Abstract:
A Detachable Footplate for Scooters is disclosed. The footplate easily attaches to and detaches from a conventional foot-powered, folding scooter to provide additional width to stand upon, as well as acting as a stand to prevent the scooter from falling over. The footplate permits the scooter stem to fold down by not interfering with the collapsibility of the scooter stem. Still further, the footplate can be configured to provide a headlight and tail/brake light to improve the scooter&#39;s safety

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to accessories for scooters and, more specifically, to a Detachable Footplate for Scooters 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Portable, collapsible scooters have become one of the hottest consumer products for children since the Skateboard. With the evolution of lightweight, durable materials, manufacturers are able to create an extremely, versatile and convenient toy and means for transportation. As the portable scooter has grown in popularity, so has the market for attachments or additions to the scooters. It seems that it is no longer sufficient to simply own a scooter, it is further necessary that your scooter is different from everyone else&#39;s. Still further, there are a few areas that are lacking in the conventional scooter design; namely, the fact that the deck of the scooter is relatively short and narrow (presumably to provide a compact, lightweight package). 
     The problem with the current scooter deck design is that as the child reaches ten years old, his or her feet become too large-to both fit comfortably on the scooter deck at the same time. As a result, the older user&#39;s feet have a tendency to slip off. What is needed is a way to enlarge the scooter deck such that the user with larger feet will not be in fear of his or her feet slipping off of the scooter. 
     Still further, none of the scooters have been provided with any safety lighting, such as a head light or tail light. In addition to the aesthetic benefits of a lighting system, adding lights to the conventional scooter will provide additional utility to the scooter; namely the ability to ride the scooter safely in darkened conditions. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Detachable Footplate for Scooters. The footplate should attach easily to a conventional foot-powered, folding scooter to provide additional width to stand upon, as well as acting as a stand to prevent the scooter from falling over. The footplate should permit the scooter stem to fold down, by not interfering with the collapsibility of the stem. Still further, it is an object that the footplate be configured to provide a headlight and tail/brake light to improve the scooter&#39;s safety. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view a preferred embodiment of the footplate of the present invention as it attaches to a conventional scooter; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the footplate of FIG. 1 having a nontextured top surface; 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the footplate of FIGS. 1 and 2; FIG. 4 is a side view of the footplate of FIG. 1-3; 
     FIG.4 is a perspective view of the combination of FIG. 1, wherein the scooter stem has been folded; 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of the footplate of FIGS. 1-4; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the footplate of FIGS. 1-5, having a textured top surface; 
     FIG. 7 is a partially exploded perspective view of the footplate of FIGS. 1-6, further including head and tail lights; and 
     FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the footplate assembly of FIG.  7 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventors of carrying out their invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic-principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Detachable Footplate for Scooters. 
     The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of FIG.  1 . FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the footplate  24  of the present invention as it attaches to a conventional scooter  10 . As depicted, the common lightweight collapsible scooter  10  comprises a telescoping stem  12  extending between a pair of collapsible handlebars  14  and a front wheel  16  of the type used in in-line skates. The stem  12  passes through, is held erect by, and is permitted to pivot by the stem bracket  18 . The stem bracket  18  is also collapsible, which permits the stem  12  and handlebars  14  to be folded down against the scooter deck (not shown). 
     In the rear, the conventional scooter  10  has a second, rear wheel  20  of the same type as the front wheel  16 . The rear wheel  20  assembly typically includes a fender/brake assembly  22 ; when the rider steps onto the fender/brake assembly  22 , it acts as a friction brake on the rear wheel  20 . 
     In the preferred form shown, the footplate  24  of the present invention attaches to the scooter deck (not shown) by a variety of conventional methods, including by the bolt-type fasteners  26  shown. In this depicted embodiment, the footplate  24  is constructed from a lightweight, aluminum material having a textured top surface  28  to inhibit the rider&#39;s feet from slipping. 
