Bicycle control apparatus and bicycle driving device equipped with a control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018354583-A1
Application number	US-201816105537-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 20, 2018
Priority date	Aug 28, 2015
Publication date	Dec 13, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A bicycle control apparatus is provided that can improve the stability of the behavior of a bicycle. The bicycle control apparatus includes a controller that is configured to reduce the output of a motor when a rear wheel of a bicycle is in a prescribed state. The prescribed state is a state in which a load of the rear wheel is determined to be less than a prescribed load for a duration of time that is equal to or more than a prescribed time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A bicycle control apparatus comprising:
the controller is configured to reduce the output of a motor when a rear wheel of a bicycle is in a prescribed state, the prescribed state being a state in which a load of the rear wheel is determined to be less than a prescribed load for a duration of time that is equal to or more than a prescribed time.

2 . The control apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein
the motor assists a manual drive force.

3 . The control apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein
the prescribed load is in the vicinity of zero kg.

4 . The control apparatus as recited in claim 1 , further comprising
a load sensor for detecting the load that is applied to the rear wheel.

5 . The control apparatus as recited in claim 4 , wherein
the load sensor is disposed between a hub and an axle of the rear wheel.

6 . The control apparatus as recited in claim 5 , wherein
the load sensor is a load cell that outputs to the controller a signal corresponding to pressure that is applied from the rear wheel to the load sensor.

7 . The control apparatus as recited in claim 2 , further comprising
a storage unit storing an output map that defines a relationship between the output of the motor and the manual drive force as well as the bicycle speed.

8 . The control apparatus as recited in claim 7 , wherein
the controller reduces the output of the motor to be less than an output that is calculated from the output map upon determining the rear wheel is in the prescribed state.

9 . A bicycle driving device including the bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 2 , further comprising:
the motor operatively controlled by the controller.

10 . The bicycle driving device as recited in claim 9 , wherein
the motor is configured to transmit a drive force to a drive path between a crankshaft and a front sprocket.

11 . The bicycle driving device as recited in claim 9 , wherein
the motor is operatively coupled to at least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel of a bicycle.

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Ichida Tadashi
• Miyoshi Hiroyuki
• Watarai Etsuyoshi

Classifications

• B62J45/4152

  for sensing longitudinal inclination of the cycle · CPC title

• B62M6/45 Primary

  Control or actuating devices therefor · CPC title

• B62K25/00

  Axle suspensions (for vehicles in general B60G) · CPC title

• B62M6/55

  power-driven at crank shafts parts · CPC title

• B62M6/50 Primary

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