Abstract:
The automatic scooter unlocking mechanism is an improvement to existing folding kick scooter designs whereby vertical movement of a telescoping handlebar automatically causes rotation, and a corresponding unlocking, of a scooter footboard latch. The inventive mechanism places an extension on to the rotating handle of the footboard latch and places the distal end of the extension in such a location so as to contact a protuberance located on the sliding portion of the telescoping handlebar. During contact, the extension is deflected and the handle of the footboard latch rotates and unlocks, allowing for free rotation of the scooter footboard between folded and unfolded states. The inventive mechanism can be integral to a kick scooter design or can take the form of a system that can be installed on to a pre-existing kick scooter in an aftermarket fashion.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 of provisional patent application No. 61/457,173 filed on Jan. 21, 2011 and entitled “Automatic Scooter Unlocking Mechanism,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Folding kick scooters generally have two modes of use: a riding mode, where a user can ride the scooter in a traditional manner, and a carrying mode where the scooter is folded up and carried by hand. This is often referred to as a collapsible scooter. The scooter collapses, or folds, when the footboard is allowed to rotate relative to an upright handlebar assembly through a pivoting joint. The scooter is in riding mode when the footboard is in a position extending away from the handlebar assembly and in carrying mode when in a position adjacent, and usually parallel to, the handlebar assembly. 
         [0003]    These scooters typically employ a latch to lock the position of the footboard in either position. The latch is usually located near the pivoting joint and is spring loaded, biased to remain in the locked position, and connected to some sort of handle, or turnkey, that a user can grasp and manipulate to overcome the bias and unlock the latch. Typically, the turnkey is linked to the latch so that rotation of the turnkey changes the latch from a locked state to an unlocked state. Only when the restraining bolt is in the unlocked state can the footboard be rotated relative to the handlebar assembly. 
         [0004]    In addition, these folding kick scooters also employ a telescoping handlebar to minimize the overall scooter volume when in the carrying mode. To convert between carrying and riding modes, a user is required to raise or lower the telescoping handlebar and manually rotate the turnkey, in two independent operations. Raising or lowering the handlebar requires the user to grasp it with their hand and either pull up or push down. Rotating the turnkey requires the user to grip it with their hand and rotate against the force of a spring. In certain circumstances, these two operations can be quite cumbersome. For example if it is cold outside, a user may not easily be able to grip the turnkey for rotation. Also, if the user applies a force to the handlebar assembly or footboard while attempting to manipulate the latch, this can cause the latch to resist movement out of its locked state due to frictional forces. This makes the requisite rotation of the turnkey very difficult and impossible for these users. Additionally, the location of the latch near the pivoting joint requires the user to either bend down to the ground or lift the scooter up to access the turnkey. This can be difficult to do in crowded situations or if the user has other personal belongings they must carry simultaneously. 
         [0005]    The object of this invention is to remove all of these difficulties and to combine the two user operations, raising/lowering the handlebar and rotating the turnkey to unlock the latch, into one operation. This saves a great amount of time and effort for the user. Furthermore, when this invention is combined with an automatic folding mechanism, as described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,431,311 and 7,731,204 (herein after incorporated by reference), a remarkably convenient and useful tool for scooter riders is created. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    This invention is related to an improvement in the structure of a folding kick scooter. 
         [0007]    It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a folding kick scooter that includes an upright handlebar assembly that is slidable in a telescoping fashion, a footboard unit, a pivoting joint connecting the footboard to the handlebar assembly, a latch in connection with the pivoting joint, a handle in connection with the latch where manipulation of the handle causes the latch to move from a locked position to an unlocked position, an elongate member attached at its proximal end to the handle and extends towards the handlebar assembly, a curved or angled member attached to the distal end of the elongate member, and a cam member attached to the slidable portion of the handlebar assembly that extends towards the footboard. 
