TWM658753U - Electronic control device with display unit - Google Patents

Abstract

The electronic control device of this invention includes a base and an operating rod pivotally mounted on the base. When the operating rod is rotated in a direction by an external force and triggers a control unit, the control unit sends a signal to a display unit, so that the display unit displays a message. In this way, the electronic control device of this invention integrates the operating rod and the display unit on the same base, so that the rider can grasp the driving status through the display unit in real time when controlling the operating rod, thereby increasing the convenience and safety of riding.

Description

Electronic control device with display unit

The present invention relates to an electronic control device for a bicycle, and in particular to an electronic control device with a display unit.

The control system disclosed in TW M323424 includes a controller, at least two electronic devices, and a screen display, wherein the two electronic devices are arranged on the vehicle body and can be controlled by the controller respectively, and the screen display can be driven by the controller and display a plurality of indication areas representing the electronic devices and a plurality of function execution areas representing the functions that the electronic devices can execute respectively, so that the selected electronic device can be controlled to operate by simply using the controller or directly touching the screen display. However, the aforementioned patent case still has room for improvement in structure.

The main purpose of this invention is to provide an electronic control device with a display unit, which allows the rider to grasp the driving status in real time during operation, thereby increasing the convenience and safety of riding.

In order to achieve the above main purpose, the electronic control device of the invention includes a base, an operating rod, a control unit, and a display unit. The base has a chamber and an opening connected to the chamber; the operating rod has a hinge portion located in the chamber, and the operating rod is hinged to the base by the hinge portion. In addition, the operating rod has a rod portion and at least one operating portion, the rod portion is connected to one end of the hinge portion and protrudes out of the base through the opening, and the at least one operating portion is connected to one end of the rod portion; the control unit is arranged in the chamber of the base to send a signal; the display unit is arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the base to receive the signal sent by the control unit.

As can be seen from the above, when the operating part of the operating lever is acted upon by an external force, the operating lever rotates in a direction and triggers the control unit, causing the control unit to send the signal to the display unit, thereby causing the display unit to display a message. In other words, the electronic control device of the present invention integrates the operating lever and the display unit on the same base, allowing the rider to instantly grasp the driving status through the display unit while controlling the operating lever, thereby increasing the convenience and safety of riding.

Preferably, the display unit can be a display screen, an indicator light, or a combination of a display screen and an indicator light.

Preferably, the operating rod further has an arm and an action portion, the arm is connected to the other end of the pivot portion and is located in the housing of the base, and the action portion is connected to the arm. The control unit includes a circuit board, at least one reed switch and a magnet, the at least one reed switch is electrically connected to the circuit board and is located on one side of the operating rod, and the magnet is embedded in the action portion of the operating rod. Thus, when the operating rod rotates in one direction, the magnet approaches the at least one reed switch to turn it on, thereby causing the circuit board to send a signal.

Preferably, at least one reset mechanism is further arranged in the housing of the base, and the at least one reset mechanism is located at one side of the operating rod. The operating portion of the operating rod has an operating end, and when the operating rod rotates to a first position, the operating rod acts on the reset mechanism with the operating end of the operating portion.

Preferably, when the external force applied to the operating portion of the operating rod is eliminated, the reset mechanism applies a reset force to the action end of the action portion of the operating rod, so that the operating rod returns from the first position to an initial position.

Preferably, the operating rod has a first operating portion and a second operating portion, the first operating portion is connected to the end of the rod, and the second operating portion is connected to a side of the rod. When the first operating portion of the operating rod is acted upon by an external force, the operating rod rotates in a first direction and triggers the control unit, so that the control unit sends a first signal to the display unit, thereby causing the display unit to display a first information. When the second operating portion of the operating rod is acted upon by another external force, the operating rod rotates in a second direction different from the first direction and triggers the control unit, so that the control unit sends a second signal different from the first signal to the display unit, thereby causing the display unit to display a second information.

