JPH1179066A - Electric bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a bulge to one side for improving riding performance by arranging batteries separated to encircle a mainframe, instead of arranging the batteries together only one side of the main frame. SOLUTION: A drive part to drive a wheel, a battery 12 to supply power to the drive part and a battery case 10 secured in proximity to a stand pipe 2 as a main frame to store the battery therein are provided. The battery case 10 is formed in a sectional shape with a recess 10c to cover at least part of the outer periphery with the cross section of the stand pipe 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric bicycle using the power of an electric motor (motor) for assisting in manual driving. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electric bicycle in which the shape of a battery case and the structure for arranging a battery are improved so that the passenger can get on and off in a stable manner and can get on in a stable state.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electric bicycle is provided with a wheel driving motor for assisting manual driving, and a battery as a driving power source for the motor. As shown in FIG. 4, the main frame of the bicycle generally includes a head pipe 104 provided with a handle 105, an upright pipe 102 provided with a saddle 106, and a space between the head pipe 104 and the upright pipe 102. Main pipe (Fig. 4
, Which is hidden behind the battery case 110). A structure in which a battery (battery) is loaded in a battery case and the battery case 110 is arranged on a main pipe as shown in FIG. 4 is generally known. Battery case 11
0 may not be arranged on the main pipe but may be arranged in front of or behind the standing pipe 102. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 101 denotes a drive unit having a built-in electric motor, a speed reduction mechanism, a torque sensor, and the like. Reference numeral 119 denotes a frame cover that covers a mounting bracket provided on the main frame.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional electric bicycle, the battery case is provided above or below the main pipe, or at the front or rear of the standing pipe. For this reason, the battery also has a structure in which, for example, four batteries connected in series in one row are arranged in five rows, all of which are connected in series to form a pack, and are directly loaded in the battery case. However, the diameter of the battery is about 33 mm, and when it is about three steps, it becomes very high, and there is a problem that the upper part of the main pipe and the front of the standing pipe protrude very much, and the getting on and off property is deteriorated.

[0004] Further, in the case of being provided before and after the vertical pipe,
Because of the chain case, if the battery case is arranged on the chain case, the saddle must be made high, which makes it difficult for a short person to get on the foot, making it very difficult to ride. On the other hand, if the battery is placed next to the chain case where there is no chain case, the battery will be unbalanced, resulting in lack of stability when riding, and the battery arrangement will not be coherent and the wiring will be complicated. There is a problem that cost increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem. Instead of arranging the batteries only on one side of the main frame, the batteries are separately arranged so as to surround the main frame. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric bicycle that has a small protrusion to the side and that can improve getting on and off.

Another object of the present invention is to improve the getting on / off property by making the side (surface side) of the battery case away from the main frame an arc-shaped or narrow structure.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an electric bicycle in which a battery is arranged so that the front side of a battery case can be narrowed.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an electric bicycle in which a battery case is arranged in a space-efficient manner while avoiding a chain case when a battery case is provided near a vertical pipe.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An electric bicycle according to the present invention includes a driving unit for driving wheels, a battery for supplying power to the driving unit, and a battery case which houses the battery and is mounted close to a main frame. Wherein the battery case is formed in a cross-sectional shape having a recess so as to cover at least a part of its outer periphery in a cross section of the main frame. Here, the main frame is the main body of the body frame such as a head pipe to which a handle constituting a bicycle is attached, a vertical pipe (seat tube) to which a saddle is mounted, and a main pipe (down tube) connecting the head pipe and the vertical pipe. Meaning something.

[0010] With this structure, the battery case does not protrude to one side of the main frame, has a compact shape, and the getting-on / off property is greatly improved.

The outer shape of the cross-sectional shape of the battery case covering the main frame is such that the center of the outer periphery facing the recess is an arc shape or the width of the portion including the center is smaller than the width of the outer periphery of the recess. The width of the protruding portion from the main frame on the surface side is reduced, and the getting on and off property is greatly improved.

[0012] The battery loaded in the battery case is composed of a first pack consisting of n rows (n is an integer of 2 or more) arranged vertically, and a second pack consisting of n rows arranged vertically. 2 packs, the second packs are respectively loaded on both sides of the recess, the first pack is loaded on the top facing the recess, and the two packs are loaded on both sides of the recess. 2 of the second pack loaded respectively
It is preferable that the two packs be mounted on the first pack side so that the distance between them is reduced, since the width is easily formed into an arc shape or a narrow width on the surface side remote from the main frame.

