Stroller with shock absorbing units

• US 20030057669A1
• Filed: 08/16/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Red Lan
• Original Assignee: Red Lan
• Inventors: Lan, Red
• Application Number:
  US10/222,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20030057669A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/47.38
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2301/20 Resilient wheel suspension using springs
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 9/18 Resilient suspensions of bodies

Abstract

A stroller includes a front leg unit, first and second shock absorbing units, and a bridging member. The first shock absorbing unit includes an upper seat member that is connected to the front leg unit via the bridging member, and a pair of lower movable members that are connected to a front wheel unit and that are movable in a second axis toward and away from the upper seat member so as to absorb shock transmitted from the front wheel unit in the second axis when an external force is applied to the front wheel unit. The second shock absorbing unit includes at least one urging member that abuts against the bridging member and the upper seat member so as to oscillate between compression and extension strokes and so as to absorb shock transmitted from the front wheel unit in a third axis that is perpendicular to the second axis when the external force is applied to the front wheel unit.

Claims

1. A stroller comprising:

a stroller frame having a pair of opposing front legs that are inclined at an angle relative to a vertical line, and that have bottom ends;

a front wheel unit disposed below and between said bottom ends of said front legs, and including a wheel and an axle that extends through a center of said wheel, that permits turning of said wheel thereabout, and that has two opposite ends;

a bridging member disposed above said front wheel unit and having two opposite connecting ends that are respectively and securely connected to said bottom ends of said front legs;

a first shock absorbing unit including an upper seat member that has a pivotal part disposed rearwardly of and pivoted to said bridging member so as to be turnable relative to said bridging member about a first axis that is parallel to said axle, said first shock absorbing unit further including a pair of lower movable members that are disposed below said upper seat member, and that are securely and respectively connected to said opposite ends of said axle and that are movable in a second axis toward and away from said upper seat member so as to absorb shock transmitted from said front wheel unit in said second axis and so as to be turnable together with said front wheel unit about said first axis along with said upper seat member when an external force is applied to said wheel in an upward direction parallel to said vertical line; and

a second shock absorbing unit including at least one urging member that is disposed between and that abuts against said bridging member and said upper seat member so as to oscillate between a transverse compression stroke, in which, said first shock absorbing unit turns together with said front wheel unit about said first axis against an urging force of said urging member toward said bridging member to compress said urging member, and a transverse extension stroke, in which, said urging member urges said first shock absorbing unit and said front wheel unit to turn away from said bridging member, thereby absorbing shock transmitted from said front wheel unit in a third axis that is perpendicular to said second axis when the external force is applied to said wheel.

2. The stroller of claim 1, wherein said upper seat member further includes a pair of opposing tubular stationary parts that have top and bottom ends and that extend in said second axis, said pivotal part having a pair of opposing tubular portions that are respectively and securely sleeved on said top ends of said tubular stationary parts and that have top and bottom ends, a cross portion interconnecting said top ends of said tubular portions, a pair of pivotal ears that respectively project from said top ends of said tubular portions toward said bridging member, and a pair of positioning protrusions that respectively project from said tubular portions between said top and bottom ends of said tubular portions toward said bridging member, said bridging member further having top and bottom ends, a pair of opposing pivotal seats that project upwardly from said top end of said bridging member and that are respectively pivoted to said pivotal ears so as to permit said upper seat member to be turnable about said first axis, and a pair of opposing cylindrical spring receiving parts that project from said bottom end of said bridging member toward said tubular portions and that define two spring receiving recesses, said urging member including a pair of first coil springs, each of which has one end received in a respective one of said spring receiving recesses, and the other end sleeved on a respective one of said positioning protrusions.

3. The stroller of claim 2, wherein each of said spring receiving parts has a bottom side, and a pair of parallel ribs that project downwardly from said bottom side and that define a slot therebetween, said slot having front and rear ends, each of said spring receiving parts further having a bolt stopper that is disposed at said rear end of said slot, each of said tubular portions of said pivotal part further having a bolt seat that projects therefrom to a position underneath said slot in a respective one of said spring receiving parts, and a bolt that threadedly engages and that extends through said bolt seat and into said slot, that engages said bolt stopper of a respective one of said spring receiving parts during the compression stroke of said urging member, and that moves away from said bolt stopper along said slot during the extension stroke of said urging member.

4. The stroller of claim 3, wherein each of said lower movable members includes a tubular movable part that has a top end slidably sleeved on a respective one of said tubular stationary parts and a bottom end, said first shock absorbing unit further including a pair of spring fixing members, each of which is fixedly disposed in said bottom end of a respective one of said tubular stationary parts, and a pair of movable rods, each of which has one end extending through a respective one of said spring fixing members and into a respective one of said tubular stationary parts, and the other end extending through said tubular movable part of a respective one of said lower movable members, said first shock absorbing unit further including a pair of rod stoppers, each of which is fixed to said one end of a respective one of said movable rods, a pair of spring engaging plates, each of which is fixed to the other end of the respective one of said movable rods in a respective one of said tubular movable parts, and a pair of sleeves, each of which is sleeved on said bottom end of a respective one of said tubular movable parts, each of which has a flange portion that abuts against a respective one of said spring engaging plates, and each of which is mounted on a respective one of said opposite ends of said axle, said first shock absorbing unit further including a pair of second coil springs, each of which is disposed in a respective one of said tubular movable parts and each of which has one end fixed to a respective one of said spring fixing members, and the other end abutting against a respective one of said spring engaging plates so as to oscillate between a longitudinal compression stroke, in which, each of said tubular movable parts moves upwardly together with a respective one of said movable rods, a respective one of said spring engaging plates and said front wheel unit relative to said tubular stationary parts in said second axis against an urging force of a respective one of said second coil springs to compress said second coil spring, and a longitudinal extension stroke, in which, each of said second coil springs urges the respective one of said tubular movable parts, the respective one of said movable rod, the respective one of said spring engaging plates, and said front wheel unit to move downwardly relative to said tubular stationary part in said second axis, thereby absorbing the shock transmitted from said front wheel unit in said second axis when the external force is applied to said wheel.