US 11,897,534 B2Granted

Wagon stroller, systems, and methods

AssigneeGraco Children's Products Inc.

InventorsDan Dziak, Lauren Pusey

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Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein are generally related to children's stroller systems and more particularly to systems, methods, and apparatus for providing a compact folding wagon-style stroller. In at least one embodiment, a compact folding wagon-style stroller can be provided. The stroller can include a stroller frame including a handle that can be folded into a collapsed position and a group of one or more tubes coupled to one another via a floating hub, wherein the floating hub includes a slidable release grip. When the slidable release grip is actuated by a user, the group of one or more tubes are permitted to rotate from an operable configuration to a closed or folded position.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A collapsible wagon-style stroller comprising:

a stroller frame comprising a handle and a group of one or more tubes, the group of one or more tubes comprising:
a forward upper tube,
a rear upper tube,
a forward leg tube,
a rear leg tube, and
at least one hub having a slidable release grip, wherein the forward upper tube, rear upper tube, forward leg tube, and rear leg tube are coupled to one another via the hub;
wherein when the stroller is in an operable configuration and when the slidable release grip is actuated, the forward upper tube rotates from its respective initial position about the hub towards the forward leg tube, the forward leg tube rotates from its respective initial position about the hub towards the rear leg tube, the rear upper tube rotates from its respective initial position about the hub towards the rear leg tube, and the rear leg tube rotates from its respective initial position about the hub towards the forward leg tube, and
wherein when the forward upper tube, rear upper tube, forward leg tube, and rear leg tube have been rotated from respective initial positions to respective folded positions, the stroller is in a folded configuration, and
wherein the handle comprises:
a first handle tube and a second handle tube, wherein the first handle tube is slidably coupled within the second handle tube,
an inner support lock coupled to an outer support lock and configured to slide between a locked position and an unlocked position,
a first bottom handle support coupled to the rear leg tube and configured to secure the outer support lock when the handle is positioned in the first operable position and the outer support lock is in the locked position,
a handle safety stop positioned on the hub and configured to secure the inner support lock when the handle is positioned in the first operable position and the inner support lock is in the locked position, and
a handle storage detent positioned on the hub and configured to secure the inner support lock when the handle is in the second operable position and the inner support lock is in the locked position,
wherein the first handle tube is configured to slide within the second handle tube to contact the inner support lock and the outer support lock, disengaging the inner support lock and the outer support lock from the locked position to the unlocked position,
wherein the handle safety stop is configured to resist rotation of the handle into the first operable position unless the inner support lock and the outer support lock are in the unlocked position, thereby preventing injuries to occupants of the stroller, and
wherein the handle is configured to rotate between the first operable position, the second operable position, and the collapsed position when the inner support lock and the outer support lock are in the unlocked position.

14 more elements

A method of folding a wagon-style stroller from an operable configuration to a folded configuration, the method comprising:

providing a stroller configured to be adjusted from the operable configuration to the folded configuration, the stroller comprising:
a forward upper tube;
a rear upper tube;
a forward leg tube;
a rear leg tube;
and
at least one hub having a slidable release grip, wherein the forward upper tube, rear upper tube, forward leg tube, and rear leg tube are coupled to one another via the hub;
wherein when the stroller is in the operable configuration and when the slidable release grip is actuated, the forward upper tube is configured to rotate about the hub towards the forward leg tube, the forward leg tube is configured to rotate about the hub towards the rear leg tube, the rear upper tube is configured to rotate about the hub towards the rear leg tube, and the rear leg tube is configured to rotate about the hub towards the forward leg tube;
wherein the hub comprises:
a first group of one or more plates comprising:
a forward upper tube plate coupled to the forward upper tube;
a rear upper tube plate coupled to the rear upper tube;
a hub spacer plate coupled to the slidable release grip;
a forward leg tube plate coupled to the forward leg tube;
a rear leg tube plate coupled to the rear leg tube;
and
a keep unlock plate,
wherein each plate in the group of one or more plates comprises a locking notch,
wherein the slidable release grip comprises a locking pin shuttle configured slidably couple with each locking notch to lock each plate in the group of one or more plates in the operable configuration characterized by an alignment of the locking notches,
disengaging the locking pin shuttle from the locking notches, thereby permitting the forward upper tube, rear upper tube, forward leg tube, and rear leg tube to rotate about the hub;
and
folding the forward upper tube, rear upper tube, forward leg tube, and rear leg tube, wherein the stroller is in the folded configuration.

