JP6209100B2 - Folding baby carriage - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a baby carriage that is unfolded when in use and folded when not in use, and more particularly to a lockable caster wheel structure.

  For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-095274 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-006553 (Patent Document 2) are described as baby carriages that are expanded to a deployed state when in use and reduced to a folded state when not in use. Things are known. In Patent Documents 1 and 2, the front wheel provided at the lower end of the front leg is a caster wheel that can be turned left and right. The baby carriage described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a known lock lever that can lock the rotation of the caster wheel, and the caster wheel is locked so as not to rotate when the operator of the baby carriage operates the lock lever. . The baby carriage described in Patent Document 2 includes a front leg, a caster wheel provided at the lower end of the front leg, and a push bar that can be switched to a back side push position along the front leg and a face-to-face push position away from the front leg. It can be locked from turning by a caster lock member. The caster lock member described in Patent Document 2 is not directly operated by an operator of the baby carriage, but is connected to a front leg side movable member provided in a displaceable manner in an upper end side region of the front leg via a wire. The push rod can lift the front leg-side movable member to an upper position by a mechanical operation. Further, the front leg movable member can be displaced to a lower position. In response to such displacement of the front leg side movable member to the upper position or the lower position, the caster lock member is displaced to a lock release position that allows the caster wheel to turn or a lock position that restricts the turn of the caster wheel.

JP 2013-095274 A JP 2013-006553 A

  In the case where the baby carriage described in Patent Document 1 is folded while the lock lever described in Patent Document 1 is not engaged and the caster wheel is free to rotate, the front wheel rotates in an unstable manner with respect to the road surface. If it does so, the baby carriage folded by making the front wheel and the rear wheel firmly contact with the ground cannot be stably made independent. Further, there is a problem that the direction of the caster wheel which is the front wheel and the direction of the rear wheel are not aligned in the folded state, and the appearance is poor.

  Also, when the baby carriage is folded in such a way that the distance between the front and rear wheels is reduced with the front and rear wheels in contact with each other, if the front wheels turn carelessly in the left-right direction, smooth folding will be hindered. The folding operation is troublesome for the operator of the baby carriage. Further, the front wheel that is turned to the left and right may interfere with the rear wheel and hinder the folding operation. However, prior to the operation of folding the baby carriage, it is very troublesome for the operator to hook the caster wheel lock lever each time.

  The caster lock member described in Patent Document 2 locks the caster wheel so that it cannot rotate by the biasing force of the spring. In such a configuration, when the baby carriage is in the unfolded state, some means such as pulling up the front wheel side movable member with a push rod should be added to hold the caster lock member in the unlocked position against the biasing force of the spring. I must.

  In view of the above circumstances, the present invention eliminates the troublesome manual lock operation of the caster lever as described in Patent Document 1, and automatically locks the caster wheel (front wheel) when the baby carriage is folded. It is a first object of the present invention to provide a baby carriage that can automatically allow the caster wheel to turn without manual operation by the operator when the baby carriage is deployed. A second object is to prevent inadvertent turning of the caster wheel in the operation of folding the baby carriage. Further, in the deployed state of the baby carriage, the third object is to allow turning of the caster wheel with a simple configuration without requiring a special mechanism such as a lifting means by a push rod as described in Patent Document 2. To do.

  For this purpose, the foldable baby carriage according to the present invention includes a front frame and a rear leg, and has a body frame that is different in a deployed state and a folded state, a caster holding member provided at a lower end portion of the front leg, and upper and lower parts of the caster holding member. A caster rotating member that is rotatably supported around a rotating axis extending in the direction and pivotally supports the front wheel. The front wheel caster mechanism that enables the front wheel to rotate in the direction is provided on the caster holding member. A caster lock member that restricts the rotation of the rotation member and allows the caster rotation member to rotate at the release position, an elastic member that urges the caster lock member from the lock position to the release position, and one end of the caster lock member The other end of the vehicle body frame is a member disposed on the vehicle body frame, and the shape change portion of the vehicle body frame that changes in shape from the expanded state to the folded state is in contact with the other end. By, comprising an actuating member for the caster locking member into the locking position against the biasing force of the elastic member.

