JP7481063B1 - Electric Skater - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an electric skater equipped with a tilting mechanism that allows the handle shaft to be tilted left and right with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, and that allows the tilted handle shaft to be easily returned to the position before tilting. [Solution] A folding electric skater 100 equipped with a tilting mechanism that allows the handle shaft to be tilted left and right on a footboard 600 and a connecting frame 800, the tilting mechanism comprising at least a first bearing 1, a second bearing 2, a rotating shaft 3 having one end fitted to the first bearing 1 and the other end fitted to the second bearing 2, a rotating plate 4 disposed in the connecting frame 800 so as to cross the rotating shaft 3 in the horizontal direction and fixed to the rotating shaft 3 at approximately the center position in the longitudinal direction so as to be rotatable via the rotating shaft 3, and a spring 5 that is biased vertically between the rotating plate 4 and the inner wall of the connecting frame 800 at predetermined positions on both the left and right sides of the rotating shaft 3 of the rotating plate 4. [Selected Figure] Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to an electric skater that is equipped with a tilting mechanism that allows the handle shaft to be tilted left or right relative to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, and that allows the tilted handle shaft to be easily returned to the position before tilting.

In recent years, various vehicles, such as electric skaters and electric kick scooters, have been developed as new means of transportation.
These electric skaters and electric kick scooters are equipped with electric motors and batteries on a wheeled platform or seat support pillar that consists of two or three wheels. They are small, maneuverable, easy to operate, and environmentally friendly, and are attracting attention as a new form of transportation that can be used daily for commuting, shopping, and other purposes.
As a conventional technique showing such an electric skater or electric kickboard, for example, there is Patent Document 1 listed below.

Utility Model Registration No. 3232835

The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 is a device relating to an electric kickboard, which has the advantage of reducing the hassle of charging the battery.
Such conventional electric kickboards and electric skaters do not have a tilting mechanism that allows the handlebar axis to be tilted left or right relative to the traveling direction of the vehicle body.
As a result, steering to change direction only required operating the handlebars to change the direction of travel, which resulted in a lack of maneuverability while riding. As such, there was a demand for the development of an electric skater or electric kickboard equipped with a tilting mechanism that could tilt the handlebar axis left or right relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems in the past and provide an electric skater that is equipped with a tilting mechanism that allows the handlebar shaft to be tilted left and right relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle body, and that allows the tilted handlebar shaft to be easily returned to its position before tilting.

In order to achieve the above object, the electric skater of the present invention has a connecting frame that connects a handle shaft and a footboard, and a tilting mechanism that allows the handle shaft to be tilted left and right with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, and the tilting mechanism comprises at least a first bearing attached to the connecting frame, a second bearing attached to the footboard, a rotating shaft having one end fitted to the first bearing and the other end fitted to the second bearing, a rotating plate that is disposed within the connecting frame at a position between the first bearing and the second bearing so as to horizontally intersect with the rotating shaft and is fixed to the rotating shaft at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction so as to be rotatable via the rotating shaft, and elastic members that are biased vertically between the rotating plate and an inner wall of the connecting frame at predetermined positions on both the left and right sides of the rotating shaft of the rotating plate.
In addition to the first feature described above, the electric skater of the present invention has a second feature in that a concave or convex movement regulating portion is provided on the lower or upper surface of the pivot shaft to regulate the movement of the rotating plate in the axial direction of the pivot shaft, and a concave or convex movement regulating portion is provided on the upper or lower surface of the rotating plate to regulate the movement of the rotating plate in a direction horizontally intersecting the pivot shaft.
Furthermore, in addition to the first or second feature, the electric skater of the present invention has a third feature in that the rotating plate has a circular through hole at a fixed position with the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft has a circular through hole threaded at a fixed position with the rotating plate, the through hole of the rotating plate and the through hole of the rotating shaft are aligned and a screw is passed through to fix the rotating plate to the rotating shaft, and the connecting frame has an arc-shaped regulating groove for receiving the screw protruding upward from the rotating shaft and for regulating the amount of rotation of the received screw via the rotating shaft.

