Childcare related equipment

Abstract

To provide nursery equipment whose movable portion can be adjusted in position or shape by a simple structure.SOLUTION: An adjustment mechanism (3) of nursery equipment includes a string (4) connecting a fixed portion and a movable portion, a reel (80) that is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions and that changes the position or shape of the movable portion by winding up and feeding out the string (4), a rotation operation member (40) that controls rotation of the reel (80), a motion transmission portion that transmits a rotational motion of the rotation operation member (40) to the reel (80), and a motion separation portion that does not transmit the rotational motion of the reel (80) to the reel (80).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to childcare-related equipment, and more particularly to childcare-related equipment including a fixed part, a movable part that is movable relative to the fixed part, and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position or shape of the movable part. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Generally, childcare-related equipment such as child seats, strollers, high-low beds, baby carriers, etc., are provided with movable parts that can be changed in position relative to fixed parts.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-290587 (Patent Document 1) discloses a child seat that allows the length of the shoulder belt to be adjusted to fit the child's body. In this child seat, the length of the shoulder belt can be adjusted by simply pulling forward the tip of the shoulder belt located on the back side of the seat.

[0004] For example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-4248 (Patent Document 2) discloses a stroller in which the reclining angle can be adjusted by connecting a belt to a push bar and adjusting the length of the belt with a buckle attached to the back of the backrest.

[0005] For example, JP 2013-162974 A (Patent Document 3) discloses a baby carrier that can be used for both vertical and horizontal holding. This baby carrier is equipped with a shoulder belt that is placed on the parent's shoulder, a waist belt that is placed on the parent's waist, and a connecting belt that connects the child and the parent, and each belt is provided with adjustable length. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-290587 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 7-4248 [Patent Document 3] JP 2013-162974 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The childcare related devices of Patent Documents 1 to 3 require both hands to adjust the length of a body restraint belt such as a shoulder belt or the reclining angle, and have a complex structure.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide childcare-related equipment that is capable of adjusting the position or shape of a movable part with a simple structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] For this purpose, one aspect of the present invention is a childcare-related device comprising a fixed part, a movable part that is movable relative to the fixed part, and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position or shape of the movable part, the adjustment mechanism comprising a string connecting the fixed part and the movable part, a reel that is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions and changes the position or shape of the movable part by winding and letting out the string, a one-way clutch mechanism that allows rotation of the reel in the winding direction of the string and prohibits rotation of the reel in the letting-out direction of the string, and an unlocking member that releases the rotation prohibition state of the reel caused by the one-way clutch mechanism, allowing the reel to rotate freely.

[0010] Preferably, the adjustment mechanism further includes a rotation operating member for operating the rotation of the reel.

[0011] Preferably, the adjustment mechanism includes a biasing member that biases the reel in a direction in which the string is wound up.

[0012] Preferably, the adjustment mechanism further includes a holder that rotatably supports the reel, the one-way clutch mechanism includes engagement teeth provided on either the reel or the holder, and an engagement claw attached to the other of either the reel or the holder and displaceable between an engagement position in which it engages with either the reel or the holder and an engaged position in which it does not engage with either the reel or the holder, and the unlocking member includes an operating portion that is operated to bring the engagement claw into the engaged position.

[0013] Preferably, the engagement teeth are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the reel extending parallel to the rotation axis of the reel, the engagement claws are provided on the holder and displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the engagement teeth, and the unlocking member moves in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the reel to release the rotation-prohibited state of the reel.

[0014] Preferably, the engagement teeth are provided on the holder so as to follow the circumferential direction of the reel, the engagement claw is provided on the reel and displaces horizontally relative to the engagement teeth, and the unlocking member moves in the circumferential direction of the reel to release the rotation-prohibited state of the reel.

[0015] Preferably, the engagement teeth are provided on the upper or lower surface of the reel extending in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the reel, the engagement claws are provided on the holder and displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the engagement teeth, and the unlocking member moves in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the reel to release the rotation-prohibited state of the reel.

[0016] Preferably, the childcare-related equipment is a child seat, the fixed part is a seat, and the movable part is a body restraint belt attached to the seat.

[0017] Preferably, the childcare-related equipment is a child seat, the fixed part is a child seat body, and the movable part is an ISOFIX attached to the child seat body.

[0018] Another aspect of the childcare-related equipment is a childcare-related equipment comprising a main body, an extension portion extending from the main body, and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position or shape of the extension portion, the adjustment mechanism comprising a string having one end connected to the main body and the other end held by the extension portion, a reel that is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions and changes the position or shape of the extension portion by winding and letting out the string, and a rotation lock mechanism that prohibits rotation of the reel.

[0019] Preferably, the childcare-related equipment is a childcare equipment with a seat, the main body is a seat for receiving a child, the extension is a pair of shoulder belts extending from the seat for restraining the child's shoulders, a pair of straps are provided, and the pair of straps are respectively held at the ends of the pair of shoulder belts.

[0020] Preferably, the childcare-related equipment is a childcare equipment with a seat, the main body part is a seat for receiving a child, the extension part is a crotch belt extending from the seat part for restraining the child's crotch, and the string is held at the end of the crotch belt.

[0021] Preferably, the child care-related equipment is a child seat, the main body is a child seat body, and the extension is an ISOFIX provided so as to extend rearward from the child seat body.

[0022] Preferably, the childcare-related equipment is a baby carrier, the main body is a baby carrier body, and the extension is a movable part extending from the baby carrier body.

[0023] Preferably, the baby carrier body includes a parent's shoulder belt that wraps around the parent's shoulders and a parent's waist belt that wraps around the parent's waist, and the extension portion is a portion that extends from the parent's shoulder belt or the parent's waist belt.

[0024] Preferably, the baby carrier body includes a child support part for supporting a child's body, and the extension part is a part extending from the child support part.

[0025] Preferably, the game machine further comprises an unlocking member that unlocks the rotation-locking mechanism from preventing the reel from rotating, thereby allowing the reel to rotate freely.

[0026] Yet another aspect of the childcare-related equipment is a childcare-related equipment comprising a fixed part, a movable part that is movable relative to the fixed part, and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position or shape of the movable part, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a string connecting the fixed part and the movable part, a reel that is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions and changes the position or shape of the movable part by winding and letting out the string, a rotation operating member for operating the rotation of the reel, an action transmission part that transmits the rotational motion of the rotation operating member to the reel, and an action separation part that does not transmit the rotational motion of the reel to the reel.

[0027] Preferably, the rotation operation unit normally transmits rotational motion to the reel via a motion transmitting unit, and does not transmit the rotational motion to the reel via a motion separating unit when a certain load is exceeded.

[0028] Preferably, when the rotation operation unit rotates in one direction, the rotational motion is transmitted to the reel by the motion transmission unit, and when the rotation operation unit rotates in the other direction, the rotational motion is not transmitted to the reel by the motion separation unit.

[0029] Preferably, the reel includes a reel body that winds and releases the string, and a moving member provided between the reel body and the rotating operating member, and the motion transmission unit or motion separation unit includes a drive gear unit provided on the rotating operating member, and a driven gear unit provided on the moving member.

[0030] Preferably, the moving member is biased in a direction toward the operating member.

[0031] Preferably, the drive gear portion includes a first inclined portion inclined in the winding direction from the reel toward the rotary operating member, and a second inclined portion inclined in the unwinding direction from the reel toward the rotary operating member, and the angle of the first inclined portion relative to the winding direction is smaller than the angle of the second inclined portion relative to the unwinding direction.

[0032] Yet another embodiment of the childcare-related equipment comprises a fixed part, a movable part that is movable relative to the fixed part and can move vertically downward, and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position or shape of the movable part, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a string connecting the fixed part and the movable part, a reel that is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions and changes the position or shape of the movable part by winding and letting out the string, a biasing member that biases the reel to rotate in the direction of winding the string, and a rotation lock member that prohibits rotation of the reel, and the biasing force of the biasing member is selected to be smaller than the biasing force that tends to move the movable part vertically downward.

[0033] Preferably, the reel further includes a one-way clutch mechanism that permits rotation of the reel in the direction in which the string is wound up and prohibits rotation of the reel in the direction in which the string is released.

[0034] Preferably, the locking member includes a reel locking claw that is displaceable between a first position in which it engages with a portion that rotates with the reel to prevent rotation of the reel, and a second position in which it disengages from the portion that rotates with the reel to allow rotation of the reel.

[0035] Preferably, the reel further comprises an unlocking member for bringing the locking member into the second position to allow free rotation of the reel.

[0036] Preferably, the biasing member is a spiral spring, one end of which is fixed to the reel and the other end of which is fixed to a housing of the adjustment mechanism.

[0037] Preferably, the childcare-related equipment is a child seat, the fixed part is a seat, and the movable part is a body restraint belt attached to the seat. Effect of the Invention

