Patent Abstract:
A tray device for a stroller comprises a tray body as well as, at each end of both ends of the tray body, a slider movable relative to the tray body, an operating unit for pushing away the slider, and an elastic member for pushing back the slider. When the operating units both are executed, the stakes of the sliders are respectively escaped from two armrests to enable the tray device being detached from the armrests. If only one operating unit is actuated, the tray device can be turned over.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to a tray device for a stroller, and more particularly to a tray device which is rotatable or detachable by press operation.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     A conventional tray accessory  8  for a stroller shown in  FIG. 1  is disclosed in U.S. 2002/0175498 A1 laid-open patent application. One end of the tray accessory  8  is pivotally connected to a first handrail  82  of the stroller by a pin  81  and another end with a latch  83  is engaged into a recess  85  in a second handrail  84  of the stroller, whereby the conventional tray accessory  8  is connected to (the handrails of) the stroller.  
         [0003]     In order to conveniently take the baby from and put the baby into the stroller, a tab  86  is pulled open to the extent that the latch  83  is slightly released from the recess  85  and then the end of the tray accessory  8  on the second handrail  84  is lifted so as to leave the tray accessory  8  hung on the first handrail  82  at another end and to form an opening between the first handrail  82  and the second handrail  84 .  
         [0004]     However, the latch  83  of the conventional tray accessory  8  is inclined to be worn out after repeatedly engaging and disengaging, which results in infirm connection between the tray accessory  8  and the second handrail  84 . Therefore, due to the baby&#39;s playing with and shaking, the tray accessory  8  may accidentally escape from the second handrail  84  to make the baby riskily fall down from the stroller.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     Accordingly, the present invention relates to a tray device for a stroller that can substantially obviate one or more of the problems due to the limitations and disadvantages of the related arts.  
         [0006]     One object of the present invention is the provision of a rotatable and detachable tray device for a stroller wherein the connection between the tray device and the stroller is firm and safe.  
         [0007]     Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in portion will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.  
         [0008]     To achieve these and other advantages and according to the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, a tray device for being connected to a frame unit of a stroller comprises: a tray body having a first guider and a second guider; a slider having a first groove, the first guider being received in the first groove; an operating unit having a coupling piece and a second groove, the second guider being received in the second groove and the coupling piece substantially contacting with the slider; an elastic member having two opposed ends, one end contacting with the slider, another end contacting with the tray body; wherein when the operating unit is not actuated, the slider is situated at a first position and engaged with the frame unit so as to connect the tray device and the frame unit together; when the operating unit is actuated, the slider is moved to a second position and escaped from the frame unit so as to separate the tray device and the frame unit.  
         [0009]     It is preferred that the frame unit has a neck portion for connecting with one end of the tray body.  
         [0010]     It is preferred that the tray device has the slider, the operating unit and the elastic member respectively at each of two ends thereof; when the operating unit situated at either end of the tray device is actuated, the tray device can be rotated relative to the frame unit; when the operating units situated at both ends of the tray device are actuated, the tray device can be detached from the frame unit.  
         [0011]     It is preferred that the slider has a stake and the frame unit has a hole, and thus the tray device and the frame unit can be connected together by the stake being received in the hole.  
         [0012]     It is preferred that the first groove is situated at one end of the slider and the slider further has a third groove at another end thereof for receive a third guider of the tray device.  
         [0013]     It is preferred that the another end of the elastic member contacts with the third guider.  
         [0014]     It is preferred that the coupling piece of the operating unit is a tongue which contacts with a rib of the slider.  
         [0015]     It is preferred that the tray device further has a cover for at least shield partially the slider and the operating unit.  
         [0016]     It is preferred that the tray body has an aperture and the operating unit has a head portion which is received in the aperture and at least partially protrudes out of the tray body.  
         [0017]     It is to be understood that both the forgoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a portion of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings:  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a front plane view of a conventional tray accessory illustrating a post-rotated state;  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the tray device mounted to a stroller according to the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a sectional perspective view around the joint of the tray device and an armrest of the stroller according to the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view according to the present invention showing a state of the tray device engaged to the armrest without a cover;  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  is a bottom perspective view according to the present invention showing a state of the tray device detachable from the armrest without a cover;  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  is a bottom perspective view according to the present invention showing that the tray device is engaged with two armrests; and  
         [0025]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view according to the present invention showing that the tray device is engaged with only one armrest but is separated with another armrest. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0026]     The present invention is adapted to be utilized not only in a stroller, but also in the apparatuses for babies&#39; and children&#39;s riding, sitting and lying, such as a high chair or a swinging chair etc.  
         [0027]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , a stroller  1  according to the present invention comprises a frame unit  2  and a tray device  3 . The frame unit  2  further includes a front lower bar group  21 , a rear lower bar group  22 , a rear upper bar group  23  and two, left and right, armrests  24 , all of which are pivotally connected together. As shown in  FIG. 7 , each armrest  24 , at front end thereof, has a neck portion  241  with a smaller diameter, a ring portion  242  with a larger diameter, and a hole  243  formed at the centers of the neck portion  241  and the ring portion  242 . The tray devices  3  of various type of the stroller  1  may be respectively mounted at the front lower bar group  21 , the rear lower bar group  22 , the rear upper bar group  23  or the armrests  24 . The preferred embodiment hereinafter is illustrated about the case that the tray devices  3  is mounted at the armrests  24 .  
