HK1142044B - Stroller - Google Patents

Description

Baby carriage

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a stroller in which a handle is swingable between a position inclined forward and a position inclined rearward, and more particularly, to a stroller in which wheels provided on front or rear legs are automatically switched between a state in which the wheels are swingable or not swingable in a front-rear direction of the stroller depending on the position of the handle.

Background

Conventionally, a stroller in which an infant is seated while facing forward in a traveling direction is known. In recent years, strollers having a handle that can swing between a first position (a front push position) inclined forward relative to a vertical axis and a second position (a rear push position) inclined rearward relative to the vertical axis in a side view have also become widely used. In such a stroller, when the handle is at the second position, the operator (protector) can hold the handle from the back side of the infant and push the stroller forward in the traveling direction. On the other hand, when the handle is in the first position, the operator can push the stroller forward by holding the handle from a position on the front leg side facing the infant and setting the rear leg side to the traveling direction.

However, in consideration of the operability of the stroller, it is preferable that the wheels of the legs attached to the front side in the traveling direction be rotatable with respect to the front-rear direction, and the wheels of the legs attached to the rear side in the traveling direction be not rotatable with respect to the front-rear direction. Further, japanese patent laying-open No. 2002-284015 discloses a stroller in which wheels provided on front and rear legs are automatically switched to a turnable or unrotatable state with respect to a front-rear direction in accordance with a position of a handle.

In the stroller disclosed in japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2002-284015, the lock switching member is slidably provided on the front leg. The lock switching member is pushed by the handle that swings to the first position (the opposite push position) and slides, and thereby the wheel can be switched to a rotatable state or a non-rotatable state.

However, generally, the tilt angle of the front legs and the swing range of the handle need to be set in relation to other structures of the stroller in consideration of riding comfort, operability, and the like. Therefore, in all the strollers, the direction in which the handle presses the lock switching member cannot coincide with the slidable direction of the lock switching member, i.e., the direction in which the front leg extends. Therefore, the lock switching member cannot be smoothly slid by the rocking of the handle, in other words, the lock switching member cannot be reliably and stably operated by the handle. In general, from the viewpoint of ease of grasping the handle or ease of operating the handle, it may be inappropriate to pivot the handle to a position lateral to the front leg due to the overall structure of the stroller. At this time, the lock switching member cannot be pressed even by swinging the handle.

In addition, in the stroller disclosed in japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2002-284015, the states of the two wheels, the front wheel and the rear wheel, are switched by one lock switching member provided on the front leg. With such a configuration, although the advantage of reducing the number of parts can be obtained, there is a possibility that stable switching operation cannot be reliably performed.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a stroller in which the wheel state can be switched more stably and reliably in accordance with the position of a handle.

The baby carriage of the invention comprises: a frame part having a handrail and front and rear legs connected to the handrail; a handle swingably coupled to the frame portion between a first position and a second position; a caster mechanism provided on at least one of the front leg and the rear leg and including a wheel, a wheel holder rotatably and turnably holding the wheel, and a lock member movable between a lock position for restricting turning of the wheel and a lock release position for turning the wheel; a switching mechanism supported by the armrest of the frame portion and including a lock switching member that is pushed and moved by the handle that swings to the first position or the second position; and a transmission member provided between the switching mechanism and the caster mechanism, the transmission member transmitting a movement of the lock switching member to the lock member to move the lock member from the unlock position to the lock position or from the lock position to the unlock position.

In the stroller according to the present invention, it is preferable that the lock switching member is movable in a direction substantially along a movement locus of a contact portion between the handle and the lock switching member when the handle is swung to contact the lock switching member.

In the stroller according to the present invention, the caster mechanism for front leg may be provided at a lower end of the front leg, the caster mechanism for rear leg may be provided at a lower end of the rear leg, the first switching mechanism engaged with the handle at the first position may be provided at the armrest, the second switching mechanism engaged with the handle at the second position may be provided, the first transmission member may be provided between the first switching mechanism and one of the caster mechanism for front leg and the caster mechanism for rear leg, and the second transmission member may be provided between the second switching mechanism and the other of the caster mechanism for front leg and the caster mechanism for rear leg. In such a stroller, it is preferable that the turning of the wheel of the caster mechanism for rear leg is restricted when the handle is swung to the second position, and the turning of the wheel of the caster mechanism for front leg is restricted when the handle is swung to the first position. In such a stroller, the handle may be inclined forward at the first position and inclined rearward at the second position.

In the stroller according to the present invention, an engagement member that engages with the handle to lock the handle at the first position may be provided on an armrest, and the lock switching member of the first switching mechanism may be disposed in the vicinity of the engagement member.

In the stroller according to the present invention, an engagement member that engages with the handle and locks the handle at the second position may be provided in an armrest, and the lock switching member of the second switching mechanism may be disposed in the vicinity of the engagement member.

In the stroller according to the present invention, the transmission member may include a wire rod having both ends attached to the lock switching member of the switching mechanism and the lock member of the caster mechanism, respectively, and a tubular member held by the frame portion, and the wire rod may be slidably inserted into the tubular member relative to the tubular member. In such a stroller, the tubular member may extend in the front leg or the rear leg of the frame portion. Alternatively, in such a stroller, the tubular member may be held on an outer surface of a front leg or an outer surface of a rear leg of the frame portion.

