AU2012268804A1 - A push carrier for infants - Google Patents

Abstract

A push carrier (100') for conveying an infant includes a plurality of wheels (204, 206) and a brake system operable on one or more of the wheels. The brake system comprises a hand operated brake actuator or release actuator (316) and a foot operated 5 brake actuator or release actuator (214). Both the hand operated brake actuator or release actuator and the foot operated brake actuator or release actuator are operable to effect braking on the same wheel. The hand operated brake actuator may comprise a pivotally mounted push handle (316) moveable about a pivot axis between an at rest position above the pivot access to an 0 operating position substantially level with or below the pivot axis. The hand operated brake actuator may comprise a sprocket (210) associated with one or more wheels (204) and a radial projection (306) normally engaged with the sprocket (210). The projection has a longitudinal axis aligned radially with the sprocket (210). Pushing of the push handle (316) operates to withdraw the projection (306) from the sprocket (210) 5 and permit turning of the associated wheel (204). C4, C4'

Description

RegJaion 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT invention Title: A push carrier for infants The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 2 FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a push carrier for conveying an infant, and in particular to collapsible strollers capable of adopting an operative configuration and a second collapsed configuration to allow for ready transportation. The invention is 5 suitable for use in structures such as strollers, prams, pushchairs and related nursery products, and will be convenient to describe the invention in relation to that exemplary application. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Strollers and pushchairs commonly employ brakes, particularly foot operated 0 brakes which when depressed prevent rotation of the associated wheel. Thus, the foot pedal must be depressed to be operated and released to release the brake. However, there may be instances where the operator of the pushchair becomes distracted or incapacitated and loses control of the pushchair. For example, the pushchair may escape from the operator and run uncontrolled down an incline. This would have 5 disastrous consequences for the infant onboard. The present invention therefore relates to push carriers with brake systems that overcome or at least ameliorate the above mentioned disadvantage. An alternative object is to at least provide the public with a useful choice. Reference to any prior art in the specification is not, and should not be taken as, 20 an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia or any other jurisdiction or that this prior art could reasonably be expected to be ascertained, understood and regarded as relevant by a person skilled in the art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 25 In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention there is provided a push carrier for conveying an infant, the push carrier including: 3 a plurality of wheels; a support frame having a pivotally mounted push handle moveable about a pivot axis between an at rest position above the pivot access to an operating position substantially level with or below the pivot axis; 5 brake system on one or more of the wheels, the brake system comprising; a sprocket associated with one or more wheels; and a radial projection normally engaged with the sprocket, the projection having a longitudinal axis aligned radially with the sprocket, whereby pushing of the push handle operates to withdraw the projection from the 0 sprocket and permit turning of the associated wheel. The push handle may be in the form of a push bar pivotally mounted to the support frame. For example, the support frame may have two upright arms and the push bar may be pivotally mounted at the top of the two arms. Preferably, the push handle is mounted relatively close to the pivot access, requiring rotation through only a 5 small arc to effect release of the brake. In a most preferred form, the operating position of the push handle is substantially level with the pivot axis. In other words, the operating position of the push handle, to release the brake and move the push carrier in the forward direction, is on substantially the same horizontal plane as the pivot axis. This affords a relaxed position for the operator whereby the weight of the operator's hands 20 and the forward force exerted on the push handle is sufficient to retain the push handle in the operating position. Preferably, the push handle extends rearwardly from the pivot axis. The sprocket is preferably in the form of a toothed wheel or any other kind of wheel with radially extending projections. The radial projection engaging with the 25 sprocket suitably engages between adjacent teeth or projections. The radial projection may be elongate and is preferably in the form of a pin.

4 An operating cable suitably extends between the push handle and the radial projection. Further, a spring is suitably provided to maintain the projection engaged with the sprocket. The handle may be provided with a stop which defines the operating position of the push handle and the limit of pivoting. Thus, when the push handle is 5 depressed to the operating position, the projection would be withdrawn against the bias of the spring by the action of the cable. Preferably, the operating position defined by the stop is such that the spring has not reached full compression. This prevents the cable from stretching. Preferably the push carrier has a pair of rear wheels and the brake system is 0 duplicated whereby there is a sprocket and projection arrangement for each wheel. Preferably the brake system further includes a manually operable foot brake. In a most preferred form of the invention, the foot brake is also operable on the same sprocket. Preferably, the foot brake operates on the sprocket at a diametrically opposed location from the radial protection. 5 in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a push carrier for conveying an infant, the push carrier including: a plurality of wheels; and a brake system operable on one or more of the wheels, the brake system comprising: 20 a hand operated brake actuator or release actuator; a foot operated brake actuator or release actuator; whereby both the hand operated brake actuator or release actuator and the foot operated brake actuator or release actuator are operable to effect braking on the same wheel.

