Driving device

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of storing and releasing energy at arbitrary timing in a driving device applied to a human-powered vehicle.SOLUTION: A driving device includes a driving shaft provided so as to transfer only rotation in a first direction between the rotation in the first direction and rotation in a second direction of an opposite direction from the first direction to a driven shaft, a storage part for storing energy to rotate the driving shaft in the first direction by rotating the driving shaft in the second direction, an operation part to be operated to rotate the driving shaft in the second direction, a rotor part attached to the driving shaft, a clutch part for allowing the driving shaft to rotate in the second direction to the rotor part and regulating rotation of the driving shaft in the first direction to the rotor part, and a rotation suppression part for making rotation suppression and suppression release of the rotor part in the first direction switchable.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drive device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a spring-type drive device has been known as a power source for operating a machine. A spring-type drive device is configured to accumulate energy (biasing force) by winding up a built-in spring, and generate rotational torque by releasing the energy of the spring. In this regard, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a spring-type drive device that is mounted on a bicycle and accumulates energy when braking. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-229595 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-029893 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Because a mainspring can only store a small amount of energy, in order to keep the machine running, it is necessary to frequently wind it up to store energy. However, conventional mainspring drive mechanisms could only store energy when braking, and were not able to store energy while the machine was running.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a technology that can store and release energy at any timing in a drive device applied to a human-powered vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A drive device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a drive shaft provided such that only rotation in the first direction among rotation in a first direction and rotation in a second direction opposite to the first direction is transmitted to a driven shaft; a power storage unit that stores energy for rotating the drive shaft in the first direction as a result of the drive shaft rotating in the second direction; an operating portion that is operated to rotate the drive shaft in the second direction; A rotor portion attached to the drive shaft; a clutch unit that allows rotation of the drive shaft relative to the rotor unit in the second direction and restricts rotation of the drive shaft relative to the rotor unit in the first direction; The rotor unit includes a rotation suppressing unit that is capable of switching between suppressing rotation of the rotor unit in the first direction and releasing the suppression.

[0007] In the present invention, The energy storage unit may include a power spring that stores the energy by being wound up by rotation of the drive shaft in the second direction.

[0008] In the present invention, The rotor portion has a disk-shaped plate portion that protrudes radially outward from the drive shaft, The rotation suppressing portion may suppress rotation of the rotor portion in the first direction by clamping the plate portion from an axial direction of the drive shaft.

[0009] The drive device according to the present invention comprises: The engine may further include a pulley attached to the drive shaft for transmitting power of the drive shaft to the driven shaft.

[0010] The drive device according to the present invention comprises: The engine may further include a gear mechanism attached to the drive shaft for transmitting power of the drive shaft to the driven shaft.

[0011] In the present invention, The operation unit includes: a pinion gear attached to the drive shaft such that only the rotation in the second direction of the rotation in the first direction and the rotation in the second direction is transmitted to the drive shaft; a rack gear having engaging teeth arranged vertically to mesh with the pinion gear, the rack gear being lowered by a stepping operation to rotate the pinion gear in the second direction; The lever may further include a biasing portion that biases the rack gear, which has been lowered by the depression operation, upward to return it to its original position. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, in a drive device applied to a vehicle powered by human power, energy can be stored and released at any desired timing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a drive device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the drive device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a top view of the drive device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a left side view of the bicycle equipped with the drive unit according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a drive device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a drive device according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in the following embodiments are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention unless otherwise specified.

[0015] The vehicle to which the driving device according to the present invention is applied is not particularly limited as long as it uses human power as a power source, and may be a car or a ship. The vehicle to which the present invention is applied may be, for example, a vehicle for moving on land, such as a bicycle or a kick scooter, or a vehicle for moving on water, such as a pedal boat or a float boat. The vehicle to which the present invention is applied may also use a power other than human power as a power source, for example, electric power. "Using human power as a power source" also includes a case where the driving device according to the present invention is operated by human power and used as an auxiliary power source, and may use a power other than human power as a main power source. An example of such a vehicle is an electric motorcycle that uses electric power as a main power source.

[0016] In addition, in this specification, the type of one-way clutch is not particularly limited, and a sprag type, cam type, or the like can be adopted.