According to the electric skater of the first aspect, the tilting mechanism allows the connecting frame to be tilted to the left or right with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, and the handle shaft connected to the connecting frame can be tilted to the left or right with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, thereby improving the operability when riding.
Furthermore, by providing an elastic member as a member constituting the tilting mechanism, when the handle shaft is tilted, the elastic member that was biased in the vertical direction before the handle shaft was tilted is loaded with stress in the expansion and contraction direction and stress in the left and right direction with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body. Therefore, by simply releasing the force applied when tilting the handle shaft, a restoring force that tries to return the handle shaft to the state before it was tilted can be applied to the elastic member. Therefore, the handle shaft in the tilted state can be easily returned to the state before it was tilted automatically or with a small force. Therefore, not only men but also women who are weak can easily tilt the handle shaft, and an electric skater that can further improve operability during riding can be obtained.

In addition to the effects of the first feature, the electric skater according to the second feature can more reliably prevent the rotating plate from moving in the axial direction of the rotating shaft or horizontally relative to the rotating shaft. This allows for high precision in tilting the handle shaft, and makes it possible to produce an electric skater in which the tilting mechanism is less susceptible to damage.

Furthermore, with the electric skater according to the third feature, in addition to the effects of the first or second feature, the provision of a regulating groove in the connecting frame prevents the connecting frame from rotating more than necessary, thereby effectively preventing the handle shaft from tilting more than necessary. Therefore, by preventing the rider from tilting the handle shaft more than necessary, an electric skater can be made that is safer and the tilting mechanism is less likely to be damaged.

1A and 1B are diagrams showing a folding electric skater according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a front view and (b) is a perspective view. FIG. 1 shows a folding electric skater according to an embodiment of the present invention and a connecting frame that constitutes the folding electric skater, where (a) is a right side view of the folding electric skater, (b) is a perspective view showing the folding electric skater in a folded state, and (c) is a perspective view of the connecting frame. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a tilting mechanism provided on the folding electric skater according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a tilting mechanism provided on the folding electric skater according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating the movement of a tilting mechanism provided on the folding electric skater according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes a folding electric skater according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings to help understand the invention. However, the following description does not limit the invention described in the claims.

First, referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a folding electric skater 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a so-called folding electric three-wheeled skater that mainly comprises a handlebar 200, a handlebar shaft 300, a seat 400, a seat support pillar 500, a metal footboard 600, three tires 700, a metal connecting frame 800 that connects the handlebar shaft 300 and the footboard 600, and a front wheel fixing frame 900. The seat support pillar 500, the footboard 600, etc. are equipped with electric motors, batteries, etc. (not shown).
In addition, the folding electric skater 100 in this embodiment is configured so that the handle shaft 300 can be folded toward the footboard 600 by operating the folding lever 301, and the seat support pillar 500 can be folded toward the footboard 600 by operating the folding lever 501.
Although not shown in detail, the seat 400 is configured so that the seat 400 can be folded and stored inside the seat support pillar 500 by sliding the slide plate S along the slide groove 401.
In this embodiment, a foldable electric skater is used as the electric skater, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and a non-foldable electric skater may also be used.
Furthermore, in consideration of durability, it is desirable to use steel or stainless steel as the metal forming the footboard 600 and the connecting frame 800, but it is also possible to use other metals, or to use other materials other than metal, such as resin.

Furthermore, the folding electric skater 100 in this embodiment is provided with a tilting mechanism that allows the handle shaft 300 to be tilted left and right with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 2(a).
Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the handle shaft 300 and the foot plate 600 are formed as separate members, and a connecting frame 800 is provided to connect the handle shaft 300 and the foot plate 600, and the connecting frame 800 and the foot plate 600 are provided with a tilting mechanism.
As shown in Figures 2(b) and 2(c), a circular through hole 801 is provided in the vertical direction at the upper end of the connecting frame 800, in the portion that extends toward the front of the vehicle body in an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape. The connecting frame 800 is connected to the handle shaft 300 by inserting a rotating shaft 302, which is disposed within the handle shaft 300 and connected to the front wheel fixing frame 900, through this through hole 801.
2(c) and 4(b), the lower end of the connecting frame 800 extends downwards into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a fitting hole 802 for fitting the first bearing 1 at its front end face, and a through hole 803 for inserting the rotating shaft 3 fitted into the first bearing 1 at its rear end face. The first bearing 1 with one end of the rotating shaft 3 fitted therein is fitted into the fitting hole 802, and the second bearing 2 with the other end of the rotating shaft 3 that passes through the through hole 803 and protrudes to the outside of the connecting frame 800 fitted therein is fitted into the fitting hole 601 provided in the footboard 600.
With the above configuration, the connecting frame 800 is able to rotate freely around the rotation shaft 3. This allows the handle shaft 300 connected to the upper end of the connecting frame 800 to be configured to be tiltable left and right with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body.

