Powered personal mobility vehicle with rotating wheels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11447203-B2
Application number	US-201916527406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2019
Priority date	Mar 27, 2012
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

An electric powered personal mobility vehicle that includes at least one front wheel and an electric motor that provides rotational force to a wheel of the vehicle. The electric motor is supported by the vehicle and is powered by a rechargeable battery that is also supported by the vehicle. The vehicle can also include swivel caster wheels each configured to rotate about a wheel axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tricycle comprising:
a frame comprising a front portion and a rear portion, the rear portion comprising a first leg and a second leg, each of the first and second legs extending outward from a longitudinal axis of the tricycle;
a seat connected with the frame, wherein the seat is adjacent to or above an intersection of the first and second legs;
a front wheel rotatable about a steering axis with respect to the frame;
a first rear wheel connected with the first leg and a second rear wheel connected with the second leg, each of the first and second rear wheels configured to rotate;
a foot support directly connected to the frame, the foot support comprising a pair of substantially coaxial foot rests extending laterally outward on opposite sides of the tricycle from respective cantilevered connection points;
a front fork connected with the frame and the front wheel;
a power source; and
a motor operably connected with the power source.

2. The tricycle of claim 1 , wherein the seat comprises a raised portion and a recess, the raised portion being disposed at a midpoint of a lateral width of the seat, wherein a portion of the frame is received in the recess.

3. The tricycle of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the front wheel is larger than a diameter of each of the first and second rear wheels.

4. The tricycle of claim 1 , wherein the steering axis is an inclined steering axis.

5. The tricycle of claim 1 , further comprising a handlebar connected with the front fork, wherein at least a portion of each of the first and second rear wheels is positioned laterally inside a footprint of the handlebar when the tricycle is traveling in a straight line.

6. The tricycle of claim 1 , wherein the front fork comprises a first inclined support on a first lateral side of the front wheel and a second inclined support on a second lateral side of the front wheel.

7. The tricycle of claim 6 , wherein the motor is positioned between the first and second inclined supports.

8. The tricycle of claim 1 , wherein the motor is configured to provide rotational force to the front wheel.

9. A personal mobility vehicle comprising:
a frame comprising a front portion and a rear portion, the rear portion comprising a first leg and a second leg, each of the first and second legs extending outward from a longitudinal axis of the personal mobility vehicle, the first and second legs fixed relative to each other;
a seat connected with the frame, wherein the seat comprises a raised portion;
a front wheel rotatable about a steering axis;
a first rear wheel connected with the first leg and a second rear wheel connected with the second leg, each of the first and second rear wheels configured to rotate;
a front fork connected with the frame and the front wheel;
a pair of substantially coaxial foot rests extending laterally outward on opposite sides of the personal mobility vehicle from respective cantilevered connection points;
a power source; and
a motor operably connected with the power source.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the raised portion of the seat is disposed at a midpoint of a lateral width of the seat.

11. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the raised portion of the seat is disposed along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the raised portion of the seat is disposed at a front end of the seat.

13. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein a diameter of the front wheel is larger than a diameter of each of the first and second rear wheels.

14. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the steering axis is an inclined steering axis.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the front fork is rotatable about the inclined steering axis to rotate the front wheel, and wherein at least a portion of the foot support is located rearward of at least a portion of the rotatable front fork.

16. The vehicle of claim 9 , further comprising a handlebar connected with the front fork, wherein at least a portion of each of the first and second rear wheels is positioned laterally inside a footprint of the handlebar when the vehicle is traveling in a straight line.

17. A tricycle comprising:
a frame comprising a front portion and a rear portion, the rear portion comprising a first leg and a second leg, each of the first and second legs extending outward from a longitudinal axis of the tricycle;
a front wheel rotatable about a steering axis;
a first rear wheel connected with the first leg and a second rear wheel connected with the second leg, each of the first and second rear wheels configured to rotate;
a seat connected with the frame, wherein a portion of the seat is disposed at the same height as or above a portion of the front wheel;
a front fork connected with the frame and the front wheel;
a foot support connected to the frame, the foot support comprising a pair of substantially coaxial foot rests extending laterally outward on opposite sides of the tricycle from respective cantilevered connection points;
a power source; and
a motor operably connected with the power source.

18. The tricycle of claim 17 , wherein the seat comprises a raised portion and a recess, the raised portion being disposed at a midpoint of a lateral width of the seat, wherein a portion of the frame is received in the recess.

19. The tricycle of claim 17 , wherein a diameter of the front wheel is larger than a diameter of each of the first and second rear wheels.

20. The tricycle of claim 17 , wherein the steering axis is an inclined steering axis.

21. The tricycle of claim 17 , wherein the front fork comprises a first inclined support on a first lateral side of the front wheel and a second inclined support on a second lateral side of the front wheel.

22. A personal mobility vehicle comprising:
a frame comprising a front portion and a rear portion, the rear portion comprising a first leg and a second leg, each of the first and second legs extending outward from a longitudinal axis of the personal mobility vehicle;
a seat connected with the frame, wherein the seat is adjacent to an intersection of the first and second legs;
a front wheel rotatable about an inclined steering axis;
a first rear wheel connected with the first leg and a second rear wheel connected with the second leg;
a foot rest, wherein the entirety of the foot rest is positioned behind a rearward-most point of the front wheel;
a front fork connected with the frame, the front fork comprising a first inclined support on a first lateral side of the front wheel and a second inclined support on a second lateral side of the front wheel;
a power source positioned behind the seat; and
a motor operably connected with the power source, wherein the motor is positioned between the first and second inclined supports.

23. The vehicle of claim 22 , wherein the seat comprises a raised portion disposed at a front end of the seat at a midpoint of a lateral width of the seat.

24. The vehicle of claim 22 , wherein a portion of the seat is disposed at the same height as a portion of the front wheel.

25. A personal mobility vehicle comprising:
a frame comprising a front portion and a rear portion, the rear portion comprising a first leg and a second leg, each of the first and second legs extending outward from a longitudinal axis of the personal mobility vehicle;
a seat connected with the frame, wherein the seat comprises a raised portion;
a front wheel rotatable abou

Assignees

• Razor Usa Llc

Inventors

• Chen Robert
• Hadley Robert
• Griggs William

Classifications

• B62L3/02

  for control by a hand lever (hand levers for control of cycles in general B62K23/06) · CPC title

• B62K5/025 Primary

  power-driven · CPC title

• B60L50/66

  Arrangements of batteries · CPC title

• B60L50/60 Primary

  using power supplied by batteries (in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75) · CPC title

• B62K23/04

  Twist grips · CPC title