motorcycle

Abstract

motorcycle (1) which features: a steering link (20) which is designed to be arranged in such a way as to be rotatable relative to a vehicle body frame (30); a first actuator (174) designed to rotate the handlebar (20); an actuator control unit (172) configured to control the first actuator (174); and a case determination unit (141) designed to determine whether or not a carrier vehicle is tipping over, wherein the actuator control unit (172) controls the first actuator (174) such that a rotation angle of the handlebar (20) is fixed when it is determined that a fall will occur.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a motorcycle.

[0002] In motorcycles, there is a need for a rider to smoothly dismount from the vehicle body at the time of a fall. When a movable portion comes into contact with a road surface in a state where a vehicle has fallen over, there is a possibility that the posture of a vehicle body may not be stable and a rider may not be able to smoothly dismount from the vehicle body. Regarding a mechanism for reducing the operation of a movable portion, Japanese Patent No. JP 5 302 274 B2 discloses a safety device for a handlebar having a buffer device assembly that maintains an original direction of a front wheel by causing a handlebar to rotate in a direction of an external force of a collision.

[0003] JP 2017-065417 A discloses a safety device for a motorcycle, including a collision detection ECU for detecting the occurrence of a collision accident of a motorcycle, a stand, and a driving part. The stand is provided on the right and left sides of a vehicle body of the motorcycle as a protruding member and is configured to be displaceable between a normal position and a protruding position at which the stand protrudes outwardly on the right and left sides of the vehicle body by a predetermined amount. The driving part is configured to displace the stand from the normal position to the protruding position when the occurrence of a collision accident is detected by the collision detection ECU.

[0004] However, a front wheel may be lifted from a road surface in a state where a vehicle has fallen over. Therefore, in the design disclosed in JP 5 302 274 B2, there is a possibility that it is not sufficient to stabilize the posture of a fallen vehicle body. Thus, there is room for improvement in a prior art technology by allowing a driver to smoothly dismount at the time of a vehicle body fall.

[0005] An aspect of the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a motorcycle in which a rider can smoothly dismount from a vehicle body at the time of falling over.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention uses the following aspects.

[0007] (1) According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a motorcycle comprising a handlebar (20) configured to be arranged in a manner so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to a vehicle body frame (30), a first actuator (174) configured to rotate the handlebar (20), an actuator control unit (172) configured to control the first actuator, and a fall determination unit (141) configured to determine whether or not a fall of the host vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as a "host vehicle") has occurred. The actuator control unit (172) controls the first actuator (174) so ​​that a rotation angle of the handlebar (20) is fixed when it is determined that a fall occurs.

[0008] According to the above aspect (1), when the motorcycle falls over and an outer end portion of the handlebar comes into contact with a road surface, turning of the handlebar and displacement of a vehicle body can be mitigated. Accordingly, a posture of the vehicle body can be made stable, and a change in the empty space between the vehicle body and the road surface can be mitigated. Therefore, a rider can easily escape from between the vehicle body and the road surface. It is therefore possible to provide a motorcycle in which a rider can easily dismount from the vehicle body at the time of falling over.

[0009] (2) In the above aspect (1), the actuator control unit (172) may control the first actuator (174) so ​​that the handlebar (20) is held in a center position when it is determined that a fall occurs.

[0010] According to aspect (2) above, the outer end portion of the handlebar is located near a position farthest from a vehicle width center of the vehicle. Therefore, when the motorcycle falls over and the outer end portion of the handlebar comes into contact with a road surface, an empty space can be ensured between the vehicle body and the road surface. Therefore, a rider can easily escape between the vehicle body and the road surface.

[0011] (3) In aspect (1) or (2) above, the motorcycle may further include a second actuator (173) configured to steer a front wheel (2) and a steering actuator control unit (172) configured to control the second actuator (173). The steering actuator control unit (172) may control the second actuator (173) so that the front wheel (2) is held at a center position when it is determined that a fallover is occurring.

