This page describes the design and production of an electrically assisted shopping cart to be used by an individual who can still stand and walk, but would rather not carry the equivalent of four paper grocery bags full in one or more backpacks, for 3-4 blocks. I have done this in the past, but am now too old for this task. Both my spouse and I have been using a simpler and smaller 3 wheeled child jogger with no electric assist, and this has worked well for a number of years. Both this older model, and the new "e" version, can be used to do the shopping inside the grocery store as well as the transport between home and the store. The new trailer will be basically designed for non-assist mode, but it will have an optional "pusher" (motorized platform) attached to the back that the shopper can stand on. Steering is accomplished in the same manner as if the shopper was just walking behind the trailer. Acceleration and braking will be handled by controls similar to those found on ebikes.
This project was conceived during a dream and was refined during some wakeful periods after the initial dream. Finding this "landfill bound" Schwinn 'Joyrider' dual-kid bike trailer/jogger two days later in our alley just two doors down sealed the deal. My electric assist grocery getter vehicle design idea began with just such a three-wheeled device. The following two photos show it in all its glory. [Mfg. date unknown; several web sources put the original price at $350 to $480 and gave this model positive reviews. It was filthy and the tires were flat, but everything else -- including the two bottle holders -- seemed to be fully functional.]
Viewed from the front you can see the massive amount of material dedicated to the comfort and safety of two small riders. The tubes used to provide shape to the canopy are made of bent steel, effectively making this a roll cage in addition to providing weather protection. All of this will be removed, cutting significant weight from the 40 pound trailer.
The bottom view shows the solid aluminum under-carriage, along with the 20" spoke bike wheels. It is this design which makes this trailer/stroller ideal for our re-purposing, since we will be connecting our motorized 'pusher' platform to this dual-tube axle assembly. The spoked wheels allow for great control, as well as fitting in with our ample collection of 20" bike wheel parts. The wheels can be removed by simply pushing a button in the hub and sliding the wheels out of special hub, just like the mechanism used in high-end wheelchairs. The spoked wheels, tubes and tires are Kenda branded, a respectable quality OEM provider, and will likely be used as is.
The major drawback for using this particular model is its width. Because it was designed to accommodate two toddlers, it is wider than is needed for our purposes, so the frame width will need to be reduced.
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