Scooters are normally used for playing and leisure, for sporting activities or, given their small size, to allow rapid travel in situations or environments in which it is not easy to use or bring other means of transportation, such as bicycles, mopeds or others.

Background Art Scooters normally have a frame with horizontal development, provided with footboard, at whose front end is located a shaft that bears a steering handle and a front wheel and at whose rear end is connected a single rear wheel.

Scooters are also known in which the shaft is articulated to the frame. A wing, fastened to the shaft, and a pair of plates, fastened to the shaft, interfere with each other, blocking the articulation, by means of a pin able to be manually inserted and extracted transversely to their development in appropriate holes corresponding to the cross section of the pin itself.

Thus, as the need arises, by manually extracting the pin, the shaft can be folded back into a position in which it is substantially parallel to the footboard, to reduce the size of the scooter and, after manually reinserting the pin, to lock the shaft in this position, allowing its transportation or vice versa. The shaft can possibly be telescopic, to allow for a further reduction in size..

The scooters described above present some drawbacks.

In particular, in overcoming small obstacles or small steps while travelling, or while performing sporting acrobatic manoeuvres, when the front wheel is raised or lowered, or the front part of the scooter is reared, the presence of a single bearing point in correspondence with the rear wheel often causes the loss of the direction of travel and frequent unbalancing, making travel itself problematic and the scooter poorly manoeuvrable.

Moreover, in the presence of irregular terrain, of steep slopes or of considerable obstacles, the disposition of the scooter cannot be changed, except by folding the scooter on itself and carrying it beyond the obstacle. However, in this case too the manual extraction and re-insertion of the locking pin makes the folding operation laborious and, thus, the scooter poorly manoeuvrable.

Disclosure of Invention An aim of the present invention is to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks, making available a scooter that remains stable and maintains the direction of travel in case of sudden changes in elevation of the front wheel.

A further aim of the present invention is to make available a scooter that allows rapid and simple changes in disposition, in particular of the inclination of the shaft relative to the frame.

These aims and others beside, which shall become more readily apparent in the description that follows, are achieved, in accordance with the present invention, by a scooter as described in the accompanying claims.

Description of the Drawings The invention is described in greater detail below with the aid of the drawings, which show an embodiment provided purely by way of non limiting example.

Figure 1 shows a scooter in accordance with the present invention in non acrobatic configuration and in travel disposition, with the schematic indication of a possible motion of the frame ; -Figures 2 e 3 show a scooter in accordance with the present invention in an acrobatic configuration respectively in normal travel disposition and in travel disposition with the front wheel raised; Figures 4 and 5 show a detail of a set of rear wheels of the scooter in accordance with the present invention in travelling position and in braking position.

-Figures 6 and 7 show in detail the set of rear wheels shown in Figure 4, with some parts sectioned, others not sectioned and others shown in dashed lines for the sake of greater clarity; -Figures 8, 9 and 10 show, for the scooter of the present invention, the assembly constituted by shaft, steering handle and front wheel respectively in driving position, in intermediate position and in folded position ; -Figure 11 shows a detail of a device for the rapid and automatic locking of the shaft relative to the frame of scooter of the present invention, in locked position and with some parts sectioned, others not sectioned and others shown in dashed lines for the sake of greater clarity; -Figure 12 shows a detail of a device for the rapid and automatic locking of the shaft relative to the frame of scooter of the present invention, in unlocked position and with some parts sectioned, others not sectioned and others shown in dashed lines for the sake of greater clarity.

Description of the Illustrative Embodiments With reference to Figures 1 through 3, the reference number 1 indicates a scooter, comprising a frame 2 having substantially horizontal development and provided with footboard 21, a shaft 3 operatively associated to a front end 22 of the frame 2 and free to rotate about its own longitudinal axis 30, as well as a steering handle 4 and a front wheel 5 associated to the shaft 3 at opposite sides. The scooter 1 further comprises a support element 6 located in correspondence with a rear end 23 of the frame 2 and free to oscillate about a first axis of rotation 61 substantially parallel to the footboard 21. At least two rear wheels 7 are pivotally engaged to the support element 6 at opposite sides relative to the first axis of rotation 61 and stably define at least two bearing points 8 on the same plane, regardless of the position of the front wheel 5 and of the relative rotation of the frame 2 and of the support element 6.

