Electric cart

Abstract

The present invention provides an electric cart which is relatively compact and which can be smoothly deformed into a walking mode and a self-driving mode.　An electric cart (10) comprises a lock mechanism (50) for locking an operation handle means (30) in a state in which the operation handle means (30) is displaced. The operation handle means (30) is attached to a vehicle body (20) in such a manner that the operation handle means (30) can be rotated in the front-rear direction (Z). The lock mechanism (50) has an operation lever (80) which is positioned on the operation handle means (30) and which has an engagement protrusion (80a) and a lock plate (70) which is positioned on the vehicle body (20) such that the lock plate (70) faces the operation lever (80). The operation lever (80) is constantly biased toward the lock plate (70). The lock plate (70) has a first engagement groove (71) with which the engagement protrusion (80a) is engaged and a second engagement groove (72) which is positioned rearward of the first engagement groove (71).

Description

Electric cart

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric cart for use when traveling on the road, on a golf course, in a supermarket, in a shopping mall, or the like.

[0002] Shopping carts and golf carts that can accommodate luggage and move around are well known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a push-type shopping cart that has a cart body, front and rear wheels attached to the cart body, and a loading platform located on the front side of the cart body. Also, Patent Document 2 discloses a single-seater electric golf cart that has a body structure similar to that of an electric wheelchair.

[0003] Utility Model Publication No. 5-5652 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-323548

[0004] The hand-pushed shopping cart disclosed in Patent Document 1 can be moved while holding luggage on the platform, making it convenient for shopping and moving around on the street. However, when the user is elderly or carrying a lot of luggage, there are limitations to pushing the cart by hand.

[0005] The electric golf cart disclosed in Patent Document 2 allows the user to place golf equipment and other items on the carrier and drive the golf cart while sitting, eliminating physical strain. However, it is relatively large, and for daily use, the space available for movement is limited and the cost is high. Furthermore, because it is relatively large, it is difficult to secure storage space, and therefore a more compact electric cart has been desired.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvement over the prior art, a relatively compact electric cart that can smoothly transform between walking mode and self-propelled mode.

[0007] In order to solve the technical problem, the present invention relates to an electric cart including a vehicle body having up-down and front-rear directions and front and rear wheels that can be driven and controlled by a control board, and an operating handle means.

[0008] The electric cart of the present invention is characterized in that it is equipped with a locking mechanism for locking the operating handle means in a displaced state, the operating handle means being attached to the vehicle body so as to be rotatable in the fore-and-aft direction, the locking mechanism having an operating lever located on the operating handle means and having a locking protrusion, and a locking plate located on the vehicle body opposite the operating lever, the operating lever being constantly urged toward the locking plate, and the locking plate having a first locking groove in which the locking protrusion engages and a second locking groove located behind the first locking groove.

[0009] According to one or more embodiments of the electric cart of the present invention, a locking mechanism with a simple structure allows the cart to be freely and easily transformed between walking mode and self-propelled mode, and the relatively large foot space allows the user to ride stably.

[0010] The drawings show specific embodiments of an electric cart according to the present invention, and include not only essential features of the invention but also alternative and preferred embodiments. A perspective view of an electric cart according to the present invention, viewed from the front, in a self-propelled mode. A view similar to FIG. 1, in a walking mode. An exploded perspective view of an operating handle. (a) A partial enlarged view of the area surrounded by IV(a) in FIG. 3. (b) A partial enlarged view of the area surrounded by IV(b) in FIG. 3. (c) A partial enlarged view of the area surrounded by IV(c) in FIG. 3. An exploded perspective view of a locking mechanism. (a) A side view of an electric cart in a first locked state. (b) A side view of an electric cart in a second locked state. (c) A side view of an electric cart in a third locked state. (a) An enlarged view of the locking mechanism in the state of FIG. 6(a). (b) An enlarged view of the locking mechanism in the state of FIG. 6(b). (c) An enlarged view of the locking mechanism in the state of FIG. 6(c). A perspective view of an electric cart viewed from the rear. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a usage state in which a user is in a standing position in the self-propelled mode, a usage state in which a user is in a sitting position in the self-propelled mode, a usage state in which a user is in a walking mode, and a diagram showing a state in which a locking mechanism is operated.

[0011] The following describes in detail an electric cart 10 according to the present invention with reference to the accompanying Figures 1 to 12. The following embodiments include not only essential features of the present invention, but also features that can be selectively adopted and features that can be combined as appropriate.

