Stroller trays and methods of mounting the same on strollers

• US 8,424,900 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kolcraft Enterprises Incorporated (Hasbro Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kolcraft Enterprises Incorporated (Hasbro Inc.)
• Inventors: Ryan, Christine A., Fine, Rachel, Carl, Ross, Liviu, Iftinca Ioan, Oblak, Matthew James, Thomas, Wesley E., Er-Jui, Chen
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II, J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): AVERY, BRIDGET D
• Application Number:
  US12/105,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20090039620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 280/42, 280/47.38, 280/642, 280/647, 280/649, 280/650, 280/657, 280/658, 297/16.2, 297/56, 297/160, 297/161, 297/162, 297/194, 297/DIG.4
• US Class Current: 280/647
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2202/023 Beverage holders, e.g. for a cup, tin or bottle
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 9/26 Securing devices for bags or toys ; Arrangements of racks, bins, trays or other devices for transporting articles

Abstract

Stroller trays and methods of mounting the same on strollers are disclosed. An example stroller tray mates with a tray mount mounted to the stroller frame proximate a seat. The example tray includes a tray portion and an arm. The tray portion is cantilevered on the arm to extend in front of or over a portion of the seat. When mounted to the stroller, the stroller tray does not extend completely from one side of the stroller frame to the other to facilitate egress to the stroller seat.

Claims

1. A stroller with a tray comprising:

a stroller frame having a first side, a second side, and a seat for receipt of a child positioned between the first and the second sides;

a tray mount mounted to only the first side of the stroller frame proximate the seat, the tray mount having a first socket substantially parallel to and adjacent a second socket;

a stroller tray removably coupled to the tray mount, the stroller tray having a tray portion and an arm, the arm terminating in a connector assembly and a projection substantially parallel to and proximate to the connector assembly, the connector assembly dimensioned to engage the first socket and the projection dimensioned to engage the second socket when the stroller tray is coupled to the tray mount, the connector assembly having an oval or oblong cross-section to prevent the connector assembly from rotating relative to the stroller frame when the arm is coupled to the tray mount; and

the tray portion being cantilevered on the arm to extend in front of a seat back of the seat, the stroller tray does not extend completely from the first side to the second side of the stroller frame to provide a gap to allow egress and ingress of a child to the seat of the stroller while the stroller tray portion extends in front of the seat and without movement of the tray portion relative to the stroller frame.

2. A stroller as defined in claim 1, wherein the tray portion and the arm are integrally formed.

3. A stroller as defined in claim 1, wherein the tray mount comprises a socket and wherein the connector assembly is dimensioned for mating engagement with the socket.

4. A stroller as defined in claim 1, wherein the stroller tray is removably mounted to the stroller.

5. A stroller as defined in claim 1, wherein the stroller tray extends approximately half the distance from the first side of the stroller frame to the second side.

6. A stroller as defined in claim 1, wherein the tray portion is pivotal relative to the arm for movement between an in-use position and a collapsed position.

7. A stroller as defined in claim 1, wherein a distance between a bottom of the tray portion and a seating surface of the seat directly below the tray bottom is greater than four inches and is less than eight inches.

8. A stroller as defined in claim 3, wherein the connector assembly includes a spring button and the socket includes an aperture in a side wall to receive the spring button to establish a removable locking engagement of the stroller tray to the stroller.

9. A stroller as defined in claim 3, wherein the connector assembly is substantially prevented from rotational movement relative to the socket.

10. A stroller as defined in claim 3, wherein the projection is to engage a second aperture defined by the tray mount adjacent the socket to substantially prevent rotational movement of the arm relative to the tray mount.

11. A stroller as defined in claim 6, wherein the arm further comprises a spring button shiftable between a locked position to prevent pivotal movement of the tray portion and an unlocked position to permit pivotal movement of the tray portion.

12. A stroller with a tray comprising:

a stroller frame having a first side, a second side, and a seat for receipt of a child positioned between the first and the second sides;

a tray mount mounted to only the first side of the stroller frame proximate the seat, the tray mount defining a first socket having a first axis and a second socket having a second axis that is substantially parallel relative to the first axis of the first socket;

a stroller tray operatively coupled to the tray mount, the stroller tray having a tray portion and an arm, the arm terminating in a connector assembly dimensioned for mating engagement with the first socket, the connector assembly having a spring button and the socket including an aperture in a side wall to receive the spring button to establish a removable locking engagement of the stroller tray to the stroller, the connector assembly having an oval or oblong cross-section to prevent the connector assembly from rotating relative to the stroller frame when the arm is coupled to the tray mount; and

a projection proximate the connector assembly to be received by the tray mount, the projection positioned substantially parallel relative to the connector assembly, the projection to engage the second socket defined by the tray mount adjacent the first socket, and the tray portion being cantilevered on the arm to extend in front of a seat back of the seat, the stroller tray does not extend completely from the first side to the second side of the stroller frame to provide a gap to allow egress and ingress of a child to the seat of the stroller while the stroller tray portion extends in front of the seat and without movement of the tray portion relative to the stroller frame, wherein the projection provides structural support to cantilever the tray portion on the arm.

