And Means For Steering That Wheel Patents (Class 180/222)
  • Patent number: 10710668
    Abstract: A handlebar mount assembly for isolating a cycle handlebar from vibrations emanating from operation of a cycle, the assembly including a bottom bracket assembly configured for attachment to a cycle steering mechanism, a top bracket assembly configured for attachment to the bottom bracket assembly, a pair of polymer sleeves configured for placement around the handlebar, a tension clamp configured for clamping the handlebar and a clamp bushing configured for placement between the tension clamp and the top bracket assembly. The sleeves prevent direct contact between the top bracket assembly and the bottom bracket assembly, and the bushing prevents direct contact between the tension clamp and the top bracket assembly. In this manner, the handlebar mount assembly prevents direct and indirect contact of the steering mechanism to the handlebar through the metal components of the handlebar mount assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Inventor: Lance Smith
  • Patent number: 10479446
    Abstract: A propulsion device for a bicycle can include a mounting assembly for releasably coupling the propulsion device to the bicycle, a motor, a power source selectively providing power to the motor, a gear assembly, and two frictional drive components coupled to the gear assembly. The two frictional drive components can be movable between an engaged configuration and a disengaged configuration. In the engaged configuration, the two frictional drive components are frictionally engaged with a side of a wheel of the bicycle such that the wheel is arranged between the two frictional drive components. In the disengaged configuration the two frictional drive components are disengaged from the wheel. The motor can drive the gear assembly: (i) to move the two frictional drive components into the engaged configuration, and (ii) to rotate at least one of the two frictional drive components to rotate the wheel of the bicycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Newer Commuter, LLC
    Inventor: Andrew C. Scherer
  • Patent number: 9445959
    Abstract: A two-wheeled self-balancing wheelchair is provided, including: a housing having support brackets which are mounted directly below rotary shafts of the motors located at both sides of the bottom side of the housing, rotary shafts of the motors which are drawn out from the housing, and wheels which are mounted to the rotary shafts and rotate in a way as to read an inclination angle of a rider's body; a saddle frame which is mounted on the upper part of the housing; and multipoint supports mounted at the front and rear of the support brackets, each of the multipoint supports having a first hinge part and a second hinge part which are formed at the front ends of the multipoint support to be able to rotate by bolts and are connected with each other through a connection bar and a third hinge part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Inventors: Joon-Hyung Kim, Tae-Ho Kang
  • Patent number: 9440159
    Abstract: Toy vehicles having a toy vehicle body having front and back ends, front and rear axles, each axle having first and second wheels fastened onto respective ends thereof, the wheels having elastic tires thereon, the front and rear axles being mounted to the toy vehicle body with the axles being parallel to each other, a motor within the toy vehicle body, and a source of electrical power within the toy vehicle body, the motor being disposed with an axis of its motor shaft passing through an axis of one of the axles and contacting the side of a tire on the wheel adjacent the motor shaft to drive the tire and thus both wheels on the respective axle in rotation to propel the toy vehicle, the side of the tire contacted by the motor shaft facing the second tire and wheel on the same axle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Shoot the Moon Products II, LLC
    Inventors: Johan Vreugdenhil, Paul S. Rago, David B. Small
  • Patent number: 9199685
    Abstract: An inverted pendulum type vehicle includes a vehicle body frame; a main wheel including a plurality of rotatable driven rollers arranged to form a ring, and a pair of left and right driving disks supported for rotation on the vehicle body frame. Each of the driving disks includes a plurality of rotatable driving rollers, disposed for contact in a twisted relationship with the driven rollers. The vehicle also includes a pair of left and right driven pulleys provided on outer sides of the driving disks, and a pair of left and right driving units, attached to the vehicle body frame above the main wheel, and including motors having output power shafts to which driving pulleys are attached. Endless transmission members interconnect the driving pulleys and the driven pulleys. The left and right driving units are disposed in an vertically offset relationship from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Shimizu, Yoshinobu Shiomi, Yoshinari Takemura, Wataru Yada, Yusuke Muto, Yuhi Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 9027693
    Abstract: An inverted pendulum type vehicle is configured to permit a user to easily get on to the vehicle in a forward-facing posture from the rear of a vehicle body. The vehicle includes a seat for supporting a user thereon, as well as a main wheel driven by an inverted pendulum control, a vehicle body frame which rotatably supports the main wheel, and a tail wheel attached to a tail wheel arm, supported for pivotal motion on the vehicle body frame. The seat is attached to the vehicle body frame at an uppermost portion thereof. The vehicle body frame pivots rearwardly around an axle of the driving wheel together with the seat upon cancellation of the inverted pendulum control and the range of pivotal motion thereof is limited by contact thereof with the arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Muto, Makoto Mitsukawa, Motoharu Yokoi, Yasuka Mori