In this way, in the absence of contact between the front wheel 5 and the ground, the frame 2 rotates relative to the support element 6, but the scooter 1 maintains the direction of travel without dangerous side slips and remains safely manoeuvrable.

Advantageously, as shown in Figures 1 through 7, the rear wheels 7 have substantially the same plane of lay.

To prevent the frame 2 from overly tilting relative to the support element 6 during travel, the support element 6 advantageously also comprises at least an element 62 for checking against portions of the frame 2, to limit the oscillation of the support element 6 about the first axis of rotation 61.

Conveniently, the support element 6 comprises, above the rear wheels 7, a bearing plate 9, for at least the partial bearing of a foot. A greater travel comfort is thereby obtained. Moreover, the driver, by loading his/her weight onto the bearing plate 9, can easily raise the front wheel 5 off the ground, rearing the scooter 1, in order to perfonn acrobatic manoeuvres when conducting sporting activities. The bearing plate 9, advantageously, extends horizontally in the direction of the frame 2, to determine a stop for the oscillation of the support element 6 about the first axis of rotation 61, equivalent to the check element 62.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, shown in detail in Figures 4 through 7, the bearing plate 9 is able to rotate, relative to the support element 6 and about a second axis of rotation 91 parallel to the first axis of rotation 61, at least from a first configuration of non interference with the rotation of the rear wheels 7 and of bearing onto the support element 6 to a second configuration of detachment from the support element 6 and friction interference with the rotation of at least one of the two rear wheels 7.

The rotation of the bearing plate 9, in addition to Figures 4 and 5, is also indicated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 with respective arrow pairs Fl, F2, F3.

The first configuration is shown in Figure 4 and corresponds to the travel of the scooter 1. The second configuration is shown in Figure 5 and corresponds to the braking of the scooter 1. In this way, it is possible easily to control the speed of the scooter 1 with the motion of the foot set down on the bearing plate 9.

Advantageously, a braking element 10 can be provided, preferably made of material having a high friction coefficient, associated to the lower part of the bearing plate 9 and destined to interfere by friction with the rotation of at least one of the two rear wheels 7, to assist the braking action of the bearing plate 9. In the embodiment of the invention shown in detail in Figures 4 through 6, the braking element 10 is fastened to the bearing plate 9 in correspondence with the second axis of rotation 91.

In the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 1 through 7, the support element 6 is removable from the frame 2 and able to be re-associated to the frame 2 with the position of the two rear wheels 7 inverted, to shift alternatively from an acrobatic configuration, shown in Figures 2 and 3, in which the rear wheel 7 that undergoes the interference by friction of the bearing plate 9 is oriented towards the frame 2, to a non acrobatic configuration, shown in Figure 1, in which the rear wheel 7 that undergoes the interference by friction of the bearing plate 9 is oriented towards the opposite side relative to the frame 2.

In Figures 1, 2 and 3, the rear wheel 7 that undergoes interference by friction is recognises because it is located at the opposite side of the bearing plate 9 relative to the pair of arrows (respectively F l, F2, P3) indicating the rotation of the bearing plate 9 itself.

In this way, when the scooter 1 is in the acrobatic configuration (shown in Figures 2 and 3), if weight is loaded onto the part of the bearing plate 9 that is farther away from the frame, the bearing plate 9 continues to bear onto the support element 6 and the scooter 1 can be easily reared without exerting any braking action. On the contrary, the same operation performed with the scooter 1 in the non acrobatic configuration causes a braking action.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, moreover, the shaft 3 is articulated to the front end 22 of the frame 2 and able to swivel from a first driving position of the scooter 1, in which the shaft 3 is substantially perpendicular to the footboard 21, to a second folded position in which the shaft 3 is substantially parallel to the footboard 21. The first position is shown in Figure 8 and the second position in Figure 10. Moreover, at least a first part 31 fastened to the shaft 3 and at least a second part 24 fastened to the frame 2 are set in mutual interference by a locking device 1 l, to lock the shaft 3 relative to the frame 2 at least in the first and in the second position. The locking device 11 is a rapid and automatic locking device and the first and the second part 31,24 are constantly operatively connected to each other by the locking device 11 itself also during the relative motion of the shaft 3 and of the frame 2 from the first to second position, as clearly shown in Figure 9 and in the corresponding Figure 12.

