Abstract:
Electric reciprocating system for baby carriage, which is combined with external power source and carriage locating guide rail to simulate manually back and forth pushing/pulling movement. The system includes a base board, locating guide rail, two wheel guide rail gauge adjustment mechanisms and locking mechanism to form a linear moving path of the baby carriage. The driving unit includes a DC servomotor, a belt driving mechanism and a controlling circuit board for controlling and adjusting and the travel and speed. In cooperation with the driving pin and the linking ring fixed on the baby carriage rear beam, the system provides a reciprocating power for the baby carriage without power.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is related to an electric reciprocating system for a baby carriage. An external power source, not directly mounted on the baby carriage, cooperates with a specific locating guide rail to move the baby carriage back and forth along a linear path for domestically taking care of a baby. 
     A conventional baby carriage generally is not equipped with any power source. Alternatively, a power supply may be mounted on the main body of the baby carriage. With respect to the former, it is laborious to use the baby carriage outdoors. With respect to the latter, it is less strenuous to use the baby carriage outdoors. However, when used indoors, the function of the baby carriage is still impractical. 
     When using the baby carriage indoors, a baby is generally placed in the baby carriage, which is then pushed and pulled back and forth to help the baby to fall asleep. Such reciprocating movement is monotonous and laborious and it is impossible to take care of other things when pushing and pulling the baby carriage back and forth. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an electric baby carriage which can be more conveniently used to save energy. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an electric reciprocating system for a baby carriage. An external power source is added to the baby carriage to save strength. The power source cooperates with a specific locating guide rail with an adjustment rail gauge to move the baby carriage back and forth. 
     The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings herein. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective assembled view of the structure of the present invention (direct driving); 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the main units of the present invention; 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective view and partially sectional view showing the operation principle of the rail gauge adjustment mechanism of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 shows the operation principle of the driving unit; 
     FIG. 5 shows the structure of the pushcart; and 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective assembled view of the structure of the present invention (indirect driving). 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to FIGS. 1 to  6 . The present invention includes five units, that is, a base seat unit  1 , a locating guide rail unit  2 , a driving unit  3 , a baby carriage rear beam connecting unit  4  and a pushcart unit  5 . 
     The present invention is driven in two different ways, as follows: 
     1. Direct driving: the power source directly drives the baby carriage to move back and forth (with reference to FIG.  1 ); and 
     2. Indirect driving: the power source drives a specifically designed platform cart which further drives the baby carriage to move back and forth (with reference to FIG.  6 ). 
     The assembly and function of the respective units are as follows: 
     The base seat unit  1  is composed of a based board  11 , a latch button grove  12 , two wheel guide rail gauge adjustment mechanisms  13 , a locking plate  15  and a locking screw  16 . A locating guide rail unit  2 , the wheel guide rail gauge mechanisms  13  and a housing of the driving unit  3  are mounted and locked on the base seat unit  1 . 
     The locating guide rail unit  2  is composed of a locating guide rail  21 , a guide rail connecting screw  22  and a guide rail latch button  23 . The locating guide rail unit  2  serves to linearly guide the wheels of the baby carriage when the carriage is directly driven. 
     The driving unit  3  is composed of a driving housing  31 , locking screw  32 , DC servomotor  33 , controlling circuit board  34 , speed adjustment panel  35  and belt transmission mechanism  36 . The driving unit  3  serves to supply power for the baby carriage and adjustment operation properties (including travel and speed). 
     The rear beam connecting unit  4  is composed of an external auxiliary beam  41  and linking ring  42 . The rear beam connecting unit  4  serves to transmit power from the driving unit  3  to the powerless baby carriage. 
     The pushcart unit  5  is composed of a pushcart seat  51 , a front wheel assembly  52 , rear wheel assembly  53 , adjustable front stop block  54 , locking button  55 , fixed rear stop block  56  and adjustment slide slot  57 . The pushcart unit  5  serves to retain and fix the baby carriage when indirectly driven. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the baby carriage is movable, back and forth, along a fixed straight line by means of the locating guide rail  21  mounted on the base board  11 . The wheel guide rail gauge adjustment mechanism  13  is mounted on the adjustment wing board  131  and cooperates with gears and racks to adjust the rail  21  to a position suitable for the wheel gauges of various types of baby carriages. After adjustment, by means of the guide rail latch button  23  and the cooperative latch button groove  12 , the locating guide rail  21  can be locked. 
