vehicle

Abstract

To improve safety in a vehicle where a seat is movable between a low position and a high position.SOLUTION: A vehicle 1 includes: a vehicle body frame 2; a drive unit 3 arranged in the vehicle body frame so as to be movable on a floor surface; a seat 4 arranged on an upper side of the vehicle body frame so as to support hips of a user; a lifting / lowing device 5 arranged between the vehicle body frame and the seat so as to lift / lower the seat between a low position and a high position; a battery 7 arranged in the vehicle body frame; and a control device 6 for controlling the drive unit and the lifting / lowing device. The control device prohibits lifting drive of the lifting / lowering device when the seat is at the low position and also a lifting prohibition condition is established.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle having a drive unit and a seat provided on the drive unit via a lifting device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle having a drive unit, a seat attached to the drive unit via an elevator, and multiple support legs extending downward from the seat. The multiple support legs have rollers at their lower ends and contact the floor surface via the rollers. When the seat is in a low position, the vehicle maintains its posture by the multiple support legs contacting the floor surface. When the seat is in a high position, the multiple support legs are separated from the floor surface. In this state, the vehicle maintains its posture by controlling the drive unit with an inverted pendulum. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019-244444 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When the seat is in the high position, the occupant is positioned higher, which requires greater stability and safety from the vehicle.

[0005] In view of the above background, an object of the present invention is to further improve safety in a vehicle in which a seat can be moved between a low position and a high position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle (1) comprising a body frame (2), a drive unit (3) mounted on the body frame and movable on a floor surface, a seat (4) positioned above the body frame and supporting the user's buttocks, a lifting device (5) mounted between the body frame and the seat and raising and lowering the seat between a low position and a high position, a battery (7) mounted on the body frame, and a control device (6) that controls the drive unit and the lifting device, and the control device prohibits the lifting device from being driven upward when the seat is in the low position and an ascent prohibition condition is met.

[0007] According to this aspect, the control device determines whether the ascent prohibition condition is met and prohibits the lifting device from ascending if the ascent prohibition condition is met, thereby further improving the safety of the vehicle. According to this aspect, a safe and convenient vehicle can be provided for elderly people and people with disabilities.

[0008] In the above aspect, the drive unit includes an electric motor (12A) and a power drive unit (12C) that supplies power to the electric motor, the control device determines whether the vehicle has an abnormality, the vehicle includes an inclination angle acquisition means (45) that acquires the inclination angle of the body frame with respect to a horizontal plane, an SOC acquisition means (53) that acquires the SOC of the battery, and a temperature acquisition means (12D) that acquires the temperature of at least one of the power drive unit, the electric motor, and the battery, and the climb prohibition condition may include at least one of the inclination angle being equal to or greater than a first angle threshold, the temperature of the power drive unit being equal to or greater than a first power drive unit temperature threshold, the temperature of the electric motor being equal to or greater than a first electric motor temperature threshold, the temperature of the battery being equal to or greater than a first battery temperature threshold, the SOC of the battery being equal to or less than a first SOC threshold, and the control device detecting an abnormality in the vehicle.

[0009] According to this aspect, the seat is prohibited from moving to a higher position when at least one of the following conditions is met: the SOC is low; the temperature of the power drive unit is high; the temperature of the electric motor is high; the temperature of the battery is high; the road surface is inclined by a predetermined value or more; or an abnormality has occurred in the vehicle, thereby further improving the safety of the vehicle.

[0010] In the above aspect, the control device may drive the lifting device to lower when the seat is in the high position and a lowering condition is met.

[0011] According to this aspect, when the seat is in a high position and a lowering condition is met, the seat lowers to a low position, thereby further improving the safety of the vehicle.

[0012] In the above aspect, the lifting device may have a holding mechanism for holding the seat at a high position, and the lifting device may move the seat from the high position to the low position by releasing the holding mechanism.

[0013] According to this aspect, the seat can be moved from the high position to the low position by releasing the holding mechanism. The energy required to release the holding mechanism is preferably smaller than the energy required to drive the seat downward by a drive source such as an electric motor.

[0014] In the above aspect, the decrease condition may include at least one of the following: the temperature of the power drive unit is equal to or greater than a second power drive unit temperature threshold that is equal to or greater than the first power drive unit temperature threshold; the temperature of the electric motor is equal to or greater than a second electric motor temperature threshold that is equal to or greater than the first electric motor temperature threshold; the temperature of the battery is equal to or greater than a second battery temperature threshold that is equal to or greater than the first battery temperature threshold; and the SOC of the battery is equal to or less than a second SOC threshold that is equal to or less than the first SOC threshold.

[0015] According to this aspect, the safety of the vehicle is further improved.

