WO2017057514A1

WO2017057514A1 - Bicycle

Info

Publication number: WO2017057514A1
Application number: PCT/JP2016/078722
Authority: WO
Inventors: 真荒木; 堪大山本
Original assignee: 本田技研工業株式会社
Priority date: 2015-09-30
Filing date: 2016-09-28
Publication date: 2017-04-06
Also published as: JP6455899B2; JPWO2017057514A1

Abstract

Provided is a bicycle capable of reducing the wobbling movement of the handlebar and/or bicycle body using a simple device that has low power consumption. Specifically provided is a bicycle (1) comprising: a bicycle body frame (9) steerably supporting a front fork (8) that supports a front wheel (WF); a handlebar (3) that is affixed to a steering stem (7) on the front fork (8); and a pedal crank (10) that inputs pedal-pressing force from a rider (M). The bicycle is further provided with: a velocity sensor (26) that detects the velocity of the bicycle (1); an electronically controlled steering damper (40) that applies a damping force to the rotational operation of the steering stem (7); and a control unit (32) that adjusts the damping force of the electronically controlled steering damper (40) according to the sensor output from the velocity sensor (26). The control unit (32) sets the damping force when the velocity (V) is less than a prescribed threshold value (V1) to a value larger than that of the damping force when the velocity (V) is equal to or greater than the prescribed threshold value (V1).

Description

bicycle

The present invention relates to a bicycle, and more particularly to a bicycle that makes it possible to reduce the steering wheel and / or the vehicle body that are likely to be generated at low vehicle speeds such as when starting.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a bicycle is known which is provided with a dedicated device around the rotation axis of the steering wheel in order to reduce the steering wheel and / or the vehicle body that are likely to be generated at low vehicle speeds such as when the bicycle starts.

Patent Document 1 applies an electronically controlled steering device that applies a driving force by a motor to the pivot shaft of the steering wheel, and provides an appropriate reaction force based on the steering angle of the steering wheel, the operating pressure, etc. A bicycle is disclosed that prevents the body of the vehicle from becoming unstable.

JP, 2011-5935, A

However, since the bicycle described in Patent Document 1 applies an electronically controlled steering device including a motor and a speed reduction mechanism that generates a relatively large torque, it causes an increase in production cost and weight. In addition, it is necessary to mount a relatively large battery for supplying electric power to the electronically controlled steering device, and when supplying electric power from the battery of the electrically assisted bicycle, there is a problem that the cruising distance of the motor assist traveling becomes short. .

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to provide a bicycle capable of reducing the steering wheel and / or the vehicle body with a simple and low-power device.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle body frame (9) on which a front fork (8) for pivotally supporting a front wheel (WF) is pivotally supported, and a steering stem of the front fork (8) 7) In a bicycle (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) having a handle (3) fixed to 7) and a pedal crank (10) for inputting the pedal depression force of the driver (M), the bicycle (1) A vehicle speed sensor (26) for detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle, an electronically controlled steering damper (40) for applying a damping force to the turning operation of the steering stem (7), and the sensor output of at least the vehicle speed sensor (26) And a control unit (32) for changing the damping force of the electronically controlled steering damper (40), wherein the control unit (32) determines that the vehicle speed (V) is less than a predetermined threshold (V1).衰力, said vehicle speed (V) there is first characterized in that to set the damping force greater than in the case of a predetermined threshold value (V1) or more.

Further, the control unit (32) gradually reduces the damping force of the electronically controlled steering damper (40) as the vehicle speed (V) increases in a region where the vehicle speed (V) is less than a predetermined threshold (V1). The point has a second feature.

The control unit (32) has a third feature in that the damping force is set to a constant value (Z1) equal to or greater than zero when the vehicle speed (V) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (V1).

A fourth feature of the present invention is that a pedal depression force sensor (25) for detecting a pedal depression force by the driver (M) is provided, and the control unit (32) sets the damping force larger as the pedal depression force is larger. There is.

In addition, a roll angle sensor (28) for detecting the roll angle of the bicycle (1) or the rotational speed in the roll direction is provided, and the control unit (32) increases the roll angle or turns in the roll direction. A fifth feature is that the damping force is set larger as the dynamic velocity is larger.