[0038] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a childcare-related instrument that is capable of adjusting the position or shape of a movable part with a simple structure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] FIG. 1A is an oblique view of a child seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1B is an oblique view of the adjustment mechanism and ISOFIX removed, FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the ISOFIX is pulled out, and FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the ISOFIX is pushed in. [Diagram 2] (A) is an oblique view of a child seat for another embodiment, (B) is an oblique view showing the state in which the adjustment mechanism, shoulder belt and crotch belt have been removed and the shoulder belt has been pulled out, and (C) is an oblique view showing the state in which the shoulder belt has been rolled up from the state shown in (B). [Diagram 3] (A) is an oblique view of a child seat for yet another embodiment, (B) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the child seat with the belt restrained, and (C) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the child seat with the belt released. [Figure 4] 4A, 4B, and 4C are views showing an adjustment mechanism in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a perspective view, (B) is a plan view, and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVc in FIG. 4B. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the adjustment mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are plan views showing the unlocking member, the locking member, the reel, and the partition plate, in which (A) shows the state in which the unlocking member is not operated, and (B) shows the state in which the unlocking member is operated. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII in FIG. [Figure 8] 1A is a perspective view showing the rotation operation member and the moving member, (B) is a schematic diagram of the drive gear of the rotation operation member and the driven gear of the moving member, (C) is a perspective view of the rotation operation member from the back, and (D) is an enlarged view of the drive gear portion of (C). [Figure 9] 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views showing the rotation operation member, the moving member, and the link member, in which (A) shows a state in which the motion transmission unit is functioning, and (B) shows a state in which the motion separation unit is functioning. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the adjustment mechanism. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are schematic diagrams showing another modified example of the adjustment mechanism, in which (A) shows a state in which the lock release member is not operated, and (B) shows a state in which the lock release member is operated. [Figure 12] 4(B) and 4(C) are views showing an adjustment mechanism in a second embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a perspective view, (B) is a plan view, and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIIc in FIG. 4(B). [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of an adjustment mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views showing an adjustment mechanism in a second embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) shows a state in which an unlocking member is not operated, and (B) shows a state in which the unlocking member is operated. [Figure 15] FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing the reel and the locking member, FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing a one-way locking mechanism, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view showing the reel from the rear side. [Figure 16] 12(C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVI in FIG. [Figure 17] 1A is a perspective view showing the rotation operation member and the moving member, (B) is a schematic diagram of the drive gear of the rotation operation member and the driven gear of the moving member, (C) is a perspective view of the rotation operation member from the back, and (D) is an enlarged view of the drive gear portion of (C). [Figure 18] 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views showing the rotation operation member, the moving member, and the link member, in which (A) shows a state in which the motion transmission unit is functioning, and (B) shows a state in which the motion separation unit is functioning. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the adjustment mechanism. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another modified example of the adjustment mechanism. [Figure 21] 11A is a perspective view of an adjustment mechanism according to a third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 11B is a plan view, and FIG. 11C is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXIc of 21(B). [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of an adjustment mechanism according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 23] FIG. [Figure 24] FIG. 1A is an oblique view showing the rotation operation member, the moving member, and the link member, FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of the drive gear of the rotation operation member and the driven gear of the moving member, and FIG. 1C is an oblique view of the rotation operation member from the back. [Diagram 25] 21(A) is a perspective view showing the link member and the lock member, and (B) to (D) are partial cross-sectional views taken along line XXV of FIG. 21(C), showing the state in which the link member is being rotated. [Figure 26] 21(C), (A) to (D) show partial cross-sectional views taken along line XXVI in FIG. 21(C), in which (A) to (D) show states in which the link member is being rotated. [Figure 27] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a state in which the lower holder of the adjustment mechanism has been removed, in which (A) is a bottom perspective view, and (B) is a plan view. [Figure 28] FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing the rotation operation member, the moving member, the biasing portion, and the link member, FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of the drive gear of the rotation operation member and the driven gear of the moving member, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the rotation operation member from the back side. [Figure 29] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views showing the rotation operating member, the moving member, the biasing portion, and the link member, where (A) shows the state in which the motion transmission portion is functioning, and (B) shows the state in which the motion separation portion is functioning. [Diagram 30] FIG. [Diagram 31] 13A shows a state in which the unlocking member is not operated, and FIG. 13B shows a state in which the unlocking member is operated. [Diagram 32] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing modified examples of the adjustment mechanism, in which (A) is an oblique view, (B) is a schematic diagram of the drive gear of the rotation operating member and the driven gear of the moving member, (C) shows the state in which the motion transmission unit is functioning, and (D) shows the state in which the motion separation unit is functioning. [Diagram 33]FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of an adjustment mechanism according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 34] 13(A) to 13(D) are schematic diagrams showing the operation of a child car seat according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters and their description will not be repeated.

[0041] First, we will explain an example of a childcare-related device equipped with the adjustment mechanism 3. Examples of childcare-related devices that use the adjustment mechanism 3 include baby carriages, child seats, baby carriers, baby racks, and childcare chairs, and we will explain examples in which the adjustment mechanism 3 is applied to child seats, baby carriages, and baby carriers.

[0042] <Overview of childcare related equipment> An example of childcare-related equipment 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3.

[0043] (About child seats) First, a case will be described where the childcare-related equipment 1 is a child seat. In the description of the child seat 1, the front-rear direction corresponds to the front-rear direction of the child seat 1, the left-right direction (width direction) corresponds to the left-right direction when viewed from the front of the child seat 1, and the up-down direction corresponds to the up-down direction of the child seat 1.

[0044] Referring to Fig. 1(A), the basic structure of the child seat 1 may be the same as that of a general child seat, and is a device that is placed on a seat of an automobile to allow children such as babies and toddlers to ride safely. The child seat 1 comprises a base body 10 and a seat 20. The base body 10 and the seat 20 constitute the child seat body. The child seat body is the "fixing part" and also the "main body" of this embodiment.

[0045] The base body 10 is placed on the seat of the passenger vehicle and supports the seat 20 from below. A leg support (not shown) extending toward the floor of the passenger vehicle is provided at the front end of the base body 10, and an ISOFIX 11 that connects to an anchor of the seat of the passenger vehicle is provided at the rear end of the base body 10. This ISOFIX 11 is a part that protrudes rearward from the child seat body (base body 10), and is the "movable part" and "extension part" of this embodiment.

[0046] The seat 20 is attached to the upper side of the base body 10 and is supported so as to be freely rotatable relative to the base body 10. A covering member such as a soft fabric member, for example, a cushioning material, is shown attached onto the seat 20.

[0047] The seat 20 includes a seating surface portion 21 and a backrest portion 22 rising from the rear of the seating surface portion 21. Since a child sits on the seat 20, the seating surface portion 21 supports the child's buttocks, and the backrest portion 22 supports the child's back. A cushion structure is removably provided at the corner where the seating surface portion 21 and the backrest portion 22 intersect.

[0048] The backrest 22 is provided with a pair of shoulder belts 23 for restraining both shoulders of a child seated on the seat 20. The seat surface 21 is provided with a crotch belt 24 extending between the crotches (thighs) of the child seated on the seat 20, and a pair of waist belts 25 for restraining the child's waist. These belts 23, 24, 25 are connected near the child's abdomen by a buckle 26 provided at the tip of the crotch belt 24. These belts 23, 24, 25 are so-called five-point belts. These belts 23, 24, 25 are body restraint belts for restraining the child's body, and are parts that protrude forward from the child seat body (seat 20), and are the "movable part" and "extension part" of this embodiment. The body restraint belts are also similarly applied to other childcare-related devices.

[0049] Such a child seat 1 uses an adjustment mechanism 3. The adjustment mechanism 3 generally includes a string 4 and an adjustment mechanism main body 5 that winds and pulls out (feeds out) the string 4. First, application of the adjustment mechanism 3 to the child seat 1 will be described.

[0050] (About ISOFIX) As shown in Figures 1(A) to (D), the adjustment mechanism 3 of the child seat 1 of this embodiment is used to adjust the position of the ISOFIX 11. As shown in Figure 1(A), the adjustment mechanism 3 is provided at a front position of the child seat body (base body 10).

[0051] 1(B) and (C), the ISOFIX 11 includes an ISOFIX main body 12, a storage section 13 capable of storing the ISOFIX main body 12, and a spring section 14 for biasing the ISOFIX main body 12 outward. The ISOFIX main body 12 is connected to an anchor of the seat of the passenger vehicle and fixed at an appropriate length.

[0052] 1(C) and (D), a method for adjusting the position of the ISOFIX 11 with the adjustment mechanism 3 will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 1(C), the ISOFIX main body 12 of the ISOFIX 11 is pulled out from the storage section 13. The ISOFIX main body 12 is connected to the anchor of the seat of the passenger vehicle, and the child seat 1 is pushed toward the seat. The adjustment mechanism main body 5 is operated to wind up the string 4. This allows the child seat 1 and the seat of the passenger vehicle to be connected without any gaps, and allows fine adjustment of the distance between the child seat 1 and the seat of the passenger vehicle.

[0053] Also, there are several methods for lengthening the ISOFIX main body 12, as follows. That is, the ISOFIX itself is unlocked, and the adjustment mechanism main body 5 is operated to pull the child seat main body in a direction away from the seat. As another method, the adjustment mechanism main body 5 may be operated to automatically lengthen the ISOFIX main body 12 by the spring portion 14. As yet another method, the adjustment mechanism main body 5 may be operated to allow the user to manually stretch the ISOFIX main body 12. This allows the length of the ISOFIX 11 to be adjusted in a simple manner.

[0054] (About adjusting the length of the shoulder strap) As shown in Figures 2(A) to (C), the adjustment mechanism 3 of a child seat 1A of another embodiment is used to adjust the length of a shoulder belt 23. As shown in Figure 2(A), the adjustment mechanism 3 is fixed to a front position of the seat surface 21 of the child seat body (seat 20). Figures 2(B) and (C) show only the shoulder belt 23 and the adjustment mechanism 3 taken out from the child seat 1 shown in Figure 2(A).

[0055] A pair of shoulder belts 23 are provided, and the ends of the shoulder belts 23 are fixed to the strings 4. That is, a pair of strings 4 are provided, and the pair of strings 4 are held at the ends of the pair of shoulder belts 23, respectively.

[0056] To adjust the length of shoulder belt 23, adjustment mechanism 3 is operated. Specifically, to shorten the length of shoulder belt 23, adjustment mechanism main body 5 is operated from the state shown in Fig. 2(B) to wind up string 4 and bring it into the state shown in Fig. 2(C). To lengthen shoulder belt 23, adjustment mechanism main body 5 is operated from the state shown in Fig. 2(C) to pull out shoulder belt 23 by hand. This allows shoulder belt 23 to be adjusted in a simple manner.

[0057] Incidentally, the adjustment mechanism main body 5 winds up the pair of straps 4 respectively held at the ends of the pair of shoulder belts 23, but it may also wind up the shoulder belts 23 themselves directly.

[0058] (About the shoulder belt flip-up mechanism) As shown in Figures 3(A) to (C), the adjustment mechanism 3 of the child seat 1B of another embodiment is used in a flip-up mechanism 27 of the shoulder belt 23. The flip-up mechanism 27 of the shoulder belt 23 is structured to flip up the shoulder belt 23 from a restraining position (Figure 3(B)) to a released position (Figure 3(C)) so that the shoulder belt 23 does not get in the way when a child is placed in the child seat 1B.

