Abstract:
A powered unicycle device having a single wheel, a wheel support frame and a seat mounted above the wheel. The unicycle may have laterally extending control members that provide both steering and desired resistance during turning. A foot support member or members may extend forward of the wheel&#39;s axle and be spaced from the axle to provide desired resistance during turning. The seat may be movably mounted to a track and that track may be curved. Various embodiments are disclosed.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/295,730, filed Jan. 17, 2010, and having the same title and inventor(s) as above. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to unicycles and, more specifically, powered unicycles. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Unicycles are known in the art and include pedal-operated and powered devices. Powered unicycles include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,230 issued to Kamen et al. for Personal Mobility Vehicles and Methods (the &#39;230 patent) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/569,152 filed by Alexander for a Powered Unicycle (the &#39;152 application). The &#39;230 patent includes two-wheel and one-wheel embodiments, the two-wheel embodiment including the “Segway”, a highly-publicized personal transport device having a user platform between (or above) two parallel wheels. 
         [0004]    In a pedal-operated unicycles, fore-aft balance in achieved by the rider pedaling forward or backward to move the wheel under the center of gravity of the device and rider. In a powered unicycle, an electronic gyroscope, that accelerates or decelerates the wheel in the appropriate direction, is used to achieve fore-aft balance. This type of automatic fore-aft balance technology is taught in the &#39;230 patent and the &#39;152 application. 
         [0005]    In the devices of both the &#39;230 patent and the &#39; 152 application, the steering controls are positioned directly forward of the user, substantially forward of the user&#39;s abdomen.    
         [0006]    In a unicycle device with forward located steering controls, i.e., a user reaching directly forward to grasp the handle bars as in the &#39;152 application, turning is achieved by the user twisting his/her body relative to the handle bars. To turn the wheel to the right, the user twists their body left and swings the handle bar to the right. If the turn is not far enough, the process is repeated. If the turn is too far, a correcting counter turn is performed—twisting right and swinging the handle bars left. This process of turning and correcting is continued until a desired new line of direction is achieved. 
         [0007]    This type of turning is disadvantageously unfamiliar and difficult to most people compared to more familiar techniques. A turning experience with which most people are very familiar is that of riding a bicycle in which, when a turn is executed, one hand moves in a first direction and the other hand moves in substantially the opposite direction. This causes a centrally-located pivot shaft to turn, which in turn moves the wheel. Since most people were taught this style of turning as they grew up riding tricycles and bicycles, it is very familiar to them. 
         [0008]    A need exists for a powered unicycle device with a steering arrangement that is similar in feel to a conventional bicycle turning experience, i.e., an arrangement in which one hand moves in a first direction and the other moves in a second direction, contrary to or substantially opposite the first. Among other advantages, this makes the learning process of riding a powered unicycle much quicker (and user-friendly) since a new style of turning need not be learned. This can be achieved, as taught by the present invention, by moving the steering mechanism closer to the center of mass of the user and cycle, for example, in one embodiment, by attaching the steering mechanism below and proximate the seat of a user (directly under and nearer the vertical axis of the center of mass). 
         [0009]    Furthermore, in the unicycle of the &#39;152 application and like devices, the user stands (or sits, FIG. 9) in an erect position with his or her body substantially vertical and aligned with the vertical axis of the cycle and rider. This provides a very short radius from the vertical axis to the peripheral mass of the user, providing very little inertial resistance to counter-spinning when attempting to turn. The larger the radius of mass, the more resistance to spinning—similar to a figure skater, the tighter the skater draws in his/her arms, the faster he/she spins). 
         [0010]    A result of this smaller radius is a turning experience that involves undesired turning or spinning of a user, left and right, as they attempt to turn. The problem is exacerbated with the multiple turning moves needed to fine tune a turn. 
         [0011]    A need exists for a powered unicycle device that provides greater resistance when attempting a turn, thus rendering the unicycle easier to learn and more stable to ride. Through the present invention, this can be achieved by positioning the legs forward, increasing the radius of a user&#39;s mass and thereby increasing resistance to counter spinning/turning. 
         [0012]    The attainment of these and related advantages and features of the invention should be more readily apparent to those skilled in the art after review of the following more detailed description of the invention taken together with the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a powered unicycle in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the powered unicycle of  FIG. 1  with steering handles and foot supports in folded position. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the powered unicycle of  FIG. 1  with the seat and leg extension pivoted to the left, as during a right turn. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a powered unicycle in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the powered unicycle of  FIG. 4  with lines included to illustrate the geometry of the shifting seat. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of a powered unicycle  10  in accordance with the present invention is shown. Unicycle  10  may include a wheel  10 , coupled through spokes or other members  12 , to a hub  20 . The hub preferably has an axle  22  that is coupled on both ends to the bottom of forks  32 . The forks are part of a wheel support frame  30  and a frame member  34  preferably couples the two forks to one another and holds them in place. Alternatively, the forks  32  may be formed integrally with one another or otherwise formed to converge above the wheel. 