[0016] In the above aspect, the control device may determine whether the tilt angle acquisition means is abnormal based on a signal from the tilt angle acquisition means, and the decrease condition may include at least one of the following: the temperature of the power drive unit is equal to or greater than a second power drive unit temperature threshold that is equal to or greater than the first power drive unit temperature threshold; the temperature of the electric motor is equal to or greater than a second electric motor temperature threshold that is equal to or greater than the first electric motor temperature threshold; the temperature of the battery is equal to or greater than a second battery temperature threshold that is equal to or greater than the first battery temperature threshold; the SOC of the battery is equal to or less than a second SOC threshold that is equal to or less than the first SOC threshold; and the tilt angle acquisition means is abnormal.

[0017] According to this aspect, when the tilt angle acquisition means is determined to be abnormal, the seat is lowered to a lower position, thereby further improving the safety of the vehicle.

[0018] In the above aspect, the control device may prohibit the drive unit from driving the vehicle when the seat is in the high position and a travel prohibition condition is met.

[0019] According to this aspect, when the seat is in the high position and the travel prohibition condition is met, the vehicle is prohibited from traveling, thereby further improving the safety of the vehicle.

[0020] In the above aspect, the traveling prohibition condition may include at least one of the following: the temperature of the power drive unit is equal to or greater than a third power drive unit temperature threshold that is lower than the second power drive unit temperature threshold; the temperature of the electric motor is equal to or greater than a third electric motor temperature threshold that is lower than the second electric motor temperature threshold; the temperature of the battery is equal to or greater than a third battery temperature threshold that is lower than the second battery temperature threshold; and the SOC of the battery is equal to or less than a third SOC threshold that is higher than the second SOC threshold.

[0021] According to this aspect, the safety of the vehicle during travel is further improved.

[0022] In the above aspect, the control device may control the drive unit based on inverted pendulum control.

[0023] According to this aspect, the safety of vehicles that perform inverted pendulum control is further improved.

[0024] In the above aspect, the seat may further include at least one leg (24) extending downward from the seat and having a roller (23) at its lower end, the roller being away from the floor surface when the seat is in the high position and contacting the floor surface when the seat is in the low position.

[0025] According to this aspect, when the seat is in a low position, the legs are in contact with the ground, so the posture of the vehicle is stabilized.

[0026] In the above aspect, the drive unit may be movable in all directions along the floor surface.

[0027] In this manner, the vehicle can move in all directions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0028] The above configuration further improves safety in vehicles in which the seat can be moved between low and high positions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] Left side view of vehicle with seat in low position [Figure 2] Left side view of vehicle with seat in high position [Figure 3] Cross section of the drive unit [Figure 4] A perspective view of a seat frame assembly [Figure 5] A perspective view of the vehicle from above [Figure 6] Vehicle floor plan [Figure 7] Block diagram showing the configuration of the control device [Figure 8] Flow diagram showing the lift control procedure [Figure 9] Flow diagram showing the procedure for state detection processing DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a vehicle according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the vehicle is configured as an inverted pendulum vehicle.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle 1 has a body frame 2, at least one drive unit 3 mounted on the body frame 2 and movable on the floor, a seat 4 positioned above the body frame 2 and supporting the user's buttocks, a lifting device 5 mounted between the body frame 2 and the seat 4, a control device 6 that controls the drive unit 3 and the lifting device 5, and a battery 7 mounted on the body frame 2.

[0032] The body frame 2 has a lower frame 2A and an upper frame 2B connected to an upper part of the lower frame 2A. The upper frame 2B is connected to the lower frame 2A so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the front-to-rear direction.

[0033] In this embodiment, a pair of left and right drive units 3 are provided on the left and right sides of the lower frame 2A. Each drive unit 3 has a drive wheel 8 controlled by an inverted pendulum. In this embodiment, each drive unit 3 is a friction drive device that can move in all directions along the floor surface. As shown in FIG. 3 , the friction drive device includes a pair of drive discs 10 rotatably supported on the lower frame 2A, a plurality of drive rollers 11 rotatably supported on each drive disc 10, an annular drive wheel 8 disposed between the left and right drive discs 10 and in contact with the drive rollers 11, and a pair of actuators 12 that independently rotate the pair of drive discs 10. The pair of drive discs 10 are arranged coaxially with each other, with their rotation axes extending in the left-right direction.

[0034] 1, each actuator 12 includes an electric motor 12A and a transmission mechanism 12B that transmits the rotational force of the electric motor 12A to the corresponding drive disk 10. The transmission mechanism 12B may be, for example, a belt transmission mechanism. The electric motor 12A may be disposed above the drive disk 10.

