Stroller frame and stroller

Abstract

A stroller frame, comprising at least one motor, particularly an electric motor, for assisted driving of the stroller frame, a pusher bar for pushing the stroller frame and at least one force sensor device for detecting a direction and/or an amount of force and/or a force component acting on the pusher bar, and/or for detecting a value derived from said force or force component, particularly a temporal change of the force or force component.

Claims

1. A stroller frame, comprising: at least one motor, particularly an electric motor, for assisted driving of the stroller frame; a pusher bar for pushing the stroller frame; at least one force sensor device for detecting a direction or an amount of a force or a force component which acts on the pusher bar, or to detect a value derived from this force or force component, particularly a temporal change of the force or force component; and at least one control device which is in operative connection with the at least one force sensor device, particularly in such manner that an output from the at least one force sensor device can be used for controlling the at least one motor, wherein one or both of the at least one control device is configured such that at least one motor is started when a first threshold of the force or force component or the value derived therefrom is exceeded, or is configured such that at least one motor is stopped or kept at constant power when a second threshold of the force or force component or the value derived therefrom is exceeded, and the at least one control device is configured such that when a threshold F.sub.d of a downward acting force is exceeded or when a threshold F.sub.u of an upward acting force is exceeded, or when a threshold F.sub.r2 of a forward acting force is exceeded or when a threshold F.sub.r2 of a backwards acting force is exceeded, at least one motor is stopped or maintained at a constant power, wherein F.sub.f2 or F.sub.r2 is preferably greater, particularly at least 2 times or 5 times or 20 times as great as/greater than F.sub.u or F.sub.d or wherein upon falling below, after previously exceeding F.sub.f2, F.sub.r2, F.sub.u and/or F.sub.d the motor is started again, or wherein the at least one control device is configured such that upon exceeding a threshold F.sub.f1 of a forward acting force or upon exceeding a threshold F.sub.r1 of a backward acting force, at least one motor is started, wherein F.sub.f1 is preferably smaller than F.sub.r2 or F.sub.r1 is preferably smaller than F.sub.r2.

2. The stroller frame according to claim 1, wherein the at least one force sensor device is arranged on or in the pusher bar, particularly a handle of the pusher bar, or in or close to a pusher bar fastening area.

3. The stroller frame according to claim 1, further including at least one control device which is in operative connection with the at least one force sensor device, particularly in such manner that an output from the at least one force sensor device can be used for controlling the at least one motor.

4. The stroller frame according to claim 3, further including at least one speed sensor or at least one cornering sensor.

5. The stroller frame according to claim 3, wherein the at least one control device is configured such that a quotient derived from a pushing force or a pulling force or a particularly horizontal pushing force component or a pulling force component and a supporting force of the at least one motor is constant or is variable, in such manner that the supporting force increases linearly with the pushing force or pulling force or with the pushing force component, or wherein the at least one control device is configured such that a quotient derived from a temporal change of the pushing force or pulling force from a temporal change of a particularly, horizontal pushing force component or pulling force component and a temporal change of the supporting force of the at least one motor is constant or is variable, in such manner that the temporal change of the supporting force increases linearly with the temporal change of the pushing force or pulling force of the pushing force component or pulling force component.

6. The stroller frame according to claim 3, wherein the at least one control device is configured such that the driving power of the at least one motor is throttled or stopped when a brake is operated.

7. The stroller frame according to claim 3, wherein the at least one control device is a closed-loop control device, particularly a closed-loop control device for continuous regulation of the power of the at least one motor, preferably a PID closed-loop control device.

8. The stroller frame according to claim 3, wherein the at least one control device is configured such that the motor can be controlled as a function of a rotation of at least one wheel.

9. The stroller frame according to claim 3, further including an A/D converter device configured to digitize an analog signal detected by the at least one force sensor device.

10. The stroller frame according to claim 1, wherein the at least one force sensor device is configured to detect forces or force components acting on the pusher bar or values derived therefrom in at least two different locations, particularly on a first and on a second side of the pusher bar, particularly on a first and a second side of a handle or on two different handles, particularly arranged on either side.

11. The stroller frame according to claim 10, wherein the at least one force sensor device comprises at least one torque sensor or at least two sensors.

12. The stroller frame according to claim 1, wherein the pusher bar or a section of the pusher bar, particularly a section of the pusher bar which at least partially includes the sensor device, is movable, particularly against a restoring force, preferably over a path of at least 2 mm, more preferably at least 10 mm.

13. The stroller frame according to claim 1, wherein the at least one force sensor device is configured to detect a progression of the force or force component or of the derived value.

