Brake controller and brake system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10967931-B2
Application number	US-201816175632-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2018
Priority date	Nov 2, 2017
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

To provide a brake controller and a brake system that appropriately brake a rotary body of a human-powered vehicle, a brake controller includes one or more processors configured to programmatically control a braking portion of a brake device so that the braking portion brakes a rotary body of the human-powered vehicle based on first information related to travel of the human-powered vehicle, the first information excluding a road surface gradient.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A brake controller, comprising:
one or more processors configured to programmatically control a caliper of a brake so that the caliper brakes a rotary body of a human-powered vehicle based on first information related to travel of the human-powered vehicle, the first information excluding a road surface gradient, wherein
the brake controller determines an automatic braking mode of the caliper based on second information that is related to travel of the human-powered vehicle and is different from the first information,
the second information includes one or more of the group consisting of information related to operation of a hand brake mounted on the human-powered vehicle, information related to a road surface state, information related to an inclination angle of the human-powered vehicle, information related to a rotation state of a crank of the human-powered vehicle, information related to a load on the human-powered vehicle, information related to vibration of the human-powered vehicle, and information related to traction of a drive wheel of the human-powered vehicle, and
in a case where the second information does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the brake controller is configured to not programmatically control the caliper regardless of the first information.

2. The brake controller according to claim 1 , wherein the first information includes information related to a travel speed of the human-powered vehicle.

3. The brake controller according to claim 2 , wherein the brake controller programmatically controls the caliper in a case where the travel speed based on the first information is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed.

4. The brake controller according to claim 3 , wherein in the case where the travel speed based on the first information is greater than or equal to the predetermined speed, the brake controller programmatically controls the caliper so that the travel speed is changed to be less than the predetermined speed.

5. The brake controller according to claim 3 , further configured to set the predetermined speed.

6. The brake controller according to claim 5 , wherein the brake controller sets the predetermined speed based on an input from an input device operated by a user.

7. The brake controller according to claim 5 , wherein the brake controller sets the predetermined speed based on the second information.

8. The brake controller according to claim 1 , wherein the information related to a road surface state includes information related to a road surface gradient.

9. The brake controller according to claim 1 , wherein the information related to a road surface state includes information related to a road surface irregularity.

10. The brake controller according to claim 1 , wherein the information related to a road surface state includes information related to a road surface friction.

11. The brake controller according to claim 1 , wherein the information related to the inclination angle includes information related to an inclination angle in a front-rear direction of the human-powered vehicle.

12. The brake controller according to claim 1 , wherein the information related to the inclination angle includes information related to an inclination angle in a sideward direction of the human-powered vehicle.

13. The brake controller according to claim 1 , wherein the information related to the rotation state includes information related to a rotation direction of the crank.

14. The brake controller according to claim 1 , wherein the information related to the rotation state includes information related to a rotation speed of the crank.

15. The brake controller according to claim 1 , wherein the information related to the load includes information related to a load on a saddle of the human-powered vehicle.

16. The brake controller according to claim 1 , wherein the information related to the load includes information related to a load on a pedal of the human-powered vehicle.

17. The brake controller according to claim 1 , wherein the information related to the load includes information related to a load on a handlebar of the human-powered vehicle.

18. A brake system comprising:
the brake controller according to claim 1 ; and
the brake, including:
the caliper; and
an electric motor that drives the caliper.

19. The brake controller according to claim 1 , further comprising a switch configured to activate or deactivate the programmatic control of the caliper, the switch being operable by a rider of the human-powered vehicle.

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Nishino Takafumi
• Takahashi Toshihiko
• Nago Daisuke
• Takayama Hitoshi
• Nakakura Masahiro

Classifications

• B62M6/55

  power-driven at crank shafts parts · CPC title

• B60T8/1706 Primary

  for single-track vehicles, e.g. motorcycles · CPC title

• B60T8/17

  Using electrical or electronic regulation means to control braking {(detecting or indicating faulty operation B60T8/885)} · CPC title

• B62L1/02 Primary

  in which cycle wheels are engaged by brake elements · CPC title

• B62L3/02

  for control by a hand lever (hand levers for control of cycles in general B62K23/06) · CPC title