The automatic nature and rapidity of the locking device 11 allow for its rapid coupling and uncoupling, without the shaft 3 and the frame 2 losing their mutual connection, guaranteed by the interaction between the first and the second part 31, 24 and the locking device 11. In this way, a great versatility of use and manoeuvrability are obtained even in the presence of irregular terrain, steep slopes or considerable obstacles thanks to the ease with which the disposition of the scooter 1 is changed.

For this purpose, moreover, the locking device 11 advantageously comprises at least a pivot pin 12 translatable along its own longitudinal axis 121 alternatively from a first collocation of interference of the locking device 11 on the relative motion of the first and of the second part 31,24 (shown in Figure 12 and in the corresponding Figures 8 and 10) to a second collocation of rapid uncoupling of the locking device 11 (shown in Figure l l and in the corresponding Figure 9). The first collocation corresponds to the first and to the second position of the shaft 3. The second collocation corresponds to the free movement of the shaft 3 between the first and the second position. The locking device 11 further comprises elastic return means 13, to position the pivot pin 12 automatically in the first collocation in correspondence with the first and with the second position of the shaft 3.

It is thereby possible to uncouple the locking device 11 and free the shaft 3 simply by translating the pivot pin 12 in contrast with the action of the elastic return means 13. The shaft 3, thus freed, can be made to rotate relative to the frame 2 from the first to the second position (and vice versa, depending on the starting position) without having to hold anything in one's hand. The pivot pin 12 remains in the second collocation, securely connected to the locking device 11, throughout the duration of the motion of the shaft 3 from the first to the second position (or vice versa) and, once the second (or first) position is reached, the elastic means 13 bring it back to the first collocation, causing the locking device 11 to snap automatically.

Very advantageously, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, shown in the figures, the translation of the pivot pin 12 from the first to the second collocation is carried out by imparting, on a head 122 of the pivot pin 12, a pressure directed along the longitudinal axis 121 of the pivot pin 12 itself In this way, the locking device 1 l can be uncoupled also with the simple action of a foot, considerably increasing the rapidity of disposition change and the manoeuvrability of the scooter 1. In the presence of irregular terrain, of steep slopes or of considerable obstacles, the disposition of the scooter 1 can be altered rapidly and simply, allowing to overcome the obstacle.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the figures, moreover, the pivot pin 12 is stably associated to the first part part fastened to the shaft 3 and has at least a first longitudinal portion 123 whose cross section is greater than that of a second consecutive portion 124. The second part 24 fastened to the frame 2 has at least a slot 14 having its plane of lay perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 121 of the pivot pin 12 and its width corresponding to the cross section of the second longitudinal portion 124 of the pivot pin 12. The slot 14 terminates at least at the ends in related openings 15 whose diameter corresponds to the cross section of the first longitudinal portion 123 of the pivot pin 12, the openings 15 and the slot 14 defining a seat for the engagement of the pivot pin 12 respectively for the first and the second collocation of the pivot pin 12 itself. As shown in Figure 12, in the first collocation of the pivot pin 12, the first longitudinal portion 123 thereof is at least partially inserted in one of said openings 15. As shown in Figure 11, in the second collocation of the pivot pin 12, the second longitudinal portion 124 thereof remains inserted in the slot 14, whilst the first portion 123 of the pivot pin 12 checks against the surface of the second part 24 fastened to the frame 2, to contrast the action of the elastic return means 13. The elastic return means 13 can be obtained with a simple spring 131 compressed between a wall of the second part 24 and a washer 125 integral with the pivot pin 12.

