CN220948346U - Scooter - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application proposes a scooter comprising at least one steering input device, a pair of front wheels comprising a left front wheel and a right front wheel, a gage rod, at least one rear wheel, a chassis, the pair of front wheels being swingably connected to both front ends of the chassis, respectively, the gage rod being connected between the pair of front wheels, the at least one steering input device being operatively connected to the pair of front wheels or the gage rod, the at least one rear wheel being arranged parallel to a longitudinal axis of the chassis and connected to a rear portion of the chassis. With the above configuration, the scooter of the present application is stable in performance during cornering.

Description

Scooter

Technical Field

The present application relates to a non-motor vehicle and more particularly to a scooter that achieves self-propulsion by means of a steering mechanism.

Background

Scooters are typically non-motorized vehicles, suitable for use by both children and teenagers as toys, and by teenagers and adults as daily walker tools. Current scooters on the market use steering mechanisms with a single steering shaft, such a configuration making the scooter insufficiently stable during cornering.

In the prior art, U.S. patent No. 3663038A, US4200304A, US4930796A, US9108693B2, U.S. patent application No. US20040145140A1, US20050236800A1, US20140339786A1, etc., disclose similar types of riding vehicles/children's swing vehicles, respectively, that utilize manual force to propel the vehicle forward/backward through a steering system. However, due to their design, these solutions exhibit instability when turning to one side.

For this reason, it is necessary to provide corresponding compensating mechanisms or wheel sets so that scooters with self-propelled steering systems perform more stably during cornering.

Disclosure of utility model

In order to overcome the problems of the prior art described above, the present application proposes a scooter comprising at least one steering input device, a pair of front wheels comprising a left front wheel and a right front wheel, a gage rod, at least one rear wheel, a chassis, the pair of front wheels being respectively swingably connected to both front ends of the chassis, the gage rod being connected between the pair of front wheels, the at least one steering input device being operatively connected to the pair of front wheels or the gage rod, the at least one rear wheel being arranged parallel to a longitudinal axis of the chassis and connected to a rear portion of the chassis.

In one embodiment, the at least one steering input device is rotatably mounted centrally in the front of the chassis, and the scooter further comprises a link having a first end fixedly connected to the at least one steering input device such that the link rotates with the at least one steering input device and a second end pivotally connected to the gage rod.

In another embodiment, the at least one steering input device comprises two steering input devices connected to the left and right front wheels, respectively, for steering the left and right front wheels, respectively.

In some embodiments, the at least one steering input device is coupled to the pair of front wheels or the gage rod by a rack and pinion steering mechanism or a recirculating ball steering mechanism.

In yet another embodiment, the at least one rear wheel comprises a single rear wheel disposed centrally at a rear of the chassis.

In a further embodiment, a line between a hub center of the at least one rear wheel and a mounting point on the chassis is angled with respect to a normal to the ground plane.

In yet another embodiment, the scooter further comprises a braking system.

In yet another embodiment, the scooter further comprises a seat connected to the chassis.

In yet another embodiment, the scooter further comprises a mask acting as a seat and/or foot rest, the mask overlying the chassis.

In yet another embodiment, the chassis is formed as a mask that acts as a seat and/or foot rest.

The present application employs symmetrically arranged and synchronously steered front wheels, while employing at least one rear wheel parallel to and symmetrically arranged about the longitudinal axis of the vehicle chassis, ensuring that the scooter is stable during cornering. On the other hand, the steering input device of the present application may be either a single device or a pair of devices that operate the left/right front wheels separately, as long as it and the possible mating mechanism can ensure synchronous steering of the pair of front wheels. In addition, the non-vertically mounted rear wheels ensure that the scooter remains forward traveling when not subjected to lateral forces such as cornering. Further, to accommodate the needs of each potential user, the scooter may be configured with additional mounting of a mask that serves as a seat and/or foot rest, a vehicle chassis, i.e., a mask, or with only foot rest without a seat to accommodate the user's conventional riding posture.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for the description of the embodiments will be briefly described below, and it is apparent that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings may be obtained according to these drawings without inventive effort for a person skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a scooter in accordance with one embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the scooter of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of the scooter of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 wherein the steering input device is rotated to the left or right by a user;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a scooter according to another embodiment of the present application with a footrest positioned at the front of the vehicle removed;

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a scooter according to another embodiment of the present application;

figures 6a and 6b show perspective and side views, respectively, of a scooter according to another embodiment of the present application;

Figures 7a, 7b and 7c show a perspective view of a scooter according to another embodiment of the present application and exploded views of two different possible embodiments thereof, respectively;

FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of a scooter in accordance with another embodiment of the present application; and

Fig. 9 shows a bottom view of the scooter of the embodiment of fig. 8 with the mask 13' removed.