[0013] The battery case is formed in two parts at a portion facing the side surface connecting the two rows of batteries of the second pack, and the divided battery case is fitted by a claw provided on an inner surface. The structure can be combined. By doing so, since the second pack is arranged obliquely, a space for fitting the claws can be secured, and the width of the battery case can be reduced.

When the battery case is mounted close to the standing pipe by being mounted on a mounting table provided at a connecting portion between the standing pipe and the main pipe, the lower end of the battery case has a bicycle chain. The case is formed so as to be narrower, and is also formed wider on the chain case so as to extend on the chain case. The battery is mounted so as to be substantially symmetrical with respect to a center plane connecting the center line of the pipe, and an output terminal portion is provided in a narrowly formed portion of the battery case, so that the battery is centered. It becomes symmetric with respect to the plane, and the stability is improved. Further, other electronic components such as an output terminal and a connector can be efficiently arranged next to the chain case to reduce the height of the battery case from the bottom of the bicycle.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an electric bicycle according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in a side view of one embodiment of the electric bicycle of the present invention, a driving unit 1 for driving wheels, a battery for supplying power to the driving unit 1, and a housing for the battery are shown in FIG. Vertical pipe 2 which is one of the main frames
The battery case 10 is mounted in close proximity to the vertical pipe 2 that is a main frame and has a cross-sectional shape that covers at least a portion of the outer periphery of the vertical pipe 2 as a main frame, as shown in FIG. Dent 10c
Is formed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the battery case 10 is formed in a U-shape by forming a recess 10c in a cross-sectional shape so as to cover from the front wheel side to the lateral side of the vertical pipe 2. That is, the battery case is provided not only in front of or behind the upright pipe 2 but also in the lateral direction of the upright pipe 2. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the front surface side is formed to have a width E smaller than the width D on the upright pipe 2 side. The battery case 10 includes a lower case 18a and an upper case 18b formed by plastic molding or the like.
It is formed by fitting c.

As shown in the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, a battery 12 includes a first pack 12a in which four batteries 12 are arranged vertically and one series is connected in series. It is formed in a second pack 12b in which two rows of a set of four connected in series are formed into one pack, and as shown in FIG.
That is, it is loaded on the top side facing the recess 10c,
Is loaded from the side of the standing pipe 2 in the direction of the first pack. These batteries 12 are all connected in series. In the example shown in FIG. 2, two sets of second packs 12 b provided on both sides of the vertical pipe 2 are arranged such that the interval between the two packs 12 b is reduced on the first pack 12 a side, that is, in a cross-sectional shape of a C-shape. It is loaded to become. Lower case 18a described above
The claw 18c for fitting between the second pack 12b and the upper case 18b is formed at a position about the middle point on the side surface of the second pack 12b.

The bottom of the battery case 10 is a vertical pipe 2
A projection 10a that can be inserted into the insertion hole 20a of the mounting table 20 that is fixed to the two pipes 2 and 3 by welding or the like at the junction between the main pipe 3 and the main pipe 3 is provided. Further, the lower end portion is formed narrow (see FIG. 3F) to avoid the chain case 7, and is formed wide above the chain case 10 (see G in FIG. 3). The above-mentioned battery 12 is mounted in a wide portion so as to be substantially symmetric with respect to a center plane (a plane connecting the center line of the vertical pipe 2 and the center line of the main pipe 3).
Further, the charging connector 1 is provided in the narrower portion.
By arranging the electrical components such as the fuse 1, the output terminal 14, and the like, the upper wide portion is almost exclusively used for the battery 12, so that the battery 12 can be efficiently disposed.

The battery case 10 having the structure described above
Is inserted into the insertion hole of the mounting table 20, and the lower end is fixed so that the lower end is brought close to the upright pipe 2, and the upper end of the battery case 10 is tightened with the key box 30 attached to the upright pipe 2. With a metal fitting (not shown), the battery is tightened in conjunction with the rotation of a key for turning on and off the output of the battery. The output terminals of the battery case 10 are connected to connection pins of a terminal block 22 provided on the mounting table 20 when the battery case 10 is mounted on the mounting table 20. An elastic sheet 17 is adhered to the inner surface of the recess 10c of the battery case 10, so that the elastic sheet 17 is firmly fixed to the seat pipe 2 without play. The periphery of the mounting table 20 is covered with a frame cover 28 to protect the mounting table portion and to maintain an aesthetic appearance.

