JPH09123982A - Bicycle with auxiliary power - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [PROBLEMS] To provide a self-propelled function in which auxiliary power can be used even when climbing a hill by pushing a slope because it is not possible to climb a hill by pedaling. SOLUTION: In a bicycle with auxiliary power, which comprises an electric motor 3 for driving the bicycle as an auxiliary power source, a power supply 2 for supplying a driving current to the electric motor, and a control device 1 for controlling the driving current, the bicycle is in a riding state. If there is no such condition, self-propelling is performed at a speed equal to or lower than a preset walking speed by operating the self-propelling switch S _A. Further, the condition that the bicycle is not in the riding state is that the pedal is not depressed and the vehicle speed is not a predetermined speed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bicycle equipped with an auxiliary power source, which has an electric motor for driving a bicycle as an auxiliary power source, a power supply for supplying a driving current to the electric motor, and a control device for controlling the driving current.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Electric bicycles of the type in which human power is assisted by an electric motor have become more and more practical due to the progress of secondary batteries and the practical use of power storage devices, and are becoming popular as pollution-free and convenient vehicles. The control of electric bicycles that have been used so far is roughly divided into two, which are practically used: a system in which power is controlled by a throttle lever or a pedal to drive the vehicle, and a system in which auxiliary power proportional to that is detected by detecting pedaling force. There is. The method is the same as for motorcycles, scooters, cars, etc., and generally requires a driver's license. On the other hand, the method is a so-called auxiliary power-assisted bicycle that travels by almost the same operation as when riding a conventional bicycle. In this case, the force applied to the pedal is detected, and as an auxiliary power proportional to this, for example, 80% of the pedal effort is used.
It is a method of adding the driving force of. This method is practically equivalent to the weight of the bicycle becoming lighter, and because it does not require any special driving operation, it has functions such as maximum speed limitation and automatic power off during emergency braking. In addition, it is allowed to use as a bicycle without a driver's license.

As a power source for a small electric power, a secondary battery, especially a lead storage battery, has been often used conventionally. However, although they have a long history, they have many problems when used as power sources for practical vehicles. For example, there are problems such as a small amount of electric power stored for weight, a long time for charging, a cycle life of charge and discharge limited to about 200 to 500 times, and an unknown amount of stored electricity or the remaining amount. is there. As a result, even today, it is impossible to replace the internal combustion engine and the like, which cause various environmental problems.

The present applicant has already proposed a storage power supply system in which electricity is stored in an electric double layer capacitor and an electronic circuit is used in combination with the electricity (for example, JP-A-5-292683 and JP-A-5-292684). , "Fundamental Research on Power Storage Devices for Electric Power", T. IEEE Japan, Vol. 115.
-B, No. 5, '95 p504-510, "Electric storage device" ECS "using new type physical battery", Kyoto Forum (1
(April 27, 28, 995) Proceedings of lectures (reference supplement) etc.). According to this system, the electric double layer capacitor is charged and discharged as needed, so that the system has little influence on the environment and the charging is relatively short. Moreover, the cycle life has been achieved 10,000 times or more, and the residual quantity measurement has sufficient accuracy for practical use. Thus, it has an advantage that cannot be realized by the secondary battery.

[0005]

However, the above-mentioned bicycle with auxiliary power is good as long as it can be pedaled on a slope, but on an actual road, auxiliary power equivalent to the pedaling force is supplied. There are slopes, stairs, and bad roads that are difficult to climb. In such a case, if you try to push up the slope,
Since the bicycle with auxiliary power is equipped with a power source (electric storage device) and an electric motor as a power source, these are turned into a heavy lump of machinery and rather heavier than a normal bicycle. Therefore, for the elderly and powerless users,
On the contrary, there is a problem that it cannot be said to be an easy vehicle on a slope, stairs, or a bad road.

[0006]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention is to solve the above problems and provides a self-propelled function in which auxiliary power can be used when pushing up a slope because the pedal cannot be used to climb the slope. Be prepared. Therefore, the present invention is a bicycle with auxiliary power, comprising an electric motor for driving a bicycle as an auxiliary power source, a power supply for supplying a driving current to the electric motor, and a control device for controlling the driving current,
It is characterized in that the bicycle is set to run at a speed equal to or lower than a preset walking speed by operating a self-propelled switch on condition that the bicycle is not in a riding state. Further, it is characterized in that the condition that the bicycle is not in a riding state is that the pedal is not depressed and the vehicle speed is not a predetermined speed.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a bicycle with auxiliary power according to the present invention, in which 1 is a drive control unit, 2 is a storage power source, 3 is an electric motor, D is a diode, P is an auxiliary drive circuit, and VR is a speed setting. , S _A is a self-propelled command switch, and S _B is an interlock switch.

