U.S. patent application number 09/778977 was filed with the patent office on 2002-08-08 for detachable footplate for scooters.
Invention is credited to Firestone, Marc, Stewart, Harry.
Application Number | 20020105158 09/778977 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25114930 |
Filed Date | 2002-08-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020105158 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Stewart, Harry ; et
al. |
August 8, 2002 |
DETACHABLE FOOTPLATE FOR SCOOTERS
Abstract
A Detachable Footplate for Scooters is disclosed. The footplate
easily attaches to and detaches from a conventional foot-powered,
folding scooter to provide additional width to stand upon, as well
as acting as a stand to prevent the scooter from falling over. The
footplate permits the scooter stem to fold down by not interfering
with the collapsibility of the scooter stem. Still further, the
footplate can be configured to provide a headlight and tail/brake
light to improve the scooter's safety
Inventors: |
Stewart, Harry; (Huntington
Beach, CA) ; Firestone, Marc; (Huntington Beach,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Karl M. Steins
Steins & Associates
Suite 120
2333 Camino del Rio South
San Diego
CA
92108
US
|
Family ID: |
25114930 |
Appl. No.: |
09/778977 |
Filed: |
February 2, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
280/87.041 ;
280/87.05 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B62K 3/002 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
280/87.041 ;
280/87.05 |
International
Class: |
B62M 001/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A footplate for scooters, said scooters defined by a front
wheel, a deck, and a rear wheel, the footplate comprising: a deck
defined by a front end and a rear end; a front wheel aperture
formed in said deck adjacent to said front end for receiving the
scooter front wheel therethrough; a rear wheel aperture formed in
said deck adjacent to said rear end for receiving the scooter rear
wheel therethrough; and fastening means for fastening said deck to
said scooter deck.
2. The footplate of claim 1, wherein said deck is further defined
by a top surface and a bottom surface, and said top surface
comprises a textured contour.
3. The footplate of claim 1, further comprising a headlight
assembly attached to said deck between said front end and said
front wheel aperture.
4. The footplate of claim 3, further comprising a tail light
assembly attached to said deck between said rear end and said rear
wheel aperture.
5. The footplate of claim 4, wherein said scooter deck is further
defined by a bottom side, said footplate further comprising: a
battery pack attachable to the bottom side of the scooter deck,
said battery back attached to said headlight assembly by a
headlight power cable and said battery pack further attached to
said tail light assembly by a tail light power cable.
6. The footplate of claim 5, wherein the scooter further comprises
a brake/fender assembly, said footplate further comprising a brake
position switch connected to said tail light power cable to change
the lighting configuration of said tail light assembly responsive
to the position of the scooter brake/fender assembly.
7. The footplate of claim 4, wherein said front wheel aperture
comprises a shape defined by a rounded portion and a slotted
portion.
8. The footplate of claim 7, wherein said rear wheel aperture
comprises a slotted shape.
9. A detachable footplate for scooters, comprising: an elongate
deck formed from a sheet of rigid material and terminating in a
rounded front end and an opposing rounded rear end; a front wheel
aperture formed in said deck adjacent to said front end; and a rear
wheel aperture formed in said deck adjacent to said rear end.
10. The footplate of claim 9, further comprising: a headlight
assembly attached to said deck between said front end and said
front wheel aperture; and a tail light assembly attached to said
deck between said rear end and said rear wheel aperture.
11. The footplate of claim 10, wherein said scooter deck is further
defined by a bottom side, said footplate further comprising: a
battery pack attachable to the bottom side of the scooter deck,
said battery back attached to said headlight assembly by a
headlight power cable and said battery pack further attached to
said tail light assembly by a tail light power cable.
12. The footplate of claim 11, wherein the scooter further
comprises a brake/fender assembly, said footplate further
comprising a brake position switch connected to said tail light
power cable to change the lighting configuration of said tail light
assembly responsive to the position of the scooter brake/fender
assembly.
13. The footplate of claim 12, wherein said front wheel aperture
comprises a shape defined by a rounded portion and a slotted
portion, and said rear wheel aperture comprises a slotted
shape.
14. In a foldable, two-wheeled scooter, the improvement comprising:
a footplate for attaching to the scooter, said footplate defined by
deck, said deck being wider and longer than said scooter and
further comprising: a front wheel aperture; a rear wheel aperture;
and at least one fastener for detachably attaching to the
scooter.
