INFANT STROLLER

Abstract: An infant stroller (2) including a frame (8), a plurality of wheels, and an infant seat (6) is characterized by an improved handle (4) affording one- or two-handed operation by the user. The handle (4) includes a handle bar portion connected with the frame (8) adapted for pushing the stroller with both hands of the user. The handle (4) also includes a grip portion connected with the handle bar portion and adapted for pushing the stroller by a single hand of the user. The grip portion is arranged in a vertical plane which bisects the stroller (2) and which contains a central longitudinal axis of the frame. The longitudinal axis is aligned with the intended direction of movement of the stroller.

Description: INFANT STROLLER This application is a continuation-in-part of application serial number 08/655,359 filed May 24, 1996. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to infant strollers and more particularly to a handle which is used in conjunction with an infant stroller, a storage container on the stroller, and to an improved sun-shade on the stroller. Many strollers are available today which have various handle structures. Most of these strollers have a handle which comprises two parallel arms attached on opposite sides of the stroller front and a transverse gripping section extending between the parallel arms. While this arrangement is satisfactory for forward propulsion, it normally requires the use of both hands for guiding and turning the stroller. If the operator of the stroller has one hand occupied with packages or another infant, control of the stroller becomes much more cumbersome. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Strollers with various handle configurations are well-known in the patented prior art as evidenced by U.S. patent No. 5,454,584 which discloses a collapsible stroller which uses an arcuate gripping section designed to increase control of the stroller, but still requires the use of both hands for ease of operation. Patent No. 5,207,476 discloses an infant carrier having a handle which is constructed so that the gripping part of the handle is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the carrier, whereby the palm of the handle is facing towards the carrier itself The handle is constructed by having the legs terminate upwardly in a bifurcated portion with opposite parts of the bifurcation being connected by rods and the ultimate handle being secured transversely between these rods Another characteristic of stroller use is that, on extended trips with the stroller, the operator may have various sundry items to be carried, e g , a purse, a beverage, shopping purchases, or supplies for the infant such as diapers and bottles Typically, these items must be carried by the operator, slung over the operator's shoulders in some manner, or placed in the infant seat with the infant Some modern strollers provide a storage basket under the seat for storage of such items While such a storage basket is clearly an improvement over the absence of one, the location can be inconvenient if it is necessary to frequently place items into and remove them from the basket. Also, such a storage basket may not hold beverages and baby bottles in the desired upright position In addition, it is always desirable to maximize the protection provided for the infant Most stroller designs include a canopy attached to the frame to at least partially protect the infant from adverse elements such as sun, wind, rain, etc Typically, such canopies are supported by a canopy frame. Unfortunately, such adverse elements do not always approach the infant from directly thereabove In order to further increase the protection provided by the canopy, some designs include fabric panels which depend downwardly from the canopy Such fabric panels may limit the vision of the infant when the panels are not desired. Further, the panels may be rendered ineffective by wind, etc. The present invention was developed in order to provide a handle for an infant stroller which allows the operator of the stroller to grip the handle with either one or two hands so that in either mode of operation, the operator can adequately control the stroller for both movement and steering. The stroller also includes a storage container and an improved sun-shade. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide an infant stroller having a seat supported by a frame mounted on wheels including a handle having first and second substantially parallel opposed arms, one end of each of the arms being connected with the frame on opposite sides thereof Each of the arms extends rearwardly and upwardly from the frame with the other ends of the arms terminating in a spaced relation. A handle bar portion extends between the upper ends of the arms and is adapted for pushing the stroller with both hands of the user. The handle bar portion includes a grip adapted for pushing the stroller by a single hand of the user. The handle grip is arranged in a vertical plane containing the central longitudinal axis of the stroller which is aligned with the intended direction of movement of the stroller. According to another object of the invention, the handle bar portion is formed as a unitary structure. According to one embodiment the handle bar portion has a Z-shaped configuration comprising two legs joined together