Baby carriages or strollers are typically used for transporting infants or small children.

The strollers may be foldable so that the stroller can be collapsed for ease of transportation or storage of the stroller. The stroller is typically folded about a pair of releasable hinges that are locked in place during normal usage of the stroller. When it is desired to fold the carriage, the hinges are unlocked, and the stroller is folded about the hinges. Typically, the hinges are located on opposed sides of the frame of the stroller, and the stroller includes a pair of associated release mechanisms that release the hinges.

However, most existing strollers require two hands to operate the hinge mechanisms (i. e., one hand for each hinge mechanism). This can be inconvenient for the user, particularly if the user is holding a child. Most existing release mechanisms are also located adjacent the hinges, which require the user to bend over to access the release mechanisms, which further inconveniences the user.

Some newer strollers may include a hinge release mechanism that can be operated by a single hand. These hinge release mechanisms typically include a pair of cables that extend from the hinge mechanisms to an actuating mechanism. The cables extend inside the handle bars of the stroller, and are connected to the actuating mechanism. The actuating mechanisms in prior art single-hand hinge release mechanisms may be located inside the handle bars of the stroller so that the cables do not have to be routed outside of the handle bars. If the cables were to extend outside of the handle bars of the stroller, the cables would have to be bent at an angle to exit the handle bars, which would result in higher friction forces being exerted on the cables. However, because the activating mechanism for most prior art single-hand hinge release mechanisms are located inside the handle bars, this limits the design choices for the hinge release mechanism. For example, the actuating mechanisms may require a manual twisting motion to release the hinge mechanisms, and can be difficult to operate.

Accordingly, there is a need for a stroller having a hinge release mechanism which can be operated by one hand, is conveniently located, and is mechanically simple and easy to operate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a stroller having a hinge release mechanism that can be operated by one hand, a hinge release mechanism that is conveniently located, and a hinge release mechanism that is mechanically simple and easy to operate. More particularly, the hinge release mechanism includes a pair of cables that are coupled to a pair of hinge mechanisms. The cables are connected to an actuator which is slidably attached to an actuator housing. The actuator is movable between an engaged position and a release position. Accordingly, when it is desired to release the hinge mechanisms, the actuator is slid to its release position, which pulls on the cables to unlock the hinge mechanisms. The stroller may then be folded into its collapsed configuration. The actuator and actuator housing are located externally of the handle bars, which provides greater flexibility to the mounting orientation of the hinge release mechanism. The actuator is positioned in a convenient location and can be easily operated with a single hand.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention is a stroller having a hinge release mechanism, the stroller including a frame having a seat and a pair of hinge mechanisms.

Each hinge mechanism is movable between a locked position wherein the frame cannot be folded about the hinge mechanism and an unlocked position wherein the frame can be folded about the hinge mechanism. The stroller includes an actuator slidably attached to an actuator housing, the actuator being slidable relative the frame between an engaged position and a release position. The stroller further includes a pair of connecting cables, each cable being coupled to the actuator at one end and to one of the hinge mechanisms at the other end such that when the actuator is moved to the release position, the actuator pulls on each cable such that each cable moves its respective hinge mechanism to the unlocked position.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a stroller having a hinge release mechanism which can be operated by one hand, a hinge release mechanism which is conveniently located, and a hinge release mechanism which is mechanically simple and easy to operate.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a side view of a stroller of the present invention; Fig. 1A a side view of the stroller of Fig. 2, shown in its collapsed position; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an upper portion of the stroller of Fig. 1 with portions of the handle bars cut away to show the cable sheaths therein; Fig. 3 is a top cross section of the hinge release mechanism of the stroller, taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1 with the actuator shown in the engaged position; Fig. 4 is a top cross section of the hinge release mechanism of Fig. 3, with the actuator shown in the release position; Fig. 5 is a side cross section of the hinge release mechanism of the stroller of Fig. 1, with the actuator in the engaged position and the secondary lock mechanism in the engaged position; Fig. 6 is a side cross section of the hinge release mechanism of Fig. 5, with the actuator in the engaged position and the secondary lock mechanism in the release position; Fig. 7 is a side cross section of the hinge release mechanism of Fig. 5, with the actuator in the release position and the secondary lock mechanism in the release position; Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the console, showing the lid and cavity of the console; Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the hinge mechanism of the console of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of the hinge mechanism of the console of Fig. 8; and Fig. 11 is a side view of the console of Fig. 8 with the lid in the open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION As shown in Fig. 1, a stroller 10 has a frame 12 and a seat 14 for receiving an infant or child (not shown). The frame 12 is preferably made from tubular metal, such as aluminum.

