Electronic gear shifting device for electric motor cycle

Abstract

This invention relates to an electronic gear shifting device for electric motorcycles, comprising an electronic shifting unit, an electronic clutch unit, and a throttle position sensor. Based on the rider's operation, the device outputs a shift signal, a clutch signal, and a throttle opening signal. A vehicle controller receives these signals and determines a target gear for the electric motorcycle. The vehicle controller then looks up a motor torque command based on the target gear and outputs the command to a motor controller. The motor controller then controls a power motor of the electric motorcycle, enabling the electric motorcycle to simulate the power performance of a conventional geared motorcycle without the need for a physical clutch or gearbox.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an electric motorcycle, and more particularly to an electronic analog gear shifting device applied to an electric motorcycle. Background Technology

[0002] The power source for most electric motorcycles is the battery pack, which provides the power to the electric motor. By adjusting the amount of power applied to the electric motor, the motor speed can be directly changed, thus altering the motorcycle's speed. Some electric motorcycles, to provide a better riding experience, include a boost button, allowing users to switch between "boost mode" and "normal mode." When the boost button is activated to enter boost mode, the electric motorcycle achieves a faster riding speed.

[0003] However, electric motorcycles on the market are still very different from traditional geared motorcycles. Because the electric motorcycles developed by most manufacturers do not have a clutch, gearbox or other shifting mechanism, these electric motorcycles do not have a shifting function and cannot provide different motor torque outputs in different gears. Summary of the Invention

[0004] [The problem the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Given that conventional electric motorcycles lack gear shifting functionality, this invention provides an electronic gear shifting device for electric motorcycles without adding physical clutches or gearboxes, thus enabling electric motorcycles to perform manual gear shifting.

[0006] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0007] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electronic shifting device of the electric motorcycle includes:

[0008] An electronic shifter unit outputs a shift signal;

[0009] An electronic clutch unit outputs a clutch signal;

[0010] A throttle position sensor outputs a throttle opening signal;

[0011] A vehicle controller is connected to the electronic shifting unit, the electronic clutch unit and the throttle position sensor. The vehicle controller determines the electric motorcycle to switch to a target gear based on the shift signal, the clutch signal and the throttle opening signal, and generates a motor torque command for the target gear accordingly.

[0012] A motor controller is connected to the vehicle controller to receive the motor torque command and control a power motor of the electric motorcycle according to the motor torque command.

[0013] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electronic shifting device of the electric motorcycle includes:

[0014] An electronic shifter unit outputs a shift signal;

[0015] An electronic clutch unit outputs a clutch signal;

[0016] A throttle position sensor outputs a throttle opening signal;

[0017] A controller is connected to the electronic shifting unit, the electronic clutch unit, and the throttle position sensor. The controller determines that the electric motorcycle has switched to a target gear based on the shift signal, the clutch signal, and the throttle opening signal, and generates a motor torque command for the target gear accordingly. The controller then controls a power motor of the electric motorcycle based on the motor torque command.

[0018] [Effects of the invention]

[0019] This invention provides an electronic shifting unit and an electronic clutch unit on an electric motorcycle for riders to perform gear shifting without the need for additional physical clutches and gearboxes. The electronic shifting unit and the electronic clutch unit generate a shifting signal and a clutch signal, respectively, to make the electric motorcycle operate in a target gear. By using preset motor characteristic curves for different gears, the electric motorcycle's power motor produces different torque outputs in different gears according to the corresponding motor characteristic curves, thus simulating the gear shifting operation of a conventional geared motorcycle. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 : Circuit block diagram of the first embodiment of the electronic gear shifting device of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 : A schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the electronic shifting unit of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 : A schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the electronic shifting unit of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 : Schematic diagram of the electronic clutch unit of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5A A schematic diagram of the basic relationship between torque and speed of a power motor.

[0025] Figures 5B to 5EThe first embodiment of the present invention is a schematic diagram of the torque-speed relationship curve of the motor preset at different gears.

[0026] Figure 6 : A graph showing the relative relationship between throttle coefficient and throttle opening.

[0027] Figure 7 The second embodiment of the present invention is a schematic diagram of the motor torque-speed relationship curves preset for different gear positions.

[0028] Figure 8 This invention provides a graph showing the relationship between preset motor speed and recharge current at different gear levels.

[0029] Figure 9 : Circuit block diagram of the second embodiment of the electronic gear shifting device of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 10 : A schematic diagram of the electronic shifting unit and electronic clutch of the present invention installed in a shifting vehicle.

