US20040129472A1

US20040129472A1 - Electric vehicle handle collapsing device

Info

Publication number: US20040129472A1
Application number: US10/335,907
Authority: US
Inventors: Dar-Hsiang Cheng
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-01-03
Filing date: 2003-01-03
Publication date: 2004-07-08

Abstract

An electric vehicle handle collapsing device for an electric vehicle includes a fundamental base, a fitting fork tube, a combining member, an operating member, a subordinate rod, a pull spring and a locking device. After the locking device is released and the pull plate of the operating member is pulled upward, the subordinate rod is forced to move upward and disengaged from the front engage notches and then moved in the rear engage notches of the fundamental base by a pulling force of the pull spring. Thus, the handle of an electric vehicle can be collapsed to diminish the dimensions of the electric vehicle, letting the electric vehicle carried about conveniently.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an electric vehicle handle collapsing device for an electric vehicle, particularly to one fixed on the front end of the foot rest and assembled with the handle of an electric vehicle, able to collapse the handle to diminish the volume of the electric vehicle for facilitating carrying the electric vehicle about.

2. Description of the Prior Art

For the present, electric vehicles are very popular because they do not produce exhaust to pollute air and they are light and skillful in design. However, a conventional electric vehicle is made integral, so it needs a large space in a room to store the electric vehicle, and it is inconvenient to carry about the electric vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the invention is to offer an electric vehicle handle collapsing device for an electric vehicle, able to economize the space for storing the electric vehicle and enabling the electric vehicle to be carried about conveniently.

