Patent Application
20240278110
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The disclosure relates to motorized skateboards and more particularly pertains to a new motorized skateboard for driving and steering using an input which is operated by a user's feet.
The prior art provides several examples of motorized skateboards that are operated by a controller held in the hands of a user. The prior art also includes motorized skateboards which use an input mounted on top of a riding platform of the skateboard so that the input is actuatable by a user's feet. In both U.S. Pat. No. 10,926,162 and U.S. Pat. Application No. 2018/0280786, a motor is activated to drive wheels of the skateboard to drive the skateboard when the skateboard is already in motion and an input on top of the riding platform of the skateboard is actuated. The motors in these examples are activated only to assist in moving the already-moving skateboard. These skateboards are also not steerable by the motors.
It is desirable to provide a motorized skateboard which provides a drive system for propelling, braking, and steering the skateboard, and which may be operated by a user through an input mounted to the top of the riding platform of the skateboard. Such an arrangement will allow a user to ride a skateboard without pushing on the ground to propel or stop the skateboard and without the physical effort required to steer using conventional skateboard trucks. This arrangement is not provided by the prior art.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a platform with a front end and a rear end. Each of a front bracket and a rear bracket is coupled to a bottom side of the platform, and the front bracket is spaced forwardly of the rear bracket with respect to the rear end of the platform. At least one front wheel is rotatably coupled to the front bracket, and at least one rear wheel is rotatably coupled to the rear bracket. Each of the at least one front wheel and the at least one rear wheel is configured to be engageable with a support surface to compel the platform along the support surface when rotated. A drive system is operatively coupled to each of the at least one front wheel and the at least one rear wheel for rotating each of the at least one front wheel and the at least one rear wheel.
A control circuit is operatively coupled to the drive system, and an input is electrically coupled to the control circuit for operating the drive system. The input is coupled to a top side of the platform and is actuatable to compel the platform forwardly. The input is also actuatable to steer the front end of the platform toward either of the first lateral direction and the second lateral direction with respect to the rear end of the platform. A power supply is electrically coupled to the control circuit and is mounted to the bottom side of the platform.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A first front wheel 24 and a second front wheel 26 are each rotatably coupled to the front bracket 18. The first front wheel 24 is spaced from a central axis 28 of the platform 12 extending between each of the front and rear ends 14, 16 of the platform 12 in a first lateral direction 30. The second front wheel 26 is spaced from the central axis 28 in a second lateral direction 32 opposite the first lateral direction 30. The first and second front wheels 24, 26 share a front rotational axis 34 which extends laterally in opposite directions with respect to the central axis 28. A first rear wheel 36 and a second rear wheel 38 are each rotatably coupled to the rear bracket 20. The first rear wheel 36 is spaced from the central axis 28 in the first lateral direction 30, and the second rear wheel 38 is spaced from the central axis 28 in the second lateral direction 32. The first and second rear wheels 36, 38 sharing a rear rotational axis 40 which extends laterally in opposite directions with respect to the central axis 28. Each of the first front wheel 24, the second front wheel 26, the first rear wheel 36, and the second rear wheel 38 is configured to be engageable with a support surface to compel the platform 12 along the support surface when rotated.
A drive system 42 is operatively coupled to each of the first and second front wheels 24, 26 and the first and second rear wheels 36, 38 for rotating each of the first and second front wheels 24, 26 and the first and second rear wheels 36, 38. The drive system 42 comprises a first front motor 44 which is mounted on the front bracket 18 and is operatively coupled to the first front wheel 24, a second front motor 46 which is mounted on the front bracket 18 and is operatively coupled to the second front wheel 26, a first rear motor 48 which is mounted on the rear bracket 20 and is operatively coupled to the first rear wheel 36, and a second rear motor 50 which is mounted on the rear bracket 20 and is operatively coupled to the second rear wheel 38.
A control circuit 52 is operatively coupled to the drive system 42. An input 54 is mounted to a top side 56 of the platform 12 and is electrically coupled to the control circuit 52 for operating the drive system 42. The input 54 comprises a forward drive actuator 58, a brake actuator 60, a first steer actuator 62, and a second steer actuator 64. The forward drive actuator 58 is actuatable to rotate at least one of the first front wheel 24, the second front wheel 26, the first rear wheel 36, and the second rear wheel 38 such that the platform 12 moves forwardly. A brake actuator 60 is actuatable to inhibit rotation of each of the first front wheel 24, the second front wheel 26, the first rear wheel 36, and the second rear wheel 38.
