WO2020155463A1

WO2020155463A1 - Handle assembly and vehicle including the same

Info

Publication number: WO2020155463A1
Application number: PCT/CN2019/086337
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yi Shi; Dongfang CAO; Qiaozhong XU; Honglu HUANG
Original assignee: Neutron Holdings, Inc.
Priority date: 2019-01-30
Filing date: 2019-05-10
Publication date: 2020-08-06
Also published as: CN209938852U

Abstract

A handle assembly (130,200,300,600) and a vehicle (100) mounted with the handle assembly (130,200,300,600). The handle assembly (200) includes a base (210), a handle (220), and a torsional spring (240).The base (210) includes a front base surface, a rear base surface, and a hinge hole (213). The handle (220) includes a first end (222) and a holding portion (226). At least a part of the first end (222) is inserted in the hinge hole (213) to form a hinge, such that the handle (220) is pivotable in a space faced by the front base surface. The torsional spring (240) is coupled to the handle (220) and the base (210), such that when the hinge pivots, the torsional spring (240) provides torque in a direction opposite to a direction of rotation of the hinge. The handle assembly (130,200,300,600) provides a convenient way of carrying the vehicle, which allows a user to find a position to which a force may be applied effectively and easily.

Description

HANDLE ASSEMBLY AND VEHICLE INCLUDING THE SAME

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to the technical field of vehicle, and in particular to a handle assembly and a vehicle equipped with the handle assembly.

BACKGROUND

When carrying a scooter, a non-electric bicycle, or an electric bicycle, a user usually cannot find a position to which a force may be applied effectively and easily. In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to design a handle assembly for the above-mentioned vehicles.

SUMMARY

The present application is directed to providing a convenient way of carrying the vehicle, which allows a user to find a position to which a force may be applied effectively and easily.

In a first aspect of the present application, a handle assembly is provided. The handle assembly includes a base including a front base surface, a rear base surface, and a hinge hole; a handle including a first end and a holding portion, wherein at least a part of the first end is inserted in the hinge hole to form a hinge, such that the handle is pivotable in a space faced by the front base surface; and a torsional spring coupled to the handle and the base, such that when the hinge pivots, the torsional spring provides a torque in a direction opposite to a direction of rotation of the hinge.

In some embodiments, the handle may be a substantially rectangular shape with an opening on one side; the first end is an end of the handle at the opening; and the handle may further include a second end that is another end of the handle at the opening.

In some embodiments, at least a part of the second end may be in the hinge hole to form the hinge.

In some embodiments, the handle assembly may further include a handle sleeve that sleeves a body portion of the handle and is free to pivot relative to the body portion.

In some embodiments, the base may include a stopper that prevents rotation of the handle in the space from going beyond a preset position when the handle pivots.

In some embodiments, the torsional spring may include a first coupling portion and a second coupling portion. An end of the first end may include a first spring coupling surface, wherein the first spring coupling surface is coupled to the first coupling portion of the torsional spring, such that when the handle pivots, the first spring coupling surface drives the first coupling portion to pivot together with the handle. The base may include a second spring coupling surface, wherein the second spring coupling surface is coupled to the second coupling portion of the torsional spring to prevent the second coupling portion of the torsional spring from rotating together with the first coupling portion.

In a second aspect of the present application, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes: at least one front wheel; at least one rear wheel; and at least one body portion connecting the at least one front wheel and the at least one rear wheel, wherein the body portion includes at least one handle assembly.

In some embodiments, the handle assembly of the vehicle may include the handle assembly as stated above.

In some embodiments, the handle assembly may be on a vertical plane of the center of gravity of the vehicle.

In some embodiments, the handle assembly is a pull-rod assembly or a recess on the at least one body potion.