         [0008]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a folding kick scooter wherein the handlebar assembly can slidably travel between upper-most and lower-most positions and the cam member is positioned to contact the curved member when the handlebar assembly is between the upper-most and lower-most positions. 
         [0009]    It is still another object of the present invention to provide a folding kick scooter wherein the cam member contacts the curved member during handlebar assembly travel, deflecting the curved member and causing a corresponding rotation of the elongate member and latch handle, which then causes the latch to move from a locked state to an unlocked state. 
         [0010]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a folding kick scooter which is simple in construction and allows for quick and easy conversion between carrying and riding modes. It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an automatic scooter unlocking system that can be removably installed on to a pre-existing kick scooter without substantial modification thereto. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIGS. 1A-2B  show the prior art. 
           [0012]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  show an isometric view of the preferred embodiment. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4A  shows a close-up view of the latch mechanism of the preferred embodiment 
           [0014]      FIG. 4B  shows a close-up view sled and sled arm of the preferred embodiment. 
           [0015]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  show components of the preferred embodiment removed from the scooter. 
           [0016]      FIGS. 6A-12B  show the step-by-step operation of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIGS. 13-15  show the step-by-step reverse operation of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 16A and 16B  show an isometric view of an alternative embodiment. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 17A and 17B  show close-up views of the sled and sled arm of the alternative embodiment. 
           [0020]      FIG. 18  shows a close-up view of the handlebar of the alternative embodiment. 
           [0021]      FIGS. 19A and 19B  show the camshaft of the alternative embodiment removed from the scooter. 
           [0022]      FIGS. 20A-20E  show the step-by-step operation of the alternative embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 1A-2B , the prior art folding kick scooter designs generally comprise at least one front wheel, one rear wheel, handlebar  1 , column  2 , turnkey  3 , a turnkey bolt  4 , a restraining bolt  5 , a footboard  6 , and a slot  17 . There, a restraining bolt  5  moves between a locked and an unlocked state. In  FIGS. 1A and 1B  the restraining bolt is in a locked state, and in  FIGS. 2A and 2B  the restraining bolt is in an unlocked state. A turnkey  3  is attached to the restraining bolt  5  through a turnkey bolt  4  and a mechanism (not shown) internal to the scooter which converts rotation of the turnkey  3  and turnkey bolt  4  to a translational movement of the restraining bolt  5 . The restraining bolt  5  is allowed to translate within a slot  17 . The turnkey  3  and restraining bolt  5  are usually spring biased to remain in a locked state. Hence, the user must apply a force to the turnkey  3 , overcoming this spring force, to unlock the scooter. When unlocked, the footboard  6  and a column  2  can be rotated with respect to each other. When locked, rotation between the footboard  6  and the column  2  is prevented. The handlebar  1  of the prior art is telescoping, and is allowed to slide within column  2  during conversion between riding and carrying modes of use. Currently the user is required to independently move the handlebar  1  and rotate the turnkey  3  to switch the scooter between modes, which can be difficult in certain circumstances as described above. The presently proposed invention transforms these two operations into one, greatly saving the user time and effort. 
         [0024]    The presently proposed invention causes the turnkey  3  to rotate at a certain point during the raising and lowering of the handlebar  1 , without the previously required step of gripping and manually rotating the turnkey  3 . The preferred arrangement of the invention can be seen in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . The handlebar  6  slides within a column  7  in a telescopic fashion. Column  7  has a slot  8  that runs along a longitudinal direction with a length approximately equal to the distance the handlebar  6  travels as it slides, or telescopes, within the column  7 . The slot  8  is found on at least one side of column  7 , but is preferably on two opposite sides of column  7 . A crossbolt  19  is attached near the bottom end of the handlebar  6  and protrudes out through the slot  8  in both directions. Optionally, but preferably, a collar  20  is located around the column  7  and crossbolt  19  to provide stability. A cam  9  is attached to the end of crossbolt  19 , oriented in a direction towards the footboard  16 . Cam  9  generally has a rounded shape so as to contact and slide against sled  10  when the handlebar  6  is raised and lowered. However, cam  9  may optionally have a triangular, pyramidal, or toroidal shape, among others.  FIGS. 5A and 5B  further show the slot  8  in column  7 , crossbolt  19 , collar  20 , and cam  9 . 