[0035] The drive unit 3 has a power drive unit 12C that supplies power to the electric motor 12A. In other embodiments, the power drive unit 12C may be provided separately from the drive unit 3. The power drive unit 12C is an inverter circuit configured with power semiconductors. The power semiconductors may be IGBTs (insulated gate bipolar transistors) or FETs (field effect transistors). The power drive unit 12C controls the rotation of the electric motor 12A by controlling the power supplied to the electric motor 12A from the battery 7 based on a signal from the control device 6. Note that the power drive unit 12C may also have the function of the control device 6.

[0036] The drive unit 3 has a first temperature sensor 12D as temperature acquisition means for acquiring the temperature Tp of the power drive unit 12C. The first temperature sensor 12D may be provided in the power drive unit 12C. The first temperature sensor 12D is connected to the control device 6. The first temperature sensor 12D may be connected to the power drive unit 12C, and the power drive unit 12C may acquire the temperature information. The control device 6 may acquire the temperature information by communicating with the power drive unit 12C. In another embodiment, the control device 6 may constitute the temperature acquisition means. The control device 6 may acquire the value of the current flowing through the power drive unit 12C and estimate the temperature Tp of the power drive unit 12C based on the current value.

[0037] The drive unit 3 has a second temperature sensor 12E as temperature acquisition means for acquiring the temperature Tm of the electric motor 12A. The second temperature sensor 12E is connected to the control device 6. The second temperature sensor 12E may be connected to the power drive unit 12C, and the power drive unit 12C may acquire the temperature information. The control device 6 may acquire the temperature information by communicating with the power drive unit 12C. In another embodiment, the control device 6 may constitute the temperature acquisition means. The control device 6 may acquire the value of the current flowing through the electric motor 12A and estimate the temperature Tm of the electric motor 12A based on the current value.

[0038] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the drive wheel 8 is annular and is disposed coaxially between a pair of drive disks 10. The drive wheel 8 is in contact with a plurality of drive rollers 11 and is rotatable around a central axis and an annular axis. The drive wheel 8 has, for example, an annular core body 13 and a plurality of driven rollers 14 rotatably supported on the core body 13. Each driven roller 14 is supported on the core body 13 so as to be rotatable around the axis of the annular core body 13. Each driven roller 14 receives a load from the drive disks 10 and rotates relative to the core body 13.

[0039] When the pair of drive discs 10 rotate in the same direction at the same rotational speed, the drive wheels 8 rotate in the same direction at the same rotational speed as the drive discs 10. When a difference occurs in the rotational direction or rotational speed of the pair of drive discs 10, the driven rollers 14 of the drive wheels 8 rotate relative to the core body 13. This allows the drive unit 3 to generate propulsive force in the left and right directions relative to the floor surface.

[0040] A battery 7 is supported at the rear of the lower frame 2A. A control device 6 is supported inside or at the rear of the lower frame 2A. The battery 7 has an SOC acquisition unit 7A. The SOC acquisition unit 7A functions as an SOC acquisition means that acquires the SOC (State Of Charge) of the battery 7 based on the voltage of the battery 7. The battery 7 also has a third temperature sensor 7B that serves as a temperature acquisition means that acquires the temperature Tb of the battery 7. The third temperature sensor 7B is connected to the control device 6. The third temperature sensor 7B may be connected to the temperature acquisition unit of the battery 7, and the temperature acquisition unit may be connected to the control device 6. The control device 6 may acquire a value of a current flowing from the battery 7 and estimate the temperature Tb of the battery 7 based on the current value.

[0041] The lifting device 5 raises and lowers the seat 4 between a low position and a high position. The seat 4 has a seat frame 18 supported by the lifting device 5 and a pad 19 supported on the upper part of the seat frame 18. A user can sit on the pad 19. The lifting device 5 is coupled to the upper frame 2B of the vehicle body frame 2 and the seat frame 18. The lifting device 5 extends and retracts in the vertical direction, thereby displacing the seat frame 18 up and down relative to the upper frame 2B of the vehicle body frame 2. The lifting device 5 may be, for example, a ball screw mechanism or a rack-and-pinion mechanism driven by an electric motor, or a linear motor. The lifting device 5 may also be an air cylinder that extends and retracts using compressed air from a compressor. The lifting device 5 may also have a holding mechanism 5A for holding the seat 4 at a high position. When the holding mechanism 5A is released, the seat 4 may move from the high position to the low position. The energy required to release the holding mechanism is preferably smaller than the energy required to lower the seat using a drive source such as an electric motor.

[0042] The lifting device 5 may have, for example, a base supported by the upper frame 2B, a movable body that is movable up and down on the base and connected to the seat frame 18, a ball screw mechanism that moves the movable body relative to the base, and an electric motor that drives the ball screw mechanism.

[0043] 2, the high position of the seat 4 may be located vertically above the low position of the seat 4. In other embodiments, the high position of the seat 4 may be offset laterally from the low position of the seat 4.

