Trailer for balancing vehicle

• US 6,435,535 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Field, J. Douglas, Heinzmann, John David
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shriver, J. Allen
• Application Number:
  US09/516,384
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 180/218, 180/21, 280/204, 280/292, 280/492, 280/494, 280/504, 280/400, 280/458, 280/456.1, 280/426
• US Class Current: 280/204
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 51/008 characterised by the vehicle being formed by articulated or separable units road trains B62D53/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 51/02 the driver standing in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 53/02 comprising a uniaxle tractor unit and a uniaxle trailer unit see B60B11/00 - B60B11/08
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 63/067 single wheeled (rigid or semi-rigid couping)
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/007 Automatic balancing machines with single main ground engaging wheel or coaxial wheels supporting a rider

Abstract

A trailer for a dynamically balanced transporter that allows leaning of the transporter such as for control of the combination of transporter and trailer. The trailer has a platform and an arm with two ends, one of which ends is coupled to the platform and the other of which is pivotally coupled about a horizontal axis to the transporter. The trailer has a ground-contacting member that may be a wheel, or a ski or a skid. A locking mechanism may lock the pivot in response to a fault condition. The platform of the trailer may support a rider in a seated or standing position and may have a characteristic transverse linear dimension comparable to the shoulder width of the rider.

Claims

1. A trailer for carrying a user behind a dynamically balanced transporter, the trailer comprising:

a) a platform for supporting the user in a standing position;

b) a ground-contacting member supporting the platform, the ground-contacting member capable of swiveling about a vertical axis in a first rotation direction;

c) a pivot arm having a pivot end with a pivot and a trailer end, the trailer end coupled to the platform, the trailer end capable of swiveling about a trailer end vertical axis in a trailer end rotation direction; and

d) a scissor linkage coupled to the pivot arm and ground contacting member so that the first rotation direction is counter to the trailer end rotation direction.

2. A vehicle comprising:

a) a dynamically balanced transporter having a support and an attachment housing coupled to the support; and

b) a trailer further comprising;

i) a platform, the platform having an upper side;

ii) a ground-contacting member supporting the platform, the ground-contacting member capable of swiveling about a vertical axis in a first rotation direction;

iii) a pivot arm having a pivot end with a pivot and a trailer end, the trailer end coupled to the platform, the trailer end capable of swiveling about a trailer end vertical axis in a trailer end rotation direction, the pivot coupled to the attachment housing; and

iv) a scissor linkage coupled to the pivot arm and ground contacting member so that the first rotation direction is counter to the trailer end rotation direction.