ONE-WHEEL VEHICLE

• US 3,777,835 A
• Filed: 01/14/1972
• Issued: 12/11/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard Curtis Bourne
• Original Assignee: Richard Curtis Bourne
• Inventors: Bourne, Richard Curtis
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard
• Application Number:
  US05/217,796
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 180/1R,10,21 280/11.24,205,206,207 305/7
• US Class Current: 180/10
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 19/02 Freely-movable rolling hoops, e.g. gyrowheels or spheres or cylinders, carrying the user inside resisting devices overcoming gyroscopic forces of rotating bodies A63B21/22; standing on it for equilibrium exercises A63B26/003
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 19/00 Wheels not otherwise provided for or having characteristics specified in one of the subgroups of this group
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2310/305 by screwing
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2360/102 Steel
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2360/104 Aluminum
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2360/3412 Glass fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2380/12 Ball bearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2900/112 Costs
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2900/3312 during regular use
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/20 Off-Road Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/42 Amphibious vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 1/00 Unicycles

Abstract

A one-wheel vehicle having an outer hoop, an inner carriage movably mounted inside said outer hoop, engine means for driving said inner carriage in a counterclockwise direction upon said outer hoop to impart forward movement of the vehicle, steering means comprising a seat supporting the occupant in a semireclining position movably suspended from said inner carriage and being pivotal in a direction transverse to the movement of said vehicle and means for swinging said seat in a pendulum-like movement. In a further aspect hereof, said outer hoop comprises a cylinder having a truncated cone attached to each end thereof thereby defining three stable rest positions for said vehicle. In a still further aspect hereof, said outer hoop comprises two separate hoops spaced apart having an outer band extending threrearound wider than the space between said two hoops and being fastened to each, said spacing providing a track guiding said inner carriage upon said band.

Claims

1. In a one-wheel vehicle having an outer hoop, an inner carriage movably mounted inside and borne by said outer hoop, means for driving said inner-carriage upon said outer hoop and displacing the vehicle center-of-mass forward of the point of contact with the ground for thereby causing rolling motion of said outerhoop in the direction of the displacement, and steering means comprising means for displacing the center-of-mass laterally of the direction of movement, the improvement comprising said steering means comprising a seat for supporting the occupant, said seat being pivotally suspended from said inner-carriage above the axis of rotation of said vehicle for pendulum-like movement, and means for swinging said seat.

2. In a one-wheel vehicle according to claim 1, the improvement further comprising an outer hoop comprising two halves spaced apart, an outer band externally coaxial with said two halves, said band being fixedly connected to each of said two halves providing a track defined by the edges of said two halves and the internal surface of said band, said track bearing and guiding said inner carriage.

3. In a one-wheel vehicle according to claim 2, said driving means comprising an engine means operatively engaging said track.

4. In a one-wheel vehicle according to calim 1, said outer hoop comprising a cylinder having a truncated cone attached to each end thereof thereby defining three stable rest positions for said vehicle.

5. In a one-wheel vehicle according to claim 4, said outer hoop comprising two halves spaced apart, an outer band externally coaxial with said two halves, said band being fixedly connected to each of said two halves providing a track defined by the edges of said two halves and the internal surface of said band, said track bearing and guiding said inner carriage.

6. In a one-wheel vehicle according to claim 5, said driving means comprising an engine means operatively engaging said track.

7. A one-wheel vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said outer hoop is wide enough to confine the body of the occupant within its peripheral edges.

8. A one-wheel vehicle according to claim 1 wherein said outer hoop is wider than said seat for thereby confining the body of the occupant within its peripheral edges.