JP3239652U - scooter - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a scooter capable of suppressing deterioration of running performance such as riding comfort and operability due to unevenness of a road surface. A scooter 100 includes a front wheel 101 and a rear wheel 102, and includes a handle 110 having a rotating shaft for steering the front wheel 101, and a base member 130 supporting the rear wheel 102 and the handle 110. , and a suspension 140 provided between the steering wheel 110 and the front wheel 101. The suspension 140 swingably supports the front wheel 101 with respect to the steering wheel 110 with a swing axis substantially parallel to the axle of the front wheel 101. The rocking mechanism 140a has a rocking mechanism 140a, and the rocking shaft is located forward of the axle of the front wheel 101. As shown in FIG. [Selection drawing] Fig. 1

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a scooter, and more particularly, to a suspension structure that absorbs road shocks applied to the front wheels.

Roller skates, skateboards, kick scooters, and the like have been conventionally used as amusement vehicles. Among them, kick scooters, which can be operated by steering wheels, can be ridden with a feeling similar to that of a bicycle, and are more popular than roller skates and skateboards. Because it is easy to handle, it is attracting attention in recent years as a convenient means of transportation in place of bicycles for leisure and sports.

For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses such a scooter in which the user supports the body weight with a pivot leg placed on the main body of the scooter, and moves the scooter forward by kicking the road surface with the non-pivot leg. there is

JP 2010-273904 A

However, in such a scooter, the shock received by the front wheels due to the unevenness of the road surface is transmitted directly to the steering wheel during driving, so the ride is not comfortable and the operability is not good.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a scooter capable of suppressing deterioration of driving performance such as ride comfort and operability due to unevenness of the road surface.

The present invention provides the following items.

(Item 1)
A scooter with front and rear wheels,
a handle provided with a rotating shaft for steering the front wheel;
a base member that supports the rear wheel and the handle;
a suspension comprising a cushion member provided between the handle and the front wheel,
The suspension has a rocking mechanism that rockably supports the front wheel with respect to the steering wheel using an axis substantially parallel to the axle of the front wheel as a rocking axis, and the rocking axis extends from the axle of the front wheel. A scooter located on the front side.

(Item 2)
The rocking mechanism is
a first connecting piece attached to the handle;
a second connecting piece attached to the front wheel;
The scooter according to item 1, further comprising: a hinge portion connecting the second connecting piece to the first connecting piece so as to swing about the swing shaft.

(Item 3)
3. The scooter according to item 1 or 2, wherein the pivot shaft is located forward of the rotation axis of the handle by about 3 cm or more in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis.

(Item 4)
The scooter according to item 1, wherein the cushion member is positioned rearward of the axle of the front wheel and/or the rotation axis of the handle.

(Item 5)
The scooter according to item 1, wherein the cushion member has an elastic body and a receiving member that supports the elastic body, and the receiving member has a mechanism for adjusting the length of the elastic body.

(Item 6)
The scooter according to item 1, wherein the elastic body includes a first elastic body and a second elastic body that is softer than the first elastic body.

(Item 7)
A scooter according to item 6, wherein the arrangement of the second elastic body is arranged inside and/or behind the position where the first elastic body is arranged.

(Item 8)
A scooter according to item 7, wherein the first elastic body is a coil spring and the second elastic body is silicon rubber.

(Item 9)
2. The scooter according to item 1, wherein a position where the rotation axis of the handle and the road surface intersect is located forward of a position where the front wheel contacts the road surface.

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a scooter capable of suppressing deterioration of driving performance such as ride comfort and operability due to unevenness of the road surface.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a kick scooter 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing suspension 140 (R1 portion in FIG. 1) of front wheel 110 of kick scooter 100 shown in FIG. FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing suspension 240 having two types of cushion members 145 and 245, showing an enlarged view of a portion corresponding to R1 portion in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the function of suspension 140 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the straightness of the suspension 140 shown in FIG. 2 depending on the caster angle Ca. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a further action of biasing the steering wheel 110 of the kick scooter 100 shown in FIG. 1 in the straight direction.

The present invention will be described below. It should be understood that the terms used herein have the meanings commonly used in the art unless otherwise specified. Thus, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. In case of conflict, the present specification (including definitions) will control.

As used herein, "about" refers to within ±10% of the number that follows.

