Personal mobility device and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12447219-B2
Application number	US-202217568108-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2022
Priority date	Feb 17, 2021
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

A personal mobility device including handle grips coupled to both ends of a handle, a sterilization and drying unit disposed inside a frame of the handle and including an ultraviolet (UV) generator and a fan, and a controller configured to turn on the UV generator and the fan, based on the handle grips being positioned inside the frame.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A personal mobility device, comprising:
a plurality of handle grips coupled to both ends of a handle;
an ultraviolet (UV) generator positioned inside a frame of the handle; and
a controller configured to turn on the UV generator, based on the plurality of handle grips being positioned inside the frame;
a fan positioned inside the frame of the handle;
a disinfectant spray configured to spray a disinfectant to the inside of the frame; and
a cleaning member positioned at at least a portion of an upper end of each of the plurality of handle grips;
wherein the controller is configured to control the disinfectant spray to spray the disinfectant to the inside of the frame, based on the handle grips moving from the inside of the frame to an outside of the frame, or based on the handle grips moving from the outside of the frame to the inside of the frame, and wherein the controller is further configured to turn on the fan after the spraying of the disinfectant;
wherein the controller is configured to control the cleaning member to repeatedly move in a first direction corresponding to the direction of the outside and in a second direction corresponding to the direction of the inside and opposite to the first direction, based on the movement of the plurality of handle grips;
wherein each of the plurality of handle grips is constructed by coupling a plurality of cover members, and each of the plurality of cover members comprises a spring and moves from top to bottom according to an upward movement of the cleaning member;
wherein the plurality of cover members include a plurality of first cover member and a plurality of second cover members; and
wherein the cleaning member is located on the upper side of one of the plurality of first cover members or the plurality of second cover members.

2. The personal mobility device of claim 1 , wherein the disinfectant spray comprises:
a disinfectant storage tank configured to store the disinfectant;
an inlet connected to the disinfectant storage tank and configured to enable the disinfectant to be injected;
a steering tube connected to the disinfectant storage tank; and
a nozzle connected to the steering tube and configured to spray the disinfectant.

3. The personal mobility device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a communicator,
wherein the controller is configured to control the plurality of handle grips to move from the inside of the frame to the outside of the frame, based on a signal received through the communicator.

4. The personal mobility device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the plurality of handle grips to move from the outside of the frame to the inside of the frame, based on an identification of an end of driving of the personal mobility device.

5. The personal mobility device of claim 1 , wherein a support member having a variable length and configured to support the plurality of handle grips is mounted inside of the frame,
wherein when the controller controls the support member to increase a length of the support member in a first direction corresponding to a direction of the outside of the frame, the plurality of handle grips move to the outside of the frame, and
wherein when the controller controls the support member to decrease the length of the support member in a second direction corresponding to a direction of the inside of the frame, the plurality of handle grips move to the inside of the frame.

6. The personal mobility device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cover members comprise a first cover member, a second cover member, a third cover member, and a fourth cover member sequentially arranged from the second direction to the first direction, and
the cleaning member is positioned on upper ends of the first cover member and the third cover member, or upper ends of the second cover member and the fourth cover member.

7. The personal mobility device of claim 6 , wherein the repeated moving of the cleaning member in the first direction and the second direction comprises a repeated movement of the cleaning member between the upper ends of the first cover member and the third cover member, and the upper ends of the second cover member and the fourth cover member.

8. A control method of a personal mobility device, the control method comprising:
identifying whether a plurality of handle grips coupled to both ends of a handle are positioned inside a frame of the handle; and
turning on a UV generator based on the plurality of handle grips being positioned inside the frame, the UV generator being disposed inside the frame;
spraying, by a disinfectant spray, a disinfectant to the inside of the frame, based on the plurality of handle grips moving from the inside of the frame to an outside of the frame or the plurality of handle grips moving from the outside of the frame to the inside of the frame;
turning on a fan after spraying the disinfectant;
controlling a cleaning member to repeatedly move in a first direction corresponding to a direction of the outside and in a second direction corresponding to a direction of the inside and opposite to the first direction, based on the moving of the plurality of handle grips;
wherein each of the plurality of handle grips is constructed by coupling a plurality of cover members, and each of the plurality of cover members comprises a spring and moves from top to bottom according to an upward movement of the cleaning member;
wherein the plurality of cover members comprise a first cover member, a second cover member, a third cover member, and a fourth cover member sequentially arranged from the second direction to the first direction; and
wherein the cleaning member is positioned on upper ends of the first cover member and the third cover member, or upper ends of the second cover member and the fourth cover member.

9. The control method of claim 8 , further comprising:
controlling the plurality of handle grips to move from the inside of the frame to the outside of the frame, based on a signal received through a communicator of the personal mobility device.

10. The control method of claim 8 , further comprising:
controlling the plurality of handle grips to move from the outside of the frame to the inside of the frame, based on an identification of an end of driving of the personal mobility device.

11. The control method of claim 8 , wherein the repeated moving of the cleaning member in the first direction and the second direction comprises a repeated movement of the cleaning member between the upper ends of the first cover member and the third cover member, and the upper ends of the second cover member and the fourth cover member.

12. The personal mobility device of claim 1 , wherein a protruding position of the plurality of first cover members and a protruding position of the plurality of second cover members do not overlap with each other.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Woo Seunghyun
• Woo Jae Yul
• An Rowoon
• Kim Soobin

Classifications

• A61L2103/75

  Room floors or walls · CPC title

• B62K21/12

  Handlebars; Handlebar stems · CPC title

• A61L2202/17

  Combination with washing or cleaning means · CPC title

• A61L2202/15

  Biocide distribution means, e.g. nozzles, pumps, manifolds, fans, baffles, sprayers · CPC title

• A61L2202/14

  Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs · CPC title