Wheel orientation mechanism and stroller

Abstract

A wheel orientation mechanism and a stroller (1) are disclosed. The wheel orientation mechanism includes: a locking portion (110), arranged at a wheel assembly of the stroller and configured to lock or unlock a wheel; and a traction portion (120), including a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end being connected to the locking portion, and the second end being connected to a pivot joint (40) of the stroller. When a frame of the stroller is folded at the pivot joint, the traction portion is loosened, to lock the wheel through the locking portion; and when the frame of the stroller is unfolded at the pivot joint, the traction portion is tightened, to release the wheel through the locking portion. The wheel orientation mechanism has a simpler structure, thereby effectively reducing cost, and improving competitiveness of the product.

Description

WHEEL ORIENTATION MECHANISM AND STROLLERTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wheel orientation mechanism and a stroller including the wheel orientation mechanism.BACKGROUND

[0002] Strollers can alleviate fatigue caused by holding babies for a long time and improve comfort of people’s life. A stroller typically includes a frame and wheels, and in order to facilitate storage and carrying when not in use, the frame of the stroller is usually designed to be foldable, thereby reducing volume occupied by the stroller when in storage.

[0003] However, the existing stroller in a folded state usually cannot be placed upright, or the stroller in the folded state may easily tip over due to sliding of the wheels when placed upright; if the folded stroller is placed flat, it will still take up a large storage space, making it inconvenient to use. Especially during short-term temporary storage, if the folded stroller cannot be stably placed upright, it will cause a lot of inconvenience.SUMMARY

[0004] Accordingly, the present disclosure aims to provide a wheel orientation mechanism that is convenient to use and has a simple structure, as well as a stroller including the wheel orientation mechanism.

[0005] To this end, according to a technical solution of the present disclosure, a wheel orientation mechanism is provided, including a locking portion, arranged at a wheel assembly of a stroller and configured to lock or unlock a wheel; and a traction portion, including a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end being connected to the locking portion, and the second end being connected to a pivot joint of the stroller. When a frame of the stroller is folded at the pivot j oint, the traction portion is loosened, to lock the wheel through the locking portion; and when the frame of the stroller is unfolded at the pivot joint, the traction portion is tightened, to release the wheel through the locking portion.

[0006] According to an embodiment, the pivot joint is connected to an upper end of the rear leg.

[0007] According to an embodiment, the pivot joint includes an outer cover and a decorative cover arranged at an outer side of the outer cover; the second end of the traction portion is fixed to the outer cover and shielded by the decorative cover.

[0008] According to an embodiment, a fixing portion and a guide groove are provided at an inner side of the outer cover; after the traction portion is guided by the guide groove, the second end of the traction portion is fixed to the fixing portion.

[0009] According to an embodiment, the fixing portion is a perforation, and the second end of the traction portion is fixed after passing through the perforation from the inner side of the outer cover.

[0010] According to an embodiment, the pivot joint includes a gear folding mechanism, and the gear folding mechanism includes: a first gear transmission portion, fixed to a handlebar member of the stroller and provided with a first slide slot on a surface of the first gear transmission portion; a second gear transmission portion, fixed to a front leg of the stroller and provided with a second slide slot and a guide groove on a surface of the second gear transmission portion; a driving gear, meshing with the first gear transmission portion and the second gear transmission portion; and an insertion pin, passing through the first slide slot and the second slide slot and exposed from the gear folding mechanism, in which the second end of the traction portion is fixed to the insertion pin after the traction portion is guided by the guide groove.

[0011] According to an embodiment, the driving gear includes a first gear set and a second gear set respectively arranged on opposite surfaces of the driving gear; the first gear set meshes with the first gear transmission portion, and the second gear set meshes with the second gear transmission portion.

[0012] According to an embodiment, the locking portion includes: a positioning pin, to which the first end of the traction portion is connected; and a locking hole in the wheel seat. The positioning pin enters the locking hole when the traction portion is loosened, and the positioning pin leaves the locking hole when the traction portion is tightened.

[0013] According to an embodiment, the locking portion further includes an elastic reset member fixed between the positioning pin and a fixed seat of the locking portion. The elastic reset member is compressed when the stroller is unfolded, and the elastic reset member is released from a compressed state when the stroller is folded, to push the positioning pin into the locking hole.