15. The improvement of claim 14, wherein said footplate further
comprises: a headlight assembly attached to footplate; and a tail
light assembly attached to said footplate.
16. The improvement of claim 15, further comprising: a battery pack
attachable to a bottom side of the scooter, said battery back
attached to said headlight assembly by a headlight power cable and
said battery pack further attached to said tail light assembly by a
tail light power cable.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates generally to accessories for scooters
and, more specifically, to a Detachable Footplate for Scooters
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Portable, collapsible scooters have become one of the
hottest consumer products for children since the Skateboard. With
the evolution of lightweight, durable materials, manufacturers are
able to create an extremely versatile and convenient toy and means
for transportation. As the portable scooter has grown in
popularity, so has the market for attachments or additions to the
scooters. It seems that it is no longer sufficient to simply own a
scooter, it is further necessary that your scooter is different
from everyone else's. Still further, there are a few areas that are
lacking in the conventional scooter design; namely, the fact that
the deck of the scooter is relatively short and narrow (presumably
to provide a compact, lightweight package).
[0005] The problem with the current scooter deck design is that as
the child reaches ten years old, his or her feet become too large
to both fit comfortably on the scooter deck at the same time. As a
result, the older user's feet have a tendency to slip off. What is
needed is a way to enlarge scooter deck such that the user with
larger feet will not be in fear of his or her feet slipping off of
the scooter.
[0006] Still further, none of the scooters have been provided with
any safety lighting, such as a head light or tail light. In
addition to the aesthetic benefits of a lighting system, adding
lights to the conventional scooter will provide additional utility
to the scooter; namely the ability to ride the scooter safely in
darkened conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the
prior devices, it is an object of the present invention to provide
a Detachable Footplate for Scooters. The footplate should attach
easily to a conventional foot-powered, folding scooter to provide
additional width to stand upon, as well as acting as a stand to
prevent the scooter from falling over. The footplate should permit
the scooter stem to fold down, by not interfering with the
collapsibility of the stem. Still further, it is an object that the
footplate be configured to provide a headlight and tail/brake light
to improve the scooter's safety.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The objects and features of the present invention, which are
believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the
appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization
and manner of operation, together with further objects and
advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following
description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of
which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of
the footplate of the present invention as it attaches to a
conventional scooter;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the footplate of FIG. 1
having a nontextured top surface;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a top view of the footplate of FIGS. 1 and 2; FIG.
4 is a side view of the footplate of FIGS. 1-3;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the combination of FIG. 1,
wherein the scooter stem has been folded down;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a side view of the footplate of FIGS. 1-4;
[0014] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the footplate of FIGS. 1-5,
having a textured top surface;
[0015] FIG. 7 is a partially exploded perspective view of the
footplate of FIGS. 1-6, further including head and tail lights;
and
[0016] FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the footplate assembly of FIG.
7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] The following description is provided to enable any person
skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the
best modes contemplated by the inventors of carrying out their
invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily
apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles
of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to
provide a Detachable Footplate for Scooters.
[0018] The present invention can best be understood by initial
consideration of FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a
preferred embodiment of the footplate 24 of the present invention
as it attaches to a conventional scooter 10. As depicted, the
common lightweight collapsible scooter 10 comprises a telescoping
stem 12 extending between a pair of collapsible handlebars 14 and a
front wheel 16 of the type used in in-line skates. The stem 12
passes through, is held erect by, and is permitted to pivot by the
stem bracket 18. The stem bracket 18 is also collapsible, which
permits the stem 12 and handlebars 14 to be folded down against the
scooter deck (not shown).
[0019] In the rear, the conventional scooter 10 has a second, rear
wheel 20 of the same type as the front wheel 16. The rear wheel 20
assembly typically includes a fender/brake assembly 22; when the
rider steps onto the fender/brake assembly 22, it acts as a
friction brake on the rear wheel 20.
[0020] In the preferred form shown, the footplate 24 of the present
invention attaches to the scooter deck (not shown) by a variety of
conventional methods, including by the bolt-type fasteners 26
shown. In this depicted embodiment, the footplate 24 is constructed
from a lightweight, aluminum material having a textured top surface
28 to inhibit the rider's feet from slipping.
[0021] As can be seen, the footplate 24 attaches directly to the
scooter 10 with only minor modification for attachment means. Once
attached, the footplate 24 provides a wide deck upon which the
rider can stand more comfortably than with the original scooter 10.