The other structures such as front wheels, rear wheels, steering wheels, saddles, pedals, chains, and functions such as brakes are the same as those of a normal bicycle and have the same functions. In the above-described example, the sectional shape of the battery case 10 is formed so as to cover the standing pipe 2 from the front of the standing pipe 2 to the lateral side thereof. The same applies to the case where it is provided close to the frame. Also,
The central portion of the front surface side of the battery case 10 facing the recessed portion away from the main frame is formed in a continuous arc shape from the lateral side, even if it is not formed in a projecting shape having a narrow cross section in width. You may.

As described above, the structure of the battery case of the electric bicycle according to the present invention is formed such that the recess is formed in the main frame portion so as to cover the main frame. Therefore, the height protruding forward from the main frame is kept low, so that it does not become a hindrance when getting on or off the bicycle. on the other hand,
Even if the battery case extends in the lateral direction of a vertical pipe or the like, the distance between the pedals is narrower than that of the pedals. Since the front (the surface facing the recess) of the battery case is formed in an arc shape or a narrow width in a cross-sectional shape, the getting on / off property is further improved.

Although the batteries to be loaded into the battery case having the above-described structure cannot be loaded in a single bundle, the batteries are divided into one-row packs and two-row packs. Is loaded on both sides of the recess, and a row of packs is loaded on the portion facing the recess, so that the width in front of both sides of the main frame can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to form the battery case into a smooth arc shape without making the shoulders of the battery case angular (see the R section in FIG. 2). That is,
When the batteries of the two-row pack are loaded in parallel, the shoulders will protrude greatly, and the width of the battery case in front will increase, but the batteries of the two-row pack will be loaded diagonally. Thus, the front width of the battery case as described above can be reduced. Further, since the two rows of packs provided on both sides are obliquely arranged so as to be narrower in the front, the battery case is divided into two and the fitting portion is provided so as to be lateral to the two rows of packs. Can be secured for fitting. As a result, the battery case can be formed compact and the width in front of the battery case can be reduced.

Further, the battery case can be escaped by forming the bottom of the battery case to be narrower, and by providing electrical components such as output terminals and connectors in the narrower portion, the battery can be used. The battery case can be arranged symmetrically with respect to the center plane at a wide portion on the chain case, and a compact and stable battery case can be obtained.

[0025]

According to the present invention, a compact battery case that does not protrude on one side of the main frame can be obtained, and an electric bicycle that does not interfere when pedaling or getting on or off the bicycle can be obtained. In addition, since the batteries are symmetrically arranged with respect to the center plane of the bicycle, the stability and the stability of the electric bicycle are improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an electric bicycle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a battery case and a vertical pipe portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a battery case part of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of an example of a conventional electric bicycle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Drive part 2 Standing pipe 3 Main pipe 10 Battery case 10c Depression 12 Battery 12a First pack 12b Second pack

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An electric bicycle comprising: a driving unit that drives wheels; a battery that supplies power to the driving unit; and a battery case that houses the battery and is mounted near a main frame. An electric bicycle, wherein the battery case is formed in a cross-sectional shape having a recess so as to cover at least a part of an outer periphery thereof in a cross section of the main frame. 2. The outer shape of the cross-sectional shape of the battery case that covers the main frame is such that the center of the outer periphery facing the recess is an arc shape or the width of a portion including the center is larger than the width of the outer periphery of the recess. The electric bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the electric bicycle is formed in a narrow width shape. 3. The battery loaded in the battery case is composed of a first pack composed of one row in which n (n is an integer of 2 or more) are vertically arranged, and two batteries in which n are vertically arranged. And the second pack is loaded on both sides of the recess, and the first pack is loaded on the top facing the recess, and the second pack is placed on both sides of the recess. 3. The electric bicycle according to claim 1, wherein two of the second packs respectively loaded on both sides are loaded on the first pack side such that a distance between the two packs is reduced. 4. 4. The battery case is formed in two portions at a portion facing a side surface connecting two rows of batteries of the second pack, and the divided battery case is formed by a claw provided on an inner surface. The electric bicycle according to claim 3, which is fitted. 5. A drive unit for driving wheels, a battery for supplying power to the drive unit, a battery case for housing the battery, and a chain case extending from the connection between the upright pipe and the main pipe to the rear wheel side. An electric bicycle having a structure in which the battery case is mounted on a mounting table provided at a connection portion between the standpipe and the main pipe and is attached in proximity to the standpipe,
The lower end of the battery case is formed to be narrower so as to escape from the chain case, and the battery case is formed to be wider on the chain case and also extends on the chain case. The battery is mounted so as to be substantially symmetrical with respect to a center plane connecting a center line of the vertical pipe and a center line of the main pipe, and an output terminal is provided on a narrow portion of the battery case. Electric bicycle with a part.