The handle assembly and the vehicle provided by the present application may provide a convenient way of carrying the vehicle, which allows a user to find a position to which a force may be applied effectively and easily.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle with a handle assembly mounted thereon according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2A is an assembled view of a handle assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2B is an exploded view of the handle assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGs. 2C to 2E illustrate the structure of a handle in the handle assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGs. 3A to 3C illustrate different ways of mounting the handle assembly on the vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates the structure of a pull-rod type handle assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates different ways of mounting the handle assembly on the vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 6 illustrates the structure of a handle assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to the design of a handle assembly and the design of an electric scooter equipped with the handle assembly. For example, the handle assembly may include a base, a handle, and a spring. A hinge may be formed between the handle and the base. When lifting the scooter, a user may hold the handle and pivot it through the hinge to facilitate lifting and carrying the scooter. The spring keeps the handle in place when the handle is not in use. The handle assembly may be mounted at any position of the scooter. For example, the handle assembly may be mounted on a pedal of the scooter near the center of gravity of the scooter to facilitate carrying the scooter by using the handle assembly.

The following description provides specific scenarios and requirements of the present application in order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the illustrated embodiments, but is to be interpreted according to the broadest scope of the claims.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of the describing specific embodiments, rather than limitation. For example, the singular forms "a" , “an” , and/or "the" may also include their plural forms. The terms "including" , "comprising" and/or "having" , when used in the specification, are meant to specify the presence of associated integer, steps, operations, elements and/or components, and do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components in the system/methods. As used in this specification, the term "A on B" means that A is directly adjacent to B (from above or below) , and may also mean that A is indirectly adjacent to B (i.e., there is some element between A and B) ; the term "A in B" means that A is all in B, or it may also mean that A is partially in B.

In view of the following description, these and other features of the present disclosure, as well as operations and functions of related elements of the structure, and the economic efficiency of the combination and manufacture of the components, may be significantly improved. All of these form part of the disclosure with reference to the drawings. However, it should be understood that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

Moreover, although the system and method of the present disclosure primarily describe a design for a scooter with a handle, it should be understood that this is merely an exemplary embodiment. The system or method of the present disclosure may be applied to any other type of vehicle. For example, the systems or methods of the present disclosure may be applied to vehicles in different environments, including terrestrial, marine, aerospace, etc., or any combination thereof. The vehicle may include electric, motorized and/or human-powered scooter, bicycle, moped, motorcycle, Segway, motorboat, etc., or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the system or method may be applied to, for example, a logistics warehouse, military affairs.

In view of the foregoing, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above-detailed disclosure may be presented by way of example only and may not be limiting. Although not explicitly stated herein, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is intended to cover various modifications, improvements, and changes of the embodiments. These changes, modifications, and adaptations are intended to be made by the present disclosure and are within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

In addition, some of the terms in this application have been used to describe embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, "one embodiment" , "an embodiment" and/or "some embodiments" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is to be understood that two or more references to “one embodiment” , “an embodiment” and/or “alternative embodiment” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined as appropriate in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

It is to be understood that in the foregoing description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, to assist in understanding a feature, the present application sometimes combines various features in a single embodiment, a figure, or the description thereof for the purpose of simplifying the disclosure. Alternatively, the present application is to disperse various features in various embodiments of the present disclosure. However, this does not mean that the combination of these features is necessary, and it is entirely possible for those skilled in the art to extract a part of the features are extracted as a separate embodiment when reading this application. That is to say, the embodiments in the present application may also be understood as the integration of a plurality of sub-embodiments. Furthermore, the content of each of the sub-embodiments, when less than all of the features of a single previously disclosed embodiment, is also true.

In some embodiments, numbers expressing quantities or properties used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the present application are to be understood as being modified by the terms "about" , "approximately" , or "substantially" in some instances. For example, "about" , "approximately" or "substantially" may mean a change of ±20%of the value that this term describes, unless otherwise stated. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and the appended claims are approximations, which may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained in a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, numerical parameters should be interpreted in accordance with the number of significant figures reported and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Although a number of embodiments of the present application provide a broad range of numerical ranges and parameters that are approximations, the values are listed in the specific embodiments as accurately as possible.