         [0025]    Sled  10  is attached to a distal end of sled arm  11 . Sled  10  preferably has two inclined surfaces, one at the top and one at the bottom, and at least one side surface to attach to a distal end of sled arm  11 , as shown in  FIG. 4B . However, sled  10  may optionally have a triangular, pyramidal, or rounded shape, among others, so long as it is situated to contact cam  9  when handlebar  6  is raised or lowered, and when contacted, cause deflection. In the preferred embodiment, there are two sled arms  11 , each attaching to a respective side surface of sled  10 , however it is not required for the present invention, and there may only be one side surface to sled  10  with a single sled arm  11  attached thereto. 
         [0026]    The sled arm  11  is attached at its proximal end to a turnkey  12 , which may resemble the turnkey  3  in the prior art or may be shaped differently. This attachment can permanent or removable, and can be effected through the use of adhesives or mechanical fasteners, as are known in the art. Optionally, turnkey  12  may be integral to the proximal end of sled arm  11 , as in a one-piece construction. Preferably, sled arm  11  is of straight construction but may optionally be curved or take other shapes for aesthetic reasons or to improve the mechanical advantages during the transmission of forces from sled  10  to turnkey bolt  13 . 
         [0027]    The turnkey  12  is permanently attached, or in an alternative embodiment removably attached, to a turnkey bolt  13 . This is may be effected through a slot and key engagement as is common in the art. In the preferred embodiment, there are two turnkeys  12  attached to opposite ends of turnkey bolt  13 , as is seen in  FIG. 4A . In alternative embodiments, there may be only one turnkey  12  attached to a single end of turnkey bolt  13 . The turnkey bolt  13  is attached to restraining bolt  14  through a mechanism (not shown) that converts rotation of turnkey bolt  13  into a translation of restraining bolt  14 . This mechanism (not shown) is located inside the frame of the scooter as is common in the prior art. Restraining bolt  14  is allowed to slide within a slot  18  of the scooter frame, and is spring-biased (not shown) to remain in the lowest position of slot  18 . In the lowest position, restraining bolt  14  engages a grooved piece  21 . This can be seen in  FIGS. 4A and 6B . Grooved piece  21  is fixedly attached to footboard  16 , as is common in the prior art. When restraining bolt  14  is in the lowest position within slot  18 , it engages grooved piece  21 , and the footboard is prevented from rotating with respect to the column  7  and handlebar  6 . The scooter is locked in this position. 
         [0028]      FIGS. 6A-12B  show the operation of the inventive mechanism when the user wishes to convert the scooter from riding mode to carrying mode. In  FIGS. 6A and 6B  the scooter is in a locked state in riding mode. The footboard  16  is prevented from rotating, or folding, with respect to the column  7  due to the engagement of restraining bolt  14  with grooved piece  21 . Handlebar  6  is located in its uppermost position, and the scooter is suitable for riding. Cam  9  is located above sled  10 . Sled  10  is proximate to column  7 , attached to the turnkey bolt  13  through sled arm  11  and turnkey  12 , and is biased to remain in that position due to a second spring force applied to turnkey  12  (not shown) and to the first spring force applied to restraining bolt  14  internal to the scooter frame (not shown). 
         [0029]    In  FIG. 7A  the handlebar has traveled to a lower position than that in  FIG. 6A . As a result, cam  9  contacts a top inclined surface of sled  10 , but has not forcibly deflected sled  10  away from column  7 . Restraining bolt  14  remains in the lowest position within slot  18  and engages grooved piece  21 , as shown in  FIG. 7B . The scooter remains in a locked state at this point in the operation of the inventive mechanism. 
