TW201632396A - Control system for at least one electrical component of a bicycle, and bicycle having such a control system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a control system (1) for at least one electrical component of a bicycle having a control center (2), which has at least one terminal (9) for the electrical components. The invention further relates to bicycle having such a control system. In order to allow uncomplicated operation and simple construction, the control center (2) comprises a control electronic (8) and a communications electronic (7) for wireless communication with a mobile communications unit (4).

Description

Control system for at least one electrical component of a bicycle and bicycle having such a control system

The present invention relates to a control system as claimed in the first paragraph of the patent application, and a bicycle having such a control system.

More and more bicycles are equipped with electrical components, such as electrically adjustable transmissions or electrically adjustable dampers. To this end, the bicycle comprises an electric auxiliary drive that reduces the load when the driver performs a pedaling.

These electrical components are usually controlled through their own control system. For example, a shifting lever fixed to the handlebar is provided for the transmission, which transmits a control signal to the transmission via the cable. A further electric actuator can be provided in the region of the spring fork, which is capable of adjusting the damping and/or spring stroke and controlling it via the operating element, wherein the operating element is arranged on the fork or handle. In order to control the auxiliary drive, it is usually provided with its own control unit, which can have, for example, an operating interface that is also fixed to the handlebar.

In particular, in the case of a plurality of electrical components, a plurality of operating elements may be deposited on the handlebar of the bicycle in an ambiguous manner. In this case, the laying of the required signal lines and possibly the power supply lines is relatively complicated.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and in particular to provide a solution that is less expensive to manufacture. It is necessary to simplify the operation as much as possible and use as few interfaces as possible.

The solution to achieve the above object of the present invention is a control system having the features of claim 1 and a bicycle having the features of claim 7 of the patent application. See the sub-items for each technical solution.

A control system for at least one electrical component of a bicycle and comprising a central component, wherein the central component has at least one connector for an electrical component, the present invention provides that the central component comprises control electronics and communication electronics such that Wireless communication with a mobile communication device.

Thus, a plurality of different and different electrical components of the bicycle can be connected to the central member, wherein the mobile communication device, such as a smart phone or a mobile phone, is used as the operating interface. By wireless communication between the mobile communication device and the centerpiece, the centerpiece can be placed in almost any position of the bicycle, thereby keeping wiring costs low for wired electrical components. Among them, various wireless standards (especially Bluetooth) supported by many commonly used mobile communication devices are particularly suitable for this communication.

In order to keep the wiring costs low, the connector is preferably implemented as a CAN busbar connector. In this case, a control signal is transmitted from the centerpiece through the CAN busbar to the connected electrical component.

Alternatively or additionally, the centerpiece can communicate wirelessly with one or more of the bicycle components.

In all cases, the centerpiece is for the user's input on the communication device. Incoming reception, generating corresponding control signals, and transmitting the control signals to corresponding electrical components. Depending on the circumstances, each component can also communicate directly with the mobile communication device.

The control electronics, the communication electronics and, as the case may be, the connectors are preferably arranged on the same circuit board. Therefore, the center piece can have an extremely compact structure, for example, can be smoothly placed in the housing or in the components of the bicycle. Among them, the board has all the circuits, storage, microprocessors and the like required.

According to a preferred embodiment, the central part has a storage device and/or a power connector. In this way, the power supply to the control electronics and the communication electronics can be relatively simple.

According to a preferred technical solution, the control signals of the mobile communication device can be received, processed and transmitted by the central unit to the electrical components. Thus, the mobile communication device acts as a central operational interface in which input or control signals of the communication device are transmitted to the central member and processed on the central member for the respective electrical component. Therefore, the mobile communication device can (for example, via Bluetooth) communicate with the central device, and it is not necessary to grasp the component-related transmission standards.

The control system preferably includes a replacement frame and a holder, wherein the mobile communication device can be housed in the replacement frame, and the replacement frame can be fixed to the holder, wherein, in particular, in the replacement frame An electrical connection is established between the holders for powering the mobile communication device housed in the replacement frame. The mobile communication device can also be mechanically and stably fixed to the bicycle by the control system, wherein the mobile communication device can adopt an arrangement that is easy to access or read. A charging function can be provided in which electrical energy can originate from an energy accumulator that is assigned to the center piece or the holder. However, in the case of a bicycle including an electric assist motor, power can also be supplied by the accumulator of the auxiliary motor. Thereby, the working time of the communication device is significantly prolonged.

Another solution of the present invention for achieving the objects described in the opening paragraph is a bicycle having the control system of the present invention, wherein the center member is fixedly coupled to the bicycle and, in particular, housed in the bicycle. Therefore, the centerpiece can be placed in almost any position of the bicycle, thereby achieving highly protective placement and/or distance from the electrical component (which is traversed by the signal line as the case may be). Keep it at a small level. Wherein, the central member only needs to provide a portion of the power for controlling the electrical components, because the computing and storage power in the communication device can also be used for the control system.

According to a preferred refinement, the bicycle has a holder for fastening the mobile communication device, which is integrated in particular in the components of the bicycle. The integrated solution is particularly stable and space-saving, but as an alternative, a holder that can be attached to the bicycle can also be used. The holder may also receive the center member to secure it to the bicycle, as the case may be.

The holder is preferably assigned an electrical connector for charging the mobile communication device. Thereby, the mobile communication device held in the holder can be charged, thereby achieving a long working time.

According to a preferred embodiment, the bicycle has an auxiliary motor that is coupled to the centerpiece. The auxiliary motor can be operated by the mobile communication device and a control task that can occur, wherein communication is achieved through the centerpiece. Therefore, the structure of the bicycle can be greatly simplified as compared with a conventional bicycle including an auxiliary drive.

