CN106985888B

CN106985888B - Baby carriage

Info

Publication number: CN106985888B
Application number: CN201610812421.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 浅野顺一; 山口勲
Original assignee: Combi Corp
Current assignee: Combi Corp
Priority date: 2015-09-11
Filing date: 2016-09-09
Publication date: 2020-07-24
Anticipated expiration: 2036-09-09
Also published as: TWI691422B; CN106985888A; JP2017052479A; TW201710127A; JP6639165B2; KR20170031625A

Abstract

The invention provides a baby carriage which can be operated according to purpose and has wheels driven by a driving source. A stroller (1) is provided with: a stroller body (2); and a drive source (5) that is supported by the stroller body (2) and that provides drive force to at least one of the plurality of wheels (4). The stroller body (2) has a base frame (11) that supports the plurality of wheels (4), and an upper frame (12) that is coupled to the base frame (11) and supports the seat members (8a, 8 b). The base frame (11) has an inclined rod (11c) that protrudes rearward beyond the axis of rotation Ar2 of the wheel (42) located at the rearmost position.

Description

Baby carriage

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a stroller in which wheels are driven by a drive source.

Background

For example, patent document 1 discloses a stroller with a motor. In the stroller disclosed in patent document 1, when the handle is pressed, the motor connected to the wheel is driven. In particular, the stroller described in patent document 1 travels by itself by a motor connected to a power supply. That is, the stroller described in patent document 1 can independently travel only by the driving force of the motor without being pushed by the operator.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2011-

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

However, in the stroller described in patent document 1, it is also possible to assume that the power supply is running out of charge due to long-term use or the like. When the wheels to be propelled the stroller are rotated when the power of the power source is used up, the motor acts as a load, and thus the stroller is not easily propelled. In particular, when the stroller goes over a height difference on a running surface, the front wheel needs to be floated and the stroller needs to be run by the rear wheel.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to improve the operability of a stroller when wheels are driven by a driving source.

Technical scheme

The baby carriage of the invention comprises: a plurality of wheels;

a seat member;

a stroller main body having a base frame supporting the plurality of wheels and an upper frame coupled to the base frame and supporting the seat member; and

a driving source supported by the stroller body and providing a driving force to at least one of the plurality of wheels,

the base frame has an inclined rod projecting rearward from the rotation axis of the wheel positioned at the rearmost position.

The stroller of the present invention may further include: a detection element for detecting information related to a driving operation input to the stroller body; and a control device for controlling the drive source based on the information detected by the detection element to adjust the drive force provided by the drive source to the wheel.

In the stroller of the present invention, the stroller body may further include a handle connected to the upper frame, and the detection element may be provided in the handle and detect information related to a load applied to the handle.

In the stroller of the present invention, the driving force of the driving source may be provided to the rear wheels, and the front wheels may be supported by the base frame via casters.

In the stroller of the present invention, the driving source may include a first driving element that supplies a driving force to at least one of the plurality of wheels, and a second driving element that supplies a driving force to a wheel, which is different from the wheel supplied with the driving force by the first driving element, of the plurality of wheels, and is provided independently of the first driving element.

In the stroller of the present invention, the first driving element and the second driving element may be disposed at positions forward of the tilt lever.

In the stroller of the present invention, the base frame may have a pair of side frames spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, and the tilt lever may interconnect rear ends of the pair of side frames.

In the stroller of the present invention, the upper frame is connected to the base frame via a link member and is foldable with respect to the base frame by rotating with respect to the link member, and the handle of the stroller body connected to the upper frame is insertable into a space surrounded by the pair of side base frames and the tilt lever in a state where the upper frame is folded with respect to the base frame.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, the operability of the stroller can be improved by using the tilt lever projecting rearward.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a front view of a stroller in a deployed state according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the stroller shown in the unfolded state of fig. 1 with the seat member removed.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the stroller shown in fig. 2 in a folded state.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing the structure of the stroller shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a driving element and wheels of the stroller shown in fig. 1 from the rear.

Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram showing a connection relationship of a dc motor constituting a driving element.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a power supply connected to the driving element and the control device.

Fig. 8 is a plan view enlarged to show a handle of the stroller shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining a structure of a detection element provided in a handle of the stroller shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is a circuit diagram of the detection element shown in fig. 9.

FIG. 11 is a graph showing an example of adjusting the driving force of the driving element based on information from the detection element

Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the detection element when the handle of the stroller shown in fig. 1 is pushed forward.

Fig. 13 is a view for explaining an operation of the detection element when the handle of the stroller shown in fig. 1 is pushed down.

Fig. 14 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the detection element when the handle of the stroller shown in fig. 1 is pulled backward and when the stroller is descending a slope.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view for explaining a state when the stroller shown in fig. 1 is steered.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing how the tilt lever is operated by foot.

Fig. 17 is an enlarged side view of a rear portion of the base frame.

Fig. 18 is a rear view schematically showing an enlarged rear portion of the base frame.

Description of the symbols

1 baby carriage

2 baby carriage body

10 frame body

11 base frame

11a, 11b side frames

11c tilting bar

12 upper frame

13 front connecting rod part

14 intermediate link member

20 handle

21 operating member

21a, 21b grip portion

22 handle body

3 Caster wheel

4 wheel

41 front wheel

42 rear wheel

5 driving source

51 first drive element

52 second drive element

51a, 52a drive shaft

51b, 52b DC motor

6 detection element

61 Strain gauge

7 control device

70 storage box

75 power supply

76 battery holder

76e battery holder terminal

d1 front-to-back direction

d2 left and right direction

d3 vertical direction

c1 joint

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 to 18 are views for explaining a stroller 1 according to an embodiment. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a stroller 1 according to an embodiment shown from the front. In the stroller 1 shown in fig. 1, a first seat member 8a and a second seat member 8b are supported by a stroller main body 2. The first seat member 8a and the second seat member 8b are positioned to seat an infant, and are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. In order to protect the infants seated on the

seat members

8a, 8b from the sun and/or wind, the

seat members

8a, 8b are provided with hoods 9a, 9 b.

