Patent Application
20060071453
This disclosure relates generally to strollers for infants and children, and, more particularly, to ventilated strollers and methods of ventilating strollers.
Strollers are commonly used by parents to transport infants and small children. Typically, strollers include a wheeled frame, a handle and a seat to receive a stroller occupant. The seat typically includes a seat bottom, side supports and/or a back support. For foldable strollers such as umbrella strollers, the seat bottom, the side supports and/or the back support are constructed of sufficiently strong, flexible materials to allow the stroller to be collapsed into a smaller size when not in use.
Strollers are used in a variety of climate conditions, varying from hot to cold temperatures, pleasant to inclement weather, etc. As such, it is desirable to provide protection from weather elements for the stroller occupant. Such protection is commonly provided by a canopy which may be extended or retracted above the seat of the stroller.
The example stroller 10 of
The example wheeled frame 12 also includes upper support arms 22, each of which terminates in a respective one of the handles 14. Hinged couplings 24 respectively couple a corresponding one of the upper support arms 22 with a respective one of the front legs 18. Additionally, hinged couplings 26 respectively couple a corresponding one of the upper support arms 22 with a respective one of the rear legs 20.
To provide lateral support between the opposite sides of the frame 12, the wheeled frame 12 includes two posterior lateral support arms 28 and two bottom lateral support arms 30. The posterior lateral support arms 28 are crossed with respect to one another. Similarly, the bottom lateral support arms 30 are crossed with respect to one another. Hinged couplings 32 respectively couple a corresponding one of the posterior lateral support arms 28 to a respective one of the upper support arms 22. Similarly, hinged couplings 34 respectively couple a corresponding one of the posterior lateral support arms 28 to a respective one of the rear legs 20. Hinged couplings 36 respectively couple a corresponding one of the bottom lateral support arms 30 with respective ones of the front legs 18. Additionally, hinged couplings 38 respectively couple a corresponding one of the bottom lateral support arms 30 with respective ones of the rear legs 20. Although not shown, conventional pivotable couplings are used to couple the posterior lateral support arms 28 to one another and/or couple the bottom lateral support arms 30 to one another to further reinforce the structural integrity of the wheeled frame 12.
In the illustrated example, seat support arms 46 are pivotably coupled to respective ones of the legs 18, 20 of the frame 12. Each of the seat arms 46 projects at an upward and forward angle from the front legs 18. Hinged couplings 48 respectively couple a corresponding one of the seat support arms 46 to a respective one of the rear legs 20. Additionally, hinged couplings 50 respectively couple a corresponding one of the seat support arms 46 to a respective one of the front legs 18.
The hinged couplings 24, 26, 32, 34, 36, 38, 48 and 50 enable the wheeled frame 12 to be collapsed for convenient storage and/or transport when the stroller 10 is not in use. To secure the hinged couplings 24, 26, 32, 34, 36, 38, 48 and 50 when the stroller 10 is in use, the wheeled frame 12 includes a conventional locking mechanism 40. The example locking mechanism 40 shown in the drawings includes a pair of pivotable arms that may be locked in an extended position, thereby securing the hinged couplings 24, 26, 32, 34, 36, 38, 48, and 50 to prevent the wheeled frame 12 from collapsing.
The illustrated example stroller 10 includes a brake 41 to substantially secure one of the rear wheels of the stroller 10 against rolling movement. Although not shown in the figures, the stroller 10 preferably includes a second brake which is identical to the first brake 41, but positioned to secure the rear wheels 16 on the opposite side of the stroller against rolling movement.
The illustrated example stroller 10 also includes a conventional footrest positioned between the front legs 18. The footrest may be implemented by, for example, a pliable strap.
Although not shown in the illustrated example, persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the stroller 10 of
In the illustrated example, the wheeled frame 12 supports a seat for carrying a child and a child restraint (e.g., a seat belt) to secure the child in the seat. The illustrated seat includes a seat bottom 42 and a seat back 44. The seat is coupled to, and supported by, the upper support arms 22 and the seat support arms 46.