[0044] 4, the seat frame 18 is formed in a rectangular frame shape in a plan view. The seat frame 18 is connected to the upper end of the lifting device 5. The seat frame 18 supports a pad 19 from below.

[0045] The vehicle 1 has at least one first leg 24 extending downward from the seat 4 and having a roller 23 at its lower end, and at least one second leg 27 extending downward from the seat 4 and having an abutment member 26 at its lower end. In this embodiment, the vehicle 1 has four first legs 24 and four second legs 27. Each of the first legs 24 and each of the second legs 27 are rotatably coupled to the seat frame 18. The first legs 24 have a similar configuration to one another, and the second legs 27 have a similar configuration to one another.

[0046] The first leg 24 is rotatable between a stored position in which it is disposed close to the body frame 2 and a deployed position in which it is further to the side from the body frame 2 than the stored position. The first leg 24 may have a joint in the middle in the longitudinal direction.

[0047] Roller 23 is rotatably coupled to the lower end of first leg 24. Roller 23 may be a caster whose rotation axis rotates around a vertical axis relative to first leg 24. In another embodiment, a ball may be supported on the lower end of first leg 24 instead of roller 23.

[0048] The first leg 24 has a biasing member (not shown) that biases it from the deployed position toward the stored position. The first leg 24 may have a damper that damps rotation. The damper may be a rotary damper or a piston damper.

[0049] The second leg 27 is extendable in the vertical direction and biased in the extension direction. An abutment member 26 is provided at the lower end of the second leg 27. The abutment member 26 preferably has a higher flexibility than the second leg 27. The abutment member 26 also preferably has a higher coefficient of friction than the second leg 27. The abutment member 26 may be formed of, for example, rubber or elastomer. The abutment member 26 contacts the ground, thereby maintaining the vehicle 1, which is in contact with the ground via the rollers 23, in a stopped state. The vehicle 1 is maintained in a stopped state by the frictional force between the abutment member 26 provided at the lower end of the second leg 27 and the floor surface. Because the vehicle 1 is maintained in a stopped state by the frictional force between the abutment member 26 and the floor surface, there is no need to supply power to the drive unit 3, thereby improving energy efficiency. Furthermore, stopping the vehicle 1 makes it easier to determine the center of gravity of the vehicle 1 when moving the seat 4 to a higher position and starting inverted pendulum control.

[0050] The second legs 27 are biased in the extension direction by a biasing member. The biasing member is preferably a compression coil spring. The second legs 27 preferably have a damper that damps the extension / contraction movement. The damper is preferably a piston damper. The lower portions of two adjacent second legs 27 are connected to each other by a connecting member 31.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 2, when the seat 4 is in the high position, the rollers 23 and the contact members 26 are separated from the floor surface. When the seat 4 is in the high position, the lower ends of the contact members 26 are positioned lower than the lower ends of the rollers 23. As shown in FIG. 1, when the seat 4 is in the low position, the rollers 23 and the contact members 26 come into contact with the floor surface. When the seat 4 moves from the high position to the low position, the contact members 26 come into contact with the floor surface before the rollers 23. This allows the vehicle 1 to be stopped earlier when the seat 4 moves to the low position.

[0052] Each of the first legs 24 is pushed by the floor surface to move from the stored position to the deployed position, thereby increasing the distance between the contact points of the first legs 24 and stabilizing the posture of the vehicle 1 in the low position.

[0053] Each second leg 27 is connected to a lever 34 via a transmission mechanism. In this embodiment, a pair of left and right levers 34 are provided on the left and right sides of the seat 4. When the seat 4 is in the low position, the user can move the second legs 27 to the retracted position by operating the levers 34. As a result, when the seat 4 is in the low position, the abutment members 26 are separated from the floor surface, allowing the vehicle 1 to move.

[0054] 4, the vehicle 1 has at least one support member 37 extending downward from the seat 4. The support member 37 has a footrest 37A at its lower part that supports the soles of the user's feet. The support member 37 and the footrest 37A are spaced apart from the floor regardless of the position of the seat 4.

[0055] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the vehicle 1 has an operating device 40 provided on at least one of the left and right sides of the seat 4. In this embodiment, the operating device 40 is provided on both the left and right sides of the seat 4. This allows a user with a disability in one of their hands to operate the vehicle 1 with the other hand. It is preferable that the operating devices 40 on the left and right sides have the same configuration.

[0056] The operating device 40 has an operating panel 40B with an operating surface 40A facing upward, and a plurality of operating elements 41 provided on the operating surface 40A. The lever 34 constitutes part of the operating device 40 and extends upward and forward from the rear of the operating panel 40B. The operating panel 40B may be supported by the seat frame 18. The operating panel 40B extends forward and backward along the side of the pad 19.