The stroller 10 includes a tray 16 and a canopy 18 located above the seat 14. The frame 12 includes a pair of front legs 20, a pair of rear legs 22, a seat tube 24 and an upper seat tube 26 (only one of each of the pairs of legs 20,22 are shown in Fig. 1). The frame 12 also includes a pair of handle bars 28,30 that extend up and behind the canopy 18 (see Fig. 2). The handle bars 28,30 are preferably made of a single piece of tubular metal. A handle 32 extends rearwardly and downwardly from the lateral center of the stroller 10 where the handle bars 28,30 meet. The frame 12 includes a console 34 that extends between the handle bars 28,30, and the console includes a cup holder 36 and a container 38 covered by a lid 40.

Returning to Fig. 1, each front leg 20 and each rear leg 22 includes a wheel 42 mounted at the bottom of the leg (only two wheels 42 being shown in Fig. 1). The wheels 42 support the weight of the stroller 10. Each handle bar 28,30 is connected to its respective front leg 20 by a hinge mechanism. Only a single hinge mechanism 44 is shown in Fig. 1, but it should be understood that the operation of the other hinge mechanism (not shown) is substantially identical to the hinge mechanism 44. The hinge mechanism 44 includes a movable hinge button 46 which includes a set of teeth 48 (see Fig. 2; the hinge button 47 for the other hinge mechanism is also shown in Fig. 2). The hinge button 46 engages a lower hinge portion 50 that is mounted onto the front leg 20, and the lower hinge portion 50 includes a set of teeth 52 that engage the teeth 48 on the hinge button 46. The hinge mechanism 44 is movable between a locked position, wherein the teeth 48 of the hinge button 46 engage the teeth 52 of the lower hinge portion 50, to an unlocked position (not shown) wherein the teeth 48 of the hinge button 46 are disengaged from the teeth 52 of the lower hinge portion 50.

In order to move the hinge mechanism 44 to its unlocked position, the hinge button 46 is pivoted about its pivot point 54. Once the hinge button 46 is moved into its unlocked position, the teeth 48,52 are disengaged. When both of the hinge mechanisms are unlocked, the stroller 10 can be folded about the pivot points 60,62 of the frame 12. A spring 64 biases the hinge button 46 downwardly, and therefore biases the hinge mechanism 44 into its locked position.

Thus, when the hinge mechanisms are in their locked positions, the frame 12 of the stroller 10 is relatively rigid and cannot be folded. When the hinge mechanisms are moved to their unlocked positions, the frame 12 can be folded about the hinge mechanisms to its collapsed position, shown in Fig. 1A. It should be understood that the hinge mechanism 44 described herein is illustrative of only a single hinge mechanism that may be used with the hinge release mechanism of the present invention. The hinge release mechanism of the present invention may be used with a variety of hinge mechanisms beyond the hinge mechanism 44 described herein.

As shown in Fig. 2, the hinge release mechanism 66 includes an actuator 70 that is slidably attached to an actuator housing 72. The actuator housing 72 extends between the console 34 and the handle bars 28,30, and helps to lend stiffness to the frame 12. The actuator 70 is connected to a pair of cables 74,76 (Fig. 3), and each cable is in turn attached to one of the hinge buttons 46,47 (Fig. 2). Each connecting cable 74,76 is received within a respective cable sheath 78,80. A actuator spring 71 is located between the actuator 70 and the actuator housing 72. In order to shift the hinge mechanism 44 to the unlocked position, the hinge actuator 70 is slid relative the actuator housing (upward with reference to Fig. 3) which compresses the spring 71 and pulls the cable 76 within its cable sheath 78. The cable 76 is pulled into tension by the actuator 70, and thereby pulls the hinge button 46 away from the lower hinge portion 52 by pivoting the hinge button about its pivot point 54. As the hinge button 46 is pivoted, the spring 64 in the hinge mechanism 44 is compressed. At the same time, the actuator 70 pulls the cable 74 into tension, and moves the cable 74 relative its sheath 80. This moves the hinge button 47 about its pivot point 55, and unlocks the other hinge mechanism (not shown). The actuator 70 is shown in its engaged position in Fig. 3, and in its release position in Fig. 4. Thus, the simple linear movement of the actuator 70 unlocks both hinge mechanisms of the stroller 10, and enables the stroller to be folded about the hinge mechanisms.

The cable sheaths 78,80 can be made from a variety of materials, but preferably are made of tightly wound coils of wire. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the cables 74,76 and cable sheaths 78,80 are located primarily inside the handle bars 28,30, and extend in the handle bars from the hinge buttons 46,47 to the actuator housing 72. As shown in Fig. 3, the sheaths 78,80 and cables 74,76 intersect in the frame 12, cross paths, and enter the actuator housing 72 through a pair of openings 84,86 in the handle bars 28,30. After entering the actuator housing 72, each actuator cable 74,76 and sheath 78,80 are bent into a generally"U"shape about a pair of generally"J"shaped guides 88,90. Each sheath 78,80 terminates in a sheath end coupling 92,94 that is coupled to a clamp 96,98 in the actuator housing 72. Each cable 74,76 extends beyond its associated sheath end coupling 92,94, and is coupled to the slidable actuator 70 by a cable plug 100,102.

