초록 ▼

The invention is an apparatus and method of using same for controlling the positioning of one or more of the seats for a vehicle, such as a double stroller, with an actuating mechanism beneath the seat that controls the seating arrangement from a tandem arrangement to a lateral arrangement and vice

The invention is an apparatus and method of using same for controlling the positioning of one or more of the seats for a vehicle, such as a double stroller, with an actuating mechanism beneath the seat that controls the seating arrangement from a tandem arrangement to a lateral arrangement and vice versa, in addition to the seat's pivoting, sliding and revolving. The apparatus comprises a frame anchored to the stroller, the frame having a plurality of stop members and supporting a ring carriage; a ring revolvably captured within the ring carriage; and an actuating mechanism beneath the seat, the mechanism comprising: a handle and a support housing for supporting the mechanism over the ring, for housing a sliding means for sliding the seat, and for supporting a revolving means for revolving the seat, along with the ring, around the frame and a pivoting means for pivoting the seat.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus for controlling the positioning of one or more seats for a vehicle, said apparatus comprising a frame anchored to the vehicle, said frame having a plurality of stop members and supporting a ring carriage; a ring revolvably captured within said ring carriage; and an actuating mechanis

1. An apparatus for controlling the positioning of one or more seats for a vehicle, said apparatus comprising a frame anchored to the vehicle, said frame having a plurality of stop members and supporting a ring carriage; a ring revolvably captured within said ring carriage; and an actuating mechanism beneath the seat, said mechanism comprising: a pivoting means for pivoting the seat, a sliding means for sliding the seat, a revolving means for revolving the seat around said frame, a handle for actuating said mechanism and for guiding the seat's pivoting, sliding and revolving, and a support housing for supporting the mechanism over the ring, for housing said sliding means, and for supporting said pivoting means and said revolving means. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, said handle comprising a handgrip; a depressible lock and a distal end for engaging with said pivoting means. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, said support housing comprising an elongated casing for housing said sliding means, said sliding means for sliding the seat outwardly and inwardly, and for supporting said pivoting means comprising a pivot point, said casing having a longitudinal edge and having a plurality of sliding slots for receiving at least one sliding pin; and a slidable base for sliding along the edge of said casing, said base having at least one stop member receiver for receiving one of said stop members and having a valley for removably connecting said mechanism to said ring. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, said sliding means comprising a slidable slide traveler for travelling within said casing. 5. The apparatus of claim 3, said mechanism further comprising a locking assembly for actuating said pivoting means, sliding means and revolving means. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, said locking assembly selected from the group consisting of a spring-biased assembly, a gear-set assembly, rocker arms assembly and combinations thereof. 7. The apparatus of claim 5, said locking assembly comprising a spring-biased assembly, and a plurality of locking slots for engaging with the distal end of said handle to lock the pivoting of the seat. 8. The apparatus of claim 3, said revolving means comprising said ring revolving, along with the seat, around said frame; at least one of said stop member receivers for receiving one of said stop members; and said base removably connecting said mechanism to said ring. 9. The apparatus of claim 1, said mechanism further comprising a lateral stop member receiver for receiving one of said stop members when the seats are in a lateral arrangement. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, said mechanism facilitating the configuration of the facing of at least one seat selected from the group consisting of both seats forward facing; both seats rearward facing; both seats inward facing; both seats outward facing; both seats left facing; both seats right facing; first seat forward, second seat right facing; first seat forward, second seat left facing; first seat rearward, second seat right facing; first seat rearward, second seat left facing; first seat left facing, second seat forward facing; first seat left facing, second seat rearward facing; first seat left facing, second seat right facing; first seat right facing, second seat forward facing; first seat right facing, second seat rearward facing; first seat right facing, second seat left facing; and combinations thereof. 11. The apparatus of claim 1, the positioning of the seats including at least two seats in tandem arrangement, said mechanism facilitating the configuration of the facings of the two seats selected from the group consisting of both seats forward facing; both seats rearward facing; both seats inward facing; both seats outward facing; both seats left facing; both seats right facing; first seat forward, second seat right facing; first seat forward, second seat left facing; first seat rearward, second seat right facing; first seat rearward, second seat left facing; first seat left facing, second seat forward facing; first seat left facing, second seat rearward facing; first seat left facing, second seat right facing; first seat right facing, second seat forward facing; first seat right facing, second seat rearward facing; first seat right facing, second seat left facing; and combinations thereof. 