STROLLER AND SEAT HEIGHT ADJUSTING MECHANISM THEREOF

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a seat height adjusting mechanism and a stroller according to the pre-characterizing clause of claims 1 and 22.

Background of the Invention

Rapid developed economics and technology provide people with various consumer products, such as a stroller.

It is very convenient to utilize the stroller for infant caring when a user takes an infant out. Thus, the stroller has become more and more popular in infant caring.

However, in the prior art, a position of a seat on a stroller frame of the stroller cannot be adjustable according to a height of an infant sitting thereon, so as to influence flexibility of the stroller in use.

Thus, it is necessary to design a stroller and a seat height adjusting mechanism thereof for flexibly adjusting a height of a seat according to a height of an infant to solve the aforesaid problem.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention aims at providing a seat height adjusting mechanism for flexibly adjusting a height of a seat according to a height of an infant.

The present invention further aims at providing a stroller for flexibly adjusting a height of a seat according to a height of an infant.

This is achieved by a seat height adjusting mechanism according to claim 1 and a stroller according to claim 22. The dependent claims pertain to corresponding further developments and improvements.

As will be seen more clearly from the detailed description following below, the claimed seat height adjusting mechanism of the present invention is disposed on a stroller frame of the stroller and includes a holding base assembled with the seat. The holding base is slidable upward and downward along the stroller frame for adjusting the height of the seat mounted on the holding base relative to the stroller frame.

Preferably, the seat height adjusting mechanism further includes a locking member, a release actuator linked with the locking member, and a fixing member mounted on the stroller frame, the holding base is slidably disposed on the fixing member, the locking member is mounted on one of the fixing member and the holding base and at least has a locking position and a releasing position, the other of the fixing member and the holding base has at least two engaging portions spaced apart from each other along a sliding direction of the holding base, the locking member is located at the locking position when the locking member is selectively engaged with any of the two engaging portions, and the release actuator moves the locking member to be disengaged from any of the two engaging portions for making the locking member located at the releasing position.

Preferably, the seat height adjusting mechanism further comprises at least two locking members spaced apart from each other along a sliding direction of the holding base, a release actuator linked with the at least two locking members, and a fixing member mounted on the stroller frame, the holding base is slidably disposed on the fixing member, the at least two locking members are mounted on one of the fixing member and the holding base and at least have a locking position and a releasing position, the other of the fixing member and the holding base has an engaging portion, any of the at least two locking members is located at the locking position when selectively engaged with the engaging portion, and any of the at least two locking members is disengaged from the engaging portion and is located at the releasing position when the release actuator moves the at least two locking members.

Preferably, the seat height adjusting mechanism further comprises an elastic member disposed on the locking member and the one of the fixing member and the holding base having the locking member mounted thereon, and the elastic member has a tendency to drive the locking member from the releasing position to the locking position.

Preferably, at least one of the locking member and the engaging portion has an inclined structure oblique to the sliding direction of the holding base, and the locking member moves from the locking position to the releasing position along the inclined structure during upward sliding of the holding base.

Preferably, the inclined structure of the locking member mounted on the holding base is located at an upper side of the locking member, and the inclined structure of the engaging portion on the fixing member is located at an upper side of the engaging portion; or, the inclined structure of the locking member mounted on the fixing member is located at a lower side of the locking member, and the inclined structure of the engaging portion on the holding base is located at a lower side of the engaging portion.

Preferably, the locking member is slidable, and a sliding direction of the locking member intersects with the sliding direction of the holding base.

Preferably, the release actuator is formed integrally with the locking member.

Preferably, the release actuator is independent from the locking member.

Preferably, the seat height adjusting mechanism further comprises a pulling member having flexibility, and the release actuator is linked with the locking member via the pulling member.

Preferably, a first end of the pulling member is connected to the release actuator mounted on the stroller frame, and a second end of the pulling member is connected to the locking member mounted on the fixing member.

Preferably, the seat height adjusting mechanism further comprises a rotating plate pivoted to the stroller frame, the rotating plate has a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion located at two sides of a central axis of the rotating plate respectively, the release actuator is connected to the first mounting portion, and the first end of the pulling member is connected to the second mounting portion.

Preferably, the seat height adjusting mechanism further comprises a pushing rod, the pushing rod is slidably disposed on the fixing member or the holding base along the sliding direction of the holding base, the second end of the pulling member is mounted to the pushing rod, and the pushing rod is linked with the locking member.

Preferably, a first end of the pulling member is connected to the release actuator mounted on the seat, and a second end of the pulling member is connected to the locking member mounted on the holding base.

Preferably, the seat height adjusting mechanism further comprises a transmission member movably disposed on the seat, the transmission member is linked with the release actuator, and the first end of the pulling member is mounted on the transmission member.

Preferably, the release actuator and the transmission member are slidably disposed on the seat respectively, and a sliding direction of the release actuator intersects with a sliding direction of the transmission member.

Preferably, the locking member is pivotable, and the release actuator is formed integrally with the locking member.

Preferably, the locking member and the release actuator are pivotably mounted on the holding base or the fixing member for releasing the locking member via pivoting of the release actuator.

Preferably, the engaging portion is a slot structure.

Preferably, the holding base is pivoted to the stroller frame about a central rotating axis of the holding base, the holding base at least has a first assembly head and a second assembly head spaced apart from each other along a rotating direction of the holding base, a distance between the first assembly head and the central rotating axis is different from a distance between the second assembly head and the central rotating axis, and the seat is detachably mounted on the first assembly head or the second assembly head.

