Modular cargo bike for transporting cargo and / or people

Abstract

Modular cargo bike (2) for transporting loads and / or people, with a rear part (5) having a handlebar (16), a rear wheel (17), a drive (18) acting on the rear wheel (17), and a saddle (19), with at least one middle part (4) having at least one load and / or person holder (9), and with a front part (3) having at least one steerable front wheel (6, 6a, 6b), wherein the rear part (5) and the middle part (4) as well as the middle part (4) and the front part (3) are repeatedly detachably connected to one another, wherein a steering gear (25) is provided which couples the handlebar (15) to the front wheel (6, 6a, 6b) in a way that transmits steering movements and which bridges the middle part (4).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a cargo bike for transporting cargo and / or people, which has a modular design, comprising a rear part with a handlebar, a rear wheel, a drive acting on the rear wheel, and a saddle, at least one middle part with at least one cargo and / or passenger support, and a front part with at least one steerable front wheel. The rear and middle parts, as well as the middle and front parts, are repeatedly detachably connected to one another. Furthermore, the invention relates to a kit for such a cargo bike.

[0002] In recent years, cargo bikes have established themselves as an alternative to motor vehicles, particularly in urban areas, for transporting cargo and / or people. Examples of such cargo bikes include the Bullitt Cargo Bike and the cargo bike from Butchers & Bicycles. Cargo bikes from Christiana are also popular.

[0003] All of these bikes have a relatively high purchase price, but their versatility is limited. These vehicles are also very bulky and cannot be disassembled by a layperson. This makes moving or storage, for example, usually difficult.

[0004] For example, some cargo bikes use tub-like carriers for both transporting children and cargo. This can at best be considered a compromise solution that falls short of customers' expectations in terms of both the safety of passenger transport and ease of loading.

[0005] A modular tricycle for children is known from US 1 506 565 A. The tricycle has a front section with handlebars, a saddle, and a front wheel connected by pedals. A rear section of the tricycle is provided with two wheels and a rigid axle. The rear section can be attached directly to the front section, forming a conventional tricycle. Furthermore, a middle section is provided, which can be attached between the front and rear sections. A two-part modular cargo bike is known from DE 20 2014 005 627 U1. The front section comprises a load-carrying unit, a steerable front section, and a steering rod. The rear section of the cargo bike has a drivable rear wheel, a saddle, and a handlebar. The handlebar is connected to a steering transmission sleeve, which can be connected to a steering transmission rod of the steering rod. From DE 10 2006 047 004 A1 a bicycle is known that can be divided in the middle.The front section, consisting of the front wheel, handlebars, and part of the frame, can be removed so that a child carrier or stroller transport device can be attached in place of the front section. A modular cargo bike is known from DE 20 2014 003 119 U1. The cargo bike has a frame that is firmly connected to handlebars, a drive for the cargo bike, and a saddle. The front and rear sections, each equipped with the front and rear wheels, are designed to be interchangeable. The cargo bike has a steering gear that can transmit the movements of the handlebars to the hub or fork of the front wheel. DE 10 2010 005 916 A1 discloses a cargo bike that has a front section containing the saddle, pedal crank, handlebars, and front wheel. A rear section is equipped with the rear wheel and also has a load-bearing device. The rear part is designed to be connectable to the front part.

[0006] The object of the invention is therefore to create a cargo bike for transporting loads and / or people that can be used for a wide variety of purposes.

[0007] This task is solved for the cargo bike mentioned above by providing a steering gear that couples the handlebars to the front wheel, transmitting steering movements, and bridges the middle part.

[0008] This modular design allows for various front, rear, and middle sections or modules to be combined. This allows the cargo bike to be optimally adapted to its intended use.

[0009] The above object is also achieved by a kit for such a modular cargo bike, wherein the kit further comprises at least one further different front part which is designed to be repeatedly detachably connectable to the middle and / or the rear part, and / or at least one further different middle part which is designed to be repeatedly detachably connectable to the rear and / or the front part, and / or at least one further different rear part which is designed to be repeatedly detachably connectable to the middle and / or the front part.

