Inverted vehicle

• US 9,592,875 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Takeda, Takahiro, Oishi, Kouta, Misao, Kazutomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Winner, Tony
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRITTMAN, FELICIA LUCILLE
• Application Number:
  US14/438,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20150298756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 180/218
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/3568 Modifying rugosity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/16 Single-axle vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/34 Stabilising upright position of vehicles, e.g. of single axle vehicles
• 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 23/08 foot actuated

Abstract

An inverted vehicle according to the present invention includes: wheel; a base that holds the wheel; a step cover on which a rider rides, the step cover being connected to an upper portion of the base; an elastic element that is connected to the upper portion of the base and elastically supports the step cover; a detection portion that is provided between the base and the step cover and detects a pressing force applied from the step cover when the rider is riding on the inverted vehicle and the elastic element is elastically deformed to thereby depress the step cover; and a control portion that drives the wheel based on the detection of the pressing force by the detection portion. The step cover is connected to the base with a hinge.

Claims

1. An inverted vehicle comprising:

a wheel;

a base that holds the wheel so as to be able to drive the wheel;

a step cover on which a rider rides, the step cover being connected to an upper portion of the base;

an elastic element that is connected to the upper portion of the base and elastically supports the step cover;

a detection portion that is provided between the base and the step cover and detects a pressing force applied from the step cover when the rider is riding on the inverted vehicle and the elastic element is elastically deformed to thereby depress the step cover;

a control portion that drives the wheel and performs an inverted control based on the detection of the pressing force by the detection portion;

wherein the step cover is connected to the base with a hinge, and

a dust-proof portion attached to the upper surface of the base in such a manner that the dust-proof portion is located between the base and the step cover on an opening/closing side of blade portions of the hinge,

wherein at least a part of the dust-proof portion is formed of an elastic body so that when the step cover is not depressed, an upper surface of the dust-proof portion contacts a lower surface of the step cover, and when the step cover is depressed, the dust-proof portion is elastically deformed while maintaining the contact with the lower surface of the step cover.

2. The inverted vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the inverted vehicle comprises a pair of the step covers with respective hinges, a pair of the elastic elements, and a pair of the detection portions, and

the step covers are each connected to the base in such a manner that a shaft portion side of one hinge is opposed to a shaft portion side of the other hinge.

3. The inverted vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the hinge is provided on a circumference of the base.

4. An inverted vehicle comprising:

a wheel;

a base that holds the wheel so as to be able to drive the wheel;

a step cover on which a rider rides, the step cover being connected to an upper portion of the base;

an elastic element that is connected to the upper portion of the base and elastically supports the step cover;

a detection portion that is provided between the base and the step cover and detects a pressing force applied from the step cover when the rider is riding on the inverted vehicle and the elastic element is elastically deformed to thereby depress the step cover; and

a control portion that drives the wheel and performs an inverted control based on the detection of the pressing force by the detection portion, wherein

the step cover is connected to the base with a hinge, and

the step cover is connected to the base in such a manner that an opening/closing side of blade portions of the hinge faces a front side or a rear side of the inverted vehicle.

5. The inverted vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

the inverted vehicle comprises a pair of the step covers with respective hinges, a pair of the elastic elements, and a pair of the detection portions, and

the step covers are each connected to the base in such a manner that a shaft portion side of one hinge is opposed to a shaft portion side of the other hinge.

6. An inverted vehicle comprising:

a wheel;

a base that holds the wheel so as to be able to drive the wheel;

a step cover on which a rider rides, the step cover being connected to an upper portion of the base;

an elastic element that is connected to the upper portion of the base and elastically supports the step cover;

a detection portion that is provided between the base and the step cover and detects a pressing force applied from the step cover when the rider is riding on the inverted vehicle and the elastic element is elastically deformed to thereby depress the step cover; and

a control portion that drives the wheel and performs an inverted control based on the detection of the pressing force by the detection portion, wherein

the step cover is connected to the base with a hinge,

the step cover and the base each include an extending portion that extends to a shaft portion side of the hinge relative to a connecting portion at which the step cover and the base are connected to the hinge, and

the base includes an opening prevention portion that is formed on an upper surface of the extending portion, the extending portion of the step cover being brought into contact with the opening prevention portion when the step cover is opened about the hinge with respect to the base.

7. The inverted vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

the inverted vehicle comprises a pair of the step covers with respective hinges, a pair of the elastic elements, and a pair of the detection portions, and

the step covers are each connected to the base in such a manner that a shaft portion side of one hinge is opposed to a shaft portion side of the other hinge.