Preferably, a central angle between the first assembly head and the second assembly head is 90°.

For achieving the aforesaid purpose, the stroller of the present invention includes a stroller frame, a seat, and a seat height adjusting mechanism. The stroller frame includes a front leg, a rear leg, and a handle foldable relative to each other. The seat height adjusting mechanism includes a holding base. The holding base is assembled with the seat and slidable upward and downward along the stroller frame, for adjusting a height of the seat mounted on the holding base relative to the stroller frame.

Preferably, the holding base is slidable upward and downward along the handle, the front leg, or the rear leg.

Preferably, the seat height adjusting mechanism further comprises a locking member, a release actuator linked with the locking member, and a fixing member mounted on the stroller frame, the holding base is slidably disposed on the fixing member, the locking member is mounted on one of the fixing member and the holding base and at least has a locking position and a releasing position, the other of the fixing member and the holding base has at least two engaging portions spaced apart from each other along a sliding direction of the holding base, the locking member is located at the locking position when the locking member is selectively engaged with any of the two engaging portions, and the release actuator moves the locking member to be disengaged from any of the two engaging portions for making the locking member located at the releasing position.

Preferably, the seat height adjusting mechanism further comprises at least two locking members spaced apart from each other along a sliding direction of the holding base, a release actuator linked with the at least two locking members, and a fixing member mounted on the stroller frame, the holding base is slidably disposed on the fixing member, the at least two locking members are mounted on one of the fixing member and the holding base and at least have a locking position and a releasing position, the other of the fixing member and the holding base has an engaging portion, any of the at least two locking members is located at the locking position when selectively engaged with the engaging portion, and any of the at least two locking members is disengaged from the engaging portion and is located at the releasing position when the release actuator moves the at least two locking members.

Preferably, the seat height adjusting mechanism further comprises an elastic member disposed on the locking member and the one of the fixing member and the holding base having the locking member mounted thereon, and the elastic member has a tendency to drive the locking member from the releasing position to the locking position.

Preferably, at least one of the locking member and the engaging portion has an inclined structure oblique to the sliding direction of the holding base, and the locking member moves from the locking position to the releasing position along the inclined structure during upward sliding of the holding base.

Preferably, the inclined structure of the locking member mounted on the holding base is located at an upper side of the locking member, and the inclined structure of the engaging portion on the fixing member is located at an upper side of the engaging portion; or, the inclined structure of the locking member mounted on the fixing member is located at a lower side of the locking member, and the inclined structure of the engaging portion on the holding base is located at a lower side of the engaging portion.

Preferably, the locking member is slidable, and a sliding direction of the locking member intersects with the sliding direction of the holding base.

Preferably, the release actuator is formed integrally with the locking member, and the seat is detachably assembled with the holding base.

Preferably, the seat height adjusting mechanism further comprises a pulling member having flexibility, the release actuator and the locking member are independent from each other, and the release actuator is linked with the locking member via the pulling member.

Preferably, a first end of the pulling member is connected to the release actuator mounted on the handle, and a second end of the pulling member is connected to the locking member mounted on the fixing member.

Preferably, the seat height adjusting mechanism further comprises a rotating plate pivoted to the handle, the rotating plate has a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion located at two sides of a central axis of the rotating plate respectively, the release actuator is connected to the first mounting portion, the first end of the pulling member is connected to the second mounting portion, and the seat is detachably assembled with the holding base.

Preferably, the seat height adjusting mechanism further comprises a pushing rod, the pushing rod is slidably disposed on the fixing member or the holding base along the sliding direction of the holding base, the second end of the pulling member is connected to the pushing rod, and the pushing rod is linked with the locking member.

Preferably, the seat height adjusting mechanism further comprises a transmission member movably disposed on the seat, the transmission member is linked with the release actuator, the first end of the pulling member is connected to the transmission member, and the second end of the pulling member is connected to the locking member mounted on the holding base.

Preferably, the release actuator and the transmission member are slidably disposed on the seat respectively, and a sliding direction of the release actuator intersects with a sliding direction of the transmission member.

Preferably, the locking member is pivotable, and the release actuator is formed integrally with the locking member.

Preferably, the locking member and the release actuator are pivotably mounted on the holding base or the fixing member for releasing the locking member via pivoting of the release actuator.

Preferably, the holding base is pivoted to the stroller frame about a central rotating axis of the holding base, the holding base at least has a first assembly head and a second assembly head spaced apart from each other along a rotating direction of the holding base, a distance between the first assembly head and the central rotating axis is different from a distance between the second assembly head and the central rotating axis, and the seat is detachably mounted on the first assembly head or the second assembly head.

