GB2330116A

GB2330116A - Pushchair

Info

Publication number: GB2330116A
Application number: GB9717635A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Maxisch
Original assignee: Britax Teutonia Kinderwagenfabrik GmbH
Current assignee: Britax Teutonia Kinderwagenfabrik GmbH
Priority date: 1997-08-21
Filing date: 1997-08-21
Publication date: 1999-04-14
Also published as: GB9717635D0

Abstract

A pushchair chassis consists of a pair of substantially identical side frames, each side frame comprising a handle 16, a front leg 20 having its upper end coupled by a first pivot joint 50 to the lower end of the handle 16, a rear leg 22 having its upper end coupled to the handle 16 at a location above the first pivot joint 50 by a releasable locking mechanism 56, and a brace 52 having a first end rigidly connected to the front leg 20 and a second end coupled to the rear leg 22 by a second pivot joint 54 at a location spaced from the upper end of the rear leg 22. The first pivot joint 50 allows relative angular movement between an erect position in which the handle 16 and the front leg 20 are substantially in line with one another and a second position in which the handle 16 is folded to lie adjacent to the front leg 20. The connection between the brace 52 and the front leg 20 is rigid and the connection between the upper end of the rear leg 22 and the handle 16 comprises a releasable locking mechanism 56 which disengages to allow the chassis to be folded.

Description

PUSHCHAIR This invention relates to a pushchair of the type having a chassis comprising a pair of substantially identical side frames, each side frame comprising a handle, a front leg having its upper end coupled by a first pivot joint to the lower end of the handle, a rear leg having its upper end coupled to the handle at a location above the first pivot joint, and a brace having a first end connected to the front leg and a second end coupled to the rear leg by a second pivot joint at a location spaced from the upper end of the rear leg, the first pivot joint allowing relative angular movement between an erect position in which the handle and the front leg are substantially in line with one another and a second position in which the handle is folded to lie adjacent to the front leg.

WO-A-9423982, describes a pushchair of this type in which the connection between the brace and the front leg comprises a third pivot joint and the connection between the upper end of the rear leg and the handle comprises a fourth pivot joint. Because of this multiplicity of pivot joints, wear and manufacturing tolerances at each joint substantially reduce the overall rigidity of the chassis when in its erect position. It is an object of the present invention to provide a pushchair of this type in which the number of pivot joints is reduced.

According to the invention, in a pushchair of the type described above, the connection between the brace and the front leg is rigid and the connection between the upper end of the rear leg and the handle comprises a releasable locking mechanism which disengages to allow the chassis to be folded.

Preferably the chassis includes a seat support member which is pivotally mounted on the front leg, a link being pivotally connected at one end to the seat support member and pivotally connected at its other end-to the rear leg so that the rear leg is drawn towards the front leg as the seat support member is moved to a folded position A second link may be provided with one end pivotally connected to the seat support member and its other end pivotally connected to the handle so as to maintain the seat support member in a substantially horizontal orientation when the chassis is in its erect position and to cause the seat support member to move towards a position of alignment with the front leg when the chassis is folded.

Preferably a backrest is pivotally mounted on the seat support member by latching means allowing it to be secured in a plurality of orientations relative to the seat support member.

A footrest may be pivotally secured to the front end of the seat support member, a tie being engagable therewith in alternative positions to support the footrest in at least two orientations relative to the seat member.

The tie for the footrest may extend from the front end of an armrest which has its rear end pivotally connected to the handle above the first pivot joint and has its front end supported on a strut extending upwardly from the front leg.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a pushchair in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the pushchair shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a suspension mechanism for the pushchair shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a side view, similar to Figure 1, but showing the pushchair in a partially folded position; Figure 5 is a side view, similar to Figures 1 and 4, but showing the pushchair in a fully folded position.

Figures 1 and 2 show a pushchair comprising a Ushaped and tubular member 10 forming a handle and having pivot joints 12 and 14 connecting the ends of its limbs to lower handle members 16 and 18. The pivot joints 12 and 14 are of conventional design and allow adjustment of the height of the handle 10 above the ground.

The pushchair also has a U-shaped front leg member 20, the limbs of which form a pair of front legs, and a Ushaped rear leg member 22, the limbs of which form a pair of rear legs. The horizontal portion of the front leg member 20 is connected by a pair of bearing units 24 and 26 to a front axle 28 having respective front wheels 30 and 32 on each end. Similarly, the horizontal portion of the rear leg member 22 is connected by a pair of bearing units 28 and 30 to a rear axle 32 having rear wheels 34 and 36 on each end.

