electric motorcycles

Abstract

The present invention provides an electric motorcycle comprising a power motor, a gearbox, a shift motor, a clutch actuation sensor, and a controller. The gearbox includes a gear set driven by the power motor, a clutch for shifting the gears of the gear set, and an actuating member that drives the clutch. The clutch actuation sensor detects the actuation status of the actuating member and transmits a signal based on the actuation status of the actuating member. The controller receives the signal from the clutch actuation sensor and controls the actuation of the shift motor. This ensures that the actuating member has rotated to its designated position, ensuring smooth automatic gear shifting of the electric motorcycle and preventing mechanical damage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric vehicle, and more particularly to an electric motorcycle with a gear shifting function. Background Art

[0002] See Figure 1 Typically, electric vehicles use an electric motor 11 as their power source, which drives axles or chains via a transmission mechanism 12. The transmission mechanism 12 includes an input gear 121 located at the end of the electric motor 11's rotating shaft, an output shaft 122 spaced from the electric motor 11's rotating shaft and capable of driving the chain or axle, and an output gear 123 mounted on the output shaft 122 and meshing with the input gear 121. The transmission mechanism 12 has a simple structure and, combined with the high torque of the electric motor 11, produces excellent starting acceleration. However, the transmission mechanism 12 has a fixed gear ratio, making it unable to change gears to suit different driving habits and driving situations. This significantly limits the speed range and affects the driving experience.

[0003] Furthermore, motorcycles with electronic shifting, which utilize a shift motor to pull a cable to drive a lever, thereby transmitting a clutch to shift up or down, often utilize a bracket to hold the cable in place, and a retaining plate on the bracket to limit the lever's rotation angle. However, if the retaining plate is not positioned accurately during assembly, the lever's retaining plate can impact the bracket during rotation, deforming it and, in worse cases, causing the lever to misalign. Furthermore, the retaining plate only serves a limiting function. If the cable breaks, the lever and the entire shift mechanism become inoperable, making it impossible to ensure proper engagement during shifting. This can hinder the mechanism's operation, damage components, and even create safety issues. Summary of the Invention

[0004] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric motorcycle that can ensure that gears are shifted into place.

[0006] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0007] The electric motorcycle of the present invention comprises a power motor, a gearbox, a shift motor, a clutch actuation sensor, and a controller. The gearbox includes a gear set driven by the power motor, a clutch for shifting the gears of the gear set, and an actuating member that drives the clutch. The clutch actuation sensor detects the actuation status of the actuating member and transmits a signal based on the actuation status of the actuating member. The controller receives the signal from the clutch actuation sensor and controls the actuation of the shift motor.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the gearbox further comprises a pushing member that can be pushed by the actuator and displaced along its own axial direction, and a push pin connected to the clutch and can be pushed by the pushing member. The actuator is recessed inward from its outer circumference to form a cam groove. The pushing member has a protrusion that protrudes into the cam groove and abuts against the actuator. When the actuator rotates, it can push the protrusion, causing the pushing member to move along its own axial direction and push the push pin.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the clutch has an outer plate, an inner plate coaxially arranged with the outer plate, a driven plate movably located between the outer plate and the inner plate and linked to the push pin, and a plurality of friction plates located between the inner plate and the driven plate. The actuator can drive the push pin by rotating the protrusion, so that the inner plate and the driven plate clamp the plurality of friction plates, thereby causing the transmission to shift up, or cause the inner plate and the driven plate to release the plurality of friction plates, thereby causing the transmission to shift down.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cam groove has a first position and a second position. When the cam groove abuts the protrusion in the first position, the transmission shifts up. If the clutch actuation sensor detects that the cam groove abuts the protrusion in the first position, a first voltage signal is transmitted to the controller. When the cam groove abuts the protrusion in the second position, the protrusion is pushed by the actuating member and drives the push pin to move, causing the transmission to shift down. If the clutch actuation sensor detects that the cam groove abuts the protrusion in the second position, a second voltage signal is transmitted to the controller.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the actuator has a shaft portion that defines the cam groove, and a positioning protrusion arranged on the shaft portion. The clutch actuation sensor has a main body portion, a rotating portion pivotally arranged in the main body portion, and a sensing portion arranged in the main body portion. The rotating portion is recessed to form a positioning groove for inserting the positioning protrusion. The sensing portion can detect the angular position of the rotating portion relative to the main body portion and transmit the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the electric motorcycle further includes a bracket fixed on the gearbox and extending in a height direction, and the clutch actuation sensor is provided on the bracket.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, the clutch actuation sensor is located above the actuating member.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the clutch actuation sensor is located below the actuating member.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, the clutch actuation sensor is located on the side of the actuating member.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, the shift motor drives the actuator to rotate via a cable or a connecting rod.

