The following documents are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/658,602, filed Jul. 25, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,017,200; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/366,269, filed Jul. 25, 2016.
The invention relates to a pet stroller, more particularly, to a foldable pet stroller which is openable to a use position, and foldable, when not in use, to a compact storage position having a removable divider for elevated seating within canopy enclosed seating area.
Foldable pet strollers of the above-noted type are known and can be used for walking small or medium sized pets, such as dogs or cats, in a manner similar to a toddler stroller. These strollers typically are formed with a metal frame having a cloth and mesh holding assembly attached to the metal frame which define a seating area as well as a cloth and mesh canopy. Typically, the metal frame includes front and rear wheel struts which are pivotally connected to a handle and a seating area platform, as well as additional support structure. These frame members are pivotably connected at certain pivot areas to allow pivoting movement between the handle, the front struts and the rear struts in order to extend the frame from the compact storage position to a use position where the handle and struts can be locked in position using lock assemblies, and can then be re-folded back down to the compact storage position upon releasing the locks. In the compact storage position, the handle and struts generally fold to a position adjacent to one another, and the cloth and mesh seating area and canopy generally collapse together.
Typically pet strollers include the canopy having a mesh area so that a pet can be confined in the seating area without having to be clipped or tied in by a lead that is connected to the stroller. In the known pet strollers, this mesh is zipperable to a portion of the pet stroller seating area platform, and can be moved between opened and closed positions. In the unzipped position of the canopy, this leaves a loose mesh as part of the platform seating area sidewall that remains unsupported and floppy in use. With no retaining sidewall area surrounding the pet seating area, even if the pet is connected to a lead, it could jump or slip part way out of the stroller and accordingly, it is necessary for all practical purposes to have the mesh zipper closed while in use.
It would be desirable to provide such a pet stroller with a platform seating area having a sidewall which is defined and usable when the canopy is opened. Further, it would be desirable to provide a way that such strollers could be used with small or very small pets, without major modification.
Briefly stated, a pet stroller with a removable divider for elevated seating within a canopy enclosed seating area is provided. The pet stroller has a frame assembly including a handle, a platform member pivotably connected to front and rear wheel assemblies, with the platform member defining a platform base in a use position, and a platform enclosure member connected to the frame assembly that in the use position is generally parallel to the platform member. A cloth platform enclosure is connected to the platform enclosure member and the handle which defines a base and a sidewall of a pet seating area, and a canopy bar is pivotably connected to the frame assembly to extend or retract a canopy over the pet seating area. A canopy assembly is connected to the handle and the canopy bar and includes at least one mesh portion. The canopy is connectable to the platform enclosure member, for example by a latch or a zippered connection to the cloth platform enclosure, to form an enclosed pet seating area. A divider is removably located in the pet seating area. The divider includes a divider platform supported at least on the platform enclosure member while still allowing the lower canopy bar to be clamped to the platform enclosure member.
In one aspect, the divider platform has an outer periphery that overlaps the platform enclosure member at least in sections. In a preferred embodiment, the outer periphery that that overlaps the platform enclosure member at least in sections has a receiving groove formed therein that is complementary to the upper portion of the platform enclosure member.
In another aspect, an outer periphery of the divider platform is complementary to an inner contour of the pet seating area in sections that do not overlap the platform enclosure member.
In another aspect, the divider platform has an upper surface with a seating pad connected thereto using a releasable hook-and-loop type textile fastener, such as VELCRO®. The divider platform may also be perforated for ventilation or drainage.
In another aspect, the divider platform is formed of two parts that are connected together by a hinge. The hinge is preferably limited to a 180° open position.
In another aspect, at least one foldable support leg is connected to an underside of the divider platform. The at least one support leg has an extended height that allows for contact and support on the platform base.
In another aspect, at least one tether is connected to the divider.
The divider can be installed in the pet seating area to provide an elevated seating area within the canopy enclosed pet seating area that is suitable for small to very small pets, while at the same time providing an additional storage area in the pet stroller between the divider and the platform base. This can be done without any structural changes to the known stroller while still maintaining all of the original functionality.