The feature of the invention is a fundamental base secured on the front end of the foot rest of an electric vehicle and having curved edges and engage notches at the topside; a fitting fork tube composed of a sleeve and a fork tube, the sleeve fitted around the handle, and the fork tube assembled with the fundamental base and having two vertical slots respectively bored in its opposite side walls and plural sliding holes respectively bored at proper locations of its left and right side; a combining member combining the fitting fork tube with the fundamental base; an operating member assembled with the fork tube and provided with at least one insert plate to be inserted in the fork tube through the upper sliding holes of the fork tube, with each insert plate bored with an insert hole at a lower portion, and the operating member further provided with a pull plate at the front side; a subordinate rod inserted through the vertical slots of the fork tube and the insert holes of the operating member and engages in the two engage notches of the fundamental base; a pull spring having its opposite ends respectively clasping the subordinate rod and the combining member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein: [0007]
FIG. 1 is perspective view of an electric vehicle with a handle collapsible device in the present invention; [0008]
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an electric handle collapsing device in the present invention; [0009]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the electric vehicle handle collapsing device in the present invention; [0010]
FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the electric vehicle handle collapsing device in the present invention; [0011]
FIG. 5 is a side view of the electric vehicle handle collapsible device in a first collapsed condition in the present invention; [0012]
FIG. 6 is a side view of the electric vehicle handle collapsing device in a second collapsed condition in the present invention; and, FIG. 7 is a side view of the electric vehicle handle collapsing device in a third collapsed condition in the present invention.[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of an electric vehicle handle collapsing device in the present invention, as shown FIGS. [0014] 1-4, includes a ␣-shaped fundamental base 20, a fitting fork tube 21, a combining member 22, an operating member 23, a subordinate rod 24, a pull spring 25 and a locking device 26 combined together.
The ␣-shaped [0015] fundamental base 20 is fixedly welded at the front end of the foot rest of an electric vehicle and provided at the opposite sides with a side plate 200 having an insert hole 201 in the center and having its topside formed with a curved edge 202,which is bored with plural engage notches 203.
The [0016] fitting fork tube 21 is composed of a sleeve 210 and a fork tube 211. The sleeve 210 is fitted around the handle 11 and the fork tube 211 is assembled with the fundamental base 20. The fork tube 211 has a positioning hole 212 respectively bored at the lower opposite sides and aligned to the insert holes 201 of the side plates 200 of the fundamental base 20, a vertical slot 213 bored above each positioning hole 212, and plural upper and lower vertical sliding holes 214, 215 bored at proper positions of the front and the rear side wall.
The combining [0017] member 22 is inserted through the lower opposite ends of the fork tube 211 and the two side plates 200 of the fundamental base 20 and has its opposite ends respectively extending out the outer walls of the two side plates 200 of the fundamental base 20 and screwed with a bolt 220 so as to pivotally combine the fork tube 211 together with the fundamental base 20.
The [0018] operating member 23 to be assembled with the fork tube 211 has an insert plate 230 respectively provided at the opposite sides to be inserted through the upper sliding slot 214 in the front wall of the fork tube 211, and each insert plate 230 bored with an insert hole 231 at the lower end. The operating member 23 has a pull plate 232 and a front plate 233 provided at the front side, and the front plate 233 to rest against the front wall of the fork tube 211 is bored at a lower portion with a central through hole 234 facing the lower sliding hole 215 in the front and the rear wall of the fork tube 211.
The [0019] subordinate rod 24 is inserted through the two vertical slots 213 in the opposite sides of the fork tube 211 and the two insert holes 231 in the opposite sides of the operating member 23 and also engaged in the two front engage notches 203 of the fundamental base 20. The subordinate rod 24 has its opposite ends respectively provided with a stop member 240 to resist against the outer walls of the two side plates 200 of the fundamental base 20 to avoid the subordinate rod 24 slipping off. Further, the subordinate rod 24 is bored in the center with a through hole 241 aligned to the through hole 234 of the front plate 233 of the operating member 23 and the lower sliding slot 215 in the front and the rear wall of the fork tube 211.
The [0020] pull spring 25 has its opposite ends respectively formed with a clasp 250 for clasping the subordinate rod 24 and the combining member 22 respectively.
The [0021] locking device 26 is assembled with the operating member 23 and the fork tube 211 for clamping and locking tightly the operating member 23. The locking device 26 is provided with a threaded rod 260 having a pull lever 261 connected pivotally with the rear end of the threaded rod 260. A tightening member 262 having a lengthwise through hole 263 is fitted around the threaded rod 260. A ␣-shaped clasping block 264 is clasped on the front side of the operating member 23 and bored in the front wall with an insert hole 265 matching with the through hole 234 of the front plate 233 of the operating member 23. A resisting member 266 with a lengthwise insert hole 267 for the threaded rod 260 to be inserted therethrough resists against the rear wall of the fork tube 21. A spring 268 and a nut 269 are respectively fitted around and screwed with the end of the threaded rod 260.
In assembling, as shown in FIGS. [0022] 1-4, firstly, the two insert plates 230 of the operating member 23 are inserted in the fork tube 211 respectively through the two upper sliding slots 214 of the fork tube 211 and then the pull spring 25 is placed under the operating member 23 and between its two insert plates 230. Next, the subordinate rod 24 is inserted through the right vertical slot 213 of the fork tube 211 and the two insert holes 231 of the operating member 23 as well as the upper clasp 250 of the pull spring 25 and then extends out of the left vertical slot 213 of the fork tube 211, having its opposite ends respectively fixed with a stop member 240. Subsequently, the threaded rod 260 of the locking device 26 is inserted through the tightening member 262, the through hole 265 of the clasping block 264 and the through hole 234 of the front plate 233 of the operating member 23, and then passes through the front lower sliding slot 215 of the fork tube 211, the through hole 241 of the subordinate rod 24, the rear lower sliding hole 215 of the fork tube 211 and at length inserted through the resisting member 266 and the spring 268 to be screwed with the nut 269. Lastly, the fork tube 211 has its two positioning holes 212 respectively aligned to the two through holes 201 of the two side plates 200 of the fundamental base 20, and after the combining member 22 is inserted through foresaid positioning holes 212 and through holes 201 as well as the lower clasp 250 of the pull spring 25, the two bolts 220 are respectively screwed with the opposite ends of the combining member 22 to combine the fork tube 211 together with the fundamental base 20, thus finishing assembly of the handle collapsible device.
In operating and using, as shown in FIGS. [0023] 3-7, the pull lever 261 of the locking device 26 is pulled upward first to let the locking device 26 no longer clamp the operating member 23, and at this time the pull plate 232 of the operating member 23 can be pulled upward together with the subordinate rod 24, which is moved upward and disengaged from the front engage notches 203 and then forced to move in the rear engage notches 203 of the fundamental base 20 along the top curved edges 202 of the two side plates by a pulling force of the spring 25. Thus, the handle 10 fitted with the sleeve 210 of the fitting fork tube 21 can be collapsed downward to diminish the dimensions of the electric vehicle 1.
As can be noted from the above description, the invention has the following advantages. [0024]
1. The handle collapsing device can be operated easily, and the handle can be collapsed quickly, convenient for the electric vehicle to be carried about. [0025]
2. The dimensions of the electric vehicle can be diminished after its handle is collapsed, economizing the space for storing the electric vehicle. [0026]
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. [0027]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An electric vehicle handle collapsing device comprising:

