Folding Scooter Handle Assembly Hinge Shaft Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing scooters occupy too much space when folded due to their design, making storage and transport inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A folding scooter design featuring a handle assembly that rotates around a hinge shaft located below the support plate assembly, allowing the handle to fold upward and fit closely with the support plate, resulting in a flat structure with reduced space occupation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the scooter is folded from the middle of the support plate, then the folding mechanism is simple, but the thickness in folded state increases, leading to large space occupation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the folding dimension from middle-fold (horizontal folding) to end-fold (vertical folding along the length of the support plate). The handle assembly folds along the longitudinal axis of the support plate rather than folding from the center, transforming the folding geometry to achieve a flatter profile that occupies less space.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of folding the handle assembly downward toward the ground, the patent inverts the folding direction by rotating the handle assembly upward along the support plate. This reverse folding approach allows the handle to lie flat against the support plate surface, minimizing the folded thickness.
2Volume of moving object
If the handle assembly is folded upward along the support plate, then the folded structure becomes flat with less space occupation, but the folding operation becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting assembly is divided into multiple components: connecting plate, hinge shaft, and fixing plate. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function - the hinge shaft provides rotation, the connecting plate transmits motion, and the fixing plate secures the connection - making the complex folding mechanism more manageable and maintainable.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting plate acts as an intermediary element between the handle assembly and the hinge shaft. It transfers the rotational motion from the handle assembly through the hinge shaft to the support plate, enabling the upward folding motion while maintaining structural integrity.
3Shape
If the hinge shaft is located below the support plate assembly, then the handle assembly fits closely with the support plate when folded, but the structural design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge shaft is positioned below the support plate assembly, allowing the connecting plate to nest between the handle assembly and the support plate during folding. This nested arrangement enables the handle assembly to fit closely against the support plate when folded, achieving a flat profile while managing the structural complexity through efficient spatial organization.
Data Source
AI summary
A folding scooter, including a handle assembly, a support plate assembly, a seat and a connecting assembly. The seat is detachably provided on the support plate assembly. The connecting assembly is configured to achieve the rotational connection between the handle assembly and the support plate assembly. The connecting assembly includes a connecting plate, a hinge shaft and a fixing plate. In this application, the hinge shaft is located below the support plate assembly, such that when the folding scooter is folded, the rotational axis of the handle assembly is located below the support plate assembly, thereby enabling the handle assembly to closely cling to the support plate assembly.