Abstract:
The apparatus is a baby stroller that folds easily. A fold bar preventing the sides from moving toward each other is released by pulling a flexible wire. The wire releases a latch locking together pivoting sections of the fold bar and also activates a cam to move the sections over center to permit the sides to be pushed together. The stroller also includes a single action brake system that is designed to not interfere with the folding action and a hard surface footrest that folds because it is supported on a continuous length of flexible material that acts as hinges on both sides and the center of the footrest.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This application is based upon provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/567,088 filed Apr. 30, 2004. 
         [0002]    The invention deals generally with folding baby strollers and more specifically with a folding baby stroller for which folding is initiated more easily, that has a height adjustable canopy, and that affords a simpler single action brake mechanism. Prior art folding strollers typically utilize an over-center fold bar link for the folding action which brings the two sides together. For releasing such a structure to initiate the folding sequence, this requires pulling up the center of the fold bar with the top of the foot or reaching down and pulling up on the bar with the hand. 
         [0003]    For strollers that fold the sides toward each other it is also necessary to fold the footrest positioned between the sides across the front of the stroller. Prior art strollers have enabled the folding of the footrest by simply using thin flexible sheet material for the footrest so that the thin sheet collapses as the two sides come together. However, this type of footrest does not furnish satisfactory support or at least does not provide the sense of substantial support. 
         [0004]    Another aspect of strollers currently available that needs improvement is the brake system. Typically, in order to apply braking to both sides of the stroller, it requires either a metal linkage across the rear near the bottom of the stroller, or two hand operated levers. The metal linkage resembles a bar between the rear wheels and interferes substantially with storage space under the stroller and the foot room of the person walking behind the stroller, while the twin lever design adds complexity and requires considerable hand strength to operate. 
         [0005]    It would be very beneficial to have a stroller in which side to side folding could be initiated by a simple hand action that does not require reaching down to the wheel level, in which the footrest is rigid but automatically folds, and in which the brakes on both rear wheels can be operated by simple single action. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention uses a conveniently located hand release lever to pull a flexible wire that unlocks a latch between two sections of a fold bar that pivot on each other. The action of the flexible wire also operates a cam that pivots the two sections of the fold bar over center, so that the fold bar will not resist pushing the two sides of the stroller toward each other. During the unfolding of the stroller, sloping surfaces on the latch mechanism permit the latch to lock automatically without operation of the hand release. The route of the flexible wire is selected so that the wire also maintains a constant length. 
         [0007]    The folding footrest of the preferred embodiment of the invention is essentially a rigid footrest divided into two sections that are hinged together and attached to the stroller sides with hinges. Thus when the stroller is folded the footrest automatically folds at its center hinge but when the stroller is unfolded the footrest furnishes rigid support. In the preferred embodiment, the hinges are constructed of thin flexible sheet material, and one continuous sheet is hung between the sides of the stroller to act as all three hinges. The thin sheet hinge structure yields significant economic benefit. 
         [0008]    The brake apparatus of the preferred embodiment of the invention uses a single foot operated control button to activate the brakes on both rear wheels by interconnecting the two brake assemblies with a single flexible wire that is routed to loop high above the wheels so it accommodates the folding of the stroller. In the preferred embodiment, the control button is located on the right side of the person walking behind the stroller, but the choice of sides is not material to the operation. The brakes are unlocked when the control button is depressed and locked when the control button is up, and the button assembly is constructed so the control button remains in the position into which it is placed. With each push on the button it changes its condition so that the brakes are alternately placed off and on by pushing the control button. 
         [0009]    The basic braking action is performed by a brake pin in each brake assembly that moves toward its wheel and into an interlocking position with braking devices such as holes, spokes, or slots on the wheel. A moving wedge in each brake assembly pushes the pin inward toward the center of the stroller to the unlocked position, and a spring moves the pin toward the wheel and into the locked position when the wedge releases the pin. 