Further, a vehicle body frame (9) on which a front fork (8) for pivotally supporting a front wheel (WF) is pivotally supported and a steering wheel (3) fixed to a steering stem (7) of the front fork (8) And a pedal depression force sensor (25) for detecting the pedal depression force in a bicycle (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) which rotates the drive wheels by the pedal depression force by the driver (M), and the pedal depression force And a controller (32) for changing the damping force of the electronically controlled steering damper (40) according to the sensor output of the sensor (25), wherein the controller (32) has a third pedaling force. A sixth feature resides in that the damping force in the case of the threshold (T3) or more is set larger than the damping force in the case where the pedal depression force is less than the third threshold (T3).

Also, a battery (31) for supplying power to the electronically controlled steering damper (40), and a generator (20a) driven by rotation of the wheel (WF) of the bicycle (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) And the battery (31) is charged by the power generated by the generator (20a).

Furthermore, a vehicle body frame (9) on which a front fork (8) for pivotally supporting a front wheel (WF) is pivotally supported and a steering wheel (3) fixed to a steering stem (7) of the front fork (8) In a bicycle (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) which rotates the drive wheels with a pedaling force by the driver (M), detects the rotation angle or roll speed of the bicycle (1) Rolling angle sensor (28), an electronically controlled steering damper (40) for applying a damping force to the pivoting motion of the steering stem (7), and the electronically controlled steering according to at least a sensor output of the vehicle speed sensor (26) And a controller (32) for changing the damping force of the damper (40), wherein the controller (32) increases the roll angle or the rotation speed in the roll direction. Large enough the there is an eighth aspect of the point to set the damping force increases.

According to a first feature, at least a vehicle speed sensor (26) for detecting the vehicle speed of the bicycle (1), an electronically controlled steering damper (40) for applying a damping force to the turning operation of the steering stem (7) A control unit (32) for changing the damping force of the electronically controlled steering damper (40) according to a sensor output of the vehicle speed sensor (26), the control unit (32) including the vehicle speed (V) Since the damping force in the case of less than the predetermined threshold (V1) is set to a value larger than the damping force in the case where the vehicle speed (V) is the predetermined threshold (V1) or more, attachment is relatively easy without changing the vehicle structure. By using an electronically controlled steering damper, it is possible to apply a high damping force to the pivoting motion of the steering stem only at low vehicle speeds where steering wheel and / or vehicle body is prone to wobble. Bundle and or to deter vehicle wander, when the vehicle speed is raised can maintain good self-steering lower the damping force.

In addition, since the electronically controlled steering damper consumes power only by the linear solenoid that opens and closes the valve that adjusts the damping force, it is possible to suppress the steering wheel and / or the car body at low speed in a system with low power consumption. .

According to a second feature, the control unit (32) sets the damping force of the electronically controlled steering damper (40) to that of the vehicle speed (V) in a region where the vehicle speed (V) is less than a predetermined threshold (V1). Since the pressure gradually decreases with the increase, in the low speed region, by gradually reducing the damping force with the increase of the vehicle speed, it is possible to achieve both the suppression of the steering wheel and / or the vehicle body and the securing of the self-steer.

According to the third feature, when the vehicle speed (V) is equal to or more than the predetermined threshold (V1), the control unit (32) sets the damping force to a constant value (Z1) equal to or more than zero. By setting the damping force to a small constant value in the high speed region, the control load can be reduced, and both the suppression of the steering wheel and / or the vehicle body and the securing of good self-steer can be achieved.

According to the fourth feature, the pedal depression force sensor (25) for detecting the pedal depression force by the driver (M) is provided, and the control unit (32) sets the damping force larger as the pedal depression force is larger. So, when the driver puts out the pedal with either the left or right foot, in order to put an unconscious force on the same arm as the leg that puts out to keep the balance of the body, especially when starting out etc. When the pedaling force detected by the pedaling force sensor is large, the damping force is increased to prevent the steering wheel and / or the vehicle body from becoming unstable. be able to.

