Electric scooter

Abstract

To provide an electric scooter that includes a tilting mechanism capable of tilting a handlebar shaft to the right or left with respect to an advancing direction of a vehicle body, and that makes it possible to readily restore the tilted handlebar shaft to a position attained before tilting.SOLUTION: A collapsible electric scooter 100 at least includes a footboard 600, a coupling frame 800, and a tilting mechanism allowing a handlebar shaft to be tilted to the right or left. The tilting mechanism includes a first bearing 1, a second bearing 2, a rotation shaft 3 one end of which is engaged with the first bearing 1 and the other end of which is engaged with the second bearing 2, a rotation board 4 that is disposed to intersect the rotation shaft 3 in a horizontal direction within the coupling frame 800, is fixed to the rotation shaft 3 at a substantially center position in a longitudinal direction, and can thus rotate via the rotation shaft 3, and springs 5 that are biased in a vertical direction between the rotation board 4 and an internal wall of the coupling frame 800 at predetermined positions on the right and left sides with the rotation shaft 3 of the rotation board 4 therebetween.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric skater that is equipped with a tilting mechanism that allows the handle shaft to be tilted left and right relative to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, and that allows the tilted handle shaft to be easily returned to its original position before tilting. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, various vehicles such as electric skaters and electric kick scooters have been developed as new means of transportation. These electric skaters and electric kick scooters are equipped with electric motors and batteries on two- or three-wheeled platform scooters or seat support posts.They are small, maneuverable, easy to operate, and environmentally friendly, and are attracting attention as a new form of transportation that can be used daily for commuting, shopping, and other activities. As a conventional technique showing such an electric skater or electric kickboard, for example, Patent Document 1 listed below is known. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3232835 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 is a device related to an electric kick scooter, which has the advantage of reducing the hassle of charging the battery. None of these conventional electric kick scooters or electric skaters have a tilting mechanism that allows the handlebar shaft to be tilted left or right relative to the traveling direction of the vehicle body. Therefore, steering to change direction was simply done by operating the handlebars to change the direction of travel, which made it difficult to maneuver while riding. Therefore, there was a need for the development of electric skaters or electric kick scooters equipped with a tilting mechanism that allows the handlebar axis to be tilted left or right relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional electric skater by providing an electric skater that has a tilting mechanism that allows the handle shaft to be tilted left and right relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle body, and that allows the tilted handle shaft to be easily returned to its position before tilting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the electric skater of the present invention comprises a connecting frame that connects a handle shaft and a footboard, and a tilting mechanism that is attached to the footboard and the connecting frame so that the handle shaft can be tilted left and right relative to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, and the tilting mechanism comprises at least a first bearing attached to the connecting frame, a second bearing attached to the footboard, a rotating shaft that has one end fitted to the first bearing and the other end fitted to the second bearing, a rotating plate that is positioned within the connecting frame between the first bearing and the second bearing so as to horizontally intersect with the rotating shaft and is fixed to the rotating shaft at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction so as to be rotatable via the rotating shaft, and elastic members that are biased vertically between the rotating plate and the inner wall of the connecting frame at predetermined positions on both the left and right sides of the rotating shaft of the rotating plate. In addition to the first feature, the electric skater of the present invention has a second feature in that it has a concave or convex movement regulating portion on the lower or upper surface of the pivot shaft to regulate the movement of the rotating plate in the axial direction of the pivot shaft, and a concave or convex movement regulating portion on the upper or lower surface of the rotating plate to regulate the movement of the rotating plate in a direction that intersects horizontally with the pivot shaft. Furthermore, in addition to the first or second feature, the electric skater of the present invention has a third feature in that the rotating plate has a circular through-hole at a fixed position with the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft has a circular threaded through-hole at a fixed position with the rotating plate, the through-hole of the rotating plate and the through-hole of the rotating shaft are aligned and a screw is passed through to fix the rotating plate to the rotating shaft, and the connecting frame has an arc-shaped regulating groove that receives the screw protruding upward from the rotating shaft and regulates the amount of rotation of the received screw via the rotating shaft. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the electric skater of the first aspect, the tilting mechanism allows the connecting frame to be tilted to either the left or right relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle, which in turn allows the handle shaft connected to the connecting frame to be tilted to either the left or right relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle, thereby improving operability while riding. Furthermore, by including an elastic member as a component of the tilting mechanism, when the handle shaft is tilted, stress in the expansion / contraction direction and stress in the left-right direction relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle are applied to the elastic member, which was biased vertically before the handle shaft was tilted. Therefore, simply by releasing the force applied when tilting the handle shaft, a restoring force that attempts to return the handle shaft to its pre-tilt state can be exerted on the elastic member. This makes it possible to easily return the tilted handle shaft to its pre-tilt state automatically or with a slight force. Therefore, not only men but even women with little strength can easily tilt the handle shaft, resulting in an electric skater with even greater operability during riding.

