Land vehicles – Wheeled – Occupant propelled type
Patent
1993-04-01
1994-12-06
Camby, Richard M.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Occupant propelled type
180 10, B62K 100
Patent
active
053704100
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a one-wheeled vehicle comprising a spokeless hoop, a rigid load carrier mounted inside said hoop and provided with a seat, said carrier forming the connection between a plurality of guide elements rotatably connected with the carrier and distributed along the circumference of the hoop, said guide elements guiding the hoop with respect to the carrier during the rolling movement of the hoop, said vehicle being controllable purely through the rider shifting weight and having no separate steering and no separate supporting or steering wheel to be brought in contact with the ground.
Such a vehicle is disclosed in DE-A-2108492.
The spokeless hoop of this known vehicle is a thick plastic tire which may be provided with an inflatable part to reduce shocks. The tire is provided with sets of rollers, the rollers of each set being axially spaced and secured to the carrier and protuding into recesses in the tire. About the elasticity of the tire no information is given. If the tire would be made of highly elastically deformable material, the rollers would not safely be maintained in the recesses during rolling of the hoop on bumpy roads. The dynamic characteristics of such a vehicle leave much to be desired. Bending movements occur in the hoop to transmit the load to the road.
The object of the invention is to avoid these disadvantages and to this end the one-wheeled vehicle mentioned in the preamble is characterised in that the hoop is made of highly elastically deformable material, in particular spring steel, that the carrier through a wheel at its lower side rests on the inner surface of the hoop, and that each of the guide elements consists of two radially spaced and mutually connected rollers between which the hoop runs.
When the invention is used, no bending moments occur in the hoop to transmit the load to the road. The load-bearing construction, as it were, balances on the wheel. The hoop need only have sufficient rigidity to hold this balancing construction in balance. This balance can be disturbed as a result of load shifts, unevennesses in the road and the like. Using an elastically deformable hoop, for example made of spring steel, will mean that the dynamic characteristics are advantageous. The energy loss on deformation of the hoop through unevennesses in the road is minimised. Through the correct rhythm, the rider can prevent undesirable rolling, energy loss and the like during riding. It is even possible to make the vehicle move forward purely through a periodic weight shift in the forward and backward direction (in the correct rhythm, as in a seesaw movement). The optimum elasticity of the hoop depends on the type of use of the one-wheeled vehicle and the desired comfort. By way of indication, with a hoop diameter of 150 cm and a body weight of 75 kg the bend in the hoop will lie between 2 cm and 10 cm.
The rigid load carrier can comprise a frame which is placed in a cab, or the rigid load carrier can itself be a self-supporting cab. The cab preferably has a fold-away or slide-away roof.
The comfort for the rider is increased by fixing the wheel to the load carrier by means of a shock absorber. For propulsion, the one-wheeled vehicle will generally have a pedal or motor.
By connecting the guide elements rotatably to the load carrier and providing them with rotary rollers between which the hoop runs, the hoop can rotate freely. What is essential for the control of the vehicle is the fact that an external moment can be exerted via the guide elements about an axis in the plane of the hoop, for example by shifting the centre of gravity of the rider outside the plane of the hoop. This type of control is very similar to controlling a bicycle with no hands.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,107,766 discloses a one-wheeled vehicle comprising a spokeless hoop consisting of an inner ring, a ring gear and an outer ring. A carrier is mounted inside the inner ring. Bearing balls are mounted between the inner and outer ring. The combination of inner and outer ring will certainly not be highly deformable.
FR-
REFERENCES:
patent: 2107766 (1938-02-01), Rose
patent: 3260324 (1966-07-01), Suarez
patent: 3777835 (1973-12-01), Bourne
patent: 4386787 (1983-06-01), Maplethorpe et al.
patent: 4401314 (1983-08-01), Zimmerman
patent: 5064210 (1991-11-01), Gibbons
Camby Richard M.
Mattix C.
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