GB2438607A

GB2438607A - Angularly adjustable backrest for a stroller

Info

Publication number: GB2438607A
Application number: GB0610964A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chin-Feng Lin
Original assignee: Apex Baby Products Inc
Current assignee: Apex Baby Products Inc
Priority date: 2006-06-03
Filing date: 2006-06-03
Publication date: 2007-12-05
Anticipated expiration: 2026-06-03
Also published as: GB2438607B; GB0610964D0

Abstract

A stroller back support includes a back plank 1 an adjusting assembly 2, and fixing members 3; the adjusting assembly includes two support rods 23 and connecting plates 24 each pivoted to the back plank and a respective support rod, a fixing post 28 secured to each support rod, a guide piece 21 fitted on and movable along the back plank, and moving elements 25 joined to the guide piece; each fixing member has a groove 32; the moving elements are connected to the fixing members such that they will cause motion of the fixing members when moving; the fixing posts are received in respective grooves and capable of moving between a disengaged position, and an engaged one, in which position the fixing posts engage the fixing members; thus, by moving the moving elements, the fixing members can be moved so as to disengage the fixing posts for allowing the back plank to be angularly displaced to adjust position. The adjustment mechanism is operated by a user pulling upwards on a handle 221 at the upper end of the guide piece 21.

Description

1 2438607

IMPROVEMENT ON A BACK SUPPORT STRUCTURE OF A

STROLLER

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention

The present invention relates to an improvement on a back support structure of a stroller, more particularly one, which causes simplification in the structure, and reduction to the manufacturing cost.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

Common strollers have adjustable back supports joined to rear support legs for providing more comfort. Referring to Figs. 11 to 14, a currently existing stroller back support structure includes a back support frame 4, and a headrest plank 5.

The back support frame 4 is pivoted to two joining and holding members 61, which are fitted on respective ones of two rear support legs 6 of a stroller, and it has an U-shaped handle portion 41 at a tail end.

Covering parts 42, which have slots 421, are positioned over two ends of the U-shaped handle portion 41, and a transverse rod 43 is passed through the slots 421 of the covering parts 42, and biased towards first ends of the slots 421 by means of elastic elements 44 connected to the covering parts 42. The U-shaped handle portion 41 further have through holes 422 thereon.

The headrest plank 5 has an adjusting portion 51 at a lower end, and a contacting portion 56. The adjusting portion 51 has several spaced apart curved gaps 52, protruding posts 53 on two sides thereof, and through holes 54 adjacent to the protruding posts 53 on the two sides.

The adjustable headrest plank 5 is pivoted on the covering parts 42 by means of a pin 55, which is passed through the U-shaped handle portion 41 as well as the through holes 422, 54 of the covering parts 42 and the adjusting portion 51, such that the protruding posts 53 are under lower edges of the covering parts 42.

The headrest plank 5 further has pivotal protruding parts 57 on two sides of an upper end of the contacting portion 56 thereof, and connecting rods 7 are pivoted on the pivotal protruding parts 57 at first ends, and pivoted on a handlebar 8 of the stroller at second ends thereof.

Therefore, the back support frame 4 and the headrest plank 5 can be angularly displaced for adjustment in position when the user holds both the U-shaped handle portion 41 and the transverse rod 43, and slides the transverse rod 43 within the slots 421 so as to separate the transverse rod 43 from the curved gaps 52 of the adjusting portion 51.

After the back support frame 4 and the headrest plank 5 are angularly displaced to a desired position, the user should release the transverse rod 43 such that the transverse rod 43 is biased to fit in corresponding curved gaps 52 so as to engage the adjusting portion 51 by means of the elastic elements 44. Consequently, the back support is fixed in a new position.

From the above description, it can be seen that the back support structure consists of many different parts. Consequently, the material and manufacturing cost, and the risk of breakdown are relatively high, and the back support is difficult to repair and maintain.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a main object of the invention to provide an improvement on a back support structure of a stroller to overcome the above-mentioned problems.

