TRAVELING APPARATUS

• US 20180009489A1
• Filed: 05/09/2017
• Published: 01/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: KAMA, Takeshi, KAKUCHI, Makoto, MORI, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 10,457,342 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/24 Personal mobility vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/24 by lever actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/26 Transition between different drive modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/08 Means for preventing excessive speed of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/14 of adjustable length or width
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 51/02 the driver standing in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 51/04 the driver walking
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 1/02 Articulated stands, e.g. in the shape of hinged arms B62H1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 15/006 the frame being foldable
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2204/00 Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor for driving electrically assisted bicycles B62M6/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 3/002 without a seat, i.e. the rider operating the vehicle in a standing position, e.g. non-motorized scooters; non-motorized scooters with skis or runners
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/00 Cycles with handlebars, equipped with three or more main road wheels cycle supports or stands equipped with additional wheels for ride stabilisation B62H1/12
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/027 Motorcycles with three wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

Provided is a traveling apparatus including at least, with respect to a traveling direction, a front wheel and a rear wheel and on which a user rides when travelling. The traveling apparatus includes a front wheel supporting member configured to rotatably support the front wheel, a rear wheel supporting member configured to rotatably support the rear wheel, an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a wheel base length between the front wheel and the rear wheel by changing a relative position of the front wheel supporting member and the rear wheel supporting member, and a driving unit configured to drive at least one of the front wheel and rear wheel. The wheel base length adjusted by the adjusting mechanism is associated with a speed of the traveling apparatus achieved by driving the driving unit in such a way that the longer the wheel base length, the greater the speed becomes.

Claims

1. A traveling apparatus including at least, with respect to a traveling direction, a front wheel and a rear wheel and on which a user rides when travelling, the traveling apparatus comprising:

a front wheel supporting member configured to rotatably support the front wheel;

a rear wheel supporting member configured to rotatably support the rear wheel;

an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a wheel base length between the front wheel and the rear wheel by changing a relative position of the front wheel supporting member and the rear wheel supporting member; and

a driving unit configured to drive at least one of the front wheel and rear wheel, wherein the wheel base length adjusted by the adjusting mechanism is associated with a speed of the traveling apparatus achieved by driving the driving unit in such a way that the longer the wheel base length, the greater the speed becomes, and when one of values of the wheel base length and the speed is changed by an operation of the user, the other one of the values is controlled to be a value associated with the changed one of the values.

2. The traveling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit configured to, when the wheel base length is adjusted by the user operating the adjusting mechanism, drive the driving unit at the speed associated with the adjusted wheel base length, the speed being a target speed.

3. The traveling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the front wheel supporting member includes a handlebar for the user to hold,

the rear wheel supporting member includes a step for the user to ride on,

the adjusting mechanism includes a hinge that rotates the front wheel supporting member and the rear wheel supporting member in relation to each other,

the user adjusts the wheel base length by changing at least one of a weight on the handlebar and a weight on the step to thereby rotate the front wheel supporting member and the rear wheel supporting member in relation to each other around the hinge.

4. The traveling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the adjusting mechanism includes a biasing member that biases the front wheel supporting member and the rear wheel supporting member in a direction to reduce a relative angle, and

the wheel base length, when the relative angle is made smallest by an action of the biasing member, is associated with the speed zero.

5. The traveling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive an acceleration/deceleration command from the user, and

a control unit configured to drive the driving unit according to the acceleration/deceleration command, change the speed, and adjust the adjusting mechanism so that the wheel base length will be the one associated with the changed speed.

6. The traveling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the traveling apparatus can be self-supported by a ground-contacting member including the front wheel and the rear wheel, and

the traveling apparatus further comprises an operation member configured to allow the user to operate the adjusting mechanism while he or she is not riding on the traveling apparatus and to adjust the wheel base length.

7. The traveling apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the operation member comprises a cord member, one end of which is attached to the front wheel supporting member, and another end of which is towed by the user, and

the rear wheel supporting member comprises a latching part for latching the other end of the cord member of another traveling apparatus.

8. The traveling apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

an association between the wheel base length and the speed when the wheel base length is adjusted without using the operation member differs from an association between the wheel base length and the speed when the wheel base length is adjusted using the operation member, and

the association is formed in such a way that the speed at which the wheel base length is adjusted using the operation member will not exceed the speed at which the same wheel base length is adjusted without using the operation member.

9. The traveling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a stopper configured to be brought into contact with a rotation element in conjunction with an operation of the adjusting mechanism for reducing the wheel base length in such a way as to control rotation of at least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel, wherein

the stopper maintains the contact with the rotation element while the traveling apparatus is parked.

10. The traveling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a stopper configured to be brought into contact with a traveling surface in conjunction with an operation of the adjusting mechanism for reducing the wheel base length in such a way as to control rotation of at least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel, wherein

the stopper maintains the contact with the traveling surface while the traveling apparatus is parked.