Bicycle control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9751589-B2
Application number	US-201414446864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2014
Priority date	Oct 29, 2013
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A bicycle control apparatus is basically provided for controlling a bicycle having a drive assistance electric motor. The bicycle control apparatus includes a manual drive force detector, a rotational state detector and a controller. The manual drive force detector detects a manual drive force. The rotational state detector detects a rotational state of the crank. The controller issues a command for controlling a drive assistance force to be outputted by the drive assistance electric motor in accordance with the manual drive force detected by the manual drive force detector. The controller controls the drive assistance force to delay a reduction in the drive assistance force in relation to a reduction in the manual drive force upon determining the manual drive force is reduced, and controls the delay in the reduction of the drive assistance force in accordance with the rotational state of the crank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bicycle control apparatus for controlling a bicycle having a crank and a drive assistance electric motor, the bicycle controller comprising:
a manual drive force detector configured to detect a manual drive force;
a rotational state detector configured to detect a rotational state of the crank; and
a controller programmed to issue a command for controlling a drive assistance force to be outputted by the drive assistance electric motor in accordance with the manual drive force detected by the manual drive force detector,
the controller being configured to
control the drive assistance force so as to delay a reduction in the drive assistance force in relation to a reduction in the manual drive force upon determining the manual drive force is reduced, and
control the delay in the reduction of the drive assistance force by correcting the drive assistance force in accordance with a time constant that corresponds to the rotational state of the crank detected by the rotational state detector.

2. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the rotational state detector detects a rotational speed or a rotational period of the crank as the rotational state.

3. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller controls the drive assistance force so that as the rotational speed becomes higher or as the rotational period speed becomes shorter, the delay in the reduction of the drive assistance force is lessened in relation to the reduction in the manual drive force.

4. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller controls the drive assistance electric motor to output the drive assistance force equal to or greater than a base drive assistance force set in accordance with the manual drive force upon determining the manual drive force is reduced.

5. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the controller controls the drive assistance electric motor to output the drive assistance force equal to or greater than a base drive assistance force set in accordance with the manual drive force upon determining the manual drive force is reduced, and
the controller performs a control so that as the rotational speed becomes higher or as the rotational period speed becomes shorter, the drive assistance force approaches the base drive assistance force.

6. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the controller corrects the base drive assistance force in accordance with the rotational state to obtain the drive assistance force.

7. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the controller corrects the base drive assistance force based on correction information that corresponds to the rotational state.

8. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the controller corrects the base drive assistance force using a filter having a time constant that corresponds to the time constant.

9. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the controller sets the time constant such that as the rotational speed becomes higher or as the rotational period speed becomes shorter, the time constant is smaller.

10. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the controller corrects the manual drive force in accordance with the rotational state, and controls the drive assistance electric motor to output the drive assistance force that corresponds to the corrected manual drive force.

11. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
the controller corrects the manual drive force based on correction information that corresponds to the rotational state.

12. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
the controller corrects the manual drive force using a filter having the time constant that corresponds to the rotational state.

13. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein
the controller sets the time constant such that as the rotational speed becomes higher or as the rotational period speed becomes shorter, the time constant is smaller.

14. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a shift state detector configure to detect a shift state of the bicycle, the controller the drive assistance force in accordance with the shift state.

15. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein
the shift state detector detects a gear step or gear ratio of the bicycle as the shift state.

16. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein
the controller controls the drive assistance force so that as the gear ratio becomes higher, the delay in the reduction of the drive assistance force is lessened.

17. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller controls the drive assistance force in accordance with a peak value of the manual drive force.

18. The bicycle control apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein
the controller controls the drive assistance force so that as the peak value becomes higher, the delay in the reduction of the drive assistance force is lessened.

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Tsuchizawa Yasuhiro

Classifications

• B62M2003/006

  Crank arrangements to overcome dead points · CPC title

• B62M6/50

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

• B62M6/45 Primary

  Control or actuating devices therefor · CPC title

• B62M6/55

  power-driven at crank shafts parts · CPC title

• B62M25/04

  hand actuated · CPC title