Abstract:
A folding collapsible kick scooter includes a footplate holding a rear wheel, a spring-supported rear brake unit installed in the rear side of the footplate and adapted to stop the rear wheel from rotation, a handlebar and front fork assembly coupled to the front side of the footplate and holding a front wheel, a folding structure coupled between the handlebar and front fork assembly and the footplate and adapted to lock the handlebar and front fork assembly between an extended position and a collapsed position, the handlebar and front fork assembly having a detachable handlebar unit controlled by a press-control locking device to lock/unlock handgrips.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a kick scooter and, more particularly, to a folding collapsible kick scooter, which is durable and safe in use.  
           [0002]    The handlebar of a regular kick scooter is an integrated member made of a steel pipe and covered with two rubber handgrips for the holding of the hands. There are also known kick scooters with a detachable handlebar structure. This detachable handlebar structure is comprised of a handlebar stem, and two handgrips detachably fastened to the handlebar stem by screws. When disconnecting the handgrips from the handlebar stem, a screwdriver must be used to remove the screws from the handgrips and the handlebar stem. Further, in order to save storage space, regular kick scooters are commonly made folding collapsible. The folding structure of a conventional folding collapsible kick scooter is generally comprised of a locating frame fixedly fastened to the front side of the footplate, a coupling frame extended from the head tube of the kick scooter and pivoted to the locating frame by a pivot, and a spring-supported locking rod adapted to lock the coupling frame between the extended position and the collapsed position. Simply using a spring-supported locking rod to lock the coupling frame is not safe. When the parts of the kick scooter start to wear after long uses, the spring-supported locking rod can no long lock the coupling frame positively in position. Regular kick scooters commonly have a brake means for stopping the kick scooter from movement. The brake means can be a hand brake, or a foot brake. A hand brake is complicated and expensive. A regular foot brake for kick scooter is integral with the rear fender. When the rider presses the rear fender with the foot, the foot brake is forced against the periphery of the rear wheel to stop the rear wheel from rotation. Because the rear fender is backwardly extended from the rear side of the footplate, the rider must turn the leg backwards through a certain angle and then press the foot on the rear fender when stopping the kick scooter. To a young kick scooter rider, it is dangerous to turn the leg backwards through a big angle to touch the rear fender far away from the center area of the footplate.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    The present invention has been accomplished to provide a folding collapsible kick scooter, which eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. According to one aspect of the present invention, the folding collapsible kick scooter comprises a footplate holding a rear wheel, a spring-supported rear brake unit installed in the rear side of the footplate and adapted to stop the rear wheel from rotation, a handlebar and front fork assembly coupled to the front side of the footplate and holding a front wheel, a folding structure coupled between the handlebar and front fork assembly and the footplate and adapted to lock the handlebar and front fork assembly between an extended position and a collapsed position, the handlebar and front fork assembly having a detachable handlebar unit controlled by a press-control locking device to lock/unlock handgrips. According to another aspect of the present invention, the press-control locking device is supported on a compression spring, and forced by the compression spring to lock the handgrips automatically. According to another aspect of the present invention, the handgrips are unlocked when pressing down the press-control locking device with the hand. According to still another aspect of the present invention, the folding structure comprises a hollow locating frame fixedly fastened to the front side of the footplate, a coupling frame coupled between the hollow locating frame and the handlebar and front fork assembly, and two lock means controlled to lock/unlock the coupling frame. The coupling frame comprises a head tube coupled to the handlebar and front fork assembly, and a coupling bar extended from the head tube and inserted into the hollow locating frame and surrounded by the four peripheral walls of the hollow locating frame. According to still another aspect of the present invention, the foot brake is pivoted to a rear wheel brake at the rear side of the footplate in front of the rear wheel, and supported on a spring member for pressing by the foot to stop the rear wheel from rotation. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]    [0004]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a detachable handlebar unit for a folding collapsible kick scooter according to the present invention.  
         [0005]    [0005]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a folding structure for a folding collapsible kick scooter according to the present invention.  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a rear brake unit for a folding collapsible kick scooter according to the present invention.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing showing the handlebar and front fork assembly of the folding collapsible kick scooter turned between the vertical position and the horizontal position according to the present invention.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the folding collapsible kick scooter according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0009]    Referring to FIG. 5, a folding collapsible kick scooter in accordance with the present invention comprises a detachable handlebar unit  10  (see also FIG. 1), a folding structure  20  (see also FIG. 2), and a rear brake unit  30  (see also FIG. 3).  
