WO1994025333A1

WO1994025333A1 - Motorized cycle

Info

Publication number: WO1994025333A1
Application number: PCT/FR1994/000497
Authority: WO
Inventors: Annie Claude Suzanne Kerjan; Joël Roger LE FAUCHEUR
Original assignee: Annie Claude Suzanne Kerjan; Faucheur Joel Roger
Priority date: 1993-04-29
Filing date: 1994-04-29
Publication date: 1994-11-10
Also published as: EP0647193A1; FR2704512A1

Abstract

Cycle with at least two wheels, such as a bicycle, and fitted with a motor (12) on the frame (1) for driving a wheel (2) with which it is capable of being selectively coupled and uncoupled. According to the invention, the motor (12) is an electric motor using preferably direct current, supplied by storage batteries mounted on the cycle, for example in a case attached to the rack (10). Application to any kind of cycle or motorcycle with two or more wheels.

Description

"Motor cycle"

The present invention generally relates and essentially relates to a pedal cycle driven by at least one motor, such as a motorcycle of the kind resembling a moped or moped or a similar motorized rolling vehicle for transporting, in particular individual transport.

The locomotion apparatus, constituted by a cycle, can comprise at least two wheels, such as a bicycle or a greater number of wheels, such as a tandem, a tricycle, etc.

In the state of the prior art, bicycles are known in particular which are equipped with a motor in particular with an internal combustion engine, frequently forming an auxiliary pedaling assistance motor with integrated speed reducer but which can also possibly provide autonomous self-propulsion. This known device has in particular the drawback of being noisy and of polluting the atmosphere by the exhaust gases.

The main object of the invention is to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art by creating a cycle with at least two wheels, such as a bicycle for example, of the motor type attached to the frame and driving a wheel while being selectively mechanically couplable. therewith and uncouplable therefrom, characterized in that said motor is an electric motor with preferably direct current, supplied with energy by an accumulator battery mounted on the cycle, for example in a side bag fixed to the door -baggage. This arrangement has the advantage of a silent and non-polluting operation for the environment.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the cycle comprises at least one battery of solar collectors with photoelectric cells, generator of an electric current for charging the aforementioned accumulator battery mounted in buffer, said battery of solar collectors being preferably mounted on at least one wheel, for example between the two layers of spokes thereof this. It is obviously advantageous to also equip the other wheel of the bicycle with such a battery of solar collectors, so as to increase the total electric power produced, these two batteries of solar collectors then preferably being connected in parallel.

A bicycle is generally equipped with a dynamo-electric lighting generator selectively driven by a wheel and, according to another characteristic of the invention, this dynamo-electric generator is connected so as to supply the aforementioned storage battery with current. electric charging.

In a motorcycle, the manual controls of the engine are generally mounted on a handlebar handle or incorporated into a movable handle, in particular a rotary handle thereof, for actuating them. According to another characteristic of the invention, said controls comprise at least one electrical switch and a power, electrical voltage or speed variator, such as for example a potentiometric or speed control rheostat advantageously integrated into the rotary handle handlebars.

According to another characteristic of the invention, there is provided a system for electronic control and regulation of the aforementioned engine, said system advantageously being contained in a housing mounted for example on the luggage rack or on a support integral with the cycle frame.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, there is provided a speed reducer in particular with planetary gears, directly coupled to the aforementioned motor and preferably incorporated therein forming a gear motor assembly. The use of planetary gears, for example of the hypocycloidal type, is advantageous because it makes it possible to avoid occasional or accidental overloads of the motor and to contribute to the automatic obtaining of a limitation of the motor torque.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, there is provided a pinion coaxially integral with the end of the shaft exited from the above-mentioned motor or geared motor assembly and meshing with a toothed crown with laterally projecting conjugate teeth, said toothed crown being fixed to the rim or at least some spokes from the wheel.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the above-mentioned battery of solar collectors is housed between two substantially flat circular discs, joined together coaxially, in transparent material preferably unbreakable or synthetic, of the same diameter less than the inside diameter of the wheel rim and fixed to each other, said battery being placed in a corresponding recess formed in the side of at least one disc and the set of two discs being fixed to the hub of the wheel while the electrical outlet is made via a rotary contact seal, for example a slip ring and a wiper blade, mounted at the end of the hub.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the aforementioned motor or geared motor is selectively tilted in a radial plane of the associated wheel, passing through the median longitudinal axis, between two extreme positions of service and out of service respectively, in which it is blockable or deblocable. In the service position, the pinion will be engaged with the aforementioned toothed crown while in the out of service position, the pinion will be released and separated from said toothed crown. It is obviously possible to provide such a motor or geared motor also on the other wheel of the bicycle and, in general, on at least some or each of the wheels of a cycle with more than two wheels.

