Auxiliary brake system and electric scooter using the same

Abstract

The present invention provides an auxiliary braking system including a motor control device, a sensing device, an auxiliary braking device and an output device. The motor control device receives a mechanical braking signal and an acceleration signal. The acceleration signal controls the rotational speed of the motor to generate a vehicle speed signal. The sensing device is used to sense a vehicle body balance signal and a vehicle speed signal. The auxiliary braking device is used to generate an auxiliary braking signal. The output device is used to output an acceleration signal to drive the motor and an auxiliary braking signal to control the motor to brake. When the vehicle speed signal does not decelerate with the mechanical braking signal, the motor control device adjusts the acceleration signal through the vehicle body balance signal, and outputs an auxiliary braking signal through the output device to brake by means of the motor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to electric vehicles, and more particularly to an auxiliary braking system and an electric scooter using the auxiliary braking system. Background Art

[0002] Electric vehicles typically brake using a mechanical brake device, such as a brake handle or rear brake pedal. The brake handle is operated by the rider's hand to activate the mechanical brake device, applying the brakes to the wheels. Rear brake pedals are commonly used on electric scooters. The rider applies the brakes by pressing the brake pedal against the rear wheel, creating friction. This is exemplified by Taiwan Utility Model Patent No. 492457.

[0003] However, mechanical brake devices may wear out after use, resulting in brake failure or insufficient braking force. Currently, electric vehicles or electric scooters still do not provide other effective auxiliary braking methods after the mechanical brake device fails. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above shortcomings, the purpose of the present invention is to use an auxiliary braking system to brake when the mechanical brake fails or the braking force is insufficient, so as to improve the riding safety of the rider.

[0005] Therefore, the auxiliary braking system provided according to the present invention includes a motor control device, a sensing device, an auxiliary braking device and an output device. The motor control device is used to receive a mechanical braking signal and an acceleration signal. The acceleration signal is used to control the rotation speed of the motor to generate a vehicle speed signal. The sensing device is connected to the motor control device and is used to sense the vehicle balance signal and the vehicle speed signal. The auxiliary braking device is connected to the motor control device and is used to generate an auxiliary braking signal. The output device is connected to the motor control device, the auxiliary braking device and the motor, and is used to output an acceleration signal to drive the motor and an auxiliary braking signal to control the motor to brake. Among them, when the vehicle speed signal does not decelerate with the mechanical braking signal, the motor control device adjusts the acceleration signal through the vehicle balance signal, and outputs the auxiliary braking signal through the output device to brake by the motor.

[0006] In addition, the present invention also provides an electric scooter including the above-mentioned auxiliary braking system.

[0007] Thus, the auxiliary brake system and the electric scooter using the auxiliary brake system of the present invention can confirm whether the mechanical brake device is functioning properly by comparing the mechanical brake signal with the vehicle speed signal. When an abnormal situation occurs, the auxiliary brake device controls the motor to generate a corresponding braking resistance, thereby providing braking ability and improving the rider's driving safety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The detailed structure, features, and manufacturing method of the auxiliary braking system and the electric scooter using the auxiliary braking system will be described in the following embodiments. However, it should be understood that the embodiments and drawings described below are only for illustrative purposes and should not be used to limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention. Among them:

[0009] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of an auxiliary braking system applied to an electric scooter of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Block diagram of the auxiliary braking system used in electric scooters.

[0011] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Flowchart of the braking process of the auxiliary braking system.