According to a fifth feature, the control device (32) comprises a roll angle sensor (28) for detecting the roll angle of the bicycle (1) or the rotational speed in the roll direction, and the control unit (32) increases the roll angle Alternatively, since the damping force is set larger as the rotational speed in the roll direction is larger, the roll angle becomes larger at low speed, or the handle is easily cut when the rotational speed in the roll direction is increased. It is possible to provide an appropriate damping force to reliably prevent the steering wheel and / or the vehicle body from being shaken.

According to the sixth feature, the front fork (8) for pivotally supporting the front wheel (WF) is fixed to the vehicle body frame (9) pivotally supported for steering and the steering stem (7) of the front fork (8) A pedal depression force sensor (25) for detecting the pedal depression force in a bicycle (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) having a steering wheel (3) to be driven and rotating a drive wheel by a pedal depression force by a driver (M) And a control unit (32) for changing the damping force of the electronically controlled steering damper (40) according to the sensor output of the pedal depression force sensor (25), the control unit (32) comprising Since the damping force when the pedal effort is greater than or equal to the third threshold (T3) is set larger than that when the pedal effort is less than the third threshold (T3), the pedal effort detected by the pedal effort sensor By greatly the higher damping force larger, it is possible to prevent the handle and or vehicle wander more reliably.

According to the seventh feature, the battery is driven by rotation of the battery (31) supplying power to the electronically controlled steering damper (40) and the wheel (WF) of the bicycle (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) The system includes a generator (20a), and the battery (31) is charged by the power generated by the generator (20a), so the power consumption of the electronically controlled steering damper is small. It is possible to keep driving the control steering damper.

According to an eighth feature, a roll angle sensor (28) for detecting a rolling angle or rolling speed in a rolling direction of the bicycle (1), and an electronic for applying a damping force to the rotational movement of the steering stem (7) A control steering damper (40) and a control unit (32) for changing a damping force of the electronically controlled steering damper (40) according to at least a sensor output of the vehicle speed sensor (26); The above-mentioned damping force is set larger as the roll angle is larger or as the rotational speed in the roll direction is larger. Therefore, if the roll angle becomes large at low speeds or the rotational speed in the roll increases, the cut in the handle In response to the tendency to occur, it is possible to provide an appropriate damping force to reliably suppress the steering wheel and / or the vehicle body from being shaken.

It is a perspective view of the bicycle concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a left view of a bicycle. It is a block diagram showing composition of a control system of an electronic control steering damper. It is a top view of an electronically controlled steering damper. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4; It is a partial cross section top view of a housing. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the damping force and the vehicle speed which are produced in an electronically controlled steering damper. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of steering damper control. It is a top view of a handle switch. It is a figure which shows the modification of the attachment position of an electronically controlled steering damper. It is a figure which shows the 2nd modification of the attachment position of an electronically controlled steering damper. It is a left view of the bicycle concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of control of an electronically controlled steering damper and an electronically controlled steering apparatus. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the damping force and the vehicle speed which are produced in a steering stem. It is a left view of the bicycle concerning a 3rd embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bicycle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the bicycle 1. The bicycle 1 includes a head pipe 6 positioned in front of the vehicle body, a down frame 9 as a vehicle body frame extending rearward and downward from the head pipe 6, and a seat pipe 18 rising upward from the rear end of the down frame 9. A front fork 8 extending downward is steerably connected to the head pipe 6, and a front wheel WF is pivotally supported at the lower end of the front fork 8.

A handle 3 is provided at the upper end of a steering stem 7 pivotally supported rotatably on the head pipe 6, and at both ends of the handle 3, handle grips 2 and front and rear brake levers 17 are attached. A front car seat 4 and a footrest 5 are mounted between the left and right handles 3.

A rear fork 13 extending rearward is disposed at the rear end of the down frame 9, and a rear wheel WR is pivotally supported at the rear end of the rear fork 13. A pair of left and right stays 14 is disposed between the upper portion of the seat pipe 18 and the rear portion of the rear fork 13. The seat pipe 19 supports a seat post 19 which can adjust the vertical position of the seat 15.

A pedal crankshaft 27 extending in the vehicle width direction is fixed through the drive sprocket 12. A crank 10 having a pedal 10a is fixed to both sides of the pedal crankshaft 27, and the driver M applies a rotational torque to the pedal crankshaft 27 by stepping on and pedaling the pedal 10a. The rotation of the drive sprocket 12 is transmitted to the driven sprocket 12 a of the rear wheel WR via the drive chain 11.