The device according to the invention has the advantage of great maneuverability, low weight and easy adaptation to all existing cycles. A bicycle arranged in accordance with the invention makes it possible to reach a rolling speed of 20 km / h to 36 km / h.

With an accumulator battery capacity of 15 Ah, for example, the self-propulsion autonomy is approximately 40 km on a flat surface, in particular without recharging the accumulator battery.

The storage battery is easily recharged by solar collectors and / or by the dynamo-electric lighting generator, or by connection to the mains or public electrical energy distribution network or to a charging station for electric cars, placed on the public highway.

The electrical circuits respectively for supplying the storage battery and the engine are obviously provided with all the components essential for the correct operation and safety of the storage battery and the engine.

The invention is extremely practical, of an organically simple structure, of an economical manufacture and of an easy assembly in the manner of a "kit".

The invention will be better understood and other objects, characteristics, details and advantages thereof will appear more clearly during the description which follows, made with reference to the appended schematic drawings given solely by way of nonlimiting example illustrating a specifically preferred embodiment of the invention and in which.

Figure 1 shows an overview of a bicycle equipped with a device according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevation view, on a larger scale, along arrow II of FIG. 1, of the rear part of the bicycle, on which, for the sake of clarity, the battery-carrier bag and the battery of solar collectors were omitted.

FIG. 3 represents a cross-sectional view along the line of section III-III of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 represents a partial enlarged view of the detail circled IV of FIG. 3.

According to the embodiment shown in the figures, the device, according to the invention, is mounted on the triangular fork for the rear wheel carrier of the generally tubular frame 1 of the bicycle comprising, on each side of the rear wheel 2, a substantially horizontal lower bar 1a, the rear end part 1b of which serves as a support bearing for an end pin of a wheel hub axle engaged in a notch, opening downwards, from said rear end part and fixed by a tightening nut of the usual manner known per se. This triangular fork also comprises, on either side of the rear wheel 2, an upper oblique bar secured to said rear rear end portion of the lower bar and extending obliquely from bottom to top from the latter. The wheel 2 is equipped with its usual pneumatic tire casing 3 mounted on the wheel rim 4 traversed, radially inward, by the inflation valve 5 and joined or assembled to the hub by a double ply of spokes 6. At its upper part, this rear wheel is covered with a mudguard 7 fixed respectively on each side of the wheel 2 to the plate 1b on the corresponding side of the rear triangular fork by a rod bracket 8 overlapping the wheel and fixed at its lower ends respectively by a bolt 9 to

said plate on each side of said wheel, this mudguard 7 being further fixed in a conventional manner between the two branches of the oblique bars of the rear fork. A rear luggage carrier 10 is fixed by bolts, on the one hand by its front part to the aforementioned oblique elements the of the rear triangular fork and, on the other hand by its rear part, by two rods respectively located on the side and other of the wheel and fixed to the plate lb of the frame by the same bolts 9 thanks to a perforated tab ending each rod at its lower end.

A conventional dynamo-electric lighting generator 11 is also fixed to the rear part of the frame in the vicinity of the wheel rim 4.

The device according to the invention comprises a gearmotor assembly with a substantially vertical median longitudinal axis placed in the vertical vertical plane passing through the axis of rotation of the hub 2a of the wheel 2. This gearmotor assembly consists of an electric motor 12 to direct current directly coupled preferably coaxially to a speed reducer 13 surmounting the motor in the position shown in the figures and advantageously incorporated therein. The end of the shaft exited from this speed reducer is coaxially integral with a driving pinion 14 meshing with a driven toothed crown 15 with conjugate teeth laterally projecting outwards.

This gearmotor is supported in the following manner: at each of its upper and lower ends respectively is fixed a flange or gusset substantially in the form of a square 16, 16 'projecting transversely from the gearmotor and each comprising a substantially horizontal tab fixed to the latter and a substantially vertical tab, the two vertical legs being oriented towards each other respectively downwards and towards the high and fixed by bolts to the vertical wing projecting outwardly from a bracket 17 in the form of an angle iron, the other wing of which is perpendicular to the first,

is fixed in particular by bolting to a branch of an element 17 'in the shape of a wide stirrup with two substantially vertical parallel branches, overlapping the wheel 2, the lower end of each branch being fixed by the common bolt 9 corresponding to the lug associated lb of the rear triangular fork on the corresponding side thereof. The two branches of the element 17 'are joined at their upper part by a substantially horizontal crosspiece secured by a longitudinal element 17a bolted by its front end to the rear triangular fork of the frame 1.