[0010] Using such a kit, provided by a seller, the modular cargo bike can be adapted to a specific task, such as transporting people, by purchasing a specially designed middle section in addition to the front and rear sections. The same buyer can then replace the middle section with one specialized for transporting loads or add another middle section after some time, once the children have outgrown the cargo bike's ability to transport people. Alternatively or additionally, a rear section that is only propelled by human power can be replaced with one equipped with an auxiliary electric motor. Likewise, the disassembled components can be easily transported and stored when not in use.

[0011] The solution according to the invention can be further improved by the following developments, each of which is advantageous in itself and can be combined with one another as desired.

[0012] As already mentioned, the drive can comprise an electric motor. In such a case, the energy source, such as a battery or accumulator, is preferably attached to the rear section. The drive can have pedals in addition to the electric motor or without an additional electric motor.

[0013] The parts of the cargo bike can be connected to each other via mechanical interfaces that are preferably complementary or identical to each other, for example, adjacent flange surfaces or form-fitting connections such as T- or dovetail profiles. The flange surfaces can be oriented perpendicular to the direction of travel and / or parallel to the direction of travel. The advantage of flange surfaces oriented perpendicular to the direction of travel is a shorter design.

[0014] The parts or modules can be screwed together. However, a tool-free connection can also be advantageous, for example, using a coupling mechanism with a quick-release fastener and an eccentric or cam lock.

[0015] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the front part can be provided with its own headset or steering head bearing. This ensures that the front wheel is held firmly and rotatably in the front part. The connection between the parts is preferably fixed.

[0016] A separate headset is preferably provided on the handlebar of the rear section.

[0017] The handlebar or rear section is coupled to the front section or front wheel via a steering gear, transmitting steering movements. This way, the steering movements are transmitted to the front wheel despite the intermediate middle section. The kit preferably includes different steering gear elements to accommodate different sizes and designs of the front, middle, and rear sections.

[0018] The steering gear can, in particular, comprise a steering linkage and / or a traction mechanism, for example, a chain or toothed belt drive, to transmit the steering movements. To connect differently designed front and rear sections or to bridge differently sized middle sections, the kit can comprise differently designed steering linkages and / or traction mechanisms. A traction mechanism, such as a belt drive or chain drive, for transmitting the steering movements from the rear to the front section has the advantage that only the length of the traction mechanism needs to be adjusted for different cargo bike configurations.

[0019] The steering gear bridges the middle section preferably without contact. This simplifies the construction of the middle section, as no fastening and / or guide elements are required for the steering gear.

[0020] In a further advantageous embodiment, the front section can be designed with multiple tracks. A multi-track front section has at least two jointly steerable, parallel front wheels that are spaced apart from each other transversely to the direction of travel. The multi-track design (two tracks are sufficient here) significantly improves the stability of the cargo bike, making it almost impossible or impossible to tip over. The multi-track design also allows for a higher load center of gravity, even with heavy loads, without making the cargo bike more difficult to balance. Preferably, there is at least one section between the at least two front wheels of the multi-track section in which cargo and / or at least one person can be accommodated. A multi-track front section preferably has a parallelogram guide with tilting technology.

[0021] The modular cargo bike kit can include such a multi-track front section and alternatively a single-track front section.

[0022] The middle part may have a platform and / or a frame and / or a trough for loading and / or transport.

[0023] In a further advantageous embodiment, the rear part is designed to be repeatedly detachably attachable to the front part, omitting the middle part. This results in a short bicycle that, in the case of a single-track front part, has the maneuverability of a normal bicycle. If a multi-track front part is used, a tip-proof bicycle for seniors is created. With complementary or identical interfaces between the parts, the front part can be attached directly to the rear part, in particular without intermediate adapter pieces, according to an advantageous embodiment.

[0024] A cargo and / or passenger support of the middle section can extend at least partially over at least one front wheel. This allows the entire length of the bicycle to be used for transporting loads and / or passengers. On a multi-track bicycle, the cargo and / or passenger support can extend between the front wheels.

