GB2351265A

GB2351265A - Push chairs

Info

Publication number: GB2351265A
Application number: GB9914746A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Philip Riddiford
Original assignee: Maclaren Ltd
Current assignee: Maclaren Ltd
Priority date: 1999-06-22
Filing date: 1999-06-22
Publication date: 2000-12-27
Also published as: GB9914746D0

Abstract

A push chair which is convertible between cot and seat configurations has two support members, an upper body support member 32 and a lower body support member 33, connected together end to end. These members are alignable horizontally for the cot configuration, and rotatable towards each other (arrows 50, 51) such that one fits in the other to form a combined support member which forms the seat back 32', 33' in the seat configuration. Preferably each of the support members 32, 33 comprises a U shaped side element and a liner attached thereto (Fig 3). The two support members 32, 33 may be commonly mounted for movement between a forward upper level in which they are in the cot configuration and a rearward lower level 54 in which they are in the seat back configuration.

Description

2351265 Push Chairs The present invention relates to push chairs for

children.

There are many designs and types of folding push chairs. The basic folding push chair incorporates a seat in which children from the age of around 6 months may sit. Some of these seats are reclinable, so that the occupant may adopt a semi recumbent position. Some push chairs have removable seats. Further, some push chairs can have cots attached to them in place of seats.

The object of the present invention is to provide a folding push chair with an improved convertible seat and cot arrangement.

According to the invention there is provided a push chair which is convertible between cot and seat configurations, characterized by an upper body support member and a lower body support member connected together end to end, alignable horizontally for the cot configuration, and rotatable towards each other such that one fits in the other to form a combined component which forms the seat back in the seat configuration.

Preferably each of the two support members comprises a U shaped side element and a liner attached thereto, the liner of the lower body support member having two positions in each of which it is approximately level with a corresponding edge of the side element.

Preferably the two support members are commonly mounted for movement between an upper level in which they are in the cot configuration and a lower level in Mucli they are in the scat configui-ation.

2 A push chair embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a simplified diagrammatic view of a side frame; Fig. 2 is a similar side view of the side frame showing the cot and seat arrangement in the cot position; and Fig. 3 is a simplified perspective view of the cot and seat arrangement in the cot position.

The relationship of the present cot and seat arrangement with the side frames of the push chair is somewhat complicated. It is therefore desirable to first describe the side frame in some detail. A specific side frame arrangement will therefore be described at some length, although it must be realized that the principles of the present cot and seat arrangement are not restricted to this particular side frarne arrangement but can be applied to a wide variety of side frame arrangements.

Fig. 1 shows one side frame of the push chair in simplified and diagrammatic form. The other side frame is of course similar, and the two sides are spaced apart by cross bars( not shown) which can take a variety of forms.

In some types of push chair, the cross bars are hinged or pivoted, so that when the chair is folded, the two side frames are fold together( typically in what is termed an umbrella or 3 dimensional fold); in others, the cross bars are fixed and the chair folds so that each side frame collapses but the two side frames remain the same distance apart (a 2 dimensional fold).

The side frame has three main diagonal struts: a sloping rear strut 10, a sloping fi-ont strut 11, and a sloping liaiidle strut 14. The rear aA 1'i. oitt s(i.ti(s 3 and I I have wheels 12 and 13 mounted on their bottom ends as shown; the top end of the handle strut 14 has handle means( typically a handle, or a cross bar forming a handle) attached to it. The chair side also has two further major struts, a vertical strut 15 and a horizontal strut 16. (The tenns "vertical" and "horizontal" are used as a convenient contrast to "sloping", but indicate rough directions only.) Bar 15 is hinged to strut 14 at a pivot 20 and to strut 10 at a pivot 2 1, and strut 16 is hinged to strut P at a pivot 22 and to strut 10 at a pivot 23.

The two pivots 21 and 23 are preferably close together, and can be formed by a common pivot structure mounted on strut 10. The strut 10 also carries a slider structure 24, to which the ends of the struts I I and 14 are pivoted as shown. The movement of the slider 24 upwards along,be strut 10 is limited by an end stop 25.

The basic fold is achieved by sliding the slider structure 24 up and down the strut 10. With the slider 24 at the top of the strut, the side frame is in the extended position substantially as shown, with the struts I I and 14 aligne,..

Locking means( not shown) are provided to lock the slider 24 against the end stop 25; these locking means operate automatically as the slider reaches the end stop, and can then be released manually to allow the chair to be folded.

To fold the chair, the slider is moved down the strut 10. This rotates the strut I I anticlockwise and strut 14 clockwise (under the constraint of the struts 15 and 16), as shown by the arrows, until they are aligned with tb,:

strut. For effective folding, the length of strut 15( up to the pivot point 20) minus the length of strut 14 must mat,.;ii the length of strut 16 minus the length of s!-ut I I (down to the pivot poinc 22).

4 An arm rest is provided by a horizontal strut 26 and a vertical strut 27. Bar 26 is hinged to the end 25 of strut 10, and strut 27 is hinged to a pivot 28 on strut 11. The two pivots 22 and 28 are preferably close together, and can be formed by a common pivot structure on strut 11. The struts 26 and 27 are also pivoted together at their other ends 29 as shown. When the chair is folded, the two struts 26 and 27 move towards each other, with their pivot point 29 moving to the right as indicated by the arrow. For effective folding, the distance along strut 10 from the pivot point 23 to its end stop 25 plus the length of the strut 26 must match the sum of the lengths of the struts 16 and 27.