[0057] 6, the multiple operators 41 include a power switch 41A, a lift switch 41B, a movement direction switch 41C, and a driving mode selector switch 41D. The power switch 41A, the lift switch 41B, the movement direction switch 41C, and the driving mode selector switch 41D may be provided on each of the left and right operating devices 40. The multiple operators 41 are connected to the control device 6.

[0058] The movement direction switch 41C is a switch for operating the drive unit 3. The movement direction switch 41C is an operator that accepts directional input from the user corresponding to at least forward, backward, left, and right. The movement direction switch 41C may be a joystick. In another embodiment, the movement direction switch 41C may be a four-button switch corresponding to forward, backward, right, and left.

[0059] The driving mode changeover switch 41D is an operator that accepts a mode changeover input corresponding to a mode changeover by the user, and is preferably a push switch.

[0060] An indicator 43 for indicating the running mode is provided on the operation surface 40A. The indicator 43 may have a first light-emitting portion corresponding to the parallel movement mode and a second light-emitting portion corresponding to the turning movement mode. The indicator 43 may be a display provided on the operation surface 40A.

[0061] At least one of the multiple operators 41 may illuminate to indicate the state of the vehicle 1. For example, the power switch 41A may emit light when the power of the vehicle 1 is on, i.e., when the vehicle 1 is in an activated state. The lift switch 41B may emit light when the lift device 5 is operating. The lift switch 41B may change the emitted color depending on the position of the seat 4. The travel mode selector switch 41D may change the emitted color depending on the selected travel mode.

[0062] The body frame 2 is provided with an inclination angle sensor 45 as an inclination angle acquisition means for acquiring the inclination angle θf of the body frame 2 with respect to a horizontal plane. The inclination angle sensor 45 may be a gyro sensor. The inclination angle sensor 45 may be configured with a known device that detects acceleration and angular velocity in three axial directions and sequentially measures (estimates) the body inclination angle by performing strap-down calculation processing. However, the inclination angle sensor 45 is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the inclination angle sensor 45 may be a sensor that detects the body inclination angle based on changes in the direction of gravitational acceleration with respect to the body frame 2. In this case, the inclination angle sensor 45 may be configured with a known device based on MEMS technology.

[0063] The tilt angle sensor 45 is provided on the upper frame 2B of the vehicle body frame 2. In another embodiment, the tilt angle sensor 45 may be provided on the seat frame 18.

[0064] The vehicle 1 has a seat position sensor 46 that detects the position of the seat 4 relative to the body frame 2. The seat position sensor 46 detects at least whether the seat 4 is in a low position or a high position. The seat position sensor 46 may be, for example, a proximity switch or a contact switch. The seat position sensor 46 may also obtain the position of the seat 4 based on the extension / retraction state of the lifting device 5. The seat position sensor 46 is connected to the control device 6.

[0065] An outer shell 47 may be attached to the lower part of the vehicle 1. The second legs 27, the support members 37, and the upper parts of the first legs 24 may be disposed inside the outer shell 47. The lower ends of the first legs 24 and the footrest 37A may protrude outside the outer shell 47.

[0066] The control device 6 is a computing device having a microprocessor (MPU), non-volatile memory, volatile memory, and an interface. The control device 6 realizes various applications by having the microprocessor execute programs stored in the non-volatile memory. The control device 6 has a lifting / lowering control unit 51, a travel control unit 52, and an abnormality determination unit 53. The lifting / lowering control unit 51 controls the lifting device 5. The travel control unit 52 controls the electric motors 12A of the left and right drive units 3.

[0067] The abnormality determination unit 53 determines whether or not the vehicle 1 has an abnormality. The abnormality determination unit 53 may determine whether or not the vehicle 1 has an abnormality by comparing values ​​acquired by the SOC acquisition unit 7A, the first temperature sensor 12D, the second temperature sensor 12E, the third temperature sensor 7B, the tilt angle sensor 45, and the seat position sensor 46 with corresponding abnormality determination values. The abnormality determination unit 53 may also determine whether or not the vehicle 1 has an abnormality by acquiring currents in the electric motor 12A and the power drive unit 12C and comparing them with corresponding abnormality determination values.

[0068] When the seat 4 is in a high position, the control device 6 controls the left and right drive units 3 based on inverted pendulum control. This maintains the tilt angle θf of the body frame 2 at 0 degrees. When the tilt angle θf of the body frame 2 is 0 degrees, the center of gravity of the vehicle 1 is located vertically above the rotation axes of the left and right drive wheels 8. Furthermore, based on the tilt angle θf of the body frame 2, the control device 6 drives the drive units 3 so that the vehicle 1 travels in the same direction as the tilt angle θf. This allows a user seated on the seat 4 to move the vehicle 1 in any direction by shifting their weight.

[0069] When the seat 4 is in the low position, the control device 6 controls the drive unit 3 based on a signal from the travel direction switch 41C to move the vehicle 1. When the seat 4 is in the low position, the control device 6 does not perform inverted pendulum control.