In FIG. 1, the drive control unit 1 is composed of, for example, a switching regulator that switches the power supply line by pulse width modulation control or pulse frequency control.
The speed setting unit VR determines the pulse width and the pulse frequency, controls the switching time and the switching frequency, and supplies the drive current. The storage power source 2 is a secondary battery such as a lead storage battery capable of charging and storing electric power, an electric double layer capacitor, or the like. The electric motor 3 is supplied with a drive current from the power storage power source 2 through the drive control unit 1 or from the auxiliary drive circuit P to drive the bicycle with auxiliary power. The auxiliary drive circuit P is a circuit that supplies a drive current to the electric motor 3 within the range of the pedaling force of the pedal when traveling while pedaling a normal pedal, as is already known. The diode D is a circuit that prevents the drive current supplied from the auxiliary drive circuit P from interfering with the output of the drive control unit 1 during normal traveling, and may be switched by a semiconductor switch or an isolation mechanism.

The self-propelled command switch S _A is turned on when a user pushes a self-propelled button (not shown), and the interlock switch S _B is in a state of pushing the bicycle (the bicycle is It is turned on if the condition "not in a riding state" is satisfied, but it is turned off when a riding state is detected instead of pushing the bicycle.
That is, it is a switch that interlocks the free-running circuit when the free-running condition is not satisfied. When the self-propelled condition is not satisfied, for example, when the user is on the seat (seating detection sensor), pedals (pedal torque sensor), or exceeds a predetermined speed (walking speed). (Speed sensor), etc.

According to the circuit having the above configuration, when the self-propelled button is pressed, the self-propelled command switch S _A is turned on, and if the interlock switch S _B is turned on at this time, the storage power source 2 is driven by the drive control unit. Since it is connected to 1, the speed setting unit VR
The output adjusted by is supplied as a drive current of the electric motor 3 through the diode D and is self-propelled. This speed is set below the walking speed by the speed setting unit VR. When the self-propelled button is released, or when the bicycle is in a riding state such as exceeding a predetermined speed, when the interlock switch S _B is turned off, the drive current of the electric motor 3 is cut off and the vehicle stops.

Further, even if the self-propelled button is pressed and the self-propelled command switch S _A is turned on, if the required condition is not satisfied and the interlock switch S _B is turned off at this time, the storage power source 2 is driven. Since it is not connected to the control unit 1, the drive current is not supplied from the drive control unit 1 to the electric motor 3. In this case, as described above, for example, when the user is sitting or pedaling.

As described above, the speed setting unit VR is adjusted according to the walking speed of the user, and the interlock switch S _{B is set.}
By adding a condition that turns off when the walking speed is exceeded (speed condition), it is possible to prevent the speed from increasing when the user pushes the bicycle to climb the slope, and a fail-safe operation can be realized.

Next, the structure of a bicycle with auxiliary power having a function of supplying auxiliary power according to the pedaling force of the pedal and a self-propelled function will be described. 2 is a diagram showing another embodiment of a bicycle with auxiliary power according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a self-propelled command unit, 11 is a current pump, 12 is an output converter, and 13 is a control. Signal generator, 14 a self-propelled commander, 15 a sensor assistant, 21 and a NOR gate circuit,
Reference numeral 22 is an AND gate circuit, and 23 is a free-running command signal generator.

In FIG. 2, the electric double layer capacitor battery C1 has a large electrostatic capacity, a relatively high internal resistance and a large energy density. The electric double layer capacitor battery C2 has a small electrostatic capacity of about several% of the electric double layer capacitor battery C1 and a small internal resistance, and bears a peak load current.

The current pump 11 is provided with a voltage limiter for limiting the output voltage to a certain value or less, and supplies a constant current by switching control. For example, a constant current type DC / DC converter of a switching system is used. It is designed to operate with high efficiency over a wide variation range (for example, 100% to 25%).

The output converter 12 controls the drive current of the electric motor 3 which is a load by switching the power supply line by pulse width modulation control or pulse frequency control, and is, for example, a switching type constant voltage output DC / DC converter. Wide variation range of input voltage (for example, 100% ~
25%) and operates with high efficiency, and usually has an input terminal for external control. The control signal generator 5 is
In response to the torque request detected by the sensor auxiliary unit 15,
Alternatively, the control signal of the output converter 12 is generated in response to the drive request of the free-running command unit 14.

When the self-propelled button is pressed and the predetermined condition (the condition that the bicycle is not in the riding state) is satisfied, the self-propelled command unit 14 has a speed equal to or lower than the preset walking speed. FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration for outputting a self-propelled command by the. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the detection signal of the pedal torque sensor, the detection signal of the seating sensor, and the detection signal of the speed sensor are input to the NOR gate circuit 21,
If at least one of them is active, the output becomes negative, and the output and the signal of the self-propelled button are taken by the ungate circuit 22 to operate the self-propelled command signal generator 23. Is.
Therefore, the request for the self-propelled button becomes valid only when there is no detection signal of the pedal torque sensor, the detection signal of the seating sensor, or the detection signal of the speed sensor, and the self-propelled command adjusted by the speed setting unit VR is issued. Is output. The sensor auxiliary unit 15 detects a stepping torque by a torque sensor attached to a pedal of a bicycle with an electric motor, and outputs a torque request within the range.