In one arrangement, a latch is connected to the platform enclosure member and is movable to a latched position in which it clamps a lower canopy bar to the platform enclosure member.
In one arrangement of the pet stroller, the frame assembly includes front and rear wheel struts. The handle has a handle portion that is located between two ends that extend away from the handle portion. The handle is connected to the rear wheel struts by rear pivot blocks located at the top of the rear wheel struts at positions spaced apart from the two ends. The two ends of the handle are connected by front pivot blocks to the tops of the front wheel struts. Moveable lock assemblies are located on the handle adjacent to the ends that are lockable to the front pivot blocks such that the handle is generally aligned with the front wheel struts in a use position of the stroller, with the lock assemblies engaged to corresponding ones of the front pivot blocks. The platform member is pivotally connected to the front and rear wheel struts, and supports the platform base in the use position. At least one front crossbar is located between the front struts. The wheel assemblies are located at the bottom ends of the rear struts and below the front struts or a cross member extending between the front struts for a three-wheeled stroller. The platform enclosure member is pivotally connected to the rear pivot blocks located on a handle above the lock assemblies that pivots to a use position generally parallel to the platform member. The canopy assembly includes an upper canopy bar, and the upper and lower canopy bars are pivotally connected to the rear pivot blocks and are pivotal to extend or retract the canopy over the pet seating area.
The frame assembly is not limited to a particular number of front or rear wheel struts, and the specific arrangement of the frame members and platform members can be varied.
In another aspect, the upper and lower canopy bars that are pivotally connected to the rear pivot blocks are pivotal about the same axis, providing simpler assembly.
In another aspect, a lower storage bag is connected to the rear struts and the at least one front crossbar.
In order to allow more compact folding, the base board is preferably provided in two pieces which are movable relative to one another to allow for folding.
Preferably, the pet stroller is foldable to a compact position by releasing the movable lock assemblies on the ends of the handle, releasing the latch, and disengaging the clip on the baseboard from the platform member. To the extent that the divider is used, it is first removed, and can preferably also be folded to a compact storage position and stowed.
In another aspect, in the use position of the stroller, the canopy assembly is movable to an open position, with the platform member, the platform enclosure member, and the cloth platform enclosure remaining in the use position providing a partial enclosure with a sidewall that extends around a complete periphery of the pet seating area.
The following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention will be better understood when read with reference to the appended drawings. For the purposes of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawing an embodiment which is presently preferred. It is understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentality shown in the drawings.
Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words “right”, “left”, “top”, “bottom”, “front”, and “back” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the pet stroller and designated parts thereof. This terminology includes the words specifically noted above, derivatives thereof and words of similar import. The words “a” and “one”, as used in the claims and in the corresponding portion of the specification, are defined as including one or more of the referenced item unless specifically stated otherwise. A list of items in the form “at least one of A, B, or C” where A, B, and C represent various elements of the invention, means any one of A, B, or C or various combinations thereof.
Referring now to
A divider 100 shown in detail in
As shown in
A platform member 24 is pivotally connected to the front wheel struts 18, 19 and the rear wheel struts 16, 17, as shown in
A platform enclosure member 34 is pivotally connected to the rear pivot blocks, shown most clearly in
A cloth platform enclosure 52 is connected to the platform enclosure member 34 and the handle 14, and defines a base and a sidewall of the pet seating area. This cloth platform enclosure 52 can be a textile cloth, non-woven cloth or a plastic membrane, and preferably is sewn together and includes at least some mesh areas in addition to solid areas. However, it could be all solid, and/or the sidewall portion could be all mesh. As used herein, “cloth” is intended to generically refer to any or all of the above with respect to the platform enclosure 52. The cloth platform enclosure 52 further can include textile fasteners and/or snaps for connection to the frame assembly 12. Preferably a baseboard 54, shown in
The base board 54 and the cloth platform assembly 52 are preferably held to the platform member 24, as shown in
Referring again to
Preferably, a latch 80 is connected to the platform enclosure member 34 in a front position and is adapted to clamp the lower canopy bar 36 to the platform enclosure member 34 to form an enclosed pet seating area. Various latch configurations can be used. Alternatively, a zipper half can be provided along a bottom portion of the cloth canopy assembly that can be zippered to a corresponding mating zipper half that is connected to the cloth platform enclosure 52 along the platform enclosure member 34.
