FOLDABLE ELECTRIC BICYCLE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20150060176A1
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HL Mando Corporation (Halla Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: In H.A. Paick
• Inventors: Paick, In Ha
• Granted Patent: US 9,205,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/208
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 15/006 the frame being foldable
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/005 characterised by the axle being supported at one end only
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/45 Control or actuating devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/60 power-driven at axle parts

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a foldable electric bicycle and a control method thereof. The foldable electric bicycle including a drive motor to rotate at least one of a front wheel and a rear wheel, and an actuation lever to lock or unlock rotation between a front frame provided with the front wheel and a rear frame provided with the rear wheel by shifting the actuation lever, includes an actuation lever sensing unit to sense whether the actuation lever is at a locked position or at an unlocked position, a motor driving unit to drive the drive motor, and a control unit which controls the motor driving unit to drive the drive motor in order to generate torque between the front frame and the rear frame by movement of the wheels when the actuation lever is shifted from the locked position to the unlocked position.

Claims

1. A foldable electric bicycle comprising a drive motor to rotate at least one of a front wheel and a rear wheel, and an actuation lever to lock or unlock rotation between a front frame provided with the front wheel and a rear frame provided with the rear wheel by shifting the actuation lever so as to fold the electric bicycle or maintain a folded state or an unfolded state of the electric bicycle, the foldable electric bicycle comprising:

an actuation lever sensing unit to sense whether the actuation lever is at a locked position in which the rotation between the front frame and the rear frame is locked or at an unlocked position in which the rotation between the front frame and the rear frame is unlocked;

a motor driving unit to drive the drive motor; and

a control unit which controls the motor driving unit to drive the drive motor in order to generate torque between the front frame and the rear frame by movement of the wheels when a position of the actuation lever is sensed by the actuation lever sensing unit and the sensed actuation lever is shifted from the locked position to the unlocked position.

2. The foldable electric bicycle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a throttle opening degree sensing unit which senses an opening degree of a throttle to accelerate the foldable electric bicycle,

wherein the control unit controls the motor driving unit to drive the drive motor when the actuation lever sensed by the actuation lever sensing unit is shifted from the locked position to the unlocked position and the throttle opening degree sensed by the throttle opening degree sensing unit is changed.

3. The foldable electric bicycle according to claim 2, wherein the control unit allows the drive motor to be driven at a preset speed by the motor driving unit so as to be slower than a normal driving speed.

4. The foldable electric bicycle according to claim 3, wherein the normal driving speed is a motor speed to drive the drive motor when the actuation lever is at the locked position and the throttle opening degree is changed.

5. The foldable electric bicycle according to claim 4, wherein the control unit allows the drive motor to be driven at the normal driving speed changed from the preset speed when the actuation lever sensed by the actuation lever sensing unit is shifted from the unlocked position to the locked position and the throttle opening degree sensed by the throttle opening degree sensing unit is changed.

6. The foldable electric bicycle according to claim 2, wherein the control unit allows the drive motor to be driven at a speed corresponding to a change in throttle opening degree sensed by the throttle opening degree sensing unit.

7. The foldable electric bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the motor driving unit to drive the drive motor for a preset time.

8. The foldable electric bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the motor driving unit to drive the drive motor in order to move a folded electric bicycle when the actuation lever sensed by the actuation lever sensing unit is shifted from the unlocked position to the locked position and a throttle opening degree sensed by a throttle opening degree sensing unit is changed.

9. The foldable electric bicycle according to claim 1, wherein the drive motor is provided in the rear wheel to rotate the rear wheel.

10. A method of controlling a foldable electric bicycle comprising a drive motor to rotate at least one of a front wheel and a rear wheel, and an actuation lever to lock or unlock rotation between a front frame provided with the front wheel and a rear frame provided with the rear wheel by shifting the actuation lever so as to fold the electric bicycle or maintain a folded state or an unfolded state of the electric bicycle, the method comprising:

sensing whether the actuation lever is at a locked position in which the rotation between the front frame and the rear frame is locked or at an unlocked position in which the rotation between the front frame and the rear frame is unlocked; and

driving the drive motor in order to generate torque between the front frame and the rear frame by movement of the wheels when the sensed actuation lever is shifted from the locked position to the unlocked position.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein an opening degree of a throttle to accelerate the foldable electric bicycle is sensed when the sensed actuation lever is shifted from the locked position to the unlocked position, and the drive motor is driven to move a folded electric bicycle when the sensed throttle opening degree is changed.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the drive motor is driven at a preset speed so as to be slower than a normal driving speed.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the normal driving speed is a motor speed to drive the drive motor when the actuation lever is at the locked position and the throttle opening degree is changed.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the drive motor is driven at the normal driving speed changed from the preset speed when the sensed actuation lever is shifted from the unlocked position to the locked position and the sensed throttle opening degree is changed.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the drive motor is driven at a speed corresponding to a change of the sensed throttle opening degree.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the drive motor is driven for a preset time.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the drive motor is driven to move a folded electric bicycle when the sensed actuation lever is shifted from the unlocked position to the locked position and a sensed throttle opening degree is changed.