List of reference numerals:

1. 1' -steering input means; 101. 101' -steering shaft; 102. 102' -handle; 2-front wheels; 3-gauge bar; 4. 4', 4 "-rear wheels; 5. a 5' -chassis; 6, a mounting seat; 7-connecting rods; 8-front wheel arm; 9. a 9' -seat; 10. 10' -front foot pedal; 11. 11' -rear foot pedal; 12-rear wheel arm; 13. 13' -face mask; alpha-angle.

Detailed Description

For the purpose of making the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more apparent, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application, and it is apparent that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, not all embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments, which can be made by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the application without making any inventive effort, are intended to be within the scope of the application.

In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "X-axis," "Y-axis," "Z-axis," "vertical," "parallel," "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," etc. indicate or are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, merely to facilitate description of the application and to simplify the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be configured and operated in a particular orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and the like, are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defining "a first" or "a second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more such feature. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise indicated, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more.

In the description of the present application, it should be noted that, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, and may be either fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally connected, for example; can be mechanically or electrically connected; can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be communication between two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present application will be understood in specific cases by those of ordinary skill in the art.

Referring to fig. 1-2, in this embodiment, a scooter is provided, suitable for use by an adult, teenager or child, comprising a steering input device 1, a pair of front wheels 2, a track bar 3, a pair of rear wheels 4, a chassis 5. The steering input device 1, which is composed of a steering shaft 101 and a handle 102 connected to the steering shaft 101, is rotatably mounted at the front center of the chassis 5 through a mount 6. Additionally, a link 7 is provided, wherein the front end of the link 7 is fixedly connected to the steering shaft 101 such that the link 7 rotates with the steering shaft 101, and the rear end of the link 7 is pivotably connected to the center of the gauge rod 3. A pair of front wheels 2 are swingably connected to both front ends of the chassis 5 via respective front wheel arms 8. The gage rod 3 is pivotally connected at both ends between a pair of front wheels 2, specifically front wheel arms 8 connected to each front wheel 2. The mounting/connection point of the front wheel 2 on the front wheel arm 8 (in the longitudinal direction of the scooter) is relatively rearward, preferably adjacent to the pivotable connection point of the gage rod 3 with the front wheel arm 8, for example slightly forward or slightly rearward of the pivotable connection point of the gage rod 3 with the front wheel arm 8. In this way, the 4 pivotable connection points, i.e. the 2 connection points of the front wheel arm 8 with the undercarriage 5 and the 2 connection points of the gage rod 3 with the front wheel arm 8, are connected in sequence to form a parallelogram structure, ensuring that the user's manipulation of the steering input device 1 always causes deformation of said parallelogram. It should be noted that when the front wheel 2 is not swinging, i.e. the front wheel 2 is facing straight ahead, the projection of the point of connection of the front wheel arm 8 with the undercarriage 5 on the longitudinal axis of the undercarriage 5 coincides with the point of fixed connection of the steering shaft 101 and the connecting rod 7, ensuring an unimpeded transformation of the rotation of the steering input device 1 into a deformation of said parallelogram. Specifically, referring to fig. 3 and 9, the user turns the steering input device 1, 1″ to the left or right, thereby turning the link 7. The gage rod 3 is moved leftwards or rightwards by the driving of the connecting rod 7. Finally, the pair of front wheel arms 8 rotates in synchronization with respect to the link 7. At this time, since the front wheel 2 abuts the pivotable connection point of the gage rod 3 and the front wheel arm 8, the front wheel 2 does not pivot in place but swings together with the tail of the front wheel arm 8.

The scooter of this embodiment further comprises a seat 9 connected to the chassis 5, or alternatively the seat 9 may have a through hole to allow the steering shaft 101 to pass therethrough. The scooter may also be configured with a front foot pedal 10 and/or a rear foot pedal 11 depending on the user's preference. A pair of rear wheels 4 are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chassis 5 and are arranged symmetrically about the longitudinal axis at the rear of the chassis 5.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 4, the scooter comprises a pair of steering input devices 1', each consisting of a steering shaft 101' and a handle 102 'connected to the steering shaft 101'. The pair of steering input devices 1' are directly connected to a pair of front wheels 2, specifically respective front wheel arms 8, for steering the left and right front wheels, respectively. However, in practice, similar to the previous embodiment, the 4 pivotable connection points are connected in sequence to form a parallelogram configuration, ensuring a common steering of the pair of front wheels 2. Based on this, applying the steering force to one of the steering input devices 1' alone also enables the common steering of the pair of front wheels 2, with the only difference that such an operation is more laborious.

