GB2518809A

GB2518809A - Child conveyance

Info

Publication number: GB2518809A
Application number: GB1313284.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Jeffrey Taylor; Matthew James Ellam
Original assignee: Silver Cross Holdings Ltd
Current assignee: Silver Cross Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 2013-07-31
Filing date: 2013-07-31
Publication date: 2015-04-08
Also published as: GB201313284D0

Abstract

A child pushchair includes a closable pocket for stowing an accessory such as a waterproof protective covering 16. The pocket includes a securing means to secure the accessory in place during use. The pocket 17 is formed in the end opposite the hood and as part of a fabric seat covering; the pocket 17 can be formed at the hood end instead or in addition to being at the foot end. The closure means 18 can be a zip. The protective cover 16 can be removably or permanently fixed within the pocket 17 using a zip, Velcro (RTM) or press-studs. When required the cover 16 can be pulled from the storage pocket 17 and pulled over the major part of the seat and fastened 19 in place to protect the child. A further disclosure (fig 6) is of a removable hood or bumper bar attachable to the pushchairs hinged chassis.

Description

Intellectual Property Office Application No. GB1313284.0 RTN4 Date:28 January 2015 The following terms are registered trade marks and should be read as such wherever they occur in this document: Velcro Intellectual Property Office is an operating name of the Patent Office www.ipo.govuk

CHILD CONVEYANCE

This invention relates to a child conveyance, and in particular to a wheeled child conveyance such as a pram, pushchair, stroller or the like.

A number of types of wheeled conveyances are known for conveying babies and small children. Such types of conveyances include prams, pushchairs, buggies, strollers and the like as are well-known in the art. For the remainder of this specification the term pushchair will be used but it will be understood that the invention is applicable to all forms of wheeled child conveyances.

According to the present invention there is provided a seating unit for a child conveyance, the seating unit having a first end and a second end, wherein the seating unit includes a closable pocket for receiving therein an accessory component, securing means being provided within said pocket for securing the accessory component in place during use of the accessory component.

In embodiments of the invention the pocket may be formed in either the first or the second end of the seating unit, or two pockets may be provided -one at each end.

The accessory component may be a protective element, for example a sheet adapted to be extended over a major portion of said seating unit, or a barrier element adapted to prevent unwanted movement of a child. The accessory component may be removably fixed within the pocket or may be permanently fixed within the pocket.

When the protective element is a sheet the sheet may be provided with first means at one end thereof for engaging the securing means within said pocket, and second securing means at another end thereof for engaging a chassis member of the conveyance. The accessory component may be removably secured within the pocket or may be permanently secured then said pocket.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a child conveyance provided with a seating unit as abovedescribed.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a child conveyance comprising a chassis, wherein said chassis comprises at least one hinge and wherein the hinge includes mounting means by means of which a component of the conveyance may be mounted on said chassis.

In embodiments of the invention the mounting means is adapted to receive a mounting member provided on the component. Preferably the mounting means comprises an opening formed in the hinge for receiving a mounting member. Preferably the mounting mechanism includes a release mechanism for enabling a component to be released from the mounting means. Preferably a mounting member comprises at least one elongate member adapted to be received within the hinge. Preferably the mounting member has two elongate members one of which is provided with a cut-away portion for engaging a catch member provided in the hinge.

In a particularly preferred embodiment the chassis comprises left and right frame members, each of the frame members being provided with a hinge whereby said chassis can be moved between operative and stowed conditions, and wherein each hinge is provided with a mounting means.

The accessory component may, for example, be a hood for a seating unit, a bumper bar or may be an adaptor for enabling a seating unit to be secured to said chassis. The skilled person will understand that these are examples only and that other accessory components may be mounted on a chassis by the common mounting system of embodiments of this invention. A particular advantage of embodiments of this invention is that in certain embodiments an accessory component may remain secured to said mounting means when said conveyance is moved between operative and stored conditions.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a child conveyance comprising a chassis, wherein said chassis comprises at least one hinge and wherein the hinge includes mounting means by means of which a component of said conveyance is mounted on the chassis.

