A skateboard having laterally disposed wheels along a diagonal board is disclosed. The board has a generally hour-glass shape, but may include extra clearance for either left or right foot mounting, and pushing off. The board may be equipped with a center handle for gripping in use and for carrying. The wheel trucks may include multiple trucks mounted at each end and offset one from the other at that location. The board may also include a stability and/or steering handle at one end, and caster type wheel trucks for added versatility. Owing to the lateral disposition of foot pads and wheels, a rapid natural gait dismount is made possible.

The present invention provides an apparatus for adapting a standard skateboard to add a functional scooter-style handlebar. Through the utilization of the components described herein, a user may convert any standard skateboard to a rolling-board device having a functional handlebar that is capable of receiving rotational force from the user to impact directional motion of the moving rolling-board device. In other words, a skateboard may be converted to a scooter in a manner that is simple and reversible. A preferred embodiment of the apparatus includes: a handlebar for stabilizing a user's balance and for receiving directional input from the user; a spindle for attaching to the truck of the skateboard; and a trunnion having a protruding neck forming a slot for receiving the spindle. An alternative embodiment may additional include a deck stiffener and/or a base plate, both of which may be utilized to reinforce the deck of the skateboard.

A self-balancing vehicle includes a vehicle body having a housing with a top cover and a bottom cover. It includes a unitary support bar disposed between the top and bottom covers, about which the top and bottom covers are mounted, and which extends entirely along the top and bottom covers between opposed left and right ends of the unitary support bar. The vehicle further includes a left drive wheel and an opposed right drive wheel, each indirectly coupled to the unitary support bar.

A foot-deck-based vehicle, a front wheel support, and at least one accessory therefor are provided. The foot-deck-based vehicle has a foot-deck with a front end, a rear end, and at least one rear wheel proximal to the rear end. The foot-deck-based vehicle has a front wheel support comprising a pair of wheel interfaces, each of which is couplable to a front wheel, a main body extending between the wheel interfaces and coupled to the foot-deck, and at least one recess in the main body. At least one accessory is snugly securable within the at least one recess of the front wheel support to modify a resistance of the main body to bending under a bending load applied to the front wheel support through the foot-deck when the foot-deck supports a person.

A steering apparatus includes a frame, a linkage, a pivot, a king pin assembly and two castors. The frame includes an extensive portion extending downward from a base plate. The linkage includes two connecting rods, a front hanger and a back hanger. The front hanger is pivotally connected to the connecting rods and includes a screw hole. The back hanger is pivotally connected to the connecting rods and includes an aperture. The pivot includes a smooth section inserted in a bore of the extensive portion and a threaded section inserted in the screw hole. The king pin assembly includes two bushings inserted in two ends of the aperture, two washers inserted in the ends of the aperture, and a king pin inserted in a cavity of the base plate, the aperture, the bushings and the washers, and then engaged with a nut. The castors are connected to the connecting rods.

In an aspect, a tire for use with a single wheel, self-balancing vehicle is provided. The tire has a tire body with a tread configured for engagement with a ground surface. The tread has a lateral profile having a central region, a first lateral region tapering towards a first lateral side of the tire, and a second lateral region tapering towards a second lateral side of the tire. The lateral profile is substantially free of discontinuity. The tread has a non-directional tread groove arrangement that is asymmetrical about a central circumference line of the tire. The tire has a hardness selected to substantially prevent deformation of the first profile and the second profile during riding by a rider.

An electric vehicle includes a carrier, a free-wheel unit, a foot-wheel unit, a driving unit, a first angle-detecting unit and a micro processing unit. The carrier is for supporting a user. The free-wheel unit is disposed at one end of the carrier. The foot-wheel unit is disposed at the other end of the carrier. The driving unit is disposed at the free-wheel unit or the foot-wheel unit, and is for providing a power to the electric vehicle. The first angle-detecting unit is disposed at the free-wheel unit or the carrier, and is for detecting a swinging status between the free-wheel unit and the carrier so as to provide a swinging signal. The micro processing unit is signally connected to the driving unit and the first angle-detecting unit. When the swinging signal achieves a predetermined condition determined by the micro processing unit, the driving unit is turned on.

A method of driving a manned vehicle includes following steps of: acquiring correspondingly initial weight values of a plurality of weight sensors, each weight sensor is corresponding to a direction; acquiring correspondingly weight measurement values by the weight sensors; calculating correspondingly a weight ratio of each weight sensor according to the initial weight value and the weight measurement value of each weight sensor; producing a control command according to the direction corresponding to the weight sensor when the weight ratio of any one of the weight sensors is greater than a first threshold value; and driving the manned vehicle to move according to the control command. Accordingly, it is to effectively reduce the size and weight of the manned vehicle and reduce the difficulty of controlling the manned vehicle by intuitively controlling moving directions of the manned vehicle according to variations of the center of gravity of a user.

The invention relates to a scooter, comprising a standing surface (1), at least one rear wheel (2) articulated to the standing surface (1), and at least one front wheel (3) articulated to the standing surface (1), which scooter can be moved in a direction of travel, wherein the scooter also comprises an element (5) that is connected in an articulated manner to or can be attached to the standing surface (1), which element (5) can be transferred from a first position (6) as a seat element to a second position (7) as a holding bar for a person standing on the standing surface (1), wherein, in the case of use, the scooter can be moved in the same movement direction (20) in the case of a first position (6) of the element (5) and in the case of a second position (7) of the element (5).

Provided is an accessory for a self-balancing board having two lateral foot-deck ends, each being coupled to a motor that drives a wheel in response to its orientation. The foot-deck has at least one sensor that is triggered when a rider is in a riding position thereon. The accessory includes a chassis, at least one travel surface-contacting element, a seat, and an engagement structure that releasably engages the self-balancing board. At least one sensor-triggering element is actuatable between an idle position and a triggering position, wherein the at least one sensor-triggering element triggers the at least one sensor. At least one control member actuates at least one of the engagement structure and the at least one sensor-triggering element to control the orientation of the lateral foot-deck ends. At least one manually actuatable actuator actuates the at least one sensor-triggering element between the idle position and the triggering position.