JPH11124037A - Electrically power assisted carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a power assisted carrier that lessens the burden on the operator, and that has mobility that makes it easy to use in a small work areas. SOLUTION: This electrically assisted carrier generates auxiliary power with a motor in accordance to manual operation force, thereby assisting human power. A sliding grip 11R, an elastic member 47 that pushes out the grip 11R to the operator, and a moving amount detection portion 62 that detects the amount of movement of the grip toward the direction of a vehicle frame are provided at the end portion of a right operation handle 7R that extends in the rear upward direction from the vehicle frame. The vehicle frame has a control portion that controls the motor in accordance with the output by the moving amount detection portion.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric auxiliary carrier equipped with a motor for assisting human power.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hand-operated single-wheeled or two-wheeled vehicles, which are commonly called "cat cars" (cats), are used in various places such as construction sites and agricultural lands because they are small and turn around. . However, in such a one- and two-wheeled vehicle having such a simple structure, a heavy burden is imposed on an operator who carries heavy objects or climbs uphill. In order to reduce the burden on the workers, it is conceivable to make the one- and two-wheeled vehicles run by themselves using the power of an engine or the like. As such a vehicle, for example, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. Sho 62-196736, "Power Running control device for unicycles ".

According to FIG. 1 of the publication, the above-mentioned power unicycle is driven by a prime mover 2 composed of an engine (the numbers are cited in the publication; the same applies hereinafter) via a belt 15 and a centrifugal clutch 3. This is for driving the wheels 13. In the power unicycle, a throttle lever 1 is attached to an end of a handle 9 extending rearward and upward from the carrier frame 8, and the throttle lever 1 is operated to control the rotation speed of the prime mover 2.

[0004]

Since the above-mentioned powered unicycle is a powered traveling carrier, it is possible to reduce labor when carrying heavy objects or climbing uphill. On the other hand, mobility and ease of use are not as good as those of hand-pushed one- and two-wheeled vehicles. Transport vehicles used in narrow areas such as construction sites, greenhouses, and indoors require mobility and ease of use. In consideration of such points, a power assisted transport vehicle that assists manual operation force with auxiliary power is conceivable. However, even when the power unicycle is configured to be usable as a power assisted carrier, the act of pushing while gripping the handle 9 and the act of operating the throttle lever 1 must be performed simultaneously. ,
The operation is troublesome, and the burden on the operator increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a power assisted transport vehicle which is light in the operational burden on the operator and which is easy to use with good mobility in a small work area.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a motor having a motor and a battery, wherein the motor generates auxiliary power in response to a manual operation force, and the auxiliary power generates human power. An electric assisted carrier for assisting, wherein the electric assisted carrier has a sliding grip at an end of an operation handle extending rearward and upward from a body frame, and an elasticity for pushing the grip toward an operator. It is characterized by comprising a member and a movement amount detection unit for detecting a movement amount of the grip toward the body frame, and a control unit for controlling the motor in accordance with an output of the movement amount detection unit on the body frame.

[0007] By gripping and pushing the grip, the electric assisted transport vehicle can be run manually. Also, the grip slides according to the force you hold and press,
The movement amount is detected by the movement amount detection unit, and the motor generates auxiliary power according to the output of the movement amount detection unit, and assists human power with the auxiliary power. As described above, the operator can drive the electric assisted carrier only by human power, or can receive the assisting power to drive the electric assisted carrier by gripping and pushing the grip.
Therefore, no special operation for adjusting the auxiliary power is required.

The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the elastic member is disposed inside the grip. Since the elastic member is inside the grip, it is not exposed to muddy water or dust,
Moreover, it is not visible from the outside of the grip.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that "before", "after",
“Left”, “right”, “up”, and “down” follow the direction as seen from the operator, and Fr indicates the front side, Rr indicates the rear side, L indicates the left side, and R indicates the right side. Also, the drawings should be viewed in the direction of reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric auxiliary carrier according to the present invention. The electric assisted carrier 1 has a single wheel 3 mounted substantially at the center of the body frame 2 in the vehicle width direction, and the left and right batteries 4L, 4R, the motor 5 and the power for transmitting the output of the motor 5 to the wheel 3 to the body frame 2. The transmission mechanism 6 is mounted, the left and right operation handles 7L, 7R are extended rearward from the body frame 2, the carrier 8 is mounted on the upper part of the body frame 2, and auxiliary power is generated by the motor 5 according to manual operation force. This is an electric auxiliary single-wheeled vehicle that assists human power with this auxiliary power.

