Traveling apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10450028-B2
Application number	US-201715675871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2017
Priority date	Sep 7, 2016
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a traveling apparatus including a front wheel steered by an operation by a user and two rear wheels that are rotationally driven independently from each other disposed along a traveling direction and on which the user rides when traveling, the traveling apparatus including: a front wheel supporting member; a rear wheel supporting member; an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a wheel base length between the front wheel and the rear wheels by changing, by the user, a relative position of the front wheel supporting member and the rear wheel supporting member; and a controller configured to control a rotational speed of each of the rear wheels based on the wheel base length and a steering angle of the front wheel in such a way that a moving track of the front wheel and moving tracks of the rear wheels draw a concentric arc.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A traveling apparatus comprising a front wheel steered by an operation by a user and two rear wheels that are rotationally driven independently from each other disposed along a traveling direction and on which the 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 wheels;
an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a wheel base length between the front wheel and the rear wheels by changing, by the user, a relative position of the front wheel supporting member and the rear wheel supporting member; and
a controller configured to control a rotational speed of each of the rear wheels based on the wheel base length and a steering angle of the front wheel in such a way that a moving track of the front wheel and moving tracks of the rear wheels draw a concentric arc,
wherein the controller controls, when a turning angle of the traveling apparatus defined by the wheel base length and the steering angle is constant, the rotational speed of each of the rear wheels based on a target speed that is set in such a way that a first target speed associated with a first wheel base length does not exceed a second target speed associated with a second wheel base length longer than the first wheel base length.

2. The traveling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller controls, when the wheel base length is constant, the rotational speed of each of the rear wheels based on a target speed that is set in such a way that a third target speed associated with a first turning angle does not exceed a fourth target speed associated with a second turning angle smaller than the first turning angle.

3. The traveling apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a handlebar unit that changes, when the user tilts the handlebar unit along the traveling direction, a relative position between the front wheel supporting member and the rear wheel supporting member since a force of an operation by the user is sent to the adjusting mechanism and changes, when the user turns the handlebar unit, the steering angle since a force of the operation by the user is sent to the front wheel supporting member.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kama Takeshi
• Kakuchi Makoto
• Mori Makoto

Classifications

• B62K2204/00

  Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor · CPC title

• B62K21/00

  Steering devices · CPC title

• B62K15/006

  the frame being foldable · CPC title

• B62K5/027 Primary

  Motorcycles with three wheels (specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023) · CPC title

• B62K11/14 Primary

  Handlebar constructions, or arrangements of controls thereon, specially adapted thereto (hand controls per se B62K23/02) · CPC title