         [0010]    Another feature of the stroller of the preferred embodiment is a cup holder that folds flat against any part of a stroller to which it is attached so that it is out of the way when the stroller is folded. When closed, the cup holder looks somewhat like a large pill box. When folded, a ring to encircle a cup is held flat against a mounting bracket attached to the stroller, and a fixture at the lower end of the ring interlocks with and slides within a vertical slot in the mounting bracket. A yoke which is concentric with the ring is attached by a hinge located above the slot, swings away from the mounting bracket, and is also pivotally attached to the sides of the ring. Thus, to open the cup holder, the ring is slid upward in the slot, and the yoke swings outward to support the ring and form a right angle between the ring and the mounting bracket. 
         [0011]    The bottom of the cup holder can be formed by either of two structures. One structure is a hinged bottom support attached below the slot at the lower end of the mounting bracket. Such a structure also acts as a cover for the folded cup holder. The yoke, the ring, and the bottom can be made concentric, and the bottom includes a latch so that when the cup holder is folded the latch locks it closed. When folded the thickness of the assembly is virtually the same as the thickness of the ring. 
         [0012]    The other bottom structure is a flat bottom cylinder with sides of flexible material such as net. The cylinder is hung from the ring which forms the top of the cylinder. When the flat bottom is flexible material or a hard circular disc that is smaller than the ring, the bottom and flexible material can simply be pushed into the ring for folding the cup holder. 
         [0013]    The stroller of the preferred embodiment also includes a height adjustable canopy which facilitates folding because it permits lowering the canopy so that it does not protrude from the rest of the stroller when the stroller is folded. Both the front and back canopy support loops terminate at the same holding fixtures mounted on the handle lower support tubes on both sides of the stroller, and the loops bend so that their opposite ends easily move toward each other when the stroller is folded. The holding fixtures slide on tracks on the handle support tubes, and detents that are released by hand action keep the holding fixtures in position. Unlike prior art canopies that typically have the rear of the canopy permanently attached near the handle, the present invention permits the entire canopy to be moved up and down the handle support tubes. 
         [0014]    The present invention thereby furnishes a stroller that is easily released to fold the sides together and includes a folding footrest, a height adjustable canopy, a folding cup holder, and a single action two wheel brake mechanism, all of which facilitate the side to side folding action. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the framework of the stroller of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of the rear lower portion of the stroller frame showing the locations of the one hand release fold bar and the single action brake control button. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the rear “X” frame to which the fold bar is attached and the fold bar when the stroller is open and the latch is locked and uncovered. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged schematic view of the region of  FIG. 3  immediately adjacent to the latch, showing the latch uncovered, unlocked, and released for folding. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a cut-away view of the brake control assembly. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view of the slave brake assembly with its inboard cover removed. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view of the folding footrest as it is partially folded. 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the folding cup holder when it is open. 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is an enlarged view of the region of one of the height adjustable canopy holding assemblies where it is mounted on a handle support tube. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]      FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of frame  10  of the stroller of the preferred embodiment of the invention showing the location of the important features of the invention. Front, rear, right, and left designations as used in the following text are referenced to the orientation of both a child sitting in the stroller and an adult pushing the stroller. 
         [0025]    Fold bar latch assembly  11  is located between fold bar left section  14  and fold bar right section  16  at the rear of the frame near the bottom of rear “X” frame members  18  and  20 . Fold bar control handle  21  is shown mounted on right handle support tube  34 . Brake control assembly  22  is located inboard from the right rear wheel, and brake slave assembly  24  is barely visible inboard from the left rear wheel. Both footrest sections,  26  and  28 , are visible toward the front of frame  10 , and folding cup holder  30  is shown attached to left handle support tube  32 . Canopy loops  36  and  38  that are usually covered by fabric are both attached to holding assemblies  40  (only one of which is visible in  FIG. 1 ) that slide upon tracks  41  attached to handle support tubes  32  and  34 . Each of these features is discussed separately in the following text and shown in the associated figures. 
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of the rear lower portion of stroller frame  10  more clearly showing hand release fold bar  13  and its component parts, single action brake control assembly  22 , brake slave assembly  24 , and brake connecting cable  23 . The details of the structures and operation of these parts are described in the following text and figures. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of fold bar  13  and rear “X” frame members  18  and  20  to which fold bar  13  is attached, with the stroller shown open and latch  12  locked and uncovered.  FIG. 4  is a larger view of the region immediately adjacent to latch  12  snowing latch  12  unlocked with catch bar  17  released and bar pivot  15  having moved slightly above its latched position. Fold bar left section  14  and fold bar right section  16  are connected by and rotate relative to each other upon bar pivot  15  when latch  12  permits folding. As can be seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , during the unfolding operation, catch bar  17  will hit the top of latch  12  and move down the slope of latch  12  until catch bar  17  locks within latch  12 . 