The tilting mechanism of the present invention will now be described in more detail.
As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the tilting mechanism of the folding electric skater 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is made up of a first bearing 1, a second bearing 2, a rotating shaft 3, a rotating plate 4, a spring 5, a screw 6, a spring fixing member 7, and a spring abutment member 8.

The first bearing 1 is a member that cooperates with the second bearing 2 to enable the connecting frame 2 to rotate via the rotation shaft 3 .
In this embodiment, as shown in a simplified manner in Figure 2 (c), this first bearing 1 is fixed by being fitted into a circular fitting hole 802 provided in the front end face of the portion of the lower end of the connecting frame 800 that extends downward toward the vehicle body in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3( c ), a so-called ball bearing is used as the first bearing 1, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this configuration, and the first bearing may be configured to use another commonly used bearing instead of a ball bearing.
In addition, in Figs. 3(a) and 4, the first bearing 1 is illustrated in a simplified manner for the sake of convenience of explanation.

The second bearing 2 is a member that cooperates with the first bearing 1 to enable the connecting frame 2 to rotate via the rotation shaft 3 .
In this embodiment, as shown in simplified form in Figures 2(c) and 4(b), this second bearing 2 is fitted and fixed into a circular fitting hole 601 that is provided in a protruding state on the front end surface of the footboard 600.
In this embodiment, a so-called ball bearing is used as the second bearing 2, but this is not necessarily limited to this configuration, and the second bearing 2 may be configured to use another commonly used bearing instead of a ball bearing.

The rotating shaft 3 is a metallic shaft member that is fitted with the first bearing 1 at its tip end (one end) and is fitted with the second bearing 2 at its rear end (the other end) to be freely rotatable.
3(c), a rectangular recess having the same width as the width of the rotating plate 4 in the short direction is provided on the lower surface B of the rotating shaft 3. This recess forms a movement restriction portion 3b for restricting the movement of the rotating plate 4 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 3.
Further, a circular through hole 3a is provided in the movement restricting portion 3b, passing vertically through the rotating shaft 3. This through hole 3a is for passing a screw 6 through to fix the rotating plate 4 to the rotating shaft 3, and although not shown, the inner wall of the through hole 3a is threaded so as to be engaged with the screw 6.
In this embodiment, the movement restricting portion 3b is configured to have a rectangular recess having the same width as the width of the rotating plate 4 in the short direction on the lower surface B of the rotating shaft 3, but is not necessarily limited to this configuration. For example, the movement restricting portion 3b may be configured to have a rectangular recess having the same width as the width of the rotating plate 4 in the short direction on the upper surface T of the rotating shaft 3, or to have a pair of protrusions on the lower surface B or upper surface T of the rotating shaft 3 that can hold the rotating plate 4.
2(c) and 3(b), the present embodiment is configured to use a rotating shaft 3 that is cylindrical between the first bearing 1 and the second bearing 2 and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape behind the second bearing 2. Of course, the present embodiment is not limited to this configuration, and the rotating shaft 3 may have any shape as long as it can be fitted into the first bearing 1 and the second bearing 2.
As the metal for forming the rotating shaft 3, it is preferable to use steel or stainless steel in consideration of durability.

The rotating plate 4 is a member for tilting the connecting frame 800 by being driven by the handle shaft 300 .
In this embodiment, the rotating plate 4 is formed of a long, thin metal plate-like member. In addition, the rotating plate 4 is disposed in a hollow portion K formed in the connecting frame 800 so as to horizontally intersect (orthogonal in this embodiment) with the rotating shaft 3 located between the first bearing 1 and the second bearing 2.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a circular through hole 4a is provided in the center of the rotating plate 4 in the longitudinal direction, through which a screw 6 for fixing the rotating plate 4 to the rotating shaft 3 is inserted.