         [0010]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, the detachable handlebar unit  10  comprises a T-shaped handlebar stem  12  formed of a T-tube, two handgrips  14 , a locating block  16 , a spring member  166 , and a press-control locking device  18 . The T-shaped handlebar stem  12  comprises a top screw hole  120  and a top button hole  122 . The handgrips  14  each comprise a locating hole  140  radially disposed at the respective tubular front extension end. The locating block  16  comprises a top screw hole  160 , a transversely extended top groove  164 , and a blind hole  162  disposed in the top groove  164 . The press-control locking device  18  comprises an upright press rod  180  on the middle, two guide slopes  184  disposed at two distal ends thereof and respectively sloping downwardly outwards, and two upright short locating rods  182  bilaterally spaced between the guide slopes  184  and the upright press rod  180 . The upright press rod  180  is much longer than the upright short locating rods  182 . The press-control locking device  18  is attached to the top groove  164  of the locating block  16  and inserted with the locating block  16  and the spring member  166  into the horizontal top section of the T-shaped handlebar stem  12 , keeping the spring member  166  positioned in the blind hole  162  and stopped between the locating block  16  and the press-control locking device  18 . After insertion of the press-control locking device  18  with the spring member  166  and the locating block  16  into the handlebar stem  12 , the upright press rod  180  of the press-control locking device  18  is extended out of the handlebar stem  12  through the top button hole  122 , and a screw  124  is threaded into the top screw hole  120  of the handlebar stem  12  and the top screw hole  160  of the locating block  16  to fixedly secure the locating block  16  to the inside of the handlebar stem  12 . Before inserting the tubular front extension end of each handgrip  14  into the horizontal top section of the T-shaped handlebar stem  12 , the pressing the upright press rod  180  is depressed to lower the upright short locating rods  182 . After insertion of the tubular front extension end of each handgrip  14  into the two distal ends of the horizontal top section of the T-shaped handlebar stem  12 , the hand is released from the press-control locking device  18 , enabling the press-control locking device  18  to be pushed upwards by the spring member  166  to force the upright short locating rods  182  into the locating hole  140  of each handgrip  14  respectively, and therefore the handgrips  14  are locked. When pressing down the upright press rod  180 , the upright short locating rods  182  are respectively disengaged from the locating hole  140  of each handgrip  14 , enabling the handgrips  14  to be removed from the handlebar stem  12 .  
         [0011]    Referring to FIGS. 2, 4 and  5 , the folding structure  20  comprises a hollow locating frame  22  fixedly connected to the kick scooter&#39;s footplate  40  at the front side, a coupling frame  24  coupled between the handlebar and front fork assembly of the kick scooter and the locating frame  22 . The locating frame  22  comprises two pivot holes  220  and  222  respectively disposed at two opposite lateral sidewalls thereof, a screw hole  224  disposed at one lateral sidewall, a split front sidewall  226  having a longitudinal split  2260 , and a split rear sidewall  228  having a longitudinal split  2280 . The coupling frame  24  comprises a head tube  240 , and a hollow coupling bar  242  obliquely downwardly extended from the periphery of the head tube  240 . The split front sidewall  226  is relatively lower (shorter) than the split rear sidewall  228  and the two opposite lateral sidewalls of the locating frame  22 . The coupling bar  242  is shaped like a channel bar, comprising two longitudinal sliding slots  2420  respectively disposed at two opposite sidewalls thereof, and a locating hole  2422  disposed at one sidewall adjacent to the corresponding sliding slot  2420 . The coupling bar  242  is inserted into the hollow locating frame  22  and pivotally connected thereto. A headed pivot pin  2200  is inserted through the pivot holes  220  and  222  of the locating frame  22  and the sliding slots  2420  of the coupling bar  242  to pivotally secure the coupling bar  242  to the locating frame  22 , having a head  2202  disposed outside the locating frame  22  and stopped at an outer surface of one lateral sidewall of the locating frame  22 . A locking lever  2204  is pivoted to one end of the pivot pin  2200  remote from the head  2202  and stopped at the outer surface of one lateral