More specifically, left and right operation handles 7L, 7R
Are bar handles extending rearward and upward from the body frame 2, and grips 11L,
11R is attached. Further, the left operation handle 7L includes the brake lever 12, and the right operation handle 7R includes the auxiliary power system operation mechanism 40.

FIG. 2 is an electric circuit diagram of the electric auxiliary carrier according to the present invention, and shows a circuit for controlling the motor 5 by the auxiliary power system operating mechanism 40. The electric circuit of the electric auxiliary transport vehicle detects the batteries 4L and 4R, the key switch 22 as a main switch, the movement amount detection unit 62 of the auxiliary power system operation mechanism 40, the motor 5, and the rotation speed of the motor 5 in the control unit 21. The vehicle speed detecting unit 23 is connected to a battery level indicator 24 for displaying the remaining levels of the batteries 4L and 4R. Control unit 21
Has a function of controlling the motor 5 according to the output of the movement amount detection unit 62.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the electric auxiliary carrier according to the present invention. The power transmission mechanism 6 is a mechanism that transmits the power of the motor 5 to the axle 3a that supports the wheels 3 by the first reduction mechanism 31, the transmission shaft 32, and the second reduction mechanism 33. The wheel 3 and the axle 3a are integrally rotatable. The first reduction mechanism 31 has a built-in one-way clutch (not shown) that can transmit power only from the motor 5 to the axle 3a. The vehicle body frame 2 has a control unit 21 attached to the center of its length and below the carrier 8, and a key switch 22 and a battery level indicator 24 attached to a rear mounting plate 2 a. In the figure, reference numeral 8a is a fence for a loading platform.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the right operating handle and the auxiliary power system operating mechanism according to the present invention. The right operating handle 7R is made of a pipe material, and a round bar 41 is inserted into the end of the pipe material and welded. The grip 11R is a slide-type grip, and includes a pipe slider portion 44 slidably inserted into the bar 41 of the right operation handle 7R, and a rubber grip portion 45 covering the slider portion 44.

The auxiliary power system operating mechanism 40 has a slider portion 44 fitted to a bar 41 via two bushes 42, 43 in the front and rear directions, and is provided between the slider portion 44 and the operating handle 7R.
Stopper mechanism 46 that regulates movement amount S of grip 11R
And an elastic member 47 for pushing the grip 11R to the operator side (right side in this figure), and an adjusting mechanism 51 for initially adjusting the neutral point of action of the elastic member 47, and a hanger 61 is attached to the tip of the pipe of the operating handle 7R. The movement amount detection unit 62 is attached via the control unit.

The stopper mechanism 46 includes a pin 48 fixed to the bar 41 in a direction perpendicular to the axis, and an axially long slot 44a opened in the slider portion 44 for fitting the pin 48. The length of the long hole 44a is a dimension that allows the slider portion 44 to move by a predetermined moving amount S. Stopper mechanism 46
Since the combination structure of the long hole 44a and the pin 48 is adopted, the movement of the grip 11R can be restricted with a simple configuration and the grip 11
R can be stopped. In addition, you may arrange | position the long hole 44a and the pin 48 in reverse.

The elastic member 47 is composed of a compression spring inserted into a blind hole 41a formed in the rear end face (right end face in the figure) of the bar 41. The adjusting mechanism 51 presses the elastic member 47 via a flat washer 53 by screwing the bolt mounting plate 52 at the rear end (right end in the figure) of the slider portion 44 and concentrically with the elastic member 47 and screwing the bolt mounting plate 52. Adjusting bolt 54,
And a lock nut 55 for an adjustment bolt. The initial variation of the length of the elastic member 47 and the neutral point of action of the elastic member 47 can be easily adjusted simply by moving the adjustment bolt 54 forward and backward.

At the base end of the slider portion 44, an arm 63 extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis is attached. This arm 63 pushes a push bolt 64 toward the vehicle body frame 2 (to the left in this figure) along the slider portion 44. It is screwed and locked with a lock nut 65. The movement amount detection unit 62 detects the movement amount of the grip 11R toward the body frame 2 when the push rod 62b moves forward and backward, and converts the movement amount into an electric signal. For example, the variable resistor 62 shown in FIG.
a. The push rod 6 of the movement amount detection unit 62
2b is concentric with the push bolt 64, and is arranged so that the push rod 62b is pushed by the push bolt 64. Since the member for pushing the push rod 62b is composed of the push bolt 64 screwed into the arm 63, it is possible to easily set the detection reference point of the movement amount detection unit 62 only by adjusting the screw amount of the push bolt 64. it can. In the figure, 66 is the head of the push bolt 64 and the push rod 6.
It is a rubber cover (boots) covering 2b.

