Pile body matched locking device for front fork of shared electric vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a pile body matching locking device for a front fork of a shared electric vehicle, which comprises an electric vehicle main body and a connecting piece, the connecting piece is mounted on the front fork of the electric vehicle main body, a locking piece is arranged on the connecting piece, and the locking piece comprises a shell, a spring bolt, a sensor and a driving piece; the shell is installed on the connecting piece, a lock hole matched with the lock tongue is formed in the side, facing the bicycle returning pile, of the shell, the sensor is embedded in the inner wall of the end, close to the bicycle returning pile, of the shell, the detection end of the sensor penetrates through the side wall of the shell and faces the lock groove direction of the bicycle returning pile, and the driving piece is installed in the shell. The problems that in the prior art, an electric bicycle needs to be locked through cooperation of parts of the bicycle and a bicycle returning pile, a traditional bicycle does not need to be provided with an additional locking structure, meanwhile, an electric control assembly needs to be combined in the locking process of the electric bicycle to achieve automatic operation, and the requirements of a user for convenient bicycle returning and unlocking are met are solved. The technical problem that a pure mechanical locking mode of a traditional bicycle cannot meet the requirement is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electric vehicles, and more particularly to a locking device for the front fork of a shared electric vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, traditional bicycle docking stations are still widely used in some areas. These stations were originally designed only for non-motorized bicycles, and their locking mechanism relies on the station's own structure to mechanically lock the bicycle, without requiring a power source from the vehicle. With the development of the shared mobility sector, electric bicycles, due to their advantages of being labor-saving and efficient, have gradually become one of the mainstream tools for shared mobility. However, traditional bicycle docking stations cannot be directly adapted to shared electric bikes: on the one hand, electric bikes need to lock themselves by cooperating with the docking station through their own components, while traditional bicycles do not require additional locking structures; on the other hand, the locking process of electric bikes needs to be automated by combining electronic control components to meet users' needs for convenient return and unlocking, which the purely mechanical locking method of traditional bicycles cannot meet. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a locking device for the front fork of a shared electric vehicle, which solves the technical problem that in the prior art, electric vehicles need to lock by cooperating with the docking station through the vehicle's own components, while traditional bicycles do not require an additional locking structure. At the same time, the locking process of electric vehicles needs to be automated by combining electronic control components to meet the user's needs for convenient return and unlocking. The purely mechanical locking method of traditional bicycles cannot meet this requirement.

[0004] The technical solution adopted in this application is as follows.

[0005] A locking device for the front fork of a shared electric vehicle includes an electric vehicle body and a connector. The connector is installed on the front fork of the electric vehicle body, and a locking component is provided on the connector. The locking component includes a housing, a locking tongue, a sensor, and a driving component. The housing is mounted on the connector, and the housing has a lock hole adapted to the lock tongue on the side facing the parking post. The sensor is embedded in the inner wall of the end of the housing near the parking post, and the detection end of the sensor penetrates the side wall of the housing and faces the lock groove of the parking post. The drive unit is mounted in the housing, and the sensor is electrically connected to the drive unit. The housing has a lock hole, the lock tongue slides through the lock hole, and the drive unit defines at least a portion of the sliding path of the lock tongue in the lock hole.

[0006] As a further improvement to the above technical solution: A further technical solution is as follows: The driving component includes a motor, a reduction gear set, a lead screw, and a slider. The motor is fixedly installed inside the housing at the end away from the lock hole via a bracket. The input end of the reduction gear set is keyed to the output shaft of the motor. One end of the lead screw is coaxially fixed to the output end of the reduction gear set, and the other end is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the housing via a bearing seat. The slider is sleeved on the outside of the lead screw and threadedly engaged with the lead screw. The side of the slider away from the lead screw is fixedly connected to the end of the latch away from the lock hole. The sliding direction of the latch is consistent with the axial direction of the lead screw. The motor, through the cooperation of the lead screw and the slider, defines the complete path of the latch reciprocating in a straight line within the lock hole. The sensor is electrically connected to the motor via a wire and is used to detect the relative position of the electric vehicle front fork and the return post, and to send start / stop signals to the motor.

[0007] A further technical solution is as follows: two sets of locking components are symmetrically installed on the connector, the two sets of locking components are located on both sides of the connector along the axis of the electric vehicle front fork, and the locking hole axes of the two sets of locking components are on the same straight line.

