Electric vehicle

• US 5,161,634 A
• Filed: 03/18/1991
• Issued: 11/10/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Sato, Naoaki, Ichihara, Masahiro, Kawabata, Gonshiro, Kuramoto, Jiro, Yamamoto, Yasuhiro, Kimura, Shigenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth, Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US07/670,986
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 180/170, 180/179, 180/65.1, 180/65.8, 180/907, 364/426.04
• US Class Current: 180/179
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/047 the memory being digital
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/025 power-driven
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/907 Motorized wheelchairs

Abstract

An electric vehicle that runs at a speed controlled by adjusting power supply to an electric motor in response to a speed setting signal from a speed setting device including an accelerator lever and a change speed lever. This vehicle comprises a first control unit for producing a target speed value based on the speed setting signal, a second control unit for controlling the electric motor, and a rotary encoder for detecting an actual vehicle speed from rotation of the electric motor and feeding the vehicle speed back to the first and second control units. The first control unit compares the target speed value and actual vehicle speed and, when a difference therebetween exceeds a predetermined value, varies the target speed value for application to the second control unit. The second control unit compares the target speed value and actual vehicle speed and determines an amount of power supply to the electric motor.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle that runs at a speed controlled by adjusting power supply to an electric motor in response to a speed setting signal from speed setting means, comprising:

first control means for producing a target speed value based on said speed setting signal from said speed setting means,

second control means for adjusting power supply to said electric motor and in which said target speed value produced by said first control means is inputted,

vehicle speed detecting means for detecting a vehicle speed and outputting a vehicle speed signal,

a first feedback line for transmitting said vehicle speed signal to said first control means, and

a second feedback line for transmitting said vehicle speed signal to said second control means,

wherein said first control means includes target value varying means for comparing said target speed value and said vehicle speed signal and, when a difference therebetween exceeds a predetermined value, varying said target speed value, and

said second control means includes power supply setting means for comparing said target speed value inputted from said first control means and said vehicle speed signal and determining an amount of power supply to said electric motor.

2. An electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said target value varying means is operable to add a correction value to said target speed value based on said speed setting signal for application to said second control means when said vehicle speed signal is less than said target speed value by a predetermined value, and to subtract the correction value from said target speed value based on said speed setting signal for application to said second control means when said vehicle speed signal is greater than said target speed value by the predetermined value.

3. An electric vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein said speed setting means includes an accelerator lever for setting speeds steplessly, and a change speed lever for selecting a desired one of a plurality of stages, said first control means being operable to vary methods of computing the target speed value and correction value based on a value set by said accelerator lever in accordance with a selected stage.

4. An electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary brake, wherein said first control means is operable to output a target speed value signal for zero speed value and at the same time output a brake operating signal to said auxiliary brake as well.

5. An electric vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein said auxiliary brake is a negative brake releasable by an electromagnetic force and, when the electromagnetic force is removed, operable to apply a braking force by a mechanical means.

6. An electric vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein said mechanical means is a spring.

7. An electric vehicle as claimed in claim 4, further comprising hand brake means, wherein said hand brake means includes braking operation detecting means connected to said second control means, said brake operating signal being applied to said auxiliary brake simultaneously when a braking operation is detected.

8. An electric vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein said auxiliary brake is a negative brake.