[0012] [Description of Reference Numerals]

[0013] 10-Electric Vehicle

[0014] 11-Power supply unit

[0015] 13-Motor

[0016] 15-Wheel

[0017] 17-Accelerator

[0018] 19-Mechanical brake device

[0019] 30-Assisted braking system

[0020] 31-Motor control device

[0021] 311-Microprocessor

[0022] 33-Sensing device

[0023] 35-Auxiliary brake device

[0024] 37-Output device

[0025] 39-Alarm reminder device

[0026] 50-Braking Process

[0027] 51-58-Steps DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following examples and accompanying drawings illustrate the technical content and features of the present invention in detail. In order to explain the technical features of the present invention in detail, the following examples and accompanying drawings are given as follows, wherein:

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the electric vehicle 10 is a vehicle driven by electricity, such as an electric scooter, an electric bicycle, an electric mobility scooter, etc. The electric vehicle 10 includes a power supply device 11, a motor 13, wheels 15, an acceleration device 17, a mechanical brake device 19 and an auxiliary brake system 30.

[0030] The power supply device 11 is coupled to the motor 13 and the auxiliary braking system 30 to supply power required by the motor 13 and the auxiliary braking system 30 . The power supply device 11 is, for example, a battery, which is repeatedly charged and discharged.

[0031] The motor 13 is coupled to the wheels 15 to drive the wheels 15 to change the speed of the electric vehicle 10. The auxiliary braking system 30 is coupled to the motor 13, the acceleration device 17 and the mechanical braking device 19.

[0032] The acceleration device 17 is used to provide an acceleration signal. The acceleration device 17 is, for example, a throttle handle.

[0033] The mechanical brake device 19 is used to provide a mechanical brake signal. The mechanical brake device 19 is used to brake the wheels 15 of the electric vehicle 10 to limit the movement of the wheels 15. The mechanical brake signal includes the magnitude and magnitude of the braking force of the mechanical brake device 19. For example, when the mechanical brake device 19 applies a greater force (such as emergency braking), the brake handle will have a larger angle change, and the mechanical brake signal indicates braking with a greater force. Similarly, when the mechanical brake device 19 applies a smaller force (such as slow braking), the brake handle will have a smaller angle change, and the mechanical brake signal indicates braking with a smaller force.

[0034] The auxiliary braking system 30 is connected to the power supply device 11, the motor 13, the acceleration device 17 and the mechanical braking device 19 to control the operation of the motor 13 according to the acceleration signal, and to determine whether the mechanical braking function is normal through the mechanical braking signal and the speed of the electric vehicle 10, and to provide the auxiliary braking function.

[0035] like Figure 2As shown, the auxiliary braking system 30 includes a motor control device 31, a sensing device 33, an auxiliary braking device 35, an output device 37, and an alarm reminder device 39. The sensing device 33 is coupled to the motor control device 31 and is used to sense the vehicle speed signal and the vehicle balance signal of the electric vehicle 10. The motor control device 31 is coupled to the acceleration device 17 and the mechanical brake device 19 and is used to output the acceleration signal of the acceleration device 17 and determine the braking function of the mechanical brake device 19 based on the mechanical brake signal and the vehicle speed signal of the mechanical brake device 19. The auxiliary braking device 35 is coupled to the motor control device 31 and the output device 37 and is used to generate an auxiliary braking signal. The output device 37 is coupled to the motor control device 31 and the motor 13 and is used to output the acceleration signal and the auxiliary braking signal. The alarm reminder device 39 is coupled to the motor control device 31 and the control instrument, turn signal and / or brake light of the electric vehicle 10, and is used to generate a warning signal to remind the rider or pedestrian through the control instrument, turn signal and / or brake light.

[0036] The sensing device 33 includes a slope sensor for sensing and generating a vehicle balance signal. The vehicle balance signal can correspond to the current road surface type. Current road surface types include, for example, uphill, downhill, and generally flat. The slope sensor can be, for example, a six-axis sensor, a nine-axis sensor, a gyroscope, or other sensor capable of sensing changes depending on the road surface type. The sensing device 33 also includes an acceleration sensor for sensing vehicle speed. The speed signal can be provided by the wheels or the motor.