5 In a preferred form of the invention, a sprocket is associated with said wheel and both the hand operated brake actuator or release actuator and the foot operated brake actuator or release actuator are operable on the sprocket. The hand operated brake actuator or release actuator may operate 5 independently from the foot operated brake actuator or release actuator. In other words, for the push carrier to move, both the hand operated and the foot operated actuators need be released. Alternatively, the operation of the hand operated brake actuator or release actuator could be coordinated with the foot operated brake actuator or release actuator. 0 Any of the features described above in connection with the first aspect of the present invention may have application to the second aspect. As used herein, except where the context requires otherwise the term 'comprise' and variations of the term, such as 'comprising', 'comprises' and 'comprised', are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps. 5 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description refers in more detail to the various features of the stroller of the present invention. To facilitate an understanding of the invention, reference is made in the description to Figures 1 to 14 which show a prior art form of the stroller. The invention is to be understood in connection with Figures 15 onwards which 20 build on the disclosure of Figures 1 to 14. It is to be understood however that the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings. In order that the invention can be more readily understood an embodiment will be described by way of illustration only with reference to the drawings wherein: Figures 1 to 5 are respectively front perspective, rear perspective, front, rear and 25 plan views of a collapsible stroller in accordance with the prior art; 6 Figure 6 is an exploded partial view of the mounting body and elements connected thereto forming part of the stroller shown in Figures 1 to 5; Figure 7 is a partial exploded view of a leg connection arrangement for connecting a support leg assembly to the mounting body in the stroller shown in Figures 51 to 5; Figure 8 is an exploded view of a linked brake assembly forming part of the stroller of Figures 1 to 5; Figure 9 is an exploded view of a frame connection arrangement for connecting a support frame to the mounting body of the stroller shown in Figures 1 to 5; 0 Figures 10 to 12 show the stroller of Figures 1 to 5 illustrating the transition of the supporting structure from a load bearing configuration to a collapsible configuration; Figures 13 and 14 are respectively plan and side views of the stroller of Figures 1 to 5 in a collapsed configuration; Figure 15 is a side view of a stroller according to the present invention, many of 5 the features corresponding to the stroller illustrated in Figures 1 to 14; Figure 16 is a rear view of the stroller shown in Figure 15; Figure 17 is a perspective view, partly cut away showing a portion of the brake system; Figure 18 is an external side view of a rear wheel assembly of the stroller shown 20 in Figure 15; Figure 19 is an end elevation of the wheel assembly illustrated in Figure 18; Figure 20 is a side elevation showing the inner side of the wheel assembly of Figure 18; 7 Figure 21 is a view corresponding to Figure 18, with one of the wheels removed; Figure 22 is a view corresponding to Figure 19 with the wheel removed; Figure 23 is a wheel corresponding to Figure 20 with the wheel removed; Figure 24 is a perspective view of the upper end of the support frame showing 5 the push handle; Figure 25 is a perspective view, partly cut away, corresponding to Figure 24 except with the push handle depressed; Figure 26 is a side view illustrating the stroller of Figure 15 showing the handle in the at-rest position; 0 Figure 26A is a detail of Figure 26 showing the angle of the handle in the at-rest position; Figure 27 is a side view illustrating the stroller of Figure 26 showing the handle in the operative position; and Figure 27A is a detail of Figure 26 showing the angle of the handle in the 15 operative position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to Figures 1 to 5, there is shown a collapsible stroller 100. The collapsible stroller 100 includes a support frame 112 for supporting a load, a first leg support assembly 114 and a second leg support assembly 116. In this example, the first 20 support leg assembly 114 is adapted to project rearwardly from the stroller, whilst the second support leg assembly 116 is adapted to project forwardly from the stroller. The support frame 112 is in the form of two upwardly extending arms joined at their upper end.

