U.S. patent application number 14/947144 was filed with the patent office on 2016-03-17 for scooter having a gearing system.
This patent application is currently assigned to Zike, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Zike, LLC. Invention is credited to George Reiter, Nathan A. Scolari.
Application Number | 20160075399 14/947144 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51524131 |
Filed Date | 2016-03-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160075399 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Scolari; Nathan A. ; et
al. |
March 17, 2016 |
Scooter Having A Gearing System
Abstract
The invention is directed towards a scooter comprising a frame,
a front wheel carried by the frame, a rear wheel carried by the
frame, a pair of reciprocating pedals attached to the frame, a
drive assembly for transferring force from the reciprocating pedals
to the rear wheel comprising: a pedal cam having a plurality of
openings at various distances from the rotational center of the
pedal cam; a drive pin extending from one of the reciprocating
pedals and is received on one of the openings; and, a gear shifting
cable attached to the drive pin causing the drive pin to engage
with one of the openings so that the pedal cam is rotated by the
movement of the pedal so that based upon the opening engaged, the
rotational power output that the pedal cam ultimately exerts on the
rear wheel is varied.
Inventors: |
Scolari; Nathan A.;
(Greenville, SC) ; Reiter; George; (Taylors,
SC) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Zike, LLC |
Greenville |
SC |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Zike, LLC
Greenville
SC
|
Family ID: |
51524131 |
Appl. No.: |
14/947144 |
Filed: |
November 20, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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14208072 |
Mar 13, 2014 |
9221514 |
|
|
14947144 |
|
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|
61787133 |
Mar 15, 2013 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
280/252 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B62K 3/002 20130101;
B62M 11/04 20130101; B62M 25/04 20130101; B62M 9/04 20130101; B62M
1/30 20130101; B62M 1/28 20130101; B62J 1/08 20130101; B62M 9/06
20130101; B62M 1/24 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B62M 1/24 20060101
B62M001/24; B62J 1/08 20060101 B62J001/08; B62M 25/04 20060101
B62M025/04 |
Claims
1. A scooter comprising a frame, a front wheel carried by the
frame, a rear wheel carried by the frame, a pair of reciprocating
pedals attached to the frame, a drive assembly for transferring
force from the reciprocating pedals to the rear wheel, the drive
assembly comprising: a pedal cam having a plurality of openings
disposed at various distances from a rotational center of the pedal
cam; a drive pin extending from one of the reciprocating pedals and
configured to engage with one of the openings; a gear shifting
cable attached to the drive pin, the gear shifting cable configured
to cause the drive pin to engage with one of the openings of the
pedal cam so that the pedal cam is rotated by movement of the
reciprocating pedal wherein a rotational power output that the
pedal cam operably exerts on the rear wheel is varied based upon
which one of the openings is engaged with the drive pin; and the
scooter further comprising a motion saver carried by the scooter,
the motion saver having; a first arm pivotally connected to a
second arm wherein the first arm is connected to the gear shifting
cable and the second arm connected to the drive pin; and, a spring
attached the first and second arms for biasing the arms in an
equilibrium position so that when the gear shifting cable pulls the
first arm, the spring is tensioned thereby lessened force on the
drive pin allowing the drive pin to move from one opening to the
next.
2. The scooter of claim 1 including a seat having: a cushioned
seating area attached to a support staff carried by the frame; a
quick release clamp to allow the support staff to telescope; a
mounting bracket attached to the support staff allowing the seat to
be removed from or slidably arranged along the frame; and, a pivot
clamp included in the support staff for securing the seat is an
extended position for operation and a folded position.
3. The scooter of claim 1 including a duplexer having an upper gear
shift wire carried by a radiused cam attached to lower gear shift
wire wherein the radiused cam is configured to be rotated by the
upper gear wire so as to operate the lower gear wire to put tension
on the drive pin and disengage the drive pin from the pedal
cam.
4. The scooter of claim 1 including a coupling cam configured to
rotate an axle attached to the rear wheel during a down stroke of
the respective foot pedals thereby rotating a drive sprocket to
propel the scooter forward.
5. The scooter of claim 1 including a spring loaded one way clutch
attached to the axle so that when one of the pedals is in an
upstroke, the clutch spins freely while the axle is rotated by the
opposite pedal.
6. The scooter of claim 1 wherein the pedal cam includes an
aspheric curvature along it perimeter.
7. The scooter of claim 1 including: a teeter system having first
arm attached to a first pedal and a second arm attached to a second
pedal; and, a pair of radiused plates included in the teeter system
each of which have a plurality of openings that align with one
another when in a resting position wherein a plate pin is received
into one of the openings to prevent the radiused plates from
rotating relative to each other so that the teeter system allowed
the foot pedals to reciprocate in a synchronous manner.
