ELECTRIC SCOOTER

Abstract

Electric scooter (1), with a foot rest area (2) and a loading area (3), made up of a chassis (4) with a handlebar (5) and two driving wheels (6) at a first end of the chassis (4), and comprising two electric motors connected to the driving wheels (6) with two controllers; steering control systems including an electronic sensor connected to a drive device and an electronic board connected to the electronic sensor and the two controllers, and; a support wheel (7) at a second end of the chassis, opposite the first end, having fastening points to the chassis (2) in the form of a pivot shaft (8) connected to the chassis and to a suspension fork (9).

Claims

1-17. (canceled)

18. An electric scooter (1) which includes a foot rest area (2) and a loading area (3) and is formed by a chassis (4) with a handlebar (5) fixed to the chassis (4), two driving wheels (6) at one end of the chassis, said electric scooter comprising: two electric motors, each electric motor connected to a driving wheel (6) and to a motor controller, respectively. rotation control means comprising an electronic control sensor connected to a user-operated device and an electronic board being connected to said electronic control sensor and to the two motor controllers for controlling a speed of the driving wheels (6) so that a difference of speeds between the said driving wheels (6) allows a rotation of the electric scooter (1) and; a support wheel (7) provided at a second end of a chassis (4) opposite to a first end where said driving wheels (6) are located, said support wheel (7) having a pivot shaft (8) with an upper end coupled to the chassis (4) and a lower end coupled to a suspension fork (9) attached to an axle of said support wheel (7).

19. The electric scooter according to claim 18, wherein the electronic control sensor includes a potentiometer.

20. The electric scooter according to claim 19, further comprising a handlebar (5) connected to said potentiometer through a gear mechanism to actuate said rotation control means.

21. The electric scooter according to claim 18, further comprising a handlebar (5) fixed relative to the chassis (2) and being fitted with a control lever which is attached to said handlebar (5) and connected to the electronic control sensor to actuate said rotation control means.

22. The electric scooter according to claim 18, wherein each electric motor includes a wheel motor.

23. The electric scooter according to claim 18, further comprising a loading area (3) located on a lower part (10.1) of the chassis (2) in a space between the support wheel (7) and the drive wheels (6).

24. The electric scooter according to claim 18, further comprising a loading area (3) including a load containment element (12) fitted in said loading area (3) and being fastened to the chassis (2).

25. The electric scooter according to claim 24, wherein said load containment element (12) is made up of a unit with an open upper end (12.1).

26. The electric scooter according to claim 24, wherein said load containment element (12) is formed by a unit having an enclosed volume that is accessed by at least one of an upper end (12.1) or a front face (12.2).

27. The electric scooter according to claim 24, wherein an enclosed volume of said load containment element (12) is accessed in at least one upper end (12.1) so that said at least one upper end (12.1) is opened towards one side of the load containment element (12).

28. The electric scooter according to claim 18, further comprising at least one rechargeable battery connected to at least said motor controllers and said electronic board, wherein said at least one rechargeable battery is removably fixed to the chassis (2).

29. The electric scooter according to claim 28, wherein said at least one rechargeable battery comprises at least two batteries connected in parallel.

30. The electric scooter according to claim 18, further comprising a proximity sensor located on the front of the scooter (1).

31. The electric scooter according to claim 18, further comprising at least one lighting unit (14) at the front of the scooter.

32. The electric scooter according to claim 18, further comprising a support surface (11) with an anti-slip finish in a user's foot rest area (2).

33. The electric scooter according to claim 18, wherein said chassis (4) is made up of a plurality of tubular bars.

34. The electric scooter according to claim 18, further comprising electrical wiring attached to a lower part (10.1) of the chassis (4) and below a support surface (11) of a user's foot rest area (2), wherein said electrical wiring is also provided inside tubular bars of said chassis (4).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to provide a better understanding of this invention's characteristics, and according to a preferential example of its practical implementation, a series of illustrative and non-limiting drawings are provided forming an integral part of this description, in which the following is shown:

[0032] FIG. 1.—Shows a front perspective view of the scooter chassis, as a first preferred example of the invention.

