Traveling apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10343740-B2
Application number	US-201715695068-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2017
Priority date	Sep 13, 2016
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a traveling apparatus including a front wheel supporting member configured to rotatably support a front wheel; a rear wheel supporting member configured to rotatably support a rear wheel; a driving unit configured to drive at least one of the front wheel and rear wheel; an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a wheel base length between the front wheel and the rear wheel by a user changing relative positions of the front wheel supporting member and the rear wheel supporting member; a control unit configured to control the driving unit based on a target speed associated with the wheel base length; and a failure detection unit configured to detect a failure in the traveling apparatus. When the failure detection unit detects the failure, the control unit stops the control based on the target speed associated with the wheel base length and performs control to extend the wheel base length.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A traveling apparatus including at least, with respect to a traveling direction, a front wheel and a rear wheel and on which a user rides when traveling, the traveling apparatus comprising:
a front wheel supporting member configured to rotatably support the front wheel;
a rear wheel supporting member configured to rotatably support the rear wheel;
a driving unit configured to drive at least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel;
an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a wheel base length between the front wheel and the rear wheel by the user changing relative positions of the front wheel supporting member and the rear wheel supporting member;
a control unit configured to control the driving unit based on a target speed associated with the wheel base length; and
a failure detection unit configured to detect a failure in the traveling apparatus, wherein
when the failure detection unit detects the failure, the control unit stops the control based on the target speed associated with the wheel base length and performs control to extend the wheel base length.

2. The traveling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the failure detection unit detects the failure, the control unit stops supplying power to the driving unit or stops supplying a driving signal to the driving unit.

3. The traveling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the failure detection unit detects the failure, the control unit controls the driving unit to gradually reduce a speed of the traveling apparatus.

4. The traveling apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a rear wheel braking member configured to brake rotation of the rear wheel, wherein when the failure detection unit detects the failure, the control unit controls the rear wheel braking member to brake the rotation of the rear wheel in the control to extend the wheel base length.

5. The traveling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the adjusting mechanism comprises an extension driving unit that extends the wheel base length by driving a force of an actuator, and
when the failure detection unit detects the failure, the control unit controls the extension driving unit to extend the wheel base length in the control to extend the wheel base length.

6. The traveling apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an elastic member disposed between the front wheel supporting member and the rear wheel supporting member and configured to extend the wheel base length when an locking part is unlocked, wherein when the failure detection unit detects the failure, the control unit unlocks the locking part of the elastic member in the control to extend the wheel base length.

7. The traveling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the target speed is associated with the wheel base length in such a way that the greater the wheel base length, the greater the target speed becomes.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kama Takeshi
• Mori Makoto

Classifications

• B62K23/00

  Rider-operated controls specially adapted for cycles, i.e. means for initiating control operations, e.g. levers, grips (specially adapted to cycle brake mechanisms B62L3/00) · CPC title

• B62K23/04

  Twist grips · CPC title

• B62L3/00

  Brake-actuating mechanisms {(for back-pedalling brakes B62L5/00)}; Arrangements thereof · CPC title

• B62K5/02

  Tricycles (children's tricycles B62K9/02) · CPC title

• B62K15/006

  the frame being foldable · CPC title