Bicycle controller and bicycle transmission system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10266229-B2
Application number	US-201715412552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

A bicycle controller limits decreases in the assist force when the rotational speed of a crank changes. The bicycle controller can be mounted on a bicycle including a first transmission having at least two shift stages and configured to change a ratio of rotation of a wheel to rotation of a crank, a motor that provides assistance to human power input to the crank, and a second transmission configured to transmit a rotation force from the motor to a power transmission path extending from the crank to the wheel without changing the ratio of the rotation of the wheel to the rotation of the crank. The bicycle controller includes an electronic control unit that controls the second transmission in accordance with a condition of the bicycle and either one of a condition of the first transmission and a shift instruction to the first transmission.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bicycle controller configured to be mounted on a bicycle including a first transmission having at least two shift stages and configured to change a ratio of rotation of a wheel to a rotation of a crank, a motor that provides assistance to human power input to the crank, and a second transmission configured to transmit a rotation force from the motor to a power transmission path extending from the crank to the wheel without changing the ratio of the rotation of the wheel to the rotation of the crank, the second transmission being different from the first transmission, the bicycle controller comprising:
an electronic control unit having a processor programmed to control the second transmission in accordance with a condition of the bicycle and one of a condition of the first transmission and a shift instruction to the first transmission, the processor being programmed to control the second transmission to change a ratio of the rotation of the wheel to a rotation of the motor.

2. The bicycle controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the condition of the bicycle includes at least one of torque produced by the human power and a rotational speed of the crank and the motor.

3. The bicycle controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to operate the first transmission and the second transmission in at least one of a predetermined order and simultaneously operates the first transmission and the second transmission.

4. The bicycle controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the second transmission has an input portion and an output portion, the input portion is coupled to the motor, the output portion is coupled to one of an upstream side and a downstream side of the first transmission.

5. The bicycle controller according to claim 4 , wherein
the controller is configured to control the second transmission to change a transmission ratio of the input portion to the output portion, the second transmission having a plurality of transmission ratios and the controller being configured to select one transmission ratio of the plurality of transmission ratios.

6. The bicycle controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the second transmission is configured to be arranged in a housing that is attached to a crankshaft of the bicycle.

7. A bicycle controller configured to be mounted on a bicycle including a first transmission having at least two shift stages and configured to change a ratio of rotation of a wheel to rotation of a crank, a motor that provides assistance to human power input to the crank, and a second transmission configured to transmit a rotation force from the motor to a power transmission path extending from the crank to the wheel without changing the ratio of the rotation of the wheel to the rotation of the crank, the bicycle controller comprising:
an electronic control unit having a processor programmed to control the second transmission in accordance with a condition of the bicycle and one of a condition of the first transmission and a shift instruction to the first transmission, the condition of the bicycle including at least one of torque produced by the human power and a rotational speed of the crank and the motor,
the electronic control unit being configured to control the second transmission to increase a transmission ratio of the second transmission upon determining operation of the first transmission causes the rotational speed to exceed a first predetermined rotational speed.

8. The bicycle controller according to claim 7 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to predict, from the rotational speed and one of a condition of the first transmission and a shift instruction to the first transmission, whether or not the operation of the first transmission will cause the rotational speed to change to a value that exceeds the first predetermined rotational speed.

9. The bicycle controller according to claim 7 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to control the second transmission to increase a transmission ratio of the second transmission upon determining the rotational speed exceeds the first predetermined rotational speed without operating the first transmission.

10. A bicycle controller configured to be mounted on a bicycle including a first transmission having at least two shift stages and configured to change a ratio of rotation of a wheel to rotation of a crank, a motor that provides assistance to human power input to the crank, and a second transmission configured to transmit a rotation force from the motor to a power transmission path extending from the crank to the wheel without changing the ratio of the rotation of the wheel to the rotation of the crank, the bicycle controller comprising:
an electronic control unit having a processor programmed to control the second transmission in accordance with a condition of the bicycle and one of a condition of the first transmission and a shift instruction to the first transmission, the condition of the bicycle including at least one of torque produced by the human power and a rotational speed of the crank and the motor,
the electronic control unit being configured to control the second transmission to decrease a transmission ratio of the second transmission upon determining operation of the first transmission causes the rotational speed to be lower than a second predetermined rotational speed.

11. The bicycle controller according to claim 10 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to predict, from the rotational speed and one of a condition of the first transmission and a shift instruction to the first transmission, whether or not operation of the first transmission will cause the rotational speed to change to a value that is lower than the second predetermined rotational speed.

12. The bicycle controller according to claim 10 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to control the second transmission to decrease a transmission ratio of the second transmission upon determining the rotational speed becomes lower than the second predetermined rotational speed without operating the first transmission.

13. The bicycle controller according to claim 10 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to control the second transmission to increase a transmission ratio of the second transmission upon determining operation of the first transmission causes the rotational speed to exceed a first predetermined rotational speed, the first predetermined rotational speed is higher than the second predetermined rotational speed.

14. A bicycle controller configured to be mounted on a bicycle including a first transmission having at least two shift stages and configured to change a ratio of rotation of a wheel to rotation of a crank, a motor that provides assistance to human power input to the crank, and a second transmission configured to transmit a rotation force from the motor to a power transmission path extending from the crank to the wheel without changing the ratio of the rotation of the wheel to the rotation of the crank, the bicycle controller comprising:
an electronic control unit having a processor programmed to control the second transmission in accordance with a condition of the bicycle and one of a condition of the first transmission and a shift instruction to the first transmission, the condition of the bicycle including at least one of torque produced by the human power and a rotational speed of the crank and the motor,
the electronic control unit being configured to control the second transmission to increase a transmission ratio of the second transmission upon determ

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Yamamoto Takashi

Classifications

• F16H61/702

  using electric or electrohydraulic control means · CPC title

• B62M6/55 Primary

  power-driven at crank shafts parts · CPC title

• B60Y2200/13

  Bicycles; Tricycles · CPC title

• B62M6/50 Primary

  characterised by detectors or sensors, or arrangement thereof · CPC title

• B62M11/145

  built in, or adjacent to, the bottom bracket · CPC title