[0025] The connection between the front and middle part, the middle and rear part and / or the front and rear part is preferably at least sufficiently rigid to give the frame sufficient rigidity even under high loads.

[0026] The versatility of the cargo bike can be further increased if at least one middle section, or at least the middle section of the modular cargo bike, or at least one middle section of the kit is equipped with a rail fastening system. In this case, the kit can comprise interchangeable and / or mountable transport aids, which are preferably designed to be movable, but in any case lockable, on the fastening rail system. Such transport aids can be transport boxes of different sizes and shapes, tubs of different sizes and shapes, and / or seats of different sizes, particularly child seats, as well as lashing devices. A smaller version of the kit can also provide only one size of each of these different transport aids. The seats can accommodate one or more people and are preferably connected to a restraint system.Preferably, the seats can be secured in both forward and rearward facing directions. Mounting devices for such transport aids can also be provided at the front.

[0027] In the following, the invention is explained in more detail using a purely exemplary embodiment.

[0028] They show: Fig. 1 a schematic overview of parts of a kit according to the invention for a modular cargo bike; Fig. 2 & 3 differently configured modular cargo bikes according to the invention in a schematic representation.

[0029] Fig. 1 schematically shows a kit 1, from whose components a modular cargo bike for transporting people and / or cargo can be assembled.

[0030] The modular cargo bike 2 has a front part 3, a middle part 4 and a rear part 5.

[0031] The front part 3 is provided with at least one steerable front wheel 6 and preferably with its own steering set 7, which rotatably holds the front wheel 6 on a frame element 8. The middle part 4 has at least one load and / or passenger support 9, preferably in the form of a platform or a frame. The load and / or passenger support 9 can in particular be provided with a rail system 10, which enables the repeatedly detachable attachment of transport aids 11, such as various transport trays 12, seats, in particular child seats 13, and / or transport boxes 14, preferably displaceable along the rails and lockable in any position. The arrows 15 in Fig. 1 are intended to schematically express that the transport aids 11 can be attached jointly or alternatively to the load and / or person support.

[0032] For fastening to the rail system 10, the transport aids 11 are provided with fastening means 10', for example sliding blocks that can be actuated by quick-release fasteners and locked against unintentional loosening.

[0033] The rear part 5 has a handlebar 16, a rear wheel 17 and a drive 18 acting on the rear wheel 17 as well as a saddle 19.

[0034] The front part 3 and the middle part 4 as well as the middle part 4 and the rear part 5 are repeatedly detachably connected to each other, for example, by screwing or by means of a quick-action clamping system, preferably designed to be attached without tools, which may include eccentrics and / or sash locks. For the sake of clarity, the dividing plane between the front part 3 and the middle part 4 is shown in Fig. 1 and is designated by reference numeral 20. The parting plane between the middle part 4 and the rear part 5 is designated by reference numeral 21. The mechanical interfaces 22, which firmly connect the parts 4, 5, and 6, are located at the parting planes 20 and 21. The interfaces 22 are preferably designed as flanges 22'.

[0035] Preferably, the flanges 22' have flange surfaces 23 which are perpendicular to the direction of travel 24 of the cargo bike 2 or (in Fig. 1 not shown) extend horizontally. Preferably, the front part 3 can also be attached directly to the rear part 5 without the middle part 4. Furthermore, several middle parts 4 can be mounted one behind the other between the front part 3 and the rear part 5.

[0036] To transmit the user's steering movements on the handlebars 16 to the front wheel 6, the modular cargo bike 2 is equipped with a steering gear 25. The steering gear can comprise a steering linkage 26 and / or a traction mechanism, for example, a chain drive or a belt drive. The steering gear 25 is a separate component of the kit 1. Alternatively, the steering gear can also be integrated into the middle part 4 and the interfaces 22.

[0037] Preferably, the steering gear 25 bridges the middle part 4 without contact, so that the middle part 4 can be designed without regard to the steering gear 25. The steering gear 25 preferably runs below the middle part 4 or the load and / or passenger support 9. The rear part 5 is provided with its own steering set 27, and the steering rod 16 thus drives the steering gear 25.

