Human-powered vehicle control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11377166-B2
Application number	US-201916362762-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2019
Priority date	Mar 29, 2018
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

A human-powered vehicle control device includes an electronic controller that controls a motor assisting in propulsion of a human-powered vehicle including a crank. The controller changes an assist force ratio generated by the motor to human drive force input to the crank accordingly to the human drive force and a crank rotational speed. The controller increases the ratio as the human drive force increases while the crank rotational speed is constant and the human drive force is in a first range. The controller controls the motor so that the ratio is larger for a case where the human drive force is a first predetermined value in a first range and the crank rotational speed is in a second range than for a case where the human drive force is the first predetermined value and the crank rotational speed is in a third range higher than the second range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A human-powered vehicle control device comprising:
an electronic controller configured to control a motor that assists in propulsion of a human-powered vehicle including a crank,
the electronic controller being configured to change a ratio of an assist force generated by the motor to a human drive force inputted to the crank in correspondence with the human drive force and a rotational speed of the crank,
the electronic controller being configured to increase the ratio as the human drive force increases when the rotational speed of the crank is constant and the human drive force is included in a first range, and
the electronic controller being configured to control the motor so that the ratio is larger when the human drive force is a first predetermined value included in a first range and the rotational speed of the crank is included in a second range than when the human drive force is the first predetermined value and the rotational speed of the crank is included in a third range that is higher than the second range.

2. The human-powered vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first range includes at least part of a range in which the human drive force is 0 Nm or greater and 40 Nm or less.

3. The human-powered vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the second range includes at least part of a range in which the rotational speed of the crank is 0 rps or greater and 7/6 rps or less.

4. The human-powered vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
at least part of the third range includes a range in which the rotational speed of the crank exceeds 7/6 rps.

5. The human-powered vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic controller is configured to control the motor so that the assist force does not exceed a predetermined first value.

6. The human-powered vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic controller is configured to drive the motor so that the ratio differs when the human drive force increases from the ratio when the human drive force decreases while the rotational speed of the crank is constant and the human drive force is a second predetermined value included in the first range.

7. The human-powered vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the second range at least partially differs when the rotational speed of the crank increases from the second range when the rotational speed of the crank decreases, and
the third range at least partially differs when the rotational speed of the crank increases from the third range when the rotational speed of the crank decreases.

8. The human-powered vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic controller is configured to drive the motor in correspondence with the human drive force and the rotational speed of the crank when the rotational speed of the crank becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined second value.

9. The human-powered vehicle control device according to claim 8 , wherein
the predetermined second value is a value in a range of 1/60 rps or greater and 1/6 rps or less.

10. The human-powered vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic controller is configured to control the motor so that the ratio becomes equal to a target ratio obtained by multiplying a reference ratio corresponding to the human driven force by a constant determined in correspondence with the rotational speed of the crank.

11. The human-powered vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic controller is configured to control the motor so that the ratio does not exceed a predetermined upper limit value.

12. The human-powered vehicle control device according to claim 11 , wherein
the electronic controller is configured to control the motor in a plurality of control states, each of the control states having a different predetermined upper limit value.

13. The human-powered vehicle control device according to claim 12 , wherein
the control states include a first control state and a second control state in which the predetermined upper limit value of the second control state is lower than that of the first control state, and
the electronic controller is configured to control the motor so that the ratio is larger when the rotational speed of the crank is less than or equal to a predetermined third value while controlling the motor in the second control state than when the rotational speed of the crank is greater than or equal to a fourth value that is greater than the predetermined third value while controlling the motor in the first control state.

14. A human-powered vehicle control device comprising:
an electronic controller configured to control a motor that assists in propulsion of a human-powered vehicle, wherein
the electronic controller being configured to change a ratio of an assist force generated by the motor to human drive force input to the human-powered vehicle in correspondence with the human drive force, and
the electronic controller being configured to control the motor so that the ratio differs when the human drive force increases from when the human drive force decreases while the human drive force is included in a first range,
the electronic controller being configured to increase the ratio as the human-powered, driving force increases and to decrease the ratio as the human-powered driving force decreases, the ratio of the change in the ratio to the change in the human-powered driving force being finite while the human drive force is included in the first range.

15. The human-powered vehicle control device according to claim 14 , wherein
the electronic controller is configured to control the motor so that the ratio is smaller when the human-driven force increases than when the human-driven force decreases while the human drive force is included in the first range.

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Terashima Keiji

Classifications

• B62J45/421 Primary

  at the pedal crank · CPC title

• B62J45/412

  Speed sensors · CPC title

• B62M6/45

  Control or actuating devices therefor · CPC title

• B62M6/70

  power-driven at single endless flexible member, e.g. chain, between cycle crankshaft and wheel axle, the motor engaging the endless flexible member · CPC title

• B62M6/50

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