The actuator 70 is shown in its release position in Fig. 4. In order to move the actuator 70 to this position, a user grasps the actuator and moves it upwardly in Fig. 3 to the position in Fig. 4. In this position, the actuator 70 has been slid relative the actuator housing 72 to pull the cables 74,76 through the sheaths 78,80. This causes the hinge buttons 46,47 to pivot away from the associated lower hinge mechanism, thereby moving the hinge mechanisms to their unlocked position. Because each hinge button 46,47 is spring biased into its locked position (for example, hinge button 46 is biased by spring 64 (Fig. 1)), when the actuator 70 is released, the hinge buttons 46,47 are urged downwardly, thereby pulling the associated cable 74,76 along with it. This pulls the actuator 70 back into its engaged position, as shown in Fig. 3. The spring 71 also directly biases the actuator 70 into its engaged position.

As shown in Fig. 5, the hinge release mechanism 66 includes a secondary lock mechanism, generally designated 110, to prevent the actuator 70 from accidentally being moved to the release position. The secondary lock mechanism 110 includes a lever 112 that is pivotably attached to a bar 126 in the actuator 70, and includes a downwardly extending tab 114. The lever 112 includes a connecting portion 124 having a generally"C"shape in profile that fits about the bar 126. The secondary lock mechanism 110 is shown in its engaged position in Fig. 5. When the secondary lock mechanism is in the engaged position, the tab 114 is located adjacent a lower end wall 116 of the actuator housing 72. In this manner, the tab 114 engages the lower end wall 116 if the actuator 66 were attempted to be moved to its release position.

In order to move the secondary lock mechanism 110 to its release position, the lever 112 is pivoted about the bar 126 to its position shown in Fig. 6, thereby compressing the spring 120. In its release position, the tab 114 of the lever 112 clears the end wall 114 of the actuator housing 72, thereby enabling the actuator 70 to move to its release position, as shown in Fig. 7. The secondary lock mechanism 110 is biased into its engaged position by the spring 120 that extends between the actuator 70 and the lever 112.

A further protection against inadvertent movement of the actuator is provided by the actuator housing. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the actuator housing 72 is located around the actuator 70, essentially"surrounding"the actuator 70. In this manner, the actuator housing 72 protects the actuator 70 and secondary lock mechanism 110 to reduce the chances of accidental movement of the actuator 70.

Thus, the actuator 70 of the hinge release mechanism 66 of the present invention can be operated with a single hand, and is simple and intuitive to use. The actuator 70 is preferably shaped as a large, colorful button, and the secondary lock mechanism 110 can be operated with the same hand the operates the actuator. The actuator 70 is easily grasped by the fingers of a user while the base or palm of the user's hand is supported by the handle bars 28,30. The handle bars 28,30 thereby provide a resistive surface when the actuator 70 is pulled into its disengaged position by the user.

Furthermore, the actuator 70 and actuator housing 72 are located externally of the handle bars 28,30 of the stroller 10, which provides greater flexibility to the mounting orientation of the hinge release mechanism 66. More particularly, because the hinge release mechanism 66 is located externally of the handle bars 28,30, the actuator 70 can slide laterally relative the actuator housing 72. The cables 74,76 exit the handle bars 28,30 of the actuator housing 72 at a slight angle, and the cables 74,76 form a nearly 180 degree angle as they are bent around the guides 88,90. The cable sheaths 78,80 of the present invention provides lower friction forces that conventional sheaths, and therefore enables the cables 74, 76 to exit the handles bars 28,30 and to form sharp angles without undue friction forces when the cables are moved in their sheaths. Another advantage provided under the present invention is that the handle bars 28,30 are joined together, which improves the strength and structural integrity of the stroller 10. The handle bars 28,30 are preferably formed as a single tube.

The stroller includes a console 34, or body 34, extending between the handle bars 28, 30, as shown in Fig. 2. The body 34 includes a container 38 for receiving various loose items, and has a breakaway lid 40 for covering the container 38. The body 34 and lid 40 are preferably made of polypropylene. As shown in Fig. 8, the container 38 has a cavity 130 that is defined by a bottom 134 (Fig. 11) and a side wall 132 that extends around the periphery of the cavity 130. The lid 40 includes a top surface 136 and an outer shoulder 138 surface that is generally perpendicular to the top surface 136, and extends around the periphery of the top surface. The lid 40 includes an arm 140 having a first side wall portion 142 and a second side wall portion 144 that are preferably part of the outer shoulder 138 of the lid 40. The cavity 130 includes an alcove portion 146 to receive the arm 140. The alcove portion 146 is defined by the side wall 132 of the cavity 130.

