Claims
- 1. A two-axled vehicle such as a scooter, comprising a frame having a platform section, connected at the front to a steering column in which a front wheel is arranged on a steering rod, and which frame, behind the platform section, has a back section or tailpiece on which a back wheel is arranged, the back wheel having an axle which is supported by a shaped part which can pivot freely with respect to the tailpiece about a pivot axis which is directed downwards at an acute angle with respect to a support surface (“the road”) for the two wheels, wherein the back section or tailpiece projects as far as behind the back wheel area and said axis is directed forwards with respect to said support surface, and wherein the back wheel axle is situated in front of the said pivot axis, as seen in the direction of travel.
- 2. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said acute angle is a fixed angle of approximately.
- 3. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the shaped part is designed as a two-pronged fork with two limbs, between which said back wheel axle is supported.
- 4. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said shaped part is designed as a single supporting arm which bears the back wheel axle and wheels projecting on either side.
- 5. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein each of the wheels presents a running surface which is wide and substantially planar or concave.
- 6. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein each of the wheels presents a wide running surface which is composed of two or more narrow running surfaces or wheels, and is preferably produced from dimensionally stable resilient material, most preferably from solid polyurethane.
- 7. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein that the platform section runs obliquely forwards and downwards in a direction which intersects the front wheel in the vicinity of the location where it is in contact with the supporting surface, while at least a part of the frame is at a lower level than the highest point of the back wheel, preferably the lowest point of the platform section being the narrowest part, while the highest section, just above the back wheel, is the widest part.
- 8. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the platform section is connected, via a frame part which runs upwards in a S shape, to the steering column.
- 9. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the frame is designed in such a way that the uppermost area of the running surface of the rear wheel is situated between parts of the frame or in the space in the frame above it.
- 10. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the frame, at least in the region in front of where the shaped part is attached to the tailpiece, comprises two parts which are at a horizontal distance from one another, and wherein the shaped part has the front comers of its top surface located between and at a certain distance from the said frame parts, so that the said frame parts limit the angle of deflection of the shaped part together with the back wheel.
- 11. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the maximum angle of deflection of the back wheel is approximately 35° on either side.
- 12. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the back wheel, together with the shaped part, is pulled towards its central position by a spring.
- 13. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein a footplate which is produced from a resilient material is attached, in the vicinity of its front and rear ends, to transverse supports between the tubes of the frame.
- 14. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the transverse supports are strips which are arranged at an angle to one another, in such a manner that during attachment the footplate adopts a slightly concave, prestressed position.
- 15. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the frame is attached with respect to a steering tube of the steering column by means of a hinge which is perpendicular to the longitudinal central plane of the frame in the “straight-on” position of the front wheel.
- 16. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the frame is connected to the steering column by means of a hinge, the pin of which lies in front of the centre axis of the steering column.
- 17. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the steering column is positioned in such a way that the handlebars, in projection, lie in front of the point of contact between the front wheel and the road.
- 18. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein a dynamically adjustable hinge structure allows a steering position in which the handlebars, in projection, are in front of the point of contact between the front wheel and the road.
- 19. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the steering tube is composed of a fixed steering tube assembly, which bears the hinge pin for connection of the frame and inside which a fork rod can be displaced in rotation but not in the axial direction, and a slideable steering tube assembly, which can slide in the axial direction and rotate about the fork rod and is hingedly connected to the frame by means of a stabilizing element, which can itself execute hinged movements with respect to the slideable steering tube assembly.
- 20. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the unit comprising the front wheel of the frame, the steering column, the fixed steering tube assembly, the slideable steering tube assembly and the stabilizing rod is dimensioned in such a way that the steering column is statically and/or dynamically adjustable between a limit inclined-forwards position and an arbitrary inclined backwards position.
- 21. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the slideable steering tube assembly comprises a bottom fixing element and a top fixing element, which is resiliently connected thereto under prestress, by means of a rotary/sliding element.
- 22. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the bottom and top fixing elements of the slideable steering tube assembly can each be fixed with respect to the fork rod by means of a manually operated device.
- 23. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the slideable steering tube assembly comprises a top fixing element and a bottom rotary/sliding element which is connected thereto by means of a compression spring positioned around the fork rod.
- 24. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the steering column or one of the elements connected thereto is provided with a click-action means which, when the vehicle is being folded up, interacts with a resilient means which is arranged in the vicinity of the tailpiece.
- 25. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein a brake is arranged on the shaped part of the back wheel.
- 26. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the brake is formed by a lever which projects behind the tailpiece, where it can be operated, and on which lever there is a brake block, so that the latter comes to bear against the running surface as a result of actuation.
- 27. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein that part which projects behind the tailpiece bears a wheel with a rotation axle which is perpendicular to the central longitudinal plane of the vehicle.
