FR2716859A1 - Scooter driven by muscular power or by gravity - Google Patents

Abstract

The scooter has a front steering wheel (2) fitting in a fork (5) with a handlebar (4) for standard use. For monoski slalom use a floor foot rest (7) is fixed under the frame (1) with a free space between them allowing light wedging of the shoes. Bodywork (30) situated between the ankles and the calves permits the clamping the vehicle in order to manoeuvre all or part of it during lifting controlled by the driver. The bodywork is constituted in a single piece with the rear mud guard (6). The bodywork encloses a boot , the rear suspension elements and a small auxiliary motor and supports a saddle (8). The saddle is connected through the bodywork by an intermediate plate with an axle around which it tips and which in the seated position rests on a rubber protector.

Description

12ESCREON
Cycle with muscular or gravitational propulsion with change of direction by handlebars or by lateral displacement of the rear wheel or of the whole vehicle.

The present invention relates to a two-wheeled cycle of the scooter type.

Traditionally scooters or scooters consist of a board forming a footrest, a directional front wheel under the action of a fork and a handlebar and a rear wheel.

This vehicle is traditionally considered to be a toy, the use of which is normally reserved for places fitted out for driving.

The cycle according to the invention makes it possible to considerably widen the use of the scooter. Like her, her mobility is ensured either by gravitational force (descent) or by muscular force (skating). On the other hand, its direction, or more exactly its orientation, is controlled either traditionally by rotation of the handlebar around its axis of direction, or in this case very particularly by moving the rear wheel and the whole framework usually stationary, or even all the vehicle, by making them "jump" to the right or to the left under the combined action of the muscular forces of the user aimed at lifting the vehicle or at least the rear part by pinching between the feet and / or the legs of the frame, while causing a lateral movement in the desired direction.

The necessary movement is very similar to that which skiers use (mainly with mono ski) in slalom. It is the search for this new type of driving which naturally implies the technical suitability of the vehicle.

For this the floor occupies a special position. Until now, this floor was fixed above the frame of the scooter. The invention consists inter alia of placing said floor below the frame, leaving enough space between the upper face of the floor and the lower face of the frame, to allow more or less special shoes to slightly wedge their soles in the 'free space.

This particular position of the soles relieves the force of pinching the vehicle to lift it from the rear in order to maneuver it. It is therefore important to note that shoes having at least one projection on the internal face of each of the soles are an integral part of the invention, even if the use of the scooter, object of the invention, can be done. with ordinary shoes.

The invention can be summarized in a trilogy: 1)
A new downhill and trajectory sport due to its relative appearance with the monoski and the fact that it will find its full development on the ski slopes in the off-snow period.

20) a) a new vehicle equipped with front and rear suspension in order to make it truly all-terrain in its "alpine" version b) a new vehicle simplified since without suspension, in a more urban version, and which will allow young people from urban cities to artificially discover the joys of slalom in monoski.

3o)
Special equipment for the practitioner of this new sport characterized mainly by a pair of shoes with ad hoc soles, but also for all the protective equipment essential for good security (helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, gloves, shirt, pants ... .).

The cycle is equipped according to the invention with a rear mudguard supporting a fixed or tilting saddle.

This mudguard can form a single piece with the body located between the calves and ankles. This part of the bodywork will also house the rear suspension device and / or a small storage box, more or less important depending on whether the purpose of the new vehicle will be sporty or tourist (hiking in the mountains).

In the context of its use in the mountains, the new vehicle will be associated with a quick coupling and unhooking system with the ski lifts.

Still with a view to enabling it to climb the slopes, a special version with an auxiliary motor is planned. This small motor (brushcutter type) would naturally find its place in the storage box part mentioned above.

The cycle is also equipped, according to the invention, with a lower protection limiting the risks of catching and therefore of deterioration of the lower part of the frame and of the floor. For this, the underside of the floor is provided with a pad or slide made of material resistant to impact and abrasion; or alternatively one or more wheels or castors mounted or not on suspension and situated between the two main wheels.

According to a preferred embodiment, the frame consists of a main beam on which is fixed a support plate of the rear swing arm and its damper. The saddle is molded directly in the mudguard which forms only one and the same part with the lower body part. The footrest floor is made with a slight V profile, and is lined in its lower central part with a "Teflon" or "Kevlar" pad.

The front fork is of the telescopic type, the wheels, the brakes, the stem and the handlebars are of the type V.T.T (mountain bike) in order to satisfy an easy and cheap industrialization.

According to a variant, a road version of the new vehicle will have a maximum of elements common with the alpine version of the new vehicle. Without suspension, it will nevertheless have a certain elastic flexibility of its rear fork, this to allow as for the suspension model to store a certain energy by compression controlled by the user and which will be restored in relaxation combined with the movement of the pilot in order to facilitate the lifting of the rear wheel and thus to be able to move it in the desired direction.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. All similar items have a common number.

Figure 1 shows in side elevation the road version scooter according to the invention.

A tubular single-beam frame (1) supports a front wheel (2) via a bicycle-type fork (5). A handlebar (4) provides direction control.

A rear wheel (3) is supported by a fork (10) welded to a tube (11) itself welded to the frame (1). Guy lines (12) connect the lower end of the frame (1) to the fork (10) so as to leave the elastic flexibility necessary to facilitate the "lifting" of said rear wheel (3).