Alternatively, instead of the link 3, the steering input device 1 of the embodiment shown in fig. 1-2 and the steering input device 1' of the embodiment shown in fig. 4 may also be operatively connected to a pair of front wheels 2 or gauge bars 3 by a rack-and-pinion steering mechanism or recirculating ball steering mechanism. Specifically, the lower ends of the steering shafts 101, 101' are provided with a gear (of a rack-and-pinion mechanism) or a nut (of a recirculating ball steering mechanism), and the corresponding positions of the pair of front wheels 2 or the gauge bars 3 are provided with a rack (of a rack-and-pinion mechanism) or a ball-bearing screw (of a recirculating ball steering mechanism).

In the embodiment shown in fig. 5, the scooter comprises only one rear wheel 4', arranged centrally in the rear of the chassis 5. The distribution of such rear wheel 4' assemblies on both sides of the longitudinal axis is empty, whereby a symmetrical arrangement of the rear wheel assemblies about the longitudinal axis is achieved in another form.

Referring to fig. 6a, 6b, in this embodiment, a pair of rear wheels 4 "are in the form of casters mounted on the underside of the rear foot pedal 11 by rear wheel arms 12. The rear wheel arm 12 is not perpendicular to the rear footboard 11 but at an angle alpha to the normal of the bottom/ground plane. Such a configuration allows the scooter to remain traveling forward without being subjected to lateral forces such as cornering.

Referring to fig. 7a, 7b and 7c, in this embodiment the scooter has a mask 13, the mask 13 comprising a first portion which acts as a front footrest 10', a second portion which acts as a rear footrest 11' and a third portion which acts as a seat 9 '. In the embodiment shown in fig. 7b, the mask 13 is mounted and covers the chassis 5. In an alternative embodiment shown in fig. 7c, the chassis 5' itself is shaped to the contour of the mask 13.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 8, the mask 13' may have a different profile than that shown in fig. 7a-7 c. However, instead of being contoured, the mask 13 'may have a configuration similar to the embodiment shown in fig. 7b-7c, i.e., the mask 13' may be mounted and overlaid on the chassis or may itself act as the chassis.

Optionally, the scooter may also be provided with a brake system (not shown) for reducing the travel speed of the scooter and even stopping the scooter.

It should be understood that the foregoing drawings and detailed description are merely exemplary of the application and are not exhaustive of the possible embodiments of the application, and that various modifications can be made to the above described embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the application.

Claims (10)

1. A scooter comprising at least one steering input device, a pair of front wheels comprising a left front wheel and a right front wheel, a gage rod, at least one rear wheel, a chassis, the pair of front wheels being swingably connected to front ends of the chassis, respectively, the gage rod being connected between the pair of front wheels, the at least one steering input device being operatively connected to either the pair of front wheels or the gage rod, the at least one rear wheel being arranged parallel to a longitudinal axis of the chassis and connected to a rear portion of the chassis.

2. A scooter according to claim 1 wherein the at least one steering input device is rotatably mounted centrally at the front of the chassis and the scooter further comprises a link having a first end fixedly connected to the at least one steering input device such that the link rotates with the at least one steering input device and a second end pivotally connected to the gage rod.

3. A scooter according to claim 1 wherein the at least one steering input device comprises two steering input devices connected to the left and right front wheels, respectively, for steering the left and right front wheels, respectively.

4. A scooter according to claim 1 or claim 3 wherein the at least one steering input device is connected to the pair of front wheels or the gage rod by a rack and pinion steering mechanism or a recirculating ball steering mechanism.

5. A scooter according to claim 1 wherein the at least one rear wheel comprises a single rear wheel centrally disposed at a rear portion of the chassis.

6. A scooter according to claim 1 or claim 5 wherein the line between the hub centre of the at least one rear wheel and the mounting point on the chassis is angled relative to the normal to ground.

7. A scooter according to claim 1 wherein the scooter further comprises a brake system.

8. A scooter according to claim 1 wherein the scooter further comprises a seat connected to the chassis.

9. A scooter according to claim 1, further comprising a mask acting as a seat and/or foot rest, the mask overlying the chassis.

10. A scooter according to claim 9 wherein the chassis is formed as a mask which acts as a seat and/or foot rest.