Mobile carrier and steering adjustment mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10406049-B2
Application number	US-201815973543-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2018
Priority date	Jan 24, 2018
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

A mobile carrier includes a first frame, a directional wheel pivoted to the first frame, a second frame pivoted to the first frame, a steering adjustment mechanism connected to the second frame, and a steering wheel. The steering adjustment mechanism includes a first rotating element and a second rotating element coupled to the first rotating element. When a first rotating axis of the first rotating element is perpendicular to a plane, the first and the second rotating elements are locked to each other and are capable of rotating around the first rotating axis simultaneously. When a second rotating axis of the second rotating element is perpendicular to the plane, rotational degree of freedom of the first rotating element is restricted, and the second rotating element is capable of rotating around the second rotating axis relative to the first rotating element. A steering adjustment mechanism is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile carrier, comprising:
a first frame, having a first end portion and a second end portion opposite to each other;
a directional wheel, pivoted to the first end portion;
a second frame, pivoted to the second end portion;
a steering adjustment mechanism, connected to the second frame, the steering adjustment mechanism and the second end portion being respectively located at two opposite sides of the second frame, and the steering adjustment mechanism comprising a first rotating element and a second rotating element coupled to the first rotating element, wherein the first rotating element has a first rotating axis, and the second rotating element has a second rotating axis; and
a steering wheel, pivoted to the second rotating element, wherein
when the first rotating axis is perpendicular to a plane, the first rotating element and the second rotating element are locked to each other, and the first rotating element and the second rotating element rotate around the first rotating axis simultaneously, and
when the second rotating axis is perpendicular to the plane, a rotational degree of freedom of the first rotating element is restricted, and the second rotating element rotates around the second rotating axis relative to the first rotating element.

2. The mobile carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the first rotating axis and the second rotating axis are not parallel to each other.

3. The mobile carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the steering adjustment mechanism further comprising:
a fixing element, fixed to the second frame, wherein the first rotating element is pivoted to the fixing element; and
a connecting element, having a third end portion and a fourth end portion opposite to each other, wherein the third end portion is connected to the first rotating element, and the second rotating element is pivoted to the fourth end portion.

4. The mobile carrier according to claim 3 , wherein the fixing element has a first hollow portion, the first rotating element further has a second hollow portion, the first hollow portion is sleeved on the second hollow portion, and the steering adjustment mechanism further comprises a bearing, wherein the bearing is disposed in the first hollow portion and sleeved on the second hollow portion.

5. The mobile carrier according to claim 4 , wherein the third end portion penetrates into the second hollow portion.

6. The mobile carrier according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a linking element, connected to the first frame and the second frame; and
a position-limiting element, connected to the linking element, wherein the first rotating element further has a position-limiting portion, the position-limiting element extends toward the position-limiting portion, the position-limiting element and the position-limiting portion are separated from each other when the first rotating axis is perpendicular to the plane, and during the process of the second frame and the first frame rotating relative to each other to cause the second rotating axis to be perpendicular to the plane, the second frame drives the linking element to move relative to the first frame, and the linking element drives the position-limiting element to move toward the position-limiting portion to generate structural interference with the position-limiting portion, so as to restrict the rotational degree of freedom of the first rotating element.

7. The mobile carrier according to claim 6 , wherein the fixing element has a first guide portion, and the position-limiting element passes through the first guide portion.

8. The mobile carrier according to claim 7 , wherein the second frame has a second guide portion, the position-limiting portion and the second guide portion are respectively located at two opposite sides of the first guide portion, and the position-limiting element passes through the second guide portion.

9. The mobile carrier according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a sleeve, connected to the linking element, wherein the position-limiting element passes through the sleeve and is configured to move back and forth relative to the sleeve.

10. The mobile carrier according to claim 6 , wherein the linking element has a sliding connection portion and a pivoting portion opposite to each other, the first frame further has a sliding guide portion, the sliding connection portion is slidably disposed in the sliding guide portion, and the pivoting portion is pivoted to the second frame.

11. A steering adjustment mechanism, comprising:
a first rotating element; and
a second rotating element, coupled to the first rotating element, wherein the first rotating element has a first rotating axis, and the second rotating element has a second rotating axis,
when the first rotating axis is perpendicular to a plane, the first rotating element and the second rotating element are locked to each other, and the first rotating element and the second rotating element rotate around the first rotating axis simultaneously, and
when the second rotating axis is perpendicular to the plane, a rotational degree of freedom of the first rotating element is restricted, and the second rotating element rotates around the second rotating axis relative to the first rotating element.

12. The steering adjustment mechanism according to claim 11 , wherein the first rotating axis and the second rotating axis are not parallel to each other.

13. The steering adjustment mechanism according to claim 11 , wherein the steering adjustment mechanism further comprising:
a fixing element, wherein the first rotating element is pivoted to the fixing element; and
a connecting element, having two opposite end portions, wherein one of the two end portions is connected to the first rotating element, and the second rotating element is pivoted to the other one of the two end portions.

14. The steering adjustment mechanism according to claim 13 , wherein the fixing element has a first hollow portion, the first rotating element further has a second hollow portion, the first hollow portion is sleeved on the second hollow portion, and the steering adjustment mechanism further comprises a bearing, wherein the bearing is disposed in the first hollow portion and sleeved on the second hollow portion.

15. The steering adjustment mechanism according to claim 14 , wherein one of the two end portions connected to the first rotating element penetrates into the second hollow portion.

16. The steering adjustment mechanism according to claim 13 , wherein the first rotating element further has a position-limiting portion, a position-limiting element extends toward the position-limiting portion, the position-limiting element and the position-limiting portion are separated from each other when the first rotating axis is perpendicular to the plane, and
when the second rotating axis to is perpendicular to the plane, the position-limiting element generate structural interference with the position-limiting portion, so as to restrict the rotational degree of freedom of the first rotating element.

17. The steering adjustment mechanism according to claim 16 , wherein the fixing element has a first guide portion, and the position-limiting element passes through the first guide portion.

18. A steering adjustment mechanism, comprising:
a first rotating element, having a position-limiting portion, wherein a position-limiting element extends toward the position-limiting portion;
a second rotating element, coupled to the first rotating element, wherein the first rotating element has a first rotating axis

Assignees

• Wistron Corp

Inventors

• Liang Chen-Yi
• Liu Cheng-Hsing
• Lin Shu-Hsuan

Classifications

• A61H2201/5053

  mechanically controlled · CPC title

• A61H3/04

  Wheeled walking aids for patients or disabled persons · CPC title

• A61H2201/0173

  Means for preventing injuries · CPC title

• A61H2201/1253

  driven by a human being, e.g. hand driven · CPC title

• A61G5/10

  Parts, details or accessories · CPC title