In addition, a pair of rectangular convex pieces capable of holding the rotating shaft 3 is provided on both the left and right sides of the through hole 4a on the upper surface T of the rotating plate 4. That is, in this embodiment, the length between the inner walls of the pair of convex pieces is set to be the same as the width (diameter) of the rotating plate 4 in the short side direction. The pair of convex pieces form a movement restriction portion 4b for restricting the movement of the rotating plate 4 in a direction horizontally intersecting with the rotating shaft 3.
In this embodiment, the movement restricting portion 4b is configured such that a pair of rectangular convex pieces, the width of which is the same as the width (diameter) of the rotation shaft 3 in the short direction, is provided on the upper surface T of the rotating plate 4, but the configuration is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the movement restricting portion 4b may be configured such that a pair of rectangular convex pieces, the length between the inner walls of which is the same as the width (diameter) of the rotation shaft 3 in the short direction, is provided on the lower surface B of the rotating plate 4, or a recess, the width of which is the same as the width (diameter) of the rotation shaft 3 in the short direction, is provided on the upper surface T or the lower surface B of the rotating plate 4.
3 and 4, a circular recess 4c is provided at both the left and right ends in the longitudinal direction of the rotating plate 4. The recess 4c serves to place the spring fixing member 7 for fixing the spring 5, and also forms a space for preventing the spring fixing member 7 from moving in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the shape of the recess 4c is not limited to a circular shape, but the shape, size, and depth of the recess 4c must be the same as the shape and size of the spring fixing member 7, and must be deep enough to prevent the spring fixing member 7 from moving in the horizontal direction when the spring fixing member 7 is placed therein.
The movement restricting portion 4b and the recess 4c can be integrally formed on the rotating plate 4 using a mold, for example.
As the metal for forming the rotating plate 4, it is preferable to use steel or stainless steel in consideration of durability.

The spring 5 is an elastic member that is biased vertically between the rotating plate 4 and the inner wall of the connecting frame 800, and is a member that generates a restoring force to return the handle shaft 300, which is in a tilted state, to its pre-tilt state automatically or with little force.
In this embodiment, a pair of springs 5 is used, and a pair of springs 5 is arranged at both left and right ends of the rotating plate 4 in the longitudinal direction.
Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the lower end of the spring 5 is fitted into a spring fixing member 7, and the spring fixing member 7 is then fitted into the recess 4c, thereby disposing a pair of springs 5 at the left and right longitudinal ends of the rotating plate 4.
Furthermore, when the rotating plate 4 is fixed to the rotating shaft 3 using the screw 6, the upper end of the spring 5 is abutted against the lower surface of the spring abutment member 8, and a vertical biasing force is applied to the spring 5.
In this embodiment, a spring is used as the elastic member, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and other elastic members such as leaf springs may be used as long as they have the same function and effect as the spring 5. However, it is preferable to use a spring as the elastic member.
Furthermore, from the standpoint of preventing the handle shaft 300 from tilting unexpectedly during normal driving, it is desirable for the strength of the elastic members, including the springs, to be such that when a driver of average strength, regardless of age or gender, riding the folding electric skater 100, operates to tilt the handle shaft 300 to the left or right (when a load for tilting is applied), stress is generated in the elastic members, which are in a state in which a vertical biasing force is applied, in the direction in which the elastic member expands and contracts, and in the direction in which the spring 5 tilts to the right (for example, when the handle shaft 300 of the folding electric skater 100 of this embodiment is tilted to the right, stress is generated in the spring 5 arranged on the right side of the rotating plate 4 in the direction in which the spring 5 contracts, and in the direction in which the spring 5 tilts to the right, and stress is generated in the spring 5 arranged on the left side of the rotating plate 4 in the direction in which the spring 5 expands, and in the direction in which the spring 5 tilts to the right).