[0017] [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The present invention has the following advantages: the clutch actuation sensor can detect the actuation state of the actuating member to confirm whether the actuating member has rotated to a fixed position. When it is detected that the actuating member is not in position, the controller controls the shift motor to actuate so that the shift motor drives the actuating member to continue rotating until it is in position, thereby reliably connecting the clutch and switching the gear set to the correct gear position, ensuring that the electric motorcycle can automatically shift gears to the correct position and avoiding wear and tear of the components.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present invention, the function is that when the actuator rotates, the cam groove can drive the push member to push or not push the push pin along its own axis, thereby controlling the clutch, so that the electric motorcycle can be switched between first gear and second gear.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present invention, its effect is that when the protrusion abuts against the first position of the cam groove, the pushing member will not push the push pin, so that the inner disc body is pushed by the spring and approaches the driven disc, thereby clamping the multiple friction plates with the driven disc, and the multiple friction plates are in a pressed state, so that the gear set shifts up to the second gear; when the protrusion abuts against the second position of the cam groove, the pushing member pushes the push pin, so that the driven disc is pushed away from the inner disc body and leans against the outer disc body, thereby no longer clamping the multiple friction plates, and the multiple friction plates are in a loose state, so that the gear set shifts down to the first gear.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present invention, the clutch actuation sensor can determine the gear position based on whether the protrusion abuts the first position or the second position of the cam groove, and respectively send a first voltage signal and a second voltage signal to the controller. When no corresponding voltage signal is received, the controller controls the shift motor to rotate the actuating member to the position.

[0022] In some embodiments of the present invention, the function is that the actuator drives the rotating part of the clutch actuator sensor to rotate via the positioning protrusion, and the sensing part thereby determines the angular position of the actuator to confirm whether the actuator is against the protrusion in the first position or the second position.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present invention, the bracket can be fixedly mounted on the housing of the gearbox by screwing, and can be easily assembled and disassembled and quickly replaced as needed.

[0024] In some embodiments of the present invention, the clutch actuation sensor is designed to be located above the actuating member, thereby avoiding interference with or changes in the oil circuit design of the transmission, thereby reducing the complexity of the mechanism design.

[0025] In some embodiments of the present invention, the clutch actuation sensor is designed to be located above or to the side of the actuating member, thereby avoiding interference with the storage box above and reducing the complexity of the configuration. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Other features and effects of the present invention will be clearly presented in the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a transmission mechanism of a conventional electric vehicle;

[0028] Figure 2 is a top view illustrating an embodiment of the electric motorcycle of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the internal component arrangement of a gearbox of this embodiment;

[0030] Figure 4 It is an incomplete three-dimensional diagram, indicating Figure 2 three-dimensional form;

[0031] Figure 5 is a top cross-sectional view illustrating the embodiment when shifting to the second gear;

[0032] Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating an actuating member of the embodiment;

[0033] Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the cross-sectional appearance of the actuator;

[0034] Figure 8 is an incomplete three-dimensional diagram illustrating the actuating member and a clutch actuating sensor cooperating therewith;

[0035] Figure 9 is a top cross-sectional view illustrating the embodiment when shifting to first gear; and

[0036] Figure 10 It is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating another aspect of this embodiment.