at the grip. According to another embodiment of the invention, the handle bar portion has an inverted V-shaped configuration. The handle grip is attached to the handle bar portion at an apex of the inverted V. The grip may be elongated and attached to the handle bar portion at one end of the grip. The stroller may also include a console tray attached to the frame proximate to the handle bar portion, the grip being attached to the console tray at a second end of the grip. It is another object of the invention to provide a canopy attached to the frame and suspended in part from the console tray along a back edge of the canopy. The canopy includes a canopy frame for supporting the canopy and a sunshade depending therefrom and supported by a sunshade frame. The sunshade frame and the canopy frame are movable relative to each other to allow the sunshade to be selectively extended or retracted. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FTGTTRF.S Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification when viewed in the light of the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a stroller including the improved handle according to a first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a side plan view of the stroller handle of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front plan view of the gripping portion of the stroller handle according to the invention; Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the handle gripping portion illustrating use in the one-hand and two-hand modes of operation, respectively; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an improved infant stroller according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the improved stroller of Fig. 6, showing a back portion thereof, and particularly a handle portion of the stroller; Fig. 8 is a side view of the handle portion of the infant stroller of Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is an enlarged top view of the handle poπion shown in Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is an enlarged rear perspective view of a console tray connected to the handle portion of the stroller of Fig 6; Fig. 11 is an enlarged rear perspective view of a console tray connected to the handle portion of the stroller of Fig 6; Fig. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of the canopy shown in Fig 11, with a sunshade shown in an extended position; Fig. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the left side of the canopy and sunshade of Fig. 12, showing a sunshade frame in an extended position relative to a canopy frame; and Fig. 14 is an enlarged perspective view similar to the view of Fig. 13, showing the sunshade frame in a retracted position relative to the canopy frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring initially to Fig. 1, there is shown a stroller 2 including the improved handle 4 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The stroller can be any standard stroller and includes a seat 6 mounted on a frame 8 which is supported by wheels 10, 12, and 14. The front wheels 12 and 14 are caster type wheels which enable the stroller to turn from side to side. The handle 4 of the stroller includes a pair of parallel arms 16 and 18 which are attached at a lower end to opposite sides of the stroller frame 8. The arms extend rearwardly and upwardly from the frame. The upper ends of the arms are spaced from each other as shown in Fig. 1. A handle bar gripping section 20 extends between the upper ends of the arms 16 and 18. The gripping section comprises outer legs 22 and 24 which are adapted to receive the upper ends of the arms 16 and 18 in order to connect the gripping section with the arms of the handle. Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, the handle bar gripping section 20 will be described in greater detail. Between the outer legs 22 and 24, the gripping section comprises a handgrip as shown in detail in Fig. 3. Adjacent to the outer legs 22 and 24, the handgrip includes first and second portions 26 and 28 which are arranged at an angle c- relative to a horizontal plane HP passing through the tops of the outer legs, where is between 10 and 30°. The leg 22 and first portion 26 can have an arcuate configuration which is mirrored by the leg 24 and second portion 28. Between the first and second portions is a portion 30 which preferably has a Z- shaped configuration as shown in the drawing, although other configurations such as an S-shape are possible so long as the center leg 32 is contained within a vertical plane which contains the central longitudinal axis of the stroller. This plane bisects the stroller and the longitudinal axis is aligned with the intended direction of movement of the stroller. The first, second, and Z-shaped portions 26, 28, and 30 of the handgrip are all arranged in a common plane, with the plane being tilted forward at an angle β relative to a lateral vertical plane VP as shown in Fig. 2, where β is also between 10 and 30°. Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate the different manners in which the stroller handle according to the invention can be gripped by the operator. In Fig. 4, the center leg or grip 32 is grasped by one hand of the operator. Because the center leg lies along the longitudinal axis of the stroller, the stroller can easily be manipulated for movement in the forward and reverse directions as well as to either side with one hand without causing any discomfort to the hand or wrist of the user because the palm of the hand will be in a natural extended handshake position. With a standard linear handle, it is quite difficult to control a stroller with only one hand. Accordingly, if the person attending the stroller has packages in one hand, he or she could still grip the center leg or handgrip 32 and easily control the stroller. In Fig. 5, the user places both hands on the handgrip on opposite sides of the Z- shaped section to push and guide the stroller. The stroller handle according to the invention can be formed of metallic arms and a gripping section which are interconnected as set forth above. Alternatively, the arms and gripping section may be formed as a unitary structure of metal or molded synthetic plastic material. Referring now to Figs. 6 - 14, an infant stroller according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention will be described. The stroller 110 includes a frame 112 which is supported by four sets of wheels, two swiveled front sets of wheels 114 and a pair of rear wheels 116. An infant support or seat 118 is attached to the frame 112 for supporting the infant. A canopy 120 and a console tray 122 are also attached to the frame 112 above the seat 118. The frame 112 is collapsible in the manner which is customary for convenience strollers. Located on each side of the frame is a latch mechanism 124 to which a front leg 126, a rear leg 128, and a handle arm 130 each connect. The latch mechanism 124 is mounted on a lower end of the handle arm 130 to selectively hold or release the front leg 126, rear leg 128, and handle arm 130 in a fixed position relative to each other. The latch mechanism 124 has a push button 132 which, when actuated, releases the latch from the front leg 126 and thus allows the front leg 126 to be pivoted relative to the handle arm 130 in a direction that collapses the stroller 110. The pivoting action occurs about an axis at a lower end of the latch mechanism 124. The rear leg 128 is pivotably connected at an upper end thereof to an upper end of the latch mechanism 124. The pivotable connection is such that the rear leg 128 can only pivot a fixed amount and thus the rear leg 128 will remain spaced apart from the front leg 126 when the latch mechanism 124 is latched to the front leg 126, retaining the stroller in an open or non-collapsed position. The two front legs 126, one on each of the right and left sides of the stroller are connected together by a footboard 134. An infant tray 136 may also be connected to the front legs 126, the infant tray being placed in front of the infant to support toys (not shown) or other objects as desired. The front set of wheels 114 on each of the right and left sides of the stroller is connected by a caster 138 to the lower end of each of the front legs 126. The rear wheels 116 are each mounted on a rear axle 140 which is connected between lower ends of the rear legs 128. A lower storage basket 142 is slidably connected in the fashion of a drawer to the front legs 126 and rear legs 128 of the stroller 110. The basket 142 may be selectively slid into its storage position, as shown in Fig. 7, or drawn toward its extended position (not shown) which protrudes from the rear of the stroller. The seat 118 is conventional in construction, including fabric panels which are stitched together and attached to the stroller along the front legs 126 and handle arms 130. The seat 1 18 also includes a reinforced back rest 144 which can be placed into an upright position (not shown) substantially in alignment with the handle arms 130 or into an inclined position, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. A back rest latch mechanism 146 is provided on the seat 118 and handle arm 130 for selectively latching the seat into the upright position. The elongated console tray 122, best seen in Figs. 9 - 12, is attached at opposite ends thereof to the right and left handle arms 130. The console tray includes a pair of molded compartments defined therein. The first molded compartment 150 is suitable for holding a beverage container (not shown) while the second molded compartment 152 is suitable for holding larger items such as a small purse, etc. (not shown). Defined in the bottom of the second molded compartment 152 is a depression 154 which may also serve to hold a beverage container. The canopy 120 is preferably composed of fabric material with mesh side portions 160 which are provided to allow more light and fresh air into the area between the seat 118 and canopy 120, where the infant will be located. The canopy 120 also includes an upper window 162 on a top side thereof 164 which is provided with a selectively retractable window covering 166 which can be used to cover the windows. The canopy is supported along a back edge thereof by attachment to the console tray 122. The canopy is supported along side edges thereof by attachment to the right and left handle arms 130. The canopy is supported along a front edge thereof by attachment to a canopy support frame bar 168. The canopy support frame bar is pivotably mounted to the latch mechanism 124. The pivotable nature of the mounting allows the canopy support frame bar 168 to be pivoted to a fully retracted position where the canopy support