Mobility vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11419774-B2
Application number	US-201817256760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2018
Priority date	Jul 6, 2018
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

A mobility vehicle may comprise a frame, a first pivot arm, a second pivot arm, and a suspension assembly. The first pivot arm may be coupled to the frame and coupled to a drive wheel. The second pivot arm may be coupled to the frame and coupled to a ground engaging caster wheel. The suspension assembly may be coupled to the frame. The suspension assembly may include a first spring assembly and a second spring assembly. The first spring assembly may be disposed about a first spring axis and coupled to the first pivot arm. The second spring assembly may be disposed about a second spring axis and coupled to the second pivot arm. The first spring axis and the second spring axis may be disposed relative to each other at an angle of no greater than about 150° when the mobility vehicle is operating on horizontal ground.

First claim

I claim:

1. A mobility vehicle comprising:
a frame;
a first pivot arm coupled to the frame and coupled to a drive wheel;
a second pivot arm coupled to the frame and coupled to a ground engaging caster wheel; and
a suspension assembly coupled to the frame, the suspension assembly comprising:
a first spring assembly, disposed about a first spring axis, and coupled to the first pivot arm; and
a second spring assembly, disposed about a second spring axis, and coupled to the second pivot arm,

wherein the first pivot arm is coupled to the frame at a first rod extending from a left side of the frame to a right side of the frame and the second pivot arm is coupled to the frame at a second rod extending from the left side of the frame to the right side of the frame, each of the first rod and second rod fixedly attached to the frame in a configuration to stiffen the frame.

2. The mobility vehicle of claim 1 wherein the first pivot arm comprises an anti-tip element.

3. The mobility vehicle of claim 2 wherein the first pivot arm is configured and dimensioned to cause the anti-tip element to move relative to a drive wheel axis when the first pivot arm pivots.

4. The mobility vehicle of claim 1 wherein the first spring axis is closer to horizontal than the second spring axis.

5. The mobility vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a bridge disposed from the first rod to the second rod.

6. The mobility vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the bridge is a stiffening bridge and is disposed at an outermost point of the frame.

7. The mobility vehicle of claim 1 wherein the second pivot arm comprises:
a first substantially linear arm segment extending at least from a point at which the second pivot arm is coupled to the frame through a point at which the second pivot arm is coupled to the second spring assembly; and
a second arm segment extending from the linear arm segment to at least a caster stem axis,
wherein the second spring axis is approximately normal to the first substantially linear segment when the mobility vehicle is on substantially horizontal ground.

8. The mobility vehicle of claim 1 wherein a horizontal projection of a first line passing through a) a point at which the first spring assembly is coupled to the frame and b) a point at which the second spring assembly is coupled to the frame intersects a horizontal projection of a second line passing through c) a point at which the first spring assembly is coupled to the first pivot arm and d) a point at which the second spring assembly is coupled to the second pivot arm.

9. The mobility vehicle of claim 8 wherein the intersection of the horizontal projection of the first line and the horizontal projection of the second line is closer to the first pivot arm than the second pivot arm.

10. The mobility vehicle of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first spring assembly and the second spring assembly comprises a spring disposed about co-axial damper.

11. The mobility vehicle of claim 1 wherein the center of gravity of the mobility vehicle is positioned approximately at a midpoint between a vertical line passing through a point at which the first spring assembly is coupled to the frame and a vertical line passing through a point at which the second spring assembly is coupled to the frame.

12. The mobility vehicle of claim 1 wherein, when the mobility vehicle is operating on horizontal ground, the first spring axis and the second spring axis are disposed relative to each other at an angle of no greater than 150 degrees.

13. A mobility vehicle comprising:
a frame;
a first pivot arm coupled to the frame and coupled to a drive wheel; and
a second pivot arm coupled to the frame and coupled to a ground engaging caster wheel,
wherein the first pivot arm is coupled to the frame at a first rod extending from a left side of the frame to a right side of the frame and the second pivot arm is coupled to the frame at a second rod extending from the left side of the frame to the right side of the frame, each of the first rod and second rod fixedly attached to the frame in a configuration to stiffen the frame.

14. The mobility vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the first pivot arm comprises an anti-tip element.

15. The mobility vehicle of claim 14 wherein the first pivot arm is configured and dimensioned to cause the anti-tip element to move relative to a drive wheel axis of rotation when the first pivot arm pivots.

16. The mobility vehicle of claim 13 further comprising a bridge disposed from the first rod to the second rod.

17. The mobility vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the bridge is a stiffening bridge and is disposed at an outermost point of the frame.

18. The mobility vehicle of claim 13 further comprising:
a suspension assembly coupled to the frame, the suspension assembly comprising:
a first spring assembly, disposed about a first spring axis, and coupled to the first pivot arm; and
a second spring assembly, disposed about a second spring axis, and coupled to the second pivot arm,

wherein the first spring axis and the second spring axis are disposed relative to each other at an angle of no greater than 150 degrees when the mobility vehicle is operating on horizontal ground.

19. The mobility vehicle of claim 18 wherein a horizontal projection of a first line passing through a) a point at which the first spring assembly is coupled to the frame and b) a point at which the second spring assembly is coupled to the frame intersects a horizontal projection of a second line passing through c) a point at which the first spring assembly is coupled to the first pivot arm and d) a point at which the second spring assembly is coupled to the second pivot arm.

20. A mobility vehicle comprising:
a frame;
a first pivot arm coupled to the frame and coupled to a drive wheel;
a second pivot arm coupled to the frame and coupled to a ground engaging caster wheel; and
a suspension assembly coupled to the frame, the suspension assembly comprising:
a first spring assembly, disposed about a first spring axis, and coupled to the first pivot arm; and
a second spring assembly, disposed about a second spring axis, and coupled to the second pivot arm,

wherein the center of gravity of the mobility vehicle is positioned approximately at a midpoint between a vertical line passing through a point at which the first spring assembly is coupled to the frame and a vertical line passing through a point at which the second spring assembly is coupled to the frame.

21. The mobility vehicle of claim 20 wherein the first pivot arm comprises an anti-tip element.

22. The mobility vehicle of claim 21 wherein the first pivot arm is configured and dimensioned to cause the anti-tip element to move relative to a drive wheel axis when the first pivot arm pivots.

23. The mobility vehicle of claim 20 wherein the first spring axis is closer to horizontal than the second spring axis.

24. The mobility vehicle of claim 20 further comprising a bridge disposed from the first rod to the second rod.

25. The mobility vehicle of claim 24 , wherein the bridge is a stiffening bridge and is disposed at an outermost point of the frame.

26. The mobility vehicle of claim 20 wherein the second pivot arm comprises:
a first substantially linear arm segment extending at least from a point at which the second pivot arm is coupled to the frame through a point at which the second pivot arm is coupled to th

Assignees

• Pride Mobility Products Corp

Inventors

• Davis Jonathan

Classifications

• B60G2300/24

  Wheelchairs · CPC title

• A61G5/1078 Primary

  with shock absorbers or other suspension arrangements between wheels and frame · CPC title

• B60G21/045

  between wheels on different axles on the same side of the vehicle, i.e. the left or the right side · CPC title

• B60Y2200/84

  Wheelchairs · CPC title

• A61G5/045

  Rear wheel drive · CPC title