[0037] The motor control unit 31 processes the vehicle balance signal via a microprocessor 311 to determine the balance state of the electric vehicle. This processing method can preset a reference baseline for the electric vehicle 10 and determine the current road surface type when the vehicle balance signal deviates from the reference baseline. The reference baseline can be defined, for example, by the bottom surface of the chassis or an extension line formed by the axles of the two wheels 15 (front and rear wheels). The bottom surface or extension line is defined as the reference axis when it is horizontal.

[0038] When the electric vehicle 10 is operating on an uphill or downhill road, the microprocessor 311 of the motor control device 31 can compare or process the vehicle balance signal with the reference axis to determine the balance state of the electric vehicle 10, thereby correspondingly determining the current operating slope state. When operating on a generally flat road, the current slope state will be approximately parallel to the reference axis or fluctuate around the reference axis.

[0039] In this embodiment, when the motor control device 31 activates the auxiliary brake device 35, it also activates the alarm device 39 to alert the rider of a malfunction or failure of the mechanical brake device 19. The alarm device 39 can also alert pedestrians via the turn signal and brake lights. In other embodiments, the alarm device 39 can be connected to other devices capable of alerting the rider or pedestrians, and is not limited to those described in this embodiment.

[0040] The above describes the hardware composition of the auxiliary braking system 30 of the present invention, and its operation process is described in detail below.

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown, the braking process 50 of the auxiliary braking system 30 of the present invention includes eight steps, step 51 is to obtain a mechanical braking signal, step 52 is to receive and process a vehicle balance signal to obtain the current road slope, step 53 is to adjust the acceleration signal, step 54 is to monitor the vehicle speed signal, and step 55 is to determine whether the braking function is normal, wherein normal means that the mechanical braking device can slow down the speed of the electric vehicle along with the mechanical braking signal, and abnormal or abnormal means that the mechanical braking device cannot slow down or stop the speed of the electric vehicle along with the mechanical braking signal. When the judgment is yes, it means that the mechanical braking function is normal (step 56) and the motor is allowed to run again according to the acceleration signal. When the judgment is no, it means that the mechanical braking function is abnormal, step 57 is to generate an auxiliary braking signal to brake by the motor, and step 58 is to output a warning signal. In other embodiments, the braking process 50 may have more steps or fewer steps.

[0042] The obtaining step in step 51 is to detect the mechanical brake signal of the mechanical brake device, and obtain the corresponding braking force through the mechanical brake signal.

[0043] The receiving in step 52 is to receive the vehicle body balance signal from the sensing device, and the processing is that the microprocessor of the motor control device processes or calculates the vehicle body balance signal to obtain the type of road surface corresponding to the current operation.

[0044] The adjustment in step 53 involves the motor control unit's microprocessor calculating or processing the vehicle balance signal and acceleration signal to determine whether to immediately pause or delay the acceleration signal output. When operating on an uphill or flat road, the motor control unit will immediately pause (interrupt) the acceleration signal output. When the current road grade corresponds to a downhill road, the motor control unit will delay pausing the acceleration signal. This delay prevents the motor's acceleration from being momentarily interrupted, creating a knocking sound. Simply put, when the mechanical brake signal appears, the adjustment in step 53 will pause the acceleration signal output based on the road grade to avoid the simultaneous presence of the acceleration and mechanical brake signals, which increases mechanical brake wear. The delay time is proportional to the downhill slope: steeper downhill slopes result in longer delays, while gentler downhill slopes result in shorter delays.

[0045] In step 54, the motor control unit's microprocessor calculates or processes the vehicle speed signal and the mechanical brake signal to determine whether the vehicle speed corresponding to the vehicle speed signal decreases or stabilizes in response to the mechanical brake signal. The vehicle speed signal includes the rotational speed signal fed back by the motor or the wheel speed. If the vehicle speed continues to increase after the acceleration signal is discontinued, this indicates a mechanical brake failure or insufficient braking force. Therefore, the monitoring step 54 is used to observe vehicle speed changes. Then, in step 55, the function of the mechanical brake device can be determined based on the monitoring step 54.