[0012] According to the above aspect (3), it is possible to mitigate a situation where the front wheel comes into contact with a road surface in a state where the motorcycle has fallen over and the vehicle body is displaced due to the rotation of the front wheel. Accordingly, a rider can easily escape from between the vehicle body and the road surface.

[0013] According to the aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a motorcycle in which a rider can smoothly dismount from the vehicle body at the time of falling over. Fig. 1 is a left side view of a motorcycle of one embodiment. Fig. 2 is a view of a configuration of a vehicle system of the embodiment. Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the steering device of the embodiment. Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow performed by a control device of the embodiment. Fig. 5 is a front view illustrating a situation in which the motorcycle of the embodiment has fallen over in a stopped state.

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for configurations that have the same or similar functions. Furthermore, duplicate descriptions of the configurations may be omitted. Unless otherwise indicated in the following description, the directions front, rear, upward, downward, left, right, and the like are the same directions as in a vehicle described below. In the diagrams used in the following description, an arrow UP indicates a side above the vehicle, an arrow VO indicates a side in front of the vehicle, and an arrow LH indicates the left side of the vehicle. <Gesamtheit des Fahrzeugs>

[0015] Fig. 1 is a left side view of a motorcycle of the embodiment.

[0016] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the motorcycle 1 includes a front wheel suspension device 10, a handlebar 20, a vehicle body frame 30, a power unit 40, a fuel tank 50, and a seat 60. A front end portion of the vehicle body frame 30 supports a front wheel 2 with a front wheel suspension device 10 therebetween. The vehicle body frame 30 rearward of the front wheel suspension device 10 supports the power unit 40, the fuel tank 50, and the seat 60.

[0017] The front wheel suspension device 10 steers the front wheel 2 relative to the vehicle body frame 30. The front wheel suspension device 10 is rotatably supported by the front end portion of the vehicle body frame 30. The front wheel suspension device 10 includes a pair of front forks 11 that rotatably support the front wheel 2, and a steering stem connected to a pair of front forks 11 and rotatably supported by the front end portion of the vehicle body frame 30. A second actuator 173 is connected to the front wheel suspension device 10. The second actuator 173 is supported by the vehicle body frame 30 and steers the front wheel 2 by causing the front wheel suspension device 10 to rotate relative to the vehicle body frame 30.

[0018] The handlebar 20 is a steering element to which a steering operation is input by a driver. The handlebar 20 is arranged in front of the seat 60 and is connected to an upper portion of the vehicle body frame 30 in a rotatable manner. The handlebar 20 is mechanically separated from the front wheel suspension device 10. A first actuator 174 is connected to the handlebar 20. The first actuator 174 is supported by the vehicle body frame 30. The first actuator 174 applies a reaction torque to the handlebar 20 by rotating the handlebar 20 based on the steering angle, a steering torque, and the like of the handlebar 20.

[0019] The drive unit 40 is an internal combustion engine, such as a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. The electric motor operates using power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine or power supplied from a secondary battery or a fuel cell. <fahrzeugsystem>

[0020] Fig. 2 is a view of a configuration of a vehicle system of the embodiment.

[0021] One in Fig. The vehicle system 100 shown in Figure 2 is mounted in the motorcycle 1. For example, the vehicle system 100 includes a vehicle sensor 110, an environment detection device 120, a drive operating part 130, a control device 140, a driving force output device 150, a braking device 160, and a steering device 170. The devices and instruments are connected to each other via a multiplex communication line (CAN, Controller Area Network), a serial communication line, a radio communication network, or the like. Fig. The design shown in Figure 2 is only an example. Part of the design may be omitted, or a different design may be added.

[0022] The vehicle sensor 110 detects a state of a host vehicle. The vehicle sensor 110 includes a wheel speed sensor 111 for detecting a rotational speed of each of the front and rear wheels, a gyro sensor 113 for detecting an angular velocity of the host vehicle, and a seat sensor 114 for detecting whether a driver is seated thereon.

[0023] The environmental sensing device 120 detects objects around the host vehicle. For example, the environmental sensing device 120 includes some or all of a camera 121, a radar device 122, and a remote sensing device 123. The environmental sensing device 120 may further include an acoustic measurement device.