The back support structure of the present invention includes a back support plank, an adjusting assembly, and fixing members. The adjusting assembly includes two support rods, and several connecting plates each pivoted to the back support plank and a respective support rod, a fixing post part secured to each support rod, a guide piece fitted on and movable along the back support plank, and moving elements joined to the guide piece. Each of the fixing members has a fitting groove. The moving elements are connected to the fixing members in such a way that the moving elements will cause motion of the fixing members when moving. The fixing post parts are received in respective fitting grooves and capable of moving between an engaged position and a disengaged one, in which engaged position the fixing post parts are engaged with the fixing members respectively. Therefore, the fixing members can be moved so as to disengage the fixing post parts of the adjusting assembly by means of moving the moving elements for allowing the back support plank to be angularly displaced to a comfortable position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a front view of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a side view of the present invention, Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the back support in the invention, Fig. 6 is a front view of the back support in the present invention, Fig. 7 is a partial side view of the present invention, Fig. 8 is a view of the present invention under adjusting action (1), Fig. 9 is a view of the present invention under adjusting action (2), Fig. 10 is a view of the invention under adjusting action (3), Fig. 11 is a side view of the currently existing stroller, Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the currently existing stroller back support, Fig. 13 is a view of the currently existing stroller back support under adjusting action (1), and Fig. 14 is a view of the currently existing stroller back support under adjusting action (2).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to Figs. 1 to 7, a preferred embodiment of an improvement on a back support structure of a stroller includes a back support plank 1, an adjusting assembly 2, and two fixing members 3.

The back support plank 1 can be used to support a cloth part of the stroller, and it has a Iengthways extending guide slot 11 on a middle, a handle part 12 on an upper end, and a lengthways extending rail 13, which has a guide slot 131 thereon.

The adjusting assembly 2 includes a guide piece 21, a first moving element 22, two support rods 23, several connecting plates 24, a second moving element 25, two plank parts 26, two drawing bars 27, and two fixing post parts 28.

The guide piece 21 is fitted on and movable along the lengthways extending guide slot 11 of the back support plank 1. The first moving element 22 is securely joined to the guide piece 21, and it has a handle portion 221 protruding from it and facing the handle part 12 of the back support plank 1. The support rods 23 are arranged on two sides of the back support plank 1. Each of the connecting plates 24 is pivoted to the back support plank 1 at one end, and pivoted to the support rods 23 at the other end. The second moving element 25 is fitted on and movable along the rail 13 of the back support plank 1, and securely joined to the guide piece 21. The drawing bars 27 are pivoted to respective ones of the plank parts 26 while the plank parts 26 are pivoted to respective ones of two sides of the second moving element 25. The fixing post parts 28 are secured on lateral sides of the support rods 23 respectively.

Each of the fixing members 3 has a guide rail 31 on an upper edge portion thereof, and a fitting groove 32 on a lower edge portion thereof, which fitting groove 32 has three detaining sections 321 one above another for receiving the fixing post parts 28 of the adjusting assembly 2.

The drawing bars 27 of the adjusting assembly 2 are fitted to respective ones of the guide rails 31 of the fixing members 3 in a movable manner. The fixing post parts 28 are received in the fitting grooves 32 of the fixing members 3 respectively such that they can be fitted in chosen detaining sections 321 of the fitting grooves 32 so as to engage the fixing members 3.

Referring to Figs. 6 to 10, the back support plank 1 is usually fixed in a sloping position with the fixing post parts 28 of the adjusting assembly 2 being fitted in certain ones of the detaining sections 321 of the fitting grooves 32 of the fixing members 3. To make the back support movable for adjusting the back support plank 1 to a proper (comfortable) position, first the user exert force on the handle portion 221 with single hand so as to pull the first moving element 22 upwards, i.e. towards the handle part 12 of the back support plank 1; thus, the guide piece 21 and the second moving element 25 are drawn upwards together with the first moving element 22, and at the same time the drawing bars 27 and the plank parts 26 are moved together so as to lift the fixing members 3 for the fixing members 3 to disengage the fixing post parts 28 with the detaining sections 321 of the fitting grooves 32 being away from the fixing post parts 28. Consequently, the back support plank 1 can be angularly displaced to a new position; because the support rods 23 are connected to the back support plank 1, they will move to the same sloping position as the back support plank 1, and in turn the fixing members 3 will engage the fixing post parts 28 so as to make the back support structure unmovable with the detaining sections 321 of the fitting grooves 32 receiving the fixing post parts 28 as soon as the first and the second moving elements 22 and 25 are moved back to their original position.

