Foldable electric vehicle

• US 9,873,476 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2016
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Urban Electric Company (Clairvest Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Urban626, LLC
• Inventors: Etzelsberger, Sven, Delgatty, Grant
• Primary Examiner(s): Verley, Nicole T
• Application Number:
  US15/169,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20160347397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/122 Trikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/126 Scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 1/12 using additional wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 1/04 Saddles capable of swinging about a horizontal pivot
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 9/23 above or alongside the rear wheel B62J9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 9/27 characterised by mounting arrangements, e.g. quick release arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 15/006 the frame being foldable
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 19/02 characterised by material or cross-section of frame members
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2015/003 having a foldable crank or pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2204/00 Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor for driving electrically assisted bicycles B62M6/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/06 Frames for tricycles

Abstract

Foldable electrical vehicles and related charging infrastructure are described. The foldable electrical vehicle generally includes three structural members (front and rear wheel-bearing structural members and a seat-bearing structural member) that are pivotally interconnected along their lengths such that they may be pivoted between a closed position wherein the three structural members are disposed roughly parallel to each other in a compact folded configuration, and an open riding configuration wherein an angular relation is formed between the structural members. The rear wheel-bearing structural member may comprise one or more foldable wheels pivotably interconnected thereto.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

two wheel-bearing structural members, a front wheel-bearing element having a front wheel assembly with at least one wheel, and a rear wheel-bearing element having a rear wheel assembly with at least one wheel; and

wherein at least one of the structural members further comprises one or more fenestrations disposed in the walls thereof; and

an attachable accessory having at least one weight-bearing attachment point disposed on a lower portion thereof and being cooperatively attachable to a wheel-bearing structural member, the at least one weight-bearing attachment point configured to carry the downward load from the attachable accessory; and

at least one secondary attachment clip rotatably interconnected with an upper portion of the attachable accessory, the at least one secondary attachment clip having a first linkage releasably interconnecting the secondary attachment clip to the attachable accessory and a second linkage interconnecting the secondary attachment clip within at least one of the fenestrations.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising at least one anchor member disposed within at least one of the fenestrations such that at least an outer face thereof is accessible from the outside of the vehicle, said anchor member being detachably interconnected within the fenestration and having at least one accessory anchor disposed on the outer face thereof.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the at least one anchor member comprises a cam mechanism such that rotation of an element on the outer face of the anchor member extends one or more locking elements to engage the inner walls of the fenestration.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the attachable accessory is a wire basket, and wherein the attachment point and attachment clip are disposed between individual wire elements of the wire basket.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising at least one fender disposed to partially enclose at least an upper portion of one of either the front or rear wheels, the at least one fender comprising at least one attachment linkage configured to engage at least one fenestration in one of either the front or rear support arms such that the at least one fender is stably disposed in relation to at least the support arm and wheel to which the at least one fender is related.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the at least one fender is resiliently deformable.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least two wheel-bearing structural members have first and second ends and define wheel-bearing structural member longitudinal axes, each of said wheel-bearing structural members having a wheel-bearing structural member pivot hinge bracket disposed along the length thereof;

at least one seat-bearing structural member having first and second ends and defining a seat-bearing structural member longitudinal axis, the seat-bearing structural member having a seating platform interconnected to the second end thereof and a seat-bearing pivot hinge bracket disposed along the length thereof; and

wherein the at least two wheel-bearing structural member pivot hinge brackets and the seat-bearing pivot hinge bracket are configured to cooperatively interconnect to form a vehicle pivot hinge such that the structural members are pivotably interconnected about a single vehicle pivot point to move between at least two configurations;

a first riding configuration wherein the longitudinal axes of the two wheel-bearing structural members and the seat-bearing structural members have angular offsets relative to each other, and

a second folded configuration wherein the longitudinal axes of the two wheel-bearing structural members and the seat-bearing structural member are roughly parallel.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the wheels is driven by an electric motor.