[0012] 1 to 3, an electric cart 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention has an up-down direction Y, a lateral direction X, and a front-rear direction Z, and includes a vehicle body 20, an operating handle means 30 attached to the vehicle body 20 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction Z, a front region 21 having a pair of left and right front wheels 2, 2 steered by the operating handle means 30, a rear region 22 having a pair of left and right rear wheels 3, 3, and an intermediate region 23 located between the front and rear regions 21, 22. The electric cart 10 is four-wheel drive, and the front and rear wheels 2, 3 are driven by a control device having an electric motor. Furthermore, fenders 29 are attached to the front and rear wheels 2, 3 to protect them from mud.

[0013] The control board 5 is placed on the underside of the flat portion 16 of the footrest 15, and is composed of a microcomputer, RAM, ROM storing programs and data for causing the microcomputer to execute control processing, an input / output interface, etc. The electric cart 10 is equipped with drive-related components of a typical electric cart, for example, power supply-related components such as a battery 9, and drive-related components such as a motor with built-in electromagnetic brakes and axles, and is equipped with the battery 9 and a charger as power supply-related components, and can be charged by connecting the charger to a commercial power source, so it can be charged at home, etc.

[0014] A power switch 30a is disposed on the operating handle means 30. The operating handle means 30 has a self-propelled handle 31 with a pair of grip portions that is used in the electric self-propelled mode controlled by the control board 5, a walking handle 32 that extends upward in an annular shape and is used in the non-electric walking mode, and an auxiliary handle 33 that protrudes forward. In the self-propelled mode, the motor is controlled to be driven by rotating the self-propelled handle 31, and the motor is released and the electric cart 10 is stopped by pulling the brake lever 31a.

[0015] A display 38 is provided on the operating handle means 30 to display power supply and drive-related elements of the electric cart 10, such as the running speed, running distance, remaining battery charge, forward / reverse switching, drive control of each wheel, etc. Also, although not shown, a holder for holding a mobile phone and a drink holder may be provided.

[0016] The front region 21 has a luggage holding means 40. The luggage holding means 40 has a support rod 41, a holding arm 42 protruding forward from the upper side of the support rod 41, a loading platform 43 protruding forward from the lower side of the support rod 41, and a support plate 44 attached to the support rod 41 between the holding arm 42 and the loading platform 43. The holding arm 42 is attached to the support rod 41 so as to be movable up and down.

[0017] The front region 21 further includes a locking mechanism 50 for displacing and fixing the operating handle means 30, a pair of cylindrical saddle holders 25 located on both sides of the luggage holding means 40 in the lateral direction X for accommodating saddles 8 detachably attached to the vehicle body 20, and a battery housing (charger) 26 for accommodating a battery 9. A parasol (parasol) 28 is accommodated in one of the saddle holders 25. The battery housing 26 is also provided with a charging terminal, allowing power to be transmitted from an external power supply device to directly charge the battery 9 housed in the battery housing 26.

[0018] The operating handle means 30 further includes a pipe-shaped support portion 35 rotatably attached to a fixed portion 34 extending upward from the front cover 6 in the vehicle body 20 , and a support frame 36 located at the tip of the support portion 35 .

[0019] 3, the walking handle 32 is fixed to the support frame 36 via bolts 12. The handle bar of the self-propelled handle 31 and the auxiliary handle 32 are formed integrally, and the handle bar is arranged in an arrangement recess located above the support frame 36 so as to extend in the lateral direction X.

[0020] The self-propelled handle 31 is connected to the support frame 36 via a pair of connecting covers 37. The connecting cover 37 has a front cover 37A and a rear cover 37B, and the front and rear covers 37A, 37B are separably connected to each other via fasteners consisting of bolts 12, washers 13, and nuts 14 that pass through holes in the handle bar of the self-propelled handle 31. When connected by the connecting covers 37, the handle bar is inserted through upper openings located on both sides of the connecting covers 37, and the bolts for securing the walking handle 32 are exposed from the lower openings.

[0021] Referring to Fig. 4(a), below the power switch 30a are an adjustment means 30b for adjusting the illuminance of a light (not shown) located in front of the vehicle body 20, and an alarm button 30c for sounding an alarm (horn). Referring to Fig. 4(b), a speed adjustment means 31b for gradually adjusting the accelerator is located at the base end of the self-propelled handle 31. Referring to Fig. 4(c), a secondary speed adjustment means 32a is located on the walking handle 32 for adjusting the traveling speed of the electric cart 10 to match the speed of the pedestrian. When a user holds the walking handle 32 and walks, the electric cart 10 is adjusted to a walking traveling speed while the user presses the button of the speed adjustment means 32a with their thumb, and stops when the user releases their thumb.

