GB2360985A

GB2360985A - Foldable scooter

Info

Publication number: GB2360985A
Application number: GB0014879A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lien-Chuan Yang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-04-07
Filing date: 2000-06-16
Publication date: 2001-10-10
Also published as: GB0014879D0

Abstract

The scooter comprises a steering column 1 rotatably mounted to a support strut 2 pivotally coupled by a pin 35 to linking brackets 31, 32 mounted on the front end of a footboard. The brackets 31, 32 have respective arcuate slots 311, 321 guiding a pin 332 also passing through a bore 21 in the strut 2. Pivoted on one end of the pin 332 is a locking lever 333 to hold the pin against movement in the slots 311, 321. A stud 34 passes through a further arcuate slot 312 in one of the brackets 31, a bore 22 in the strut 2 and is engageable in either of two bores 322, 323 in the other bracket 32 representing upright and collapsed positions respectively of the column 1. The stud 34 is spring biassed 342 to engage the bores 322, 323.

Description

1 Title: FOLDABLE SCOOTER This invention relates to a foldable scooter.

2360985 Crowded traffic is a major problem in today's society and various measures have been introduced with a view to solving the problem. One such measure has been a folding scooter. However, in most prior art scooters, such as that disclosed in

Taiwanese Patent No. 087215733, a linking seat is installed at an end of the body and combining frames corresponding to the shaft hole and round hole are installed in the handle. By a shaft passing through the linking seat and the combining frames, a shaft centre of the linking seat is formed. Each combining frame is installed with a cambered guide groove. A plurality of stopping grooves are installed at suitable positions of the cambered guide track. A stopping post passes through the cambered guide groove of a shaft hole. A spring is connected to the middle sections of the shaft and the stopping post at one end thereof By the pulling force of the spring, the stopping post is normally embedded in the stopping is groove for positioning but, as the stopping post is moved away from the stopping groove, the stopping post will slide upwards and downwards along the cambered groove. Therefore, by the handle, the platform can be folded for positioning and thus can be carried conveniently. However, since the pulling force of the spring between the stopping post and the shaft is large, the spring fatigues easily and thus does not hold the correct position. There is, therefore, possible danger.

The present invention seeks to avoid the disadvantages of the prior art scooters.

According to the invention, there is provided a foldable scooter comprising: a handle, a combining frame, a platform, a set of linking seats and at least two wheels; the lower end of the handle being provided with at least one wheel and being pivotally connected to one end of the platform and the other end of the platform being provided with at least one finther wheel; wherein the said lower end of the handle is pivotally mounted in the combining fi-ame and the linking 2 seats are mounted on the platform adjacent to said one end thereof, wherein one of said linking seats is provided with an arcuate slot, a positioning slot and a bore and a second linking seat is provided with an arcuate slot; first and second positioning means and a bore and wherein a first pin passes through the arcuate grooves in the linking seats and a first bore in the combining frame, a positioning stud passes through the positioning slot and a second bore in the combining frame and is engageable with a selected one of the positioning means in the second linking seat and a second pin passes through the bores in the linking seats and through a third bore in the combining frame, the arrangement being such that the handle can be moved between a first, upright, position in which the positioning stud is engaged by the first positioning means and a second, folded, position in which the positioning stud is engaged by the second positioning means and means being provided to lock the handle in said first and second positions.

is Preferably, the locking means comprise a buckling plate and a pad, said buckling plate being pivotally mounted on the first pin and movable between a first position in which it urges the pad against one of the linking seats and is effective to prevent relative movement between the frame and the linking seats and a second position in which relative rotation between the frame and the linking seats can take place.

Desirably, a sleeve is mounted on one end of the first pin and is receivable in the arcuate slot in the said one of the linking seats. The buckling plate may be pivotally mounted at the other end of the first pin.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the positioning means comprise a pair of bores in the second linking seat and a spring is mounted on the positioning stud and is effective to urge an end of the stud into a selected one of said bores when the stud is aligned therewith in either of the first or second positions of the handle.

Preferably, the spring is arranged to bear at one end against the combining frame and at the other end against a circlip mounted in a groove in the positioning stud.