In the present specification, the terms "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "front-rear direction", "up-down direction" and "left-right direction" with respect to the stroller 1 and its constituent elements refer to "front", "rear", "up", "down", "front-rear direction", "up-down direction" and "left-right direction" with reference to an operator who grips and operates the handle 20 of the stroller 1 in the deployed state, unless otherwise specified. More specifically, the "front-rear direction d 1" corresponds to the front-rear direction with respect to the paper surface of fig. 1. Further, if not otherwise specified, "front" means a side toward which the operator of the push handle faces, and the front side on the paper surface of fig. 1 is the front. On the other hand, the "up-down direction d 3" refers to a direction orthogonal to the front-back direction and orthogonal to the ground plane. Therefore, when the ground plane is horizontal, "up-down direction d 3" means a vertical direction. The "left-right direction d 2" is a width direction and is a direction orthogonal to both the "front-rear direction d 1" and the "vertical direction d 3".

Fig. 2 shows the stroller 1 from the side with the

seat parts

8a, 8b removed. The stroller main body 2 shown in fig. 2 is composed of a frame body 10 and a handle 20 connected to the frame body 10.

An upper frame 12 supporting the two

seat members

8a and 8b is connected to a base frame 11 supporting the plurality of wheels 4 of the frame body 10. The upper frame 12 is supported in an inclined state with respect to the base frame 11. The front portion of the upper frame 12 and the front portion of the base frame 11 are connected via a front link member 13, and the middle portion of the upper frame 12 and the rear portion of the base frame 11 are connected via an intermediate link member 14. The front link member 13 and the intermediate link member 14 function as links, and can rotate the upper frame 12 relative to the base frame 11.

In particular, the base frame 11 is provided with left and right side base frames 11a and 11b arranged at a distance in the left-right direction d 2. The left and right side base frames 11a and 11b extend in the front-rear direction d1, and an inclined bar 11c is connected to the rear ends of the left and right side base frames 11a and 11 b.

A front wheel 41 and a rear wheel 42 are attached to each of the side frames 11a and 11 b. In the present embodiment, each front wheel 41 is rotatably and rotatably supported by the side frames 11a and 11b via the caster 3. The caster 3 supports the front wheel 41 so that the front wheel 41 can rotate about the rotation axis Ar1, and the caster 3 can be steered about a steering axis As1 that is not parallel to the rotation axis Ar1 and is parallel to the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis Ar1 in the present embodiment. That is, the front wheel 41 is supported by the caster 3 so as to be rotatable and changeable in the rotation direction.

On the other hand, the rear wheels 42 located behind the front wheels 41 are not rotatably supported by the caster wheels. In the present embodiment, each rear wheel 42 is rotatably but non-rotatably supported by

drive shafts

51a and 52a (see fig. 5) of a drive source 5 described later.

The tilt lever 11c is also called a rear connection frame. The tilt lever 11c is a portion used when the operator assists the manipulation of the stroller 1 with the foot. In addition, the inclined rod 11c of the present embodiment constitutes a part of the skeleton of the base frame 11, thereby improving the rigidity of the base frame 11. As shown in fig. 2, as a component constituting the tilt lever 11c, left and right

bent portions

11d, 11e are connected to rear ends of the left and right

side base frames

11a, 11b, and the left and right

bent portions

11d, 11e are connected to each other by an intermediate portion 11 f.

The

bent portions

11d, 11e constitute a portion connecting the

side frames

11a, 11b provided in the front-rear direction d1 and the intermediate portion 11f provided in the left-right direction d 2. The respective

bent portions

11d and 11e shown in fig. 2 are bent so as to be closer to the center in the left-right direction d2 toward the rear in the front-rear direction d 1.

The intermediate portion 11f constitutes a portion of the inclined lever 11c on which the operator places his foot. The intermediate portion 11f shown in fig. 2 extends linearly in the left-right direction d2 at a position further rearward than the rear wheel 42.

The left and right

bent portions

11d and 11e and the intermediate portion 11f constituting the inclined rod 11c are integrally formed. Further, the inclined bar 11c is also integrally formed with the left and right

side base frames

11a, 11b to constitute the base frame 11. This greatly contributes to the reduction in the number of components while maintaining the strength of the base frame 11. Of course, the inclined rod 11c may be formed by connecting separately formed pipes, and the specific embodiment thereof is not particularly limited.

The upper frame 12 is provided with left and right side upper frames 12a and 12b arranged at a distance in the left-right direction d 2. An intermediate frame 12c is disposed between the left and right upper frames 12a, 12 b. In the present embodiment, the first seat member 8a is disposed between the left side upper frame 12a and the middle frame 12c, and the second seat member 8b is disposed between the right side upper frame 12b and the middle frame 12 c.

Rear ends of the left and right side upper frames 12a, 12b and the intermediate frame 12c are connected by a rear upper frame 12 d. A handle 20 is attached to the rear upper frame 12 d. The handle 20 is a part for an operator to manually operate. The handle 20 will be described later with reference to fig. 8 to 15.

In the illustrated example, the left and right side upper frames 12a and 12b and the rear upper frame 12d are integrally formed by bending a single pipe. However, the left and right side upper frames 12a and 12b and the rear upper frame 12d may be formed as separate members.

The front ends of the left and right upper frames 12a, 12b are connected by a horizontal connecting rod 12e and an upper side connecting rod frame 13 a. The lateral connecting rod 12e is linearly formed in the left-right direction d2, and the front portion of the intermediate frame 12c is connected to the middle portion of the lateral connecting rod 12 e.

