Convertible Scooter

• US 20180022412A1
• Filed: 07/20/2017
• Published: 01/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Urban Electric Company (Clairvest Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Urban626, LLC
• Inventors: Etzelsberger, Sven, Delgatty, Grant
• Granted Patent: US 10,654,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0455 Removal or replacement of the energy storages
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0483 from the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0038 the motor moving together with the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/126 Scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 1/02 Saddles resiliently mounted on the frame; Equipment therefor, e.g. springs
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 1/08 Frames for saddles; Connections between saddle frames and seat pillars; Seat pillars attaching seat pillars to cycle frames B62K19/36
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 25/06 Bar-type foot rests
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 15/006 the frame being foldable
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 19/08 made from sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2202/00 Motorised scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2204/00 Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor for driving electrically assisted bicycles B62M6/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/02 Tricycles children's tricycles B62K9/02
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/027 Motorcycles with three wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023

Abstract

Foldable electrical vehicles and related charging infrastructure are described. The foldable electrical vehicle generally includes three structural members (front and rear wheel-bearing structural members and a seat-bearing structural member) that are pivotally interconnected along their lengths such that they may be pivoted between a closed position wherein the three structural members are disposed roughly parallel to each other in a compact folded configuration, and an open riding configuration wherein an angular relation is formed between the structural members.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a front and a rear wheel-bearing structural members having first and second ends and each defining a wheel-bearing structural member longitudinal axis, each of said wheelbearing structural members having at least one wheel assembly interconnected to the second end thereof and two wheel-bearing structural member pivot interconnections disposed along the length thereof;

at least one seat-bearing structural member having first and second ends and defining a seat-bearing structural member longitudinal axis, the seat-bearing structural member having a seating platform interconnected to the second end thereof and at least two seat-bearing pivot interconnections disposed along the length thereof; and

wherein the wheel-bearing structural member pivot interconnections disposed on the ends distal to the wheel assemblies are pivotably interconnected, and the wheel-bearing structural member pivot interconnections disposed on the lengths thereof are pivotably interconnected with the seat-bearing pivot interconnections and are configured to cooperatively interconnect to form a vehicle pivot mechanism such that the structural members are pivotably interconnected to move between at least two configurations;

a riding configuration wherein the longitudinal axes of the two wheel bearing structural members and the seat-bearing structural members have angular offsets relative to each other, and

a folded configuration wherein the longitudinal axes of the two wheel-bearing structural members and the seat-bearing structural member are roughly parallel.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein a steering mechanism is mounted to a front wheel-bearing structural member, the steering mechanism being configured to controllably pivot the wheel assembly mounted to the front wheel-bearing structural member about the longitudinal axis of the front wheel-bearing structural member.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the front wheel is locked in a non-pivoting configuration relative the longitudinal axis of the front wheel-bearing structural member in the folded configuration.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein a portion of the front wheel-bearing structural member pivots with the wheel assembly.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the front wheel-bearing structural member defines an internal volume having an energy storage device disposed therein.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the energy storage device is removable from the internal volume.

7. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the steering mechanism comprises at least one handlebar, and wherein the height and angle of the handlebar relative to the vehicle is adjustable.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rear wheel-bearing structural member is tubular.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a pivot locking mechanism configured to disengageably lock the structural members in at least the folded configuration.

9-1. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the pivot locking mechanism comprises a latch 10 disposed on the seat-bearing member and configured to engage the first end of at least one of the at least two wheel-bearing structural members.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the latch is configured to engage the first end of the rear wheel-bearing structural member.

12. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the latch is configured to disengage when the seat-bearing structural member is pivoted upward when in the second compacted configuration.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a seat support disposed along the length of the seat-bearing structural member and slidingly engaged along the length of the rear wheel-bearing structural members.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the axis of the seat support is roughly orthogonal with the axis of the seat-bearing structural member.

15. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the seat support comprises one of either a resilient wheel or a cylinder.

16. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rear wheel assembly comprises at least two wheels interconnected via a fixed axle.

17. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising at least one electric motor disposed within at least one of the wheel assemblies and an energy storage device interconnected therewith.

18. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein in the folded configuration the seating platform is disposed above the first ends of the wheel-bearing structural members.

19. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rear wheel-bearing structural member and the seat-bearing structural member are pivotably interconnected through an elongated linkage.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the front wheel bearing structural member comprises an indentation into which the linkage is disposed in the folded configuration.

21. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the wheel-bearing structural members comprises a plurality of fenestrations configured to provide access to the internal volume thereof.