Furthermore, the footplate 24 actually acts as a sort of
"kickstand," in that its edge will touch the ground before
permitting the scooter 10 to fall over. If we now turn to FIG. 2,
we can examine other aspects of the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the footplate 24 of FIG. 1
having a nontextured top surface 28. In this version, the deck 30
is provided with a front wheel aperture 32 and a rear wheel
aperture 34. The front wheel aperture 32 is designed to include a
rounded front portion sized to permit free rotation of the scooter
front wheel (see FIG. 1), and a slotted rear portion to accommodate
the support structure of the stem bracket (see FIG. 1). The rear
wheel aperture 34 is preferably shaped in a slotted or rectangular
form to permit the conventional rear wheel and fender/brake
assembly to pass therethrough (see FIG. 1). It should be understood
that the deck 30 can be constructed of aluminum, steel, wood,
plastic or any other material that is sufficiently rigid and
durable while still providing a light-weight product. Now turning
to FIG. 3, we can examine additional features of the present
invention.
[0023] FIG. 3 is a top view of the footplate 24 of FIGS. 1 and 2.
In this embodiment, the front end 38 and rear end 40 of the
footplate 24 are rounded for maximum durability, safety and for a
sleeker profile. In other embodiments, other shapes for the front
and rear end 38 and 40, respectively, may be provided, depending
upon the particular application of the footplate 24. Also depicted
in this figure is the pair of fastener apertures 36 formed in the
deck of the footplate 24; bolts, screws and/or rivets can be
inserted through these apertures 36 and into the scooter 10 such
that the footplate 24 is detachably attachable to the conventional
scooter 10. Now looking at FIG. 4, we can discuss yet another
benefit of the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the combination of FIG. 1,
wherein the scooter stem 12 has been folded down. As is shown here,
the stem 12 will fold flat against the deck 30 of the footplate 24,
such that the scooter can be easily carried and stored, just as the
scooter 10 was originally designed. A further benefit of the
addition of the footplate 24 to the scooter 10 is that when the
stem 12 is folded down as shown, the entire combination (i.e. the
scooter 10 and footplate 24) can be hung from a wall by the front
wheel aperture 32 for storage. Without the footplate 24, this
storage method would not be possible. As shown in FIG. 5 (a side
view of a preferred footplate), and as discussed above, the
footplate 24 is manufactured from thin, rigid material, and may or
may not have textured surface 44 (see FIG. 6) on its top surface
28. In other embodiments, the top surface may have artwork, wording
or other designs inscribed upon (or embedded into) the top surface
28 in order to improve the individuality of the footplate 24, as
well as improving the aesthetics.
[0025] Optional attachments are further available for the footplate
24 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a
partially exploded perspective view of the footplate 24 of FIGS.
1-6, further including head and tail lights 46 and 48,
respectively. In this embodiment, the headlight is fixed to the
front end of the deck 30, and the tail light is fixed to the rear
end of the deck 30; these lights provide aesthetic improvement to
the conventional scooter, but also increased safety and utility for
riding at night. Furthermore, the footplate 24 attachments would
include a battery means 52, such as a rechargeable battery pack or
a group of disposable batteries, which attaches to the bottom of
the scooter (see FIG. 8, below) to provide power to the headlight
46 and tail light 48. Still further, it might be desirable that the
tail light 48 change it's light configuration whenever the scooter
brake (see FIG. 1) is depressed. To provide such functionality, the
footplate 24 can include a brake position switch 50 wired between
the battery means 52 and the tail light 48 that will cause the tail
light 48 to become brighter whenever the rider depresses the
scooter brake (see FIG. 1). If we turn to FIG. 8, we can see an
example of the wiring for the system of FIG. 7.
[0026] FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the footplate 24 assembly of FIG.
7. As can be seen, the battery means 52 is preferably detachably
inserted within the channel 58 formed in the bottom side of the
conventional scooter deck; as such, it will be virtually invisible
from the sides or top of the scooter when the battery means 52 is
installed therein. As shown, the battery means 52 will preferably
provide power to the headlight via a headlight power cable 54.
Similarly, the battery means 52 will provide power to the tail
light via the tail light power cable 56. If a brake position switch
50 is installed, then it will be wired in between the battery means
52 and the tail light. Although it is not shown here, it should be
realized that there will be a main power shutoff switch that will
permit the user to manually turn the power off and on to the
headlight and tail light.
[0027] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various
adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred
embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and
spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that,
within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be
practiced other than as specifically described herein.
* * * * *