Balancing personal vehicle

• US 6,543,564 B1
• Filed: 12/08/1999
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Heinzmann, Richard Kurt, Field, Douglas, Kamen, Dean L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, David R.
• Application Number:
  US09/456,347
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 180/89.13, 180/89.14, 180/315, 180/327, 180/328, 180/333, 180/180, 180/181, 180/908, 180/65.1, 280/5.501, 280/6.154, 280/5.507, 280/5.513, 701/124
• US Class Current: 180/89.13
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/04 motor-driven A61G5/06 takes precedence; motor-operated rests A61G5/12; for vehicles with handlebars, equipped with three or more wheels B62K5/003, B62K5/023
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/06 with obstacle mounting facilities, e.g. for climbing stairs, kerbs or steps
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/107 positioning the whole seat forward or rearward
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/125 for arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/128 for feet
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/14 Standing-up or sitting-down aids
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/00 Disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel roller-skate driving mechanisms A63C17/12
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 39/00 Vehicle bodies not otherwise provided for , e.g. safety vehicles safety equipment B60R21/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/00 Vehicles characterised by having other propulsion or other ground- engaging means than wheels or endless track, alone or in addition to wheels or endless track sledges B62B; motor sledges B62M
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/00 Motor vehicles or trailers, characterised by the arrangement or number of wheels, not otherwise provided for, e.g. four wheels in diamond pattern
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/007 Automatic balancing machines with single main ground engaging wheel or coaxial wheels supporting a rider
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2204/00 Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor for driving electrically assisted bicycles B62M6/00

Abstract

A transportation vehicle for transporting an individual over ground having a surface that may be irregular. The vehicle has a support platform for supporting the subject and the support platform is coupled to a ground-contacting module at a pivot. While the ground-contacting module may be statically stable, balance of the support platform with respect to the ground-contacting module is maintained by motion of the ground-contacting module in response to leaning of the support platform. A motorized drive coupled to the ground-contacting module causes locomotion of the vehicle and the subject therewith over the surface, while a control loop, in which the motorized drive is included, dynamically enhances stability in the fore-aft plane by operation of the motorized drive in connection with the ground-contacting module. In the event of failure of the control loop, the pivot connection of the support platform to the ground-contacting module may be locked, thereby ensuring stability of the static assembly.

Claims

1. A vehicle, for transporting a human subject over a surface that may be irregular, the vehicle comprising:

a. a support platform for supporting the subject, the support platform defining fore-aft and lateral planes;

b. a ground-contacting module pivotably attached to the support platform for suspending the support platform over the surface, the ground-contacting module stable to tipping both fore and aft while stationary, the support platform unstable to tipping in the fore-aft plane while the ground-contacting module is stationary;

c. a motorized drive arrangement, mounted to at least one of the ground contacting module and the support platform, for causing locomotion of the ground contacting module over the surface; and

d. a control loop, in which the motorized drive arrangement is included, for dynamically maintaining stability of the support platform to tipping in the fore-aft plane by operation of the motorized drive arrangement in such a manner as to cause a specified acceleration of the ground contacting module.

2. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a pivot for pivotal coupling of the support platform to the ground-contacting module.

3. A vehicle in accordance with claim 2, wherein the ground-contacting module includes at least one wheel aft of a vertical line through the pivot and at least one wheel forward of the vertical line while on level ground.

4. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism for restricting motion of the support platform with respect to the ground-contacting module.

5. A vehicle in accordance with claim 4, wherein the locking mechanism for restricting motion of the support platform is activated upon interruption of power to the control loop.

6. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an actuator for adjusting a pivot angle of the support platform with respect to the ground-contacting module.

7. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the ground-contacting module comprises:

a. a first wheel rotatable about a first axis; and

b. a second wheel rotatable about a second axis, the second axis being non-colinear with the first axis.

8. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control loop is configured so that fore and aft motion of the vehicle is controlled by fore and aft leaning of the support platform.

9. A vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a handle mounted to the support platform.

10. A method for controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:

a. providing the vehicle of claim 1;

b. measuring a pivot angle of the support platform with respect to the ground-contacting module;

c. governing the motorized drive arrangement on the basis at least of the pivot angle of the support platform in such a manner as to cause a specified acceleration of the vehicle.