[0059] As shown in Fig. 3(B), the flip-up mechanism 27 of the shoulder belt 23 includes a rotating part 28 and a flip-up part 29 that can rotate around the rotating part 28 as a fulcrum. As shown in Fig. 3(C), the flip-up part 29 flips up, and the shoulder belt 23 also flips up. As shown in Fig. 3(A), the adjustment mechanism 3 is fixed to a front position of the seat surface part 21 of the child seat main body (seat 20). As shown in Fig. 3(B), one end of the string 4 is connected to the rotating part 28 of the flip-up mechanism 27.

[0060] A method of operating the flip-up mechanism 27 of the shoulder belt 23 by the adjustment mechanism 3 will be described. Specifically, to shift the shoulder belt 23 from the restraining position to the released position, the adjustment mechanism main body 5 is rotated from the state shown in Fig. 3(B) to wind up the string 4 and to the state shown in Fig. 3(C). To shift the shoulder belt 23 from the released position to the restraining position, the adjustment mechanism main body 5 is operated from the state shown in Fig. 3(C) to push the shoulder belt 23 downward and let out the string 4. This allows the flip-up mechanism 27 of the shoulder belt 23 to be operated in a simple manner.

[0061] An example in which the adjustment mechanism 3 is used in the child car seat 1 to 1B has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In addition, although the adjustment mechanism 3 of the embodiment 1 described below is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the adjustment mechanism of any embodiment can be used.

[0062] An adjustment mechanism may be used to adjust the length of the crotch belt that restrains the child's crotch. In this case, the end of the string 4 of the adjustment mechanism is held by the end of the crotch belt 24.

[0063] Furthermore, when the headrest 22a that protects the child's head is an extension extending from the main body, the adjustment mechanism main body 5 may be used to adjust the shape of the headrest 22a. Specifically, the adjustment of the shape of the headrest 22a means, for example, adjusting the height of the headrest 22a, adjusting the width of the standing wall 22b, or adjusting the distance between a pair of side walls 22c. In this case, one end of the string 4 may be connected to a movable part of the headrest 22a, and the adjustment mechanism main body 5 may be fixed to the back surface of the backrest part 22, which is the fixed part.

[0064] Also, an adjustment mechanism 3 may be used to adjust the length of a leg support provided in front of the base body 10. In this case, a string 4 may be connected to the end of the leg support, and an adjustment mechanism body 5 may be fixed to the base body 10, which is the fixed part.

[0065] (About baby carriers) A case will be described in which the childcare-related equipment is a baby carrier. The basic structure of the baby carrier may be the same as that of a general baby carrier, and the baby carrier is a device for holding a baby in front of the user or on the user's back.

[0066] The baby carrier comprises a baby carrier body, a parent side shoulder belt that wraps around both shoulders of the user (e.g., parent), and a parent side waist belt that wraps around the parent's waist. The baby carrier body is a part that occupies a large area of ​​the baby carrier and holds the child's back or abdomen, and is the "fixed part" and the "main body" of this embodiment. The parent side shoulder belt and the parent side waist belt are movable parts that extend from the baby carrier body, and are the "movable part" and the "extending part" of this embodiment. An adjustment mechanism body 5 is provided to adjust the length or shape of such shoulder belt or waist belt. In this case, one end of the string 4 may be connected to the end of the shoulder belt or parent side waist belt, and the adjustment mechanism body 5 may be fixed to the back of the baby carrier body, which is the fixed part.

[0067] Furthermore, if the headrest that protects the child's head is an extension extending from the baby carrier body (main body), an adjustment mechanism body 5 may be used to adjust the height of the headrest as the child grows. In this case, one end of the string 4 may be connected to a movable part of the headrest, and the adjustment mechanism body 5 may be fixed to the back of the baby carrier body, which is the fixed part.

[0068] (Other childcare related equipment) While examples of childcare-related equipment in which the adjustment mechanism 3 can be used have been described above in the form of child car seats, baby carriages, and baby carriers, other equipment on which a child sits or sleeps, such as baby chairs, childcare chairs, etc. Furthermore, the above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the childcare-related equipment is not limited to the above-described childcare-related equipment as long as it has a main body and an extension extending from the main body, and the adjustment mechanism is for adjusting the position or shape of the extension.

[0069] The adjustment mechanism 3 used in such childcare-related equipment will now be described in detail.

[0070] <Embodiment 1> The adjustment mechanism 3 in the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 9. The adjustment mechanism 3 is attached to various locations of the childcare-related equipment, but in the following description of the first embodiment, the up-down direction on the paper of Figures 4(C), 5, and 9 is the up-down direction of the adjustment mechanism 3, and the left-right direction on the paper is the left-right direction of the adjustment mechanism 3.

[0071] As described above, the adjustment mechanism 3 generally comprises the string 4 and the adjustment mechanism main body 5. With particular reference to Figures 4 and 5, the adjustment mechanism main body 5 comprises a holder 30, a rotation operation member 40, a moving member 50, an unlocking member 60, a locking member 70, and a reel 80. The adjustment mechanism 3 winds up the string 4 with the rotation operation member 40, and can pull out (send out) the wound string 4 by operating the unlocking member 60.

[0072] The string 4 connects a fixed part such as a child seat body or a baby carrier body to a movable part such as a shoulder belt. The string 4 is wound around a reel 80 and fixed to the fixed part via the reel 80. There may be one string 4 or multiple strings 4. When two movable parts are provided, both ends of one string 4 may be connected to the movable parts and the middle part may be wound up by the reel 80, or one end of each of two strings 4 may be connected to the movable parts and the other end may be connected to the fixed parts. The reel 80 may be fixed to the movable part instead of the fixed part. In that case, both ends of the string 4 may be connected to the fixed parts and the width between the movable part and the fixed part may be reduced by winding the string around the reel 80.

[0073] The string 4 is a long member, and refers to a material made by braiding, knitting, or sewing together threads, chemical fibers, metals, paper, etc., and includes, for example, wires, belts, etc.

[0074] 4 and 5, holder 30 rotatably supports reel 80. Holder 30 includes upper holder 31, lower holder 34, and partition plate 37 sandwiched between upper holder 31 and lower holder 34. Upper holder 31 includes an upper surface and a side surface protruding downward from the outer periphery of the upper surface. A through hole 32 is provided in the approximate center of the upper surface of upper holder 31. The upper end of reel 80 passes through this through hole 32. An operation hole portion 33 through which operation portion 61 of lock release member 60 passes is provided in the side surface of upper holder 31.

[0075] The lower holder 34 includes a lower surface and side surfaces protruding upward from the outer periphery of the lower surface. A recess 35 for holding the reel 80 is provided in the area surrounded by the lower surface and the side surfaces. A pair of string holes 36 through which the string 4 passes are provided in the pair of side surfaces of the lower holder 34.

[0076] The partition plate 37 has a flat rectangular shape and has a through hole 38 provided in approximately the center thereof. This through hole 38 is vertically aligned with the through hole 32 of the upper holder 31. The upper end of the reel 80 passes through the through hole 38. A plurality of rails for guiding the unlocking member 60 are provided on the upper surface of the partition plate 37. Furthermore, a protrusion 39 that protrudes upward is attached to a part of the outer periphery of the partition plate 37.

[0077] The rotation operation member 40 is for operating the rotation of the reel 80. The rotation operation member 40 serves as a handle that the user can grasp and turn. As shown in FIGS. 8(A) to (D), the rotation operation member 40 of this embodiment is knob-shaped and includes an upper surface 41 and a side surface 42 that protrudes downward from the outer periphery of the upper surface 41. A drive gear portion 43 that protrudes downward is provided on the back surface 41a of the upper surface 41. In addition, slits may be provided at regular intervals on the side surface 42 to make it easier for the operator to use.

[0078] A foldable handle may be attached to the rotation operation member 40. The handle is, for example, a rod-shaped member, and is preferably shaped to protrude upward when in use and to be folded along the top surface 41 or the side surface 42 when not in use.

[0079] The moving member 50 is provided below the rotation operation member 40. The moving member 50 has a cylindrical shape that is open downward, and includes an upper surface 51 and an outer circumferential edge 52 that protrudes downward from the outer circumferential edge of the upper surface 51. A driven gear portion 53 that rises upward is provided on the upper surface 51. This driven gear portion 53 engages with the drive gear portion 43 provided on the rotation operation member 40 described above. Note that the outer circumferential edge 52 is provided with a plurality of vertical slits for engaging with the link member 57.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 4(C), the link member 57 is generally cylindrical and has a large diameter portion 57a, a small diameter portion 57b located below the large diameter portion 57a, and a step portion 57c located between the large diameter portion 57a ​​and the small diameter portion 57b. The small diameter portion 57b is smaller than the through hole 32 of the upper holder 31. Therefore, the link member 57 is held in the through hole 32 of the upper holder 31 by the step portion 57c. A ring 58 may be provided between the link member 57 and the upper holder 31. A biasing member 56 is sandwiched between the moving member 50 and the link member 57. The biasing member 56 is, for example, a spring, and biases the moving member 50 in a direction toward the rotation operation member 40.

[0081] The reel 80 is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions (one direction and the other direction). With reference to Figures 4(C) and 5, the reel 80 includes, from bottom to top, a string holding portion 81, a flange portion 84, a first connecting portion 85, and a second connecting portion 86.

[0082] The string holding part 81 is a part to which the string 4 is fixed and which winds and lets out the string 4. The way in which the string 4 is handled in the string holding part 81 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. In the following description, the winding direction of the string 4 is indicated by T, and the letting out direction is indicated by S.

[0083] The string holding part 81 has a fixing part 81a for fixing the string 4, a string alignment part 81b along which the string 4 is aligned, and a radius part 81c provided between the fixing part 81a and the string alignment part 81b. The fixing part 81a is provided at a substantially central position of the string holding part 81, and fixes the central position of the string 4 in the longitudinal direction. The string 4 fixed to the fixing part 81a is rewound along the radius part 81c and exits from the string hole part 36 of the lower holder 34 to the outside of the adjustment mechanism main body 5 along the string alignment part 81b.