[0037] Reference Signs List

[0038] 2····Power motor

[0039] 3. Gearbox

[0040] 31···Power input shaft

[0041] 32···Power take-off shaft

[0042] 33···Gear set

[0043] 331···First gear input gear

[0044] 332···Second gear input gear

[0045] 333···First gear output gear

[0046] 334···Second gear output gear

[0047] 34···Clutch

[0048] 341···Outer disk

[0049] 342···Inner disc

[0050] 343···driven disc

[0051] 344···Friction plate

[0052] 345···Spring

[0053] 346···Press Plate

[0054] 35···Actuating parts

[0055] 351···Shaft

[0056] 352···Operation Department

[0057] 353···Positioning the convex part

[0058] 354···Cam groove

[0059] 36···Push piece

[0060] 361···Prominence

[0061] 37···Promotion

[0062] 38···One-way clutch

[0063] 4····Shift motor

[0064] 5. Bracket

[0065] 6. Controller

[0066] 7····Clutch actuation sensor

[0067] 71···Main body

[0068] 72···Rotating part

[0069] 721···Positioning slot

[0070] 73···Sensor unit

[0071] A····First position

[0072] B····Second position

[0073] C····Storage box. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] See Figure 2 、 Figure 3 ,and Figure 4 , an embodiment of the electric motorcycle of the present invention, comprises a power motor 2, a gearbox 3 driven by the power motor 2, a shift motor 4 for driving the gear shifting function of the gearbox 3, a bracket 5 fixed to the side of the gearbox 3 and extending in the height direction, a controller 6 connected to the shift motor 4 by signal, and a clutch actuation sensor 7 fixed to the bracket 5 and connected to the controller 6 by signal. In this embodiment, the power motor 2, the housing of the gearbox 3, and the shift motor 4 are all fixed to the frame of the electric motorcycle directly or via a fixing frame. However, their configuration and fixing method are not the focus of this embodiment and are therefore not shown in the figure and will not be described in detail here.

[0075] See Figure 3 and Figure 5 The gearbox 3 includes a power input shaft 31 connected to the power motor 2 at one end and extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, a power output shaft 32 parallel to the power input shaft 31 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, a gear set 33 arranged on the power input shaft 31 and the power output shaft 32, a clutch 34 arranged on the power input shaft 31, an actuating member 35 arranged in the left-right direction on the side of the power input shaft 31 not connected to the power motor 2, a pushing member 36 slidably inserted in the power input shaft 31 and abutting against the actuating member 35, a push pin 37 linked to the clutch 34 and slidably arranged in the power input shaft 31, and a one-way clutch member 38 arranged on the power output shaft 32.

[0076] The gear set 33 includes a first-gear input gear 331 fixed to the power input shaft 31, a second-gear input gear 332 rotatably mounted on the power input shaft 31, a first-gear output gear 333 mounted on the one-way clutch 38 and meshing with the first-gear input gear 331, and a second-gear output gear 334 fixed to the power output shaft 32 and meshing with the second-gear input gear 332. The one-way clutch 38 is a one-way bearing that allows the first-gear output gear 333 to rotate relative to the power output shaft 32 when a speed difference occurs between the power output shaft 32 and the first-gear output gear 333. This means that the power output shaft 32 no longer drives the first-gear output gear 333. The clutch 34 comprises an outer disc 341 mounted on the power input shaft 31 and fixedly connected to the second-speed input gear 332; an inner disc 342 fixed to the power input shaft 31 and positioned horizontally between the outer disc 341 and the actuator 35; a driven disc 343 movably mounted on the power input shaft 31 and positioned between the outer disc 341 and the inner disc 342; and a plurality of friction plates 344 mounted on the power input shaft 31 and positioned between the inner disc 342 and the driven disc 343. The clutch 34 is urged by a plurality of springs 345 mounted on the driven disc 343, forcing the driven disc 343 and the inner disc 342 toward each other, thereby clamping the friction plates 344. (In actual configuration, a plurality of pressure plates 346 interlaced with and connected to the outer disc 341 may be positioned between the friction plates 344.) The driven plate 343 is linked to the push pin 37 , and the two can slide together on the power input shaft 31 .

[0077] See Figure 5 、 Figure 6 ,and Figure 7The actuator 35 comprises a shaft portion 351 rotatable relative to the housing of the transmission case 3, an operating portion 352 extending radially through the shaft portion 351, and a positioning projection 353 projecting upward from the top of the shaft portion 351 and having a rectangular cross-section. The shaft portion 351 is recessed inward from its outer circumference to form a cam groove 354. This cam groove 354 has a first position A and a second position B at the end of the cam groove 354. The push member 36 is positioned between the actuator 35 and the push pin 37 in the left-right direction and comprises a protrusion 361 that extends into the cam groove 354 and abuts against the actuator 35. Because the push member 36 is inserted into the power input shaft 31, its freedom of movement is limited to the axial direction of the power input shaft 31 (which is also its own axial direction). In this embodiment, when the protrusion 361 is fully extended into the cam groove 354 , the protrusion 361 abuts the first position A. When the actuator 35 rotates to push the protrusion 361 out of the cam groove 354 , the protrusion 361 abuts the second position B.