Each of the patents, patent applications, publications of patent applications, and other materials, such as articles, books, specifications, publications, documents, articles, etc., cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference. All content used for all purposes, except for any prosecution file history associated therewith, any history file that may be inconsistent or conflicting with this document, or any identical indictment file history that may have a restrictive effect on the broadest scope of the claims, are associated with this document now or later. For example, if there is any inconsistency or conflict between the descriptions, definitions, and/or usage of the terms associated with the included materials and the descriptions, definitions, and/or usage of the terms associated with this document in terms, the terminology used in the present disclosure shall prevail.

Finally, it should be understood that the embodiments of the application disclosed herein are illustrative of the principles of the embodiments of the application. Other modified embodiments are also within the scope of this application. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are by way of example only and not limitation. Those skilled in the art may adopt alternative configurations to implement the technical solution in this application in accordance with embodiments of the present application. Therefore, the embodiments of the present application are not limited to the embodiments that have been precisely described in the application.

FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 100 on which a handle assembly is mounted. The vehicle 100 may be a human-powered, electric, or gasoline-powered scooter, bicycle, motorcycle, motorboat, and the like. For the convenience of illustration, the present disclosure will be described with reference to an electric scooter.

The electric scooter 100 may include a handlebar portion, a body portion 120, and a wheel portion. The handlebar portion may include a vehicle light 102, a handlebar 104, and a head tube 106. The headlights 102 may be mounted on the head tube 106. The handlebar 104 may be located in an upper portion of the head tube 106, and form a substantially T shape together with the head tube 106.

The wheel portion may include at least one front wheel 112, at least one front wheel fender 116, at least one rear wheel 114, and at least one rear wheel fender 118. The front fender 116 may be substantially coaxial with the front wheel 112. When the electric scooter 100 moves on a road, the front wheel fender 116 may block the dirt brought by the front wheel 112 due to rolling. The rear fender 118 may be substantially coaxially aligned with the rear wheel 114. When the electric scooter 100 moves on the road, the rear wheel fender 118 may block the dirt brought by the rear wheel 114 due to rolling. Furthermore, the rear wheel fender 118 may also function as a brake pad. When the user presses the outer side of the rear fender 118 with his foot from above, the rear fender 118 may be bent downward, and the inner side thereof may be in contact with the rear wheel 114 to form a frictional force, thereby performing a braking function on the electric scooter 100.

The body portion 120 may be connected the front wheel 112 and the rear wheel 114. The body portion may be rectangular, substantially rectangular or close to rectangular-shaped on at least one side. A battery of the electric scooter 100 may be placed in the body portion 120. The body portion 120 may include an upper surface 122 and a side surface 124. A pedal may be provided on the upper surface 122. The user may stand on the pedal while operating the electric scooter 100. The electric scooter 100 may also include a handle assembly 130. The handle assembly 130 may assist the user to grasp and apply force when moving the electric scooter 100. For example, the handle assembly 130 may be mounted to the side surface 124 of the body portion 120 or may be mounted to the upper surface 122 (or the pedal) of the body portion 120. Specific details regarding the handle assembly 130 and its mounting on the body portion 120 will be described elsewhere in this disclosure.

In FIG. 1, the point O may represent the center of gravity of the electric scooter 100. Since the electric scooter 100 looks substantially symmetrical when viewed in the direction from the front wheel 112 to the rear wheel 114. The point O may be located in a plane defined by the body portion 120 and the head tube 106. A z-axis may be an axis that extends vertically upward through the point O. An x-axis may be oriented toward the handlebar and may be located in the symmetrical plane of the electric scooter 100 through the point O. A y-axis may be an axis perpendicular to a plane defined by the x-axis and the z-axis.

FIGs. 2A-2B respectively show an assembled view and an exploded view of a handle assembly 200, according to embodiments of the present application. The handle assembly 200 may be used as an embodiment of the handle assembly 130 of FIG. 1. The handle assembly 200 may include a base 210, a handle 220, a spring 240, and a handle sleeve 230. The handle sleeve 230 may sleeve over the handle 220. A part of the handle 220 is inserted into the base 210 to form a hinge. The spring 240 is coupled with the base 210 and the handle 220 to provide a reverse torque when the handle 220 pivots around the hinge.