[0084] The string-aligning portion 81b and the rounded portion 81c are positioned point-symmetrically with respect to the fixed portion 81a. This allows the string 4 to be held in the string-holding portion 81 in an inverted S-shape in plan view. Because the rounded portion 81c is formed in the portion where the string 4 is unwound, the string 4 is smoothly wound along the arc of the rounded portion 81c. This prevents the string 4 from wearing down at the corners even when the string 4 is pulled and subjected to an excessive load.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 4(C), the flange 84 is located above the string holding portion 81 and abuts against the lower side of the partition plate 37. The first connecting portion 85 is, for example, cylindrical. The diameter of the first connecting portion 85 is smaller than the diameter of the through hole 38 of the partition plate 37, and the first connecting portion 85 passes through the through hole 38. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B), the first connecting portion 85 has engagement teeth 87 on its outer circumferential surface extending parallel to the rotation axis of the reel 80. The second connecting portion 86 passes through the through hole 65 of the lock release member 60. Furthermore, the upper end of the second connecting portion 86 is connected to the small diameter portion 57b of the link member 57 described above. As a result, the reel 80 is fixed to the link member 57, and the link member 57 also rotates with the rotation of the reel 80. The reel 80 and the link member 57 may be integrally formed members.

[0086] As shown in Figures 5 and 6(A) and (B), the locking member 70 includes a pair of locking bodies 71, engagement claws 72 provided on each of the pair of locking bodies 71, a first pin 73 and a second pin 74 that pass through holes in the pair of locking bodies 71, and a biasing portion 75 that biases the pair of locking bodies 71.

[0087] The lock body 71 is displaceable between a locked position (FIG. 6(A)) where the engagement claw 72 and the engagement tooth 87 engage with each other, and an unlocked position (FIG. 6(B)) where the engagement claw 72 and the engagement tooth 87 do not engage with each other. The lock body 71 has the engagement claw 72 formed at the end facing the reel 80. As shown in FIG. 5, the lock body 71 has two pin holes through which the first and second pins 73 and 74 pass. This movement is performed by the unlocking member 60 sliding up and down.

[0088] As shown in Figs. 6(A) and (B), the engagement claw 72 is displaced in a direction perpendicular to the engagement teeth 87 of the reel 80 and engages with the engagement teeth 87 of the reel 80. The angle of the engagement claw 72 is preferably a right angle, but may be an acute angle. The engagement claw 72 is displaceable between a first position where it engages with the engagement teeth 87 that rotate with the reel 80 to inhibit the rotation of the reel 80, and a second position where it is separated from the part that rotates with the reel 80 to allow the rotation of the reel 80. The first pin 73 fixes the biasing portion 75 and passes through the first hole 63 of the lock release member 60. Furthermore, the first pin 73 serves as a guide for the lock release member 60 and a rotation fulcrum for the lock body 71. The second pin 74 passes through the second hole 64 of the lock release member 60. The biasing portion 75 is, for example, a torsion spring, and biases the engagement claw 72 of the lock main body 71 in a direction (lock position) in which the engagement claw 72 engages with the engagement teeth 87 of the reel 80. The engagement claw 72 of the lock member 70 and the engagement teeth 87 of the reel 80 form a “rotation lock mechanism” that prohibits the rotation of the reel 80.

[0089] The unlocking member 60 releases the rotation-prohibited state of the reel 80, allowing the reel 80 to rotate freely. In other words, by operating the unlocking member 60, it becomes possible to pull out the string 4 wound around the reel 80. FIG. 6(A) shows a state in which the unlocking member 60 is not operated, meaning that the string 4 can be wound around the reel 80 but cannot be let out. FIG. 6(B) shows a state in which the unlocking member 60 is operated, meaning that the string 4 can be wound from the reel. The unlocking member 60 releases the rotation-prohibited state of the reel by moving in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the reel 80.

[0090] 6(A) and (B), the unlocking member 60 includes an operating portion 61, an unlocking body 62 that slides when the operating portion 61 is operated, first and second holes 63 and 64, a through hole 65, a recess 66, and a biasing portion 67 that are provided in the unlocking body 62. Since the unlocking member 60 is provided separately from other members, it can be formed into various shapes, and the location where it can be placed is not limited, allowing for a high degree of freedom in design.

[0091] The operating portion 61 is operated to bring the engaging claw 72 of the locking member 70 to the engaged position. As shown in FIG. 5, the operating portion 61 is provided so as to protrude outward from the operating hole portion 33 of the upper holder 31 and be capable of being pressed inward. The unlocking member 60 is plate-shaped, and the first and second holes 63, 64 are holes that penetrate vertically. Specifically, the first hole 63 is an elongated hole that extends in the operating direction. The second hole 64 is a hole that is substantially inverted L-shaped. The first and second holes 63, 64 are provided point-symmetrically, and are provided in the upper right and lower left parts of the paper surface of FIG. 6(A).

[0092] The through hole 65 is provided in approximately the center of the unlocking body 62, and the upper end of the reel 80 passes through it. The recess 66 holds the biasing portion 67. The biasing portion 67 is, for example, a coil spring. The biasing portion 67 is located between the protrusion 39 and the convex portion 66 of the partition plate 37. As a result, the unlocking member 60 is biased by the biasing portion 67 to the state shown in FIG. 6(A). Note that the biasing portion 67 is a separate member from the unlocking member 60, but it may be provided integrally with the unlocking body 62, or may be provided on the side surface of the upper holder 31.

[0093] (About the one-way clutch mechanism) The one-way clutch mechanism will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The one-way clutch mechanism allows rotation of the reel 80 in the winding direction of the string 4 and prohibits rotation of the reel 80 in the letting-out direction of the string. The one-way clutch mechanism is a mechanism that rotates easily in one direction but does not rotate in the other direction, or does not rotate unless a certain load is applied. In this embodiment, in Fig. 6(A), the reel 80 rotates in the winding direction T (clockwise) to wind the string 4, but does not rotate in the letting-out direction S (counterclockwise).

[0094] The one-way clutch mechanism of this embodiment includes engagement teeth 87 provided on the reel 80, and an engagement claw 72 attached to the partition plate 37 and capable of being displaced between an engagement position in which it engages with the reel 80 (Figure 6(A)) and an engaged position in which it does not engage with the reel 80 (Figure 6(B)).

[0095] The engagement teeth 87 of the reel 80 include a first inclined portion 87a and a second inclined portion 87b. It is preferable that the angle between the first inclined portion 87a and the second inclined portion 87b is a right angle to match the engagement claw 72 of the locking member 70. The engagement teeth 87 of the reel 80 and the engagement teeth 72 of the locking member 70 are not limited to the shape shown in the figure, and may have any shape that allows them to mesh together like the shape of a general one-way clutch.

[0096] By providing the one-way clutch mechanism of this embodiment, the reel 80 rotates only in the winding direction T and does not rotate in the releasing direction S. As a result, the string 4 is wound by rotating the rotation operation member 40, and the string 4 is released by operating the lock release member 60 and pulling the string 4, preventing erroneous operation. Furthermore, because the string 4 cannot be released by rotating the rotation operation member 40, even if the rotation operation member 40 is operated by mistake, the string 4 will not be released, improving safety.

[0097] Although the one-way clutch mechanism of this embodiment completely prohibits rotation in the direction in which the string is let out, it may prohibit rotation to a certain extent. The one-way clutch mechanism of this embodiment may be configured to have a motion transmitting part and a motion separating part, like the driving gear part 43 and the driven gear part 53 described below. In the case of such a one-way clutch mechanism, it is preferable to use it to adjust the position or shape of the part that is not subjected to load, from the viewpoint of safety.

[0098] (Regarding the motion transmission part and the motion separation part) The motion transmitting section and the motion separating section provided on the rotation operation member 40 and the moving member 50 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0099] As shown in Figures 8(C) and 8(D), a drive gear portion 43 is provided on the back surface of the rotation operation member 40. As shown in Figure 8(B), the drive gear portion 43 includes a first inclined portion 44 inclined in the unwinding direction S from the moving member 50 side toward the back surface 41a of the rotation operation member 40, and a second inclined portion 45 inclined in the winding direction T from the moving member 50 side toward the back surface 41a of the rotation operation member 40. An angle θ44 between the back surface 41a and the first inclined portion 44, and an angle θ45 between the back surface 41a and the second inclined portion 45 are both acute angles, but the angle θ45 is set to be larger than the angle θ44 (θ45>θ44).

[0100] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8(A), a driven gear portion 53 is provided on the upper surface of the moving member 50. As shown in FIG. 8(B), the driven gear portion 53 includes a first inclined portion 54 inclined in the winding direction T from the rotation operation member 40 side toward the upper surface 51 of the moving member 50, and a second inclined portion 55 inclined in the unwinding direction S from the upper surface 51 of the moving member 50 toward the back surface 41a of the rotation operation member 40. The angle θ54 between the upper surface 51 and the first inclined portion 54, and the angle θ55 between the upper surface 51 and the second inclined portion 55 are both acute angles, but the angle θ55 is set to be larger than the angle θ54 (θ55>θ54). In this embodiment, θ44≒θ54 and θ44≒θ54, and the drive gear portion 43 and the driven gear portion 53 are firmly meshed with each other.

[0101] When the rotation operation member 40 is rotated in the winding direction T, the second inclined portion 45 of the drive gear portion 43, which has a larger inclination angle, meshes with the second inclined portion 55 of the moving member 50, and the moving member 50 (reel 80) also rotates with the rotation operation member 40. The state in which the moving member 50 rotates with the reel 80 is shown in FIG. 9(A).

[0102] When the string 4 is completely wound up, the moving member 50 (reel 80) cannot rotate, so a certain load (high torque) is applied to the meshing between the second inclined portion 45 of the driving gear portion 43 and the second inclined portion 55 of the moving member 50. When the rotation operation member 40 is rotated in this state, the driving gear portion 43 passes over the driven gear portion 53, and only the rotation operation member 40 rotates. In other words, when a certain load or more is applied to the rotation operation member 40, the rotational motion of the rotation operation member 40 is not transmitted to the reel 80. This state is shown in FIG. 9(B). As shown in FIG. 9(B), the driving gear portion 43 passes over the driven gear portion 53, and the moving member 50 moves downward by the dimension L. In this way, when a certain load or more is applied, the moving member 50 repeatedly moves up and down while the rotation operation member 40 spins idly.