A vehicle speed sensor 26 is provided on the hub 20 of the front wheel WF, and a pedal depression force sensor 25 for detecting the pedal depression force by the driver M is provided on the crank pedal shaft 27. The vehicle speed sensor 26 is composed of a magnet provided inside the hub 20 and a Hall element that detects the passage of the magnet. The pedal depression force sensor 25 is a noncontact magnetostrictive sensor disposed close to the pedal crankshaft 14. The structure and arrangement of the vehicle speed sensor 26 and the pedal depression force sensor 25 can be variously modified.

Here, with reference to FIG. 1 showing a state in which the child C rides on the front car and child seat 4 together with the driver M, a mechanism in which the steering wheel 3 is shaken will be described. The steering wheel 3 of the bicycle 1 is easily shaken due to the low rotational speed of the front wheel WF at low speeds such as at the time of start due to the characteristics of the bicycle traveling on the front and rear two wheels. The tendency becomes stronger as the loading amount of the front car or child seat attached to the unit increases.

This is because when the weight of the bicycle is heavy, in order to balance the movement of the body when applying force Fb to one leg L in order to throw out the pedal 10a, one leg (in the example of FIG. in the example of the right foot) L _R and the arm on the same side (Fig. 1 due to the thereby unconsciously focus Fa right arm) a _R. This phenomenon is particularly likely to occur for drivers who do not have very high muscle strength.

Then, the force by the arm A _R Fa is converted into a force Fc that will involve the inside of the body, when the driver M is not consciousness, force Fc (Figure 1 this force Fc rotates the handle 3 in one direction In the example of (1), it is easy to induce right rotation), and in particular, when the load amount is large and the inertia mass of the steering system is large, the steering wheel 3 is cut in one direction more than the driver M thought. The sway of the handle 3 occurs while trying to return the cut.

In the present invention, a steering damper provided with a damping force variable mechanism that operates with a small amount of power is provided in order to reduce the fluctuation of the steering wheel 3 generated by the mechanism described above. It is characterized in that it gives rotation resistance).

As shown in FIG. 2, the electronically controlled steering damper 40 has its body fixed to the mounting stay 21 provided on the down frame 9, and a swing arm extending to the front of the vehicle body is connected to the steering stem 7. ing. Thus, it is possible to apply a damping force of an arbitrary magnitude to the turning operation of the steering wheel 3 without changing the basic configuration of the vehicle body.

At a position close to the handle grip 2 of the handle 3 on the left side, a box-shaped handle switch 30 containing a small battery 31 for supplying power to the electronically controlled steering damper 40 is attached. The battery 31 can be charged while traveling by a generator 20 a built in the hub 20.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control system of the electronically controlled steering damper 40. As shown in FIG. The electronically controlled steering damper 40 is configured to be able to adjust the damping force based on the control signal from the control unit 32. The control unit 32 drives the electronically controlled steering damper 40 based on the sensor outputs of the pedal depression force sensor 25 and the vehicle speed sensor 26 so as to generate a damping force adapted to a situation such as a crawling at the time of start. The magnitude of the damping force for each sensor signal can be derived from a preset data table. The power consuming portion of the electronically controlled steering damper 40 is only a linear solenoid that opens and closes a valve that increases or decreases the cross sectional area of the oil path, so that the small battery 31 housed in the steering wheel switch 30 can cover the entire power of the control system. it can.

In addition, the control part 32 can also be accommodated in the inside of the handle switch 30 as an electronic board | substrate. In addition, a roll angle sensor 28 that detects the roll angle of the vehicle body or the rotational speed in the roll direction can be provided, and the sensor output can be used to control the electronically controlled steering damper 40.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the electronically controlled steering damper 40. As shown in FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a plan view partially showing the housing 41. Direction arrows in the figure correspond to the mounting position of the electronically controlled steering damper 40 shown in FIG.

