This invention relates to a scooter provided witn an 5 arm strength operated motion system.

More particularly, this invention describes a scooter provided with a mechanical system that allows the user to move forward exploiting also tne strength of his/her arms, in addition to the thr.ust exerted by a foot, as usual when 10 employing a scooter.

Tne scooter of the traditional type is a well known ob¬ ject.

Its employment is especially widespread among boys as a play, and more particularly in tne past years. !•■ Actually, scooters have never been largely employed as transportation means because they are caused to go forward by the action of a foot that exerts a trust.

On the other siαe, the particular structure of tne scooter couiα make it extremely practical for being employed ϋ as a locomotion means, especially in the case of short ways, as an object to be carried in a car, or in a camper, trailer, etc.

Indeed, scooters are extremely light, and they occupy a reduced space, in addition to be handy so that they can be 5 put for instance into the trunk rack of a car and tnen em¬ ployed for reaching tne working place starting from the park¬ ing area of the car itself.

Obviously, the traditional scooter might be employed for tne aims mentioned above as well. 0 however, just because of its structure whicn is mainiy designed for using it when playing, and because of its loco¬ motion system based on tne only tnrust of a foot, tne scoote

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is not practical and advantageous for adult users.

It is aiso evident tnat a bicycle can be employed for aims like tnose mentioned above, even tnough it is to be observed that it is bulky and quite heavy, even in its foiα- aoie variant, which can be put into the luggage rack of a car, so that it cannot be considered as the optimal solution and more particularly as employable aαvantageousiy.

Accordingly, the Applicant suggests to modify tne scooter of traditional type endowing the same with a echan- ical system for causing it to move forward, said system being acted upon by the power of the arms, so that the scooter is maαe more advantageous as a locomotion means, in particular for short ways.

These and other results are obtained according to tne present invention through the realization of a scooter in which the traditional structure is kept as regards the foot¬ board, the wheels and the position of the handlebar, but in which scooter a mechanical driving system of the front wheel is provided, through the action exerted on tne handlebar tnat will be movable with respect to the vertical tuoe of tne frame, so that the motion of the scooter itself is maαe more practical and more efficient.

Accordingly, it is a specific ODject of this invention a scooter which is provided witn a system for causing tne scooter itself to go forward, said system being driven by the power of the arms and being provided with a footboard on which the user can put his/her feet, a vertical frame mem¬ ber placed s-ubstantially in front of said footboard, a hand bar memoer placed above said frame member, and two wheels, wherein said frame member is hollow inside, and wherein a tube is provided below said nanαlebar member, such tube being capable of coupling in a sliαable way in the vertical

direction with said frame member, mechanical means for tne transmission and conversion of motion from said tuDe to said front wheel oeing provided between tne lower enα of said tube and tne front wheel. Preferably according to this invention tne motion from the tube to the wheel is transmitted by means of a first wheel or crown which is placed on said frame member in a rotatable way and is connected to the lower end of said tube through a crank mechanism, by means of a second wheel or a sprocket wheel which is arranged coaxially with said front wheel and of lower sizes with respect to the first wheel, and D mechanical connection means between the first and the second wheel; a slit being also provided in said frame member, such slit allowing the coupling between said crank mechanism means and said tube to be realized, ana being of such length tnat tne complete stroke of the tube itself can occur.

Obviously, tne coupling tube-crank mechanism-first wheel transforms the alternate straight-line motion of tne tube into a rotatory motion that is transmitted to tne front wheel through the second wheel.

Said first and second wneei can be made up of two tooth¬ ed wheels, in which case tne mechanical connection means are made up of a toothed belt or a chain, or they are made up of two pulleys connected by a belt.

Said second wheel can be coupled to tne front wneel of the scooter by means of a mechanical system tnat allows sucn wheel to rotate idle when the driving system is not acted upon. A mechanical member wnicn is capable of preventing the first wneel itself from rotating in the sense opposite to the advancement direction can be provided at tne point cor-

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responding to tne first wheel and coaxially with tne same.

The scooter according to this invention can also be pro* videα witn a number of first coaxial wheels and/or witn a nu oer of second coaxial wheels, and a speed gear for cnang- ing the velocity ratio.

Further according to this invention the coupling be¬ tween the footboard and the frame member can be realized tnrougn hinges that allow the scooter to be folded.

