Abstract:
A rain canopy apparatus for a stroller provides a canopy for shielding the stroller from storms and snows. The canopy utilizes an edge spool to roll itself up and to be stored inside an accommodation pipe formed by pivotally connecting upper and lower half pipes. The accommodation pipe has slidable end caps at both ends. Each end cap provides a protruding threaded bar to engage with a clamp for being fixed to a respective side bar of the stroller. When the accommodation pipe is opened with the upper half pipe pivoted away from the lower half pipe, the canopy has one edge hung at the interior hooks of the accommodation pipe and another edge pulled to cover the whole stroller. The canopy apparatus for a stroller can have advantages in storability, portability and operation.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a rain canopy apparatus for a stroller, and more particularly to which its canopy can be scrolled and stored into an accommodation pipe clamping by both ends at both side bars of the stroller, for easy carrying and convenient operation. 
     (2) Description of the Prior Art 
     In a family with infant or kids, it is quite common to see people using a foldable stroller to carry his/her infant and kids while walking or shopping. 
     As the usage of the stroller increases, the reachable region of the stroller becomes wider in both indoors and outdoors. While moving the stroller outdoors, the weather condition is one of the problems needing delicate considerations. In a previous design, a movable head cover is used to shield from sunshine, and a transparent waterproof full cover upon the whole stroller is used to protect from the rain and wind. Though the full cover can prevent the kid in the stroller from the rain and the wind, yet the controllability of the stroller is substantially degraded for the controlling top horizontal bar of the stroller is almost blocked by the full cover. Even the top horizontal bar is still accessible by holding both the bar and the flexible cover simultaneously, slipping might happen to the holding due to the rain fallen on the smooth surface of the full cover. Such a design greatly jeopardizes the controllability and the usage of the stroller. In addition, the cover in the art is usually not integrated onto the stroller frames, which makes the additional carrying of the cover necessary. Particularly, the cover is usually stored in the stroller. However, such an job can be too tedious for some people to remember doing so. Even some people get used to put a folded cover inside a package of the stroller so that the carrying problem of the cover can be resolved, yet the folded cover as like a rain suit is hard to be folded well so that the folded profile and the respective volume might be far from an optimal profile and a minimum volume. As a result, saving space becomes a target unachievable regarding carrying a stroller cover. Further more, in case of a wet cover, it is obvious that storing the folded wet cover in the stroller is not good to the infant or kids in the stroller. In addition, if a stroller does not have a package, to carry a wet cover indoors all the time is not only a burden to people himself/herself, but also introduce unhappiness to other people. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rain canopy apparatus for a stroller, by which aforesaid disadvantages of a convention stroller cover can be improved. In accordance with the present invention, a plurality of hole in a line for hooking a flexible canopy to a hook inside an accommodation pipe is located at a thicker end of the stroller canopy. The accommodation pipe is a hollow openable shell having an upper half pipe and a lower half pipe pivotal connected with the upper half pipe. Two end caps are provided to seal respective ends of the accommodation pipe. An outer end of the end cap extends to form a clamp. The end cap can move restrictively along an axial/longitudinal direction at the respective end of the accommodation pipe, so that the length of the rain canopy apparatus can be adjusted to meet various strollers. The rain canopy apparatus of the present invention is mounted between two sidebars of the stroller via two clamps formed at ends of the end caps. The sidebar is located right beneath a top horizontal bar of the stroller. By providing such an arrangement, the canopy can be rolled and stored inside the accommodation pipe fixed at the stroller. Thereby, the carrying and storing problem of a conventional stroller cover is thus resolved. 
     According to the present invention, the canopy is permanently stored at the stroller, so that the usage of the canopy is convenient. In addition, a spool is located at one end of the canopy for rolling the canopy compactly to be stored inside the accommodation pipe. Thus, the folding problem of a conventional stroller cover is then resolved. Further, residue rain on the canopy can be also stored temporarily in the sealed accommodation pipe for avoiding the possibility of moistening the stroller and/or the storage packet of the stroller. Thereby, all disadvantages of using a conventional stroller cover are improved by the present invention. 
     Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will now be specified with reference to its preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and in which 
     FIG. 1 is an partial exploded perspective view of an accommodation pipe and its accessories at both ends in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 shows partly the mounting of a rain canopy apparatus of the present invention onto a stroller; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross section view of part of an end cap and the engaged accommodation pipe in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of a folding canopy in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the canopy of FIG. 4 hanged to a hook inside the accommodation pipe; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross section view of the accommodation pipe having the canopy stored inside; 
     FIG. 7 shows laterally an extended state of the canopy as well as the opened accommodation pipe; 
     FIG. 8 shows a usage state of the rain canopy apparatus on the stroller; and 
     FIG. 9 shows a state of the accommodation pipe having a folding canopy. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The invention disclosed herein is directed to a rain canopy apparatus for a stroller. In the following description, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that variations of these specific details are possible while still achieving the results of the present invention. In other instances, well-known components are not described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention. 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, the present invention mainly includes an accommodation pipe  1  formed by pivotally engaging two half pipes  10  and  11 . The upper half pipe  10  includes a plurality of hooks  12  lining at a top interior thereof for hanging a roll-up canopy  4 . The upper half pipe  10  is longer than the lower half pipe  11 , and the upper half pipe  10  further includes a plurality of slippery grooves  13  at both protrusion ends. Preferably, the slippery grooves  13  are arranged up-and-down symmetrically. In addition, two end caps  2  are used to seal both ends of the accommodation pipe  1 . The end cap  2  has an open end and an opposing close end. The open end for engaging with the respective end of the accommodation pipe  1  further includes a pair of inward flanges  21  at the edge rim thereof. The close end protrude a threaded bar  20  along the centerline of the end cap  2 . By providing the slippery grooves  13  on the accommodation pipe  1  and the inward flanges  21  of the end caps  2 , the accommodation pipe  1  and the end caps  2  can be mated tightly. Further, two clamps  3  are provided to have their tail L-shaped brackets  30  engage with respective end caps  2 , by meshing the threaded bars  20  of the caps  2  with and through the respective threaded holes  300  on the L-shaped brackets  30 . At a free end of each L-shaped bracket  30 , a two-piece symmetric C-shaped vise  31  is formed. An adjusting bolt  33  is used to connect threadedly the two pieces of the vise  31 , and a spring  32  is penetrated by the adjusting bolt  33  and is located between the two pieces of the vise  31 . By providing the adjusting bolt  33  and the spring  32 , the two-piece vise  31  located at the external end of the L-shaped bracket  30  can be effectively adjusted. 
     Referring now to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the rain canopy apparatus in accordance with the present invention is mounted to a stroller  5  by applying each vise end  310  of each C-shaped vise  31  of the clamp  3  to clamping the respective side bar  50  of the stroller. Certainly, proper angling adjustment of C-shaped vise  31  can be performed through rotating the L-shaped bracket  30  around the respective threaded bar  20  of the end cap  2 . While in fastening, the adjusting bolt  33  can be applied to fasten the C-shaped vise  31  onto the respective side bar  50  of the stroller  5 . Under such an arrangement, the rain canopy apparatus can be installed to the stroller  5  successfully. In the aforesaid description, to meet various strollers  5  with different distances between side bars  50 , proper adjustment upon the engaging position between the inward flange  21  of each end cap  2  and the respective slippery groove  13  on the upper half pipe  10  can amend the difference in application length so that both clamps  3  can be fastened to the respective side bars  50  of the stroller  5 . While the rain canopy apparatus according to the present invention is installed to the stroller  5 , a tie-up belt  14  attached proximately to a center of the upper half pipe  10  can be used to avoid the rain canopy apparatus loosen from the stroller  5  during a riding on a ragged road. The tie-up belt  14  itself is a detachable strip, having one end for penetrating the shell of the upper half pipe  10  to be fixed on the shell or for being hooked to a ring located at the upper half pipe  10 . Thereby, another end of the tie-up belt  14  can be wound around a top horizontal bar  51  of the stroller  5  and then attached to a specific location on the belt  14  for forming an additional anti-slipping fixation of the rain canopy apparatus onto the stroller  5 , other than aforesaid fixation formed by clamping between the clamp  3  and the side bars  50  of the stroller  5 . 