An object of the present invention is to obtain a scooter capable of suppressing deterioration of driving performance such as ride comfort and operability due to unevenness of the road surface.
A scooter with front and rear wheels,
a handle with a rotating shaft for steering the front wheels;
a base member that supports the rear wheel and handle;
a suspension comprising a cushion member provided between the handle and the front wheel,
The suspension has a rocking mechanism that rockably supports the front wheels with respect to the steering wheel using a rocking axis that is substantially parallel to the axle of the front wheels. The above problem is solved by providing a scooter that

A scooter with such a configuration can smoothly ride over bumps on the road surface, suppress vibration of the steering wheel caused by the bumps on the road surface, and prevent deterioration of driving performance such as ride comfort and operability. becomes.

Therefore, in the scooter of the present invention, the suspension provided with the cushion member provided between the handle and the front wheel supports the front wheel swingably with respect to the handle around the swing axis substantially parallel to the axle of the front wheel. Other configurations are not particularly limited as long as they have a driving mechanism and the swing shaft is positioned forward of the axle of the front wheel.

(handle)
The specific configuration of the steering wheel is not limited as long as it has a rotating shaft for steering the front wheels, and may be arbitrary. For example, the handle shaft may be extendable or non-extendable. Also, the handle may or may not be foldable with respect to the base member.

However, it is preferable that the position where the rotation axis of the steering wheel and the road surface intersect is located forward of the position where the front wheels contact the road surface. That is, in this case, the rotation axis of the handle is inclined with respect to the vertical line, and the caster angle is set between them. By setting the caster angle in this way, when the front wheels are inclined with respect to the direction of travel, the front wheels are urged to face the direction of travel due to the running resistance received from the road surface, and the straightness is improved. .

Also, the material of the handle may be metal such as stainless steel, iron, aluminum or brass, or may be material such as plastic, ceramic or wood.

(base member)
As long as the base member supports the rear wheels and the handlebars and has a space for the rider's feet to be put on, other configurations are not limited and may be arbitrary. For example, the base member may have a brake member for braking the rear wheels. However, the base member may not have the brake member for simplification of the configuration.

Also, the shape of the base member may be arbitrary. For example, it may be plate-shaped, rod-shaped, or oval-shaped along the shape of the foot.

The material of the base member may be metal such as stainless steel, iron, aluminum or brass, or may be material such as plastic, ceramic or wood.

(suspension)
The suspension has a rocking mechanism that rockably supports the front wheels with respect to the steering wheel using a rocking axis that is substantially parallel to the axle of the front wheels. Other configurations are not limited as long as they are present and may be arbitrary.

For example, in the suspension, it is preferable that the swing shaft is positioned forward of the rotation shaft of the handle by about 3 cm or more in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation shaft. This is because the front wheels are more likely to oscillate due to the impact force from the road surface if the swing shaft that swings the front wheels relative to the steering wheel rotation shaft is separated from the steering wheel rotation shaft that controls the front wheels. is.

However, if a compact configuration is desired, the pivot axis may be at a distance of less than about 3 cm from the axis of rotation of the handle in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

Furthermore, the specific configuration of the rocking mechanism that constitutes the suspension is not limited. In one embodiment, the rocking mechanism included in the suspension includes a first connecting piece connected to the handle and a front wheel. It has a connected second connecting piece and a connecting hinge portion that connects these connecting pieces so as to be able to swing with each other.

Here, the materials that constitute the first connecting piece, the second connecting piece, and the connecting hinge portion that constitute the swing mechanism may be metals such as stainless steel, iron, aluminum, and brass, or in some cases, plastic, Materials such as ceramics and wood may also be used.

Moreover, it is preferable that the suspension of this kick scooter has a caster angle. In this case, if the front wheels are tilted with respect to the straight-ahead direction, the running resistance acting on the front wheels from the road surface will generate a rotational moment around the steering wheel rotation axis that will return the front wheels to a position parallel to the straight-ahead direction. This is because the kick scooter can achieve high straightness.

Furthermore, in this kick scooter, it is preferable that the axle of the front wheel is located forward of the rotation axis of the handle. In this case, regardless of whether the scooter is running or not, the load acting on the scooter (that is, the sum of the weight of the scooter itself and the user's weight) can enhance the function of urging the handlebars to the straight-ahead posture. It is from.