According to the stroller of the present invention, the wheel state can be switched more stably and reliably according to the position of the handle.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view for explaining an overall structure of a stroller according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the stroller showing a state in which the handle is disposed at the second position (back pushing position). Fig. 3 is a side view of the stroller showing a state in which the handle is disposed at the first position (push-to-push position). Fig. 4 is a side view showing the caster mechanism for the front leg. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the caster mechanism for front leg shown in fig. 4, showing a state in which the lock member is disposed at the lock release position. Fig. 6 is a sectional view corresponding to fig. 5, showing a state in which the lock member is arranged at the lock position. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII of fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a side view showing the caster mechanism for rear legs. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of the caster mechanism for rear legs shown in fig. 8, showing a state in which the lock member is disposed at the lock position. Fig. 10 is a view for explaining the switching mechanism, and is a partial side view showing the stroller.

Detailed Description

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 to 10 are views for explaining an embodiment of a stroller according to the present invention. In which the overall structure of the stroller is shown in figures 1 to 3. As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the stroller 10 of the present embodiment includes a frame portion 20 having front legs 22 and rear legs 24, and a handle 50 swingably coupled to the frame portion 20. Further, a caster mechanism 60 for front legs having a front wheel 61 is provided at a lower end of the front leg 22 of the frame portion 20, and a caster mechanism 80 for rear legs having a rear wheel 81 is provided at a lower end of the rear leg 24 of the frame portion 20.

In the present embodiment, the stroller 10 is foldable as widely spread (for example, japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2006-117012). In the stroller 10 of the present embodiment, both the modes are possible in which the operator (a guardian) can manipulate the stroller 10 by swinging the handle 50 with respect to the frame portion 20 from the back side of the infant holding the handle 50 and move the infant forward in the traveling direction and the operator can manipulate the stroller 10 by holding the handle 50 from the position on the front leg side facing the infant and move the stroller 10 forward in the traveling direction with respect to the rear leg side of the stroller 10.

Here, in the present specification, terms such as "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "front-rear direction" and "up-down direction" with respect to the stroller, when not particularly specified, mean "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "front-rear direction" and "up-down direction" with reference to an infant seated on the stroller 10 in the deployed state. More specifically, the "front-rear direction" of the stroller 10 is a direction connecting the lower left and upper right of the paper of fig. 1, and corresponds to the left-right direction of the paper of fig. 2 and 3. Note that "front" is a side toward which an infant riding on the vehicle faces, and the lower left side of the paper of fig. 1 and the left side of the paper of fig. 2 and 3 are the front side of the stroller 10, unless otherwise specified. On the other hand, the "up-down direction" of the stroller 10 is a direction perpendicular to the front-back direction and perpendicular to the ground surface. Therefore, when the ground plane is horizontal, "up-down direction" refers to the vertical direction. The "lateral direction" is a width direction and is a direction perpendicular to any of the "front-back direction" and the "up-down direction".

First, the frame portion 20 and the handle 50 will be described as an overall structure of the stroller. As shown in fig. 1, the stroller 10 of the present embodiment is generally symmetrical about a transverse center plane in the front-rear direction. As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the frame portion 20 of the present embodiment includes: a pair of front legs 22 disposed on the left and right, respectively; a pair of rear legs 24 disposed on the left and right, respectively; a pair of armrests 28 disposed on the left and right, respectively; a pair of connecting rods 26 disposed on the left and right sides, respectively.

The front leg 22, the rear leg 24, and the connecting rod 26 are formed of a tubular member, for example, a pipe made of an aluminum alloy. Meanwhile, the handrail 28 is formed of, for example, resin. The upper end of the front leg 22 is rotatably (swingably) connected to the front portion of the armrest 28 disposed on the corresponding side (left or right side). Similarly, the upper end of the rear leg 24 is rotatably (swingably) coupled to the front portion of the armrest 28 disposed on the corresponding side (left or right side). The upper portion of the link 26 is rotatably (swingably) connected to the rear portion of the armrest 28 disposed on the corresponding side (left or right side).

The frame portion 20 further includes a left side connecting member 32 that connects the left front leg 22 and the left connecting rod 26, and a right side connecting member 32 that connects the right front leg 22 and the right connecting rod 26. The front portion of each side coupling member 32 is rotatably coupled to the middle portion of the front leg 22, and the rear portion thereof is rotatably coupled to the lower portion of the coupling rod 26. The side connecting member 32 is formed of a plate material made of, for example, an aluminum alloy. The frame portion 20 further includes a left bracket 34 that connects the left rear leg 24 and the left connecting rod 26, and a right bracket 34 that connects the right rear leg 24 and the right connecting rod 26. A part of each bracket 34 is rotatably (swingably) coupled to the middle portion of the rear leg 24, and the other part is rotatably coupled to the lower portion of the link rod 26.

The stroller 10 of the present embodiment includes, as laterally extending components, a front upper connecting stay 36 connecting the pair of front legs 22, a leg plate 38, and a rear upper connecting stay 40 connecting the pair of rear legs 24. A bendable protection member 42 is detachably provided between the pair of armrests 28.

