GB2153216A - Babies' seat - Google Patents

Abstract

A seat for babies, e.g. in a baby carriage or a highchair, having armrests (3) which are broader at the front than at the back. This allows the hands or arms of a baby to be put on the armrests in a stable state, especially when the baby leans forward. The armrests can be formed with a concavity on the inner lateral surface in the region, in use, of the baby's torso. (Fig. 4). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Babies' seat BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a pair of arm rests positioned on both sides of a seat of a seatequipped nursing implement such as a baby carriage, and more particularly to improvements of the shape or configuration of such arm rests.

The seat-equipped nursing implements include a baby chair and a high chair in addition to a baby carriage as mentioned above.

With respect to the seat of baby carriages, for example, there are chair type and bed type carriages. Further, a combination type thereof are also widely used at the present. In these baby carriages, armrests (handrails) are usually provided as a part of the frame of the seat. Such armrests are effective especially when using the seat as the chair type.

With respect to conventional armrests, some are formed by simply wrapping or covering members being a part of the body of a baby carriage and just located at the positions suitable for armrests with parts of sheets of the seat. Such armrests are located at both sides of the baby placed in the seat and work as a frame for the protection of the baby.

Further, with recent development of the resin molding technology, the armrests are manufactured in molded products to be mounted covering from above the members of the body. Further, by forming ribs or the like in such resin-molded armrests to secure rigidity, the armrests themselves may be sometimes used as parts of the members of the body.

In the case of resin-molded armrests used as the members of the body as mentioned above, the armrests are designed in a relatively large size in order to give sufficient rigidity, and thus the width of the upper surface of the arm rests becomes relatively wide. In the baby carriage. however, since smaller size is preferable for the convenience of carrying, generally, the width is limited as much as possible, and maximum width of each armrests known so far in baby carriages is about 4 cm.

On the other hand, on and after seven months of age when the baby's head comes to stand firmly by itself. baby carriages come to be used in a chair type very often. When observing the position of the baby when a baby carriage is used in the chair type, the baby's back is not always leaning against the backrest. More frequently, the baby sits in upright or bowing position with its arms held on the armrests. In particular, where a torso guard is provided to connect the front ends of the right and left armrests with each other, the torso guard and the front ends of the armrests may be the resting positions for the baby's hands (or arms).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide arm rests of a seat-equipped nursing implement which may bring about favorable environments for the above mentioned positions of the baby.

The arm rests according to this invention is characterized by the structure in which the front end region of each armrest is so formed as to have a relatively broad upper surface as compared with the rear end region thereof.

According to the invention, since a broader upper surface is formed in the front end region of each armrests, the hands or arms of the baby may be put on the armrests in a stable state, whereby the baby may maintain its position more stably. In addition, the safety of the hands or arms put on the arm rests may be enhanced. Accordingly, a sense of security can be given to the baby itself. Furthermore, the width nests of the area on which the hands or arms are put also secures a favorable sense of touch to the hands or arms.

These objects and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent form the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a baby carriage having an embodiment of this invention applied thereto: Figure 2 is a side elevation of armrests 3; Figure 3 is a plan view illustrating a part of the seat including the armrests 3: and Figure 4 is a plan view illustrating a part of the seat including another embodiment of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODI MENTS Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a baby carriage having an embodiment of this invention applied thereto. In this figure, a seat portion 1, a backrest portion 2, a pair of armrests 3, and a torso guard 4 are shown as constituent members of the seat of the baby carriage.

The pair of armrests 3 are positioned at both sides of the space defined by the seat portion 1 and backrest portion 2. The torso guard 4 is installed between the front ends of each of the armrests 3.

In Fig. 2, one of the armrests 3 is shown in a side elevation. In Fig. 3, a part of the seat including the armrests 3 is shown in a plan view.

As clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, each of the armrests 3 is so formed that the front end region thereof provides broader upper surface than that of the rear end region thereof. In this particular embodiment, in or der to broaden the width in the front end region, the outer edge 3a (Fig. 3) of each armrests 3 is stretched outward as going toward the front end thereof.

Such a construction allows the hands or arms of the baby sitting on the seat portion 1 to be put on the relatively wide surface of each of front end regions of the armrest 3.

In addition, the shape given to the upper surface of each armrest in order to widen the same at the front end region as compared with the same at the rear end region is not limited to the shape illustrated in Fig. 3. For example, in place of the linear shape of the outer edge 3a of each armrest 2 as shown in Fig. 3, a curved shape is also adoptable.

Further, it is not always necessary that the distance between the inner edges of the armrests is constant from the front end to the rear end as shown in Fig. 3. For example, the distance between the inner edges of the armrests may be relatively widened at the front end side.

In Fig. 4, a modification of armrests 3 is shown by a plan view, together with a portion of a seat. The inner lateral surfaces of the armrests 3 are provided with concavities 5.

The positions of the concavities 5 correspond to the positions with which the torso of the sitting baby may come in contact. By the presence of the concavities 5, the distance between the pair of armrests is widened in this area so that the sitting baby may have a relatively wide range allowing its movement.

In addition, it should be noted that the formation of such concavities 5 does not make areas effective for armrests on the upper surfaces of the armrests 3 narrowed so much.

More specifically, as described above, when observing the position of a sitting baby, it is found that the body is not always leaning against the backrest portion 2, but often takes upright or bowing position with its arms resting on the armrests. Therefore, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, while a relatively wide area is maintained in the respective front portions of the armrests 3, the inherent function of the armrests is not interfered at all.

According to this embodiment, since the spacing between the armrests is widened only in the contacting positions of the torso of the baby, better environments can be secured without restricting the movement of the sitting baby and without giving a feel of restraint to the baby, while not increasing the widthwise dimension of the seat-equipped nursing implement. In other words, when the spacing between a pair of armrests is merely extended, the widthwise dimension of the seat-equipped nursing implement becomes too large, which is not preferable for a baby carriage in which portability is highly required.

The shape of concavities 5 provided in the armrests 3 is not limited to the illustrated one.

Although in the shown embodiment, the concavities are defined by an arc shaped bottom, they may be shaped by being hollowed along a trapezoidal or other form.

Furthermore, the above described embodiments relate to baby carriage: however, this invention may be further applicable to other seat-equipped nursing implements in general.

including a baby chair, a high chair and the like.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail. it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation. the scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

Claims (6)

1. Armrests of a seat-equipped nursing implement characterized in that the front end region of each said armrest is so formed as to have a relatively broad upper surface as compared with the rear end region of the same.

2. Armrests of a seat-equipped nursing implement as set forth In claim 1. wherein the respective outer edges of the armrests are so formed as to stretch outward as going toward their front in order to broaden the width in the front end region of each armrest.

3. Armrests of a seat-equipped nursing implement as set forth in claim 1, wherein each said armrest is formed with a concavity on its inner lateral surface at the contacting position of a baby's torso.

4. A babies' seat having armrests the upper surfaces of which are substantially broader at their front ends than at their back ends.

5. A babies' highchair including a seat according to claim 4.

6. A baby carriage including a seat according to claim 4.