Spring 240 may be any form of torsional spring. For example, in FIG. 2B, the spring 240 is a double torsional spring with a symmetrical structure, which includes two spring bodies 242, a first coupling portion 244, and a second coupling portion 246. The spring 240 in its entirety resembles substantially Ω-shape. The two spring bodies 242 are both helical torsional springs and are symmetrically located on both sides of the second coupling portion 246. At the outermost end of each spring body 242, a helical spring wire is bent toward the center of the circle of the cross-section of the helical torsional spring. Therefore, the spring body 242 has a shape resemble the English letter G, as viewed in the axial direction of the helical spring body 242. The spring wire that is bent toward the center of the circle is the first coupling portion 244. In some embodiments, the spring 240 may have any other shape. The present disclosure is not specifically limited to the above shape. For example, the double torsional spring may also be split into a plurality of single torsional springs. For example, the spring 240 may include only one spring body 242, and the first coupling portion 244 and the second coupling portion 246 are respectively located at both ends of the spring body 242.

The base 210 may include a bottom plate 212 and an upper cover 214. The upper cover 214 may include a front base surface 242. The bottom plate 212 may include two surfaces: a rear base surface 244 and a second spring coupling surface 216. The second spring coupling surface 216 may be on the opposite side of the rear base surface 244 and may be in contact with the second coupling portion 246 of the spring 240, thereby preventing displacement of the second coupling portion 246 relative to the bottom plate 212.

When the upper cover 214 and the bottom plate 212 are brought together, a hinge hole 213 may be formed between the upper cover 214 and the bottom plate 212. The hinge hole 213 has an axis indicated by y'. For example, the hinge hole 213 may be fully within the upper cover 214 (i.e., the hinge hole 213 is only a groove or a through-hole in the upper cover 214) . Alternatively, each of the upper cover 214 and the bottom plate 212 may have a groove. These two grooves may align with each other such that they form the hinge hole 213 when the upper cover 214 and the bottom plate 212 are combined with each other.

In addition, the bottom plate 212 and the upper cover 214 may further include a plurality of screw holes 215. The bottom plate 212 and the upper cover 214 may be connected with each other by a plurality of bolts passing through the screw holes 215. When the handle assembly 200 is mounted on the electric scooter 100, the rear base surface 244 may face towards the electric scooter 100, whereas the front base surface 242 may face away from the electric scooter 100.

FIG. 2C shows the structure of a handle 220. The handle 220 may be made of metal or other solid materials. The cross-section of the handle 220 may have a circular, elliptical, square, or hexagonal shape, or other polygonal shapes. The handle 220 may have a substantially rectangular shape with an opening on one side. From one end to the other end of the opening, the handle 220 may, in turn, include a first end 222, a first arm portion 224, a holding portion 226, a second arm portion 224', and a second end 222'. The first end 222 and the second end 222' may be opposite to each other in position and may both be on the open side of the rectangular shape. Viewed counterclockwise from the open side, the first arm portion 224, the holding portion 226, and the second arm portion 224' may correspond to the other three sides of the rectangular shape, respectively. FIGs. 2D-2E illustrate other designs of the handle 220. In the configuration shown in FIG. 2D, the handle 220 may, in turn, include a first end 222, a first arm portion 224, a holding portion 226, and a handle end 227. The structural relationship among the first end 222, the first arm portion 224 and the holding portion 226 may be the same as that shown in FIG. 2C. The handle end 227 may be in any form, and its function may facilitate preventing the user’s hand from sliding out of the holding portion 226 in its lengthwise direction when the user holds the holding portion 226, and may also help prevent the handle sleeve from sliding out of the holding portion 226 when sleeving over the holding portion 226. For example, in FIG. 2D the handle end 227 may be spherical. As shown in FIG. 2E, the handle end 227' may have a shape in which the handle end 227' is a bent end of the holding portion 226.