The handle 50 is swingably connected to the frame portion 20 having such a structure. As shown in fig. 1, in the present embodiment, the handle 50 includes a pair of substantially linear portions 51a extending substantially parallel to each other and an intermediate portion 51b connecting the pair of linear portions 51a, and has a substantially U-shape as a whole. The handle 50 is rotatably (swingably) connected to the bracket 34 on the corresponding side at both ends of the U-shape. The rotation axis (pivot center) of the handle 50 with respect to the bracket 34 coincides with the rotation axes of the bracket 34 and the connecting rod 26, and the rotation axes of the connecting rod 26 and the side connecting member 32. With such a configuration, as shown in fig. 2 and 3, the handle 50 swings with respect to the frame portion 20, and the linear portion 51a of the handle 50 moves along the armrest 28 on the side of the armrest 28.

The handle 50 has engaging members 55 on a pair of linear portions 51a that are movable laterally of the armrest 28. Each engaging member 55 is slidable along the linear portion 51a relative to the linear portion 51 a. The handle 50 also has a remote operation device 53 for remotely operating the sliding of the engaging member 55 at the intermediate portion 51 b. On the other hand, as shown in fig. 2 and 3, each armrest 28 is provided with a pair of engaging members (engaging projections, not shown in fig. 1) 30a and 30b that engage with the slide member 55 to regulate the rotation of the handle 50. Further, by operating the remote operation device 53 to slide the slide member 55 upward, the engagement between the slide member 55 and the engagement members 30a and 30b can be released.

The engagement protrusion 30a provided at the front engages with the engagement member 55 to be locked with each other, and as shown in fig. 3, the handle 50 is fixed at a first position (opposite pushing position) P1. When the handle 50 is fixed at the first position P1, the handle 50 is inclined forward of the stroller 10 (inclined toward the front leg) from a position (position indicated by a one-dot chain line in fig. 3) inverted along the vertical axis on the pivot axis (pivot center) in a side view, and extends substantially parallel to the rear leg 24. Then, the operator can advance the stroller 10 by holding the handle 50 from a position on the front foot side of the stroller 10 facing the infant. At this time, the rear leg side of the stroller 10 becomes the forward side in the traveling direction.

On the other hand, the engagement projection 30b provided on the rear side is engaged with the engagement member 55 to be locked with each other, and the handle 50 is fixed at the second position (back pushing position) P2 as shown in fig. 2. When the handle 50 is fixed at the second position P2, the handle 50 is inclined rearward of the stroller 10 (inclined toward the rear leg) from a position (position indicated by the one-dot chain line in fig. 2) inverted along the vertical axis on the pivot axis (pivot center) in a side view, and extends substantially parallel to the connecting rod 26. Then, the operator can hold the handle 50 from a position on the rear foot side of the stroller 10 on the rear surface side of the infant and advance the stroller 10 forward in the traveling direction. At this time, the front leg side of the stroller 10 becomes the forward side in the traveling direction.

In addition, the stroller 10 having the above-described overall structure can be folded by rotating the respective components with respect to each other. Specifically, the handle 50 disposed at the second position P2 is lifted upward and then pushed downward, whereby the bracket 34 is rotated clockwise in fig. 2 with respect to the rear leg 24. With this operation, the armrest 28 and the side coupling member 32 are rotated clockwise in fig. 2 with respect to the coupling rod 26. By such an operation, the handle 50 is disposed substantially parallel to the front leg 22 in a side view, and the disposition position of the handle 50 is lowered. As described above, the stroller 10 can be folded to reduce the dimensions of the stroller in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction. On the other hand, in order to unfold the stroller 10 from the folded state, the procedure opposite to the folding operation described above is only required.

Next, the caster mechanism 60 for the front leg will be described mainly with reference to fig. 4 to 7. As described above, the caster mechanisms 60 for front leg are provided at the lower ends of the pair of front legs 22, respectively. The two caster mechanisms 60 for front leg have the same structure. As shown in fig. 4 to 6, the caster mechanism 60 includes: front wheels (wheels) 61; a wheel holder 62 for rotatably holding the front wheel 61 and rotatably holding the front wheel in the front-rear direction of the stroller 10; and a lock member 75 provided on the wheel holder 62 and movable between a lock position P11 where the wheel 61 is restricted from turning and a lock release position P12 where the wheel 61 can be turned. As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the wheel holder 62 includes a base portion 63 fixed to the front leg 22, a shaft 66 fixed to the base portion 63 by a pin 63a, and a holding portion 67 coupled to the shaft 66.

The holding portion 67 includes a first member 68 coupled to the shaft 66 via a bearing 70, and a second member 72 coupled to the first member 68 via a pin 72 a. The shaft 66 extends substantially perpendicular to the ground plane of the stroller 10 in the deployed state. The first member 68 is rotatable with respect to the shaft 66 via a bearing 70, with the longitudinal axis of the shaft 66 as the center. The second member 72 holds a rotating shaft 73, and front wheels 61 are held at both ends of the rotating shaft 73. That is, the second member 72 rotatably holds the wheels 61 arranged on both sides thereof. In addition, since the first member 68 rotates with respect to the shaft 66, the wheel 61 can be rotated with respect to the front-rear direction of the stroller 10. In fig. 4 to 6, one front wheel 61 is omitted.

The rotation shaft 73 extends in the lateral direction at a position shifted from the axis of the shaft 66 in the front-rear direction of the stroller 10. Therefore, when the stroller 10 is being moved, the front wheel 61 is turned in the front-rear direction of the stroller 10 such that the axis of the shaft 66 is disposed forward in the traveling direction of the stroller than the rotation shaft 73. Fig. 5 shows the caster mechanisms 60 when the stroller 10 travels forward with the front leg side as the traveling direction, and fig. 6 shows the caster mechanisms 60 when the stroller 10 travels forward with the rear leg side as the traveling direction.