8. The scooter of claim 7 including a plate cable attached to one
radiused plate to pull the one radiused plate forward and away from
the other radiused plate allowing the radiused plates to rotate in
opposite directions from one another in response to a downward
pressure placed on the foot pedals so that a rider can establish a
comfortable foot pedal position.
9. The scooter of claim 8 including a third radiused plate attached
to the frame and attached to the plate pin.
10. A scooter comprising a frame, a front wheel carried by the
frame, a rear wheel carried by the frame, a pair of reciprocating
pedals attached to the frame, a drive assembly for transferring
force from the reciprocating pedals to the rear wheel, the drive
assembly comprising: a pedal cam having a plurality of openings
disposed at various distances from a rotational center of the pedal
cam; a drive pin extending from one of the reciprocating pedals and
configured to engage with one of the openings; a gear shifting
cable attached to the drive pin, the gear shifting cable configured
to cause the drive pin to engage with one of the openings of the
pedal cam so that the pedal cam is rotated by movement of the
reciprocating pedal wherein a rotational power output that the
pedal cam operably exerts on the rear wheel is varied based upon
which one of the openings is engaged with the drive pin; and the
scooter further comprising a motion saver carried by the scooter,
the motion saver having; a block having an indention and attached
to the drive pin; a shifting pin attached to the block by a spring
having a point where the point is received into the indention,
whereas the shifting pin is attached to the gear shifting cable;
and, a spring connected to the block and the shifting pin biasing
the block and shifting pin in an equilibrium position so that when
the gear shifting cable pulls the shifting pin, the spring is
tensioned thereby lessened force on the drive pin allowing the
drive pin to move from one opening to the next.
11. The scooter of claim 10 including a seat having: a cushioned
seating area attached to a support staff carried by the frame; a
quick release clamp to allow the support staff to telescope; a
mounting bracket attached to the support staff allowing the seat to
be removed from or slidably arranged along the frame; and, a pivot
clamp included in the support staff for securing the seat is an
extended position for operation and a folded position.
12. The scooter of claim 10 including a duplexer having an upper
gear shift wire carried by a radiused cam attached to lower gear
shift wire wherein the radiused cam is configured to be rotated by
the upper gear wire so as to operate the lower gear wire to put
tension on the drive pin and disengage the drive pin from the pedal
cam.
13. The scooter of claim 10 including a coupling cam configured to
rotate an axle attached to the rear wheel during a down stroke of
the respective foot pedals thereby rotating a drive sprocket to
propel the scooter forward.
14. The scooter of claim 10 including a spring loaded one way
clutch attached to the axle so that when one of the pedals is in an
upstroke, the clutch spins freely while the axle is rotated by the
opposite pedal.
15. The scooter of claim 10 wherein the pedal cam includes an
aspheric curvature along it perimeter.
16. The scooter of claim 10 including: a teeter system having first
arm attached to a first pedal and a second arm attached to a second
pedal; and, a pair of radiused plates included in the teeter system
each of which have a plurality of openings that align with one
another when in a resting position wherein a plate pin is received
into one of the openings to prevent the radiused plates from
rotating relative to each other so that the teeter system allowed
the foot pedals to reciprocate in a synchronous manner.
17. The scooter of claim 10 including a plate cable attached to one
radiused plate to pull the one radiused plate forward and away from
the other radiused plate allowing the radiused plates to rotate in
opposite directions from one another in response to a downward
pressure placed on the foot pedals so that a rider can establish a
comfortable foot pedal position.
18. The scooter of claim 10 including a third radiused plate
attached to the frame and attached to the plate pin.
19. A scooter comprising a frame, a front wheel carried by the
frame, a rear wheel carried by the frame, a pair of reciprocating
pedals attached to the frame, a drive assembly for transferring
force from the reciprocating pedals to the rear wheel, the drive
assembly comprising: a pedal cam having a plurality of openings
disposed at various distances from a rotational center of the pedal
cam; a drive pin extending from one of the reciprocating pedals and
configured to engage with one of the openings; a gear shifting
cable attached to the drive pin, the gear shifting cable configured
to cause the drive pin to engage with one of the openings of the
pedal cam so that the pedal cam is rotated by movement of the
reciprocating pedal wherein a rotational power output that the
pedal cam operably exerts on the rear wheel is varied based upon
which one of the openings is engaged with the drive pin; and the
scooter further comprising a teeter system carried by the scooter,
the teeter system having; a first arm attached to a first pedal and
a second arm attached to a second pedal; and, a pair of radiused
plates included in the teeter system each of which have a plurality
of openings that align with one another when in a resting position
wherein a plate pin is received into one of the openings to prevent
the radiused plates from rotating relative to each other so that
the teeter system allowed the foot pedals to reciprocate in a
synchronous manner.