  According to the present invention, since the operating member regulates the rotation of the caster rotating member in conjunction with the shape change of the body frame that changes in shape from the expanded state to the folded state, in the operation of folding the folding baby carriage The front wheel caster mechanism is automatically locked. Therefore, it is not necessary for the operator to manually lock the casters of the front wheels, and usability is improved. Such locking and unlocking of the front wheel caster mechanism is automatically performed in conjunction with the operation of folding and opening the folding baby carriage without requiring the operator to operate the caster lock member.

  Further, according to the present invention, not only in the folded state, but also in the operation in which the operator folds the folding baby carriage, the rotation of the caster rotating member can be restricted in the middle of the folding. Therefore, the operator can perform the folding operation smoothly.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the caster lock member is biased to the release position by the elastic member, the caster lock member is held at the release position without requiring any special mechanism in the deployed state of the folding baby carriage. be able to.

  Various embodiments of the actuating member are possible. The other end of the actuating member may be disposed at a shape change location of the body frame, and the shape change location is not particularly limited, but preferably, it faces a part of the body frame, and the part changes shape according to the shape change. It is good to arrange at the place which approaches the place. In one embodiment, the actuating member includes a link extending upward from the caster lock member, and a front leg movable member that is connected to the upper end of the link so as to be displaceable on the front leg. By being brought into contact, the caster lock member is pushed down to the lower position, and the caster lock member is brought into the lock position via the link. The link is not particularly limited as long as it connects the caster lock member and the front leg movable member, such as a rod, a shaft, or a wire.

  The form change of the body frame of the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, the body frame may be folded so that the angle between the front legs and the rear legs is opened. As a preferred embodiment, the rear leg approaches the front leg due to the shape change of the body frame. Then, the front leg movable member is pushed down to a lower position by abutting with the rear leg which becomes a shape change portion, and the caster lock member is brought into the lock position via the link.

  As another embodiment, the body frame further includes a handrail member disposed on the side of the infant seat, and the handrail member approaches the front leg due to a change in the shape of the body frame. Then, the front leg movable member may be pushed down to a lower position by coming into contact with a handrail member that becomes a shape change portion, and the caster lock member may be brought into a lock position via a link.

  As another embodiment, the vehicle body frame further includes a slide member that slides along the front leg, and the slide member slides downward due to a change in the shape of the vehicle body frame. Then, the front leg movable member may be pushed down to a lower position by coming into contact with a slide member that becomes a shape change portion, and the caster lock member may be brought into a lock position via a link. As described above, the operating member may be any member that uses the form change of the vehicle body frame to displace the caster lock member to the lock position. The slide member may be, for example, a push rod, or may be another frame member.

  In another embodiment, the body frame further includes a seat support bar disposed on the side of the infant seat, and the seat support bar approaches the front leg due to a change in the shape of the body frame. Then, the front leg movable member may be pushed down to a lower position by abutting with a seat support bar serving as a shape change portion, and the caster lock member may be brought into a lock position via a link.

  As one embodiment, the vehicle body frame further includes a frame member connected to the front leg via a rotation shaft, and the frame member rotates about the rotation shaft due to a shape change of the vehicle body frame and approaches the front leg to move the front leg. The member is pushed down to a lower position by coming into contact with a frame member that becomes a shape change portion, and the caster lock member is brought into a lock position via a link.

  According to the present invention, the caster wheel of the front wheel does not turn carelessly in the folding state and the folded state of the baby carriage, and the folded baby carriage can stably stand on its own.

It is a skeleton figure showing the deployment state of the foldable baby carriage which becomes one embodiment of the present invention. It is a skeleton figure which shows the state in the middle of folding of the embodiment. It is a skeleton figure which shows the folded state of the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the expansion | deployment state of the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the folding state of the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the folding state of the embodiment typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the expansion | deployment state of the folding baby carriage which becomes other embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the folding middle state of other embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the folding state of other embodiment typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the expansion | deployment state of the folding baby carriage which becomes further another embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the folding middle state of other embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the folding state of other embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a skeleton diagram showing an outline of a folding baby carriage according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a skeleton diagram showing the folding state of the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a skeleton diagram showing a folded state of the embodiment. 1 to 3 show the baby carriage viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

  The folding baby carriage 1 includes a body frame 2, a seat portion 3 for an infant seat, and a backrest portion 4 for the infant seat. The vehicle body frame 2 includes a frame structure that supports the seat portion 3 and the backrest portion 4 and that is deployed so that the seat portion 3 and the backrest portion 4 are separated from each other in the deployed state of the folding baby carriage 1 (FIG. 1). The vehicle body frame 2 is folded so that the seat 3 and the backrest 4 are close to each other in the folded state (FIG. 3). The change in form between the expanded state and the folded state will be described in detail later.

