Patent Application
20060181042
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The present invention relates generally to carts, sleds, vehicles, and apparatuses powered by animals. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a dog chariot powered by one or more dogs and can be used conventionally to transport at least one human operator, or as a sport or recreational vehicle.
There are many known carts, sleds, vehicles, and transportation apparatuses powered by humans and/or animals that are used to transport humans and/or cargo, or to provide exercise and/or recreation for humans and/or animals. There is a need for a generally inexpensive, lightweight, and non-polluting animal-powered vehicles that can provide exercise and/or recreation for the human operator and/or for the animal or animals that power the vehicle.
The animal-powered vehicle of the present invention can be used to provide exercise and/or recreation for an operator of the vehicle and/or for at least one animal, such as, but not limited to, dogs, that power the vehicle. For example, the vehicle of the present invention may be used to help train sled dogs for winter dog sledding events. Dog mushers may be interested in the present invention as well. As another example, the vehicle of the present invention may be used for other sporting events, such as chariot racing. Furthermore, the vehicle of the present invention may be used to transport humans and/or cargo.
The related art of interest describes various carts, sleds, vehicles, and transportation apparatuses powered by humans and/or animals that are used to transport humans and/or cargo, or to provide exercise and/or recreation for humans and/or animals, but none discloses the present invention.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2004/0075226 A1, published to Kortuem, describes a dog powered and human controlled vehicle comprising a frame structure having a horizontally oriented opening within which will be positioned at least one dog. The frame structure comprises a pair of frame members transversely spaced apart by forward and rearward transversely extending means. The front of the frame is supported by means, which includes a steerable member adapted to have contact with the ground. The rear end of the frame is supported by means adapted to have contact with the ground; the frame structure being thus supported a preselected distance from the ground. Manually operable steering means are provided at the rear end of the structure and are connected to a steerable member at the front end so as to change direction of travel of the vehicle. Means are provided for tethering a dog to the frame structure and for connecting a dog harness on a dog to the frame structure so that forward directed longitudinal pulling force produced by the dog is applied to the frame structure. The vehicle may be steered to rotate about a vertical axis by manual actuation of the steering means at the rear end of the vehicle to operate the steerable member at the front end of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,052, issued to Hediger, describes a four-wheeled cart that is provided for the training of sled dogs. The cart is comprised of a chassis having paired steerable front wheels and paired rear wheels mounted upon a stationary axle. A body is removably disposed upon the chassis. A platform disposed rearwardly of the chassis is provided for the operator to stand upon. Steering and braking controls are conveniently located with respect to the platform.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,570, issued to Brown, describes a platform member formed of a plurality of elongate slats in contiguous communication relative to one another includes a forward, rear, and medial support bar that are mounted to a respective forward brush bow, forward right and left support legs, and a handle construction respectively. The organization includes a plurality of junctions, each junction including a discrete and unique connector structure to effect ease of assembly and securement of the components of the organization in an integral assemblage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,458, issued to Kampe, describes a dog sled that has improved steering capabilities, and includes spaced-apart sideframes and a plurality of rigid cross ties that hold the sideframes spaced apart in parallel relationship, the cross ties connecting to the side frames by flexible joints, and a flexible bumper or brush bow interconnects front ends of the sideframes. A runner is secured to each sideframe, the front end of the runner connects to the front of the sideframe and a central part of the runner connects to the lower end of the sideframe, providing the runner with a long, rearwardly extending portions. A handle extends transversely from the upper part of one sideframe to the upper part of the other sideframe, and each opposite end of the handle pivotally connects to the sideframe for rotation about an axis in the vertical plane of the sideframe and inclined at a substantial angle between the horizontal and the vertical. Lateral movement of the handle, to one side or the other, will tilt the sideframes and attached runners, and simultaneously one runner will be staggered longitudinally ahead of the other in a manner appropriate for turning the sled.
Furthermore, the website entitled, “Black Ice Dog Sledding Equipment—Superior Wheeled Rig”, which discloses a three-wheeled dog-pulled chariot for operating in the standing position having adjustable locking brakes for stopping and a steering bar for steering dogs in a certain direction. The chariot is light enough to be pulled by one dog.
Foreign patents or patent publications known to the inventor in the field of carts, sleds, vehicles, and transportation apparatuses powered by humans and/or animals that are used to transport humans and/or cargo, or to provide exercise and/or recreation for humans and/or animals, are: FR 2652 792 A1 (France, 04/1991), DE 4112360 A1, “Chatmac—Sled Dog Supplier,” and “Sled Dog Central.”