[0038] In Fig. 1 shows, merely by way of example, a modular cargo bike 2 assembled from kit 1 with a single-track front section 3. Kit 1 can have a multi-track front section 3' instead of the single-track front section 3 or in addition to the single-track front section 3. As symbolized by the arrow 28, the single-track front section 3 and the multi-track front section 3' are interchangeable because they have the same interface 22 to the complementary interfaces of parts 4, 5.

[0039] The multi-track front part 3' is preferably provided with two front wheels 6a, 6b spaced apart perpendicularly to the direction of travel 24, essentially parallel to each other except for a camber and jointly steerable. Fig. 1, a marked opening 29 provides a view through the front wheel 6a facing the user to the area between the two front wheels 6a, 6b and the inside of the other front wheel 6b.

[0040] The multi-track front part 3' is preferably provided with a tilting device 30, for example a parallelogram guide, and a steering system 31. The multi-track steering system jointly steers the front wheels 6a, 6b by means of the steering set 7 and a front steering gear 32, for example two steering rods.

[0041] The kit 1 can further comprise at least one further central part 4', which can be exchanged for another central part 4 or fastened to a central part 4, as indicated by the arrow 33. The central part 4' can be longer or shorter and / or provided with a differently designed load and / or passenger support 9.

[0042] In Fig. In Figure 1, the rear part 5 is shown merely as an example with an electric auxiliary motor 34 and a power source 35, for example a rechargeable battery. Instead of such a rear part 5 configured as a Pedelec, or in addition to such a rear part 5, the kit 1 can include another rear part (in Fig. 1 not shown) which has a pedal drive without an auxiliary motor 34. Of course, a rear part 5 may also be present which has exclusively an electric drive without pedals.

[0043] The above-described parts 3, 4, and 5 can be combined with each other as desired due to their identically designed interfaces. To transmit the steering movements from the steering arm 16 to at least one front wheel 3, differently designed steering gears 25, 25' can be included in the kit, which establish the connection between the rear part 5 and the front part 3.

[0044] With kit 1, very different bicycles can be assembled in the simplest way.

[0045] Fig. Figure 2 shows an example of a modular cargo bike 2, in which a rear section 5 is directly connected to a multi-track front section 3'. The result is a tip-proof tricycle, which, due to its stability, is particularly suitable for seniors. The rear section 5 is shown with a classic pedal drive 18 without an auxiliary motor only as an example. Of course, the Fig. 1 shown rear part 5 with electric auxiliary motor 34 can be used. So that in this case too, loads can be transported by the modular wheel 2, for example a dog or shopping, the front part 3' can be provided with its own fastening system 36, which preferably allows the fastening of the Fig. 1, which can be attached to the load and / or passenger support 9. For example, the front part 3' can be provided with receptacles 37 for the rail fastening system 10. The steering gear 25 is very short in this embodiment, since the middle part 4 is missing.

[0046] Fig. Figure 3 shows another exemplary embodiment of a modular cargo bike 2 to demonstrate its versatility. The steering gear 25 in this case is a toothed belt drive that connects the handlebar 16 to the headset 7 of the front section 3'. Various transport aids 11, such as a transport box 14 and two child seats 13 positioned side by side, are attached to the middle section or rail system 10 of the cargo and / or passenger support 9. The child seats 13 are equipped with a safety system 38, such as seat belts.

[0047] In order to use the space between the two front wheels 6a, 6b, a transport aid 11 attached to the middle part 4 can project beyond the front part 3' or even a single-track front part 3. Otherwise, as with the modular wheel, the Fig. 2, a fastening system with appropriate transport aid must be present on the front part 3.