From the above description, it can be seen that the present invention has the following advantages: 1. Owing to the back support structure of the present invention, the stroller is comfortable after a cloth part is connected to the stroller frame. And, the present invention causes simplification in the structure, and reduction to the manufacturing cost.

2. The position of the back support plank can be adjusted with single hand therefore the present structure is convenient to use.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. An improvement on a back support structure of a

stroller, comprising (a) a back support plank, the back support plank having a lengthways extending guide slot on a middle thereof; (b) an adjusting assembly, the adjusting assembly including: a plurality of connecting plates pivoted to two sides of the back support plank; a pair of support rods on two sides of a stroller, each of the connecting plates being pivoted to one of the support rods; a fixing post part securely joined to each one of the support rods; a guide piece fitted on and movable along the lengthways extending guide slot of the back support plank; and first and second moving elements securely joined to the guide piece; and (c) two fixing members arranged on two sides of the stroller, each of the fixing members having a fitting groove; the second moving element of the adjusting assembly being connected to the fixing members; the fixing post parts securely joined to the support rods of the adjusting assembly being received in respective ones of the fitting grooves of the fixing members and capable of moving between an engaged position and a disengaged one, in which engaged position the fixing post parts are engaged with the fixing members respectively.

2. The improvement on a back support structure of a stroller as recited in claim I, wherein the back support plank has a handle part near to an upper end of the lengthways extending guide slot thereof, and the first moving element of the adjusting assembly has a handle portion facing the handle part of the back support plank, and the second moving element has plank parts pivoted to two sides thereof, and each of the fixing members has a guide rail on an upper edge portion thereof, and drawing bars are pivoted to respective ones of the plank parts of the second moving element and passed into respective ones of the guide rails of the fixing members.

3. The improvement on a back support structure of a stroller as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the fitting grooves of the fixing members has a plurality of detaining sections one above another for allowing a corresponding fixing post part to fit in; the back support plank being repositioned in a sloping position when the fixing post parts of the adjusting assembly are relocated to fit in the detaining sections of the fitting grooves.

whereby the fixing members can be moved so as to disengage the fixing post parts of the adjusting assembly by means of moving the moving elements for allowing the back support plank to be angularly displaced to adjust position Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows:

U

CLAIMS

1. A back support structure of a stroller, comprising (a) a back support panel having a lengthways extending guide slot on a middle thereof; (b) an adjustment assembly including: a plurality of connecting plates pivotally connected to two sides of the back support panel; a pair of support rods on two sides of a stroller, each of the connecting plates being pivotally connected to one of the support rods; a fixing post part securely joined to each one of the support rods; a guide piece fitted on and adapted to be movable along the lengthways extending guide slot of the back support panel; and first and second moving elements securely joined to the guide piece; and (c) two fixing members arranged on two sides of the stroller, each of the fixing members having a fitting groove; the second moving element of the adjustment assembly being connected to the fixing members; the fixing post parts securely joined to the support rods of the adjustment assembly being received in respective ones of the fitting grooves of the fixing members and capable of moving between an engaged position and a disengaged one, in which engaged position the fixing post parts are engaged with the fixing members.

2. The back support structure of a stroller as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the back support panel has a handle part near an upper end of the lengthways extending guide slot thereof the first moving element of the adjustment assembly has a handle portion facing the handle part of the back support panel; the second moving element has panel parts pivotally connected to two sides thereof each of the fixing members has a guide rail on an upper edge portion thereof drawing bars 1L-are pivotally connected to respective ones of the panel parts of the second moving element and passed into respective guide rails of the fixing members.

3. The back support structure of a stroller as claimed in Claim 1. wherein each of the fitting grooves of the fixing members has a plurality of detaining sections one above another for allowing a corresponding fixing post part to be fitted therein; the back support panel being repositioned in a sloping position when the fixing post parts of the adjustment assembly are relocated to fit in the detaining sections of the fitting grooves; whereby the fixing members can be moved so as to disengage the fixing post parts of the adjustment assembly by means of moving the moving elements in order to allow the back support panel to be angularly displaced to an adjusted position.