         [0030]    In  FIG. 8A  the handlebar  6  has been further lowered and cam  9  forcibly contacts the top inclined surface of sled  10 . This causes sled  10  to slightly deflect away from column  7 . This deflection causes a corresponding slight rotation of sled arm  11  and turnkey  12  away from column  7 , further causing slight rotation of turnkey bolt  13 . The rotation of turnkey bolt  13  causes a slight translation of restraining bolt  14  within slot  18  through a mechanism that is internal to the scooter frame (not shown). Restraining bolt  14  remains in the lower half of slot  18  and continues to engage grooved piece  21 , as shown in  FIG. 8B . The scooter is still locked and prevented from folding at this point in the operation of the inventive mechanism. 
         [0031]    However, in  FIGS. 9A and 9B  the user has further lowered handlebar  6  and cam  9  now deflects sled  10  further away from column  7 . This causes further rotation of turnkey bolt  13  and a corresponding further translation of restraining bolt  14  to the uppermost position within slot  18 . Here, restraining bolt  14  no longer engages grooved piece  21 , as shown in  FIG. 9B , and does not prevent the footboard  16  from rotating, or folding, with respect to the column  7 . The scooter is in an unlocked state at this point in the operation of the inventive mechanism. 
         [0032]    Rotation of the footboard  16  with respect to the column  7  can be accomplished at this point, either manually, by the user by lifting the footboard with his or her hand, or automatically with an automatic folding mechanism as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,431,311 and 7,731,204 (herein incorporated by reference). 
         [0033]    In  FIG. 10A  the footboard  16  has been rotated approximately half-way to its final folded up position. Handlebar  6  is pushed to its lowest position by the user. Cam  9 , which is attached to and moves with handlebar  6 , has moved past sled  10  and ceases contact with sled  10 . Due to the rotation of the footboard  16 , grooved piece  21  now contacts restraining bolt  14  in a way that keeps restraining bolt  14  from reaching its lowermost position within slot  18 , as shown in  FIG. 10B , and keeps the scooter in an unlocked state. 
         [0034]    In  FIG. 11A  the footboard  16  has been rotated further but has not reached its final position. Here, restraining bolt  14  continues to contact grooved piece  21  in a way that prevents restraining bolt  14  from reaching its lowermost position within slot  18 . Footboard  16  is still free to rotate and the scooter remains in an unlocked state. 
         [0035]    However, in  FIG. 12A  the footboard  16  has fully rotated to its final position and grooved piece  21  no longer prevents restraining bolt  14  from returning to its lowest position within slot  18  due to action of the spring bias internal to the scooter frame (not shown). Cam  9  is fully below sled  10 , between sled arms  11 , and sled  10  is allowed to rotate back to a position proximate to column  7  due to the spring bias (not shown) acting on turnkey bolt  13  and sled arm  11 . In this position restraining bolt  14  engages grooved piece  21  and the footboard  16  is prevented from rotating with respect to column  7 . The scooter has returned to a locked state, this time in carrying mode. 
         [0036]      FIGS. 13A-15B  show the reverse operation of the inventive locking mechanism shown in  FIGS. 6A-12B . Cam  9  is raised from its lowest position when handlebar  6  is raised and eventually contacts the bottom inclined surface of sled  10 . Similar to the operation of  FIGS. 6A-12B , further raising of handlebar  6  causes cam  9  to deflect sled  10  away from column  7 , which rotates turnkey bolt  13  and translates restraining bolt  14 , disengaging it from grooved piece  21 . When disengaged, footboard  16  is allowed to freely rotate with respect to column  7 , which can be performed manually by the user or automatically as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,431,311 and 7,731,204. The reverse operation of  FIGS. 13A-15B  occurs when the user wishes to convert the scooter from carrying mode to riding mode. 
