This invention is a folding vehicle which is propelled by human power. Vehicles which are propelled by human power such as bicycles and scooters are increasingly being used as means of transport. The use of such vehicles is healthy, environmentally friendly and cheap.

Transport by train often brings passengers near to their destinations but far enough away to render a final leg of the journey necessary, on foot, by bus or taxi, which is time consuming, or expensive.

Folding vehicles which are propelled by human power, such as scooters, are known in patent literature. These vehicles are solely propelled by leg power. The arms are barely used at all. As a result, the physical training of the arms lags behind that of the legs.

This invention intends to result in a light-weight, folding vehicle which is propelled by human power, such as a scooter or suchlike, and which has:

- at least one foot-plank for one or both feet;

- at least one rear wheel which is coupled to a foot-plank;

- a means of steering the vehicle which comprise at least one steering column; - at least one front wheel which is coupled to the steering axle;

- a first folding device which can be un-coupled and re- coupled to fold the foot-plank between the folded up position of the vehicle and the folded out position of the vehicle ready for use; and

- a means of transmission which is mounted between the means of steering and at least one of the wheels, so that energy which is produced by moving the means of steering is transmitted, using the means of transmission, to the wheel. This invention provides a vehicle which can be made to move using human power in two ways, both by leg power as well as by arm power. As a result of this, physical exercise is promoted

and better spread throughout the body while more energy is available to propel the vehicle.

Between the means of steering and at least one of the wheels, means of transmission are mounted so that by moving the means of steering, energy is transmitted to the wheels.

The arm-rods of the means of steering of this invention are coupled to the means of transmission whereby the means of transmission are preferably formed by a transmission axle coupled to a first transmission wheel which is coupled with a second transmission wheel mounted close to the front wheel. A closed loop drive-belt encircles the transmission wheels. By moving the arm rods, energy is transferred through the belt to the front wheel.

The vehicle may be folded according to this invention, into a compact folded up position when not in use and folded out for use as a means of transport.

In the folded up position, the vehicle can be carried by the user or stored in a compact manner in the trunk of a car, on a luggage rack of a train or in a closet. The vehicle can be conveniently made ready to use by folding it out and securing it in the folded out position. This makes the vehicle ideal for transport between for instance a motor vehicle parked in a suburb and a destination in town.

Furthermore, the vehicle, according to this invention, should preferably comprise a means of folding which can be un¬ coupled and re-coupled for folding the means of steering between the folded up position of the vehicle and the folded out position of the vehicle making it ready for use. These means of folding enable the vehicle to be folded up in an even more compact manner.

The vehicle should preferably have a foot-plank which is predominantly flat, beneath the rear end of which there are at least two roller-skate wheels (or wheels of a so-called skate¬ board). ^' The flat foot-plank offers the advantage that when the foot is used to propel the vehicle its thrusting movement is not hampered by any upward facing and prominent part of the foot-

plank. The roller skate wheels offer additional manoeuvrability and means of steering the vehicle.

This invention shall further be illustrated by means of the following detailed descriptions and the drawings appended hereunto:

- illustration 1, a view in perspective of the vehicle according to this invention, in which the folding mechanism is shown in a folded out position.

- illustration 2, a view in perspective of the vehicle according to this invention, in which the folding mechanism is shown in a folded out position.

- illustration 3, a view in perspective of the vehicle according to this invention, in which the means of transmission is shown in a folded up position. Illustration 1 shows a vehicle 1 which is ready for use as a means of transport. Beneath a predominantly flat foot-plank 2 there are two roller skate or skate-board rear wheels 3, only one of which is visible on the illustration. The foot-plank 2 is connected with a steering column 4 by means of a first means of un-coupling and re-coupling in the form of two sections which protrude 5 which should preferably be curved so that the vehicle can be folded up compactly, as illustrated in illustration 2. These protruding sections 5 are able to move in guide elements 6 mounted on the steering column 4. A pre-determined number of holes along a single line, only one of which is visible in illustration 2, should preferably be made in the guide elements 6 and the protruding sections 5. By fitting a peg 7, the foot- plank 2 can be individually adjusted in relation to the steering column 4. The peg 7 can be removed to admit the free passage of the protruding section 5 through guide element 6, between the most extreme positions as shown in illustration 1, respectively, illustration 2. By replacing peg 7 in the holes which are aligned with one another in the protruding sections 5 and the guide elements 6, the vehicle can be secured in the desired position.

Means of steering in the forward protruding arm rods 8, as shown in illustrations 1 and 2 are coupled to the column 4 through a second means of un-coupling and re-coupling means of folding 9. The second means of uncoupling the means of folding 9 is formed by a hinge 10 which extends between two sections 11 and 12 which are fitted together by means, for example, of a peg 13 which can be removed. Upon removing the peg 13, the arm rods 8 can be folded downwards around the hinge 10, as shown in illustration 2, and be secured in this position.

The steering column 4 is coupled to a front fork 14 in which front wheel 15 is suspended, which should preferably be larger than the rear wheels 3 to make the use of the vehicle optimal. In the position shown in illustration 2, the vehicle is compact and can therefore be easily carried. The vehicle could be fitted with handles or carrying straps, not shown, to enable it to be carried as a back-pack or as hand baggage.

In order to give the vehicle additional stability, a support which is not shown, could be fitted between the foot- plank 2 and the steering column 4. This support which is not shown, should preferably be foldable and be able to be secured and might serve as a mud-guard.

Illustration 3 shows the vehicle fitted with moving means of coupling 23 to connect the arm rods 21 to a steering column 22. The moving means of coupling 23 may contain a clearance construction, not shown. The steering column 22 has an opening 24 in which the steering rods 21 can be moved back and forth through the means of coupling 23.

The arm rods 21 should preferably be coupled to the driving mechanism formed by driving axle 24 which is coupled to a first drive-wheel 26 which in turn is coupled to a second drive wheel 27 fitted close to the front wheel. Around drive wheels 26 and 27, a drive-belt 28 is looped. Drive-belt 28 should preferably be made of plastic to reduce the weight of the vehicle and to diminish the chances of being wounded should this belt come loose.

The clearance construction allows energy to be transferred to the front wheel through the drive-belt by moving the arm rods in a first direction. The drive energy should preferably be transferred to the front wheel when the arm rods are pushed forward as this movement provides the best energy transfer to the front wheel when simultaneous propulsion of the vehicle is made by thrusting the foot onto the ground.

The front wheel or the moving means of coupling could be fitted with a gearbox in a manner which is not shown, and with a braking system operated using manual controls.

This invention is not limited to the forms shown and described. The rights requested shall be determined by the following claims.