[0022] 1 and 2, the intermediate region 23 is formed by a footrest 15 extending rearward from the front region 21. The footrest 15 has a flat portion 16 and hanging portions 17 extending downward from both sides of the flat portion 16. The width dimension (lateral dimension) W1 of the footrest 15 is 400 to 600 mm, and the dimension L1 in the front-to-rear direction Z is 450 to 650 mm, giving it a relatively large area. On the underside of the footrest 15, electrical and drive-related components such as electrical cords extend from a control board 5 to a rear wheel drive unit 7 for driving the rear wheels 3.

[0023] Because the footrest 15 has a relatively large surface area, even a relatively large user can drive the electric cart 10 with their feet stably placed on the footrest 15, and the electric cart 10 will not wobble due to an inability to shift their center of gravity when going around curves in the path, etc. Furthermore, all electrical and drive-related components, such as the electric cords extending to the rear wheel drive unit 7, can be arranged to run along the underside of the footrest 15, so there is no risk of the user stepping on them and damaging them, or getting them wet in the rain and causing a short circuit.

[0024] The rear area 22 has a rear cover 60 and a rear wheel drive unit 7 for driving the rear wheels 3 covered by the rear cover 60 .

[0025] The rear cover 60 has a front portion 61 extending rearward and diagonally upward from the footrest 15, a flat portion 62 extending flatly rearward from the front portion 61, and a rear portion 63 extending downward from the flat portion 62. The flat portion 62 has a central through hole 62a and a pair of mounting holes 62b located on either side of it.

[0026] 8, the rear region 22 has a saddle attachment / detachment mechanism for detachably attaching the saddle 8. The saddle attachment / detachment mechanism is located on the underside of the flat portion 62 of the rear cover 60 and has a cylindrical insertion portion 64 for inserting the rod-shaped downward extension portion 8a of the saddle 8, and a connecting member 65 for fixing the downward extension portion 8a of the saddle 8 to the insertion portion 64.

[0027] The connecting member 65 has a gripping portion 65a and an insertion portion 65b that can be inserted into the through-hole 63a of the rear portion 63. The insertion portion 64 has an opening 64a that communicates with the central through-hole 62a located in the flat portion 62, and an opening 64b that communicates with the opening 8b located in the downward extension 8a of the saddle 8.

[0028] The saddle 8 can be attached to the vehicle body 20 by inserting the insertion portion 64 of the connecting member 65 through the through-hole 63a in the rear portion 63, the opening 64b of the insertion portion 64 that communicates with it, and the opening 8b in the downward extension 8a of the saddle 8. The user can easily remove the saddle 8 from the vehicle body 20 by pulling and removing the connecting member 65.

[0029] In this way, the saddle 8 can be easily attached and detached depending on the mode of use by the saddle attachment / detachment mechanism consisting of the insertion portion 64 and the connecting member 65. In addition to the illustrated example, the saddle attachment / detachment mechanism may be configured such that, for example, the user grasps the gripping portion 65a of the connecting member 65 and rotates it to release the connection between the insertion portion 64 and the downward extension portion 8a.

[0030] A luggage basket 67 is attached to the flat portion 62 of the rear cover 60 via a pair of mounting fixtures 68. Specifically, the mounting fixtures 68 have a base plate and bolts that pass through holes provided in the base plate, and the bolts are inserted into mounting holes (not shown) in the luggage basket 67 and mounting holes 62b in the flat portion 62, thereby detachably attaching the luggage basket 67 to the vehicle body 20.

[0031] In the illustrated example, a luggage basket 67 is attached, but a luggage box may also be placed, and the luggage basket 67 can be used to conveniently store luggage that cannot be placed in the luggage holding means located in the front area 21, as well as small items such as handbags and wallets.

[0032] 5, the locking mechanism 50 includes a locking plate 70 and an operating lever 80 having a locking protrusion 81 that can be locked to the locking plate 70. The locking plate 70 has both end edges, an inner edge that is concave upward, a toothed outer edge, a central through hole 70a, a circular first pin hole 70b, and an elliptical second pin hole 70c.

[0033] The outer edge of the locking plate 70 is curved and has a first locking groove 71 in which the locking protrusion 81 of the operating lever 80 is engaged, a second locking groove 72 located behind the first locking groove 71, and an intermediate portion 73 located between the first locking groove 71 and the second locking groove 72.