The bicycle preferably has a storage device, in particular a connection to the central member and/or the holder. By means of the energy store, in particular replaceable and/or rechargeable, it is possible to achieve a longer working time of the communication device and to ensure the operation of the central part.

Further features, details and advantages of the invention are described in the context of the claims and the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

1‧‧‧Control system

2‧‧‧Centerpiece

3‧‧‧ Holder

4‧‧‧Mobile communication equipment

5‧‧‧Replacement box

6‧‧‧Circuit board

7‧‧‧Communication electronic devices

8‧‧‧Control electronics

9‧‧‧CAN busbar connector

10‧‧‧shell

11‧‧‧ 接片

12‧‧‧ 接片

13‧‧‧ stop

14‧‧‧Cards

15‧‧‧ top surface

16‧‧‧Contacts

17‧‧‧ Parts of bicycles

18‧‧‧handle

19‧‧‧Plug-in connectors

1 shows a control system including a centerpiece, a holder, and a mobile communication device housed in a replacement frame; and FIG. 2 shows a portion of a bicycle including an integrated holder.

Figure 1 shows a control system 1 for an electrical component of a bicycle. The control system 1 comprises a central part 2, a holder 3 and a mobile communication device 4, which are housed in a replacement box 5 in a form-fitting manner. A replacement frame 5 for different communication devices is commercially available and can be engaged with the holder 3.

The centerpiece 2 has a circuit board 6 on which a plurality of electrical components and circuits, such as communication electronics 7 and control electronics 8, are arranged. The centerpiece 2 also has a CAN busbar connector 9 that can be used to connect the electrical components of the bicycle. In this embodiment, the center piece also has a housing 10 in which the circuit board 6 is placed in a protected manner.

In the present embodiment, the holder 3 can be used as a cover portion for the housing 10 of the center member 2. In order to fix the replacement frame 5 in a form-fit or snap-fit manner, the holder has retaining tabs 11, 12, a stop 13 and a catch 14. The tabs 11 and 12 can be inserted into corresponding recesses (not shown) provided on the bottom receiving opening of the replacement frame 5, wherein the top surface 15 of the retaining member 3 is received in the receiving opening of the replacement frame. The engaging member 14 is engaged with the pair of engaging members of the replacement frame 5 to achieve mechanically stable holding.

In addition, an electrically conductive connection is established to the holder 3 via the contact member 16 (with corresponding contacts on the bottom surface of the replacement frame 5), thereby powering the mobile communication device 4. To this end, the contacts are connected in a replacement frame 5 to a plug connector which is connected to the charging connector of the communication device 4.

When the control system 1 of the present invention is employed, wireless communication is realized between the center member 2 and the mobile communication device 4, particularly regardless of whether or not the communication device 4 is fixed to the holder 3.

In the preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the retaining member 3 is integrated into the bicycle component 17, which is here a riser for holding the bicycle handlebar 18. The integrated retaining member 3 also has tabs 11, 12 and electrical contacts 16, so that the replacement frame 5 is positively coupled to the retaining member. At the same time, an electrical connection is made between the contact member 16 and the plug-in connector 19 of the replacement frame to charge the mobile communication device 4. In particular, the contact member 16 is connected to the accumulator via a line that is placed in the bicycle.

The invention is not limited to any of the foregoing embodiments, but can be varied in many ways. The center piece may also not have its own housing and be incorporated into one of the components of the bicycle. As an alternative or in addition to the CAN busbar connector, other connectors may be used to transmit control signals and/or electrical energy.

All the features and advantages of the invention, including the structural details, the spatial arrangement and the method steps, are in the nature of the invention.

1‧‧‧Control system

2‧‧‧Centerpiece

3‧‧‧ Holder

4‧‧‧Mobile communication equipment

5‧‧‧Replacement box

6‧‧‧Circuit board

7‧‧‧Communication electronic devices

8‧‧‧Control electronics

9‧‧‧CAN busbar connector

10‧‧‧shell

11‧‧‧ 接片

12‧‧‧ 接片

13‧‧‧ stop

14‧‧‧Cards

15‧‧‧ top surface

16‧‧‧Contacts

Claims (11)

A control system (1) for at least one electrical component of a bicycle, comprising a centerpiece (2) having at least one connector (9) for the electrical components, characterized in that the central component ( 2) comprising control electronics (8) and communication electronics (7) for wireless communication with the mobile communication device (4). The control system of claim 1 is characterized in that the connector (9) is implemented as a CAN busbar connector. A control system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control electronics (8), the communication electronics (7), and optionally the connector (9) are arranged on the same circuit board (6) )on. A control system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the central part (2) has a storage device and/or a power supply connection. A control system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control signal of the mobile communication device (4) is receivable, processed and transmitted by the central unit (2) to the electrical components. A control system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control system comprises a replacement frame (5) and a holder (3), wherein the mobile communication device (4) can be accommodated in the replacement frame (5), and the replacement frame (5) can be fixed to the holder (3), wherein in particular, an electrical connection is established between the replacement frame (5) and the holder (3), The mobile communication device (4) housed in the replacement frame (5) is charged. A bicycle having a control system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the center member (2) is fixedly connected to the bicycle, wherein the center member (2) In particular, it is housed in the component (17) of the bicycle. A bicycle according to claim 7 is characterized in that the bicycle has a holder (3) for fixing the mobile communication device (4), which is in particular integrated in the components of the bicycle. A bicycle according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the holder (3) is assigned an electrical connector (19) for charging the mobile communication device (4). A bicycle according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the bicycle has an auxiliary motor connected to the center member (2). A bicycle according to claim 10, characterized in that the bicycle has a storage device, in particular a connection to the central member (2) and/or the holder (3).