Trailer for balancing vehicle

Abstract

A trailer for a dynamically balanced transporter that allows leaning of the transporter such as for control of the combination of transporter and trailer. The trailer has a platform and an arm with two ends, one of which ends is coupled to the platform and the other of which is pivotally coupled about a horizontal axis to the transporter. The trailer has a ground-contacting member that may be a wheel, or a ski or a skid. A locking mechanism may lock the pivot in response to a fault condition. The platform of the trailer may support a rider in a seated or standing position and may have a characteristic transverse linear dimension comparable to the shoulder width of the rider.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 ) A method for governing motion of a combination of a dynamically balanced transporter and a trailer, the method comprising: 
 a) coupling the trailer to the dynamically balanced transporter with a pivot;    b) tilting the transporter in a direction of desired motion; and    c) governing motion of the combination of transporter and trailer in response to the tilt of the transporter.    
     
     
         2 ) A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the trailer is a second transporter.  
     
     
         3 ) A method according to  claim 1 , further including: 
 d) coupling an additional trailer to the trailer.    
     
     
         4 ) A method according to  claim 3  wherein at least one of the trailer and the additional trailer is a transporter.  
     
     
         5 ) A method for towing a trailer with a transporter, the method comprising: 
 a) coupling the trailer to the transporter;    b) propelling the transporter by actuation of a ground-contacting element;    c) sensing a tilt of the transporter; and    d) maintaining the transporter in a dynamically stable position during locomotion of the transporter and the trailer by applying a torque to the ground-contacting element based at least in part on the tilt of the transporter.