19 more elements

A method of folding a wagon-style stroller from an operable configuration to a folded configuration, the method comprising:

providing a stroller configured to be adjusted from the operable configuration to the folded configuration, the stroller comprising a handle and a group of one or more tubes, the group of one or more tubes comprising:
a forward upper tube,
a rear upper tube,
a forward leg tube,
a rear leg tube, and
at least one hub having a slidable release grip, wherein the hub comprises a central axle and a first group of one or more plates, the first group of one or more plates comprising:
a forward upper tube plate coupled to the forward upper tube,
a first connecting pillar coupled to the forward upper tube plate and extending in a direction orthogonal to the forward upper tube plate,
a rear upper tube plate coupled to the rear upper tube, the rear upper tube plate comprising a first pass-through channel, wherein the rear upper tube plate is positioned adjacent to the forward upper tube plate and the first connecting pillar extends through the first pass-through channel,
a second connecting pillar coupled to the rear upper tube plate and extending in a direction orthogonal to the rear upper tube plate and parallel to the first connecting pillar,
a hub spacer plate comprising a second pass-through channel and a third pass-through channel, wherein the hub spacer plate is positioned adjacent to the rear upper tube plate opposite the forward upper tube plate, the first connecting pillar extends through the second pass-through channel, and the second connecting pillar extends through the third pass-through channel,
a forward leg tube plate coupled to the forward leg tube, the forward leg tube plate comprising a first connecting channel and a fourth pass-through channel, wherein the forward leg tube plate is positioned adjacent to the hub spacer plate opposite the rear upper tube plate, the first connecting pillar extends through the first connecting channel, the second connecting pillar extends through the fourth pass-through channel, and the first connecting channel is shorter than the fourth pass-through channel,
a rear leg tube plate coupled to the rear leg tube, the rear leg tube plate comprising a second connecting channel and a fifth pass-through channel, wherein the rear leg tube plate is positioned adjacent to the forward leg tube plate opposite the hub spacer plate, the first connecting pillar extends through the fifth pass-through channel, the second connecting pillar extends through the second connecting channel, and the second connecting channel is shorter than the fifth pass-through channel,
a keep unlock plate positioned adjacent to the rear leg tube plate opposite the forward leg tube plate, the keep unlock plate comprising a sixth pass-through channel and a first securing channel, wherein the first connecting pillar extends through the sixth pass-through channel and the second connecting pillar is fixedly coupled to the first securing channel, and
a locking means comprising a locking spring mechanism coupled to the central axle and a locking pin shuttle coupled to the slidable release grip;
wherein when the stroller is in the operable configuration and when the slidable release grip is actuated, the forward upper tube rotates from its respective initial position about the hub towards the forward leg tube, the forward leg tube rotates from its respective initial position about the hub towards the rear leg tube, the rear upper tube rotates from its respective initial position about the hub towards the rear leg tube, and the rear leg tube rotates from its respective initial position about the hub towards the forward leg tube,
manually actuating, by a first hand of a user, the slidable release grip to release the forward upper tube, rear upper tube, forward leg tube, and rear leg tube from the operable configuration;
and
folding the forward upper tube, rear upper tube, forward leg tube, and rear leg tube, wherein the stroller is in a folded configuration.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/500,802Filed 13 Oct 2021 · us provisional application
Priority: 14 Oct 2020
Published: US 2022/0111882 A114 Apr 2022
Granted: 13 Feb 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

B62B 7/062
Collapsible or foldable: coupling unit between front wheels, rear wheels and handle
B62B 2205/26
Hand-propelled vehicles or sledges being foldable or dismountable when not in use: arrangements for standing up in folded position
B62B
Hand-propelled vehicles

Family

Application63/091,905Us provisional application · filed 14 Oct 2020
US 2022/0111882 A1Pre-grant publication · published 14 Apr 2022
US 11,897,534 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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