         [0028]     As shown in FIGS.  3  to  5 , the tray device  3  includes a substantially banana-shaped tray body  31 , a substantially U-shaped slider  32 , an operating unit  33 , an elastic member  34 , and a cover  35 .  
         [0029]     The tray body  31  has a base  311  and a skirt  312  perpendicularly extending downwardly around the base  311 . At each of two opposed ends of the tray body  31 , the skirt  312  respectively has an U-shaped opening  314  and an aperture  315  substantially oriented forwardly. A first guider  316 , a second guider  317 , and a third guider  318  downwardly protrude, near each opening  314 , from the base  311 .  
         [0030]     The slider  32  includes a stake  321  longitudinally extending outwardly from the U-shaped closed end thereof, an arc of flange  322  upwardly extending from the U-shaped closed end thereof, an U-shaped rib  323  downwardly extending from the open end thereof, a first groove  324  defined by the flange  322 , and a third groove  325  defined by the rib  323 .  
         [0031]     The operating unit  33  includes a cylinder head portion  331  and a plate-shaped tail portion  332 . The head portion  331  and the tail portion  332  may be integrally formed together, or be separately formed and then be assembled together. The tail portion  332  has a coupling piece  333 , such as an inclined tongue, at the middle section thereof and a second groove  334  at the free end thereof.  
         [0000]     Assembling of the Tray Device  3   
         [0032]     First, the slider  32  is placed at the bottom surface of the base  311  of the tray body  31  and simultaneously the first guider  316  is accommodated in the first groove  324  as well as the third guider  318  is accommodated in the third groove  325 . Next, the elastic member  34  is put into the hollow slider  32 . One end of the elastic member  34  is abutted against the closed end of the slider  32  and another end of the elastic member  34  is abutted against the third guider  318 . Then, the operating unit  33  is provided under the slider  32  and at the same time the head portion  331  is received in the aperture  315  as well as the second guider  317  is accommodated in the second groove  334 . In this state, the coupling piece  333  substantially contacts with the rib  323  and the tail portion  332  can block the elastic member  34  from dropping out of the slider  32 . Finally, the cover  35  is secured to the tray body  1  by screws (not shown) so as to shield the slider  32  and the operating unit  33  except the front part of the head portion  331 , which is revealed outside of the skirt  312  of the tray body  31 . As far as the positions for the screws, the centers of the second guider  317  and the third guider  318  may be included.  
         [0000]     Operating of the Tray Device  3   
         [0033]     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , when the head portion  331  of the operating unit  33  is pressed, the operating unit  33  slides along the direction of the arrow A under the guidance of the second guider  317 . Simultaneously, the rib  323  is pushed by the coupling piece  333  to actuate the slider  32  sliding along the direction of the arrow B under the guidance of the first guider  316  and the third guider  318 , which results in the elastic member  34  is compressed. In this state, because the stake  321  has been moved along the direction of the arrow B, the tray body  31  can be installed to the armrest  24  by put the neck portion  241  of the armrest  24  into the U-shaped opening  314 . Then, after the hand pressing the operating unit  33  is withdrawn, the slider  32  is moved by the restoration force of the elastic member  34  along the opposed direction of the arrow B to the extent that the stake  321  is inserted into the hole  243  of the armrest  24 . In this situation, the tray device  3  is unable to escaped from the armrest  24  along the axial or radial direction of the stake  321  so that the tray device  3  can be firmly connected with the armrest  24 . Also, the operating unit  33  is cooperated by the rib  323  and slides back along the opposed direction of the arrow A, as shown in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0034]     As shown in  FIG. 5 , when it is desired to take the baby from or put it into the stroller  1 , the head portion  331  of the operating unit  33  is pressed again to the extent that the stake  321  escapes from the hole  243  of the armrest  24 . Then the tray device  3  is upwardly lifted to completely separate the end of the tray device  3  from the armrest  24 . If this operation is executed at both ends of the tray device  3 , the tray device  3  can be entirely detached from the armrest  24 . Alternatively, if this operation is executed at only one end of the tray device  3 , another end of the tray device  3  can by no means escape from the armrest  24  along the axial direction of the stake because the skirt  312  at this another end is blocked by the ring portion  242 . Therefore, the tray device  3  can invert about 180 degrees as shown in  FIG. 7  relative to the neck portion  241 , which functions as a pivot, of the armrest  24  at this another end. Consequently, there is no member between two, left and right, armrests  24 , which is convenient for taking baby from and put baby into the stroller  1 .  
         [0000]     Advantages  
         [0035]     By pushing the stake  321  into the hole  243  of the armrest  24 , the tray device  3  disclosed in the present invention can be firmly connected to the armrests  24 . When the stake  321  escapes from the hole  243 , there happens no wear. Therefore, even the operation of mounting and dismounting is repeated but there is no risk of wearing out the related elements. Since no wear may deteriorate the firm connection between the tray device  3  and the armrest  24 , then the baby is secure against dropping from the stroller  1 . Accordingly, the tray device  3  of the present invention is of great safety.  
       Other Embodiments  
       [0036]     The first guider  316  and the third guider  318  above-mentioned can be combined to a new guider with proper length only if the new guider can maintain smooth movement and direction of the slider  32 . Similarly, the first groove  324  and the third groove  325  above-mentioned can be combined to a new groove to match with the new guider.  
         [0037]     This invention has been disclosed in terms of specific embodiments. It will be apparent that many modifications can be made to the disclosed structures without departing from the invention. Therefore, it is the intent of the appended claims to cover all such variations and modifications as come within the breadth and scope of this invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1