  The vehicle body frame 2 includes a handrail member 5 extending in the front-rear direction, a front leg 6 having a front wheel 7 at the lower end, and an upper end rotatably connected to a center portion in the front-rear direction of the handrail member 5 via a rotation shaft 16; A rear leg 8 having a rear wheel 9 at the lower end and an upper end connected to the front end of the handrail member 5 via a rotation shaft 18 so as to be rotatable, and a lower end of the rear leg 8 via a rotation shaft 12. A reversing bracket 11 that is pivotably connected to the central portion in the vertical direction, a push bar 10 that extends in the vertical direction and whose lower end is pivotally connected to the upper end of the reversing bracket 11 via the rotation shaft 13, and a handrail The front end extends in the front-rear direction below the member 5 and is pivotally connected to the upper end of the front leg 6 via the pivot shaft 14, and the rear end pivots to the upper end portion of the reversing bracket 11 via the pivot shaft 13. And a seat support bar 19 which is operatively connected. A rear end portion of the handrail member 5 is rotatably connected to a midway position of the push rod 10 via a rotation shaft 15.

  Two pairs of handrail members 5, front legs 6, rear legs 8, push rods 10, reversing brackets 11, and seat support rods 19 are provided so as to be positioned on the left and right side surfaces of the folding baby carriage 1. To be. The pair of members are appropriately connected by a vehicle width direction member (not shown) extending between the pairs in the vehicle width direction of the folding baby carriage 1. A pair of push rods 10 that are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction supports the backrest portion 4. A pair of seat support bars 19 that are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction support the seat 3.

  The front wheel 7 can be turned left and right by a caster mechanism provided at the lower end of the front leg 6. The caster mechanism includes a caster holding member 22 and a caster rotating member 23. The caster holding member 22 is fixed to the lower end portion of the front leg 6. The caster rotating member 23 is supported by the caster holding member 22 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis X extending in the vertical direction, and pivotally supports the front wheel 7. Specifically, the shaft protrudes upward along the rotation axis X from the caster rotating member 23, and the tip end region of the shaft is rotatably connected to the caster holding member 22.

  As will be described in detail later, the caster holding member 22 is provided with a caster lock member that can be displaced. The caster lock member is set to a lower lock position or an upper release position, restricts the rotation of the caster rotation member 23 at the lock position, and allows the caster rotation member 23 to rotate at the release position.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the unfolded state in which the folding baby carriage 1 is opened, the rotation of the reversing bracket 11 is prohibited by appropriate locking means (not shown), thereby maintaining the unfolded state of the folding baby carriage 1. ing. When the folding baby carriage 1 is to be folded, the rotation prohibition state with respect to the reversing bracket 11 by the lock means is released, and the reversing bracket 11 is rotated clockwise about the rotating shaft 12 in FIG. The upper end and the lower end of the reversing bracket 11 are turned upside down. Depending on the reversing angle of the reversing bracket 11, the entire push rod 10 is lowered, the lower end portion of the seat support rod 19 is lowered and approaches the lower end portion of the rear leg 8, the front leg 6 and the rear leg 8 approach each other, and the folding state is in progress 2 is finally obtained, and the completely folded state shown in FIG. 3 is finally obtained.

  Compared with the unfolded state (FIG. 1), in the folded state (FIG. 3), the angle between the front leg 6 and the rear leg 8 becomes narrow, the front wheel 7 and the rear wheel 9 approach each other, and the handrail member 5 moves to the pivot shaft 16. And the rear end portion of the handrail member 5 approaches the lower end portion of the front leg 6, and the seat support bar 19 rotates clockwise about the pivot shaft 14. The rear end portion of 19 approaches the lower end portion of the front leg 6. Further, the handrail member 5 rotates clockwise about the rotation shaft 15, and the rear end portion of the handrail member 5 approaches the lower end portion of the push rod 10.

  In the folded state (FIG. 3), the body frame 2 whose form has been changed is gathered between the front wheel 7 and the rear wheel 9 so that the folding baby carriage 1 can stand on its own.