     The base board  11  is divided into front and rear blocks connected by a locking plate  15  and locking screw  16 . A power source, that is, the driving unit  3 , is mounted on the base board  11 . The housing  31  and the entire internal mechanism of the driving unit  3  are locked on the face of the base board  11  by locking screw  32 . A driving pin  365  project from the opening of the upper side of the housing for driving the baby carriage. Through the external auxiliary beam  41  and the linking ring  42  mounted on the rear frame of the baby carriage, the driving pin  356  is fitted in the linking ring  42 . At this time, the wheels of the baby carriage are accommodated in the U-shape recessed face of the locating guide rail  21  and can be truly reciprocally driven. This is the aforesaid direct driving. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the present invention, including the base seat unit  1 , locating guide rail unit  2  and the driving unit  3 . The base seat unit  1  includes the base board  11  and the two-wheel guide rail gauge adjustment mechanism  13 , which will be further described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. 
     The base board  11  is divided into inner guide rail mounting board  111  and outer guide rail mounting board  112 . The former includes an inner wheel guide rail gauge adjustment mechanism  13  positioned on an inner side. The latter includes an outer wheel guide rail gauge adjustment mechanism  13  positioned on an outer side (with reference to FIGS.  3 A and  3 B). Left and right sides of the inner and outer wheel guide rail gauge adjustment mechanisms  13  are locked by upper and lower locking plates  15  and two locking screws  16 . 
     The adjustment wing board  131  of the inner wheel guide rail gauge adjustment mechanisms  13  passes through the rack driving guide slot  134  to couple with the rack  133  disposed on the inner wheel guide rail mounting board  111 . 
     The adjustment wing board  131  of the outer wheel guide rail gauge adjustment mechanism  13  also passes through the rack driving guide slot  134  to couple with the rack  133  disposed in the outer wheel guide rail mounting board  112 . 
     With regard to the locating guide rail unit  2 , the locating guide rail  21  of the locating guide rail unit  2  is divided into inner and outer locating guide rails  211 ,  212 . The former is mounted on the adjustment wing board  131  of the inner wheel, while the latter is mounted on the adjustment wing board  131  of the outer wheel. Both are locked by guide rail connecting screws  22 . 
     Via the adjustment wing boards  131 , the inner and outer locating guide rails  211 ,  212  are respectively pushed/pulled inwardly or outwardly to the correct wheel gauge. Then, by means of the guide rail latch button  23  and the cooperate latch button groove  12 , the inner and outer locating guider rails  211 ,  212  can be independently positioned. 
     The housing  31  of the driving unit  3  is locked on the base board  11  by locking screw  32 , with the driving pin  365  projecting therefrom, to drive the baby carriage. The driving device, mainly formed of the belt transmission mechanism  36 , is accommodated in the housing  31 , as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B show the operating principle of the wheel guide rail gauge adjustment mechanism  13 , in which the inner and outer wheel guide rail gauge adjustment mechanisms  13  have identical structure and operational principles and are denoted by the same numerals. Therefore, the inner wheel guide rail gauge adjustment mechanism  13  is exemplified herein. The inner wheel guide rail gauge adjustment mechanism  13  is an opposite movable mechanism in which a pinion  132  is used to drive the symmetrical racks  133 , on both sides, to move in opposite direction. In actual operation, the adjustment wing boards  131 , at opposing ends, are adjusted at the same time to synchronously move inwardly or outwardly. 
     The precision of adjustment is variable in accordance with the space (or the pitch) of the teeth of the gear or the rack. The connecting pin  137  on the lower side of the adjustment wing board  131  passes through the rack driving guide slot  134  to connect with the coupling holes  138  on both sides of the rack  133 . 
     The pinion  132  is a gear, the bottom end of which has a flange for supporting and preventing the rack  133  from suspending due to its own weight or eccentric load in longitudinal transmission. Also, the outer sides (the ends without any teeth) of the racks  133  near the center of the pinion  132  are prevented by the flange in the base board  11  from transversely displacing, whereby the racks  133  are properly in contact with the pinion  132 . 
