Land vehicles – Wheeled – Extensible
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-16
2004-04-20
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Extensible
C280S647000, C280S650000, C280S047380
Reexamination Certificate
active
06722690
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a stroller, and more particularly to a foldable stroller, which includes a handle unit that can be folded on a wheel unit and that can be positioned firmly relative to the remaining parts of the stroller when unfolded from the wheel unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional foldable stroller
1
is shown to include a front wheel unit
11
, a handle unit
12
, a rear wheel unit
13
, a pair of left and right pivot members
14
that are disposed fixedly on the front wheel unit
11
, two connectors
15
, a pair of left and right retaining members
16
, and a pair of left and right control mechanisms
17
. The front wheel unit
11
includes a pair of inclined left and right lower rods
111
. The handle unit
12
includes a pair of inclined left and right upper rods
121
, which are connected respectively and rotatably to the pivot elements
14
by means of two pivot pins
122
. The connectors
15
are disposed respectively and fixedly on the upper rods
121
, and are connected pivotally to the rear wheel unit
13
. The retaining members
16
are biased forwardly and downwardly to press against the lower rods
111
, respectively, thereby engaging retaining holes
161
in the retaining members
16
with the upper ends of the lower rods
111
accordingly.
When it is desired to fold the stroller
1
, the control mechanisms
17
are actuated so as to move the retaining members
16
rearwardly and upwardly away from the lower rods
111
. As soon as the holes
161
in the retaining members
16
separate from the upper ends of the lower rods
111
, the handle unit
12
is rotated clockwise about the pivot pins
122
so that the handle unit
12
and the rear wheel unit
13
can be folded on the front wheel unit
11
. Thereafter, when it is desired to unfold the stroller
1
, the handle unit
12
is rotated counterclockwise to a position where the holes
161
in the retaining members
16
are aligned with the lower rods
111
such that the retaining members
16
are biased to engage the holes
161
with the upper ends of the lower rods
111
, thereby locking the upper rods
121
relative to the lower rods
111
.
The aforesaid conventional foldable stroller
1
suffers from a drawback in that the holes
161
in the retaining members
16
are sized so that when the upper ends of the lower rods
111
engage the holes
161
, significant clearances are present between the upper ends of the lower rods
111
and the walls of the retaining members
16
defining the holes
161
in order to ensure smooth engagement between the lower rods
111
and the holes
161
. As such, when the stroller
1
is unfolded, the handle unit
12
cannot be positioned firmly relative to the front and rear wheel units
11
,
13
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of this invention is to provide a foldable stroller, which includes a handle unit that can be positioned firmly relative to the remaining parts of the stroller when the stroller is unfolded.
According to this invention, a foldable stroller includes a front wheel unit with a pair of rearwardly and upwardly inclined left and right lower rods, each of which has an upper end. Two positioning members are disposed respectively and fixedly on the upper ends of the left and right lower rods. Each of the positioning members has an upper end, which is formed with:
a rearwardly and upwardly inclined planar positioning surface forming an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the left and right lower rods, and
a guiding surface extending generally and downwardly from the upper end of the positioning surface.
A handle unit includes a grip and a pair of inclined left and right upper rods that are fixed to and that extend respectively, forwardly and downwardly from two opposite ends of the grip. Each of the left and right upper rods is parallel to the left and right lower rods, and has a lower end. Two guideway members are disposed respectively and fixedly on the lower ends of the left and right upper rods, and are connected respectively and pivotally to the positioning members. A rear wheel unit is disposed pivotally on the lower ends of the left and right upper rods, and is located behind the front wheel unit. A link interconnects pivotally the front and rear wheel units. Each of a pair of left and right control mechanisms includes:
a sliding element disposed slidably within a respective one of the guideway members and guided to move in the longitudinal direction of the left and right lower rods, the sliding element being formed with a planar abutment surface that engages the positioning surface of a respective one of the positioning members and that has a lower end, and an engaging surface that extends generally and upwardly from the lower end of the abutment surface, the abutment surface and the engaging surface defining a tip of the sliding element therebetween;
a resilient element for biasing the abutment surface of the sliding element to engage the positioning surface of the respective one of the positioning members, thereby preventing rotation of the left and right upper rods relative to the left and right lower rods;
an actuator element disposed operably on the handle unit; and
an elongated connecting element having an upper end that is fastened to the actuator element, and a lower end that is fastened to the sliding element so that actuation of the actuator element results in separation of the abutment surface of the sliding element from the positioning surface of the positioning member against the biasing action of the resilient element, thereby permitting folding of both the handle unit and the rear wheel unit on the front wheel unit, after which the handle unit and the rear wheel unit can be unfolded from the front wheel unit so that the engaging surface of the sliding element slides over the guiding surface of the respective one of the positioning members such that the abutment surface of the sliding element is biased by the resilient element to engage the positioning surface of the respective one of the positioning members.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5370408 (1994-12-01), Eagan
patent: 5695212 (1997-12-01), Hinkston
patent: 6073957 (2000-06-01), Lan
patent: 6105998 (2000-08-01), Baechler et al.
patent: 6152476 (2000-11-01), Huang
patent: 6193263 (2001-02-01), Lin
patent: 6238125 (2001-05-01), Lin
patent: 6267405 (2001-07-01), Chen
patent: 0123005.1 (2001-09-01), None
Johnson Brian L.
Phan Hau
LandOfFree
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