  In the present embodiment, the upper end portion of the front leg 6 and the upper end portion of the rear leg 8 intersect each other, and the rotation shaft 18 is disposed in front of the rotation shaft 16. Although not shown in the drawings, the upper end of the front leg 6 and the upper end of the rear leg 8 do not intersect with each other, and the rotating shaft 18 may be disposed behind the rotating shaft 16. Alternatively, the rotation shaft 16 and the rotation shaft 18 may be a common rotation shaft.

  In the present embodiment, the front wheel 7 can be allowed to turn as a caster or locked in conjunction with the vehicle body frame 2 having different forms in the unfolded state (FIG. 1) and the folded state (FIG. 3). . This configuration will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing the handrail member 5, the front leg 6, and the rear leg 8, and corresponds to the unfolded state of the folding baby carriage 1 (FIG. 1). The caster lock member 24 provided on the caster holding member 22 is disposed at a position away from the rotation axis X, and can be displaced along a groove or hole formed on the rear side of the caster holding member 22 and extending in the vertical direction, for example. The The caster lock member 24 is separated from the caster rotating member 23 at the upper release position A. At this time, the caster lock member 24 is not engaged with the engaged portion 23 m formed on the caster rotating member 23. For this reason, the caster rotating member 23 is not restricted from turning in the left-right direction together with the front wheel 7, and functions as a caster.

  The engaged portion 23m is, for example, a groove or hole formed on the rear side of the caster rotating member 23 and extending in the vertical direction, and the upper end of the groove or hole is opened. The upper end opening portion is directed to the lower end of the caster lock member 24. The engaged portion 23 m receives the lower end portion or all of the caster lock member 24. Although not shown in the drawings, the engaged portion 23m descends from above by forming the cross-sectional shape of the engaged portion 23m gradually wider as it goes upward like a funnel. It becomes easy to receive the lower end of 24. Thereby, the caster lock member 24 can be easily engaged with the engaged portion 23m.

  A front leg movable member 26 is provided near the upper end of the front leg 6. The front leg movable member 26 can be displaced along the front leg 6. An elastic member 25 is provided at the upper end of the front leg 6, and the elastic member 25 always urges the front leg movable member 26 upward. As a result, the front leg movable member 26 is moved to the upper position α as shown in FIG. 4 in the unfolded state of the folding baby carriage 1. The front leg movable member 26 and the caster lock member 24 are connected to each other by a link. The link is, for example, a long rod 27 that can transmit an axial compressive force. As another example, a link is a wire and spring combination that does not transmit axial compression. The lower end of the rod 27 is connected to the caster lock member 24, and the upper end of the rod 27 is connected to the front leg movable member 26. The rod 27 is preferably slightly deformable and can be passed through the front leg 6 formed in a pipe shape.

  A contact portion 28 is fixed to the upper end portion of the rear leg 8. The front end portion of the abutting portion 28 extends forward toward the front leg 6 and faces the front leg movable member 26, but the abutting portion 28 is separated from the front leg movable member 26 when the foldable baby carriage 1 is deployed. Alternatively, although not shown in the drawing, the contact portion 28 contacts the upper end portion of the front leg movable member 26 with a slight force, and the front leg movable member 26 is not pushed downward. For this reason, the front leg movable member 26 receives the urging force of the elastic member 25 and is held at the upper position α. As shown in FIG. 4, the front leg 6 and the rear leg 8 are opened at a predetermined angle. At this time, the axial distance Dl from the rotating shaft of the front wheel 7 to the rotating shaft of the rear wheel 9 is set to the maximum value L1.

  When the folding operation of the folding baby carriage 1 is started with the front wheel 7 and the caster rotating member 23 facing forward, the angle between the front leg 6 and the rear leg 8 gradually decreases, and the axial distance Dl gradually becomes larger than the maximum value L1. Becomes smaller. At this time, paying attention to the positional relationship between the front leg movable member 26 and the contact portion 28 positioned below the handrail member 5, during the folding operation, the contact portion 28 moves forward to contact the front leg movable member 26 and elastically move. The front leg movable member 26 is pushed down against the urging force of the member 25.

  FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing the handrail member 5, the front leg 6, and the rear leg 8, and corresponds to the folding state of the folding baby carriage 1 (FIG. 2). In a predetermined folding state, for example, when the axial distance Dl is 3 / 4L1, the contact portion 28 pushes the front leg movable member 26 down to the intermediate position β.