[0034] The lock plate 70 is fixed to the fixed part 34 via a fixing device consisting of a shaft (rotating axis) 18 and a nut that penetrates through the central through hole 70a, the through hole 35a of the protrusion located at the lower end of the support part 35 of the operating handle means 30, and the through hole 39a of the fixed plate 39 located at the upper end of the fixed part 34.

[0035] A cylindrical first pin 39b and an elliptical cross-sectional second pin 39c protrude from the fixed plate 39 of the fixed part, and when the lock plate 70 is fixed to the fixed part 34, the first pin 39b is inserted into the first pin hole 70b and the second pin 39c is inserted into the second pin hole 70c.

[0036] In this connection mode, the support column 35 is attached to the fixed part 34 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction Z with the shaft 18 as the rotation axis. Therefore, the operating handle means 30 including the support column 35 can be rotated so as to tilt backward from an upright state. Although not shown, an insertion hole is formed in the bottom surface of the support column 35, into which the protrusion 34a protruding from the upper end of the fixed part 34 is inserted.

[0037] On the other hand, since the first and second pins 39b and 39c are inserted into the first and second pin holes 70b and 70c of the lock plate 70, respectively, as rotation stoppers, the lock plate 70 will not rotate along with the operating handle means 30 even if it rotates.

[0038] The outer surface of the lock plate 70 is covered by a protective cover 79. The protective cover 79 has through holes corresponding to the central through hole 70a and the first and second pin holes 70b, 70c of the lock plate 70, and is fixed together with the lock plate 70. Because the protective cover 79 covers the first and second locking grooves 71, 72 of the lock plate 70, it is possible to prevent the user's fingers from getting caught in the first and second locking grooves 71, 72 and to prevent debris from getting stuck in them.

[0039] The operating lever 80 is fixed to the support column 35 via a lever holder 90. Specifically, the lever holder 90 has a fixed side portion 91 with a plurality of insertion holes and a covering portion 92 with a through-hole 92a extending in the length direction of the fixed side portion 91. The lever holder 90 is fixed to the support column 35 via a plurality of bolts 19 that are inserted into the insertion holes of the fixed side portion 91 and into the through-holes 35a of the protrusion 35b of the support portion 35.

[0040] The operating lever 80 includes a cylindrical shaft 81 disposed within a through-hole 92a of the lever holder 90, an operating portion 82 inserted onto the upper end of the shaft 81, and a lower end portion 83 separate from the shaft 81. A flange-shaped spring bearing portion 84 is located at the lower end of the shaft 81, and a spring member 85 is resiliently disposed between the operating portion 82 and the spring bearing portion 84 of the shaft 81 so as to wind around the shaft 81. The lower end portion 83 has a flange-shaped mounting portion 83a and a locking projection 80a extending from the mounting portion 83a, and is fixed to the mounting portion 83a via a plurality of fixing pins 86 inserted through holes (not shown) in the mounting portion 83a and holes (not shown) in the spring bearing portion 84 of the shaft 81.

[0041] When the operating lever 80 is housed in the circular cross-sectional through-hole 92a of the lever holding portion 90, the operating portion 82 protrudes from the upper end of the lever holding portion 90, and a locking projection 80a protrudes from the lower end of the lever holding portion 90. The operating lever 80 is positioned opposite the lock plate 70 and is constantly biased toward the lock plate 70 by the elasticity of a spring member 85. The operating portion 82 has a lower end into which the upper end of the shaft portion 81 is inserted, and a convex finger rest portion, and the finger rest portion is brought into contact with the upper end of the lever holding portion 90 by the bias of the spring member 85.

[0042] Furthermore, when the shaft 81 of the operating lever 80 is housed in the cylindrical through-hole 92a of the lever holder 90, the spring bearing portion 84 and the mounting portion 83a can function as a slider that moves while sliding against the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole 92a. Because these portions function as a slider, the shaft 81 can be locked in the first or second locking groove 71, 72 without misalignment.

[0043] 6(a), 7(a), 8 and 9, in the self-propelled mode of the electric cart 10, when the user is standing with his / her feet on the footrests or sitting on the saddle 8, the locking projection 80a of the operating lever 80 of the operating handle means 30 is locked in the first locking groove 71 of the lock plate 70, and the operating handle means 30 is locked in the upright position.

[0044] Since the operating handle means 30 is in an upright state, a user in a standing or sitting position can stretch his / her hands forward and drive the vehicle while firmly gripping the self-propelled handle 31 of the operating handle means 30 with both hands.

