US 12,005,981 B2
Three-wheeled tilting vehicle
Kyle Jonathan Doerksen, Santa Cruz, CA (US); and Joseph Wilcox, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Assigned to Sway Motorsports LLC, Soquel, CA (US)
Filed by Sway Motorsports LLC, Soquel, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 24, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/174,366.
Application 18/174,366 is a continuation of application No. 17/368,739, filed on Jul. 6, 2021, granted, now 11,591,016.
Application 17/368,739 is a continuation of application No. 16/799,800, filed on Feb. 24, 2020, granted, now 11,052,942, issued on Jul. 6, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/812,918, filed on Mar. 1, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/809,482, filed on Feb. 22, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0294766 A1, Sep. 21, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B62D 9/02 (2006.01); B62D 1/183 (2006.01); B62D 6/00 (2006.01); B62D 9/04 (2006.01)
CPC B62D 9/02 (2013.01) [B62D 1/183 (2013.01); B62D 6/00 (2013.01); B62D 9/04 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A convertible, tilting vehicle, comprising:
a pair of front wheels coupled to a tiltable chassis, wherein the front wheels and the chassis are configured to tilt in unison with respect to a roll axis of the chassis;
a steering actuator configured to selectively steer the front wheels;
a single rear wheel coupled to the chassis;
a motor configured to drive the rear wheel to propel the vehicle;
a rider support platform; and
a tilt-lock mechanism configured to limit tilting of the chassis;
wherein the vehicle is configured to be transitionable between (a) a manned mode, in which the tilt-lock mechanism is disengaged and the rider support platform is configured to steer the vehicle in response to rider input, and (b) an autonomous mode, in which the tilt-lock mechanism is engaged, the rider support platform is displaced into a rider-unusable position, and an electronic controller of the vehicle is configured to steer the vehicle autonomously.