8 Second Support Leq Assembly As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the collapsible stroller 100 further includes a mounting body 118 to which the first support leg assembly 114, second support leg assembly 116 and support frame 112 are connected. The mounting body 118 acts as a 5 central hub to which each of these three principle elements of the collapsible supporting structure are connected. As can be best seen in Figure 6, the mounting body in this example includes a mounting bar 120 extending laterally across the width of the stroller. (Figure 6 is only a partial view and thus only the right hand side of the mounting bar 120 can be seen. The left hand side is a mirror image.) In other embodiments however, the 0 mounting body need not be of a bar or other elongate member but may be of any convenient form suitable for filling the functionality described herein. The second leg assembly 116 is connected to the mounting bar 120 by a leg connection arrangement 122. The leg connection arrangement 122 includes a leg mounting block 124 adapted to receive leg members 126 and 128 of the second support 5 leg assembly 116. The leg mounting block 124 secures and maintains the leg members 126 and 128 in a splayed or V-shaped configuration so that the separation between the leg members 126 and 128 is greater at the distal ends of the leg members 126 and 128 than at the proximate ends. Each of the leg members 126 and 128 are maintained in position by screws or other fixation devices passing through corresponding apertures in 20 the leg receiving portion 130 and the leg members 126 and 128 (one such aperture is referenced 132 in Figure 6). The leg mounting block 124 further includes a sleeve 134 adapted to be placed around the mounting bar 120 and centrally positioned thereon by means of fastening members and corresponding apertures formed in the sleeve 134 and mounting bar 120. 25 Two such apertures are referenced 136 and 138 in Figure 16. The support leg assembly 116 further includes a footrest 140 secured between distal ends of the leg members 126 and 128 by means of footrest mounting brackets 142 and 144. The footrest 140 is secured to a footrest strut 141 extending between, and secured at each end to the footrest mounting brackets 142 and 144. As shown in Figure 9 5, the footrest mounting brackets 142 and 144 are further adapted to receive and have connected thereto wheel assemblies 146 and 148. In this example, the wheel assemblies are of the dual wheel type, however in other embodiments different wheel assemblies may be used. 5 First Support Leg Assembly As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the support leg assembly 114 is connected to the mounting bar 120 by a leg connection arrangement 150. The support leg assembly 114 includes two rearwardly projecting leg members 152 and 154. The leg connection arrangement 150 includes separate leg mounting blocks 156 and 158 respectively D adapted to interconnect the leg members 152 and 154 to the mounting bar 120. The leg mounting blocks 156 and 158 are positioned on the mounting bar 120 to either side of the centrally positioned leg mounting block 124. As can be best seen in Figure 7, the leg mounting lock 156 includes a leg receiving portion 160 for receiving and securing the leg member 152 to the leg mounting block 156, and an integrally formed sleeve162 for 5 securing around the mounting bar 120 by screws or other fixation devices and corresponding apertures such as that referenced 164. The leg connection arrangement 150 is further adapted to enable pivotal movement of the leg support assembly 114 between a first leg supporting position in which the support leg assembly 114 extends in a first direction to support a load borne 20 by the collapsible stroller 100 (as shown in Figures 1 to 5) and a collapsed position in which the support leg assembly extends in a second direction to allow for ready transportability of the collapsible stroller (as will be discussed in relation subsequent figures). This pivotal movement is facilitated, in the case of the leg member 152 and leg mounting block 156 by the pivotal connection of the leg member 152 about a pivotal 25 axis 166 extending in the same direction and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mounting bar 120. Pivotal movement of the leg member 152 about the axis 166 is facilitated by means of aligned apertures in the proximate end of the leg member 152 and in the leg receiving portion 160. In this example, a leg termination piece 168 is positioned over the proximate end 170 of the leg member 152 and apertures 172, 174 30 and 176 respectively in the leg receiving portion 160, leg termination member 68 and 10 proximate end 170 of the leg member 152 are aligned to receive a pin or other interconnecting member. It will be understood that the functioning of the corresponding leg mounting block 158 is identical to that just described. When placed in an operative load bearing configuration, as illustrated in Figures 5 1 to 5, the support leg assembly 114 is releasably locked in a rearwardly extending direction. As can be seen from Figure 7, this is achieved by locking members 178positioned around proximate ends of the leg members 152 and 154 and corresponding recesses formed in the leg mounting blocks 156 and 158. In the case of leg member 152, and leg mounting block 156, a locking member 