[0008] A further technical solution is as follows: the operation process of the device includes a vehicle return locking process and a code scanning unlocking process: S1 bike return locking process: Push the electric bike next to the existing bike return post, adjust the angle of the electric bike's front fork so that the locking holes of the two sets of locking parts on the connector are aligned with the corresponding locking slots of the return post; when the sensor detects that the relative position of the electric bike's front fork and the return post meets the locking tongue insertion conditions, the sensor sends a start signal to the motor of the drive unit. The motor drives the lead screw to rotate through the reduction gear set. The lead screw drives the slider to move towards the locking slot of the return post along the lead screw axis, thereby pushing the locking tongue out from the locking hole of the housing and inserting it into the locking slot of the return post until the locking tongue is fully embedded in the locking slot, thus realizing the electric bike return locking; S2 QR code unlocking process: Scan the corresponding unlocking QR code on the electric vehicle or the parking station using a mobile terminal to trigger the unlocking command and transmit it to the motor of the drive unit; after receiving the command, the motor rotates in the opposite direction, which drives the lead screw to rotate in the opposite direction through the reduction gear set. The lead screw drives the slider to move away from the lock groove of the parking station along the axis of the lead screw, thereby pulling the lock tongue out of the lock groove of the parking station and retracting it into the lock hole of the housing, completing the unlocking. At this time, the electric vehicle can be pushed away from the parking station.

[0009] One or more technical solutions provided in this application have at least the following technical effects or advantages: 1. Due to the use of locking components, no structural modifications to existing bicycle docking stations are required. Adaptation to older stations is achieved simply by installing connectors and locking components on the front fork of the electric bike, significantly reducing infrastructure upgrade costs for shared electric bike operators and avoiding the waste of traditional docking station resources. Secondly, the locking components automatically detect position and trigger locking, eliminating the need for manual operation by the user. The QR code unlocking method is convenient and efficient, reducing user steps compared to traditional mechanical locks, improving return and unlocking efficiency, and optimizing the shared travel experience. Furthermore, two sets of locking components are symmetrically arranged on the connector, with both sets of locking tongues simultaneously inserting into the docking station lock. The slots form a double locking structure, effectively improving the stability and safety of the electric vehicle when parked, reducing the risk of theft or tipping over. Furthermore, the drive mechanism utilizes a transmission structure of motor, reduction gear set, lead screw, and slider, resulting in high transmission efficiency and torque, ensuring stable extension and retraction of the locking tongue. The locking tongue and housing are made of high-strength materials, possessing excellent wear resistance and rust prevention, enabling them to adapt to complex outdoor climates and extending the device's lifespan. Finally, the locking mechanism can adjust its rotation angle to follow the front fork of the electric vehicle, adapting to different parking angles and avoiding locking issues caused by front fork angle deviations, thus expanding the device's application range in various parking scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the electric vehicle and the locking device in this invention.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a partial structural diagram illustrating the locking device in this invention.

[0012] In the diagram: 1. Electric vehicle body; 2. Connector; 3. Locking component; 31. Housing; 32. Locking tongue; 33. Sensor; 34. Drive component. Detailed Implementation

[0013] This application provides a locking device for the front fork of a shared electric vehicle, which solves the problems in the prior art.

