Rolling child carrier

Abstract

A child carrier includes a wheeled base and a child seat coupled to the wheeled base. The child seat is adapted to support a seated child during movement of the child carrier along the ground.

1 . A child carrier comprising
 a wheeled base adapted to roll along the ground and to support a caregiver standing on the wheeled base,   a child seat adapted to support a child seated on the child seat and coupled to the wheeled base for movement relative to the wheeled base about a seat axis from an upright-use position in which the child seat is arranged to extend upwardly from the wheeled base to a collapsed-storage position in which the child seat is arranged to extend along the wheeled base, and   lock means for blocking movement of the child seat about the seat axis from the upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position so that the child carrier is maintained in a configuration that supports a child seated in the child seat above the ground during operation of the child carrier and for allowing movement of the child seat about the seat axis from the upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position so that the child carrier can be folded down to have a relatively low profile during storage of the child carrier.   
     
     
         2 . The child carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the lock means includes a support arm coupled to the child seat to pivot about an arm axis and a support-arm retainer coupled to the wheeled base and the support-arm retainer is configured to engage the support arm when the lock means blocks movement of the child seat from the upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position and to disengage the support arm when the lock means allows movement of the child seat from the upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position. 
     
     
         3 . The child carrier of  claim 2 , wherein the support arm is U-shaped and includes a first leg coupled to the child seat along the arm axis, a second leg coupled to the child seat along the arm axis, and a crossbar spaced apart from the arm axis that interconnects the left leg and the right leg. 
     
     
         4 . The child carrier of  claim 2 , wherein the support-arm retainer includes a receiver coupled to the wheeled base and a blocker mounted for movement relative to the receiver, the receiver is formed to include a channel sized to receive the support arm, and the blocker is movable from an engaged position arranged to block movement of the support arm out of the channel to a disengaged position arranged to allow movement of the support arm out of the channel. 
     
     
         5 . The child carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the wheeled base includes an elongated deck board sized to support a caregiver standing on the wheeled base, a front-wheel truck coupled to the elongated deck board, and a back-wheel truck coupled to the elongated deck board. 
     
     
         6 . The child carrier of  claim 5 , wherein each of the front-wheel truck and the back-wheel truck includes a hanger coupled to the elongated deck board, an axle coupled to the hanger, a left wheel coupled to the axle, and a right wheel coupled to the axle. 
     
     
         7 . The child carrier of  claim 6 , wherein the axle of each of the front-wheel truck and the back-wheel truck is coupled to one of the corresponding hanger of the front-wheel truck and the back-wheel truck for movement relative to the corresponding hanger about an axle axis which forms a non-perpendicular angle with the elongated deck board. 
     
     
         8 . The child carrier of  claim 6 , further comprising brake means coupled to the wheeled base for resisting rotation of the left wheel included in the back-wheel truck and the right wheel included in back-wheel truck in response to a caregiver applying a force on the brake means so that the child carrier can be slowed by the caregiver while the caregiver is supported on the child carrier. 
     
     
         9 . The child carrier of  claim 8 , wherein the brake means includes a brake pedal coupled to the elongated deck board to move downwardly relative to the elongated deck board, a left friction plug movable outwardly from a first position out of contact with the left wheel of the back-wheel truck to a second position in contact with the left wheel of the back-wheel truck, a right friction plug movable outwardly from a first position out of contact with the right wheel of the back-wheel truck to a second position in contact with the right wheel of the back-wheel truck, a left strut coupled to the brake pedal and to the left friction plug and configured to covert downward motion of the brake pedal into outward motion of the left friction plug, and a right strut coupled to the brake pedal and to the right friction plug to convert downward motion of the brake pedal into outward motion of the right friction plug. 
     
     
         10 . The child carrier of  claim 1 , wherein the child seat includes a sling frame coupled to the wheeled base for movement about the seat axis, a flexible child-support sling mounted to the sling frame, and a caregiver grip sized to be held by a caregiver coupled to the sling frame. 
     
     
         11 . The child carrier of  claim 10 , wherein the sling frame is U-shaped and includes a left arm, a right arm, and a cross member arranged to extend from the left member to the right member, the child seat includes a child grip sized to be held by a child, and the child grip extends from the left member to the right member of the sling frame. 
     
     
         12 . A child carrier comprising
 a wheeled base including an elongated deck board sized to support a caregiver standing on the elongated deck board, a front-wheel truck coupled to the elongated deck board near a front end of the elongated deck board, and a back-wheel truck coupled to the elongated deck board near a back end of the elongated deck board, and   a child seat including a sling frame coupled to the elongated deck board and a child-support sling coupled to the sling frame and sized to support a child sitting on the child seat.   
     
     
         13 . The child carrier of  claim 12 , wherein the child seat is coupled to the wheeled base for movement from an upright-use position in which the child seat extends upwardly from the wheeled base to support a child seated in the child seat above the ground to a collapse-storage position in which the child seat extends along the wheeled base to produce a relatively lower profile child carrier for storage. 
     