[0031] List of reference numerals

[0032] 1: Electric motorcycle

[0033] 1A: Handle

[0034] 10: Electronic gear selector unit

[0035] 11: Upshift button

[0036] 12: Downshift button

[0037] 13: Neutral button

[0038] 14: Gear shift lever

[0039] 15: Shift lever position sensor

[0040] 20: Electronic clutch unit

[0041] 21: Clutch lever

[0042] 22: Micro switch

[0043] 30: Throttle position sensor

[0044] 40: Vehicle controller

[0045] 50: Motor controller

[0046] 60: Power Motor

[0047] 70: Controller

[0048] 100: Battery Pack

[0049] S1: Gear shift signal

[0050] S2: Clutch signal

[0051] S3: Throttle opening signal

[0052] S4: Motor torque command

[0053] S5: Recharge Current Command

[0054] S6: Motor speed signal. Detailed Implementation

[0055] This invention, "Electronic Gear Shifting Device for Electric Motorcycles," is applied to electric motorcycles, enabling them to have gear shifting functions similar to those of a manual transmission motorcycle. Users can manually upshift, downshift, or switch to neutral according to various riding needs. Switching between ascending and descending sequentially; or in The gears are switched cyclically, and the number of gears and the cyclical change method can be based on the common operation methods of geared motorcycles, without any particular limitations. (Reference) Figure 1 The circuit block diagram shown indicates that the present invention includes: an electronic shifting unit 10, an electronic clutch unit 20, a throttle position sensor (TPS) 30, a vehicle controller 40, a motor controller 50, and a power motor 60.

[0056] Please refer to Figure 2 The electronic gear shifting unit 10 is installed in an electric motorcycle 1 (such as...) Figure 10 As shown, the electronic gear shifting unit 10 is operated by the user to generate a shift signal S1, which can be an upshift signal, a downshift signal, or a neutral signal. A first embodiment of the electronic gear shifting unit 10 includes an upshift button 11, a downshift button 12, and a neutral button 13. These buttons can be located in a position convenient for the user to press on the electric motorcycle 1, such as near one of the handlebars 1A of the electric motorcycle 1. When the upshift button 11, the downshift button 12, or the neutral button 13 is pressed and triggered by the user, an upshift signal, a downshift signal, and a neutral signal are generated respectively.

[0057] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 10As shown, the second embodiment of the electronic shifting unit 10 includes a shift lever 14 and a shift lever position sensor 15. The shift lever 14 is pressed by the user. The shift lever position sensor 15 operates similarly to a multi-stage switch. Each time the user presses the shift lever 14, the contact state inside the shift lever position sensor 15 can be cyclically changed to output a shift signal S1, such as shifting between 1st gear, Nth gear, 2nd gear, 3rd gear, 4th gear, and 5th gear. The shift signal S1 represents the target gear to be switched to.

[0058] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 10 As shown, the electronic clutch unit 20 is mounted on the electric motorcycle 1 and is operated by the user to generate a clutch signal S2. In a preferred embodiment, the electronic clutch unit 20 includes a clutch lever 21 and a micro switch 22. The clutch lever 21 is located near the handlebar 1A of the electric motorcycle 1 for the user to grip and operate. The micro switch 22 is connected to the clutch lever 21 and outputs a clutch signal S2 according to the state of the clutch lever 21. For example, when the clutch lever 21 is pulled, the micro switch 22 is triggered and outputs a high-precision clutch signal S2; conversely, when the clutch lever 21 is not pulled, the micro switch 22 is not triggered and does not output a clutch signal S2. In another preferred embodiment, the micro switch 22 in the electronic clutch unit 20 is replaced by a lever position sensor, which can generate a 0-5 volt clutch signal S2 according to the state of the clutch lever 21.

[0059] The throttle position sensor 30 detects the throttle opening when the user operates the throttle and generates a throttle opening signal S3 to reflect the torque required by the user.

[0060] The vehicle controller 40 is connected to the electronic shifting unit 10, the electronic clutch unit 20, and the throttle opening sensor 30. It receives the shift signal S1, the clutch signal S2, and the throttle opening signal S3. Based on these signals, it determines the target gear that the electric motorcycle 1 wants to shift to. For example, if the vehicle controller 40 receives the shift signal S1 and the clutch signal S2 within a preset time, it indicates that the rider is performing a shift action and wants to switch to a target gear. After switching to the target gear, a motor torque command S4 is generated based on the target gear. The method of generating the motor torque command S4 will be described in more detail later. In addition to the motor torque command S4, in a preferred embodiment, the vehicle controller 40 can also output a return current command S5 based on the target gear and the throttle opening signal S3. The return current command S5 is output to the motor controller 50, which outputs a return current to charge the battery pack 100 of the electric motorcycle 1 based on the return current command S5.

