DE20008653U1 - Steering column lock for a kickboard - Google Patents

Description

STEERING COLUMN LOCK FOR A KICKBOARD

Area of the utility model

The present utility model relates to a steering column lock for a kickboard and in particular to a quick-release column lock mounted on the kickboard.

State of the art

Lightweight kickboards powered by a user's foot have become a popular form of transportation and provide a pleasant form of exercise. Being sufficiently light and compact, they can be carried on mass transit, allowing a commuter to move around comfortably before and after a train or bus journey. They are also an environmentally friendly mode of transport, which is becoming increasingly important given the impact pollution is having on cities and their residents. In addition, their compactness is a major advantage over a bicycle, even a folding bicycle, which is still bulky even when folded and therefore not suitable for a crowded commuter train.

Fig. 6 shows a prior art kickboard comprising a platform having a pivot bracket (72) at a front end and a rear wheel at a rear end. The pivot bracket (72) comprises two spaced apart plates and defines a curved slot. A steering column (70) has a handlebar at an upper end, a front wheel at a lower end and a pivot arm

(74) above the front wheel. The pivot arm (74) is in the

■35 bracket (72) and secured to a bottom thereof by a bolt with locking pin which is slidably received in the slot. It has been shown that between the rotating arm (74) and the bracket (72) and between the pin and the slot

certain clearances must be provided to allow the steering column (70) to be raised and folded freely without jamming. A disadvantage resulting from such clearances, however, is that play develops between the platform and the column, and even if the play between the console (72) and the pivot arm (74) is very slight, this effect is of course magnified at the handlebar. Such play causes a loss of safe control of the kickboard and leads to instability and possible accidents. There has therefore been a long-standing unmet need for a quick-release column lock for a kickboard which can securely hold the steering column (70) to the platform without any play developing therebetween.

The object of the present utility model is to provide a quick-release steering column lock for a kickboard. The steering column lock is mounted near a bottom of the steering column and engages a pivot bracket of a platform. Once the lock is engaged, the required play between the erected steering column and the platform is eliminated and the user can rely entirely on the handlebar reaction. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a kickboard equipped with a quick-release column lock according to the present utility model;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the column lock for a kickboard according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of the kickboard according to FIG. 1, with the column lock in a locked position and the column erected;

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of the kickboard according to FIG. 1, with the locking mechanism in an unlocked position;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view of the kickboard according to FIG. 1, with the locking mechanism released and rotated by 90 degrees; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a kickboard according to the prior art.

FIG. 1 shows a kickboard with a quick-release steering column lock (10) attached to it.

The kickboard comprises a steering column (20), a pivot arm (30) mounted near a bottom of the steering column (20) and above a front wheel, a platform with a pivot bracket (40) secured to a front side thereof, and a rear wheel. Since the present utility model relates only to the connection between the bracket (40) and the pivot arm (30) via the column lock (10), the wheels, the platform and the steering column (20) are not described in more detail below.

FIGURES 2 and 3 show the rotating arm (30) , the

Console (40) and the quick release steering column lock (10). The pivot arm (30) comprises a leg (32) with two side walls (34) connected by an upper wall (35) and a lower wall (36). A passage (37) extends through the side walls (34) near a bottom of the leg (32). A bore (38) extending through the upper and lower walls (35, 36) is defined at a midpoint of the leg (32).

As seen in FIGURES 2 and 4, the console (40) includes a base plate having two plates (42) extending upwardly therefrom in a spaced relationship, and a front plate (44) extending between front edges of the plates (42). One of the plates (42) defines an arcuate slot (45) near an upper edge thereof. Each plate (42) defines a pivot hole (46) near a bottom

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The pivot holes (4 6) and the passage (37) are dimensioned so that they can accommodate a through bolt

(48) when the leg (32) is arranged between the plates (42). A quick-release clamp (60) comprises a stud screw (62) and a cam lever (64). A distance from the center line of the passage (37) to a lower edge of the bore (38) is slightly greater than a distance from the center line of the pivot holes (46) to an upper edge of the sheet (44).

As further seen in FIGURES 2 and 4, the quick release latch (10) includes a rod having a shaft (12) and a foot (14) at a distal end thereof, a compression spring (15), a washer (16), and a rotary lever (17). The spring (15) has a diameter larger than a diameter of the bore (38). The rotary lever (17) and washer (16) are conventional and therefore will not be described in detail below. The shaft (12) has a large diameter at the end of the foot (14) and is sized to be received by the bore (38), and includes a threaded portion sized to project from the top wall (35).

During assembly, the leg (32) is pushed between the plates (42) so that the passage (37) and the pivot holes (46) are aligned with each other so that they can accommodate the bolt (48).

