Three-wheeled electric scooter
View Patent ↗A scooter having at least two front wheels, a rear wheel, a deck, a steering assembly that includes a handlebar and a steering tube, an electric motor configured to provide power, and a transmission configured to transfer the power provided by the electric motor. The transmission can be configured to transfer the power provided by the electric motor only to the rear wheel. In some configurations, the scooter includes a battery, a power switch, and a controller coupled to the power switch, the battery, and the electric motor. In response to receiving a signal from the power switch, the controller ramps up the voltage provided to the electric motor over an interval of time.
1. A scooter comprising:
at least two front wheels;
a rear wheel;
a steering assembly comprising a handlebar and a steering tube coupled to the at least two front wheels;
a deck configured to support the weight of a child;
an electric motor configured to provide power;
a transmission configured to transfer power provided by the electric motor to the rear wheel;
a battery;
a power switch; and
a controller coupled to the power switch, the battery, and the electric motor, wherein, in response to receiving an on-signal from the power switch, the controller is configured to ramp up a voltage provided to the electric motor over an interval of time, wherein the interval of time is at least one second.
2. The scooter of claim 1 , wherein the rear wheel and electric motor are both located on a same side of the transmission.
3. The scooter of claim 2 , wherein the electric motor is located approximately in line with the rear wheel in a lateral direction of the scooter.
4. The scooter of claim 3 , wherein the electric motor is positioned between the battery and the rear wheel in a lengthwise direction of the scooter.
5. The scooter of claim 4 , wherein the battery is surrounded by frame members on front, rear, right and left sides of the battery.
6. The scooter of claim 1 , further comprising a transmission casing that at least partially encloses one or more transmission gears, wherein the electric motor is coupled to and supported by the casing.
7. The scooter of claim 6 , wherein the transmission comprises a drive element for driving the rear wheel, wherein the electric motor is at a first end of the transmission casing and the drive element is at a second end of the transmission casing in a lengthwise direction of the scooter.
8. The scooter of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control wire coupled to the power switch, wherein the control wire is at least partially within an interior of the steering tube.
9. The scooter of claim 1 , wherein the interval of time is about two seconds.
10. The scooter of claim 1 , wherein the power switch is a binary switch.
11. The scooter of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to, upon actuation of the power switch, initially limit the voltage provided by the electric motor to the motor to a predetermined fraction of the full power for a pre-specified amount of time.
12. A method of controlling an electric scooter, comprising:
receiving an on-signal from a user control;
ramping up a voltage applied to an electric motor over an interval of time in response to the on-signal;
using power from the electric motor to drive a wheel of the scooter;
wherein the interval of time is at least one second.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the interval of time is about two seconds.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the on-signal is a binary signal.
15. A scooter comprising:
at least two front wheels;
a rear wheel;
a steering assembly comprising a handlebar and a steering tube coupled to the at least two front wheels;
a deck;
an electric motor configured to provide power to at least one of the wheels; and
a controller configured to ramp up a voltage provided to the electric motor over an interval of time, wherein the interval of time is at least one second.
16. The scooter of claim 15 , wherein the rear wheel and electric motor are both located on a same side of a transmission.
17. The scooter of claim 15 , further comprising a transmission casing that at least partially encloses one or more transmission gears, wherein the electric motor is coupled to and supported by the transmission casing.
18. The scooter of claim 15 , wherein the interval of time is about two seconds.