[0014] According to an embodiment, the locking portion further includes a rotating portion. When the traction portion is loosened, the positioning pin pushes the rotating portion to rotate, to allow the locking hole to be aligned with the positioning pin for locking.

[0015] According to an embodiment, the rotating portion is a helical surface on an end face of the wheel seat, with the locking hole located at a lowest point of the helical surface; or a step surface is provided between the lowest point of the helical surface and the locking hole.

[0016] According to another solution of the present disclosure, a stroller is provided, including: a frame, including a handlebar member, a front leg and a rear leg, the handlebar member, the front leg and the rear leg being able to pivot toward each other to fold at a pivot joint and pivot away from each other to unfold at the pivot joint; a wheel assembly, including a wheel and a wheel seat configured to connect the wheel to the front leg and the rear leg; and the wheel orientation mechanism described above.

[0017] According to an embodiment, the front leg is tubular, and after a traction portion passes through an interior of the front leg and enters the pivot joint, a second end of the traction portion is fixed to an outer cover of the pivot joint or to an insertion pin of a gear folding mechanism.

[0018] The wheel orientation mechanism according to the present disclosure can automatically trigger an action when the stroller is folded, to make the wheel seat rotate and in turn lock the wheel (e.g., a front wheel), thereby avoiding interference between the wheel and the frame (e.g., a frame crossbar), which would affect the folding of the frame, to make the folding of the stroller smoother, and at the same time, the folded stroller can be in a stable upright state, to facilitate temporary storage. When the stroller is in an unfolded state, the wheel orientation mechanism unlocks the wheel, so that the wheel can rotate freely 360 degrees, to facilitate pushing of the stroller.

[0019] Compared with existing wheel orientation mechanisms, the wheel orientation mechanism according to the present disclosure omits a driving portion and hence has a simpler structure, thereby effectively reducing cost, and improving competitiveness of the product.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The accompanying drawings are included herein to provide further understanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the following description, serve to explain principles of the present disclosure.

[0021] In the drawings:

[0022] FIG. l is a schematic view of a stroller in an unfolded state;

[0023] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a stroller in a folded state;

[0024] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a wheel orientation mechanism according to the present disclosure, in which the wheel orientation mechanism is in a state of unlocking a wheel;

[0025] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a wheel orientation mechanism according to the present disclosure, in which the wheel orientation mechanism is in a state of locking a wheel;

[0026] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an inner side of an outer cover of a pivot joint according to the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a wheel orientation mechanism according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0028] FIG. 7 is an exploded view further showing a gear folding mechanism in FIG. 6.

[0029] Reference numerals:Stroller: 1Frame 20Front leg 22; Rear leg 24; Handlebar member 26Wheel assembly 30Wheel seat 32; Wheel 34Wheel orientation mechanism 10Locking portion 110Positioning pin 112; Elastic reset member 114Fixed seat 115; Locking hole 116Traction portion 120First end 122; Second end 124Pivot joint 40Outer cover 42Fixing portion 422; Guide groove 424Decorative cover 44Gear folding mechanism 50First gear transmission portion 52First slide slot 521Second gear transmission portion 54Second slide slot 541; Guide groove 542Driving gear 53First gear set 532Second gear set 534Insertion pin 58DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Exemplary embodiments will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the present disclosure is prone to various modifications and alternatives, specific embodiments are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein, but rather the present disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the embodiments.

[0031] The following description takes a stroller as an example, but a wheel orientation mechanism according to embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied to other child devices that require wheel locking, such as child dining chairs, and may also be applied to other devices such as wheelchairs for disabled people.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 1, which is a schematic view of a stroller 1 in an unfolded state, the stroller 1 typically includes a wheel assembly 30 and a frame 20 arranged on the wheel assembly 30. The frame 20 typically includes a front leg 22, a rear leg 24, and a handlebar member 26. The front leg 22, the rear leg 24, and the handlebar member 26 of the stroller 1 are pivotally connected to each other at a pivot joint 40. Consequently, the front leg 22, the rear leg 24, and the handlebar member 26 may pivot away from each other to bring the stroller 1 into the unfolded state, or pivot toward each other to bring the stroller 1 into a folded state. FIG. 2 of the present disclosure shows the stroller 1 in the folded state. According to the embodiment shown in the figure, the pivot joint 40 is connected to an upper end of the rear leg 24.

