US20070152478A1 - Stroller with passive restraint arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

A stroller has at least one seat supported by a frame assembly. The seat has a seat back and a seat bottom. A traversing structure extends laterally across the seat, is spaced forward of a surface of the seat back, and is spaced upward of a surface of the seat bottom. A foot opening is positioned beneath the traversing structure, above the seat bottom, and between opposed and spaced apart side frame sections of the frame assembly. A passive restraint obstruction extends from a portion of the stroller into the foot opening and reduces a size of the foot opening. The obstruction creates a passive restraint to inhibit a child from fitting through the foot opening.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Disclosure
• The present invention is directed to strollers, and more particularly to a stroller with a seating arrangement that provides a passive restraint feature for an occupant.
• 2. Description of Related Art
• Strollers are well known in the art to include a seat with a seat bottom and a seat back. Such strollers are also well known to optionally include a tray, grab bar, or other structure that traverses laterally across the stroller seat. Such a tray or other structure is typically positioned above the seat bottom and forward of the seat back s that an occupant sits behind the structure and their legs extend forward beneath the structure.
• In a typical stroller, both the front edge region of the seat bottom and the underside of the tray or other traversing structure have a relatively linear profile laterally across the width of the stroller. This creates a fairly consistent vertical gap between the underside of the traversing structure and the top side of the seat bottom near its forward edge.
• Stroller seats are typically provided with a safety belt or harness for the purpose of restraining a child or infant in the seat. However, a child that is not properly restrained by the belt or harness can slide forward in the seat between the forward edge of the seat bottom and the underside of the traversing structure. A child can fall completely out of the stroller seat or become trapped part way forward in the seat, between the seat bottom and the tray or other structure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• Objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which:
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one example of a stroller constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
• FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the vertical gap between the seat bottom and the traversing structure in a prior art stroller.
• FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic front and side views, respectively, of one example of a passive restraint configuration between the seat bottom and the traversing structure, as shown in the stroller ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of one alternative example of a passive restraint configuration between the seat bottom and the traversing structure suitable for the stroller shown inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of another alternative example of a passive restraint configuration between the seat bottom and the traversing structure suitable for the stroller shown inFIG. 1.
• FIGS. 6A-6C are several views of a torso probe used during stroller compliance testing.
• FIG. 7 is a view of a head probe used during stroller compliance testing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
• The strollers disclosed herein resolve or improve upon one or more of the problems noted above with previously known strollers. The disclosed strollers have a passive restraint configuration between a stroller seat bottom and a tray or other structure that laterally traverses the stroller above the seat bottom. The passive restraint configuration inhibits unintentional, forward pass-through of a child or infant between the seat bottom and the tray or other structure.
• Turning now to the drawings,FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one example of astroller10 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. Thestroller10 is disclosed for the most part with well known representative components that are not described in detail herein. For the purposes of later description, thestroller10 generally has aframe assembly12 supported on a ground surface by a plurality ofwheels14. In this example, theframe12 has a pair of spaced apart side sections12A and12B that are coupled to one another by cross member, link, or other interconnecting structures. Many strollers are known to have frame structures that are collapsible so that the stroller can be reconfigured between a set up condition for use, as depicted inFIG. 1, and a collapsed condition (not shown). Many strollers are also known to have only a single seat as shown, suitable for one occupant. Some other strollers are known to have more than one seat to accommodate multiple occupants, whether in a stadium seating arrangement, a side-by-side seating configuration, a dual front and rear facing seating arrangement, or the like. Nearly all strollers have at least one seat that faces forward and that is positioned at a forward end of the stroller. The disclosed invention is equally suitable for many different types of strollers, including those that have at least one forward facing, front positioned seat.
• Thestroller10 in the example ofFIG. 1 has asingle seat16 for carrying a single occupant. Theseat16 has a generally forward facing seat back18 and a generally upward facingseat bottom20, though the seat back and bottom can be inclined relative to respective vertical and horizontal reference planes. The forward exposedsurface22 of the seat back18 and the upward exposedsurface24 of the seat bottom together create a seating surface against which an infant or toddler would lie when sitting in the stroller. Theseat16 is positioned between the frame side sections12A and12B and is suspended or supported in an in-use position by the frame assembly.
