Land vehicles – Wheeled – Occupant propelled type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-05
2001-06-05
Hurley, Kevin (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Occupant propelled type
C280S087043, C280S257000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241269
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a novel and useful foot driven vehicle.
Many non-motorized vehicle platforms have been proposed and built in the past. Essentially, these items are noted as being classified as scooters, skateboards, and the like.
Although many of such scooters and skateboards are steerable and dependent on gravitational pull for operation, several designs have been proposed for driving the same.
Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,825 which describes an oscillating platform in which the user shifts his weight to affect forward motion of skateboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,202 shows a skateboard having a pedal mounted on the upper surface of a platform which drives a horizontally displaceable rack via a cam.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,055 shows a scooter having a steering bar and mechanism for converting oscillating motion onto rotary motion through the use of endless chains.
A foot driven vehicle having the capability of complete motional control, including the generating speed, stopping, and steering through foot operated mechanisms would be a notable advance in the recreational vehicle field.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention a novel and useful foot driven vehicle is herein provided.
The foot driven vehicle of the present invention utilizes a platform having motivating means for urging the platform along a surface. The motivating means includes a foot pedal connected to a crank. The crank includes an endless surface linked to a first wheel supported to the platform. The endless surface may include a friction surface or a geared surface which is capable of transmitting the rotation motion of the crank to the wheel connected to the platform. In addition, a spur gear wheel may be located intermediate the crank surface and the wheel supported by the platform. In such an embodiment, the rotation motion of the first wheel supported to the platform would be reversed in direction from the motivating means lacking the spur gear. Other gear arrangements may be employed to vary the rotational speed of the first wheel.
The foot driven vehicle of the present invention may also include a steering element engageable by the foot or gripable by the hand of the user. The element would be linked to a second wheel supported to the platform and would be movable in order to turn the second wheel about an axis generally perpendicular to the platform. Such steering element may include a stirrup-like structure. In addition, the steering element may further comprise a rotatable shaft which is connected to the second wheel and to the stirrup. The shaft may terminate in a handle. A bearing supported by the platform may surround the rotatable shaft to ease the turning of the shaft during the steering process.
Brake means is also provided in the present invention for selectively arresting the turning of the first and second wheels. The brake means may include a hinge flange engageable by the foot of the user. The hinge flange could be linked to a conventional bicycle caliper on either the first or second wheel. The brake means flange may be found on the upper surface of the platform and be in the vicinity of the motivating means foot pedal in order to permit the user to rapidly move a foot between these two control mechanisms.
It should be further noted that a third wheel may be employed in the present invention for movement with the first wheel at the lower side of the platform. The first and third wheels may be motivated by the crank which may have a pair of shafts or a pair of endless surface members such as gear wheels. Such gear wheels may be directly linked to a single or double pinion gear along the axis of the first and third wheels, or may be linked by using an intermediate spur or pinion gear to reverse the direction of turning of the first and second wheels.
In certain embodiments the motivating means may include a ratchet gear axially located relative to the first wheel. Rotational force is transmitted from the crank endless surface to the ratchet gear. Such transfer may be accomplished by a multiplicity of gears engaging the endless surface of the crank. A gear axle may also be formed between two gears of the multiplicity of gears.
Moreover, the first wheel and crank may be directly supported for rotation to the platform to lower the platform relative to the ground surface.
It may be apparent that a novel and useful foot driven vehicle has been heretofore described.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a foot driven vehicle which permits the user to control the same using only the user's feet.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a foot driven vehicle which is as simple to manufacture and maintain.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a foot driven vehicle which generates torque through a gear crank mechanism.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a foot driven vehicle which may be safely operated on various surfaces.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a drive mechanism for a vehicle that is stable and easy to steer.
The invention possesses other objects and advantages especially as concerns particular characteristics and features thereof which will become apparent as the specification continues.
REFERENCES:
patent: 878582 (1908-02-01), Weber, Jr.
patent: 1497638 (1924-06-01), Powell
patent: 1592701 (1926-07-01), Peelle
patent: 4621825 (1986-11-01), Lee
patent: 4861054 (1989-08-01), Spital
patent: 4861055 (1989-08-01), Jones
patent: 5280935 (1994-01-01), Sobocan
patent: 5310202 (1994-05-01), Goodspeed
patent: 5620189 (1997-04-01), Hinderhofer
patent: 5927732 (1999-07-01), Snyder
patent: 6079727 (2000-06-01), Fan
Cohen Howard
Hurley Kevin
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