SCOOTER WITH SAFETY DEVICE COMPRISING AN INFLATABLE CUSHION

Abstract

A scooter, for example an electric scooter, having two wheels, an elongated platform mounted on the two wheels and arranged to receive at least one foot of a user, a steering handlebar articulated relative to the platform and connected to one of the wheels, wherein the scooter comprises a safety device with an inflatable cushion arranged to be deployed in case of sudden deceleration of the scooter.

Claims

1. A scooter, for example an electric scooter, comprising: two wheels, an elongated platform mounted on the two wheels and arranged to receive at least one foot of a user, a steering handlebar articulated relative to the platform and connected to one of the wheels, wherein the scooter comprises a safety device with an inflatable cushion arranged to be deployed in case of sudden deceleration of the scooter.

2. The scooter according to claim 1, wherein the safety device, before deployment, forms a safety module comprising a housing containing the inflatable cushion and arranged on the handlebar, or between the handlebar and: one of the wheels, preferably a front wheel, and/or the platform.

3. The scooter according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable cushion is arranged to be deployed at least on a side of the handlebar opposite to the platform and/or to the wheels.

4. The scooter according to claim 1, comprising an electronic control unit, arranged to control the deployment of the inflatable cushion.

5. The scooter according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable cushion comprises folding with rolling of the inflatable cushion in on itself in a clockwise direction, when the roll is viewed from the left, with the handlebar oriented toward the front.

6. The scooter according to claim 5, wherein the folding of the inflatable cushion comprises folding of the roll of the inflatable cushion so as to have a U shape, the arms of the U being arranged substantially parallel to a steering column of the scooter, and the arms of the U preferably having edges folded back on themselves, preferably with the arms of the U oriented upward.

7. The scooter according to claim 5, wherein the folding of the inflatable cushion comprises an accordion-style fold arranged at an end of the inflatable cushion attached to the scooter.

8. The scooter according to claim 1, comprising a bearing surface for the inflatable cushion inclined relative to the vertical, so as to cause a deployment of the inflatable cushion toward the front of the scooter and from or toward the side of the handlebar which is opposite the platform and/or to the wheels.

9. The scooter according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable cushion has, after or during deployment, a width greater than or equal to 80% of a size of the handlebar, at least at the handlebar.

10. The scooter according to claim 1, wherein the safety device comprises a gas generator, preferably with an electro-pyrotechnic initiator.

11. The scooter according to claim 10, wherein the gas generator has an elongated shape with a gas diffuser at one end, and wherein the gas generator is mounted in a steering column with the gas diffuser on the steering wheel side.

12. The scooter according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable cushion has, after or during deployment, a frontward and upward deployed direction when the scooter is resting on horizontal ground.

13. The scooter according to claim 12, wherein the deployed direction is inclined toward the front relative to a vertical by an angle of between 45° and 5°, and preferably between 30° and 10°.

14. The scooter according to claim 1, comprising an inhibition unit such as a speed sensor and/or contactors, arranged to prevent deployment of the inflatable cushion if a speed of the scooter is less than 10 km/h, and/or if the handlebar is pivoted beyond an angle of rotation of the handlebar at ±90°, and preferably at ±70°, relative to a longitudinal direction of the elongated platform.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0056] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be seen more clearly from the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention provided by way of a non-limiting example and illustrated by the appended drawings, wherein:

[0057] [FIG. 1] depicts a side view of a scooter equipped with a safety device with an inflatable cushion;

[0058] [FIG. 2] depicts the scooter from FIG. 1 with the inflatable cushion deployed;

[0059] [FIG. 3] depicts a front view of the scooter from FIG. 1;

[0060] [FIG. 4] depicts a front view of the scooter from FIG. 2;

[0061] [FIG. 5] depicts a detail of the safety device from FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S)

[0062] FIG. 1 depicts a scooter comprising, in particular, a front wheel 130, a rear wheel 135, an elongated platform 140, a handlebar 110 connected to the front wheel 130 by a steering column 120.

[0063] A safety device is also provided on the scooter, and comprises in particular: [0064] a housing 10 which contains an inflatable cushion 20, [0065] a bearing plate providing a bearing surface 40, [0066] a tube 50 forming a part of the steering column 120, [0067] a gas generator 30 provided in the tube 50, [0068] an electronic control unit, being able for example to be located in the housing 10, [0069] an acceleration measuring unit 60 attached in this case at the mudguard of the front wheel 130, but being able to be included in the electronic control unit.

[0070] In FIG. 1, before deployment, the inflatable cushion 20 is stowed/hidden/shaped/folded in the housing 10 and connected to the gas generator 30 to be able to be inflated when required. To this end, a gas conduit (not shown) may be provided between the gas generator 30 and the inflatable cushion 20.

[0071] Moreover, it is possible to advantageously provide for using a gas generator 30 of tubular shape, to insert it into the tube 50, in order to supply good compactness. It is also possible to provide in particular a gas generator 30 which has a diffusion area at a single end, and to provide this end at the area of coupling of the inflatable cushion 20, as depicted.