  The intermediate position β of the front leg movable member 26 is below the upper position α. The front leg movable member 26 pushes down the caster lock member 24 via the rod 27 in accordance with its downward displacement. Accordingly, the caster lock member 24 is brought to the lock limit position B. The lock limit position B is below the release position A, and the lower end portion of the caster lock member 24 advances from the caster holding member 22 and engages with an engaged portion 23m formed on the caster rotating member 23. At the lock limit position B, the engagement dimension between the caster lock member 24 and the engaged portion 23m is sufficient, and substantial engagement of the caster lock member 24 with the caster rotation member 23 is realized. As a result, the caster rotating member 23 is restricted from rotating about the rotation axis X.

  FIG. 6 is a side view schematically showing the handrail member 5, the front leg 6, and the rear leg 8 taken out, and corresponds to a completely folded state (FIG. 3) of the folding baby carriage 1. As understood from comparison between FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, when the folding operation is continued from the folding state, the angle between the front leg 6 and the rear leg 8 and the axial distance Dl are further reduced. Eventually, the angle between the front leg 6 and the rear leg 8 becomes the smallest in the folded state, and the axial distance Dl becomes the minimum value L3. L3 is a predetermined value included in the range of 1 / 3L1 to 1 / 5L1, for example. In the folded state, the abutting portion 28 completely pushes down the front leg movable member 26, and the front leg movable member 26 is brought to the lower position γ. The lower position γ is below the intermediate position β.

  The caster lock member 24 is set to the lock position C in accordance with the front leg movable member 26 which is set to the lower position γ. The lock position C is below the lock limit position B, and the caster lock member 24 engages with the caster rotation member 23 at the lock position C. As a result, the caster rotating member 23 is restricted from rotating about the rotation axis X. In short, between the lock limit position B and the lock position C, the caster rotation member 23 is restricted from rotating about the rotation axis X. Therefore, the front wheel 7 is held forward, and the foldable baby carriage 1 is stably self-supporting in the folded state. When the vehicle body frame 2 is in the middle of folding, the caster turning member 23 is restricted from turning around the turning axis X, and the front wheel 7 remains forward and does not turn as a caster. .

  Also in the operation of opening from the folded state to the unfolded state, the caster turning of the front wheel 7 in the folded state and in the middle of the folding state is prohibited as in the case of the folding operation described above.

  In the present embodiment, the lock limit position B and the lock position C of the caster lock member 24 may be the same position. In this case, the displacement of the front leg movable member 26 from the intermediate position β to the lower position γ may be absorbed by the deflection of the rod 27.

  According to this embodiment, the elastic member 25 that urges the caster lock member 24 from the lock position C to the release position A, the front leg movable member 26 that is displaceably provided on the front leg 6, the caster lock member 24, and the front leg movable member 26 and a rod 27 as a link connecting the two. The front leg movable member 26 and the rod 27 are actuating members that displace the caster lock member 24. One end of the operating member is connected to the caster lock member 24, and the other end of the operating member is disposed on the vehicle body frame 2 as the front leg movable member 26. Then, the abutment portion 28 that is a shape change portion of the body frame 2 that changes in shape from the unfolded state of the folding baby carriage 1 to the folded state comes into contact with the front leg movable member 26 that is the other end of the operating member, thereby elastic member The caster lock member 24 is set to the lock position C against the upward urging force of 25. Thereby, the front wheel 7 is allowed to turn as a caster in the unfolded state shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, and is prohibited from turning as a caster in the folded state shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. Therefore, in the folded baby carriage 1 in the folded state, the front wheel 7 does not rotate in an unstable manner, and the folded baby carriage 1 in the folded state is stabilized while the front wheel 7 and the rear wheel 9 are securely grounded. Can be independent. Moreover, the direction of the front wheel 7 which is a caster wheel and the direction of the rear wheel 9 are aligned forward in the folded state, and the appearance is improved.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the front wheel 7 is prohibited from turning as a caster not only in the folded state shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 but also in the folded state shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. As a result, when the baby carriage is folded so that the distance between the front wheel 7 and the rear wheel 9 is reduced while the front wheel 7 and the rear wheel 9 are in contact with each other, the folding operation is performed without causing the front wheel 7 to turn inadvertently in the left-right direction. Thus, the operator of the folding baby carriage 1 does not feel bothered by the folding operation. Further, since the front wheel held forward does not interfere with the rear wheel, the possibility of hindering the folding operation is eliminated. It should be understood that the folding state is an indeterminate state between the unfolded state and the folded state. The folding intermediate state shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 is a state included in the process of continuously changing the form from the unfolded state to the folded state or vice versa.