Moreover, it is preferable that the cushion member is positioned on the rear side of the axle of the front wheel and/or the rotation axis of the steering wheel. This is because the rocking shaft is located forward of the axle of the front wheels, so that the cushion member is located behind the axle of the front wheels and/or the rotation axis of the handle that operates the front wheels. A larger space can be secured as a space for arranging the cushion member between the front wheel that swings against the front wheel. This is because it can be absorbed by the cushion member. However, when a compact form is required, the cushion member does not necessarily have to be positioned behind the axle of the front wheel and/or the rotation axis of the handle that operates the front wheel.

Also, the cushion member may include an elastic body and a receiving member that supports one end and/or the other end of the elastic body. A cushion member may be provided on each of the left and right sides of the wheel. The elastic body may be of any form as long as it can absorb the impact transmitted from the wheel to the steering wheel. For example, the elastic body may be a coil spring, a leaf spring, rubber such as silicone rubber, or a sponge. The number of elastic bodies provided is arbitrary, and the cushion member may have one elastic body or may have two or more elastic bodies. For example, in one embodiment, the cushion member is a single coil spring (spring spring). In another embodiment, two elastic bodies are included, in which case the first elastic body is a coil spring (spring spring) and the second elastic body is a second elastic body that is more flexible than the first elastic body. Silicon rubber is an elastic material. Selection of the first elastic body and the second elastic body can be made appropriately. By constructing the cushion member from the first elastic body and the second elastic body which is softer than the first elastic body, the hard absorption force of the first elastic body against the impact is softened by the second elastic body. The two-stage absorption of absorption makes it possible to make the ride smoother.

When using a first elastic body (for example, a coil spring) and a second elastic body (silicon rubber), the second elastic body is arranged inside and/or behind the first elastic body. is desirable.

By arranging the second elastic body inside or behind the first elastic body, it is possible to suppress the chance of contacting the second flexible elastic body with the outside and reduce the risk of damage. .

Further, by arranging the second elastic body behind the first elastic body, the second elastic body receives the impact at a position far from the swing axis, and the first elastic body receives a shock at a position close to the swing axis. Due to the principle of leverage, the impact force acting on the front wheel acts as a strong impact force on the first elastic body located near the pivot shaft, and conversely A small and weak impact force acts on the second elastic body located far from the edge, and the impact absorbing ability of each elastic body can be effectively exhibited.

The shape of the second elastic body can be arbitrary. A substantially semispherical shape and a substantially semi-ellipsoidal shape are preferable, but the shape is not limited to this. For example, it may be a cylinder or a plate.

By making the shape of the second elastic body substantially semispherical or substantially semiellipsoidal (see, for example, FIG. 2A), the elastic body deforms as force is applied. Since the cross-sectional shape of the elastic body gradually increases, it is possible to adjust the resilience according to the applied force.

The receiving member is preferably provided above and below so as to be able to support one end and the other end of the cushion member. For example, when the cushion member includes two elastic bodies, the pair of upper and lower receiving members may support the two elastic bodies arranged in parallel.

The receiving member preferably has a mechanism for adjusting the length of the elastic body. By making the length of the elastic body adjustable, the impact force transmitted from the front wheel to the steering wheel can be adjusted according to the user (adult, child, old person) and the usage environment (hard road surface, soft road surface, etc.). becomes possible.

The mechanism for adjusting the length of the receiving member may be, for example, a slide mechanism capable of steplessly adjusting the position of the length, or a mechanism capable of fixing the receiving member at predetermined intervals. good.

Further, the adjustment of the impact force transmitted to the handle is not limited to the case of adjusting the length of the elastic body of the receiving member, but may be performed by replacing the elastic body attached to the receiving member with an elastic body having a different hardness.

Furthermore, when a plurality of elastic bodies are used, it is not limited to supporting a plurality of elastic bodies between a pair of upper and lower receiving members, and a plurality of cushion members or a plurality of pairs of cushion members each containing one elastic body may be provided. Further, a plurality of cushion members or a plurality of pairs of cushion members containing a plurality of elastic bodies may be provided.

Further, the scooter may be of a type that is driven by a person kicking it on the road surface (kick scooter), or of a type that is self-propelled with an engine or motor (motorized scooter or electric scooter).

Furthermore, the scooter is not limited to a two-wheel type scooter having one front wheel and one rear wheel, but may be a three-wheel type scooter having one front wheel and two rear wheels, or two front wheels. and two rear wheels.