None of the above patents and publications, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The present invention is directed to an animal-powered vehicle. In one embodiment the vehicle includes a handle bar, first and second substantially vertically aligned wheel holders, first and second wheels, first and second elongated, platform support pillars, a platform, a substantially rigid, elongated steering stem, and a brake system. The vehicle also includes a means for supporting the platform, and an optional means for load-balance steering. The wheel holders are respectively attached proximate to the ends of the handle bar. The top ends of the platform support pillars are respectively attached proximate to the ends of the handle bar such that the platform support pillars respectively extend downward proximate to and inside the wheel holders. The steering stem extends forward with respect to the middle portion of the handle bar. The brake system is optionally configured to provide skid-steer steering capability.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
The present invention is directed to a dog chariot powered by one or more dogs. Still more specifically, the invention is a dog powered chariot that can be used conventionally to transport at least one human operator or as a sport or recreational vehicle.
Referring to the present disclosure in general, the animal-powered vehicle of the invention is denoted generically by the reference numeral 100 as a whole, and specific embodiments are denoted by alphanumeric labels such as 100a, 100b, etc.
Referring to
During normal use of the device 100a, the platform 240 is preferably close to the ground with a clearance height of about 2″ to about 16″ and more preferably between about 4″ and 10″, and still more preferably between about 5″ and about 8″. When the device 100a is fitted with 26″ wheels fitted with typical mountain tires, the platform is preferably about 7″ above the ground, i.e. has about 7″ of ground clearance; a ground clearance of about 7″ provides adequate stability when an average sized adult stands on the platform 240.
The platform 240 can be at any suitable distance below the centers of the wheels 200a and 200b; for example, if the wheels 200a and 200b are 26″ bicycle wheels with wheel centers in the form of hub bodies 205a and 205b, the platform 240 can be about 6″ below the wheel hub bodies 205a and 205b. It should therefore be understood that the platform 240 can be any suitable height above the ground, but that the animal-powered vehicle 100a is more stable when the platform 240 is slung close enough to the ground to promote vehicle stability but with sufficient clearance to avoid frequent damage to the underside of the platform 240.
Referring to
The suspension members serve to provide a load-balance steering capability to the device 100. Specifically, the human operator HO can steer the device 100 by placing more of his/her weight near one of the wheels 200a or 200b. For example, if the human operator HO places his/her weight closer to wheel 200a while the device 100 is in motion, this causes the device to turn to the left, the effect being magnified and transmitted along the steering stem 260 which moves to the left thus signaling to the at least one dog D to go left. Alternatively, if the human operator HO places his/her weight closer to wheel 200b while the device 100 is in motion, this causes the device to turn to the right, the effect being magnified and transmitted along the steering stem 260 to the at least one dog D. The at least one dog D is taught to respond to the sideways pull of the steering stem 260; if there is no sideways pull the at least one dog D simply travels in a straight line.
The brake system 280, which comprises brake calipers 280a and 280b and brake levers 285a and 285b, provides skid-steer steer capability in much the same way as a tracked vehicle or skid-steer loader is steered. Specifically, brake pressure can be applied to brake calipers member 280a or 280b to adjust independently the speed of one of the wheels 200a and 200b, respectively. Adjusting the speed or turn rate of one wheel compared to the other creates a torque on the device 100 and causes it to pivot around the slower wheel. When equal braking power is applied to both brake calipers 282a and 282b the device 100 brakes in a straight line.
It should be understood that the brake system 280 can take any suitable form so long as the system can bring the device 100 to a stop. Specifically, while it is preferred that the brake system 280 can provide brake steering capability, the brake system 280 does not exclude a limited brake system that is limited to providing simultaneous and substantially equal braking power to both wheels 200a and 200b. In addition, the brake system 280 can be disposed in any suitable manner around the animal-powered vehicle 100.
With regard to the FIGURES in general, the wheel holders 180a and 180b take the form of bicycle forks. More specifically, the wheel holder 180a includes inner and outer fork stems 500a and 500a′, respectively; and wheel holder 180b includes inner and outer fork stems 500b and 500b′, respectively. However, it should be understood that the wheel holders can take any suitable form and are expressly not limited to bicycle forks.
Still referring to
It should be understood that any suitable form of wheel can be used in the present invention; non-limiting examples of wheels include mountain bike wheels, hybrid bicycle wheels (cross between tougher mountain bike wheels and bicycle racing wheels), BMX wheels, Mag wheels (such as those supplied by NYCEwheels Inc. of New York, N.Y. 10028), moped wheels, or motorcycle wheels or heavier horse cart wheels, though it is preferred that the wheels are relatively lightweight the exact form of wheels can vary without detracting from the spirit of the present invention.
Many of the components of the animal-powered vehicle 100 can be made out of tubular steel such as the handle bar 160, pillars 220a and 220b, handle bar support stem 300, main platform support arm 380, and short platform support arm 400. The handle bar 160 can also be made of box steel such as, but not limited to, 1″ box steel.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
