Self-stabilizing skateboard

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11590409-B2
Application number	US-202217695586-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2022
Priority date	Jun 30, 2021
Publication date	Feb 28, 2023
Grant date	Feb 28, 2023

Abstract

A self-propelled, one-wheeled vehicle may include a board having two deck portions each having a concave front footpad configured to receive a foot of a rider, and a wheel assembly disposed between the deck portions. The concave front footpad has a rider detection sensor in the form of a membrane switch conforming to the shape of the footpad (e.g., facilitated by one or more slots formed in the membrane switch). A motor assembly drives the vehicle in response to board orientation and rider detection information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A footpad for an electric vehicle, comprising:
a rider detection sensor including a membrane switch having one or more pressure transducers, wherein the membrane switch is disposed on a footpad configured to receive a left or right foot of a rider oriented generally perpendicular to a direction of travel of a vehicle when the footpad is installed in the vehicle;
wherein the footpad has a concave-up profile in a heel-toe direction of the rider's foot; and
wherein the membrane switch has a pair of open-ended slots in an outer end, forming an end portion and two side portions, such that the side portions of the membrane switch are configured to bend upward to conform to the concave-up profile of the footpad.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the footpad has a ramped profile in the direction of travel of the vehicle, and the end portion of the membrane switch is configured to bend upward to conform to the ramped profile of the footpad.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the slots are each oriented from an outer corner of the membrane toward a central area of the membrane.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the membrane switch comprises a first pressure transducer configured to detect pressure from a toe portion of a foot of the rider, and a second pressure transducer configured to detect pressure from a heel portion of the same foot of the rider.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the footpad comprises a resilient layer overmolded onto a rigid base.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the resilient layer includes one or more protrusions received by one or more underlying apertures of the rigid base.

7. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the membrane switch has a slot, and the resilient layer includes a ridge received by the slot of the membrane switch.

8. A rider detection system for a self-balancing electric vehicle, comprising:
a rider detection sensor comprising a membrane switch disposed on a footpad configured to receive a left or right foot of a rider oriented generally perpendicular to an intended direction of travel of a vehicle using the rider detection system;
wherein the footpad has a concave-up profile in a heel-toe direction, and the membrane switch conforms to the concave-up profile of the footpad;
wherein the footpad has a ramped profile in the intended direction of travel, with an end portion of the first footpad ramped upward in the intended direction of travel; and
wherein the membrane switch has a pair of open-ended, angled slots in an outer end, such that the membrane has an end portion and two side portions, the side portions of the membrane switch are configured to bend upward to conform to the concave profile of the footpad, and the end portion of the membrane switch is configured to bend upward to conform to the ramped profile of the footpad.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the angled slots are each oriented from an outer corner of the membrane toward a central area of the membrane.

10. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the footpad includes a pair of ridges configured to fit into the slots of the membrane switch.

11. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the footpad comprises a resilient layer overmolded onto a rigid base, such that the resilient layer includes one or more protrusions received by corresponding apertures of the rigid base.

12. A rider detecting footpad for a self-balancing electric vehicle, comprising:
a rider detection sensor comprising a membrane switch, wherein the membrane switch is disposed on a footpad configured to be installed in a deck portion of the vehicle and to receive a left or right foot of a rider oriented generally perpendicular to a direction of travel of the vehicle;
wherein the footpad has a concave-up profile in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the vehicle, and the membrane switch conforms to the concave-up profile of the footpad;
wherein a longitudinal profile of the footpad is ramped and concave-up, such that the footpad is concave-up in more than one direction; and
wherein a rider-detection membrane switch disposed on the footpad has a pair of angled slots in an outer end, forming an end portion and two side portions, such that the side portions of the membrane switch are configured to bend upward to conform to the concave profile of the footpad and the end portion of the membrane switch is configured to bend upward to conform to the ramped longitudinal profile of the footpad.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the membrane switch comprises a first pressure transducer configured to detect pressure from a first portion of the rider's foot, and a second pressure transducer configured to detect pressure from a second portion of the rider's foot.

14. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the footpad comprises a resilient layer overmolded onto a rigid base.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the resilient layer includes one or more protrusions received by one or more underlying apertures of the rigid base.

16. A pressure sensing footpad for an electric vehicle, comprising:
a rider detection sensor comprising a membrane switch having one or more pressure transducers, wherein the membrane switch is disposed on a footpad configured to receive a left or right foot of a rider;
wherein the footpad has a concave-up profile in a direction parallel to a heel-toe direction of the rider's foot, and the membrane switch conforms to the concave-up profile of the footpad;
wherein the footpad comprises a resilient layer overmolded onto a rigid base; and
wherein the resilient layer includes one or more protrusions received by one or more underlying apertures of the rigid base.

17. A rider detection mechanism for a self-balancing electric vehicle, comprising:
first and second footpads each configured to receive a left or right foot of a rider oriented generally parallel to an axis of rotation of a wheel of the vehicle;
a rider detection sensor comprising a membrane switch having one or more pressure transducers, wherein the membrane switch is disposed on the first footpad;
wherein the first footpad has a concave-up profile in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the wheel; and the membrane switch conforms to the concave-up profile of the first footpad; and
wherein the first footpad comprises a resilient layer overmolded onto a rigid base, and the resilient layer includes a ridge received by a slot of the membrane switch.

18. A rider detection mechanism for a self-balancing electric vehicle, comprising:
first and second footpads each configured to receive a left or right foot of a rider oriented generally parallel to an axis of rotation of a wheel of the vehicle;
a rider detection sensor comprising a membrane switch having one or more pressure transducers, wherein the membrane switch is disposed on the first footpad;
wherein the first footpad has a concave-up profile in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the wheel; and the membrane switch conforms to the concave-up profile of the first footpad; and
wherein the first footpad comprises a resilient layer overmolded onto a rigid base, such that the resilient layer includes one or more protrusions received by corresponding apertures of the rigid base.

19. A rider detection system for a self-balancing electric vehicle, comprising:
first and second footpads each configured to receive a left or right foot of a rider oriented generally perpendicular to an intended direction of travel of the electric vehicle; and
a rider detection sensor comprising a membrane swi

Assignees

• Future Motion Inc

Inventors

• Doerksen Kyle Jonathan
• Robertson Beau
• Rullman Phil
• Prugue Ximena
• Blachinsky Daniel

Classifications

• A63C17/12 Primary

  with driving mechanisms · CPC title

• A63C17/08

  single-wheel type {with single axis} · CPC title

• A63C17/016

  with wheels arranged in one track · CPC title

• A63C2203/24

  Processing or storing data, e.g. with electronic chip · CPC title

• A63C2203/18

  Measuring a physical parameter, e.g. speed, distance · CPC title