[0014] The technical solution in this application embodiment is to solve the above problems, and the overall idea is as follows: To better understand the above technical solutions, the following will provide a detailed explanation of the technical solutions in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0015] A shared electric scooter front fork uses a stake body with a locking device, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the electric vehicle body 1 is a common two-wheeled shared electric vehicle. The front fork is made of high-strength aluminum alloy to ensure sufficient load-bearing capacity for installing the connector 2 and locking component 3. The connector 2 is an arc-shaped plate structure made of stainless steel, which is detachably connected to the front fork of the electric vehicle body 1 by bolts. The curvature of the arc plate is perfectly matched with the curvature of the outer wall of the front fork to ensure connection stability. The connector 2 has pre-reserved installation slots on both sides along the axis of the front fork for fixing two sets of locking components 3. The housing 31 of the locking component 3 is a rectangular plastic housing. A locking hole adapted to the locking tongue 32 is opened in the middle of the housing 31 facing the return station. A groove is reserved on the inner wall of the end of the housing 31 near the return station for embedding the sensor 33. The locking tongue 32 is a cylindrical stainless steel rod, one end of which is connected to the slider. The sensor 33 is fixed by welding, and the other end can extend or retract from the lock hole of the housing 31. The surface is treated with anti-rust treatment to extend its service life. The sensor 33 is an infrared distance sensor. The detection end penetrates through the side wall of the housing 31 and is electrically connected to the motor of the drive component 34 through a wire. It can accurately detect the relative position with the lock slot of the parking pile. The drive component 34 includes a motor, a reduction gear set, a lead screw, and a slider. The motor is fixedly installed inside the housing 31 at the end away from the lock hole by a bracket. The input end of the reduction gear set is keyed to the output shaft of the motor. One end of the lead screw is coaxially fixed to the output end of the reduction gear set, and the other end is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the housing 31 through a bearing seat. The slider is sleeved on the outside of the lead screw and is threaded with the lead screw. The side of the slider away from the lead screw is fixedly connected to the end of the lock tongue 32 away from the lock hole. In a scenario where existing bicycle return docks exist in a certain area, this device is used for bicycle return and unlocking operations: During the return operation, the user rides the electric bicycle body 1 to the return dock and manually adjusts the angle of the front fork of the electric bicycle body 1 so that the locking holes of the locking parts 3 on both sides of the connecting part 2 are aligned with the two locking slots on the return dock. When the sensor 33 of the locking part 3 detects that the relative position with the locking slot of the return dock meets the insertion condition of the locking tongue 32, it immediately sends a start signal to the motor of the drive part 34. The motor rotates forward, driving the lead screw to rotate through the reduction gear set. The slider moves along the lead screw towards the return dock, pushing the locking tongue. The latch 32 extends from the lock hole of the housing 31 until it is fully inserted into the lock slot of the return dock. The motor stops running, and the return locking is completed. When unlocking, the user opens the shared mobility APP and scans the unlocking QR code on the electric vehicle body 1. The APP generates an unlocking command and transmits it to the motor of the drive component 34. After receiving the command, the motor reverses and drives the lead screw to rotate in the opposite direction. The slider moves away from the return dock along the lead screw, pulling the latch 32 out of the lock slot of the return dock until the latch 32 is fully retracted into the housing 31. The motor stops, and the user can push the electric vehicle body 1 away from the return dock.

[0016] Working principle During the return locking phase, when the user pushes the electric vehicle body 1 to the return dock and adjusts the front fork angle, the sensor 33 in the locking component 3 continuously detects the relative position with the lock groove of the return dock. When the detection result meets the insertion condition of the locking tongue 32, the sensor 33 transmits an electrical signal to the motor of the drive component 34, triggering the locking action. After receiving the electrical signal, the motor rotates forward, and the output power is reduced and increased in torque by the reduction gear set before being transmitted to the lead screw, causing the lead screw to rotate around its own axis. Since the slider and the lead screw are threadedly engaged, and the slider and the locking tongue 32 are fixedly connected, the rotational motion of the lead screw is converted into the linear motion of the slider along the axis of the lead screw toward the return dock. The linear motion of the slider pushes the locking tongue 32 outward along the lock hole of the housing 31 until the locking tongue 32 is inserted into the lock groove of the return dock. At this time, the motor stops running, realizing the locking and fixing of the electric vehicle body 1 and the return dock. During the QR code unlocking phase, after the user scans the code, the unlocking finger... The command is transmitted wirelessly, such as via Bluetooth or 4G, to the motor of the drive unit 34. After receiving the command, the motor reverses and initiates the unlocking action. The reverse rotation of the motor drives the reduction gear set to rotate in the opposite direction, which in turn drives the lead screw to rotate in the opposite direction. Under the action of the threaded engagement, the slider moves in a straight line away from the return post along the axis of the lead screw. The reverse movement of the slider pulls the locking tongue 32 out of the return post lock slot and gradually retracts into the housing 31. When the locking tongue 32 is completely disengaged from the return post lock slot, the motor stops running, the unlocking is completed, and the electric vehicle body 1 can move freely. In addition, the symmetrical design of the two sets of locking parts 3 on the connecting part 2 ensures that the locking tongue 32 is subjected to balanced force when inserted into the return post, avoiding unstable locking due to force on one side. At the same time, the locking part 3 can adjust the rotation angle with the front fork of the electric vehicle body 1 to ensure that the lock hole of the housing 31 can still be accurately aligned with the return post lock slot under different parking angles, improving the adaptability of the device. Beneficial effects Thanks to the use of locking element 3, no structural modifications to existing bicycle docking stations are required. Adaptation to existing stations is achieved simply by installing connector 2 and locking element 3 on the front fork of the electric bike body 1, significantly reducing infrastructure upgrade costs for shared electric bike operators and avoiding the waste of traditional docking station resources. Secondly, the locking element 3's sensor 33 automatically detects the position and triggers the locking action, eliminating the need for manual operation by the user. The QR code unlocking method is convenient and efficient, reducing user steps compared to traditional mechanical locks, improving return and unlocking efficiency, and optimizing the shared travel experience. Furthermore, two sets of locking elements 3 are symmetrically arranged on connector 2, with both sets of locking tongues 32 simultaneously inserted into the docking station's locking groove. This creates a double locking structure, effectively improving the stability and safety of the electric vehicle body 1 when parked, and reducing the risk of the vehicle being stolen or tipped over. In addition, the drive component 34 adopts a transmission structure of motor, reduction gear set, lead screw and slider, which has high transmission efficiency and large torque, ensuring stable extension and retraction of the locking tongue 32. Moreover, the locking tongue 32 and the housing 31 are made of high-strength materials, which have good wear resistance and rust resistance, can adapt to complex outdoor climate environments, and extend the service life of the device. Finally, the locking component 3 can adjust the rotation angle with the front fork of the electric vehicle body 1, which can adapt to the return station with different parking angles, avoid the problem of not being able to lock due to front fork angle deviation, and expand the application range of the device in different return scenarios.