[0017] <Embodiment 1> [Schematic configuration] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a drive device 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 shows the drive device 100 in a schematic manner. FIG. 1 also shows the "front-rear direction", "up-down direction", and "left-right direction" of the drive device 100. These directions correspond to the "front-rear direction", "up-down direction", and "left-right direction" of the vehicle when the drive device 100 is applied to the vehicle. However, these directions merely indicate the relative positional relationship of each component of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the drive device 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a top view of the drive device 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0018] The driving device 100 according to the first embodiment can be applied to a bicycle as an example of a vehicle powered by human power. FIG. 1 shows the rear wheel 20, the driven pulley 60, the chain 70, the driven shaft 80, and the one-way clutch 201, which are components of a bicycle 200 (see FIG. 2) to which the driving device 100 is applied. The driven shaft 80 is a shaft member extending along the left-right direction and can rotate around an axis line A2. The rear wheel 20 is provided so as to rotate integrally with the driven shaft 80. Here, with respect to the rotation direction of the driven shaft 80 around the axis line A2, the rotation direction when the vehicle (the bicycle 200 in this example) moves forward is defined as a forward rotation direction R3, and the rotation direction when the vehicle moves backward is defined as a backward rotation direction R4. The driving device 100 is configured to transmit power to the driven shaft 80 to rotate the driven shaft 80 in the forward rotation direction R3. Also, the reference numeral 10 in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 indicates the main body of the bicycle 200. In this specification, the "main body of a vehicle" refers to the main structure of the vehicle. If the vehicle is a car, the body is the vehicle body, and if the vehicle is a ship, the body is the hull. The main body 10 in this embodiment is specifically a frame that constitutes the body of the bicycle 200. The drive unit 100 is attached to the main body 10.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 1, the driving device 100 includes a drive shaft 1, a power accumulation unit 2, an operation unit 3, a brake rotor 4 (an example of a "rotor unit" according to the present invention), a one-way clutch 5 (an example of a "clutch unit" according to the present invention), a brake caliper 6 (an example of a "rotation suppressing unit" according to the present invention), and a driving pulley 7. Each component of the driving device 100 will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 3.

[0020] [Drive shaft 1] The drive shaft 1 is an axial member extending along the left-right direction. The drive shaft 1 is rotatable around an axis A1 in a first direction R1 and a second direction R2 opposite to the first direction R1. Although details will be described later, the drive shaft 1 is provided such that, of the rotation in the first direction R1 and the rotation in the second direction R2, only the rotation in the first direction R1 is transmitted to the driven shaft 80. In the following description, the term "axial direction" refers to the extension direction of the drive shaft 1 (i.e., the left-right direction in this example) unless otherwise specified. The drive shaft 1 is rotatably supported by the main body 10 of the bicycle 200. Both ends of the drive shaft 1 extend from the main body 10.

[0021] [Power storage section 2] The force accumulating unit 2 is a device that accumulates energy (biasing force) for rotating the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 when the drive shaft 1 rotates in the second direction R2. The force accumulating unit 2 is configured as a so-called spiral motor, for example. Specifically, the force accumulating unit 2 has a spiral spring 21 attached to the drive shaft 1 and a case 22 that houses the spiral spring 21.

[0022] The power spring 21 is formed by winding a plate-shaped elastic member in a spiral shape around the drive shaft 1, and its end on the central side is fixed to the drive shaft 1. When the drive shaft 1 rotates in the second direction R2, the power spring 21 is wound up and elastically deformed, thereby storing energy that serves as a biasing force on the drive shaft 1. This energy is specifically the elastic energy of the power spring 21. When the drive shaft 1 is allowed to rotate in the first direction R1 in the wound-up state, the power spring 21 elastically returns to its original state, and the stored energy is restored. The energy is released (discharged). As a result, the drive shaft 1 rotates in the first direction R1 using the released energy as power.

[0023] The power storage unit 2 also has a reverse winding prevention mechanism (not shown) that prevents the spiral spring 21 from being wound in the opposite direction when the spiral spring 21 is unwound by the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 and the number of turns becomes zero. A known technique can be used for the reverse winding prevention mechanism.

[0024] The case 22 is a housing that houses the spiral spring 21, and is fixed to the main body 10 of the vehicle as shown in FIG.

[0025] [Operation unit 3] The operating unit 3 is a device that is operated by a user (e.g., a driver of a vehicle) to rotate the drive shaft 1 in the second direction R2. As shown in Fig. 2, the operating unit 3 has a pinion gear 31, a rack gear 32, a biasing unit 33, a pedal 34, a one-way clutch 35, a rail member 36, and a slide member 37.

[0026] The pinion gear 31 is a spur gear attached to the drive shaft 1 via a one-way clutch 35, and is rotatable around the drive shaft 1. The one-way clutch 35 is interposed between the drive shaft 1 and the pinion gear 31. The one-way clutch 35 allows the rotation (idling) of the pinion gear 31 relative to the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1, and restricts the rotation of the pinion gear 31 relative to the drive shaft 1 in the second direction R2. As a result, the pinion gear 31 is attached to the drive shaft 1 so that, of the rotation in the first direction R1 and the rotation in the second direction R2, only the rotation in the second direction R2 is transmitted to the drive shaft 1. Therefore, the rotation of the pinion gear 31 in the second direction R2 is transmitted to the drive shaft 1, and the pinion gear 31 and the drive shaft 1 rotate integrally, and the rotation of the pinion gear 31 in the first direction R1 is not transmitted to the drive shaft 1, and the pinion gear 31 rotates idly. Moreover, the one-way clutch 35 may be built in on the drive shaft 1 side or on the pinion gear 31 side.

[0027] The rail member is a rod-shaped member extending along the up-down direction, and is fixed to the case 22 of the power accumulation unit 2. The slide member 37 is a member attached to the rail member and is slidable along the rail member in the up-down direction.

