GB2197042A

GB2197042A - A baby carriage

Info

Publication number: GB2197042A
Application number: GB8723316A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Charles Hawkes
Original assignee: Andrews Maclaren Ltd
Current assignee: Andrews Maclaren Ltd
Priority date: 1986-10-03
Filing date: 1987-10-05
Publication date: 1988-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 2007-10-05
Also published as: GB2197042B; GB8723316D0

Abstract

A baby carriage (1, Fig. 2) having a frame means (2) of tubular metal, and respective fore and aft ground- engaging wheels (3) and 4 mounted on supporting means such as fore and aft transverse axle means (5) and 6 of the frame means (2) includes a brake device 7 constituted by a detent 8 engageable with an abutment means in the form of a toothed wheel 9 inboard of and adjacent to a wheel 4 to lock the wheel 4 against rotation, and pivoted means 20 including a convex cam surface 10 for disengaging the detent 8 from the abutment means 9 when the pivoted means is moved from the broken line position to the full line position. The detent and abutment means are retained in the disengaged condition by the detent snapping under spring bias into the recess behind shoulder 19. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A baby carriage The invention relates to a baby carriage, pushchair or buggy, particularly for the transportation of infants.

Such buggies are often of the kind which collapse both laterally and in a longitudinally folding manner in order to provide a collapsed condition which renders the buggy readily stowable or transportable when the infant is not seated in it.

Such buggies are often laden not only by the weight of the infant, but with extra loads such as shopping. In these cases, it is necessary to provide satisfactory braking.

Accordingly it is an object of the invention to seek to provide a brake apparatus for a buggy or baby carriage.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a carriage having frame means, ground wheel engaging supporting means situated fore and aft of the frame means, and a brake device comprising a detent, an abutment means adjacent a wheel for engagement by the detent to lock the wheel against rotation, and means to disengage the detent and abutment means and retain them in a disengaged condition.

The disengaging means may comprise a cam means.

There may be biassing means for biassing the detent to the engaged position.

The abutment means may comprise a toothed wheel inboard of a ground-engaging wheel of the carriage.

The brake device may comprise a body mounting the detent and may have two relatively rotatable body members.

One of the body members may be hollow and may receive the other body member, both of which may be pivotably connected on the same pivot axis.

The other body member may mount the detent and may be mounted on a frame member of the frame means, and the one body member may have a surface defining the cam means.

The surface may be part of a boundary surface of cut-out in a wall of the one body member.

The cam surface may lead to a shoulder behind which the detent may be retained in the disengaged position.

The cam surface may be convex.

The detent may comprise an L-shaped bar, a shorter arm of which may project through the cut-out to engage the abutment means, and the longer arm of which may be acted on by the biassing means.

The biassing means may comprise a tension spring.

The invention in another aspect extends to a baby carriage as hereinbefore defined.

A baby carriage embodying the invention is hereinafter described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of a baby carriage according to the invention; Figure 2 is an underneath plan view of the baby carriage of Fig. 1; and Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a side elevational view and a plan view of a brake device of the baby carriage of Figs. 1 and 2 and to a larger scale than those Figs.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a baby carriage 1 having a frame means 2 of tubular metal, respective fore and aft groundengaging wheels 3 and 4 mounted on supporting means such as fore and aft transverse axle means 5 and 6 of the frame means 2 and a brake device 7 comprising a detent 8, an abutment means in the form of a toothed wheel 9 inboard of and adjacent to a wheel 4 in the embodiment to lock the wheel 4 against rotation, and means 10 in the forrn of a convex cam surface to disengage the detent 8 and abutment means 9 and retain them in a disengaged condition.

The toothed wheel 9 is mounted on the rear axle 6. A rear frame member 11 of the frame means 2 mounts the device 7. The detent 8 is a metal lever of L-shape, the shorter arm 8' of which engages a tooth (abutment means) of the wheel 9 in the locked or engaged position. The brake device 7 has a body comprising two relatively rotatable body members 12 and 13 of plastic which are also mounted on the axle 6, the body members 12 and 13 also being mounted one within the other. The inner one 12 receives the rear frame member 11 in a seating 14 and also holds the detent 8, via a bolt or stud 15 and a biassing means 16 in the form of a tension spring wound round the stud 15, a turned out end 17 of the spring 16 bearing on the upper (as considered in use) surface of the long arm 8" of the detent 8 and acting to urge it downwardly in use, to engage the toothed wheel 9.

The outer body member 13 has a cut out or aperture 18 with the cam surface 10 and a shoulder 19, the short 81 arm of the detent 8 projecting through the aperture 18 towards the wheel 4. The outer member 13 also has a projecting lever or flange 20 which is directed to the rear of the baby carriage 1, in other words away therefrom. In the unlocked unbraked or disengaged position (shown in full lines in Fig. 3), the lever 20 projects horizontally or substantially so.

In order to apply the brake, the lever 20 is pressed down upon as by a foot of the pusher of the carriage. This action is operative to rotate the outer body member 13 clockwise (as viewed in Fig. 3) to the chain dotted position. In order to attain this position, the arm 8' rides out from engagement with this behind shoulder 19 and follows the cam surface 10 to end 21, where it rests, and in this position it has been lowered enough to engage positively with a tooth of the toothed wheel 9 to effect braking. The bias of the spring 16 maintains positive engagement of the tooth and arm 8' (detent) so effecting positive braking. To release the brake, upward (toe) pressure on the lever 20 pivots it anticlockwise, causing the cam surface 10 to run under the arm 8' and lift it out of engagement with the tooth, against the pressure of the biassing means 16. When the arm 8' (detent) reaches the shoulder 19 it snaps behind it under biassing means 16 pressure, and is positively retained in the "off" or unbraked position, so the carriage can be pushed or pulled.

There are two brake devices 7, one at each side of the carriage, to provide even operation.

Claims

1. A carriage having frame means, ground wheel engaging supporting means situated fore and aft of the frame means, and a brake device comprising a detent, an abutment means adjacent a wheel for engagement by the detent to lock the wheel against rotation, and means to disengage the detent and abutment means and retain them in a disengaged condition.

2. A carriage according to Claim 1, the disengaging means comprising a cam means.

3. A carriage according to Claim 2, including biassing means for biassing the detent to the engaged position.

4. A carriage according to Claim 3, the abutment means comprising a toothed wheel inboard of a ground-engaging wheel of the carriage.

5. A carriage according to Claim 4, the brake device comprising a body mounting the detent and having two relatively rotatable body members.

6. A carriage according to Claim 5, one of the body members being hollow and receiving the other body member, both of which are pivotably connected on the same pivot axis.

7. A carriage according to Claim 6, the other body member mounting the detent and being mounted on a frame member of the frame means, and the one body member having surface defining the cam means.

8. A carriage according to Claim 7, the surface being part of a boundary surface of cut-out in a wall of the one body member.

9. A carriage according to Claim 8, the cam surface leading to a shoulder behind which the detent is retained in the disengaged position.

10. A carriage according to Claim 8 or Claim 9, the cam surface being convex.

11. A carriage according to any of Claims 8 to 10, the detent comprising an L-shaped bar, a shorter arm of which projects through the cut-out to engage the abutment means, and the longer arm of which is acted on by the biassing means.

12. A carriage according to Claim 11, the biassing means comprising a tension spring.

13. A carriage, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

14. A baby carriage according to any preceding claim.