Figure 3 shows the bearing unit 24 in more detail.

A lever 40 is secured fast with the front leg member 20 and engages with one end of a compression spring 42. The other end of the spring 42 engages with the inner upper wall of the housing 44 of the bearing unit 24 which is journalled on the leg member 20 and has the axle 28 extending therethrough. The weight of the pushchair and occupant (if any) tends to cause angular movement of the housing 44 about the tubular member 20 in the counter-clockwise direction (as viewed in Figure 3) but this is resisted resiliently by the spring 42. The other three bearing units 26, 28, and 30 are similar to the bearing unit 24.

Reverting to Figure 2, a pedal 46 of a brake unit is located adjacent to the suspension unit 30. The brake mechanism is of the type disclosed in Research Disclosure No. 37323 (May 1995) published by Kenneth Mason Publications Limited. This brake mechanism does not form part of the present invention and will not be described in further detail.

The bottom ends of each of the handle extensions 16 and 18 are connected by respective pivot pins 50 to respective braces 52 each of which is rigidly secured on the upper end of a respective limb of the front leg member 20. Each limb of the rear leg member 22 is connected at an intermediate point along its length to the corresponding brace 52 by a respective pivot pin 54. At an intermediate location along its length each of the handle extensions 16 and 18 carries a respective locking mechanism 56 which, when the pushchair is erected as shown in Figure 1, releasably engages with the upper end of the corresponding limb of the rear leg member 22. Thus each brace 52 forms a triangular structure with the upper end of the corresponding limb of the rear leg member 22 and the lower end of the corresponding handle extension 16, 18 so as to hold the rear leg member 22 and the handle 10 rigidly at a fixed orientation relative to the front leg member 20.

Each of the locking mechanisms 56 is as described in British Patent Application No. 9712786.

A respective armrest 58 is secured by a respective pivot pin 60 to each of the handle extensions 16 and 18 at an intermediate location between the brace 52 and the locking mechanism 56. The front end of each armrest 58 is connected by a pivot pin 62 to a supporting strut 64 which is connected by a pivot pin 66 to the corresponding limb of the front leg member 20.

A U-shaped seat support member 70 has each of its limbs connected to the limbs of the front leg member 20 by a respective pivot pin 72 so that the ends of the limbs of the seat support member 70 project forwardly. A respective tie rod 74 extends downwardly from the corresponding pivot pin 60 to a location near the rear end of each side limb of the seat support member 70 so as to support the front end of the limbs of the latter in a generally horizontal orientation. As can be seen from Figure 1 the limbs of the seat support member 70 are bent at an intermediate point along their length so that the rear end portions 76 thereof slope downwardly. In use, these rear end portions 76 serve to support a shopping basket (not shown).

As can be seen from Figure 2, a seat panel 78 is supported on transverse rods 80 and 82 which extend between the limbs of the seat support member 70. A footrest, comprising a U-shaped member 84 having its limbs interconnected by five transverse rods 86 to 90, is pivotally mounted on the front seat support rod 80. A Ushaped stay 92 has its ends pivotally connected to the armrests 58 adjacent to the front pivot pins 62. The Ushaped stay 92 has a raised central portion 94 (Figure 2) which is arranged to engage with the central transverse rod 88 in order to support the footrest 84 in a generally horizontal position, as illustrated in Figure 2.

Alternatively, it may engage with the next adjacent transverse rod 89 nearer to the seat support rod 80 to support the footrest 84 in a more vertical position.

A backrest, in the form of a U-shaped frame member 94, a panel 96 is pivotally mounted on the rear transverse rod 82 of the seat panel 78. A transverse rod 98 extends between the limbs of the frame member 94 to support the lower part of the panel 96. Latches 100, mounted on the seat support member 70, serve to secure the backrest in alternative orientations between the substantially horizontal orientation illustrated in Figure 1 and a more nearly vertical orientation. The latches 100 are as disclosed in EP-A-0519619 and will not be described in more detail.

Respective link rods 102 are each pivotally connected at one end to the seat support member 70 and at the other end to the corresponding limb of the rear leg member 22 below the pivot pin 54. As can be seen from Figure 4, when the locking mechanisms 56 are released and the handle 10 moved forwardly, the tie rods 74 raise the rear end 76 of the seat support member 70, causing the link rods 102 to pull the rear leg member 22 towards the front leg member 20.

