US 8,262,114 B2Granted

Child vehicle having a tool-less coupling and associated method

AssigneeHuffy Corporation

InventorDonald K. Jessie, Jr.

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Abstract

A tool-less coupling of a child vehicle having a front frame and a rear frame includes a post coupled to one of the front or rear frames; a locking insert having at least one flexible table coupled to the post, and a head tube coupled to the other of the front or rear frame, wherein an opening in a first end of the head tube is sized to cause inward flexing of the flexible tab as the post is inserted through the head tube, and the flexible tab flexes back outwardly after passing through the opening in the head tube so that a portion of the flexible tab is adjacent an end surface of the head tube such that the flexible tab cannot move back through the opening. Accordingly, the removal of the post from the head tube is prohibited and the front and rear frames are coupled together. A method for a tool-less assembly of a child vehicle is also disclosed.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A tool-less coupling of a child vehicle having a front frame and a rear frame, comprising:

a post coupled to one of the front frame or rear frame, the post having an outer surface and a free end;
a locking insert having at least one generally flexible tab coupled to the free end of the post such that at least a portion of the at least one flexible tab extends generally outwardly of the outer surface of the post, the at least one flexible tab capable of flexing generally inwardly toward the outer surface of the post;
and
a head tube coupled to the other of the front frame or rear frame, the head tube including a passageway configured to receive the post therein and a first end having an opening in communication with the passageway and an end surface disposed about the opening,
wherein the opening in the first end is sized to cause inward flexing of the at least one flexible tab as the post is inserted through the passageway, and the at least one flexible tab flexes back outwardly after passing through the opening in the first end so that a portion of the at least one flexible tab is adjacent the end surface such that the flexible tab cannot move back through the opening and removal of the post from the head tube is prohibited, thereby coupling the front and rear frames together in a tool-less manner.

2 more elements

The tool-less coupling of a seat assembly to a child vehicle having a rear frame, comprising:

a central support post coupled to the rear frame, the central support post having a free end;
a lower post having a first leg and a second leg angled with respect to the first leg, the first leg being sized so as to be telescopingly coupled to the free end of the central support post;
a push pin locking mechanism for securing the first leg of the lower post to the central support post;
an upper post having a first leg and a second leg angled with respect to the first leg, the upper post being telescopingly coupled to the lower post;
and
a seat coupled to the first leg of the upper post.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.