The electronically controlled steering damper 40 is of a rotary type that utilizes the resistance generated by the plate-like vanes 47 swinging inside the hydraulic fluid chamber 48. The housing 41 of the electronically controlled steering damper 40 is provided with a substantially fan-shaped hydraulic fluid chamber 48, oil passages 60 extending rearward from the left and right end portions of the hydraulic fluid chamber 48, and connecting fluid passages 61 connecting the left and right fluid passages 60. It is done. A vane 47 fixed to the rocking shaft 46 is accommodated inside the hydraulic fluid chamber 48, and a rocking arm 45 is fixed to the lower end portion of the rocking shaft 46. The swing arm 45 is connected to a stay 7 a fixed to the steering stem 7 by a pin 7 b. At the left and right and rear of the housing 41, mounting

flanges

42, 43 and 44 on the vehicle body side are formed, and the upper opening of the hydraulic fluid chamber 48 is sealed by a lid member 41a fixed by a plurality of bolts.

When the steering stem 7 rotates, the vane 47 swings via the swing arm 45, whereby the hydraulic fluid on one side of the hydraulic fluid chamber 48 divided by the vane 47 is used as the oil passage 60 and the check valve. It is pushed out to the communication oil passage 61 side via the same. The extruded hydraulic fluid returns to the hydraulic fluid chamber 48 via a return fluid passage (not shown) extending upward and forward from the left and right ends of the communication fluid passage. At this time, the resistance generated on the vanes 47 is transmitted to the steering stem 7 and becomes a damping force that prevents the steering wheel 3 from being shaken. The communication oil passage 61 is formed by overlapping valve holes 62 in the vertical direction, and the flow path of the communication oil passage 61 is driven by driving the poppet valve 63 up and down by the electric actuator 64 formed of a linear solenoid or the like. The area can be changed arbitrarily.

In this embodiment, a steering damper for driving the damping force change mechanism by a motor is shown as the electronically controlled steering damper, but a steering damper for driving the damping force change mechanism by a hydraulic mechanism including a hydraulic piston or the like is applied. You can also.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the damping force Z generated in the electronically controlled steering damper 40 and the vehicle speed V. In view of the steering characteristics of the bicycle 1, it is mainly at low vehicle speeds that a large damping force is required, and as the vehicle speed increases and becomes stable, the need for the damping force decreases. In addition, I want to increase the damping force when the steering wheel is cut by stepping on the pedal, but I do not want to disturb the self-steer when the car body rolls while traveling.

According to such a request, in the present embodiment, the damping force Z2 set when the vehicle speed is 0 (zero) decreases with the increase of the vehicle speed, and the vehicle speed V1 (eg, 6 km as a predetermined threshold) It is set so that it becomes fixed by damping force Z1 smaller than damping force Z2 above / h) (graph A). At the same time, when the pedaling force is large, the damping force Z3 set when the vehicle speed is greater than the damping force Z2 is 0 (zero) decreases with the increase of the vehicle speed, and after the vehicle speed V2 greater than the vehicle speed V1 Then, the damping force Z1 is set to be constant (graph B). Thereby, for example, the damping force generated at the relatively low vehicle speed Va can be continuously changed according to the pedal depression force, and the damping force can be reduced as the vehicle speed increases. The determination as to whether or not the pedal effort is large can be made, for example, based on whether or not it is equal to or greater than a third threshold T3 (for example, 10 Nm) set as the pedal effort.

Further, the setting of the damping force Z can be set in two stages when the vehicle speed is less than the vehicle speed V1 and the vehicle speed V1 or more, and various modifications such as setting the damping force to zero at the vehicle speed V1 or more are possible. In the above embodiment, although the damping force becomes constant at vehicle speed V1 or more as the first threshold, the damping force is made different before and after the predetermined threshold, and a second threshold larger than the predetermined threshold V1 is set to set the predetermined threshold. The damping force may change before and after the threshold value V1, and may be set to a constant value above the second threshold value. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle speed V1 matches the predetermined threshold with the second threshold at the vehicle speed V1.

Furthermore, the setting of the damping force Z is provided with the roll angle sensor 28 for detecting the rotation angle in the roll direction or the roll direction of the bicycle, and the roll angle is increased or the rotation in the roll direction is not taken into consideration. The electronically controlled steering damper damping force may be set larger as the speed is higher.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a procedure of steering damper control. In step S10, it is determined whether the remaining amount of the battery 31 is equal to or greater than a specified amount. If an affirmative determination is made in step S10, the process proceeds to step S11 to detect a vehicle speed as a vehicle state, and the process proceeds to step S12.

