Standing-ride mobility

Abstract

To provide a highly practical standing-ride mobility.SOLUTION: A ride-on mobility includes (A) a pair of left and right side units 10 each having a side frame 16, a front wheel 38 as a universal caster 32, and a rear wheel 40 whose direction is fixed, (B) a floor frame 12 that connects the pair of side units at lower portions thereof so as to be tiltable to the left and right and on which a driver rides in a standing posture, and (C) a link 14 that rotatably connects the pair of side units above the floor frame. To turn a pair of side units to the right and left by tilting them to the right and left. Even when the driver is not on board, the mobility vehicle is easy to handle, and can be easily turned by leaning the pair of side units.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mobility vehicle that is driven by a driver in a standing position. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the development of small-sized mobility (vehicles, means of transportation, etc.) has progressed, and for example, the mobility described in the following Patent Document can tilt the vehicle body left and right. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-168000 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the mobility vehicles described in the above patent documents, the relationship between the left and right tilt of the body (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "lean") and the turning of the mobility vehicle is unclear, and the mobility vehicle remains inconvenient to handle when no driver is on board. In other words, there is considerable room for improvement in mobility vehicles that are driven by leaning the body, and it is believed that practicality can be improved by making some kind of improvement. The present invention was made in consideration of such circumstances, and its objective is to provide a highly practical standing mobility vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the standing mobility of the present invention is characterized by comprising: (A) a pair of left and right side units, each having a side frame, a front wheel with a swivel caster, and a rear wheel with a fixed orientation; (B) a floor frame that connects the pair of side units at their lower parts so that they can tilt left and right, and on which the rider can ride in a standing position; and (C) a link that connects the pair of side units above the floor frame so that they can rotate, and which allows the pair of side units to tilt left and right, thereby allowing the mobility to turn left and right. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the standing mobility of the present invention, the front wheels are swivel casters, so the mobility is easy to handle even when no rider is on board, and it can be easily turned by tilting the pair of side units left and right, i.e., by leaning the side units. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1A to 1C are three-view diagrams showing the overall configuration of a standing mobility vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the operating posture of the standing mobility when turning. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating the behavior of swivel casters of a standing mobility vehicle and variations in swivel casters that can be used. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, as a mode for carrying out the present invention, a stand-up mobility (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the present mobility") that is an embodiment of the present invention and variations thereof will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition to the following embodiments and variations, the present invention can be carried out in various forms that include various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. [Example]

[0009] [1] Overall structure of standing mobility This mobility is shown in Figure 1(a) as a front view from the front, in Figure 1(b) as a side view from the left (left as seen from the driver), and in Figure 1(c) as a plan view from above.It is composed of a pair of side units 10 on the left and right, a floor frame 12 on which the driver sits in a standing position, and a link 14 that connects the pair of side units 10 above the floor frame 12.

[0010] Each of the pair of left and right side units 10 is primarily composed of a side frame 16, which includes a main pole 18, a lower beam 20, auxiliary members 22, 24, and 26 connecting the main pole 18 and the lower beam 20, and a handle 30 supported on the main pole 18 via a support bracket 28. A swivel caster 32 (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "caster 32") is attached to the lower part of the main pole 18. The caster 32 includes a fork 34 and a front wheel 38 rotatably held on the fork 34 via an axle 36, and the fork 34 is rotatable around a caster axis KP (which may also be called a "kingpin axis") that is an axis perpendicular to the main pole 18. The rotation of the fork 34 causes the front wheel 38 to turn.

[0011] On the other hand, rear wheels 40, the direction of which is fixed, are held at the rear of the lower beam 20. The rear wheels 40 are drive wheels, and are driven to rotate by a drive unit 42 attached to the lower beam 20. Although a detailed description of the drive unit 42 is omitted, it uses an electric motor as a drive source and includes a reducer and the like. Although not shown in the figures, an operating lever is provided on the handle 30 of one of the pair of side units 10, and the rear wheels 40 are driven or braked by operating this operating lever.