The screw 6 is a member for fixing the rotating plate 4 to the rotating shaft 3 .
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the screw 6 is a metal flat head screw having a length such that the tip of the screw 6 protrudes a predetermined length from the pivot shaft 3 when the pivot plate 4 is fixed to the pivot shaft 3.
Although not shown in detail, this protruding portion is to be received in an arc-shaped regulating groove 805 provided on the surface facing the screw 6 on the inner wall of the cavity K of the connecting frame 800. With this configuration, it is possible to configure the protruding portion of the screw 6 to be allowed to move only within the range of the arc-shaped regulating groove 805 when the protruding portion of the screw 6 rotates via the rotating shaft 3. In other words, it is possible to configure the rotation range of the rotating plate 4 to be limited within the range of the regulating groove 805, and to prevent the connecting frame 800 from rotating more than necessary.
Therefore, the length of the screw 6 must be such that the tip of the screw 6 protrudes a predetermined length from the rotating shaft 3 when the rotating plate 4 is fixed to the rotating shaft 3. The depth of the restricting groove 805 provided in the connecting frame 800 must be such that the tip of the screw 6 can be received when the rotating plate 4 is fixed to the rotating shaft 3 via the screw 6, and the arc length of the restricting groove 805 must be a length that matches the rotation range of the rotating plate 4.
In addition, it is preferable to use steel or stainless steel as the metal for forming the screw 6, taking durability into consideration.
Furthermore, although not shown in the figures, in this embodiment, the position of the inner surface of the lower side of the hollow portion K of the connecting frame 800 is adjusted and designed so that when the rotating plate 4 rotates more than necessary, the rotating plate 4 abuts against the inner surface of the lower side of the hollow portion K of the connecting frame 800.

The spring fixing member 7 is a member for fixing the spring 5 to the rotating plate 4 and for preventing the spring 5 from moving in the horizontal direction.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3(c), a spring fixing member 7 is used which is made of a metal member and includes a cylindrical base 7a and a cylindrical protrusion 7b provided on the upper surface of the base 7a.
The size of the base 7 a is set so that it can be fitted into the recess 4 c , and the size of the protrusion 7 b is set so that it can be fitted into the spring 5 .
It is also possible to directly fit the spring 5 into the recess 4c without using the spring fixing member 7. However, from the viewpoint of preventing the spring 5 from easily falling off or moving from the pivot plate 4 when the handle shaft 300 is tilted, it is desirable to use the spring fixing member 7.
As the metal for forming the spring fixing member 7, it is preferable to use steel or stainless steel in consideration of durability.

The spring abutment member 8 is a member that abuts against the upper end of the spring 5 and transmits the tilting motion of the connecting frame 800 to the rotating plate 4 via the spring 5. In addition, the spring abutment member 8 is a member that prevents the spring 5 from being damaged and stops the spring 5 from moving.
3, the spring abutment member 8 is formed of a cylindrical member made of hard resin. The spring abutment member 8 is bonded and fixed in place by using an adhesive in a state where it is fitted into a cylindrical recess 804 provided in the inner wall of the hollow portion K of the connecting frame 800.
The shape and size (diameter) of the spring abutting member 8 are approximately the same as those of the recess 804. The thickness of the spring abutting member 8 and the depth of the recess 804 are set so that the spring abutting member 8 does not easily fall off the recess 804 when fitted in the recess 804. Therefore, the shape, size, and thickness of the spring abutting member 8 are not limited to those in this embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate to match the shape, size, and depth of the recess 804.
Also, the spring 5 may be directly fitted into the recess 804 without using the spring abutment member 8, but considering the durability of the spring 5, it is preferable to use the spring abutment member 8. In addition, when using the spring abutment member 8, it is preferable to provide a recess into which the upper end of the spring 5 fits on the lower surface of the spring abutment member 8, from the viewpoint of preventing the spring 5 from easily falling off the spring abutment member 8 when the handle shaft 300 is tilted.
As the hard resin for forming the spring contact member 8, any hard resin that is generally used, such as acrylic or polycarbonate, may be used.