Since the grip 11R is sealed between the outer surface of the bar 41 and the opening end of the slider portion 44 by the seal member 49, there is no possibility that muddy water or dust may enter through the gap. Further, since the grip portion 45 is put on the slider portion 44, there is no possibility that muddy water or dust may enter the grip 11R. And, since the stopper mechanism 46, the elastic member 47 and the adjusting mechanism 51 are arranged inside such a grip 11R,
These mechanisms 46 and 51 and the elastic member 47 are not exposed to muddy water and dust, and thus have increased durability. Moreover, each mechanism 4
The appearance is enhanced because the members 6, 51 and the elastic member 47 are not visible from the outside of the grip 11R.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a procedure for assembling the auxiliary power system operating mechanism according to the present invention. Right operating handle 7R
In order to assemble the auxiliary power system operating mechanism 40, the two bushes 42 and 43 and the seal member 49 are fitted to the slider portion 44. After inserting the slider portion 44 into the bar 41 of the right operation handle 7R, align the positions of the round hole 41b and the long hole 44a,
The pin 48 is driven into the round hole 41b. An elastic member 47 and a flat washer 53 are provided in the blind hole 41a of the bar 41.
Then, the bolt mounting plate 52 is pressed into the square hole 44b of the slider portion 44.

The adjustment bolt 54 is screwed into the bolt mounting plate 52 to change the length of the elastic member 47 or to adjust the elastic member 4.
Initially adjust the neutral point of operation 7. With this, the slider part 4
The relationship between the pressing force of the slider 4 in the axial direction and the amount of movement of the slider portion 44 can be accurately adjusted. When the adjustment work is completed, the lock nut 55 is tightened. The grip portion 45 is put on the slider portion 44 and fixed by bonding or the like.

The arm 63 of the slider portion 44, the push bolt 64 having the cover 66 covered on the head, and the lock nut 6
Screw 5 loosely. The moving amount detection unit 62 is attached to the hanger 61 with screws 67,67. After setting the detection reference point of the movement amount detection unit 62 by adjusting the screwing amount of the push bolt 64, tighten the lock nut 65, cover the movement amount detection unit 62 with the cover 66,
Complete the assembly work.

Next, the operation of the electric auxiliary carrier 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 4, the grip 11R
In the direction toward the body frame 2 by gripping (left direction in this figure)
, The pushing force is changed from the slider part 44 to the bolt mounting plate 52.
→ Acts on the elastic member 47 through the path of the adjustment bolt 54 → the flat washer 53. Therefore, the grip 11R slides by a moving amount corresponding to the pressing force. Then, the push bolt 64 slides by the same movement amount as the grip 11R, and pushes the push rod 62b of the movement amount detection unit 62. The movement amount detection unit 62 outputs an output according to the slide amount of the push rod 62b.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are operation diagrams of the electric auxiliary carrier according to the present invention. When the electric auxiliary carrier 1 loaded with a light-weight object is driven on flat ground, the force F of gripping and pushing the grip 11R is small. For this reason, since the movement amount of the grip 11R is small, the output of the movement amount detection unit 62 is also small.
Therefore, the control unit 21 does not issue a control signal to the motor 5. As a result, the electric auxiliary transport vehicle 1 can be run only by human power. Since the one-way clutch (not shown) is incorporated in the first reduction mechanism 31 shown in FIG. 3, the rotational force of the wheels 3 is not transmitted to the motor 5.

As shown in (a), when the electric auxiliary transport vehicle 1 loaded with heavy objects is driven or the electric auxiliary transport vehicle 1 is driven uphill, the pushing force F holding the grip 11R is used.
Is big. When the pushing force F of the operator (operator) M who operates is equal to or more than a predetermined value, the grip 11R in (b) has a corresponding movement amount. Therefore, the control unit is controlled based on the output of the movement amount detection unit 62 at this time. 21 issues a control signal to the motor 5. The output of the movement amount detection unit 62 changes according to the pressing force F, and the control unit 21 controls the motor 5 so as to output the corresponding auxiliary power. For this reason, since the human power is assisted by the auxiliary power, the labor is reduced.