In step S12, it is determined whether or not the control system always has an error, and if a positive determination is made, that is, if it is determined that there is always no error, a steering damper control value corresponding to the traveling speed is calculated in step S13. In the subsequent step S14, control of the electronically controlled steering damper 40 is performed. If a negative determination is made in steps S10 and S12, the process proceeds to step S15 to calculate an error code, and an error process is performed in step S16 to end a series of control.

When the damping force is determined in consideration of the sensor output of the pedal depression force sensor 25, the pedal depression force is detected in step S11 and is reflected in the calculation of step S13.

Further, it is conceivable to provide a roll angle sensor 28 for detecting the roll angle of the vehicle body and the rotational speed in the roll direction, and to increase the damping force when the roll of the vehicle body is detected at low speed. Also in this case, the roll angle or the like can be detected in the step S11 and can be reflected by the calculation in the step S13.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the handlebar switch 30. FIG. The handle switch 30 accommodates the battery 31 and the control unit 32, and functions as an interface provided with an operation switch and an indicator.

In the case 33 of the steering wheel switch 30, in addition to the speedometer 34 and the battery fuel gauge 35, an operation mode changeover switch 36 for switching the operation mode of the electronically controlled steering damper 40 and

indicators

37, 38, 39 showing the current operation mode It is provided.

Indicators

37, 38, 39 provide a "off mode" that minimizes the damping force of the electronically controlled steering damper 40, a "soft mode" that provides a damping force of a standard setting, and a damping force that is greater than the standard setting The "hard mode" is supported, and the lighting position is switched each time the operation mode switch 36 is pressed. Thus, not only the damping force can be automatically set according to the vehicle speed or the pedaling force, but also the adjustment to the driver M's preference can be made possible, and the driver M can be notified of the current operation mode. . The operation mode changeover switch 36 can also be used as a power switch of the electronically controlled steering damper 40, while the power can be automatically turned off when there is no sensor output of a vehicle speed sensor or the like for a long time. it can.

FIG. 10 is a view showing a modification of the mounting position of the electronically controlled steering damper 40. As shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a view showing a second modification of the mounting position of the electronically controlled steering damper 40. As shown in FIG. The same reference numerals as above indicate the same or equivalent parts.

Various modifications can be made to the mounting position and mounting structure of the electronically controlled steering damper 40. In the bicycle 1a shown in FIG. 10, by providing the stay 22 in front of the head pipe 6, the electronically controlled steering damper 40 is disposed in the space between the head pipe 6 and the footrest 5 and swings backward. The arm is connected to the steering stem 7 from the front side of the vehicle body. According to this modification, it is possible to obtain an electronically controlled steering damper that does not interfere with the footrest 5 and does not touch when the driver M gets on / off.

Further, in the bicycle 1b shown in FIG. 11, the shape of the down frame 9a is changed to provide a space between the lower surface of the down frame 9a and the front wheel WF, and the electronically controlled steering damper 40 is disposed in this space. The swing arm of the electronically controlled steering damper 40 is connected to the lower end of the steering stem 7. According to the second modification, the electronic control steering damper 40 moves rearward and downward, so that the center of gravity approaches the center of the vehicle body, and the electronic control steering damper can be obtained without touching when the driver M gets on and off. .

FIG. 12 is a left side view of a bicycle 1c according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The same symbols as above indicate the same or equivalent parts. The present embodiment is characterized in that the bicycle 1 c includes an electronically controlled steering device 50 in addition to the electronically controlled steering damper 40. The electronic control steering damper 40 has its main body fixed to the mounting stay 21 provided on the down frame 9, and a swing arm extending to the front side of the vehicle body is connected to the steering stem 7. Further, the electronically controlled steering device 50 is fixed to the front of the head pipe 6 and is configured to be able to apply an arbitrary turning assist force to the steering stem 7 by a motor incorporated in the main body portion .