Next, an example of a method for mounting the tilting mechanism having such a configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 2(c) and FIG.
First, the first bearing 1 is fitted into the fitting hole 802 provided in the connecting frame 800 .
Then, a pair of spring abutment members 8 are adhered and fixed by adhesive to recesses 804 provided in the inner wall of the cavity K of the connecting frame 800 .
Thereafter, the pair of spring fixing members 7 are fitted into the recesses 4 c of the rotating plate 4 with the protrusions 7 b of the spring fixing members 7 fitted into the lower ends of the pair of springs 5 .
Then, one end (tip side) of the rotating shaft 3 is fitted into the first bearing 1, and the rotating plate 4 is fixed to the rotating shaft 3 by using the screw 6. At this time, a vertical biasing force is applied to the pair of springs 5 between the rotating plate 4 and the inner wall of the connecting frame 800 via the screwing force of the screw 6.
Thereafter, the second bearing 2 is fitted into the fitting hole 601 provided in the footboard 600 .
As a result of the above, a tilting mechanism is attached (equipped) to the footboard 600 and the connecting frame 800, which can tilt the handle shaft 300 left and right relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle body, and can easily return the tilted handle shaft 300 to its pre-tilt state automatically or with little force.
The method of attaching the tilting mechanism is not limited to the above order, and other orders may be used as long as the tilting mechanism can be disposed on the footboard 600 and the connecting frame 800.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5, a description will be given of the movement of the foldable electric skater 100 configured as described above according to an embodiment of the present invention when the handle shaft 300 is tilted relative to the traveling direction of the vehicle body.
In the following, a description will be given of the case where the handle shaft 300 is tilted to the right with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body. However, the movement when the handle shaft 300 is tilted to the left with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body is linearly symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry of the handle shaft 300 as the axis of symmetry with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body. Therefore, a description of the case where the handle shaft 300 is tilted to the left with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body will be omitted.
First, the driver tilts the handle shaft 300 to the right with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body (applying a force to the handle shaft 300 to tilt the handle shaft 300 to the right), so that the connecting frame 800 tilts to the right following the handle shaft 300. At that time, the rotating plate 4 rotates clockwise around the rotating shaft 3 by a predetermined amount.
Specifically, a force in the direction of the arrow is applied to the tilting mechanism before rotation shown in Fig. 5(a), and as a result, as shown in Fig. 5(b), the rotating plate 4 rotates clockwise around the rotating shaft 3 via the spring abutment member 8 and the spring 5. At this time, depending on the positional relationship between the connecting frame 800, the rotating plate 4, and the rotating shaft 3, stress is generated in the spring 5 arranged on the right side of the rotating plate 4 in a direction in which the spring 5 contracts and in a direction in which the spring 5 tilts to the right. On the other hand, stress is generated in the spring 5 arranged on the left side of the rotating plate 4 in a direction in which the spring 5 expands and in a direction in which the spring 5 tilts to the right.
When the driver releases the load on the steering wheel shaft 300 tilted to the right or moves the steering wheel shaft 300 back to the left, a force in the direction of the arrow is applied to the tilting mechanism after rotation shown in Fig. 5(b), and accordingly, as shown in Fig. 5(b) and Fig. 5(c), a return force acts on each of the pair of springs 5 to return them to their initial state before tilting, and the rotating plate 4 rotates counterclockwise via the spring abutment member 8 and the spring 5 to the initial position shown in Fig. 5(c) (Fig. 5(a)) via the rotating shaft 3. At the same time, the connecting frame 800 rotates counterclockwise via the spring 5 and the spring abutment member 8 to the initial position before the steering wheel shaft 3 was tilted.
This completes the operation of the handle shaft 300 moving from a straight position to a position tilted to the right and then returning to the straight position again.

The folding electric skater 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above has the following advantages:

By providing the footboard 600 and the connecting frame 800 with a tilting mechanism, it becomes possible to tilt the connecting frame 800 to either the left or right with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, and thereby the handle shaft 300 connected to the connecting frame 800 can be tilted to either the left or right with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body. This makes it possible to provide a folding electric skater 100 that can improve operability while traveling and increase the fun of driving.
Furthermore, by providing the spring 5 as an elastic member, when the handle shaft 300 is tilted to the left or right, the spring 5 that was biased in the vertical direction before the handle shaft 300 was tilted is loaded with stress in the expansion/contraction direction and stress in either the left or right direction with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body. Therefore, by simply releasing the force applied when tilting the handle shaft 300, the spring 5 can be made to exert a restoring force that returns the handle shaft 300 to the state before it was tilted. Therefore, it is possible to easily return the handle shaft 300 in the tilted state to the state before it was tilted automatically or with a small force. Therefore, not only men but also women who are weak can easily tilt the handle shaft 300, and the folding electric skater 100 can be made to have improved operability during riding.

In addition, a concave movement restricting portion 3b is provided on the underside B of the rotating shaft 3 to restrict the movement of the rotating plate 4 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 3, and a pair of convex movement restricting portions 4b is provided on the upper surface T of the rotating plate 4 to restrict the movement of the rotating plate 4 in a direction that intersects horizontally with respect to the rotating shaft 3. This configuration makes it possible to more reliably prevent the rotating plate 4 from moving in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 3 or horizontally with respect to the rotating shaft 3. As a result, the foldable electric skater 100 can be designed with high operational accuracy when tilting the handle shaft 300 and with a tilting mechanism that is less likely to be damaged.