[0061] The motor controller 50 is connected to the vehicle controller 40 and receives the motor torque command S4 output by the vehicle controller 40. According to the motor torque command S4, the motor controller 50 drives the power motor 60 to rotate. The power motor 60 may be equipped with a speed sensor to sense the speed of the power motor 60 and provide the sensing result to the motor controller 50, so that the motor controller 50 can obtain a motor speed signal S6. The motor speed signal S6 is provided to the vehicle controller 40 so that the vehicle controller 40 can obtain the current vehicle speed.

[0062] The motor torque command S4 is generated by the vehicle controller 40 using a built-in judgment program. Please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 5A The present invention establishes a basic relative relationship between the motor torque (vertical axis) and motor speed (horizontal axis) of the power motor 60. Using this basic relative relationship as a reference, characteristic curves representing the relationship between motor torque and motor speed are established for different gears. Figures 5B to 5E Each of the four motor characteristic curves represents 1st gear, 2nd gear, 3rd gear, and neutral (N gear). In N gear, the motor torque value is always 0. In low gear (such as 1st gear), the motor torque value is higher at low motor speed but the top speed is lower. In high gear (such as 3rd gear), the motor torque value is lower at low motor speed but the top speed is higher. This simulates the power output of the gearbox in different gears. The vehicle controller 40 uses the corresponding relationship curve by looking up a table based on the current gear of the electric motorcycle 1.

[0063] Please refer to Figure 6The vehicle controller 40 has a built-in relationship between the throttle coefficient and the throttle opening. It can look up the corresponding throttle coefficient (%) based on the magnitude of the throttle opening signal S3. The throttle coefficient is positively correlated with the throttle opening. When the throttle opening is larger, the throttle coefficient is also larger, which means that the rider wants the motor to have a greater torque output when operating the throttle.

[0064] In one embodiment, the vehicle controller 40 can set the motor torque command S4 based on the product of the motor torque value and the throttle coefficient, as calculated in the following formula:

[0065] Motor torque command = Motor torque value × Throttle coefficient

[0066] Among them, the vehicle controller 40 is from Figures 5B-5E Select the corresponding gear's relationship curve to obtain the motor torque value, and coordinate with... Figure 6 By finding the throttle coefficient (%), the motor torque command S4 can be calculated. For example, when the motor torque value is 80% and the throttle coefficient is 80%, the vehicle controller 40 can calculate the motor torque command as 64% and provide the motor torque command to the motor controller 50.

[0067] Please refer to Figure 7 As shown in another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the relationship between motor torque and motor speed can be represented by the curves shown in the figure. The figure shows the relationship curves for four different gears: 1st gear, 2nd gear, 3rd gear, and neutral (N gear), denoted by G1, G2, G3, and GN, respectively. These curves are similar to those described above. Figures 5B to 5E The difference lies in the gears other than 1st and N (2nd and 3rd gears in this embodiment). The torque of this gear is increased within its shift RPM range, allowing the rider to feel the difference in motorcycle power during gear shifts through the instantaneous change in power. By increasing the torque of this gear, the invention can increase the maximum power output of that gear, enhance the acceleration feel during gear shifts, and prevent the engine RPM from dropping too much when climbing hills at high speeds, thus avoiding the need for immediate downshifting.

[0068] The vehicle controller 40 can also plan different recharge currents according to different gear levels. Please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 8The recharge current curve shown indicates that, under the same motor speed, this invention sets a relatively large recharge current for low gears and a relatively low recharge current for high gears. Therefore, when the vehicle controller 40 determines that the throttle is fully closed (i.e., the throttle opening is 0%) based on the throttle opening signal S3, the vehicle controller 40 selects a recharge current curve corresponding to the current gear and sends a recharge current command S5 to the motor controller 50. The motor controller 50 outputs a recharge current to the battery pack 100 according to the recharge current command S5. Because there is a large recharge current in low gears, it can simulate the high transmission braking effect of a typical gearbox in low gears.

[0069] When the vehicle controller 40 determines that it is currently in neutral (N) or the electronic clutch unit 20 outputs the clutch signal S2 (i.e., the clutch lever 21 is pulled), in addition to controlling the motor torque output to zero, the vehicle controller 40 can also output a recharge current command S5 to the motor controller 50, controlling the motor controller 50 to output a recharge current of zero or extremely low value to the battery pack 100, thereby simulating the situation where the power of a normal geared car is cut off and only the rear wheels slide.