[0046] When the mechanical brake device is functioning normally, after detecting the mechanical brake signal in step 51, step 52 processes the current road surface condition. Step 53 adjusts the system by suspending the acceleration signal output. Step 54 monitors the speed signal fed back by the motor to obtain the current vehicle speed. Step 55 confirms that the mechanical brake device is functioning normally and allows the motor to continue to operate based on the acceleration signal from the accelerator device 17.

[0047] When the mechanical brake device is malfunctioning or disabled, steps 51-54 are executed in the same manner as in the previous section, but step 54 determines that the current operating speed has not decelerated in response to the mechanical brake signal, and step 55 determines that the brake function is malfunctioning or disabled. Therefore, step 57 activates the auxiliary brake device to generate an auxiliary brake signal to brake through the auxiliary brake operation, and outputs a warning signal through step 58.

[0048] In the event of an abnormality, the motor control device instructs the auxiliary braking device to generate an auxiliary braking signal and outputs the auxiliary braking signal to the output device. This signal, in turn, controls the motor to apply the brakes, thereby decelerating or stopping the electric vehicle. In this case, the output signal does not include an acceleration signal. Simultaneously with the abnormality, the alarm device generates and outputs a warning signal to the electric vehicle's instrument panel, turn signals, and / or brake lights, providing a corresponding warning or alert.

[0049] Auxiliary braking can assist braking through the reverse torque of the motor. Methods for generating reverse torque include regenerative braking, reverse braking, or short-circuit braking. Regenerative braking allows the motor to become a generator to convert kinetic energy into electrical energy. During the energy conversion process, the motor will generate reverse torque to assist braking. Reverse braking achieves a deceleration braking effect by outputting a reverse torque opposite to the direction of the motor to offset the original kinetic energy. Short-circuit braking uses the three-phase principle. When any phase coil generates electricity, the short circuit will cause the electrical energy to enter the other two phase coils, generating reverse torque to assist deceleration.

[0050] In this way, the auxiliary brake system of the present invention can provide auxiliary brake function through the motor when the mechanical brake device malfunctions, thereby improving driving safety and reducing accidents.

Claims

1. An auxiliary braking system, characterized in that: include: a motor control device for receiving a mechanical brake signal and an acceleration signal, wherein the acceleration signal is used to control the rotation speed of a motor to generate a vehicle speed signal; a sensing device coupled to the motor control device and configured to sense a vehicle balance signal and the vehicle speed signal; an auxiliary braking device coupled to the motor control device and configured to generate an auxiliary braking signal; and an output device coupled to the motor control device, the auxiliary brake device, and the motor, and configured to output the acceleration signal to drive the motor and the auxiliary brake signal to control the motor to brake, wherein when the vehicle speed signal does not decelerate in response to the mechanical brake signal, the motor control device adjusts the acceleration signal using the vehicle balance signal, and the output device outputs the auxiliary brake signal to control the motor to brake; The motor control device includes a microprocessor for processing the mechanical brake signal, the acceleration signal, the vehicle balance signal and the vehicle speed signal; When the vehicle balance signal corresponds to a downhill road, the motor control device adjusts the acceleration signal according to the vehicle balance signal, including delaying and pausing the acceleration signal.

2. The auxiliary braking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the vehicle body balance signal corresponds to an uphill road or a flat road, the motor control device adjusts the acceleration signal according to the vehicle body balance signal, including pausing the acceleration signal in real time.

3. The auxiliary braking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The auxiliary braking signal controls the motor to brake, including a reverse torque of the motor.

4. The auxiliary braking system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensing device includes a six-axis sensor for sensing the vehicle body balance signal.

5. The auxiliary braking system according to claim 1, further comprising an alarm reminder device coupled to the motor control device, characterized in that: When the vehicle speed signal does not decelerate along with the mechanical brake signal, the alarm reminder device generates and outputs a warning signal.

6. An electric scooter, characterized in that: Comprising an auxiliary braking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5.

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