[0008] Furthermore, with the electric skater according to the second feature, in addition to the advantageous effects of the first feature, it is possible to more reliably prevent the rotating plate from moving in the axial direction of the rotating shaft or horizontally relative to the rotating shaft, resulting in an electric skater with high precision when tilting the handle shaft and with less risk of damage to the tilting mechanism.

[0009] Furthermore, with the electric skater according to the third feature, in addition to the effects of the first or second feature, the provision of a restricting groove in the connecting frame prevents the connecting frame from rotating more than necessary, thereby effectively preventing the handlebar shaft from tilting more than necessary. Therefore, by preventing the rider from tilting the handlebar shaft more than necessary, the electric skater is safer and the tilting mechanism is less likely to be damaged. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a folding electric skater according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a front view and (b) is a perspective view. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a folding electric skater according to an embodiment of the present invention and a connecting frame that constitutes the folding electric skater, where (a) is a right side view of the folding electric skater, (b) is a perspective view showing the folding electric skater in a folded state, and (c) is a perspective view of the connecting frame. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing a tilting mechanism provided on a folding electric skater according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram showing a tilting mechanism provided on a folding electric skater according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the movement of a tilting mechanism provided on the folding electric skater according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, a folding electric scooter according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to help understand the present invention. However, the following description does not limit the present invention as defined in the claims.

[0012] First, referring to Figures 1 and 2, a folding electric skater 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a so-called folding electric three-wheeled skater that mainly comprises a handlebar 200, a handlebar axle 300, a seat 400, a seat support pole 500, a metal footboard 600, three tires 700, a metal connecting frame 800 that connects the handlebar axle 300 and the footboard 600, and a front wheel fixing frame 900. The seat support pole 500, the footboard 600, etc. are equipped with electric motors and batteries (not shown) so as to make it a folding electric three-wheeled skater. In addition, the folding electric skater 100 in this embodiment is configured so that the handle shaft 300 can be folded toward the footboard 600 by operating the folding lever 301, and the seat support pillar 500 can be folded toward the footboard 600 by operating the folding lever 501. Furthermore, although not shown in detail, the seat portion 400 is configured so that the seat portion 400 can be folded and stored inside the seat support pillar 500 by sliding the slide plate S along the slide groove 401. In this embodiment, a folding electric skater is used as the electric skater, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and a non-folding electric skater may also be used. Furthermore, considering durability, it is desirable to use steel or stainless steel as the metal for forming the footboard 600 and the connecting frame 800, but other metals may also be used, or other materials such as resin may be used instead of metal.

[0013] Furthermore, the folding electric skater 100 of this embodiment is provided with a tilting mechanism that allows the handle shaft 300 to be tilted left and right relative to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 2(a). Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the handle shaft 300 and the footboard 600 are formed as separate members, and a connecting frame 800 is provided to connect the handle shaft 300 and the footboard 600, and this connecting frame 800 and the footboard 600 are provided with a tilting mechanism. As shown in Figures 2(b) and 2(c), a circular through-hole 801 is provided in the vertical direction at the upper end of the connecting frame 800, in the part that extends toward the front of the vehicle body in an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape.The connecting frame 800 is connected to the handle shaft 300 by inserting a rotating shaft 302, which is disposed within the handle shaft 300 and connected to the front wheel fixing frame 900, into this through-hole 801. 2(c) and 4(b), the lower end of the connecting frame 800 extends downwards into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the front end face of the portion is provided with a fitting hole 802 for fitting the first bearing 1, and the rear end face is provided with a through-hole 803 for inserting the rotating shaft 3 fitted into the first bearing 1. The first bearing 1, into which one end of the rotating shaft 3 is fitted, is fitted in the fitting hole 802, and the other end of the rotating shaft 3, which passes through the through-hole 803 and protrudes outside the connecting frame 800, is fitted into the second bearing 2, which is fitted into the fitting hole 601 provided in the footboard 600. With the above configuration, the connecting frame 800 can rotate freely around the rotation axis 3. This allows the handle shaft 300 connected to the upper end of the connecting frame 800 to be configured to be tiltable left and right with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body.