         [0028]    Latch  12  is controlled by cable  19  that terminates at fold bar control handle  21  (see  FIG. 1 ) where cable  19  can be activated by the stroller user to move latch  12  counterclockwise in the direction indicated by arrow A. An important action of latch  12  is that as it pivots on latch pivot  23  latch corner  25  moves against catch bar  17  and pushes fold pivot  15  and fold bar right section  16  upward and over center. Thus, the folding of fold bar  13  has proceeded far enough to permit completion of the folding action by merely pushing the two sides of stroller frame  10  together. 
         [0029]      FIG. 5  is a cut-away view of brake control assembly  22 . Brake control assembly  22  is operated by control button  42  which is to be operated by the foot of the person pushing the stroller. Teeth  44  and  45  on the bottom of control button  42  mate with teeth  45  and  46  on rotating gear  48  inside of and concentric with control button  42  and the teeth produce a rotating motion within brake control assembly  22  while producing an alternating lowering and raising of wedge assembly  52  and split wedges  50 . As wedges  50  move up due to the force from compression wedge spring  54 , they permit ears  56  and brake pin  58  to move outward toward its wheel due to the action of a brake pin compression spring (not shown) internal to brake control assembly. When brake pin  58  moves out toward its wheel, it mates with the braking devices on the wheel and provides a positive lock against wheel rotation. When control button  42  moves into its lowered position, wedges  50  move down and act on ears  56  to move brake pin  58  out of its mating position with the braking devices of its wheel, and the wheel is free to rotate. 
         [0030]    Brake control assembly  22  also controls the action of slave brake assembly  24  (see  FIG. 1 ) on the opposite side of stroller frame  10 . This action is accomplished by the use of flexible cable  23  that is also shown in  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , center wire  27  of flexible cable  23  is connected to arm  60  which is itself attached to and moves up and down with wedge assembly  52 . Arm  60  moves within and is guided by slot  62  within the housing of brake control assembly  22 . Thus, when wedge assembly  52  moves down to unlock the brake on its wheel it also pulls center wire  27  of cable  23 , and when wedge assembly  52  moves up it pushes center wire  27  of cable  23 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view of slave brake assembly  24  with its inboard cover removed for viewing the internal construction. The action of slave brake assembly  24  is similar to that of brake control assembly previously discussed in that as wedge assembly  64  moves up and down it moves ears  66  and brake pin  68  in and out of contact with its braking devices by the action of wedges  70 . Also similar to the action in control brake assembly  22  of  FIG. 5 , compression wedge spring  72  drives wedge assembly  64  down and a compression spring (not shown) moves brake pin  68  outward into contact with its wheel. 
         [0032]    The essential difference of slave brake assembly  24  from brake control assembly  22  is that the actions of the wedges are reversed. Because center wire  27  of cable  23  is pulled by brake control assembly  22  as control button  42  is pushed and brake control assembly  22  pulls its pin out of contact with the wheel, wedges  70  of slave brake assembly  24  must also move to extract brake pin  68  from its wheel upon the same motion. However, as control brake assembly  22  unlocks its wheel upon the pushing action on foot operated button  42 , slave brake assembly  24  must unlock its wheel upon the pulling action wire  27 . The reversed wedges accomplish this accommodation from a pushing to a pulling motion, and are the key to the ability to use a simple single control to operate brakes on both sides of the stroller. 