     As can be seen, the footplate  24  attaches directly to the scooter  10  with only minor modification for attachment means. Once attached, the foot plate  24  provides a wide deck upon which the rider can stand more comfortably than with the original scooter  10 . Furthermore, the footplate  24  actually acts as a sort of “kickstand,” in that its edge will touch the ground before permitting the scooter  10  to fall over. If we now turn to FIG. 2, we can examine other aspects of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the footplate  24  of FIG. 1 having a non-textured top surface  28 . In this version, the deck  30  is provided with a front wheel aperture  32  and a rear wheel aperture  34 . The front wheel aperture  32  is designed to include a rounded front portion sized to permit free rotation of the scooter front wheel (see FIG.  1 ), and a slotted rear portion to accommodate the support structure of the stem bracket (see FIG.  1 ). The rear wheel aperture  34  is preferably shaped in a slotted or rectangular form to permit the conventional rear wheel and fender/brake assembly to pass therethrough (see FIG.  1 ). It should be understood that the deck  30  can be constructed of aluminum, steel, wood, plastic or any other material that is sufficiently rigid and durable while. still providing a light-weight product. Now turning to FIG. 3, we can examine additional features of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the footplate  24  of FIGS. 1 and 2. In this embodiment, the front end  38  and rear end  40  of the footplate  24  are rounded for maximum durability, safety and for a sleeker profile. In other embodiments, other shapes for the front and rear end  38  and  40 , respectively, may be provided, depending upon the particular application of the footplate  24 . Also depicted in this figure is the pair of fastener apertures  36  formed in the deck of the footplate  24 ; bolts, screws and/or rivets can be inserted through these apertures  36  and into the scooter  10  such that the footplate  24  is detachably attachable to the conventional scooter  10 . Now looking at FIG. 4, we can discuss yet another benefit of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the combination of FIG. 1, wherein the scooter stem  12  has been folded down. As is shown here, the stem  12  will fold flat against the deck  30  of the footplate  24 , such that the scooter can be easily carried and stored, just as the scooter  10  was originally designed. A further benefit of the addition of the footplate  24  to the scooter  10  is that when the stem  12  is folded down as shown, the entire combination (i.e. the scooter  10  and footplate  24 ) can be hung from a wall by the front wheel aperture  32  for storage. Without the footplate  24 , this storage method would not be possible. As shown in FIG. 5 (a side view of a preferred footplate), and as discussed above, the footplate  24  is manufactured from thin, rigid material, and may or may not have textured surface  44  (see FIG. 6) on its top surface  28 . In other embodiments, the top surface may have artwork, wording or other designs inscribed upon (or embedded into) the top surface  28  in order to improve the individuality of the footplate  24 , as well as improving the aesthetics. 
     Optional attachments are further available for the footplate  24  of the present invention, as shown in FIG.  7 . FIG. 7 is a partially exploded perspective view of the footplate  24  of FIGS. 1-6, further including head and tail lights  46  and  48 , respectively. In this embodiment, the headlight is fixed to the front end of the deck  30 , and the tail light is fixed to the rear end of the deck  30 ; these lights provide aesthetic improvement to the conventional scooter, but also increased safety and utility for riding at night. Furthermore, the footplate  24  attachments would include a battery means  52 , such as a rechargeable battery pack or a group of disposable batteries, which attaches to the bottom of the scooter (see FIG. 8, below) to provide power to the headlight  46  and tail light  48 . Still further, it might to be desirable that the tail light  48  change it&#39;s light configuration whenever the scooter brake (see FIG. 1) is depressed. To provide such functionality, the footplate  24  can include a brake position switch  50  wired between the battery means  52  and the tail light  48  that will cause the tail light  48  to become brighter whenever the rider depresses the scooter brake (see FIG.  1 ). If we turn to FIG. 8, we can see an example of the wiring for the system of FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the footplate  24  assembly of FIG.  7 . As can be seen the battery means  52  is preferably detachably inserted within the channel  58  formed in the bottom side of the conventional scooter deck; as such, it will be virtually invisible from the sides or top of the scooter when the battery means  52  is installed therein. As shown, the battery means  52  will preferably provide power to the headlight via a headlight power cable  54 . Similarly, the battery means  52  will provide power to the tail light via the tail light power cable  56 . If a brake position switch  50  is installed, then it will be wired in between the battery means  52  and the tail light. Although it is not shown here, it should be realized that there will be a main power shutoff switch that will permit the user to manually turn the power off and on to the headlight and tail light. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.