Compared with the prior art, since the holding base is slidable upward and downward along the stroller frame, the height of the seat mounted on the holding base relative to the stroller frame can be adjusted flexibly via upward and downward sliding of the holding base according to a height of an infant. In such a manner, the present invention improves the operational convenience and flexibility in use of the stroller.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the following, the invention is further illustrated by way of example, taking reference to the accompanying drawings thereof:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a stroller according to a first embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the stroller in FIG. 1 at another viewing angle,

FIG. 3 is a diagram of the stroller in FIG. 1 after a seat is hidden,

FIG. 4 is a diagram of the stroller in FIG. 2 after the seat is hidden,

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a fixing member of the stroller in FIG. 1,

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a locking member and a release actuator of the stroller in FIG. 1 being formed integrally with each other,

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional diagram of the stroller in FIG. 1 when the locking member is engaged with an engaging portion and is located at a locking position,

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional diagram of the stroller in FIG. 1 when the locking member is disengaged from the engaging portion and is located at a releasing position,

FIG. 9 is a diagram of a stroller according to a second embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 10 is a diagram of the stroller in FIG. 9 at another viewing angle,

FIG. 11 is a diagram of the stroller in FIG. 9 at another viewing angle,

FIG. 12 is a diagram of a stroller according to a third embodiment of the present invention after a front leg is hidden partially,

FIG. 13 is a diagram of the stroller in FIG. 12 at another viewing angle,

FIG. 14 is a diagram of the stroller in FIG. 12 at another viewing angle,

FIG. 15 is a diagram of the stroller in FIG. 14 after the seat is hidden,

FIG. 16 is a diagram of a holding base of the stroller in FIG. 12 being assembled with a locking member and a release actuator,

FIG. 17 is a diagram of a stroller according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 18 is a diagram of a release actuator of the stroller in FIG. 17 being linked with a rotating plate, a pulling member, a pushing rod, and a locking member,

FIG. 19 is a diagram of the stroller in FIG. 17 after a rear leg is hidden,

FIG. 20 is an enlarged diagram of “A” region in FIG. 19,

FIG. 21 is a diagram of a stroller according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention when the seat is assembled with a first assembly head,

FIG. 22 is a diagram of a stroller according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention when the seat is assembled with a second assembly head,

FIG. 23 is a diagram of the stroller in FIG. 21 after the seat is hidden,

FIG. 24 is a diagram of the stroller in FIG. 22 after the seat is hidden,

FIG. 25 is a diagram of a stroller according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 26 is a diagram of the stroller in FIG. 25 at another viewing angle,

FIG. 27 is a diagram of the stroller in FIG. 25 at another viewing angle,

FIG. 28 is a diagram of the stroller in FIG. 25 after the seat is hidden,

FIG. 29 is a diagram of a stroller according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention when a release actuator is assembled with a transmission member and a pulling member,

FIG. 30 is a diagram of the stroller according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention when a locking member is engaged with an engaging portion,

FIG. 31 is a diagram of the stroller according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention when the locking member is disengaged from the engaging portion, FIG. 32 is a partial exploded diagram of the stroller in FIG. 30, and FIG. 33 is a partial exploded diagram of the stroller in FIG. 31.

Detailed Description

The embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Please refer to FIGS. 1-8. A stroller 100a according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a stroller frame 10, a seat 20, and a seat height adjusting mechanism 30. The stroller frame 10 includes a front leg 11, a rear leg 12, and a handle 13. The front leg 11, the rear leg 12 and the handle 13 are foldable relative to each other for a user to perform a folding operation of the stroller frame 10 conveniently. Preferably, the handle 13 is pivoted to the rear leg 12 and the front leg 11 sequentially in a downward direction (but not limited thereto), so that the front leg 11 can be pivoted to the handle 13 at a position in the lower front of a position where the rear leg is pivoted to the handle 13. As such, it may simplify the pivoting structural design of the front leg 11, the rear leg 12, and the handle 13 under the condition of ensuring that the stroller frame 10 can be folded conveniently. The seat height adjusting mechanism 30 includes a holding base 31. The holding base 31 is movably disposed on the stroller frame 10 and is assembled with the seat 20, so that the seat 20 can be mounted on the stroller frame 10 via the holding base 31. Thus, via movement of the holding base 31 relative to the stroller frame 10, a height of the seat 20 mounted on the holding base 31 relative to the stroller frame 10 can be adjustable. In this embodiment, the holding base 31 is slidable upward and downward along the handle 13. As such, via upward and downward sliding of the holding base 31 along the handle 13, the height of the seat 20 mounted on the holding base 31 relative to the stroller frame 10 can be adjustable. It could be understood that the holding base 31 could be slidable upward and downward along the front leg 11 or the rear leg 12, but not limited thereto. If the stroller frame 10 does not include front leg 11, the rear leg 12, and the handle 13, the holding base 31 could be slidable along the stroller frame 10 such that the height of the seat 20 mounted on the holding base 31 can be adjustable relative to the stroller frame 10 via upward and downward sliding of the holding base 31 along the stroller frame 10.

To be more specific, as shown in FIGS. 3-8, for ensuring adjustment stability of the holding base 31 on the handle 13 and operational convenience of the holding base 31, the seat height adjusting mechanism 30 further includes a locking member 32, a release actuator 33 linked with the locking member 32, and a fixing member 34 mounted on the handle 13. The holding base 31 is slidably disposed on the fixing member 34 to make the holding base 31 slidable along the handle 13 via the fixing member 34. Preferably, the fixing member 34 could be a straight rod and could be matched with the holding base 31 for improving sliding stability between the holding base 31 and the fixing member 34, but not limited thereto. The locking member 32 is mounted on the holding base 31 such that the holding base 31 can support the locking member 32. The locking member 32 at least has a locking position as shown in FIG. 7 and a releasing position as shown in FIG. 8, and the fixing member 34 has at least two engaging portions 35 spaced apart from each other along a sliding direction of the holding base 31 (indicated by a double-arrow B in FIG. 5). The locking member 32 is located at the locking position when the locking member 32 is selectively engaged with any of the two engaging portions 35 (as shown in FIG. 7). The release actuator 33 moves the locking member 32 to be disengaged from any of the two engaging portions 35 to make the locking member 32 located at the releasing position (as shown in FIG. 8). For example, the engaging portion 35 could be a slot structure, such as a groove, a blind hole, or a through hole. The engaging portion 35 is engaged with the locking member 32 in a shape matching manner and the related description is omitted herein since it is well known to a person skilled in the art.