[0078] Refer back Figure 2 、 Figure 4 ,and Figure 8 The shift motor 4 is mounted above the transmission case 3 and is linked to the operating portion 352 via a cable or connecting rod, thereby driving the actuator 35 to rotate about its own axis. The clutch actuation sensor 7 comprises a main body 71 fixed to the bracket 5 and positioned above the actuator 35, a rotating portion 72 pivotally mounted within the main body 71, and a sensing portion 73 disposed within the main body 71. The rotating portion 72 is recessed upward from its bottom surface to form a positioning slot 721 into which the positioning protrusion 353 is inserted. Because the positioning slot 721 is non-circular, the positioning protrusion 353 rotates, driving the rotating portion 72 to rotate via the positioning slot 721. The sensing portion 73 detects the angular position of the rotating portion 72 relative to the main body 71 and transmits a voltage signal.

[0079] The following describes the operation of this embodiment: Figure 2 、 Figure 3 ,and Figure 5 , when the protrusion 361 is as Figure 5When abutting the first position A, the protrusion 361 is close to the actuator 35 and does not push the push pin 37. At this time, the spring 345 on the driven plate 343 forces the driven plate 343 and the inner plate 342 toward each other, thereby clamping the multiple friction plates 344 (and the multiple pressure plates 346). As a result, when the power input shaft 31 rotates, the outer plate 341 rotates, thereby rotating the second-gear input gear 332. The second-gear input gear 332 rotates the meshing second-gear output gear 334, thereby driving the power output shaft 32 to rotate. At this time, the one-way clutch 38, due to the speed difference between the power output shaft 32 and the first-gear output gear 333, prevents the first-gear output gear 333 from being driven by the power output shaft 32, thus preventing damage caused by the speed difference between the gears, or even malfunction. After completing the above-mentioned operation, the transmission 3 completes the upshift, and the gear set 33 is said to have shifted up to second gear. The clutch actuation sensor 7 detects that the actuating member 35 is in the aforementioned second gear position and transmits a first voltage signal (2V in this embodiment) to the controller 6, thereby confirming that the actuating member 35 is in position. If the user switches to second gear through operation, but the controller 6 does not receive the first voltage signal, the controller 6 will control the shift motor 4 to continue rotating the actuating member 35 until the clutch actuation sensor 7 detects that the actuating member 35 has rotated to the correct position (i.e., in the first position A, pressing against the protrusion 361) and transmits the first voltage signal.

[0080] Next see Figure 2 、 Figure 3 ,and Figure 9 When the user switches the gear to the first gear, the shift motor 4 will control the actuator 35 to rotate until Figure 9As shown, the second position B abuts against the protrusion 361. The aforementioned process causes the pushing member 36 to be pushed by the actuator 35 and move along its own axial direction, and push the push pin 37 to move toward the direction of the power motor 2. Since the push pin 37 can drive the driven plate 343, the driven plate 343 will also move with the push pin 37, which will cause the driven plate 343 to move away from the inner plate body 342 and closer to the outer plate body 341, thereby compressing the spring 345 on the driven plate 343 and no longer clamping the multiple friction plates 344. (and the multiple pressure plates 346). When the multiple friction plates 344 (and the multiple pressure plates 346) are released, the power input shaft 31 no longer drives the outer disc 341 to rotate. Consequently, the second-gear input gear 332 connected to the outer disc 341 is not driven, and only the first-gear input gear 331 is driven to rotate. Since there is no longer a speed difference, the one-way clutch 38 does not produce a clutching effect. In other words, the first-gear input gear 331 can drive the first-gear output gear 333 to rotate, thereby driving the power output shaft 32. After completing the above-mentioned action, the transmission 3 completes the downshift, and the gear set 33 is said to be downshifted to first gear. The clutch actuation sensor 7 detects that the actuating member 35 is in the aforementioned first gear position and transmits a second voltage signal (2.7V in this embodiment) to the controller 6, confirming that the actuating member 35 is in position. If the user switches to the first gear by operation, but the controller 6 does not receive the second voltage signal, the controller 6 will control the shift motor 4 to continue to drive the actuator 35 to rotate until the clutch actuation sensor 7 detects that the actuator 35 rotates to the correct position (i.e., pushes against the protrusion 361 at the second position B) and transmits the second voltage signal.

