A MOTORCYCLE COMPRISING AN ELECTRONIC BALANCE SYSTEM

THE RELATED ART

The invention relates to an electronic balance system preventing accidents on motorcycles in case of sudden starts and stops, lifting of the motorcycle front wheel as a result of excessive acceleration, and sudden brakes while the vehicle is in motion.

THE PRIOR ART

Nowadays, motorcycles are highly preferred transportation means in parallel with the high traffic density and also because they are economic transportation. Using motorcycle has economical benefits and provides advantages in terms of ease of usage in intense traffic conditions. However, they are not as safe as automobiles.

Their environmental advantages can also be summarized as having much less impact on air pollution due to the low amount of fuel they consume, and they do not wear down the roads since they are light.

Ease of parking and not being affected by the traffic density are the most significant reasons for preference of the motorcycles that are mostly used on two wheels.

Besides all of these advantages, the only disadvantage of motorcycles is being an unprotected vehicle. The risk of injury and death is higher in accidents occurring as a result of a fault of a motorcycle user or any other vehicle driver. Even though there are some requirements in using motorcycles, it is a known fact that the motorcycle rider gets more harm than others in accidents involving a motorcycle. Motorcycle riders have 16 times more possibility of death and 4 times more possibility of getting injured than the people found in cars during an accident.

The abstract of the utility model No. TR 200601459U encountered in the prior art research discloses a garment for preventing damages due to accidents and thus comprising protective tools with the purpose of protecting motorcycle riders or sports people from traumas and fractures caused by falling down and/or crushing into obstacles. This garment formed of multiple parts perform the task of protecting the body against possible fractures in waist, legs, arms, and neck etc. regions and possible fractures in the skull or traumas in the brain of the rider. It is insufficient in preventing the damage to be formed on the motorcycle or on the people around and/or the environment due to the motorcycle being dragged on the ground as a result of the accident.

In the PCT application No. WO 2010038292 (A1), an ABS brake system is disclosed, which steps in when a wheel is blocked due to a sudden brake in an unexpected situation while a motorcycle is accelerating or moving at a certain speed. As known, the speed of the vehicle cannot be controlled and the braking distance gets longer when the wheels of a vehicle are blocked. At this point, the ABS system steps in to provide a safe driving/riding experience. While said inventio prevents possible accidents due to sudden brakes, it cannot provide solution for loss of balance as a result of lifting up of the front part of the motorcycle due to sudden starts or acceleration exceeding the gear.

PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the invention is to provide a system which is developed for preventing accidents on motorcycles in case of sudden starts and stops, lifting of the motorcycle front wheel as a result of excessive acceleration, and sudden brakes while the vehicle is in motion.

In case the front or rear part of a motorcycle is lifted up at an angle that may pose an accident risk due to sudden starts/stops or applying excessive acceleration to the motorcycle, the gyroscope (electronic balance wheel) according to the invention aims to provide a safe driving/riding experience by means of reading the angle in the direction of the gravitational force and thus ceasing acceleration or braking until this angle is reduced below the accident risk angle limit.

Another purpose of the invention is to ensure the balance of the motorcycle and thus the rider by means of maintaining the center of gravity of the motorcycle constant.

Another purpose of the invention is to prevent accidents that may cause the motorcycle be overturned or the rider be thrown off the bike due to inertia when idle mass forces are doubled when the motorcycle speed reaches 70-80 km/hour. Another purpose of the invention is to avoid possible environmental affects and/or harming people due to dragging or overturning of the motorcycle as a result of accidents that may occur because of sudden starts/stops or applying excessive acceleration to the motorcycle.

Another purpose of the invention is to readily mount the balance wheel, which is only formed of the two parts that are the electronic card and the electronic gyroscope, at a suitable location (preferably below the chassis or the saddle) on the motorcycle, and at the same time ensure safety effectively.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide an electronically operated system, which minimizes the loss of time due to the psychological panic feeling of the rider against an accident risk, by means of operating automatic decision-making mechanism until the rider gains back his/her own decision making ability. In this way, a big damage that may occur due to a late decision would be avoided.

In order to achieve the above said purposes, the invention is an electronic balance system preventing accidents on motorcycles in case of sudden starts and stops, lifting of the motorcycle front wheel as a result of excessive acceleration, and sudden brakes while the motorcycle is in motion, characterized in that; it comprises: a gyroscope (1) fixed on the main chassis of said motorcycle, and an angle adjustment controller enabling the rider to adjust the risk level of said motorcycle angle that is in the direction of the gravitational force.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure 1 is the two-dimensional representative side view of a motorcycle, on which a gyroscope is mounted.

Figure 2 is the two-dtmens tonal representative side view of a motorcycle having an angular risk due to its front wheel being lifted up as a result of excessive acceleration.