• Many strollers are provided with a traversing structure of some type that extends laterally side-to-side between the two frame side sections12A and12B. The configuration and purpose of the traversing structure can vary. The structure can be a simple planar surface, a tray with one or more recesses, a grab bar, or the like. In this example, the traversing structure is shown as atray30. Thetray30 is mounted to portions of the opposed frame side sections12A and12B and traverses the between the frame sections above the seat bottom and forward of the seat back. Thetray30 can be secured to the frame structure in any suitable manner at its opposed ends and can be fixed to, and optionally removably detachable from, the stroller. With thetray30 or other structure in place, a foot opening orspace31 is created above thesurface24 of theseat bottom20 and beneath theunderside32 of thetray30.
• FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic front view of a conventional orprior art stroller100. Theconventional stroller100 in this example is shown having opposed, spaced apart frame side sections112A and112B, a seat back118 andseat bottom120 positioned between the frame side sections, an upward facingseat bottom surface124, and atray130 with anunderside132. A width of a foot opening orvertical gap131 is created between the frame side sections112A and112B. A height of the foot opening131 is defined between thetray underside132 and theseat bottom surface124. In the conventional stroller depicted inFIG. 2, theunderside132 of thetray130 has a somewhat or generally linear lateral profile, as does the forward edge of theseat bottom surface124. Thus, the vertical gap or height of the foot opening between the underside of the tray and the upward facing surface of the seat bottom is relatively consistent across the stroller width. As noted previously, when a child is resting unrestrained in the seat of thisstroller100, the child is at risk of sliding forward beneath thetray130.
• FIGS. 3-5 illustrate three of many possible alternative examples of seat and tray configurations that can be utilized to create a passive restraint feature for a stroller. The passive restraint is configured so that a child can not slide or pass unintentionally through the foot opening31 between thetray30 and theseat bottom20. In each example, an obstruction is positioned within the foot opening31 to inhibit a child from fitting, and thus unintentionally sliding, between thetray30 andseat bottom20.
• FIGS. 1, 3A, and3B show one example of such a passive restraint configuration. In this example, theunderside32 of thetray30 does not have a linear profile. Instead, theunderside32 includes a downwardprojecting obstruction40 carried by thetray30. Theobstruction40 in this example has a smoothly curvedlower end42 and a gradually tapering width, becoming narrower moving away from thetray underside32. Theobstruction40 can vary in configuration and construction and yet fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. In one example, the obstruction can also have a tapered or changing height dimension over its length, though not shown herein. Therear end44 as shown and that faces a seat occupant can have the largest obstruction dimension. Theobstruction40 can be sized and configured to prevent a part of the child's body from becoming wedged between thelower end42 of the obstruction and theseat bottom20. The obstruction surfaces can be shaped and contoured so as to avoid sharp edges and to prevent injury to an occupant of the stroller seat, should the occupant slide into contact with theobstruction40.
• The purpose of theobstruction40 in this example is to reduce the size of any part of thefoot opening31 and/or alter the configuration of thefoot opening31 to create a passive restraint. That is, theobstruction40 would be sized and positioned so that no part of the foot opening will be large enough to permit a child's body or head to pass or “submarine” between any part of thetray underside32 and the upward facingsurface24 of theseat bottom20. Testing and/or regulatory standards may be utilized to determine the precise configuration for theobstruction40. However, the height and/or width of the taller foot opening regions31A and31B on either side of theobstruction40 are to be sufficiently small in this example to provide the passive restraint function.
• FIG. 4 shows another example of a passive restraint configuration. In this example, anobstruction50 projects upward from the upward facingsurface24 of theseat bottom20. Again, theobstruction50 can be configured with a smooth contoured, tapered exterior surface, and with particular shapes to enhance comfort of the user while still performing the intended passive restrain function. Theobstruction50 in this example again creates taller regions31A and31B on either side of theobstruction50 within thefoot opening31. Each of these regions in this example should be sufficiently sized and shaped so as to inhibit a child's torso or head from passing between thetray30 and theseat bottom20.
• FIG. 5 shows yet another example of a passive restraint configuration. In this example, an obstruction within thefoot opening31 is created by a combination of a dependingobstruction60 carried by theunderside32 of thetray30 and an upward protruding obstruction62 carried by theseat bottom20. The combined effect of theobstructions60 and62 reshapes thefoot opening31 so that any region of thefoot opening31 is sufficiently small to inhibit a child's torso or head from passing between thetray30 and theseat bottom20. Each of the obstructions can be varied significantly and yet sized and configured in combination for user comfort and overall passive restraint performance.
• As will be evident to those having ordinary skill in the art, variations and modifications can be made to the disclosed examples of the passive restraint stroller configurations. Further, each example of a particular obstruction disclosed herein can be varied and modified in size, shape, and contour without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In each example, the obstruction can be integrally molded or otherwise formed as a part of the component which carries the obstruction. For example, the obstruction shown inFIG. 3 on the underside of the tray can be integrally molded as a plastic part depending from the plastic tray. Similarly, the obstruction shown inFIG. 4 can be integrally molded as a part of the plastic seat support surface.