a fundamental base fixed at the front end of a foot rest of an electric vehicle, said fundamental base formed with plural curved edges on top, said curved edges respectively bored with a front and a rear engage notch;

a fitting fork tube composed of a sleeve and a fork tube, said sleeve fitted around a handle of said electric vehicle, said fork tube assembled with said fundamental base, said fork tube bored with a vertical slot at the lower portion of the left and the right side and a plurality of vertical upper and lower sliding slot at proper locations of the front and the rear side;

a combining member connecting said fitting fork tube with said fundamental base;

an operating member assembled with said fork tube and provided with at least an insert plate, said insert plate inserted in said fork tube through said upper sliding slot, each said insert plate bored with an insert hole at a lower portion, said operating member provided with a pull plate in front;

a subordinate rod inserted through said vertical slots of said fork tube and said insert holes of said operating member, said subordinate rod also engaged in said engage notches of said fundamental base;

a pull spring having its opposite ends respectively clasping said subordinate rod and said combining member; and,

said pull plate of said operating member pulled upward, said pull plate making said subordinate rod move upward and disengaged from said front engage notches of said fundamental base, said subordinate rod forced to move in said rear engage notches of said fundamental base along said curved edges by a pulling force of said spring, thus said handle able to be collapsed downward to diminish the dimensions of said electric vehicle, convenient for said electric vehicle to be carried about.

2. The electric vehicle handle collapsing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fundamental base has its opposite sides respectively provided with a side plate having a central through hole.

3. The electric vehicle handle collapsing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fork tube has its opposite ends respectively bored with a positioning hole aligned to said central through hole of said side plate of said fundamental base for said combining member to be inserted therethrough.

4. The electric vehicle handle collapsing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said operating member has its front side disposed with a front plate to rest against the front wall of said fork tube, and the front plate is bored at a lower portion with a through hole matching with said sliding slot of said fork tube.

5. The electric vehicle handle collapsing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said subordinate member has its opposite ends respectively fitted with a stop member to resist against the outer walls said two side plates of said fundamental base to prevent said subordinate rod from slipping off, said subordinate rod is bored in the center with a through hole facing said through hole in said front plate of said operating member and said lower sliding slot of said fork tube.

6. The electric vehicle handle collapsing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handle collapsible device is provided with a locking device to be assembled with said operating member and said fork tube for tightly clamping and locking said operating member, and said locking device consists of a threaded rod having a pull lever fitted at the front end, a tightening member fitted around said threaded rod, a clasping block clasping the front side of said operating member and having a through hole facing said through hole of said front plate of said operating member, a resisting member fitted around said threaded rod and resisting against the rear wall of said fork tube, and a spring and a nut respectively fitted around and screwed with the end of said threaded rod.