초록 ▼

A foldable frame for a stroller having front and rear legs with wheels disposed at the ends thereof and a handle support joined at a folding mechanism. The folding mechanism synchronizes motion of the front leg and handle to collapse them adjacent to the rear leg. The mechanism also actuates a swive

A foldable frame for a stroller having front and rear legs with wheels disposed at the ends thereof and a handle support joined at a folding mechanism. The folding mechanism synchronizes motion of the front leg and handle to collapse them adjacent to the rear leg. The mechanism also actuates a swivel mechanism on a front wheel that swivels the front wheel to a predetermined position optimized to allow the stroller to be supported by the wheels when folded.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A foldable stroller frame comprising: a frame having a pair of front legs, a pair of rear legs, and a handle;right and left folding mechanisms connecting respective front legs, rear legs, and the handle in a manner to synchronize movement thereof between folded and deployed positions; anda swivel

1. A foldable stroller frame comprising: a frame having a pair of front legs, a pair of rear legs, and a handle;right and left folding mechanisms connecting respective front legs, rear legs, and the handle in a manner to synchronize movement thereof between folded and deployed positions; anda swivel assembly connecting a front wheel to at least one of the pair of front legs, the swivel assembly enabling rotating movement of the front wheel about a generally upstanding swivel axis and having a cam surface sloped between a high point and a low point encircling the swivel axis, the swivel assembly further having a positioner moveable by an actuator in engaging and releasing directions that, when moved in the engaging direction, contacts the cam surface and rotates the front wheel toward a predetermined position, the actuator connecting to at least one of the folding mechanisms to move the positioner to the engaged position when the stroller is moved from the deployed position toward the folded position. 2. The foldable stroller frame of claim 1, wherein, the positioner, upon making contact with the cam surface when moving in the engaging direction, continues movement in the engaging direction causing the cam to rotate until the positioner rests at the low point at which no further movement in the engaging direction is permitted. 3. The foldable stroller frame of claim 2, wherein the positioner includes a spring to bias the positioner for movement in the engaging direction. 4. The foldable stroller frame of claim 3, wherein the actuator is a cable connecting the at least one folding mechanism and the positioner, the cable being tensioned by the folding mechanism to move the positioner in the releasing direction as the stroller frame is moved toward the deployed position. 5. The foldable stroller of claim 4, wherein each folding mechanism further comprises: a base member connected to a respective rear leg;a first member support pivotally connected to the base member, the first member support having an extension axis and an offset connector spaced apart from the first member extension axis and moving in an arc as the first member support is pivoted;a second member support pivotally connected to the base member, the second member support having an extension axis and an offset connector spaced apart from the second member extension axis; anda link member connecting the first member offset connector and the second member offset connector, the link member causing simultaneous pivotal movement of the second member support when the first member support is pivoted. 6. The foldable stroller frame of claim 5, wherein the first member support is connected to the front leg, the second member support is connected to the rear leg, and the first and second extension axes are generally aligned when the stroller frame is in the deployed position. 7. The foldable stroller frame of claim 6, further comprising a retainer for maintaining the frame in the deployed position, the retainer having an elongate articulated link connecting at opposing ends to one of the front legs and to one of the rear legs on at least one side of the frame, the articulated link having a first portion and a second portion with a pivot joint intermediately disposed to enable the articulated link to move between an extended orientation and a folded position, folding movement of the articulated link toward the folded position permitting the front leg and the rear leg to move toward the folded position, the articulated link further including a selectively releasable latch for retaining the link in the extended orientation, the latch being release by a handle configured to release the latch and enable the foldable frame to be lifted, lifting movement causing the stroller frame to move toward the folded position. 8. A foldable frame for a stroller comprising: a front leg having a front wheel disposed at a distal end thereof;a rear leg having a rear wheel disposed at a distal end thereof;a handle support having a handle disposed at a distal end thereof;a folding mechanism connecting proximal ends of the front leg, the rear leg, and the handle support in a manner enabling folding movement between a folded position and a deployed position;a swivel assembly connecting the front wheel to the front leg, the swivel assembly enabling rotating movement of the front wheel about a generally upstanding swivel axis and having a cam surface sloped between a high point and a low point encircling the swivel axis, the swivel assembly further having a positioner moveable by an actuator in engaging and releasing directions that, when moved in the engaging direction, contacts the cam surface and rotates the front wheel toward a predetermined position, the actuator connecting to the folding mechanism to move the positioner to the engaged position when the stroller is moved from the deployed position toward the folded position. 