  According to the present embodiment, the caster lock member 24 is moved to the release position A by the urging force of the elastic member 25. In such a configuration, it is not necessary to add any means for pulling up the caster lock member 24 when the baby carriage is in the deployed state.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the actuating member for operating the caster lock member 24 is connected to the rod 27 that is a link extending upward from the caster lock member 24 and the upper end of the link so as to be displaceable on the front leg 6. Member 26. The front leg movable member 26 is pushed down to the lower position γ by coming into contact with the contact portion 28 that becomes the shape change portion of the body frame 2, and the caster lock member 24 is brought into the lock position C through the rod 27. Instead of the rod 27 that can be bent, a hard bar that cannot be bent is used, the lower end of the bar is connected to the caster lock member 24, and the upper end of the bar is connected to the front leg movable member 26. Also good.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the rear leg 8 approaches the front leg 6 due to the shape change of the vehicle body frame 2, and the front leg movable member 26 comes into contact with the contact portion 28 of the rear leg 8, which is a shape change portion. The caster lock member 24 is pushed to the lock limit position B or the lock position C through the rod 27 that is a link.

  In addition, when a wire and a spring are used as a link instead of the rod 27, a wire is stretched between the caster lock member 24 and the front leg movable member 26, and the spring is provided on the caster holding member 22 to hold the caster. The caster lock member 24 may be constantly biased downward with a biasing force of the spring of the member 22 weaker than that of the elastic member 25. As a result, the wire is held in a stretched state. 4, the elastic member 25 holds the front leg movable member 26 at the upper position α without being affected by the weak biasing force of the spring. When the contact portion 28 pushes down the front leg movable member 26 against the upward biasing force of the elastic member 25 in the folded state shown in FIG. 5 and the folding state shown in FIG. 6, the biasing force of the elastic member 25 is applied to the spring. It doesn't reach. Therefore, the spring biases the caster lock member 24 downward to the lock limit position B or the lock position C.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. 7 to 9 are side views schematically showing other embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 7 shows the unfolded state of the folding baby carriage and corresponds to FIG. FIG. 8 shows the folding state of the folding baby carriage and corresponds to FIG. FIG. 9 shows a completely folded state of the folding baby carriage and corresponds to FIG. Regarding the other embodiments, the same reference numerals are given to the configurations common to the above-described embodiments, and the description thereof will be omitted, and different configurations will be described below. In another embodiment, the contact portion 28 described above is provided not on the rear leg 8 but on the handrail member 5. The front leg movable member 26 is displaceably provided at the upper end of the front leg 6 and is disposed in the vicinity of the handrail member 5.

  The abutting portion 28 is provided in the vicinity of the rotating shaft 16, for example, at the lower edge of the handrail member 5. The front leg movable member 26 is disposed below the rotation shaft 16 and is provided at the upper end of the front leg 6. The first end of the elastic member 25 is attached to the front leg movable member 26, the second end of the elastic member 25 is attached to the front leg 6, and the elastic member 25 constantly urges the front leg movable member 26 upward. Thereby, the contact portion 28 faces the upper end of the front leg movable member 26. In the unfolded state shown in FIG. 7, the axial distance Dl from the front wheel 7 to the rear wheel 9 is set to L1, and the contact portion 28 is separated from the front leg movable member 26 or is moved to the upper end portion of the front leg movable member 26 with a light force. Abutting, the front leg movable member 26 is not pushed downward. Therefore, the front leg movable member 26 receives the upward biasing force of the elastic member 25 and is moved to the upper position α.

  When the folding operation is started and the folded baby carriage is folded, the handrail member 5 rotates clockwise around the rotation shaft 16 in FIG. Then, the rear end region of the handrail member 5 located behind the rotation shaft 16 approaches the front leg 6. Further, the abutting portion 28 disposed behind the rotation shaft 16 moves downward along the front leg 6 and pushes the front leg movable member 26 downward against the urging force of the elastic member 25.