A chair seat or base is provided at approximately the position of the strut 16. This seat base can be a rigid structure if the chair is to fold only front to back, or a flexible structure( typically of canvas or similar material) if the chair is to fold side to side as well. A footrest can be provided further down the strut 11.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the upper and lower body support members, and Fig. 3 shows them in perspective in the cot and seat configurations. The cot consists of two major support members 32 and 33 aligned with each other and supported at the level of the arm 26. The child will normally be placed in these with its head and upper body in support member 32 and its lower body and feet in support member 33. (This is the justification for the use of the terms "upper body support membeC and 9ower body support member".) In this position, the child is facing the person pushing the push chair.

The upper body support member consists of a relatively rigid U shaped side element 34 and a web or lining 35, which is fixed to the side element along its centre line 36. This lining is divided generally into two regions, a central area 39 and an outer region or band 37( adjacent to the fixing line 36), meeting each other along a line 38. The central area 39 includes stiffening matefial so that it is broadly flat. The band 37 forms a rim which is roughly vertical between the fixing line 36..And the line 38.where it joins the central area 39. The central area 39 is thus suspended, by the band 37, from the centre line 336 to lie L roughly level with the bottom edge of the side element 34.

If the push chair is to be a 2 dimensional folding chair, then the upper body support member can be relatively robust and rigid. If it is to be a three dimensional folding chair, however, then this support member should be compressible or collapsible from side to side to some extent.

The lower body support member 33 is similarly constructed, with a side element 40 and a web or lining 4 1, as shown. The two body support members or cot elements 32 and 33 are connected together by pivots 45, with the upper body support member being inside the lower body support member as. shown.

To convert the system to the seat configuration, the two body support members are rotated upwards towards each other until the upper body support member lies inside the lower body support member. This effectively combines the two support members into a single unit, which forms the back of the seat. The scat back will of course normally be oriented upwards towards a vertical position( though it can be left in or near the horizontal if the seat is to be reclined).

In Fig.2, the upper body and lower body support members 32 and 33 are shown in the cot position by full lines. To move them to the seat position, the upper body support member 33 is rotated through somewhat less than a right angle, as shown by arrow 5 1, and the lower body support member is rotated through somewhat more than a right angle, as shown by the arrow 50, to nest in the upper body support member. This brings the support members to the positions 32' and 33' shown in dotted lines; in this position the combination of the two support members form a seat back. It will be noticed that the child rests against opposite sides of the lower body suppoit nicinbet. 32 in (lie two 6 configurations. Also, the child is facing backward( ie toward the person pushing the push chair) in the cot configuration and forward in the seat configuration( though the child could be placed facing forward in the cot configuration if desired).

The manner in which the lining 35 of the lower body support member 32 is mounted on the side element 34 allows the lining to "flip" from the position shown in Fig. 2 to a position in which its central area 39 is roughly level with the top edge of the side element 34( as seen in Fig. 3). The lining 35 thus lies against the corresponding lining 41 of the upper body support member 33( the lining of this support member does not need to flip).

Obviously, other constructions which allow such flipping can be used instead.

It is conventional, in push chairs, for the seat position to be substantially lower that the cot position. The two body support members are therefore mounted on one end of an arm 52 whose other end 53 is mounted on the push chair frame. (There will of course be two arms, one on each side of the push chair.) This arm is rotatable about its end 53, so that the two body support members can be swung bodily between the upper position shown in full filies( the cot configuration) and a lower position shown in broken lines( the seat configuration), as shown by the arrow 54.

A seat base 55 is provided at the appropriate position forward of the lower end of the seat back, and a footrest may be provided at the appropriate position forward of and below the seat. The arm 52 may be attached to the rear end of the arm rest 26 of the side frame. In the cot configuration, the two cot elements are preferably supported on the arm rest 26.In the seat 7 configuration, they are preferably supported by r resting against a stop attached to the rear end of the bar 16.

It is desirable for the cot to be located further forward than the seat. It will be noted in Fig. 2 that the arm 52 is directed forward as well as upward in the cot configuration and backward as well as downward in the seat configuration, thus achieving this desired relative location of the cot and seat positions. The upper body support member 33 is preferably mounted in a conventional manner allowing its angle to be adjusted, to allow the seat 10 configuration to be set to a reclining position.

The push chair can include a hood of generally conventional form. The hood can conveniently be mounted on the combined upper and lower body support members, so that it is automatically positioned above them in both 15 configurations.

8

Claims

Claims

1 A push chair which is convertible between cot and seat configurations, characterized by two support members, an upper body support member and a lower body support member, connected together end to end, alignable horizontally for the cot configuration, and rotatable towards each other such that one fits in the other to form a combined support member which forms the seat back in the seat configuration.

2 A push chair according to claim 1 characterized in that each of the two support members comprises a U shaped side element and a liner attached thereto, and the liner of the lower body support member has two positions in 15 which it is approximately level with a corresponding edge of the side element.

4 A push chair according to either previous claim characterized in that the two support members are commonly mounted for movement between an upper level in which they are in the cot configuration and a lower level in which they 20 are in the seat back configuration.

Any novel and inventive feature or combination of features specifically disclosed herein within the meaning of Article 41-1 of the International Convention (Paris Convention).