초록 ▼

A children's ride-on vehicle. The ride-on vehicle includes a frame adapted to support a child, and a drive assembly with a battery-powered motor assembly. The ride-on vehicle further includes one or more steerable wheels and one or more driven wheels. In some embodiments, the ride-on resembles a ful

A children's ride-on vehicle. The ride-on vehicle includes a frame adapted to support a child, and a drive assembly with a battery-powered motor assembly. The ride-on vehicle further includes one or more steerable wheels and one or more driven wheels. In some embodiments, the ride-on resembles a full-size motorcycle. In some embodiments, the ride-on vehicle includes a free-floating wheel, which is unbiased and travels within a defined range of positions with respect to the ride-on vehicle's frame as external forces are imparted to the wheel. In some embodiments, the ride-on includes a high-speed switch positioned for momentary high-speed travel of the ride-on vehicle and a user-manipulable portion may be provided to enable a child to select such a high-speed configuration. In some embodiments, the ride-on vehicle includes a simulated shock absorber and/or a passenger sidecar. Finally, in some embodiments, the ride-on may include wheel assemblies that simulate inflatable wheels.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A children's ride-on vehicle, comprising:a vehicle body having a frame;a seat assembly including a seat adapted to receive at least one child and a biasing assembly extending generally between the seat and the frame, wherein the seat is coupled to the frame for pivotal movement relative to the fr

1. A children's ride-on vehicle, comprising:a vehicle body having a frame;a seat assembly including a seat adapted to receive at least one child and a biasing assembly extending generally between the seat and the frame, wherein the seat is coupled to the frame for pivotal movement relative to the frame and the biasing assembly includes a biasing structure that is adapted to urge the seat away from the frame to enable pivotal and oscillating movement of the seat relative to the frame from a pivot point forward of the seat;a plurality of wheels rotatably coupled to the vehicle body and including at least one driven wheel adapted to be rotationally driven by a drive assembly and at least one steerable wheel adapted to be selectively steered by a child seated on the seat;a steering assembly including a steering mechanism coupled to the at least one steerable wheel, wherein the steering mechanism includes a region adapted to be grasped by a child operating the vehicle to steer the vehicle; anda drive assembly having a motor assembly adapted to drive the at least one driven wheel and a battery assembly adapted to power the motor assembly wherein the plurality of wheels includes at least a pair of driven wheels, the at least one steerable wheel, and at least one non-driven and non-steerable wheel coupled to the frame generally rearward of the at least a pair of driven wheels and the at least one steerable wheel. 2. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 1, wherein the biasing assembly includes a first telescoping member, a second telescoping member that is adapted to telescope relative to the first telescoping member, and further wherein the biasing structure is adapted to urge the first and the second telescoping members away from each other to enable the pivotal and oscillating movement of the seat relative to the frame. 3. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 2, wherein the first telescoping member is coupled to the seat and the second telescoping member is coupled to the frame. 4. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 1, wherein the biasing assembly includes a housing that defines an internal compartment in which the biasing structure is housed. 5. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 4, wherein the biasing structure includes a coil spring. 6. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 1, wherein the biasing assembly has a first configuration where the biasing structure is substantially uncompressed and the seat extends above the body in a first position. 7. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 6, wherein the biasing assembly has a second configuration where the biasing structure is at least partially compressed and the seat extends closer to the frame than in the first configuration. 8. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 1, wherein the steering mechanism includes a handlebar assembly that includes a rotatable handgrip, a switch assembly with a switch having a mechanical contact housed within the handlebar assembly and which forms a portion of a wiring harness that selectively interconnects the battery assembly and the motor assembly of the vehicle's drive assembly, and further wherein the handgrip is adapted to selectively engage the contact and actuate the switch upon rotation of the handgrip. 9. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 8, wherein the handgrip is selectively rotatable within a range of positions that include an unactuated position, in which the switch is not actuated, and an actuated position, in which the switch is actuated. 10. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 9, wherein the handgrip includes a cam that rotates with the handgrip and selectively engages the mechanical contact when the handgrip is in the actuated position. 11. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 10, wherein in the unactuated position, the drive assembly is adapted to drive the vehicle's driven wheels at a first non-zero speed, and in the actuated position, the drive assembly is adapted to selectively drive the vehicle's driven wheels at a second speed that is greater than the first speed. 12. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 11, wherein the drive assembly is adapted to selectively drive the vehicle in a forward direction and a reverse direction, and further wherein the drive assembly includes a controller that is adapted to restrict driving of the vehicle in the reverse direction at the second speed. 13. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 12, wherein the motor assembly includes a pair of motors that are selectively configurable between parallel and series configurations, and further wherein the controller is adapted to restrict configuration of the pair of motors in the parallel configuration when the drive assembly is configured to drive the vehicle in the reverse direction. 14. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 9, wherein the handlebar assembly further includes a biasing mechanism that urges the handgrip to the unactuated position. 15. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 10, wherein the handgrip is rotatable about an axis of rotation and further wherein the cam extends radially outward from the axis of rotation. 16. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 15, wherein the mechanical contact is adapted to be urged within a range of positions extending transverse to the axis of rotation of the hand grip. 17. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of wheels includes a wheel assembly that is adapted to simulate an inflatable tire having a resilient tread structure yet which includes a rigid core. 18. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 17, wherein the rigid core has an outer circumference and the resilient tread structure is applied to the outer circumference of the core. 19. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 18, wherein the core includes a first core portion and a second core portion that is adapted to be mechanically interlocked with the first core portion. 20. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 18, wherein the core is formed from rigid plastic and further wherein the tread structure is formed from a material that is softer than the rigid plastic. 21. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 18, wherein the outer circumference of the core is non-concave. 22. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 18, wherein the core includes projecting members extending from the outer circumference and around which the tread structure extends. 23. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 18, wherein the core includes receiving structure that defines recesses into which the tread structure extends. 24. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 23, wherein the core includes sidewalls and the recesses extend into the sidewalls of the core. 25. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a sidecar coupled to the vehicle, wherein the sidecar includes a passenger compartment with a seat adapted to receive a child, a body, and at least one rotatable wheel. 26. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 25, wherein the sidecar is adapted to be selectively removed from the vehicle and reattached thereto. 27. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 26, wherein the vehicle includes at least one coupling structure adapted to releasably secure the sidecar to the vehicle. 28. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 25, wherein the body of the sidecar is integrated with the body of the vehicle. 29. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 25, further including at least one support extending between the body of the sidecar and the body of the vehicle. 30. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 1, wherein the biasing assembly includes first and second distal end regions, with each of the end regions including an anchor, with the anchors being adapted to be respectively coupled to the seat and the frame of the vehicle and to restrict rotation of the biasing assembly relative to the frame. 31. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 30, wherein the biasing assembly includes a first teles coping member, a second telescoping member that is adapted to telescope relative to the first telescoping member, and further wherein the biasing structure is adapted to urge the first and the second telescoping members away from each other. 32. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 31, wherein the first telescoping member is coupled to the seat with a first one of the anchors and the second telescoping member is coupled to the frame with a second one of the anchors. 33. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at last one non-driven and non-steerable wheel is adapted to travel within a range of positions relative to the frame responsive to external forces imparted to the wheel. 34. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-driven and non-steerable wheel is free from internal bias. 35. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 1, wherein the frame includes a track that defines upper and lower limits within which the at least one non-driven and non-steerable wheel is adapted to travel as external forces are imparted to the at least one non-driven and non-steerable wheel. 36. A children's ride-on vehicle, comprising:a vehicle body having a frame and a seat sized to receive a child;a plurality of wheels coupled to the vehicle body, wherein the plurality of wheels includes at least one driven wheel adapted to be rotationally driven by a drive assembly and at least one steerable wheel adapted to be selectively steered by a child operating the vehicle, and further wherein at least one of the plurality of wheels includes a rigid core having an outer circumference and sidewalls and a resilient tread structure overmolded over the outer circumference and at least a portion of the sidewalls of the core, wherein the core includes a plurality of projecting members that extend generally away from the core and over which the tread structure extends;a steering assembly including a steering mechanism coupled to the at least one steerable wheel, wherein the steering mechanism includes at least one region adapted to be grasped by a child operating the vehicle to steer the vehicle; anda drive assembly having a motor assembly adapted to drive the at least one driven wheel and a battery assembly adapted to power the motor assembly. 37. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 36, wherein the core includes a first core portion and a second core portion that is adapted to be mechanically interlocked with the first core portion. 38. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 36, wherein the outer circumference of the core is at least substantially non-concave. 39. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 36, wherein the core further includes receiving structure that defines recesses into which the tread structure extends. 40. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 36, wherein the plurality of wheels include the at least one driven wheel, the at least one steerable wheel, and at least one non-driven and non-steerable wheel coupled to the frame generally rearward of the at least one driven wheel and the at least one steerable wheel. 41. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 40, wherein the at least one non-driven and non-steerable wheel is adapted to travel within a range of positions relative to the frame responsive to external forces imparted to the wheel. 42. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 40, wherein the at least one non-driven and non-steerable wheel is free from internal bias. 43. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 40, wherein the frame includes a track that defines upper and lower limits within which the at least one non-driven and non-steerable wheel is adapted to travel as external forces are imparted to the at least one non-driven and non-steerable wheel. 44. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 36, further comprising a sidecar coupled to the vehicle, wherein the sidecar includes a passenger compartment with a seat adapted to receive a child, a body, and at least one rotatable wheel. 4 5. A children's ride-on vehicle, comprising:a vehicle body having a frame;a seat assembly including a seat adapted to receive at least one child and a biasing assembly extending generally between the seat and the frame, wherein the seat is coupled to the frame for pivotal movement relative to the frame and the biasing assembly includes a biasing structure that is adapted to urge the seat away from the frame to enable oscillating movement of the seat relative to the frame;a plurality of wheels rotatably coupled to the vehicle body and including at least one driven wheel adapted to be rotationally driven by a drive assembly and at least one steerable wheel adapted to be selectively steered by a child seated on the seat;a drive assembly having a motor assembly adapted to drive the at least one driven wheel and a battery assembly adapted to power the motor assembly;a steering assembly including a steering mechanism coupled to the at least one steerable wheel, wherein the steering mechanism includes a handlebar assembly with a rotatable handgrip adapted to be grasped by a child operating the vehicle to steer the vehicle, and a switch assembly with a switch having a mechanical contact housed within the handlebar assembly and which forms a portion of a wiring harness that selectively interconnects the battery assembly and the motor assembly of the vehicle's drive assembly, wherein the handgrip is selectively rotatable within a range of positions that include an unactuated position, in which the switch is not actuated, and an actuated position, in which the switch is actuated, and further wherein the handgrip includes a cam that rotates with the handgrip and selectively engages the mechanical contact when the handgrip is in the actuated position to actuate the switch, wherein in the unactuated position, the drive assembly is adapted to drive the vehicle's driven wheels at a first speed, and in the actuated position, the drive assembly is adapted to selectively drive the vehicle's driven wheels at a second speed that is greater than the first speed, wherein the drive assembly is adapted to selectively drive the vehicle in a forward direction and a reverse direction, and further wherein the drive assembly includes a controller that is adapted to restrict driving of the vehicle in the reverse direction at the second speed. 46. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 45, wherein the motor assembly includes a pair of motors that are selectively configurable between parallel and series configurations, and further wherein the controller is adapted to restrict configuration of the pair of motors in the parallel configuration when the drive assembly is configured to drive the vehicle in the reverse direction. 47. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 45, wherein the handlebar assembly further includes a biasing mechanism that urges the handgrip to the unactuated position. 48. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 45, wherein the handgrip is rotatable about an axis of rotation and further wherein the cam extends radially outward from the axis of rotation. 49. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 48, wherein the mechanical contact is adapted to be urged within a range of positions extending transverse to the axis of rotation of the hand grip. 50. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 45, wherein at least one of the plurality of wheels includes a wheel assembly that is adapted to simulate an inflatable tire having a resilient tread structure yet which includes a rigid core. 51. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 50, wherein the rigid core has an outer circumference and sidewalls, and further wherein the resilient tread structure is overmolded to the core and extends over the outer circumference and at least a portion of the sidewalls of the core. 52. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 51, wherein the outer circumference of the core is non-concave. 53. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 50, wherein the core includes a plura lity of projecting members extending from the core and around which the tread structure extends. 54. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 45, further comprising a sidecar coupled to the vehicle, wherein the sidecar includes a passenger compartment with a seat adapted to receive a child, a body, and at least one rotatable wheel. 55. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 45, wherein the plurality of wheels includes the at least one driven wheel, the at least one steerable wheel, and at least one non-driven and non-steerable wheel coupled to the frame generally rearward of the at least one driven wheel and the at least one steerable wheel. 56. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 55, wherein the at last one non-driven and non-steerable wheel is adapted to travel within a range of positions relative to the frame responsive to external forces imparted to the wheel. 57. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 55, wherein the at least one non-driven and non-steerable wheel is free from internal bias. 58. The children's ride-on vehicle of claim 55, wherein the frame includes a track that defines upper and lower limits within which the at least one non-driven and non-steerable wheel is adapted to travel as external forces are imparted to the at least one non-driven and non-steerable wheel.