178 is adapted to be 0 positioned around the proximate end 170 of the leg member 152 and the leg termination member 168. The locking member 178 includes a lateral projection 180 adapted for slidable engagement in corresponding recess 182 formed in the leg receiving portion 160 of the leg mounting block 156. The recess 182 acts as a stop member to prevent pivoting movement of the support leg assembly 114 about the pivot axis 166 when the 5 lateral projection 180 is engaged in the recess 182. A spring 184 or other biasing member is used to ensure that the locking member 178 is biased towards the leg receiving portion 160 so that the lateral projecting member 180 is biased to engage in the recess 182 and accordingly lock the support leg assembly 114 in the rearwardly projecting orientation shown in Figures 1 to 5. 20 When it is desired to place the collapsible supporting structure in a collapsed configuration for ready transportability, the support leg assembly 114 is released from the rearwardly projecting configuration shown in Figures 1 to 5, and pivoted about the pivot axis 166 towards a forwardly projecting position. To facilitate the release of the lateral projection 180 of the locking member 178 from the corresponding recess 182 in 25 the leg receiving portion 160, a lock release handle 186 and corresponding lock release bar 188, around which the handle 186 is positioned, is provided. The lock release bar 188 extends between and is secured to the locking members 178. Pulling the lock release handle 186 towards the distal end of the leg members 152 and 154 in the direction indicated by the arrow 190 in Figure 17 overcomes the biasing of the locking 30 members 178 and causes the lateral projections 180 on the locking members to be slidably disengaged from the corresponding recesses 182 in the leg receiving portions 11 160. The support leg assembly 114 is then able to be rotatably displaced about the pivot axis 166 in the direction of the arrow 192 towards the support leg assembly 116. During this rotational displacement the lateral projection 180 of the locking member 178 slides over a caming surface 194 in the leg mounting block 158 towards a shoulder 196, after 5 which, the lateral projection 180 engages behind the shoulder 196 so as to releasably lock the support leg assembly 114 in a forward projecting orientation. Alternatively, the shoulder 196 may not be provided and the leg assembly may be unlocked in the collapsed configuration. As shown in Figure 5, the support leg assembly further includes a strut 198 0 extending between the leg members 152 and 154. The strut 198 is secured to the leg members 152 and 154 by strut connection pieces 200 and 202. Wheel assemblies 204 and 206 are respectively fitted to the distal ends of leg members 152 and 154 of the support leg assembly 114. Brake Assemblies 5 As best shown in Figures 2 and 8, each of the wheel assemblies 204 and 206 include a single wheel only. Each wheel is connected to the distal ends of leg members 152 and 154 by means of linked brake assemblies 208. As seen in Figure 8, the brake assembly 208 includes a rear brake cog 210 mounted about an axle of the wheel forming part of the wheel assembly 204. A brake mounting bracket 212 is secured to the 20 distal end of the leg member 152, and supports a pivotally mounted brake lever 214. The brake lever 214 includes a laterally projecting arm 216 having a cog engagement member 218 extending from one end. The brake lever 214 is pivotally mounted to the brake bracket 212 by a cable operating bracket 220 including laterally projecting wings 222 and 224. A first brake cable 226 is secured to the wing 222, whilst a second brake 25 cable 228 is secured to the wing 224. The cable operating bracket 220 and the ends of the brake cables 226 and 228 connected thereto are covered by brake housings 230 and 232. When rotation of the wheel forming part of the wheel assembly 204 is to be prevented, the brake lever 214 is depressed in the direction of arrow 234 to cause engagement of the member 218 between the teeth of the cog 210 thus preventing 30 rotation of the wheel. The brake cables 226 and 228 may be connected to an identical 12 brake assembly forming part of the wheel assembly 206. However in a preferred embodiment the upper brake cable 226 and lower brake cable 228 are respectively connected to the lower brake cable and the upper brake cable of the other brake assembly. Accordingly, depression of the brake lever 214 causes rotation of the cable 5 operating bracket 220 about a pivot point 236 to thereby increase tension on the brake cable 226 and decrease tension on the brake cable 228 to cause a corresponding depression of the brake lever in the brake assembly associated with the wheel assembly 206. In this way, the two brake assemblies are linked so as to prevent or allow rotation of the wheels forming part of the wheel assemblies 204 and 206 D simultaneously. Support Frame As shown in Figure 1, the support frame 112 includes, in this example, lower frame members 238 and 240 and a curved upper frame member 242. An upper end of the lower frame member 240 is pivotally connected to one end of the upper frame 5 member 242, and an upper end of the lower frame member 238 is pivotally connected to the other end of the upper frame member 242. The lower ends of the lower frame members 238 and 240 are connected to