Furthermore, by providing the restricting groove 805 in the connecting frame 800, it is possible to prevent the connecting frame 800 from rotating more than necessary, thereby effectively preventing the handle shaft 300 from tilting more than necessary. Therefore, by preventing the rider from tilting the handle shaft 300 more than necessary, it is possible to provide a folding electric skater 100 that is safe and whose tilting mechanism is less likely to be damaged.
Furthermore, by adjusting the position of the inner surface of the lower side of the hollow portion K of the connecting frame 800 so that the inner surface of the lower side of the hollow portion K of the connecting frame 800 comes into contact with the rotating plate 4 when the rotating plate 4 rotates more than necessary, this configuration, together with the regulating groove 805, can further prevent the rider from tilting the handle shaft 300 more than necessary. This makes it possible to provide a folding electric skater 100 that is even safer and whose tilting mechanism is even less likely to be damaged.

The shape and size of the connecting frame 800 are not limited to those of this embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate as long as it is connectable to the handle shaft 300 at its upper end and to the footboard 600 at its lower end, and has a hollow portion sufficient to accommodate the tilting mechanism inside.
Furthermore, the shape, size, and depth of the regulating groove 805 provided in the connecting frame 800 are not limited to those in this embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate to match the shape, size, and length of the protruding portion of the screw 6.
In addition, in this embodiment, the recesses 4c in the rotating plate 4 are provided at the left and right ends of the rotating plate 4 in the longitudinal direction, but this is not necessarily limited to such a configuration, and the positions at which the recesses 4c are provided can be changed as appropriate as long as they are arranged in pair on the left and right sides of the through hole 4a.

The present invention provides an electric skater that is equipped with a tilting mechanism that allows the handle shaft to be tilted left and right relative to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, and that allows the tilted handle shaft to be easily returned to the position before tilting, making it highly applicable industrially in the field of electric skaters.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1 First bearing 2 Second bearing 3 Pivot shaft 3a Through hole 3b Movement restriction portion 4 Pivot plate 4a Through hole 4b Movement restriction portion 4c Recess 5 Spring 6 Screw 7 Spring spring fixing member 7a Base 7b Convex portion 8 Spring spring abutment member 100 Folding electric skater 200 Handle 300 Handle shaft 301 Folding lever 302 Rotation shaft 400 Seat 401 Slide groove 500 Seat support pillar 501 Folding lever 600 Tread 601 Fitting hole 700 Tire 800 Connection frame 801 Through hole 802 Fitting hole 803 Through hole 804 Recess 805 Restriction groove 900 Front wheel fixing frame B Bottom surface K Hollow section S Slide plate T Top surface

Claims (3)

An electric skater comprising a connecting frame that connects a handle shaft and a footboard, and a tilting mechanism that allows the handle shaft to be tilted left and right with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body between the footboard and the connecting frame, the tilting mechanism comprising at least a first bearing attached to the connecting frame, a second bearing attached to the footboard, a rotating shaft with one end engaged with the first bearing and the other end engaged with the second bearing, a rotating plate that is arranged in the connecting frame between the first bearing and the second bearing so as to cross the rotating shaft in the horizontal direction and is fixed to the rotating shaft at approximately the center position in the longitudinal direction so as to be rotatable via the rotating shaft, and an elastic member that is biased vertically between the rotating plate and the inner wall of the connecting frame at predetermined positions on both the left and right sides of the rotating shaft of the rotating plate. The electric skater according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottom or top surface of the pivot shaft is provided with a concave or convex movement restriction part for restricting the movement of the pivot plate in the axial direction of the pivot shaft, and the top or bottom surface of the pivot plate is provided with a concave or convex movement restriction part for restricting the movement of the pivot plate in a direction that intersects horizontally with the pivot shaft. The electric skater according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rotating plate has a circular through hole at a fixed position with respect to the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft has a circular through hole with threading at a fixed position with respect to the rotating plate, the through hole of the rotating plate and the through hole of the rotating shaft are aligned with each other and a screw is inserted through the through hole to fix the rotating plate to the rotating shaft, and the connecting frame has an arc-shaped regulating groove for receiving the screw protruding upward from the rotating shaft and for regulating the amount of rotation of the received screw via the rotating shaft.

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