12. The apparatus of claim 1, the positioning of the seats including at least two seats in lateral arrangement, said mechanism facilitating the configuration of the facing of the two seats selected from the group consisting of both seats forward facing; both seats rearward facing; first seat forward facing, second seat rearward facing; first seat forward facing, second seat left facing; first seat forward facing, second seat right facing; first seat rearward facing, second seat forward facing; first seat rearward facing, second seat left facing; first seat rearward facing, second seat right facing; both seats left facing; first seat left facing, second seat forward facing; first seat left facing, second seat rearward facing; first seat left facing, second seat right facing; both seats right facing; first seat right facing, second seat forward facing; first seat right facing, second seat rearward facing; and first seat right facing, second seat left facing. 13. An apparatus for controlling the positioning of one or more seats for a stroller, said apparatus comprising a frame anchored to the stroller, said frame having a plurality of stop members and supporting a ring carriage; a ring revolvably captured within said ring carriage; and an actuating mechanism beneath the seat, said mechanism comprising: a handle having a handgrip, a depressible lock, and a distal end; and a support housing for supporting the mechanism over the ring, for housing a sliding means for sliding the seat outwardly and inwardly, and for supporting a revolving means for revolving the seat, along with said ring, around said frame and a pivoting means having a pivot point for pivoting the seat; said support housing comprising an elongated casing for housing said sliding means, said casing having a longitudinal edge and having a plurality of sliding slots for receiving at least one sliding pin; and a slidable base for sliding along the edge of said casing, said base having at least one stop member receiver for receiving one of said stop members and having a valley for removably connecting said mechanism to said ring. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, said sliding means comprising a slidable slide traveler for travelling within said casing; at least one said sliding pin; and a plurality of said sliding slots. 15. The apparatus of claim 13, said pivoting means further comprising a spring-biased locking assembly, a plurality of locking slots and the distal end of said handle for locking said pivoting means. 16. The method of controlling the positioning of one or more of seats for a vehicle using an apparatus having a frame anchored to the vehicle, said frame having a plurality of stop members and supporting a ring carriage; a ring revolvably captured within said ring carriage; and an actuating mechanism beneath the seat, said mechanism comprising: a handle having a handgrip, a depressible lock and a distal end; and a support housing having an elongated casing for housing said sliding means for sliding the seat outwardly and inwardly, for supporting a revolving means for revolving the seat, along with said ring, around said frame and a pivoting means having a pivot point for pivoting the seat, said method comprising the steps of: a. actuating said mechanism by pulling and pressing said handle's depressible lock to actuate said pivoting means, sliding means and revolving means;b. pivoting the seat about said pivot point beneath the seat;c. sliding the seat outwardly and inwardly on a slidable slide traveler for travelling within said casing;d. revolving the seat, along with said ring, around said frame to one of said stop members; ande. locking said mechanism by pushing said handle's distal end into said pivoting means further comprising a locking assembly to lock the seat's pivoting, engaging said sliding means further comprising a sliding pin with said casing having a plurality of sliding slots to lock the seat's sliding, and engaging said support housing having a slidable base comprising at least one stop member receiver for receiving said stop member to lock the seat's revolving. 17. The method of claim 16, the positioning of the seats including at least two seats, the step further comprising converting the seats from a tandem arrangement to a lateral arrangement by actuating each seat's said mechanism, revolving said ring and the seats around the frame, and locking said mechanism to one of the said stop members. 18. The method of claim 17, the positioning of the seats including at least two seats in a tandem arrangement, the step further comprising using said mechanism to facilitate the configuration of the facings of the two seats selected from the group consisting of both seats forward facing; both seats rearward facing; both seats inward facing; both seats outward facing; both seats left facing; both seats right facing; first seat forward, second seat right facing; first seat forward, second seat left facing; first seat rearward, second seat right facing; first seat rearward, second seat left facing; first seat left facing, second seat forward facing; first seat left facing, second seat rearward facing; first seat left facing, second seat right facing; first seat right facing, second seat forward facing; first seat right facing, second seat rearward facing; first seat right facing, second seat left facing; and combinations thereof. 19. The method of claim 17, the positioning of the seats including at least two seats in a lateral arrangement, the step further comprising using said mechanism to facilitate the two seats facing configuration selected from the group consisting of both seats forward facing; both seats rearward facing; first seat forward facing, second seat rearward facing; first seat forward facing, second seat left facing; first seat forward facing, second seat right facing; first seat rearward facing, second seat forward facing; first seat rearward facing, second seat left facing; first seat rearward facing, second seat right facing; both seats left facing; first seat left facing, second seat forward facing; first seat left facing, second seat rearward facing; first seat left facing, second seat right facing; both seats right facing; first seat right facing, second seat forward facing; first seat right facing, second seat rearward facing; and first seat right facing, second seat left facing.