As best shown in Fig. 9, the side wall portion 142 of the arm 140 includes a set of generally hemispherical detent recesses 150, 152 and a slightly larger, generally hemispherical pivot recess 158. As shown in Fig. 10, the side wall portion 144 of the arm 140 includes a set of generally hemispherical detent recesses 154,156 and a slightly larger, generally hemispherical pivot recess 160. The body 34 includes a pair of generally hemispherical detent protrusions 162,164, and a pair of slightly larger generally hemispherical pivot protrusions 166,168 (Figs. 9 and 10). The pivot protrusions 166,168 are located on opposite sides of the alcove 146, and extend into the alcove. Similarly, the detent protrusions 162,164 are located on opposite sides of the alcove 146 and extend into the alcove.

When the lid 40 is mounted to the body 34, the pivot protrusion 166 is closely received in the pivot recess 158, and the pivot protrusion 168 is closely received in the pivot recess 160. In this manner, the pivot protrusions 166,168 and pivot recesses 158,160 act as pivot points, or a hinge, about which the lid 40 may rotate. In this manner, the lid 40 can pivot about the pivot protrusions 166,168 and pivot recesses 158,160 as the lid moves between its closed position (Fig. 2) and its open position (Fig. 11).

As noted above, the body 34 includes a pair of detents protrusions 162,164, and the lid 40 includes a set of detent recesses 150,152,154,156, each detent recess being shaped to closely receive a detent protrusion therein. The detent protrusions 162,164 and detent recesses 150,152,154,156 can cooperate to maintain the lid 40 in a predetermined position.

For example, when the lid 40 is in the open position shown in Fig. 11, the detent protrusion 162 is received in the detent recess 152 of the lid, and the detent protrusion 164 is received in the detent recess 156 of the lid. Similarly, when the lid 40 is in the closed position, the detent protrusion 162 is received in the detent recess 150 of the lid, and the detent protrusion 164 is received in the detent recess 154 of the lid. The detent protrusions 162,164 and detent recesses 150,152,154,156 help to maintain the lid 40 in a desired position, but when sufficient forces are applied to the lid, the detent protrusions can be urged out of the associated detent recess to enable the lid to pivot. This enables a user to move the lid 40 when it is desired to shift the position of the lid. The detent protrusions 162,164 are preferably located on the end of a cantilevered arm 170,172 to enable the detent protrusions to shift laterally. This enables the detent protrusions 162,164 to be uncoupled from their associated detent recesses at a relatively low force.

The detents 162,164,166,168 and recesses 150,152,154,156,158,160 flexibly couple the lid 40 to the body 34 such that the lid can break away from the body 34 when sufficient forces are applied to the lid 40. When sufficient forces are applied to the lid 40, the pivot protrusions 166,168 are urged out of their respective recesses 158,160, which uncouples the lid 40 from the body 34. In this manner, when the lid can"pop"out of place and"break away"from the body 34, which reduces chances of damaging the lid 40 or body 34 when undesired external forces are applied to the lid. If the lid 40 is located in its open or closed position, the detent protrusions 162,164 can also"pop"out of an associated recess when undesired external forces are applied to the lid.

It should be understood that the various arrangement of the pivot protrusions, pivot recesses, detent protrusions and detent recesses can be varied without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the pivot protrusions 166,168 and detent protrusions 162,164 may be located on the lid 40, and the pivot recesses 158,160 and detent recesses 150,152,154,156 may be located on the body 34. Alternately some of the pivot protrusions, detent protrusions, pivot recesses and detent recesses may be located on the body 34, and the remainder of the pivot protrusions, detent protrusions, pivot recesses and detent recesses may be located on the lid 40, in any number of combinations. Furthermore, the pivot protrusions 166,168 and/or detent protrusions 162,164 may take a variety of shapes, as may the recesses 150,152,154,156,158,160. For example, the protrusions may take the form of spring loaded pins, or other types of protrusions, that can be received and maintained in a recess. Furthermore, although the protrusions 162,164,166,168 are preferably made of the same material as the outer shoulder 138 of the lid 40, the protrusions may also be made of different materials that are attached to the body 34.

Furthermore, the arm 140 of the lid 40 and the alcove 146 portion of the cavity 130 are not necessary for proper functioning of the device of the present invention. That is, the detents and recesses may be formed nearly anywhere in the side wall 132 of the cavity 130 and the outer shoulder 138 of the lid 40, and the arm 140 and alcove portion 146 may be eliminated without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Having described the invention in detail and by reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be apparent that modifications and variations thereof are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: