Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62K—CYCLES; CYCLE FRAMES; CYCLE STEERING DEVICES; RIDER-OPERATED TERMINAL CONTROLS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CYCLES; CYCLE AXLE SUSPENSIONS; CYCLE SIDE-CARS, FORECARS, OR THE LIKE
  • B62K5/00—Cycles with handlebars, equipped with three or more main road wheels
  • B62K5/02—Tricycles
  • B62K5/023—Tricycles specially adapted for disabled riders, e.g. personal mobility type vehicles with three wheels
  • B62K5/025—Tricycles specially adapted for disabled riders, e.g. personal mobility type vehicles with three wheels power-driven
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62K—CYCLES; CYCLE FRAMES; CYCLE STEERING DEVICES; RIDER-OPERATED TERMINAL CONTROLS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CYCLES; CYCLE AXLE SUSPENSIONS; CYCLE SIDE-CARS, FORECARS, OR THE LIKE
  • B62K5/00—Cycles with handlebars, equipped with three or more main road wheels
  • B62K5/02—Tricycles
  • B62K5/06—Frames for tricycles

Definitions

• This invention concerns a personal mobility vehicle, sometimes referred to as an invalid scooter, as used by individuals who have walking disabilities as an alternative to, or in preference to, a wheelchair.
• a personal mobility vehicle has a vehicle body or base upon which are mounted a pair of rear wheels, at least one front wheel steerable by way of a steering column by a tiller or handlebars, a seat for the user, a battery power source and a drive system which, in response to electric power from the battery, drives the front or rear wheels to move the vehicle.
• a vehicle has a longer wheel base and a tighter turning radius, and is overall more manoeuvrable.
• a personal mobility vehicle of the type with which the present invention is concerned is usable by only a single person who is able to steer the vehicle by the tiller or handlebars while seated on the vehicle seat.
• Various personal mobility vehicles are known which are constructed so as to be capable of disassembly into a number of parts so that the vehicle can be transported in the boot (trunk) of a car or in the luggage compartment of a coach or aeroplane.
• disassembly of a vehicle can be inconvenient owing to the difficulty of detachment or re- attachment of parts in some instances, or the need to store the separate parts and the associated risk of loss or damage to any of them which would render the vehicle useless.
• An object of the present invention is to provide an improved or alternative design of personal mobility vehicle which also provides potential for disassembly and ease of handling when disassembled.
• the present invention provides a personal mobility vehicle comprising a front section and a rear section, the front section comprising a steering column mounted to at least one front wheel and the rear section comprising a seat mounted upon a wheeled frame, the rear section being connected or connectable to the front section, but characterised in that the rear section is connected to the front section only by way of lateral connector means extending at one side of the vehicle so that a user has open access to walk in front of the seat from the other side of the vehicle.
• the lateral connector means preferably comprises a single element extending between the front and rear sections. However in some embodiments two or more connector elements, such as elongate struts or bars may be provided at a common side of the vehicle, extending between the front and rear sections of the vehicle.
• the laterally extending connector means may conveniently be provided as an extension from the frame of the rear section which is then connected or connectable to the front section.
• the laterally extending connector means is advantageously connected or connectable to an upper region of the front section.
• This position of connection between front and rear sections is a separate aspect of the invention which may be provided in a personal mobility vehicle having a detachable rear section even where the connection is not by lateral connector means extending at only one side of the vehicle. It is advantageous to have an attachment/detachment point at an upper region to avoid the need for the user, who may be infirm, to bend down to attend to disconnection or reattachment.
• the connector means (whether lateral or otherwise) is connected or connectable to the front section by two connecting parts, at least one projection being provided on one of the two connecting parts which is engaged or engageable into an opening provided in the other of the two connecting parts.
• the connector means (whether lateral or otherwise) may be connected or connectable to the front section by a latch mechanism which includes a pivotal lever.
• Preferred embodiments of the vehicle of the invention also include a footrest which is rotatably mounted to a lower region of the steering column. Provision of such a footrest is another separate aspect of the invention which may be provided in a personal mobility vehicle even where the connection is not by lateral connector means extending at only one side of the vehicle.
• the footrest is non-rotatably connected to the rear section of the vehicle for movement in unison with said rear section, independently of the steering movement of the steering column. This ensures that rotation of the footrest relative to the steering column is tied to movement of the rear section. This avoids the need for separate control of the footrest movement by the user.
• the lateral connector means is in the form of an extension from the frame of the rear section
• the footrest may advantageously be connected to said connector means by an auxiliary strut.
• the rear section and the lateral connector means may be capable of being detached from the front section, and the rear section may be constructed so as to be collapsible to a condition in which the seat is folded down onto the frame and secondary connector means may be provided so that once disconnected from the front section, the rear section, in a collapsed condition, can be re-connected to the front section in such a manner that the lateral connector means can be used as a handle to pull or push the re-connected sections in the manner of a trolley.
• the seat preferably comprises a seat base and a back rest which can be folded down onto the seat base, and the secondary connector means for re-connecting the rear section in a collapsed condition to the front section are suitably provided on the underside/rear side of the back rest.
• the features permitting this detachment, collapse of the rear section and reconnection in the manner similar to a trolley are another separate aspect of the invention which may be provided in a personal mobility vehicle even where the connection is not by lateral connector means extending at only one side of the vehicle.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view from the front and one side of a personal mobility vehicle embodying all aspects of the present invention
• Figure 2 is a perspective view from the rear and the other side of the same mobility vehicle as in figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rear section and connector bar of the same vehicle when detached from the front section;
• Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the upper part of the connector bar when viewed from the other side compared to figure 3;
• Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of an upper region of the front section of the vehicle as viewed from the direction of the rear section;
• Figure 6 is a further enlarged fragmentary perspective view of part of the upper region of the front section of the same vehicle when viewed from the front;
• Figure 7 is a fragmentary side/sectional view showing an upper region of the front section of the vehicle and the connector bar attached thereto;
• Figure 8 is a perspective view of a support frame member for the seat and integral connector bar of the mobility vehicle shown in the preceding figures;
• Figure 9 is a side elevation of the slider plate upon which the seat is mounted in the mobility vehicle shown in the preceding figures;
• Figure 10 it is an inverted perspective view of the slider plate shown in figure 9;
• Figure 1 1 is a perspective view from the front and one side of the steering column assembly and handlebar of the mobility vehicle that shown in the preceding figures;
• Figure 12 this a similar view, slightly enlarged and from the rear and other side of the same steering column assembly and handlebar as in figure 1 1 ;
• Figure 13 is a side view of the mobility vehicle shown in the preceding figures 1 and 2 in an alternate, compact trolley like condition where the rear section has been detached from the front section, the seat has been folded down, and the rear section has been reconnected to the front section by way of the seat;
• Figure 14 is a front perspective view of the mobility vehicle in the same alternate, compact trolley like condition shown in figure 13;
• Figure 15 is a reduced scale side view of a modified version of the personal mobility vehicle in accordance with the invention.
• Figure 16 is a perspective view from above of the same modified version of vehicle as shown in figure 15.
• a practical embodiment of a personal mobility vehicle comprises a front section which is designated generally be reference numeral 10 and a rear section which is designated generally by reference numeral 50.
• the front section 10 comprises a steering column assembly 12 mounted to a front wheel 14 and a handlebar 16 at an upper end of the column 12.
• the rear section 50 comprises a seat 52 mounted onto a frame 54, to which a pair of rear wheels 56, 58 are attached.
• the rear section 50 is releasably connected to the front section 10 solely by means of a lateral connector bar 60.
• This connector bar 60 is tubular and curving, and it extends integrally from one side of an otherwise generally rectangular mainframe member 62 of the rear section frame 54, as shown in Figure 8.
• a bracket 63 mounts a tubular head 64 which is rotatably mounted onto a connector device 66, as best shown in Figure 2, 3 and 4. It is this connector device 66 which releasably attaches the connector bar 60 to the front section 10, specifically at a location near the upper end of the steering column assembly 12, only a short spacing from the handlebar 16.
• connection device 66 can readily be disconnected from the steering column 12 but also re-attached in a reliable manner, and its upper position makes this easier for an infirm user or any helper, as bending down and troublesome manipulation is not necessary.
• the steering column assembly 12 comprises a pair of substantially parallel tubular limbs 18 connected by various cross-pieces, namely a top plate 20, a gusset 22, a pin connector bracket 24 and a pair of footrest connector plates 26, to provide a forked structure.
• Lower ends of the limbs (or forks) 18 are mounted to the axle of the front wheel 14, which incorporates a hub motor for drive of the vehicle. Additional brackets 28, 29 are provided on the forks 18 for mounting the battery 30 to the front and an electronic controller box 32 to the rear.
• a specially shaped neck structure 40 which is generally of channel section form, is mounted to the top of the forked structure.
• This structure 40 extends upwards and is angled to mount the handlebar 16 and a user operable drive control unit 34. It also extends downwards through the top plate 20 to rest upon the gusset 22.