[0014] The tilting mechanism of the present invention will now be described in more detail. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the tilting mechanism of the folding electric skater 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is made up of a first bearing 1, a second bearing 2, a rotating shaft 3, a rotating plate 4, a spring 5, a screw 6, a spring fixing member 7, and a spring abutment member 8.

[0015] The first bearing 1 is a member that cooperates with the second bearing 2 to allow the connecting frame 2 to rotate via the rotation shaft 3 . In this embodiment, as shown in a simplified form in Figure 2(c), this first bearing 1 is fitted and fixed into a circular fitting hole 802 provided on the front end face of the portion that extends in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape toward the lower side of the vehicle body at the lower end of the connecting frame 800. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3(c), a so-called ball bearing is used as the first bearing 1, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this configuration, and other general-purpose bearings may be used as the first bearing instead of the ball bearing. In addition, in FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 4, the first bearing 1 is illustrated in a simplified form for the sake of convenience of explanation.

[0016] The second bearing 2 is a member that cooperates with the first bearing 1 to allow the connecting frame 2 to rotate via the rotation shaft 3 . In this embodiment, as shown in simplified form in Figures 2(c) and 4(b), this second bearing 2 is fitted and fixed into a circular fitting hole 601 that protrudes from the front end surface of the footboard 600. In this embodiment, a so-called ball bearing is used as the second bearing 2, but this is not necessarily limited to such a configuration, and the second bearing 2 may be configured to use another commonly used bearing instead of a ball bearing.

[0017] The rotary shaft 3 is a metal shaft member that is fitted with a first bearing 1 at its tip end (one end) and a second bearing 2 at its rear end (the other end) to be rotatable. 3(c), in this embodiment, a rectangular recess having the same width as the width of the rotating plate 4 in the short direction is provided on the lower surface B of the rotating shaft 3. This recess forms a movement restricting portion 3b for restricting movement of the rotating plate 4 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 3. Furthermore, a circular through-hole 3a is provided in the movement restricting portion 3b, passing vertically through the rotating shaft 3. A screw 6 is passed through this through-hole 3a to fix the rotating plate 4 to the rotating shaft 3, and although not shown, the inner wall of the through-hole 3a is threaded so that the screw 6 can be threadedly engaged with it. In this embodiment, the movement restricting portion 3b is configured such that a rectangular recess having the same width as the width of the rotating plate 4 in the short direction is provided on the lower surface B of the rotating shaft 3, but this is not necessarily limited to this configuration. For example, the movement restricting portion 3b may be configured such that a rectangular recess having the same width as the width of the rotating plate 4 in the short direction is provided on the upper surface T of the rotating shaft 3, or a pair of protrusions capable of clamping the rotating plate 4 are provided on the lower surface B or upper surface T of the rotating shaft 3. 2(c) and 3(b), the present embodiment is configured to use a rotating shaft 3 that is cylindrical between the first bearing 1 and the second bearing 2 and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape behind the second bearing 2. Of course, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the shape of the rotating shaft 3 may be any shape as long as it can be fitted into the first bearing 1 and the second bearing 2. Furthermore, in consideration of durability, it is desirable to use steel or stainless steel as the metal for forming the rotary shaft 3.

[0018] The rotating plate 4 is a member that is driven by the handle shaft 300 to tilt the connecting frame 800 . In this embodiment, the rotating plate 4 is configured to be a long, thin metal plate-like member. In addition, the rotating plate 4 is arranged in a hollow portion K formed in the connecting frame 800 so as to horizontally intersect (orthogonal in this embodiment) with the rotating shaft 3 at a position between the first bearing 1 and the second bearing 2. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a circular through-hole 4a is provided at the center of the rotating plate 4 in the longitudinal direction, through which a screw 6 for fixing the rotating plate 4 to the rotating shaft 3 is inserted.