As shown in fig. 4 to 6, an elastic body 71 made of, for example, rubber or the like is provided between the first member 68 and the second member 72. The elastic body 71 absorbs irregularities on the road surface on which the stroller 10 travels, and improves the stability and riding comfort of the stroller 10. The second member 72 is provided with a stopper member 74 swingably movable by a pin 74 a. The brake member 74 swings relative to the second member 72, and contacts the wheel 61 to stop the rotation of the wheel 61. That is, the brake member 74 functions as a brake of the stroller 10.

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the base 63 is provided with a lock member 75 functioning as a lock member. The locking member 75 has one end 75a thereof coupled to the base 63 by a pin 76. The lock member 75 is swingable about the pin 76 with respect to the base 63, and moves between a lock position P11 where it engages with the holding portion 67 and an unlock position P12 where it does not engage with the holding portion 67, as shown in fig. 5 and 6. In addition, as described in detail later, the lock member 75 is connected to the lock switching member 110 of the first switching mechanism 100a through the first transmission member 120. The first transmission member 120 extends through the inside of the front leg 22 to the armrest 28 (see fig. 10) supporting the first switching mechanism 100 a. As described later, the switching of the lock member 75 between the lock position P11 and the unlock position P12 is operated by the first switching mechanism 100a through the first transmission member 120.

As clearly shown in fig. 6 and 7, the portion where the first member 68 engages with the lock member 75 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. As shown in fig. 7, a recess 69b into which the lock member 75 is fitted is formed in a part of the cylindrical outer peripheral surface 69 a. The lock position P11 of the lock member 75 is a position at which the lock member 75 enters the recess 69b and the rotation of the first member 68 with respect to the shaft 66 is restricted.

In such a configuration, when the lock member 75 is disposed at the lock position P11, the turning movement of the front wheel 61 in the front-rear direction with respect to the stroller 10 can be restricted. Hereinafter, the state in which the turning motion of the wheel is restricted in this way is simply referred to as a locked state. As shown in fig. 6, when the lock member 75 is fitted into the recess 69b of the first member 68, the rotation shaft 73 extends in the lateral direction, the front wheel 61 is oriented in the front-rear direction of the stroller 10, and the axis of the shaft 66 is disposed on the rear leg side of the stroller 10 with respect to the rotation shaft 73. On the other hand, when the lock member 75 is disposed at the unlock position P12, the first member 68 is rotatable with respect to the shaft 66, and the restriction of the turning movement of the front wheel 61 in the front-rear direction is released.

The lock member 75 is biased from the unlocked position P12 to the locked position P11 by a torsion spring, not shown. Therefore, when the first transmission member 120 is loosened, the lock member 75 comes into contact with the cylindrical outer peripheral surface 69a or enters the concave portion 69 b.

Next, referring mainly to fig. 8 and 9, caster mechanisms 80 for rear legs provided at the lower ends of the pair of rear legs 24, respectively, will be described. The two caster mechanisms 80 for rear legs have the same structure. The caster mechanism 80 for rear legs has substantially the same structure as the caster mechanism 60 for front legs. That is, as shown in fig. 8 and 9, the caster mechanism 80 includes: rear wheels (wheels) 81; a wheel holder 82 for rotatably holding the rear wheel 81 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction; a lock member 95 provided on the wheel holder 82 and movable between a lock position P21 where the wheel 81 is restricted from turning and a lock release position P22 where the wheel 81 can be turned. As shown in fig. 9, the wheel holder 82 includes a base portion 83 fixed to the rear leg 24, a shaft 86 fixed to the base portion 83 by a pin 83a, and a holding portion 87 coupled to the shaft 86.

As shown in fig. 9, the holding portion 87 includes a first member 88 coupled to the shaft 86 via a bearing 90, and a second member 92 coupled to the first member 88 via a pin 92 a. The shaft 86 extends generally perpendicular to the ground plane of the stroller 10. The second member 92 rotatably holds a pair of wheels 81 via a rotating shaft 93. In addition, the first member 88 rotates with respect to the shaft 86, so that the wheel 81 can swivel with respect to the front-rear direction of the stroller 10. In fig. 8 and 9, one rear wheel 81 is omitted.

The rotation shaft 93 extends in the lateral direction at a position shifted from the axis of the shaft 86 in the front-rear direction of the stroller 10. Therefore, the wheels 81 are likely to swivel in the front-rear direction with respect to the change in the traveling direction of the stroller 10. As shown in fig. 8 and 9, an elastic body 91 made of, for example, rubber or the like is provided between the first member 88 and the second member 92. The second member 92 is provided with a stopper member 94 swingably movable by a pin 94 a.

As shown in fig. 9, a lock member 95 functioning as a lock member is provided on the base portion 83. The locking member 95 has one end 95a thereof coupled to the base 83 by a pin 96. The lock member 95 is swingable about a pin 96 with respect to the base 83, and moves between a lock position P21 where it engages with the holding portion 87 and an unlock position P22 where it does not engage with the holding portion 87, as shown in fig. 9. In addition, as described in detail later, the locking part 95 is connected to the locking switching part 110 of the second switching mechanism 100b through a second transmission member 130. The second transmission member 130 passes through the inside of the rear leg 24 and extends to the armrest 28 (see fig. 10) supporting the second switching mechanism 100 b. As described later, the switching of the lock member 95 between the lock position P21 and the unlock position P22 is operated by the second switching mechanism 100b via the second transmission member 130.