         [0019]    A seat  40  and leg extension  50  are preferably mounted onto the support frame  30 . The seat and leg extension are preferably fixedly coupled to one another and pivotally coupled to the support frame  30 . A pivot shaft ascends from the support from and mounts to the bottom of the seat (this shaft is obscured from view by the seat). The leg extension preferably extends forward of the seat and is preferably connected thereto. Two foot supports  52  may be provided near the end of the leg extension. 
         [0020]    A first and a second steering bar  36  ( 36 A,  36 B) are preferably mounted to the support frame. In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , mounting brackets  35  are fastened to the forks  32  and a steering bar or handle  36  extends laterally (preferably, but not necessarily, more to the side than front) from each fork  32 . 
         [0021]    The positioning of the feet prominently forward and the coupling of the handle bars under the seat and extending to the side give unicycle  10  the feel of a recumbent cycle. 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  illustrates device  10  positioned for storage or shipping. The foot supports  52  and the handle bars  37  may be folded to achieve a reduced profile and compact size. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , a top plan view of unicycle  10  is shown with the seat  40  and leg extension  50  pivoted to the left (relative to the line of direction of the wheel moving forward). This position may occur when a user executes a right turn. A user turns the wheel to the right by moving the left handle bar  36 A forward and the right handle bar  36 B rearward. Since the point of pivot is under the weight of a user and over the wheel, the wheel readily pivots (turns) in response to the movement of a user&#39;s hands in this manner. Thus, turning is achieved in a manner that is familiar to most people. 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  also illustrates that in use, the legs extend substantially forward, increasing the radius of the user&#39;s body from the vertical axis. This increases resistance to undesired turning/spinning, making operation of device  10  more stable than in prior art embodiments. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , perspective views of another embodiment of a powered unicycle  110  in accordance with the present invention is shown. Unicycle  110  includes wheel  112 , axle  122 , and wheel support frame  130 , in the same configuration as that of unicycle  10  in  FIGS. 1-3 . A seat  140  is supported by, and coupled to, a rail  142 , which is mounted onto the wheel support frame  130  and disposed substantially transverse to the direction of forward travel. The rail  142  and seat  140  are configured such that the seat  140  may slide along the length of the rail  142 , thereby undergoing a change in position relative to the wheel  112 . In this embodiment the rail  142  is curved downward and to the rear and forms an arc of a circle  160 . The seat  140  slides upon the curved rail  142 , moving around an axis  161  extending perpendicularly from the center of the circle  160 . In this embodiment a vertical line  162 , passing through axle  122 , intersects axis  161  at a point  163  below the ground or riding surface. 
         [0026]    As with the unicycle  10  of  FIGS. 1-3 , the unicycle  110  may have foot support member(s)  152  upon which a user rests his or her feet. During non-turning forward travel, the plane of the wheel  112  is generally vertical, and the seat  140  remains generally directly above the wheel. A right turn is initiated by pressing on the right foot support, in reaction to which the wheel  112  and wheel support frame  130  tilt to the right, resulting in turning. The rail  142  tilts to the right along with the wheel support frame  130 , while the seat  140  slides leftward on rail  142 , thereby avoiding tilting and allowing the user to remain sitting upright. This configuration renders the unicycle  100  much easier to operate than traditionally constructed unicycles wherein the seat is immovably attached. 
         [0027]    The device  110  may further comprise steering bars such as those of  FIGS. 1-3 ; however, this embodiment of the device is capable of being steered without hand-operated steering bars and they are not included in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
         [0028]    Fore-aft balance is attained by providing a sensor and the electronic gyroscope equipment (known in the art as mentioned above). The sensor and gyroscope equipment may be provided in seat  40 ,  140  or directly in hub  20 ,  120 . Position information detected by the sensor is relayed to a motor and drive mechanism in the hub  20 ,  120 . In response to the position information, the motor and drive mechanism move axle  22 ,  122  in the appropriate direction and at sufficient speed to maintain fore-aft balance. Suitable motorized hubs and sensor connections are known in the art. Communication between sensor, gyroscope equipment and drive mechanism may be wired or wireless. 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , it can be seen that the steering bars  36 A,  36 B extend radially from wheel  12  at an angle, α, that is approximately 70-80 degrees from a vertical plane through wheel  12 . In a preferred embodiment, a is approximately 45 degrees or more and more preferably 60 degrees or more. While a may be less than 45 degrees without departing from the present invention, a is preferably between 45 and 135 degrees. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , foot supports  52  are located forward of wheel  12  and substantially forward of axle  22 . Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the foot supports  152  are located between axle  122  and the outer edge of wheel  112 . The foot supports  152  are preferably positioned at at least 30% of the distance from the axle to the outer edge of the wheel and more preferably at approximately 50% or more (e.g., 60%, 70&amp;, etc.) of the distance from axle  122  to the outer edge of wheel  112 . Placing the foot supports forward of and spaced from the axle provides an extension of mass (the user&#39;s legs) outwardly from the vertical pivot of the wheel and thereby provides desired resistance when executing a turn. 
         [0031]    In both unicycle  10  and unicycle  110  (and any other embodiment of the present invention), a means may be included to bias the seat toward a central, forward-facing position, such that the device tends to automatically return to a non-turning position. 
         [0032]    While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention and the limits of the appended claims.