Motor-driven vehicle with a removable seat

Abstract

A motor-driven vehicle includes a vehicle body with a top plate disposed at a top portion thereof, and a seat disposed above the vehicle body and including a fixed bottom plate that is superposed on the top plate. A connecting device connects the seat removably to the vehicle body, and includes a first pivot member disposed fixedly on one side of the top plate of the vehicle body, an engagement portion disposed fixedly on the opposite side of the top plate of the vehicle body, a second pivot member disposed fixedly on the bottom plate of the seat and connected rotatably and removably to the first pivot member, and a retaining unit attached to the bottom plate of the seat and connected removably to the engagement portion so as to prevent rotation of the seat relative to the vehicle body.

1 . A motor-driven vehicle comprising: 
 a vehicle body with a top plate disposed at a top portion thereof;    a seat disposed above said vehicle body and including a fixed bottom plate that is superposed on said top plate; and    a connecting device for connecting said seat removably to said vehicle body, said connecting device including a first pivot member disposed fixedly on one side of said top plate of said vehicle body, an engagement portion disposed fixedly on the opposite side of said top plate of said vehicle body, a second pivot member disposed fixedly on said bottom plate of said seat and connected rotatably and removably to said first pivot member, and a retaining unit attached to said bottom plate of said seat and connected removably to said engagement portion so as to prevent rotation of said seat relative to said vehicle body, said retaining unit being operable so as to allow for upward pivoting of said seat about said first pivot member to a predetermined position, where said second pivot member can be removed from said first pivot member;    whereby, during assembly, said second pivot member is connected to said first pivot member so as to allow for subsequent downward pivoting of said seat about said first pivot member, thereby permitting said seat to be connected fixedly to said vehicle body by said connecting device.    
   
   
       2 . The motor-driven vehicle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said retaining unit includes: 
 a housing fixed on said bottom plate of said seat;    a retaining block confined within said housing;    a pull rod connected fixedly to said retaining block and extending outwardly from said housing; and    a resilient member disposed within said housing so as to bias said retaining block to project from said housing, thereby permitting said retaining block to abut against a bottom surface of said engagement portion, such that said housing is retained on said top plate of said vehicle body;    said pull rod being capable of being pulled outwardly against biasing action of said resilient member so as to retract said retaining block into said housing, thereby allowing for removal of said housing from said top plate of said vehicle body.    
   
   
       3 . The motor-driven vehicle as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said retaining block has an inclined end surface that is disposed outwardly of said housing unit and that comes into contact with said engagement portion when said seat pivots downwardly about said first pivot member during assembly.  
   
   
       4 . The motor-driven vehicle as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said connecting device further includes a pushing block fixed on and disposed above said engagement portion and having an inclined surface, said inclined end surface of said retaining block coming into contact with said inclined surface of said pushing block when said seat pivots downwardly about said first pivot member during assembly.  
   
   
       5 . The motor-driven vehicle as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said housing is formed with a slide slot that has two closed ends, said retaining unit further including a limiting member that extends through said slide slot in said housing and that is connected fixedly to said retaining block so that said retaining member can move within said housing by a distance that is smaller than a length of said slide slot.  
   
   
       6 . The motor-driven vehicle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said second pivot member is configured as a plate that has a U-shaped cross section, which is formed by two horizontal plate portions and a vertical plate portion interconnecting said horizontal plate portions, said first pivot member being configured as a circular rod and being disposed among said vertical plate portion and said horizontal plate portions, said retaining unit being operable so as to allow for upward pivoting of said seat about said first pivot member to a vertical position that constitutes said predetermined position.  
   
   
       7 . The motor-driven vehicle as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said connecting device further includes two parallel mounting plates connected fixedly to said top plate of said vehicle body, said first pivot member being configured as a circular rod that has two ends connected respectively and fixedly to said mounting plates and that is spaced apart from said top plate of said vehicle body.