Folding Scooter Frame with Multi-Axis Hinge Couplings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional small personal vehicles, such as bicycles and scooters, face challenges in storage and transportation due to their size and ride comfort, with folding mechanisms either being cumbersome or resulting in an uncomfortable ride due to small wheel diameters.
Innovation Solution
A scooter design that allows for easy conversion between an expanded riding configuration and a compact folded arrangement, featuring a front frame assembly, rear wheel assembly, central frame assembly, and hinge couplings, enabling the scooter to be quickly folded into a compact package while maintaining geometry suitable for adult riders, with an electric hub motor and platform for housing a battery and motor controller.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the scooter is designed with a compact frame to reduce storage space, then storage convenience is improved, but the vehicle becomes too awkward for adult use
Solution Approach 1:
The scooter frame is divided into multiple segments that can be folded relative to each other. The deck assembly, handlebar assembly, and wheel assemblies are connected through folding joints that allow the frame to collapse into a compact configuration for storage while maintaining full size for riding. This segmentation enables the scooter to transition between compact storage form and adult-sized operational form.
2Volume of moving object
If the scooter is designed with small wheels to reduce storage space, then storage convenience is improved, but ride comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel size is made dynamic through the folding mechanism. When the scooter is in its expanded riding configuration, the wheels maintain a large diameter suitable for adult riders and comfortable operation. When folded for storage, the entire wheel assembly folds along with the frame, reducing the overall volume. This dynamic approach allows the wheels to be large during use and compact during storage, resolving the contradiction between storage convenience and ride comfort.
3Volume of moving object
If the scooter is designed with a folding mechanism to improve storage convenience, then storage space occupation is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The folding mechanism is segmented into multiple independent folding joints located at different positions in the frame. Each joint connects specific frame components and can operate independently. This segmentation allows the complex folding function to be distributed across multiple simple joint mechanisms rather than requiring a single complex mechanism, making the overall system more manageable and maintainable.
Solution Approach 2:
The folding mechanism utilizes multi-dimensional movement to achieve compact storage. The deck assembly folds along one axis, the handlebar assembly folds along another axis, and wheel assemblies can fold in multiple directions. This multi-dimensional folding approach allows the scooter to collapse into a compact three-dimensional package from its extended form, reducing storage volume while distributing the mechanical complexity across multiple folding dimensions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The scooter can be efficiently stored in small spaces and adjusted to fit adult users of various heights, providing a comfortable ride and convenient transportation solution.
Implementation Method 1
a forward hinge coupling enabling relative pivoting of the front frame assembly and the central frame assembly about a forward hinge coupling pivot axis; a rearward hinge coupling enabling relative pivoting of the central frame assembly and rear wheel assembly
Data Source
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Figure 5
AI summary
A vehicle configured for conversion between expanded and folded arrangements, includes a front frame assembly (130), a front wheel (124) and a rear wheel assembly (150) having a rear wheel carrier (152) and a rear wheel (154) coupled with the rear wheel carrier. A central frame assembly (140) extends between the front frame assembly and the rear wheel assembly. A forward hinge coupling (142) enables relative pivoting of the front frame assembly and the central frame assembly about a front frame pivot axis extending at an acute angle relative to a rear vertical transverse plane and at an acute angle relative to a horizontal plane orthogonal to both a rear vertical longitudinal plane and the rear vertical transverse plane. A rearward hinge coupling (144) enables relative pivoting of the central frame assembly and the rear wheel assembly.