20. The scooter of claim 19 including a plate cable attached to one
radiused plate to pull the one radiused plate forward and away from
the other radiused plate allowing the radiused plates to rotate in
opposite directions from one another in response to a downward
pressure placed on the foot pedals so that a rider can establish a
comfortable foot pedal position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1) Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention is directed to rider propelled scooter that
uses a pair of reciprocating foot pedals for propulsion. More
particularly, this invention relates to a gearing system.
[0003] 2) Description of Related Art
[0004] This invention provides a new and novel method of using a
cam drive system to provide a more compact, variable speed drive
system for use on a scooter using reciprocating foot pedals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that one
or more aspects of this invention can meet certain objectives,
while one or more other aspects can meet certain other objectives.
Each objective may not apply equally, in all its respects, to every
aspect of this invention. As such, the preceding objects can be
viewed in the alternative with respect to any one aspect of this
invention. These and other objects and features of the invention
will become more fully apparent when the following detailed
description is read in conjunction with the accompanying figures
and examples. However, it is to be understood that both the
foregoing summary of the invention and the following detailed
description are of a preferred embodiment and not restrictive of
the invention or other alternate embodiments of the invention. In
particular, while the invention is described herein with reference
to a number of specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that
the description is illustrative of the invention and is not
constructed as limiting of the invention. Various modifications and
applications may occur to those who are skilled in the art, without
departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention, as
described by the appended claims. Likewise, other objects,
features, benefits and advantages of the present invention will be
apparent from this summary and certain embodiments described below,
and will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such
objects, features, benefits and advantages will be apparent from
the above in conjunction with the accompanying examples, data,
figures and all reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom, alone
or with consideration of the references incorporated herein.
[0006] This invention is directed to a scooter comprising a frame,
front wheel carried by the frame, rear wheel carried by the frame,
a pair of reciprocating pedals attached to the frame, a drive
assembly for transferring force from the reciprocating pedals to
the rear wheel comprising: a pedal cam having a plurality of
openings that can have various distances from the rotational center
of the pedal cam; a drive pin extending from one of the
reciprocating pedals and is received on one of the openings; and, a
gear shifting cable attached to the drive pin causing the drive pin
to engage with one of the openings so that the pedal cam is rotated
by the movement of the pedal so that based upon the opening
engaged, the rotational power output that the pedal cam ultimately
exerts on the rear wheel is varied.
[0007] The scooter can include a duplexer having an upper gear
shift wire carried by a radiused cam attached to a lower gear shift
wire so that when the radiused cam is rotated by the upper gear
shift wire, the lower gear shift wire puts tension on the drive pin
disengaging the drive pin from the pedal cam.
[0008] The scooter can include a motion saver carried by the
scooter having: a first piston assembly having an internal piston,
housing, first spring and piston member; a second piston assembly
having a housing for receiving the piston member of the first
piston assembly and containing a second spring; a spring biased
tensioned cable connecting the first piston assembly to a gear
shift cable; the motion saver includes a first position where the
first and second spring are in equilibrium, a second position where
the second spring is compressed and a third position where the
first spring is compressed; and wherein as the drive pin moves
relative to the pedal cam, the distance between the drive pin and
the second piston is lessened allowing the drive pin to move in
increments along the pedal cam.
[0009] The scooter can include a motion saver carried by the
scooter having: a fixed arm pivotally attached to a pivot arm,
wherein the pivot arm is attached to the drive pin; a spring biased
cable attached to the fixed arm and a gear shift; a spring biased
to keep the arms parallel; wherein when the gear shift is actuated,
the pivot arm pivots with a distal end upwards causing the distance
between the drive pin and the pivot arm to vary the distance
between the rotational power output that the pedal cam ultimately
exerts on the rear wheel is varied.
[0010] The scooter can include a motion saver carried by the
scooter having: a shifting pin connected to a gear shifter; a block
attached to the shifting pin by a spring and connected to the
spring biased tension cable of the gear shifter; an indention
defined in the block for receiving an engagement point included in
the shifting pin; a cable attached to the shifting pin to remove
the engagement point from the invention when the cable is pulled
upwards, the drive pin moves to another opening and the tension on
the spring is lessened so that the drive pin moves from opening to
opening in increments.