         [0037]    In an alternative embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 16-20E , the present invention may comprise a system that is capable of being installed on to and removed from a pre-existing scooter in an aftermarket fashion. This alternative embodiment is especially useful because it provides the inventive functionality without the need to modify structure of the underlying scooter, and can therefore be attached to scooters already in the marketplace. 
         [0038]    This alternative embodiment can be generally seen in  FIGS. 16A and 16B . A camshaft  22  is located adjacent to extends along a portion of handlebar  6  and column  29 . A distal end of camshaft  22  is fixedly, but removably, attached through a clip  30  or other means to the top of handlebar  6 , as seen in  FIGS. 18-19B . A proximal end of camshaft  22  is attached to column  29  in a manner allowing for camshaft  22  to slide along column  29  when handlebar  6  is raised or lowered. This can also be accomplished through the use of a clip or other attachment means. Additionally, a cam  23  is attached to camshaft  22  at the proximal end, and extends in a direction away from column  29  in a manner similar to the preferred embodiment. 
         [0039]    Further in the alternative embodiment, there is a sled  24  attached to the distal end of at least one sled arm  25 . In this embodiment, the proximal end of the sled arm  25  is not fixedly attached to the turnkey and turnkey bolt, but instead pivotally attached to a portion of a bracket  27 . Bracket  27  is permanently, or removably attached to the scooter in a location above the front wheel and can take many shapes, but a three-walled box is preferred. The bracket  27  can be seen in further detail in  FIGS. 17A and 17B . In  FIG. 17A , sled arm  25  and sled  24  have been removed for clarity and bracket  27  can be seen. Bracket  27  is preferably comprised of one front wall and two side walls, and is installed on to a location above a front wheel of the scooter. This is accomplished by fitting bracket  27  onto one side of a portion of scooter, and then placing at least one removable connecting member  28  across the side walls of bracket  27  on the other side of the portion of the scooter. This secures the bracket  27  to the scooter in a rigid fashion while allowing for unencumbered rotation of the front wheel for steering. Sled arm  25  can be pivotally attached anywhere along the side wall of bracket  27  that is on the same side as turnkey  26 , but the location  31  is preferable for mechanical advantage reasons, as seen in  FIG. 17B . 
         [0040]    As can be further seen in  FIG. 17B , sled arm  25  is shaped in such a way to position sled  24  so that it will contact cam  23  during raising and lowering of handlebar  6 , and to make contact with turnkey  26 . With such a shape, sled arm  25  contacts the turnkey  26  on a side of turnkey  26  that is opposite from the direction of movement of turnkey  26  during unlocking of the scooter footboard. In this way, when sled  24  is deflected due to contact with cam  23 , sled arm  25  pushes against turnkey  26  and rotates it, against an internal resistive spring force (not shown), in the proper direction to unlock the scooter and allow for folding, as in the preferred embodiment. 
         [0041]    Consequently, the system of the alternative embodiment functions in a similar way to that of the preferred embodiment, allowing for an automatic unlocking of the scooter footboard when the handlebar is raised or lowered. This can be seen in  FIGS. 20A-20E . 
         [0042]    The components of both the preferred and alternative embodiments may be constructed of any material that has the strength and rigidity to perform the relevant function of that component. However metals and hard plastics, specifically ABS plastic, are preferred. Accordingly, the components of both the preferred and alternative embodiments, for example the cam, sled arm, and bracket components, may take any shape so long as the relevant functionality is maintained. 
         [0043]    The present invention, in either the preferred or alternative embodiment, accordingly functions to combine two common user operations involved in the folding of a kick scooter into one. It improves the ease and speed at which a user can convert their kick scooter between riding and carrying modes. It can be implemented during the manufacture of folding kick scooters or can be installed on to any preexisting kick scooter that uses a telescoping handle and a rotating turnkey latch release mechanism. Furthermore, the benefits of the present invention are magnified when implemented on a kick scooter with an automatic folding mechanism, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,431,311 and 7,731,204. 
         [0044]    The present invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.