Patent Description:
As a new type of transportation tool, scooter has a rapid growth in the export market in recent years. Its portability and lightweight are welcomed by most users. It has become one of the new travel tools after bicycle. The folding devices of existing scooters generally employ a link rod or lock pin mechanism to realize folding. For the electric scooters employing the link rod and lock pin mechanism, the folding mechanism has a great number of parts, thus the accumulative tolerance enables certain gap between the folding and unfolding states; because of the special headset position of the scooter, the gap will be magnified <NUM>-<NUM> times at the handle end, causing the handle to shake during the driving process. Moreover, most scooters cannot be folded under the pressure of their own weights; generally, users need to shake the handles and fold the scooters with force. In addition, existing electric scooters have a disordered wiring and are uneasy to use and maintain.

<CIT> is considered the closest prior art and discloses the following features of claim <NUM>; a scooter, comprising a front fork, characterized in that the scooter further comprises a folding sleeve, a folding core, a folding seat, a folding lock and a folding pin, wherein the folding seat is fixed on the front fork, a lower portion of the folding core is rotatably connected into the folding seat by means of the folding pin in a folding manner, the folding sleeve is arranged outside the folding seat in a sheath manner, a lock catch assembly is arranged on a middle portion of the folding core, a folding fastener matching the lock catch assembly is arranged on a front portion of a footboard, the folding lock is arranged on an upper portion of the folding core in a sheath manner.

<CIT> discloses a scooter including a handle secured to the front portion of a board and rotatably relative to the board between an upright working position and a lowered folding position. A latch ring is slidably engaged on the handle and selectively engaged with the seat for securing the handle to the board at the upright working position and the lowered folding position. The latch ring includes one or more projections for engaging into the seat and for solidly securing the handle to the seat. A fastener or a quick release locking device may solidly secure the latch ring to the handle.

In view of the defects in exiting technologies, the present disclosure aims to provide a scooter which is easy to fold and has neat wiring.

In order to achieve the above aim, the present disclosure employs the following technical scheme.

A scooter, including a front fork, wherein the scooter further includes a folding sleeve, a folding core, a folding seat, a folding lock and a folding pin, wherein the folding seat is fixed on the front fork, a lower portion of the folding core is rotatably connected into the folding seat by means of the folding pin in a folding manner, the folding sleeve is arranged outside the folding seat in a sheath manner, a sliding rail is arranged in the folding sleeve, a lock catch assembly is arranged on a middle portion of the folding core, a folding fastener matching the lock catch assembly is arranged on a front portion of a footboard, the folding lock is arranged on an upper portion of the folding core in a sheath manner, and the folding lock is provided with a sliding shaft; during folding, the folding lock is rotated to enable the sliding shaft to be clamped into the sliding rail, and the folding sleeve is pulled upwards to enable the sliding shaft to vertically slide along the sliding rail, then the folding sleeve drives the folding core to be folded and rotated to fix the lock catch assembly on the folding core to the folding fastener in a buckle manner.

Further, the lock catch assembly includes a folding column and a folding hook, the folding hook is provided with a bending hook at a front portion and defines a limit notch at a rear portion, the bending hook and the folding fastener are moveably buckled, the folding column is transversely clamped in the limit notch, and two ends of the folding column are fixed on the middle portion of the folding core.

Further, the scooter further includes a hooking piece and a spring, an upper portion of the hooking piece is fixed at the center of the folding column of the lock catch assembly, the folding pin is provided with a thin hooking rod on a middle portion, one end of the spring is fixed below the hooking piece and the other end is fixed on the thin hooking rod.

Further, the sliding shaft is provided with a ball at a front portion, and the folding core defines a circular hole for the ball to clamp into.

Further, the folding lock is provided with a plane on left and right sides and provided with a circular arc surface on front and rear sides, the circular arc surface is provided with a plurality of protruded ribs, and the sliding shaft is arranged on the middle protruded rib on the circular surface at the two sides.

Further, the folding fastener defines a fastener hole at a front portion and is provided with a fixing column at a rear portion, and the fixing column is connected to the front portion of the footboard.

Further, the hooking piece is an eyebolt having a circular ring arranged at a lower portion thereof.

Further, the folding core defines an opening on two sides of the middle portion, two ends of the lock catch assembly are inserted and fixed in the opening, the folding core is provided with an extending plate on two sides of a lower portion, and the extending plate defines a folding pin hole at a lower portion.

Further, the folding seat defines an opening towards the folding direction of the folding core.