Figure 3 is the view of a motorcycle having an angular risk due to its rear wheel being lifted up as a result of braking.

Figure 4 is the schematic view of the electronic balance system. REFERENCE NUMBERS

1- Gyroscope (electronic balance wheel)

2- Acceleration sensor

3- Electronic balance system

4- Software

5- Ignition plug

6- Angle adjustment controller

7- Front brake system

8- Rear brake system

9- Chassis

10- Motorcycle

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows the general view drawing of a motorcycle (10). The system is formed of four parts, which are: an electronic balance wheel called as a gyroscope (1) fixed on the main chassis (9) of the motorcycle (10), an acceleration sensor (2), an electronic balance system (3), and an angle adjustment controller (6). The gyroscope (1) (electronic balance wheel) mounted on a suitable place on the motorcycle (10) transmits the angle of the motorcycle (10) that is in the direction of the gravitational force to the electronic balance system (3), if the front wheel of the motorcycle (10) is lifted up due to excessive acceleration at an angle that would cause risk of accident. The risk level of the motorcycle (10) angle that is in the direction of the gravitational force can be adjusted by the rider and it is possible to adjust the angle considered to be risky by means of the angle adjustment controller (6) mounted on a place where it can be used comfortably by the rider, such as on the handlebar.

As shown in Figure 2, while the front part of the motorcycle (10) is lifted up due to excessive acceleration, the acceleration sensor (2) that is fixed on the motorcycle transmits the acceleration data of the motorcycle (10) during the lifting up to the electronic balance system (3). The electronic balance system (3) evaluating and processing these data, transmits the results to the own electronic software (4) of the motorcycle (10) and then, as a result of the suitable changes made according to the system, the software (4) reduces the engine ignition system or the gas, if the response time is at a suitable level, when the angle of the motorcycle (10) that is in the direction of the gravitational force is at or above the degree forming accident risk (for instance 45 degrees and above), until the angle of the motorcycle (10) is dropped below the risk level. Moreover, considering that the accident risk angle is adjusted to 45 degrees from the angle adjustment controller (6), the electronic balance system (3) would evaluate and process the data it gathers from the gyroscope (1), the acceleration sensor (2), and the angle adjustment controller (6). Afterwards, if the front part of the motorcycle (10) is lifted up, it would calculate the required acceleration for not exceeding the 45 degrees of risk angle, in accordance with the data received from the acceleration sensor (2). And also, it cuts off the electricity going to the engine ignition plug (5) before reaching the 45 degrees of risk limit in order to prevent exceeding 45 degrees. In this case, if the acceleration is too high, or in other words, even though the electricity is cut off before reaching 45 degrees, it would not be enough to avoid reaching the risk limit with that acceleration, the electronic balance system (3) commands the vehicle main software (4) to actuate the rear brake system (8) of the motorcycle (10) for an adequate amount of time, so that the motorcycle would brake for a short time and everything would go back to normal when the angle goes below the risk limit. In this way, the risk of accidents due to excessive acceleration would be eliminated. This safety system works for avoiding accidents due to excessive acceleration while starting the vehicle and while in motion, applying wrong gas and clutch control while shifting gears, and applying uncontrolled acceleration while going up the hill.

As can be seen in Figure 3, it can also be used to avoid overturning accidents that may occur as a result of sudden brakes. When idle mass forces reach 70-80 km/hour speed, their mass forces are doubled and their braking distances increase significantly, and therefore they naturally require more brake power. When a sudden situation with a risk of accident occurs in the traffic, the brake reaction time of a driver/rider is 0.5 seconds, and especially while going down the hill, more power would be transferred to the front wheel, and in such a case, it is more probable for a rider to panic, and thus make a wrong decision to appty the front wheel brakes excessively, tn such a case, this system would prevent overturning.

In other words, lets consider that a rider applies the front wheel brake system (7) with all his/her power in panic when sudden braking is required. As a result of lifting up of the motorcycle rear part, posing a risk of overturning, the gyroscope (1) which is also a part of the system would send the angle data to the electronic balance system (3). The data processed here are then sent to the vehicle main software (4). Afterwards, the software (4) would intervene in the front wheel braking system (7) and cease braking until the angle of the motorcycle (10) is decreased below the risk limit. Like in the excessive acceleration situation, the system enables the rider to determine the angle that would pose overturning risk in case of excessive front braking.

This system can be used in the motorcycles (10) that do not have an electronical software and are not suitable for its integration into their systems, by means of placing the electronic balance system (3) between the motorcycle (10) ignition system and the ignition plug (5), without the need for vehicle main software (4). However, in this case, the system cannot intervene in the front and rear brake systems. It can only prevent accidents due to excessive acceleration or faulty clutch use by cutting off the electricity of the motorcycle ignition system.