[0103] In other words, the second inclined portion 45 of the drive gear portion 43 and the second inclined portion 55 of the movable member 50 are normally an "action transmission portion" that transmits the rotational motion of the rotation operating member 40 to the reel, but when a certain load or more is applied, they become an "action separation portion" that does not transmit the rotational motion of the reel 80 to the reel.

[0104] Furthermore, to improve operability, the rotation operation member 40 has a one-way clutch structure that prevents the string 4 from being pulled out. When the rotation operation member 40 is rotated in the reeling direction S, the first inclined portion 44 of the drive gear portion 43 and the first inclined portion 54 of the moving member 50 mesh with each other, but since the one-way clutch mechanism prevents the reel 80 from rotating in the reeling direction S (FIG. 6), the drive gear portion 43 of the rotation operation member 40 overcomes the driven gear portion 53 of the moving member 50 and spins freely. In other words, when a load of a certain level or more is applied to the rotation operation member 40, the rotational motion of the rotation operation member 40 is not transmitted to the reel 80.

[0105] The adjustment mechanism 3 of this embodiment is provided with a motion transmitting section and a motion separating section, and is set so that the rotation operating member 40 spins freely when rotated in the unwinding direction S, improving operability. Also, since the rotation operating member 40 is set so that it spins freely when the string 4 has been completely wound up and is further rotated in the winding direction T, it is possible to prevent the string 4 from being pulled too tightly and to provide a guide for how well the string 4 has been wound up.

[0106] In the above embodiment, the driving gear portion 43 is provided on the back surface of the top surface 41 of the moving member 50, and the driven gear portion 53 is provided on the top surface 51 of the moving member 50, but the driven gear portion 53 may be provided in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the reel 80 (left-right direction). Specifically, the driving gear portion 43 is provided on the back surface of the side surface 42 of the moving member 50, and the driven gear portion 53 of the moving member 50 is provided. As a result, when a load of a certain level or more is applied due to the rotation of the rotation operation member 40, the moving member 50 repeatedly moves in the horizontal direction (left-right direction) while the rotation operation member 40 spins idly.

[0107] In addition, in the above embodiment, a biasing member 56 is provided to bias the movable member 50 toward the rotation operating member 40, but a resin spring, for example, may be integrally provided on the member in which the driven gear portion 53 is provided.

[0108] (About operation) The operation of the adjustment mechanism 3 of the embodiment 1 will be described. When it is desired to wind up the string 4, the rotation operation member 40 is rotated, and when it is desired to let out the string 4, the operation portion 61 of the lock release member 60 is pressed and the string 4 is pulled.

[0109] Specifically, when it is desired to wind up the string 4, the rotation operation member 40 is rotated in the winding direction T (clockwise) as shown in Fig. 6(A). Then, the one-way clutch mechanism causes the engagement pawl 72 of the locking member 70 to ride up onto the first inclined portion 87a of the engagement tooth 87 of the reel 80, and engage with the next engagement tooth 87. This operation is repeated until the reel 80 also rotates clockwise and winds up the string 4.

[0110] Furthermore, when it is desired to unleash the string 4, the operating portion 61 of the unlocking member 60 is pressed toward the holder 30, as shown in Fig. 6(B). This causes the unlocking body 62 to slide upward on the plane of the paper in Fig. 6(B), causing the second pin 74 penetrating the second hole 64 of the unlocking body 62 to move, and the locking member 70 to move, disengaging the engagement claw 72 of the locking member 70 from the engagement teeth 87 of the reel 80. This allows the reel 80 to rotate freely, and the string 4 can be unleash by pulling it.

[0111] (Variation 1) An adjustment mechanism 3A in Modification 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. The reel 80A of the adjustment mechanism 3A in Modification 1 is a member in which the rotation operation member 40, the moving member 50, the link member 57, and the reel 80 of the above embodiment are integrally formed. The adjustment mechanism 3A according to Modification 1 does not require the rotation operation member 40, the moving member 50, and the link member 57, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the configuration can be made simpler. In this modification, since the rotation operation member 40 and the moving member 50 are integrally formed, no motion transmission unit and no motion separation unit are provided.

[0112] (Variation 2) With reference to Figures 11(A) and (B), an adjustment mechanism 3B in Modification 2 will be described. Figure 11(A) is a diagram showing a state in which the lock release member 60 is not operated, and Figure 11(B) is a diagram showing a state in which the lock release member 60 is operated.

[0113] The engagement claw 72 of the adjustment mechanism 3B in the second modification may be provided on the unlocking member 60 of the above embodiment. Specifically, an engagement claw 72B is provided on the outer periphery of the through hole 65B of the unlocking member 60B, protruding inwardly of the through hole 65B. As a result, by pressing the operation portion 61 of the unlocking member 60B, the engagement between the engagement teeth 87 of the reel 80 and the engagement claw 72 is released, and the rotation inhibition state of the reel 80 is released. The adjustment mechanism 3B in the third modification also does not require the locking member 70, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the configuration can be made simpler.

[0114] <Embodiment 2> An adjustment mechanism 3C in embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figs. 12 to 18. Only the differences from the adjustment mechanism 3 shown in embodiment 1 will be described in detail. The first embodiment and this embodiment differ generally in the lock release member 60C and the one-way lock mechanism. The adjustment mechanism 3 is attached to various locations of the childcare-related equipment, but in the following description, the upper side on the paper of Figs. 12(C) and 13 will be referred to as the upper side of the adjustment mechanism 3C, and the lower side on the paper will be referred to as the lower side of the adjustment mechanism 3C.

[0115] The adjustment mechanism 3C generally comprises a string 4 and an adjustment mechanism main body 5C. With particular reference to Figures 12 and 13, the adjustment mechanism main body 5C comprises a holder 30C, a rotation operation member 40C, a moving member 50C, an unlocking member 60C, a locking member 70C, and a reel 80C. The adjustment mechanism 3C winds up the string 4 with the rotation operation member 40C, and can pull out (send out) the wound string 4 by operating the unlocking member 60C.

[0116] The holder 30C includes an upper holder 31C and a lower holder 34C. The upper holder 31C has a through hole 32C at approximately the center of its upper surface. A rotation operation member 40C passes through this through hole 32C. A hole 33C through which the string 4 passes is provided on the side surface of the upper holder 31C. The lower holder 34C has a recess 35 at approximately the center thereof for holding the lock member 70C.

[0117] The rotation operation member 40C is for operating the rotation of the reel 80C. The corner where the top surface 41C and the side surface 42 of the rotation operation member 40 intersect may have notches at regular intervals for ease of use by an operator. The rotation operation member 40C has a through hole 46C at the approximate center of its top surface 41C. An unlocking member 60C passes through this through hole 46C. As shown in FIGS. 17(C) and (D), a drive gear portion 43 protruding downward is provided on the back surface of the top surface 41C.

[0118] As shown in Fig. 13, the movable member 50C is provided below the rotation operation member 40C. A hole penetrating the unlocking body 62C of the unlocking member 60C is provided in the upper surface 51C of the movable member 50C. A driven gear portion 53 rising upward is provided on the outer circumferential edge 52 of the movable member 50C. This driven gear portion 53 engages with the drive gear portion 43 of the rotation operation member 40C described above.

[0119] 12(C), the link member 57C has a bottom portion 57aC and a side portion 57bC rising upward from the bottom portion 57aC. A biasing member 56 is sandwiched between the moving member 50C and the link member 57C. The biasing member 56 is, for example, a spring, and biases the moving member 50C in a direction toward the rotation operation member 40C.

[0120] The reel 80C includes a string holding portion 81C and a flange portion 84C. The string holding portion 81C is provided above the flange portion 84C. The handling of the string 4 in the string holding portion 81C will be described with reference to FIG. 16. The string holding portion 81C of the present embodiment differs from the string holding portion 81 of the first embodiment in the location where the string 4 is held. The string 4 of the first embodiment is fixed at one location, the fixing portion 81a, which is provided at the approximate center position of the string holding portion 81 in a plan view. The string 4 of the present embodiment is fixed at two fixing portions 81aC, which are provided above and below the approximate center position of the string holding portion 81C in a plan view. The fixing portions 81aC are notches, and are shaped to be able to pinch the end of the string 4. In the present embodiment, two strings 4 are provided, instead of one string.

[0121] As shown in Fig. 12(C), the flange 84C extends in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis and abuts on the upper part of the lower holder 34C. As shown in Fig. 15(C), an engagement tooth 87C is provided on the rear surface of the flange 84C.

[0122] As shown in Fig. 12(C) and Fig. 15(C), the locking member 70C includes a locking body 71C, an engagement claw 72C provided on the upper surface of the locking body 71C, and a biasing member 75C that biases the locking body 71C. The locking body 71C is displaceable between an engagement position (Fig. 14(A)) where the engagement claw 72C and the engagement tooth 87C are engaged, and a non-engagement position (Fig. 14(B)) where the engagement claw 72C and the engagement tooth 87C are not engaged. The engagement tooth 87C is provided on the upper surface extending in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the reel 80C. The engagement claw 72C of the locking member 70C and the engagement tooth 87C of the reel 80C form a "rotation lock mechanism" that prohibits the rotation of the reel 80C.

[0123] The unlocking member 60C releases the rotation inhibition state of the reel 80C, allowing the reel 80C to rotate freely. In other words, by operating the unlocking member 60C, it becomes possible to pull out the string 4 wound around the reel 80C. FIG. 14(A) shows a state in which the unlocking member 60C is not operated, in which the string 4 can be wound around the reel 80C but cannot be let out. FIG. 14(B) shows a state in which the unlocking member 60C is operated, in which the string 4 can be let out from the reel 80C. The unlocking member 60C releases the rotation inhibition state of the reel 80C by moving in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the reel 80C.

[0124] With reference to these figures, the unlocking member 60C includes an operating portion 61C operated by the user, and an unlocking body 62C that slides vertically by operating the operating portion 61C and extends vertically like a rod. The unlocking member 60C abuts on the upper side of the locking member 70C. As a result, the unlocking member 60C is always biased to the unlocked position (upward) by the biasing member 75C.

