초록 ▼

A steerable wheeled sport conveyance is disclosed employing a unique diamond shaped footprint especially adapted for riding at relatively high speeds over various types of terrain. A first set of singular in-line steering wheels are rotatably mounted on the opposing ends of an elongated frame in a m

A steerable wheeled sport conveyance is disclosed employing a unique diamond shaped footprint especially adapted for riding at relatively high speeds over various types of terrain. A first set of singular in-line steering wheels are rotatably mounted on the opposing ends of an elongated frame in a manner that also allows one or both of them to pivot on a vertical axis, and a second set of parallel wheels are mounted in an opposing manner across the longitudinal tilt axis of the conveyance. The opposing parallel wheels are attached to corresponding struts, which in turn are independently pivotably mounted near the longitudinal centerline of the frame, and are rotatable in a plane perpendicular to the rotationary plane of the two sets of wheels. Side to side tilting motions of the frame relative to the opposing struts creates vertical displacements between them, thus providing the steering forces that are conveyed and connected to the axles of one or both of the in-line steering wheels.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. A wheeled footboard sport conveyance with an elongated and substantially horizontal frame structure that includes a singular inline front wheel, a singular inline rear wheel, a set of opposing side wheels and a corresponding set of side wheel strut elements disposed traversely along the

I claim: 1. A wheeled footboard sport conveyance with an elongated and substantially horizontal frame structure that includes a singular inline front wheel, a singular inline rear wheel, a set of opposing side wheels and a corresponding set of side wheel strut elements disposed traversely along the elongated frame structure at a point between the singular front wheel and the singular rear wheel, a set of opposing control line elements linking the side wheel strut elements with said singular front wheel, wherein vertical displacement of the opposing side wheels relative to the orientation of said elongated frame structure provide steering forces for said singular front wheel, comprising: (a) said elongated frame structure having at least one planar surface area for supporting a standing rider, a plurality of opposing and substantially horizontal elongated frame elements disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wheeled footboard, a plurality of crossmember supports interposed traversely between the opposing elongated frame elements underlying and supporting said planar surface area, said opposing elongated frame elements being further disposed in equidistant manner from the longitudinal center line axis of said elongated frame structure; (b) said singular front wheel being rotatably mounted on a center portion of a front axle that extends traversely between said opposing elongated frame elements substantially near respective forward end portions, said singular rear wheel being rotatably mounted on the center portion of a rear axle interposed traversely between the opposing frame elements substantially near respective rearward end portions; (c) opposing left and right end portions of said front axle being movably attached to the forward end portions of said opposing frame elements by means for independent forward and rearward movement of the left and right end portions of said front axle within predetermined ranges; (d) a means for biasing being disposed longitudinally within forward segments of said opposing frame elements and bearing against said left and right end portions of said front axial extrusion, whereby constant outward pressures uniformly hold said front axial extrusion substantially to forward ends of said predetermined ranges; (e) said opposing side wheels being rotatably mounted to said elongated frame structure by the opposing side wheel strut elements in a manner that simultaneously provides a first action of independent vertical displacements of said opposing side wheels relative to said planar surface area of said elongated frame structure, and a second action of maintaining substantial angular coherence between said opposing side wheels and the singular end wheels, whereby all wheels of the footboard conveyance stay substantially perpendicular to said planar surface area and substantially parallel to each other throughout the full tilting range of said wheeled footboard; (f) said set of opposing control line elements link respective opposing end portions of said front axial extrusion to said side wheel strut elements in a substantially continuous and consistent manner, wherein vertical displacement of said side wheel strut elements relative to said planar surface area directly results in measured horizontal displacement of said left and right end portions of said front axial extrusion; (g) whereby said rider, while standing upright upon and tilting said planar surface area of said wheeled footboard, actuates said vertical displacement of said opposing side wheels and said corresponding struts elements; which further actuates said linear horizontal displacement of said left and right end portions of said front axial extrusion, thereby turning said singular front wheel and vectoring said wheeled footboard in the tilted direction, and conversely, by releasing tilting pressures, said means for biasing impels both the left end portion and the right end portion of said front axial extrusion substantially towards said forward ends of said predetermined ranges, to actuate the horizontal and vertical displacements in a reverse manner, thus permitting said wheeled footboard to revert to a substantially static straight ahead vector. 2. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 1 wherein the independent forward and rearward movements of said left and right end portions of said front axle are retained against a substantially static and fixedly oriented forward end frame structure. 3. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 1 wherein a set of side wheel axial mount elements is fixedly attached to said corresponding set of side wheel strut elements on their outermost portions, the side wheel axial mount elements extending outward away from each other in an orientation generally perpendicular to said longitudinal center line axis of said wheeled footboard, said side wheel strut elements having innermost portions rotatably mounted to opposing segments of said elongated frame structure, whereby upward and downward swinging motions of said side wheel strut elements are permitted about the axis of respective rotatable mountings. 4. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 1 wherein said opposing frame elements are of extruded tubular members, wherein said means for independent forward and rearward movements includes a plurality of aligned horizontally biased openings located in side walls of said forward end portions of the opposing tubular members, the aligned horizontal openings in said extruded tubular members being of sufficient height to receive said left and right end portions of said front axial extrusion, wherein said left and right end portions extrude axially through and are confined therein. 5. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 1 wherein the longitudinal orientation of said set of opposing control line elements is substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said wheeled footboard and generally parallel and horizontal to said means for biasing. 6. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 1, further including a propulsion motor disposed generally at a center portion of said elongated structure, the motor providing rotary drive forces, said rotary drive forces being mechanically transferred distally to said singular rear wheel. 7. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 1, further including a plurality of foot engaging elements, the foot engaging elements being affixed to said planar surface area, the locations of said foot engaging elements corresponding to the feet of said rider, said foot engaging elements securing the feet of the rider to the wheeled footboard. 8. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 1, further including an adjustable frame support element disposed on said elongated frame structure between the front wheel and the rear wheel, said adjustable frame support element providing a counteracting force for general gravitational fatigue pressures imposed on said elongated frame structure during use. 9. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 1, further including a braking device to slow and stop said wheeled footboard, said braking device being attached to said singular rear wheel. 10. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 4 wherein said means for biasing including a plurality of springs, wherein, the longitudinal orientation of said springs being substantially horizontal to and parallel with said longitudinal axis of said wheeled footboard. 11. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 4 wherein left and right end segments of said front axial extrusion including a left shouldering element and a right shouldering element located substantially adjacent to the respective aligned openings on said opposing tubular members, said shouldering elements allowing only said left and right end portions of said front axle to extrude through said respective aligned openings in said opposing tubular members, substantially constraining said front axial extrusion traversely between said opposing tubular members. 12. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 9, further including a hand held control element, said hand held control element providing a mounting structure for at least a brake device controlling element, said brake device controlling element being connected distally to said braking device of said singular rear wheel. 13. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 10 wherein said springs are compression springs disposed within internal bores of said opposing tubular members, said compression springs being fixedly anchored to respective tubular members on aft end portions thereof, forward end portions of said compression springs abutting and movably engaging said left and right end portions of said front axial extrusion. 14. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 11 further including a plurality of friction reducing components juxtaposed on said left and right end segments of said front axle to simultaneously engage the shouldering elements, the opposing end portions of said front axial extrusion, and the forward surface areas of the opposing elongated tubular frame elements, whereby said opposing end portions of said front axial extrusion can more easily slide forward and rearward within the confines of said respective aligned openings. 15. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 14 wherein said plurality of friction reducing elements including a plurality of concave shielding objects interposed between said shouldering elements of said front axial extrusion and forward surface areas of said opposing tubular members common to edges of said aligned horizontal openings, the curvature of said concave shielding objects being substantially congruent to at least a portion of a curved surface profile of said opposing tubular members. 16. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 15 wherein said plurality of said friction reducing components including circular bearing elements rotatably mounted on said opposing end portions of said front axial extrusion at locations common to said openings of said opposing tubular members, said circular bearing elements being axially oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said opposing tubular members. 17. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 16 wherein outer surfaces of said circular bearing elements continuously contact portions of said openings of said opposing tubular members as said opposing end portions of said front axial extrusion slide to and fro along and within said aligned horizontal openings, the contact of said internal bores providing a clearance gap between the axial surfaces of said opposing end portions of said front axial extrusion and said edges of said aligned horizontal openings. 18. A wheeled footboard sport conveyance with an elongated and substantially horizontal frame structure that includes a singular inline front wheel, a singular inline rear wheel, a set of opposing side wheels and a corresponding set of side wheel strut elements disposed traversely along the elongated frame structure at a point between the inline front wheel and the inline rear wheel, a set of opposing control line elements linking the side wheel strut elements with the front wheel and the rear wheel, wherein vertical displacement of the opposing side wheels relative to the orientation of said elongated frame structure provide steering forces for said front wheel and said rear wheel, comprising: (a) said elongated frame structure having at least one planar surface area for supporting a standing rider, a plurality of opposing and substantially horizontal elongated tubular frame elements disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wheeled footboard, a plurality of crossmember supports interposed traversely between the opposing tubular frame elements, underlying and supporting said planar surface area, the opposing frame elements being further disposed in equidistant manner from the longitudinal center line axis of said elongated frame structure; (b) said front wheel being rotatably mounted on a center portion of a front axle that extends traversely between said opposing frame elements substantially near respective forward end portions, said rear wheel being rotatably mounted on a center portion of a rear axle that extends traversely between said opposing frame elements substantially near respective rearward end portions; (c) left and right end portions of said front axial extrusion being movably attached to the forward end portions of said opposing frame elements by a first means for independent forward and rearward movement of said left and right end portions of said front axle within a first predetermined range; (d) left and right end portions of said rear axial extrusion being movably attached to the rearward end portions of said opposing frame elements by a second means for independent forward and rearward movement of said left and right end portions of said rear axial extrusion within a second predetermined range; (e) a first means for biasing being disposed longitudinally within forward segments of said opposing frame elements and bearing against said left and right end portions of said front axle, whereby constant forward pressures uniformly hold said front axle substantially to forward ends of said first predetermined range; (f) a second means for biasing being disposed longitudinally within rearward segments of said opposing frame elements and bearing against said left and right end portions of said rear axle, whereby constant rearward pressures uniformly hold said rear axle substantially to rearward ends of said second predetermined range; (g) said opposing side wheels being rotatably mounted to said elongated frame structure by the opposing side wheel strut elements in a manner that simultaneously provides a first action of independent vertical displacements of said opposing side wheels relative to said planar surface area of said elongated frame structure, and a second action of maintaining substantial angular coherence between said opposing side wheels and the front and rear wheels, whereby all wheels of said wheeled footboard stay substantially perpendicular to said planar surface area and substantially parallel to each other throughout the full tilting range of said wheeled footboard; (h) said set of opposing control line elements link the opposing end portions of said front axial extrusion and the opposing end portions of said rear axial extrusion to said corresponding strut elements in a substantially continuous and consistent manner, wherein vertical displacement of said corresponding strut elements relative to said planar surface area directly results in measured horizontal displacement of the opposing end portions of the front and rear axial extrusions; (i) whereby said rider, while standing upright upon and tilting said planar surface area of said wheeled footboard, actuates vertical displacement of said side wheels and said corresponding struts, which further actuates said linear horizontal displacement of said opposing end portions of said front and rear axles, thereby turning said front and rear wheels and vectoring said wheeled footboard in the tilted direction, and conversely, by releasing tilting pressures, the first and second means for biasing impels said front and rear axles substantially towards respective forward most and rearward most positions, actuate the horizontal and vertical displacements in a reverse manner, thus permitting said wheeled footboard to revert to a substantially static straight ahead vector. 