  In the folding state shown in FIG. 8, for example, when the axial distance Dl is 9 / 10L1, the contact portion 28 pushes the front leg movable member 26 down to the intermediate position β. Accordingly, the front leg movable member 26 applies an axial compressive force to the rod 27 and pushes the caster lock member 24 down to the lock limit position B.

  In this case, it is understood that the front leg movable member 26 is displaced corresponding to the axial distance Dl because the handrail member 5 is further rotated with the progress of the folding operation. Since the front leg movable member 26 and the caster lock member 24 are connected by the rod 27, it is understood that the caster lock member 24 is displaced in conjunction with the displacement of the front leg movable member 26. In short, it is understood that the position of the caster lock member 24 is linked to the axial distance Dl of the front leg movable member 26, in other words, the form change of the body frame 2. The axial distance Dl when the caster lock member 24 is set to the lock limit position B is not limited to the value exemplified so far, and may be a predetermined value included in the range of 9/10 to 2 / 3L1, for example. . As a result, in the folded state shown in FIG. 9, it is possible to inhibit the caster turning while the front wheel 7 is facing forward in the folded state as shown in FIG. If folding is started from the unfolded state (FIGS. 1, 4 and 7) and the abutting portion 28 starts to push the front leg movable member 26 at the same time, the front leg movable member 26 is positioned at an intermediate position with Dl = 9 / 10L1. β can be set, and the turning of the front wheel 7 can be restricted soon after the start of the folding operation.

  According to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the body frame 2 further includes a pair of handrail members 5 disposed on both sides of the seat portion 3 of the infant seat, and the handrail member 5 is a form of the body frame 2. Due to the change, the front leg 6 approaches the front leg 6 and the front leg movable member 26 is pushed down to the intermediate position β or the lower position γ by coming into contact with the abutting portion 28 of the handrail member 5 which becomes the shape change position, and is The lock member 24 is set to the lock limit position B or the lock position C.

  The actuating member of the present invention is not limited to the rod 27 and the front leg movable member 26, and various embodiments are conceivable in addition to the embodiments described so far.

  As a modification (not shown), instead of the push bar 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a push bar that can slide along the front leg 6 may be provided, and the push bar may be slid and moved by a folding operation. The actuating member is preferably in the upper position α in the unfolded state of the folding baby carriage, and the caster lock member 24 is in the release position A. The actuating member is pushed down to the intermediate position β or the lower position γ by contacting the push bar in the middle of folding and the folded state of the folding baby carriage, and the caster lock member is connected to the lock limit position B and the lock position C via the link. It may be.

  Next, still another embodiment of the present invention will be described. 10 to 12 are side views schematically showing still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 shows the unfolded state of the folding baby carriage and corresponds to FIG. FIG. 11 shows the folding state of the folding baby carriage and corresponds to FIG. FIG. 12 shows a completely folded state of the folding baby carriage and corresponds to FIG. Regarding the other embodiments, the same reference numerals are given to the configurations common to the above-described embodiments, and the description thereof will be omitted, and different configurations will be described below. In still another embodiment, the abutting portion 28 described above is provided not on the handrail member 5 but on the seat support rod 19. The front leg movable member 26 is displaceably provided at the upper end of the front leg 6 and is disposed in the vicinity of the seat support bar 19.

  The contact portion 28 is provided at the front end portion of the seat support rod 19 and is disposed in the vicinity of the rotation shaft 14. The front leg movable member 26 is disposed below the rotation shaft 14 and is provided at the center in the vertical direction of the front leg 6. Thereby, the contact portion 28 faces the upper end of the front leg movable member 26. In particular, the contact portion 28 has a shape bulging downward so as to draw a smooth arc. On the other hand, the upper end of the front leg movable member 26 is made flat.

  When the folding baby carriage 1 changes from a deployed state (FIG. 1) to a folded state (FIG. 2) and then to a folded state (FIG. 3), the seat support bar 19 is centered on the rotating shaft 14 in the figure. Rotate clockwise. That is, the seat support rod 19 approaches the center of the front leg 6 in the vertical direction due to the shape change of the body frame 2. Further, the front leg movable member 26 is pushed down to the intermediate position β or the lower position γ by abutting against the abutting portion 28 of the seat support rod 19 which becomes a shape change portion, and the caster lock member 24 is connected via the rod 27 which becomes a link. Is set to the lock limit position B or the lock position C. In particular, in the form change of the vehicle body frame 2 from FIG. 11 to FIG. 12, the abutting portion 28 swelled downward presses downward while sliding against the flat upper end of the front leg movable member 26.