14. The stroller frame according to claim 1, wherein multiple motors, particularly electric motors, are provided for driving the stroller frame, wherein one motor each is attached to at least two or exactly two wheels, wherein a control device for individual actuation of the motors or a sensor device is provided for detecting a pushing force or pulling force or movement of the stroller frame.

15. A stroller, such as a pushchair, buggy or similar vehicle for children, having a stroller frame according to claim 1.

16. A method for controlling a stroller according to claim 15, wherein a direction or an amount of a force or of a force component acting on a pusher bar or a value derived from this force or force component, particularly a temporal change of the force or force component is detected.

17. A stroller frame comprising: at least one motor, particularly an electric motor, for assisted driving of the stroller frame; a pusher bar for pushing the stroller frame; at least one force sensor device for detecting a direction or an amount of a force or a force component which acts on the pusher bar, or to detect a value derived from this force or force component, particularly a temporal change of the force or force component; and at least one control device which is in operative connection with the at least one force sensor device, particularly in such manner that an output from the at least one force sensor device can be used for controlling the at least one motor, wherein at least one parking brake device is provided, wherein the at least one control device is configured such that the parking brake device is activated automatically after a predetermined time, preferably between 3 seconds and 5 minutes after a standstill of the stroller frame, or wherein the at least one control device is configured such that the parking brake device is activated automatically after a standstill or a relatively low speed is reached following previous travel.

18. The stroller frame according to claim 17, wherein the at least one parking brake device can be activated electrically and can be released manually or is preloaded in a released state and in an activated state is not preloaded or preloaded to a lesser degree.

19. The stroller frame according to claim 17, further including a sensor device, particularly the force sensor device and wherein the control device is configured such that at least one brake device, particularly the retarding brake device or the parking brake device is activated by a contact on a handle of the pusher bar.

20. The stroller frame according to claim 17, wherein the at least one control device is configured such that the brake device is activated when the at least one force sensor device detects a force that is at least partially directed against the current direction of movement of the stroller frame.

21. A stroller frame comprising: at least one motor, particularly an electric motor, for assisted driving of the stroller frame; a pusher bar for pushing the stroller frame; and at least one force sensor device for detecting a direction or an amount of a force or a force component which acts on the pusher bar, or to detect a value derived from this force or force component, particularly a temporal change of the force or force component, wherein at least one display or signalling device is provided, wherein the at least one display or the signalling device alerts the user of the stroller frame when a motor support is present or may be present.

Description

(1) In the following text, the invention will be described using an exemplary embodiment, which will be explained in greater detail with reference to the figures. In the drawing

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic oblique view of a stroller frame according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a side view of the stroller frame of FIG. 1.

(4) In the following description, the same reference numbers are used for identical parts and parts with equivalent effect.

(5) FIG. 1 shows a stroller frame according to the invention in a schematic oblique view. The arrow F.sub.d illustrates a downwardly directed force acting on a handle 13 (horizontal section of a pusher bar 10). The arrow F.sub.u illustrates an upwardly directed force acting on the handle 13. The arrows F.sub.lat illustrate laterally directed forces. The handle 13 is supported so as to be swivellable relative to a lower section of the pusher bar 10.

(6) In the present case, the handle 13 may be swivelled into various positions (and locked), to carry out a height adjustment of the handle 13.

(7) A swivelling bearing 12 (with corresponding articulations) is provided between the swivellable handle 13 and the lower section of the pusher bar 10.

(8) The (entire) pusher bar 10 is in turn preferably supported in swivelling manner on a swivelling bearing 11 on a main body of the stroller frame (particularly to enable the stroller frame to be folded down).

(9) Preferably one or more sensor device(s) is/are provided in the swivelling bearing 11 and/or in the swivelling bearing 12 to detect a force from a user (particularly F.sub.u and F.sub.d) acting on the handle 13. In addition, (see FIG. 2) a forwards directed force F.sub.f and a backwards directed force F.sub.r may be detected preferably with a sensor device of such kind or sensor devices of such kind. Motors (not shown in detail) may preferably be placed in wheel hubs 21. Alternatively, motors may be placed on an axle 22 (particularly on sections of the axle that are adjacent to the wheel hub 21).

(10) At this point, it should be noted that all of the parts described above are claimed as essential to the invention both on their own merits and in any combination, particularly the details represented in the drawings. Modifications thereto are commonly known to the person skilled in the art.

REFERENCE SIGNS

(11) 10 Pusher bar 11 Swivelling bearing 12 Swivelling bearing 13 Handle (horizontal section of the pusher bar) 21 Wheel hub 22 Axle