The upper link frame 13a functions as a link and has a curved shape protruding toward a region forward of the horizontal link 12 e. Further, a base side link frame 13b is provided in a front portion of the upper side link frame 13a and in front ends of the left and right side base frames 11a and 11 b. The front end of the base link frame 13b is fixedly connected to the upper link frame 13a, and the left and right rear ends of the base link frame 13b are rotatably connected to the left and right base frames 11a and 11b via the horizontal connecting link 13 c. The lateral connecting link 13c is formed linearly in the left-right direction d2, and is rotatably connected to the front ends of the left and right

side base frames

11a, 11 b. The upper link frame 13a, the base link frame 13b, and the transverse link 13c constitute a front link member 13 functioning as a link.

The left and right intermediate link members 14 are bridged between the left and right upper frames 12a, 12b and the rear portions of the left and right base frames 11a, 11 b. Each of the intermediate link members 14 functions as a link and is rotatable with respect to the side upper frames 12a, 12b and the

side frames

11a, 11 b.

The stroller 1 having the above frame structure can be folded from the unfolded state shown in fig. 1 and 2 to the folded state shown in fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a side view of the stroller 1 shown in fig. 2 in a folded state.

First, the locking of the side upper frames 12a and 12b and the upper link frame 13a is released, and the handle 20 is lowered downward by its own weight. By this action, the upper link frame 13a, the base link frame 13b, and the intermediate link member 14 are rotated counterclockwise in fig. 2, so that the upper frame 12 is gradually folded until it overlaps the base frame 11.

As a result of the folding operation, the base frame 11 and the upper frame 12 are close to and substantially parallel to each other when viewed from the side of the stroller 1, as shown in fig. 3. In the state shown in fig. 3, the handle 20 is housed in a space S surrounded by the pair of

side base frames

11a, 11b and the inclined lever 11c (refer to fig. 2). That is, by the folding action, the handle 20 is inserted into the space S surrounded by the pair of

side frames

11a, 11b and the inclined bar 11 c.

The stroller 1 is returned from the folded state shown in fig. 3 to the unfolded state shown in fig. 2, and the operation may be performed in the reverse order of the folding operation.

Note that, in the stroller 1 of the present embodiment, a drive source 5 is connected to the wheels 4 in order to reduce the burden on the operator. However, as described in the background section, the conventional stroller is configured as a so-called self-propelled stroller, and it is difficult to operate the stroller as intended by the operator. Therefore, the stroller 1 of the present embodiment is configured as an auxiliary drive type stroller capable of providing a driving force to the wheels 4 in response to a traveling operation by an operator.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing the structure of driving of the auxiliary wheel 4. As shown in fig. 4, several of the plurality of wheels 4 are connected to the

drive elements

51, 52. The driving

elements

51, 52 are constituent elements that drive the wheel 4, in other words, constituent elements that provide driving force to the wheel 4. In the present embodiment, two drive elements are provided, namely a first drive element 51 and a second drive element 52, the first drive element 51 being used to drive the left-hand rear wheel 42 and the second drive element 52 being used to drive the right-hand rear wheel 42.

Fig. 5 shows an example of the structure of the

drive elements

51, 52. As shown in fig. 5, the driving element 51 is constituted by a driving shaft 51a connected to the rear wheel 42 on the side corresponding thereto and a dc motor 51b for driving the driving shaft 51a, and the driving element 52 is constituted by a driving shaft 52a connected to the rear wheel 42 on the side corresponding thereto and a dc motor 52b for driving the driving shaft 52 a. One end of each of the

drive shafts

51a, 52a is connected to the corresponding one of the rear wheels 42, and supports the rear wheel 42 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis Ar2 but not steerable. The other ends of the

drive shafts

51a and 52a are coupled to the main shafts of the

dc motors

51b and 52b via a power transmission element (e.g., a gear), not shown. The

drive shafts

51a and 52a may be integrally formed with the main shafts of the

dc motors

51b and 52b, or may be formed as separate members.

The

dc motors

51b and 52b are disposed in a housing box 70 erected on the pair of side base frames 11a and 11b, and are supported by the inclined rod 11c in the housing box 70. Fig. 6 shows a circuit diagram of the connection relationship of the

dc motors

51b and 52 b. As shown in fig. 6, the

dc motors

51b, 52b of the two driving

elements

51, 52 are connected in series to a power source 75 as a battery. By connecting the two

dc motors

51b, 52b in series, it is facilitated to adjust the driving force in accordance with the load from the ground plane, which will be described later.

Returning to fig. 4, the

drive elements

51 and 52 are connected to the control device 7 housed in the housing box 70 and controlled by the control device 7, the control device 7 is also connected to the detection element 6 and receives information from the detection element 6 as input information, and the control device 7 adjusts the driving force supplied from the

drive elements

51 and 52 to the wheels 4 by controlling the

drive elements

51 and 52 based on the information from the detection element 6. such a control device 7 may be, for example, a microcontroller provided with a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and a REGISTER (REGISTER), or a programmable controller (P L C).

The control device 7 is electrically connected to a power source 75. The power source 75 is a means for supplying current to the control device 7 and the drive source 5. Typically, the power source 75 is chargeable and can be charged in a state of being detached from the stroller body 2.

The power supply 75 is shown enlarged in fig. 7. As shown in fig. 7, the power supply 75 is removably mounted to the battery holder 76. The battery holder 76 is attached to the housing case 70 and supported by the base frame 11 via the housing case 70 (see fig. 5). The battery holder 76 has a housing space 76a for housing the power supply 75, and the power supply 75 can enter (access) the housing space 76a in the vertical direction d 3.

A battery holder terminal 76e is provided at the bottom of the battery holder 76, and the battery holder terminal 76e is connected to the control device 7 and the drive source 5 via a wiring 77. In a state where the power supply 75 is housed in the battery holder 76, the battery holder terminal 76e is electrically connected to a battery terminal 75e provided in the power supply 75. Therefore, in a state where the power source 75 is housed in the battery holder 76, the current from the power source 75 is transmitted to the control device 7 and the drive source 5 via the battery holder terminal 76 e.