As described above, the scooter of the present invention has front and rear wheels, a handle, a base member, and a suspension. Other configurations are not limited as long as the rocking mechanism has a rocking mechanism that rockably supports the front wheel with respect to the steering wheel as the rocking shaft, and the rocking shaft is positioned forward of the axle of the front wheel. However, in the following embodiments, the scooter of the present invention is a two-wheel type scooter in which the suspension has the above-described first connecting piece, second connecting piece, and connecting hinge portion. It includes a mechanism and further includes a pair of left and right cushion members provided with one coil spring. Further, as a modification of the suspension, a pair of left and right cushion members having one coil spring as the first elastic body and a pair of left and right cushion members having one silicon rubber as the second elastic body are provided. mention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a kick scooter 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a suspension 140 (R1 portion in FIG. 1) of the front wheel 101 of the kick scooter 100 shown in FIG. It is a top view.

A kick scooter 100 of the first embodiment is a two-wheel type kick scooter having front wheels 101 and rear wheels 102 . This kick scooter 100, as shown in FIG. and a suspension 140 with two cushion members 145 . Here, the two cushion members 145 are arranged so as to face both sides of the front wheel 101 . Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the suspension 140 of the kick scooter 100 supports the front wheel 101 swingably with respect to the steering wheel 110 with an axis substantially parallel to the axle Wa of the front wheel 101 as the swing axis Sa. It has a mechanism 140a, and the swing shaft Sa is located forward of the axle Wa of the front wheel, as indicated by the arrow Y in FIG.

Each part will be described in detail below.

[Base member 130]
Here, the base member (hereinafter also referred to as a board) 130 is a base portion of the kick scooter 100, and is a portion on which the user places the pivot foot. The kick scooter 100 is moved forward by the recoil of kicking the road surface with the foot that is not the pivot foot. The board 130 is generally made of a resin material, but may be made of a metal material such as aluminum, stainless steel, or iron.

A handle support 120 is attached to the front end of the board 130 to support the handle 110 in a foldable manner.

A rear wheel 102 is attached to the rear end of the board 130, and a brake member 103 for braking the rear wheel 102 is attached. The brake member 103 is brought into contact with the rear wheel 102 when the user presses the brake member 103 with a foot that is not a pivot foot, and the rear wheel 102 is braked.

[Handle 110]
As shown in FIG. 1, the handle 110 includes a telescopic shaft 112, a handle grip portion 111 attached to the upper end of the telescopic shaft 112, a shaft housing cylinder 114 housing the lower end of the telescopic shaft 112 so as to be retractable, It has a lock member 113 for fixing the telescopic shaft 112 to the shaft housing cylinder 114 , and the front wheel 101 is attached to the lower end of the shaft housing cylinder 114 via the suspension 140 .

Here, the position P0 where the rotation axis Rc of the steering wheel 110 and the road surface G intersect is positioned forward of the position Wc where the front wheels 101 contact the road surface G (see FIG. 4A). That is, in this case, the rotation axis Rc of the handle 110 is inclined with respect to the vertical line, and the caster angle (see FIG. 4A) is set therebetween. By setting the caster angle in this way, when the front wheels 101 are tilted with respect to the direction of travel, the front wheels 101 are urged to face the direction of travel by the running resistance F0 received from the road surface, thereby improving straightness. It is from.

Further, when adjusting the height of the handle grip portion 111 according to the body shape of the user, the locking member 113 is configured so that the telescopic shaft 112 is pulled out from the shaft housing cylinder 114 by an appropriate length. The telescopic shaft 112 is fixed to the .

The handle 110 is configured such that the direction of the front wheel 101 can be changed via the suspension 140 by rotating the telescopic shaft 112 and the shaft housing cylinder 114 by operating the handle grip portion 111 . In addition, although the member that constitutes the handle 110 is generally made of a metal material such as aluminum, stainless steel, or iron, it may be made of a resin material.

As shown in FIG. 1, the handle support 120 has a tubular portion 120a through which the shaft housing tubular body 114 of the handle 110 can be inserted, and a connection portion 120b that connects the board 130 and the tubular portion 120a. The shaft housing tube 114 inserted through the tube 120a is configured to be rotatably held with respect to the tube portion 120a. The connecting portion 120b includes a fixed piece 121 fixed to the front end of the board 130 and a movable piece attached to the fixed piece 121 so as to be rotatable about an axis along the left-right direction of the kick scooter 100. 122, and the distal end of the movable piece 122 is fixed to a cylindrical portion 120a through which the shaft housing cylindrical body 114 is inserted.

By configuring the handle support 120 in this manner, the kick scooter 100 can fold the board 130 and the handle 110 .