As described above, the worker M has the grip 11L,
By gripping and pushing the 11R, the electric auxiliary transport vehicle 1 can be driven by human power only, or can be driven by receiving auxiliary power. That is, the worker M grips the grips 11L and 11R in either case of (1) running the electric auxiliary transport vehicle 1 with only human power, or (2) running the auxiliary auxiliary vehicle 1 with the assistance power. You only need to continue the single operation of pressing. Since the auxiliary power can be adjusted only by pushing the grips 11L and 11R, no special operation for adjusting the auxiliary power is required. For this reason, the operational feeling (operation feeling) is improved, the operability is enhanced, and the operational burden is light.

In particular, since the electric auxiliary carrier 1 is a single-wheel carrier, both hands cannot be released from the left and right grips 11L and 11R during transportation. Even when it is desired to receive the auxiliary power during the manual push traveling of the electric assisted transport vehicle 1, the worker M does not need to perform any special operation, and the conventional manual push type single wheeled transport vehicle (commonly called “ It is only necessary to perform the pushing work similar to that of the cat car "). For this reason, the transport operation is extremely easy. As described above, the electric auxiliary transport vehicle 1 has a small turn, similar to a conventional hand-operated single-wheel transport vehicle, has good mobility even in a small work area, and is easy to use. Moreover, even when carrying heavy objects or climbing uphill, the burden on the worker M is light. Further, the operation burden of the worker M is light.

In the above embodiment of the present invention,
The auxiliary power system operation mechanism 40 may be attached to the left operation handle 7L.

[0029]

According to the present invention, the following effects are exhibited by the above configuration. According to the first aspect of the present invention, at the end of the operation handle, a sliding grip, an elastic member for pushing the grip toward the operator (operator side), and a movement amount for detecting a movement amount of the grip toward the body frame. With a control unit that controls the motor according to the output of the movement amount detection unit on the body frame, by gripping and pushing the grip,
The electric auxiliary carrier can be run manually,
The grip slides according to the force depressed by gripping the grip, the movement amount is detected by the movement amount detection unit, and the motor generates auxiliary power according to the output of the movement amount detection unit. Can be assisted. As described above, the operator can drive the electric assisted carrier only by human power, or can receive the assisting power to drive the electric assisted carrier by gripping and pushing the grip. Since the auxiliary power can be adjusted only by pushing the grip, no special operation for adjusting the auxiliary power is required. For this reason, the operational feeling (operation feeling) is improved, and the operability is improved.
Operational burden is also light. As described above, the electric auxiliary carrier has a lighter operational burden on the operator, and has a small turn like a conventional hand-operated one- and two-wheeled carrier, and has good mobility even in a narrow work area, Easy to use. Furthermore, even when carrying heavy objects or climbing uphill, the burden on the worker is small.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the elastic member is arranged inside the grip, the elastic member is not exposed to muddy water and dust, and the durability is improved. Moreover, since the elastic member is not visible from the outside of the grip, the appearance is enhanced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric auxiliary carrier according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an electric circuit diagram of the electric auxiliary carrier according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the electric auxiliary carrier according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of a right operating handle and an auxiliary power system operating mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a procedure for assembling the auxiliary power system operating mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an operation diagram of the electric assisted transport vehicle according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electric auxiliary carrier (electric auxiliary single wheel carrier), 2 ... body frame, 3 ... wheels, 4L, 4R ... left and right batteries, 5
... Motor, 6 ... Power transmission mechanism, 7L, 7R ... Left and right operation handles, 8 ... Packing platform, 11R ... Sliding grip, 2
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Control part, 40 ... Auxiliary power system operation mechanism, 41 ... Bar,
41b round hole, 44 slider part, 45 grip part,
46: stopper mechanism, 47: elastic member, 48: pin, 5
1 ... Adjustment mechanism, 54 ... Adjustment bolt, 62 ... Movement amount detection unit, 63 ... Arm, 64 ... Push bolt, M ... Worker (operator), S ... Movement amount.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An electric auxiliary transport vehicle comprising a motor and a battery, wherein the motor generates auxiliary power according to manual operation force, and the auxiliary power assists human power. The car has a sliding grip, an elastic member that pushes this grip toward the operator, and a travel detection that detects the travel of the grip toward the body frame at the end of the operation handle that extends rearward and upward from the body frame. And a control unit for controlling the motor in accordance with an output of the movement amount detection unit on the vehicle body frame. 2. The electric assisted transport vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is disposed inside the grip.