Power folding stroller having manual override system

• US 8,585,076 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thorley Industries LLC
• Original Assignee: Thorley Industries LLC
• Inventors: Thorne, Henry F., Daley, Robert D., Koes, Mary J.
• Primary Examiner(s): VANAMAN, FRANK BENNETT
• Application Number:
  US13/109,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20110248478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 280/642, 280/643, 280/647, 280/648, 280/650, 280/657, 280/658
• US Class Current: 280/650
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2205/003 with actuation mechanisms which drive the folding or unfolding operation
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2205/12 Collapsible wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2205/18 Geared articulations
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 7/068 by sliding a bushing along a rod, e.g. like folding means of an umbrella
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 7/08 in the direction of, or at right angles to, the wheel axis
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 7/083 the wheel axes being moved from each other during folding
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 9/10 Perambulator bodies; Equipment therefor collapsible or foldable B62B7/06; convertible B62B7/12
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 9/24 Safety guards for children, e.g. harness cat nets B62B9/14; devices for use in guiding or supporting children, e.g. safety harness A47D13/08

Abstract

A stroller includes: a first stroller component; a second stroller component comprising a child receiving portion; a drive mechanism operatively engaged with at least one of the first and second stroller components to move the at least one of the first and second stroller components from a first position to a second position; and an object sensor operably coupled to the child receiving portion. The object sensor provides a signal that prevents movement of the first and second stroller components from the first position to the second position if the object sensor detects the presence of an object in the child receiving portion.

Claims

1. A stroller, comprising:

a first stroller component;

a second stroller component;

at least one of the first and second stroller components being movable from a first position to a second position;

a drive mechanism operatively engaged with the at least one of the first and second stroller components to move the at least one of the first and second stroller components from its first position to its second position;

a user-controlled disengaging mechanism for disengaging the operative engagement between the drive mechanism and the at least one of the first and second stroller components to allow a user to manually move at least one of the first and second stroller components from the first position to the second position when at least one of a) power supplied to the drive mechanism is not sufficient to actuate the drive mechanism to move at least one of the first and second stroller components from its first position to its second position and b) a failure with at least one of the first stroller component, the second stroller component, and the drive mechanism has occurred;

one or more latches in operative engagement with at least one of the first stroller component and the second stroller component, which one or more latches are moveable by one or more latch drive mechanisms operatively connected thereto between a latched position in which the one or more latches prevent movement of at least one of the first stroller component and the second stroller component toward their second positions, and an unlatched position in which the one or more latches allow movement of at least one of the first stroller component and the second stroller component toward their second positions; and

a manual latch release mechanism operatively connected to the one or more latches to allow manual movement of the one or more latches from the latched position to the unlatched position when at least one of failure of the latch drive mechanism and obstruction of the latch drive mechanism has occurred.

2. The stroller in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first position is an open position and the second position is a collapsed position.

3. The stroller in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a frame coupled to at least one of the first stroller component and the second stroller component.

4. The stroller in accordance with claim 3, further comprising an object sensor configured to detect the presence of objects within an interior portion of the frame and send a signal to prevent actuation of the drive mechanism if an object is detected in the interior portion of the frame.

5. The stroller in accordance with claim 3, further comprising at least one position sensor provided at a selective location on the frame to provide a signal indicative of the positions of at least one of the first stroller component and the second stroller component.

6. The stroller in accordance with claim 5, wherein the at least one position sensor sends the signal to a display to provide at least one of a visual indication and an audio indication to a user as to a current position of at least one of the first stroller component and the second stroller component.

7. The stroller in accordance with claim 1, further comprising one or more latch position sensors which detect when the one or more latches are in their latched positions, with the one or more latch position sensors sending a signal to stop actuation of the one or more latch drive mechanisms upon receipt of the signal.

8. The stroller in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a display and one or more latch position sensors which detect when the one or more latches are in their latched positions, with the one or more latch position sensors sending a signal to the display when the one or more latches are in their latched positions, with the display providing visual confirmation to the user that the one or more latches are in their latched positions.

9. A stroller, comprising:

a collapsible carriage frame movable between a collapsed position and an open position;

a drive mechanism operatively engaged with the collapsible carriage frame to move the collapsible carriage frame from the collapsed position to the open position; and

a user-controlled disengaging mechanism for disengaging the operative engagement between the drive mechanism and the collapsible carriage frame to allow a user to manually move the collapsible carriage frame from the open position to the collapsed position when at least one of a) power supplied to the drive mechanism is not sufficient to actuate the drive mechanism to move the collapsible carriage frame from the open position to the collapsed position and b) a failure with at least one of the collapsible carriage frame and the drive mechanism has occurred;

one or more latches in operative engagement with the support structure, the one or more latches moveable between a latched position and an unlatched position by at least one latch drive mechanism; and

a manual latch release mechanism operatively connected to the one or more latches to allow manual movement of the one or more latches from the latched position to the unlatched position when at least one of failure of the latch drive mechanism and obstruction of the latch drive mechanism has occurred.

10. The stroller in accordance with claim 9, wherein the collapsible carriage frame includes an interior portion.

11. The stroller in accordance with claim 10, further comprising an object sensor configured to detect the presence of objects within the interior portion of the collapsible carriage frame and send a signal to prevent actuation of the drive mechanism if an object is detected in the interior portion of the collapsible carriage frame.

12. The stroller in accordance with claim 11, wherein the object sensor sends a signal to a display to provide a visual indication to a user if an object is present in the interior portion.

13. The stroller in accordance with claim 9, further comprising at least one position sensor provided at a selective location on the collapsible carriage frame to send a signal indicative of the positions of at least one of the collapsible carriage frame to a control system.

14. The stroller in accordance with claim 13, wherein the at least one position sensor sends the signal to a display to provide at least one of a visual indication and an audio indication to a user as to a current position of the collapsible carriage frame.

15. The stroller in accordance with claim 9, further comprising one or more latch position sensors which detect when the one or more latches are in their latched positions, with the one or more latch position sensors sending a signal to stop actuation of the one or more latch drive mechanisms upon receipt of the signal.

16. The stroller in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a display and one or more latch position sensors which detect when the one or more latches are in their latched positions, with the one or more latch position sensors sending a signal to the display when the one or more latches are in their latched positions, with the display providing visual confirmation to the user that the one or more latches are in their latched positions.