[0011] The scooter can include a seat having: a cushioned seating
area attached to a support staff carried by the frame; a quick
release clamp to allow the support staff to telescope relative to
the frame; a mounting bracket attached to the support staff
allowing the seat to be removed from or slidably arranged along the
frame; a pivot clamp included in the support staff for securing the
seat in an extended position for operation and a folded
position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The construction designed to carry out the invention will
hereinafter be described, together with other features thereof. The
invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the
following specification and by reference to the accompanying
drawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the
invention is shown and wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 shows perspective view of the invention in accordance
with an embodiment of the invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 shows a side elevation view of the pedal cam and
coupling cam in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0015] FIG. 3 shows a side elevation view of the pedal cam and
coupling cam in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0016] FIGS. 4A & 4B show a perspective view of the teeter
system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0017] FIG. 4C shows a top plan view of the teeter system in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0018] FIG. 4D shows a side elevation view of the teeter system in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 4E shows a perspective view of the teeter system in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0020] FIG. 4F shows a top plan view of the teeter system in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0021] FIG. 5A shows a side elevation view of the gear shifting
system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0022] FIG. 5B shows a side elevation view of the gear shifting
system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0023] FIG. 5C shows a side elevation view of the gear shifting
system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0024] FIG. 6 shows a close up of the duplexer of the gear shifting
system; and,
[0025] FIGS. 7A-7C show a close up of an embodiment of the motion
saver of the gear shifting system.
[0026] FIGS. 8A-8C show a close up of an embodiment of the motion
saver of the gear shifting system.
[0027] FIGS. 9A-9C show a close up of an embodiment of the motion
saver of the gear shifting system.
[0028] FIGS. 10A-10B show a seat according to an embodiment of the
invention; and,
[0029] FIG. 11 shows the frame according to an embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0030] With reference to the drawings, the invention will now be
described in more detail. Referring now to FIG. 1, a scooter 10 has
a frame 12 that includes a steerable handle bar assembly 14, which
secures the front wheel 16 so that the user may steer the scooter.
The scooter further includes a rear wheel 18 to the frame 12. The
scooter includes two foot pedals 20R and 20L, which are pivotally
connected to the frame by means of a hub 22. While the left pedal
is not shown in FIG. 1, the pedals mirror one another and operate
in a reciprocating motion, moving up and down.
[0031] As can be seen, the scooter further includes cam assembly,
which comprises a pedal cam 24 and a coupling cam 26. While not
shown, the scooter includes two cam assemblies on each side of the
scooter that mirror one another. In the shown embodiment, the left
side of the scooter further includes a drive sprocket 28 that is
operably connected to a wheel sprocket 30 by a drive chain 32. In
both cam assemblies, the pedal cam is rotatably connected to the
hub 22 and driven by one of the respective foot pedals. In the
shown embodiment, only the left cam drive sprocket is located on
the left side of the scooter and is rotatably connected to the
frame by an axle 34. As discussed more fully below, the coupling
cam 26 from both cam assemblies rotates the axle during a down
stroke of the respective foot pedals, thus, causing the drive
sprocket 28 to rotate the wheel sprocket 30 and propel the scooter
forward.
[0032] The pedal 20L drives the pedal cam 24 such that on a
downward stroke, the pedal causes the pedal cam to rotate in
direction A. The pedal cam simultaneously causes the coupling cam
26, and thus, the drive sprocket 28 to rotate in direction B, thus
causing the wheel to turn in direction B. While not shown, the
scooter further includes a spring loaded, one way clutch that is
disposed on the axle 34 so that when the pedal 20L is in an
upstroke and the directions of the pedal cam 24 and the coupling
cam 26 are reversed, the clutch spins freely while the axle 34 is
rotated by the opposite pedal. Consequently, the axle only rotates
in direction B and only in response to the down stroke of either of
the foot pedals. The axle's rotation is completely unaffected by
the upstroke of either foot pedal.
[0033] Referring now to FIG. 2 the cam assembly, which comprises
the pedal cam 24, which is rotatably mounted on hub 22 and the
coupling cam 26, which is rotatably mounted on Axle 34, can be seen
more clearly. As discussed above, the scooter includes two cam
assemblies, one of which is driven by the left foot pedal 20L and
one which is driven by the right foot pedal 20R. The structure and
operation of both cam systems is identical. Accordingly, only one
cam system will be discussed.
[0034] Both the pedal cam 24 and the coupling cam 26 have sprocket
teeth disposed along less than 360 degrees around their
circumference up to many times their circumference. Additionally,
pedal cam and coupling cam have the same number of sprocket teeth
disposed around their perimeter to ensure that they can engage the
chain 44 throughout their rotation. Moreover, the pedal cam 24 has
an aspheric radius such that when moving in direction A, the
radius, as measured from the hub 22 decreases. In one embodiment,
the distance between hub 22 and first sprocket 36 is half the
distance between hub 22 and last sprocket 38.
[0035] In the shown embodiment, coupling cam 26 has sprocket teeth
disposed around the entire circumference of the cam. However, first
sprocket 40 and last sprocket 42 are laterally spaced from one
another.
