Micromobility electric vehicle cargo handling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12420886-B2
Application number	US-202418615992-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2024
Priority date	Sep 23, 2019
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A micromobility electric vehicle includes a front storage volume and a rear storage volume. The front storage volume may be defined on two sides by an angled footboard portion and a column. The rear storage volume may be defined on two sides by a curved footboard portion and a seat post. Retainers including an elastic member may be employed in the front and/or rear storage volume to releasably secure objects of different sizes and shapes in the front or rear storage volumes. Hooks may be employed in the front and/or rear storage volumes to allow an object with a strap to be supported in the front or rear storage volume.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A micromobility vehicle, comprising:
a front storage volume defined at least in part between a footboard of the micromobility vehicle and a frame of the micromobility vehicle; and
a retainer at least partially coupled to the frame and configured to secure to the frame an object placed within the front storage volume, wherein the retainer is further configured to expand and retract based at least in part on a size of the object,
wherein the retainer further comprises an elastic member, a housing, and at least two pins within the housing, and
wherein an intermediate portion of the elastic member passes over the at least two pins, such that the intermediate portion is disposed in a serpentine path within the housing.

2. The micromobility vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the elastic member comprises:
a first end coupled to the frame;
a second end coupled to the frame; and
the intermediate portion coupling the first end and the second end.

3. The micromobility vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the first end is coupled to the frame at a first location adjacent an angled portion of the footboard, and wherein the second end is coupled to a second location adjacent the angled portion of the footboard on an opposite side of the angled portion of the footboard.

4. The micromobility vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least two pins include a first pin and a second pin, and wherein the housing includes an internal volume extending along a longitudinal axis of the housing.

5. The micromobility vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the first pin extends through the internal volume near a first opening of the housing in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the housing, and wherein the second pin extends through the internal volume near a second opening of the housing.

6. The micromobility vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the retainer is configured to expand in a first direction substantially perpendicularly to the frame to accommodate a large-sized object.

7. A micromobility vehicle, comprising:
a rear storage volume defined at least in part between a footboard of the micromobility vehicle and a seat post of the micromobility vehicle; and
a retainer at least partially coupled to the seat post and configured to secure to the seat post an object placed within the rear storage volume, wherein the retainer is further configured to expand and retract based at least in part on a size of the object,
wherein the retainer further comprises an elastic member, a housing, and at least two pins within the housing, and
wherein an intermediate portion of the elastic member passes over the at least two pins, such that the intermediate portion is disposed in a serpentine path within the housing.

8. The micromobility vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the elastic member comprises:
a first end coupled to the seat post;
a second end coupled to the seat post; and
the intermediate portion coupling the first end and the second end.

9. The micromobility vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the at least two pins include a first pin and a second pin, and wherein the housing includes an internal volume extending along a longitudinal axis of the housing.

10. The micromobility vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the first pin extends through the internal volume near a first opening of the housing in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the housing, and wherein the second pin extends through the internal volume near a second opening of the housing.

11. The micromobility vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the retainer is configured to expand in a first direction substantially perpendicularly to the seat post to accommodate a large-sized object.

12. The micromobility vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the retainer comprises a cargo net that spans the rear storage volume.

13. A micromobility vehicle, comprising:
a retainer at least partially coupled to a frame of the micromobility vehicle and configured to secure to the frame an object placed within a front storage volume of the micromobility vehicle, wherein the retainer is further configured to expand and retract based at least in part on a size of the object,
wherein the retainer further comprises an elastic member, a housing, and at least two pins within the housing, and
wherein an intermediate portion of the elastic member passes over the at least two pins, such that the intermediate portion is disposed in a serpentine path within the housing.

14. The micromobility vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the elastic member comprises:
a first end coupled to the frame;
a second end coupled to the frame; and
the intermediate portion coupling the first end and the second end.

15. The micromobility vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the retainer comprises an extension limited elastic member that spans the front storage volume.

16. The micromobility vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the retainer comprises a cargo net that spans the front storage volume.

17. The micromobility vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the retainer is configured to expand in a first direction substantially perpendicularly to the frame to accommodate a large-sized object.

Assignees

• Lyft Inc

Inventors

• Vandenbussche Gregoire Ludovic Vincent
• Luedtke Peter Rex
• Goldstein Daniel Lami

Classifications

• B62J7/02

  characterised by the arrangement thereof on cycles · CPC title

• B62J7/08

  Equipment for securing luggage on carriers · CPC title

• B62K2202/00

  Motorised scooters · CPC title

• B62J25/04

  Floor-type foot rests · CPC title

• B62K19/40

  for attaching accessories, e.g. article carriers, lamps · CPC title