[0024] For example, camera 121 is a digital camera that uses a solid-state image capture device, such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS). For example, camera 121 captures images around the host vehicle at periodic intervals and repeats them.

[0025] The radar device 122 radiates electromagnetic waves, such as millimeter waves, around a host vehicle M and detects at least a position (a distance and an azimuth) of an object by detecting the electromagnetic waves reflected from the object (reflected waves). The radar device 122 can detect a position and a speed of an object using a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FM-CW) method.

[0026] The remote sensing device 123 is a light detection and positioning device (LIDAR). The remote sensing device 123 emits light around the host vehicle and measures the scattered light. The remote sensing device 123 detects a distance to a target based on the time from the emission of the light to the reception of the light. For example, the emitted light is a pulsed laser beam.

[0027] The drive operating part 130 includes, for example, operating parts such as a throttle grip, a brake pedal, a brake lever, or a shift pedal, and the handlebar 20. A sensor for detecting an operation amount or the presence or absence of an operation is attached to the drive operating part 130. Detection results of the sensor are output to some or all of the control device 140, the travel driving force output device 150, the braking device 160, and the steering device 170.

[0028] The control device 140 is embodied as a single or multiple units of the electronic control unit (ECU). At least a portion of the control device 140 can be implemented through the interaction of software and hardware. The control device 140 includes a case determination unit 141, a driver determination unit 142, and a steering control unit 143.

[0029] The fall determination unit 141 determines whether the host vehicle will fall over in a stopped state. Specifically, the fall determination unit 141 determines whether the host vehicle will fall over based on detection results such as a vehicle speed detected by the vehicle sensor 110 and an angular acceleration in a rolling direction. The fall determination unit 141 can determine that the host vehicle is in a stopped state when the vehicle speed is sufficiently low.

[0030] The driver determination unit 142 determines whether or not a driver is present in the surroundings of the host vehicle. For example, a state where a driver is present in the surroundings of the host vehicle indicates a state where a driver is in contact with the host vehicle. Specifically, the driver determination unit 142 determines whether a driver is present in the surroundings of the host vehicle based on the detection results of a seat sensor 114, a grip sensor, and the like. The driver determination unit 142 can determine the presence of a driver based on an image captured by a camera monitoring the driver.

[0031] The steering control unit 143 controls the steering device 170 based on determination results of the case determination unit 141 and determination results of the driver determination unit 142. The steering control unit 143 outputs a handlebar fixation command to the steering device 170.

[0032] The traveling drive force output device 150 outputs a traveling drive force (torque) for traveling a host vehicle to a drive wheel (rear wheel). For example, the traveling drive force output device 150 comprises a combination of the above-described drive unit 40, a transmission, and the like, and the ECU that controls them. The ECU controls the above configurations according to information input from the drive operating part 130.

[0033] For example, the brake device 160 includes a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to information input from the drive operating part 130 and causes a braking torque corresponding to a braking operation to be output to each of the wheels. The brake device 160 may include, as a backup, a mechanism for transmitting hydraulic pressure generated due to an operation of the brake lever or the brake pedal included in the drive operating part 130 to the cylinder via a master cylinder.The brake device 160 is not limited to the configuration described above and may include an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that transmits a hydraulic pressure of the master cylinder to the cylinder by controlling the actuator according to information input from the drive operating part 130.

[0034] Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the steering device of the embodiment.

[0035] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the steering device 170 includes a steering sensor 171, an actuator control unit 172, and the second actuator 173 and the first actuator 174 described above. The steering sensor 171 measures the steering angle, steering torque, and the like of the handlebar 20. The actuator control unit 172 controls the second actuator 173 and the first actuator 174 based on a detection value of the steering sensor 171 or a command from the steering control unit 173. The first actuator 174 can fix and hold the handlebar 20 at a center position. The center position of the handlebar 20 is a position of the handlebar 20 in a straight-forward steering state. The steering device 170 is formed by a steer-by-wire device that causes the second actuator 173 to steer the front wheel 2, which is mechanically separated from the handlebar 20. The actuator control unit 172 can be embedded in the control device 140. <Funktion der Steuervorrichtung>

[0036] Hereinafter, a flow of processing performed by the control device 140 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. This processing is repeatedly performed in a state in which the vehicle system 100 is operating (for example, a state in which an ignition is turned on).

