Land vehicles – Wheeled – Extensible
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-01
2001-10-09
Mar, Michael (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Extensible
C280S650000, C280S047380, C280S062000, C297S046000, C403S083000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299194
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a foldable stroller, more particularly to a foldable stroller that occupies a relatively small amount of space after folding to facilitate storage and transport thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Foldable strollers with three wheels are known in the art.
FIG. 1
illustrates a conventional foldable stroller
10
which includes a front support frame
11
connected to a handle bar
12
, a rear support frame
13
, and a base frame
14
. The base frame
14
has a front end provided with a front wheel
15
, and a rear end provided with a spaced pair of rear wheels
15
. The front support frame
11
is provided with a seat member
16
and a foldable canopy
17
. The front end of the base frame
14
is formed with a positioning seat
18
which is provided with a spring-loaded positioning pin
19
. The front support frame
11
is disposed above the base frame
14
, and has a detachable front end connected releasably to the positioning seat
18
. With reference to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the detachable front end of the front support frame
11
is formed with an insert hole
111
to permit extension of the spring-loaded positioning pin
19
for locking the front end of the front support frame
11
detachably to the base frame
14
. The rear support frame
13
has an upper end mounted pivotally to the front support frame
11
, and a lower end mounted pivotally to the base frame
14
.
Referring to
FIGS. 2 and 3
, to collapse the conventional stroller
10
, the canopy
17
is first folded onto the front support frame
11
. The spring-loaded positioning pin
19
is subsequently raised for removal from the insert hole
107
so as to release the front end of the front support frame
11
from the positioning seat
18
. The upper end of the rear support frame
13
is then pivoted forwardly relative to the lower end thereof, and the front support frame
11
is pulled forwardly for folding onto the base frame
14
. However, it is noted that the folded stroller
10
occupies a large amount of space since the folded stroller
10
still has a relatively long length. Moreover, since the front support frame
11
must be pulled forwardly for folding onto the base frame
14
, the section of the front support frame
11
projecting forwardly from the front wheel
15
may create inconvenience during both storage and transport of the stroller
10
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a foldable stroller that occupies a relatively small amount of space after folding to facilitate storage and transport thereof.
Accordingly, the foldable stroller of the present invention includes a rear wheel axle, a pair of rear legs, a pair of hollow handle tubes, a front leg frame, a pair of bracing rods, a pair of locking members, a pair of plungers, a pair of actuating members, and a pair of biasing members. The rear wheel axle has two lateral ends that are provided with two rear wheels. The rear legs are disposed to be parallel to and spaced apart from each other in a first axial direction that is parallel to the rear wheel axle. Each rear leg has a lower anchored leg end mounted on a respective one of the lateral ends of the rear wheel axle, and an upper anchored leg end extending upwardly from the lower anchored leg end. The hollow handle tubes are disposed to be parallel to and spaced apart from each other in the first axial direction. Each hollow handle tube defines a tube axis which is transverse to the first axial direction, and has a lower tubular end portion extending along the tube axis, an enlarged portion extending upwardly and in a direction radial to the tube axis from the lower tubular end portion, an upper tubular end portion, and an intermediate tubular section disposed between the upper and lower tubular end portions along the tube axis. The enlarged portion is provided with a forward wall extending in the first axial direction, and a right lateral wall joining the forward wall and facing the first axial direction. The intermediate tubular section is mounted pivotally to the upper anchored leg end of a respective one of the rear legs about the first axial direction and proximate to the lower tubular end portion such that the upper tubular end portion is foldable downwardly and forwardly onto the respective one of the rear legs to place the hollow handle tubes in a first folded position, and is stretchable upwardly and rearwardly from the respective one of the rear legs to place the hollow handle tubes in a first stretched position. The front leg frame includes a front wheel rod which is provided with a front wheel, and a pair of front legs. Each front leg has a lower leg end portion connected to the front wheel rod, an upper leg end portion, and an intermediate leg section therebetween. When the front legs are in a second stretched position, the upper leg end portions thereof extend upwardly, rearwardly and in a first transverse direction parallel to the tube axis. The upper leg end portion of each front leg has a rearward enlarged part with a rearward wall extending in the first axial direction and confronting the forward wall of the enlarged portion of a respective one of the hollow handle tubes in the first transverse direction, and a right lateral section joining the rearward wall and facing the first axial direction. The rearward enlarged part is mounted pivotally to the lower tubular end portion of the respective hollow handle tube at a first pivot point about the first axial direction such that when the hollow handle tubes are moved from the first folded position to the first stretched position, the right lateral wall moves from a first angular position where the right lateral wall does not overlap with the right lateral section, to a second angular position where the right lateral wall overlaps with the right lateral section. Each bracing rod has a rear end which is mounted pivotally to a respective one of the rear legs and proximate to the lower anchored leg end about the first axial direction, and a front end which is mounted pivotally to the intermediate leg section of a respective one of the front legs about the first axial direction such that when the front legs are in a second folded position, the lower leg end portions thereof will be turned about the first axial direction and towards the bracing rods so as to be brought closer thereto for collapsing. Each locking member includes a front hooked portion disposed on the right lateral section of the rearward enlarged part of the upper leg end portion of a respective one of the front legs and extending in the first axial direction, and a rear hooking portion mounted pivotally on the right lateral wall of the enlarged portion of a respective one of the hollow handle tubes at a second pivot point about the first axial direction. The rear hooking portion includes a forcing hooking end and a forced end at opposite sides of the second pivot point. The forcing hooking end is disposed proximate to the front hooked portion. The forced end extends in the radial direction and into the lower tubular end portion of the respective hollow handle tube, and is movable in the first transverse direction. The plungers are disposed in the intermediate tubular sections and extend into the upper tubular end portions of the hollow handle tubes, respectively. Each plunger is movable in the first transverse direction and has actuated and coupling ends opposite to each other in the first transverse direction, and a middle portion interposed therebetween. The actuated end is disposed to extend outwardly of the upper tubular end portion. The coupling end is disposed to be retained at the lower tubular end portion of the respective hollow handle tube, and is slidable in the first transverse direction. The middle portion has a coupling area proximate to the coupling end to couple with the forced end of the rear hooking portion of a respective locking member so as to push the forced end, thereby turning the forcing hooking end of the respective
Foley & Lardner
Mar Michael
LandOfFree
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