The component may for example be a hood, a bumper bar or an adaptor.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Fig.1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention, Fig.2 is a detailed view of a part of the embodiment of Fig.1 showing a protective apron being partially withdrawn from a storage pocket, Fig.3 is a view similar to Fig.2 but showing the protective apron fully extracted from the storage pocket, Fig.4 is a view similar to Fig.2 showing the apron fully received within the storage pocket, Fig.5 shows one possible method for attaching the protective apron to the chassis of the child conveyance, Fig.G shows the frame of a removable hood according to one embodiment of the invention, Fig.7 shows a mechanism by means of which according to an embodiment of the invention the removable hood of Fig.6 may be secured to the child conveyance, Fig.8 is a side view of an embodiment of the invention showing a removable hood secured to a child conveyance, Fig.9 shows an embodiment of the invention having a bumper bar mounted on the child conveyance, and Fig.10 shows an adaptor unit secured to the child conveyance.

Referring firstly to Fig.1 there is a shown a wheeled child conveyance in the form of a pushchair 1 for an infant. As is known in the art the pushchair 1 comprises a seat unit 2 for a child. As is well-known the seat unit 2 normally has two configurations: a first configuration in which the seat 2 is positioned such that the child faces forward in the direction that the pushchair is normally pushed, and a second configuration (as shown in Fig.1) in which the seat unit 2 is positioned such that the child lies generally horizontally in a lie flat position with his/her head at the front in the direction that the pushchair is normally pushed. Alternatively in the lie flat position the head of the child may be at the rear in the direction of travel.

The pushchair includes two front wheels 7a,7b and two rear wheels 8a,8b, together with front 9a,9b and rear lOa,lOb support members which together form pad of a chassis structure. Rear support members lOa,lOb are joined to upper regions of the front support members 9a,9b, and handles 11 a, 11 b are provided to the top parts of the front support members 9a,9b. As will be discussed further below the two front support members 9a,9b are both hinged to allow the pushchair to be folded for carriage or storage. The front 9a,9b and rear lOa,lOb support members form part of a chassis for supporting the seating unit 2.

The seating unit 2 is formed with a main body portion 14 in which a child may lie. The front end of the seating unit 2 (as viewed in Fig.1), where the head of the child will normally be when in a lie flat position, may be provided with a removable hood 15 which is provided when the seating unit 2 is in a lie flat position for protecting the child from either bad weather (eg rain or wind) or indeed from too much sunshine. As will be explained further below the removable hood is attached to fixture means formed as part of a multi-function hinge 20. A child lying in the seating unit 2 may also be protected from the weather by the use of conventional blankets and the like. The seating unit 2 may be formed by a frame with a fabric covering.

In an embodiment of the invention a protective covering 16 is provided that may be stowed in a pocket formed as part of the seating unit 2. In the embodiment of the invention as shown in Figures 2 to 4, a storage pocket 17 is provided in the end of the seating unit 2 remote from the head end, ie the end of the seating unit facing the user and the end remote from the hood 15. Storage pocket 17 may be formed, for example, as part of the fabric covering of the seating unit. Storage pocket 17 may be opened and closed by any suitable fastening mechanism. In the embodiment shown in the Figures a zip closure 18 is provided, but those skilled in the art will understand that other closure mechanisms are possible. Storage pocket 17 is large enough to receive a protective covering 16 that when removed from the storage pocket 17 can be extended over the main part of the seating unit. Fig.2 shows the covering 16 in the process of being secured within the pocket 17 by means of a zip fastener, while Fig.3 shows the covering 16 fully secured by the zip fastener but before being pulled over the seating unit 2. Fig.4 shows the storage pocket 17 closed by zip fastener 18 or other form of fastening means with the covering 16 received therein.

It will be understood that one end of the covering 16 is fixed within the storage pocket 17 to the end of the seating unit 2. Generally, the covering 16 is approximately rectangular to match in shape the seating unit 2, and one end of the rectangular covering 16 is fixed within the storage pocket 17. In use, when the covering 16 is needed, the covering 16 may be extracted from the storage pocket 17 and pulled over the major part of the seating unit 2, as shown in Fig.1, so as to protect any child lying therein. The covering 16 may not be fixed permanently within the storage pocket but may be completely removable from the storage pocket. For example, the covering 16 may be provided with fastening means such as a zip fastener, Velcro or press-studs or the like. In this way the covering 16 may be provided as a separate component but at the same time may be fixed in place and when not in use may be fully received within the storage pocket 17.