As shown in FIGS. 7-8, for ensuring that the locking member 32 can be switched to the locking position automatically, the seat height adjusting mechanism 30 further includes an elastic member 36. The elastic member 36 has a tendency to drive the locking member 32 from the releasing position to the locking position. Specifically, since the locking member 32 is mounted on the holding base 31, the elastic member 36 can be disposed between the locking member 32 and the holding base 31 for simplifying the assembly design of the elastic member 36, the locking member 32 and the holding base 31, but not limited thereto. For example, if the locking member 32 is mounted on the fixing member 34, the elastic member 36 could be disposed between the locking member 32 and the fixing member 34 instead. In this embodiment, the locking member 32 is slidably disposed on the holding base 31. A sliding direction of the locking member 32 (indicated by a double arrow D in FIGS. 7-8) intersects with the sliding direction of the holding base 31 (indicated by the double arrow B in FIGS. 7-8), so as to reduce the overall thickness of the locking member 32 on the holding base 31. Since the locking member 31 is slidably disposed on the holding base 31, the elastic member 36 could be a compression spring or an extension spring for further simplifying the assembly design of the elastic member 36, the locking member 32, and the holding base 31, but not limited thereto. It could be understood that the locking member 32 could be mounted on the fixing member 34 and the holding base 31 could have at least two engaging portions 35 formed thereon for multi-stage adjustment of the holding base 31, but not limited thereto. Further, if the holding base 31 is slidably disposed on the front leg 11, the fixing member 34 is mounted on the front leg 11 of the stroller frame 10. If the holding base 31 is slidably disposed on the rear leg 12, the fixing member 34 is mounted on the rear leg 12 of the stroller frame 10.

As shown in FIGS. 5-8, the locking member 32 has an inclined structure 321 tilted relative to the sliding direction of the holding base 31, and the engaging portion 35 has an inclined structure 351 tilted relative to the sliding direction of the holding base 31. During upward sliding of the holding base 31, the locking member 32 can be switched from the locking position to the releasing position via the inclined structure 321 and the inclined structure 351. The purpose of the aforesaid design is that a user can just pull the seat 20 upward for moving the holding base 31 upward without operating the release actuator 33. Specifically, during upward sliding of the holding base 31, the inclined structure 321 of the locking member 32 and the inclined structure 351 of the engaging portion 35 can push against each other to make the locking member 32 overcome elastic force of the elastic member 36 to retract. As such, the locking member 32 can be disengaged from one engaging portion 35 aligned with the locking member 32, so as to allow the holding base 31 to be adjustable upward. To be more specific, the inclined structure 321 of the locking member 32 mounted on the holding base 31 is located at an upper side of the locking member 32, and the inclined structure 351 of the engaging portion 35 formed on the fixing member 34 is located at an upper side of the engaging portion 35 correspondingly (as shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 8, but not limited thereto). In another embodiment, the inclined structure 321 of the locking member 32 mounted on the fixing member 34 could be located at a lower side of the locking member 32, and the inclined structure 351 of the engaging portion 35 formed on the holding base 31 could be located at a lower side of the engaging portion 35 correspondingly. Furthermore, according to the practical application, the aforesaid inclined structure could be formed only on the locking member 32 or the engaging portion 35 for achieving the same purpose that the user can just pull the seat 20 upward for moving the holding base 31 upward without operating the release actuator 33.

As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the release actuator 33 is formed integrally with the locking member 32. The purpose of the aforesaid design is that the locking member 32 can be released by the release actuator 33 at a short distance for simplifying the structural designs of the release actuator 33 and the locking member 32. Since the release actuator 33 is formed integrally with the locking member 32, the release actuator 33 can be mounted on the holding base 31 via the locking member 32, but not limited thereto. According to the practical application, the locking member 32 formed integrally with the release actuator 33 could be pivoted to the holding base 31 to achieve the purpose that the release actuator 33 could rotate together with the locking member 32 relative to the holding base 31 for locking or releasing the locking member 32 and the engaging portion 35, but not limited thereto. For ensuring that the user can perform the assembly and disassembly operations of the seat 20 conveniently, the seat 20 could be detachably assembled with the holding base 31, but not limited thereto, meaning that the present invention could adopt the design that the seat 20 could be not detachable from the holding base 31 in another embodiment.

The detailed description for the operations of the stroller 100a is provided as follows according to FIGS. 1-8. When the height of the seat 20 on the stroller frame 10 needs to be increased, the user can just pull the seat 20 upward to make the holding base 31 have a tendency to slide upward. At this time, the inclined structure 321 of the locking member 32 and the inclined structure 351 of the engaging portion 35 can push against each other to make the locking member 32 overcome the elastic force of the elastic member 36 to retract. As such, the locking member 32 can be disengaged from one engaging portion 35, which is aligned with the locking member 32, so that the holding base 31 can be adjusted upward with the seat 20 until the locking member 32 is aligned with another engaging portion 35. Simultaneously, the locking member 32 can be engaged with this engaging portion 35 automatically via the elastic force provided by the elastic member 36, so as to fix a position of the holding base 31 on the stroller frame 10. When the height of the seat 20 on the stroller frame 10 needs to be reduced, the user can operate the release actuator 33 to make the locking member 32 overcome the elastic force of the elastic member 36 together with the release actuator 33, so that the locking member 32 can be disengaged from one engaging portion 35, which is aligned with the locking member 32. In such a manner, the holding base 31 can be adjusted downward with the seat 20.

