ELECTRIC MOTORIZED SKATEBOARD WITH AN ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY WITH A FOOTPAD AND FORCE SENSOR

• US 20130206493A1
• Filed: 02/11/2013
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Motion, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Motion, Inc.
• Inventors: Larson, Geoff Ellis, Forman, Benjamin Swanberg
• Granted Patent: US 9,004,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/181
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/012 with a truck, i.e. with steering mechanism comprising an inclined geometrical axis to convert lateral tilting of the board in steering of the wheel axis
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/12 with driving mechanisms

Abstract

There is provided an electric motorized skateboard. The skateboard includes a skateboard deck and wheels. The skateboard includes a first actuator with a footpad and a force sensor. The footpad is generally disposed at a deck top surface. The footpad and the force sensor are cooperatively sized and configured to translate force applied to the footpad to the force sensor. The force sensor is sized and configured to output a sensed signal in response to application of force upon the force sensor. The skateboard includes a controller in electrical communication with the force sensor. The controller receives the sensed signal and generates a motor input signal in response to the sensed signal. The skateboard includes an electric motor in mechanical communication with at least one of the wheels. The motor has a variable electric motor output in response to a value of a motor input signal.

Claims

1. An electric motorized skateboard comprising:

a skateboard deck having a deck top surface and an opposing deck bottom surface;

a plurality of skateboard wheels disposed adjacent to the deck bottom surface;

a first actuator assembly attached to the skateboard deck, the first actuator assembly including a footpad and a force sensor, the footpad being generally disposed at the deck top surface, the footpad and the force sensor being cooperatively sized and configured to translate force applied to the footpad to the force sensor, the force sensor being sized and configured to output a sensed signal in response to application of force upon the force sensor;

a controller in electrical communication with the force sensor, the controller being sized and configured to receive the sensed signal and generate a motor input signal in response to the sensed signal; and

an electric motor in mechanical communication with at least one of the skateboard wheels, the electric motor having a variable electric motor output in response to a value of a motor input signal received from the controller.

2. The electric motorized skateboard of claim 1 wherein the force sensor includes force-sensing resistors, the footpad and the force-sensing resistors are cooperatively sized and configured to translate force applied to the footpad to the force-sensing resistors, the force sensor is sized and configured to output a sensed signal in response to application of force upon the force-sensing resistors.

3. The electric motorized skateboard of claim 1 wherein the electric motor is a DC motor.

4. The electric motorized skateboard of claim 1 wherein the motor input signal is a variable voltage signal.

5. The electric motorized skateboard of claim 1 wherein the footpad includes a substantially flat foot pad surface, the footpad surface is generally parallel with the deck top surface.

6. The electric motorized skateboard of claim 1 wherein the footpad includes a substantially flat foot pad surface, the footpad surface is disposed at an angle with respect to the deck top surface.

7. The electric motorized skateboard of claim 6 wherein the skateboard deck has a skateboard front end and a skateboard rear end, the footpad surface tapers away from the deck top surface towards the skateboard front end.

8. The electric motorized skateboard of claim 1 further includes a second actuator assembly attached to the skateboard deck, the second actuator assembly includes a footpad and a force sensor, the footpad is generally disposed at the deck top surface, the footpad and the force sensor are cooperatively sized and configured to translate force applied to the footpad to the force sensor, the force sensor is sized and configured to output a sensed signal in response to application of force upon the force sensor, the controller is in electrical communication with the force sensor of the second actuator assembly, the controller is sized and configured to receive the sensed signal from the second actuator assembly and generate a motor input signal in response to the sensed signals of the first and second actuator assemblies.

9. The electric motorized skateboard of claim 8 wherein the skateboard deck has a skateboard front end and a skateboard rear end, the first actuator assembly is disposed between the second actuator assembly and the skateboard front end, the second actuator assembly is disposed between the first actuator assembly and the skateboard rear end.

10. The electric motorized skateboard of claim 1 wherein the plurality of skateboard wheels includes a pair of front skateboard wheels, the motorized skateboard further includes a skateboard truck with the front skateboard wheels attached to the skateboard truck, the skateboard truck is attached to the first actuator assembly.

11. The electric motorized skateboard of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to store at least two rider profiles, the controller is sized and configured to generate a motor input signal using a selected rider profile and the sensed signal.

12. The electric motorized skateboard of claim 1 wherein the electric motor is a first electric motor, the electric motorized skateboard further includes a second electric motor in mechanical communication with at least another one of the skateboard wheels, the second electric motor having a variable electric motor output in response to a value of a motor input signal received from the controller.

13. The electric motorized skateboard of claim 12 wherein the controller is sized and configured to receive the sensed signal and respectively generate first and second motor input signals in response to the sensed signal, the first electric motor is configured to receive the first motor input signal, the second electric motor is configured to receive the second motor input signal.

14. An electric motorized skateboard comprising:

a skateboard deck having a deck top surface and an opposing deck bottom surface;

a plurality of skateboard wheels disposed adjacent to the deck bottom surface;

a first actuator assembly attached to the skateboard deck, the first actuator assembly including a footpad and a force sensor, the force sensor including force-sensing resistors, the footpad being generally disposed as the deck top surface, the footpad and the force-sensing resistors being cooperatively sized and configured to translate force applied to the footpad to the force-sensing resistors, the force sensor being sized and configured to output a sensed signal in response to application of force upon the force-sensing resistors;

a controller in electrical communication with the force sensor, the controller being sized and configured to receive the sensed signal and generate a motor input signal in response to the sensed signal; and

an electric motor in mechanical communication with at least one of the skateboard wheels, the electric motor having a variable electric motor output in response to a value of a motor input signal received from the controller.

15. An electric motorized skateboard comprising:

a skateboard deck having a deck top surface and an opposing deck bottom surface;

a plurality of skateboard wheels disposed adjacent to the deck bottom surface;

an acceleration actuator assembly attached to the skateboard deck, the acceleration actuator assembly including a footpad and a force sensor, the footpad being generally disposed at the deck top surface, the footpad and the force sensor being cooperatively sized and configured to translate force applied to the footpad to the force sensor, the force sensor being sized and configured to output a sensed acceleration signal in response to application of force upon the force sensor;

a deceleration actuator assembly attached to the skateboard deck, the deceleration actuator assembly including a footpad and a force sensor, the footpad being generally disposed at the deck top surface, the footpad and the force sensor being cooperatively sized and configured to translate force applied to the footpad to the force sensor, the force sensor being sized and configured to output a sensed deceleration signal in response to application of force upon the force sensor;

a controller in electrical communication with the force sensors, the controller being sized and configured to receive the sensed acceleration signal and the sensed deceleration signal and generate a motor input signal in response to the sensed acceleration signal and the sensed deceleration signal; and

an electric motor in mechanical communication with at least one of the skateboard wheels, the electric motor having a variable electric motor output in response to a value of a motor input signal received from the controller.

16. The electric motorized skateboard of claim 15 wherein the skateboard deck has a front end and a rear end, the acceleration actuator is disposed between the deceleration actuator and the front end, the deceleration actuator is disposed between the acceleration actuator and the rear end.