Patent ID: 6065555
Filing Date: 2000-05-23
Classification: B60K,B60Y,B62B

Abstract:
A power assisted wheelbarrow comprising:a tray frame;a wheel carried at a center of a lower portion of said tray frame;a pair of right and left handles respectively extending backward from two sides of said tray frame, said pair of right and left handles for carrying a material, to be placed on said tray frame, by combination of said wheel and said pair of right and left handles;an electric motor mounted on said tray frame;power transmission means interposed between said wheel and said electric motor for transmitting a power between said electric motor and said wheel only when said electric motor is active;a pair of handle shafts fixed on rear end portions of said handles and extending backward;cylindrical grips individually covering said handle shafts coaxially and axially movable relative to said handle shafts within a limited range;a plurality of steel balls retained between each of said handle shafts and each of said grips;elastic means sandwiched between each said handle shaft and each said grip for biasing each said grip elastically backward;left and right pushing force detecting sensors mounted individually at one of said grips and said handles for detecting axial movements of the grips relative to said handle shafts in accordance with pushing forces applied to said grips;control means for controlling operation of said electric motor based on left and right detected values of said left and right pushing force detecting sensors; androtation restricting means for restricting relative rotation, of each said grip with respect to each said handle shaft around an axis of said handle shaft, against a load applied to each of said handle shaft by said material placed on said tray frame.