Land vehicles – Wheeled – Extensible
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-22
2001-07-31
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Extensible
C280S650000, C280S658000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267405
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present 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, and that is safe to use.
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 an 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 axial direction. Each hollow handle tube has a lower tubular end, an upper tubular end, and an intermediate tubular section therebetween. The lower tubular end has a forward enlarged portion with a forward wall extending in the axial direction, and a right lateral wall joining the forward wall and facing the 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 axial direction such that the upper tubular ends of the hollow handle tubes are foldable downwardly and forwardly onto the rear legs to place the hollow handle tubes in a first folded position, and are stretchable upwardly and rearwardly from 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 connected to the front wheel rod, an upper leg end, and an intermediate leg section between the upper and lower leg ends. When the front legs are in a second stretched position, the upper leg ends extend upwardly, rearwardly and in a first transverse direction relative to the axial direction from the lower leg ends. Each upper leg end has a rearward enlarged portion with a rearward wall and a right lateral section. The rearward wall extends in the axial direction, and confronts the forward wall of the lower tubular end of a respective one of the hollow handle tubes in the first transverse direction. The right lateral section joins the rearward wall and faces the axial direction, and is pivotally mounted to the right lateral wall of the lower tubular end of a respective one of the hollow handle tubes at a first pivot point about the 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 overlaps slightly with the right lateral section, to a second angular position where the right lateral wall overlaps extensively with the right lateral section. Each bracing rod has a rear end and a front end. The rear end is mounted pivotally to the respective rear leg and proximate to the lower anchored leg end about the axial direction. The front end is mounted pivotally to the intermediate leg section of a respective one of the front legs about the axial direction such that when the front legs are in a second folded position, the lower leg ends of the front legs will be turned about the axial direction and towards the bracing rods so as to be brought closer thereto for collapsing. Each locking member includes a front hooked portion and a rear hooking portion. The front hooked portion is disposed on the right lateral section of the upper leg end of a respective one of the front legs, and extends in the axial direction. The rear hooking portion has a hooking end, and is pivotally mounted on the right lateral wall of the lower tubular end of a respective one of the hollow handle tubes at a second pivot point about the axial direction such that when the right lateral wall is in the second angular position and the rear hooking portion is actuated to turn about the axial direction, the hooking end is brought to engage the front hooked portion. The plungers are disposed in the intermediate tubular sections and extend into the upper tubular ends of the hollow handle tubes, respectively. Each plunger is movable in the first transverse direction, and has an actuated end and a coupling end opposite to each other in the first transverse direction. The coupling end is moved towards the forward enlarged portion so as to push the rear hooking portion of a respective one of the locking members to turn about the axial direction. The actuating members are disposed on and are movable relative to the upper tubular ends of the hollow handle tubes in the first transverse direction so as to actuate the actuated ends of the plungers. The biasing members are disposed to bias the coupling ends of the plungers to move in the first transverse direction and towards the upper tubular ends of the hollow handle tubes.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4725071 (1988-02-01), Shamie
patent: 5257799 (1993-11-01), Cone et al.
patent: 5460398 (1995-10-01), Huang
patent: 5865460 (1999-02-01), Huang
patent: 5876057 (1999-03-01), Huang
patent: 5938229 (1999-08-01), Chen et al.
patent: 6062587 (2000-05-01), Cabagnero
patent: 6152476 (2000-11-01), Huang
patent: 6196571 (2001-03-01), Chen et al.
Foley & Lardner
Johnson Brian L.
Winner Tony
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