Carriage

The invention relates to a carriage, especially a baby carriage, of the kind shown in the preamble of claim 1.

Carriages, especially baby carriages (e.g. perambulators) comprise a frame that carries one or several forward running wheels, as well as one or several rearward running wheels, however totally at least three wheels, that are carried by a frame, whereby the frame has lower side beams that carry the wheels and whereby the frame carries a first load carrier in the form of a holder for a baby carriage insert unit, or a shopping basket, and a second load carrier which is located under the first load carrier, whereby the second load carrier is arranged horizontally displaceable relative to the first load carrier in the running direction of the carriage whereby the second load carrier can be moved between a storage position under the first load carrier, and a loading/unloading position in which the second load carrier essentially is not screened off vertically upwards by the first load carrier.

A problem that has been noted with such a construction is that especially when the second load carrier carries a load and is displaced to its loading/unloading position, the position for the total mass of the carriage including load easily ends up in a position which lies horizontally outside a support surface whose corners are defined by the support points of the baby carriage against the ground. If a load is put on the second load carrier in the pulled-out position, the carriage may thus tip over around the wheel pair closest to the load carrier.

An object of the invention is therefore to specify a baby carriage construction with which the mentioned risk of tipping over is reduced or avoided.

The object is wholly or partly achieved by the invention.

The invention is defined in the enclosed claim 1.

Embodiments of the invention are mentioned in the enclosed dependent claims.

By the invention is thus provided a carriage construction which without additional support legs ensures the stability for the carriage when the second load carrier is displaced to its loading/unloading position.

The upper load carrier may in preferred embodiments be a baby cot or optionally a seat for a somewhat older child. According to another embodiment, the upper load carrier may have the form of a shopping basket.

The lower load carrier may advantageously have a rim on all sides and may hereby advantageously be of a lattice structure or optionally perforated material in order to allow for outflow of fluid through the perforations or lattice openings of the load carrier.

In a at the present preferred embodiment, the carriage has two in the running direction separated wheel sets which are connected to each other with a connection device which comprises a first part that carries the carriages first load carrier and a second part which is connected to the second load carrier, whereby both parts of the connection device are

displaceable relative to each other in the longitudinal direction/running direction of the carriage in order to allow the second load carrier to together with the associated wheel set be displaced relative to the first load carrier and the first part of the connection device with the by that carried wheel set. Both parts of the connection device are connected in a way that is stiffened vertically against bending. Further, a detachable carrying device is arranged to allow both parts of the connection device to be carried at least in their displacement position relative to each other in which the second load carrier is essentially situated in its storage position. Both parts of the connection device are suitably locked relative to each other in order not to be able to be disengaged from each other.

The invention will in the following be described in exemplifying form in connection with a baby carriage.

Figure 1 shows both wheel sets of the baby carriage in a away from each other separated end position.

Figure 2 shows the wheel sets of the baby carriage in a towards each other brought end position. Figure 3 shows a schematic section taken along line III-III in figure 1.

Figure 1 and 3 show schematically a baby carriage comprising an upper load carrier 10 in the form of a baby cot 10 which is preferably detachably arranged on an upper part 11 of a supporting structure 12 which is carried by two in the running direction of the carriage 1 separated wheel sets 2, 3. The wheel sets 2, 3 are shown to comprise wheel pairs with parallell separated axles 21, 31. The wheel pairs 31, 21 are

connected relative to each other by a pair of laterally separated connection devices 4 in the form of e.g. so called expander bars, that are stiffened against bending and comprise two profiled parts 41, 42, that are stiffened against bending in the vertical plane and are connected in a way that is stiffened against bending for displacement relative to each other in the devices 4. The devices are shown situated close to the respective side of the frame of the carriage and have their ends connected to wheel axle shafts 21, 31. The profiles 41 have each a disengageable blocking device 43, which may be pretensioned into engagement with the associated profile 42 in order to block the device at a set length. The blocking devices 43 may as is shown be connected relative to each other with a connecting shaft 44 which is operable with an actuating element, e.g. the shown pedal 45, which when actuated releases the blocking devices 43 and allows the profiles and the wheel sets 2, 3 to be displaced relative to each other in the longitudinal direction/running direction of the carriage.