The stud (62) has a first end secured to at least one of the side walls (34) and a second end passed through the slot (45) whereupon the cam lever (64) is secured to a distal tip thereof. The spring (15) is mounted on the shaft (12) which is then pushed up through the bore (38) so that the foot (14) can abut against the bottom wall (36) and the washer (16) and the pivot lever (17) are

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mounted on the threaded portion of the shaft (12) in a butt-fitting manner against the upper wall (35). Two stops (not numbered) are located in respective bracket ends within a range of rotation of the steering column (20) to ensure that it moves within a desired range.

During use of the kickboard, the steering column (20), as initially shown in FIG. 3, is upright and locked in position by the rotary lever (17) pressing against the upper wall (35) and by the foot (14) pressing against the lower wall (36). The plate (44) can further comprise a shoulder (49) on which the foot

(14) can rest against the bracket (40) during rotation, thus ensuring the correct position of the foot. In addition, the quick-release clamp (60) is activated to press against the bracket (40), preventing the steering column (20) from rotating.

As can be seen from FIG. 4, the rotary lever

(17) is rotated from the locked position to an unlocked position, whereby the spring (15) presses the foot (14) downwards so that it can be released from the lower wall (36).

As shown in FIG. 5, the quick release column lock (10) is rotated 90 degrees so that the foot (14) is released from the bottom wall (36) and once the quick release clamp (60) is deactivated, the steering column (20) can now be folded down to the platform.

The quick-release steering column lock of the present utility model has the following advantages:

1. The required clearance between the bracket (40) and the swivel arm (30) is when the steering column is in the upright position

(20) and locked position of the column lock (10) is switched off; and

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2. The rotary lever (17) enables a quick change between the locked and unlocked position.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to its preferred embodiment, it will be understood that many other modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims (9)

1. A column lock for a kickboard comprising a platform with a console mounted thereon, a column device pivotally connected to the console with a handlebar provided at an upper end thereof and two wheels, the column lock comprising:
a guide device extending between the console and the column device so that the column device can be in an upright state within a given range and
can rotate freely in a folded state; and
a clamping device extending between the console and the column device and having a locked position and an unlocked position, so that when the column is in the erected state and the clamping device is in the locked position, the necessary movement between the console and the column which ensures unhindered movement therebetween is eliminated and the column can be folded together with the platform in an unlocked position. 2. A kickboard column lock according to claim 1, wherein the clamping device comprises:
a rod extending from an upper and a lower surface of the column assembly having a foot adapted to butt against a surface of the bracket and a shaft having a distal end provided with a thread;
a spring mounted above the shaft;
a washer mounted over the shaft and in butt contact with a surface of the column assembly; and
a cam device threadedly engaged with the threaded end and pressing against the washer. 3. A kickboard post lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bracket comprises two spaced apart plates extending parallel from a base plate for pivotally receiving the post assembly therebetween, each plate defining a pivot hole for receiving a bolt therethrough; and a sheet extending between the plates and at a front of the bracket. 4. A column lock according to claim 3, wherein the column device comprises a pivot arm having a leg comprising:
two side walls each defining a passage near a bottom of the leg, the bolt continuing to pass through the passage; and
an upper and lower wall extending between the side walls, the upper wall and the lower wall having a passage therethrough for receiving the shaft of the rod, the foot being capable of being pressed against the sheet when the clamping device is in the locked position. 5. A column lock according to claim 3, wherein the plate has a shoulder formed thereon against which a portion of the clamping device can abut in a locked position so that the clamping device cannot move beyond a predetermined point. 6. Kickboard with a steering column lock, comprising:
a steering column having a handlebar at an upper end thereof, a front wheel at a lower end thereof, and a pivot extending from a lower portion thereof and above the front wheel;
a platform having a rear wheel at a rear end thereof and a console pivotally connected to the rotating device at a front end thereof;
a guide device running between the console and the rotating device; and
an engagement device extending between the console and the rotating device, wherein the engagement device rigidly clamps the steering column to the platform when the steering column is in the upright position so that there is no mechanical play therebetween. 7. A kickboard with a steering column lock according to claim 5, wherein the engagement device is a clamp. 8. A kickboard with a steering column lock according to claim 5, wherein the engagement device is a quick release clip. 9. A kickboard with a steering column lock according to claim 5, wherein the engagement device is a quick-release clamp comprising:
a rod with a shaft having a lower end formed as a foot perpendicular to the shaft and an upper end provided with a screw thread;
a spring mounted above the shaft, the spring having a lower end in butt contact with a lower portion of the shaft;
a washer mounted above the shaft; and
a cam lever pivotally mounted on a distal end of the shaft, the foot pivotable for or without butt-fitting engagement with a lower surface of the bracket, and the cam lever clampable to an upper surface of the bracket.