However, the speed detecting means is located upstream of the drive sprocket 74, that is, the crankshaft 5
The rotation of the rotating portion on the 4 side or the motor 36 side may be detected. Alternatively, the rotation speed of the drive sprocket 74 may be detected. Further, the winding transmission mechanism may be a mechanism using a toothed belt or the like instead of the chain transmission mechanism.

The present invention may be applied to vehicles other than bicycles, such as luggage carriers and wheelchairs. Human power is the pedaling force for driving a foot pedal, but is the driving force for a hand when operating manually. In the present application, the driving force of the hand is also referred to as the pedaling force for convenience, but all the driving force of the human is the driving force of the human.

[0044]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the invention, the vehicle speed detecting means obtains the vehicle speed by detecting the rotation of the drive side winding rotor of the winding transmission mechanism or the rotating portion on the upstream side thereof. In the case of such a configuration, modification for increasing the speed increasing ratio (including decreasing the speed reducing ratio) of the winding transmission mechanism is prevented. Therefore, the vehicle speed obtained by the vehicle speed detecting means does not become slower than the actual vehicle speed, and the auxiliary force of the electric motor does not become excessive. Therefore, the vehicle speed does not become excessive.

Here, the modification preventing mechanism can be constituted by a wall provided on the case so as to be close to the outer periphery of the driving side winding rotating body (claim 2). In this case, it is possible to prevent remodeling by making it impossible to replace with a large-diameter drive-side winding rotor having a large number of teeth.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a developed view of the II-II line in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.

[Fig. 4] Power system diagram

FIG. 5: Functional block diagram of controller

FIG. 6 is a characteristic diagram of an auxiliary ratio.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a supplementary rate correction characteristic according to operating time.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing auxiliary rate correction characteristics depending on the amount of discharge.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a battery lock device.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the battery lock device.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart of the operation.

FIG. 12 is a view showing another embodiment of the lock key of the lock device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Front Frame 12 Rear Frame 20 Steering Handle 24 Front Wheel 26 Saddle 30 Transmission Case 32 Rear Wheel 34 Crank Arm 36 Electric Motor 48 Controller 73 Chain Transmission Mechanism as Winding Transmission Mechanism 74 Drive Sprocket as Driving Side Rotating Body 84 Vehicle speed sensor as vehicle speed detecting means 90 CPU 100 Auxiliary rate calculating means 102 Auxiliary rate correcting means 150 Wall as modification preventing mechanism

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A bicycle with an electric motor, which comprises a human-powered drive system based on pedaling force and an electric drive system based on an electric motor, and which controls the output of the electric motor in response to changes in pedaling force and changes in vehicle speed. And a winding speed transmission mechanism for transmitting the resultant force of the electric drive system to the rear wheels, and a vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the rotation speed of the driving side winding rotor of the winding power transmission mechanism or a rotating portion on the upstream side thereof to obtain the vehicle speed. And a modification preventing mechanism for preventing modification for increasing the speed increasing ratio of the winding transmission mechanism. 2. The modification preventing mechanism is formed by a wall provided on an inner surface of a case accommodating the driving-side winding rotating body so as to be close to an outer periphery of the driving-side winding rotating body.
Electric motor vehicle.