the mounting bar 120 by means of a frame connection arrangement 244. The upper frame member is provided with a plastic moulded cover 246 to enable the user to comfortably grip the top of the upper frame 20 member 242 at locations that are convenient for a user. The frame connection arrangement 244 includes frame mounting blocks 250 and 252 respectively connecting ends of the lower frame members 238 and 240 to the mounting bar 120. It will be appreciated from Figure 1 that the lower frame member 138 and a straight connected portion of the upper frame member 242 define an arm. Likewise another arm is defined 25 by the lower frame member 140 and the corresponding straight portion of the upper frame member 242. Both arms extend upwardly from the mounting body. Support Frame Mounting As shown in Figure 9, the frame mounting block 250 includes a first disc member 254 and integrally formed sleeve 256 for mounting about one end of the mounting bar 13 120. A stop member 258 is further integrally formed with the disc member 254 in order to prevent rotation of the support frame beyond the reclined position shown in Figures 11 to 15 when the stroller is placed in a load bearing configuration. A disc cover member 260 engages around the disc member 254 and is secured thereto by means of 5 apertures 262 and 264 passing centrally through both the disc member 254 and disc cover 260 and by bolt 266 washer 268 and nut 270, or other securing means. An end plate 272 is provided to hide the means of securing the disc member 254 and disc cover 260 from view. A sleeve 274 is integrally formed with the disc cover 260 and is adapted to receive the lower end of the frame member 238. D Upper and lower frame release housings 276 and 278 are respectively fitted around adjacent ends of the frame members 238 and 242. The upper and lower frame release housings 276 and 278 are pivotally interconnected at pivot points 280 and 282 to allow for rotational movement of the upper frame member 242 towards the rear of the collapsible supporting structure 100 with respect to the lower frame members 238 and 5 240. Thus the arms of the support frame 112 are retractable in length. The frame members 238 to 242 are maintained in a configuration whereby all frame members form part of the same plane by means of a frame locking arrangement 284. A handle trigger 300 is provided about the lower release housing 278. Operation of the handle trigger 300 (and of the corresponding handle trigger positioned around the 20 lower frame member 240) enables the relative pivotal movement of the upper frame member 242 with respect to the lower frame members 238 and 240, as well as enabling the pivotal movement of the lower frame members 238 and 240 away from the stop member 258 towards the front of the collapsible supporting structure 100. The handle trigger 300 is slidably mounted relative to the lower release housing 25 278. The handle trigger is connected to a push rod 286. A projection 289 defines a palm rest for the user to retract the handle trigger 300 upwardly. A cap 301 covers the outer side of the handle trigger 300. When the handle trigger 300 is pulled towards the upper frame member 242, the push-rod 286 is caused to move in the same direction and act on a locking member 14 288. In so doing, the locking member 288 is moved clear from juncture of frame release housings 276 and 278 allowing that joint to pivot about the aligned pivot points 280 and 282. This same movement of the upper end of the push-rod 286 towards the upper 5 frame member 242 causes the lower end of the push-rod 286 to be moved out of engagement with a recess 290 in the disc member 254 to thereby allow pivotal movement of the lower frame members 238, 240 away from the stop members 258. The upper and lower ends of the push-rod 286 are respectively housed in sleeves 292 and 294. The push-rod 286 is biased towards a position in which its lower 0 end is engaged in the recess 290 by a spring 296 or like resilient members. Similarly, the locking member 288 is housed within a sleeve 298 and maintained in a position in which the locking member 288 covers the juncture of frame release housings 276 and 278 by a spring 299 or like resilient member. As can be best seen in Figure 5, a seat frame support member 302 may be 5 connected to one or both of the lower frame members 238 and 240 to support a seat frame bar or like member 304 (see Figure 1). Material suitable for forming a seat 306 or other load bearing structure may be connected to the seat supporting bar 304. The seat 306 may additionally be affixed to one or more of the frame members 238 to 242, or other elements of the collapsible supporting structure as required. 20 A sun canopy support bar 308 may also be connected to one or more of the frame members 238 to 242 in order to enable the fitting of a sun canopy to the collapsible supporting structure 100. As shown in Figure 9, the sun canopy bar 308 is pivotally mounted to the upper frame member 242. A sleeve 309 is mounted onto the upper frame member 242. The sleeve 309 presents an outer face 311 with a series of 25 spaced detents. A dial member 313 cooperates with the detents to be located in a selected one of a two radial positions, i.e. either open or closed. The canopy bar 308 is received in a radial tube of the dial member 213 and thus may be positioned in a selected one of the two positions.

