Patent Publication Number: US-2022234674-A1

Title: Frame and mobility scooter

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to and benefits of Chinese Patent Application Serial No. 202120238048.1, filed with National Intellectual Property Administration of PRC on Jan. 27, 2021, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a field of frames, and particularly to a frame and a mobility scooter. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In the related art, generally, a rear fork of an electric scooter is coupled to a cross beam on a frame by means of bolts or welding, and the arrangement easily results in low assembly efficiency of the electric scooter as well as low strength and poor precision of coupling between the frame and the rear fork. 
     SUMMARY 
     A frame according to the embodiments of the present disclosure includes a first longitudinal beam, a second longitudinal beam, a head tube and a first cross beam. A first end of the first longitudinal beam and a first end of the second longitudinal beams are both coupled to the head tube. The first cross beam has a first end coupled to the first longitudinal beam and a second end coupled to the second longitudinal beam. The first longitudinal beam is divided into a first front tube section and a first rear tube section by the first cross beam, the second longitudinal beam is divided into a second front tube section and a second rear tube section by the first cross beam, and the first and second rear tube sections form a rear fork of the mobility scooter. 
     A mobility scooter according to embodiments of a second aspect of the present disclosure includes a frame and a rear wheel. The fame includes a first longitudinal beam, a second longitudinal beam, a head tube and a first cross beam. A first end of the first longitudinal beam and a first end of the second longitudinal beams are both coupled to the head tube. The first cross beam has a first end coupled to the first longitudinal beam and a second end coupled to the second longitudinal beam. The first longitudinal beam is divided into a first front tube section and a first rear tube section by the first cross beam, the second longitudinal beam is divided into a second front tube section and a second rear tube section by the first cross beam, and the first and second rear tube sections form a rear fork of the mobility scooter. The rear wheel is mounted to the frame through the first and the second rear tube sections. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a mobility scooter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure, and the examples of the embodiments are illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments described herein with reference to drawings are illustrative, and intended to explain the present disclosure. The embodiments shall not be construed to limit the present disclosure. 
     A frame  100  according to embodiments of the present disclosure is described below with reference to  FIG. 1 . 
     The frame  100  according to the embodiments of the present disclosure includes a first longitudinal beam  1 , a second longitudinal beam  2 , a head tube  3  and a first cross beam  4 . A first end of the first longitudinal beams  1  and a first end of the second longitudinal beams  2  are both coupled to the head tube  3 . The first cross beam  4  has a first end coupled to the first longitudinal beam  1  and a second end coupled to the second longitudinal beam  2 . The first longitudinal beam  1  is divided into a first front tube section  11  and a first rear tube section  12  by the first cross beam  4 , the second longitudinal beam  2  is divided into a second front tube section  21  and a second rear tube section  22  by the first cross beam  4 , and the first and second rear tube sections  12 ,  22  form a rear fork of a mobility scooter. 
     In the frame  100  according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first and second rear tube sections  12 ,  22  in the first and second longitudinal beams  1 ,  2  are arranged to form the rear fork of the mobility scooter; that is, a rear wheel of the mobility scooter may be directly mounted to the frame  100 , thereby omitting an assembly step of the rear fork during assembly of the mobility scooter, and achieving high assembly efficiency of the mobility scooter. Moreover, the first and second rear tube sections  12 ,  22  forming the rear fork in the frame  100  are integrally formed with the first and second front tube sections  11 ,  21  respectively, such that the frame  100  has high manufacturing precision and reliable strength. 
     For easy understanding, an arrow A in  FIG. 1  shows a front-rear direction of the frame  100  according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, and an arrow B in  FIG. 1  shows a left-right direction of the frame  100  according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     In some embodiments, the first and second longitudinal beams  1 ,  2  are each a bent tube. 
     In at least one embodiment, the first and second longitudinal beams  1 ,  2  are each formed by bending a standard tube. The standard tube may also be referred to as a national standard steel tube, which is produced by piercing a steel ingot or a solid tube blank into a shell, and then undergoing hot rolling, cold rolling or cold drawing operations. The first and second longitudinal beams  1 ,  2  thus produced have high strength. 
     In some embodiments, the first front tube section  11  includes a first horizontal tube section  111 , a first bent tube section  112  and a first inclined tube section  113  arranged sequentially, and the second front tube section  21  includes a second horizontal tube section  211 , a second bent tube section  212  and a second inclined tube section  213  arranged sequentially. The first and second horizontal tube sections  111 ,  211  are parallel to each other, and the first and second inclined tube sections  113 ,  213  form an angle and are both coupled to the head tube  3 . Thus, the first and second horizontal tube sections  111 ,  211  serve as a main support for receiving a battery compartment assembly of a scooter. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the first and second horizontal tube sections  111 ,  211  as well as the first and second inclined tube sections  113 ,  213  are each a straight tube, the first and second horizontal tube sections  111 ,  211  both extend in the front-rear direction, the first inclined tube section  113  extends upwards to the front left relative to the first horizontal tube section  111 , and the second inclined tube section  213  extends upwards to the front right relative to the second horizontal tube section  211 . An upper end of the first inclined tube section  113  and an upper end of the second inclined tube section  213  are close to each other in the left-right direction and are fixedly welded to an outer side wall of the head tube  3 . 
     In some embodiments, the frame  100  further includes a second cross beam  5 , and the second cross beam couples the first and second inclined tube sections  113 ,  213 . 
     Thus, the first and second cross beams  4 ,  5  as well as the head tube  3  jointly realize the coupling of the first and second longitudinal beams  1 ,  2 , and the first and second longitudinal beams  1 ,  2  in the frame  100  have higher and more reliable coupling strength. 