[0070] The control device 6 turns on / off the power supply to the vehicle 1 in response to the user's operation of the power switch 41A. The control device 6 drives the lifting device 5 to raise and lower the seat 4 in response to the user's operation of the lifting switch 41B.

[0071] The control device 6 controls the lifting device 5 in accordance with the lifting control procedure shown in Fig. 8. When the user presses the lifting switch 41B, the lifting control section 51 of the control device 6 starts lifting control based on a signal from the lifting switch 41B.

[0072] The control device 6 first determines whether the seat 4 is in the low position based on a signal from the seat position sensor 46 (S1).

[0073] If the control device 6 determines that the seat 4 is in the low position (the determination result in S1 is Yes), the control device 6 determines whether or not an ascent prohibition condition is established (S2). The ascent prohibition condition includes at least one of the following: the tilt angle θf is equal to or greater than a first angle threshold θ1; the temperature Tp of the power drive unit 12C is equal to or greater than a first power drive unit temperature threshold Tp1; the temperature Tm of the electric motor 12A is equal to or greater than a first electric motor temperature threshold Tm1; the temperature Tb of the battery 7 is equal to or greater than a first battery temperature threshold Tb1; the SOC of the battery 7 is equal to or less than a first SOC threshold S1; and the control device 6 detects an abnormality in the vehicle 1. When the seat 4 is in the low position, the four first legs 24 are in contact with the ground, and therefore the tilt angle θf of the body frame 2 is equal to the tilt angle of the floor surface.

[0074] When the seat 4 moves from the low position to the high position, the multiple first legs 24 leave the floor. At this time, the control device 6 executes inverted pendulum control, and the tilt angle θf of the body frame 2 changes from the tilt angle of the floor to 0 degrees. In other words, the larger the tilt angle θf of the body frame 2 when the seat 4 is in the low position, the larger the change in the tilt angle θf of the body frame 2 when the first legs 24 leave the floor. The first angle threshold θ1 is set for the purpose of prohibiting the seat 4 from moving to the high position when the change in the tilt angle θf of the body frame 2 when the first legs 24 leave the floor is large.

[0075] If the temperature Tp of the power drive unit 12C rises, the power drive unit 12C may be damaged. If the temperature Tm of the electric motor 12A rises, the electric motor 12A may be damaged. If the temperature Tb of the battery 7 rises, the battery 7 may be damaged. When the seat 4 moves from the low position to the high position, the control device 6 starts inverted pendulum control. Because the electric motor 12A must be constantly controlled during inverted pendulum control, the temperature Tp of the power drive unit 12C, the temperature Tm of the electric motor 12A, and the temperature Tb of the battery 7 are likely to rise. The first power drive unit temperature threshold Tp1, the first electric motor temperature threshold Tm1, and the first battery temperature threshold Tb1 are set for the purpose of prohibiting the seat 4 from moving to the high position when the temperature Tp of the power drive unit 12C, the temperature Tm of the electric motor 12A, and the temperature Tb of the battery 7 are high.

[0076] If the SOC of the battery 7 decreases, the power supplied to the electric motor 12A may decrease, causing a decrease in the drive rotation speed of the electric motor 12A. Also, the battery 7 may stop outputting power to protect against over-discharge. The first SOC threshold S1 is set to prohibit the seat 4 from moving to a high position when the SOC is low.

[0077] When the lift prohibition condition is met (the determination result in S2 is Yes), the control device 6 prohibits the lift device 5 from driving the seat 4 upward. As a result, the seat 4 will not rise even if the user presses the lift switch 41B. At this time, the control device 6 may cause the indicator 43 to issue an error notification. In other embodiments, the control device 6 may cause audio output means such as a speaker or buzzer to issue an audio error notification.

[0078] When the lift prohibition condition is not met (the determination result of S2 is No), the control device 6 drives the lift device 5 to lift (S4). The control device 6 drives the lift device 5 to lift until the seat 4 reaches the high position. The control device 6 determines whether the seat 4 has reached the high position based on a signal from the seat position sensor 46.

[0079] If the control device 6 determines in step S1 that the seat 4 is not in the low position, it drives the lifting device 5 downward (S5). The control device 6 drives the lifting device 5 downward until the seat 4 reaches the low position. The control device 6 determines whether the seat 4 has reached the low position based on a signal from the seat position sensor 46.

[0080] According to the above-described lift control, the control device 6 prohibits the lift device 5 from moving upward when the seat 4 is in a low position and the lift prohibition condition is met, thereby further improving the safety of the vehicle 1. When the SOC is low, or when the temperature Tp of the power drive unit 12C is high, or when the road surface is inclined by a predetermined value or more, the seat 4 is prohibited from moving to a high position, thereby further improving the safety of the vehicle 1.

