Bicycle control apparatus for bicycle assist device and bicycle assist device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9789927-B2
Application number	US-201514978125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2015
Priority date	Jan 15, 2015
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A bicycle control apparatus is provided for controlling a bicycle assist device. The bicycle control apparatus includes a controller that is configured to control an assist motor for assisting a manual drive force of a transmission with a plurality of sprockets. The controller is configured to control the output of the assist motor based on at least one of a rotational speed of a sprocket of the plurality of sprockets and a sprocket dimension in a shift region that is provided to the sprocket when the transmission performs a shifting operation to switch a chain between two of the plurality of sprockets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bicycle control apparatus for a bicycle assist device, comprising:
a controller configured to control an assist motor for assisting a manual drive force of a transmission with a plurality of sprockets,
the controller being configured to control the output of the assist motor based on at least one of a rotational speed of a sprocket of the plurality of sprockets and a sprocket dimension in a shift region that is provided to the sprocket when the transmission performs a shifting operation to switch a chain between two of the plurality of sprockets.

2. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein
the controller is further configured to selectively restrict the output of the assist motor and release the restriction on the output of the assist motor.

3. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 2 , wherein
the controller is further configured to restrict the output of the assist motor by one of stopping an operation of the assist motor, and reducing the output of the assist motor to be lower than that prior to the restriction of the output of the assist motor.

4. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 2 , wherein
the controller is further configured to release the restriction on the output of the assist motor by one of returning a ratio of the output of the assist motor with respect to the manual drive force to substantially the same magnitude as that prior to restricting the output of the assist motor, and increasing the ratio to be greater than that after restricting the output of the assist motor.

5. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 2 , wherein
the controller is further configured to control the assist motor so that a time from starting to restrict the output of the assist motor to releasing this restriction becomes shorter as one of the rotational speed of the sprocket and of a rotational speed of a crankshaft that is coupled to the sprocket increases when the transmission switches the chain between two of the plurality of sprockets.

6. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein
the controller is further configured to control the output of the assist motor based on both the rotational speed and the sprocket dimension in the shift region.

7. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 6 , wherein
the sprocket dimension in the shift region is at least one of a circumferential length between the shift regions that are adjacent in a circumferential direction of the sprocket and an angle between adjacent ones of the shift regions.

8. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 6 , wherein
the controller is further configured to determine a time required for shifting from the rotational speed and the sprocket dimension in the shift region, and the controller is further configured to restrict the output of the assist motor according to the determined time.

9. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein
the shifting operation of the transmission includes an operation of the transmission pushing the chain out in order to change the sprocket to which the chain is hung, and
the controller is configured to determine that the time that is required for the shift region to pass a prescribed position after the transmission pushes the chain is the time required for shifting.

10. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein
the shift region includes a first shift region that is used for an upshift operation of the transmission, and
the time required for shifting includes a first time that is required for the upshift operation of the transmission.

11. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein
the shift region includes a second shift region that is used for a downshift operation of the transmission, and
the time required for shifting includes a second time that is required for the downshift operation of the transmission.

12. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 6 , wherein
the controller is configured to determine a rotational angle of one of the sprocket that is required for shifting and a rotational angle of a crankshaft based on the sprocket dimension in the shift region, and the controller is configured to restrict the output of the assist motor according to the rotational angle that was determined.

13. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 12 , wherein
the shifting operation of the transmission includes an operation of the transmission pushing the chain out in order to change the sprocket to which the chain is hung, and
the controller is configured to determine the rotational angle required for shifting as one of a maximum rotational angle of the sprocket and a maximum rotational angle of the crankshaft that is required for the shift region to pass a prescribed position after the transmission pushes the chain out.

14. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 12 , wherein
the shift region includes a first shift region that is used for an upshift operation of the transmission, and
the controller is configured to determine a time required for shifting based on a first rotational angle that is required by the transmission for the upshift operation.

15. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 12 , wherein
the shift region includes a second shift region that is used for a downshift operation of the transmission, and
the controller is configured to determine a time required for shifting based on a second rotational angle that is required by the transmission for the downshift operation.

16. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to control the output of the assist motor before the transmission shifts gears.

17. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to control the output of the assist motor based on a detection result of a sensor for detecting an operation of a shift operation device for operating the transmission.

18. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein
the sprocket is a front sprocket, and
the transmission is a front transmission.

19. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 18 , wherein
the sprocket is configured to rotate synchronously with a crankshaft.

20. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 18 , wherein
the sprocket is configured to rotate asynchronously with a crankshaft.

21. The bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein
the assist motor provides a drive force to the sprocket.

22. A bicycle assist device comprising the bicycle control apparatus as recited in claim 1 , and further comprising the assist motor.

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Tsuchizawa Yasuhiro

Classifications

• B62M25/08

  with electrical or fluid transmitting systems · CPC title

• B62M6/45 Primary

  Control or actuating devices therefor · CPC title

• B62M9/132

  electrically or fluid actuated; Controls thereof · CPC title

• B62M9/06

  using a single chain, belt, or the like · CPC title