[0012] The floor frame 12 is composed of two horizontal members 44, one at the front and one at the rear, extending laterally, and two vertical members 46 that connect the horizontal members 44 in the front-to-rear direction. The left and right ends of each of the two horizontal members 44 are rotatably connected via shafts 50 to brackets 48 attached to the lower beams 20 of the side frames 16. Incidentally, although not shown, a panel is placed on the floor frame 12, and the driver stands on the panel.

[0013] The link 14 is disposed between the pair of side units 10 so as to span them, and is rotatably connected at its left and right ends to the main poles 18 of each side unit 10 via shafts 52. The link 14 allows the pair of side units 10 to tilt left and right, while maintaining positions that are generally parallel to each other, around a line connecting the ground contact points of the front wheels 38 and rear wheels 40.

[0014] [2] Behavior when turning The driver of this mobility vehicle moves forward by standing on the floor frame 12, gripping the handlebars 30 of each of the pair of side units 10 with both hands, and operating the operating lever. To turn, the driver leans the pair of side frames 16 in the direction of the desired turn, as shown in FIG. 2(a). This leaning causes the left and right casters 32, i.e., the left and right front wheels 38, to turn in the turning direction, as will be explained in detail later, and the mobility vehicle turns in that direction. Because FIG. 2(a) is a view from the front, the side units 10 are leaned so that their upper portions shift to the right, but from the driver's perspective, they lean so that their upper portions shift to the left. In other words, the figure shows the mobility vehicle turning left, and the side units 10 are leaned so that their upper portions shift to the inside of the turn. Note that in the following explanation, the turning direction of the mobility vehicle will be described from the driver's perspective, and the lean direction of the side units 10 will be described based on the turning direction. In other words, the side unit 10 leaning in a direction that shifts its upper portion toward the inside of the turn is expressed as the side unit 10 leaning toward the inside of the turn. Note that when the mobility is turning, centrifugal force acts, so as shown in Figure 2(a), the driver shifts his or her center of gravity toward the inside of the turn to resist the centrifugal force, and assumes a posture that leans toward the inside of the turn.

[0015] Next, the behavior of the caster 32 when the mobility is turning, i.e., the behavior of the front wheel 38, will be described. Figure 3(a) is a side view of the mobility of the caster 32 when not turning. As shown in the figure, the distance between the center of the contact surface of the front wheel 38 and the intersection of the caster axis KP with the road surface (a concept that differs depending on the location where the vehicle is traveling, such as the ground, floor, etc.) is called the caster trail L. ct It is defined as:

[0016] Consider the case where the side unit 10 is leaned to either the left or right from a state in which the front wheel 38, i.e., the caster 32, is not turned. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3(b), which is a conceptual diagram of the vehicle viewed from the front-to-rear direction, the caster axis KP is inclined with respect to the vertical line VL. This inclination angle is defined as the lean angle φ. When the caster 32 turns, the front wheel 38 changes its posture as shown in the figure. More specifically, it rotates around the leaned caster axis KP. The thin ellipse and circle indicate the center plane of the turned front wheel 38. The circle indicates a posture when the turning angle (the turning angle of the front wheel 38 around the caster axis KP) is 90°, and the ellipse indicates a posture when the wheel has not yet turned to 90°. As can be seen from the figure, the contact patch RS of the front wheel 38 rises as the wheel turns. In reality, the road surface does not rise, so the vehicle body of the mobility vehicle lowers. The vehicle body is lowest when the turning angle is 90°. In other words, when the side unit 10 is leaned, a moment (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "moment due to own weight") that causes the front wheels 38 to turn to a position where the turning angle is 90° due to the weight of the mobility acts on the caster 32. The amount of change in the vehicle body height (vehicle height) of the mobility from a state in which the front wheels 38 are not turned is defined as the vehicle height change amount h.

