Patent Publication Number: US-2022212709-A1

Title: Stroller frame locking mechanism and stroller having the same

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a field of strollers, and particularly to a stroller frame locking mechanism and a stroller having the stroller frame locking mechanism. 
     BACKGROUND 
     At present, most of strollers commercially used have foldable structures, which are unfolded for seating when in use and are folded and gathered for storage or carrying when not in use. Moreover, there are various and different types of the foldable structures at present, but most of them can only be unfolded or folded after locking or unlocking of the front and rear wheel brackets as well as the stroller handle are respectively performed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings are included herein for providing a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated into the specification to form a part thereof. The accompanying drawings show embodiments of the disclosure and are used to illustrate the concepts of the disclosure together with the following description. 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a stroller having a stroller frame locking mechanism according to the disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the stroller having the stroller frame locking mechanism according to the disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the stroller frame locking mechanism according to the disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a side cross-sectional view of the stroller frame locking mechanism in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the locking device in a locked state; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the locking device in an unlocked state; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the stroller frame locking mechanism provided with an elastic iron wire and a pulling strap. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments can be implemented in various forms, and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided such that the disclosure will be comprehensive and complete, and fully convey the concept of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same or similar structures, and thus their detailed descriptions will be omitted. 
     The foldable structures at present have many operation steps to be performed, and the process of folding is complex, time-consuming and laborious. The stroller frame locking mechanism in this disclosure will avoid these problems. 
     The strollers described in this disclosure generally refer to those used for children and for people with limited mobility. Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 7 , a stroller frame  10  for a stroller according to the disclosure includes a front wheel bracket  12 , a rear wheel bracket  13 , and a stroller handle  11 . Among them, a front wheel is amounted at a lower end of the front wheel bracket  12 , and a wheel is amounted at a lower end of the rear wheel bracket  13 , so as to facilitate to move the stroller. The stroller handle  11  is used to provide a force application site for the user to push or pull the stroller. The front wheel bracket  12  and the rear wheel bracket  13  are both pivotally connected to the stroller handle  11 , such that the three brackets can be folded in respect to each other, so as to facilitate gathering of the stroller. 
     Furthermore, the stroller frame  10  can also includes a handrail bracket, a canopy bracket for supporting a stroller canopy, and a seat rod for supporting a child seat, etc. All such components can be arranged according to actual needs, which are not specifically described in the disclosure. 
     It would be noted, the configuration of the stroller frame  10  of the disclosure is not limited to that shown in the attached drawings. For example, the stroller frame may be composed of two rear wheel brackets  13  and one front wheel bracket  12  as well as the stroller handle  11 , or the stroller frame may be composed of two front wheel brackets  12  and one rear wheel bracket  13  as well as the stroller handle  11 . The numbers of the front wheel brackets  12  and the rear wheel brackets  13  would be set depends on actual needs. For another example, the shape of the stroller handle  11  may also be various, and may be a common U-shaped rod, or may be a long push rod, a circular ring and other special shapes. 
     A stroller frame locking mechanism is disposed between the front wheel bracket  12  and the rear wheel bracket  13 . The stroller frame locking mechanism is pivotally connected to the front wheel bracket  12  and the rear wheel bracket  13  at lower middle positions, such that the front wheel bracket  12  and the rear wheel bracket  13  may be folded along a direction close to each other or unfolded along a direction away from other, thereby realizing folding or unfolding of the entire stroller frame. 
     Hereinafter, the stroller frame locking mechanism of the disclosure will be described in detail in combination with  FIGS. 2 to 6 . 
       FIG. 2  more clearly shows position relationships and connection relationships of the front wheel bracket  12 , the rear wheel bracket  13 , and the stroller frame locking mechanism when the stroller frame is in an unfolded state. When the stroller frame  10  for the stroller is in the unfolded state, the front wheel bracket  12 , the rear wheel bracket  13  and the stroller frame locking mechanism form a triangular structure among them, thereby enhancing a stability of the stroller frame  10 . 
     The stroller frame locking mechanism of the disclosure may include a support assembly  14  and a locking device  15 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the support assembly  14  may be supported between the front wheel bracket  12  and the rear wheel bracket  13 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the locking device  15  may be disposed on the support assembly  14 . The locking device  15  is to lock or unlock the support assembly  14 , and the front wheel bracket  12  and the rear wheel bracket  13  are unfolded or folded by pivoting of the support assembly  14 , thereby realizing unfolding or folding of the entire stroller frame  10 . 
     Specifically, the support assembly  14  may include a first support member  141  and a second support member  142  pivotally connected to each other. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the first support member  141  is pivotally connected to the front wheel bracket  12 , and the second support member  142  is pivotally connected to the rear wheel bracket  13 . Thus, on the one hand, when the first support member  141  and the second support member  142  are locked so as not to pivot in respect to each other, the front wheel bracket  12  and the rear wheel bracket  13  can be prohibited from being pivoted in respect to each other, thereby maintaining the entire stroller frame  10  in the unfolded state. On the other hand, when the first support member  141  and the second support member  142  is unlocked and can be pivoted in respect to each other, the front wheel bracket  12  and the rear wheel bracket  13  may be brought to pivot in respect to each other, such that the entire stroller frame  10  is folded. 