13. For use with a stroller having a stroller frame including a first side, a second side, and a seat for receipt of a child, a tray comprising:

an arm that includes a connector assembly and a projection attached to the connector assembly, the projection having a first longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel to a second longitudinal axis of the connector assembly;

a tray portion cantilevered on the arm such that when mounted to the stroller frame, the tray portion extends in front of or over a portion of the seat of the stroller frame, the stroller tray does not extend completely from the first side of the stroller frame to the second side; and

a tray mount carried by the stroller frame, the tray mount having a first socket to receive the connector assembly of the arm to couple the tray portion to the stroller frame and a second socket proximate the first socket to receive the projection to substantially prevent rotational movement of the support arm relative to the tray mount, the first socket having an axis that is substantially parallel to an axis of the second socket.

14. A tray as defined in claim 13, wherein the connector assembly is dimensioned for mating engagement with the first socket.

15. A tray as defined in claim 13, wherein the projection provides structural support to cantilever the tray portion on the arm.

16. A tray as defined in claim 13, wherein the stroller tray extends approximately half the distance from the first side of the stroller frame to the second side.

17. A tray as defined in claim 13, wherein the tray portion is pivotal relative to the arm for movement between an in-use position and a collapsed position.

18. A tray as defined in claim 14, wherein the connector assembly includes a biased push button and the first socket includes an aperture in a side wall to receive the push button to establish a removable locking engagement of the stroller tray to the stroller.

19. A tray as defined in claim 18, wherein the connector assembly is substantially prevented from rotational movement relative to the first socket.

20. A tray as defined in claim 19, wherein the connector assembly includes an oblong cross section.

21. A stroller as defined in claim 17, wherein the arm further comprises a spring button shiftable between a locked position to prevent pivotal movement of the tray portion and an unlocked position to permit pivotal movement of the tray portion.

22. A method of mounting a tray to a stroller comprising:

inserting a first end of a tray arm having a connector into a first socket of a tray mount associated with a stroller frame, the first socket defining a first longitudinal axis;

depressing a spring button positioned on the connector, the button having an axis that is not parallel to a longitudinal axis of the connector;

inserting a projection terminating at the first end of the tray arm adjacent the connector into a second socket of the tray mount associated with the stroller frame, the second socket defining a second longitudinal axis substantially parallel to and adjacent the first longitudinal axis of the first socket, the connector being substantially parallel to and adjacent the projection; and

continuing to insert the first end of the tray arm and the projection into the respective first and second sockets of the tray mount until the spring button extends into an aperture on the tray mount to cantilever the tray from only one side of the stroller frame, wherein the tray extends partially between a first side of the stroller in which the tray arm is mounted and a second side of the stroller opposite the first side to provide a gap between an end of the tray opposite the tray arm and the second side of the frame to allow egress and ingress of a child relative to the seat while the tray is coupled to the stroller frame and while the position of the tray is fixed relative to the stroller frame.

23. A method of mounting a tray as defined in claim 22, further comprising pivoting the tray arm to move the tray between an in-use position and a collapsed position.

24. A method of mounting a tray as defined in claim 22, wherein the tray extends approximately half the distance from the one side of the stroller frame to an opposite side of the stroller frame.

25. A stroller with a tray comprising:

a stroller frame having a first side, a second side, and a seat positioned between the first and the second sides;

a tray mount mounted to the stroller frame, the tray mount having a first socket immediately adjacent a second socket; and

a stroller tray supported by the tray mount and having a tray portion and an arm, the arm having a connector and a projection attached to the connector, the connector being non-flexible relative to the projection and the arm, the first socket of the tray mount to receive the connector and the second socket of the tray mount to receive the projection while the first socket receives the connector, the tray portion being cantilevered on the arm to extend in front of or over a portion of the seat, the stroller tray not extending completely from the first side to the second side of the stroller frame, a distance between a bottom of the tray portion and a seating surface of the seat directly below the tray bottom being greater than four inches and less than eight inches.