[0036] Pedal cam 24 and coupling cam 26 are operatively connected
to one another by a chain 44 or gear teeth. In the shown
embodiment, one end of the chain is connected to the first full
sprocket 36 of the pedal cam and the other end of the chain is
connected to the first sprocket 40 of the coupling cam. As foot
pedal 20L engages in a downward stroke (direction C) the pedal cam
24 is caused to rotate in direction A. Thus, the chain causes
coupling cam 26 to rotate in direction B. The cams have the ability
to rotate in their respective directions until the pedal cam has
rotated 360 degrees thus causing the lip 46 of pedal cam to engage
the lip 48 of the pedal cam at the point of contact 50.
Alternatively, the cams can rotate in the opposite direction until
the first sprocket 40 of the coupling cam engages the last sprocket
38 of the pedal cam at the point of contact 50.
[0037] When the cams rotate with respect to one another the
distance D between the hub 22 and the axle 34 remains constant.
However, because each of the cams has an aspheric curvature caused
by the change in the radius as measured from the hub and axle
respectively, the ratio between R1 and R2 changes. This change in
the ratio of R1 and R2 as the cams rotate causes there to be a
difference in the rotational power output of the coupling cam
depending on what portion of the cams engage at the point of
contact 50. In at least one embodiment, when the first sprocket
tooth 36 of the pedal cam is engaging the last tooth 42 of the
coupling cam at the point of contact 50, the ratio of R1/R2 is 1:1.
Thus, a rotation of the pedal cam by 30 degrees will cause a
rotation of the coupling cam by 30 degrees, which will in turn
cause the drive sprocket (28 in FIG. 1) and thus the wheel (18 in
FIG. 1) to rotate by 30 degrees.
[0038] If, however, the last sprocket 38 of the pedal cam is
engaging the first sprocket 40 of the coupling cam at the point of
contact 50, the ratio of R1/R2 is 3:1. In this instance, a rotation
of the pedal cam 24 by 30 degrees will cause a rotation of the
coupling cam 26 by 90 degrees, which will in turn cause the drive
sprocket (28 in FIG. 1) and thus the wheel (18 in FIG. 1) to rotate
by 90 degrees in direction B, thus propelling the scooter forward.
As will be discussed more fully, below the user can vary the
rotational output of the coupling cam 26 and thus the speed of the
scooter by controlling which sections of the pedal cam and the
coupling cam engage at the point of contact during a down stroke of
a foot pedal.
[0039] As discussed above, when foot pedal 20L is engaged in an
upstroke in the direction opposite of direction C, the pedal cam 24
will rotate in direction B while the coupling cam 26 will rotate in
direction A. The scooter includes a clutch operatively associated
with the coupling cam 26 and the drive sprocket (34 in FIG. 1) so
that the rotation of the coupling cam simultaneously rotates the
axle 34 and drive sprocket in direction B when the foot pedal 20L
is in a down stroke but allows the coupling cam 26 to rotate freely
with no affect on the axle or drive sprocket when the coupling cam
is rotating in direction A. Consequently, the upstroke of the foot
pedal 20L has no affect on the rotation of the drive sprocket or
the rear wheel.
[0040] Referring now to FIG. 3, an alternate arrangement for the
cam assembly may be seen. The pedal cam 24 has sprocket teeth that
extend around the entire circumference of the cam in a helical
fashion such that the first sprocket 36 of the pedal cam has the
smallest radius R.sub.min from the hub 22 and the least lateral
distance from the frame of the scooter while the last sprocket 38
has the greatest radius R.sub.max from the hub and the greatest
lateral distance from the frame. Thus, the pedal cam 24 has a
conical shape where the narrowest part of the cone faces towards
the frame. In this embodiment, pedal cam 24 has sprocket teeth
around its entire periphery so that the coupling cam becomes a
continuous side to side spiral nest.
[0041] The coupling cam 26 has sprocket teeth that are disposed
around the circumference of the coupling cam creating a generally
conical shape that faces in the opposite direction of the pedal cam
so that the widest part of the cone faces the frame. The last
sprocket 42 has the greatest radius from the axle 34 and has the
least lateral distance from the frame. The first sprocket 40 has
the smallest radius from the axle Rmin and has the greatest lateral
distance from the frame.
[0042] This embodiment allows the pedal cam 24 to rotate 360
degrees, thus allowing the coupling cam to maximize its rotation
(with the angle or rotation depending directly on the rate of
change of the coupling cam's radius. This also allows the ratio
between R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 to vary from 1:1 up to a maximum ratio.
Thus, this embodiment also allows the user to further vary the
rotational power output of the coupling cam by increasing the ratio
from R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 to the ratio of R.sub.3 and R.sub.4.
[0043] Referring now to FIGS. 4A & 4B, a teeter system that
ensures that the foot pedals work in a synchronized manner while
allowing the position of the foot pedals to be altered is shown.