[0033] FIG. 2.—Shows a front view of the scooter without load containment element, as a first preferred example of the invention.

[0034] FIG. 3.—Shows a dorsal view of the scooter without load containment element, as a first preferred example of the invention.

[0035] FIG. 4.—Shows a profile perspective view of the scooter without load containment element, as a first preferred example of the invention.

[0036] FIG. 5.—Shows a front view of the scooter with load containment element, as a first preferred example of the invention.

[0037] FIG. 6.—Shows a dorsal view of the scooter with load containment element, as a first preferred example of the invention.

[0038] FIG. 7.—Shows a profile perspective view of the scooter with load containment element, as a first preferred example of the invention.

[0039] FIG. 8.—Shows a front perspective view of the scooter with a load containment element open at its upper end, for a first preferred example of the invention.

[0040] FIG. 9.—Shows a front view of the scooter with a load containment element, for a second preferred example of the invention.

[0041] FIG. 10.—Shows a profile perspective view of the scooter with a load containment element, for a second preferred example of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] In view of the figures provided, it can be seen how, in a first preferred version of the invention, the electric scooter (1) proposed here, includes a resting area (2) for the user's feet and a loading area (3), and is made up of a chassis (4) with a handlebar (5) fixed to it and two driving wheels (6) at one end of the chassis (4).

[0043] This scooter (1) includes two electric motors, each of which is connected to one of the driving wheels (6) and has two controllers each connected to one of these motors respectively.

[0044] Furthermore, the scooter (1) is equipped with a means of rotation control in the form of an electronic control sensor connected to a user-operated device and an electronic board connected to this electronic control sensor and to the two controllers of the motors of the driving wheels (6) for controlling the speed of the driving wheels (6).

[0045] As a result, through user control from the driving mechanism, it is able to control the electronic sensor, indicating the need to turn in one direction or the other and a specific angle. The sensor, connected to the electronic board, sends this information to it and it sends the command to the controllers of one and the other drive wheels (6), imposing a specific speed on each of them, so that the difference in speeds between them will generate the necessary turning of the scooter (1).

[0046] In this first preferred example of the invention, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and 5 to 7, this scooter (1) has two driving wheels (6) located at one end of the chassis (4), which in this case corresponds to the rear of the scooter (1), and a support wheel (7) located at the opposite end to the first end of the chassis (4), i.e. in this case it is located at the front of the scooter (1).

[0047] However, in other examples, more than one support wheel (7) may be provided and the drive wheels (6) may be located at the front of the scooter (1) and the support wheel (7) at the rear of the scooter (1), as opposed to the example shown here.

[0048] As can be seen in FIGS. 2 to 4, this support wheel (7) is attached to the chassis (4) by means of a pivot shaft (8) with an upper end connected to said chassis (4) and a lower end connected to a suspension fork (9) attached to the axle of said support wheel (7). This connection mode allows free rotation of the support wheel (7) in any direction, 360°. This will allow the turning of the scooter (1) generated by the difference in speeds between the two driving wheels (6), in a comfortable and simple way.

[0049] The drive wheels (6) are fixed to the chassis (4) in a fixed position that only allows them to rotate around their axis.

[0050] In another aspect, as shown in FIG. 1, in this first example, the load area (3) is located in a lower part (10.1) of the chassis (4), in a space between the support wheel (7) of the chassis and the driving wheels (6) of the chassis. In this first preferred example, the load area (3) is located at the front of the chassis (4), although in other examples it may be located at the rear of the chassis, but always within the space between the driving wheels (6) and the support wheel (7).

[0051] In this first preferred example of the invention, the electronic control sensor includes a potentiometer.

[0052] Likewise, in this first example, the device that drives the turning control system is formed by the handlebars (5) of the scooter (1). This handlebar (5) is connected to the potentiometer by means of a gear mechanism, so that when the handlebar (5) is turned as in any traditional scooter, the potentiometer detects the turning command and transmits it to the electronic board.