As shown in FIGS. 9-11, the structural design of the stroller 100b according to a second embodiment of the present invention is substantially the same with the structural design of the stroller 100a according to the first embodiment. The difference between the stroller 100a and the stroller 100b is that the mounting position of the seat height adjusting mechanism 30 on the stroller 100a is slightly different from the mounting position of the seat height adjusting mechanism 30 on the stroller 100b.

In the second embodiment, the holding base 31 of the seat height adjusting mechanism 30 is slidably disposed on the rear leg 12 of the stroller frame 10. Specifically, the fixing member 34 of the seat height adjusting mechanism 30 is mounted on the rear leg 12, so as to make the holding base 31 slidable on the rear leg 12 via the fixing member 34. In the first embodiment, the holding base 31 of the seat height adjusting mechanism 30 is slidably disposed on the handle 13 of the stroller frame 10. Specifically, the fixing member 34 of the seat height adjusting mechanism

30 is mounted on the handle 13, so as to make the holding base 31 slidable on the handle 13 via the fixing member 34.

Since the seat height adjusting mechanisms 30 according to the first and second embodiments are different from each other in the mounting position but have the same structural design, the detailed description for the operations of the stroller 100b according to the second embodiment is omitted herein. To be noted, the holding base

31 is slidably disposed on the handle 13 or the rear leg 12 in the first and second embodiments, but not limited thereto, which means the holding base 31 could be slidably disposed on the front leg 11 according to the practical application. It should be mentioned that the fixing member 34 is mounted on the front leg 11 correspondingly if the holding base 31 is slidably disposed on the front leg 11, so as to make the holding base 31 slidable on the front leg 11 via the fixing member 34.

As shown in FIGS. 12-16, the structural design of the stroller 100c according to a third embodiment of the present invention is substantially identical to the structural design of the stroller 100a according to the first embodiment. The differences between the stroller 100a and the stroller 100c are described as follows.

(1) In the third embodiment, the seat height adjusting mechanism 30’ includes the holding base 31 slidably disposed on the front leg 11, and specifically, the holding base 31 is slidably disposed on the fixing member 34 of the front leg 11 to make the holding base 31 slidable along the front leg 11 via the fixing member 34.

In the first embodiment, the seat height adjusting mechanism 30 includes the holding base 31 slidably disposed on the handle 13, and specifically, the holding base 31 is slidably disposed on the fixing member 34 of the handle 13.

To be noted, the holding base 31 could be slidably disposed on the rear leg 12 or the handle 13 according to the practical application.

(2) In the third embodiment, the seat height adjusting mechanism 30’ includes a release actuator 33’ and a locking member 32’. The release actuator 33’ is independent from the locking member 32’, which means the release actuator 33’ and the locking member 32’ are separate components. The release actuator 33’ is linked with the locking member 32’ via a linkage mechanism. In the first embodiment, the seat height adjusting mechanism 30 includes the release actuator 33 and the locking member 32. The release actuator 33 is formed integrally formed with the locking member 32. That is, in the first embodiment, the release actuator 33 is linked with the locking member 32 without an additional linkage mechanism.

(3) In the third embodiment, the release actuator 33’ and the locking member 32’ are pivoted to the holding base 31 respectively such that the locking member 32’ can be released by rotation of the release actuator 33’. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, the holding base 31 has a first pillar 311 and a second pillar 312. A middle portion of the locking member 32’ jackets the first pillar 311, the release actuator 33’ jackets the second pillar 312, and the release actuator 33’ and the locking member 32’ are engaged with each other. An elastic member 36’ jackets the first pillar 311, one end of the elastic member 36’ abuts against the locking member 32’, and another end of the elastic member 36’ abuts against the holding base 31. For example, the elastic member 36’ could be a torsional spring, but not limited thereto, meaning that the elastic member 36’ could be a compression spring or an extension spring in another embodiment according to the practical application. As such, in the third embodiment, via rotation of the release actuator 33’, the locking member 32’ can rotate correspondingly to be disengaged from the engaging portion 35. It could be understood that the first pillar 311 and the second pillar 312 are formed on the fixing member 34 if the locking member 32’ and the release actuator 33’ are pivoted to the fixing member 34.

In the first embodiment, the locking member 32 is slidably disposed on the holding base 31 and is formed integrally with the release actuator 33. Thus, in the first embodiment, the release actuator 33 can be operated to slide the locking member 32 for releasing the locking member 32 and the engaging portion 35.

Except for the aforesaid differences, the stroller 100c and the stroller 100a have the same structural design, and the related description is omitted herein.