[0081] The present invention can detect at any time whether the actuator 35 is in the correct position by means of the above mechanism, so as to ensure that the user switches to the correct gear and avoid the problem of wear and tear or transmission malfunction during operation due to the failure of the mechanism to be in the correct position. Figure 3 、 Figure 8 ,and Figure 10 It should be noted that the gearbox 3 is usually provided with a lubricating oil circuit, and the clutch actuation sensor 7 is as shown in FIG. Figure 3 The arrangement above the actuator 35 shown in FIG. 1 can avoid interference with the lubricating oil circuit, thereby reducing the complexity of the mechanism configuration in design. On the other hand, the clutch actuation sensor 7 can also be as shown in FIG. Figure 10As shown, the clutch actuation sensor 7 is positioned below (or to the side of) the actuator 35. This configuration eliminates the need for interference with the storage compartment C above, thereby increasing the space available for the storage compartment C. When the clutch actuation sensor 7 is positioned to the side of the actuator 35, the positioning protrusion 353 can be modified to protrude radially from the outer circumference of the actuator 35, while the rotating portion 72 and the positioning groove 721 of the clutch actuation sensor 7 are modified to two buttons protruding in the same direction. When the positioning protrusion 353 contacts different buttons, it indicates that the vehicle has shifted to first or second gear, triggering the first voltage signal or the second voltage signal. The aforementioned configurations can be selected based on other requirements of the electric motorcycle, increasing design flexibility and versatility.

[0082] In summary, the electric motorcycle of the present invention can ensure that when the user switches between first and second gears, the actuator 35 can rotate to the correct position to switch the gear set 33 to the correct gear position, thereby avoiding failure or loss of mechanical power transmission, improving the riding experience and safety, and thus truly achieving the purpose of the present invention.

[0083] The above descriptions are merely embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Any simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the claims and description of the present invention are still within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electric motorcycle, characterized in that: Include: a power motor; a gearbox comprising a gear set driven by the power motor, a clutch for shifting gears of the gear set, an actuating member for driving the clutch, and a pushing member pushed by the actuating member, wherein the actuating member is recessed inwardly from an outer circumference to form a cam groove, the pushing member has a protrusion extending into the cam groove and abutting against the actuating member, the cam groove having a first position and a second position; a shift motor operable to drive the actuating member; a clutch actuation sensor for detecting the actuation state of the actuating member and transmitting a signal according to the actuation state of the actuating member; and A controller receives a signal from the clutch actuation sensor and controls the actuation of the shift motor. If the clutch actuation sensor detects that the cam groove abuts the protrusion at the first position, a first voltage signal is transmitted to the controller. If the clutch actuation sensor detects that the cam groove abuts the protrusion at the second position, a second voltage signal is transmitted to the controller.

2. The electric motorcycle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pushing member can be pushed by the actuating member and displaced along its own axial direction. The gearbox also includes a push pin connected to the clutch and pushed by the pushing member. When the actuating member rotates, it can push the protrusion, causing the pushing member to move along its own axial direction and push the push pin.

3. The electric motorcycle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The clutch comprises an outer plate, an inner plate coaxially arranged with the outer plate, a driven plate movably located between the outer plate and the inner plate and linked to the push pin, and a plurality of friction plates located between the inner plate and the driven plate. The actuator can drive the push pin by rotating the protrusion, so that the inner plate and the driven plate clamp the plurality of friction plates, thereby causing the transmission to shift up, or cause the inner plate and the driven plate to release the plurality of friction plates, thereby causing the transmission to shift down.

4. The electric motorcycle according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the cam groove abuts against the protrusion at the first position, the gearbox is shifted up; when the cam groove abuts against the protrusion at the second position, the protrusion is pushed by the actuator to move the push pin, causing the gearbox to shift down.

5. The electric motorcycle according to claim 4, characterized in that: The actuator has a shaft portion that defines the cam groove and a positioning protrusion arranged on the shaft portion. The clutch actuation sensor has a main body portion, a rotating portion pivotally arranged in the main body portion, and a sensing portion arranged in the main body portion. The rotating portion is recessed to form a positioning groove for the positioning protrusion to be inserted. The sensing portion can detect the angular position of the rotating portion relative to the main body portion and transmit the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal.

6. The electric motorcycle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The invention also comprises a bracket which is fixed on the gearbox and extends in the height direction, and the bracket is used for arranging the clutch actuation sensor.

7. The electric motorcycle according to claim 5, characterized in that: The clutch actuation sensor is located above the actuating member.

8. The electric motorcycle according to claim 5, characterized in that: The clutch actuation sensor is located below the actuating member.

9. The electric motorcycle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clutch actuation sensor is located on the side of the actuating member.

10. The electric motorcycle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shift motor drives the actuator to rotate via a steel cable or a connecting rod.

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