A load carrier in the form of a shopping basket 5 is shown connected to the axle shaft 31 and/or at least a pair of profiles 42 in order to be displaced together with the shaft 31 and these profiles 42 when the blocking devices are released. The superstructure 12 of the carriage is carried by the profiles 41 and/or the wheel-carrying structure 21 of the wheel set 2.

As is shown in figures 1-2, a part of the frame of the carriage including at least a wheel set 3 and the basket 5 may be displaced relative to the other part of the frame of the carriage, when the blocking devices 43 have been opened by actuation of the actuating element 45 so that the basket 5 which is one example of a lower load carrier may be displaced

in relation to the upper load carrier 10 of the carriage and the load carrier 10 which is carried by the superstructure of the baby carriage with its carrying device 11 for the upper load carrier 10. The basket 5 may thus be replaced by e.g. a standing board for a child that wants to also ride with the carriage .

The embodiment shows only one possible structural design of the carriage according to the invention. One important characteristic feature of the invention lies in that a wheel set 3 is arranged displaceable in the running direction of the carriage and is connected to a lower load carrier or basket 5 which thereby is brought along by the wheel set 3. The devices 4 which carry the superstructure 12 of the baby carriage including its upper load carrier 10, include a connection device which may be of telescopic nature in order to allow the said displacement of the one wheel pair together with the lower load carrier relative to the other wheel pair. The person skilled in the art realises that the shown function may be achieved with other embodiments of the discussed connection.

The lower load carrier 5 is connected to a wheel set 3 in order to be displaced together with this in relation to another wheel set 2. The load carrier 5 may be supported by the frame of the carriage and slide on those frame parts that are stationary in relation to the wheel set 2 and to the therewith connected parts 41 of the connection devices 4.

If the upper load carrier 10 has the form of a shopping basket, and carriages including shopping baskets are to be able to be horisontally stacked in each other, it is of course of advantage if the relative distance between the wheels in

the forward wheel set 2 is of less distance than of the wheels of the rearward wheel set 3, and further that the lower load carrier 5 is arranged pivotable around an axis which is parallel with one of the wheel set axles, in order to allow the lower load carriers 5 of the carriages to be superposed on each other at the indicated, in it self known, technique to partially insert shopping trolleys into each other for storage .

The carriage can be said to have a frame which carries two separated wheel sets and which carries a superstructure 12 on which an upper load carrier 10 is carried. The frame 14 carries a lower load carrier 5 and carries a wheel set via the device's 4 displaceable part 42, which vertically is connected in a way that is stiffened against bending with the frame and carries a wheel set 3 for displacement relative to another wheel set in the carriage. The relative to each other displaceable parts of the connection device may be detachably blocked with a blocking device 43 which may be actuated by a actuating device 45 in order to allow a displacement relative to each other of the wheel sets 2, 3 and in order to allow blocking of the wheel sets 2, 3 in set positions relative to each other. The lower load carrier 5 of the carriage is carried by the part 42 of the connection device in order to follow with this in its displacement movement. The lower load carrier 5 is suitably supported on the frame 14 or only on the part 42 of the connection device 4.

Figure 3 shows a schematic section taken along line III-III in figure 1, where the upper load carrier 10 has been omitted in figure 3.

Fig. 1 and 2 show a baby carriage with a on the superstructure 12 detachably carried baby cot 10 for a baby or a seat for an older child, but in another embodiment the carriage could be a shopping trolley where the cot 10 is replaced by a fixed shopping basket of well known type.

On fig. 1 and 2, the superstructure is shown to comprise a draw loop 111, which with a releasable blocking device connects the draw loop and other structural parts in the form of folding struts 107, 108, whereby the loop 111 and the struts 107, 108 may be folded against the frame 14 for storing purposes, and then raised and blocked in raised position with the blocking device 109, in a in itself known way.