The toothed crown 15 can advantageously be produced from a flat rack which is curved or circularly curved with opposite ends joined and assembled by welding. This rack is fixed to the wheel rim 4 by several angularly spaced fixing points distributed along the rim, as shown in Figures 3 and 4 in cross section and in Figure 2 in front view. At each fixing point, two circumferentially spaced adjacent bolts 18 are provided, crossing the bottom of the rim 4 and having their respective radial longitudinal axes situated in the equatorial plane of the rim. These bolts 18, thus projecting radially inwards, also pass through a transverse rectangular plate 19 whose radially internal face receives the support of the nut of the bolt 18. this plate is provided with two tapped holes 20 situated in the plane axial median of the wafer and symmetrically arranged respectively with respect to the above-mentioned equatorial plane. In each of these two tapped holes 20 is screwed a threaded stud 21 bearing by its radially outer end against the radially inner wall of the rim 4 and on which is screwed a nut 22 placed on the side of the rim relative to the plate. The stud 21, located on the side of the toothed crown 15, passes through the latter by a corresponding smooth hole of the latter, so that the toothed crown 15 is thus fixed by clamping, by its non-toothed part, between

the plate 19 and the corresponding nut 22. On the other stud 21 is also screwed a similar nut 22 serving as a support stop for the radially external face of the plate 19 on the corresponding side.

Instead of being fixed to the wheel rim 4, the ring gear 15 could just as easily be fixed to some of the spokes 6 of the wheel distributed around the hub.

FIG. 1 shows that each of the two wheels respectively front 23 and rear 2 is equipped with a battery of solar collectors 24 housed between two substantially planar and coaxial circular disks 25 made of a transparent material preferably synthetic such as that which is based on polymethyl methacrylate and known commercially under the brand name "PLEXIGLAS". At least one of these discs has, on its face located on the side of the other disc, a substantially central recess, intended to receive the battery of solar collectors and which is closed by the other disc serving as cover during the joining of the two discs together. The other disc could also be provided with a recess symmetrical with that of the disc cited first, so that the battery of solar collectors is housed in the two recesses.

The common outside diameter of these two discs is less than the inside diameter of the rim 4 and the assembly of these two discs is mounted by a central coaxial orifice passing through it, on the hub 2a of the wheel and fixed to it. ci for example by an arrangement of flanged sleeves or plates or the like, so as to make all of these two discs integral in rotation with said hub by being placed between the two plies spokes 6 of the wheel, these spokes obviously being removable and reassemblable at will.

This battery of solar collectors is electrically connected to a socket outlet forming a rotating electrical contact joint, for example of the ring type.

collector 35 and sweeper 36, which power outlet is connected by a wiring of suitable conductive wires 37 preferably via the electronic system 27, to the storage battery 26 housed in a side bag 31 fixed to the holder rear luggage 10. The charge regulation system, for example a circuit breaker for the accumulator battery 26 as well as the engine control system are produced in the form of electronic systems 27 housed in a housing 28 with removable cover, fixed on the structural element 17a or on the rear luggage rack 10. The speed variation control of the engine is effected in particular by means of a potentiometric rheostat housed in a rotating handle 29 of the handlebar making it possible to manually actuate the said potentiometric rheostat which is connected by an appropriate cable 30 to the electronic system 27..

The geared motor 12, 13 is mounted so as to be able to tilt outwards so as to be uncoupled from the ring gear 15. The tilting mechanism can be similar to that provided with the dynamo-electric lighting generator. According to a variant, the bolt 32 for fixing the lower flange 16 ′ of the gearmotor 12, 13 to the console 17 can, when it is loose, serve as a lower pivot or tilting axis for the gearmotor 12, 13 while the bolt 33 for fixing the upper flange 16 of the geared motor to the console 17 passes through an arcuate opening 34, concentric with the aforementioned pivoting or tilting axis 32 and making it possible, when loosening said bolt, to move the pinion 14 away from the geared motor of the toothed crown 15 or to put it in engagement with the latter allowing an adjustment appropriate corresponding to the relative gear position of the pinion 14 in relation to the ring gear 15.

As a purely indicative digital example:

- the engine torque is 1.2 N.m

- its continuous rotation speed is 718 rpm

- the pinion has a pitch diameter of 120 mm with a module 4

- the ring gear has a pitch diameter of 479.75 mm with the same module 4;

- when the storage battery supplies 4 Ah of energy, the solar collector battery returns 3 Ah of energy to it.

Under nominal continuous operating conditions, the useful power of the motor is approximately 90 W and its maximum useful power is 200.

