Foldable Stroller Gravity-Actuated Linkage Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current foldable strollers require both hands to operate and significant strength to fold, making them inconvenient for single caregivers, especially those who need to carry a baby with one hand.
Innovation Solution
A foldable stroller design featuring an upper frame, lower frame, and rear frame with a linkage and engaging mechanism, allowing the stroller to be folded using single-hand operation with minimal force by leveraging gravity, where the slider is restricted by the engaging mechanism, enabling vertical and horizontal folding through the pivoting of struts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional folding mechanisms are used, then the stroller can be folded, but it requires both hands to operate and significant strength
Solution Approach 1:
The stroller folding mechanism uses gravity as the driving force to automatically fold the frames when the latch is released. The upper and lower frames pivot downward due to their own weight, and the slider moves down the guide rail under gravitational pull, causing the struts to pivot and fold the stroller in horizontal direction without requiring additional manual force.
Solution Approach 2:
The engaging mechanism with latch and spring element counteracts the gravitational force that drives folding during the unfolding operation. The spring element stores energy to assist in pushing the latch against the slider during unfolding, while during folding the latch simply needs to be released allowing gravity to take over.
2Ease of operation
If conventional folding mechanisms are used, then the stroller can be folded, but it requires multiple folding steps complicating the operation
Solution Approach 1:
The folding mechanism combines vertical and horizontal folding actions into a single integrated motion. When the latch is released, the slider moving down the guide rail simultaneously causes the upper/lower frames to pivot vertically and the struts to pivot horizontally, achieving complete folding in one continuous motion rather than multiple separate steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The folding mechanism is segmented into independent functional components: the latch for engagement/disengagement, the slider for linear motion along the guide rail, the pull rods for transmitting motion, and the struts for horizontal folding. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function simply, contributing to overall ease of operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy, one-handed folding with reduced strength requirements, maintaining the stroller in an unfolded position until actuated, simplifying the folding process and reducing the effort needed to fold the stroller.
Implementation Method 1
a spring element is set between the fastener and the latch, so as to keep a trend of the latch pressing against the slider
Implementation Method 2
the upper frame and the lower frame are pivoted to fold due to the gravity
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable stroller includes a linkage and an engaging mechanism; the linkage includes a slider connected to the rear frame, a pull rod connected between the slider and the upper frame, and/or between the slider and the lower frame, and struts whose middles are pivoted each other, with two ends of each strut connected to the rear frame, and the sliders connected to the struts so as to actuate the struts to pivot each other; and the engaging mechanism is formed on the rear frame to restrict a sliding motion of the slider. The structure is simple and handy, and the stroller can be folded due to the gravity of the upper and lower frames when operating the engaging mechanism, which needs small strength of the user.