As with the caster mechanism 60 for the front leg, the portion of the first member 88 that engages with the lock member 95 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. A recess 89b into which the lock member 95 is fitted is formed in a part of the cylindrical outer peripheral surface 89 a. The lock position P21 of the lock member 95 is a position where the lock member 95 enters the recessed portion 89b and the first member 88 is restricted from rotating with respect to the shaft 86. As shown in fig. 9, when the lock member 95 is fitted into the recess 89b of the first member 88, the rotation shaft 93 extends in the lateral direction, the rear wheel 81 is oriented in the front-rear direction of the stroller 10, and the axis of the shaft 86 is disposed on the front side of the stroller 10 with respect to the rotation shaft 93.

The lock member 95 is biased from the unlocked position P22 to the locked position P21 by a torsion spring, not shown. Therefore, when the second transmission member 130 is in the relaxed state, the lock member 95 comes into contact with the cylindrical outer peripheral surface 89a or enters the concave portion 89 b.

Next, the switching mechanisms 100a and 100b will be explained. As shown in fig. 2, 3, and 10, in the present embodiment, the first switching mechanism 100a and the second switching mechanism 100b are provided on the left and right handrails 28 of the frame portion 20, respectively. In the present embodiment, the first switching mechanism 100a and the second switching mechanism 100b are disposed at different positions on the armrest 28, but have the same configuration.

As shown in fig. 2, 3, and 10, each of the switching mechanisms 100a and 100b includes a housing portion 102 formed in the armrest, and a lock switching member 110 disposed in the housing portion 102. The lock switching member 110 and the housing 102 are formed to be thin and long. The lock switching member 110 is slidable in the housing 102 in the longitudinal direction thereof and protrudes from the housing 102.

As shown in fig. 10, each lock switching member 110 is formed with a hollow portion 112 extending in the longitudinal direction thereof. On the other hand, a projection 104 fixed to the armrest 28 is disposed in the housing portion 102. The protrusion 104 is disposed in the hollow portion 112 of the lock switching member 110 that moves in the housing portion 102. Therefore, the movable range of the lock switching member 110 is defined by the position of the protrusion 104 and the shape of the hollow portion 112. Further, a compression spring 106 is disposed in the hollow portion 112, and the compression spring 106 is compressed between the projection 104 and the lock switching member 110. The lock switching member 110 is biased by the compression spring 106 to protrude outward from the housing portion 102.

As shown in fig. 10, the lock switching member 110 of the first switching mechanism 100a is disposed in the vicinity of the engaging member 30a on the front side on the armrest 28. Then, the lock switching member 110 of the first switching mechanism 100a is pressed and slid into the housing 102 while being in contact with the handle 50 that swings to the first position P1. Further, the slidable direction of the lock switching member 110 of the first switching mechanism 100a (in other words, the longitudinal direction of the lock switching member 110) is substantially along the movement locus of the portion of the handle 50 that contacts the lock switching member 110 when the handle 50 swings to the first position P1 and contacts the lock switching member 110 (L1 in fig. 10). In the present embodiment, the first switching mechanism 100a is disposed on the armrest 28 such that the longitudinal direction of the lock switching member 110 is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the linear portion 51a of the handle 50 disposed at the first position P1.

On the other hand, as shown in fig. 10, the lock switching member 110 of the second switching mechanism 100b is disposed in the vicinity of the engagement member 30b on the rear side in the armrest 28. The lock switching member 110 of the second switching mechanism 100b is pressed against the handle 50 disposed at the second position P2, and slides into the housing 102. The slidable direction of the lock switching member 110 of the second switching mechanism 100b (in other words, the longitudinal direction of the lock switching member 110) is substantially along the movement locus of the portion of the handle 50 that contacts the lock switching member 110 when the handle 50 swings to the second position P2 and contacts the lock switching member 110 (L2 in fig. 10). In the present embodiment, the second switching mechanism 100b is disposed on the armrest 28 such that the longitudinal direction of the lock switching member 110 is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the linear portion 51a of the handle 50 disposed at the second position P2.

Next, the transmission members 120 and 130 will be explained. As described above, the two first transmission members 120 are respectively provided between the caster mechanisms 60 for the front legs on the left and right sides and the first switching mechanism 100 a. The two first transfer members 120 are identical in structure. The two second transmission members 130 are provided between the caster mechanisms 80 for the rear legs on the left and right sides and the second switching mechanism 100b, respectively. The two second transmission members 130 have the same structure. The transmission members 120 and 130 transmit the movement of the lock switching member 110 to the lock members 75 and 95, and move the lock members 75 and 95 from the unlock positions P12 and P22 to the lock positions P11 and P21 or from the lock positions P11 and P21 to the unlock positions P12 and P22. In the present embodiment, the first transmission member 120 and the second transmission member 130 are disposed at different positions, but have the same configuration.