  • Patent number: 8813893
    Abstract: An inverted pendulum type vehicle includes electrical components configured and arranged efficiently to provide a compact structure. The inverted pendulum type vehicle includes a traveling unit, including a main wheel driven under inverted pendulum control. The vehicle also includes a vehicle body frame supported on, and extending upwardly from the traveling unit, as well as a driving unit, including a pair of driving motors supported on the vehicle body frame and disposed above the main wheel for driving the main wheel. An electrical control unit is supported on the vehicle body frame in front of the driving motors for controlling the driving unit. The driving unit is disposed behind a front edge of the main wheel, and the electrical control unit is disposed between a front edge of the main wheel and the front edge of the driving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Muto, Yasuka Mori, Motoharu Yokoi
  • Patent number: 8627915
    Abstract: Inside of a swing arm (30) that pivotally supports a rear wheel (WR) of an electric two-wheeled vehicle (1) and that is freely swingably attached to a vehicle body, a battery (56), an electric motor (M) for driving the rear wheel (WR), and a board (50) serving as a control device for controlling the electric motor (M) are equipped. Coupling a throttle grip (80) and a throttle position sensor (60) by physical transmission means (62, 85, 86) therebetween allows a configuration so that a turning angle of the throttle grip (80) can be detected, and the throttle position sensor (60) is attached to the board (50). The board (50) is disposed with a planar portion oriented in a vehicle width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Tsukamoto, Takashi Tominaga, Kazumi Shibata, Hisao Nishiura, Seiji Kato, Susumu Akutsu
  • Patent number: 8384330
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of managing a steering control for a steerable portion of an aircraft undercarriage, the method comprising implementing servo-control to servo-control an electromechanical steering actuator on an angular position setpoint, wherein, according to the invention, the servo-control implements a control relationship H? type, the position and speed information being delivered by means of a fieldbus of deterministic type to a computer that implements the servo-control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignees: Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, Universite de Haute-Alsace
    Inventors: Paul-Louis Levy, Michel Basset, GaƩtan Pouly, Jean-Philippe Lauffenburger
  • Patent number: 8267213
    Abstract: An inverted pendulum type omnidirectional vehicle includes: a pair of wheels; a drive mechanism; a control apparatus; an auxiliary wheel; and a vehicle body. Each of the wheels includes: a rotation member capable of rotating about the wheel axis; a plurality of free rollers which are disposed all around an outer circumference of the rotation member, and each of which is brought into contact with a road surface at a lowest position of the rotation member and is rotatable about a rotation axis diagonal with respect to the wheel axis. The free rollers on both sides in contact with the road surface at ground contact portions each have the rotation axis extending in parallel with the road surface, and are arranged in an orientation in which a distance between the rotation axes of the free rollers is shorter toward a side of the auxiliary wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toru Takenaka
  • Patent number: 8162092
    Abstract: In a frictional drive vehicle, a load acting on the vehicle such as the weight of a rider is converted into a force that urges two frictionally engaging parts (3L, 3R, 25) toward each other. Thereby, the contact pressure between the two frictionally engaging parts is maintained at an optimum level under all conditions. A weight of a rider may be transmitted to a drive member that frictionally engages a main wheel via a four-link parallel link mechanism (40, 50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Makoto Hirano, Hideharu Izumi, Kazuya Kuwabara, Taiji Koyama, Masao Sasaki, Hiroshi Gomi, Shinichiro Kobashi
  • Patent number: 7878292
    Abstract: A steering system includes a steering unit which can be configured to convert an operation input to an input shaft into an arbitrary amount of rotation or an arbitrary turning force and output the arbitrary amount of rotation or the arbitrary turning force from an output shaft. A steering handlebar can be configured to be coupled to the input shaft. A support bracket can be configured to be coupled to the output shaft and to support a front wheel of the vehicle. A housing can be configured to accommodate the steering unit. The steering unit can be configured to be mounted to a front end portion of a vehicle body frame of the vehicle integrally therewith by the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toichiro Hikichi, Satoru Kiyota, Takuya Tagami, Makoto Araki
  • Patent number: 7693632
    Abstract: A motorcycle is provided with a fork-like wheel carrier, on the lower end of which a front wheel is supported, a handlebar by which the wheel carrier can be steered in a steering direction to the left or the right during travel, and a transmission unit by which the handlebar is coupled to the wheel carrier. The transmission unit is provided for transmitting steering forces, introduced into the handlebar, to the wheel carrier and bringing same into a corresponding steering position. The wheel carrier is mounted so as to be pivotable with respect to the handlebar, such that for a specified steering position, the wheel carrier can be moved, at least over a certain range, relative to the handlebar in the steering direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Josef Seidl