The detailed description for the operations of the stroller 100c is provided as follows according to FIGS. 12-16. When the height of the seat 20 on the stroller frame 10 needs to be increased, the user can just pull the seat 20 upward to make the holding base 31 have a tendency to slide upward. Subsequently, the inclined structure 321 of the locking member 32’ and the inclined structure 351 of the engaging portion 35 can push against each other to make the locking member 32’ overcome elastic force of the elastic member 36’ to retract. As such, the locking member 32’ can be disengaged from one engaging portion 35, which is aligned with the locking member 32’, so that the holding base 31 can be adjusted upward with the seat 20 until the locking member 32’ is aligned with another engaging portion 35. At this time, the locking member 32’ can be engaged with the aforesaid engaging portion 35 automatically via the elastic force provided by the elastic member 36’, so as to fix a position of the holding base 31 on the handle 13. When the height of the seat 20 on the stroller frame 10 needs to be decreased, the user can operate the release actuator 33’ to make the locking member 32’ overcome the elastic force of the elastic member 36’ together with the release actuator 33’, so as to disengage the locking member 32’ from one engaging portion 35 aligned with the locking member 32’. In such a manner, the holding base 31 can be adjusted downward with the seat 20.

As shown in FIGS. 17-20, both a stroller lOOd according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention and the stroller 100a according to the first embodiment include the stroller 10 and the seat 20, and both the seat height adjusting mechanisms of the stroller lOOd and the stroller 100a include the holding base 31, the locking member 32, the release actuator 33, and the fixing member 34. The holding base 31 is slidably disposed on the fixing member 34, and the fixing member 34 is mounted on the handle 13. The differences between the stroller 100a and the stroller lOOd are described as follows.

(1) In the fourth embodiment, a seat height adjusting mechanism 30” includes at least two locking members 32 spaced apart from each other along the sliding direction of the holding base 31, and the release actuator 33 is linked with all the locking members 32, meaning that all the locking member 32 can move together with the release actuator 33. The locking member 32 is mounted on the fixing member 34 and at least has a locking position (as shown in FIG. 18 and FIG. 20) and a releasing position, and the holding base 31 has an engaging portion 35. In such a manner, any of the locking members 32 is located at the locking position (as shown in FIG. 18 and FIG. 20) when selectively engaged with the engaging portion 35. The release actuator 33 can move all the locking members 32 to release any of the locking members 32 to be disengaged from the engaging portion 35 and to be located at the releasing position. It could be understood that the locking members 32 could be mounted on the holding base 31 and the fixing member 34 could have the engaging portion 35 correspondingly in another embodiment according to the practical application.

In the first embodiment, the locking member 32 is mounted on the holding base 31 and at least has a locking position and a releasing position, and the fixing member 34 has at least two engaging portions 35 spaced apart from each other along the sliding direction of the holding base 31. The locking member 32 is located at the locking position when the locking member 32 is engaged with any of the engaging portions 35. The release actuator 33 can move the locking member 32 to be disengaged from any of the engaging portions 35.

(2) In the fourth embodiment, the release actuator 33 is independent from the locking member 32, meaning that the release actuator 33 and the locking member 32 are separate components. That is, the release actuator 33 is linked with the locking member 32 via a linkage mechanism (i.e. a pulling member 37, a rotating plate 38, and a pushing rod 39a as described in the following). In the first embodiment, since the release actuator 33 is formed integrally with the locking member 32, the seat height adjusting mechanism 30 does not include the pulling member 37, the rotating plate 38, and the pushing rod 39a disposed between the release actuator 33 and the locking member 32.

(3) In the fourth embodiment, the seat height adjusting mechanism 30” further includes the pulling member 37 having flexibility. The release actuator 33 is linked with the locking member 32 via the pulling member 37 for achieving the purpose that the locking member 32 can be operated from a long distance. Specifically, a first end of the pulling member 37 is connected to the release actuator 33 mounted on the handle 13, and a second end of the pulling member 37 is connected to the locking member 32 mounted on the fixing member 34. To be more specific, the seat height adjusting mechanism 30” further includes the rotating plate 38 pivoted to the handle 13. The rotating plate 38 has a first mounting portion 381 and a second mounting portion 382 located at two sides of a central axis L of the rotating plate 38. The release actuator 33 is connected to the first mounting portion 381, and the first end of the pulling member 37 is connected to the second mounting portion 382. As such, via rotation of the rotating plate 38 about the central axis L by sliding of the release actuator 33, the rotating plate 38 can pull the locking member 32 via the pulling member 37 for releasing the locking member 32. For ensuring that all the locking members 32 can move together with the release actuator 33, the seat height adjusting mechanism 30” further includes the pushing rod 39a. The pushing rod 39a is slidably disposed on the fixing member 34 along the sliding direction of the holding base 31. The second end of the pulling member 37 is mounted on the pushing rod 39a. The pushing rod 39a is linked with the locking member 32. In the first embodiment, since the locking member 32 of the seat height adjusting mechanism 30 is formed integrally with the release actuator 33, the seat height adjusting mechanism 30 does not include the pulling member 37, the rotating plate 38, and the pushing rod 39a disposed between the locking member 32 and the release actuator 33.

(4) In the fourth embodiment, the elastic member 36 is directly disposed between the pushing rod 39a and the fixing member 34 for returning the locking member 32 to its original position via the pushing rod 39a. In the first embodiment, the elastic member 36 is directly disposed between the locking member 32 and the holding base 31 (or the fixing member 34), so that the elastic member 36 can directly drive the locking member 32 to return to its original position.

(5) In the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18 and FIG. 20, only the locking member 32 has the inclined structure 321. In the first embodiment, the locking member 32 and the engaging portion 35 have the inclined structure 321 and the inclined structure 351 respectively.

