Hand powered vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9855963-B2
Application number	US-201414471763-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2014
Priority date	Aug 29, 2013
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A hand-powered vehicle is provided for transportation and entertainment purposes. The vehicle has a frame supporting a pair of side wheels that are driven by the user. The frame includes a front portion and a pair of side portions extending rearwardly to the side wheels. The side portions of the frame do not extend rearwardly past the side wheels. The user sits on a seat that is supported by a portion of the frame extending rearwardly from the front portion and between the two side wheels. A third wheel is provided under or behind the seat, and that wheel is preferably a caster that is coupled to the frame at an angle to a vertical axis. The side wheels have hand grips extending therefrom, and the hand-powered vehicle is configured to be propelled by a user applying a force through the hand grips to rotate the side wheels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hand-powered vehicle, comprising:
a frame including a front portion, a first side portion extending rearwardly from a first end of the front portion, a second side portion extending rearwardly from a second end of the front portion, and a seat support extending rearwardly from the front portion between the first side portion and the second side portion, wherein the seat support extending rearwardly from the front portion comprises a first side seat support connected to the front portion and a second side seat support connected to the front portion;
a first side wheel rotatably coupled to the first side portion;
a first hand grip coupled to the first side wheel;
a second side wheel rotatably coupled to the second side portion;
a second hand grip coupled to the second side wheel;
a seat directly connected to the first side seat support and directly connected to the second side seat support coupled to the seat support, wherein the first side seat support is positioned a first distance from the second side seat support at a location adjacent the seat, wherein the first side seat support is positioned a second distance from the second side seat support at a location adjacent the front portion of the frame, and wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance to allow for a user's feet to be situated between the first side seat support and the second side seat support adjacent the front portion of the frame;
a substantially planar foot support directly connected to the front portion of the frame, the first side seat support and the second side seat support;
a rotatable rear wheel having a wheel housing that is rotationally coupled to the seat support and,
wherein the hand-powered vehicle is configured to be propelled by the user applying a force through the hand grips to rotate the first and second side wheels.

2. The hand-powered vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the rear wheel is mounted to the frame at an angle to a vertical axis of between 10° and 15°.

3. The hand-powered vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the seat comprises a seat base and a seat back.

4. The hand-powered vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first side portion of the frame does not extend rearwardly past the first side wheel, and wherein the second side portion of the frame does not extend rearwardly past the second side wheel.

5. The hand-powered vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first and second side seat supports are joined adjacent the seat.

6. The hand-powered vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a skid plate coupled to one of a bottom portion of the front portion of the frame and the footrest.

7. The hand-powered vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a first axle extending from the first side portion of the frame, and wherein the first side wheel is rotatably coupled to the first axle, and a second axle extending from the second side portion of the frame, and wherein the second side wheel is rotatably coupled to the second axle.

8. The hand-powered vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first hand grip is rotatably coupled to the first side wheel, and wherein the second hand grip is rotatably coupled to the second side wheel.

9. The hand-powered vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the rear wheel is mounted to the frame at an angle to a vertical axis of between 5° and 45°.

10. The hand-powered vehicle of claim 1 , wherein there is no wheel directly supporting the front portion of the frame.

11. A hand-powered vehicle, comprising:
a frame including a front portion, a first side portion extending rearwardly from a first end of the front portion to a first side wheel, a second side portion extending rearwardly from a second end of the front portion to a second wheel, and a seat support extending rearwardly from the front portion between the first side portion and the second side portion;
a footrest directly connected to the front portion of the frame and to the seat support extending rearwardly from the front portion of the frame, the footrest having a substantially planar footrest surface extending between the seat support and the front portion of the frame at an angle from the front portion of the frame that is different from an angle at which the seat support extends from the front portion of the frame;
the first side wheel rotatably coupled to the first side portion, wherein the first side portion of the frame does not extend rearwardly past the first side wheel;
a first hand grip coupled to the first side wheel;
a second side wheel rotatably coupled to the second side portion, wherein the second side portion of the frame does not extend rearwardly past the second side wheel;
a second hand grip coupled to the second side wheel;
a seat coupled to the seat support;
a rotatable rear wheel rotationally coupled to the seat support distal the front portion; and,
wherein the hand-powered vehicle is configured to be propelled by the user applying a force through the hand grips to rotate the first and second side wheels.

12. The hand-powered vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the rear wheel is mounted to the seat support at an angle the vertical axis of between 10° and 15°.

13. The hand-powered vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the seat support extending rearwardly from the front portion comprises a first side seat support and a second side seat support, and wherein the first and second side seat supports are joined adjacent the seat.

14. The hand-powered vehicle of claim 11 , further comprising a first axle extending from the first side portion of the frame, and wherein the first side wheel is rotatably coupled to the first axle, and a second axle extending from the second side portion of the frame, and wherein the second side wheel is rotatably coupled to the second axle.

15. The hand-powered vehicle of claim 11 , wherein there is no wheel directly supporting the front portion of the frame.

16. A hand-powered vehicle, comprising:
a tubular frame including a front portion, a first side portion extending rearwardly from a first end of the front portion to a first side wheel, a second side portion extending rearwardly from a second end of the front portion to a second side wheel, and a Y-shaped seat support extending rearwardly from the front portion between the first side portion and the second side portion, and wherein an opening of the Y-shaped seat support faces the front portion of the tubular frame;
a substantially planar foot support directly connected to the front portion of the tubular frame and directly connected to the Y-shaped seat support;
a first axle connected to the first side portion and the first side wheel rotatably coupled to the first axle, wherein the first side portion of the frame does not extend rearwardly past the first side wheel;
a first hand grip coupled to the first side wheel;
a second axle connected to the second side portion and the second side wheel rotatably coupled to the second side portion, wherein the second side portion of the frame does not extend rearwardly past the second side wheel;
a second hand grip coupled to the second side wheel;
a seat coupled to the seat support, wherein there is no wheel directly supporting the front portion of the frame;
a rotatable rear wheel rotationally coupled to the seat support distal the front portion; and,
wherein the hand-powered vehicle is configured to be propelled by a user applying a force through the hand grips to rotate the first and second side wheels.

17. The hand-powered vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the seat support extends rearwardly past the seat, and wherein the rear wheel is coupled to the se

Assignees

• Radio Flyer Inc

Inventors

• Eckert Cameron

Classifications

• B62M1/14

  operated exclusively by hand power · CPC title

• B62K5/05

  characterised by a single rear wheel · CPC title

• B62B15/008

  Wheeled sledges (B62B13/18 and B62B15/001 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61G5/026

  Cranks or hand wheels · CPC title

• A61G5/022 Primary

  acting on wheels, e.g. on tires or hand rims · CPC title