The teeter system generally show as 50 has a first arm 52L and a
second arm 52R, each of which has a lower end that is pivotally
connected to the foot pedals 20L and 20R at 54. Each arm further
includes an upper end that is pivotally connected to a teetering
member 56 at connection 58. In one embodiment, connection points 54
& 58 are ball joints. In alternate embodiments, the connection
points may use any means generally known in the art such as
bearings.
[0044] As the right foot pedal 20R engages in a downward stroke,
teetering member 56 will rotate counterclockwise in direction E.
Because the teetering member is pivotally connected to the left
foot pedal, the left arm 52L will ensure that the left foot pedal
engages in an upward stroke at the same rate at which the right
foot pedal engages in a downward stroke. Because the foot pedals
are moving in a direction that is perpendicular to the teetering
member 56 the upper pivotal connections 58 pivot in a direction
that is perpendicular to the lower pivotal connection points
54.
[0045] Referring now to FIGS. 4A-4D, teetering member includes two
radiused plates 62 and 64, each of which have a plurality of
openings 65 that align with one another when in a resting position
(as shown in FIG. 4A-4B). The radiused plates are rotatably mounted
on shaft 63. Each of the radius further includes two pins 66 that
are permanently disposed through one of the openings in each of the
radiused plates. Pins 66 are designed to be received by the
openings 65 disposed on the opposite radiused plate. In at least
one embodiment, pins are disposed in the outermost openings as can
be seen in FIGS. 4C & 4D. When the radiused plates are
immediately adjacent to one another (as shown in FIGS. 4A-4B),
these pins hold the radiused plates in place so that they cannot
rotate with respect to one another. When cable 68 is engaged such
that it pulls the front radiused plate 64 forward and away from the
rear radiused plate 62 (as can be seen in FIGS. 4C & 4D), the
pins 66 disengage the openings, allowing the radiused plates to
rotate in opposite directions from one another in response to a
downward pressure placed on the foot pedals (as seen in FIG. 4D).
Teetering system further includes a spring 60 that biases the
radiused plates to cause them to return to equilibrium (as shown in
FIGS. 4A and 4B) so that each of the openings 65 align when a force
is not being applied to either of the foot pedals.
[0046] If, however, a downward force is placed on the foot pedals
when the radiused plates are separated as shown in FIGS. 4C &
4D, the radius plates will rotate in opposite directions, which
reduces the vertical distance between the ground and the foot
pedals. Once the user has found a comfortable position for the foot
pedals, the tension in the cable 68 may be released so that the
radiused plates return to their original position where they are
generally adjacent to one another (as seen in FIGS. 4A & 4B).
Once the radiused plates 62 and 64 return to their original
position, the pins 66 re-engage one or more of the openings 65 so
that the radiused plates 62 and 64 cannot rotate any further with
respect to one another even if a downward force is applied to the
foot pedals.
[0047] Referring now to FIGS. 4E & 4F, another embodiment of
the teeter system can be seen. In this embodiment, teeter system 50
includes radiused plates 62 and 64 as well as a third smaller
radiused plate 70. The smaller radiused plate is mounted on shaft
63 such that it rotates at the same rate as radiused plate 64. In
this embodiment, however, radius plates 62 and 64 do not have pins
that are disposed within the openings. Instead, pins 72 are
disposed in smaller radiused plate 70. Pins 72 are adapted to
engage openings 65 disposed in the two larger radiused plates 62,
64. When engaged, pins prevent the two larger radiused plates from
rotating with respect to one another and thus keeping the foot
pedals in a first location with respect to one another. When the
cable 68 is engaged, the smaller radiused plate 70 is caused to
move in direction G away from the two larger radiused plates, thus
disengaging the pins 72 from the openings 65 disposed in the larger
radiused plates 62, 64. Once the pins are disengaged, the radiused
plates are allowed to rotate with respect to one another in
direction H in response to a downward force placed on the foot
pedals. Once the user finds a comfortable foot pedal position, the
cable may be disengaged and the smaller radiused plate will move in
direction I towards the two larger radiused plates, thus allowing
pins 72 to reengaged openings 65 in the radiused plates. Once
engaged, the teeter system 56 will operate normally to ensure that
the foot pedals reciprocate in a synchronous manner.
[0048] Referring now to FIG. 5A, an embodiment of the gear shifting
system can be seen. In a first embodiment, pedal cam 24 has a
plurality of openings 80 disposed at various points around the
pedal cam. These openings are adapted to receive a drive pin 82
that extends from the foot pedal 20L and engages one of the
openings. When the gear shift cable 85 is disengaged, the drive pin
engages one of the openings to ensure that the pedal cam is rotated
with each stroke of the foot pedal. When the gear shift cable 85 is
engaged, the pin is pulled away from the pedal cam and thus
disengages the opening. When the pin is disengaged from the
opening, its distance from the axle 34 is simultaneously changed.
