CONTROL DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20120187881A1
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: AOKI, Koji, TADANO, Yui
• Granted Patent: US 8,957,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/446
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2063 for creeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 43/16 on motorcycles or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 43/20 characterised by the mounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

In an electric vehicle, a throttle spring restores a throttle opening on the side of a minimum opening when the accelerator is not operated. A driving section drives a motor according to the throttle opening. The throttle spring pushes an accelerator grip to a creep speed reference opening so as to reduce the throttle opening. A creep speed control section supplies a motor driving instruction to the driving section so that the electric vehicle is advanced at minute vehicle speed. The electric vehicle can also be backed at predetermined minute vehicle speed when the throttle opening is smaller than the creep speed reference opening.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle, comprising:

an accelerator mechanism including an accelerator grip configured to enable operation of an accelerator for increasing a throttle opening in a first direction from a minimum opening in a normal moving region, and including a spring configured to restore the throttle opening on a side of the minimum opening when the accelerator grip is not operated;

a driving section configured to drive a motor according to the throttle opening by the accelerator mechanism;

a control device including a creep speed moving region set in a second direction reverse to the first direction from the minimum opening, and including position regulating unit provided between the normal moving region and the creep speed moving region;

wherein the accelerator mechanism is configured to operate the throttle opening from the minimum opening to the creep speed moving region further set in the second direction reverse to the first direction against the position regulating unit,

wherein the spring is configured to push the accelerator grip up to a creep speed reference opening located in a middle of the creep speed moving region so as to reduce the throttle opening, and

wherein the control device further includes a creep speed control section configured to supply a motor driving instruction to the driving section to make the electric vehicle advance at a predetermined minute vehicle speed in a region in which the throttle opening is larger with the creep speed reference opening as a criterion in the creep speed moving region, and to make the electric vehicle back at the predetermined minute vehicle speed in a region in which the throttle opening is smaller with the creep speed reference opening as the criterion, in the creep speed moving region.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the creep speed control section is configured to supply the motor driving instruction set to increase the vehicle speed of an advance and backing as a deviation of the throttle opening from the creep speed reference opening increases to the driving section.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control device further comprises:

a creep region configured to cross the creep speed reference opening,

wherein the creep speed control section includes a creep control section configured to control the electric vehicle to advance or back at creep speed lower than the predetermined minute vehicle speed when the throttle opening is in the creep region.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle speed sensor,

wherein the creep speed control section is configured to control the electric vehicle to advance or back at the predetermined creep vehicle speed when the electric vehicle is stopped.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a timer,

wherein the creep speed control section is configured to control the electric vehicle to advance or back at the predetermined creep vehicle speed when the throttle opening is held at the creep speed reference opening for at least a predetermined time.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a release unit configured to release regulation by the position regulating unit according to the operation of the accelerator when the throttle opening is varied across the position regulating unit by an operation of the accelerator grip.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 6,

wherein the position regulating unit comprises a stopper disposed on the side of the accelerator grip, and a locking part abutting the stopper in a direction in which the throttle opening is reduced;

and wherein

the release unit includes a locking avoiding unit configured to move the stopper to avoid the abutment of the stopper on the locking part.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 7, wherein mutual touched faces, when the accelerator grip is operated in a direction in which the throttle opening is increased out of outside faces of the stopper and the locking part, are inclined by (θ

) to make them abut via a predetermined clearance angle.

9. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a predetermined angle inclination sensor configured to detect lateral inclination from a state in which the electric vehicle is vertically disposed,

wherein the creep speed control section is configured to control the electric vehicle to advance or back at the predetermined creep vehicle speed when it is determined based upon the inclination that a fall of the electric vehicle is not detected.

10. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a seat switch configured to output a detection signal when a rider is seated on a seat,

wherein the creep speed control section is configured to control the electric vehicle to advance or back at the predetermined creep vehicle speed when the rider is not seated on the seat.

11. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the creep speed control section is configured to control the electric vehicle to advance or back at creep vehicle speed lower than the speed of walking while pushing the electric vehicle, when speed at which a rider can walk while pushing the electric vehicle is a preset speed and vehicle speed is lower than the preset speed of walk pushing the electric vehicle.

12. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the creep speed control section is configured to supply a motor driving instruction to the driving section in order to stop the electric vehicle, when a speed at which the rider can walk while pushing the electric vehicle is a preset speed and vehicle speed is higher than the preset speed of walk pushing the electric vehicle.

13. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle comprises a saddle-ride type electric vehicle.

14. An electric vehicle, comprising:

accelerator means for controlling operation of an accelerator for increasing a throttle opening in a first direction from a minimum opening in a normal moving region, said accelerator means including accelerator grip means and spring means, said accelerator grip means for actuation by a rider to increase the throttle opening, and spring means for restoring the throttle opening on a side of the minimum opening when the accelerator grip is not operated;

driving means for driving a motor according to throttle opening by the accelerator means;

control means for controlling the driving means, said control means including a creep speed moving region set in a second direction reverse to the first direction from the minimum opening, said control means also including a position regulating means provided between the normal moving region and the creep speed moving region,

wherein the accelerator means is also for operating the throttle opening from the minimum opening to the creep speed moving region further set in the second direction reverse to the first direction against the position regulating means, wherein the spring means is for pushing the accelerator grip up to a creep speed reference opening located in a middle of the creep speed moving region so as to reduce the throttle opening, and wherein the control means further includes creep speed control means for supplying a motor driving instruction to the driving means to make the electric vehicle advance at a predetermined minute vehicle speed in a region in which the throttle opening is larger with the creep speed reference opening as a criterion in the creep speed moving region, and to make the electric vehicle back at the predetermined minute vehicle speed in a region in which the throttle opening is smaller with the creep speed reference opening as the criterion, in the creep speed moving region.

15. The electric vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the creep speed control means is also for supplying the motor driving instruction set to increase the vehicle speed of an advance and backing as a deviation of the throttle opening from the creep speed reference opening increases to the driving means.

16. The electric vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the control means includes a creep region for crossing the creep speed reference opening, wherein the creep speed control means includes a creep control means for controlling the electric vehicle to advance or back at a creep speed lower than the predetermined minute vehicle speed when the throttle opening is in the creep region.

17. The electric vehicle according to claim 14, further comprising vehicle speed sensor means for sensing a vehicle speed, wherein the creep speed control means is for controlling the electric vehicle to advance or back at the predetermined creep vehicle speed when the electric vehicle is stopped.

18. The electric vehicle according to claim 14, further comprising timer means for counting time, wherein the creep speed control means is for controlling the electric vehicle to advance or back at the predetermined creep vehicle speed when the throttle opening is held at the creep speed reference opening for at least a predetermined time as counted by the timer means.

19. The electric vehicle according to claim 14, further comprising release means for releasing regulation by the position regulating means according to the operation of the accelerator means when the throttle opening is varied across the position regulating means by an operation of the accelerator means.

20. The electric vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the position regulating means comprises a stopper disposed on the side of the accelerator grip means, and a locking part abutting the stopper in a direction in which the throttle opening is reduced, wherein the release means includes locking avoiding means for moving the stopper to avoid the abutment of the stopper on the locking part.