The detailed structure, features, assembly or use of the electronic control device with a display unit provided by the present invention will be described in the detailed description of the implementation method that follows. However, a person with ordinary knowledge in the field of the present invention should understand that the detailed description and the specific embodiments listed for implementing the present invention are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not used to limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

The applicant first explains that in the entire specification, including the embodiments described below and the claims of the patent application, the terms related to direction are based on the directions in the drawings. Secondly, in the embodiments and drawings to be described below, the same component numbers represent the same or similar components or their structural features.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the electronic control device 10 of the present invention is applicable to a bicycle, and in this embodiment is used to transmit two different electronic signals to control the switching of gears. The electronic control device 10 of the present invention includes a base 20, an operating lever 30, a control unit 40, a first reset mechanism 50, a second reset mechanism 60, and a display unit 70.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the base 20 has a base 21, a top cover 22, a screen support frame 23, and a tie ring 24. The top cover 22 is locked to the base 21 by a plurality of screws S1 to form a chamber 25 with the base 21, and an opening 26 connected to the chamber 25 is formed on the left side of the top cover 22; the screen support frame 23 extends upward from the top surface of the top cover 22; the tie ring 24 is integrally connected to the bottom surface of the screen support frame 23 and is sleeved on a handlebar 12, and the tie ring 24 is pressed and fixed to the handlebar 12 by a screw S2.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , the operating rod 30 has a pivot portion 31 in the housing chamber 25 . The pivot portion 31 has a pivot hole 32 . A circumferential screw S3 passes through the pivot hole 32 from bottom to top and is locked to the top cover 22 , so that the pivot portion 31 can pivot relative to the base 20 . In addition, the operating rod 30 further comprises a rod portion 33, a first operating portion 34, a second operating portion 35 and an action portion 37, wherein the rod portion 33 is connected to the left end of the hinge portion 31 and protrudes out of the base 20 through the opening 26; the first operating portion 34 is connected to the end of the rod portion 33 and protrudes from the top surface of the rod portion 33; the second operating portion 35 is connected to the front side surface of the rod portion 33 and is located between the hinge portion 31 and the first operating portion 34; the arm portion 36 is connected to the right end of the hinge portion 31 and is located in the accommodation chamber 25 of the base 20; the action portion 37 is connected to the right end of the arm portion 36 and has a first action end 372, a second action end 374 and a magnet mounting hole 376 between the first action end 372 and the second action end 374.

The control unit 40 is disposed in the housing 25 of the base 20. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the control unit 40 includes a circuit board 41, a first reed switch 42, a second reed switch 43 and a magnet 44. The circuit board 41 is installed in the housing 25. In this embodiment, the circuit board 41 is electrically connected to a motor 14 to control the start and stop of the motor 14; the first reed switch 42 and the second reed switch 43 are both electrically connected to the circuit board 41 and are located at two opposite sides of the operating rod 30; the magnet 44 is embedded in the magnet mounting hole 376 of the action portion 37 of the operating rod 30 and is located between the first reed switch 42 and the second reed switch 43.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 , the first reset mechanism 50 and the second reset mechanism 60 are installed in the housing 25 and correspond to the first and second action ends 372, 374 of the operating rod 30, respectively. In this embodiment, the first reset mechanism 50 has a first housing 51 and a first pressing member 52 elastically disposed on the first housing 51, and the second reset mechanism 60 has a second housing 61 and a second pressing member 62 elastically disposed on the second housing 61. However, in practice, the first and second reset mechanisms 50, 60 are not limited to the above, and can also be replaced by different components (such as springs).

The display unit 70 is mounted on the screen support frame 23 and electrically connected to the circuit board 41, so that the display unit 70 can display corresponding information according to the signal sent by the circuit board 41. In this embodiment, the display unit 70 is a display screen, but in practice, the display unit 70 can also be an indicator light or a combination of a display screen and an indicator light, which is not limited here.

As can be seen from the above, when the rider pushes the first operating part 34 backward with the right index finger, the operating rod 30 will rotate in a first direction D1 from the initial position P1 shown in FIG. 4 to the first position P2 shown in FIG. 5 . At this time, the magnet 44 will approach the first reed switch 42 to turn it on, and then the circuit board 41 will send a first signal (upshift signal) to the motor 14 (as shown in FIG. 7 ), and the motor 14 can drive a sprocket 16 to perform an upshift action. At the same time, the circuit board 41 will also send another signal to the display unit 70, and the display unit 70 can display a first information (such as the gear position, driving speed, driving distance, etc.) for the rider to view. In addition, when the operating rod 30 is located at the first position P2 as shown in FIG. 5 , the operating rod 30 pushes the first pressing member 52 of the first reset mechanism 50 with the first action end 372, so that the first pressing member 52 of the first reset mechanism 50 compresses a spring (not shown) inwardly to accumulate an elastic restoring force. Once the external force applied to the first operating portion 34 disappears, the first pressing member 52 of the first reset mechanism 50 applies a restoring force to the first action end 372 of the operating rod 30 by the elastic restoring force released by the aforementioned spring, so that the operating rod 30 returns from the first position P2 as shown in FIG. 5 to the initial position P1 as shown in FIG. 4 in a second direction D2 opposite to the first direction D1.