A rear mudguard (6) fixed by screws (15) to the frame (1) supports, by means of plates (14) and an axle (13), a tilting saddle (8) (8a), this in order not to hinder the pilot in certain use cases. The seUe (8) comes to rest in a seated position on a rubber pad (16) in order to protect the mudguard (6). A footrest floor (7) is fixed under the frame (1) by means of U-shaped fittings (9). This floor (7) has a V shape seen from the front and a raised part in its front end.

Figure 2 shows in side elevation the alpine scooter according to the invention. This all-terrain version is equipped with a front suspension fork (5) operating in the steering axis (y). The saddle (8) is molded in the mudguard (6). A plate (21) integral with the frame (1) supports by an axis (22) an oscillating arm (10) limited in its angular movement (X-XI) by a shock absorber integral with (23) of the oscillating arm (10) and integral from the plate (21) to (24). A construction feature, preferably by removing the lower fixing (24) of the shock absorber, the swinging arm (10) can after having removed the rear wheel (3) come to lodge (X2) at the bottom of the mudguard (6) in removing the bodywork (6-30), the swinging arm (10) can move into position (X3) thus reducing the volume of the machine for its transport, storage, packaging. A reinforcing gusset (20) triangulates the lower part of the frame (1).

FIG. 3 represents a view identical to FIG. 2, the silhouette without transparency makes it possible to better distinguish the one-piece bodywork integrating the saddle (8) the mudguard (6) and the part (30) which has the external function of maintaining and for guiding the new vehicle, and the internal function of the trunk and / or housing of the rear shock absorber and / or housing of an auxiliary engine.

Figure 4 shows a top view of the frame (1) and the swing arm (10) of the new vehicle object of Figure 2 and 3. This view shows the narrowness of the frame (1) and the swing arm (11 ) in its front part. The floor (7) may be coated with a non-slip material.

5 shows a sectional view along A-A of the bottom of the frame and the floor seen in Figure 2. The light V-profile of the footrest floor (7) is clearly visible. Its attachment to the frame (1) is carried out by screws (52) and nuts (51) trapped in the fittings (9) welded to the frame (1). An impact and abrasion resistant pad (50) is integrated into the floor (7).

For reasons of clarity of the drawing, only one shoe (54) is shown in section placed on the footrest floor, we can clearly see the function of the protrusion (56) of the internal face of the sole (53), allowing the feet (55) to effortlessly pinch the lower tube of the frame (1).

FIG. 6 represents a possible variant which highlights the possibility of replacing the lower shoe (50) with a wheel (60) - or castors - central, fixed or suspended mounted (61).

The floor is here above the frame, the displacement of the machine by lateral jump of the rear wheel is obtained by the only pinching by the calves and the ankles of the body part (30). An adherent surface with the bottom of the pants could provide a better grip.

Figure 7 shows a top view of the left sole (53) (the right is perfectly symmetrical) and its protrusions (56).

The rear suspension is entrusted here to two rods (62) cooperating with damper blocks (63).

These variants are only given as examples of additional possibilities for obtaining an identical result of rear lateral displacement of the vehicle or angular displacement of the whole machine by clamping it between the lower legs without these variants may constitute an innovation compared to the models described and drawn in Figures 1 and 2.

The cycle according to the invention is particularly intended to animate leisure sport activities in winter sport stations outside the snow period, by being a downhill machine providing sensations similar to monoskis.

For use on snow-covered tracks, the fitting of special tires (studded for example) would considerably improve the performance of the machine.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS A bodywork located between the ankles and the calves (30) and which makes it possible to tighten the vehicle in order to maneuver it in whole or in part during the "lifting" commanded by the pilot. A front wheel (2) steer cooperating with a fork (5) and a handlebar (4) for everyday use, and for slalom use monoski type equipped with a footrest floor (7) fixed under the frame (1) of such that a free space between them allows shoes (55) fitted with protuberances (56) to be slightly wedged on the internal faces of the soles (53),  1 ") Specific cycle and accessories allowing the said cycle of the scooter type to have two possibilities for changing direction, characterized in that it is equipped with  2 ") Cycle according to claim 1") characterized in that the bodywork (30) constitutes a single piece with the rear mudguard (6).  3) Cycle according to claims 1 ") and 20) characterized in that the body (30) protects or hides a storage box, the rear suspension elements (21, 22, 23, 24, 11), a small auxiliary motor .  4) Cycle according to the preceding claims characterized in that the one-piece body (30, 6) supports the saddle (8).  5) Cycle according to claim 4) characterized in that the saddle is connected to the body indirectly by plate (14) intermediate reported with an axis (13) around which it can tilt and which in the seated position rests on a protective rubber (16 ).  6) Cycle according to claim 1 ") characterized in that the rear wheel (3) is mounted on a mobile system (10, Il, 22) equipped with a shock absorber (23, 24) so that elastic flexibility dynamic restores the compression effect caused by the user to facilitate lifting of said cycle in whole or in part.  7) Cycle according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the footrest floor (7) is protected from impact and abrasion by an element (50, 60) coming into contact with the ground.  8) Cycle according to claims 1 ") and 5) characterized in that it comprises a front suspension fork (5) telescopic.  9) Cycle according to claims 10) and 6) characterized in that the floor (7) is a V shape viewed from the front and a portion raised at the front end.  10) Cycle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an anti-slip coating is arranged on the upper face of the floor (7) and on the lateral faces of the body part (30).