Electrical apparatus for assisting mechanical braking in a motor cycle

• US 6,317,673 B1
• Filed: 06/11/1999
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chung-Hsien Lin
• Original Assignee: Chung-Hsien Lin
• Inventors: Lin, Chung-Hsien
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US09/330,778
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70, 744/89, 745/23, 745/24, 745/022, 318/434, 318/432, 318/471, 318/362, 318/369, 318/375-376, 318/759
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/24 with additional mechanical or electromagnetic braking
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/14 Handlebar constructions, or arrangements of controls thereon, specially adapted thereto hand controls per se B62K23/02
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2204/00 Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor for driving electrically assisted bicycles B62M6/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 23/04 Twist grips
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20438 Single rotatable lever [e.g., for bicycle brake or derailleur]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20612 Hand
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20618 Jointed

Abstract

A third braking system for an electric motorcycle includes a circuiting apparatus and a mechanism. By depressing an electric-braking button on a switch part of a handle set, a braking signal will be generated and be sent to a signal transformer via an input device of the circuiting apparatus. The signal transformer transforms the braking signal into a digital signal, and then the digital signal is sent to a CPU. After processing the digital signal and detecting the voltage level at a variable resistor, the CPU stops the transmission of driving signals to a driving circuitry for disabling the operation of a speed-control handler of the mechanism, and the CPU also generates a reverse electric potential corresponding to the detected voltage level. The reverse electric potential is then applied to a DC motor via a braking circuitry, for reducing rotation speed of the DC motor to stop the motorcycle. To relieve the braking, the speed-control handler is rotated back to an original state. By re-rotating the speed-control handler to adjust the voltage level of the variable resistor, the DC motor will re-start to drive the motorcycle forward.

Claims

1. A circuiting apparatus for supplementing a mechanical braking system on a motorcycle, the circuiting apparatus being installable on the motorcycle with a DC motor, and the circuiting apparatus comprising:

a manually operable braking control mounted on the motorcycle for generating braking control signals;

a manually operable speed control mounted on the motorcycle for generating speed control signals and for automatic return to an initial position when released;

a signal transformer, for transforming the speed control signals from the speed control and the braking signals from the braking control into digital signals, wherein the speed control signals are detected in response to a position of a variable resistor and wherein the braking signals are provided in response to operation of an electric-braking button;

driving circuitry for generating control signals to control a speed of the DC motor;

braking circuitry, for controlling a reverse electric potential applied to the DC motor; and

a CPU, for receiving the digital signals from the signal transformer, for processing the digital signals corresponding to the speed control signals to drive a driving circuitry that transmits a series of driving pulses for producing an electric potential to run a DC motor, and for processing digital signals corresponding to the braking signals to drive the braking circuitry for generating reverse electric potential signals to stop the DC motor.

2. A mechanism of a third braking system for an electric motorcycle, comprising:

a variable resistor, positioned inside one end of a handlebar pipe, having a regulator at one end thereof to protrude outside the end of the handlebar pipe, and having a signal cable at another end to connect with a circuiting apparatus through inside of the handlebar pipe;

a handle set, having thereon a switch part and a braking part, and the switch part further having thereof a headlight switch and an electric-braking button;

a spring set, having thereof a stopper at one end and an ear hole at another end, and the stopper connecting with the ear hole through a cable and an engaged spring; and

a speed-control handle, having a hollow interior, a frictional exterior surface for gripping, a sealed end, an opposing open end and an external T-shape groove located adjacent to the open end;

wherein the hollow interior of the speed-control handle accommodating a portion of the handlebar pipe with a free end of the regulator of the variable resistor positioned within the sealed end of the speed-control handler, a portion of the spring set being installed inside the speed-control handle by anchoring the stopper and the cable into the T-shape groove, and rest of the spring set installed inside the handle set by fastening the ear hole and the spring onto the handle set; and

while rotating the speed-control handle to co-rotate the regulator of the variable resistor for adjusting the voltage level of the variable resistor, the voltage level then being transmitted to the circuiting apparatus, the circuiting apparatus then generating signals to a DC motor for driving the motorcycle forward or for reducing rotation speed of the DC motor to stop the motorcycle.

3. The mechanism of claim 2, wherein said speed-control handle is rotated again after resuming an original state to cause a new voltage level to be generated and forwarded to the circuiting apparatus for removing the braking and for re-running the DC motor to drive the motorcycle forward.