In addition, although the member constituting the handle support 120 is generally made of a metal material such as stainless steel or iron, it may be made of a resin material.

[Suspension 140]
Next, suspension 140 will be described in detail.

A swing mechanism 140 a included in the suspension 140 includes a first connecting piece 141 attached to the handlebar 110 , a second connecting piece 142 attached to the front wheel 101 , and the second connecting piece 142 to the first connecting piece 141 . and a hinge portion 143 that connects these connecting pieces so as to swing about the swing axis Sa. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the swing axis Sa is located forward of the rotation axis Rc of the handle 110 by about 3 cm or more with respect to the direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis Rc. Also, the two opposing cushion members 145 are positioned rearward of the axle Wa of the front wheel 110 and the rotation axis Rc of the handle 110 . Note that the two cushion members 145 may be positioned rearward of at least one of the axle Wa of the front wheel 110 and the rotation axis Rc of the steering wheel 110 .

(Swing mechanism 140a)
The first connecting piece 141 that constitutes the rocking mechanism 140a includes a fixed plate portion 141b and the first connecting plate portion 141a. One end of the first connecting plate portion 141a is joined to the portion 141b. The second connecting piece 142 has a second connecting plate portion 142a, a holding arm 142b, and an axle portion 142c. Here, the axle portion 142c rotatably supports the front wheel 101, both ends of the axle portion 142c are supported by the tips of a pair of opposing holding arms 142b, and the upper ends of the pair of holding arms 142b are connected to the second It is joined to one end of the connecting plate portion 142a. The other end of the second connecting plate portion 142a is rotatably connected to the other end of the first connecting plate portion 141a by a connecting hinge portion 143, thereby connecting the first connecting piece 141 and the second connecting piece 142 together. are pivotably connected to each other.

(Cushion member 145)
The cushion member 145 includes an elastic body (for example, a coil spring 145a), a receiving member 145b at one end for receiving one end of the elastic body, and a receiving member 145b at the other end for receiving the other end of the elastic body (eg, coil spring 145a). The receiving member 145b on one end side is fixed to the fixing plate portion 141b of the first connecting piece 141 by welding or the like, and the receiving member 145c on the other end side is fixed to the second connecting piece 142. It is fixed to the upper part of the holding arm 142b by welding or the like. Here, the coil spring 145a is attached to the upper and lower receiving members 145b and 145c so as to urge the holding arm 142b holding the axle portion 142c of the front wheel 101 in a direction away from the lower end of the handle 110. there is Here, one of the receiving members 145b and 145c of the cushion member 145, for example, the lower receiving member 145c, has a mechanism for adjusting the length of the elastic body. The length adjustment mechanism of the receiving member 145c may be, for example, a slide mechanism that can steplessly adjust the position of the length, or a mechanism that allows the receiving member to be fixed at predetermined intervals. good too. At least one of the receiving members 145b and 145c may be provided with a mechanism capable of adjusting the length of the elastic body.

The mechanism for adjusting the length of the elastic body makes it possible to change the hardness of the elastic body, thereby making it possible to adjust the impact force transmitted to the handle. It can also be carried out by replacing with an elastic body having a different hardness.

In other words, the adjustment of the impact force transmitted to the handle is not limited to the case of adjusting the length of the elastic body of the receiving member, but may be performed by replacing the elastic body attached to the receiving member with an elastic body having a different hardness.

The number of elastic bodies is arbitrary, and the cushion member may have one elastic body or two or more elastic bodies, or may have a plurality of cushion members each containing one elastic body. A plurality of pairs may be provided.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a suspension 240 provided with two types of cushion members 145 and 245 as a modification of suspension 140 shown in FIGS. It is shown enlarged.

Here, the suspension 240 includes a rocking mechanism 140a similar to the rocking mechanism 140a of the suspension 140 shown in FIG. and

Here, the first cushion members 145 include coil springs 145a as first elastic bodies, and are provided on both sides of the front wheel 101, like the cushion members 145 in the suspension 140 shown in FIG. In addition, the second cushion member 245 includes silicon rubber 245a as a second elastic body that is softer than the coil spring, and further includes upper and lower receiving members 245b and 245c that receive both ends of the silicon rubber 245a. there is

In the suspension 240 that uses a combination of silicone rubber and coil springs as elastic bodies, the second cushion member 245 including the silicone rubber 245a is more elastic than the first cushion member 145 including the coil spring 145a. The second cushion member 245 is located on the inner side with respect to the width direction, and the second cushion member 245 is arranged on the rear side of the first cushion member 145 as shown in FIG. 2A.