     In another embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 3 to 6 , the first support member  141  may be a U-shaped part having a U-shaped groove, and the second support member  142  may be a rod-shaped part. Furthermore, the second support member  142  is at least partially located in the U-shaped groove of the first support member  141 . Specifically, referring to  FIG. 4 , when the stroller frame is in the unfolded state, the second support member  142  at least partially overlaps the first support member  141 , and an end of the second support member  142  is pivotally connected to the first support member  141  via a support pivot O 1 . 
     It would be noted, the disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. Furthermore, the first support member  141  and the second support member  142  may be pivotally connected to each other at their ends. In addition, the first support member  141  does not have to be a U-shaped part, and it may also be a rod-shaped part. At the same time, the shapes of the first support member  141  and the second support member  142  may be various, as long as the first support member and the second support member can be pivoted in respect to each other. In addition, the numbers of the first support member and the second support member may also be set according to actual needs, which is not limited in the disclosure. 
     In order to perform non-pivoting or pivoting of the support assembly  14 , the disclosure proposes a locking device  15 . The locking device  15  can be locked at the support pivot O 1  where the first support member  141  and the second support member  142  are pivotally connected, or can be locked at an area where the first support member  141  and the second support member  142  partially overlap. 
     When the first support member  141  and the second support member  142  are pivotally connected to each other at their ends, the locking device  15  can be a rigid sleeve which may slide along the first support member  141  and the second support member  142 . Once the rigid sleeve slides to a position where it is simultaneously sleeved on the end of the first support member  141  and the end of the second support member  142 , the first support member  141  and the second support member  142  are locked by the rigid sleeve so they cannot be pivoted in respect to each other, i.e., the support assembly  14  is locked. Once the rigid sleeve slides onto the first support member  141  or the second support member  142 , the first support member  141  and the second support member  142  are not restricted by the rigid sleeve and they can be pivoted in respect to each other, i.e., the support assembly  14  is unlocked. 
       FIGS. 1 to 6  show an embodiment of the disclosure, in which the first support member  141  and the second support member  142  have a partially overlapped area, and the locking device  15  is arranged in the partially overlapped area. Specifically, the locking device  15  includes a first locking member  151  and a second locking member  152  which can be locked or unlocked in respect to each other. The first locking member  151  may be movably connected to the first support member  141 , and the second locking member  152  is fixedly connected to the second support member  142  at a position corresponding to the first locking member  151 , such that non-pivoting or pivoting of the support assembly  14  is realized by locking or unlocking between the first locking member  151  and the second locking member  152 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a middle portion of the first locking member  151  is pivotally connected to the first support member  141  via a locking pivot O 2 , a lower portion of the first locking member  151  has a recess  1511 , and the second locking member  152  is a locking block which can be engaged with the recess  1511 . When the first locking member  151  is adaptively engaged with the second locking member  152  so that the first locking member  151  and the second locking member  152  are locked to each other, the first support member  141  and the second support member  142  are locked by the locking device  15  and cannot be pivoted in respect to each other, i.e., the support assembly  14  locked, thereby maintaining the entire stroller frame  10  in the unfolded state. When the first locking member  151  is pivoted about the locking pivot O 2  to disengage the recess  1511  from the second locking member  152 , such that when the first locking member  151  and the second locking member  152  are unlocked, the first support member  141  and the second support member  142  are not restricted by the locking device  15  and can be pivoted in respect to each other, i.e., the support assembly  14  is unlocked, so the entire stroller frame  10  can be folded. 
     It would be understood, the structure of the locking device of the disclosure is not limited to those described above. For example, the first locking member may be a movable hook-shaped part, and the second locking member may be a ring-shaped part fitted the hook-shaped part, as long as mutual locking of the first locking member and the second locking member can be achieved. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , an elastic member  17  may be disposed between an upper portion of the first locking member  151  and the first support member  141 . The elastic member  17  acts on the upper portion of the first locking member  151 , such that the upper portion of the first locking member  151  is pivoted away from the first support member  141 , thereby causing a lower portion of the first locking member  151  to pivot toward the second locking member  152 , until the recess  1511  of the first locking member  151  engages with the second locking member  152 , so as to achieve locking between the first locking member  151  and the second locking member  152 . In other words, if the first locking member  151  is not subjected to other external forces, the elastic member  17  will keep the first locking member  151  and the second locking member  152  in a locked state. When the first locking member  151  and the second locking member  152  need to be unlocked, it is necessary to have other external force acting on the first locking member  151 , further acting on the lower portion of the first locking member  151 . For example, the user may pull the first locking member  151  with a hand, such that the upper portion of the first locking member  151  overcomes the force of the elastic member  17  and is pivoted toward the first support member  141 , thus the lower portion of the first locking member  151  is pivoted away from the second locking member  152 , until the recess  1511  of the first locking member  151  is disengaged from the second locking member  152 , so as to unlock the locking device  15 . 
