Electric bicycle, battery switching device, and method of switching battery

A battery switching device to be arranged between a first battery and a second battery, and a drive unit of an electric bicycle, the battery switching device comprising:

• a first electricity control switch disposed between the first battery and the drive unit;
• a second electricity control switch disposed between the second battery and the drive unit;
• and
• a control device configured to control the first electricity control switch and the second electricity control switch, wherein
• the second electricity control switch has
• a bidirectional conduction state that allows both of an electrical current flowing from the second battery to the drive unit and an electrical current flowing from the drive unit to the second battery,
• an intermediate state that allows the electrical current flowing from the second battery to the drive unit, and inhibits the electrical current flowing from the drive unit to the second battery, and
• a bidirectional inhibition state that inhibits both of the electrical current flowing from the second battery to the drive unit and the electrical current flowing from the drive unit to the second battery, and
• in a process of switching a battery that supplies the drive unit with an electrical current from the first battery to the second battery, the control device is configured to set the second electricity control switch to the intermediate state, and then set the second electricity control switch to the bidirectional conduction state when a comparative relationship between an electric potential of the drive unit and an electric potential of the second battery fulfills a predetermined condition.

A method of switching a battery that supplies a drive unit with an electrical current from a first battery to a second battery in an electric bicycle, the electric bicycle including the first battery, the second battery, the drive unit, a first electricity control switch, and a second electricity control switch, the first electricity control switch being disposed between the first battery and the drive unit, and the second electricity control switch being disposed between the second battery and the drive unit,

• the method comprising:
• making a transition of the second electricity control switch from a bidirectional inhibition state to an intermediate state, where the bidirectional inhibition state inhibits both of an electrical current flowing from the second battery to the drive unit and an electrical current flowing from the drive unit to the second battery, where the intermediate state allows the electrical current flowing from the second battery to the drive unit and inhibits the electrical current flowing from the drive unit to the second battery;
• and
• making a transition of the second electricity control switch from the intermediate state to a bidirectional conduction state, where the bidirectional conduction state allows both of the electrical current flowing from the second battery to the drive unit and the electrical current flowing from the drive unit to the second battery when a comparative relationship between an electric potential of the drive unit and an electric potential of the second battery fulfills a predetermined condition.