[0053] Therefore, the handlebar (5) does not have a mechanical functionality as in traditional scooters, as its rotation is not related to the rotation of the front wheel, which in this case is a support wheel, but serves as a drive for the electronic control sensor to generate the turning order.

[0054] In other preferred examples of the invention, the handlebar (5) is not movable and is fixed to the chassis. In this case, the device for operating the turning control may take the form of a control lever attached to the handlebar (5) itself and connected to the electronic control sensor. This allows the user to control the turning of the scooter by simple movements of the control lever.

[0055] In this preferred example of the invention, the electric motors connected to the two drive wheels (6) each have a wheel motor located next to the wheel. Thus, weight reduction and space utilisation are both achieved.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, in this first preferred example of the invention, the load area (3) is provided with a load containment element (12) of such width and length that it can be fitted in the load area (3) and includes the means for attaching the load containment element (12) to the chassis (4). In this first example, fixing arrangements to the chassis (4) include a pin (13) fixed to the chassis (4) itself and accessible to the user.

[0057] In this first example, this containment element (12) is made up of a body forming a closed volume and includes means of access to its interior from at least one upper end (12.1) and/or one front face (12.2). Specifically, in this case, it includes means of access both at the front face (12.2) and at the upper end (12.1).

[0058] Access to the upper end (12.1) is provided by elements connecting the upper end (12.1) to the rest of the containment element (12), in this case hinged elements, such that the upper end (12.1) can be opened to one side of the containment element (12), as shown in FIG. 8. This prevents bumping into the handlebars (5) when opening the containment element (12).

[0059] The containment element (12) may have other shapes and designs, such as the case of a second example shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, in which the containment element (12) consists of a body with an open upper end (12.1).

[0060] In the first preferred example of the invention, the electric scooter (1) has at least one rechargeable battery connected to the motor controllers, to the electronic board and in this case also to the lighting systems, where the battery is fixed to the chassis by means of removable fastening systems.

[0061] In this particular case, the scooter (1) includes a battery, so that when possible, the battery can be removed for recharging and replaced with a charged battery ready for operation.

[0062] In other examples, the scooter may feature two or more batteries connected in parallel, so that when one battery is depleted, a subsequent battery continues to power the circuit. Thus, a greater autonomy is achieved, so that the operation of the scooter (1) is not affected as it always has at least one more battery to continue operating until the depleted battery is replaced by a new one. Where possible, the battery can be removed for recharging and replaced with a charged battery ready for operation.

[0063] In this first preferred example of the invention, the scooter (1) includes a proximity sensor located on the front of the scooter (1). This increases safety, because if the sensor detects an obstacle, the scooter (1) reduces its speed or applies the emergency brakes.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 5, in this first preferred example of the invention, the scooter (1) includes at least one lighting unit (14) positioned at the front of the scooter, in this case two lighting units (14), in the form of headlights.

[0065] Furthermore, in this first preferred example, the scooter (1) includes disc brakes and electric brakes connected to the two driving wheels (6), as well as an operating mechanism (15) for these brakes attached to the handlebars (5).

[0066] Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6, in this first example, the foot rest area (2) is situated in the lower part (10.1) of the chassis (4) of the scooter (1), at the rear, and includes a support surface (11) with an anti-slip finish in the foot rest area (2).

[0067] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the chassis (4) of this scooter (1), in this first example, is made up of a series of tubular bars. Additionally, in this first example, the scooter (1) is fitted with wiring connecting the electrical elements and this wiring is attached to the lower part (10.1) of the chassis (4) below the support surface (11) and to a raised part (10.2) of the chassis (4) for supporting the handlebars (5), on the inside of the bars.

[0068] The described examples are merely intended as representative forms of this invention, therefore, the specific details, terms and phrases used herein are not to be regarded as limiting, but are to be understood only as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for providing a comprehensive description and sufficient information for the person skilled in the trade to implement this invention.