Tnis invention will be discioseα in tne following ac- cording to some preferred embodiments of the same witn par¬ ticular reference to tne figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a first side view of tne scooter according to this invention; Figure 2 is a second side view of tne scooter according to this invention;

Figure 3 is a front view of tne scooter according to this invention;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the scooter along the line IV-IV of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along tne line V-V of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a view of the scooter according to this mvetion when said scooter is folded. with reference first to the Figures 1-4, a kind of em¬ bodiment of the scooter according to this invention can be observed.

It includes a footboard 1 on whicn the rear wheel 2 is arranged, said wheel being covered by a uαguard 3, and a vertical frame member or tube 4, bearing the front wneel 5 at its lower end.

Said footboard 1 and said frame 4 are so coupleα tnat

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they can oe folded on one another in tne direction of tne side A, by means of the frame memoer 5 wnich is coupled at its top to tne frame member 4 ana is hinged at the point 7 to said footboard 1. A member 8 is provided at the point corresponding to the mudguard 3, said member locking tne frame 4 when tne scooter is in the folded position (as will be explained bette with reference to Figure 5).

A handlebar 9 is provided at tne top of said frame 4, which frame is made up of a drilled tuoe or pipe, said handle bar 9 being able to slide by means of the tube 10 vertically inside the frame or tube 4, in the direction shown by tne arrows B.

A slit 11 is provided in tne tube 4, substantially at its central zone.

Tne lower end of the tube 10 is coupled by pivoting to an end of a crank mechanism 12, at tne point corresponding to said slit 11, the other end of such crank mechanism being coupieα to the outer circumference of a crown 13. Said crown 13 is arrangeα rotatably at an external pos¬ ition on said frame or tube 4.

A sprocket wheel 14, which is smaller than tne crown 13 to which it is connected through the transmission chain 15 is provided at the point corresponding to the wheel 5, said sprocket wheel being possibly provided with a chain tightener (not shown).

If tne user grasps the handleoar 9 and lifts and lowers the same vertically according to the direction shown by tne arrows B, between the position shown in Figure 1 and that shown in Figure 2, the user acts on tne sprocket 14 so caus¬ ing the rotation of the wheel 5 and as a consequence tne forward motion of the scooter itself.

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Figure 1 snows an intermediate position of tne full stroke of said nandiebar 9.

Tne slit 11 is of a sufficient height to allow the stroke of the crank mechanism 12 between the top dead center and the bottom dead center to occur.

The coupling between said sprocket wheel 14 and said wheel 5 is sucn that when the handlebar 9 is acted upon, the sprocket wheel 14 transmits power to the wheel 5, but it is also such that when tne scooter is caused to go forward, for instance by tnrusting the venicle witn a foot according to the traditional way, the wheel 5 is free to idle.

A device 16 is provided at the point corresponding to the crown 13, said device preventing the crown itself from rotating in the inverted direction, so tnat when the cram mechanism 12 is at the top or the bottom dead center, it cannot invert its rotation direction.

A gearbox can be provided for making tne employment of said scooter easier, said gearoox (not shown) being provided with two or more crowns and/or two or more sprocket wheels. The size of the wheeis 2 and 5 can also be larger tnan the size shown, in order to obtain a better stability.

Observing now Figure 5, it can be remariςed tnat tne coupling between the tube 10 and the tube 4 which is realized through a groove 17 in the embodiment shown, said groove being obtained inside the tube 4, occurs with the correspond¬ ing raised portion 18 which run along their inner portions ana are obtained externally on said tube 10.

Obviously, the larger the number of raised portions 16 and grooves 17, the better the forward motion action. Figure 6 snows the scooter according to this invention when the same is tne folded position.

This occurs by unlocking tne hinge system 7.

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A hanαie 19 is provideα on tne frame 4 in its front por¬ tion, saiα handle being intended for carrying tne scooter itself.

It is evident from the above disclosure that tne scooter according to this invention is more practical and advan¬ tageous, in addition to be more efficient, as regards the forward motion, and it is also extremely comfortable and practical as regards its handiness, as well as its extremely reduced sizes and its light weight. This invention has been disclosed with specific refer¬ ence to some preferred embodiments of the same, but it is to be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those who are skilled in tne art without de¬ parting from the spirit and scope of tne invention for which a priority right is claimed.

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