The seat bottom 42 and the seat back 44 may be integrally formed or separate. Furthermore, the seat bottom 42 and/or the seat back 44 may be permanently coupled or detachably coupled to the frame 12. For some applications, a permanent coupling may be desired, whereas for other applications, a detachable coupling may be desired (e.g., to facilitate cleaning of the seat).
The illustrated seat back 44 includes side supports 52 and a back support 54. The back support 54 includes a mesh panel 56 to provide ventilation. To allow the stroller 10 to be collapsed when not in use, the seat bottom 42 and/or the back 44 may be constructed from a flexible material, such as a cotton fabric, a polyester fabric, nylon, vinyl, etc., or from any combination thereof. The mesh panel 56 may be implemented by a fine-pitch or coarse-pitch mesh having any orientation, such as a horizontal/vertical weave, an angular weave, a patterned weave, etc. Additionally, the mesh panel 56 may be integrally formed in the back support 54, or the panel 56 and the remainder of the back support 54 may be separate structures joined together by, for example, sewing, bonding, etc.
To selectively expose or occlude the mesh panel 56 and, thus, to permit or prevent ventilation of the seat through the mesh panel 56, the illustrated example stroller includes a cover 58. The cover 58 may be positioned in a closed position (illustratively, the example position shown in
The cover 58 may be integrally coupled to the seat back 54. Alternatively, the cover 58 may be coupled directly to the frame 12 (e.g., removably or permanently), or detachably coupled to the seat back 54.
In the illustrated example, the cover 58 may be rolled or folded from the closed position into the opened position. When so folded, the cover 58 extends outwardly from the front surface of the seat back 54 to form a headrest for use by a child seated in the stroller 10 as shown in
To releasably secure the cover 58 in the opened position of
In the illustrated example, two hook and loop fasteners 110 are located on the front of the cover 58, four hook and loop fasteners 112 are located on the back of the cover 58 (see
To facilitate securement of the cover 58 in the opened position of
Persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that, although the illustrated example employs four pairs of fasteners 110, 112, any other number of fasteners may alternatively be employed (e.g., one fastener, two fasteners, three fasteners, five fasteners, etc.). Further, although the illustrated example divides the cover into four substantially equal sections, any number of equal or unequal sections (including none) can be employed. Similarly, any number of folds (including none) to move the cover 58 from the closed position to the opened position.
To ensure that the cover 58 does not interfere with the operation of the child restraint 212, the cover 58 is provided with openings 210. As shown in
A side view of the example seat bottom 42, the example seat back 54 and the example cover 58 of
In use, the stroller may be ventilated by moving a cover from a closed position to an opened position to expose at least a portion of a mesh area in a seat. The cover may then be secured in the opened position. Moving the cover may include folding or rolling the cover to shape the cover into a headrest. Moving the cover may also include removing a child restraint from an opening in the cover.
The amount of ventilation of the stroller may be reduced by releasing the cover; and moving the cover into the closed position to cover the mesh area. When moving the cover into the closed position, one may also position at least a portion of a child restraint in an opening in the cover.
From the foregoing, persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many modifications of the illustrated strollers and/or methods are possible. For example, the foldable cover 58 may or may not include the padded regions 310 and/or seams 121. As another example, the foldable cover 58 may include additional fasteners such that the foldable cover 58 may be placed in one or more partially opened positions, thereby allowing a finer regulation of the airflow through the mesh panel 56. As yet another example, the seat bottom 42 may also include a mesh panel, and the foldable cover 58 may be extended to cover, either partially or completely, this additional mesh panel. Additionally, one or more additional covers may be used to cover one or more mesh panel(s). Further, although the illustrated seat back 54 includes a mesh panel 56, persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the entire seat back 54 and/or the entire seat bottom 42 may alternatively be mesh.
Although certain example methods and apparatus have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods and apparatus fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.