     In some embodiments, the first cross beam  4  has a first end welded to an inner side of the first longitudinal beam  1  and a second end welded to an inner side of the second longitudinal beam  2 . 
     By welding the first and second cross beams  4 ,  5  between the first and second longitudinal beams  1 ,  2 , the first and second cross beams  4 ,  5  and the first and second longitudinal beams  1 ,  2  have coupling positions easier to confirm, and the frame  100  has higher manufacturing precision. 
     In at least one embodiment, the first and second cross beams  4 ,  5  are coupled to the first and second longitudinal beams  1 ,  2  with a carbon-dioxide arc welding operation. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , on a projection plane perpendicular to the left-right direction, projections of the first and second cross beams  4 ,  5  coincide with a projection of the first longitudinal beam  1 ; that is, the first and second cross beams  4 ,  5  are hidden between the first and second longitudinal beams  1 ,  2 . Thus, the frame  100  has a compact structure and a higher aesthetic appearance. 
     In some embodiments, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the first and second cross beams  4 ,  5  are both made of round tubes which are standard steel tubes. Thus, the first and second cross beams  4 ,  5  have stress strength which is basically consistent in all directions, with reliable strength. 
     In some embodiments, the first cross beam, the second cross beam as well as the first and second horizontal tube sections  111 ,  211  are provided with mounting holes configured to mount a battery compartment assembly of the mobility scooter. 
     In at least one embodiment, welding nuts are welded on the first and second horizontal tube sections  111 ,  211  as well as the first cross beam  4 , the mounting holes are configured as threaded holes in the welding nuts, and the mounting holes in the second cross beam  5  are configured as unthreaded holes. A rear end cover in the battery compartment assembly is coupled to the first cross beam  4  through the mounting holes in the first cross beam  4 , a battery compartment in the battery compartment assembly is coupled to the first and second longitudinal beams  1 ,  2  through the mounting holes in the first and second horizontal tube sections  111 ,  211 , and a front end cover in the battery compartment assembly is coupled to the second cross beam through the mounting holes in the second cross beam. 
     In some embodiments, the first front tube section  11  has a front end welded to the outer side wall of the head tube  3 , the second front tube section  21  has a front end welded to the outer side wall of the head tube  3 , and the first and second front tube sections  11 ,  21  are symmetrically arranged relative to a vertical plane where an axis of the head tube  3  is located. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the head tube  3  is formed by a profile machining process, and has a cylindrical outer side wall. The front ends of the first and second front tube sections  11 ,  21  are both coupled to the outer side wall of the head tube  3  with a carbon-dioxide arc welding operation, such that the first and second longitudinal beams  1 ,  2  are conveniently coupled to the head tube  3 , and a junction thereof has high strength. 
     In some embodiments, the first and second front tube sections  11 ,  21  are each a round tube, and the first and second rear tube sections  12 ,  22  may each have a plate-like structures formed by pressing a round tube. Thus, the first and second front tube sections  11 ,  21  have basically consistent stress strength in all directions, with reliable strength. 
     Or, the first and second front tube sections  11 ,  21  may each be a square or rectangular tube. 
     As illustrate in  FIG. 2 , a mobility scooter  200  according to embodiments of a second aspect of the present disclosure includes a frame  100  according to any of the above-mentioned embodiments. 
     The mobility scooter  200  according to the embodiments of the present disclosure has the same technical advantages as the frame  100  according to the above-mentioned embodiments, which are not repeated herein. 
     In some embodiments, the mobility scooter  200  may be configured as an electric scooter. 
     In the description of the present disclosure, it is to be understood that terms such as “center”, “longitudinal”, “transverse”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inner”, “outer”, “clockwise”, “anticlockwise”, “axial”, “radial”, and “circumferential” should be construed to refer to the orientation as illustrated in the drawings. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the present disclosure be constructed or operated in a particular orientation, thus cannot be construed to limit the present disclosure. 
     In addition, the terms such as “first” and “second” are used herein for purposes of description and are not intended to indicate or imply relative importance or significance or to imply the number of indicated technical features. Thus, the feature defined with “first” and “second” may include at least one of this feature explicitly or implicitly. In the description of the present disclosure, “a plurality of” means at least two, for example, two, three, or the like, unless specifically limited otherwise. 
     In the present disclosure, unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted”, “coupled”, “coupled”, and “fixed” and the like are used broadly, and may be, for example, fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; may also be mechanical or electrical connections or communication with each other; may also be direct connections or indirect connections via intervening structures; may also be communication or an interaction relationship of two elements. The above terms can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations. 
     In the present disclosure, unless specified or limited otherwise, a structure in which a first feature is “on” or “below” a second feature may include an embodiment in which the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, and may also include an embodiment in which the first feature and the second feature are contacted via an additional feature formed therebetween. Furthermore, a first feature “on,” “above,” or “on top of” a second feature may include an embodiment in which the first feature is right or obliquely “on,” “above,” or “on top of” the second feature, or just means that the first feature is at a height higher than that of the second feature; while a first feature “below,” “under,” or “on bottom of” a second feature may include an embodiment in which the first feature is right or obliquely “below,” “under,” or “on bottom of” the second feature, or just means that the first feature is at a height lower than that of the second feature. 
     In the present disclosure, terms “an embodiment”, “some embodiments”, “example”, “specific example” or “some examples” means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. In the specification, the schematic expressions to the above-mentioned terms are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the described particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Furthermore, those skilled in the art may combine different embodiments or examples and features in different embodiments or examples described in the specification, without mutual contradictions. 
     Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and illustrated, it shall be understood that the above-mentioned embodiments are exemplary and not construed as limitations to the present disclosure. Various changes, modifications, alternatives and variants within the scope of the present disclosure may be made by those skilled in the art.