Foldable vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9415813-B2
Application number	US-201414550964-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2014
Priority date	Jul 9, 2014
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A foldable vehicle may include a front floor coupled with front wheels and a rear floor coupled with rear wheels, wherein the front floor and the rear floor increase or decrease a wheelbase of the vehicle by sliding over and under each other, a windshield part hinged to the front floor to turn forward or backward, a rear cabin part hinged to the floor part to turn forward or backward, and a roof part hinged to an upper end of the windshield part and hinged to an upper end of the rear cabin part, wherein the roof part may be configured to be stowed inside the vehicle when the windshield part and the rear cabin part may be folded inward, and may be configured to be exposed to the outside to form a roof of the vehicle when the windshield part and the rear cabin part may be unfolded outward.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable vehicle comprising:
a floor part including a front floor coupled with front wheels and a rear floor coupled with rear wheels, wherein the front floor and the rear floor increase or decrease a wheelbase of the vehicle by sliding over and under each other;
a windshield part including a windshield and having a lower end hinged to a front of the front floor to turn forward or backward;
a rear cabin part formed in a dome shape with a passenger compartment at a rear of the vehicle and having a lower end hinged to the floor part to turn forward or backward; and
a roof part that is a link structure with a front end hinged to an upper end of the windshield part and a rear end hinged to an upper end of the rear cabin part,
wherein the roof part is configured to be stowed inside the vehicle when the windshield part and the rear cabin part are folded inward, and is configured to be exposed to the outside to form a roof of the vehicle when the windshield part and the rear cabin part are unfolded outward.

2. The foldable vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a front actuator engaged to the windshield part to turn the windshield part forward or backward.

3. The foldable vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the front actuator is a linear actuator having a lower end coupled to the front floor and an upper end coupled to the windshield part and turning the windshield part by pulling or pushing the windshield part.

4. The foldable vehicle of claim 1 , wherein when the windshield part is folded, the windshield part and the roof part are folded at an acute angle with a joint of the windshield part and the roof part facing the rear cabin part.

5. The foldable vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a rear actuator engaged to the rear cabin part and turning the rear cabin part forward or backward.

6. The foldable vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a rear wheel driving unit operating the rear wheels so that the rear floor slides forward under the front floor to shorten the wheelbase, as the vehicle is folded.

7. The foldable vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a front actuator engaged to the windshield part and turning the windshield part forward or backward;
a rear actuator engaged to the rear cabin part and turning the rear cabin part forward or backward; and
a rear wheel driving unit operating the rear wheels so that the rear floor slides forward under the front floor to shorten the wheel base, as the vehicle is folded,
wherein when the vehicle is folded, the front actuator is operated first to pull the windshield part and the roof part down inside the vehicle and then the rear actuator and the rear wheel driving unit are operated to fold the windshield part and the roof part.

8. The foldable vehicle of claim 7 , wherein when the rear actuator is operated, the windshield part and the roof part are inserted into the passenger compartment inside the rear cabin part.

9. The foldable vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the rear actuator and the rear wheel driving unit are simultaneously operated, such that the wheelbase is shortened and the windshield part and the roof part are fully inserted inside the rear cabin part.

10. The foldable vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the rear cabin part fully covers the inside of the vehicle in folding by coming in contact with a rear end of a hood of the vehicle.

11. The foldable vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the rear cabin part has:
a shield covering the passenger compartment;
a first contact portion coming in close contact with the rear end of the hood, when the vehicle is folded; and
a second contact portion coming in close contact with the floor part, when the vehicle is folded.

12. The foldable vehicle of claim 7 , wherein when the vehicle that has been folded is unfolded, the rear actuator and the rear wheel driving unit are operated first to turn the rear cabin part backward so that the wheelbase increases, and then the front actuator is operated to unfold the windshield part and the roof part outward.

13. The foldable vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the rear cabin part is coupled to the front floor through a hinge shaft, a support portion is formed on the front floor, close to the hinge shaft, and a stopper coming in contact with the support portion is formed on the hinge shaft of the rear cabin part.

14. The foldable vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the support portion is formed ahead of and behind the hinge shaft, on the front floor.

15. The foldable vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the stoppers protrude forward and backward from the hinge shaft.

16. The foldable vehicle of claim 15 , wherein when the vehicle is unfolded, the rear cabin part is supported on the front floor with a rear support portion and the rear stopper being in contact with each other, and when the vehicle is folded, the rear cabin part is supported on the front floor with a front support portion and the front stopper being in contact with each other.

17. The foldable vehicle of claim 13 , wherein a ring-shaped bearing member is fitted on the hinge shaft, a seat where the bearing member is seated is formed between support portions, and the stoppers protrude outward on the bearing member.

18. The foldable vehicle of claim 13 , wherein a support panel is formed on a bottom of the rear cabin part, behind the hinge shaft, and a support, which supports the support panel, when the rear cabin part turns backward, is formed on the floor part.

19. The foldable vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the support panel has:
a support side coming in contact with the support; and bridges connecting the support side to the hinge shaft.

20. The foldable vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the support protrudes upward from the rear floor and has an inclined top that is brought in contact with the support panel, when the rear cabin part is unfolded.

21. The foldable vehicle of claim 1 , wherein female holders are disposed at a front end and a rear end of the front floor, respectively, and male holders, which are locked to the female holders, when the wheelbase increases or decreases, are disposed on the rear floor.

22. The foldable vehicle of claim 21 , wherein the front female holder is disposed at a front end of a first side of the front floor and coupled to one of the male holders, when the wheelbase decreases.

23. The foldable vehicle of claim 21 , wherein the rear female holder is disposed at a rear end of a second side of the front floor and coupled to another of the male holders, when the wheelbase decreases.

24. The foldable vehicle of claim 21 , wherein the male holders are disposed on both sides of the rear floor, respectively, at a predetermined distance from each other in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

25. The foldable vehicle of claim 24 , wherein sliding guides coupled to the front floor are disposed on the rear floor, between the male holders.

26. The foldable vehicle of claim 25 , wherein the sliding guides protrude upward on the rear floor and sliding rails fitted on the sliding guide are disposed on the bottom of the front floor.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ahn Gwang Hyun
• Lee Yong Woo

Classifications

• B60J1/04

  adjustable · CPC title

• B62D31/006 Primary

  foldable (droppable B60F5/006) · CPC title

• B62D21/14 Primary

  of adjustable length or width · CPC title

• B60J7/143

  for covering the passenger compartment · CPC title

• B62D63/04

  Component parts or accessories · CPC title