3 The other end of the positioning stud is desirably provided with gripping means for compressing the spring and withdrawing the said one end of the positioning stud from either one of the bores in the second linking seat.

The second pin desirably takes the form of a shaft provided with a groove adjacent to each end in which are located respective circlips.

By means of the invention, an easily assembled and steadily positioned foldable scooter is formed.

The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a scooter according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of components of the scooter shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the scooter shown in Figs. 1 and 2; is Figs. 4a and 4b are cross sectional views showing the connection of the stud and linldng seat in the scooter shown in Figs. 1 to 3; Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing the folding of a scooter according to the present invention; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the scooter in the folded position.

Referring to the drawings, a scooter according to the present invention includes a handle 1, a combining frame 2, a platform 3, a set of linking seats 31 and 32 and two wheels 4 and 5.

4 The lower end of the handle 1 is connected to a pair of sector linking seats 31 and 32 mounted at the front end of the platform 3 by a combining frame 2. The wheel 4 is mounted at the lower end of the handle 1 and the wheel 5 is mounted at the rear end of the platform 3. A shock absorber 11 is provided at each side of the front wheel 4. The rear end of the platform is forked with the wheel 5 being located between the wings formed by the fork and a mud guard 36 protrudes upwards from the said rear end of the platform 3 and can serve as a braking plate.

The front edge at the upper side of a mud guard 36 is provided with a tilt sliding stopper 3 6 1.

The combing frame 2 is provided with bores 21, 22 and 23 for being combined with the linking seats 31 and 32.

The upper side of the sector linking seat 3 1 has an arcuate slot 3 11 inside of which is located a positioning slot 3 12. The slot 3 11 is matched by another arcuate slot 321 in the other sector linking seat 32. Inside the slot 321 are a pair of locating holes 322 and 323. A bore 324 is provided adjacent to the base of the sector linking seat 32 and is aligned wiffi a similar bore 313 adjacent to the base of the sector linking seat 31. The combining frame 2 is positioned between the two linking seats 31 and 32 and a stud 332 is passed through the arcuate slot 321, through the bore 21 in the frame 2, through the slot 311 and is engaged with a sleeve 33. The stud 332 also passes through a pad 331 and is secured by a buckling plate 333 which is pivotally connected to the end of the stud 332 by a pivot pin as indicated in Fig. 2. A pin 34 is passed sequentially through the positioning slot 312, the bore 22 and the locating hole 322. The pin 34 is provided adjacent one end with a groove 341 which is engaged by a circlip 344. A spring 342 is mounted on the pin 34 and bears at one end against the circlip 344 and at its other end against the inner side wall of the frame 2. In the upright position of the handle, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, the pin 34 is located at one end 314 of the positioning slot 312. A shaft 35 passes through the bores 313 and 324 of the linking seats 31 and 32, and through the bore 23 in the frame 2. The ends of the shaft 35 are provided with respective grooves 351 and 352 in which are engaged respective circlips 352 and 354.

By means of the aforesaid components, a foldable structure of a scooter with a handle is formed. Referring to Figs. 3, 4a and 5, the feature of the present invention is that as it is folded, the buckling plate 333 can be released so that the sleeve 33 on the stud 332 is separated from the outer wall of the linking seat 31 to permit relkive pivoting movement between the frame 2 and the linking seats 31 and 32. As it is unlocked, the pin 34 can be pulled outwards so that the spring 342 is compressed. As the handle 1 is folded down, the frame 2 will pivot about the shaft 35. The sleeve 33 secured to the stud 332 will slide along the arcuate slot 311 in the linking seat 31. By pulling the pin 34 outwards, against the force of the spring 342, the end 343 of the pin 34 is withdrawn from the locating hole 322 and slides along the face of the linking seat 32 until it is opposite the locating hole 323. The pin 34 can then be released so that the spring 342 can urge the end of is the pin 34 into the locating hole 323 in the linking seat 32. At this point, the pin 34 is engaged with the other end 315 of the positioning slot 312. Finally, the buckling plate 333 is tightened so as to complete the folding operation. Therefore, the scooter according to the present invention can be easily and rapidly folded.

