US 2017/0361893 A1 · POWER ASSISTED FOLDABLE BICYCLE

Abstract

A motorized foldable bicycle assembly is foldably collapsible from a ridable elongated, segmented four sectioned frame arrangement. The frame consisting of a front wheel support frame, a front frame, a mid frame and a rear wheel support frame, with a set of electronically controlled motorized front and rear wheels spaced longitudinal alignment, apart one on each end of the four-sectioned elongated frame arrangement. The frame sections are foldable into an unridable configuration wherein the front wheel and a displaced rear wheel are arranged in an aligned, side-by-side adjacent, tandem configuration controllably guided by a steering column supported handlebar motor speed and direction control arrangement. A bicycle-supported tilt sensor actuator is in communication with a control computer and a circuit electronically connected to a bicycle handlebar switch, to permit operator controlled non-riding, self-powered, electric-motor-engaged movement of the tilted, partially foldably collapsed bicycle.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A motorized foldable bicycle assembly arranged to be foldably collapsible from a ridable elongated, segmented four sectioned frame arrangement consisting of a front wheel support frame, a front frame, a mid frame and a rear wheel support frame, with a set of electronically controlled motorized front and rear wheels spaced longitudinal alignment, apart one on each end of the four-sectioned elongated frame arrangement, into an unridable configuration wherein the front wheel and a swingably displaced rear wheel are arrangeable into an aligned, side-by-side adjacent tandem configuration to permit controllable guidance by a manually manipulable steering column supported handlebar motor speed and direction control arrangement;

and
a bicycle supported tilt sensor actuator in communication with a control computer and circuit electronically connected to a bicycle handlebar switch, to permit operator controlled non-riding self-powered, electric-motor-engaged movement of the tilted, partially foldably collapsed bicycle.

A method of transporting a motorized foldable bicycle assembly from an elongated, ridable configuration into a compact, minimized, unridable configuration as a folded up compact assembly, comprising:

arranging a set of frame segments in a linear arrangement each connected by a lockable/unlockable hinge connected between adjacent frame segments;
connecting a one sided front wheel support frame segment to a motorized front wheel, which one sided front wheel support frame segment has an elongated foldable steering column connected thereto, the foldable steering column having a longitudinal axis with a pair of foldable handle bars each pivotally connected to a handle bar housing at an upper end thereof;
connecting a one sided rear wheel support frame segment to a motorized rear wheel;
unlocking each lockable/unlockable hinge between adjacent frame segments and folding those linear frame segments folded generally into a “M” shape in planar unridable orientation;
pivoting downwardly a first handlebar at the handlebar housing, into close proximity to the elongated steering column;
actuating a switch control member on a second upright handlebar to establish and permit an onboard computer to assist walking controlled guidance of the partially folded bicycle;
and
tilting the bicycle forward to trigger a tilt sensor to actuate manual forward motion in the partially folded bicycle.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Power assisted foldable bicycle

Life of this patent

Power assisted foldable bicycle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12