9. The foldable frame of claim 8, wherein the positioner includes a spring to bias the positioner for movement in the engaging direction, the positioner, upon making contact with the cam surface when moving in the engaging direction, continues movement in the engaging direction causing the cam to rotate until the positioner rests at the low point at which no further movement in the engaging direction is permitted. 10. The foldable stroller of claim 9, wherein the folding mechanism further comprises: a base member connected to the rear leg;a first member support pivotally connected to the base member, the first member support having an extension axis and an offset connector spaced apart from the first member extension axis and moving in an arc as the first member support is pivoted;a second member support pivotally connected to the base member, the second member support having an extension axis and an offset connector spaced apart from the second member extension axis; anda link member connecting the first member offset connector and the second member offset connector, the link member causing simultaneous pivotal movement of the second member support when the first member support is pivoted. 11. The foldable stroller of claim 10, wherein the actuator is a cable connecting the first offset connector and the positioner, the cable being tensioned by the folding mechanism to move the positioner in the releasing direction as the stroller is moved toward the deployed position. 12. The foldable stroller of claim 10, wherein the link member further comprises: a first link portion pivotally connected at one end to the first member offset connector; anda second link portion pivotally connected at one end to the second member offset connector;the opposite ends of the first and second link portions pivotally connected together at a link pivot point, the link pivot point being constrained to bi-directional movement in a guide structure formed in the base member, the first and second link portions causing simultaneous pivotal movement of the second member support when the first member support is pivoted. 13. A foldable stroller frame comprising: a front leg having a front wheel disposed at a distal end thereof;a rear leg having a rear wheel disposed at a distal end thereof;a handle support having a handle disposed at a distal end thereof; anda folding mechanism connecting proximal ends of the front leg, the rear leg, and the handle support, the folding mechanism having a base member connected to the rear leg, a first member support pivotally connected to the base member, the first member support having an extension axis and an offset connector spaced apart from the first member extension axis and moving in an arc as the first member support is pivoted, a second member support pivotally connected to the base member, the second member support having an extension axis and an offset connector spaced apart from the second member extension axis, and a link member connecting the first member offset connector and the second member offset connector, the link member causing simultaneous pivotal movement of the second member support when the first member support is pivoted. 14. The foldable stroller frame of claim 13, further comprising a swivel assembly connecting the front wheel to the front leg, the swivel assembly enabling rotating movement of the front wheel about a generally upstanding swivel axis, the swivel assembly further having a positioner moveable by an actuator in engaging and releasing directions and having a spring to bias movement thereof in the engaging direction, the positioner, when moved in the engaging direction, rotates the front wheel toward a predetermined position, the actuator connecting to the folding mechanism to move the positioner to the engaged position when the stroller is moved from the deployed position toward the folded position. 15. The foldable frame of claim 14, wherein the swivel assembly further includes a cam surface encircling the swivel axis, fixed in relation and aligned generally orthogonally thereto, the cam surface positioned to enable the positioner to contact the cam surface, the cam surface sloped between a high point and a low point, the positioner making contact with the cam surface when moving in the engaging direction, continued movement in the engaging direction causing the cam to rotate until the positioner rests at the low point at which no further movement in the engaging direction is permitted. 16. The foldable stroller of claim 15, wherein the actuator is a cable connecting the folding mechanism and the positioner, the cable being tensioned by the folding mechanism to move the positioner in the releasing direction as the stroller is moved toward the deployed position. 17. The foldable stroller frame of claim 15, wherein the caster mechanism further includes a cam surface encircling a general upright swivel axis, fixed in relation and aligned generally orthogonally thereto, the cam surface positioned to enable the plunger to contact the cam surface, the cam surface sloped between a high point and a low point, the plunger making contact with the cam surface when in the engaged position, continued movement in an engaging direction causing initial contact at the engaged position causing the cam to rotate until the plunger rests at the low point at which no further movement in the engaging direction is permitted. 18. The foldable stroller of claim 17, wherein the actuator is a cable tensioned by the folding mechanism as the stroller is moved toward the deployed position. 19. The foldable stroller of claim 18, wherein the plunger includes a biasing element to urge the plunger toward the engaged position when the actuator cable is detensioned.