This change in distance ensures that the pin may only engage the
gear selected as such gear has a specific distance from the axle
associated with it. The foot pedal 20L may then rotate
independently of the pedal cam 24. Once the drive pin is aligned
with the opening 80 associated with the gear selected, the cable
may be disengaged, allowing the drive pin to engage the proper
opening. Once the drive pin 82 engages the proper opening 80, the
pedal cam 24 is caused to rotate in response to the movement of the
foot pedal 20L.
[0049] By changing the point at which the foot pedal engages the
pedal cam, the user is able to change the section of the pedal cam
that engages the coupling cam at the point of contact 50. As
discussed in FIGS. 2 and 3, changing the section of the pedal cam
24 that engages the coupling cam 26 at the point of contact 50
changes the rotational power output that the coupling cam exerts on
the drive sprocket 28. Accordingly, by changing the opening 80 that
is engaged by the drive pin 82, the user can effectively change
gears by changing the power output of the coupling cam and thus
change the speed of the bike without changing the rate at which the
foot pedals reciprocates.
[0050] Referring now to FIG. 5B, another gear changing system may
be seen. In this embodiment, the openings are replaced with a
channel 84 defined in the pedal cam 24. In this embodiment, the two
driving pads 86a and 86b are initially in a locked position so that
they may drive the pedal cam by placing pressure on the two
opposing walls 88 and 89 of the channel. When in this driving
position, the upper pad 86a places pressure on the first wall 88
and the lower pad 86b places pressure on the second wall 89 so that
the pedal cam may be rotated. When the gear shifting cable is
engaged, however, the pads are rotated so that they do not engage
either wall of the channel 84 and are, therefore allowed to slide
forward in direction K, placing the scooter in its lowest gear.
[0051] Referring now to FIG. 5C, another embodiment of the gear
changing system is shown. In this embodiment the first wall 88 of
the channel is provided small teeth by means of knurling or the
like. The surface of the drive pad 90 that contacts the channel's
wall is provided with teeth adapted to engage the teeth on the
first wall 88. When engaged, the drive pad engages the front wall
so that the drive pad 90 does not move with respect to the front
wall 88 thereby driving the pedal cam 24. When the gear shift cable
is engaged, the drive pad is then pulled away from the front wall
so that its teeth disengage the teeth on the front wall.
[0052] In either embodiment shown in FIG. 5B or 5C, when the user
desires to shift the gear up to obtain greater rotational power
output, the user must select the gear and begin pedaling the foot
pedals. When the gear shifting cable is engaged, the cable is
tightened, which disengages the drive pin and will pull the drive
pin 82 (FIG. 5B) in the direction L. Since, however, the pedal cam
24 generally rotates 30 degrees at a time in the K direction when
engaged in a down stroke, the drive pin 82 may only move a
proportional distance in the L direction during an upstroke of the
foot pedal. Because the foot pedals only rotate the pedal cam by
approximately 30 degrees, the gears must be shifted incrementally.
Moreover, the pads may not be moved while pressure is being exerted
on them during the down stroke of the foot pedal. Consequently,
each of the cam assemblies must change gears in an alternating
fashion.
[0053] To achieve this alternating gear change, the scooter uses a
duplexer (shown in FIG. 6) where a upper gear shift wire 92 engages
the bottom portion of a radiused cam 94 so that when the upper gear
shift wire is engaged, it rotates the cam 94 in the J direction.
Two lower gear shift wires 96 and 98 are attached to the cam 94 so
that when the cam 94 is rotated in the J direction the wires are
pulled upwards placing tension on the drive pin 82, thus causing it
to disengage the pedal cam 24. Accordingly, the user can use a
single gear changer to change the gears on both cam assemblies to
the same gear.
[0054] A variety of motion savers shown in FIGS. 7A through 7C can
be used to change the gear to a higher level. These motion savers
are necessary because the drive pin 82 cannot disengage from the
pedal cam when a force is applied to it by the foot pedal. However,
since only one gear shifter is being used in combination with the
duplexer, the gear is directed to change on both cam assemblies at
the same time. The cam assembly's gear may only be changed to a
higher gear when the corresponding foot pedal is in an upstroke.
Since one of the foot pedals will always be in a down stroke (while
the opposite pedal is in an upstroke), only one cam assembly may
change gears at a time. Hence, a mechanism that saves the energy
necessary to change the gear upwards until the foot pedal is in an
upstroke is necessary. The various motion savers serve this
function.