[0017] The moment due to vehicle weight will be explained with reference to the following formula and Figure 3(c). The upper diagram in Figure 3(c) shows the front wheel 38 as seen from above in the direction of the caster axis KP, and the lower diagram shows the wheel 38 as seen from behind. When the lean angle is φ and the steering angle is δ, c When the wheel 38 is turned by the amount of rotation, the amount of movement x of the contact point of the wheel 38 is expressed by the formula (1). The amount of change in vehicle height h at that time is calculated by the caster trail L ct If we use the equation (2), the turning angle δ c the small angle Δδ c The vehicle height change amount h+Δh when the angle is changed by a small angle Δδ can be expressed by equation (3). c Assuming that is sufficiently small, sinΔδ c =Δδ c , cosΔδ c =1 Then, the vehicle height change amount h+Δh can be expressed by equation (4). Therefore, equation (5) holds. A certain force F is the energy that moves the body of the mobility by Δh, and torque M is the energy that moves the front wheel 38 by a small angle Δδ. c Therefore, the equation (6) holds true. If the vehicle load (which includes the weight of the driver when the driver is riding the mobility vehicle) shared by one front wheel 38 is m, the moment M due to the vehicle's own weight mentioned above can be considered to be equal to the energy required to turn the vehicle by the amount of the vehicle's own weight. cg can be expressed by equation (7), where g is the acceleration due to gravity.

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[0018] On the other hand, when the mobility is turning, a lateral force F is applied to the front wheel 38 as shown in FIG. y This lateral force F y As a result, the caster 32 is subjected to a moment M around the caster axis KP. cy This moment M cy is expressed by the following equation: M cy =F y L ct This moment M cy can be called the self-aligning torque, and hence will be referred to as the self-aligning moment M cy The self-aligning moment M cy is the moment that directs the front wheels 38 in the direction of travel, that is, the moment that tries to keep the front wheels 38 from turning. In other words, it corresponds to the force that tries to lift the body of the mobility vehicle. Incidentally, this moment M cy The higher the traveling speed of the mobility, and the turning angle δ of the front wheels 38 c The larger is, the larger it becomes.

[0019] In actual turning, the moment due to the weight Mcg and the self-aligning moment M cy The turning angle δ of the front wheels 38 is set to balance the above. c , that is, the turning angle δ of the caster 32 c is determined, and the turning angle δ c In other words, when the driver leans the pair of side units 10 while traveling, the mobility can appropriately turn in accordance with the lean angle φ, which is the angle of the lean, and the traveling speed of the mobility.

[0020] Furthermore, when the rider is not riding, the casters 32, i.e., the front wheels 38, can be turned freely, so that the orientation of the mobility itself can be easily changed almost on the spot by simply pulling the handle 30 of one of the pair of side units 10. In other words, the mobility is extremely easy to handle when not in motion.

[0021] [3] Variations of standing mobility i) Connection point between side unit and floor frame As shown in FIG. 2(b), the axis 50, which is the connection point between each of the pair of side units 10 and the floor frame 12, is located inside the unit axis CL, which is the central axis of each side unit 10 (coincides with the caster axis KP when viewed from the front), in the width direction of the vehicle. Therefore, when the vehicle turns, i.e., when the side units 10 are leaned, the inner end of the floor frame 12 is positioned higher than the outer end. In other words, the outer end of the floor frame 12 tilts downward. With this movement of the floor frame 12, the driver kicks down on the foot on the outer side of the vehicle when starting a turn and shifts their weight to the inner side of the turn. When returning to straight driving, the driver kicks down on the foot on the inner side of the vehicle, returning their center of gravity to the center of the vehicle, making it easy to control the vehicle. In extreme cases, weight shift alone can cause the vehicle to turn and return to straight driving.

