WO2007113654A1

WO2007113654A1 - Attachments for child's push chairs

Info

Publication number: WO2007113654A1
Application number: PCT/IB2007/000876
Authority: WO
Inventors: Graham Church
Original assignee: Armon Limited
Priority date: 2006-04-05
Filing date: 2007-04-04
Publication date: 2007-10-11
Also published as: GB2436794A; GB0606895D0

Abstract

A mount for attaching a hood or the like to a strut or hinge of a push- chairs comprising an outer portion (21) on which the hood or the like is attached, and clip means (25) embracing the strut or hinge (18) and resiliency openable to attach to and detach from the strut or hinge. The mount further includes a pin (24) and the hinge includes a hole (60) through which the pin passes. The hinge is a double knuckle joint hinge with the mount attaching to the central portion of the hinge.

Description

Attachments for Child's Push Chairs

The present invention relates to child push chairs or buggies, and more specifically to hoods therefor and their mountings.

Child push chairs are well known. Such chairs are commonly collapsible; the chair comprises a metal frame including a variety of hinges, and a seat which is attached to the frame. The frame normally includes a pair of sloping side members. Each of these members extends from the top back region of the chair (where it forms part of, or is attached to, the handle by which the chair is pushed) to the front bottom region of the chair, where it terminates in a wheel. Since the sloping side members normally forms one of the longest elements of the chair, it is normally made with a hinge somewhere around its central region.

It is well known to provide a push chair with a canopy or hood, to protect the occupant from sun or rain. The hood is often made easily detachable from the chair. It is also known to provide a variety of other attachments, such as a bumper bar, a toy bar, a tray, a cup or bottle holder, and car seat adaptors, which are all attachable in the same way as a hood. The hood or other attachment is attachable to a suitable point on the frame of the chair, usually on the sloping side member. The hood includes suitable attachment means or mount means for this purpose.

A particular form of hinge mechanism for a sloping side bar is described in US 2005/0110308, Church and Peters/Armon Ltd. This mechanism comprises a stub element with two struts hinged to its ends, forming in effect a double knuckle joint. The stub element has a horizontal hole at its centre for the attachment of a hood. Specifically, a pin can be inserted through the hole and the bottom corner of the hood, to pivotally attach the bottom corner of the hood to the chair frame.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved mount for attaching hoods and similar items to push-chairs.

According to the invention there is provided a mount for attaching a hood or the like to a strut or hinge of a push-chair, comprising an outer portion on which the hood or the like is attached, and clip means embracing the strut or hinge and resiliently openable to attach to and detach from the strut or hinge.

Preferably the mount attaches to a hinge, with the mount including a pin and the hinge including a hole through which the pin passes.

The invention also provides a push-chair with a hinge and attachment as defined above attached thereto.

A hood mount in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, and with reference to the drawing, which is a diagrammatic perspective and exploded view of the mount and part of the push-chair to which it is to be attached.

The lower and right-hand part of the drawing shows the hinge mecha- nism for a sloping side bar as described in the Church and Peters document referred to above. This mechanism comprises a stub element 18 with two struts 1OA and 1OB hinged to its ends, forming in effect a double knuckle joint. The stub element 18 has a horizontal hole 60 at its centre for the attachment of a hood. The hood mount 20 is shown adjacent to the hinge mechanism. The clip comprises a generally cylindrical housing 21 of plastics material, having a circumferential slot 22 through which a hood strut 23 extends. The strut 23 is mounted for rotation about the axis of the cylinder 21, and is subject to a friction or similar action such that the force required to turn it is readily exerted by a user of the push-chair but is sufficient to hold the hood in whatever position it has been opened or closed to.

The mount 20 also has an axial pin 24 which passes through the hole 60 in the hinge element 18, and is used to attach the mount to the hinge as , described above.

In addition, the mount 20 also includes a clip portion 25, which is integrally formed with the housing 21. As shown, the clip portion comprises a pair of prongs 26 shaped so as to fit around the stub element 18 of the hinge.

The diameter of the cylinder 21 is approximately equal to the width of the clip portion as measured between the outer surfaces of the two prongs.

Each stub element has a thickening 27 at its outer end, the two thicken- ings facing each other, to give positive engagement with the hinge. Each prong also has a thinning 28 at its inner end, so that the prongs tend to hinge about their inner ends.

Since the clip means embrace and fit around more than 180° of the hinge element, the clip means, together with the pin 24, ensure that the mount is firmly attached to the hinge. However, the elasticity of the prongs of the clip portion means that it can readily be detached when desired.

The positioning of the hood clip on the central portion of the hinge means that it can normally be left in position when the chair is folded.

Claims

1 A mount for attaching a hood or the like to a strut or hinge of a pushchair, comprising an outer portion (21) on which the hood or the like is attached, and clip means (25) embracing the strut or hinge (18) and resiliently openable to attach to and detach from the strut or hinge.

2 A mount according to claim 1 including a pin (24) and wherein the hinge includes a hole (60) through which the pin passes.

3 A push-chair with a hinge and attachment as defined above attached thereto.

4 A push-chair according to claim 3 wherein the hinge is a double knuckle joint hinge with the mount attaching to the central portion of the hinge.

5 A push chair mount for a hood or the like substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.

6 Any novel and inventive feature or combination of features specifically disclosed herein within the meaning of Article 4H of the International Convention (Paris Convention).