Further, the front fork includes a front fork inner tube, the folding seat is installed on the front fork inner tube, the folding core defines a vertical wiring conduit that is communicated with the front fork inner tube, and the front fork inner tube defines a wire outlet towards the footboard.

Further, the folding core has an upper end connected to a vertical tube, and the vertical tube is used for connecting to a handle.

With the technical scheme of the present disclosure, the following benefits can be achieved. Compared with existing technologies, the scooter provided by the present disclosure is rapid and easy to fold and unfold, most parts are of a dual-functional structure, the number of part structures is small, the structure is skillful, the locking firmness is high after the scooter is folded, the wiring is neat, and the maintenance and assembly are convenient and fast.

In the drawings, <NUM> represents a folding sleeve, <NUM> represents a hooking piece, <NUM> represents a folding pin, <NUM> represents a folding column, <NUM> represents a folding hook, <NUM> represents a folding fastener, <NUM> represents a folding core, <NUM> represents a folding lock, <NUM> represents a folding seat, <NUM> represents a folding pin hole, <NUM> represents a front fork, <NUM> represents a vertical tube, <NUM> represents a front fork inner tube, <NUM> represents a central hole, <NUM> represents a spring, <NUM> represents a sliding rail, <NUM> represents a sliding shaft, <NUM> represents a footboard, <NUM> represents a circular ring, <NUM> represents a thin hooking rod, <NUM> represents a limit screw, and <NUM> represent a long hole.

The specific scheme and specific embodiments of the present disclosure are further illustrated below in conjunction with accompanying drawings.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, a scooter includes a front fork <NUM>, wherein the scooter further includes a folding sleeve <NUM>, a folding core <NUM>, a folding seat <NUM>, a folding lock <NUM> and a folding pin <NUM>, wherein the folding seat <NUM> is fixed on the front fork <NUM>, a lower portion of the folding core <NUM> is rotatably connected into the folding seat <NUM> by means of the folding pin <NUM> in a folding manner, the folding sleeve <NUM> is arranged outside the folding seat <NUM> in a sheath manner, a sliding rail <NUM> is arranged in the folding sleeve <NUM>, a lock catch assembly is arranged on a middle portion of the folding core <NUM>, a folding fastener <NUM> matching the lock catch assembly is arranged on a front portion of a footboard <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. The folding lock <NUM> is arranged on an upper portion of the folding core <NUM> in a sheath manner, and the folding lock <NUM> is provided with a sliding shaft <NUM>; during folding, the folding lock <NUM> is rotated to enable the sliding shaft <NUM> to be clamped into the sliding rail <NUM>, and the folding sleeve is pulled upwards to enable the sliding shaft to vertically slide along the sliding rail <NUM>, then the folding sleeve <NUM> drives the folding core <NUM> to be folded and rotated to fix the lock catch assembly on the folding core <NUM> to the folding fastener <NUM> in a buckle manner. The folding and rotating means that the folding core <NUM> is rotated towards the footboard <NUM>.

The folding core <NUM> defines an opening on two sides of the middle portion, two ends of the lock catch assembly are inserted and fixed in the opening, the folding core <NUM> is provided with an extending plate on two sides of a lower portion, and the extending plate defines a folding pin hole <NUM> at a lower portion.

The lock catch assembly includes a folding column <NUM> and a folding hook <NUM>, the folding hook <NUM> is provided with a bending hook at a front portion and defines a limit notch at a rear portion, the bending hook and the folding fastener <NUM> are moveably buckled, the folding column <NUM> is transversely clamped in the limit notch, and two ends of the folding column <NUM> are fixed on the middle portion of the folding core <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. The folding fastener <NUM> defines a fastener hole at a front portion and is provided with a fixing column at a rear portion, and the fixing column is connected to the front portion of the footboard <NUM>. The bending hook is a downward bending hook, which can be buckled with the front portion of the folding fastener <NUM> after folded, the locking mode is convenient and fast. Two ends of the folding column <NUM> are inserted into the opening of the folding core <NUM>, thereby fixing the folding hook <NUM> into the folding core <NUM>, meanwhile the folding column <NUM> is also used for fixing the hooking piece <NUM>. One part achieves dual functions, thereby enabling a skillful design and saving space and materials.