[0028] The pedal 34 is a rod-shaped member extending in the left-right direction, is fixed to the slide member 37, and moves up and down integrally with the slide member 37. The pedal 34 extends to the side (to the left in this example) and can be depressed by the user. When the pedal 34 is depressed, the slide member 37 slides downward.

[0029] The rack gear 32 is a member that extends in the vertical direction and can mesh with the pinion gear 31. The pinion gear 31 and the rack gear 32 form a rack and pinion mechanism. The rack gear 32 is fixed to a slide member 37 and moves vertically together with the slide member 37. Engagement teeth 32a that mesh with the pinion gear 31 are arranged vertically on a side surface of the rack gear 32. When the pedal 34 is depressed while the rack gear 32 is engaged with the pinion gear 31, the rack gear 32 descends together with the slide member 37, thereby rotating the pinion gear 31 in the second direction R2.

[0030] The biasing portion 33 is an elastic member that is interposed between the rail member 36 and the slide member 37 and is expandable and contractable in the vertical direction. As an example, the biasing portion 33 is formed of a spring that extends in the vertical direction. When the pedal 34 is lowered by depressing the pedal, the biasing portion 33 is elastically deformed and compressed in the vertical direction, and when the depressing operation is released, the biasing portion 33 elastically returns to its original shape and compresses the slide. The rack gear 32 is urged upward via the stepping member 37. As a result, the urging portion 33 returns the rack gear 32, which has been lowered by the depression operation, to its original position (the initial position shown in FIG. 3).

[0031] [Brake rotor 4] As shown in Fig. 1, the brake rotor 4 is a member attached to the drive shaft 1 via a one-way clutch 5 and is rotatable around the drive shaft 1. The brake rotor 4 has a disk-shaped plate portion 41 that protrudes radially outward from the drive shaft 1.

[0032] [One-way clutch 5] The one-way clutch 5 is interposed between the drive shaft 1 and the brake rotor 4. The one-way clutch 5 allows the drive shaft 1 to rotate (idle) in the second direction R2 relative to the brake rotor 4, and restricts the drive shaft 1 to rotate in the first direction R1 relative to the brake rotor 4. Thus, the brake rotor 4 is attached to the drive shaft 1 so that, of the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 and the rotation in the second direction R2, only the rotation in the first direction R1 is transmitted to the brake rotor 4. Therefore, the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 is transmitted to the brake rotor 4, and the drive shaft 1 and the brake rotor 4 rotate integrally, and the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the second direction R2 is not transmitted to the brake rotor 4, and the drive shaft 1 spins idly. The one-way clutch 5 may be built into the drive shaft 1 side or the brake rotor 4 side.

[0033] [Brake caliper 6] The brake caliper 6 is fixed to the main body 10 of the vehicle, and constitutes a brake mechanism together with the brake rotor 4. As shown in FIG. 3, the brake caliper 6 has a pair of brake pads 61, 61 arranged on both axial sides of the plate portion 41 of the brake rotor 4. The brake caliper 6 is connected to the handlebars 40 (see FIG. 4) of the bicycle 200, for example, via a wire 202, and can switch between clamping and releasing the plate portion 41 by the brake pads 61, 61 in response to the operation of the handlebars 40 by the user. Hereinafter, a state in which the brake caliper 6 is activated and the plate portion 41 is clamped by the brake pads 61, 61 is referred to as a "brake activated state." Also, a state in which the brake caliper 6 is not activated and the brake pads 61, 61 release the plate portion 41 is referred to as a "brake released state." In the brake applied state, the plate portion 41 is clamped by the brake pads 61, 61 from the axial direction, and the rotation of the brake rotor 4 is suppressed by friction between the brake pads 61, 61 and the plate portion 41. In the brake released state, the brake rotor 4 is allowed to rotate. This allows the brake caliper 6 to switch between suppressing and releasing the suppression of rotation of the brake rotor 4 in the first direction R1. When the drive shaft 1 and the brake rotor 4 are rotating integrally in the first direction R1, the rotation of the drive shaft 1 is braked by switching from the brake released state to the brake applied state.

[0034] [Drive pulley 7] 1, the drive pulley 7 is attached to the drive shaft 1 in order to transmit the power of the drive shaft 1 to the driven shaft 80, and is a disk-shaped member that protrudes radially outward from the drive shaft 1. The drive pulley 7 is fixed to the drive shaft 1 and rotates integrally with the drive shaft 1. For example, a chain 70 of a bicycle 200 is hung on the drive pulley 7, and the drive pulley 7 and the driven pulley 60 of the bicycle 200 are connected via the chain 70.

[0035] [Basic operations] Next, a basic operation of the driving device 100 will be described. The main operations of the driving device 100 are a power storage operation for storing energy for rotating the driving shaft 1 in the first direction R1, and a power storage operation for storing energy for rotating the driving shaft 1 in the first direction R2. and a release operation, which rotates the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 by releasing the stored energy.

