Utility vehicle with deployable platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10995901-B2
Application number	US-201916389531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2019
Priority date	Apr 19, 2019
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

The disclosure provides an electric utility vehicle with detachable platform. The electric utility vehicle may include a load platform supported on a chassis including at least two electrically driven wheels. The detachable platform may be removeably coupled to the load platform. The detachable platform may include a central hub including a top surface. The detachable platform may include three legs coupled to the central hub, each leg including an actuator configured to extend the respective leg to a ground surface while the detachable platform is coupled to the load platform. The detachable platform may include a controller configured to coordinate the actuators to control an orientation of the top surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric utility vehicle comprising:
a load platform supported on a chassis including at least two electrically driven wheels; and
a detachable platform removeably coupled to the load platform beneath the load platform, wherein the detachable platform comprises:
a central hub including a top surface;
three legs coupled to the central hub, each leg including a first actuator configured to extend the respective leg to a ground surface while the detachable platform is coupled to the load platform, wherein at least two of the three legs include a second actuator configured to pivot the respective leg horizontally away from the central hub such that the respective leg extends over a respective one of the at least two electrically driven wheels; and
a controller configured to coordinate the first actuators and the second actuators to control an orientation of the top surface.

2. The electric utility vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the top surface is expandable.

3. The electric utility vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the top surface comprises a plurality of folded panels and at least one actuator configured to unfold the panels in response to an electric current.

4. The electric utility vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising an electric appliance supported on the top surface, wherein the detachable platform supplies electricity to the electric appliance.

5. The electric utility vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a folding tent supported on the detachable platform.

6. The electric utility vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising one or more accelerometers that determine the orientation of the detachable platform, wherein the controller is configured to periodically control one or more of the first actuators or the second actuators to bring the top surface to a desired orientation based on input from the one or more accelerometers.

7. The electric utility vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the chassis includes at least two extendable legs supporting the load platform on the at least two electrically driven wheels.

8. The electric utility vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the at least two electrically driven wheels include a motor located within the respective wheel.

9. The electric utility vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising four legs with a respective wheel mounted to an end of each leg, each leg pivotably mounted to the chassis, wherein each leg includes a joint allowing the leg to bend to an acute angle with the respective wheel adjacent to the chassis.

10. A deployable platform comprising:
a central hub including a top surface;
three legs coupled to the central hub, each leg including a first actuator configured to extend the respective leg to a ground surface while the deployable platform is coupled to a deployment vehicle between wheels and a top surface of the deployment vehicle, wherein at least two of the three legs include a second actuator configured to pivot the respective leg horizontally away from the central hub such that the respective leg extends over a respective one of the wheels; and
a controller configured to coordinate the first actuators and the second actuators to control an orientation of the top surface.

11. The deployable platform of claim 10 , wherein the top surface is expandable.

12. The deployable platform of claim 11 , wherein the top surface comprises a plurality of folded panels and at least one actuator configured to unfold the panels in response to an electric current.

13. The deployable platform of claim 10 , further comprising an electric appliance supported on the top surface, wherein the deployable platform supplies electricity to the electric appliance.

14. The deployable platform of claim 10 , further comprising a folding tent supported on the deployable platform.

15. The deployable platform of claim 10 , further comprising one or more accelerometers that determine the orientation of the top surface, wherein the controller is configured to periodically control one or more of the first actuators or the second actuators to bring the top surface to a desired orientation based on input from the one or more accelerometers.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hsu Ricky Jukuei
• Li Yimeng

Classifications

• B60P1/00

  Vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading, consolidating the load, or unloading (vehicles for carrying harvested crops with means for self-loading or self-unloading A01D90/00; peculiar to refuse collecting-vehicles B65F; loading or unloading vehicles by means not incorporated therein B65G) · CPC title

• F16M11/2021

  around a horizontal axis (F16M11/2035 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60Y2200/124

  Buggies, Quads · CPC title

• B60K7/0007

  the motor being electric · CPC title

• B60Y2200/43

  Variable track or wheelbase vehicles · CPC title