[0019] Furthermore, a pair of rectangular protruding pieces capable of clamping the rotating shaft 3 is provided on both the left and right sides of the through-hole 4a on the upper surface T of the rotating plate 4. That is, in this embodiment, the length between the inner walls of the pair of protruding pieces is the same as the width (diameter) of the rotating plate 4 in the short side direction. The pair of protruding pieces form a movement restricting portion 4b that restricts movement of the rotating plate 4 in a direction that intersects the horizontal direction with respect to the rotating shaft 3. In this embodiment, the movement restricting portion 4b is configured such that a pair of rectangular protruding pieces, each having the same width as the width (diameter) of the rotating shaft 3 in the short direction, are provided on the upper surface T of the rotating plate 4, but the configuration is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the movement restricting portion 4b may be configured such that a pair of rectangular protruding pieces, each having the same length between the inner walls as the width (diameter) of the rotating shaft 3 in the short direction, are provided on the lower surface B of the rotating plate 4, or a recess having the same width as the width (diameter) of the rotating shaft 3 in the short direction is provided on the upper surface T or the lower surface B of the rotating plate 4. 3 and 4, circular recesses 4c are provided at both the left and right ends in the longitudinal direction of the rotating plate 4. These recesses 4c are used to place spring fixing members 7 for fixing the springs 5, and also to form spaces to prevent the spring fixing members 7 from moving horizontally. Therefore, the shape of the recesses 4c is not limited to being circular, but the shape, size, and depth of the recesses 4c need to be the same as those of the spring fixing members 7, and need to be deep enough to prevent the spring fixing members 7 from moving horizontally when placed therein. The movement restricting portion 4b and the recess 4c can be integrally formed on the rotating plate 4 using a mold, for example. Furthermore, as the metal for forming the rotating plate 4, it is desirable to use steel or stainless steel in consideration of durability.

[0020] The spring 5 is an elastic member that is biased vertically between the rotating plate 4 and the inner wall of the connecting frame 800, and is a member that generates a restoring force to return the handle shaft 300, which is in a tilted state, to its pre-tilt state automatically or with a slight force. In this embodiment, a pair of springs 5 ​​is used, and the pair of springs 5 ​​is arranged at both left and right ends of the rotating plate 4 in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the lower end of the spring 5 is fitted into the spring fixing member 7, and the spring fixing member 7 is then fitted into the recess 4c, thereby positioning a pair of springs 5 ​​at the left and right longitudinal ends of the rotating plate 4. Furthermore, when the rotating plate 4 is fixed to the rotating shaft 3 using the screw 6, the upper end of the spring 5 is abutted against the lower surface of the spring abutment member 8, and a vertical force is applied to the spring 5. In this embodiment, a spring is used as the elastic member, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and other elastic members such as a leaf spring may be used as long as they have the same function and effect as the spring 5. However, it is preferable to use a spring as the elastic member. Furthermore, from the perspective of preventing the handle shaft 300 from tilting unexpectedly during normal driving, it is desirable that the strength of the elastic members, including the springs, be such that when a rider of average age or gender with average arm strength riding the folding electric skater 100 tilts the handle shaft 300 to the left or right (when a load is applied to tilt it), the elastic members, which are subjected to a vertical biasing force, will experience stress in the direction in which the elastic member expands and contracts, and in the direction in which it tilts to the right (for example, when the handle shaft 300 of the folding electric skater 100 of this embodiment is tilted to the right, the spring 5 located on the right side of the turning plate 4 will experience stress in the direction in which it contracts and in the direction in which it tilts to the right, and the spring 5 located on the left side of the turning plate 4 will experience stress in the direction in which it expands and in the direction in which it tilts to the right).

[0021] The screw 6 is a member for fixing the rotating plate 4 to the rotating shaft 3 . In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the screw 6 is a metal flat head screw having a length such that the tip of the screw 6 protrudes a predetermined distance from the rotating shaft 3 when the rotating plate 4 is fixed to the rotating shaft 3. Although not shown in detail, this protruding portion is to be received in an arc-shaped restricting groove 805 provided on the surface facing the screw 6 on the inner wall of the hollow portion K of the connecting frame 800. With this configuration, when the protruding portion of the screw 6 rotates via the rotating shaft 3, the movement of the protruding portion of the screw 6 is permitted only within the range of the arc-shaped restricting groove 805. In other words, the rotation range of the rotating plate 4 can be limited within the range of the restricting groove 805, and a configuration can be achieved that prevents the connecting frame 800 from rotating more than necessary. Therefore, the length of the screw 6 needs to be such that the tip of the screw 6 protrudes a predetermined distance from the rotating shaft 3 when the rotating plate 4 is fixed to the rotating shaft 3. In addition, the depth of the regulating groove 805 provided in the connecting frame 800 needs to be such that the tip of the screw 6 can be received when the rotating plate 4 is fixed to the rotating shaft 3 via the screw 6, and the arc length of the regulating groove 805 needs to be a length that matches the rotation range of the rotating plate 4. In addition, it is desirable to use steel or stainless steel as the metal forming the screw 6 in consideration of durability. Furthermore, although not shown, in this embodiment, the position of the inner surface of the lower side of the hollow portion K of the connecting frame 800 is adjusted and designed so that when the rotating plate 4 rotates more than necessary, the rotating plate 4 abuts against the inner surface of the lower side of the hollow portion K of the connecting frame 800.