The detection element 6 is an element for detecting information related to the running operation input to the stroller body 2. The information on the running operation detected by the detection element 6 is not particularly limited as long as it is information input to the stroller body 2 by the operator. As an example of the information related to the running operation, information related to a load from the hand that operates the handle 20 or information related to the number of rotations of the wheel 4 related to the speed at which the operator operates the stroller 1 to run may be given.

Returning to fig. 2, the detecting member 6 of the present embodiment is provided in the handle 20, and can detect information about the load applied to the handle 20, in other words, the detecting member 6 can detect information that can specify the load applied to the handle 20. Next, the structure of the handle 20 will be described first, and then the detection element 6 provided in the handle 20 will be described.

The handle 20 is shown enlarged in fig. 8. As shown in fig. 8, an operation member 21 on which the operator places his/her hand is disposed on the handle 20, and a handle body 22 connects the operation member 21 to the stroller body 2. The handle main body 22 is fastened to the upper frame 12 at a connection portion c1 with the upper frame 12.

Specifically, as elements constituting the handle main body 22, there are a column (column)22a extending from the rear upper frame 12d, and

side bars

22b, 22c disposed on both sides of the column 22 a. The operating member 21 (e.g., grip) is configured as two

grip portions

21a, 21b arranged at an interval in the left-right direction d2, the left grip portion 21a is disposed between the left side bar 22b and the column 22a, and the right grip portion 21b is disposed between the right side bar 22c and the column 22 a.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the detecting element 6 provided on the column 22a, and fig. 10 is a circuit diagram of the detecting element 6. As shown in fig. 9 and 10, a plurality of strain gauges (strain gauges) 61 as the detection element 6 are attached to the inner square member 22d inside the column body 22 a. The plurality of strain gauges 61 constitute a bridge circuit to measure the deformation of the handle main body 22. In the example shown in fig. 9, two strain gauges 61 are disposed on the upper surface of the square inner square member 22d, and two strain gauges 61 are disposed on the lower surface of the inner square member 22d, and these four strain gauges 61 have the same configuration. The inner square member 22d is a hollow member in the drawing, but may be a solid member.

Fig. 11 shows a graph of an example of control for determining the driving force to be supplied from the driving

elements

51, 52 based on the strain detected by the strain gauge 61. In the graph of fig. 11, the horizontal axis represents the strain detected by the strain gauge 61, and the strain gauge 61 attached to the upper surface of the inner square member 22d is extended or the strain gauge 61 attached to the lower surface of the inner square member 22d is shortened to a positive value, and the strain gauge 61 attached to the upper surface of the inner square member 22d is shortened or the strain gauge 61 attached to the lower surface of the inner square member 22d is extended to a negative value. The vertical axis represents the driving force for driving the wheel 4, and the driving force for rotating the wheel 4 in the forward direction is a positive value, and the driving force for rotating the wheel 4 in the backward direction is a negative value.

As shown in fig. 11, when the magnitude of the deformation detected by the strain gauge 61 is smaller than the lower limit value α 1, the control device 7 controls so as not to provide the driving force of the driving

elements

51, 52 to the wheels 4, whereby a phenomenon in which the stroller 1 does not move as intended can be prevented even if a disturbance or unexpected operation is applied to the stroller 1.

When the magnitude of the strain detected by the strain gauge 61 is larger than the lower limit value α 1, the control device 7 controls the driving force of the driving

elements

51, 52 to be supplied to the wheel 4 in proportion to the magnitude of the strain detected by the strain gauge 61, in the graph of fig. 11, when the strain gauge 61 to be subjected is extended, the driving force for rotating the wheel 4 in the forward direction is supplied, and when the strain gauge 61 to be subjected is shortened, the driving force for rotating the wheel 4 in the backward direction is supplied.

On the other hand, when the magnitude of the strain applied to the handle 20 is larger than the upper limit value α 2, the control device 7 controls the driving force of the driving

elements

51 and 52 to be supplied to the wheel 4 as the upper limit driving force F.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment having the above configuration will be described.

In particular, as is apparent from fig. 2, the four strain gauges 61 constituting the detection element 6 are positioned above the operation member 21 in the vertical direction d3, and the operation member 21 is positioned rearward and below the connection portion c 1. With this arrangement, the strain gauge 61 functions as shown in fig. 12 to 15 below. Fig. 12 to 15 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the strain gauge 61 when the handle 20 is operated. In the following description, when the inner square member 22d is divided into two parts by a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction thereof, the upper part is referred to as an upper region a1, and the lower part is referred to as a lower region a2 (see fig. 9).

As shown in fig. 12, when the operator grips the operation member 21 and pushes the stroller 1 forward in the front-rear direction d1, the upper region a1 of the inner square member 22d extends and the lower region a2 shortens. The information that the upper region a1 was elongated and the lower region a2 was shortened was measured by four strain gauges 61. The information measured by the strain gauge 61 is transmitted to the control unit device 7. The control device 7 that receives the information recognizes that the operating member 21 is pushed forward or pushed down, and supplies a current corresponding to the value measured by the strain gauge 61 to the circuits of the

dc motors

51b, 52b connected in series to the two driving

elements

51, 52. Thereby, the

dc motors

51b, 52b rotate, and the

drive shafts

51a, 52a connected to the

dc motors

51b, 52b rotate the rear wheels 42 in the forward direction. Thus, the rotation of the rear wheel 42 is assisted by the

drive shafts

51a and 52a, and the burden on the operator when pushing the stroller 1 forward is reduced.