[0081] When the seat 4 is in the high position, the control device 6 executes the state detection process shown in FIG. 9 at predetermined time intervals.

[0082] In the state detection process, the control device 6 first determines whether a decrease condition is met (S11). The decrease condition includes at least one of the following: the temperature Tp of the power drive unit 12C is equal to or greater than a second power drive unit temperature threshold Tp2 that is equal to or greater than a first power drive unit temperature threshold Tp1; the temperature Tm of the electric motor 12A is equal to or greater than a second electric motor temperature threshold Tm2 that is equal to or greater than a first electric motor temperature threshold Tm1; the temperature Tb of the battery 7 is equal to or greater than a second battery temperature threshold Tb2 that is equal to or greater than a first battery temperature threshold Tb1; the SOC of the battery 7 is equal to or less than a second SOC threshold S2 that is equal to or less than a first SOC threshold S1; and the tilt angle acquisition means is abnormal.

[0083] The control device 6 may determine whether the inclination angle sensor 45 is abnormal based on a signal from the inclination angle sensor 45. When the seat 4 is in a high position, the inclination angle θf of the body frame 2 is maintained within a predetermined range by inverted pendulum control. Therefore, the control device 6 may determine that the inclination angle sensor 45 is abnormal when the absolute value of the inclination angle θf of the body frame 2 detected by the inclination angle sensor 45 is equal to or greater than a predetermined angle threshold value. The control device 6 may also determine that the inclination angle sensor 45 is abnormal when it does not receive a signal from the inclination angle sensor 45.

[0084] When the lowering condition is met (the determination result in S11 is Yes), the control device 6 drives the lifting device 5 to lower (S12). That is, the seat 4 is forcibly moved from the high position to the low position. The lifting device 5 may be driven to lower by an electric motor. Alternatively, the seat 4 may be lowered by releasing the holding mechanism 5A of the lifting device 5.

[0085] If the decrease condition is not met (the determination result in S11 is No), the control device 6 determines whether a travel prohibition condition is met (S13). The travel prohibition condition includes at least one of the following: the temperature Tp of the power drive unit 12C is equal to or higher than a third power drive unit temperature threshold Tp3 that is lower than the second power drive unit temperature threshold Tp2; the temperature Tm of the electric motor 12A is equal to or higher than a third electric motor temperature threshold Tm3 that is lower than the second electric motor temperature threshold Tm2; the temperature Tb of the battery 7 is equal to or higher than a third battery temperature threshold Tb3 that is lower than the second battery temperature threshold Tb2; and the SOC of the battery 7 is equal to or lower than a third SOC threshold S3 that is higher than the second SOC threshold S2.

[0086] When the travel prohibition condition is met (the determination result in S13 is Yes), the control device 6 prohibits the travel of the vehicle 1 (S14). The control device 6 may, for example, set the travel prohibition flag to 1. Then, when the travel prohibition flag is 1, the control device 6 may prohibit the drive unit 3 from driving the vehicle 1 to travel based on the tilt angle θf of the body frame 2. As a result, even if the tilt angle θf of the body frame 2 changes, the control device 6 only performs attitude control based on inverted pendulum control and does not perform travel control.

[0087] If the travel prohibition condition is not met (the determination result in S13 is No), the control device 6 allows the vehicle 1 to travel (S15). The control device 6 may, for example, set the travel prohibition flag to 0. Then, when the travel prohibition flag is 0, the control device 6 may enable the drive unit 3 to travel based on the tilt angle θf of the body frame 2.

[0088] By the above state detection process, when the seat 4 is in a high position and the lowering condition is met, the seat 4 is lowered to a low position, further improving the safety of the vehicle 1. In addition, when the seat 4 is in a high position and the travel prohibition condition is met, the vehicle 1 is prohibited from traveling, further improving the safety of the vehicle 1.

[0089] Although the description of the specific embodiment has been completed above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be widely modified and implemented. The contents of the ascent prohibition condition, descent condition, and running prohibition condition may be changed depending on the purpose. A speed sensor may be provided to measure the speed of the vehicle 1, and the ascent prohibition condition may be established when the speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1: Vehicles 2: Body frame 3: Drive unit 4: Sheet 5: Lifting device 6: Control device 7: Battery 8: Drive wheel 10: Drive disk 11: Drive roller 12A: Electric motor 12C: Power drive unit 12D: Temperature sensor 13: Core body 14: Driven roller 18: Seat frame 19: Pad 23: Laura 24 :1st leg 40: Operating device 40A: Operation surface 40B: Operation panel 41: Operator 41A: Power switch 41B: Lift switch 41C: Movement direction switch 41D: Driving mode switch 43: Indicator 45: Tilt angle sensor 46: Seat position sensor 51: Lift control section 52: Driving control unit 53:SOC acquisition department

Claims

1. It is a vehicle, The body frame and a drive unit provided on the body frame and movable on a floor surface; a seat disposed above the body frame and supporting the buttocks of a user; a lifting device provided between the vehicle body frame and the seat, for lifting the seat between a low position and a high position; a seat position sensor that detects the position of the seat relative to the vehicle body frame; a battery provided on the vehicle body frame; a control device for controlling the drive unit and the lifting device, The control device determines whether the seat is in the low position based on a signal from the seat position sensor, determines whether an ascent prohibition condition is met when the seat is in the low position, and prohibits the lifting device from being driven upward when the ascent prohibition condition is met.