[0033] The wheel assembly 30 of the stroller 1 typically includes a wheel 34 and a wheel seat 32 configured to connect the wheel 34 to the front leg 22 and the rear leg 24. The stroller 1 includes two front wheels (at left and right sides) and two rear wheels (at left and right sides). For the sake of convenience, the following description and illustration will take one front wheel of the stroller as an example.

[0034] The stroller 1 according to the present disclosure is provided with a wheel orientation mechanism 10. Consequently, in the unfolded state of the stroller 1 (as shown in FIG. 1), the wheel 34 can freely rotate 360 degrees to facilitate pushing, while in the folded state of the stroller 1 (as shown in FIG. 2), the wheel 34 is locked, so that the folded stroller 1 can be stably placed upright for temporary storage.

[0035] A specific structure of the wheel orientation mechanism 10 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic views of the wheel orientation mechanism 10 according to the present disclosure, in which the wheel orientation mechanism 10 shown in FIG. 3 is in a state of unlocking the wheel 34, and the wheel orientation mechanism 10 shown in FIG. 4 is in a state of locking the wheel. The wheel orientation mechanism 10 includes a locking portion 110 and a traction portion 120. The locking portion 110 is arranged at the wheel assembly 30 to lock the wheel 34 to prevent it from rotating freely, or to unlock the wheel 34 to allow it to rotate freely. The traction portion 120 includes a first end 122 and a second end 124 opposite to each other; the first end 122 is connected to the locking portion 110; and the second end 124 is connected to the pivot joint 40of the stroller 1. When the frame 20 of the stroller 1 is folded, the traction portion 120 becomes loose, the wheel assembly 30 is rotated to a direction in which the locking portion 110 locks the wheel 34, such that the locking portion 110 locks the wheel 34, thusly allowing the folded stroller 1 to stand upright stably for storage. When the frame 20 of the stroller 1 is unfolded, the traction portion 120 is tightened, and the locking portion 110 releases the wheel 34, allowing the wheel 34 to rotate freely for easy pushing.

[0036] Specifically, the locking portion 110 includes a positioning pin 112, and the first end 122 of the traction portion 120 is connected to the positioning pin 112. The locking portion 110 also includes the locking hole 116, and the locking hole 16 is, for example, in the wheel seat 32. When the traction portion 120 is loosened, the positioning pin 112 is inserted into the locking hole 116 to lock the wheel 34; and when the traction portion 120 is tightened, the positioning pin 112 leaves the locking hole 116 to release the wheel 34. In addition, the locking portion 110 also includes an elastic reset member 114, for example a spring, which is fixed between the positioning pin 112 and a fixed seat 115 of the locking portion 110. The elastic reset member 114 is configured to ensure that the positioning pin 112 is inserted into the locking hole 116 to lock the wheel 34 by means of an elastic force of the elastic reset member 114 when the traction portion 120 is loosened.

[0037] According to other embodiments of the present disclosure, the locking portion 110 may further include a rotating portion (not shown in the figure), and when the traction portion 120 is loosened, the positioning pin 112 is pushed downward against the rotating portion, so that the wheel seat 32 together with the wheel 34 rotates by an angle and then the positioning pin 112 enters the locking hole 116. As shown in FIG. 3, the locking hole 116 is at a left side of the wheel seat 32 when the stroller 1 is unfolded. When the stroller 1 is folded, as shown in FIG. 4, the positioning pin 112 is pushed downward against the rotating portion, causing the locking hole 116 to rotate, for example, by 180 degrees together with the wheel 34 and the wheel seat 32, thusly the locking hole 116 is at a right side of the wheel seat 32 in FIG. 4, and then the positioning pin 112 enters the locking hole 116. The above construction can avoid interference between the wheel and the frame (e.g., a frame crossbar), which would affect the folding of the frame, to make the folding of the stroller smoother. The rotating portion may be,for example, a helical surface on an end face of the wheel seat 32, with the locking hole 116 located at a lowest point of the helical surface. Alternatively, a step surface is provided between the lowest point of the helical surface and the locking hole 116. The form of the rotating portion is not limited to the above illustration, and may also be in other forms as long as rotation can occur based on the downward pushing of the positioning pin 112.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the pivot joint 40 includes an outer cover 42. In this embodiment, the outer cover 42 is connected to the upper end of the rear leg 24, and a decorative cover 44 is also arranged at an outer side of the outer cover 42 and may be provided with a product label or other decorative patterns. FIGS. 3 and 4 show the outer cover 42 after the decorative cover 44 is removed. In combination with FIG. 5, which is a schematic view of an inner side of the outer cover 42 of the pivot joint 40 according to the present disclosure, a fixing portion 422 and a guide groove 424 are provided at the inner side of the outer cover 42. The traction portion 120 may extend to the inner side of the outer cover 42, and after being guided by the guide groove 424, the second end 124 of the traction portion 120 is fixed to the fixing portion 422. According to the embodiment shown in the figure, the fixing portion 422 is a perforation, and the second end 124 of the traction portion 120 is fixed after passing through the perforation, and then the decorative cover 44 is mounted.