When there is a difference in level on the running surface, the operator pushes the operation member 21 downward in the vertical direction d3 to raise the front wheel 41. As shown in fig. 13, when the operator pushes the operation member 21 downward, the upper region a1 of the inner square member 22d is expanded and the lower region a2 is contracted, as in the case of fig. 12. The information that the upper area a1 is elongated and the lower area a2 is shortened is measured by the four strain gauges 61 and transmitted to the control device 7. The control device 7 that has received the information recognizes that the operating member 21 is pushed forward or pushed down, and supplies a current corresponding to the value detected by the strain gauge 61 to the circuit in which the two

dc motors

51b and 52b are connected in series. Thereby, the

dc motors

51b and 52b rotate, and the

drive shafts

51a and 52a connected to the

dc motors

51b and 52b rotate the rear wheels 42 in the forward direction. That is, the rear wheel 42 is rotated in the forward direction in the same manner as when the operating member 21 is pushed forward when the operating member 21 is pushed downward. As a result, even during the operation of crossing the step, the stroller 1 can be propelled without an excessive load by receiving the assistance of the driving force of the driving source 5.

On the other hand, when the stroller 1 is pushed down a slope, the operator holds the operation member 21 and pulls the stroller 1 rearward in the front-rear direction d1, as shown in fig. 14. In this case, in contrast to the case of fig. 12 and 13, the upper region a1 of the inner square member 22d is shortened, and the lower region a2 is extended. The information that the upper area a1 is shortened and the lower area a2 is extended is measured by the four strain gauges 61 and transmitted to the control device 7. The control device 7 that has received the information recognizes that the operating member 21 is pulled rearward, and supplies a current corresponding to the value measured by the strain gauge 61 in the opposite direction to the case of fig. 12 and 13 to the circuit in which the two

dc motors

51b, 52b are connected in series. Thereby, the

dc motors

51b and 52b rotate, and the

drive shafts

51a and 52a connected to the

dc motors

51b and 52b rotate the rear wheels 42 in the backward direction. Thus, the rotation of the rear wheel 42 is assisted by the

drive shafts

51a and 52a, and the burden on the operator when pulling the stroller 1 rearward is reduced.

Next, when the stroller 1 is steered, as shown in fig. 15, the force pushing the two

grip portions

21a and 21b forward is differentiated to thereby steer the stroller 1. In the example of fig. 15, the stroller 1 can be steered to the left by making the force applied to the right grip portion 21b larger than the force applied to the left grip portion 21 a. Even if different forces are applied to the two

grip portions

21a, 21b, the upper region a1 of the inner square member 22d is expanded and the lower region a2 is shortened, as in the case of fig. 12. The information that the upper area a1 is extended and the lower area a2 is shortened is measured by the four strain gauges 61 and transmitted to the control device 7. The control device 7, which receives the information detected by the strain gauge 61, recognizes that the operating member 21 is pushed forward or pushed down, and supplies a current corresponding to the value measured by the strain gauge 61 to a circuit in which the two

dc motors

51b and 52b are connected in series. In the series circuit shown in fig. 6, when the two

dc motors

51b and 52b are configured identically, the magnitudes of the currents flowing through the two

dc motors

51b and 52b are also equal, and therefore it is considered that the driving forces supplied to the wheels 4 by the two

dc motors

51b and 52b are also equal.

However, when the stroller 1 is steered to the left, the wheel 4 on the left side of the inner wheel receives a larger resistance from the ground surface than the wheel 4 on the right side of the outer wheel, and the dc motor 51b connected to the wheel 4 on the left side of the inner wheel is hard to rotate. When the number of revolutions of the dc motor 51b connected to the wheel 4 on the left side of the inner wheel is reduced, the back electromotive force generated in the dc motor 51b is reduced, and more current tends to flow in the series circuit. As a result, the current flowing through the dc motor 52b connected to the right wheel 4 serving as the outer wheel is relatively increased, and a larger driving force can be supplied to the right wheel 4 serving as the outer wheel. This makes it easy to rotate the right wheel 4 serving as the outer wheel, and makes it possible to smoothly perform the steering operation.

As described above, the stroller 1 of the present embodiment includes: a stroller main body 2; a plurality of wheels 4 supported by the stroller body 2; a drive source 5 supported by the stroller body 2 and providing a drive force to at least one of the plurality of wheels 4; a detection element 6 that detects information related to a travel operation input to the stroller body 2; and a control device 7 that controls the drive source 5 based on the information detected by the detection element 6, thereby adjusting the drive force that the drive source 5 provides to the wheels 4. According to this, the driving force supplied from the driving source 5 to the wheels 4 can be adjusted in accordance with the running operation of the stroller 1, and therefore the stroller 1 can be operated as intended.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, among the plurality of wheels 4, the wheel to which the driving force is supplied from the driving source 5 is the rear wheel 42, and the front wheel 41 among the plurality of wheels 4 is supported by the base frame 11 via the caster 3. By supporting the front wheels 41 by the base frame 11 via the caster 3, the steering operation of the stroller 1 can be smoothly performed. In addition, the rear wheel 42 is easily loaded and can be stably grounded to the ground surface in consideration of the fact that the handle 20 operated by the operator is positioned rearward and/or the center of gravity of the infant riding on the stroller 1. By supplying the driving force from the driving source 5 to the rear wheels 42 that are stably grounded, the driving assistance by the driving source 5 can be stably realized.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the drive source 5 has the first drive element 51 and the second drive element 52, wherein the first drive element 51 supplies the drive force to at least one of the plurality of wheels 4, the second drive element 52 supplies the drive force to the wheel 4 different from the wheel 4 of the plurality of wheels 4 to which the drive force is supplied by the first drive element 51, and the second drive element 52 is provided independently of the first drive element 51. According to this configuration, by supplying different driving forces to different wheels 4, it is possible to contribute to achieving appropriate distribution of the driving force according to the traveling state of the stroller 1.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the position of the wheel 4 to which the driving force is supplied from the first driving element 51 is different from the position of the wheel 4 to which the driving force is supplied from the second driving element 52 in the left-right direction d2, the first driving element 51 and the second driving element 52 each include a dc motor, and the dc motor 51b of the first driving element 51 and the dc motor 52b of the second driving element 52 are connected in series to the power source 75 as a battery. When the stroller 1 is steered, the wheels 4 that become the inner wheels receive a larger resistance from the ground contact surface than the wheels 4 that become the outer wheels. Therefore, when the

