Child Carrier Front Wheel Attachment with Tilt Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing child carriers face issues with front wheel detachment due to improperly tensioned axles and tilting wheels, which can lead to reduced track accuracy and difficulty in controlling the carrier, especially at high speeds.

Innovation Solution

The child carrier incorporates a front wheel attachment device with closed dropouts and an axle configuration that prevents axle slippage, combined with a wheel tilt adjustment device that allows for manual adjustment of the front wheel's tilt angle to maintain track accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If an open dropout with lever-tensioned axle is used for front wheel attachment, then the wheel can be easily mounted and dismounted, but the axle may slip or become wrongly tensioned resulting in unintentional front wheel detachment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of wheel mounting and dismountingVSAvoidsecurity of front wheel attachment
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The dropout is divided into two distinct parts: a receiving portion that guides and receives the axle, and a retaining portion that locks the axle in place. This segmentation allows the axle to be easily inserted through the receiving portion while the retaining portion automatically secures it, combining ease of operation with reliable attachment without requiring separate mounting and retaining mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The mounting and retaining functions are merged into a single integrated dropout structure. The axle simultaneously performs both mounting (by being received in the receiving portion) and retaining (by being locked by the retaining portion), eliminating the need for separate lever-tensioned mechanisms and reducing the risk of improper tensioning

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If the front wheel is attached with a lever-tensioned axle to ensure secure attachment, then the wheel can be securely retained, but the wheel may become slightly tilted when the axle is tensioned, resulting in reduced track accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity of front wheel attachmentVSAvoidtrack accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The dropout is segmented into a receiving portion for precise axial alignment and a retaining portion for securing the axle. This separation ensures that the axle is precisely positioned along the axial direction during reception, preventing tilting, while the retaining portion independently provides secure attachment without interfering with the alignment precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The receiving portion acts as an intermediary that guides the axle into precise axial alignment before the retaining portion engages. This intermediary structure ensures that the axle is correctly positioned and prevents tilting, while still allowing the retaining portion to securely lock the axle in place

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4464573B1Child carrier
Publication Date: 2025.05.07 THULE SWEDEN AB
  • EP4464573B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4464573B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4464573B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The present invention relates to a child carrier (10) comprising a front wheel attachment device. The front wheel attachment device comprises a fork (22) with closed dropouts (32, 34) and an axle (30) configured for attaching a front wheel (26) to the fork (22). Further, the front wheel attachment device comprises a wheel tilt adjustment device configured for adjusting a tilt angle of the front wheel (26) relative to the fork (22).