[0022] The spring fixing member 7 is a member for fixing the spring 5 to the rotating plate 4 and for preventing the spring 5 from moving in the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3(c), a spring fixing member 7 is used, which is made of a metal member and includes a cylindrical base 7a and a cylindrical protrusion 7b provided on the upper surface of the base 7a. The size of the base 7a is such that it can be fitted into the recess 4c, and the size of the protrusion 7b is such that it can be fitted into the spring 5. It is also possible to configure the spring 5 to be directly fitted into the recess 4c without using the spring fixing member 7, but it is desirable to use the spring fixing member 7 in order to prevent the spring 5 from easily falling off or moving from the rotating plate 4 when the handle shaft 300 is tilted. Furthermore, in consideration of durability, it is desirable to use steel or stainless steel as the metal forming the spring fixing member 7.

[0023] The spring abutment member 8 is a member that abuts against the upper end of the spring 5 and transmits the tilting motion of the connecting frame 800 to the rotating plate 4 via the spring 5. It is also a member that prevents damage to the spring 5 and stops the spring 5 from moving. 3, in this embodiment, the spring abutment member 8 is formed of a cylindrical member made of hard resin. The spring abutment member 8 is bonded and fixed in place using an adhesive while being fitted into a cylindrical recess 804 provided in the inner wall of the hollow portion K of the connecting frame 800. The shape and size (diameter) of the spring abutting member 8 are approximately the same as the shape and size (diameter) of the recess 804. The thickness of the spring abutting member 8 and the depth of the recess 804 are set so that the spring abutting member 8 does not easily fall out of the recess 804 when fitted in the recess 804. Therefore, the shape, size, and thickness of the spring abutting member 8 are not limited to those in this embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate to match the shape, size, and depth of the recess 804. Also, the spring 5 may be directly fitted into the recess 804 without using the spring abutting member 8, but considering the durability of the spring 5, it is preferable to use the spring abutting member 8. In addition, when using the spring abutting member 8, it is preferable to provide a recess on the underside of the spring abutting member 8 into which the upper end of the spring 5 fits, in order to prevent the spring 5 from easily falling off the spring abutting member 8 when the handle shaft 300 is tilted. Furthermore, as the hard resin forming the spring contact member 8, any hard resin that is generally used, such as acrylic or polycarbonate, may be used.

[0024] Next, an example of a method for attaching a tilting mechanism having such a configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 2(c) and FIG. First, the first bearing 1 is fitted into the fitting hole 802 provided in the connecting frame 800 . Then, a pair of spring contact members 8 are adhered and fixed to recesses 804 provided in the inner wall of the hollow portion K of the connecting frame 800 using an adhesive. Thereafter, the pair of spring fixing members 7 are fitted into the recesses 4c of the rotating plate 4 with the protrusions 7b of the spring fixing members 7 fitted into the lower ends of the pair of springs 5. Then, one end (tip side) of the rotating shaft 3 is fitted into the first bearing 1, and the rotating plate 4 is fixed to the rotating shaft 3 using the screw 6. At this time, a vertical biasing force is applied to the pair of springs 5 ​​between the rotating plate 4 and the inner wall of the connecting frame 800 via the threading force of the screw 6. Thereafter, the second bearing 2 is fitted into the fitting hole 601 provided in the footboard 600 . As a result of the above, a tilting mechanism is attached (equipped) to the footboard 600 and the connecting frame 800, which can tilt the handle shaft 300 left and right relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle body, and can easily return the tilted handle shaft 300 to its pre-tilt state automatically or with a small amount of force. The method of attaching the tilting mechanism is not limited to the above order, and other orders may be used as long as the tilting mechanism can be disposed on the step board 600 and the connecting frame 800.