dc motors

51b and 52b of the two

drive elements

51 and 52 are connected in series, the dc motor 51b connected to the wheel 4 serving as the inner wheel is hard to rotate. When the number of revolutions of the dc motor 51b connected to the wheel 4 serving as the inner wheel is reduced, the counter electromotive force generated in the dc motor 51b is reduced, and more current is likely to flow in the series circuit. As a result, the current flowing through the dc motor 52b connected to the wheel 4 serving as the outer wheel is relatively increased, and a larger driving force can be provided to the wheel 4 serving as the outer wheel. As described above, when the

dc motors

51b and 52b of the two

drive elements

51 and 52 are connected in series, the wheels 4 serving as outer wheels can be easily rotated during the steering operation, and the steering operation can be smoothly performed.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the stroller main body 2 includes the frame body 10 supporting the plurality of wheels 4 and the handle 20 connected to the frame body 10, the detection element 6 is provided on the handle 20, and the detection element 6 can detect information on a load applied to the handle 20. As the information on the running operation input to the stroller body 2, the information on the load applied to the handle 20 can be selected, whereby the driving force can be supplied from the driving source 5 to the wheels 4 in accordance with the intention of the operator on the running operation.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the handle 20 includes the operation member 21 for the operator to place his hand thereon and the handle body 22 for connecting the operation member 21 and the stroller body 2, and the control device 7 causes the drive source 5 to provide the driving force for advancing the wheels 4 when the detection element 6 detects information that the operation member 21 is pushed forward or pushed downward, and causes the drive source 5 to provide the driving force for retreating the wheels 4 when the detection element 6 detects information that the operation member 21 is pulled rearward. In this way, the orientation of the drive source 5 when driving the wheels 4 can be adjusted in accordance with the operation of the operating member 21 by the operator. In particular, even when the operating member 21 is pushed downward to float the front wheel 41 in order to get over a height difference of a ground contact surface or the like, the drive source 5 can drive the wheel 4 forward. Therefore, even during the operation of crossing the step, the stroller 1 can be propelled without excessive load while being assisted by the driving force from the driving source 5.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the detection element 6 includes a plurality of strain gauges 61 attached to the handle main body 22 of the handle 20, and at least one strain gauge 61 is elongated when the operation member 21 is pushed forward or downward and is shortened when the operation member 21 is pulled rearward, or is shortened when the operation member 21 is pushed forward or downward and is elongated when the operation member 21 is pulled rearward. In this way, since the function of the detection element 6 can be realized by the strain gauge 61, it is possible to avoid a complicated structure and to stably detect information on the operation of the operation member 21 by the operator. From the viewpoint of further stably detecting information on the operation of the operation member 21 by the operator, the operation member 21 is preferably located at a position rearward and downward or forward and upward from the connecting portion c1 between the handle main body 22 and the frame main body 10.

In particular, according to the present embodiment, the operating member 21 is located rearward and downward of the connection portion c1, and the strain gauge 61 is attached to the handle body 22 at a position between the connection portion with the operating member 21 and the connection portion c 1. In this case, the portion of the handle body 22 to which the strain gauge 61 is attached is flexibly expanded and contracted in conjunction with the load applied to the operation member 21 by the operator. Therefore, the information of the operator operating the operation member 21 can be detected with high accuracy by the strain gauge 61.

Further, the present embodiment provides a stroller 1 including: a plurality of wheels 4;

seat members

8a, 8 b; a stroller body 2 having a base frame 11 for supporting the plurality of wheels 4, and an upper frame 12 coupled to the base frame 11 for supporting the

seat members

8a and 8 b; a drive source 5 supported by the stroller body 2 and providing a drive force to at least one of the plurality of wheels 4; a power source 75 that can supply current to the drive source 5 and can be charged; and a battery holder 76 supported by the base frame 11 and to which the power source 75 is removably attached, wherein a current from the power source 75 is supplied to the drive source 5 via a battery holder terminal 76e provided in the battery holder 76. In this way, by removing the power source 75 from the battery holder 76 and charging the battery, and then inserting the power source 75 into the battery holder 76, it is possible to supply current from the power source 75 to the drive source 5. That is, the stroller 1 of the present embodiment can easily charge and mount the power supply 75.

Then, it is also possible to assume that the power source is discharged due to long-term use or the like. When the wheels 4 for propelling the stroller 1 are rotated when the power supply 75 is discharged, the

dc motors

51b and 52b of the driving

elements

51 and 52 act as loads, and therefore, the stroller 1 is not easily propelled as compared with a stroller without a dc motor. In particular, when the stroller 1 goes over a height difference on the traveling surface, the front wheel 41 needs to be floated and the rear wheel 42 needs to travel. In this case, as shown in fig. 16, it is convenient to float the front wheel 41 by using the tilting lever 11 c. Fig. 16 is an overall perspective view showing a state in which the tilt lever 11c is operated by foot.

In the case shown in fig. 16, the operator pushes down the operation member 21 of the handle 20 with his hand and pushes down the tilt lever 11c with his foot. By this operation, a pair of forces opposing each other in the horizontal direction can be loaded at two places on the stroller 1. The couple force formed by the pair of forces in opposite directions can generate a moment for rotating the entire stroller 1. As a result, the entire stroller 1 can be tilted rearward with respect to the vertical direction with reference to the rear wheel 42, and the front wheel 41 can be easily raised.

After the front wheel 41 is floated, the operator pushes the operation member 21 of the handle 20 forward with his hand and pushes the tilt lever 11c forward with his foot. This makes it possible to propel the stroller 1 forward relatively easily by the force of the feet.