[0036] [Power storage operation] The force storing operation is performed by depressing the operation unit 3 one or more times by human power. In a state where the operation unit 3 is not depressing, the slide member 37 is supported by the biasing portion 33, so that the rack gear 32 is held in the initial position shown in FIG. 3. The initial position is a position above the pinion gear 31 so that the rack gear 32 and the pinion gear 31 do not mesh with each other. When the pedal 34 of the operation unit 3 is depressed against the elastic force of the biasing portion 33, the rack gear 32 descends together with the slide member 37, and the biasing portion 33 is compressed in the vertical direction. Then, the rack gear 32 descends, so that the pinion gear 31 rotates in the second direction R2. The one-way clutch 35 transmits the rotation of the pinion gear 31 in the second direction R2 to the drive shaft 1, so that the drive shaft 1 rotates together with the pinion gear 31 in the second direction R2. When the drive shaft 1 rotates in the second direction R2, the spiral spring 21 of the energy storage unit 2 is wound up, and energy for rotating the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 is stored.

[0037] Here, when one depression operation is completed and the depression operation is released, the biasing portion 33 elastically returns, and the rack gear 32, which has been lowered by the depression operation, rises and returns to the initial position. At this time, the pinion gear 31 rotates in the first direction R1 by meshing with the rack gear 32. However, the one-way clutch 35 does not transmit the rotation of the pinion gear 31 in the first direction R1 to the drive shaft 1, so the pinion gear 31 rotates (idles) in the first direction R1 relative to the drive shaft 1. This prevents the drive shaft 1 from rotating in the first direction R1 due to the rotation of the pinion gear 31 when the rack gear 32 returns to the initial position. In other words, the spiral spring 21 is prevented from being unwound and energy is prevented from being released. Therefore, energy can be stored in the spiral spring 21 with each depression operation.

[0038] By repeatedly stepping on the pedal a number of times, the amount of winding of the power spring 21 can be increased, and the energy stored in the energy storage unit 2 can be increased.

[0039] Here, in a state where the spiral spring 21 is wound up and energy is stored, a biasing force that rotates the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 acts on the drive shaft 1 due to the elasticity of the spiral spring 21. At this time, the energy stored in the spiral spring 21 by the energy storing operation can be stored in the spiral spring 21 by setting the brake caliper 6 in the brake operating state. In detail, by setting the brake caliper 6 in the brake operating state, the rotation of the brake rotor 4 in the first direction R1 is suppressed. As described above, the one-way clutch 5 restricts the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 relative to the brake rotor 4, so that the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 is also suppressed. This suppresses the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 due to the biasing force of the spiral spring 21. As a result, the spiral spring 21 is prevented from being unwound and releasing the energy, and the energy can be stored. Note that the power storing operation may be performed in the brake applied state, or the power storing operation may be performed in the brake released state, and then the brake applied state may be switched to after the power storing operation is completed. When the power storing operation is performed in the brake applied state, the one-way clutch 5 restricts the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 relative to the brake rotor 4, while allowing the rotation in the second direction R2, so that the power storing operation can be performed while restricting the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1.

[0040] [Release operation] The release operation is performed by releasing the brake caliper 6 with energy stored in the mainspring 21. This is achieved by switching the brake caliper 6 from a brake applied state to a brake released state by operating the handle 40. When the brake caliper 6 is switched from a brake applied state to a brake released state by operating the handle 40, the brake rotor 4 is allowed to rotate in the first direction R1. This allows the drive shaft 1, which had been restricted by the brake caliper 6 via the brake rotor 4, to rotate in the first direction R1. As a result, the energy stored in the spiral spring 21 is released, and the drive shaft 1 rotates in the first direction R1.

[0041] [Bicycle 200] Next, an example in which the driving device 100 according to the first embodiment is applied to a bicycle 200 will be described. Fig. 4 is a left side view of the bicycle 200 equipped with the driving device 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the bicycle 200 includes a main body 10 which is a vehicle body, a rear wheel 20 which is a driving wheel, a front wheel 30 which is a steering wheel, a handlebar 40 for driving operation, a saddle 50 on which a rider of the bicycle 200 sits, and a wire 202 which transmits a brake operation of the handlebar 40 to a brake caliper 6 of the driving device 100. Also, as shown in Fig. 1, the bicycle 200 includes a driven pulley 60, a chain 70, a driven shaft 80, and a one-way clutch 201.

[0042] 1, the rear wheel 20 is fixed to a driven shaft 80 and rotates integrally with the driven shaft 80. The driven pulley 60 is a disk-shaped member attached to the driven shaft 80 via a one-way clutch 201, and is connected to a driving pulley 7 of the driving device 100 via a chain 70. The chain 70 transmits the power of the driving device 100 to the driven pulley 60.

