Joints and connections – Articulated members – Lockable at fixed position
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-28
2001-05-29
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Joints and connections
Articulated members
Lockable at fixed position
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238125
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved joint for using on a baby stroller, the joint is provided with a twofold engagement effect. Whereby, when the baby stroller is stretched or collapsed, the joint can be in engagement and latching state without providing of additional engaging members, and reducing of cost and convenience of using can be achieved.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional baby stroller mostly is structurally designed to be a collapsible frame in order for carrying and storage. Thereby, except the seat for a baby, the baby stroller is combined from a plurality of bracing rods and joints pivotally connecting the bracing rods.
As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a joint
300
is provided between an upper and a lower bracing rod
10
,
20
to pivotally connect the bracing rods
10
,
20
. An additional engaging member
400
is provided above the joint
300
to keep the baby stroller in the state of engagement. The engaging member
400
simultaneously engages the bottom end of the upper bracing rod
10
and the top end of the lower bracing rod
20
; thereby, engagement can be secured after stretching of the baby stroller. When the baby stroller is collapsed, it only needs to displace the engaging member
400
upwardly to release the top end of the lower bracing rod
20
for collapsing. In the same way, in order to keep the baby stroller in the state of engagement for convenience of carrying, the conventional baby stroller is provided with a hook
500
at an appropriate position. The hook
500
can control whether the baby stroller is stretched.
The above stated structure for stretching and collapsing is bothered in at least two stages of operation each time a baby stroller is stretched or collapsed. For example, when the baby stroller is stretched from a collapsed state, the hook
500
must be in the first place unlatched, then the engaging member
400
is moved up to release the top end of the lower bracing rod
20
. After the baby stroller is stretched, the engaging member
400
gets back to the state in which it simultaneously engages the bottom end of the upper bracing rod
10
and the top end of the lower bracing rod
20
, this is inconvenient in operation.
Besides, the joint, the engaging member
400
and the hook
500
must be manufactured separately, and then are mounted separately at suitable positions on the baby stroller. This not only results in higher cost, but also makes longer working hours for assembling baby strollers.
Therefore, if a design for the structure of a baby stroller can have the twofold engagement effect for stretching and collapsing, it is largely advantageous to convenience for a user as well as to saving of cost in manufacturing the baby stroller. The design of the present invention is exactly based on such an idea; it can get rid of the defects resided in the conventional techniques.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The baby stroller structurally provided with a twofold engagement effect of the present invention is comprised mainly of a first connecting member provided on an upper bracing rod and a second connecting member provided on a lower bracing rod. Wherein, the bottom end of the first connecting member is pivotally connected with the top end of the second connecting member. The first connecting member is provided at the rear side thereof with a receiving chamber for receiving a pulling component. The pulling component has an engaging piece being able to extend into an upper pivotal connecting portion on the bottom end of the first connecting member by means of a spring. The second connecting member is provided in a lower pivotal connecting portion on the top end thereof with a first engaging groove and a second engaging groove. When the baby stroller is stretched or collapsed to be in position, the engaging piece can be automatically engaged into a corresponding engaging groove to form a latching state.
By the structure stated above, when a user is to stretch or collapse the baby stroller, only one-stage operation is needed to make automatic engagement after stretching or collapsing. For example, when the baby stroller is stretched, the above mentioned engaging piece of the pulling component is engaged downwardly into the first engaging groove to make mutual engagement of the first connecting member and the second connecting member. At this time, if the engaging piece of the pulling component is pulled upwardly, the engagement between the first connecting member and the second connecting member can be removed. Then the first and second connecting members can be pivoted relatively to collapse the structure. When the structure is completely collapsed, the engaging piece of the pulling component is exactly aligned with the second engaging groove. By support of the spring, the engaging piece is automatically engaged into the second engaging groove to again make mutual engagement of the first connecting member and the second connecting member. Thereby, automatic engagement of the baby stroller after collapsing is completed. It can have the same effect when the baby stroller is stretched from the collapsing state. I.e., when the user releases the engaging piece from the second engaging groove to completely stretch the baby stroller, the engaging piece too automatically engaged into the first engaging groove to complete automatic engagement of the baby stroller after stretching. Thereby, the joint structure for using on a baby stroller with a twofold engagement effect of the present invention can provide large convenience when in use.
And more, by virtue that a single joint of the present invention has the twofold engagement effect for stretching and collapsing states, it can substitute the combination composed of the conventional joint, its engaging member and the hook for it. Hence cost of material and assembling work can be largely saved, and thus an object of cost reducing can be achieved.
Additionally, in order to avoid increasing bother in assembling by the pulling component provided in the joint of the present invention, design of the pulling component aims at the target of convenience for assembling. When in assembling, neither screw nor rivet is required for fixing, this is another advantage of the present invention.
The present invention will be apparent in its detailed structure after reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof in reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3115359 (1963-12-01), Hendrick
patent: 4191397 (1980-03-01), Kassai
patent: 4828278 (1989-05-01), Nakao et al.
patent: 4993743 (1991-02-01), Takahasi et al.
patent: 5244228 (1993-09-01), Chiu
patent: 5645293 (1997-07-01), Cheng
patent: 5722682 (1998-03-01), Wang
patent: 5806143 (1998-09-01), Tsai
patent: 5864921 (1999-02-01), Chou
patent: 2161759 (1986-01-01), None
patent: 239 367 (1987-09-01), None
Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Browne Lynne H.
Malcolm Tomlyne
LandOfFree
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