In particular, when the operator pushes the stroller 1 while holding the handle 20, the tilt lever 11c is easily pushed forward by the foot when the tilt lever 11c is positioned slightly forward of the foot. In view of this, in the deployed state of the stroller 1, the rear end 11g of the tilt lever 11c is disposed at a position further forward than the rear end 20a of the handle 20.

Further, the arrangement of the tilt lever 11c is explained with reference to fig. 17. Fig. 17 is an enlarged side view of the rear portion of the base frame 11.

As shown in fig. 17, the inclined lever 11c projects more rearward than the rotation axis Ar2 of the rear wheel 42, even than the rear end 42a of the rear wheel 42. That is, at least a part of the inclined lever 11c is located further rearward than the rear end 42a of the rear wheel 42. In this case, in a state where the operator grips the handle 20 and pushes the stroller 1, it is helpful for the operator to place the feet on the inclined bars 11c without a difficult posture. However, the inclined lever 11c may not protrude further rearward than the rotation axis Ar2 of the rear wheel 42.

In fig. 17, the tilt lever 11c is located at a position corresponding to the height between the rotation axis Ar2 of the rear wheel 42 and the upper end 42b of the rear wheel 42 in the vertical direction d 3. That is, the tilt lever 11c is disposed at a position above the rotation axis Ar2 of the rear wheel 42 and below the upper end 42b of the rear wheel 42. By positioning the tilting lever 11c above the rotation axis Ar2 of the rear wheel 42, the toe is made hard to contact the tilting lever 11c by the difference in height during the running of the stroller 1. On the other hand, by positioning the tilt lever 11c below the upper end 42b of the rear wheel 42, the lower leg is less likely to contact the tilt lever 11c due to the difference in height during the travel of the stroller 1.

As described above, the present embodiment provides a stroller 1 including: a plurality of wheels 4;

seat members

8a and 8 b; and a drive source 5 supported by the stroller body 2 and configured to provide a driving force to at least one of the plurality of wheels 4, wherein the base frame 11 has an inclined rod 11c projecting rearward from a rotation axis Ar2 of the rearmost wheel 42. In this way, even in a state where the drive source 5 is stopped, the front wheel 41 can be easily floated by operating the tilt lever 11c with the foot, and easily surmount a level difference on the running surface. As a result, the operability of the stroller 1 when the wheels 4 are driven by the drive source 5 can be improved.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the base frame 11 further includes a pair of

side frames

11a and 11b arranged at a distance in the left-right direction d2, and the inclined bar 11c connects the rear ends of the pair of

side frames

11a and 11b to each other. In this case, the tilt lever 11c also functions as a skeleton structure extending in the left-right direction d2 in the base frame 11, and therefore contributes to effectively improving the rigidity of the base frame 11.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the upper frame 12 is connected to the base frame 11 via the

link members

13 and 14, and can be folded with respect to the base frame 11 by rotating with respect to the

link members

13 and 14, and the handle 20 of the stroller body 2 connected to the upper frame 12 is inserted into the space S surrounded by the pair of side base frames 11a and 11b and the tilt lever 11c in the state where the upper frame 12 is folded with respect to the base frame 11. In this way, in the state where the stroller 1 is folded, the handle 20 is accommodated in the space S surrounded by the pair of

side base frames

11a, 11b and the tilt lever 11c, and therefore, the handle 20 can be protected by the pair of

side base frames

11a, 11b and the tilt lever 11 c. In particular, when the detection element 6 is disposed on the handle 20, by protecting the handle 20, the detection element 6 can be suppressed from being physically impacted, and thus the detection element 6 can be prevented from being damaged.

Next, the arrangement relationship between the tilt lever 11c and other components will be described. As shown in fig. 5, the two driving

elements

51 and 52, the control device 7, and the power source 75 are disposed at positions forward of the tilt lever 11c in the front-rear direction d 1. Specifically, the two

drive elements

51, 52, the control device 7, and the power source 75 are disposed in a space S surrounded by the pair of

side frames

11a, 11b and the tilt lever 11 c. In this case, the two

drive elements

51, 52, the control device 7, and the power source 75 can be protected by the pair of

side base frames

11a, 11b and the tilt lever 11 c.

Here, the components for driving the wheels 4, represented by the two driving

elements

51, 52, the control device 7 and the power source 75, have a certain weight, which tends to disturb the balance of the weight of the stroller 1. Therefore, in the stroller 1 of the present embodiment, the following measures are taken to keep the weight balance of the stroller 1. Fig. 18 is a rear view schematically showing a rear portion of the base frame 11.

As shown in fig. 18, two

drive elements

51 and 52 having a constant weight, a control device 7, and a power source 75 are disposed between the left and right rear wheels 42. With this arrangement, the heights of these components, i.e., the

drive elements

51, 52, the control device 7, and the power source 75 correspond to the heights of the left and right rear wheels 42. Therefore, these

members

51, 52, 7, 75 having a certain weight can be arranged at a relatively low position, and the center of gravity of the stroller 1 can be stabilized. Further, with this arrangement, the positions of these

members

51, 52, 7, 75 in the front-rear direction d1 correspond to the positions of the rear wheels 42 in the front-rear direction d 1. In this case, the weight of the

members

51, 52, 7, 75 having a constant weight is mainly received by the left and right rear wheels 42. As a result, the left and right rear wheels 42 can be stably pressed against the running surface, and this contributes to stable driving of the rear wheels 42 when the rear wheels 42 are driven by the drive source 5.

In particular, the first drive element 51, the second drive element 52 and the control device 7 are arranged at a lower position than the upper end 42b of the rear wheel 42. In this case, these

members

51, 52, and 7 can be disposed at lower positions, and the center of gravity of the stroller 1 can be further stabilized.

Further, the control device 7 is arranged between the first drive element 51 and the second drive element 52. In this case, the two

drive elements

51 and 52 and the control device 7 can be arranged relatively balanced in the left-right direction d2, contributing to an improvement in the balance of the weight of the stroller 1.