The first steer actuator 62 is actuatable to rotate at least some of the first front wheel 24, the second front wheel 26, the first rear wheel 36, and the second rear wheel 38 such that the front end 14 of the platform 12 is steered toward the first lateral direction 30 with respect to the rear end 16 of the platform 12. For example, the first steer actuator 62 may rotate the first front wheel 24 and the first rear wheel 36 at a slower rotational speed than a rotational speed of the second front wheel 26 and the second rear wheel 38, which compels the platform 12 to move such that the front end 14 of the platform 12 leads the rear end 16 of the platform 12 along a path curving toward the first lateral direction 30. The control circuit 52 may be programmed to steer in this way only when the first steer actuator 62 and the forward drive actuator 58 are simultaneously actuated. The first steer actuator 62 may also actuate the first front wheel 24 and the first rear wheel 36 in an opposite rotational direction to a rotation of the second front wheel 26 and the second rear wheel 38 to pivot the platform 12 about a center 66 of the platform 12 such that the front end 14 of the platform 12 is steered toward the first lateral direction 30 with respect to the rear end 16 of the platform 12.
The second steer actuator 64 is actuatable to rotate at least some of the first front wheel 24, the second front wheel 26, the first rear wheel 36, and the second rear wheel 38 such that the front end 14 of the platform 12 is steered toward the second lateral direction 32 with respect to the rear end 16 of the platform 12. For example, the second steer actuator 64 may rotate the second front wheel 26 and the second rear wheel 38 at a slower rotational speed than a rotational speed of the first front wheel 24 and the first rear wheel 36, which compels the platform 12 to move such that the front end 14 of the platform 12 leads the rear end 16 of the platform 12 along a path curving toward the second lateral direction 32. The control circuit 52 may be programmed to steer in this way only when the second steer actuator 64 and the forward drive actuator 58 are simultaneously actuated. The second steer actuator 64 may also actuate the second front wheel 26 and the second rear wheel 38 in an opposite rotational direction to a rotation of the first front wheel 24 and the first rear wheel 36 to pivot the platform 12 about a center 66 of the platform 12 such that the front end 14 of the platform 12 is steered toward the second lateral direction 32 with respect to the rear end 16 of the platform 12.
The brake actuator 60 is positioned rearwardly of and adjacent to the forward drive actuator 58. The first steer actuator 62 is spaced forwardly from the forward drive actuator 58 with respect to the platform 12. The second steer actuator 64 is spaced forwardly from the forward drive actuator 58 with respect to the platform 12. The second steer actuator 64 is also positioned adjacent to the first steer actuator 62 and extending in the second lateral direction 32 away from the first steer actuator 62. The forward drive actuator 58 and the brake actuator 60 are positioned to be adjacent to a rearwardly positioned foot 70 of a user 68 standing on the top side 56 of the platform 12, and the first and second steer actuators 62, 64 are positioned to be adjacent to a forwardly positioned foot 72 of the user 68.
A power supply 74 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 52 and is mounted to the bottom side 22 of the platform 12. The power supply 74 comprises a battery 76. A charging port 78 is electrically coupled to the battery 76, and a charging cord 80 is provided which is couplable to the charging port 78 for electrically coupling the battery 76 to an external power source to charge the battery 76.
In use, the user 68 stands on the top side 56 of the platform 12 with the rearwardly positioned foot 70 positioned rearwardly of the forwardly positioned foot 72 with respect to the platform 12. The rearwardly positioned foot 70 is also positioned adjacent to the forward drive actuator 58 and the brake actuator 60, while the forwardly positioned foot 72 is positioned adjacent to the first and second steer actuators 62, 64. The user 68 actuates the forward drive actuator 58 to move forward and the brake actuator 60 to slow to a stop. The user 68 actuates the first steer actuator 62 while actuating the forward drive actuator 58 to steer toward the first lateral direction 30 while moving forward and actuates the second steer actuator 64 while actuating the forward drive actuator 58 to steer toward the second lateral direction 32 while moving forward.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