     The pinion  132  is rotatable about the screw  135  locked on the base board  11 . A washer  136  is disposed between the pinion  132  and the screw  135  for increasing the bearing area so as to reduce wearing of the flange face of the bottom of the pinion  132  and the retaining face of the screw. 
     The outer wheel guide rail gauge adjustment mechanism  13  has the same structure and operating principle as the inner wheel guide rail gauge adjustment mechanism  13 . 
     With regard to the driving unit  3 , FIG. 4 shows the operating principle of the driving unit  3 , which is enclosed by housing  31 . The driving unit  13  has three main sections, that is: 
     1. power section, mainly formed of a DC servomotor  33  (including reducing mechanism); 
     2. controlling section, including controlling circuit board  34  and speed adjustment panel  35 ; and 
     3. mechanism section, mainly formed of the belt driving mechanism  36 . 
     First, in the power section, the DC servomotor  33  serves to generate low rotational speed and high torque for driving the transmission mechanism in the driving unit  3 . 
     Second, in the controlling section, the controlling circuit board  34  utilizes a digital control mode to achieve adjustment of travel and speed by means of the speed adjustment panel  35  to meet the requirements of the user. 
     Finally, in the mechanism section, the belt driving mechanism  36  is the center of the entire driving unit  3 . The driving toothed pulley  361  receives power from the output shaft of the DC servomotor  33  and the driving pin  365  transmits the power to the baby carriage. 
     The driving toothed pulley  361  is directly mounted on the output shaft of the DC servomotor  33 . The driven toothed pulley  362  is mounted on the driven shaft  3610 . Two ends of the shaft are provided with ball bearings  369 , as retainers. 
     The driving slide block  364  and the left and right symmetric guide rods  367  form a linear sliding path, that is, the driving slide block  364  is slidable along the guide rods  367  in one dimension. Two ends of the guide rods  367  are connected with guide rod fixing seats  368 . The driving slide block  364  is divided into upper and lower blocks. The upper block is connected with the driving pin  365 , while a linear ball bearing  366  is disposed in each of the two ends of the lower block. The upper and lower blocks are mated with each other to define a recess in which the toothed belt  363  is fastened and clamped. The upper and lower blocks are locked by locking screw  32 . The driving slide block  364  actually receives the power from the toothed belt  363  and stably slides along the guide rods  367  through the linear ball bearings  366 . By means of the driving pin  365 , the reciprocal driving operation is achieved. 
     FIG. 5 shows the pushcart unit  5  in which the inner and outer wheels of the front and rear wheels  522 ,  532 , respectively, accord with the seat wheel gauges of the inner and outer wheel locating guide rails  211 ,  212 . 
     The left and right wheels of the front wheel assembly  52  share front wheel shaft  521 . However, in order to lower the center of gravity of the carriage seat main body  511  and ensure safety, with the diameter of the wheel reduced and the height of the wheel shaft lowered, the wheel shaft is independently designed, that is, each side has a rear wheel  531 . Accordingly, when driven, the rear wheel shaft  531  will not touch the housing  31 . 
     The front and rear wheel shafts  521 ,  531  are respectively retained by front and rear wheel ball bearing seats  513  and  514 . 
     A shaft-shaped linking fitting hole  512  is formed on the inner wall of the top section of the carriage seat main body  511  for assembly and linkage to the driving pin  365  and the pushcart unit  5 . 
     Referring to FIG. 6, the wheels on the bottom of the pushcart unit  5  cooperate with the locating guide rail  21  to linearly move back and forth. The baby carriage is retained on the top platform. On the other hand, in order to more stably reset the baby carriage on the pushcart unit  5 , the top is provided with adjustable front stop block  54 , whereby the front and rear wheels of the baby carriage are limited between the front and rear stop blocks  54 ,  56 . 
     When adjusted, the rear wheels of the baby carriage must be initially pushed to rearwardly abut against the fixed rear stop block  56 . Then, the adjustable front stop block  54  is adjusted and moved along the adjustment slide slot  57  until tight abutment against the front wheels is achieved. Then, the locking button  55  is turned tight to complete the positioning of the baby carriage. 
     The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope there. Many modifications of the above embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of scope of the present invention.