[0043] When the drive shaft 1 rotates in the first direction R1, the driven pulley 60 rotates in the forward rotation direction R3, and when the drive shaft 1 rotates in the second direction R2, the driven pulley 60 rotates in the backward rotation direction R4. Here, the one-way clutch 201 interposed between the driven shaft 80 and the driven pulley 60 allows the rotation (idling) of the driven pulley 60 in the backward rotation direction R4 relative to the driven shaft 80, and restricts the rotation of the driven pulley 60 in the forward rotation direction R3 relative to the driven shaft 80. As a result, the driven pulley 60 is attached to the driven shaft 80 so that only the rotation in the forward rotation direction R3 of the rotation of the driven pulley 60 in the forward rotation direction R3 and the rotation in the backward rotation direction R4 is transmitted to the driven shaft 80. As a result, only the rotation in the first direction R1 of the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 and the rotation in the second direction R2 is transmitted to the driven shaft 80. Therefore, when the drive shaft 1 rotates in the first direction R1, the driven pulley 60 and the driven shaft 80 rotate together in the forward rotation direction R3. On the other hand, the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the second direction R2 is not transmitted to the driven shaft 80, and the driven pulley 60 rotates freely in the backward rotation direction R4.

[0044] [Driving operations] The driving operation of the bicycle 200 equipped with the driving unit 100 will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. However, the driving operation described below is an example, and the driving operation of the vehicle to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the following.

[0045] First, when bicycle 200 is at a standstill before starting to ride (hereinafter, "stopped state"), no energy is stored in spiral spring 21 of energy storage unit 2 due to winding, and rack gear 32 of operation unit 3 is maintained in the initial position shown in Fig. 3 so as not to mesh with pinion gear 31. Also, brake caliper 6 is in a brake released state.

[0046] Next, the rider gets on the bicycle 200 (more specifically, sits on the saddle 50) and performs the above-mentioned power storing operation, storing energy in the spiral spring 21 of the power storing unit 2. In the power storing operation, the rack gear 32 is lowered by stepping on the bicycle, causing the drive shaft 1 to rotate in the second direction R2, thereby winding up the spiral spring 21 and storing energy. The rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the second direction R2 is transmitted to the driven pulley 60 of the bicycle 200 via the drive pulley 7 and the chain 70, causing the driven pulley 60 to rotate in the reverse direction R4. However, Therefore, as described above, the rotation of the driven pulley 60 in the backward rotation direction R4 is not transmitted to the driven shaft 80 by the one-way clutch 201, so the driven pulley 60 spins freely. In this way, the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the second direction R2 is not transmitted to the driven shaft 80, so the power storing operation prevents the driven shaft 80 from rotating in the backward rotation direction R4 and causing the bicycle 200 to move backward. During the power storing operation when the bicycle is stopped, the brake caliper 6 may be left in the brake released state or may be in the brake applied state. By repeating the pedaling operation multiple times, the stored energy can be increased.

[0047] By placing the brake caliper 6 in a brake applied state at least after the power storing operation is completed, rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 is restricted, and the state in which energy is stored in the spiral spring 21 is maintained. This allows the bicycle 200 to be ridden by the above-mentioned release operation.

[0048] Next, by performing a release operation with energy stored in the spiral spring 21, the stored energy is released and the bicycle 200 is made to travel (move forward). In the release operation, the brake caliper 6 is switched from a brake-activated state to a brake-released state by operating the handle 40. This releases the energy stored in the spiral spring 21, and the drive shaft 1 rotates in the first direction R1. The rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 is transmitted to the driven pulley 60 of the bicycle 200 via the drive pulley 7 and the chain 70, and the driven pulley 60 rotates in the forward rotation direction R3. As described above, the one-way clutch 201 transmits the rotation of the driven pulley 60 in the forward rotation direction R3 to the driven shaft 80. Therefore, the driven pulley 60, the driven shaft 80, and the rear wheel 20 rotate integrally in the forward rotation direction R3, and the bicycle 200 moves forward. In this way, the bicycle 200 starts traveling (driving travel) using the power of the drive device 100. During driving, the pinion gear 31 rotates integrally with the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1, and the rack gear 32 waits in the initial position.

[0049] As the drive travel continues, the mainspring 21 unwinds, and when the accumulated energy runs out, the bicycle 200 transitions to inertial travel, in which the bicycle continues to move forward by inertia. During inertial travel, the drive shaft 1 stops rotating, and the rear wheel 20 rotates in the forward rotation direction R3 due to the inertia acting on the bicycle 200. At this time, the driven shaft 80 also rotates in the forward rotation direction R3 together with the rear wheel 20, but the one-way clutch 201 causes the driven shaft 80 to rotate freely relative to the driven pulley 60, so the rotation of the driven shaft 80 in the forward rotation direction R3 is not transmitted to the drive shaft 1.

[0050] As the inertial running continues, the bicycle 200 gradually loses speed due to the loss of inertia. In order to impart power to the bicycle 200 and accelerate it while it is inertial running, the bicycle 200 can be switched to drive running by performing the above-mentioned power storage operation. The power storage operation while inertial running is performed with the brake caliper 6 in a brake actuated state in order to suppress rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1. After the power storage operation is completed, the brake caliper 6 is switched to a brake release state to release the energy stored in the spiral spring 21 by the power storage operation, and the bicycle 200 is switched to drive running.