[0125] (About the one-way clutch mechanism) The one-way clutch mechanism will be described with reference to Fig. 15. In the above embodiment, the one-way clutch mechanism is implemented by moving the locking member 70C in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, but in this embodiment, the one-way clutch mechanism is implemented by moving the locking member 70C in a direction parallel to the rotation axis.

[0126] In this embodiment, the one-way clutch mechanism is achieved by the engagement between the engagement teeth 87C provided on the reel 80C and the engagement claw 72C provided on the locking member 70C. The engagement claw 72C is displaceable between a first position where it engages with the engagement teeth 87C that rotate together with the reel 80C to prohibit the rotation of the reel 80C, and a second position where it is separated from the part that rotates together with the reel 80C to allow the rotation of the reel 80C. The engagement teeth 87C of the reel 80C include a first inclined portion 87aC and a second inclined portion 87bC. The angle between the first inclined portion 87aC and the second inclined portion 87bC is preferably, for example, a right angle. In addition, the engagement claw 72C of the locking member 70C is preferably a right angle in accordance with the shape of the engagement teeth 87C. The engagement claw 72C is displaced in a direction perpendicular to the engagement teeth 87C.

[0127] (Regarding the motion transmission part and the motion separation part) The motion transmitting section and the motion separating section provided on the rotation operation member 40C and the moving member 50C will be described with reference to Figures 17 and 18. The motion transmitting section and the motion separating section are almost the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and therefore will be described briefly with reference to the drawings.

[0128] 17(C) and (D), a drive gear portion 43 is provided on a back surface 41aC of an upper surface 41C of a rotation operation member 40C. As shown in FIG. 17(A), a driven gear portion 53 is provided on an upper surface of a moving member 50.

[0129] As shown in Fig. 17(B), when the rotation operation member 40C is rotated in the winding direction T so that the drive gear portion 43 and the driven gear portion 53 rotate in mesh with each other, the moving member 50C (reel 80C) also rotates together with the rotation of the rotation operation member 40C. The state in which the moving member 50C rotates together is shown in Fig. 18(A).

[0130] Furthermore, when the rotation operation member 40C continues to rotate in the winding direction T and the string 4 is completely wound, the moving member 50C (reel 80C) cannot rotate. In this case, if the rotation operation member 40C continues to rotate in the winding direction T, a certain load or more is applied to the meshing between the drive gear part 43 and the driven gear part 53, and as shown in FIG. 18(B), the drive gear part 43 overcomes the driven gear part 53 and only the rotation operation member 40C rotates. In other words, when a certain load or more is applied to the rotation operation member 40C, the rotational motion of the rotation operation member 40C is not transmitted to the reel 80C. This state is shown in FIG. 18(B). As shown in FIG. 18(B), the drive gear part 43 overcomes the driven gear part 53 and the moving member 50 moves downward by a dimension L. In this way, when a certain load or more is applied, the moving member 50 repeatedly moves up and down while the rotation operation member 40 spins idly.

[0131] To improve operability, the rotation operation member 40C has a one-way clutch structure that prevents the string 4 from being pulled out. When the rotation operation member 40C rotates in the reel-out direction S, the drive gear portion 43 passes over the driven gear portion 53 and spins freely. In other words, when a certain load or more is applied to the rotation operation member 40C, the rotational motion of the rotation operation member 40C is not transmitted to the reel 80C.

[0132] (About operation) A description will now be given of the operation of the adjustment mechanism 3C of the embodiment 2. When it is desired to wind up the string 4, the rotation operation member 40C is rotated, and when it is desired to let out the string 4, the lock release member 60C is pressed and the string 4 is pulled.

[0133] Specifically, when it is desired to wind up the string 4, the rotation operation member 40C is rotated in the winding direction. As shown in Figures 14(A) and 15(B), although the engagement teeth 87C of the reel 80C and the engagement pawl 72C of the locking member 70C are engaged with each other, the one-way clutch mechanism causes the engagement teeth 87C of the reel 80C to ride up onto the engagement pawl 72C of the locking member 70C and engage with the next engagement teeth 87C, and this operation is repeated until the reel 80C rotates clockwise and winds up the string 4.

[0134] When it is desired to let out the string 4, the operating part 61C of the unlocking member 60C is pressed downward as shown in Fig. 14(B). This causes the unlocking main body 62C to move the moving member 50C downward, disengaging the engagement claw 72C of the locking member 70C from the engagement teeth 87C of the reel 80C. This allows the reel 80C to rotate freely, and the string 4 can be let out by pulling it.

[0135] In this embodiment, although the rotation operation unit 40CC and the unlocking member 60C are provided in the same position, the unlocking member 60C is a rotational movement and the operation unit 61C is an up-down movement movement, and therefore the operation directions are different, thereby improving operability and preventing erroneous operation.

[0136] (Variation 1) With reference to FIG. 19, the adjustment mechanism 3D in the first modification will be described. The adjustment mechanism 3D may be a member in which the unlocking member 60C and the locking member 70C of the above embodiment are integrally formed. In other words, the unlocking member 60D has a function of locking or unlocking the rotation of the reel 80C. By operating the unlocking member 60D, the unlocking member 60D itself moves downward, and the reel 80C becomes rotatable. As a result, the adjustment mechanism 3D according to the first modification can reduce the number of parts and can have a simpler configuration, since the unlocking member 60C and the locking member 70C of the above embodiment are integrally molded.

[0137] (Variation 2) With reference to FIG. 20, the adjustment mechanism 3E in the second modification will be described. The adjustment mechanism 3E may be a member in which the rotation operation member 40C and the reel 80C in the above embodiment are integrally formed. In other words, the reel 80E itself may be rotated to wind up the string 4. As a result, the adjustment mechanism 3E according to the second modification can reduce the number of parts and can have a simpler configuration, since the rotation operation member 40C and the lock member 70C are integrally molded. In this modification, since the rotation operation member 40C and the moving member 50C in the second embodiment are integrally formed, the motion transmission unit and the motion separation unit are not provided.

[0138] <Embodiment 3> An adjustment mechanism 3F in embodiment 3 will be described with reference to Figs. 21 to 31. Only the differences from the adjustment mechanisms 3 and 3C shown in embodiments 1 and 2 will be described in detail. Although there are various differences between embodiment 1 and this embodiment, they differ generally in the unlocking member 60F and the locking member 70F. Note that, although the adjustment mechanism 3F is attached to various locations of childcare-related equipment, in the following description, the up-down direction on the paper of Figs. 21(C) and 22 will be the up-down direction of the adjustment mechanism 3F, and the left-right direction on the paper will be the left-right direction of the adjustment mechanism 3F.

[0139] The adjustment mechanism 3F generally comprises a string 4 and an adjustment mechanism main body 5F. With particular reference to Figures 21 and 22, the adjustment mechanism main body 5F comprises a holder 30F, a rotation operation member 40F, a moving member 50F, an unlocking member 60F, a locking member 70F, and a reel 80F. As in the above-described embodiment, the adjustment mechanism 3F also winds up the string 4 with the rotation operation member 40F, and the wound string 4 can be pulled out (sent out) by operating the unlocking member 60F.

[0140] Holder 30F includes upper holder 31F and lower holder 34F. As shown in Fig. 22 and Fig. 23, upper holder 31F has a through hole 32F provided on the left side of the upper surface thereof, and a pair of elongated holes 32fF provided diagonally opposite to the up-down direction of through hole 32F.

[0141] A pair of legs 57cF of the link member 57F penetrates the through hole 32F of the upper holder 31F from above, and the engagement claws 73F, 93F of the lock member 70F penetrate from below. Referring to FIG. 23, a rib 32aF is provided on the outer periphery of the through hole 32F, protruding toward the inside of the hole. The rib 32aF includes an arc portion 32bF and engagement teeth 32cF provided at regular intervals along the arc portion 32bF. The engagement teeth 32cF are provided on the inner periphery of the through hole 32F of the upper holder 31F so as to follow the circumferential direction of the reel 80F. The engagement teeth 32cF include a first inclined portion 32dF and a second inclined portion 32eF. The first inclined portion 32dF is formed at a substantially right angle to the arc portion 32bF, and the second inclined portion 32eF is formed at an obtuse angle to the arc portion 32bF. The engagement claws 73F, 93F of the lock member 70F and the engagement teeth 32cF of the upper holder 31F form a "rotation lock mechanism" that prohibits the reel 80 from rotating.

[0142] 21(A) and 22, a pair of opposing side surfaces of the upper holder 31F are provided with string holes 33F through which the string 4 passes. The pair of elongated holes 32fF are shaped to conform to the arc shape of the through hole 32F. A screw hole 68dF of a second release member 64F (described later) passes through the elongated holes 32fF.

[0143] 22, the lower holder 34F serves as a lower cover and is, for example, a rectangular plate-like member. The lower holder 34F may be provided with legs at its four corners.

[0144] The rotation operation member 40F is for operating the rotation of the reel 80F. As shown in Fig. 28(A) and Fig. 29(A), the rotation operation member 40F has a through hole 46F provided in the approximate center of the upper surface 41. A screw 47F passes through this through hole 46F to support the moving member 50F so as to be vertically movable. In addition, as shown in Fig. 28(C), a drive gear portion 43 protruding downward is provided on the back surface 41a of the upper surface 41.

[0145] 28(A) and (B), the moving member 50F is provided below the rotation operation member 40F. The moving member 50F is provided with a driven gear portion 53F recessed downward from the upper surface 51aF. The driven gear portion 53F engages with the drive gear portion 43 of the rotation operation member 40F described above.

[0146] As shown in FIG. 29(A), the link member 57F includes an upper portion 57aF and a lower portion 57bF. The upper portion 57aF is cylindrical and open at the top. The upper portion 57aF holds the moving member 50F and the biasing member 56 therein. The lower portion 57bF includes a pair of legs 57cF that protrude downward. The pair of legs 57cF are connected to the reel 80F. As a result, the link member 57F and the reel 80F are fixed together, and the rotation of the link member 57F is directly connected to the rotation of the reel 80F.