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing a procedure for controlling the electronically controlled steering damper 40 and the electronically controlled steering device 50 of the bicycle 1c shown in FIG. In step S20, it is determined whether the remaining amount of the battery 31 is equal to or greater than a specified amount. If an affirmative determination is made in step S20, the process proceeds to step S21, and the vehicle speed as a vehicle state, the pedal effort, and the roll state of the vehicle body are detected, and the process proceeds to step S22.

In step S22, it is determined whether or not the control system always has an error, and if a positive determination is made, that is, if it is determined that there is always no error, a steering damper control value corresponding to the traveling speed is calculated in step S23. Ru. In the following step S24, a steering damper control value corresponding to the pedal depression force and the vehicle roll is calculated, and in step S25, a steering torque control value according to the pedal depression force and the vehicle roll is calculated.

Then, in step S26, the control of the electronically controlled steering damper 40 is executed based on the control values calculated in steps S23 and S24, and in step S27, the electronically controlled steering device 50 is calculated based on the control values calculated in step S25. Control is executed. If a negative determination is made in steps S20 and S22, the process proceeds to step S28 to calculate an error code, and an error process is performed in step S29 to end a series of control.

FIG. 14 is a graph showing the relationship between the damping force Z generated in the steering stem 7 and the vehicle speed V. In the present embodiment, the damping force Z11 set when the vehicle speed is 0 (zero) decreases with the increase of the vehicle speed, and becomes constant with the damping force Z10 smaller than the damping force Z11 after the vehicle speed V11. It is set (graph C). At the same time, when the pedaling force is large, the damping force Z12 set when the vehicle speed is greater than the damping force Z11 and is 0 (zero) decreases with the increase of the vehicle speed, and after the vehicle speed V11, the damping force It is set to be constant at Z10 (graph D). Thus, for example, the damping force generated at a relatively low vehicle speed V10 can be continuously changed according to the pedal depression force, and the damping force can be reduced as the vehicle speed increases. Such a graph can be formed only by the electronically controlled steering damper 40 or can be formed by making the electronically controlled steering device 50 cooperate.

FIG. 15 is a left side view of a bicycle 1d according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The same reference numerals as above indicate the same or equivalent parts. The present embodiment is characterized in that the bicycle 1d is an electrically assisted bicycle that can obtain the assisting power from the assist unit P.

Behind the seat pipe 18, a battery B for supplying power to the assist unit P is detachably attached to the seat pipe 18. A pedal crankshaft 27 extending in the vehicle width direction is disposed to penetrate the assist unit P and the drive sprocket 12. A crank 10 having a pedal 10 a is fixed to both sides of the pedal crankshaft 27, and a rotational torque is given to the pedal crankshaft 27 by the driver stepping on and pedaling the pedal 10 a.

The drive sprocket 12 is attached to the pedal crankshaft 27 via a one-way clutch, and the rotation of the drive sprocket 12 is transmitted to the driven sprocket 12 a of the rear wheel WR via the drive chain 11. As a result, the resultant of the rotational torque given to the pedal crankshaft 27 by the driver and the assist torque given by the assist unit P is transmitted to the rear wheel WR.

The case 51 of the assist unit P includes an assist motor 52 and a control unit 53 that drives the assist motor 52. The rotational driving force of the assist motor 52 is applied to the drive sprocket 12 via the speed reduction mechanism.

The front wheel WF is provided with a vehicle speed sensor 26, and the crank pedal shaft 27 is provided with a pedal depression force sensor 25 for detecting a pedal depression force by the driver. The vehicle speed sensor 26 is composed of a magnet provided inside the hub 20 and a Hall element that detects the passage of the magnet. Further, the pedal depression force sensor 25 is a noncontact magnetostrictive sensor disposed close to the pedal crankshaft 14.

The control unit 53 calculates the force with which the driver depresses the pedal 10 in the vertical direction based on the rotational torque value detected by the pedal depression force sensor 25, and this assist force and the assist ratio according to the vehicle speed of the electrically assisted bicycle 1 The assist motor 53 is controlled to generate an assist torque determined by

In the electrically assisted bicycle 1 d, the electronically controlled steering damper 40 is fixed to a stay 23 provided on the left side of the head pipe 6 in the vehicle width direction. The swing arm is connected to the steering stem 7 so as to point inward in the vehicle width direction. As a result, without changing the basic configuration of the electrically assisted bicycle 1, a damping force of an arbitrary magnitude can be applied to the turning operation of the steering wheel 3. The power of the electronically controlled steering damper 40 can be supplied from the battery B or from a generator that rotates in response to the rotation of the front wheel WF.