The end portion of the first end 222 may include a first spring coupling surface 228. The first spring coupling surface 228 may take a variety of forms. For example, the spring coupling surface 228 may be a flat surface that is deployed along the lengthwise direction of the first end 222. The end portion of the second end 222' may include a second spring coupling surface 228'. The second spring coupling surface 228' may take a variety of forms. For example, the second spring coupling surface 228' may be a flat surface that is deployed along the lengthwise direction of the second end 222'. The end portion of the first end 222 and/or the end portion of the second end 222 may be inserted into the interior of the spring body 242 from the left and right ends of the spring 240, respectively, such that the first spring coupling surface 228 and/or the second spring coupling surface 228' are coupled with (e.g., in contact with) the first coupling portion 244 of the spring. As a result, when the first end 220 and/or the second end 220' of the handle 220 pivots, the first coupling portion 244 of the spring will pivot along with the first end 220 and/or the second end 220' of the handle 220.

The first end 222 and/or the second end 222' of the handle 220 may fully or partially pass through the hinge hole 213 to form, in combination with the hinge hole 213, a hinge. Without being subjected to an external force, the holding portion 226 may abut the x'-y' plane along the positive direction of the x'-axis under the torque of the spring 240. The positive direction of the x'-axis may be the initial direction of the holding portion 226, that is, the direction of the holding portion 226 relative to the first end 222 (or relative to the hinge) in its initial state (i.e., without being subjected to any external force) . When the user grasps and pulls the holding portion 226, the holding portion 226 may be pivoted about the y'-axis in a front space that the front base surface 242 faces towards. Since the first spring coupling surface 228 and/or the second spring coupling surface 228' of the handle 220 are coupled to the first coupling portion 244 of the spring 240, the first spring coupling surface 228 and/or the second spring coupling surface 228' may pivot together with the first coupling portion 244. However, since second coupling portion 246 abuts against the second spring coupling surface 216 and thus cannot move, the spring 240 may generate torque in a direction opposite to the rotational direction.

The upper cover 214 of the base 210 may also include a stopper 218. The stopper 218 may include a stop surface 219. The stop surface 219 of the stopper 218 may define the maximum position to which the handle 220 may pivot. When the handle 220 pivots about the y'-axis, the stopper 218 may prevent the rotation of the handle in the front space from going beyond a predetermined position. For the structure of the handle shown in FIG. 2C, the base cover 214 may also include two stoppers 218 that correspond to the positions of the handle arm portions 224, 224', respectively. For the structure of the handle shown in FIGs. 2D and 2E, the base cover 214 may include a stopper 218 corresponding to the position of the handle arm portion 224.

The handle sleeve 230 may be a hollow sleeve that sleeves the holding portion 226 of the handle 220 and is free to pivot relative to the holding portion 226. The handle sleeve 230 may be made of a PVC material, and the PVC sleeve may be provided with a warning light and/or a reflective sheet to enhance the warning effect.

FIGs. 3A-3C illustrate different ways of mounting the handle assembly 200 on the electric scooter 100. FIG. 3A illustrates an example of which the handle assembly 200 is mounted on the side surface 124 of the body portion 120. The initial direction x' of the handle assembly may be at any angle with respect to the side surface 124. The initial direction x' of the holding portion 226 may be downward, such as vertically pointing to the ground (shown at 200-1) or generally at an angle from -45° to +45° in a vertically downward direction. The initial direction x' of the handle may also be upward, such as vertically pointing to the sky (shown at 200-2) or at an angle from -45° to +45°from a direction vertically pointing to the sky.

