초록

An anti-tipping mechanism for a vehicle that provides a strut actively deployed by rotation from a retracted position so as to bring a wheel into ground contact to inhibit tipping of the vehicle.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] An anti-tipping vehicle, the vehicle characterized by a center of mass and a direction of travel, the vehicle comprising:a. a frame;b. a pair of wheels rotating in laterally spaced planes, the pair of wheels dynamically maintaining stability of the vehicle with respect to fore-aft

[ We claim:] [1.] An anti-tipping vehicle, the vehicle characterized by a center of mass and a direction of travel, the vehicle comprising:a. a frame;b. a pair of wheels rotating in laterally spaced planes, the pair of wheels dynamically maintaining stability of the vehicle with respect to fore-aft tipping during normal operation;c. a strut coupled to the frame in such a manner as to permit rotation of the strut from a retracted position to a deployed position about an axis, the axis having a component perpendicular to the direction of travel of the vehicle;d. a wheel mounted to an end of the strut;e. a sensor responsive to motion of the center of mass in one of a forward and backward direction;f. an actuator for rotating the strut from the retracted position to the deployed position; andg. a controller, in communication with the sensor, for activating the actuator in response to a specified motion of the center of mass in one of the forward and backward directions.