         [0033]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view of folding footrest  74  as it is partially folded. Footrest sections  26  and  28  are supported by thin flexible sheet  76  which is attached to and stretched between the opposite sides of the stroller when the stroller is open. The ends of sheet  76  are held within retainers  78  that are attached at the front end of handle support tubes  32  and  34  (see  FIG. 1 ) by clamp fixtures  80 . Footrest sections  26  and  28  are constructed of rigid material and attached to sheet  76  so that foot rest  74  actually feels and acts like a rigid platform when flexible sheet  76  is stretched taunt as shown in  FIG. 1 . However, when the stroller sides are moved toward each other, sheet  76  acts as if it were three separate hinges holding footrest sections  26  and  28 . At side locations  82  the footrest sections can fold down, and at center location  84  footrest sections  26  and  28  can fold toward each other. Footrest  74  thereby yields the economy of inexpensive materials and simple installation while offering the benefits of both a folding and a rigid footrest. 
         [0034]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of folding cup holder  30  when it is open. The four basic parts of cup holder  30  are mounting plate  85 , ring  86 , yoke  88 , and bottom support  90 . Mounting plate  85  includes vertical slot  92  within which ring sliding fixture  94  interlocks and slides. Ring sliding fixture  94  includes pivot  96  that holds ring  86  and permits ring  86  to move between its horizontal position shown and a vertical position parallel to the orientation of mounting plate  85 . Yoke  88  is attached to mounting plate  85  at pivot  98  and to ring  86  at diametrically opposite locations at pivots  100 . 
         [0035]    Thus, starting from the position shown in  FIG. 8 , as ring sliding fixture  94  is moved downward within slot  92 , outboard side  87  of ring  86  swings up and inward to store ring  86  flush against mounting plate  85  and within yoke  88  which is also flush against mounting plate  85 . 
         [0036]    Bottom support  90  is also constructed to fold up parallel to mounting plate  85 , and also to provide a cover for ring  86  and its related components. Bottom support  90  has a solid underside surface  91  and bottom support  90  is suspended from mounting plate  85  by rear pivot  102  and from outboard side  87  of ring  86  by pivot bar  104  and folding links  106 . Therefore, as outboard side  87  of ring  86  swings upward, bottom support  90  follows along. When the movement is complete, latch  108  on bottom support  90  meets and interlocks with catch  110  at the upper point of yoke  88 , and bottom support  90  remains in that position to cover the internal parts of cup holder  30  until latch  108  is intentionally released. It should be appreciated that a cylinder of flexible material, represented by dashed lines  112 , can also be used to suspend bottom support  90  instead of rear pivot  102  and folding links  106 . With either suspension structure, cup holder  30  can be folded so that it is out of the way when the stroller is folded. 
         [0037]      FIG. 9  is an enlarged view of the region of one of the height adjustable canopy holding assemblies  40  where it is mounted on handle support tube  32 . Canopy holding assembly  40  interlocks with and slides upon canopy track  41 , one of which is also seen in  FIG. 1 , which is constructed with an inverted “U” cross section, and is attached to handle support tube  32 . Canopy track  41  includes a series of slots  43  that function as locating detents for canopy holding assembly  40 , so that it can be locked at various heights along track  41 . Canopy holding assembly  40  includes release button  47  and a simple spring loaded locking mechanism (not shown) so that release button  47  unlocks canopy holding assembly  40  from whichever slot  43  it is interlocked with, and the locking mechanism locks canopy holding assembly  40  into a slot if release button  47  is not being depressed. The quite conventional arrangement for folding canopy loops  36  and  38  together can also be seen in  FIG. 9 . They are interconnected by folding link  39  which only needs to be folded at its center pivot to permit the canopy loops to swing toward each other. However, it should be appreciated that an important aspect of the invention is that the bottoms of canopy loops  36  and  38  are both attached to canopy holding assembly  40  at canopy loop pivot point  49 . The height adjustment function of the canopy depends upon the fact that both loops  36  and  38  are attached to and simultaneously move with canopy holding assembly  40 , so that the present invention provides a convenient arrangement for lowering a stroller canopy for minimizing the folded length of the stroller. 
         [0038]    Another component of the present invention shown in  FIG. 9  is cup mounting fixture  89  that is also attached to handle support tube  32 . Cup mounting fixture  89 , which can easily be attached to either the right or left handle support tube, is constructed to mate with and hold cup mounting plate  85  of  FIG. 8 . 
         [0039]    It is to be understood that the form of this invention as shown is merely a preferred embodiment. Various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of parts; equivalent means may be substituted for those illustrated and described; and certain features may be used independently from others without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.