FIGs. 3B-3C illustrate examples in which the handle assembly 200 is mounted on the upper surface 122 of the body portion 120. The initial direction x' of the handle may be at any angle with respect to the upper surface 122. For example, the initial direction x' of the holding portion 226 may be mounted along the positive direction of the x-axis (shown at 200-3) or the negative direction of the x-axis (shown at 200-4) . The initial direction x' of the holding portion 226 may also be mounted along the positive direction of the y-axis (shown at 200-6) or the negative direction of the y-axis (shown at 200-5) . The initial direction x' of the holding portion 226 may also be mounted obliquely relative to the x-axis to facilitate gripping by the user. For example, the initial direction x' of the holding portion 226 may be mounted at an angle from -45° to +45°with respect to the positive direction of the x-axis.

When the handle assembly 200 is mounted on the side surface 124 and/or the upper surface 122, the body portion 120 may further include a recessed space (e.g., a recess) to accommodate the handle assembly 200. The depth of the recessed space may be the same or approximately the same as the thickness of the handle assembly 200 such that the handle assembly 200, when mounted to the body portion 120, is flush with the corresponding surface it is mounted to or does not significantly protrude relative to the corresponding surface.

Further, the position where the handle assembly 200 is mounted may be as close as possible to the center of gravity of the electric scooter 100. For example, the position where the handle assembly 200 is mounted may be as close as possible to a plane passing through the center of gravity O of the electric scooter 100, such as the y-z plane, the x-z plane, and the like, to facilitate lifting of the electric scooter through the handle assembly 200. For example, the position where the handle assembly 300 is mounted may pass through the center of gravity O of the electric scooter 100 and/or its z-axis to facilitate lifting of the electric scooter through the handle assembly 200.

FIG. 4 illustrates the design of another pull-rod type handle assembly 300. The handle assembly 300 may be made of metal or other solid materials. The handle assembly 300 may be used as an embodiment of the handle assembly 130 of FIG. 1. The handle assembly 300 may include a handle 310, at least one pull rod 320, a guide sleeve 340, and a stopper 330.350 denotes a mounting surface of the handle assembly 300.

The handle 310 may be a cross-beam structure extending along the y"-axis, and its cross-section may be circular, elliptical, square, or hexagonal, or may have other polygonal shapes.

The pull rod 320 may be cylindrical (also called a guide post) , and its cross section may be circular, elliptical, square, or hexagonal, or may have other polygonal shapes. The number of the pull rod 320 may be one, two, or more. In the structure shown in Fig. 4, there are two pull rods 320.

The guide sleeve 340 may be tubular. The guide sleeve 340 may include a through-hole. The through-hole may have the same shape as that of the cross-section of the pull rod 320. The number and position of the guide sleeves 320 may correspond to the number and position of the pull rods 320. In an assembled state, the pull rod 320 may pass through the through-hole. The pull rod 320 may be loosely engaged with the through-hole and may be slidable in the through-hole of the guide sleeve 340.

One end of the pull rod 320 may be connected to the handle 310 and the other end of the pull rod 320 may be connected to the stopper 330. The function of the stopper may be to limit the position of the pull rod 320 when the user pulls the handle to drive the pull rod 320 to slide in the positive and negative directions of the x′-axis in the guide sleeve 340.

When the user releases the handle 310, the handle 310 and the pull rod 320 may return to their initial positions due to their own weight, that is, the handle 310 will fall back onto the upper surface 342 of the guide sleeve 340. The handle assembly 300 may also include a spring (not shown) between the stopper 330 and the guide sleeve 340 to assist the handle 310 to return to its initial position.

FIG. 5 illustrates different ways of mounting the handle assembly 300 on the body portion 120 of the electric scooter 100.300-1 indicates an embodiment in which the handle assembly 300 is mounted on the side surface 124 of the body portion 120. The handle 310 may be arranged parallel to the upper surface 122 of the body portion 120 (the y"-axis is parallel to the x-axis) or may be arranged at any angle relative to the upper surface 122.

300-2 denotes a mounting orientation in which the handle assembly 300 is mounted on the upper surface 122 of the body portion 120. The y"-axis may be parallel to the x-axis. In some embodiments, the y"-axis may coincide with the x-axis.

300-3 denotes another mounting orientation in which the handle assembly 300 is mounted on the upper surface 122 of the body portion 120. The y"-axis may be at any angle between 0° and 180° with respect to the x-axis.

