Self-propelled wheel board

• US 7,172,044 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alain Bouvet
• Original Assignee: Alain Bouvet
• Inventors: Bouvet, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver; J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLADO, CYNTHIA FRANCISCA
• Application Number:
  US10/529,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20060012141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 180/15, 180/74, 180/180, 180/181, 280/11.11, 280/87.04
• US Class Current: 180/181
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/12 with driving mechanisms

Abstract

A wheel board comprising a wheel (2) with a diameter of 0.2 to 0.6 m mounted on a free wheel (21), mounted on an axle (3) situated on a vertically pivoting arm (4) arranged on the board (1), and mounted freewheeling and driven by a driving drum (17) around which is wound a band (11) that is fixed to said driving drum (17) by a first end and that is connected to the board by its second end, said driving drum (17) being equipped with a return device (19) so that, when the board (1) is not loaded, the central wheel (2) is in a lower position relative to said board (1) and said band (11) is wound around the drum (17) driving the wheel.

Claims

1. A wheel board comprising a central wheel (2) with a diameter ranging from 0.2 to 0.6 m mounted on a free wheel (21), said central wheel (2) being mounted on an axle (3) situated on a vertically pivoting first arm (4) (hereafter the first arm) arranged on the board (1), said central wheel (2) being mounted freewheeling and being driven by a driving drum (17) around which is wound a band (11) that is fixed to said driving drum (17) by a first end and that is connected to the board by its second end, said driving drum (17) being equipped with a return device (19) so that, when the board (1) is not loaded, the central wheel (2) is in a lower position relative to said board (1) and said band (11) is wound around the drum (17) for driving the wheel.

2. A wheel board according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises castors (13).

3. A wheel board according to claim 1, characterized in that the pivot pin (5) of the first arm (4) is arranged at a first end (6) of the first pivoting arm (4), and the axle (3) of the wheel (2) towards the other end (6′

).

4. A wheel board according to claim 1, characterized in that the band (11) is connected to the board (1) by means of a second vertically pivoting arm (8) arranged on the board (1).

5. A wheel board according to claim 1, characterized in that the first arm is equipped with an additional return device so that, when the board (1) is not loaded, the drum return device (19) is assisted in returning the central wheel (2) to the lower position relative to said board (1) and facilitates the winding of the band (11) around the drum (17,20) of the wheel.

6. A wheel board according to claim 1, characterized in that the return device is a mechanism for winding the band (11) such as a spiral spring (19).

7. A wheel according to claim 4, characterized in that the first arm (4) is connected to the second arm (8) by a bracket such as a link (7).

8. A wheel board according to claim 1, characterized in that the width of the wheel board (1) is between 0.22 m and 0.35 m.

9. A wheel board according to claim 1, characterized in that the diameter of the wheel is between 0.28 m and 0.40 m.

10. A wheel board according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two free wheels (21), two first arms (4), two second arms (8), two links (7) and two bands (11).

11. A wheel board according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises foot-straps (15).