  • Patent number: 7581611
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention a two-wheel vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a pair of wheel housings, each wheel housing having an inner circumference and an outer circumference, and further having an annular gear rack being positioned on the inner circumference and a wheel secured on the outer circumference. A motor mechanism drives a gear train that is meshed to the annular gear racks. A chassis is connected to a frame and interconnects the pair of wheel housings to the frame such that the frame moves independently from the pair of wheel housings. A tilting mechanism tilts the frame about the chassis such that the vehicle turns in the direction of the tilt. A stabilizing mechanism, when the frame is tilting, counteracts the forces on the vehicle to assist in maintaining an upright position while the vehicle is turning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Rehco, LLC
    Inventor: Ryan Kratz
  • Patent number: 7497294
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vehicle, such as a motorcycle, that can sufficiently control a stagger in an extremely slow speed running state and a tumble of vehicle body in the standstill state thereof. This vehicle, such as a motorcycle includes a head pipe that supports a front wheel and a main frame that supports a rear wheel. The head pipe is movably attached to the main frame. The vehicle includes a hydraulic cylinder for shifting the centroid of the vehicle body by moving one of the head pipe and the main frame 3 relative to the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Eiichirou Tsujii, Hitoshi Watanabe, Hiroshi Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 7006901
    Abstract: Various methods, apparatuses, and systems in which a single-track vehicle has a retractable auxiliary-support wheel assembly and a computer control system. In an embodiment, the single-track vehicle has an elongated body. The retractable auxiliary-support wheel assembly mounts on both sides of the elongated body. The computer control system analyzes signals from one or more sensors to dynamically balance the single-track vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Inventor: Everett X. Wang
  • Patent number: 6531838
    Abstract: An electric motor assembly to power a wheeled vehicle is disclosed comprising a support bracket having a horizontal mounting plate and a vertical mounting plate, each of which has edges and a central notch in one edge. An electric motor with an elongated spindle is adjustably secured to the bracket, and a battery capable of powering the motor is also mounted on the bracket. The notch of the horizontal plate receives a steering column of the vehicle in clamped engagement. The notch on the vertical mounting plate is sized to straddle and clear a front wheel of the scooter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Mobile Transport Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Lance C. Parks
  • Patent number: 6332625
    Abstract: A steering system of a motorcycle in which a top bridge is rotatably attached to a head pipe. An approximately flat plate handle bracket is attached to the top bridge through cushioning members. The flat plate handle bracket covers substantially the entire upper surface of the top bridge. Right and left handlebars are attached to the handlebar bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Fukunaga, Mitsuru Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 6155370
    Abstract: To improve the operability of push rods. A link-type front suspension for a front wheel includes forked pipes, push rods, damping devices, upper links, and pivot links. The push rod and the damping device are disposed substantially coaxially with each other in a side view and are rotatably connected to each other. Upper ends of the damping devices and upper ends of the forked pipes are connected by an upper bracket. A top bridge is provided to mount the upper ends of the forked pipes, and a steering stem is provided to mount intermediate portions of the forked pipes. A stem pipe is provided for connecting a rear central portion of the top bridge to a rear central portion of the steering stem and is turnably mounted to a head pipe. A leading end of the pivot arm is connected to an axle. The length of the pivot arm is equal to that of the upper link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Iwai, Shinji Ito, Shinichi Yamada
  • Patent number: 5188192
    Abstract: The steering wheel of the vehicle is comprised of an annular roller bearing (22) having an interior annular element (23) which is integral with, for example, an interior element (26) of a second roller bearing (24) and an exterior annular element (21) of the annular roller bearing (22) supports a rim (19) and a tire (20). An exterior element (25) of the second roller bearing (24) is mounted via a pivot (40) supported by an articulated arm (17). The inclination of the second roller bearing and, consequently a caster angle of the steering wheel, is variable by way of a double-acting hydraulic actuator (42) which is supplied with hydraulic fluid by a hydraulic pump (46) driven by a motor (47) and controlled by an electronic circuit (48) coupled to a gear selector mechanism of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1993
    Assignee: SM Sbarro Mottas Engineering S.A.
