Foldable Carriage Pivot Lock With External Rotation Actuation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable carriages, such as strollers, face issues with complex and weighty mechanisms due to internal components like wires or rods that are prone to wear and damage, making it difficult to detect wear issues and increasing the risk of user injury during folding.
Innovation Solution
A foldable carriage with a pivot lock system that uses a transverse elongated frame component to lock and unlock the frame, eliminating the need for internal mechanisms by translating rotational motion into longitudinal motion, thereby reducing complexity and weight, and incorporating a rotation lock to prevent accidental actuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If internal mechanisms like wires or rods are used inside frame components to operate the pivot lock, then the pivot lock can be retained in the use position, but the device complexity increases and the components are prone to wear and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the internal wire or rod mechanisms from inside the frame components and replaces them with an external operating mechanism. The pivot lock is operated by rotating a portion of the frame itself (such as a handle or frame section) that externally engages with the lock mechanism, eliminating the need for hidden internal transmission components and their associated wear problems.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame component that is rotated to operate the pivot lock serves multiple functions: it acts as both a structural element of the frame and as the operating mechanism for the lock. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the overall device while maintaining reliable lock retention.
2Ease of operation
If wires run inside the tubular frame to connect the handle to the lock flange, then the pivot lock can be operated, but it becomes difficult to discover wear in advance
Solution Approach 1:
The operating mechanism is extracted from the interior of the frame to the exterior. By rotating an external frame portion rather than pulling an internal wire, the wear indicators become visible and accessible for inspection, allowing users to detect wear before failure occurs.
3Reliability
If additional mechanisms are placed inside elongated frame components, then the pivot lock can be retained, but the weight and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates internal mechanisms within the frame components and uses the frame structure itself as part of the operating mechanism. This removal of redundant internal components directly reduces the overall weight of the carriage while maintaining reliable frame retention through the external rotation-based lock operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Frame components serve dual purposes: they provide structural support and simultaneously function as the operating mechanism for the pivot lock. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate internal mechanisms, reducing both weight and manufacturing costs.
4Reliability
If additional mechanisms are placed inside elongated frame components, then the pivot lock can be retained, but the complexity of the end product increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the lock operating mechanism from the interior of frame components to the exterior, where it uses the rotation of a frame portion (such as a handle) to engage and disengage the pivot lock. This eliminates complex internal wire or rod systems, reducing overall product complexity while maintaining reliable lock retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame structure serves multiple functions: it provides structural support and simultaneously acts as the operating mechanism for the pivot lock. This integration reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall product design while ensuring reliable frame retention.
Data Source
AI summary
A carriage having a frame which includes a plurality of elongated frame components. A first attachment point couples a first and second elongated frame component. A second attachment point couples a third and fourth elongated frame component. A transverse elongated frame component couples to the first and second attachment points. A rotation lock is disposed on the transverse elongated frame component. The rotation lock is configured to prevent rotation of the transverse elongated frame component in a locked configuration.