19. A wheeled footboard sport conveyance with an elongated and substantially horizontal frame structure that includes a singular inline front wheel, a singular inline rear wheel, a set of opposing side wheels and a corresponding set of side wheel strut elements disposed traversely along the elongated frame structure at a point between the inline front wheel and the inline rear wheel, a set of opposing control line elements linking the side wheel struts with said inline front wheel, wherein vertical displacement of the opposing side wheels relative to the orientation of said elongated frame structure provide steering forces for said inline front wheel, comprising; (a) said elongated frame structure having at least one planar surface area for supporting a standing rider, a plurality of opposing and substantially horizontal tubular frame elements disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wheeled footboard, a plurality of crossmember supports interposed traversely between the opposing tubular frame elements underlying and supporting said planar surface areas, said opposing tubular frame elements being further disposed in equidistant manner from the longitudinal center line axis of said elongated frame structure; (b) said inline front wheel being rotatably mounted on a center portion of a front axle that extends traversely between the opposing frame elements substantially near respective forward end portions, said inline rear wheel being rotatably mounted on a center portion of a rear axle that extends traversely between said opposing frame elements substantially near respective rearward end portions; (c) left and right end portions of said front axle being movably attached to said forward end portions of said opposing frame elements by a means comprising a plurality of slidable elements, said slidable elements permitting said left and right end portions of said front axle to independently shuttle forward and rearward along said respective forward end portions of said opposing frame elements within predetermined ranges; (d) a means for urging comprising a plurality of forwardly biased pressure elements being disposed longitudinally within forward segments of said opposing frame elements in a manner that bears forward end surfaces of the pressure elements against said left and right end portions of said front axial extrusion, whereby constant outward pressures uniformly hold said left and right end portions substantially to the forward ends of said predetermined ranges; (e) said side wheel struts movably connect respective opposing side wheels to said elongated frame structure in opposing manner by a means comprising a plurality of extruded axial strut connecting elements, the strut connecting elements rotatably mounting said side wheel struts to the footboard frame structure in a manner that simultaneously provide a first action of independent vertical displacement of said opposing side wheels relative to said planar surface area of said elongated frame structure, and a second action of maintaining substantial angular coherence between said side wheels and the singular end wheels, whereby all wheels of the footboard conveyance stay substantially perpendicular to said planar surface areas and substantially parallel to each other throughout the full tilting range of said footboard conveyance; (f) said set of opposing control line elements linking said left and right end portions of said front axle to said side wheel strut elements in a substantially continuous manner, wherein vertical displacement of said side wheel struts relative to said planar surface area directly result in measured horizontal displacement of said left and right end portions of said front axle, (g) whereby said rider, while standing upright and tilting said planar surface area of said wheeled footboard conveyance, actuates vertical displacement of said side wheels and said corresponding struts, which further actuates linear horizontal displacement of said left and right end portions of said front axle, thereby turning said inline front wheel and vectoring said wheeled footboard in the tilted direction, and conversely, by releasing tilting pressures, said means for urging impels both end portions of said front axial extrusion substantially towards said forward ends of said predetermined ranges, to actuate the horizontal and vertical displacements in a reverse manner, thus permitting said wheeled footboard to revert to a static substantially straight ahead vector. 20. The wheeled footboard conveyance of claim 19, wherein; (a) the independent forward and rearward shuttle movements of said left and right end portions of said front axle are retained against a substantially static and fixedly oriented forward end frame structure; (b) left and right end segments of said front axle includes a left shouldering element and a right shouldering element adjacently disposed adjacent to respective opposing tubular frame elements, whereby said front axle is movably and laterally constrained therein; (c) said left and right end portions of said front axle further include a plurality of friction reducing components common to movable attachment points relative to said forward portions of said respective opposing tubular frame elements, and (d) said forwardly biased pressure elements being springs.