On the other hand, when the rider pushes the second operating part 35 forward with the thumb of the left hand, the operating rod 30 will rotate in the second direction D2 from the initial position P1 shown in FIG. 3 to the second position P3 shown in FIG. 5 . At this time, the magnet 44 will approach the second reed switch 43 to turn it on, thereby causing the circuit board 41 to send a second signal (downshift signal) to the motor 14 (as shown in FIG. 6 ), and the motor 14 can drive a sprocket 16 to perform a downshift action. At the same time, the circuit board 41 will also send another signal to the display unit 70, and the display unit 70 can display a second information (such as the gear position, driving speed, driving distance, etc.) for the rider to view. In addition, when the operating rod 30 is located at the second position P3 as shown in FIG6 , the operating rod 30 will push the second pressing member 62 of the second reset mechanism 60 with the second action end 374, so that the second pressing member 62 of the second reset mechanism 60 compresses a spring (not shown) inwardly to accumulate an elastic restoring force. Once the external force applied to the second operating portion 35 disappears, the second pressing member 62 of the second reset mechanism 60 will apply a restoring force to the second action end 374 of the operating rod 30 through the elastic restoring force released by the aforementioned spring, so that the operating rod 30 returns to the initial position P1 shown in FIG4 from the second position P3 shown in FIG6 in the first direction D1.

In summary, the electronic control device 10 of the present invention integrates the operating lever 30 and the display unit 70 on the same base 20, so that the rider can instantly grasp the driving status through the display unit 70 when controlling the operating lever 30, thereby increasing the convenience and safety of riding. In addition, the electronic control device 10 of the present invention arranges the first operating portion 34 and the second operating portion 35 on the same side of the operating lever 30, so that the rider can complete the operation with two fingers of the same hand during operation, which is more intuitive and convenient in operation, thereby achieving the purpose of increasing the convenience of operation. It should also be noted that the electronic control device 10 of the present invention is not limited to controlling the switching of gear positions. In fact, the electronic control device 10 of the present invention can also utilize two different signals to control the actuation of mechanisms such as dropper seat posts, suspension forks, buzzers, hydraulic brakes, etc. The operating method is substantially the same as the above-mentioned embodiment and will not be elaborated here.

10: Electronic control device 12: Handlebar 14: Motor 16: Sprocket 20: Base 21: Base 22: Top cover 23: Screen support frame 24: Clamp ring 25: Chamber 26: Opening S1: Screw S2: Screw 30: Operating lever 31: Pivot 32: Pivot hole 33: Lever 34: First operating part 35: Second operating part 37: Actuating part 372: First actuating end 374: Second actuating end 376: Magnet mounting hole S3: Shaft neck screw 40: Control unit 41: Circuit board 42: First magnetic reed switch 43: Second magnetic reed switch 44: Magnet 50: First reset mechanism 52: First pressing member 60: Second reset mechanism 62: Second pressing member P1: Initial position P2: First position P3: Second position 70: Display unit

Figure 1 is a three-dimensional diagram of the electronic control device of this creation. Figure 2 is a three-dimensional diagram of the electronic control device of this creation from another perspective. Figure 3 is a three-dimensional exploded diagram of the electronic control device of this creation. Figure 4 is a top view of the electronic control device of this creation with some components omitted, mainly showing that the operating lever is in the initial position. Figure 5 is similar to Figure 4, mainly showing that the operating lever is in the first position. Figure 6 is similar to Figure 4, mainly showing that the operating lever is in the second position. Figure 7 is a block diagram of the electronic control device of this creation.