• Opposing flanges 42 in a central region of the neck structure 40 rest upon the top plate 20 and are connected by a latch plate 44 provided with a slot 45.
• An elongate latch element 46 is pivotally mounted between the flanges 42 so as to extend through an opening 41 in the front of the neck structure 40.
• This latch element 46 also has a latch projection 47 on its lower edge which engages into and through the slot 45 of the latch plate 44 under the influence of gravity (Fig. 7).
• the pin connector bracket 24 is provided with a pair of spaced apart slots 48, as shown in Figure 5.
• the connector device 66 attached to the free end of the connector bar comprises a main connector plate 68 having special projecting tabs 70 at its lower end and adjacent these tabs 70 having a lower bearing for rotatably mounting the tubular head 64 of the connector bar.
• a transverse top plate 72 carries an upper bearing for the tubular head 64 and is provided, at the side of the main plate remote from the bearings, with an aperture 74 for engagement by the latch element 46.
• the top plate 72 also has lateral wings mounting respective ends of a looped inverted U-shaped handle 76.
• a footrest 36 in the form of a generally rectangular frame of channel section profile is rotatably mounted to the footrest connector plates 26 of the steering assembly 12 by way of a bearing bush 27.
• the footrest frame is formed of two U-shaped parts 36a and 36b which are hingedly connected to each other at opposing sides of the steering forks 18.
• the front part 36a is provided with an inwardly extending strap 38 which connects to the plates 26 by a pivot pin 37.
• the rear part 36b mounts an inset footplate 39 and is capable of being folded upwards relative to the front part 36a by virtue of the aforesaid hinged connection.
• the rotatable connection of the footrest 36 by way of the pivot pin 37 allows the footrest 36 in use of the vehicle to remain with the feet of the user which are placed thereon, irrespective of the steering of the vehicle and movement of the fork 18 and front wheel 14.
• the seat 52 comprises a seat base 51 and a backrest 53. These are connected by a strap 55 which is hinged at 57 to allow the backrest 53 to fold down into face-to-face contact with the seat base 51. As shown in Figure 2, a channel form connector element 73 is fixed onto the rear of the backrest 53.
• the seat base 51 is collapsibly mounted to the main frame member 62 of the rear section 50 of the vehicle by way of an auxiliary frame 78 and a slider frame 80, as shown in Figure 3, with reference also to Figures 8 to 1 1.
• the auxiliary frame 78 is of inverted U configuration, comprising a central section and respective limbs. Its limbs are pivotably connected at their free ends to the main frame member 62 adjacent the respective rear wheels 56, 58.
• the slider frame 80 is mounted below the seat base 51. It has opposing flanges 82, each provided with an elongate slot 84 having notches 81 , 83 at respective ends.
• the central section of the auxiliary frame 78 extends through both elongate slots 84.
• the slider frame 80 also includes a pair of spaced box section arms 86 extending adjacent the flanges 82 towards the front. Each arm 86 carries a respective hook-like clip 88 whereby the front of the seat base 51 is mounted to a front side section of the main frame 62.
• these clips 88 which fit to and rest upon the front section of the main frame 62, allow relative movement so that the seat base 51 swings down relative to the main frame 62 when the auxiliary frame 78 is released to slide along the slider frame slots 84 to the front thereof.
• the seat base 51 can be collapsed onto the main frame 62 and the backrest 53 folded down onto the seat base 51 .
• the front section 10 is re-attached in this way to the collapsed rear section 50 and both can be pulled or pushed along like a trolley by the connector bar 60 being used as a tow bar and the user holding the handle 76 of the connector device 66.
• the assembly can be tilted for towing or pushing upon the rear wheels 56, 58, as shown in Figure 13, or can be rested or moved along in a generally upright condition on all wheels 14, 56, 48 as shown in Figure 14.
• Figures 15 and 16 show a modified version of the mobility vehicle of the invention in which an elongate strut 90 extends between the footrest 136 and an upper flange of the lateral connector bar 60 adjacent the tubular head 64 thereby connecting these parts for movement in unison. Since the connector bar 60 is also integrally attached to the frame 54 of the rear section 50, this connection joins the footrest 136 to the entire rear section and means that the seat 152, the connector bar 60 and the footrest 136 all move in unison independently of steering movements of the steering column. This avoids the need for a user having to separately control or stabilise the footrest 136 by contact with the feet and improves the overall handling of the vehicle for a user. However, the strut 90 needs to be disconnected at one end or both ends if the connector 66 of the connector bar 60 is to be disconnected from the front section of the vehicle.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=39773037

Family Applications (1)

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Family Cites Families (8)

• 2008
  • 2008-06-25 WO PCT/GB2008/050494 patent/WO2009024808A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2008-06-25 CA CA2696696A patent/CA2696696A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2008-06-25 EP EP08762597A patent/EP2190725A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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