The first transmission member 120 includes a lead wire 122 having both ends attached to the lock switching member 110 of the first switching mechanism 100a and the lock member 75 of the caster mechanism 60 for front leg, and a tubular member 124 through which the lead wire 122 passes. As shown in fig. 5, 6, and 10, both ends of the tubular member 124 are fixed to the armrest 28 (the housing portion 102 of the first switching mechanism 100 a) and the base portion 63 of the front caster 60. The tubular member 124 extends through the front leg 22 between the caster mechanism 60 for the front leg and the armrest 28. The tubular member 124 is appropriately held and fixed to the frame portion 20 between the caster mechanism 60 for front leg and the armrest 28. The lead 122 may slide within the tubular member 124. That is, the lead wire 122 can move relatively to the tubular member 124 toward the handrail side and toward the caster mechanism side.

With such a configuration, when the lock switching member 110 of the first switching mechanism 100a is urged by the compression spring and protrudes from the housing portion 102, the lead wire 122 is drawn out of the tubular member from the end portion of the tubular member 124 on the armrest side and is drawn into the tubular member from the end portion of the tubular member 124 on the caster mechanism side in accordance with the movement of the lock switching member 110. As a result, the lock member 75 connected to the caster mechanism-side end of the lead wire 122 moves from the lock position P11 to the unlock position P12.

Conversely, when the lock switching member 110 of the first switching mechanism 100a is pushed into the housing 102 by the handle 50, the lead wire 122 is pushed into the tubular member 124 from the end portion of the tubular member 124 on the armrest side and pushed out of the tubular member 124 from the end portion of the tubular member 124 on the caster mechanism side in accordance with the movement of the lock switching member 110. As a result, the lock member 75 connected to the caster mechanism-side end of the lead wire 122 can move from the unlocked position P12 to the locked position P11.

On the other hand, the second transmission member 130 has a lead wire 132 attached at both ends to the lock switching member 110 of the second switching mechanism 100b and the lock member 95 of the caster mechanism 80 for rear legs, and a tubular member 134 through which the lead wire 132 passes. As shown in fig. 9 and 10, both ends of the tubular member 134 are fixed to the armrest 28 (the housing portion 102 of the second switching mechanism 100 b) and the base portion 83 of the caster 80 for rear legs. The tubular member 134 passes through the inside of the rear leg 24 and extends between the caster mechanism 80 for the rear leg and the armrest 28. The tubular member 134 is appropriately held and fixed between the caster mechanism 80 for rear legs and the armrest 28 in the frame portion 20. The lead 132 may slide within the tubular member 134. That is, the lead wire 132 can move relatively to the tubular member 134 toward the handrail side and toward the caster mechanism side.

With such a configuration, when the lock switching member 110 of the second switching mechanism 100b is biased by the compression spring and protrudes from the housing portion 102, the lead wire 132 is drawn out of the tubular member from the end portion of the tubular member 134 on the armrest side and is drawn into the tubular member from the end portion of the tubular member 134 on the caster mechanism side in accordance with the movement of the lock switching member 110. As a result, the lock member 95 coupled to the caster mechanism-side end of the lead wire 132 moves from the lock position P21 to the unlock position P22.

Conversely, when the lock switching member 110 of the second switching mechanism 100b is pushed into the housing portion 102 by the handle 50, the lead wire 132 is pushed into the tubular member 134 from the end portion of the tubular member 124 on the armrest side and pushed out of the tubular member 134 from the end portion of the tubular member 134 on the caster mechanism side in accordance with the movement of the lock switching member 110. As a result, the lock member 95 coupled to the caster mechanism-side end of the lead wire 132 can move from the unlocked position P22 to the locked position P21.

The force with which the compression spring 106 of each switching mechanism 100a, 100b presses the lock switching member 110 is stronger than the force with which the torsion spring (not shown) provided in the caster mechanism causes the respective lock members 75, 95 to swing and the lead wires 122, 132 to be drawn out toward the caster mechanism. Therefore, when no external force is applied to the switching mechanisms 100a and 100b, the lead wires 122 and 132 are in the stretched state, the lock switching member 110 protrudes from the housing 102, and the lock members 75 and 95 are disposed at the lock release positions P12 and P22.

Next, an operation when the handle 50 of the stroller 10 configured as described above is swung will be described.

As described above, the slide member 55 of the handle 50 is engaged with the engagement member 30a provided on the front side of the armrest 28, whereby the handle 50 can be fixed at the first position P1 (see fig. 3) inclined toward the front leg side. At this time, the protector can hold the handle 50 disposed at the first position P1 from the front leg side of the stroller 10, and can walk the stroller 10 with the rear leg side of the stroller 10 facing forward in the traveling direction. Further, by engaging the slide member 55 of the handle 50 with the engaging member 30b provided on the rear side of the armrest 28, the handle 50 can be fixed at the second position P2 (see fig. 2) inclined toward the rear leg side. At this time, the protector can hold the handle 50 disposed at the second position P2 from the rear leg side of the stroller 10, and can walk the stroller 10 with the front leg side of the stroller 10 facing forward in the traveling direction. In addition, the wheels disposed forward in the traveling direction can be turned back in the front-rear direction and the turning back in the front-rear direction of the wheels disposed rearward in the traveling direction is restricted regardless of the direction in which the stroller 10 is pushed, and this is preferable from the viewpoint of the maneuverability and the traveling stability. In the stroller described above, the wheels of the front caster 60 and the rear caster 80 can be automatically switched between a turnable state and a non-turnable state stably and reliably depending on the position of the handle 50.

