Self-balancing wheeled vehicle
First Claim
1. A wheeled vehicle, comprising,a vehicle frame having opposite ends,wheel means on one end of said frame,a hinged parallelogram frame means having four hinged corner portions pivotally mounted on the other end of said frame, and being adapted for pivotal movement in opposite directions,a pair of spaced wheels secured to said parallelogram frame means at opposite sides thereof, whereby said parallelogram frame means will pivot laterally in first and second opposite lateral directions when said frame leans laterally away from a position of equilibrium in said first and second lateral directions, respectively,sensing means operatively connected to said parallelogram frame means, and adapted to be actuated by said parallelogram frame means when said frame leans away from a position of equilibrium whereby the inbalance of said frame away from a position of equilibrium actuates said sensing means, andpower means connected to said sensing means and said parallelogram frame means whereby the initial pivotal movement of said parallelogram frame means from a position of equilibrium in one of said lateral directions will automatically cause said sensing means to actuate said power means to move said parallelogram frame means in the opposite lateral direction to cause said vehicle frame to move laterally to a position of equilibrium,said sensing means comprising a lever pivotally connected to said vehicle frame,and said power means includes an extensible and retractable cylinder means connected at one end to said lever and connected at the opposite end to said parallelogram frame means whereby said lever is pivoted in opposite directions with respect to said vehicle frame in response to leaning movement of said parallelogram frame means in said first and second opposite lateral directions, respectively, from a position of equilibrium.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wheeled vehicle includes a vehicle frame having at least one wheel at one end of the frame and a hinged parallelogram frame mounted on the other end of the vehicle frame and having a pair of spaced wheels mounted on opposite sides thereof. The parallelogram frame will pivot laterally in first or second opposite lateral directions when the frame leans laterally away from a position of equilibrium in the first or second lateral direction. A sensing device is connected to the vehicle frame and a power source is connected to the sensing means and parallelogram frame whereby initial leaning movement of the parallelogram frame in one direction (caused by conditions of unequilibrium) will cause the sensing device and power source to pivot the parallelogram frame in the opposite direction thereby to laterally pivot the vehicle frame to a position of equilibrium. The sensing device may be a lever pivotally connected to the vehicle frame and the power source may include a pair of extensible and retractable cylinder units for connecting opposite ends of the sensor lever to opposite sides of the parallelogram frame.
133 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A wheeled vehicle, comprising,
a vehicle frame having opposite ends, wheel means on one end of said frame, a hinged parallelogram frame means having four hinged corner portions pivotally mounted on the other end of said frame, and being adapted for pivotal movement in opposite directions, a pair of spaced wheels secured to said parallelogram frame means at opposite sides thereof, whereby said parallelogram frame means will pivot laterally in first and second opposite lateral directions when said frame leans laterally away from a position of equilibrium in said first and second lateral directions, respectively, sensing means operatively connected to said parallelogram frame means, and adapted to be actuated by said parallelogram frame means when said frame leans away from a position of equilibrium whereby the inbalance of said frame away from a position of equilibrium actuates said sensing means, and power means connected to said sensing means and said parallelogram frame means whereby the initial pivotal movement of said parallelogram frame means from a position of equilibrium in one of said lateral directions will automatically cause said sensing means to actuate said power means to move said parallelogram frame means in the opposite lateral direction to cause said vehicle frame to move laterally to a position of equilibrium, said sensing means comprising a lever pivotally connected to said vehicle frame, and said power means includes an extensible and retractable cylinder means connected at one end to said lever and connected at the opposite end to said parallelogram frame means whereby said lever is pivoted in opposite directions with respect to said vehicle frame in response to leaning movement of said parallelogram frame means in said first and second opposite lateral directions, respectively, from a position of equilibrium.
Specification