[0147] As shown in FIG. 22 and FIG. 27, the reel 80F includes a string holding part 81F and a flange part 84F that rotatably holds the string holding part 81F. In FIG. 27(B), the winding direction T and the unwinding direction S of the string 4 are indicated by arrows. The handling of the string 4 in the string holding part 81F is substantially the same as that of the string holding part 81 in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, a fixing part for fixing the string 4 to the reel 80F is not provided, but the string 4 may be fixed at a substantially central position in the plan view as in the first embodiment. In addition, in the first embodiment, the round part 81c is provided only at the folded part of the string 4, and is not symmetrical in shape, but in this embodiment, the round part 81cF is symmetrical in shape, and the round part 81cF may be provided even in the part where the string 4 is not folded.

[0148] 22, the flange 84F of the reel 80F extends in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The flange 84F is located above the string holding part 81F and is connected to the leg 57cF of the link member 57F. In other words, the reel 80F is connected to the link member 57F, and the reel 80F rotates together with the rotation of the link member 57F.

[0149] The locking member 70F will be described with reference to Figures 22 to 26. In the following description, particularly with reference to Figure 24(A), the locking member 70F of the present embodiment includes an upper slide member 71F, a lower slide member 91F provided so as to overlap the upper slide member 71F, and a spring 90F provided between the upper slide member 71F and the lower slide member 91F.

[0150] The upper slide member 71F includes a slide main body portion 72F, an engagement claw 73F protruding upward from the slide main body portion 72F, a support portion 74F protruding downward from the slide main body portion 72F, a first cut hole 77F formed in the slide main body portion 72F, and a first hole 75F and a second hole 76F branching off from the first cut hole 77F.

[0151] The lower slide member 91F is provided substantially symmetrically with the upper slide member 71F. The lower slide member 91F includes a slide main body portion 92F, an engagement claw 93F protruding upward from the slide main body portion 92F, a support portion 94F protruding downward from the slide main body portion 92F, a first cut hole 97F formed in the slide main body portion 92F, and a first hole 95F and a second hole 96F branching from the first cut hole 97F. The engagement claws 73F, 93F penetrate the through hole 32F of the upper holder 31 described above. The engagement claws 73F, 93F are displaced in the horizontal direction relative to the engagement teeth 32cF described above. In addition, a guide portion 98F extending in the left-right direction is provided above the lower slide member 91F on the paper surface to guide the left-right sliding of the upper slide member 71F.

[0152] When the upper slide member 71F and the lower slide member 91F are stacked vertically, the first holes 75F, 95F penetrate vertically, and the second holes 76F, 96F penetrate vertically. As shown in Figures 24(B) and (C), when the upper slide member 71F slides to the right and the lower slide member 91F slides to the left, the shapes of the first holes 75F, 95F and the second holes 76F, 96F change and become smaller.

[0153] A spring 90F is sandwiched between the support portion 74F of the upper slide member 71F and the support portion 94F of the lower slide member 91F, so that the upper slide member 71F and the lower slide member 91F are always biased in the direction in which they move apart.

[0154] Next, the operation of the locking member 70F will be described. As shown in FIG. 22 and FIG. 25, the leg 57cF of the linking member 57F penetrates the first holes 75F, 95F and the second holes 76F, 96F of the locking member 70F. The leg 57cF of the linking member 57F is connected to the reel 80F by a screw. The locking member 70F is sandwiched between the linking member 57F and the reel 80F. As a result, when the linking member 57F is rotated in the winding direction T of FIG. 25(A), the leg 57cF of the linking member 57F pushes the first hole 75F of the upper slide member 71F to the right, and the leg 57cF of the linking member 57F pushes the second hole 96F of the lower slide member 91F to the left, as shown in FIG. 25(C). As a result, the upper slide member 71F moves to the right, the lower slide member 91F moves to the left, and the engagement claws 73F, 93F of the lock member 70F move inward.

[0155] 26(A)-(D) are cross-sectional views taken along line XXVI in FIG. 21(C). In simple terms, they are views showing a state in which an upper holder 31F is further stacked on top of the holders shown in FIGS. 25(B)-(D). The engagement claws 73F and 93F of the locking member 70F rotate while the interval between them widens and narrows as the link member 57F rotates. Specifically, when the locking member 70F rotates in the winding direction T in the state shown in FIG. 26(A), the engagement claws 73F and 93F of the locking member 70F approach each other as shown in FIG. 29(B). When the link member 57F is further rotated, the engagement claws 73F and 93F of the locking member 70F engage with the next engagement tooth 32cF. In this way, the engagement claws 73F and 93F of the locking member 70F rotate, for example, 45 degrees at a time, while winding up the string 4. Note that, because of the one-way clutch mechanism, the engagement claws 73F and 93F do not rotate in the winding direction S in which the string 4 is fed out.

[0156] The unlocking member 60F will be described with reference to Figures 22, 30, and 31. Figure 31(A) shows the unlocking member 60 in a state where it is not operated, and Figure 31(B) shows the unlocking member 60 in a state where it is operated. The left side of Figures 31(A) and (B) is a plan view showing only the upper holder 31 and the second release member 64F, and the right side is a perspective view of the part shown in Figure 26 with the first release member 61F further superimposed. The unlocking member 60 releases the rotation inhibition state of the reel by moving in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the reel 80F. In Figures 30 and 31, the first release member 64F is shown with light ink to make it easier to understand.

[0157] With particular reference to FIG. 22, the unlocking member 60F includes a first unlocking member 61F operated by a user, a second unlocking member 64F that slides up and down by operating the first unlocking member 61F, and a biasing portion 69F that biases the second unlocking member 64F in a direction opposite to the unlocking direction. The first unlocking member 61F and the second unlocking member 64F are adapted to move integrally. The biasing portion 69F is, for example, a coil spring, and biases the first unlocking member 61F and the second unlocking member 64F in a direction away from each other. The first unlocking member 61F, the second unlocking member 64F, and the biasing portion 69F may not be composed of separate members, but may be provided integrally.

[0158] The first release member 61F includes an unlocking body 62F and a through hole 63F provided in the approximate center of the unlocking body 62F. A pair of screw holes 62aF are provided in the unlocking body 62F. The unlocking body 62F is approximately circular in plan view, with a portion protruding to form an operating portion. A pair of legs 57cF of the link member 57F described above pass through the through hole 63F.

[0159] 22 and 30, the second release member 64F includes a release body 65F and a protruding portion 66F protruding from the release body 65F. A through hole 67F is formed in the release body 65F at a substantially central portion, and a pair of screw holes 68dF are provided around the through hole 67F. The pair of legs 57cF of the link member 57F described above pass through the through hole 67F. The screws that pass through the screw holes 62aF of the first release member 61F pass through the pair of screw holes 68dF. A hole portion 66aF is provided in the protruding portion 66F. A pin member 69aF located at an end of the biasing member 69F passes through this hole portion aF. As a result, the lock release member 62F is biased in a direction opposite to the lock release direction.

[0160] Next, the operation of the unlocking member 60F will be described. As shown in FIG. 31(A), when the first unlocking member 61F of the unlocking member 60F is rotated counterclockwise (about 45 degrees), the second unlocking member 64F also rotates counterclockwise. As shown in FIG. 31(B), the engagement teeth 32cF of the rib 32aF of the upper holder 31F are covered by the arcuate portion 67aF of the second unlocking member 64F, the engagement claws 73F, 93F of the locking member 70F move inward, and the reel 80F connected to the locking member 70F becomes rotatable. In this way, by moving the unlocking member 60F in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the reel 80F, it is possible to release the engagement between the locking member 70F and the upper holder 31F.

[0161] (About the one-way clutch mechanism) The one-way clutch mechanism will be described with reference to Fig. 26. The one-way clutch mechanism of this embodiment is effected by the movement of the lock member 70F in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation, similar to the first embodiment.

[0162] The wen-way clutch mechanism of this embodiment is achieved by the engagement between the engagement teeth 32cF provided on the upper holder 31F and the engagement claws 73F, 93F provided on the locking member 70F. The engagement claws 73F, 93F are displaced in a direction perpendicular to the engagement teeth 32cF. The engagement teeth 32cF of the upper holder 31F include a first inclined portion 32dF and a second inclined portion 32eF. The angle between the first inclined portion 32dF and the arc portion 32bF is preferably, for example, a right angle. Also, the angle between the second inclined portion 32eF and the arc portion 32bF is preferably, for example, an obtuse angle. This results in a structure in which the reel 80F can rotate in the winding direction T but cannot rotate in the unwinding direction S.

[0163] (Regarding the motion transmission part and the motion separation part) The motion transmitting unit and the motion separating unit provided between the rotation operation member 40F and the moving member 50F will be described with reference to Fig. 25 and Fig. 26. The motion transmitting unit and the motion separating unit are almost the same as those in the first embodiment described above, so the description will be simplified with the aid of the drawings.

[0164] As shown in Fig. 28(C), a drive gear portion 43 is provided on the back surface of the rotation operation member 40F. As shown in Fig. 28(A), a driven gear portion 53F is provided on the top surface of the moving member 50F.

[0165] As shown in FIG. 28(A), when the driving gear portion 43 and the driven gear portion 53F rotate in mesh with each other, the moving member 50F (reel 80F) also rotates in accordance with the rotation of the rotating operation member 40F. When the rotating operation member 40F continues to rotate in the winding direction and the string 4 is completely wound, the moving member 50F (reel 80F) cannot rotate. When a certain load or more is applied to the meshing between the driving gear portion 43F and the driven gear portion 53F, if the rotating operation member 40F is further rotated, as shown in FIG. 28(B), the driving gear portion 43 passes over the driven gear portion 53F and only the rotating operation member 40F rotates. In other words, when a certain load or more is applied to the rotating operation member 40F, the rotational motion of the rotating operation member 40F is not transmitted to the reel 80C.

[0166] To improve operability, the rotation operation member 40F has a one-way clutch structure that prevents the string 4 from being pulled out. When the rotation operation member 40F rotates in the release direction, the drive gear portion 43 overcomes the driven gear portion 53F and spins freely. In other words, when a load of a certain level or more is applied to the rotation operation member 40F, the rotational motion of the rotation operation member 40F is not transmitted to the reel 80C.

[0167] (About operation) A description will now be given of the operation of the adjustment mechanism 3F of the third embodiment. When it is desired to wind up the string 4, the rotation operation member 40F is rotated, and when it is desired to let out the string 4, the lock release member 60F is rotated and the string 4 is pulled.

