Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02397854 2002-08-13
SEAT DEVICE FOR A STROLLER
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
l. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a seat device for a stroller,
more particularly to a seat device with a safety bar which
is connected removably to two lateral wing members provided
on a.seat body.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional stroller generally includes a safety bar
with two ends secured on two lateral sides of a seat member
for safety purpose. However, the safety bar, which extends
across a front end of the seat member, will hinder placement
of a child on the seating member.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a seat
device in which a safety bar is removably connected to a
seat body so as to facilitate placement of a child on the
seat body.
According to this invention, the seat device includes
a seat body which has two lateral edges that extend in a
longitudinal direction and that are spaced apart from each
other in a first direction transverse to the longitudinal
direction. A safety bar includes an elongate middle portion
which extends in the first direction and which has two ends,
and two mounting end portions which are respectively
disposed on and which bend downwardly from the ends of the
middle portion in the second direction towards the lateral
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edges, respectively, so as to cooperate with the seat body
to confine a seating space. Two connecting members are
disposed to interconnect the iii0uritirig 2rid portionS and the
lateral edges. Each connecting member includes a mounting
socket, an insert plug, a lever plate, and a biasing member.
The mounting socket is disposed securely on a respective
one of the lateral edges, and has proximate and distal inner
wall surfaces which extend upwardly and in the second
direction and which are spaced apart from each other in the
first direction to confine an insert groove therebetween,
and an outer wall surface which is disposed opposite to the
distal inner wall surface and which defines a through slot
that extends through the distal inner wall surface in the
first direction to communicate with the insert groove. The
insert plug is disposed on and extends from a respective
one of the mounting end portions in the second direction
distal to the middle portion of the safety bar, and has
proximate and distal insert wall surfaces which are
dimensioned such that the insert plug is inserted in the
second direction into the insert groove, and a concavity
which is formed in the distal insert wall surface and which
confronts the through slot when the insert plug is inserted
into the insert groove. The lever plate is pivoted to the
outer wall surface of the mounting socket about a fulcrum
oriented in the longitudinal direction, and has an engaging
end extending into the insert groove to engage the concavity
so as to restrain removal of the insert plug from the insert
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groove, and an actuating end which is disposed opposite to
the engaging end relative to the fulcrum in the second
d1.LeCtioYi such that pressing tlie actuating eT'id towards tiie
outer wall surface will cause the engaging end to turn about
the fulcrum and to disengage the concavity. The biasing
member is disposed to bias the engaging end to move into
the insert groove to engage the concavity.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other features and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent in the following detailed description
of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment
of a seat device according to this invention;
Fig. 2 is a partially sectional schematic view of the
preferred embodiment showing a safety bar thereof in an
engaged state;
Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of
the preferred embodiment; and
Fig. 4 is a partially sectional schematic view of the
preferred embodiment showing the safety bar in a disengaged
state.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the preferred embodiment
of a seat device according to the present invention is
adapted to be mounted on a stroller (not shown) , and is shown
to comprise a seat body 101 which is formed integrally with
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a backrest body 102. The seat body 101 has two lateral edges
104 which extend in a longitudinal direction and which are
spaced apart from each other in a first direction transverse
to the longitudinal direction. Two lateral wing members 106
are disposed on and respectively extend from the lateral
edges 104 upwardly and in a second direction transverse to
the longitudinal and first directions. Each of the lateral
wing members 106 is formed with a notch 107 which extends
downwardly and in the second direction.
A safety bar 4 includes an elongate middle portion 41
which extends in the first direction and which has two ends,
and two mounting end portions 42 which are respectively
disposed on and which bend downwardly from the ends of the
middle portion 41 in the second direction towards the
lateral wing members 106, respectively, so as to cooperate
with the seat body 101 to confine a seating space.
Two connecting members are disposed to interconnect the
mounting end portions 42 and the corresponding lateral wing
members 106. Each connecting member includes a positioning
frame 21, a mounting socket 23, an insert plug 5, a lever
plate 26, a biasing member 24, and a positioning shell 3.
The positioning frame 21 includes an intermediate
portion 211 which is inserted into the notch 107 in a
respective one of the lateral wing members 106, two lateral
portions 212 which extend transversely and respectively
from two lateral edges of the intermediate portion 211 to
cooperate with the intermediate portion 211 to define a
CA 02397854 2002-08-13
mounting slot 216 with an upper opening end 217 and which
have upper engaging recesses 215, respectively, and two
lugs 213 which extend respectively from ti;c laterall
portions 212 in the longitudinal direction so as to abut
5 against and to be secured on the respective lateral wing
member 106 by means of fasteners 22.