[0037] Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow performed by the control device of the embodiment. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, in step S10, the fall determination unit 141 determines whether the host vehicle will fall over or not. If it is determined that the host vehicle will fall over (S10: YES), the control device 140 proceeds to the processing of step S20. If it is determined that the host vehicle will not fall over (S10: NO), the control device 140 ends a series of processing.

[0038] In step S20, the case determination unit 141 determines whether the host vehicle is in a stopped state or not. If it is determined that the host vehicle is in a stopped state (S20: YES), the control device 140 proceeds to the processing of step S30. If it is determined that the host vehicle is not in a stopped state (S20: NO), the control device 140 ends a series of processing.

[0039] In step S30, the driver determination unit 142 determines whether or not a driver is present in the vicinity of the host vehicle. If it is determined that a driver is present in the vicinity of the host vehicle (step S30: YES), the control unit 140 proceeds to step S30. If it is determined that no driver is present in the vicinity of the host vehicle (step S30: NO), the control unit 140 ends the series of processing.

[0040] In step S40, the steering control unit 143 outputs a handlebar fixation command to the actuator control unit 172 of the steering device 170. When a handlebar fixation command is received, the actuator control unit 172 controls the first actuator 174 to fix a rotation angle of the handlebar 20. Specifically, when a handlebar fixation command is received, the actuator control unit 172 controls the first actuator 174 to rotate the handlebar 20 to the center position, and then the handlebar 20 is held at the center position. Subsequently, the control device 140 proceeds to the processing of step S50.

[0041] In step S50, the steering control unit 143 outputs a front wheel center fixation command to the actuator control unit 172 of the steering device 170. Upon receiving a front wheel center fixation command, the actuator control unit 172 controls the second actuator 173 to rotate the handlebar 2 around the center position, and then the handlebar 2 is held at the center position. The center position of the front wheel 2 is a position where the front wheel 2 is not steered in a straight-forward state. With this, the control device 140 ends a series of processing.

[0042] Fig. 5 is a front view illustrating a situation in which the motorcycle of the embodiment has fallen over in a stopped state.

[0043] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, when the motorcycle 1 falls over, the handlebar 20 is held at the center position. Therefore, an outer end portion 21 of the handlebar 20 is fixedly located in the vicinity of a position farthest from a vehicle width center within the turning range thereof. Accordingly, the outer end portion of the handlebar 20 is in a state where it is likely to come into contact with the road surface.

[0044] As described above, the motorcycle 1 of the present embodiment includes the first actuator 174 that rotates the handlebar 20, the actuator control unit 172 that controls the first actuator 174, and the fall determination unit 141 that determines whether or not a fall of the host vehicle will occur. When it is determined that a fall will occur, the control unit 172 controls the first actuator 174 such that the rotation angle of the handlebar 20 is fixed. According to this configuration, when the motorcycle 1 falls and an outer end portion 21 of the handlebar 20 comes into contact with a road surface, rotation of the handlebar 20 and displacement of a vehicle body can be mitigated. Accordingly, the posture of the vehicle body can be made stable, and a change in the empty space between the vehicle body and the road surface can be mitigated.Therefore, a rider can easily free themselves from between the vehicle body and the road surface. It is therefore possible to provide a motorcycle 1 in which a rider can easily dismount from the vehicle body at the time of a fall.

[0045] When it is determined that a fall is about to occur, the actuator control unit 172 controls the first actuator 174 so that the handlebar 20 is maintained at the center position. According to this configuration, the outer end portion 21 of the handlebar 20 is located near a position farthest from a vehicle width center of the vehicle. For this reason, when the motorcycle 1 falls and the outer end portion 21 of the handlebar 20 comes into contact with a road surface, an empty space can be ensured between the vehicle body and the road surface. Therefore, a rider can easily escape between the vehicle body and the road surface.