    Inventor: Franco Sbarro
  • Patent number: 5076388
    Abstract: A motorcycle has a frame assembly including a main frame supporting front and rear wheels on a central line thereof. A connecting member is mounted on the main frame between the front and rear wheels, and a subframe is mounted on the connecting member and is capable of banking laterally about the connecting member. At least one of the front and rear wheels is a drive wheel. At least the drive wheel is capable of preventing the main frame from banking laterally. Centrifugal forces generated upon cornering are counterbalanced by centripetal forces produced when only the subframe banks laterally. The drive wheel supported on the main frame which does not bank has an increased road gripping force. Thus, high-speed cornering is made possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1991
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoru Horiike, Yasuhiko Nakano, Shigetarou Okano, Shigeru Kimura, Masanobu Matsuzaki, Toshiteru Yamamoto, Kenji Ooki, Eiji Hamano, Mikio Kubo
  • Patent number: 4723621
    Abstract: A motorcycle [1; 101; 201] includes an engine unit [2] disposed centrally in the motorcycle [1; 101; 201], front swing arms [14, 18] having rear ends operatively connected to the engine unit [2] for vertical swinging movement, with a steering arm [26] which supports a front wheel [15] being attached to the front ends of the front swing arms [14, 18], and a rear swing arm [33] supporting a rear wheel [34] on a rear end thereof and having a front end operatively connected to the engine unit [2[ for vertical swinging movement. The motorcycle [1; 101; 201] further includes a front subframe [5; 205] detachably mounted on a front portion of the engine unit [2], the rear ends of the front swing arms [14, 18] being pivotally coupled to the front subframe for vertical swinging movement. The motorcycle [101] further includes a support frame [110] attached to the front subframe [5] and supporting a steering post [8], the support frame [110] having an air cleaner case [113].
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1988
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akio Kawano, Kenji Honma, Tsutomu Sakuma
  • Patent number: 4579188
    Abstract: A multi-speed friction drive suitable for propelling cycle vehicles comprises a drive frame attachable to the frame of the cycle, a drive motor mounted to the frame, a gear hub mounted to the drive frame and driven by the motor through a belt drive. A friction roller is formed on the outer shell of the gear hub, which is coupled to the belt drive through a shiftable gear arrangement internal to the gear hub. The cycle is propelled by frictional engagement of the roller with a cycle wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1986
    Inventor: Robert H. Facer
  • Patent number: 4221275
    Abstract: A control system for a combined pedal and battery powered bicycle or companion vehicle in which sensing means is employed to monitor tension in the chain which couples power from the pedal sprocket to the wheel sprocket of such vehicle in order to provide power from the electrical drive as and when needed; and where similar sensing means is employed to monitor activation of the braking system of the vehicle in order to regeneratively brake the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1980
    Inventors: William B. Pennebaker, Jan P. Hoekstra
  • Patent number: 4175629
    Abstract: An electric drive unit for vehicles which are normally rider propelled, such as bicycles and tricycles, has a wheel driven by an electric motor for propelling the vehicle by frictional engagement with the front wheel tire. A control lever mounted on the handlebar is manually actuated to exert a pull on a cable which is slidably encased in a flexible sheath which is incapable of contracting. A support for the lever provides a fixed abutment for an upper end of the sheath, so that the motor mounting bracket, against which the lower end of the sheath abuts and which is yieldably supported, is displaced downwardly, by distortion of the sheath, to move the friction wheel into engagement with the vehicle tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1979
    Assignee: General Engines Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Albert A. Kalajzich