The silicon rubber 245a, which is the second elastic body, may be provided on both the left and right sides as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 2A, or may be provided in the central portion as shown in FIG. There may be. Also, when a substantially elliptical sphere is used as the second elastic body, it may be cut along the short axis of the ellipsoid as shown in FIG. 2A(a), or as shown in FIG. 2A(b). Similarly, it may be cut along the long axis of an elliptical sphere. Preferably, as shown in FIG. 2A(b), the second elastic body is an elliptical sphere cut along the long axis and arranged in the central part. For example, by providing one at the central portion, even if the second elastic body changes with time such as wear, it is possible to apply elastic force equally to both left and right sides.

In the kick scooter 100 configured as described above, the swing mechanism 140a is configured such that the swing axis Sa of the swing mechanism 140a is positioned forward of the axle Wa of the front wheel 101, so that the front wheel 101 can climb over a step. This mechanism is explained below.

(The principle that makes it easier for the front wheel 101 to climb over the stepped portion 10)
3A and 3B are schematic diagrams showing the function of the suspension shown in FIG. (b) shows the case where the axle Wa of the front wheel 101 is located on the rear side of the swing axis Sa. 3, the structure of the front wheel 101 is partially omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A, in the suspension 140 of the front wheel 101, the swing axis (that is, the axis of the connecting hinge portion 143) Sa when the front wheel 101 swings is positioned from the axle Wa of the front wheel 101. 3B, compared to the case where the pivot axis Sa of the front wheel 101 is positioned further to the rear than the axle Wa of the front wheel 101, as shown in FIG. becomes easier to climb over the stepped portion 10.例文帳に追加

The reason is explained below.

When the front wheel 101 runs over the stepped portion 10 of the road surface, the impact force F from the stepped portion 10 acting on the surface of the front wheel 101 directly acts on the front wheel axle Wa.

Here, in the rocking mechanism 140a of the suspension 140 of the front wheel 101, the axle part 142c of the front wheel is supported by the connecting hinge part 143 so as to rock around the rocking axis Sa. Wa can only move in the direction of the tangent line L of its swing path Sb.

Therefore, if the impact force F acting on the front wheel axle Wa is decomposed into a component force F1a in the direction of the tangent line L of the swing track Sb and a component force F1b in the radial direction of the swing track Sb, the swing shaft Sa will be the front wheel axle Wa 3A, the direction of the tangential component force F1a is the direction in which the front wheel axle Wa is pushed up obliquely upward.

In this case, the force component F1a rotates the front wheel axle Wa around the swing axis Sa to lift the front wheel 101. At this time, the shock applied to the front wheel 101 by the force component F1a is absorbed by the cushion member 145. , the front wheel 101 can smoothly ride over the stepped portion 10. - 特許庁

Note that the component force F1b in the radial direction of the rocking track Sb is supported so that the front wheel 101, that is, the axle portion 142c thereof, moves on the rocking track Sb. This is balanced with the reaction F1c of the force pushing the hinge portion 143, and the front wheel 101 does not move in the radial direction of the swing track Sb.

On the other hand, when the swing shaft Sa is located behind the front wheel axle Wa, as shown in FIG. When the component force F2a in the L direction and the component force F2b in the radial direction of the swing track Sb are decomposed, the direction of the tangential component force F2a is the direction that pushes the front wheel axle Wa obliquely downward.

In this case, the front wheel axle Wa does not rotate around the swing axis Sa due to the force component F2a. This is because the direction in which the component force F2a rotates the front wheel axle Wa is the direction in which the front wheel 101 is pushed down, and the front wheel 101 in contact with the road surface is not pushed down further.

Therefore, the front wheel 101 is not lifted close to the lower end of the handle 110, and the cushion member provided between the front wheel axle Wa and the handle 110 does not act. As a result, the shock applied to the front wheel 101 by the force component F2a is not absorbed by the cushion member 145, and the front wheel 101 runs over the stepped portion 10 with a large shock.

Also in this case, since the front wheel 101, that is, the axle portion 142c thereof is supported so as to move on the swing track Sb, the radial component force F2b of the swing track Sb causes the front wheel 101 to swing. The front wheel 101 does not move in the radial direction of the rocking track Sb because the front wheel 101 is balanced with the reaction F2c of the force pushing the connecting hinge portion 143 of the mechanism 140a.