The mounting socket 23 has proximate and distal inner
wall surfaces 201,202 which extend upwardly and in the
second direction and which are spaced apart from each other
in the first direction to confine an insert groove 20
therebetween, and an outer wall surface 203 which is
disposed opposite to the distal inner wall surface 202 and
which defines a through slot 235 that extends through the
distal inner wall surface 202 in the first direction to
communicate with the insert groove 20. The insert groove
includes an elongated insert portion 1201 and an
elongated guiding recess 1202 which is formed transversely
of the insert portion 1201. The mounting socket 23 is
insertable into the mounting slot 216 in the second
20 direction via the upper opening end 217. Two retaining
protrusions 234 are disposed on two side walls 233 to be
retained in the upper engaging recesses 215. A protrusion
236 extends outwardly of the through slot 235 and is formed
with a communication slot 237 which communicates the insert
groove 20 with the through slot 235. A pair of pivot lugs
238 are disposed on the outer wall surface 203 such that
a pivot pin 25 is rotatably mounted thereon and extends in
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the longitudinal direction to define a pivot axis.
The insert plug 5 includes a tubular upper portion 51
whic:h is d:isposed on and extends from tY=ie respectivc
mounting end portion 42 in the second direction, a lower
portion 55, and a middle portion 53 which interconnects the
upper and lower portions 51,55. The lower portion 55 has
proximate and distal insert wall surfaces 557, 551 that are
insertable in the second direction into the insert portion
1201 of the insert groove 20. A guiding protrusion 552 is
disposed on and projects from the distal insert wall surface
551 in the first direction, and extends along the distal
insert wall surface 551 so as to Blide in the guiding recess
1202 when the insert plug 5 is inserted into the insert
groove 20. A concavity 553 is formed in the guiding
protrusion 552 to confront the communication slot 237.
The lever plate 26 is disposed on the pivot pin 25, with
a fulcrum 265 coinciding with the pivot axis, and has an
engaging end 264 extending into the insert groove 20 via
the through slot 235 to engage the concavity 553 in the
guiding protrusion 552 so as to restrain removal of the
insert plug 5 from the insert groove 20, and an actuating
end 263 which is disposed opposite to the engaging end 264
relative to the fulcrum 265 in the second direction. As such,
referring to Fig. 4, pressing the actuating end 263 towards
the outer wall surface 203 of the mounting socket 23 will
cause the engaging end 264 to turn about the fulcrum 265
and to disengage from the concavity 553. The biasing member
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24, such as a torsion spring, is sleeved on the pivot pin
25, and has a first end 241 which abuts against the outer
~..
wali. surface 203 and a second end 242 which abuts against
the actuating end 263 so as to bias the engaging end 264
to move into the insert groove 20 to engage the concavity
553.
The positioning shell 3 has two elongate slits 341
respectively formed in two side walls 34 thereof so as to
be sleeved on the intermediate portion 211 of the
positioning frame 21 downwardly and in the second direction
when the mounting socket 23 has been inserted into the
mounting slot 216. An opening 331 is formed in a major wall
33 which confronts the outer wall surface 203 to correspond
to the through slot 235. In addition, an upper opening 311
is formed in an upper wall 31 for insertion of the lower
portion 55 of the insert plug 5. The positioning shell 3
is fastened onto the positioning frame 21 so as to prevent
movement of the mounting socket 23 relative to the mounting
slot 216 upwardly and in the second direction. Moreover,
the positioning shell 3 can shield the mounting socket 23,
the biasing member 24 and the pivot pin 25.
By virtue of the aforesaid construction, the safety bar
4 can be conveniently retained between the lateral wing
members 106 with the engaging ends 264 of the lever plates
26 engaging respectively the concavities 553 of the insert
plugs 55. Moreover, pressing the actuating ends 263 of the
lever plates 26 against the biasing action of the biasing
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members 24 can disengage the engaging ends 264 from the
concavities 553 so as to enable the insert plugs 5 to be
rerllo"ved from the rtlountlng soc'.iets 23, t:':ereby permitting
removal of the safety bar 4 from the lateral wing members
104 for facilitating placement of a child on the seat body
101. It is noted that the connecting members of this
embodiment have a compact construction so as not to impair
the outer appearance of the seat device.
While the present invention has been described in
connection with what is considered the most practical and
preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention
is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended
to cover various arrangements included within the spirit
and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent
arrangements.