- 28. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the handlebars are formed by two parts which run obliquely downwards and backwards with respect to a short centre piece and are each of a length which is approximately equal to the width of one hand.
- 29. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein the steering rod can be retracted and extended to a length of 1.40 meters, being fixed in the fork rod.
- 30. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein a mudguard is arranged on the front of the frame.
- 31. A vehicle as in claim 1, wherein there is a wire bracket which can be used for hanging an object, such as a briefcase.
- 32. A two-axled vehicle, such as a scooter, comprising a frame having a platform section connected at the front to a steering column on which at least one front wheel is arranged, and provided at the rear with at least one back wheel, wherein and downwards in a direction which intersects the front wheel in the vicinity of the location where it is in contact with the supporting surface, while at least a part of the frame is at a lower level than the highest point of the back wheel, a dynamically adjustable hinge structure allowing a steering position in which the handlebars, in projection, are in front of the point of contact between the front wheel and the road.
- 33. A two-axled vehicle, such as a scooter, comprising a frame having a platform section connected at the front to a steering column on which at least one front wheel is arranged, and provided at the rear with at least one back wheel, wherein the steering columns adopts a fixed, inclined-forward position in which the handlebars, when the steering rod is in the lowermost position, in projection are in front of the front wheel.
- 34. A two-axled vehicle, such as a scooter, comprising a frame having a platform section connected at the front to a steering column on which at least one front wheel is arranged, and provided at the rear with at least one back wheel, wherein the platform section runs obliquely forwards and downwards in a direction which intersects the front wheel in the vicinity of the location where it is in contact with the supporting surface, while at least a part of the frame is at a lower level than the highest point of the back wheel, and wherein the steering columns adopts a fixed, inclined-forward position in which the handlebars, when the steering rod is in the lowermost position, in projection are in front of the front wheel.
- 35. A vehicle as in claim 33, which is collapsible and wherein the steering column, in the folded-up position, takes an inclined-forward position.
- 36. A vehicle as in claim 35, wherein the axle of the front wheel is situated behind the centre axis of the steering column.
- 37. A two-axled vehicle such as a scooter, comprising a frame having a platform section, connected at the front to a steering column in which a front wheel is arranged on a steering rod, and which frame, behind the platform section, has a back section or tailpiece on which a back wheel is arranged, wherein the front wheel(s) together with the front wheel axle is/are supported by a shaped part which can turn with respect to the front part of the frame about an axis which is directed downwards and backwards at an acute angle with respect to the support surface (“the road”).
- 38. A vehicle as in claim 37, wherein the said axis is formed by a steering column with handlebars.
- 39. A vehicle as in claim 37, wherein instead of rotatable handlebars there is a non-rotatable tilting element for the vehicle, which is rigidly connected to the frame at least in the lateral direction.
- 40. A vehicle as in claim 37, wherein instead of rotatable handlebars there is a non-rotatable tilting element for the vehicle which is rigidly connected to the frame at least in the lateral direction the tilting element being provided with handlebars for both hands to be placed on or with a knob for actuation using one hand.
- 41. A vehicle as in claim 37, wherein instead of rotatable handlebars there is a non-rotatable tilting element for the vehicle which is rigidly connected to the frame at least in the lateral direction, the front part of the frame being secured with respect to the tilting element by means of a hinge pin which is perpendicular to the longitudinal center plane of the frame in the “straight-on” position of the front wheel.
- 42. A vehicle as in claim 37, wherein instead of rotatable handlebars there is a non-rotatable tilting element for the vehicle, which is rigidly connected to the frame at least in the lateral direction, and wherein there is a stabilizing rod which can turn with respect to the frame and is turnably connected to an element, in such a manner that the entire unit can be folded up and can be statically and dynamically adjusted using substantially the same design measures as those defined in claims 16-24.
- 43. A vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a drive motor in driving arrangement with said vehicle.
- 44. A vehicle according to claim 1, designed for use on snow, both substantially horizontal end sloping, wherein the front and back wheels are replaced by a front and back board or a short ski.
- 45. A vehicle according to claim 1, designed for use on ice, wherein the wheels are replaced by double skates or double blades.
- 46. A pivotable wheel assembly for a two-axled vehicle for use on a surface, comprising:
a back wheel and an axle in communication therewith, said axle being supported by a shaped part configured so as to pivot freely about a pivot axis; said axis being directed downward at an acute angle with respect to said surface.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
1013919 |
Dec 1999 |
NL |
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This is a continuation application of PCTINL00/00930 filed Dec. 19, 2000, which PCT application claims priority of Dutch patent application number 1013919 filed Dec. 22, 1999, the entities of which are herein incorporated by reference.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
PCT/NL00/00930 |
Dec 2000 |
US |
Child |
10173400 |
Jun 2002 |
US |