Patent Application
20050046134
The present invention is an improvement on conventional child carriages and sleds providing new features and advantages particular to skiing. Prior designs for vehicles for transporting children do not accommodate the special needs of skiers. Conventional wheeled strollers cannot be pushed through snow in a convenient and easily navigable fashion. Prior designs for children's sleds typically have no features enabling them to be pushed and pulled across non-snow and non-ice surfaces, such as paved surfaces, without requirement for conversion, adjustment, or attachment of additional parts, and have no features for convenient transport of skis, ski poles, and other objects. In contrast to previous designs, our invention allows a skier to transport a child, skis, poles, and other parcels or accessories across both paved and snowy or icy surfaces without the need to stop for adjustment or conversion of the child's carriage. It is an object of this invention to provide a unitary, convenient mode of transport of at least one child together with ski equipment and parcels across multiple types of terrain without need for adjustment or conversion of the carriage.
According to the present invention, there is provided a multi-terrain child carriage having a body portion that has a bottom surface adapted to sliding over snow or ice. The body is provided with at least one wheel, each such wheel rotatably mounted on an axle so as to be rotatably connected to the body. The wheels are positioned in a manner which allows a lowermost portion of the wheels to extend slightly below the bottom surface of the body, so that the bottom periphery of the wheel(s) may contact the surface over which the carriage is moving, but so that enough of the wheel extends downward from the bottom surface of the body so as to allow the wheels to bear the weight of the carriage when the carriage is moved from a snowy surface to a solid, snow-free surface, such as a dry or clear paved surface, without the need for adjustment or attachments. The carriage also comprises a child seat or bed affixed to the body, a means for pushing or pulling the carriage, and means for holding ski equipment, such as skis and ski poles, and parcels.
According to the present invention, there is provided a multi-terrain child carriage, generally designated 10, having a body, generally designated 12, which has a bottom surface 14 adapted for sliding contact over snow or ice. The body 12, including its bottom surface 14, is advantageously formed of a rigid thermoplastic material. The bottom surface 14 is advantageously shaped to have at least one guiding edge 16, as best seen in
The carriage 10 also has a plurality of wheels 22, each rotatably mounted on an axle 24 affixed to the body 12. The wheels 22 rotate upon their axles 24 as the carriage 10 is moved over surfaces. It is advantageous to provide at least three or four wheels 22, to promote stability. The wheels 22 are affixed to the body 12 in a manner which allows a bottom periphery 52 of said wheels 22 to extend slightly below the bottom surface 14 of the body 12. Ideally, the wheels 22 are positioned so that their bottom-most peripheries 26 are in contact with the surface over which the carriage 10 is moving, in a position allowing a sufficient portion of the wheels 22 to extend downwardly from the bottom surface 14 of the body 12, so as to allow the wheels 22 to bear the weight of the carriage 10 and its contents when the carriage 10 is on a solid clear surface, such as a dry paved surface.
Ideally, the wheels 22 are positioned with their downward projection small enough that the wheels 22 do not interfere with a sled-like sliding movement of the bottom surface 14 of the body 12 over snow or uneven ice surfaces. The downward projection of the wheels 22 can be adapted to be upwardly or downwardly adjustable, if desired, in order to promote ease of navigation of the carriage 10 over a variety of surface conditions such as different depths of snow or slush.
It is advantageous, if desired, to affix one or more of the axles 24 to the body 12 in a manner that allows the direction of the one or more wheels 22 mounted on such axle(s) to differ from the direction of movement of the carriage 10, to allow for easier steering of the carriage. This may be accomplished, for example, by providing a means 28 for rotation of one or more of the axles, as best seen in
The carriage 10 also may provide, if desired, a means 30 for braking the wheels 22, to secure the carriage 10 in a stopped position. The braking means 30 may be designed, for example, as a pivoting lever mounted so as to provide friction with one or more of the wheels 22, best seen in
The carriage 10 also comprises a means for carrying one or more infants or children (herein, “child” or “children” also includes “infant” or “infants”). Many alternative designs for such means are available. Such means for carrying a child may be a child seat portion generally designated 32, of the body 12 as shown in the first embodiment in
In the first embodiment of the invention, seen in
In a second embodiment of the invention, seen in
In the second embodiment with the removable child carrier 34, the means 42 for holding the child carrier 34 may be designed as a receptacle 42 for securing or containing the removable child carrier 34. The means 42 for holding the child carrier may be shaped to accept different models of child carriers, which child carriers may be provided separately from the carriage of this invention, perhaps manufactured by other makers.
It is, of course, advantageous to provide a means 44 to secure the child in the seat portion 32 or carrier 34, such as a seatbelt, as shown in both embodiments in
It also is advantageous to provide an additional feature of a protective cover, generally designated 46 in
As shown in
As further shown in
As shown in
As further shown in
The carriage 10 also comprises a means for carrying skis and/or ski poles, generally designated 72. The ski and/or ski pole carrying means 72 may advantageously be mounted to the sides 76 of the body 12 or the rear end 20 of the body 12, extending upwardly from the body 12 of the carriage 10. The carrying means 72 advantageously may be formed as one or more deep, partitioned boxes or wells 72 integrally formed in the body 12 of the carriage 10. The well 72 is deep enough to provide stable support for skis, and ski poles when the rear portions of the skis are inserted vertically downwardly into the well 72. The carrying means 72 may be positioned on one or both sides 76 of the body 12, so as to hold the skis or ski poles upright, but away from the forward line of sight of the person navigating the carriage 10, as depicted in
The carriage 10 also may provide a means 74 for carrying or holding parcels affixed to the body 12 of the carriage 10. Such parcel carrying means 74 may be designed to extend upwardly from the body 12, or be formed integrally in the body 12 as receptacles or wells. The parcel carrying means 74, and are utilizable either with or without the cover 46 described above. The parcel carrying means 74 may be provided on or near the front end 18, rear end 20, or one or both sides 76 of the body 12.
The carriage 10 also has a handle means for pushing or pulling the carriage 10, generally designated 78. The handle 78 is pivotally connected to the rear end 20 of the body 12, as shown in
Many variations of the previously described multi-terrain child carriage can be made without departing from the scope of this invention. The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments is intended to illustrate a specific configuration according to the general principle of this invention.
