Patent ID: 7597333

Claim:
A scooter, comprising: a body comprising a rider platform having a riding surface for supporting a standing rider; a front wheel assembly having at least one wheel coupled for pivotal and rotational movement relative to the rider platform; a steering assembly coupled to the front wheel assembly and adapted to transmit steering inputs from a rider standing on the rider platform to the front wheel assembly, wherein the steering assembly includes a steering mechanism and a steering column coupling the steering mechanism to the front wheel assembly; a rear wheel assembly comprising a truck assembly and at least a pair of rear wheels coupled for pivotal and rotational movement relative to the rider platform by the truck assembly, wherein the truck assembly includes a mount that is secured in a fixed orientation relative to the rider platform, an axle assembly upon which the rear wheels are mounted, and a pivot member that pivotally couples the axle assembly to the mount for pivotal movement relative to the rider platform about a steering axis; and a brake assembly adapted to selectively apply braking forces to the rear wheel assembly, wherein the brake assembly comprises: an actuator extending rearward of the riding surface and adapted to receive braking inputs from a rider standing on the rider platform; and a brake member positioned to selectively engage an engagement surface of at least one of the rear wheels to apply braking forces thereto responsive to rider-applied braking inputs to the actuator, wherein the brake assembly is pivotally coupled to the pivot member of the truck assembly and is configured to be selectively pivoted about a pivot axis between at least an unactuated configuration and a braking configuration, wherein in the unactuated configuration, the actuator is positioned to receive braking inputs from a rider standing on the rider platform and the brake member is not applying braking forces to the rear wheels, wherein the steering axis of the rear wheel assembly intersects with at least an upper surface of the actuator when the brake assembly is in the unactuated configuration, and further wherein in the braking configuration the actuator and the brake member are pivoted from the unactuated configuration and the brake assembly is applying braking forces to the rear wheel assembly.