Nabco Limited

Takahito Inoue

Yoshinori Takezawa

An electric-powered vehicle includes electric-powered drivers for driving wheels, a controller for controlling the electric-powered drivers to generate an assisting driving force in accordance with a vehicle operating force by an operator, and a brake-operation unit for applying braking forces on the wheels. The vehicle also includes a brake-operation detector for detecting a brake operation performed by the brake-operation unit. When the brake-operation detector detects the brake operation, the controller controls the drivers to reduce the assisting driving force. This structure solves a problem caused by simultaneous generation of the braking forces and the assisting driving force.

Electric-powered vehicle

A control apparatus for an electric vehicle which improves the operability of an electric wheelchair on slopes is provided. The control apparatus includes a control unit which, when it determines that a rotational direction corresponding to a direction of an operation force is opposite to a rotational direction in which a driving wheel is actually rotated, sets an operation mode of the motor for driving the wheel to an electrical braking mode. Thus, the electric wheelchair is decelerated and the load on the operator is reduced. The control unit may control the motor such that the motor does not generate an electrical braking force until the driving wheel is rotated by a predetermined amount. In such a case, even when the driving wheel temporarily rotates in the reverse direction while it climbs up an upward slope, an unnecessary electrical braking force is not generated.

Growing community of inventors

Kobe, Japan

Takahito Inoue