As described above, the present embodiment provides a stroller 1 including: a plurality of wheels 4 including a front wheel 41 and a rear wheel 42;

seat members

8a, 8 b; a stroller body 2 having a base frame 11 supporting the plurality of wheels 4 and an upper frame 12 coupled to the base frame 11 and supporting the

seat members

8a and 8 b; and a drive source 5 supported by the stroller body 2 and configured to provide a driving force to at least one of the plurality of wheels 4, wherein the drive source 5 is disposed between the left and right rear wheels 42. In this way, since the height of the drive source 5 corresponds to the height of the right and left rear wheels 42, the drive source 5 having a certain weight can be disposed at a relatively low position. As a result, the center of gravity of the stroller 1 can be stabilized, and the operability of the stroller 1 when the wheels 4 are driven by the drive source 5 can be improved. In addition, since the position of the drive source 5 in the front-rear direction d1 corresponds to the position of the rear wheel 42 in the front-rear direction d1, the weight of the drive source 5 having a certain weight is mainly received by the left and right rear wheels 42. As a result, the left and right rear wheels 42 can be stably pushed on the running surface, and when the rear wheels 42 are driven by the drive source 5, the rear wheels 42 can be stably driven.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, not only the drive source 5 but also the control device 7 and the power source 75 are disposed between the left and right rear wheels 42. In this case, the control device 7 and the power source 75 having a constant weight can be disposed at relatively low positions, and therefore, the center of gravity of the stroller 1 can be further stabilized. Further, by disposing the drive source 5, the control device 7, and the power source 75 collectively between the left and right rear wheels 42, the length of the wiring connecting these can be shortened, contributing to cost reduction.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the base frame 11 has a pair of

side frames

11a, 11b arranged at a distance in the left-right direction d2, and a tilt lever 11c as a rear link frame that links the rear ends of the pair of

side frames

11a, 11b to each other, and the drive source 5 and the control device 7 are housed in the housing box 70 that is erected on the pair of

side frames

11a, 11 b. In this case, the drive source 5 and the control device 7 can be collectively disposed in the storage box 70, and the assembly work can be efficiently performed.

Note that the above embodiment can be variously modified. One modification will be described below.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the two

seat members

8a and 8b are arranged in the left-right direction is shown, but the number of the

seat members

8a and 8b is not limited to this example. For example, a single seat member may be provided, two or more seat members may be provided, or two or more seat members may be arranged in a front-rear manner.

In the above-described embodiment, the

dc motors

51b and 52b of the two driving

elements

51 and 52 are connected in series to the power source 75 as a power source, but the circuit design of the

dc motors

51b and 52b is not limited to the above-described example. The

dc motors

51b, 52b of the two

drive elements

51, 52 may also be connected in parallel with respect to the power supply 75.

In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the detection element 6 is constituted by the strain gauge 61 is shown, but the configuration of the detection element 6 is not limited to the above-described example. The detection element 6 may be any as long as it can detect information on the running operation input to the stroller body 2, and may be configured as a torque sensor, a pressure sensor, a magnetostrictive sensor, or the like attached to the handle body 22 as another example. For example, the pressure sensor may be of a type in which a load applied to the handle 20 is captured as a change in pressure of the working fluid, the change in pressure is measured by a pressure sensing element via a diaphragm, and then an electric signal is output.

In the above embodiment, the column 22a formed of a single support column is used to connect the rear upper frame 12d and the operating member 21, but the form of the column 22a is not limited to the above example. The column 22a may be formed of a plurality of support columns, and connects the rear upper frame 12d and the operation member 21.

In the above embodiment, the example in which the operation member 21 is located rearward and downward of the connection portion c1 is shown, but the arrangement of the operation member 21 is not limited to the above example. The arrangement of the operation member 21 is arbitrary as long as at least one strain gauge 61 satisfies the condition that it is elongated when the operation member 21 is pushed forward or downward and is shortened when the operation member 21 is pulled rearward, or that it is shortened when the operation member 21 is pushed forward or downward and is elongated when the operation member 21 is pulled rearward. For example, the operation member 21 may be positioned forward and upward of the connection portion c1, and the strain gauge 61 may be attached to the handle body 22 rearward of the operation member 21.

Although several modifications of the above-described embodiment have been described above, a plurality of modifications may be appropriately combined.

Claims

1. A stroller is characterized by comprising:

a plurality of wheels;

a seat member;

a stroller body having a base frame supporting the plurality of wheels and an upper frame coupled to the base frame and supporting the seat member; and

wherein the base frame has an inclined rod protruding more rearward than a rotation axis of a wheel located rearmost,

the base frame has a pair of side base frames disposed at a distance in the left-right direction,

the inclined bar links respective rear ends of the pair of side base frames to each other,

the upper frame is connected to the base frame via a link member and foldable with respect to the base frame by rotating with respect to the link member,

in a state where the upper frame is folded with respect to the base frame, a handle of the stroller body connected to the upper frame is inserted into a space surrounded by the pair of side base frames and the tilt lever.

2. The stroller according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detection element that detects information related to a travel operation input to the stroller body; and

and a control device that controls the drive source based on the information detected by the detection element, thereby adjusting the drive force that the drive source provides to the wheel.

3. The stroller according to claim 2,

the stroller body also has a handle attached to the upper frame,

the detection element is provided to the handle and detects information related to a load applied to the handle.

4. The stroller according to claim 1,

a wheel of the plurality of wheels to which the driving force is supplied from the driving source is a rear wheel,

a front wheel of the plurality of wheels is supported by the base frame via a caster.

5. The stroller according to claim 1,

the drive source has a first drive element and a second drive element, wherein,

the first drive element provides drive to at least one of the plurality of wheels,

the second drive element provides a drive force to a wheel, different from the wheel provided with the drive force by the first drive element, of the plurality of wheels, and is provided independently of the first drive element.

6. The stroller of claim 5, wherein the first and second drive elements are disposed at a more forward position than the tilt rod.