frame bar 168 is substantially aligned with the handle arms 130. In this position, the canopy 120 is fully retracted and is not operational to protect the infant in the seat 118. The canopy support frame bar 168 can be pivoted through a plurality of intermediate positions to a fully extended position, as shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 11 - 14, where the canopy is fully extended and serves to protect the infant in the seat 118 below from adverse elements. A sunshade 180 depends from the front edge of the canopy 120 and is supported from above by attachment to the canopy support frame bar 168, shown in Fig. 12. The sunshade is selectively supported from below by attachment to a sunshade support frame bar 182. The sunshade support frame bar is pivotably mounted to the latch mechanism 124 adjacent the pivotable mounting of the canopy support frame bar 168, so that the two pivotable mountings provide for pivoting about the same axis The sunshade support frame bar 182 can be pivoted independently of the canopy support frame bar 168 The sunshade support frame bar is shown in the fully extended position (relative to the canopy support.frame bar) in Figs 6, 7, 11 and 14 Because of the attachment of the sunshade 180 to each of the canopy support frame bar 168 and sunshade support frame bar 182, sufficient movement of either of the frame bars 168 and 182 will eventually pull the other of the frame bars in the same direction As can be seen in Figs 6 and 11, the sunshade 180 can be held in its fully retracted position by a sunshade cover flap 184 which is attached to and depends downwardly from the canopy support frame bar 168 The sunshade cover flap 184 is provided with portions of snap closures at either ends thereof which selectively can be matingly engaged with matching portions of snap closures mounted on the canopy support frame bar 168 The sunshade cover is shown in a covering position in Fig 6 and m an uncovered position in Fig 11 The pivotable mounting of the sunshade support frame bar 182 and the canopy support frame bar 168 to the latch mechanism 124 are detented systems in which detents are provided at the fully extended and fully retracted positions as well as at a plurality of intermediate positions Thus, due to the detents, the sunshade support frame bar 182 will initially remain in the fully retracted position when the sunshade cover 184 is removed, as shown in Fig 11 The sunshade support frame bar 182 may then be manually pulled out of the retracted position and toward the fully extended position, as shown in Fig. 12 A multi-part handle assembly 190 is formed at upper ends of the handle arms 130 The handle assembly 190 includes an ergonomically-shaped handle bar portion 192 and an elongated handle grip portion 194 depending downwardly 10 therefrom. The handle bar portion 1992 includes two symmetrical sides 196 to the handle bar portion 1992, forming an inverted and flattened V shape. The symmetrical sides 1996 join together at an apex 198 on the handle assembly 190 which is coincident with the point where the handle grip portion 194 depends downwardly therefrom. The handle grip portion 194 and the apex 198 are centrally located relative to the handle assembly 190 as seen from above in Fig. 9. Further, the handle grip portion 194 is substantially within a vertical plane of symmetry which bisects the stroller 110, and in which plane lies a longitudinal axis to the stroller 110. Of course, the plane of symmetry is not an exact plane of symmetry as certain details on the left-hand side of the stroller are not identically replicated on the right-hand side as is illustrated by the variations in the compartments 150 and 152 on the console tray 122. Since the plane of symmetry bisects the front sets of wheels 114 from each other and bisects the rear axle 140, the handle grip portion 194 is well located relative to all of the wheels 1 14 and 116 to be able to push the stroller in a straight-forward direction and maneuver the stroller as desired. The handle grip portion 194 is attached at a bottom end thereof to a central portion of the console tray 122. The handle grip portion 194 is formed along a longitudinal axis which is at an angle relative to horizontal which is ergonomically comfortable. The longitudinal axis of the handle grip portion 194 is preferably at an angle closer to vertical than to horizontal and thus at an angle from horizontal between 45 degrees and 90 degrees. More precisely, this angle is preferably in the range of 60 degrees. As can be appreciated, for two-handed operation of the stroller 110, the operator can place his/her hands on the handle bar portion 192, one hand on each of the symmetrical sides 196. For one-handed operation, the operator can place 11 either hand on the handle grip portion 194 of the handle assembly 190. Because of the ergonomically comfortable and relatively strong grip position provided by the angle of the handle grip portion 194, the operator can push the stroller and maneuver it as necessary as well as compensate for any instability that may occur due to the pivotable nature of the front sets of wheels 114. While in accordance with the provisions of the patent statute the preferred forms and embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without deviating from the inventive concepts set forth above. 12

