Compact foldable stroller with one-handed fold control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9561816-B2
Application number	US-201514594399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2015
Priority date	Jan 10, 2014
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

A compact collapsible stroller in accordance with the present disclosure includes a mobile cart and a seat coupled to the mobile cart. The mobile cart includes a rolling base and a foldable frame that fold inwardly and outwardly from the rolling base.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile cart adapted for use in a stroller, the mobile cart comprising
a rolling base including a left wheeled leg and a right wheeled leg,
a foldable frame including a base stabilizer coupled to the rolling base to pivot about a frame axis and a base pusher coupled to the rolling base to pivot about a pusher axis, and
a frame-motion controller adapted to provide fold means for releasing the foldable frame to move from a folded-out position in which the base stabilizer and the base pusher extend away from the rolling base to support a child sitting on a seat mounted to the mobile cart when the mobile cart is in use to a folded-in position in which the base stabilizer and the base pusher extend along the rolling base reducing the footprint of the mobile cart to allow storage of the mobile cart in response to a user lifting upwardly with one hand on a fold handle included in the frame-motion controller and

for coordinating movement of the base stabilizer included in the foldable frame and the base pusher included in the foldable frame as they move from the folded-out position to the folded-in position in response to continued upward lifting of the fold handle with one hand by a user that causes a gravitational force to pull the base stabilizer and the base pusher of the foldable frame toward the folded-in position so that a user can move the foldable frame from the folded-out position to the folded-in position for storage using only a first hand freeing a second hand to carry a child,
wherein the frame-motion controller includes a left pivot lock coupled to the left wheeled leg along a left side of the rolling base, a right pivot lock coupled to the right wheeled leg along a right side of the rolling base, and the fold handle that interconnects the left pivot lock and the right pivot lock,
wherein each of the left pivot lock and the right pivot lock includes a motion blocker coupled to the rolling base to slide relative to the rolling base from a locked position arranged to block the base stabilizer included in the foldable frame and the base pusher included in the foldable frame from rotation relative to the rolling base when the foldable frame is in the folded-out position to an unlocked position arranged to allow the base stabilizer included in the foldable frame and the base pusher included in the foldable frame to rotate relative to the rolling base when the foldable frame is in the folded-out position, and
wherein the base stabilizer includes a stabilizer frame member, a left pivot hub coupled to the stabilizer frame member, and a right pivot hub coupled to the stabilizer frame member, each of the left and the right pivot hubs is formed to include a stabilizer frame receiver that receives a portion of the stabilizer frame member to couple the left and the right pivot hubs to the stabilizer frame member and a finger that extends away from the stabilizer frame member, and the fingers of the left and the right pivot hubs included in the base stabilizer are engaged by the motion blockers of the corresponding left and right pivot locks to block rotation of the base stabilizer relative to the rolling base when the foldable frame is in the folded-out position and the motion blockers of the left and the right pivot locks are in the locked position.

2. The mobile cart of claim 1 , wherein each of the left and the right pivot locks includes a biasing member arranged to bias the corresponding motion blocker toward the locked position, each of the fingers of the left and the right pivot hubs included in the base stabilizer is formed to include an engagement surface and a cam surface, the engagement surface of each of the fingers of the left and the right pivot hubs included in the base stabilizer is arranged to extend at a right angle from the stabilizer frame member and to be engaged by the motion blockers of the corresponding left and right pivot locks to block rotation of the base stabilizer relative to the rolling base when the foldable frame is in the folded-out position and the motion blockers of the left and the right pivot locks are in the locked position, and the cam surface of each of the fingers of the left and the right pivot hubs included in the base stabilizer is arranged to extend at a cam angle from the stabilizer frame member and to push the motion blockers of the corresponding left and right pivot locks from the locked position to the unlocked position during movement of the foldable frame from the folded-in position to the folded-out position.

3. The mobile cart of claim 1 , wherein the base pusher includes a pusher frame member, a left pivot hub coupled to the pusher frame member, and a right pivot hub coupled to the pusher frame member, each of the left and the right pivot hubs is formed to include a pusher frame receiver that receives a portion of the pusher frame member to couple the left and the right pivot hubs to the pusher frame member and a finger that extends away from the pusher frame member, and the fingers of the left and the right pivot hubs included in the base pusher are engaged by the motion blockers of the corresponding left and right pivot locks to block rotation of the base pusher relative to the rolling base when the foldable frame is in the folded-out position and the motion blockers of the left and the right pivot locks are in the locked position.

4. The mobile cart of claim 3 , wherein each of the fingers of the left and the right pivot hubs included in the base pusher is formed to include an engagement surface and a cam surface, the engagement surface of each of the fingers of the left and the right pivot hubs included in the base pusher is arranged to extend at a right angle from the pusher frame member and to be engaged by the motion blockers of the corresponding left and right pivot locks to block rotation of the base pusher relative to the rolling base when the foldable frame is in the folded-out position and the motion blockers of the left and the right pivot locks are in the locked position, and the cam surface of each of the fingers of the left and the right pivot hubs included in the base pusher are arranged to extend at a cam angle from the pusher frame member and to push the motion blockers of the corresponding left and right pivot locks from the locked position to the unlocked position during movement of the foldable frame from the folded-in position to the folded-out position.

5. The mobile cart of claim 3 , wherein each of the left and the right pivot locks includes a housing coupled to the rolling base and at least a portion of the motion blocker, the fingers of the left and the right pivot hubs included in the rolling base stabilizer, and the fingers of the left and the right pivot hubs included in the base pusher are arranged inside the housings of the left and the right pivot locks.

6. The mobile cart of claim 1 , wherein the frame-motion controller includes a left link and a right link adapted to coordinate movement of the base stabilizer and the base pusher during motion of the foldable frame between the folded-out position and the folded-in position, the left link is coupled to the base stabilizer to pivot relative to the base stabilizer and coupled to the base pusher to pivot relative to the base pusher, and the right link is coupled to the base stabilizer to pivot relative to the base stabilizer and coupled to the base pusher to pivot relative to the base pusher.

7. A mobile cart adapted for use in a stroller, the mobile cart comprising
a rolling base including a left wheeled leg and a right wheeled leg,
a foldable frame including a base stabilizer coupled to the rolling base to pivot about a frame axis and a base pusher coupled to the rolling base to pivot about a pusher axis, and
a frame-motion co

Assignees

• Dorel Juvenile Group Inc

Inventors

• Dowd Paul
• Miller Christopher D
• Brewin Joseph F

Classifications

• B62B7/08 Primary

  in the direction of, or at right angles to, the wheel axis · CPC title

• B62B2205/20

  Catches; Locking or releasing an articulation · CPC title

• B62B7/062

  Coupling unit between front wheels, rear wheels and handle · CPC title

• B62B7/064

  the handle bar being parallel to the front leg · CPC title