Advantageously, as clearly shown in Figures 11 and 12, the second part 24 fastened to the frame 2 comprises two plates 16 positioned bilaterally at the sides of the first part 31 fastened to the shaft 3, each of the plates 16 presenting said slot 14 and said openings 15, the pivot pin 12 correspondingly presenting at least two of said first and second portions 123,124, for the symmetric balancing of the stresses whereto is subjected the pivot pin 12 in the first collocation whilst driving the scooter 1.

Alternatively and equivalently, in an additional embodiment of the invention not shown in the figures for the sake of simplicity, the pivot pin 12 is stably associated to the second part 24 fastened to the frame 2 and has at least a first longitudinal portion 123 with greater cross section than that of a second consecutive longitudinal portion 124. The first part 31 fastened to the shaft 3 has at least a slot 14 having its plane of lay perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 121 of the pivot pin 12 and width corresponding to the longitudinal axis 121 of the pivot pin 12 and width corresponding to the cross section of the second longitudinal portion 124 of the pivot pin 12. The slot 14 terminates at least at the ends in related openings 15 whose diameter corresponds to the cross section of the first longitudinal portion 123 of the pivot pin 12, the openings 15 and the slot 14 defining a seat for the engagement of the pivot pin 12 respectively for the first and the second collocation of the pivot pin 12 itself. In the first collocation of the pivot pin 12, the first longitudinal portion 123 thereof is at least partially inserted in one of said openings 15. In the second collocation of the pivot pin 12, the second longitudinal portion 124 thereof remains inserted in the slot 14, whilst the first portion 123 of the pivot pin 12 checks against the surface of the first part 31 fastened to the shaft 3, to contrast the action of the elastic return means 13. The elastic return means 13 can be obtained with a simple spring 131 compressed for instance between a wall of the second part 24 and a washer 125 integral with the pivot pin 12. In this case as well, advantageously, the first part 31 fastened to the shaft 3 comprises two plates 16 positioned bilaterally at the sides of the second part 24 fastened to the frame 2, each of the plates 16 presenting said slot 14 and said openings 15, the pivot pin 12 correspondingly presenting at least two of said first and second portions 123,124, for the symmetric balancing of the streses whereto is subjected the pivot pin 12 in the first collocation whilst driving the scooter 1.

The shaft 3 can obviously be telescopic, to allow for a greater reduction in the dimensions of the scooter 1, with the consequent greater ease of transportation in the folded position.

In general, additional locking positions of the shaft 3 relative to the frame 2 can be provided, intermediate between the first and the second position, to allow a greater variability of disposition than the simple opening and closure of the scooter, locking the shaft 3 in various inclination relative to the frame 2.

Obviously, all solutions described in regard to the articulation of the shaft 3 relative to the frame 2 and to the locking device 11 can also be used in an embodiment that provides for a single rear wheel for the scooter 1, allowing for a considerable increase in manoeuvrability and versatility of use in this case as well.

The invention achieves important advantages.

First of all, stability and direction of travel are guaranteed even in case of sudden changes in the elevation of the front wheel, allowing greater manoeuvrability and both the overcoming of small obstacles and steps and the execution of acrobatic manoeuvres.

A further, important advantage is constituted by the ability to adjust the speed of the scooter by the simple pressure of one's foot without detaching one's hands from the steering handle. The scooter can also be easily transformed from an acrobatic to a non acrobatic configuration.

Another important advantages is constituted by the possibility of adjusting the disposition of the scooter easily, rapidly and automatically, adjusting the inclination of the shaft down to its complete folding, which allows for easy transportation and a high versatility and manoeuvrability in use in the presence of irregular terrain, steep slopes or considerable obstacles.

A no less important advantage is constituted by the ability to uncouple the device for locking the shaft to the frame with a simple pressure on a pivot pin (which can also be imparted with a single foot), at the limit even while travelling.

The invention thus conceived can be subject to numerous modifications and variations, without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept.

Moreover, all components can be replaced by technically equivalent elements.

In practice all materials employed, as well as dimensions, can be any at all, depending on needs.