The footrest 84 swings freely until it comes to rest on the housings of the front bearing units 24 and 26.

Further forward movement of the handle 10 moves the front and rear leg members 20 and 22 to the relative position shown in Figure 5, in which the front and rear wheels 30, 32 and 34, 36 are closely adjacent to one another. As a separate operation, the latches 100 are released and the backrest 94, 96 pivoted forwardly to lie substantially in alignment with the handle 10.

Only one side of the chassis is illustrated in Figures 1, 4 and 5. It will be appreciated from Figure 2 and the foregoing description that the two sides are substantially identical with each other.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A pushchair having a chassis comprising a pair of substantially identical side frames, each side frame comprising a handle, a front leg having its upper end coupled by a first pivot joint to the lower end of the handle, a rear leg having its upper end coupled to the handle at a location above the first pivot joint by a releasable locking mechanism, and a brace having a first end rigidly connected to the front leg and a second end coupled to the rear leg by a second pivot joint at a location spaced from the upper end of the rear leg, the first pivot joint allowing relative angular movement between an erect position in which the handle and the front leg are substantially in line with one another and a second position in which the handle is folded to lie adjacent to the front leg.
2. A pushchair according to claim 1, wherein the chassis includes a seat support member which is pivotally mounted on the front leg, a link being pivotally connected at one end to the seat support member and pivotally connected at its other end to the rear leg so that the rear leg is drawn towards the front leg as the seat support member is moved to a folded position.
3. A pushchair according to claim 2, wherein a second link may has one end pivotally connected to the seat support member and its other end pivotally connected to the handle so as to maintain the seat support member in a substantially horizontal orientation when the chassis is in its erect position and to cause the seat support member to move towards a position of alignment with the front leg when the chassis is folded.
4. A pushchair according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein a backrest is pivotally mounted on the seat support member by latching means allowing it to be secured in a plurality of orientations relative to the seat support member.
5. A pushchair according to any preceding claim, wherein a footrest is pivotally secured to the front end of the seat support member, a tie being engagable therewith in alternative positions to support the footrest in at least two orientations relative to the seat member.
6. A pushchair according to claim 5, wherein the tie for the footrest extends from the front end of an armrest which has its rear end pivotally connected to the handle above the first pivot joint and has its front end supported on a strut extending upwardly from the front leg.
7. A pushchair substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A pushchair substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A pushchair having a chassis comprising a pair of substantially identical side frames, each side frame comprising a handle, a front leg having its upper end coupled by a first pivot joint to the lower end of the handle, a rear leg having its upper end coupled to the handle at a location above the first pivot joint by a releasable locking mechanism, and a brace having a first end rigidly connected to the front leg and a second end coupled to the rear leg by a second pivot joint at a location spaced from the upper end of the rear leg, the first pivot joint allowing relative angular movement between an erect position in which the handle and the front leg are substantially in line with one another and a second position in which the handle is folded to lie adjacent to the front leg, wherein the connection between the brace and the front leg is rigid and the connection between the upper end of the rear leg and the handle comprises a releasable locking mechanism which disengages to allow the chassis to be folded.

2. A pushchair according to claim 1, wherein the chassis includes a seat support member which is pivotally mounted on the front leg, a link being pivotally connected at one end to the seat support member and pivotally connected at its other end to the rear leg so that the rear leg is drawn towards the front leg as the seat support member is moved to a folded position.

3. A pushchair according to claim 2, wherein a second link may has one end pivotally connected to the seat support member and its other end pivotally connected to the handle so as to maintain the seat support member in a substantially horizontal orientation when the chassis is in its erect position and to cause the seat support member to move towards a position of alignment with the front leg when the chassis is folded.

4. A pushchair according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein a backrest is pivotally mounted on the seat support member by latching means allowing it to be secured in a plurality of orientations relative to the seat support member.

5. A pushchair according to any preceding claim, wherein a footrest is pivotally secured to the front end of the seat support member, a tie being engagable therewith in alternative positions to support the footrest in at least two orientations relative to the seat member.

6. A pushchair according to claim 5, wherein the tie for the footrest extends from the front end of an armrest which has its rear end pivotally connected to the handle above the first pivot joint and has its front end supported on a strut extending upwardly from the front leg.