Claims: WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. An infant stroller, comprising (a) a frame; (b) a plurality of wheels connected with said frame; (c) a seat connected with said frame for supporting an infant; (d) a handle bar portion connected with said frame adapted for pushing the stroller with both hands of the user; and (e) a handle grip portion connected with said handle bar portion and adapted for pushing the stroller by a single hand of the user, said handle grip portion being arranged in a vertical plane which bisects the stroller and contains a central longitudinal axis of said frame, the longitudinal axis being aligned with the intended direction of movement of the stroller. 2. An infant stroller as defined in claim 1, wherein said handle grip portion is integral and co-planar with said handle bar portion. 3. An infant stroller as defined in claim 2, wherein said handle bar and grip portions have a Z-shaped configuration, the plane containing said handle bar and grip portions being tilted forward relative to vertical. 13 4. An infant stroller as defined in claim 3, wherein said handle bar portions on opposite sides of said handle grip portion are substantially mirror images of each other 5 An infant stroller as defined in claim 1, wherein said handle bar portion is formed in an inverted-V shape 6 An infant stroller as defined in claim 5, wherein said handle grip portion is connected with said handle bar portion at an apex of the inverted-V shape. 7. An infant stroller as defined in claim 6, wherein said handle grip portion is elongated and connected with said handle bar portion at one end of said handle grip portion, the stroller further including a console tray attached to said frame proximate to said handle bar portion, said handle grip portion being connected with said console tray at a second end of said handle grip portion 8 An infant stroller as defined in claim 7, wherein said handle grip portion has a longitudinal axis at an angle from horizontal which is in a range from 46 degrees to 75 degrees. 9 An infant stroller as defined in claim 8, wherein the longitudinal axis of said handle grip portion lies at an angle from horizontal of approximately 60 degrees. 14 10. An infant stroller for a user to utilize in transporting an infant across a support surface, the stroller comprising: (a) a frame which is selectively collapsible between a collapsed.position and an operating position, said frame including a handle portion defined thereon and a console tray adapted for holding sundry items attached to said frame in the vicinity of said handle portion; (b) at least four wheels attached to said frame; and (c) an infant support attached to the frame. 11. An infant stroller as defined in claim 10, further including a canopy attached to said frame and suspended in part from said console tray along a back edge of said canopy. 12. A infant stroller as defined in claim 10, wherein the console tray has at least one compartment defined therein for holding sundry items. 13. An infant stroller as defined in claim 12, wherein the console tray has two compartments, at least one of which is suitable for receiving and holding a beverage container. 15 14 An infant stroller for a user to utilize in transporting an infant across a support surface, the stroller comprising: (a) a frame; (b) at least four wheels attached to said frame; (c) an infant support attached to said frame; and (d) a canopy attached to said frame above said infant support for protecting the infant in the infant support from adverse elements, said canopy including a canopy frame for supporting said canopy and a sunshade depending therefrom and supported by a sunshade frame, said sunshade frame and said canopy frame being movable relative to each other to allow said sunshade to be selectively extended or retracted. 15. An infant stroller as defined in claim 14, wherein said sunshade is supported from above by said canopy frame and from below by said sunshade frame. 16. An infant stroller as defined in claim 14, said canopy further including a sunshade cover for selectively covering said sunshade when said sunshade is retracted. 17. An infant stroller as defined in claim 16, wherein said sunshade cover is attached along one edge thereof to said canopy on a first side of said sunshade and 16 being selectively attachable along an opposite edge thereof to said canopy on an opposite side of said sunshade. 18. An infant stroller as defined in claim 14, wherein said canopy and sunshade are movable relative to said frame to allow said canopy to be selectively retracted or extended. 19. An infant stroller as defined in claim 14, wherein said canopy frame and said sunshade frame are pivotably mounted to said frame. 20. An infant stroller as defined in claim 14, wherein said pivotable mounting of said canopy frame and said sunshade frame are on the same axis, wherein the amount that said sunshade frame can be pivoted relative to said canopy frame is constrained by the size of said sunshade, and further wherein movement of said canopy frame toward the retracted or extended position will pull said sunshade frame along therewith. 17

Inventors: AALUND MARK, FREEZE T BRENT, STROUD DAVID J, AALUND, MARK, FREEZE, T., BRENT, STROUD, DAVID, J.
Applicants: EVENFLO CO INC, EVENFLO COMPANY, INC.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B62B7
IPC codes: B62B9