     In order to facilitate operation of the user, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the stroller frame locking mechanism may further include a pulling strap  16 , and both ends of the pulling strap  16  are connected to the lower portion of the first locking member  151  respectively. So when the user pulls the pulling strap  16  upwardly, the pulling strap  16  may bring the lower portion of the first locking member  151  to pivot away from the second locking member  152 , until the recess  1511  of the first locking member  151  is disengaged from the second locking member  152 , so as to unlock the locking device  15 , such that the first support member  141  and the second support member  142  can be gathered to each other, and finally achieving folding of the entire stroller frame  10 . With this arrangement of the pulling strap  16 , the user can drive the locking device  15  to unlock by pulling the pulling strap  16  with a single hand, and bring the support assembly  14  to be gathered inward, such that the front wheel bracket  12  and the rear wheel bracket  13  are folded, so as to realize gathering of the stroller with simple, time-saving and labor-saving operation. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the lower portion of the first locking member  151  may also include a through hole  1512 , the end(s) of the pulling strap  16  may pass through the through hole  1512 , so as to facilitate the connection between the pulling strap  16  and the first locking member  151 . The shape of the through hole  1512  may be round, oval, rectangular, or the like. Furthermore, it would be noted, the connection method of the pulling strap  16  and the first locking member  151  is not limited to the above-mentioned method of passing through the through hole  1512 , and may also be connected by other methods, such as a buckle connection method. 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 1 and 7 , the stroller according to the disclosure may further include an elastic iron wire  18  for carry a seat. An end of the elastic iron wire  18  is connected to an end of the first support member  141  to which the front wheel bracket  12  is pivotally connected. The elastic iron wire  18  plays an auxiliary bearing role for the seat. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the stroller according to the disclosure may further include a handrail bracket  19 . A rear portion of the handrail bracket  19  is pivotally connected to the rear wheel bracket  13 , and the second support member  142  of the support assembly  14  and the rear portion of the handrail bracket  19  are pivotally connected to the rear wheel bracket  13  via a same pivot, such that the handrail bracket  19  is brought to be unfolded or folded by the movement of the support assembly  14 . 
     Hereinafter, the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  will be used to describe in detail how the locking device of the disclosure quickly unlocks the support assembly  14 , so as to realize rapid folding of the entire stroller frame  10 . 
     When the user pulls the pulling strap  16  to drive the first locking member  151  to pivot upwardly about the locking pivot O 2 , the lower portion of the first locking member  151  is moved away from the second locking member  152 , until the recess  1511  of the first locking member  151  is disengaged from the second locking member  152 . At this time, the first support member  141  and the second support member  142  can be pivoted close to each other about the support pivot O 1 , and at the same time, the front wheel bracket  12  being pivotally connected to the first support member  141  and the rear wheel bracket  13  being pivotally connected to the second support member  142  are also pivoted toward each other respectively brought by the first support member  141  and the second support member  142 , and meanwhile the handrail bracket  19  which is pivotally connected to the second support member  142  is brought to move in a direction close to the rear wheel bracket  13 , so as to realize folding of the stroller frame  10 . Therefore, according to the above arrangement of the stroller frame locking mechanism of the disclosure, the quick folding of the entire stroller frame can be realized by only unlock the locking device so the locking device and the support assembly are pivoted in respect to each other, which is convenient to operate, simple in structure, and having advantages of time-saving and labor-saving. 
     The foregoing embodiments and advantages are only exemplary, and should not be regarded as limiting the disclosure. The description herein is intended to be an example, rather than limiting the scope of the claims. For those skilled in the art, various alternatives, modifications and modifications are apparent. The features, structures, methods, and other characteristics of the exemplary embodiments described herein can be combined in various ways to obtain other and/or alternative exemplary embodiments. 
     Since the characteristics of the disclosure can be embodied in various forms without departing from the characteristics of the disclosure, it should also be understood, the above-mentioned embodiments are not limited to any details described above, unless otherwise noted, on the contrary, those embodiments should be interpreted broadly as being within the scope defined by the appended claims. Therefore, all modifications and variations falling within the scope and limits of the claims or equivalent solutions of such scope and limits shall be covered by the appended claims. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS 
       10  stroller frame 
       11  stroller handle 
       12  front wheel bracket 
       13  rear wheel bracket 
       14  support assembly
           141  first support member     142  second support member       

       15  locking device
           151  first locking member
             1511  recess     1512  through hole   
             152  second locking member       

       16  pulling strap 
       17  elastic member 
       18  elastic iron wire 
       19  handrail bracket 
     O 1  support pivot 
     O 2  locking pivot