Except for the aforesaid differences, the stroller lOOd and the stroller 100a have the same structural design, and the related description is omitted herein. To be noted, the holding base 31 of the seat height adjusting mechanism 30” in the fourth embodiment could be slidably disposed on the front leg 11 or rear leg 12 of the stroller frame 10 according to the practical application, and the fixing member 34 of the seat height adjusting mechanism 30” could be mounted on the front leg 11 or the rear leg 12 correspondingly.

The detailed description for the operations of the stroller lOOd is provided as follows according to FIGS. 17-20. When the height of the seat 20 on the stroller frame 10 needs to be increased, the user can just pull the seat 20 upward to make the holding base 31 have a tendency to slide upward. Subsequently, the inclined structure 321 of the locking member 32 and the inclined structure 351 of the engaging portion 35 aligned with the locking member 32 can push against each other, so as to make all the locking members 32 to retract and to drive the pushing rod 39a to overcome the elastic force of the elastic member 36 to slide upward. Accordingly, the engaging portion 35 can be disengaged from the aforesaid locking member 32, so that the holding base 31 can be adjusted upward with the seat 20 until the engaging portion 35 is aligned with another locking member 32. At this time, the pushing rod 39a can slide downward via the elastic force of the elastic member 36 for driving the engaging portion 35 to be engaged with the aforesaid locking member 32 automatically, so as to fix a position of the holding base 31 on the handle 13. When the height of the seat 20 on the stroller frame 10 needs to be decreased, the user can operate the release actuator 33 to rotate the rotating plate 38 about the central axis L for pulling the pushing rod 39a via the pulling member 37 to overcome the elastic force of the elastic member 36, so as to drive the pushing rod 39a to slide upward. Accordingly, the pushing rod 39a can drive all the locking members 32 to retract for disengaging the engaging portion 35 from the aforesaid locking member 32, so that the holding base 31 can be adjusted downward with the seat 20.

As shown in FIGS. 21-24, a stroller lOOe according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention includes the stroller frame 10, the seat 20, and a seat height adjusting mechanism 40. The stroller frame 10 includes the front leg 11, the rear leg 12, and the handle 13. The front leg 11, the rear leg 12 and the handle 13 are foldable relative to each other for the user to perform a folding operation of the stroller frame 10 conveniently. Preferably, the handle 13 is pivoted to the rear leg 12 and the front leg 11 sequentially in a downward direction (but not limited thereto), so that the front leg 11 can be pivoted to the handle 13 at a position in the lower front of a position where the rear leg is pivoted to the handle 13. As such, it may simplify the pivoting structural design of the front leg 11, the rear leg 12, and the handle 13 under the condition of ensuring that the stroller frame 10 can be folded conveniently. The seat height adjusting mechanism 40 includes a holding base 41. The holding base 41 is pivoted to the stroller frame 10 about a central rotating axis C. The holding base 41 at least has a first assembly head 41a and a second assembly head 41b spaced apart from each other along a rotating direction of the holding base 41. A distance between the first assembly head 41a and the central rotating axis C is different from a distance between the second assembly head 41b and the central rotating axis C. The seat 20 can be detachably mounted on the first assembly head 41a or the second assembly head 41b. For example, the distance between the first assembly head 41a and the central rotating axis C could be less than the distance between the second assembly head 41b and the central rotating axis C, so as to make a height of seat 20 mounted on the first assembly head 41a relative to the stroller frame 10 lower than a height of the seat 20 mounted on the second assembly head 41b relative to the stroller frame 10. In such a manner, the user can just rotate the holding base 31 to selectively mount the seat 20 on the first assembly head 41a or the second assembly head 41b for height adjustment of the seat 20 on the stroller frame 10, so as to make the height adjusting operation of the seat 20 more convenient. Specifically, the handle 13, the front leg 11 and the holding base 31 are pivoted to each other at the same axis for making the rotating operation of the holding base 31 more convenient. For example, an angle between the first assembly head 41a and the second assembly head 41b could be equal to 90°. That is, the user can just rotate the holding base 31 by 90° to complete the switching operation for the first assembly head 41a and the second assembly head 41b. Furthermore, the aforesaid angle design can efficiently prevent the first assembly head 41a and the second assembly head 41b from interfering with each other when one of the first assembly head 41a and the second assembly head 41b is assembled with the seat 20. To be noted, when the seat 20 is mounted on the first assembly head 41a, the second assembly head 41b is not in use. Similarly, when the seat 20 is mounted on the second assembly head 41b, the first assembly head 41a is not in use. That is, the seat

20 of the seat height adjusting mechanism lOOe in the fifth embodiment of the present invention can be designed to be detachably mounted on the holding base 41.

To be noted, except for the aforesaid difference that the holding base 31 of the seat height adjusting mechanism 30 is slidably disposed on the stroller frame 10 but the holding base 41 of the seat height adjusting mechanism 40 is pivoted to the stroller frame 10, the stroller lOOe and the strollers 100a~100d have the same seat height adjusting design in which the release actuator is linked with the locking member for releasing the holding base and the fixing member. It could be understood that the holding base 41 of the seat height adjusting mechanism 40 in the fifth embodiment could be selectively pivoted to the front leg 11, the rear leg 12, or the handle 13 about the central rotating axis C according to the practical application.

The detailed description for the operations of the stroller lOOe is provided as follows according to FIGS. 21-24. When the user wants to adjust the seat 20 in FIG.