sidewall of the locating frame  22 . A barrel  2244  is provided having a threaded neck  2245  threaded into the screw hole  224  of the locating frame  22 . A locking rod  2240  is inserted through the barrel  2244  and engaged into the locating hole  2422  of the coupling bar  242  to lock the coupling frame  24 , having an outer thread  2242  at one end thereof and a flange  2241  around the periphery. A compression spring  2243  is sleeved onto the locking rod  2240  and stopped between the flange  2241  of the locking rod  2240  and the inner surface of one lateral sidewall of the locating frame  22 . A cap nut  2246  is threaded onto the outer thread  2242  of the locking rod  2240  and stopped at one end of the barrel  2244  remote from the threaded neck  2245 . The compression spring  2243  imparts a forward pressure to the locking rod  2240 , keeping the locking rod  2240  in the engaged position in the locating hole  2422  of the coupling bar  242 . When collapsing the folding structure  20 , the locking lever  2204  is turned outwards from the locking position where the locking lever  2204  is closely attached to one lateral sidewall of the locating frame  22  to the unlocking position where the locking lever  2204  is disposed substantially perpendicular to the locating frame  22 , and then the cap nut  2246  is pulled outwards to disengage the locking rod  2240  from the locating hole  2422  of the coupling bar  242 , and then the coupling bar  242  is pulled upwardly outwards from the locating frame  22  and released from the constraint of the split front sidewall  226 , and then the coupling frame  24  is turned with the handlebar and front fork assembly of the kick scooter from the vertical position to the horizontal position (see FIG. 4). When collapsed, the cap nut  2246  is released from the hand, and the compression spring  2243  forces the locking rod  2240  into one sliding slot  2420  of the coupling bar  242 , and the locking lever  2204  is returned from the unlocking position to the locking position, and thus the coupling frame  24  is locked in the horizontal (collapsed) position. Further, when turning the locking lever  2204  from the unlocking position to the locking position, the two opposite lateral sidewalls of the locating frame  22  are squeezed toward each other against the two opposite sidewalls of the coupling bar  242  to force the split front sidewall  226  and the split rear sidewall  228  to close the splits  2260  and  2280 . On the contrary, when turning the locking lever  2204  from the locking position to the unlocking position, the two opposite lateral sidewalls of the locating frame  22  are released from the two opposite sidewalls of the coupling bar  242 , and the split front sidewall  226  and the split rear sidewall  228  are released from the pressure of the two opposite lateral sidewalls of the locating frame  22 .  
         [0012]    Referring to FIG. 3, the rear brake unit  30  comprises a rear wheel bracket  32 , a foot brake  36 , a pivot  320 , and a spring member  34 . The rear wheel bracket  32  is fixedly provided at the rear side of the footplate  40 , comprising two pivot holes  322  and  324  aligned at two sides, and a recessed hole  326  disposed at one side of one pivot hole  322 . The foot brake  36  comprises a pedal  360 , a brake shoe  366 , a transverse pivot hole  362  spaced between the pedal  360  and the brake shoe  366 , and a recessed hole  364  disposed at one side adjacent to the pivot hole  362 . The pivot  320  is mounted in the pivot holes  322  and  324  of the rear wheel bracket  32  and the pivot hole  362  of the foot brake  36  to pivotally secure the foot brake  36  to the rear wheel bracket  32 . The spring member  34  is mounted on the pivot  320  and connected between the recessed hole  326  of the rear wheel bracket  32  and the recessed hole  364  of the foot brake  36  to hold the foot brake  36  in the non-braking position where the brake shoe  366  is spaced from the periphery of the kick scooter&#39;s rear wheel. When the user steps on the pedal  360 , the foot brake  36  is turned about the pivot  320  through an angle to overcome the spring power of the spring member  34  and to force the brake shoe  366  against the periphery of the kick scooter&#39;s rear wheel, and therefore the kick scooter is stopped. When releasing the foot from the foot brake  36 , the spring member  34  immediately returns the foot brake  36  to its former position, for enabling the rear wheel to be freely rotated.  
         [0013]    While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that various modifications and changes could be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention disclosed.