     
         14 . The child carrier of  claim 13 , further comprising a seat-position lock movable from a locked configuration arranged to block movement of the child seat from the upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position to an unlocked configuration arranged to allow movement of the child seat from the upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position. 
     
     
         15 . The child carrier of  claim 14 , wherein the seat position lock includes a support arm coupled to sling frame of the child seat and a support-arm retainer coupled to the elongated deck board of the wheeled base and the support-arm retainer is configured to engage the support arm when the seat-position lock blocks movement of the child seat from the upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position and to disengage the support arm when the lock means allows movement of the child seat from the upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position. 
     
     
         16 . The child carrier of  claim 15 , wherein the support arm is U-shaped and includes a first leg coupled to the child seat along the arm axis, a second leg coupled to the child seat along the arm axis, and a crossbar spaced apart from the arm axis that interconnects the left leg and the right leg. 
     
     
         17 . The child carrier of  claim 15 , wherein the support-arm retainer includes a receiver coupled to the wheeled base and a blocker mounted for movement relative to the receiver, the receiver is formed to include a channel sized to receive the support arm, and the blocker is movable from an engaged position arranged to block movement of the support arm out of the channel to a disengaged position arranged to allow movement of the support arm out of the channel. 
     
     
         18 . The child carrier of  claim 12 , wherein each of the front-wheel truck and the back-wheel truck includes a hanger coupled to the elongated deck board, an axle coupled to the hanger for movement relative to the hanger about an axle axis which forms a non-perpendicular angle with the elongated deck board, a left wheel coupled to the axle, and a right wheel coupled to the axle. 
     
     
         19 . The child carrier of  claim 12 , further comprising a brake unit including a brake pedal coupled to the elongated deck board to pivot relative to the deck board and a friction plug mounted for movement relative to a wheel included in the back-wheel truck from a first position out of contact with the wheel of the back-wheel truck to a second position in contact with the wheel of the back-wheel truck. 
     
     
         20 . The child carrier of  claim 19 , wherein the brake unit includes a strut coupled at a first end to the brake pedal to pivot relative to the brake pedal and at a second end, opposite the first end, to the friction plug to pivot relative to the friction plug. 
     
     
         21 . A child carrier for transporting a child by an adult, the child carrier comprising
 a wheeled base including an elongated deck board having a central platform sized to provide a footrest for the adult, two front wheels, a back wheel, and   a child seat including a sling mount and a child-support sling for the child connected to the sling mount,   wherein the front wheels are rotatably connected to a front axle, the front axle are pivotable about a front axle axis connected to a front side of the elongated deck board, the front axis encloses an angle of more than one degree with a virtual line extending perpendicular to the central platform of the elongated deck board, and the sling mount is connected to the elongated deck board near the front side thereof so that during use a force applied to the sling mount by a caregiver standing on the elongated deck board in a transverse direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the elongated deck board will cause the elongated deck board to be tilted and the front axle to be pivoted.   
     
     
         22 . The child carrier of  claim 21 , wherein the child carrier comprises two back wheels being rotatably connected to a back axle, the back axle being pivotable about a back axle axis connected to a back side of the elongated deck board, and the back axis encloses an angle of more than one degree with a virtual line extending perpendicular to the central platform of the elongated deck board. 
     
     
         23 . The child carrier of  claim 22 , wherein the front axle axis and the back axle axis enclose angles of more than one degree in opposite directions with respect to the corresponding virtual lines extending perpendicular to the central platform of the elongated deck board. 
     
     
         24 . The child carrier of  claim 22 , wherein the distance between the two front wheels is about the same as the distance between the two back wheels. 
     
     
         25 . The child carrier of  claim 21 , wherein the sling mount comprises a sling frame being connected with a first end to the elongated deck board near the front side thereof and provided near a second end with a caregiver grip, the child carrier further comprises a support arm connected to the sling frame between the first and second ends thereof and connected to the elongated deck board between the first end of the sling frame and the back wheel. 
     
     
         26 . The child carrier of  claim 25 , wherein the sling mount is foldable from an erect position to a collapsed position and vice versa, the sling frame is pivotably connected with a first end to the elongated deck board, and the support is pivotably connected to the sling frame and releasably connected to the elongated deck board or vice versa. 
     
     
         27 . The child carrier of  claim 25 , wherein the sling mount is foldable from an erect position to a collapsed position and vice versa and the sling frame is pivotably connected with a first end to the elongated deck board. 
     
     
         28 . The child carrier of  claim 21 , wherein the elongated deck board comprises a front platform provided with the two front wheels, a central platform and a back platform provided with the back wheel, and wherein the central platform is lowered with respect to the front platform and the back platform. 
     
     
         29 . The child carrier of  claim 21 , wherein the elongated deck board is provided with a brake unit for braking the back wheel. 
     
     
         30 . The child carrier of  claim 21 , wherein the child carrier comprises an electric motor for driving at least one of the front wheels or the back wheel. 
     
     
         31 . The child carrier of  claim 21 , wherein the child-support sling is a flexible seat made of a fabric. 
     
     
         32 . The child carrier of  claim 21 , wherein the elongated deck board is monolithic.