Claims

1. Cycle with at least two wheels (2, 23) such as a bicycle for example, comprising a direct current electric motor (12) attached to the frame (1) and driving a wheel (2) being selectively mechanically couplable to that -this and uncouplable from it and supplied with energy by an accumulator battery (26) mounted in buffer on the cycle by being separately or simultaneously chargeable respectively by at least one battery of solar collectors (24) with photoelectric cells mounted on at least one wheel (2), in particular between the two plies of spokes (6) thereof and by a dynamo-electric generator (11) selectively driven by a wheel (2), preferably a speed reducer (13 ) in particular with planetary gears directly coupled to said motor (12) and possibly incorporated therein by forming a geared motor assembly as well as a driving pinion (14) coaxially integral with the end of the shaft taken out of the t motor (12) or of said geared motor assembly (12, 13) and meshing with a driven toothed crown (15) with conjugate teeth, laterally projecting and fixed to the rim (4) or at least some spokes (6) of the wheel (2).

2. Cycle according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned battery of solar collectors (24) is housed between two substantially flat circular discs (25), joined together, made of transparent material, preferably synthetic or unbreakable, of the same diameter less than inside diameter of the wheel rim (4) and fixed together, said battery of solar collectors (24) being placed in a corresponding recess formed in the side of at least one disc (25) and all of the two discs ( 25) being fixed to the hub (2a) of the wheel (2) while the electrical outlet has a rotary contact seal, for example with a slip ring (35) and a brush (36), mounted at the end of the hub (2a) of the wheel (2).

3. Cycle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the electric motor (12) or geared motor (12, 13) is selectively tilted in a radial plane of the associated wheel (2), passing through the median longitudinal axis of said motor, between two extreme positions respectively active service and inactive out of service, in which it is lockable or unlockable.

4. Cycle according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by manual commands for supplying the above-mentioned electric motor (12) with electric energy mounted on a handle or in a rotary handle of the handlebar actuating them and comprising a power variator , electric voltage or speed of rotation such as for example a potentiometric rheostat or speed control and at least one electric switch.

5. Cycle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by an electronic control system (27) of the above-mentioned electric motor (12), preferably mounted in a housing (28) with a removable cover, for example on the luggage rack ( 10) or on a support (17a) integral with the frame (1) of said cycle, the aforementioned storage battery (26) being optionally mounted in a side bag (31) fixed to said luggage carrier (10).

6. Cycle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the aforementioned ring gear (15), advantageously produced from a flat rack curved or circularly curved with opposite ends joined and joined by welding, is fixed to

- the wheel rim (4) at several angularly spaced points distributed along the periphery of the rim

(4).

7. Cycle according to claim 6, characterized in that at each point of attachment of the ring gear (15) to the wheel rim (4) are provided two neighboring bolts (18) circumferentially spaced and radially projecting inwards , crossing the bottom of said rim (4) having their longitudinal axes radially oriented, respectively located in the equatorial plane of said rim and also passing through a transverse rectangular plate (19) whose radially inner face receives the support of one nut of said bolt (18) and which is provided with two tapped holes (20) located in the median axial plane of the pad and symmetrical respectively with respect to said equatorial plane to each receive a threaded stud (21) bearing by its radially external end against the radially internal wall of the rim (4) and on which is screwed a nut (22) placed on one side of the rim relative to said plate (19) while the stud (21), located on the side of the ring gear (15), passes through the latter by a corresponding smooth hole in the latter so as to fix the toothed crown (15). by clamping its non-toothed part between said plate

(19) and the corresponding nut (22), the other stud (21) also receiving a similar nut serving as a support stop for the radially external face of said plate (19) on the corresponding side.

8. Cycle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the aforementioned motor or geared motor (12, 13) is fixed between and two flanges respectively upper (16) and lower (16 ') of a console (17) secured to a stirrup element (17 ') with two substantially vertical parallel branches, overlapping the wheel

(2), the lower end of each branch being fixed by a common bolt (9) to the associated leg (lb) of the end of the rear fork (la, le) on the corresponding side thereof and the two stirrup branches (17 ') being joined at their upper part by a substantially horizontal crosspiece, secured by a longitudinal element (17a) bolted by its front end to the rear fork (le) of the frame (1).

9. Cycle according to claim 8, characterized in that the aforementioned motor or geared motor (12, 13) is tiltable towards the outside in the uncoupled position of the ring gear (15) and the aforementioned lower flange (16 ') is fixed to the aforementioned console (17) by a bolt (32) which can be loosened to serve as a lower pivot axis for said motor or geared motor while the aforementioned upper flange (16) is fixed to said console (17) by a through bolt (33) an arcuate lumen (34) concentric to said pivot axis (32) and releasable to alternately allow the drive pinion (14) to be moved away from the toothed ring (15) or to be brought into engagement with the latter with corresponding adjustment of relative gear position of said pinion relative to said ring gear.

10. Cycle according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the aforementioned motor or geared motor (12, 13) is reversibly tiltable outward in the uncoupled position of the ring gear (15) by a device similar to the mechanism of a dynamo-electric lighting generator.