The scooter further includes a hooking piece <NUM> and a spring <NUM>, an upper portion of the hooking piece <NUM> is fixed in a central hole <NUM> of the folding column <NUM> of the lock catch assembly, the folding pin <NUM> is provided with a thin hooking rod <NUM> on a middle portion, one end of the spring <NUM> is fixed below the hooking piece <NUM> and the other end is fixed on the thin hooking rod <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. The hooking piece <NUM> is an eyebolt having a circular ring <NUM> arranged at a lower portion thereof. The folding pin is of a barbell type, two ends of which are rotating shafts and the middle portion is thinner, on which the spring <NUM> can be fixed. The structure is a dual-functional structure and is skillful. The arrangement of the spring <NUM> enables a buffer function when the folding sleeve <NUM> is pulled upwards, then the folding sleeve <NUM> can be pulled upwards gently; furthermore, during unlocking, the folding sleeve <NUM> can be restored automatically under the action of the pulling force of the spring <NUM>.

The folding core <NUM> is further provided with a limit screw <NUM> on the middle portion, an inner surface of the lower portion of the folding sleeve <NUM> is provided with a protrusion; when the folding sleeve <NUM> is pulled upwards until the protrusion presses against the limit screw <NUM>, the folding sleeve <NUM> cannot be pulled up any more, which indicates it is time to conduct the folding operation.

The folding lock <NUM> is provided with a plane on left and right sides and provided with a circular arc surface on front and rear sides, the circular arc surface is provided with a plurality of protruded ribs, and the sliding shaft <NUM> is arranged on the middle protruded rib on the circular surface at the two sides. The protruded rib also can slide downwards along the sliding rail <NUM> and slide together with the sliding shaft to make the sliding smoother. The sliding shaft <NUM> is provided with a ball at a front portion, and the folding core <NUM> defines a circular hole for the ball to clamp into. The ball enables the rotation of the folding lock <NUM> smoother, and when rotated to the circular hole, the ball is clamped into the circular hole to limit the rotation. With a little strength, the ball can be rotated out of the circular hole.

The plane of the folding lock <NUM> further defines a long hole <NUM>, which increases the friction during rotation, to facilitate the rotation of the folding lock <NUM>.

The folding seat <NUM> defines an opening towards the folding direction of the folding core <NUM>.

The front fork <NUM> includes a front fork inner tube <NUM>, the folding seat <NUM> is installed on the front fork inner tube <NUM>, the folding core <NUM> defines a vertical wiring conduit that is communicated with the front fork inner tube <NUM>, and the front fork inner tube <NUM> defines a wire outlet towards the footboard, to enable uniform and smooth wiring.

The folding core <NUM> has an upper end connected to a vertical tube <NUM>, and the vertical tube <NUM> is used for connecting to a handle.

When folding the scooter of the present disclosure, just rotate the folding lock <NUM>; upon the hand feels the ball being clamped into the circular hole, the sliding shaft <NUM> is just clamped into the guide rail. Pull the folding sleeve <NUM> upwards; when the folding sleeve <NUM> is pulled upwards until the protrusion presses against the limit screw <NUM> and cannot be pulled up any more, fold the folding sleeve <NUM> downwards, then the folding sleeve <NUM> drives the folding core <NUM> to bend towards the footboard <NUM>. The folding hook <NUM> and the folding fastener <NUM> are buckled and fixed, completing the folding action of the scooter.

Claim 1:
A scooter, comprising a front fork (<NUM>), the scooter further comprises a folding sleeve (<NUM>), a folding core (<NUM>), a folding seat (<NUM>), a folding lock (<NUM>) and a folding pin (<NUM>), wherein the folding seat (<NUM>) is fixed on the front fork (<NUM>), a lower portion of the folding core (<NUM>) is rotatably connected into the folding seat (<NUM>) by means of the folding pin (<NUM>) in a folding manner, the folding sleeve (<NUM>) is arranged outside the folding seat (<NUM>) in a sheath manner, a sliding rail (<NUM>) is arranged in the folding sleeve (<NUM>), a lock catch assembly is arranged on a middle portion of the folding core (<NUM>), a folding fastener (<NUM>) matching the lock catch assembly is arranged on a front portion of a footboard (<NUM>), the folding lock (<NUM>) is arranged on an upper portion of the folding core (<NUM>) in a sheath manner, and the folding lock (<NUM>) is provided with a sliding shaft (<NUM>); during folding, the folding lock (<NUM>) is rotated to enable the sliding shaft (<NUM>) to be clamped into the sliding rail (<NUM>), and the folding sleeve (<NUM>) is pulled upwards to enable the sliding shaft (<NUM>) to vertically slide along the sliding rail (<NUM>), then the folding sleeve (<NUM>) drives the folding core (<NUM>) to be folded and rotated to fix the lock catch assembly on the folding core (<NUM>) to the folding fastener (<NUM>) in a buckle manner.