[0070] Please refer to Figure 9 This is a circuit block diagram of a second embodiment of the electronic gear shifting device for an electric motorcycle of the present invention. Figure 1 The difference in the first embodiment is that the vehicle controller 40 and the motor controller 50 are integrated into a single controller 70, which performs the functions of the vehicle controller 40 and the motor controller 50.

[0071] This invention, without adding physical clutches or gearboxes, incorporates an electronic shifting unit and an electronic clutch unit on an electric motorcycle for rider gear shifting. It pre-sets motor characteristic curves for different gears, allowing the electric motorcycle's motor to generate varying torque outputs based on these curves, simulating the power output of a manually operated vehicle during gear shifts. Additional torque output can be added within the shift range, resulting in better acceleration at appropriate engine speeds. Furthermore, this invention designs different regenerative braking currents for each gear, providing higher regenerative braking current in lower gears to simulate the braking function of a mechanical gearbox. In neutral or when the clutch is disengaged, the motor is controlled in a low-current regenerative braking mode, simulating the effect of unimpeded gliding by simulating the power cut-off of a vehicle.

Claims

1. An electronic gear shifting device for an electric motorcycle, characterized by, The electronic gear shifting unit outputs a gear shifting signal. The electronic clutch unit outputs a clutch signal. The throttle position sensor outputs a throttle opening signal. The vehicle controller is connected to the electronic gear shifting unit, the electronic clutch unit and the throttle position sensor. The vehicle controller determines the target gear of the electric motorcycle according to the gear shifting signal, the clutch signal and the throttle opening signal, and generates a motor torque command corresponding to the target gear. The vehicle controller has preset a regenerative current curve corresponding to different gears. The vehicle controller determines the throttle full closing of the electric motorcycle according to the throttle opening signal, and outputs a regenerative current command to the motor controller according to the regenerative current curve corresponding to the gear of the electric motorcycle, so that the motor controller outputs a regenerative current to the battery pack. The electronic gear shifting unit outputs a gear shifting signal.

2. An electronic gear shifting device for an electric motorcycle, characterized by, The electronic clutch unit outputs a clutch signal. The throttle position sensor outputs a throttle opening signal. The controller is connected to the electronic gear shifting unit, the electronic clutch unit and the throttle position sensor. The controller determines the target gear of the electric motorcycle according to the gear shifting signal, the clutch signal and the throttle opening signal, and generates a motor torque command corresponding to the target gear. The controller has preset a regenerative current curve corresponding to different gears. The controller determines the throttle full closing of the electric motorcycle according to the throttle opening signal, and outputs a regenerative current to the battery pack according to the regenerative current curve corresponding to the gear of the electric motorcycle. The electronic gear shifting unit includes a gear up button, a gear down button and a neutral button arranged on the electric motorcycle.

3. The electric motorcycle electronic gear shifting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The electronic gear shifting unit includes a gear shifting pedal and a gear shifting pedal position sensor.

4. The electronic gear shifting device for a motorized motorcycle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The electronic clutch unit includes a clutch lever and a micro switch.

5. The electric motorcycle electronic gear shifting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The electronic clutch unit includes a clutch lever and a lever position sensor.

6. The electronic gear shifting device for a motorized motorcycle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The electronic clutch unit includes a clutch lever and a micro switch. The electronic clutch unit includes a clutch lever and a lever position sensor.

7. The electronic gear shifting device for electric motorcycle as claimed in claim 1 wherein, The vehicle controller is preset with motor characteristic curves corresponding to different gears, the motor characteristic curves include the relationship between motor torque and motor speed, wherein the motor torque corresponding to a neutral signal is zero, at low gear and low speed, the motor torque has a higher value and the speed is lower, at high gear and low speed, the motor torque is lower and the speed is higher.

8. The electronic gear shifting device for an electric motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein When the vehicle controller determines that the clutch signal is generated or the electric motorcycle is switched to neutral, the vehicle controller makes the power output of the power motor zero.

9. The electronic gear shifting device for electric motorcycle as claimed in claim 2 wherein, The controller is preset with motor characteristic curves corresponding to different gears, the motor characteristic curves include the relationship between motor torque and motor speed, wherein the motor torque corresponding to a neutral signal is zero, at low gear and low speed, the motor torque has a higher value and the speed is lower, at high gear and low speed, the motor torque is lower and the speed is higher.

10. The electronic gear shifting device for an electric motorcycle according to claim 2, wherein When the controller determines that the clutch signal is generated or the electric motorcycle is switched to neutral, the controller makes the power output of the power motor zero.

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