The configuration of the bicycle, the configuration and mounting structure of the electronically controlled steering damper, the setting of the damping force of the electronically controlled steering damper, the relationship with each sensor output, etc. are not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. Also, the generator may be applied to either the front wheels or the rear wheels.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Bicycle, 3 ... Steering wheel, 6 ... Head pipe, 7 ... Steering stem, 9 ... Down frame, 10 ... Crank, 10a ... Pedal, 20a ... Generator, 25 ... Pedal depression force sensor, 26 ... Vehicle speed sensor, 32 ... Control Part 40: electronically controlled steering damper 50: electronically controlled steering device V1, V2: predetermined threshold value, V2: second threshold value, T3: third threshold value

Claims

A vehicle body frame (9) on which a front fork (8) for pivotally supporting a front wheel (WF) is pivotally supported, and a handle (3) fixed to a steering stem (7) of the front fork (8); In a bicycle (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) having a pedal crank (10) for inputting a driver's (H) pedal depression force,
A vehicle speed sensor (26) for detecting the vehicle speed of the bicycle (1);
An electronically controlled steering damper (40) for applying a damping force to the pivoting movement of the steering stem (7);
A control unit (32) for changing the damping force of the electronically controlled steering damper (40) in accordance with at least a sensor output of the vehicle speed sensor (26);
The control unit (32) sets the damping force when the vehicle speed (V) is less than a predetermined threshold (V1) to a value larger than the damping force when the vehicle speed (V) is a predetermined threshold (V1) or more. A bicycle characterized by
The control unit (32) gradually decreases the damping force of the electronically controlled steering damper (40) with the increase of the vehicle speed (V) in a region where the vehicle speed (V) is less than a predetermined threshold (V1). The bicycle according to claim 1, characterized in that:
The control unit (32) sets the damping force to a constant value (Z1) equal to or greater than zero when the vehicle speed (V) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (V1). bicycle.
It has a pedal force sensor (25) that detects the pedal force by the driver (H),
The bicycle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit (32) sets the damping force to be larger as the pedal effort is larger.
A roll angle sensor (28) for detecting a roll angle of the bicycle (1) or a rotational speed of the roll direction;
The bicycle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control section (32) sets the damping force to be larger as the roll angle is larger or as the rotation speed in the roll direction is larger.
A body frame (9) on which a front fork (8) for pivotally supporting a front wheel (WF) is pivotally supported, and a steering wheel (3) fixed to a steering stem (7) of the front fork (8) In a bicycle (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) which has the drive wheel rotated by the pedal force applied by the driver (H),
A pedal depression force sensor (25) for detecting the pedal depression force;
A controller (32) for changing the damping force of the electronically controlled steering damper (40) according to the sensor output of the pedal depression force sensor (25);
The controller (32) may set the damping force when the pedal effort is greater than or equal to a third threshold (T3) to be greater than the damping force when the pedal effort is less than a third threshold (T3). Characterized bicycle.
A battery (31) for supplying power to the electronically controlled steering damper (40);
And a generator (20a) driven by rotation of wheels (WF) of the bicycle (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d),
The bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the battery (31) is charged by the power generated by the generator (20a).
A body frame (9) on which a front fork (8) for pivotally supporting a front wheel (WF) is pivotally supported, and a steering wheel (3) fixed to a steering stem (7) of the front fork (8) In a bicycle (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) having a driving wheel rotated by a pedal force applied by a driver (M)
A roll angle sensor (28) for detecting a rotation angle of the bicycle (1) or a rotation speed of the roll direction;
An electronically controlled steering damper (40) for applying a damping force to the pivoting movement of the steering stem (7);
A control unit (32) for changing the damping force of the electronically controlled steering damper (40) in accordance with at least a sensor output of the vehicle speed sensor (26);
The control unit (32) sets the damping force to a larger value as the roll angle is larger or as the rotational speed in the roll direction is larger.