21 to a position as shown in FIG. 22, the user can detach the seat 20 from the first assembly head 41a in FIG. 21 first. Subsequently, the user can rotate the holding base 41 counterclockwise to swap positions of the first assembly head 41a and the second assembly head 41b, and then can mount the seat 20 on the second assembly head 41b (as shown in FIG. 22). On the other hand, when the user wants to adjust the seat 20 in FIG. 22 to a position as shown in FIG. 21, the user can detach the seat 20 from the second assembly head 41b in FIG. 22 first. Subsequently, the user can rotate the holding base 41 clockwise to swap the positions of the first assembly head 41a and the second assembly head 41b, and then can mount the seat 20 on the first assembly head 41b (as shown in FIG. 21).

As shown in FIGS. 25-33, both the stroller lOOf according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention and the stroller 100a according to the first embodiment include the stroller frame 10 and the seat 20, and both the seat height adjusting mechanisms of the stroller lOOf and the stroller 100a include the holding base 31, the locking member 32, the release actuator 33, and the fixing member 34. The holding base 31 is slidably disposed on the fixing member 34, and the fixing member 34 is mounted on the handle 13. The differences between the stroller 100a and the stroller lOOf are described as follows.

(1) In the sixth embodiment, the release actuator 33 and the locking member 32 are independent from each other, meaning that the release actuator 33 and the locking member 32 are independent components. As such, the release actuator 33 is linked with the locking member 32 via a linkage structure (i.e. a transmission member 39b and the pulling member 37 as described below). In the first embodiment, since the release actuator 33 is formed integrally with the locking member 32, the stroller lOOf does not include the transmission member 39b and the pulling member 37 disposed between the release actuator 33 and the locking member 32.

(2) In the sixth embodiment, a seat height adjusting mechanism 30’” further includes the pulling member 37 having flexibility. The release actuator 33 is linked with the locking member 32 via the pulling member 37 for achieving the purpose that the locking member 32 can be operated from a long distance. Specifically, the first end of the pulling member 37 is connected to the release actuator 33 mounted on the seat 20, and the second end of the pulling member 37 is connected to the locking member 32 mounted on the holding base 31. To be more specific, the seat height adjusting mechanism 30’” further includes the transmission member 39b. The transmission member 39b is linked with the release actuator 33, and the first end of the pulling member 37 is connected to the transmission member 39b. As such, the release actuator 33 can pull the locking member 32 via the transmission member 39b and the pulling member 37 for releasing the locking member 32. Since the linkage design for the transmission member 39b and the release actuator 33 is well known to a person skilled in the art, the related description is omitted herein. For example, the release actuator 33 and the transmission member 39b are slidably disposed on the seat 20, and the sliding direction of the release actuator 33 intersects with a sliding direction of the transmission member 39b. Accordingly, via sliding of the release actuator 33, the release actuator 33 can pull or release the pulling member 37 via the transmission member 39b. In the first embodiment, the seat height adjusting mechanism 30 does not include the pulling member 37 and the transmission member 39b disposed between the release actuator 33 and the locking member 32.

(3) In the sixth embodiment, since the release actuator 33 is mounted on the seat 20, the seat 20 is not detachable from the holding base 31. In the first embodiment, the seat 20 is detachable from the holding base 31, but not limited thereto, meaning that the seat 20 could be designed to be non-detachable from the holding base 31 in the first embodiment.

Except for the aforesaid differences, the stroller lOOf and the stroller 100a have the same structural design, and the related description is omitted herein. To be noted, the holding base 31 of the seat height adjusting mechanism 30’” in the sixth embodiment could be slidably disposed on the front leg 11 or the rear leg 12 of the stroller frame 10 according to the practical application. Specifically, the fixing member 34 of the seat height adjusting mechanism 30’” could be mounted on the front leg 11 or the rear leg 12 of the stroller frame 10, so as to make the holding base 31 slidable on the front leg 12 or the rear leg 12 via the fixing member 34.

The detailed description for the operations of the stroller lOOf is provided as follows according to FIGS. 25-32. When the height of the seat 20 on the stroller frame 10 needs to be increased, the user can just pull the seat 20 upward to make the holding base 31 have a tendency to slide upward. Subsequently, the inclined structure 321 of the locking member 32 and the inclined structure 351 of the engaging portion 35 can push against each other, so as to make the locking member 32 overcome the elastic force of the elastic member 36 to retract. As such, the locking member 32 can be disengaged from one engaging portion 35, which is aligned with the locking member 32, so that the holding base 31 can be adjusted upward with the seat 20 until the locking member 32 is aligned with another engaging portion 35. At this time, the locking member 32 can be engaged with this engaging portion 35 automatically via the elastic force provided by the elastic member 36, so as to fix a position of the holding base 31 on the stroller frame 10. When the height of the seat 20 on the stroller frame 10 needs to be decreased, the user can operate the release actuator 33 to pull the locking member 32 via the transmission member 39a and the pulling member 37, so that the locking member 32 can overcome the elastic force of the elastic member 36 to retract and to be disengaged from one engaging portion 35 aligned with the locking member 32. In such a manner, the holding base 31 can be adjusted downward with the seat 20.

Compared with the prior art, since the holding base 31 (or the holding base 41) is slidable upward and downward along the stroller frame 10, the height of the seat 20 mounted on the holding base 31 (or the holding base 41) relative to the stroller frame 10 can be adjusted flexibly via upward and downward sliding of the holding base 31 (or the holding base 41) according to a height of an infant. In such a manner, the present invention improves the operational convenience and flexibility in use of the stroller.

Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.