[0022] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 2(c), the axis 50, which is the connection point, can be positioned on the unit axis line CL when viewed from the front. In this case, as shown in the figure, even when the side unit 10 is leaned, that is, even when the mobility is turned, the floor frame 12 remains horizontal. By adopting this configuration, for example, in the case of a mobility in which luggage or the like can be placed on the floor frame 12, the luggage will remain stable even when the side unit 10 is leaned.

[0023] Furthermore, instead of the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2(d), the axis 50, which is the connection point, can be positioned outside the unit axis line CL in the width direction of the mobility. In this case, as shown in the figure, when the side unit 10 is leaned, i.e., when the mobility is turned, the outer end of the floor frame 12 is positioned higher than the inner end. In other words, the inner end of the turning frame is tilted downward. According to this embodiment, it is possible to realize turning operations similar to those of a bicycle or motorcycle (motorcycle). This embodiment is suitable for mobility intended to turn at relatively high speeds.

[0024] ii) Forward / backward tilt of the caster axis In this mobility, as shown in Figure 3(a), the caster axis KP of the caster 32 is vertical when viewed from the side. Instead of such an embodiment, as shown in Figure 3(d), it is also possible to employ a caster 32 in which the caster axis KP is tilted forward, i.e., the upper part of the caster axis KP is positioned further forward than the lower part. As can be seen from the figure, in such an embodiment, the above-mentioned moment M due to the vehicle's own weight cg However, this acts on the casters 32 in a direction that points the front wheels 38 in the direction of travel, improving the straight-line stability of the mobility. In addition, even when the rider is not on board, the casters 32 can be kept in a position where they do not turn, and further, when the rider gets on the floor frame 12, wobbling of the mobility caused by inadvertent turning of the casters 32 can be suppressed.

[0025] 3(e), it is also possible to employ casters 32 in which the caster axis KP is tilted backward, i.e., the upper part of the caster axis KP is positioned further rearward than the lower part. This type of configuration makes it possible to achieve mobility that feels similar to that of a motorcycle.

[0026] iii) Other In this mobility, the side unit 10 and floor frame 12, and the side unit 10 and link 14 rotate freely relative to each other, in other words, with almost no resistance, around the axis 50 and axis 52, respectively. To stabilize driving, dampers may be provided for the relative rotation between the side unit 10 and floor frame 12 and / or the relative rotation between the side unit 10 and link 14. The dampers can provide resistance to these rapid relative rotations, suppressing rapid lean of the side unit 10 and improving straight-line stability.

[0027] It is also possible to provide a spring to prevent the relative rotation. Specifically, for example, it is possible to apply a spring force in a direction that maintains the relative position between the side unit 10 and the floor frame 12 and / or the relative position between the side unit 10 and the link 14 in the position when the side unit 10 is not leaning, in other words, the position when the mobility is traveling straight. By providing such a spring, the straight-line stability of the mobility is improved. Furthermore, since the side unit 10 maintains an upright position even when the mobility is not traveling, it becomes easier for the driver to get on and off the mobility.

[0028] It is also possible to provide a stopper for limiting the range of their relative rotation, in other words, a stopper for limiting the lean angle of the side unit 10. Furthermore, a caster fixing means for when the mobility vehicle is moving straight may be provided so that the casters 32 do not turn when the mobility vehicle is moving straight.

[0029] In this mobility, the rear wheels 40 are driven by a drive unit 42, but the drive unit 42 may not be provided and the rider may move by kicking the road surface like a kick scooter, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 10: Side unit 12: Floor frame 14: Link 16: Side frame 30: Handle 32: Swivel caster 38: Front wheel 40: Rear wheel 42: Drive unit

Claims

[Claim 1] A pair of left and right side units each having a side frame, a front wheel that is a swivel caster, and a rear wheel whose direction is fixed; a floor frame that connects the pair of side units at their lower parts so that they can tilt left and right, and on which a driver can ride in a standing position; a link that rotatably connects the pair of side units above the floor frame; The stand-up mobility vehicle is provided with the above-mentioned pair of side units, and is capable of turning left and right by tilting the pair of side units left and right.

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