1. A bicycle cleatcover assembly comprising:
a bicycle cleat for releasably engaging a clipless bicycle pedal, the bicycle cleat having an aperture for receiving at least a portion of the clipless bicycle pedal; and
an aperture cover sized and shaped to be received in the bicycle cleat aperture when the bicycle cleat is disengaged from the clipless bicycle pedal.
2. The bicycle cleatcover assembly of claim 1, wherein the aperture cover comprises:
a bottom portion;
a collar spaced from the bottom portion along an axis; and
a sidewall extending from the bottom portion to the collar.
3. The bicycle cleatcover assembly of claim 2, wherein the collar extends radially outward beyond the sidewall to form a lip.
4. The bicycle cleatcover assembly of claim 3, wherein:
the aperture cover further comprises a pair of protrusions;
each of the protrusions has a top portion that extends axially above the lip; and
the top portion of one protrusion is separated from the top portion of the other protrusion by a gap such that the pair of protrusions can frictionally retain a second pair of protrusions of a substantially identical second aperture cover that has been offset by a ninety-degree angle.
5. The bicycle cleatcover assembly of claim 4, wherein:
the collar has four segments of equal circumferential length, each segment having two adjacent segments and one non-adjacent segment;
the non-adjacent segments of the collar have substantially identical curved top surfaces;
and the adjacent segments of the collar have curved top surfaces that are complementary, such that the aperture cover can mate with an identical second aperture cover that has been offset by a ninety-degree angle.
6. The bicycle cleatcover assembly of claim 2, wherein the sidewall has a beveled outer surface tapering toward the bottom portion.
7. The bicycle cleatcover assembly of claim 2, wherein:
a channel is formed in the sidewall;
the channel starts at a cutout formed at an intersection of the sidewall and the bottom portion; and
the channel extends circumferentially about a portion of the sidewall.
8. The bicycle cleatcover assembly of claim 7, wherein:
a protuberance is formed in the channel; and
the protuberance extends radially outward within the channel.
9. A bicycle cleat cover device comprising:
a bottom portion;
a collar spaced from the bottom portion along an axis;
a sidewall extending from the bottom portion to the collar; and
a pair of protrusions;
wherein the collar extends radially outward beyond the sidewall to form a lip;
each of the protrusions has a top portion that extends axially above the lip; and
the top portion of one protrusion is separated from the top portion of the other protrusion by a gap such that the pair of protrusions can frictionally retain a second pair of protrusions of a substantially identical second bicycle cleat cover device that has been offset by a ninety-degree angle.
10. The bicycle cleat cover device of claim 9, wherein:
the collar has four segments of equal circumferential length, each segment having two adjacent segments and one non-adjacent segment;
the non-adjacent segments of the collar have substantially identical curved top surfaces; and
the adjacent segments of the collar have curved top surfaces that are complementary, such that the aperture cover can mate with an identical second aperture cover that has been offset by a ninety-degree angle.
11. The bicycle cleat cover device of claim 9, wherein the sidewall has a beveled outer surface tapering toward the bottom portion.
12. The bicycle cleat cover device of claim 9, wherein:
a channel is formed in the sidewall;
the channel starts at a cutout formed at an intersection of the sidewall and the bottom portion; and
the channel extends circumferentially about a portion of the sidewall.
13. The bicycle cleat cover device of claim 12, wherein:
a protuberance is formed in the channel; and
the protuberance extends radially outward within the channel.
14. A bicycle cleat cover device comprising:
a bottom portion;
a collar spaced from the bottom portion along an axis; and
a sidewall extending from the bottom portion to the collar;
wherein a channel is formed in the sidewall;
wherein the channel starts at a cutout formed at an intersection of the sidewall and the bottom portion; and
wherein the channel extends circumferentially about a portion of the sidewall.
15. The bicycle cleat cover device of claim 14, wherein the collar extends radially outward beyond the sidewall to form a lip.
16. The bicycle cleat cover device of claim 15, wherein:
the aperture cover further comprises a pair of protrusions;
each of the protrusions has a top portion that extends axially above the lip;
the top portion of one protrusion is separated from the top portion of the other protrusion by a gap such that the pair of protrusions can frictionally retain a second pair of protrusions of a substantially identical second aperture cover that has been offset by a ninety-degree angle; and
the sidewall has a beveled outer surface tapering toward the bottom portion.
17. The bicycle cleat cover device of claim 16, wherein:
the collar has four segments of equal circumferential length, each segment having two adjacent segments and one non-adjacent segment;
the non-adjacent segments of the collar have substantially identical curved top surfaces; and
the adjacent segments of the collar have curved top surfaces that are complementary, such that the aperture cover can mate with an identical second aperture cover that has been offset by a ninety-degree angle.
18. The bicycle cleat cover device of claim 14, wherein the sidewall has a beveled outer surface tapering toward the bottom portion.