300-4 denotes another mounting orientation in which the handle assembly 300 is mounted to the upper surface 122 of the body portion 120. The y"-axis may be perpendicular to the x-axis.

When the handle assembly 300 is mounted on the side surface 124 and/or the upper surface 122, the body portion 120 may further include a recessed space to accommodate the handle assembly 300. The depth of the recessed space may be the same or approximately the same as the height of the handle assembly 300 such that the handle assembly 300, when mounted to the body portion 120, is flush with the corresponding surface it is mounted to or does not significantly protrude relative to the corresponding surface.

Further, the position where the handle assembly 300 is mounted may be as close as possible to a vertical plane of the center of gravity of the electric scooter 100. For example, the position where the handle assembly 300 is mounted may be as close as possible to a plane passing through the center of gravity O of the electric scooter 100, such as the y-z plane, the x-z plane, and the like. For example, the position where the handle assembly 300 is mounted may pass through the center of gravity O of the electric scooter 100 and/or its z-axis.

FIG. 6 illustrates the design of another handle assembly 600. The handle assembly 600 may be used as an embodiment of the handle assembly 130 of FIG. 1. The handle assembly 600 may include a recess on the side surface 124 of the body portion 120. The recess may be rectangular or of any shape and may be at any angle with respect to the upper surface 122. The user may carry the electric scooter 100 by holding the recess 600 by hand. Further, the position where the handle assembly 300 is mounted may be as close as possible to a vertical plane of the center of gravity of the electric scooter 100. For example, the position where the handle assembly 300 is mounted may be as close as possible to a plane passing through the center of gravity O of the electric scooter 100, such as the y-z plane.

In summary, the present disclosure discloses various structural designs of handle assembly and discloses a vehicle equipped with various handle devices by taking the electric scooter as an example. To a user, a scooter with such handle structure is more labor-saving and more convenient to use when moving.

Claims

A handle assembly, comprising:

a base including a front base surface, a rear base surface, and a hinge hole;

a handle including a first end and a holding portion, wherein at least a part of the first end is inserted in the hinge hole to form a hinge, such that the handle is pivotable in a space faced by the front base surface; and

a torsional spring coupled to the handle and the base, such that when the hinge pivots about the hinge hole, the torsional spring provides a torque in a direction opposite to a direction of rotation of the hinge.
The handle assembly according to claim 1, wherein

the handle a substantially rectangular shape with an opening on one side;

the first end is an end of the handle at the opening; and

the handle further includes a second end that is another end of the handle at the opening.
The handle assembly of claim 2, wherein

at least a part of the second end is in the hinge hole to form the hinge.
The handle assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a handle sleeve that sleeves over a body portion of the handle and is free to pivot relative to the body portion.
The handle assembly of claim 1, wherein

the base includes a stopper that prevents rotation of the handle in the space from going beyond a preset position when the handle pivots.
The handle assembly of claim 1, wherein

the torsional spring includes a first coupling portion and a second coupling portion; and

an end of the first end includes a first spring coupling surface, wherein the first spring coupling surface is coupled to the first coupling portion of the torsional spring, such that when the handle pivots, the first spring coupling surface drives the first coupling portion to pivot together with the handle; and

the base includes a second spring coupling surface, wherein the second spring coupling surface is coupled to the second coupling portion of the torsional spring to prevent the second coupling portion of the torsional spring from rotating together with the first coupling portion.
A vehicle, comprising:

at least one front wheel;

at least one rear wheel; and

at least one body portion connecting the at least one front wheel and the at least one rear wheel, wherein the body portion includes at least one handle assembly.
The vehicle of claim 7, wherein

the handle assembly of the vehicle comprises the handle assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
The vehicle of claim 7, wherein

the handle assembly is substantially close to the center of gravity of the vehicle.
The vehicle of claim 7, wherein

the handle assembly is a pull-rod assembly or a recess on the at least one body potion.