[0051] The power storage operation may be performed during driving and before transitioning to inertial driving. By storing additional energy through the power storage operation while the energy of the spiral spring 21 is continuously released during driving, it is possible to continuously provide power to the bicycle 200. This allows the bicycle to continue driving and increase the cruising distance. The power storage operation during driving is performed with the brake caliper 6 in the brake release state in order to continue driving by allowing the drive shaft 1 to rotate in the first direction R1.

[0052] As described above, when riding the bicycle 200 equipped with the driving device 100, energy can be stored and released at any time. By engaging and releasing the brakes, the bicycle 200 can continue to be driven, making it possible to drive the bicycle 200 for long distances. To stop the bicycle 200 from traveling, a brake mechanism (not shown) for stopping the bicycle 200 that is separately provided on the bicycle 200 is activated to brake the bicycle 200. This causes the bicycle 200 to stop traveling.

[0053] [Actions and Effects] As described above, the driving device 100 according to the first embodiment includes the drive shaft 1, the power storage unit 2, the operation unit 3, the brake rotor 4, the one-way clutch 5, and the brake caliper 6. The drive shaft 1 is provided so that only the rotation in the first direction R1 of the rotation in the first direction R1 and the rotation in the second direction R2 is transmitted to the driven shaft 80. The power storage unit 2 stores energy for rotating the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 by the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the second direction R2. The operation unit 3 is operated to rotate the drive shaft 1 in the second direction R2. The one-way clutch 5 allows the rotation (idling) of the drive shaft 1 in the second direction R2 relative to the brake rotor 4 and restricts the rotation in the first direction R1. The brake caliper 6 is capable of switching between suppressing and releasing the suppression of the rotation of the brake rotor 4 in the first direction R1.

[0054] According to the drive device 100, while the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 is restricted by the brake caliper 6, energy for rotating the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 can be stored in the power storage unit 2. In addition, while the energy is stored in the power storage unit 2, the restriction of the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 by the brake caliper 6 is released, so that the energy can be released. According to this, by operating the operation unit 3, energy can be stored or released while the vehicle is stopped or traveling. In other words, according to the drive device 100, it is possible to store or release energy at any timing. As a result, it is possible to drive the vehicle continuously.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the driven shaft 80 is configured to rotate in the forward rotation direction R3 by the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1, but the driven shaft 80 may be configured to rotate in the backward rotation direction R4 by the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1. In other words, the vehicle may move backward by the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1.

[0056] Moreover, the energy storage unit 2 according to this embodiment has a power spring 21 that stores energy by being wound up by rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the second direction R2. This allows energy to be stored by rotating the drive shaft 1 in the second direction R2. Note that the means by which the energy storage unit according to the present invention stores energy is not limited to a power spring.

[0057] Moreover, the brake rotor 4 according to this embodiment has a disk-shaped plate portion 41 that protrudes radially outward from the drive shaft 1, and the brake caliper 6 can clamp the plate portion 41 from the axial direction of the drive shaft 1. This makes it possible to suppress rotation of the brake rotor 4 in the first direction R1.

[0058] Moreover, the driving device 100 according to this embodiment further includes a driving pulley 7 attached to the driving shaft 1. This makes it possible to transmit the power of the driving shaft 1 to the driven shaft 80.

[0059] Moreover, the operating unit 3 according to this embodiment includes a pinion gear 31, a rack gear 32, and a biasing unit 33. The pinion gear 31 is attached to the drive shaft 1 such that, of the rotation in the first direction R1 and the rotation in the second direction R2, only the rotation in the second direction R2 is transmitted to the drive shaft 1. The rack gear 32 has engagement teeth 32a arranged vertically to mesh with the pinion gear 31, and rotates the pinion gear 31 in the second direction R2 by descending when the rack gear 32 is depressed. The biasing unit 33 biases the rack gear 32, which has descended when the rack gear 32 is depressed, upwardly, thereby returning it to its initial position (original position). By configuring the operating unit 3 as described above, the amount of force applied to the operating unit 3 by the depression of the operating unit 3 is reduced. By this operation, the drive shaft 1 can be rotated in the second direction R2. In addition, since the rack gear 32 is returned to its initial position by the biasing portion 33, it becomes possible to perform the depression operation multiple times. By performing the depression operation multiple times, the energy stored in the energy storage portion 2 can be increased.