[0045] 6(b) and 7(b), to change from the self-propelled mode to the walking mode, the user 1 pulls the operating lever 80 to disengage the locking protrusion 80a from the first locking groove 71. Furthermore, while holding the walking handle 32 and / or the self-propelled handle 31, the user 1 rotates the operating handle means 30 so that it falls backward, whereby the locking protrusion 80a of the operating lever 80 comes into contact with the intermediate portion 73 located between the first locking groove 71 and the second locking groove 72.

[0046] As shown in Figure 12, when operating the operating lever 80 of the locking mechanism 50, the user holds the auxiliary handle 33 of the operating handle means 30 with one hand while operating the operating lever 80 with the other hand, allowing the user to smoothly switch the locking mechanism 50 without losing balance.

[0047] Referring to Figures 6(c) and 7(c), when the user 1 tilts the operating handle means 30 further backward, the locking protrusion 80a of the operating lever 80 moves backward along the intermediate portion 73 and is locked in the second locking groove 72, and the operating handle means 30 is locked in the tilted backward position.

[0048] As shown in Figure 10, in this walking mode, the walking handle 32 is located in the rear area 22, so the power to the electric cart 10 can be turned off and the user 1 can walk while holding the walking handle 32 and pushing the main body 20 while positioned at the rear of the electric cart 10, allowing it to be used as a walking cart.

[0049] Furthermore, because the operating handle means 30 is laid down and the cross section of the walking handle 32 is at the rear end of the rear region 22, i.e., at a position overlapping with the rear surface portion 63 of the rear cover 60 in the vertical direction Y, the user 1 will not hit their toes with the rear cover 60 and / or the rear wheel 3 while walking. Also, unlike the illustrated example, the cross section of the walking handle 32 may be located further rearward from the rear region 22 of the vehicle body 20 in order to ensure more walking space for the user 1 in the walking mode.

[0050] With the electric cart 10 according to the present invention, the operating handle means 30 can be shifted between the self-propelled mode and the walking mode simply by operating the operating lever 80 of the locking mechanism 50, allowing for easy and quick mode changes. Furthermore, since the locking mechanism 50 has a simple structure that can fix the operating handle means 30, manufacturing costs can be reduced compared to systems with complex mechanical structures driven by electricity, and there is a low risk of breakdown. Even if a breakdown does occur, parts can be easily replaced.

[0051] The present invention can include at least the following embodiments. The embodiments can be adopted separately or in combination with each other. (1) The locking plate has an intermediate portion located between the first locking groove and the second locking groove, and the intermediate portion is curved. (2) The operating handle means includes a self-propelled handle having a pair of grip portions, a walking handle extending diagonally rearward from the self-propelled handle, and an auxiliary handle protruding forward from the self-propelled handle. (3) The operating handle means is rotatably attached to the vehicle body via a shaft, and the locking plate is non-rotatably attached to the vehicle body via the shaft. (4) A detachable saddle is provided, and a saddle holder for accommodating the saddle is located in front of the operating handle means.

[0052] 2 Front wheel 3 Rear wheel 5 Control device 8 Saddle 10 Electric cart 18 Shaft 20 Body 25 Saddle holding portion 30 Operating handle means 31 Self-propelled handle 32 Walking handle 33 Auxiliary handle 50 Locking mechanism 70 Lock plate 71 First locking groove 72 Second locking groove 73 Middle portion 80 Operating lever 80a Locking protrusion Y Up-down direction Z Forward-backward direction

Claims

1. An electric cart including a vehicle body having front and rear wheels that can be driven and controlled by a control board and having vertical and front-rear directions, and an operation handle means, the electric cart comprising a locking mechanism for locking the operation handle means in a displaced state, the operation handle means being pivotally attached to the vehicle body in the front-rear direction, the locking mechanism including an operation lever located at the operation handle means and having a locking projection, and a locking plate located opposite the operation lever on the vehicle body, the operation lever being constantly biased toward the locking plate, and the locking plate having a first locking groove for locking the locking projection and a second locking groove located behind the first locking groove.

2. The electric cart according to claim 1, wherein the locking plate has an intermediate portion located between the first locking groove and the second locking groove, and the intermediate portion is curved.

3. The electric cart according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the operation handle means includes a self-propelling handle having a pair of grip portions, a walking handle extending obliquely rearward from the self-propelling handle, and an auxiliary handle protruding forward from the self-propelling handle.

4. The electric cart according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the operation handle means is pivotally attached to the vehicle body via a shaft, and the locking plate is non-pivotally attached to the vehicle body via the shaft.

5. The electric cart according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a detachable saddle, and a saddle holding portion for accommodating the saddle is located in front of the operation handle means.

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