To hold the protective covering 16 in place when in use, fastening means may be provided for connecting the protective covering 16 to the chassis. In the example of Fig.1 the end of the covering 16 remote from the storage pocket 17 is provided with two fastening means for connecting respectively to the two front support members 9a,9b.

This connection means may take any suitable form, but in one example shown in Fig.5 the protective covering 16 may be provided with openings 19 through which may extend a fastening element 20 provided on the support members 9a,9b.

The protective covering 16 may be made of any suitable material depending on its intended use. For example if the covering 16 is intended to protect an infant from bad weather it may be formed of a material that is preferably waterproof and yet relatively light and thin such that it can easily be retained within the storage pocket 17 without requiring the storage pocket 17 to be unreasonably large. Alternatively the covering 16 may be provided from a lightweight material intended to protect against the sun, or may be formed of a mesh material intended to protect against insects. It will be understood that in embodiments in which the covering 16 is not permanently fixed within the storage pocket 17 but is detachable and removable, multiple coverings 16 may be provided with different characteristics and for different intended uses.

In another embodiment of the invention a storage pocket may be provided at the other end of the seating unit, ie at the forward end of the seating unit in terms of the normal direction of travel, either in addition to or instead of the above-described storage pocket 17. This forward-end storage pocket may be used to receive a covering but may in particular preferably be adapted to receive a head barrier -that is to say an element designed to both to protect the head of an infant and also to provide resistance against the infant slipping out the seating unit. In some embodiments of the invention such a head barrier may be fixed by fastening means in the storage pocket 17 at the rearward end of the seating unit for situations in which an infant may be placed in a lie flat position with the head rearmost.

As indicated above the removable hood 15 is fixed in place when needed by means of a fixture formed as part of a multi-function hinge 20. Two hinges 20 are respectively located in the front support members 9a9b to enable the front support members 9a,9b to be folded when the pushchair is to be folded flat for carrying or for storage. Fig.6 shows an example of a removable hood 15 with a fabric covering removed. The removable hood iSis formed of two generally U-shaped members 15a,15b the ends of which are mounted for independent pivotal movement around a common axis X of a pair of pivot joints 21. It will be understood that the two U-shaped members 15a,15b can be moved towards and away from each other so as to open and close the hood 15.

Fig.6 shows the two U-shaped members 15a,15b in an open position in which the members 1 5a, 15 lie in planes that are approximately at right-angles.

Fig.7 shows in detail a mechanism according to one embodiment of the invention by means of which the hood 15 may be secured to the chassis. As is shown in Fig.7, the pivot joints 21 are both formed with attachment members 22 that are adapted to be received in slot-like openings 23 provided in the respective multi-function hinges 20 whereby the hood 15 may be fitted in place. Each respective attachment member 22 is adapted to be push-fit within an opening 23 of a respective multi-function hinge and is provided with a pair of prongs 22a,22b one of which, prong 22a, is provided with a cut-out for engaging a locking member (not shown) provided within the multi-function hinge 20. It will also be seen from Fig.7 that the multi-function hinge 20 is provided with a release button 24 that allows the attachment member 22 to be released from the hinge when required. Fig.8 shows a side view of the pushchair with a hood 15 attached and with the seating unit removed for clarity.

It will thus be seen that the multi-function hinges 20 provide -in addition to their function as hinges -a secondary role as fixture means for removably securing various accessory components to the pushchair. An important advantage of the design of the multi-function hinge 20 and the attachment system formed by the prongs 22a,22b received within the opening 23 that it is possible for the multi-function hinge 20 to function as a receiving location for various different types of accessories which may be fitted to the pushchair by means of a common attachment system which is provided as an integral pad of the hinge. The removable hood 15 is just one example of a variety of accessories that can be fitted to the pushchair in this manner. Fig.9, for example, shows a pushchair according to an embodiment of the invention provided with a bumper bar 24 that can be fitted in place of the removable hood 15 in particular for when as shown in Fig.9 the pushchair is in a stroller configuration with the infant seated facing forward. It will be understood that different accessory components could be fitted, removed and then interchanged depending on a user's requirements at a given time.