     Referring now to FIG.  2  and FIG.  4  through FIG. 7, the accommodation pipe  1  formed by the upper half pipe  10  and the lower half pipe  11  has an interior accommodation space for receiving the canopy  4 . The canopy  4 , formed as a thin transparent waterproof cover, has a thicker edge  40  formed at one end with a plurality of equal-spaced holes  41 . Another end of the canopy  4  is connected with a slender spool  42  having an anchoring belt  43  located close to a center thereof. The anchoring belt  43  itself is also detachable as the aforesaid tie-up belt  14 . The canopy  4  utilizes the holes  41  on the thicker edge  40  to hang on the interior hook  12  of the accommodation pipe  1  (as shown in FIG.  5 ). The canopy  4  is rolled up by the lower spool  42  and then stored into the accommodation pipe  1 . Then, a storage space for the roll-up canopy  4  in the accommodation pipe  1  is formed by closing pivotally the upper and the lower half pipes  10  and  11  through the pivotal shaft  15  in between, as shown in FIG.  6 . The combination and fastening between the upper and the lower half pipes  10  and  11  are made for forming central protrusion edges  100  and  110  to the upper and the lower half pipes  10  and  11 , respectively, According to the present invention, the procedures for the canopy  4  to shield upon the stroller  5  are to open the accommodation pipe  1  by separating pivotally the upper half pipe  10  and the lower half pipe  11  around the pivotal shaft  15 , and then to unfold the canopy  4  freely by its own weight for covering the stroller  5  as shown in FIG.  7 . For convenient operation, on the upper half pipe  10  and the lower half pipe  11 , a pair of lift plates  101 ,  111  can be alternatingly arranged to the central portions of the upper half pipe  10  and the lower half pipe  11 , so that the upper half pipe  10  and the lower half pipe  11  can be easily handled. 
     Referring now to FIG. 8, according to the present invention, while the canopy  4  is unfolded and extended to cover the whole stroller  5 , the side bars  50  form kinds of barrier to obstacle the covering of the canopy  4 . To resolve this problem, the canopy  4  is formed by two pieces of cloth  44  and  45  extending from the thicker edge  40  of the canopy  4 . Along the extending edge of the cloth  44  or  45 , a plurality of equal-spaced detachable bonded tapes  440  or  450  are included thereof While extending the canopy  4 , the cloth  44  and  45  are pulled across the side bars  50  of the stroller  5  and then bonded together by detaching the bonded tapes  440  and  450 , so that a complete canopy  4  is formed as a whole to prevent rain drops from the lateral sides of the canopy  4 . In addition, the lower tie-up belts  14  of the canopy  4  can be included and used to tie on the front and the rear lower horizontal bars  52  and  53  while using the canopy  4 , so that the wind effect upon the stroller  5  can be reduced to a minimum. In the case that damage of the canopy  4  during usage, a new canopy  4  can be easily replaced inside the accommodation pipe  1  through the hook  12 , without any replacement of other parts. So, economic and environment reservation benefit can be achieved. 
     Referring now to FIG. 9, an automatic rolling device can also be applied to the canopy  4 . As shown, a roll-up shaft  16  can be mounted to connect both ends of the accommodation pipe  1 , and a worm spring  17  is fixed to each end of the roll-up shaft  16 . The upper edge of the canopy  4  is then fixed by any means to the roll-up shaft  16 . The canopy  4  is rolled up around the shaft  16 . By releasing the potential spring energy stored in the worm gear  17  while pulling out the canopy  4 , the canopy  4  can then be automatically rolled up around the shaft  16  and stored into the accommodation pipe  1 . 
     According to aforesaid description, the present invention has the following advantages. 
     1. The rain canopy apparatus can be a general equipment to a stroller with great usage convenience. 
     2. The roll-up and storable canopy provides not only a good appearance, but the great operability as well. 
     3. The canopy is replaceable, so that the maintenance cost can be reduced and the environment can be well reserved. 
     4. The canopy can be equipped with lower belts for being fixed to the lower horizontal bars, so that the stability and the wind-resistance of the stroller assembly can be increased. 
     5. Bonded tapes are used to integrate the two-piece canopy, so that the side bars of the stroller can not form an obstacle of applying the canopy. Also, rains can be prevented from invasion by bonding the canopy. Further, the two-piece canopy provides a better air flow inside the canopy, so that more comfort can be provided to the infant in the stroller. 
     While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.