First, the case where the handle 50 is swung from the second position P2 to the first position P1 will be described in detail. When the handle 50 starts to swing from the second position P2 to the first position P1, the lock switching member 110 of the second switching mechanism 100b pushed into the housing 102 up to this point protrudes from the housing 102 due to the biasing force of the compression spring 106 in accordance with the swing of the handle 50. When the lock switching member 110 of the second switching mechanism 100b protrudes from the housing 102, the lock member 95 of the caster mechanism 80 for rear legs moves from the lock position P21 to the unlock position P22 as described above. As a result, the rear wheel 81 automatically becomes rotatable.

When the handle 50 is swung to the first position P1, the handle 50 contacts the lock switching member 110 of the first switching mechanism 100 a. When the handle 50 is swung until the slide member 55 of the handle 50 engages with the engagement member 30a provided in the armrest 28, the handle 50 pushes the lock switching member 110 of the first switching mechanism 100a and pushes it into the housing 102. At this time, the movable direction of the lock switching member 110 is substantially along the moving trajectory of the contact portion of the handle 50 and the lock switching member 110 when the handle 50 swings and contacts the lock switching member 110 (L1 of fig. 10). That is, since the direction in which the handle 50 presses the lock switching member 110 and the movable direction of the lock switching member 110 substantially coincide with each other, the lock switching member 110 can be moved very smoothly in response to the swing of the handle 50. Further, according to the present embodiment, the lock switching member 110 of the first switching mechanism 100a is disposed in the vicinity of the engaging member 30a on the front side. Therefore, the lock switching member 110 can be stably and reliably pressed by the handle 50 that swings to the first position P1 without being affected by the bending of the respective components.

When the lock switching member 110 of the first switching mechanism 100a is pushed into the housing portion 102 by the handle 50, the lead wire 122 on the caster mechanism side of the tubular member 124 is loosened as described above, and the lock member 75 comes into contact with the cylindrical outer peripheral surface 69a of the first member 68. When the stroller 10 is moved forward with the rear leg side of the stroller 10 facing forward in the traveling direction, the rotation shaft 73 of the front wheel 61 extends in the lateral direction, the front wheel 61 is along the front-rear direction of the stroller 10, and the wheel 61 is turned in the front-rear direction of the stroller 10 such that the axis of the shaft 66 of the front caster is disposed on the rear leg side of the stroller 10 with respect to the rotation shaft 73. Accordingly, the lock member 75 slides on the cylindrical outer peripheral surface 69a of the first member 68, and is fitted into the concave portion 69b, and the lock member 75 of the caster mechanism for front leg 60 is disposed at the lock position P11. As a result, the front wheel 61 automatically becomes unable to swing.

As described above, when the handle 50 is swung from the second position P2 to the first position P1, the front wheel 61 can be stably and reliably switched from the turnable state to the unrotatable state, and the rear wheel 81 can be stably and reliably switched from the unrotatable state to the turnable state.

Next, a case where the handle 50 is swung from the first position P1 to the second position P2 will be described in detail. When the handle 50 starts to swing from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the lock switching member 110 of the first switching mechanism 100a protrudes from the housing 102 due to the biasing force of the compression spring 106. When the lock switching member 110 of the first switching mechanism 100a protrudes from the accommodating portion 102, the lock member 75 of the caster mechanism 60 for front leg moves from the lock position P11 to the unlock position P12 as described above. As a result, the front wheel 61 automatically becomes rotatable.

When the handle 50 is swung until the slide member 55 of the handle 50 engages with the engagement member 30b provided in the armrest 28, the handle 50 presses the lock switching member 110 of the second switching mechanism 100b and pushes the lock switching member into the housing 102. At this time, the movable direction of the lock switching member 110 is substantially along the moving trajectory of the contact portion of the handle 50 and the lock switching member 110 when the handle 50 swings and contacts the lock switching member 110 (L2 of fig. 10). The lock switching member 110 of the second switching mechanism 100b is disposed near the rear engagement member 30 b. Therefore, the lock switching member 110 can be stably, reliably, and smoothly pushed by the handle 50 which is swung to the second position P2.

When the lock switching member 110 of the second switching mechanism 100b is pushed into the housing portion 102 by the handle 50, the lead wire 132 on the caster mechanism side of the tubular member 134 is loosened as described above, and the lock member 95 comes into contact with the cylindrical outer peripheral surface 89a of the first member 88. When the stroller 10 is moved forward with the front leg side of the stroller 10 in the traveling direction, the locking member 95 slides on the cylindrical outer peripheral surface 89a of the first member 88 and fits into the concave portion 89b, and the locking member 95 of the caster mechanism 80 for rear legs is disposed at the locking position P21. As a result, the rear wheel 81 automatically becomes unable to swing.

As described above, when the handle 50 is swung from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the front wheel 61 can be stably and reliably switched from the non-turnable state to the turnable state, and the rear wheel 81 can be stably and reliably switched from the turnable state to the non-turnable state.