[0072] The gas generator 30 may be of entirely pyrotechnic type, or of the pressurized gas (cold gas) type, or may use pyrotechnical material and pressurized gases (hybrid generator) to inflate the inflatable cushion. A tubular gas generator may be provided, with a diameter of less than 45 mm, preferably less than 35 mm, and even more preferentially less than 30 mm. The length of the gas generator may be less than 500 mm, and preferably less than 350 mm. Interchangeable gas cartridges may be provided, to “recharge” the gas generator 30.

[0073] The housing assembly 10, inflatable cushion 20, bearing plate, tube 50, gas generator 30, may be provided to form a module to be directly integrated on the scooter, at attachments 51 and 52.

[0074] The gas generator 30 typically comprises an electro-pyrotechnic initiator and may be ignited by an electric current. To this end, the electronic control unit may generate this ignition current.

[0075] An acceleration measuring unit 60 is provided at the front fender, but may also be provided in the electronic control unit or at another location on the scooter, in order to detect sudden deceleration which corresponds to an impact with an obstacle. In case of sudden deceleration, the acceleration measuring unit 60 of the electronic control unit generates a particular signal and sends it to the electronic control unit which in turn generates the ignition signal.

[0076] The scooter depicted may be an electric scooter with an on-board battery (housed in the platform 140 and/or the steering column 120 and/or in the handlebar 110) to power the electric drive motor, and it is advantageously possible for the electronic control unit to be powered by this battery.

[0077] FIG. 2 depicts a user on the scooter, and an obstacle 200 (in this case a motor vehicle) hit by the front wheel 130. Consequently, strong deceleration is detected and the electronic control unit has generated an ignition signal which has triggered the gas generator 30.

[0078] Consequently, the inflatable cushion 20 has been deployed so as to be positioned between the user and the obstacle 200. In detail, the inflatable cushion 20 has been deployed upwardly, on the side of the handlebar 110 opposite the platform 140, leaving the housing 10 (one cover of which has opened by breaking or unclipping, for example).

[0079] Once deployed, the inflatable cushion, in side view as in FIG. 2, has an inclined toward the front direction forming an angle β with a vertical of between 45° and 5°, and preferably between 30° and 10°. The bearing surface 40 makes it possible to facilitate this inclination, and the bearing surface 40 forming an angle α with a vertical within a range extending from 5° to 85°, preferably from 25° to 65°. It will be noted that the vertical mentioned here is a normal to the ground on which the wheels are resting.

[0080] In order to supply rapid and reproducible deployment, it is proposed to shape or fold the inflatable cushion 20 in a particular way, as depicted in FIGS. 3 and 5. Firstly, FIG. 5 shows a detail from FIG. 1, and in particular a diagram of the folding of the inflatable cushion 20. Firstly, an accordion-style fold 22 is provided at the bearing surface 40, which provides rapid egress from the housing 10. Moreover, rolling 22 of the inflatable cushion 20 in on itself is provided, in order to enable reliable deployment, in particular if part of the obstacle 200 is present in the trajectory: with rolling 22 in the clockwise direction (viewed from the left, with the handlebar facing the front), then the inflatable cushion unrolls while bearing against the obstacle 200.

[0081] Moreover, FIG. 3 depicts a front view of the scooter from FIG. 1, to show in particular the folding of the inflatable cushion 20. Indeed, in this view, it is noted that the inflatable cushion 20 before deployment is folded to have a U shape, with the arms of the U being folded on themselves. Such folding is compact and also provides rapid deployment toward the top of FIG. 3.

[0082] In FIG. 2, it is noted that the deployed inflatable cushion 20 is arranged between the obstacle 200 and the user, and FIG. 4 shows the geometry of the inflatable cushion from the front. At the housing 10, the inflatable cushion 20 has a small width, so as not to interfere with the housing 10. At the handlebar 110, the inflatable cushion 20 has virtually the same width as the handlebar 110, such that the user's hands are also protected. Finally, at the upper part, the latter has a rounded shape or an inverted V shape, in order to best protect the user's head.

[0083] It will be understood that various modifications and/or improvements obvious to those skilled in the art can be made to the different embodiments of the invention described in the present description, without going beyond the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0084] In particular, it is possible to provide, as addition or alternative: [0085] the fixing of the gas generator 30 at the handlebar, and/or [0086] the fixing of the housing 10 at the handlebar, and/or [0087] the fixing of the inflatable cushion 20 at the handlebar, and/or [0088] a support tightly attached to the handlebar to accommodate a mobile telephone, and/or [0089] inhibiting the ignition according to several scenarios (speed too low, handlebar pivoted rearward, user's feet not present on the platform at the time of, or before (for example 1 second) the detection of deceleration, etc.), and/or [0090] a mechanism to be actuated by the user to deactivate operation (if the user is anticipating sport use, for example), with informational feedback on this deactivated state.