Direction changeable stroller

• US 8,328,226 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wonderland Switzerland AG
• Original Assignee: Wonderland Nurserygoods Company Limited
• Inventors: Xu-Hui, Chen, Shun-Min, Chen
• Primary Examiner(s): Restifo, Jeffrey J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gurari, Erez
• Application Number:
  US12/903,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20110285110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 280642-643, 280/647, 280/648.65, 280657-658, 280 4738- 4741
• US Class Current: 280/643
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2301/0463 by blocking the rotation at a position
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 7/042 Steering devices
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 9/203 movable from front end to rear end position

Abstract

A direction changeable stroller comprises a frame unit that includes a side leg frame and a push handle pivotable between front and rear positions. The side leg frame includes front and rear leg tubes, and front and rear wheel assemblies. Each of the front and rear wheel assemblies includes a wheel seat and a wheel. Each of the wheel seats includes a fixed portion connected fixedly to a corresponding one of the front and rear leg tubes, and a rotating portion connected pivotably to the fixed portion. The side leg frame further includes an automatic direction-limiting mechanism connected to the push handle such that, when the push handle is at a selected one of the front and rear positions, relative rotation between the fixed portion and the rotating portion of a corresponding one of the front and rear wheel seats is prevented.

Claims

1. A direction changeable stroller comprising a frame unit, said frame unit including at least one side leg frame and a push handle pivotable relative to said side leg frame between a front position and a rear position disposed behind the front position, said side leg frame including a pair of front and rear leg tubes, and a pair of front and rear wheel assemblies disposed respectively on bottom ends of said front and rear leg tubes, said front wheel assembly including a front wheel seat connected to said front leg tube, and a front wheel connected to said front wheel seat, said rear wheel assembly including a rear wheel seat connected to said rear leg tube, and a rear wheel connected to said rear wheel seat, each of said front and rear wheel seats including a fixed portion connected fixedly to a corresponding one of said front and rear leg tubes, and a rotating portion connected pivotably to said fixed portion, said side leg frame further including an automatic direction-limiting mechanism that is connected to said push handle such that, when said push handle is at a selected one of the front and rear positions, relative rotation between said fixed portion and said rotating portion of a corresponding one of said front and rear wheel seats is prevented,

wherein said front wheel seat further includes a front manual positioning member disposed on said fixed portion of said front wheel seat and engageable within said front positioning groove when said rotating portion of said front wheel seat is pivoted relative to said fixed portion of said front wheel seat to align said front positioning groove with said front manual positioning member, said front manual positioning member and said front automatic positioning member being disposed respectively at two sides of said bottom end of said front leg tube, said rear wheel seat further including a rear manual positioning member disposed on said fixed portion of said rear wheel seat and engageable within said rear positioning groove when said rotating portion of said rear wheel seat is pivoted relative to said fixed portion of said rear wheel seat to align said rear positioning groove with said rear manual positioning member, said rear manual positioning member and said rear automatic positioning members being disposed respectively at two sides of said bottom end of said rear leg tube.

2. The direction changeable stroller as claimed in claim 1, wherein said automatic direction-limiting mechanism includes front and rear positioning grooves formed respectively in said rotating portions of said front and rear wheel seats, front and rear automatic positioning members disposed respectively and movably on said fixed portions of said front and rear wheel seats and engageable respectively within said front and rear positioning grooves, a braking member interconnecting said front and rear automatic positioning members, a sliding member disposed slidably on said rear leg tube, and a driving member disposed on said push handle and adjacent to said sliding member, such that a change of said push handle between the front and rear positions resulting in contact of said driving member with said sliding member, so that said driving member pushes and moves said sliding member along said rear leg tube to activate said braking member to thereby remove a corresponding one of said front and rear automatic positioning members from a corresponding one of said front and rear positioning grooves, thus allowing for rotation of a corresponding one of said rotating portions relative to a corresponding one of said fixed portions.

3. The direction changeable stroller as claimed in claim 2, wherein said direction-limiting mechanism further includes two resilient members each biasing a corresponding one of said front and rear automatic positioning members toward a corresponding one of said front and rear positioning grooves, and a returning member for biasing said sliding member to return to its original position such that, when said push handle is pivoted from the rear position to the front position, said driving member contacts and pushes said sliding member to move said braking member toward said front wheel seat, thereby removing said rear automatic positioning member from said rear positioning groove, and allowing said front automatic positioning member to be biased by a corresponding one of said resilient members into said front positioning groove to thereby limit direction of said front wheel;

and when said push handle is pivoted from the front position to the rear position, said driving member is removed from said sliding member, thereby removing said front automatic positioning member from said front positioning groove due to the biasing action of said returning member, and allowing said rear automatic positioning member to be biased by a corresponding one of said resilient members into said rear positioning groove to thereby limit direction of said rear wheel.

4. The direction changeable stroller as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said front and rear wheel assemblies further includes an axle connected to said rotating portion of a corresponding one of said front and rear wheel seats, said axle of said front wheel assembly being spaced apart from a rotating axis of said rotating portion of said front wheel seat, said axle of said front wheel assembly and said front positioning groove being positioned respectively at two sides of the rotating axis of said rotating portion of said front wheel seat, said axle of said rear wheel assembly being spaced apart from a rotating axis of said rotating portion of said rear wheel seat, said axle of said rear wheel assembly and said rear positioning groove being positioned respectively at two sides of the rotating axis of said rotating portion of said rear wheel seat.

5. The direction changeable stroller as claimed in claim 4, wherein said front automatic positioning member is disposed behind and adjacent to a bottom end of said front leg tube, and said rear automatic positioning member is disposed in front of and adjacent to a bottom end of said rear leg tube.

6. The direction changeable stroller as claimed in claim 2, wherein said sliding member of said automatic direction-limiting mechanism includes a sliding block disposed movably within said rear leg tube and connected to said braking member, a sleeve portion sleeved movably on said rear leg tube and connected to and co-movable with said sliding block, and a lug extending from said sleeve portion and permitting said driving member to contact therewith.

7. The direction changeable stroller as claimed in claim 6, wherein said rear leg tube is formed with a pair of slots so as to permit said sliding block to be riveted to said sleeve portion.

8. The direction changeable stroller as claimed in claim 2, wherein said braking member is configured as two cables connected respectively to two opposite ends of said sliding member.

9. The direction changeable stroller as claimed in claim 6, wherein said lug extends toward said push handle, such that said push handle is operable to pivot said driving member relative to said side leg frame to contact said lug.

10. The direction changeable stroller as claimed in claim 2, wherein said sliding member has a guiding path for guiding movement of said driving member on said sliding member therealong so as to push and move said sliding member on said rear leg tube when said push handle is pivoted from one of the front and rear positions to the other of the front and rear positions.

11. The direction changeable stroller as claimed in claim 3, wherein said sliding member has a guiding path for guiding movement of said driving member on said sliding member therealong so as to push and move said sliding member on said rear leg tube when said push handle is pivoted from one of the front and rear positions to the other of the front and rear positions.

12. The direction changeable stroller as claimed in claim 9, wherein said sliding member is movable in response to a change of said push handle between the front and rear positions by a distance that is the same as that of each of said front and rear automatic positioning members.