  Further, the basic configuration and function and effect of the other embodiment are substantially the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 described above. In the above description of the embodiment shown in FIGS. It will be easily understood by replacing the seat support bar 19 and the rotation shaft 16 with the rotation shaft 14.

  As described so far, the vehicle body frame 2 is connected to the front leg 6 via a pivot shaft such as the pivot shaft 16 or the pivot shaft 14 such as the handrail member 5, the seat support rod 19, or another member (not shown). The frame member may be further included. Such a frame member rotates around the above-described rotation axis due to the shape change of the vehicle body frame 2 and approaches the front leg 6. Under such a configuration, the front leg movable member 26 is pushed down to the intermediate position β or the lower position γ by coming into contact with the frame member that becomes the shape change portion of the vehicle body frame 2, and the caster lock member 24 is moved to the lock limit position via the link. B or lock position C is recommended.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiment within the same range or equivalent range as the present invention.

  The present invention is advantageously used in a childcare transporter having a folding function.

1 foldable baby carriage, 2 body frame, 5 handrail member,
6 front legs, 7 front wheels, 8 rear legs, 9 rear wheels, 10 push rods,
11 Invert bracket, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18 pivot axis,
19 seat support rod, 22 caster holding member, 23 caster rotating member,
23m engaged portion, 24 caster lock member, 25 elastic member,
26 front leg movable member, 27 rod (link), 28 contact part,
A release position, B lock limit position, C lock position,
Dl Axis distance, X Turning axis.

Claims (7)

A vehicle body frame that includes front legs and rear legs, and has different forms in the expanded state and the folded state,
A caster holding member provided at a lower end portion of the front leg, and a caster rotating member that is supported by the caster holding member so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction and pivotally supports the front wheel. A front wheel caster mechanism that enables turning,
A caster lock member that is provided on the caster holding member, restricts the rotation of the caster rotation member at a lock position, and allows the rotation of the caster rotation member at a release position;
An elastic member for urging the caster lock member from the lock position to the release position;
One end is connected to the caster lock member, and the other end is a member disposed on the vehicle body frame, and a shape change portion of the vehicle body frame that changes in shape from the expanded state to the folded state contacts the other end. Accordingly, the folding baby carriage is provided with an operation member that places the caster lock member in the locked position against the urging force of the elastic member. The actuating member includes a link extending upward from the caster lock member, and a front leg movable member connected to an upper end of the link and displaceably provided on the front leg,
2. The foldable baby carriage according to claim 1, wherein the front leg movable member is pushed down to a lower position by coming into contact with the shape change portion, and the caster lock member is brought to the lock position via the link. The rear leg approaches the front leg due to a shape change of the body frame,
The folding according to claim 2, wherein the front leg movable member is pushed down to the lower position by contacting the rear leg that becomes the shape change portion, and the caster lock member is brought to the lock position via the link. Expression baby carriage. The body frame further includes a handrail member disposed on the side of the infant seat,
The handrail member approaches the front leg due to a shape change of the body frame,
The folding according to claim 2, wherein the front leg movable member is pushed down to the lower position by contacting the handrail member that becomes the shape change portion, and the caster lock member is brought to the lock position via the link. Expression baby carriage. The vehicle body frame further includes a slide member that slides along the front leg,
The slide member slides downward due to the shape change of the body frame,
The folding according to claim 2, wherein the front leg movable member is pushed down to the lower position by contacting the slide member that becomes the shape change portion, and the caster lock member is brought to the lock position via the link. Expression baby carriage. The vehicle body frame further includes a seat support bar disposed on the side of the infant seat,
The seat support bar approaches the front leg due to a shape change of the body frame,
The said front leg movable member is pushed down by the said lower position by contact | abutting with the said seat part support bar used as the said shape change location, The said caster lock member is made into the said lock position via the said link. Foldable baby carriage. The vehicle body frame further includes a frame member connected to the front leg via a rotation shaft,
The frame member rotates around the rotation axis due to a shape change of the body frame and approaches the front leg,
The folding according to claim 2, wherein the front leg movable member is pushed down to the lower position by contacting the frame member that becomes the shape change portion, and the caster lock member is brought to the lock position via the link. Expression baby carriage.

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