Leanable Personal Mobility Vehicle with Fifth Link Suspension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current commuter vehicles are inefficient, unsafe, and costly due to their design for multiple occupants, leading to excessive energy consumption and high production costs, which limits their popularity and effectiveness for daily commuting needs.
Innovation Solution
A personal mobility vehicle with a leanable yet stable design, incorporating features like a fifth link suspension mechanism, offset hub motor system, lean adjustment mechanism, return to neutral lean position mechanism, and differential system, allowing for efficient energy use, improved safety, and reduced production costs through modular design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional commuter vehicles are designed for multiple occupants, then they can carry more people, but they consume excessive energy when only one person is in the car
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the vehicle market into two distinct categories: multi-occupant vehicles for carpooling scenarios and single-occupant personal mobility vehicles for solo commuting. This segmentation allows each vehicle type to be optimized for its specific use case, preventing energy waste from transporting empty seats.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic occupancy detection systems that can identify when a vehicle is being used with fewer occupants than designed, and dynamically adjust parameters such as recommended routing to carpool opportunities or suggesting vehicle size changes to optimize energy consumption.
2Use of energy by moving object
If small scale vehicles are developed for individual commuters, then energy efficiency improves, but perceived safety decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies counterweight principles by positioning heavy components such as batteries and motors strategically to lower the center of gravity and improve stability. This counteracts the inherent instability of smaller, lighter vehicles and enhances the perceived safety for individual commuters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates active safety systems that automatically monitor and adjust vehicle parameters without driver intervention, such as electronic stability control, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. These self-service safety features compensate for the reduced passive safety margins of smaller vehicles.
3Adaptability or versatility
If individual commuter vehicles are produced in small numbers, then they can be customized for individual needs, but production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs personal mobility vehicles with universal interfaces and modular components that can serve multiple functions and be adapted to different user needs. This universality allows a single production platform to serve various customization requirements without requiring completely different vehicle designs, thereby maintaining economies of scale.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary configuration options during the ordering process, where customers can select from pre-defined customization packages for features such as storage compartments, entertainment systems, and accessibility modifications. This approach allows customization without requiring complex post-production assembly variations, maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
4Ease of operation
If vehicles are designed for leanability to improve maneuverability, then handling in tight spaces improves, but stability during operation becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic lean control systems that automatically adjust the vehicle's lean angle based on operating conditions such as speed, turn radius, and road surface. At low speeds, the vehicle allows greater lean angles for tight maneuvers, while at higher speeds, the system automatically reduces lean angles to maintain stability, seamlessly transitioning between operational modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback systems with sensors that continuously monitor vehicle attitude, speed, and acceleration, feeding this information to control algorithms that adjust suspension stiffness, motor torque distribution, and active lean mechanisms in real-time to maintain optimal stability during leanable operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A personal mobility vehicle is described. Generally, the vehicle includes a vehicle frame with multiple wheels rotatably connected thereto. The vehicle further includes one or more components that allow the vehicle to be leanable, yet stable. In this regard, such components may include: a fifth link suspension mechanism that couples at least one of the wheels to the vehicle frame, an offset hub motor system that is connected to at least one of the wheels, a lean adjustment system connected to at least one of the wheels, a return to neutral lean position mechanism connected to at least one of the wheels, and a differential system for a leanable vehicle. While the vehicle can seat any suitable number of occupants, in some cases, the vehicle seats one or two occupants. Other implementations are also described.