A tiltable electric tricycle as in the present invention comprises: (a) a frame, (b) a front fork mounted to the frame, (c) a front wheel with hub motor mounted to the front fork, (d) a seat, (e) a steering handle bar, (f) a pair of laterally spaced rear wheels on a common axle, (g) a support base with two quick release clamps for securing the axle of the rear wheels and the base has a shaft tube fitted into the bottom tube of the frame to connect to the frame rotatably, (h) a pair of footrests, (i) a battery to power the hub motor; furthermore the bottom tube points to the ground contact point of the front wheel; furthermore the frame has a horizontal oriented metal plate at the rear end of the bottom tube positioned above the support base of the rear wheels; and when the frame is tilted relative to the rear wheel support base to a certain extent, an end of the metal plate touches the rear wheel support base and thereby restricts the extent the frame can tilt; furthermore the axle of the rear wheels is secured to its support base using two quick release clamps and can be released quickly from the quick lease clamps so that the axle with two rear wheels can be separated from the rest of the tricycle for easy transportation; furthermore the two footrests are rotatably connected to the base and can swing toward the rear of the tricycle to reduce the width of the tricycle. In operation, the rider of the tricycle seats on the seat with two feet stepping on the footrests of the rear frame to keep balance and can tilt the front part of the tricycle around the axis line to maintain balance in response to road condition, speed, or turning while the rear part with two rear wheels remain stable.

Foot placement sensor and self-balancing vehicles having same. The foot placement sensor may be configured in or with a self-balancing transportation device that has a least a first foot platform. The sensor may include an emitter of electromagnetic radiation (or other suitable signal) that is propagated, at least in part, over a portion of the foot platform and a receptor positioned to receive this emission. Interruption of the emitted radiation at the receptor may indicate the presence of a user's foot at the platform. One suitable emission type is infrared light, among other suitable types. Various embodiments are disclosed including in two-wheel, one-wheel and paired-wheel self-balancing vehicles.

The addition of a lockable second axis of crank arm rotation roughly parallel to the structural neutral axis of the crank arm enables a reduction in bicycle storage or shipping volume substantially more effectively and easily than current removable or folding pedal designs. This second axis passes through an adapter, one at each end of the bottom bracket. The adapter restricts any motion of the crank arm to normal pedaling or rotating the crank around the second pedal axis to a storage position. A locking key(s) and retainer prevent any inadvertent crank arm movement. This invention is not dependent on pedal design. Any standard pedal may be employed.

A child's riding vehicle can be quickly reconfigured between a balance bike configuration and a pedal-powered bicycle is configuration, suitable for children of different ages, without removing any parts to be stored separately. The pedal crank arms can be repositioned on the crank and the pedal axles can be pivoted so that in the balance bike configuration: the pedal crank arms are positioned adjacent to one another and generally upward; the pedal axles are pointed mostly rearwardly but also slightly inwardly rather than extending transversely side-to-side; and the crank arms and pedal axles are telescoped in. The result is that in the balance bike configuration the pedals and crank arms are compacted and folded out of the way so as not to interfere with the child riding the vehicle.

The present invention relates to a telescoping and foldable electric vehicle, belonging to the field of traffic tools, comprising a front frame (1), a rear frame (2), a power supply and a controller, and also comprising a foldable pedal (3) and a locking assembly (4) for locking the front frame (1) and the rear frame (2), wherein the front frame (1) and the rear frame (2) are in a sliding connection, the front frame (1) is equipped with a front seat (1-1), and the rear frame (2) is equipped with a rear seat (2-1); the front frame (1) is equipped with a front fork (1-2); the front fork (1-2) is equipped with a front wheel (1-3); the rear frame (2) is equipped with a rear bridge (2-1); the rear bridge (2-1) is equipped with rear wheels (2-2); the rear bridge (2-1) is provided with a driving motor (2-3); and the foldable pedal (3) is arranged between the front frame (1) and the rear frame (2). The present invention can reduce the size of the vehicle body, realizes two forms on one vehicle, and can conveniently enter into elevators and houses. The telescoping and foldable electric vehicle of the present invention is purely operated with electricity, has a simple structure, and is conveniently controlled.

A foldable bicycle (100) having a riding configuration and a folded configuration includes a first wheel (102) and a second wheel (104) interconnected by a frame (106). At least the first wheel (102) has an open centre (108) and includes an annular rotor (110) engageable with the ground in the riding configuration of the bicycle (100) and an annular stator (114) carrying the annular rotor (110), and the frame (106) has a pivotal connection with the stator (114) of the first wheel (102) whereby the frame (106) is pivotable relative to the first wheel (102) for folding the bicycle (100). The frame (106) and the second wheel (104) connected thereto are together so dimensioned and arranged to fit within the open centre (108) of the first wheel (102) in the folded configuration of the bicycle (100).

Disclosed is a folding bicycle, including: a front wheel, a rear wheel, a handlebar, a main frame, a support frame, a pedal mechanism, a first safety clamp, and a second safety clamp, the first safety clamp being configured to secure relative position between the support frame and the main frame; and a second rotating shaft is disposed between the through-hole and the position where the main frame joins with the handlebar. The folding bicycle disclosed offers an advantage of portability.

An electric powered bicycle includes front and rear wheels (102, 104) that swivel relative to a midframe (106). The midframe (106) includes a pedal driven generator-motor (108), and each wheel (102, 104) includes a motor-generator. The wheels (102, 104) may swivel to opposite sides of the midframe (106) about 180° to move into a collapsed configuration. Swivel may be on single axis joints (162, 168) with tilted swivel axes. In the collapsed configuration, the bicycle is suitable to be carried and stored and may also be utilized in a unicycle/exercycle configuration. By swiveling the wheels (102, 104) to the same side of the midframe (106) about 90°, the bicycle can be placed into other configurations including a walker, a rolling seat, and a chariot to carry packages or a person.

A method for automatic retraction of a pedal of a bicycle. A first electric actuator is provided on a crank, and the pedal is driven to be retracted by the first electric actuator to complete a first retraction, so that long side of the pedal is changed into a front-rear direction from a left-right direction; a second electric actuator mounted on a bicycle frame drives the crank to idle, and the pedal is gradually straightened in the first retraction process to be parallel with the plane of the bicycle frame to complete a second retraction of the pedal. Using this method, the pedal can be conveniently retracted, and the transverse (left-right) occupying space is minimized, thereby facilitating the automatic storage and saving the storage space.

An aspect of the invention provides a folding bicycle (10) comprising a first frame section (12a); a second frame section (12b) movably mounted to the first frame section so that the first and second frame sections may be moved relative to each other from an unfolded position to a folded position; a front wheel (40) mounted to the first frame section; a rear wheel (42) mounted to the second frame section; a chainset (48) mounted to the first frame section comprising a pair of crank arms (48a) fixed to a bottom bracket axle (74) and defining a crank shaft axis orthogonal to the first and second frame sections; wherein, the bottom bracket axle comprises first and second axle members (74a) extending orthogonally to the crank arm axis and a bridge portion (74b) connecting the first and second axle members, the bottom bracket axle defining a void between the first and second axle members, and wherein, when in a folded position the front and rear wheels are positioned at least partially within the void defined between the first and second axle members.