Two wheeled vehicle with modular features

• US 8,838,308 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOXX Corp.
• Original Assignee: BOXX Corp.
• Inventors: Meyers, Eric Vaughn
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US13/117,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20110295454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/82, 700/94, 700/286, 280/5.51, 280/47.26, 280/79.11, 174/53, 440/84, 180/65.1, 315/224, 315/291, 290/40.C, 386/52, 235/375
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2036 Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/24 Personal mobility vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/44 Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 43/16 on motorcycles or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/10 characterised by the engine being over or beside driven rear wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2204/00 Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A two wheeled vehicle includes a main body, a first wheel that is coupled to the main body, and a second wheel that is coupled to the main body. The vehicle also includes a motor that is supported by the main body and that drives at least one of the first and second wheels in rotation relative to the main body. Moreover, the vehicle includes a controller assembly including a controller and a controller housing. The controller is operable to control the motor to thereby control driving rotation of the at least one of the first and second wheels. The controller is housed within the controller housing, and the controller housing is coupled to the main body. The controller and the motor are in severable but operable communication when the controller housing is coupled to the main body.

Claims

1. A two wheeled vehicle comprising:

a main body;

a first wheel that is coupled to the main body and that is rotatable relative to the main body;

a second wheel that is coupled to the main body and that is rotatable relative to the main body;

an electrical motor that is supported by the main body and that drives at least one of the first and second wheels in rotation relative to the main body;

a first electrical connector that is supported on the main body, the first electrical connector being electrically connected with the electrical motor; and

a controller assembly including a controller, a second electrical connector, and a controller housing, the controller being encapsulated within the controller housing, the second electrical connector being exposed from the controller housing, the second electrical connector electrically connected with the controller, the controller assembly having a first position and a second position relative to the main body, the controller assembly being supported on the main body when in the first position, the controller assembly being spaced apart from the main body when in the second position, the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector being electrically connected when in the first position, the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector being electrically disconnected when in the second position, the controller and the motor being in severable but operable communication when in the first position.

2. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector is biased toward the other of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector when in the first position.

3. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a lighting system that is supported by the main body, the controller operable to control the lighting system when in the first position.

4. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an electrical power source that is supported by the main body and that provides electrical power to the motor, the first and second electrical connectors electrically connected with each other when in the first position to allow electrical connection between the controller and the electrical power source, the controller operable to regulate electrical power from the electrical power source to the motor when in the first position.

5. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a throttle that is supported by the main body, the throttle being operable for selectively regulating output of the electrical motor, the first and second electrical connectors electrically connected with each other when in the first position to establish electrical connection between the controller and the throttle.

6. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller assembly further includes a display and an input device for inputting a control command to the controller, the display and the input device being exposed from the controller housing.

7. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 6, wherein the input device is a touch-sensitive input device for inputting the control command by physically touching the touch-sensitive input device.

8. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 7, wherein the touch-sensitive input device is incorporated within the display.

9. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 1, wherein the two wheeled vehicle includes an exterior surface, wherein the main body includes a main body outer surface, wherein the controller housing includes a controller housing outer surface, the main body outer surface and the controller housing outer surface cooperating to the define the exterior surface of the two wheeled vehicle when in the first position.

10. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 9, wherein the controller housing outer surface is substantially flush with the main body outer surface when the controller assembly is in the first position.

11. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller assembly is operable to communicate within a computerized network of a plurality of other controller assemblies.

12. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 4, wherein the controller assembly further includes a secondary electrical power source and a component that are each supported by the controller housing, the secondary electrical power source being operable to provide power to the component when the controller assembly is in the second position, the component being operable to be controlled by the controller when the controller assembly is in the second position.

13. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a cooling device that is supported by the controller housing, the cooling device operable to cool the controller.

14. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an audio device that is supported by the controller housing, the audio device operable to generate a sound.

15. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller assembly further includes a handle operable for holding and transporting the controller assembly when in the second position.

16. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 12, wherein the component is a display that is exposed from the controller housing.

17. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller assembly is a first controller assembly, further comprising a second controller assembly, the first and second controller assemblies each including a respective controller, a respective second electrical connector, and a respective controller housing that encapsulates the respective controller and that exposes the respective second electrical connector,

wherein the main body includes an opening configured to receive the first controller assembly in a first configuration and to alternatively receive the second controller assembly in a second configuration,

the first electrical connector electrically connected with the second electrical connector of the first controller assembly in the first configuration to allow the controller of the first controller assembly to control the electrical motor, and

the first electrical connector electrically connected with the second electrical connector of the second controller assembly in the second configuration to allow the controller of the second controller assembly to control the electrical motor.

18. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 17, further comprising an electrical power source that is supported by the main body and that provides electrical power to the motor, the controller of the first controller assembly operable to regulate electrical power from the electrical power source to the motor when in the first configuration, the controller of the second controller assembly operable to regulate electrical power from the electrical power source to the motor when in the second configuration.

19. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 18, wherein the first controller assembly and the second controller assembly each include a respective secondary electrical power source and a respective component that are each supported by the respective controller housing, the secondary electrical power source being operable to provide power to the respective component, the controller being operable to control the respective component.

20. The two wheeled vehicle of claim 19, wherein the component is a display that is exposed from the respective controller housing.