Human-powered, ride-on vehicle
First Claim
1. A human-powered, ride-on vehicle, comprising:
- a main longitudinal frame member having a steering/drive mechanism mounted thereon for oscillating movement;
a rear wheel receiver located adjacent one end of said main longitudinal frame member;
a driven rear wheel having an axle, wherein said axle is received in said rear wheel receiver;
a rear sprocket operatively fixed to said rear wheel for coastable engagement therewith;
a pair of spaced apart, steerable front wheel located adjacent the other end of said main longitudinal frame member and operatively connected to said steering/drive mechanism;
wherein, said steering/drive mechanism includes;
a teeter arm mounted on a teeter arm mount to said main longitudinal frame member intermediate the ends thereof for pivoting movement in a fore direction and an aft direction;
a handle bar located atop said teeter arm for use by a rider to impart a motive force to the vehicle;
a drive mechanism including first and second drive linkages, wherein said first drive linkage provides a motive force to said driven rear wheel during a first power stroke and said second drive linkage provides a motive force to said driven rear wheel during a second power stroke, and wherein said drive linkages are connected to said teeter arm so that, for equal movement of said teeter arm in said for and aft directions, the motive force of said first power stroke is between about one to three times that of said second power stroke, wherein said first drive linkage is connected to a lower connection point located below said teeter arm mount on said teeter arm and provides power during a first power stroke, and wherein said second drive linkage is connected to an upper connection point located below said teeter arm mount and provides power during a second power stroke, and wherein said drive linkages each include a connection point on said teeter arm, a drive chain connected at one end thereof to said connection point, and a drive sprocket driven by said drive chain; and
which includes a drive axle extending through and operable with said drive sprockets to drive a front sprocket, which is connected to said rear sprocket by a main chain.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A human-powered, ride-on vehicle, includes a main longitudinal frame member having a steering/drive mechanism mounted thereon for oscillating movement; a driven rear wheel having an axle, a rear sprocket operatively fixed to the rear wheel for coastable engagement therewith; a pair of spaced apart, steerable front wheel located adjacent the other end of the main longitudinal frame member and operatively connected to the steering/drive mechanism; wherein, the steering/drive mechanism include: a teeter arm mounted to the main longitudinal frame member intermediate the ends thereof for pivoting movement in a fore direction and an aft direction; a drive mechanism including first and second drive linkages, wherein the first drive linkage provides a motive force to the driven rear wheel during a first power stroke and the second drive linkage provides a motive force to the driven rear wheel during a second power stroke, and wherein, for equal movement of the teeter arm in the for and aft directions, the motive force of the first powers strokes is between about one to three times that of the second power stroke.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A human-powered, ride-on vehicle, comprising:
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a main longitudinal frame member having a steering/drive mechanism mounted thereon for oscillating movement;
a rear wheel receiver located adjacent one end of said main longitudinal frame member;
a driven rear wheel having an axle, wherein said axle is received in said rear wheel receiver;
a rear sprocket operatively fixed to said rear wheel for coastable engagement therewith;
a pair of spaced apart, steerable front wheel located adjacent the other end of said main longitudinal frame member and operatively connected to said steering/drive mechanism;
wherein, said steering/drive mechanism includes;
a teeter arm mounted on a teeter arm mount to said main longitudinal frame member intermediate the ends thereof for pivoting movement in a fore direction and an aft direction;
a handle bar located atop said teeter arm for use by a rider to impart a motive force to the vehicle;
a drive mechanism including first and second drive linkages, wherein said first drive linkage provides a motive force to said driven rear wheel during a first power stroke and said second drive linkage provides a motive force to said driven rear wheel during a second power stroke, and wherein said drive linkages are connected to said teeter arm so that, for equal movement of said teeter arm in said for and aft directions, the motive force of said first power stroke is between about one to three times that of said second power stroke, wherein said first drive linkage is connected to a lower connection point located below said teeter arm mount on said teeter arm and provides power during a first power stroke, and wherein said second drive linkage is connected to an upper connection point located below said teeter arm mount and provides power during a second power stroke, and wherein said drive linkages each include a connection point on said teeter arm, a drive chain connected at one end thereof to said connection point, and a drive sprocket driven by said drive chain; and