[0017] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including both the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the invention.

[0018] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this invention and their equivalents, this invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A locking device for the front fork of a shared electric vehicle, comprising an electric vehicle body (1) and a connector (2), wherein the connector (2) is mounted on the front fork of the electric vehicle body (1), characterized in that, The connector (2) is provided with a locking member (3), which includes a housing (31), a locking tongue (32), a sensor (33), and a driving member (34). The housing (31) is mounted on the connector (2), and the housing (31) has a lock hole adapted to the lock tongue (32) on the side facing the parking post. The sensor (33) is embedded in the inner wall of the end of the housing (31) near the parking post, and the detection end of the sensor (33) penetrates through the side wall of the housing (31) and faces the lock groove of the parking post. The drive (34) is mounted in the housing (31), and the sensor (33) is electrically connected to the drive (34). The housing (31) has a lock hole, and the lock tongue (32) slides through the lock hole. The drive (34) defines at least a portion of the sliding path of the lock tongue (32) in the lock hole.

2. The locking device for the front fork of a shared electric vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive unit (34) includes a motor, a reduction gear set, a lead screw, and a slider. The motor is fixedly installed inside the housing (31) at the end away from the lock hole by a bracket. The input end of the reduction gear set is keyed to the output shaft of the motor. One end of the lead screw is coaxially fixed to the output end of the reduction gear set, and the other end is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the housing (31) through a bearing seat. The slider is sleeved on the outside of the lead screw and threaded with the lead screw. The side of the slider away from the lead screw is fixedly connected to the end of the latch (32) away from the lock hole. The sliding direction of the latch (32) is consistent with the axial direction of the lead screw. The motor, through the cooperation of the lead screw and the slider, limits the complete path of the latch (32) to reciprocate in a straight line in the lock hole. The sensor (33) is electrically connected to the motor through a wire. The sensor (33) is used to detect the relative position of the electric vehicle front fork and the return post, and sends start and stop signals to the motor.

3. The locking device for the front fork of a shared electric vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Two sets of locking parts (3) are symmetrically installed on the connector (2). The two sets of locking parts (3) are located on both sides of the connector (2) along the direction of the electric vehicle front fork axis, and the locking hole axes of the two sets of locking parts (3) are on the same straight line.

4. The locking device for the front fork of a shared electric vehicle as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The operation process of the device includes a vehicle return locking process and a QR code unlocking process: S1 Return Locking Process: Push the electric vehicle to the existing bicycle return post, adjust the angle of the electric vehicle's front fork so that the locking holes of the two sets of locking parts (3) on the connector (2) are aligned with the corresponding locking grooves of the return post; when the sensor (33) detects that the relative position of the electric vehicle's front fork and the return post meets the insertion conditions of the locking tongue (32), the sensor (33) sends a start signal to the motor of the drive part (34), the motor drives the lead screw to rotate through the reduction gear set, the lead screw drives the slider to move towards the locking groove of the return post along the direction of the lead screw axis, and then pushes the locking tongue (32) to extend out of the locking hole of the housing (31) and insert into the locking groove of the return post until the locking tongue (32) is fully embedded in the locking groove, thus realizing the return locking of the electric vehicle; S2 QR code unlocking process: Scan the corresponding unlocking QR code on the electric vehicle or the return station with a mobile terminal to trigger the unlocking command and transmit it to the motor of the drive unit (34); after receiving the command, the motor rotates in the opposite direction, and drives the lead screw to rotate in the opposite direction through the reduction gear set. The lead screw drives the slider to move away from the lock groove of the return station along the direction of the lead screw axis, thereby pulling the lock tongue (32) out of the lock groove of the return station and retracting it into the lock hole of the housing (31) to complete the unlocking. At this time, the electric vehicle can be pushed away from the return station.

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