[0060] <Embodiment 2> Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a driving device 100A according to embodiment 2. Fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram of the driving device 100A. Hereinafter, the driving device 100A according to embodiment 2 will be mainly explained with respect to the differences from the driving device 100 according to embodiment 1, and the same reference numerals will be used to denote the same points as the driving device 100, and detailed explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0061] The driving device 100A according to the second embodiment can be applied to a ship using a water wheel as a propeller, which is an example of a vehicle powered by human power. An example of a ship using a water wheel as a propeller is a paddlewheel ship.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 5, the driving device 100A differs from the driving device 100 described above in that it includes a water wheel 8 and a one-way clutch 9 instead of the driving pulley 7. The water wheel 8 is attached to the driving shaft 1 via the one-way clutch 9 and can rotate around the driving shaft 1. The water wheel 8 has a shaft portion 81 attached to the driving shaft 1 and a blade 82 provided on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 81. The shaft portion 81 corresponds to the "driven shaft" according to the present invention. Since the shaft portion 81 is arranged coaxially with the driving shaft 1, in the second embodiment, the first direction R1 corresponds to the forward rotation direction R3 in the first embodiment, and the second direction R2 corresponds to the reverse rotation direction R4 in the first embodiment. The one-way clutch 9 is interposed between the driving shaft 1 and the shaft portion 81 of the water wheel 8. The one-way clutch 9 allows the rotation (idling) of the driving shaft 1 in the second direction R2 relative to the water wheel 8, and restricts the rotation of the driving shaft 1 in the first direction R1 relative to the water wheel 8. As a result, of the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 and the rotation in the second direction R2, only the rotation in the first direction R1 is transmitted to the water turbine 8. Therefore, when the drive shaft 1 rotates in the first direction R1, the water turbine 8 rotates in the first direction R1 together with the drive shaft 1. On the other hand, the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the second direction R2 is not transmitted to the water turbine 8, and the drive shaft 1 rotates idly.

[0063] In the power storing operation of the drive device 100A, the drive shaft 1 rotates in the second direction R2 by stepping on the pedal 34, whereby the spiral spring 21 of the power storing unit 2 is wound up and energy for rotating the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 is stored. At this time, the one-way clutch 9 causes the drive shaft 1 to rotate freely with respect to the water turbine 8, so that the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the second direction R2 is not transmitted to the water turbine 8. Therefore, the water turbine 8 is prevented from rotating in the second direction R2 during the power storing operation, and the ship is prevented from moving backward.

[0064] When energy is stored in the power spring 21, a release operation is performed to release the stored energy and rotate the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1. At this time, the one-way clutch 9 transmits the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 to the water turbine 8, so that the drive shaft 1 and the water turbine 8 rotate integrally in the first direction R1. As a result, a forward thrust is generated by the blades 82 of the water turbine 8, and the ship moves forward.

[0065] The drive unit 100A may include a clutch switching mechanism that switches the regulating direction of the one-way clutch 9, and an external power transmission mechanism for rotating the water turbine 8 with external power. The clutch switching mechanism is capable of switching, for example, by a switch operation, between a state in which only the rotation in the first direction R1 is transmitted to the water turbine 8 (forward rotation state) and a state in which only the rotation in the second direction R2 is transmitted to the water turbine 8, out of the rotation in the first direction R1 and the rotation in the second direction R2 of the drive shaft 1. The external power transmission mechanism may include, for example, a handle for manually rotating the water turbine 8. The one-way clutch 9 is switched to the reverse state by the clutch switching mechanism. The water turbine 8 can be rotated in the second direction R2 by human power using an external power transmission mechanism, thereby making it possible to move the ship backward.

[0066] <Embodiment 3> Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a drive device 100B according to embodiment 3. Fig. 6 shows a schematic diagram of the drive device 100B. Hereinafter, the drive device 100B according to embodiment 3 will be mainly explained with respect to the differences from the drive device 100 according to embodiment 1, and the same reference numerals will be used to denote the same points as the drive device 100, and detailed explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0067] The driving device 100B according to the third embodiment can be applied to a ship using an impeller as a propulsion device, as an example of a vehicle powered by human power. FIG. 6 illustrates a driven shaft 80 and an impeller 90, which are components of the ship to which the third embodiment is applied. The driven shaft 80 of the third embodiment extends in the front-rear direction and is perpendicular to the drive shaft 1 of the driving device 100. The impeller 90 is fixed to the rear end of the driven shaft 80 and rotates integrally with the driven shaft 80. The ship moves forward when the impeller 90 rotates in the forward rotation direction R3, and moves backward when the impeller 90 rotates in the reverse rotation direction R4.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 6, the driving device 100B differs from the above-mentioned driving device 100 in that it includes a gear mechanism 101 and a one-way clutch 102 instead of the driving pulley 7. The gear mechanism 101 is a mechanism for transmitting the power of the driving shaft 1 to the driven shaft 80. The gear mechanism 101 includes a first bevel gear 101a attached to the driving shaft 1 and a second bevel gear 101b attached to the driven shaft 80. The first bevel gear 101a and the second bevel gear 101b are arranged so that their axes are perpendicular to each other, and transmit rotation between the driving shaft 1 and the driven shaft 80. The first bevel gear 101a is attached to the driving shaft 1 via the one-way clutch 102 and can rotate around the driving shaft 1. The second bevel gear 101b rotates integrally with the driven shaft 80. The one-way clutch 102 is interposed between the driving shaft 1 and the first bevel gear 101a. The one-way clutch 102 allows the rotation (idling) of the drive shaft 1 in the second direction R2 relative to the first bevel gear 101a, and restricts the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 relative to the first bevel gear 101a. As a result, of the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 and the rotation in the second direction R2, only the rotation in the first direction R1 is transmitted to the first bevel gear 101a. Therefore, when the drive shaft 1 rotates in the first direction R1, the first bevel gear 101a rotates together with the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1. On the other hand, the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the second direction R2 is not transmitted to the first bevel gear 101a, and the drive shaft 1 rotates idly.