Another possibility is that adaptors could be fitted to the multi-function hinge that enable other forms of accessories to be fitted to the pushchair, such as for example a car seat. An example of this is shown in Fig.10 which shows an adaptor 30 having prongs 22a,22b such that the adaptor can be fitted into the slot 23 of the multi-function hinge 20. The adaptor 30 can take any desired form and in the example of Fig.10 it is provided with a securing mechanism 31 for receiving a child car-seat. With this arrangement a child car-seat may be fitted to the chassis in a simple and convenient manner.

The multi-function hinges 20 may also be provided lights such as LED5 attached to the sides of the hinges 20 to ensure that the pushchair is more easily visible at night or in conditions of reduced visibility.

A further advantage of securing an accessory to the multi-function hinge is that the accessory does not necessarily need to be removed when the pushchair is folded into a closed position. Instead the accessory can remain in place and when the pushchair is folded the accessory will be located between the front 9a,9b and rear lOa,lOb support members. In some cases, in particular when the accessory is a bumper bar, this arrangement is particularly advantageous as when the pushchair is subsequently opened out from its folded condition the accessory will automatically be in the correct location.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A seating unit for a child conveyance, said seating unit having a first end and a second end, wherein said seating unit includes a closable pocket for receiving therein an accessory component, securing means being provided within said pocket for securing said accessory component in place during use of said accessory component.
2. A seating unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pocket is formed in said first and/or second end of said seating unit.
3. A seating unit as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said accessory component is a protective element.
4. A seating unit as claimed in claim 3 wherein said protective element is a sheet adapted to be extended over a major portion of said seating unit.
5. A seating unit as claimed in claim 4 wherein said sheet is provided with first means at one end thereof for engaging said securing means within said pocket, and second securing means at another end thereof for engaging a chassis member of said conveyance.
6. A seating unit as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said accessory component is removably secured within said pocket.
7. A seating unit as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 wherein said accessory component is permanently secured within said pocket.
8. A seating unit as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said seating unit is removably mountable on a chassis of said conveyance.
9. A seating unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
10. A child conveyance comprising a chassis supporting a seating unit as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9.
11. A child conveyance comprising a chassis, wherein said chassis comprises at least one hinge and wherein said hinge includes mounting means by means of which a component of said conveyance may be mounted on said chassis.
12. A conveyance as claimed in claim 11 wherein said mounting means is adapted to receive a mounting member provided on said component.
13. A conveyance as claimed in claim 12 wherein said mounting means comprises an opening formed in said hinge for receiving a said mounting member.
14. A conveyance as claimed in any of claims 11 to 13 wherein said mounting mechanism includes a release mechanism for enabling a component to be released from said mounting means.
15. A conveyance as claimed in any of claims 12 to 14 wherein a said mounting member comprises at least one elongate member adapted to be received within said hinge.
16. A conveyance as claimed in claim 15 wherein said mounting member has two elongate members, and wherein one of said elongate members has a cut-away portion for engaging a catch member provided in said hinge.
17. A conveyance as claimed in any of claims 11 to 16 wherein said chassis comprises left and right frame members, each of said frame members being provided with a said hinge whereby said chassis can be moved between operative and stowed conditions, and wherein each said hinge is provided with a said mounting means.
18. A conveyance as claimed in any of claims 11 to 17 wherein said component comprises a hood for a seating unit.
19. A conveyance as claimed in any of claims 11 to 17 wherein said component comprises a bumper bar.
20. A conveyance as claimed in any of claims 11 to 17 wherein said component comprises an adaptor for enabling a seating unit to be secured to said chassis.
21.A conveyance as claimed in claim 15 wherein a said component may remain secured to said mounting means when said conveyance is moved between operative and stored conditions.
22. A conveyance as claimed in any of claims 11 to 21 wherein said hinge is provided with a light.
23. A child conveyance comprising a chassis, wherein said chassis comprises at least one hinge and wherein said hinge includes mounting means by means of which a component of said conveyance is mounted on said chassis.
24. A conveyance as claimed in claim 23 wherein said component is a hood, a bumper bar or an adaptor.
25. A wheeled child conveyance substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.