This invention relates to an adjustable baby carriage for use in transporting babies and small children.

Adjustable baby carriages are well known and usually comprise a fabric seat mounted on a frame. The seat is movable relative to the frame to allow adjustment of the seat so as to allow the carriage to accommodate children of different sizes.

However such carriages do not allow children to get off the carriage easily or to walk within the confines of the carriage, whereby they can be under the control of the person pushing the carriage. In order to deal with such a problem, 'boogie boards' were developed which releasably attached to the rear of the carriage and upon which a child could stand as the carriage was pushed.

Given that nowadays it is generally thought advantageous for baby carriages to be capable of transporting more than one child in a single baby carriage, carriages have been developed, that have a pair of seats side-by-side, or one in front of the other.

However it will be appreciated that baby carriages having multiple seats are generally heavy and awkward for a single person to use.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable baby carriage in which it is possible for a child to have space to walk whilst still under the control of the user. Further it is an object of the invention to enable more than one child at any one time to be transported in the carriage. Furthermore, it is also an object of the present invention to provide a baby carriage in which access to and from the carriage by a child is permitted in a particularly simple manner.

Thus and in accordance with the present invention there is provided an adjustable baby carriage comprising a carriage frame to which is removably attached a seat arrangement and wheels for movement across ground surface, wherein a tray arrangement extends across the base of the carriage and which is adapted to wholly or at least partially move relative to the carriage frame to allow access to the ground surface.

With such an arrangement, it is possible to allow a child to walk within the confines of the carriage and under the control of the user. It is also possible to convey more than one child using a single baby carriage. Furthermore, with the arrangement of the invention, it is also possible for a child to get on/ off the carriage in a simple and convenient manner.

Preferably the base structure comprises a tray like body upon which articles can be carried or a child can stand. Most advantageously, the tray structure is formed from a pair of base sections which can be folded outwardly to the frame for access to the ground surface allowing a child to normally walk within the confinement of the baby carriage. The base sections can be folded inwardly and locked together in order to return the base section to its normal configuration.

Preferably the carriage frame is formed from a lightweight and strong material such as for example aluminium or plastics material. However the frame can be formed from any suitable material as desired or as appropriate.

The seat may be formed from a suitable textile material so as to be sufficiently flexible to allow folding when the carriage is use stop. The textile material must however, as will be appreciated be sufficiently strong to support the weight of a child sitting in it.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of baby carriage the present invention Figure 2 shows a view from the rear of the embodiment of figure 1 Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of baby carriage in accordance with the present invention

Figure 4 shows a view from the rear of the embodiment of figure 3

Figure 5 shows a third embodiment of baby carriage in accordance with the present invention

Figure 6 shows a view from the rear of the embodiment figure 5 and

Referring now to the figures, there is shown in figure 1 a first embodiment of baby carriage 10 in accordance with the present invention.

The baby carriage 10 comprises a carriage frame 11 linked to a seat arrangement 12 in such a manner that the seat arrangement 12 is movable relative to the frame 11 in a manner to be described hereinafter. Support struts 13 are also provided which assist in supporting the carriage frame 11 and the seat arrangement 12. A tray arrangement 14 links lower ends of the support struts 13 and carriage frame 11 and supports wheels 16 to facilitate movement of the carriage 10.

The carriage frame 11 is formed by a pair of side-by-side elongate frame members 17, one end of each of which terminates in a handle 18 for gripping whilst pushing the carriage and the other end being attached to the tray arrangement 14. Strut members 13 are connected at one end to the tray arrangement 14 and at the other end to a respective of the said elongate member 17. The connection between each respective strut member 13 and a respective frame member is a connection which facilitates movement of the strut members 13 relative to the frame members.

The tray arrangement 14 is able, in use, to accommodate goods such as shopping, child's clothing etc.

The handle members 18 are either attached to one end of the frame members 17 or are formed integrally therewith.

The seat arrangement 12 comprises a generally U-shaped upper seat support member 21 which is pivotally connected at each end thereof to a respective elongate member 17 allowing pivotal movement of the upper seat support member 21 relative to the carriage frame.

The seat 22 itself is formed from a textile material, in one embodiment, and is connected to the upper seat support member 21 and respectively between the respective strut members 13 and respective elongate members 17 by support bars 23 which extend between the respective strut members 13 and elongate members 17.

A stop 24 is provided on each elongate member of the carriage frame which is configured to prevent the seat arrangement from pivoting too far so as to prevent accidents to children.

Figures 1 and 2 show the baby carriage of the first embodiment with the seat

arrangement 12 in a first configuration in which a rear of the seat 22 is in an upright position and figures 3 and 4 show the same embodiment as shown in Figures 1 and 2 but with the seat in a second configuration in which access to the tray area 14 is easier. The seat arrangement 12 is movable forwards relative to the tray structure 14 and therefore the top of the tray is open and is available for carrying goods or for any other desired purpose.

It is envisaged that in normal use, the seat will be in an upright position as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In such a position, the upper seat frame part 21 is supported by the support stops 24. As can be seen, the support stops 24 comprise projecting members having inwardly extending wings at the end thereof and which engages with the upper seat frame to support the seat in its intended position. In order to facilitate the movement of the seat arrangement 12 relative to the carriage frame, the seat arrangement 12 is pivotally connected to each respective elongate member 17. This pivotal connection enables the seat frame 12 to pivot relative to the carriage frame in to, for example, the positions shown Figures 3 and 4 where the seat is in an upright position and a forward folded configuration respectively as shown in the figures. From figures 3 and 4, it can be seen that in the forward folded configuration, the entire tray 14 is open for a child to stand on whilst the baby carriage is in use or any other suitable uses such as storage of shopping. The ability of the seat arrangement 12 of the baby carriage to move into such a position makes it very easy for a child to get on or off the baby carriage. Furthermore, as can be seen in figures 5 and 6, the tray structure 14 can be formed as two interconnected parts 14a and 14b capable of separated in any desired manner to expose the ground surface. The separation can be carried out in a number of ways such as by pivoting of the pair of tray parts 14a 14b outwardly, pivoting of a single tray forwardly to expose the ground surface. Each of these arrangements allows a child to walk within the confines of the baby carriage whilst being able to support them by holding either the elongate members or a suitable part of the frame.

It will of course be appreciated that the arrangement of the baby carriage of the present invention has a number of distinct advantages as compared to known carriages. Firstly, the arrangement is particularly simple and allows for cost effective manufacture of the product. The arrangement also overcomes the problem associated with known carriages by providing a single carriage which can accommodate more than one child. The ability to move the seat arrangement into the forward folded configuration enables the structure to be used for transport of goods or for a child to stand on both. Also, the ability to adopt this position makes it easy for a child to get off and on the carriage. Further, if the base structure is capable of being folded into a position where the ground surface is accessible, this can also provide a still further advantage over the known arrangements.

Used herein, the terms baby and child are not intended to indicate an age restriction on children but are used simply to illustrate different sizes.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only.