[0039] Certainly, according to other embodiments not shown, the traction portion 120 extends to the outer side of the outer cover 42, and the second end 124 of the traction portion 120 is fixed to the outer side of the outer cover 42 and shielded by the decorative cover 44.

[0040] Given the above construction, when the front leg 22, the rear leg 24, and the handlebar member 26 of the frame 20 pivot toward each other to fold the stroller 1, the traction portion 120 will become loose, and under the elastic force of the elastic reset member 114 in a compressed state, the positioning pin 112 moves downward, pushing the rotating portion to rotate and enter the locking hole 116, so as to lock the wheel 34. When the front leg 22, the rear leg 24, and the handlebar member 26 pivot away from each other to unfold the stroller 1, the traction portion 120 will be tightened, pulling the positioning pin 112 upwards away from the locking hole 116, and compressing the elastic reset member 114, in which case the wheel 32 is unlocked.

[0041] Awheel orientation mechanism 10 according to another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, in which FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the wheel orientation mechanism 10 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 7 is an exploded view further showing a gear folding mechanism in FIG. 6. The gear folding mechanism 50 is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and includes a first gear transmission portion 52 fixed to the handlebar member 26 of the stroller 1, a second gear transmission portion 54 fixed to the front leg 22 of the stroller 1, a driving gear 53, and an insertion pin 58. The driving gear 53 is, for example, a double-sided gear with a first gear set 532 and a second gear set 534 respectively arranged on its opposite surfaces. The first gear set 532 meshes with the first gear transmission portion 52, and the second gear set 534 meshes with the second gear transmission portion 54, so that the driving gear 53 may simultaneously drive the handlebar member 26 and the front leg 22 to pivot and fold relative to the rear leg 24. A surface of the first gear transmission portion 52 is provided with a first slide slot 521, and a surface of the second gear transmission portion 54 is provided with a second slide slot 541 and a guide groove 542. After passing through the first slide slot 521 and the second slide slot 541, the insertion pin 58 is exposed from the gear folding mechanism 50, so that relative sliding between the insertion pin 58 and the first slide slot 521 and the second slide slot 541 can guide pivot of the first gear transmission portion 52 and the second gear transmission portion 54 to assist a folding action.

[0042] The wheel orientation mechanism 10 according to this embodiment differs from that according to the previous embodiments in that the second end 124 of the traction portion 120 is fixed to the insertion pin 58 of the gear folding mechanism 50 after being guided by the guide groove 542.

[0043] The structure of the locking portion 110 according to this embodiment is completely identical to the structure of the locking portion 110 described above, and will not be repeated.

[0044] The front leg 22 according to the present disclosure may be tubular, and after the traction portion 120 passes through an interior of the front leg 22 and enters the pivot joint 40, the second end 124 of the traction portion 120 is fixed to the outer cover 42 of the pivot joint 40 or to the insertion pin 58 of the gear folding mechanism 50.

[0045] Similarly, based on this embodiment, when the stroller 1 is folded, the traction portion120 will become loose, the positioning pin 112 moves downward under the elastic force of the elastic reset member 114 in the compressed state, rotating the wheel assembly 30, and the locking portion 110 is inserted into the locking hole 16 to lock the wheel 34; when the stroller 1 is unfolded, the traction portion 120 will be tightened, pulling the positioning pin 112 upwards away from the locking hole 116, and compressing the elastic reset member 114, in which case the wheel 32 is unlocked.