21: Base

22: Top cover

23: Screen support frame

24: Ring

26: Open mouth

S1: Screw

S2: Screw

30: Operating lever

31: Joint

32: hinge

33: Rod

34: First operating unit

35: Second operating unit

37: Function part

372: First action end

374: Second action end

376: Magnet mounting hole

S3: Shaft neck screw

40: Control unit

41: Circuit board

42: First reed switch

43: Second reed switch

44: Magnet

50: First reset mechanism

52: First pressing piece

60: Second reset mechanism

62: Second pressing piece

70: Display unit

Claims (10)

An electronic control device comprises: A base having a chamber and an opening connected to the chamber; An operating rod having a hinge, a rod and at least one operating part, the hinge being hinged to the base and located in the chamber, the rod being connected to one end of the hinge and protruding out of the base through the opening, and the at least one operating part being connected to one end of the rod; A control unit disposed in the chamber of the base for sending a signal; and A display unit disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the base for receiving the signal sent by the control unit; When at least one operating part of the operating rod is acted upon by an external force, the operating rod rotates in a direction and triggers the control unit, and the control unit sends the signal to the display unit, thereby causing the display unit to display information. An electronic control device as described in claim 1, wherein the display unit is a display screen. An electronic control device as described in claim 1, wherein the display unit is an indicator light. An electronic control device as described in claim 1, wherein the display unit is a combination of a display screen and an indicator light. An electronic control device as described in claim 1, wherein the operating rod further has an arm and an action portion, the arm is connected to the other end of the hinge portion and is located in the housing chamber of the base, and the action portion is connected to the arm; the control unit includes a circuit board, a first reed switch and a magnet, the first reed switch is electrically connected to the circuit board and is located on one side of the operating rod, and the magnet is embedded in the action portion of the operating rod; when the operating rod rotates in a first direction, the magnet approaches the first reed switch to make it conductive, thereby causing the circuit board to send a first signal. The electronic control device as described in claim 5 further includes a first reset mechanism, which is arranged in the housing chamber of the base; the acting portion of the operating rod has a first acting end, and when the operating rod is rotated in the first direction to a first position, the operating rod acts on the first reset mechanism with the first acting end of the acting portion. An electronic control device as described in claim 6, wherein, when the external force applied to at least one operating portion of the operating lever is eliminated, the first reset mechanism applies a reset force to the first acting end of the acting portion of the operating lever to return the operating lever from the first position to an initial position. An electronic control device as described in claim 1, wherein the operating lever has a first operating part and a second operating part, the first operating part is connected to the end of the lever, and the second operating part is connected to a side of the lever; when the first operating part of the operating lever is acted upon by an external force, the operating lever rotates in a first direction and triggers the control unit, causing the control unit to send a first signal to the display unit, thereby causing the display unit to display a first information; when the second operating part of the operating lever is acted upon by another external force, the operating lever rotates in a second direction different from the first direction and triggers the control unit, causing the control unit to send a second signal different from the first signal to the display unit, thereby causing the display unit to display a second information. An electronic control device as described in claim 8, wherein the operating rod further comprises an arm and an action portion, the arm is connected to the other end of the pivot portion and is located in the housing of the base, and the action portion is connected to the arm; the control unit comprises a circuit board, a first reed switch, a second reed switch and a magnet, the first reed switch and the second reed switch are both electrically connected to the circuit board and are located at the operating rod. On two opposite sides, the magnet is embedded in the action portion of the operating rod and is located between the first reed switch and the second reed switch. When the operating rod rotates in the first direction, the magnet approaches the first reed switch to turn it on, thereby causing the circuit board to send the first signal. When the operating rod rotates in the second direction, the magnet approaches the second reed switch to turn it on, thereby causing the circuit board to send the second signal. The electronic control device as described in claim 9 further includes a first reset mechanism and a second reset mechanism, and the first reset mechanism and the second reset mechanism are both arranged in the housing chamber of the base and located on two opposite sides of the operating rod; the acting portion of the operating rod has a first acting end and a second acting end, and when the operating rod rotates in the first direction to a first position, the operating rod acts on the first reset mechanism with the first acting end of the acting portion, and when the operating rod rotates in the second direction to a second position, the operating rod acts on the second reset mechanism with the second acting end of the acting portion; when the external force applied to the second operating portion of the operating rod is eliminated, the second reset mechanism applies a reset force to the second acting end of the acting portion of the operating rod, so that the operating rod returns to an initial position from the second position in the first direction.

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