[0168] Specifically, when it is desired to wind up the string 4, the rotation operation member 40F (reel 80F) is rotated clockwise as shown in Fig. 25(A). Then, as shown in Figs. 26(A)-(D), the one-way clutch mechanism disengages the engagement pawls 73F, 93F of the lock member 70F from the engagement teeth 32cF of the upper holder 31F, and the engagement pawls rotate to engage with the next engagement tooth 32cF. This operation is repeated until the reel 80F also rotates clockwise and winds up the string 4.

[0169] When it is desired to unleash the string 4, the first release member 61F of the lock release member 60F is rotated counterclockwise (in the direction of the arrow) as shown in Figures 31(A) and (B). This causes the second release member 64F to rotate, causing the arc-shaped portion 67aF of the second release member 62F to overlap with the engagement teeth 32cF of the upper holder 31F, and the engagement claws 73F, 93F of the lock member 70F to disengage from the engagement teeth 32cF of the upper holder 31F. This allows the reel 80F to rotate freely, and the string 4 can be unleash by pulling it.

[0170] In this embodiment, the unlocking member 60F and the unlocking member 70F are formed as separate members, but they may be formed integrally as in the above-described embodiment.

[0171] (Variation 1) The adjustment mechanism 3G in the first modification will be described with reference to Fig. 32. The adjustment mechanism 3G differs in the configuration of the motion transmitting section and the motion separating section. In the third embodiment, the biasing member 56 is provided below the moving member 50F, and the moving member 50F is biased toward the rotation operating member 40F, but in this modification, the rotation operating member 40G is biased toward the moving member 50G.

[0172] Specifically, the adjustment mechanism 3G further includes a lid portion 48G that fits into a recessed portion 46G provided on the upper surface of the rotation operation member 40F. A biasing member 56G that biases the rotation operation member 40G downward is provided between the recessed portion 46G and the lid portion 48G of the rotation operation member 40F. As a result, when the rotation operation member 40G is rotated in a state in which a certain load is exceeded, the drive gear portion 43 of the rotation operation member 40G rotates over the driven gear portion 53 of the moving member 50G. In this modification, when the rotation operation member 40F rotates idly, the rotation operation member 40F moves up and down.

[0173] <Fourth embodiment> An adjustment mechanism 3H in embodiment 4 will be described with reference to Figures 33 and 34. Only the differences from the adjustment mechanism 3C shown in embodiment 2 will be described in detail. This embodiment differs in that a rotation operation member is not provided, and a biasing member 110H that biases the reel 80C in the winding direction is provided. The adjustment mechanism 3H is attached to various locations of the childcare-related equipment, but in the following description, the upper side on the paper of Figure 33 will be described as the upper side of the adjustment mechanism 3H, and the lower side on the paper will be described as the lower side of the adjustment mechanism 3H.

[0174] The adjustment mechanism 3H of the present embodiment includes a string 4, a holder 30C, an unlocking member 60C, a locking member 70C, a reel 80C, and a biasing member 110H. The adjustment mechanism 3H can automatically wind up the slack string 4.

[0175] The biasing force of the biasing member 110H is set to be smaller than the biasing force that moves the movable part vertically downward. The biasing force will be described in detail in the explanation of the operation. The biasing member 110H is, for example, a spirally wound power spring. One end of the biasing member 110H located on the radial inside is fixed to the reel 80C, and the other end located on the radial outside is fixed to the upper holder 31C. As a result, the reel 80C is always biased in the winding direction.

[0176] In this embodiment, a power spring is used as the biasing member 110H, but the biasing member 110H may be any member that biases the reel 80C to rotate in the winding direction of the string 4, and may be, for example, another type of spring, or another biasing member that exerts an elastic biasing force.

[0177] As described above, the locking member 70C is a one-way clutch mechanism that permits rotation of the reel 80C in the winding direction of the string 4 and prohibits rotation of the reel 80C in the releasing direction of the string 4. The one-way clutch mechanism may be configured to have a motion transmitting part and a motion separating part, like the driving gear part 43 and the driven gear part 53 described above, or may be similar to the one described in the second embodiment.

[0178] The engagement claw 72C of the locking member 70C is a reel lock claw that locks the rotation of the reel 80C. The reel lock claw is displaceable between a first position where it engages with a part that rotates together with the reel 80C to prohibit rotation of the reel 80C, and a second position where it is separated from the part that rotates together with the reel 80C to allow rotation of the reel 80C. This movement is performed by the locking member 70C sliding up and down, as shown in Figures 14(A) and (B).

[0179] The lock member 70C is slid up and down by the unlocking member 60C. The unlocking member 60C brings the lock member 70C to the second position and allows the reel 80C to rotate freely.

[0180] The operation of a child car seat 1C as a child care-related device using the adjustment mechanism 3H in embodiment 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 33. The basic structure of the child car seat 1C used in this embodiment is substantially the same as that of the child car seat 1B in Fig. 3.

[0181] As shown in Fig. 34, an adjustment mechanism body 5H is provided at the upper end of the backrest 22 of the child seat 1C. The string 4 is attached to a rotating part 28 of a flip-up mechanism 27 for the shoulder belt 23. The flip-up mechanism 27 for the shoulder belt 23 fixes the shoulder belt 23 so that the seat 20 is open and the shoulder belt 23 does not get in the way when a child is seated.

[0182] When the buckle 26 is released from the state shown in Fig. 34(A) and the shoulder belt 23 is moved upward as shown in Fig. 34(B), the cord 4 connected to the rotating part 28 becomes loose. The adjustment mechanism 3H is provided with a biasing member 110H (Fig. 33) that biases the reel 80C in the winding direction. The biasing member 110H is set to be smaller than the biasing force that tends to move the shoulder belt 23 and the flip-up mechanism 27 vertically downward due to their own weight. In other words, when the biasing force that tends to move the shoulder belt 23 and the flip-up mechanism 27 vertically downward is no longer applied, the biasing member 110H rotates the reel 80C to wind up the cord 4.

[0183] Since the biasing member 110H is biased in the winding direction, the slackened string 4 is wound up on the reel 80C as shown in Fig. 34(C). This allows the user to wind up the slackened string 4 without having to do anything, making it easy to get the child on and off the stroller.

[0184] After the child is placed in the child seat 1C, the operating portion 61C of the unlocking member 60C is operated to release the lock between the locking member 70C and the reel 80C, as shown in Fig. 34(D). Since the biasing force of the biasing member 110H is smaller than the biasing force that moves the shoulder belt 23 and the flip-up mechanism 27 vertically downward, the cord 4 is automatically pulled out by the weight of the shoulder belt 23 and the flip-up mechanism 27. Finally, the shoulder belt 23 can be fastened with the buckle 26.

[0185] In this embodiment, the movable parts are shoulder belt 23 and flip-up mechanism 27 for shoulder belt 23, but any member that moves vertically downward by its own weight may be used. For example, the backrest of a stroller reclining mechanism may be the movable part, or the headrest of a baby carrier may be the movable part when adjusting the height of the headrest.

[0186] In addition, although the movable part is described as moving vertically downward, it may move not only vertically downward perpendicular to the horizontal plane, but also downward at an angle to the vertical. Furthermore, the force that moves the movable part vertically downward may include not only the weight of the movable part itself, but also a biasing force that moves the movable part vertically downward, for example, by a spring or the like.

[0187] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the unlocking member 60C and the locking member 70C are separate members, but the unlocking member 60C and the locking member 70C may be provided integrally.

[0188] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiment within the same scope as the present invention or within an equivalent scope. [Explanation of symbols]

[0189] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C Child seat (childcare related equipment), 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, 3F, 3G, 3H Adjustment mechanism, 4 Cord, 10 Base body, 11 ISOFIX, 23, 24, 25 Belt, 30, 30C, 30F Holder, 32cF, 87, 87C Engagement teeth, 40, 40C, 40D, 40F, 40G Rotation operation member, 43, 43F Drive gear part, 50, 50C, 50F, 50G Moving member, 53, 53F Driven gear part, 56, 56G, 110H Pressing member, 60, 60B, 60C, 60F Lock release member, 70, 70C, 70F Lock member, 72, 72B, 72C, 73F, 93F Engagement claw, 80, 80A, 80C, 80E, 80F reel, 90F biasing portion.

Claims

1. A childcare-related device comprising a fixed part, a movable part that is movable relative to the fixed part, and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting a position or shape of the movable part, The adjustment mechanism includes: A string connecting the fixed part and the movable part; a reel that is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions and changes the position or shape of the movable part by winding and unwinding the string; a rotation operation member for operating the rotation of the reel, The rotation operation member includes a drive gear portion, the reel includes a driven gear portion that meshes with the drive gear portion, Normally, the drive gear portion and the driven gear portion mesh with each other, so that the rotational motion of the rotation operation member is transmitted to the reel, and the rotation operation member and the reel rotate together. When a load equal to or greater than a certain level is applied to the rotation operating member, the drive gear portion and the driven gear portion do not mesh, the rotational motion of the rotation operating member is not transmitted to the reel, and the rotation operating member spins freely.

2. The childcare-related equipment of claim 1, wherein when the rotation operating member rotates in one direction, the drive gear portion and the driven gear portion mesh to transmit rotational motion to the reel, and when the rotation operating member rotates in the other direction, the drive gear portion and the driven gear portion do not mesh to transmit rotational motion to the reel.

3. the reel includes a reel body that winds and releases the string, and a moving member that is provided between the reel body and the rotation operation member, The childcare related equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the driven gear portion is provided on the moving member.

4. The childcare related instrument according to claim 3 , wherein the moving member is biased in a direction toward the rotation operating member.

5. the drive gear portion includes a first inclined portion inclined in a winding direction from the reel toward the rotation operation member, and a second inclined portion inclined in a releasing direction from the reel toward the rotation operation member, The childcare related equipment according to claim 3 or 4, wherein an angle of the first inclined portion with respect to the winding direction is smaller than an angle of the second inclined portion with respect to the unwinding direction.

6. The childcare related equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drive gear portion includes a second inclined portion inclined in a feeding direction from the reel toward the rotation operation member.

Images