19. The bicycle cleat cover device of claim 14, wherein:
a protuberance is formed in the channel; and
the protuberance extends radially outward within the channel.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for controlling a state of charge (SOC) of a battery mounted on a vehicle provided with an internal combustion engine driving a generator mounted on the vehicle, the battery being charged by power from the generator, comprising:
a setting unit that sets a target value directed to control of the state of charge of the battery such that the target value is higher as an efficiency of the internal combustion engine depending on the number of rotations of the engine is higher;
a determining unit that determines whether or not the vehicle is in a decelerated state; and
a controlling unit that controls a state of rotation of the generator so as to enable the generator i) to perform regeneration when it is determined by the determining unit that the vehicle is in the decelerated state and ii) to perform generation to enable the state of charge of the battery to be the target value when it is determined by the determining unit that the vehicle is not in the decelerated state.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising
a further determining unit that determines whether or not the state of charge of the battery is within a preset state-of-charge range indicative of the state of charge of the battery higher than a reference value; and
a further controlling unit that controls the state of rotation of the generator such that an efficiency of the generation of the generator becomes higher, when it is determined by the determining unit that the vehicle is not in the decelerated state and it is determined by the further determining unit the state of charge of the battery is within the preset state-of-charge range.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein
the setting unit includes a current sensor secured to either a terminal or a casing of the battery, the current sensor being for detecting a chargedischarge current of the battery to set the target value, and
the setting unit, the determining unit, the further determining unit, controlling unit, and further controlling unit are integrated with the current sensor.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein
the determining unit determines whether or not the vehicle is in the deceleration state based on the number of rotations of the generator.
5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein
the determining unit comprises an acceleration sensor that detects an acceleration of the vehicle and determines whether or not the vehicle is in the deceleration state based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor.
6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein
the determining unit determines whether or not the vehicle is in the deceleration state based on a signal to be sent from an external device.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein
the external device is an electronic control device for an electronically controlled brake system mounted on the vehicle and formed to a signal showing the decelerated state of the vehicle, and
the determining unit determines whether or not the vehicle is in the deceleration state based on the signal from the electronically controlled brake system.
8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein
the external device is an electronic control device for controlling fuel being supplied to the engine, the electronic control device supplying a signal indicative of an amount of fuel to be injected to the engine, and
the determining unit determines whether or not the vehicle is in the deceleration state based on the signal from the electronic control device for controlling the fuel being supplied to the engine.
9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein
the setting unit, the determining unit, the further determining unit, the controlling unit, and the further controlling unit are incorporated in a control device for controlling the engine.
10. An apparatus for controlling a state of charge (SOC) of a battery mounted on a vehicle provided with an internal combustion engine driving a generator mounted on the vehicle, the battery being charged by power from the generator, comprising:
target value setting means for setting a target value directed to control of the state of charge of the battery such that the target value is higher as an efficiency of the internal combustion engine depending on the number of rotations of the engine is higher;
determining means for determining whether or not the vehicle is in a decelerated state; and
controlling means for controlling a state of rotation of the generator so as to enable the generator i) to perform regeneration when it is determined by the determining means that the vehicle is in the decelerated state and ii) to perform generation to enable the state of charge of the battery to be the target value when it is determined by the determining means that the vehicle is not in the decelerated state.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, comprising
further determining means for determining whether or not the state of charge of the battery is within a preset state-of-charge range indicative of the state of charge of the battery higher than a reference value; and
further controlling means for controlling the state of rotation of the generator such that an efficiency of the generation of the generator becomes higher, when it is determined by the determining means that the vehicle is not in the decelerated state and it is determined by the further determining means the state of charge of the battery is within the preset state-of-charge range.
12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein
the target value setting means, the determining means, the further determining means, controlling means, and further controlling means are incorporated in a control device for controlling the engine.
13. A method for controlling a state of charge (SOC) of a battery mounted on a vehicle provided with an internal combustion engine driving a generator mounted on the vehicle, the battery being charged by power from the generator, comprising steps of:
setting a target value directed to control of the state of charge of the battery such that the target value is higher as an efficiency of the internal combustion engine depending on the number of rotations of the engine is higher;
determining whether or not the vehicle is in a decelerated state; and
controlling a state of rotation of the generator so as to enable the generator i) to perform regeneration when it is determined that the vehicle is in the decelerated state and ii) to perform generation to enable the state of charge of the battery to be the target value when it is determined that the vehicle is not in the decelerated state.
14. The method of claim 13, comprising:
further determining whether or not the state of charge of the battery is within a preset state-of-charge range indicative of the state of charge of the battery higher than a reference value; and
further controlling the state of rotation of the generator such that an efficiency of the generation of the generator becomes higher, when it is determined that the vehicle is not in the decelerated state and it is determined that the state of charge of the battery is within the preset state-of-charge range.