2. the drive unit includes an electric motor and a power drive unit that supplies power to the electric motor; The control device determines whether the vehicle has an abnormality; The vehicle is an inclination angle acquisition means for acquiring an inclination angle of the body frame with respect to a horizontal plane; an SOC acquisition means for acquiring an SOC of the battery; a temperature acquisition means for acquiring a temperature of at least one of the power drive unit, the electric motor, and the battery; 2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the climb prohibition condition includes at least one of the following: the tilt angle is equal to or greater than a first angle threshold; the temperature of the power drive unit is equal to or greater than a first power drive unit temperature threshold; the temperature of the electric motor is equal to or greater than a first electric motor temperature threshold; the temperature of the battery is equal to or greater than a first battery temperature threshold; the SOC of the battery is equal to or less than a first SOC threshold; and the control device detects an abnormality in the vehicle.

3. 3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the control device drives the lifting device to lower when the seat is in the high position and a lowering condition is met.

4. the lifting device has a holding mechanism for holding the seat at the high position, The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the lifting device moves the seat from the high position to the low position by releasing the holding mechanism.

5. 5. The vehicle of claim 3 or 4, wherein the drop condition includes at least one of the following: the temperature of the power drive unit is equal to or greater than a second power drive unit temperature threshold that is equal to or greater than the first power drive unit temperature threshold; the temperature of the electric motor is equal to or greater than a second electric motor temperature threshold that is equal to or greater than the first electric motor temperature threshold; the temperature of the battery is equal to or greater than a second battery temperature threshold that is equal to or greater than the first battery temperature threshold; and the SOC of the battery is equal to or less than a second SOC threshold that is equal to or less than the first SOC threshold.

6. the control device determines whether the tilt angle acquisition means is abnormal based on a signal from the tilt angle acquisition means, The vehicle described in claim 3 or 4, wherein the decrease condition includes at least one of the following: the temperature of the power drive unit is equal to or higher than a second power drive unit temperature threshold that is equal to or higher than the first power drive unit temperature threshold; the temperature of the electric motor is equal to or higher than a second electric motor temperature threshold that is equal to or higher than the first electric motor temperature threshold; the temperature of the battery is equal to or higher than a second battery temperature threshold that is equal to or higher than the first battery temperature threshold; the SOC of the battery is equal to or lower than a second SOC threshold that is equal to or lower than the first SOC threshold; and the inclination angle acquisition means is abnormal.

7. 7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the control device does not drive the lifting device downward and prohibits the drive unit from driving the vehicle when the seat is in the high position, the lowering condition is not satisfied, and a travel prohibition condition is satisfied.

8. 8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the travel prohibition condition includes at least one of the following: the temperature of the power drive unit is equal to or greater than a third power drive unit temperature threshold that is lower than the second power drive unit temperature threshold; the temperature of the electric motor is equal to or greater than a third electric motor temperature threshold that is lower than the second electric motor temperature threshold; the temperature of the battery is equal to or greater than a third battery temperature threshold that is lower than the second battery temperature threshold; and the SOC of the battery is equal to or less than a third SOC threshold that is higher than the second SOC threshold.

9. A vehicle, The body frame and a drive unit provided on the body frame and movable on a floor surface; a seat disposed above the body frame and supporting the buttocks of a user; a lifting device provided between the vehicle body frame and the seat, for lifting the seat between a low position and a high position; a battery provided on the vehicle body frame; a control device for controlling the drive unit and the lifting device, the control device prohibits the lifting device from being driven to rise when the seat is in the low position and a lifting prohibition condition is met, the control device drives the lifting device to lower when the seat is in the high position and a lowering condition is met, The control device does not drive the lifting device downward and prohibits the drive unit from driving to travel when the seat is in the high position, the lowering condition is not met, and the travel prohibition condition is met.

10. 10. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control device controls the drive unit based on inverted pendulum control.

11. and at least one leg extending downward from the seat and having a roller at its lower end; When the seat is in the high position, the roller is separated from the floor surface, A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the rollers contact the floor surface when the seat is in the low position.

12. 12. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the drive unit is movable in all directions along the floor surface.

Images