[0069] In the power storing operation of the drive unit 100B, the drive shaft 1 rotates in the second direction R2 by stepping on the pedal 34, whereby the spiral spring 21 of the power storing unit 2 is wound up and energy for rotating the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 is stored. At this time, the one-way clutch 102 causes the drive shaft 1 to rotate freely with respect to the first bevel gear 101a, so that the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the second direction R2 is not transmitted to the impeller 90. Therefore, the impeller 90 is prevented from rotating in the reverse direction R4 during the power storing operation, and the vessel is prevented from moving backward.

[0070] When energy is stored in the spiral spring 21, a release operation is performed to release the stored energy and rotate the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1. At this time, the rotation of the drive shaft 1 in the first direction R1 is transmitted to the first bevel gear 101a by the one-way clutch 102, so that the drive shaft 1 and the first bevel gear 101a rotate integrally in the first direction R1. The rotation of the first bevel gear 101a in the first direction R1 is transmitted to the driven shaft 80 via the second bevel gear 101b, so that the driven shaft 80 and the impeller 90 rotate integrally in the forward rotation direction R3. As a result, a forward thrust is generated by the impeller 90, and the ship moves forward.

[0071] The driving device 100B is a one-piece gear interposed between the driven shaft 80 and the second bevel gear 101b. The vessel may further include a one-way clutch, a clutch switching mechanism for the one-way clutch, and an external power transmission mechanism for rotating the impeller 90 by an external power. The clutch switching mechanism can switch, for example, by a switch operation, between a state in which only the rotation in the forward direction R3 is transmitted to the driven shaft 80 out of the rotation of the second bevel gear 101b in the forward rotation direction R3 and the rotation in the reverse rotation direction R4, and a state in which only the rotation in the reverse rotation direction R4 is transmitted to the driven shaft 80 (normal rotation state). The external power transmission mechanism may include, for example, a handle for manually rotating the impeller 90. The vessel can be reversed by placing the one-way clutch in the reverse rotation state by the clutch switching mechanism and manually rotating the driven shaft 80 in the reverse rotation direction R4 by the external power transmission mechanism.

[0072] <Other> The drive device according to the present invention may be capable of releasing the energy while the vehicle is stopped if there is surplus energy stored in the power storage unit when the operation of a vehicle such as a bicycle or a boat is finished, that is, when the vehicle is stopped. That is, the drive device may include a mechanism (residual energy release mechanism) that releases the residual energy in the power storage unit while maintaining the vehicle stopped. The residual energy release mechanism may release the residual energy by, for example, causing the drive shaft to spin freely using a one-way clutch. The location where the residual energy release mechanism is installed is not particularly limited, and it may be installed, for example, on the drive shaft, the power storage unit, or the driven shaft.

[0073] Although the embodiments of the drive device according to the present disclosure have been described above, each aspect disclosed in this specification can be combined with any other feature disclosed in this specification. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1. Drive shaft 2... Energy storage section 3...Operation unit 4. Brake rotor (an example of a rotor part) 5. One-way clutch (an example of a clutch section) 6. Brake caliper (an example of a rotation suppression part) 80,81...driven shaft 100 Drive unit

Claims

1. A drive device applied to a vehicle powered by human power, a drive shaft provided such that only rotation in the first direction of a rotation in a first direction and a rotation in a second direction opposite to the first direction is transmitted to a driven shaft; a power storage unit that stores energy for rotating the drive shaft in the first direction as a result of the drive shaft rotating in the second direction; an operating portion that is operated to rotate the drive shaft in the second direction; A rotor portion attached to the drive shaft; a clutch unit that allows rotation of the drive shaft relative to the rotor unit in the second direction and restricts rotation of the drive shaft relative to the rotor unit in the first direction; A rotation suppression unit capable of switching between suppressing rotation of the rotor unit in the first direction and releasing the suppression, Drive unit.

2. The energy storage unit has a spiral spring that is wound up by the rotation of the drive shaft in the second direction to store the energy. The drive device according to claim 1 .

3. The rotor portion has a disk-shaped plate portion that protrudes radially outward from the drive shaft, the rotation suppressing portion suppresses rotation of the rotor portion in the first direction by clamping the plate portion from the axial direction of the drive shaft.

3. A drive device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A pulley is attached to the drive shaft to transmit power of the drive shaft to the driven shaft.

3. A drive device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The drive shaft further includes a gear mechanism attached to the drive shaft for transmitting power of the drive shaft to the driven shaft.

3. A drive device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The operation unit includes: a pinion gear attached to the drive shaft such that only the rotation in the second direction of the rotation in the first direction and the rotation in the second direction is transmitted to the drive shaft; a rack gear having engaging teeth arranged vertically to mesh with the pinion gear, the rack gear being lowered by a stepping operation to rotate the pinion gear in the second direction; and a biasing portion that biases the rack gear, which has been lowered by the stepping operation, upward to return it to its original position.

3. A drive device according to claim 1 or 2.

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