Compact foldable stroller with one-handed fold control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9815487-B2
Application number	US-201615388268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2016
Priority date	Jan 10, 2014
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 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 collapsible stroller, the mobile cart comprising
a rolling base including a rear wheel,
a foldable frame including a rolling-base stabilizer having a front wheel and a rolling-base pusher having a push handle, the rolling-base stabilizer being coupled to the rolling base to pivot about a stabilizer-pivot axis between a folded-in position arranged to lie in close proximity to the rolling base and a folded-out position arranged to extend forwardly away from the rolling base, and the rolling-base pusher being coupled to the rolling base to pivot about a pusher-pivot axis between a folded-in position arranged to lie in close proximity to the rolling base and a folded-out position arranged to extend upwardly away from the rolling base, and
a frame-motion controller including movement-linkage means for coordinating movement of the rolling-base stabilizer and base pusher relative to the rolling base so that the rolling-base stabilizer and pusher move simultaneously toward the rolling base to the folded-in positions to establish a collapsed-storage mode of the mobile cart during movement of one of the rolling-base stabilizer and pusher toward the rolling base and so that the rolling-base stabilizer and pusher move simultaneously away from the rolling base to the folded-out positions to establish an alternative expanded-use storage mode of the mobile cart during movement of one of the rolling-base stabilizer and pusher away from the rolling base, wherein the movement-linkage means includes a middle motion-transfer link having a first-end segment mounted for pivotable movement in a first link-end receiver formed in the rolling-base stabilizer and a second-end segment mounted for pivotable movement in a second link-end receiver formed in the rolling-base pusher.

2. The mobile cart of claim 1 , wherein the middle motion-transfer link is a rod comprising the first-end segment, the second-end segment, and a central segment interconnecting the first-end and second-end segments.

3. The mobile cart of claim 2 , wherein the central segment is relatively longer than each of the first-end and second-end segments.

4. The mobile cart of claim 3 , wherein the first-end segment is arranged to extend away from the central segment in a first direction and the second-end segment is arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the first-end segment and extend away from the central segment in an opposite second direction.

5. The mobile cart of claim 2 , wherein the middle motion-transfer link is a Z-shaped rod.

6. The mobile cart of claim 1 , wherein a pivot-axis reference line intersects each of the stabilizer-pivot axis and the pusher-pivot axis, the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a first distance from the pivot-axis reference line and the second-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a relatively shorter second distance from the pivot-axis reference line when each of the rolling-base stabilizer and the rolling-base pusher is in the folded-out position, and the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a third distance from the pivot-axis reference line and the second-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a relatively longer fourth distance from the pivot-axis reference line when each of the rolling-base stabilizer and the rolling-base pusher is in the folded-in position.

7. The mobile cart of claim 6 , wherein the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie between the pivot-axis reference line and the rear wheel of the rolling base when each of the rolling-base stabilizer and the rolling-base pusher is in the folded-out position.

8. The mobile cart of claim 7 , wherein the second-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie between the pivot-axis reference line and the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link when each of the rolling-base stabilizer and the rolling-base pusher is in the folded-out position.

9. The mobile cart of claim 7 , wherein the pivot-axis reference line is arranged to lie between the rear wheel of the rolling base and the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link when each of the rolling-base stabilizer and rolling-base pusher is in the folded-in position.

10. The mobile cart of claim 9 , wherein the second-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a seventh distance from the rear wheel of the rolling base when the rolling-base pusher is in the folded-out position and at a relatively longer eighth distance from the rear wheel of the rolling base when the rolling-base pusher is in the folded-in position.

11. The mobile care of claim 7 , wherein the pivot-axis reference line is arranged to lie between the rear wheel of the rolling base and the second-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link when each of the rolling-base stabilizer and rolling-base pusher is in the folded-in position.

12. The mobile cart of claim 7 , wherein the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie between the pivot-axis reference line and the second-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link when each of the rolling-base stabilizer and rolling-base pusher is in the folded-in position.

13. The mobile cart of claim 1 , wherein the rolling-base stabilizer further includes a front leg associated with the front wheel and a stabilizer pivot hub coupled to the front leg and formed to include the first link-end receiver and the stabilizer pivot hub is mounted for pivotable movement on the rolling base about the stabilizer-pivot axis to locate the first link-end receiver in spaced-apart relation to the stabilizer-pivot axis.

14. The mobile cart of claim 13 , wherein the rolling base includes a rear leg associated with the rear wheel and configured to define a longitudinally extending central axis that passes through a space located between the stabilizer-pivot axis and the pusher-pivot axis, the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link remains in the first link-end receiver in rotative bearing engagement with the stabilizer pivot hub during pivotable movement of the stabilizer pivot hub about the stabilizer-pivot axis in response to movement of the rolling-base stabilizer relative to the rolling base between the folded-out position associated with the expanded use mode of the mobile cart and the folded-in position associated with the collapsed storage mode of the mobile cart, the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a first distance from the longitudinally extending central axis of rolling base when the rolling-base stabilizer is in the folded-out position, and the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a relatively shorter second distance from the longitudinally extending central axis of the rolling base when the rolling-base stabilizer is in the folded-in position.

15. The mobile cart of claim 14 , wherein the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a third distance from the rear wheel of the rolling base when the rolling-base stabilizer is in the folded-out position and at a relatively longer fourth distance from the rear wheel of the rolling base when the rolling-base stabilizer is in the folded-in position.

16. The mobile cart of claim 14 , wherein the rolling-base pusher further includes a pusher pivot hub coupled to the push handle and formed to include the second link-end receiver and the pusher pivo

Assignees

• Dorel Juvenile Group Inc

Inventors

• Dowd Paul
• Miller Christopher D
• Brewin Joseph F

Classifications

• B62B7/062

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

• B62B2205/20

  Catches; Locking or releasing an articulation · CPC title

• B62B7/08 Primary

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

• B62B7/064

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