15 In the load bearing configuration shown in Figure 10, the leg connection arrangement 150 supports a support leg assembly 114 in a leg supporting position in which the support leg assembly 114 extends in a first direction (namely the rearward direction indicated by the arrow 310) to support a load borne by the collapsible 5 supporting structure. When the lock release handle 186 is pulled in the direction indicated by the arrow 190 (Figure 7), and the lock members about the upper ends of the leg members 154 and 156 are disengaged from the grooves 182 formed in the leg mounting blocks 160, the support leg assembly 114 is pivoted about the pivot axis 166 in the rotational direction indicated by the arrow 312 (Figure 10) to a leg collapsed ) position in which the support leg assembly 114 extends in a second direction (namely the forward direction indicated by the arrow 314 as shown in Figure 10 and 14) to allow for ready transportability of the collapsible supporting structure. As can be seen from Figure 10, the leg connection arrangement 122 maintains the support leg assembly 116 in a leg supporting position in which the support leg assembly 116 extends in that same 5 forward direction. Similarly, the frame connection arrangement 244 supports the support frame 112 in a frame supporting position in which the support frame 112 extends in a first direction (the rearwardly inclined direction indicated by the arrow 316) to enable the load to be borne by the collapsible stroller but also enables pivotal movement of the support frame _0 112 between that position and a collapsed position in which the support frame 112 extends in the forward direction indicated by the arrow 314, namely the same direction in which the support leg assembly 116 extends and the same direction in which the support leg assembly 114 extends when placed in a collapsed configuration. Accordingly, upon activation of the handle triggers 300, the lower frame members 238 25 and 240 are able to pivot towards the support leg assembly 116 in the rotation direction indicated by the arrow 318. The lower frame members 238 and 240 pivot about a rotational axis 320 (Figure 11) defined by the centre points of the disc members 254 and disc covers 260. As can be seen in Figure 11, activation of the handle triggers 300 also enables 30 pivotal separation of the upper frame member 242 from the lower frame members 238 and 240 so that the upper frame member 242 is pivoted in the rotational direction 16 indicated by the arrow 322 towards the rear of the collapsible supporting structure. The relative pivotal movement between the lower frame members 238 and 240 and the upper frame member 242 occurs about a pivot axis 324 defined by the pivot points 280, 282 interconnecting the upper and lower frame release housings 276, 278 5 interconnecting the upper and lower frame members 238 to 242. Thus it will be understood that the arms forming part of the support frame 112 are both pivotable about the mounting body and foldable approximately midway along their length such that in the collapsed configuration, the resultant length of the arms is approximately the same as the length of the rear support leg assembly 114. 0 As can be seen from Figure 11, the support leg assembly 114 is mounted to the leg connection arrangement 150 for rotation about a pivot axis 166 that is laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of the mounting bar 120. Similarly, the support frame 112 is mounted to the frame connection arrangement 244 for rotation about a pivot axis 320 that is also laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of the mounting bar 120. 5 Advantageously, this enables the support leg assembly 114 and the support frame 112 to be pivoted to a position in which the support leg assembly 116, support leg assembly 114 and support frame 112 all extend in the same direction indicated by the arrow 314 in Figure 14 but to remain in different planes and thereby facilitate the placement of the collapsible supporting structure in a compact form when in a collapsed configuration. 20 The leg connection arrangement 150 is adapted to support the support leg assembly 114 in the leg transportable position shown in Figures 13 and 14 so that the support leg assembly 114 is laterally offset from the support leg assembly 116. Similarly, the frame connection arrangement 244 is adapted to support the support frame 112 in a frame transportable position shown in Figures 13 and 14 so that the 25 support frame 112 is also laterally offset from the support leg assembly 116. The leg members of the support leg assemblies 114 and 116 may be positioned or shaped so that, when the supporting structure 100 is placed in a collapsible configuration as shown in Figures 13 and 14, the leg members and/or wheels assemblies are interposed to avoid engagement with each other when the collapsible supporting structure 100 is 30 placed in a collapsed configuration. The wheel assemblies 146 and 148 and leg members 126 and 128 are positioned and shaped so as to be interposed between the 17 wheel assemblies 204 and 206 and the leg members 152 and 154. In this example, the leg members 126 and 128 are substantially straight and extend between the leg mounting block 124 and the wheel assemblies 146 and 148, whereas the leg members 152 and 154 are bent outwardly at elbows 326 and 328 so as to avoid contact with the 5 leg members 126 and 128 and position the wheel assemblies 204 and 206 outwardly of the wheel assemblies 146 and 148. Moreover, the frame members 238 to 242 of the support frame 112 are also positioned or shaped so that, when the supporting structure 10 is placed in a collapsible configuration, the frame members 238 to 242 are interposed with the leg members 126, 0 128, 152 and 154 and/or wheel assemblies 146, 148, 204 and 206 to thereby facilitate the adoption of a compact form when the collapsible supporting structure is placed in a collapsible configuration. Figures 15 to 25 illustrate a stroller 100' in accordance with the present invention. The stroller 100' is identical in many respects to the stroller illustrated in Figures 1 to 14, 5 except that the stroller includes the brake system according to the present invention. The operation of the stroller will be understood by reference to the description of the stroller in Figures 1 to 14 and like reference numerals will be used to represent like parts, except that where a part has been modified in the new stroller, a prime symbol (') will be used to show that the part has been modified. 20 The brake system is shown in Figure 17 and incorporates the foot operated brake as described above under "Brake Assemblies", including the brake lever 214 and the cog 210. As shown, the cog 210 shows a series of radially extending cog projections which are equally angularly spaced. However other cog/sprocket configurations are also possible. The cog 210 defines a recess between each projection, substantially in the 25 shape of a truncated pie-shape. Each of the cog projections has a rounded i.e. part cylindrical end. The side walls 304 of each cog projection are preferably planar and evenly uniformly spaced from the other side wall of the same projection. As described above, the cog engagement member 218 is received between two adjacent cog projections on operation of the lever 214.

