Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12534149-B2
Application number	US-202118251114-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2021
Priority date	Oct 29, 2020
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

A step-through type vehicle includes: a frame assembly; at least one front wheel and at least one rear wheel connected to the frame assembly and rotated by a power unit; and a plurality of portions comprising one or more flexible portions, and one or more fixed portions. The fixed portions include a front structure, a rear structure, and a top structure disposed between the front structure and the rear structure. The flexible portions include at least one retractable member. The top structure and the retractable member include a plurality of solar panels. The retractable member is detachably attached with the top structure, and is retracted upwardly towards the top structure, and stretched downwardly from the top structure towards the front wheel and the rear wheel. The retractable member is foldably stowed inside at least one box like compartment, which is at least one part of the rear structure.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A step-through type vehicle comprising:
a frame assembly; at least one front wheel and at least one rear wheel connected to the frame assembly and capable of being rotated by a power unit of the step-through type vehicle; and a plurality of portions comprising one or more flexible portions and one or more fixed portions, wherein
the one or more fixed portions include a front structure, a rear structure, and a top structure disposed between the front structure and the rear structure,
the one or more flexible portions include at least one retractable member,
the top structure and the at least one retractable member include a plurality of solar panels;
the at least one retractable member is detachably attached with the top structure, and is capable of being retracted upwardly towards the top structure, and stretched downwardly from the top structure towards the at least one front wheel and the at least one rear wheel; and
the at least one retractable member is capable of being foldably stowed inside at least one box like compartment, the at least one box like compartment being at least one part of the rear structure of the step-through type vehicle.

2 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the front structure includes a windshield member extending downwardly towards front of the step-through type vehicle.

3 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rear structure includes a seat sub-structure extending longitudinally rearwardly above the at least one rear wheel, and a mounting member capable of receiving one or more portions of the rear structure.

4 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rear structure includes at least one of a backrest structure extending rearwardly upwardly from a seat sub structure and an extended backrest structure extending upwardly from the backrest structure, wherein the backrest structure is capable of joining a mounting member of the step-through type vehicle.

5 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one retractable member is capable of being folded when the step-through type vehicle is in operable condition.

6 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one retractable member is capable of being unfolded or detached from one or more fixed portions of the step-through type vehicle when the step-through type vehicle is in an inoperable condition.

7 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one retractable member is capable of one of being retracted upwardly up to a predetermined length; being unfolded downwardly up to a predetermined length; being retracted completely upwardly up to a side most portion of the top structure; and being stretched completely downwardly up to a full length of the step-through type vehicle.

8 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one retractable member is capable of being by folded and unfolded one of manual means and automated means.

9 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the top structure includes a cover member extending substantially horizontally rearwardly above a seat sub-structure, and wherein the at least one downwardly retractable member is disposed within the cover member.

10 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step-through type vehicle is an electric operated vehicle, and wherein the power unit is an electric motor.

11 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step-through type vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, wherein the power unit includes an engine assembly and an electric motor.

12 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the top structure and the at least one retractable member are made of a light weight composite material being one of fiber reinforced plastic, polyacrylonitrile, aluminum, sheet metal and plastic.

13 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the top structure includes a bottom surface and an upper surface, wherein the upper surface of the top structure is provided with one or more of the plurality of solar panels being capable of receiving solar energy.

14 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the top structure is substantially dome shaped and provided with chamfered edges.

15 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the top structure is spheroid shaped without edges being chamfered.

16 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one retractable member is capable of being extended sidewardly downwardly from edges of the top structure of the step-through type vehicle.

17 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the top structure is at least one of a half-egg shaped, elliptical solid, elliptical spheroid and egg shaped.

18 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one box like compartment is capable of being detachably attached to a mounting member of the rear structure of the step-through type vehicle.

19 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one box like compartment is a part of an extended backrest structure of the step-through type vehicle.

20 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one box like compartment acts as a solar kit assembly capable of being detachably attached to the step-through type vehicle.

21 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one retractable member of the step-through type vehicle includes one or more sensors restricting a downward movement of the at least one retractable member when the step-through type vehicle is in operable condition.

22 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the top structure includes at least one pillion handle disposed downwardly from its side surface allowing a pillion to hold when the step-through type vehicle is operable.

23 . The step-through type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one square centimeter of the plurality of solar panels is capable of generating approximately 6 to 16 milliwatts of power per square centimeter.

Assignees

• Tvs Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Amit Dilip Rajwade
• Harne Vinay Chandrakant

Classifications

• B62J19/00

  Parking covers for cycles · CPC title

• B62J9/26

  to the saddle, e.g. saddle bags · CPC title

• B62J9/23

  above or alongside the rear wheel (B62J9/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62J17/086 Primary

  Frame mounted hoods specially adapted for motorcycles or the like · CPC title

• Y02T10/90

  Energy harvesting concepts as power supply for auxiliaries' energy consumption, e.g. photovoltaic sun-roof · CPC title