According to the present embodiment described above, the switching mechanisms 100a and 100b can be supported at appropriate positions by the armrest 28 according to the range in which the handle 50 can be swung. Therefore, by swinging the handle 50, the lock switching member 110 of the switching mechanisms 100a and 100b can be smoothly moved. Accordingly, the operation of switching the states of the wheels 61 and 81 according to the position of the handle 50 can be performed more stably and reliably.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the switching mechanism 100a and the transmission member 120 for operating the lock member 75 of the caster mechanism 60 for the front leg, and the switching mechanism 100b and the transmission member 130 for operating the lock member 95 of the caster mechanism 80 for the rear leg may be separately provided. Therefore, the movement of the lock switching member 110 can be more stably and reliably transmitted to the lock members 75 and 95 by the transmission members 120 and 130. Therefore, the lock switching member 110 and the lock members 75 and 95 can be moved more smoothly by the rocking of the handle 50.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the tubular members 124 and 134 extend inside the front leg 22 or the rear leg 26 of the frame portion 20. According to the stroller 10, the transmission members 120 and 130 can be greatly prevented from being exposed to the outside. Therefore, the transmission members 120, 130 can be prevented from being caught on other constituent parts and the outside when the stroller 10 is folded, or the like.

In addition, various modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments within the scope of the gist of the present invention. Next, an example of the modification will be described.

In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the lock members 75 and 95 are provided to both the caster mechanism for front leg 60 and the caster mechanism for rear leg 80 is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be provided to only one of them. In this case, the wheels of the caster mechanism not provided with the lock member may be turned in the front-rear direction of the stroller 10, or may be turned along the front-rear direction of the stroller 10.

The entire structure of the stroller 10 described in the above embodiment is merely an example. For example, the frame portion 20 may be formed so as not to be foldable.

The structure of the caster mechanism described in the above embodiments is merely an example. The structure of the caster mechanism disclosed in, for example, Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2002-284015 can also be adopted.

In the above-described embodiment, the tubular members 124 and 134 are shown as extending inside the front leg 22 or the rear leg 24 of the frame portion 20, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the tubular members 124 and 134 may be held on the outer surface of the front leg 22 or the outer surface of the rear leg 24 of the frame portion 20. According to such a stroller, the degree of freedom of the arrangement path of the transmission members 120 and 130 can be increased. In addition, since the disposition path of the transmission members 120, 130 can be simplified, the wires 122, 132 can be smoothly slid within the tubular parts 124, 134.

In the above-described embodiment, the first switching mechanism 100a is connected to the caster mechanism for front leg 60, and the second switching mechanism 100b is connected to the caster mechanism for rear leg 80. The second switching mechanism 100b may be connected to the caster mechanism for front leg 60, and the first switching mechanism 100a may be connected to the caster mechanism for rear leg 80. Further, an example is shown in which the lock switching member 110 of each switching mechanism 100a, 100b is biased by the compression spring 106 to draw the lead wires 122, 132 to the armrest side, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The lock switching member 110 of each switching mechanism 100a, 100b may be biased by the compression spring 106 to press the lead wires 122, 132 into the tubular members 124, 134 toward the caster mechanism side.

Claims (9)

1. A stroller, comprising:

a frame portion having a handrail and front and rear legs coupled to the handrail;

a handle swingably coupled to the frame portion between a first position and a second position;

a caster mechanism provided on at least one of the front leg and the rear leg and having a wheel, a wheel holder that rotatably and turnably holds the wheel, and a lock member that is movable between a lock position that restricts turning of the wheel and a lock release position that can turn the wheel;

a switching mechanism supported by the armrest of the frame portion and having a lock switching member that can be pushed and moved by the handle that swings to the first position or the second position;

a transmission member provided between the switching mechanism and the caster mechanism, the transmission member transmitting a movement of the lock switching member to the lock member to move the lock member from the unlock position to the lock position or from the lock position to the unlock position,

the caster mechanism for the front leg is provided at the lower end of the front leg, and the caster mechanism for the rear leg is provided at the lower end of the rear leg,

the armrest is provided with a first switching mechanism engaged with the handle at the first position and a second switching mechanism engaged with the handle at the second position,

the first transmission member is provided between the first switching mechanism and one of the caster mechanisms for front legs and the caster mechanism for rear legs, and the second transmission member is provided between the second switching mechanism and the other of the caster mechanisms for front legs and the caster mechanisms for rear legs.

2. The stroller according to claim 1, wherein the lock switching member is movable in a direction substantially along a movement locus of a contact portion of the handle and the lock switching member when the handle is rocked to contact the lock switching member.

3. The stroller according to claim 1,

when the handle is located at the second position, the rotation of the wheels of the caster mechanism for the rear foot is restricted,

when the handle is in the first position, the swivel of the wheel of the caster mechanism for the front foot is restricted.

4. The stroller of claim 3, wherein the handle is angled forward in the first position and rearward in the second position.

5. The stroller according to claim 1,

an engaging member that engages with the handle and locks the handle at the first position is provided on the armrest,

the lock switching member of the first switching mechanism is disposed in the vicinity of the engagement member.

6. The stroller according to claim 1,

an engaging member that engages with the handle and locks the handle at the second position is provided on the armrest,

the lock switching member of the second switching mechanism is disposed in the vicinity of the engagement member.

7. The stroller according to claim 1,

the transmission member has a wire rod having both ends attached to the lock switching member of the switching mechanism and the lock member of the caster mechanism, respectively, and a tubular member held on the frame portion,

the wire is slidably inserted through the tubular member relative to the tubular member.

8. The stroller of claim 7, wherein the tubular member extends within a front foot or a rear foot of the frame portion.

9. The stroller of claim 7, wherein the tubular member is retained on an outer face of a front leg or an outer face of a rear leg of the frame portion.