[0055] Referring now to FIGS. 7A-7C, a first motion saver 100 is
generally shown. The first motion saver comprises a first piston
102 attached to the cable, a housing 104 that partially encloses
the piston and which forms a second piston 106, and a first spring
108 that engages the first piston and is completely enclosed in the
first housing 104. The second piston 106 is partially enclosed in a
second housing and extends through a spring 112 that is wrapped
around the second piston. The second housing is connected to a
fixed rigid cable that interconnects second housing 110 to the
drive pin 82.
[0056] The first piston is attached to a spring biased, tensioned
cable that interconnects the piston to the gear shift. When no gear
shift has been initiated, the springs are in equilibrium as shown
in FIG. 7A and the drive pin remains engaged in the pedal cam. When
the gear is shifted to a higher gear, the first piston 102 is
pulled to the left, causing the second piston 106 to compress the
second spring 112. As the drive pin moves in the direction L (as
shown in FIGS. 5A-5B) the distance between the drive pin and the
second piston is lessened allowing spring 112 to decompress.
Because the drive pin may only move in direction L on the upstroke
of a foot pedal, the drive pin will move in increments until the
second spring fully decompresses as shown in FIG. 7A, at which time
the gear will be engaged.
[0057] If, however, the gear is downshifted the first piston 102
will move to the right as shown in FIG. 7C. As the drive pin moves
in direction K (shown in FIG. 5), the distance between drive pin 82
and second piston 106 will become greater, thus, allowing first
spring to decompress until the proper gear is achieved.
[0058] Referring now to FIGS. 8A through 8C, a second motion saver
can be seen. This motion saver comprises two arms 114 and 116 that
are pivotally connected at point 118. The first arm 116 is
connected to the gear shift by a spring biased, tensioned cable
122. The second arm is connected to the drive pin by a fixed, rigid
cable 124. The motion saver further includes a spring 120 that
biases both arms to keep them in equilibrium as shown in FIG. 8.
When the gear is shifted upwards, cable 122 pulls the first arm 116
upwards causing the spring to flex. As the drive pin moves in
direction L, the distance between the drive pin and the second arm
114 lessens thereby allowing the spring to decompress and the first
arm to return to equilibrium once the proper gear has been
achieved. Again, the drive pin will only move in increments
corresponding to the upstroke of the corresponding foot pedal. As
shown in FIG. 8C, when the gear is down shifted, the first arm 116
is pressed down, again flexing the spring. As the drive pin moves
in the direction K, the distance between the drive pin and the
second arm 114 will become greater allowing the spring to
decompress and the first arm to return to equilibrium.
[0059] Referring now to FIGS. 9A through 9C, a third motion saver
will be shown. This gear shifter comprises a shifting pin 130,
which is attached to a block 132 by a spring. Notably, the block
includes an indentation 136, which is adapted to receive and engage
a point 138 that is disposed on the shifting pin 130. The shifting
pin is connected by a spring biased, tensioned cable 140 to the
gear shifter. The block is connected to the drive pin by a fixed,
rigid cable 142. FIG. 9A shows this motion saver in equilibrium. If
the gear is shifted to a higher gear, the shifting pin is pulled
upwards by cable 140 thus flexing the spring. As the drive pin
moves in direction L, the distance between the drive pin and the
block 132 lessens allowing the spring to decompress and the
shifting pin to return to equilibrium so that the pin engages the
indentation. This is achieved once the proper gear has been
achieved. Again, the drive pin will only move in increments
corresponding to the upstroke of the corresponding foot pedal. If
the gear is downshifted, the shifting pin will be pushed downward
again flexing the spring. As the drive pin moves in the direction
K, the distance between the drive pin and the block 132 will become
greater allowing the spring to decompress and the shifting pin to
return to equilibrium.
[0060] While the above motion savers will allow the gears to be
changed in an alternating manner when the drive pin is disengaged,
any spring biased mechanism that is known in the art would
suffice.
[0061] Referring now to FIGS. 10A through 10B, an adjustable,
slidable, foldable, removable seat is shown. The seat comprises a
cushioned seating area 150, a support shaft 152, having a quick
release clamp 154 to allow the shaft to telescope, a pivoting clamp
156 having a release lever 158 and a mounting bracket 160. The
mounting bracket allows the seat to be completely removed or to be
slideably adjusted along the frame of the bike. The pivoting clamp
includes a lip that is engaged by the release lever that is adapted
to engage the lip of the clamp. Once released, the seat can fold
forward towards the handle bars of the scooter.
[0062] Referring now to FIG. 11, an adjustable frame is shown. In
the shown embodiment, the frame includes several openings adapted
to receive a securing pin 162. Once the pins are disengaged, the
openings can be realigned to lengthen or shorten the bike before
the pins are reengaged with the openings. In alternate embodiments,
however, clamps, friction fittings and other releasable fastening
devices can be used.
[0063] While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been
described using specific terms, such description is for
illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes
and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or
scope of the following claims.
* * * * *