18 Additionally, the brake system includes a slidably mounted pin 306 received within a housing 308 at the outer end of the leg member 152. The pin 306 has a longitudinal axis which extends in the radial direction of the cog 210. The pin 306 is slidable along this longitudinal axis in and out of engagement between adjacent cog 5 projections. The pin 306 is biased into engagement between adjacent cog projections by a spring 310. The pin 306 is withdrawn from engagement from the cog 210 by the action of a cable 312. The cable is connected to a push handle as will be described in connection with Figures 24 and 25. Figures 24 and 25 show the operation of a push handle 314 which is in the form 0 of a push bar 316 connected at opposite ends to respective mounting supports 318 which are pivotably mounted to the top end of support frame 112. The support mountings 318 also have a cross bar 320 extending therebetween. The design is such that pushing on the push bar 316 to pivot the push handle about the pivot axis, pulls on cable 312, with the resultant effect of withdrawing the pin 306 from engagement with the 5 cog 210. The handle includes a stop (not shown) which defines the limit of pivoting of the handle 314. At this limit ie. the operating position, the pin 306 is fully withdrawn from the cog 210 but the spring still remains in tension and is not fully compressed. In principle, this results in the cable only ever being placed under the strain force of the 20 spring rating which is suitably less than the force required to stretch the cable. This minimises the risk of stretching the cable 312. It can be from Figure 17 that the pin 306 and the cog engagement member 218 both engage on the same cog 210. However the hand brake release actuator (push handle) 314 operates independently from the foot brake actuator (lever) 214 at 25 diametrically opposed locations on the cog 210. Thus, operation of one of the pin 306 and member 218 does not preclude operation of the other. It will be understood that the brake assembly 208 illustrated in Figure 17 which operates on wheel 204, is duplicated on the other rear wheel 206. The pins 306 are 19 withdrawn in unison as the push handle 314 is operated and similarly returned in unison to engagement with the cogs 210 under the operation of springs 310. The full extent of the cable is not shown in the drawings. The cable runs internally within the leg member 152 upward from the pin 306. However, before the engagement 5 of the leg member 152 with the mounting body 118, the cable 312 exits from within the leg member 152 to the exterior surface of the leg member 152, but on the inner side relevant to the stroller 100' as a whole. The cable passes to the inner side of the support frame 112 and extends between the fabric of the seat 306 and the frame member, all the way to the frame locking arrangement 284 (see Figure 9). From thereon D it passes internally through the upper frame member 242 until it reaches the push handle assembly 314 (see Figure 25). As can be best seen from Figure 26, the position of the push handle 314 in the at-rest position is such that the push bar 316 is above the pivot axis at an angle of 28 degrees to the horizontal. Pushing on the push bar 316 will bring the push bar 316 to 5 the position shown in Figure 27 where the push bar 316 is substantially level with the pivot axis. With the weight of the operator's hands on push bar 316 and the forward force applied to the push bar 316, this creates a comfortable configuration for the operator to maintain. Figure 15 also illustrates a finger guard 320 which protects the operator from 20 having fingers caught in the joint between the upper frame member 242 and the lower frame member 238. The finger guard 320 is described in detail in our international patent application no. PCT/AU2012/000350, entitled "Finger Guard", the details of which are incorporated herein by reference. Finally, it is to be understood that various modifications and/or additions may be 25 made to the invention described above without departing from the spirit or ambit of the present invention.