[0046] Compared with existing wheel orientation mechanisms, the wheel orientation mechanism 10 according to the present disclosure omits a driving portion and instead directly fixes the second end 124 of the traction portion 120 to the pivot joint 40 or to the insertion pin 58 of the gear folding mechanism 50, which has a simpler structure, effectively reduces cost, and improves competitiveness of the product.

[0047] Since the features of the present disclosure can be embodied in various forms without departing from the characteristics of the present disclosure, it should also be understood that the above embodiments are not limited to any of the details described above, unless otherwise specified, but should be broadly construed as being within the scope of the appended claims.Consequently, all modifications and variations falling into the scope and limits of the claims or equivalent solutions of such scope and limits should be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. Awheel orientation mechanism, comprising: a locking portion, arranged at a wheel assembly of a stroller and configured to lock or unlock a wheel; and a traction portion, comprising a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end being connected to the locking portion, and the second end being connected to a pivot joint of the stroller, wherein, when a frame of the stroller is folded at the pivot joint, the traction portion is loosened, to lock the wheel through the locking portion; and wherein, when the frame of the stroller is unfolded at the pivot joint, the traction portion is tightened, to release the wheel through the locking portion.

2. The wheel orientation mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the pivot joint is connected to an upper end of the rear leg.

3. The wheel orientation mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pivot joint comprises an outer cover and a decorative cover arranged at an outer side of the outer cover; wherein the second end of the traction portion is fixed to the outer cover and shielded by the decorative cover.

4. The wheel orientation mechanism according to claim 3, wherein a fixing portion and a guide groove are provided at an inner side of the outer cover; wherein, after the traction portion is guided by the guide groove, the second end of the traction portion is fixed to the fixing portion.

5. The wheel orientation mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the fixing portion is a perforation, and the second end of the traction portion is fixed after passing through the perforation from the inner side of the outer cover.

6. The wheel orientation mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pivot joint comprises a gear folding mechanism, and the gear folding mechanism comprises: a first gear transmission portion, fixed to a handlebar member of the stroller and provided with a first slide slot on a surface of the first gear transmission portion; a second gear transmission portion, fixed to a front leg of the stroller and provided with a second slide slot and a guide groove on a surface of the second gear transmission portion; a driving gear, meshing with the first gear transmission portion and the second gear transmission portion; and an insertion pin, passing through the first slide slot and the second slide slot and exposed from the gear folding mechanism, wherein the second end of the traction portion is fixed to the insertion pin after the traction portion is guided by the guide groove.

7. The wheel orientation mechanism according to claim 6, wherein the driving gear comprises a first gear set and a second gear set respectively arranged on opposite surfaces of the driving gear; wherein the first gear set meshes with the first gear transmission portion, and the second gear set meshes with the second gear transmission portion.

8. The wheel orientation mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the locking portion comprises: a positioning pin, to which the first end of the traction portion is connected; and a locking hole in a wheel seat of the wheel assembly, wherein the positioning pin enters the locking hole when the traction portion is loosened, and the positioning pin leaves the locking hole when the traction portion is tightened.

9. The wheel orientation mechanism according to claim 8, wherein the locking portion further comprises:an elastic reset member fixed between the positioning pin and a fixed seat of the locking portion, wherein the elastic reset member is compressed when the stroller is unfolded, and the elastic reset member is released from a compressed state when the stroller is folded, to push the positioning pin into the locking hole.

10. The wheel orientation mechanism according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the locking portion further comprises: a rotating portion, wherein, when the traction portion is loosened, the positioning pin pushes the rotating portion to rotate, to allow the locking hole to be aligned with the positioning pin for locking.

11. The wheel orientation mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the rotating portion is a helical surface on an end face of a wheel seat of the wheel assembly, with the locking hole located at a lowest point of the helical surface; or a step surface is provided between the lowest point of the helical surface and the locking hole.

12. A stroIler, comprising: a frame, comprising a handlebar member, a front leg and a rear leg, the handlebar member, the front leg and the rear leg being able to pivot toward each other to fold at a pivot joint and pivot away from each other to unfold at the pivot joint; a wheel assembly, comprising a wheel and a wheel seat configured to connect the wheel to the front leg and the rear leg; and the wheel orientation mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The stroller according to claim 12, wherein the front leg is tubular, and after a traction portion passes through an interior of the front leg and enters the pivot joint, a second end of the traction portion is fixed to an outer cover of the pivot joint or to an insertion pin of a gear folding mechanism.

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