The handle can be returned to the upright position in a similar manner to that described above except that, in this case, the pin 34 is moved from the end 315 to the end 314 of the positioning slot 312.

Referring to Fig 6, in the folded condition of the handle, as shown, the handle 1 can be detached so that the scooter can be used as a skate board.

Therefore, near the lower edge of the handle is combined with a set of corresponding sector linking seats in front of the folded aluminium platform by a tilt long combining frame. The lower side of the handle and the rear side of the platform are provided with wheels, respectively.. The inner outer edge of the upper side of the combining frame has a cambered groove the lower side of which is adjacent with a positioning groove, and another lower side of which is matched 6 is with another cambered groove. The two lower ends each are installed with respective positioning holes. A through hole is provided at a lower side. The combining frame is positioned between the two linking seats. A fixing sleeve is combined with a stud, which passes through sequentially the cambered groove, through hole, and the cambered groove, and then is combined with a pad and buckling plate. Another, a stopping post passes sequentially through the positioning groove. of the linking seat, the through hole formed on the combining frame and the positioning hole on another linking seat. The stopping post is combined with a spring, while another end of the spring resists against the inner side wall of the combining frame. A shaft passes through the linking seats and the combining frame. Thus an easily assembled and steadily positioned foldable structure of a scooter with a handle is formed. The present invention has the following advantages:

The scooter can be assembled easily and folded rapidly. Thus it is convenient.

2. In the present invention, a stud and a stopping post are connected so that a secure positioning is formed and it will not release in use thereby providing good protection.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details described thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have been suggested in the foregoing description, and others will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

7

Claims

1. A foldable scooter comprising: a handle, a combining frame, a platform, a set of linking seats and at least two wheels; the lower end of the handle being provided with at least one wheel and being pivotally connected to one end of the platform and the other end of the platform being provided with at least one further wheel; wherein the said lower end of the handle is pivotally mounted in the combining frame and the linking seats are mounted on the platform adjacent to said one end thereof, wherein one of said linking seats is provided with an arcuate slot, a positioning slot and a bore and a second linking seat is provided with an arcuate slot, first and second positioning means and a bore and wherein a first pin passes through the arcuate grooves in the linking seats and a first bore in the combining frame, a positioning stud passes through the positioning slot and a second bore in the combining frame and is engageable with a selected one of the positioning means in the second linking seat and a second pin passes through the bores in the linking seats and through a third bore in the combining frame, the arrangement being such that the handle can be moved between a first, upright, position in which the positioning stud is engaged by the first positioning means and a second, folded, position in which the positioning stud is engaged by the second positioning means and means being provided to lock the handle in said first and second positions.

2. A foldable scooter according to claim l., wherein the locking means comprise a buckling plate and a pad, said buckling plate being pivotally mounted on the first pin and movable between a first position in which it urges the pad against one of the linking seats and is effective to prevent relative movement between the frame and the linking seats and a second position in which relative rotation between the frame and the linking seats can take place.

8

3. A foldable scooter according to claim 2, wherein a sleeve is mounted on,one end of the first pin and is receivable in the arcuate slot in the said one of the linking seats.

4. A foldable scooter according to claim 3, wherein.the buckling plate is pivotally mounted at the other end of the first pin.

5. A foldable scooter according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the positioning means comprise a pair of bores in the second linking seat and wherein a spring is mounted on the positioning stud and is effective to urge an end of the stud into a selected one of said bores when the stud is aligned therewith in either of the first or second positions of the handle.

6. A foldable scooter according to claim 5, wherein thespring is arranged to bear at one end against the combining frame and at the other end against a circlip mounted in a groove in the positioning stud.

7. A foldable scooter according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the other end of the positioning stud is provided with gripping means for compressing the spring and withdrawing the said one end of the positioning stud from either one of the bores in the second linking seat.

8. A foldable scooter according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second pin takes the form of a shaft provided with a groove adjacent to each end in which are located respective circlips.

9. A foldable scooter substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.