(Principle of obtaining straightness of the front wheels when driving: due to caster angle Ca)
In addition, the suspension 140 of this kick scooter has a set caster angle, so that the front wheel 101 is highly straight.

4A and 4B are diagrams showing the straightness depending on the caster angle of the suspension shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4(c) shows a state in which the force F0 received by the front wheels 101 from the road surface G acts as running resistance, and FIG. It shows the state of trying to return to face .

The caster angle Ca, as shown in FIG. 4(a), is the angle between the central axis (rotational axis) Rc of the handle 110 and the vertical direction (the direction of the normal to the grounding point of the front wheel). When the angle Ca is set, the position P0 at which the rotation axis Rc of the steering wheel 110 intersects the road surface is positioned forward of the position Wc at which the front wheel 101 contacts the road surface.

In this case, when the kick scooter 100 is running, when the running resistance F0 from the road surface acts on the contact point Wc of the front wheel 101 with the road surface, the running resistance F0 causes the rotation axis of the handle 110 to move the front wheel 101 toward the traveling direction. A rotational moment Mr is generated.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the state in which the kick scooter 100 is traveling and running resistance F0 is acting on the front wheels 101 from the road surface is viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4(a). As shown in 4(b), the point P0 at which the rotation axis Rc of the steering wheel 110 intersects the road surface and the ground contact point Wc of the front wheel 101 are aligned on a straight line L1 along the straight traveling direction. It can be seen that the running resistance F0 acts backward. In this case, the running resistance F0 only acts to pull the front wheels 101 rearward.

However, as shown in FIG. 4(c), when the front wheels 101 are tilted with respect to the direction of travel, the point P0 where the rotation axis Rc of the steering wheel 110 intersects the road surface and the ground contact point Wc of the front wheels 101 are In this case, the front wheels 101 are lined up on the straight line L2, and in this case, the front wheels 101 are oriented straight in the direction of travel due to the running resistance F0 acting in the opposite direction of the straight running direction. A rotational moment Mr is generated.

This makes it possible to improve the straightness of the front wheels 101 .

(The principle by which the front wheels are urged to move straight: This is due to the position of the steering wheel rotation axis and the front wheel axle)
Furthermore, in this kick scooter 100, the front wheel axle Wa is located forward of the rotation axis Rc of the handle 110, so that the load acting on the kick scooter 100 (that is, the weight of the kick scooter 100 and the weight of the user) is reduced. total) serves to urge the handle 110 to its straight-ahead position.

5A and 5B are diagrams showing a further action of urging the direction of the handle 110 of the kick scooter 100 shown in FIG. 5(b) shows a state in which the front wheel 101 in particular of FIG. 5(a) is viewed from directly above. A part of the structure of the front wheel is omitted in FIG. 5(a).

That is, as shown in FIG. 5A, by positioning the front wheel axle Wa forward of the rotation axis Rc of the handle 110, the position P1 where the load W1 is applied from the handle 110 to the holding arm 142b and the ground contact point of the front wheel 101 Horizontal distance D1 from Wc can be increased. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5(b), when the front wheels 101 turn from the straight-ahead direction to a tilted direction L3, the front wheels 101 are moved by the component force W1a of the load W1 so that the front wheels 101 return to the straight-ahead direction. On the other hand, the moment (Mr1=W1a×D1) acting around the ground contact point Wc can be increased, and the effect of urging the steering wheel 110 in the straight-ahead direction can be enhanced regardless of whether the vehicle is running or stationary. can.

Next, how to use the kick scooter 100 of Embodiment 1 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, with the kick scooter 100 upright, the user puts the pivot foot (for example, the right foot) on the board 130 of the kick scooter 100 and kicks the road surface with the other foot (the left foot). The kick scooter 100 is driven by using the reaction of time as a driving force.

When the kick scooter 100 passes through an uneven road surface, the suspension 140 of the front wheel 101 absorbs the impact acting on the front wheel 101 from the road surface, so that the front wheel 101 smoothly rides over the step.

Specifically, in the kick scooter 100 in which the swing axis Sa is located forward of the front wheel axle Wa, the front wheel 101 receives an impact force F when the front wheel 101 of the kick scooter 100 passes through the stepped portion 10 as described above. The component force F1a in the direction of the tangential line L of the rocking track Sb acts in a direction to push up the front wheel axle Wa obliquely upward as shown in FIG. 3(a).