Referring to
Referring to
As shown in
In order to allow folding of the pet stroller 10 to the compact stowage position as shown in
In the use position shown in
The pet stroller 10 provides a pet seating area with a defined platform enclosure member as part of the frame assembly as well as a cloth platform enclosure 52 with a complete continuous sidewall regardless of whether or not the canopy assembly 70 was in an open or closed position, making a safer, more pet friendly arrangement.
In order to improve the functionality of the pet stroller 10 for smaller pets, the divider 100 can be installed as shown in
The divider 100 includes a divider platform 101 and is removably located in the pet seating area and is supported at least on the platform enclosure member 34 while still allowing the lower canopy bar 36 to be clamped to the platform enclosure member 34, preferably with the latch 80.
In one embodiment as shown in
In order to provide a secure seating, the outer periphery 102 of the divider platform 101 is complementary to an inner contour of the pet seating area in sections that do not overlap the platform enclosure member 34. This is shown in
The divider platform 101 has an upper surface 108. The upper surface 108 is preferably generally horizontal when the divider is installed on the platform enclosure member 34. A seating pad 110 is preferably connected to the upper surface 108 of the divider 100. Preferably, this connection is made using a releasable hook-and-loop type textile fastener 112, such as VELCRO®, which can be seen in
In one preferred arrangement, the divider platform 101 has perforations 114 extending through its upper surface 108 for ventilation or drainage.
The first platform part 116 preferably includes the receiving groove 104 around its outer periphery that is supported by the upper platform enclosure member 34. The second platform part 118 may also include sections of the receiving groove 104 as shown in
Preferably, at least one foldable support leg 122, 134, 126 is connected to the underside of the second platform part 118. The first foldable support leg 122 can be made of metal, and in the folded position lies against the underside of the divider platform 101, and in particular the second platform part 118. The foldable support leg 122 is preferably pivotally attached to integrally molded lugs 123 on the underside of the second platform part 118. The first foldable support leg 122 preferably snaps into a fixed, extended position and is adapted to be supported on the baseboard 54 when the divider 100 is installed in the pet stroller 10. As shown in
Optionally, as shown in
The divider 100 is preferably installed in the pet seating area of the pet stroller 10 to provide an elevated seating area within the canopy 70 enclosed seating area that is suitable for small to very small pets, while at the same time providing an additional storage area in the pet stroller 20 between the divider 200 and the platform base 54. This can be done without any structural changes to the known pet stroller 10 while still maintaining all of the original functionality. The divider 100 can be provided with the stroller 10 or provided separately as a retro-fit part. Different model pet strollers 10 will require different dividers 100 with the outer peripheries 102 designed to complement the particular stroller 10.
The stroller 10 can be a 3 wheel stroller, and the frame is not limited to a particular number of front or rear wheel struts. The specific construction and arrangement of the frame members and platform members can be varied. However, the platform enclosure member 34 is provided in the use position generally parallel to the platform member 54, and the cloth platform enclosure is connected to the platform enclosure member and the handle or other frame portion, and is required to define the base and the sidewall of the pet seating area. The upper and lower canopy bars are also provided and are pivotally mounted to the frame assembly to extend or retract a canopy over the pet seating area. The cloth and mesh canopy assembly is connected to the handle and the upper and lower canopy bars. The latch is connected to the platform enclosure member. Other features of the invention can also be used with the 3 wheel stroller arrangement.
While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art from the present disclosure that changes may be made to the above described embodiment of the invention without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention covers all modifications that are within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims and/or shown in the attached drawings.
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Entry |
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*Stefanplast Gulliver Touring IATA Pet Carrier Divider, 4 pages, downloaded on Jun. 30, 2016, https://www.pawrus.com.sg/stefanplast-gulliver-touring-iata-pet-carrier-divider. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20180222510 A1 | Aug 2018 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62366269 | Jul 2016 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15658602 | Jul 2017 | US |
Child | 15945239 | US |