• The current ASTM standard for stroller foot openings specifies a test to be performed on all strollers that have a tray or grab bar that traverses the stroller above the seat. The current test standard specifies using atorso probe70, as shown inFIGS. 6A-6C, and ahead probe80, as shown inFIG. 7. Each probe is to be representative of a specified percentile size child within the percentile range of a given age, such as for example a 13 month old child. The current standard requires that if thetorso probe70 can not pass through the foot opening, then thehead probe80 must not be able to pass through the opening. The intent of the standard is to prevent a child from being injured when their body slips between the tray or bar and the seat, while their head and neck gets trapped between the tray and seat bottom.
• The passive restraint intent of the present invention, in one example, is to inhibit passage of both thetorso probe70 and thehead probe80 through thefoot opening31. The foot opening must still be able to function as intended by allowing an occupant's feet and legs to fit freely through the opening. Thus, the obstructions disclosed herein act as a full passive restraint prohibiting a child's torso from sliding between the tray and seat bottom of a stroller.
• By way of example and turning again toFIGS. 6A-7, the ASTM standard calls out atorso probe70 having a rectangular configuration in plan view, but having roundedcomers72. Theprobe70 also has a depth, aleading edge portion74 of which tapers at 45° from a smaller leadingend76 of the probe to a largersize trailing end78. The ASTM standard specifies that the probe has a 3 inch height, a 5.5 inch width, and an overall 4.25 inch length. The standard also specifies that the trailingend78 beyond theleading edge portion74 taper have a 3 inch depth or length with a generally rectangular cylindrical shape, but with the roundedcorners72. The specifiedhead probe80 is a simple spherical shape with an 8 inch diameter. Thehead probe80 is said to be representative of a 95 percentile tip-of-chin to back-of-head dimension for a 13 month old child.
• Using these same probe dimensions for the examples described herein, neither the 8inch head probe80 nor therectangular torso probe70 should be able to fit completely through either one of the foot opening regions31A or31B, or any portion of thefoot opening31 in order to perform the passive restraint function. As a result, if a child were to place both of their feet on one side of any of the disclosed obstructions, i.e., into either of the regions31A or31B of thefoot opening31, neither their torso nor their head would fit within that region between the tray and seat bottom. It is also certainly possible that a passive restraint could be constructed according to the teachings of the present that meets only the current standard. In other words, if the child's torso can fit through any part of the foot opening, then the head must also fit through the opening.
• The disclosed obstructions creating the passive restraint examples described herein project into the foot opening between the tray and the seat bottom of a stroller. In these examples, the obstruction, whether on the tray, on the seat bottom, or both, is positioned generally relative to a side to side or lateral position, at the center of thefoot opening31. It is conceivable that one or more obstructions could be utilized that are not positioned on the lateral center and yet function as intended as a passive restraint in a stroller. Further, the orientation of the foot opening created between the traversing structure and the seat bottom is at least in a somewhat or generally vertical plane. The projections extend or project into the foot opening generally within the foot opening plane in the disclosed examples.
• Although certain stroller and passive restraint examples have been described herein in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all embodiments of the teachings of the disclosure that fairly fall within the scope of permissible equivalents.

Claims (11)

1. A stroller comprising:

at least one seat supported by a frame assembly, the seat having a seat back and a seat bottom;

a traversing structure extending laterally across the seat, spaced forward of a surface of the seat back, and spaced upward of a surface of the seat bottom;

a foot opening beneath the traversing structure, above the seat bottom, and between opposed, spaced apart side frame sections of the frame assembly; and

a passive restraint obstruction including 1) a structure extending downward from a portion of the traversing structure into and reducing a size of the foot opening, and 2) a structure extending upward from the seat bottom, wherein the downward extending structure does not contact the upward extending structures,

wherein the downwardly extending structure extends downwardly a first distance, and wherein the upwardly extending structure extends upwardly a second distance such that the first distance is not equal to the second distance.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. The stroller according toclaim 1, wherein the traversing structure is a tray.

6. The stroller according toclaim 5, wherein the downward extending structure is a plastic component, integrally molded as a part of the traversing structure.

7. (canceled)

8. The stroller according toclaim 1, wherein the downward extending structure is permanently connected to the traversing structure.

9. The stroller according toclaim 4, wherein the upward extending structure is permanently connected to the seat bottom.

10. (canceled)

11. The stroller according toclaim 1, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance.

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