Claims (15)

1. A push carrier for conveying an infant, the push carrier including: a plurality of wheels; and a brake system operable on one or more of the wheels, the brake system 5 comprising: a hand operated brake actuator or release actuator; a foot operated brake actuator or release actuator; whereby both the hand operated brake actuator or release actuator and the foot operated brake actuator or release actuator are operable to effect braking on the same 0 wheel.

2. The push carrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein a sprocket is associated with said wheel and both the hand operated brake actuator or release actuator and the foot operated brake actuator or release actuator are operable on the sprocket.

3. The push carrier as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the hand operated 15 brake actuator or release actuator operates independently from the foot operated brake actuator or release actuator.

4 The push carrier as claimed in claim 2 wherein the foot operated brake actuator or release actuator operates on the sprocket at a substantially diametrically opposed location from the hand operated brake actuator or release actuator. 20

5. The push carrier as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the push carrier has a pair of rear wheels and the hand operated brake actuator or release actuator is operable on both rear wheels. 21

6. The push carrier as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein there is a foot operated brake actuator or release actuator for each rear wheel.

7. A push carrier for conveying an infant, the push carrier including: a plurality of wheels; 5 a support frame having a pivotally mounted push handle moveable about a pivot axis between an at rest position above the pivot access to an operating position substantially level with or below the pivot axis; brake system on one or more of the wheels, the brake system comprising; a sprocket associated with one or more wheels; and 0 a radial projection normally engaged with the sprocket, the projection having a longitudinal axis aligned radially with the sprocket, whereby pushing of the push handle operates to withdraw the projection from the sprocket and permit turning of the associated wheel.

8. The push carrier as claimed in claim 7 wherein the operating position of the push 15 handle is substantially level with the pivot axis.

9. The push carrier as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the handle is provided with a stop which defines the operating position of the push handle and the limit of pivoting.

10. The push carrier as claimed in claim 9 wherein a spring is provided to maintain 20 the projection engaged with the sprocket and wherein the operating position defined by the stop is such that the spring has not reached full compression on withdrawal of the spring. 22

11 The push carrier as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 10 wherein the brake system further includes a manually operable foot brake which is also operable on the same sprocket.

12. The push carrier as claimed in claim 11 wherein the foot brake operates on the 5 sprocket at a diametrically opposed location from the radial protection.

13. The push carrier as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 12 wherein the push carrier has a pair of rear wheels and the brake system is duplicated whereby there is a sprocket and projection arrangement for each rear wheel.

14. The push carrier as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 12 wherein the push carrier 0 has a pair of rear wheels and the brake system is duplicated whereby there is a sprocket and projection arrangement for each wheel and a foot brake for each rear wheel.

15. The push carrier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 15 onwards.