[0048] To ensure maximum storage space, the interfaces are positioned as low as possible, preferably no higher than a bottom bracket 39 and / or a wheel axle 40. Reference symbol 1 kit 2 modular cargo bikes 3 front part (single track) 3' front part (multi-lane) 4 middle part 4' (further middle part) 5 rear part 5' (further rear part) 6 steerable front wheel 6a steerable front wheel in multi-lane 6b steerable front wheel in multi-lane 7 Tax rate 8 frame element 9 Loading and / or unloading of persons 10 rail system 10' fasteners for rail system 11 Transport aids 12 Transport tray 13 seats 14 transport box 15 Arrow 16 handlebars 17 Rear wheel 18 Drive 19 Saddle 20 Separation plane between front and middle part 21 Separation plane between middle and rear part 22 Interface 22' flange 23 Flange surface 24 Direction of travel 25 steering gear 25' (additional steering gear) 26 steering rods 27 Headset of the rear part 28 Arrow 29 Breakthrough 30 Tilting device 31 Multi-track steering 32 front steering gear 33 Arrow 34 Electric auxiliary motor 35 Energy source 36 fastening system 37 recording 38 Safety device for seat 39 bottom bracket 40 wheel axle

Claims

[1] Modular cargo bike (2) for transporting loads and / or people, with a rear part (5) having a handlebar (16), a rear wheel (17), a drive (18) acting on the rear wheel (17) and a saddle (19), with at least one middle part (4) having at least one load and / or person holder (9), and with a front part (3) having at least one steerable front wheel (6, 6a, 6b), wherein the rear part (5) and the middle part (4) as well as the middle part (4) and the front part (3) are repeatedly detachably connected to one another, wherein a steering gear (25) is provided which couples the handlebar (15) to the front wheel (6, 6a, 6b) in a way that transmits steering movements and which bridges the middle part (4). [2] Modular cargo bike (2) according to claim 1, wherein the front part (3) is provided with its own headset (7). [3] Modular cargo bike (2) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rear part (5) is designed to be repeatedly detachably attachable to the front part (3) without the middle part (4). [4] Modular cargo bike (2) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the front part (3) is designed with multiple tracks. [5] Modular cargo bike (2) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein interchangeable transport aids (11) are provided which can be repeatedly and detachably fastened to the central part (4), and the transport aids (11) comprise at least two from the group consisting of a transport tray (12), a seat (13) and a transport box (14). [6] Modular cargo bike (2) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the load and / or person support (9) is provided with a rail system (10) for fastening different, interchangeable transport aids (11). [7] Kit (1) for a modular cargo bike (2), wherein at least one rear part (5) having a handlebar (16), a rear wheel (17), a drive (18) acting on the rear wheel (17) and a saddle (19), at least one middle part (4) having at least one load and / or person holder (9) and at least one front part (3) having at least one steerable front wheel (6, 6a, 6b) are provided, wherein the kit (1) further comprises at least one further different front part (3') designed to be repeatedly detachably connectable to the middle part (4) and / or the rear part (5), and / or at least one further different middle part (4') designed to be repeatedly detachably connectable to the rear and / or the front part (3), and / or at least one further different rear part (5') designed to be repeatedly detachably connectable to the middle Part (4) and / or the front part (3) is designed to be repeatedly detachably connectable,wherein a steering gear (25) is provided which is designed, in a cargo bike (2) assembled from the kit (1), to couple the handlebar (15) to the front wheel (6, 6a, 6b) in a way that transmits steering movements and to bridge the middle part (4). [8] Kit according to claim 7, wherein at least two differently designed steering gears (25, 25') are present. [9] Kit (1) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the kit (1) comprises different transport aids (11) which are designed to be interchangeable and attachable to the at least one central part (4, 4') of the kit (1). [10] Kit (1) according to one of claims 7 to 9, wherein at least one front part (3, 3') of the kit is designed to be multi-track. [11] Kit (1) according to one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the rear part (5, 5') and the front part (3, 3') are each provided with their own control set (7, 27). [12] Kit (1) according to one of claims 7 to 11, wherein at least one rear part (5, 5') is provided with an electric motor (34). [13] Kit (1) according to one of claims 7 to 12, wherein at least one middle part (4, 4') and / or one front part (3, 3') is provided with at least one rail system (10).

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