[0025] Next, with reference to FIG. 5, a description will be given of the movement of the folding electric skater 100 configured as described above according to an embodiment of the present invention when the handle shaft 300 is tilted relative to the traveling direction of the vehicle body. In the following, a description will be given of the case where the steering wheel shaft 300 is tilted to the right with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body. However, the movement when the steering wheel shaft 300 is tilted to the left with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body is a movement that is line-symmetrical with the movement when the steering wheel shaft 300 is tilted to the right with respect to the axis of symmetry of the steering wheel shaft 300, and therefore a description of the case where the steering wheel shaft 300 is tilted to the left with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle body will be omitted. First, the driver tilts the steering shaft 300 to the right relative to the traveling direction of the vehicle body (applying a force to the steering shaft 300 that tilts the steering shaft 300 to the right), and the connecting frame 800 tilts to the right following the steering shaft 300. At that time, the rotating plate 4 rotates clockwise around the rotating shaft 3 by a predetermined amount. Specifically, a force in the direction of the arrow is applied to the tilting mechanism before rotation shown in Fig. 5(a), and as a result, as shown in Fig. 5(b), the rotating plate 4 rotates clockwise around the rotating shaft 3 via the spring abutment member 8 and the spring 5. At this time, due to the relative positions of the connecting frame 800, the rotating plate 4, and the rotating shaft 3, stress is generated in the spring 5 located on the right side of the rotating plate 4 in a direction in which the spring 5 contracts and in a direction in which the spring 5 tilts to the right. On the other hand, stress is generated in the spring 5 located on the left side of the rotating plate 4 in a direction in which the spring 5 expands and in a direction in which the spring 5 tilts to the right. When the driver releases the load on the steering wheel shaft 300 that has been tilted to the right or performs an action to return the steering wheel shaft 300 to the left, a force in the direction of the arrow is applied to the tilting mechanism after rotation shown in Fig. 5(b), and accordingly, as shown in Figs. 5(b) to 5(c), a return force acts on each of the pair of springs 5 ​​to return them to their initial state before tilting, and the rotating plate 4 rotates counterclockwise via the spring abutment member 8 and the spring 5 about the rotating shaft 3 to the initial position shown in Fig. 5(c) (Fig. 5(a)). At the same time, the connecting frame 800 rotates counterclockwise via the spring 5 and the spring abutment member 8 to the initial position before the steering wheel shaft 3 was tilted. As a result of the above, the operation of the handle shaft 300 moving from a straight position to a position tilted to the right and then returning to the straight position is completed.

[0026] The folding electric skater 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above has the following advantages.

[0027] By providing the footboards 600 and the connecting frame 800 with a tilting mechanism, the connecting frame 800 can be tilted to either the left or right with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle body, and this allows the handle shaft 300 connected to the connecting frame 800 to be tilted to either the left or right with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle body. This makes it possible to provide a folding electric skater 100 that not only improves operability while riding, but also makes driving more fun. Furthermore, by providing the spring 5 as an elastic member, when the handle shaft 300 is tilted left or right, the spring 5, which was biased vertically before the handle shaft 300 was tilted, is subjected to stress in the expansion / contraction direction and stress in either the left or right direction relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle. Therefore, simply by releasing the force applied when tilting the handle shaft 300, a restoring force that returns the handle shaft 300 to its pre-tilt state can be applied to the spring 5. This makes it possible to easily return the tilted handle shaft 300 to its pre-tilt state automatically or with a slight force. Therefore, not only men but even women with little strength can easily tilt the handle shaft 300, resulting in a folding electric skater 100 that can further improve operability while riding.

[0028] Furthermore, by providing a concave movement restricting portion 3b on the underside B of the rotating shaft 3 to restrict movement of the rotating plate 4 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 3, and a pair of convex movement restricting portions 4b on the top surface T of the rotating plate 4 to restrict movement of the rotating plate 4 in a direction that intersects horizontally with respect to the rotating shaft 3, it is possible to more reliably prevent movement of the rotating plate 4 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 3 or horizontally with respect to the rotating shaft 3. Therefore, the folding electric skater 100 can be designed with high operational precision when tilting the handle shaft 300, and the tilting mechanism is less likely to be damaged.