Next, the operation will be described. A constant current is constantly supplied from the electric double layer capacitor battery C1 through the current pump 11, but when there is no drive request, the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor battery C2 rises and reaches a predetermined limit voltage. Then, the voltage limiter function of the current pump 11 is activated. When there is a drive request from the sensor auxiliary unit 15 according to the detected value of the torque sensor, and when a drive request with a preset value is issued from the free-running command unit 14, the control signal generation unit 13 outputs a control signal. Output converter 1
2 is switching-controlled, and a drive current according to a drive request is supplied to the electric motor 3. At this time, the electric double layer capacitor battery 1 supplies power to the steady part of the driving request through the current pump 11, but the electric double layer capacitor battery is supplied to temporarily exceed the driving request. Power is supplied from C2. By doing so, even if the current capacity of the electric double layer capacitor battery 1 is reduced, it is possible to cope with a large current in a short time by increasing the current capacity of the electric double layer capacitor battery C2. Therefore, in the electric double layer capacitor battery C1, the terminal voltage fluctuates according to the stored energy amount, while the output side of the current pump 11, that is, the input side voltage of the output converter 12 is stabilized.

For example, in the case of a bicycle equipped with an electric motor, a beard-like drive request appears intermittently each time the pedal is depressed, so that a large amount of current is required to be supplied intermittently. Also, since the electric double layer capacitor battery C2 is provided, a necessary current can be supplied. That is, the peak load current is the current pump 1
When it is supplied via 1, it is necessary to make the current capacity of the current pump 11 at least short-term capable of withstanding it, but by providing the electric double layer capacitor battery C2 on the output side, The peak load current of the electric double layer capacitor battery C1 and the current pump 11 can be reduced. Further, since the voltage applied to the electric double layer capacitor battery C2 is low, the withstand voltage may be low, but since the current to be charged is large, a large capacitance is required.

Further, in the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the current pump and the output converter may be commonly used, and a switching converter having a wide input voltage range may serve as both. In that case, the output current of the current pump that receives the current from the capacitor is designed to be large, and the control signal is applied to the current pump. With such a configuration, the rated capacity of the current pump increases, but the capacitor C2 and the output converter 12 can be omitted instead. Of course, in addition to this, various forms of control circuits known as drive control circuits can be adopted as modifications.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but various modifications can be made. For example, in the above embodiment, the detection signal of the pedal torque sensor, the detection signal of the seating sensor, and the detection signal of the speed sensor are used as an interlock for ensuring that the self-propelled circuit does not operate, but other conditions are used. May be. Further, although a logic circuit is shown in FIG. 3 as a configuration for judging the condition in which the bicycle is not in the riding state, it goes without saying that such a circuit can be appropriately modified and may be realized by other configurations. Absent.

[0022]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, when the self-propelled button is pressed, a predetermined condition is satisfied and the bicycle is being pushed (the bicycle is not in a riding state). ) Can be self-propelled at a preset speed equal to or lower than the walking speed, so that even when pushing to climb a hill without riding a bicycle, it is possible to push a heavy bicycle with a slight force such as a light push. Moreover, since the self-propelled speed can be adjusted, it is possible to set the speed that matches the walking speed of each user. Further, the speed of the self-propelled function can be limited to a safe speed by setting the self-propelled speed and, at the same time, stopping the self-propelled when the predetermined speed is exceeded by the interlock.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a bicycle with auxiliary power according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the bicycle with auxiliary power according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a self-propelled command unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... driving control unit, 2 ... power storage power supply, 3 ... electric motor, D ... Diode, P ... auxiliary driving circuit, VR ... speed setting unit, S _A ...
Self-propelled command switch, S _B ... Interlock switch

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A bicycle with auxiliary power, comprising an electric motor for driving a bicycle as an auxiliary power source, a power supply for supplying a driving current to the electric motor, and a control device for controlling the driving current, wherein the bicycle is not in a riding state. A bicycle with auxiliary power, characterized in that the bicycle is driven at a speed equal to or lower than a preset walking speed by operating a self-propelled switch under the condition. 2. The bicycle with auxiliary power according to claim 1, wherein the condition that the bicycle is not in a riding state is that the pedal is not depressed. 3. The bicycle with auxiliary power according to claim 1, wherein a condition that the bicycle is not in a riding state is that the vehicle speed is not a predetermined vehicle speed.