which includes a drive axle extending through and operable with said drive sprockets to drive a front sprocket, which is connected to said rear sprocket by a main chain. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A human-powered, ride-on vehicle, comprising:
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a main longitudinal frame member having a steering/drive mechanism mounted thereon for oscillating movement;
a rear wheel receiver located adjacent one end of said main longitudinal frame member;
a driven rear wheel having an axle, wherein said axle is received in said rear wheel receiver;
a rear sprocket operatively fixed to said rear wheel for coastable engagement therewith;
a pair of spaced apart, steerable front wheel located adjacent the other end of said main longitudinal frame member and operatively connected to said steering/drive mechanism;
wherein, said steering/drive mechanism includes;
a teeter arm mounted on a teeter arm mount to said main longitudinal frame member intermediate the ends thereof for pivoting movement in a fore direction and an aft direction;
a handle bar located atop said teeter arm for use by a rider to impart a motive force to the vehicle;
an oscillating longitudinal frame member received for oscillating movement in a channel in said main longitudinal frame member, wherein said oscillating longitudinal frame member is pivotally connected to said teeter arm for providing motive force to the vehicle, and wherein said oscillating longitudinal frame member has foot pedals located thereon;
a drive mechanism including first and second drive linkages, wherein said first drive linkage provides a motive force to said driven rear wheel during a first power stroke and said second drive linkage provides a motive force to said driven rear wheel during a second power stroke;
wherein said drive linkages each include a connection point to said teeter arm, a drive chain connected to said connection point, and a drive sprocket driven by said drive chain; and
which includes a drive axle extending through and operable with said drive sprockets to drive a front sprocket, which is connected to said rear sprocket by a main chain, and which further includes an idler pulley having an idler spring trained therethrough, and wherein the ends of said idler spring are connected to the free ends of said drive chains. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A human-powered, ride-on vehicle, comprising:
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a main longitudinal frame member having a steering/drive mechanism mounted thereon for oscillating movement;
a rear wheel receiver located adjacent one end of said main longitudinal frame member;
a driven rear wheel having an axle, wherein said axle is received in said rear wheel receiver;
a rear sprocket operatively fixed to said rear wheel for coastable engagement therewith;
a transverse frame member located adjacent the front end of said main longitudinal frame member for supporting a pair of spaced apart, steerable front wheels, operatively connected to said steering/drive mechanism, wherein said transverse frame member is removable from said vehicle, wherein said transverse frame member includes, for each wheel, a king pin steerably mounted to said transverse frame member for receiving thereon a front wheel, and a steering mechanism located intermediate said steering drive mechanism and said front wheels;
wherein, said steering/drive mechanism includes;
a teeter arm mounted on a teeter arm mount to said main longitudinal frame member intermediate the ends thereof for pivoting movement in a fore direction and an aft direction;
wherein said steering mechanism includes a handle bar located atop said teeter arm for use by a rider to impart a motive force to the vehicle;
steering shafts extending through said teeter arm for oscillating movement therewith and rotatable movement therein, having said handle bar fixed to the upper terminus thereof;
a steering torque tube connected to the lower terminus of said steering shafts and extending through the forward end of said main longitudinal frame member;
a removable crank fixed to the forward end of said steering torque tube; and
, for each front wheel;
an adjustable length first steering arm having one end thereof attached to said removable crank;
a bell crank attached to the other end of said first steering arm;
an adjustable length second steering arm attached at one end thereof to said bell crank and attached at the other end thereof to said king pin; and
a drive mechanism for imparting said motive force to said rear wheel. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification