Self-leveling and balancing vehicle

• US 7,083,013 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chin- Shyan Roan, Wei-Lin Chen, Wen- Chuan Chen
• Original Assignee: Chen Wen Chuan
• Inventors: Chuan, Chen Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spisich, George D.
• Application Number:
  US10/789,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20040168842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 180/41, 180/907, 180/326, 180/282, 180/8.2, 280/6.154, 280/5.2, 280/5.28
• US Class Current: 180/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/10 tiltable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2875 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/39 Seats tiltable to compensate for roll inclination of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 37/04 by means of movable masses
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/075 Tracked vehicles for ascending or descending stairs, steep slopes or vertical surfacesmagnetic or pneumatic ground-engaging parts B62D55/265; chairs or multi-track cycles specially adapted for invalids A61G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/907 Motorized wheelchairs

Abstract

A self-leveling and balancing vehicle composed of a base and a moving and driving mechanism installed on the base, the mechanism having two longitudinal moving seats installed on the guiding rails fixed on the base, a connecting frame extending to and connecting the two moving seats, and two sector gears installed on the two moving seats. A driving motor and a sensor are installed on the connecting frame, two level driving gears installed on two ends of the driving shaft and engaged with the two sector gears, a balance gear box installed on the driving shaft and having an output shaft extending to the connecting frame, and two driven gears installed on two ends of the output shaft and engaged with the racks fixed on the base.

Claims

1. A self-leveling and balancing vehicle comprising:

a moving and driving mechanism including two longitudinal moving seats formed at two sides thereof, a connecting frame extending to and connecting said longitudinal moving seats, and two sector gears respectively installed on said two longitudinal moving seats;

a driving motor fixed under the top of said connecting frame, the driving motor having a driving shaft extending to said two sector gears;

two level driving gears installed on two ends of said driving shaft and engaged with said two sector gears;

a balance driving gear box installed on said driving shaft, the balance driving gear box having an output shaft extending to said connecting frame for free rotation, and two driven gears, each driven gear installed on each of two ends of said output shaft;

a base including two guiding rails or guiding grooves disposed in parallel with a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, said longitudinal moving seats mounted on the two guiding rails or guiding grooves, two racks fixed between and disposed in parallel with the two guiding rails or guiding grooves, the driven gears on said output shaft are engaged with the two racks; and

wherein

when the vehicle is running up or down a slope, the driving motor drives the driving shaft to cause the level driving gears to be rotated along the sector gears to dispose a chair or carry platform on the connecting frame to a level position and the two driven gears installed on the output shaft of the driving gear box are caused to be rotated reversely with the driving shaft and moved forward or backward along the racks to cause the moving and driving mechanism to move simultaneously along the guiding rails or guiding grooves to a balance position.

2. A self-leveling and balancing vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein each longitudinal moving seat has a sliding groove or a sliding rail mounted respectively on the guiding rails or guiding grooves on the base.

3. A self-leveling and balancing vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sliding grooves or rails mounted on the guiding rails or grooves form a dovetail joint.

4. A self-leveling and balancing vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the balance driving gear box includes a driving gear, two intermediate gears and a driven gear engaged with each other, the driving gear installed on the driving shaft of the driving motor and the driven gear being installed on the output shaft.

5. A self-leveling and balancing vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top of the connecting frame includes said chair or platform.

6. A self-leveling and balancing vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting frame includes two sides, each side is of a triangular shape, a lower part of each side having a first locating hole, two ends of the output shaft of the balance driving gear box installed in the first locating holes for free rotation, an upper part of each side having a second locating hole, and two ends of the driving shaft of the driving motor installed in the second locating holes for free rotation.

7. A self-leveling and balancing vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base includes a top plate, a bottom plate and three supporting posts installed between the top plate and said bottom plate, a top end of each supporting post is pivoted on the top plate and a bottom end of each supporting post is fixed on the bottom plate.