[0046] When it is determined that a fallover is about to occur, the actuator control unit 172 controls the second actuator 173 so that the front wheel 2 is maintained at the center position. According to this configuration, it is possible to mitigate a situation in which the front wheel 2 comes into contact with a road surface in a state where the motorcycle 1 has fallen over and the vehicle body is displaced due to the rotation of the front wheel 2. Accordingly, a rider can easily escape from between the vehicle body and the road surface.

[0047] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment described with reference to the drawings, and various modification examples are conceivable within the technical scope thereof.

[0048] For example, the above embodiment has a steer-by-wire structure in which the front wheel suspension device 10 and the steering rod 20 are mechanically separated from each other. However, the front wheel suspension device and the steering rod may be mechanically connected to each other.

[0049] In the above embodiment, when the actuator control unit 172 receives a command to fix the handlebar, the first actuator 174 is driven to fix the handlebar 20. However, a mechanism for fixing the handlebar 20 is not limited to this. For example, a fixing mechanism that mechanically connects the handlebar 20 to the vehicle body frame 30 may be provided.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the handlebar 20 is held at the center position when a fall occurs. However, a holding position of the handlebar 20 is not limited thereto. For example, when the outer end portion of the handlebar is located at the center position behind a rotation axis of the handlebar as viewed in a vehicle width direction, the holding position of the handlebar may be a position where the outer end portion of the handlebar overlaps the rotation axis of the handlebar as viewed in the vehicle width direction. Accordingly, the outer end portion of the handlebar is located at a position farthest from a vehicle width center of the vehicle. Therefore, an empty space can be ensured between the vehicle body and the road surface when the motorcycle has fallen over.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the rotation angle of the handlebar 20 is fixed when a driver is present in the vicinity of the host vehicle. However, the processing for determining the presence of the driver may be omitted. In other words, the rotation angle of the handlebar 20 may be fixed when it is determined that falling occurs even when no driver is present in the vicinity of the host vehicle.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the vehicle sensor 110 includes the gyro sensor 113. However, instead of the gyro sensor 113, a tilt sensor for detecting a tilt of the host vehicle, an acceleration sensor for detecting an acceleration of the host vehicle, or the like may be included herein. EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 1 motorcycle 2 front wheel 10 Front wheel suspension device 11 Front fork 20 Handlebar 21 outer end area (of the handlebar 20) 30 vehicle body frames 40 drive unit 50 fuel tank 60 seats 110 Vehicle sensor 111 Wheel speed sensor 113 Gyro sensor 114 Seat sensor 120 Environmental detection device 121 Camera 122 radar device 123 Remote measuring device 130 Drive operating part 140 Control device 141 Case Determination Unit 142 Driver Determination Unit 143 Steering control unit 150 dispensing device 160 braking device 170 Steering device 171 Steering sensor 172 Actuator control unit, (steering actuator control unit) 173 Second actuator 174 First actuator< / fahrzeugsystem>

Claims

[1] Motorcycle (1) which has: a handlebar (20) configured to be arranged in a manner that is relatively rotatable with respect to a vehicle body frame (30); a first actuator (174) configured to rotate the handlebar (20); an actuator control unit (172) configured to control the first actuator (174); and a fall determination unit (141) configured to determine whether or not a fall of a carrier vehicle occurs, wherein the actuator control unit (172) controls the first actuator (174) so ​​that a rotation angle of the handlebar (20) is fixed when it is determined that a fall occurs. [2] The motorcycle (1) according to claim 1, wherein the actuator control unit (172) controls the first actuator (174) so ​​that the handlebar (20) is held in a center position when it is determined that a fall occurs. [3] Motorcycle (1) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a second actuator (173) configured to steer a front wheel (2); and the steering actuator control unit (172) configured to control the second actuator (173), wherein the steering actuator control unit (172) controls the second actuator (173), so that the front wheel (2) is held at a center position when it is determined that falling occurs.

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