[0029] Furthermore, by providing the restricting groove 805 inside the connecting frame 800, it is possible to prevent the connecting frame 800 from rotating more than necessary, thereby effectively preventing the handle shaft 300 from tilting more than necessary. Therefore, by preventing the rider from tilting the handle shaft 300 more than necessary, it is possible to provide a folding electric skater 100 that is highly safe and whose tilting mechanism is less likely to be damaged. Furthermore, the position of the inner surface of the lower side of the hollow portion K of the connecting frame 800 is adjusted and designed so that the rotating plate 4 comes into contact with the inner surface of the lower side of the hollow portion K of the connecting frame 800 when the rotating plate 4 rotates more than necessary, which, in combination with the restricting groove 805, further prevents the rider from tilting the handle shaft 300 more than necessary. This makes it possible to provide a folding electric skater 100 with even higher safety and a tilting mechanism that is even less susceptible to damage.

[0030] The shape and size of the connecting frame 800 are not limited to those of this embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate as long as it can be connected to the handle shaft 300 at its upper end, can be connected to the footboard 600 at its lower end, and has a hollow section large enough to accommodate a tilting mechanism inside. Furthermore, the shape, size and depth of the regulating groove 805 provided in the connecting frame 800 are not limited to those of this embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate to match the shape, size and length of the protruding portion of the screw 6. In addition, in this embodiment, the recesses 4c provided in the rotating plate 4 are configured to be provided at the left and right ends of the rotating plate 4 in the longitudinal direction, but this configuration is not necessarily limited to this, and the positions at which the recesses 4c are provided can be changed as appropriate as long as they are arranged in pairs on the left and right sides of the through hole 4a. [Industrial Applicability]

[0031] According to the present invention, an electric skater can be provided that is equipped with a tilting mechanism that allows the handle shaft to be tilted left and right relative to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, and that allows the tilted handle shaft to be easily returned to the position before tilting, and therefore has high industrial applicability in the field of electric skaters. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1 First bearing 2 Second bearing 3 Rotating Axis 3a Through hole 3b Movement control section 4 Rotating plate 4a through hole 4b Movement control section 4c recess 5 Spring 6 screws 7 Spring fixing member 7a Base 7b Convex part 8 Spring contact member 100 Folding Electric Skater 200 handle 300 Handle shaft 301 Folding lever 302 Rotation axis 400 seat 401 Slide groove 500 Seat support column 501 Folding lever 600 Tread 601 Fitting hole 700 tires 800 connecting frame 801 Through hole 802 Fitting hole 803 Through hole 804 recess 805 Regulatory groove 900 Front wheel fixing frame B Bottom side K cavity S slide plate T top surface

Claims

1. an electric skater comprising: a connecting frame connecting a handle shaft and a footboard; and a tilting mechanism attached to the footboard and the connecting frame for tilting the handle shaft to the left or right with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle body, the tilting mechanism comprising at least a first bearing attached to the connecting frame, a second bearing attached to the footboard, a rotating shaft having one end fitted to the first bearing and the other end fitted to the second bearing, a rotating plate disposed within the connecting frame between the first bearing and the second bearing so as to horizontally intersect with the rotating shaft and fixed to the rotating shaft at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction, thereby being rotatable via the rotating shaft, and elastic members biased in the vertical direction between the rotating plate and an inner wall of the connecting frame at predetermined positions on both the left and right sides of the rotating shaft.

2. 2. The electric skater according to claim 1, wherein a concave or convex movement restricting portion is provided on the lower or upper surface of the pivot shaft to restrict movement of the rotating plate in the axial direction of the pivot shaft, and a concave or convex movement restricting portion is provided on the upper or lower surface of the rotating plate to restrict movement of the rotating plate in a direction horizontally intersecting the pivot shaft.

3. 3. The electric skater according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotating plate has a circular through-hole at a position where the rotating plate is fixed to the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft has a circular threaded through-hole at the position where the rotating plate is fixed to the rotating shaft, and the rotating plate is fixed to the rotating shaft by passing a screw through the through-hole of the rotating plate with the through-hole of the rotating shaft aligned, and the connecting frame has an arc-shaped restriction groove that receives the screw protruding upward from the rotating shaft and restricts the amount of rotation of the received screw via the rotating shaft.

Images