Therefore, the force component F1a causes the front wheel axle Wa to rotate about the swing axis Sa, thereby lifting the front wheel 101. At this time, the shock applied to the front wheel 101 by the force component F1a is absorbed by the cushion member 145. Thus, the front wheel 101 can smoothly ride over the stepped portion 10. - 特許庁As a result, with this kick scooter 100, it is possible to suppress deterioration of driving performance such as ride comfort and operability due to unevenness of the road surface.

Further, in the suspension 140 of the kick scooter 100, the caster angle Ca is set. Therefore, when the front wheels 101 are tilted with respect to the straight-ahead direction, the running resistance F0 acting on the front wheels 101 from the road surface is applied by the mechanism described above. A rotational moment Mr is generated around the rotation axis Rc of the handle 110 to return the front wheel 101 to a posture parallel to the straight-ahead direction.

In addition, in this kick scooter 100, the front wheel axle Wa is located forward of the rotation axis Rc of the handle 110, so that the load acting on the kick scooter 100 (that is, the self weight of the kick scooter 100 and the use The total body weight of the person) can enhance the urging of the handle 110 toward its straight-ahead position.

Although the invention has been illustrated using the preferred embodiments of the invention as described above, the invention should not be construed as being limited to this embodiment. It is understood that the present invention is to be construed in scope only by the utility model claims. It is understood that a person skilled in the art can implement an equivalent range based on the description of the present invention and common general technical knowledge from the description of specific preferred embodiments of the present invention. It is understood that the documents cited herein are to be incorporated by reference herein in the same manner as if the contents themselves were specifically set forth herein.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful for obtaining a scooter capable of suppressing deterioration of driving performance such as ride comfort and operability due to unevenness of the road surface.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Kick scooter 101 Front wheel 102 Rear wheel 103 Brake member 110 Handle 111 Handle grip 112 Telescopic shaft 113 Lock member 114 Shaft housing tube 120 Handle support 120a Tube 120b Connecting part 121 Fixed piece 122 Movable piece 130 Base member (board)
140 Suspension 140a Swing mechanism 141 First connection piece 141a First connection plate portion 141b Fixed plate portion 142 Second connection piece 142a Second connection plate portion 142b Holding arm 142c Axle portion 143 Connection hinge portion 145 Cushion member (first cushion Element)
145a first elastic body (coil spring)
145b Receiving member 145c Receiving member 245 Second cushion member 245a Second elastic body (silicon rubber)
245b Receiving member 245c Receiving member Ca Caster angle Ct Caster trail F Impact force F1a, F2a Tangential component force F1b, F2b Swing radial component force F1c, F2c Swing radial reaction force F0 Running resistance G Road surface L Tangential line P0 Axis intersection Rc handle shaft (rotating shaft)
Sa Oscillating shaft Sb Oscillating track Wa Front wheel axle Wc Wheel contact point

Claims (9)

A scooter with front and rear wheels,
a handle provided with a rotating shaft for steering the front wheel;
a base member that supports the rear wheel and the handle;
a suspension comprising a cushion member provided between the handle and the front wheel,
The suspension has a rocking mechanism that rockably supports the front wheel with respect to the steering wheel using an axis substantially parallel to the axle of the front wheel as a rocking axis, and the rocking axis extends from the axle of the front wheel. A scooter located on the front side. The rocking mechanism is
a first connecting piece attached to the handle;
a second connecting piece attached to the front wheel;
2. The scooter according to claim 1, further comprising: a hinge portion connecting said second connecting piece to said first connecting piece so as to swing about said swing shaft. 3. The scooter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said pivot shaft is positioned forward of said handle by approximately 3 cm or more in a direction substantially perpendicular to said rotary shaft. 2. The scooter according to claim 1, wherein the cushion member is positioned rearward of the axle of the front wheel and/or the rotation axis of the handle. 2. The scooter according to claim 1, wherein the cushion member has an elastic body and a receiving member that supports the elastic body, and the receiving member has a mechanism for adjusting the length of the elastic body. 2. The scooter according to claim 1, wherein said elastic body comprises a first elastic body and a second elastic body that is softer than said first elastic body. 7. A scooter according to claim 6, wherein the placement of the second elastic body is located inside and/or behind the location where the first elastic body is located. 8. The scooter according to claim 7, wherein said first elastic body is a coil spring and said second elastic body is silicone rubber. 2. The scooter according to claim 1, wherein a position where the rotation axis of the handle and the road surface intersect is located forward of a position where the front wheel contacts the road surface.

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