GB2342574A - Child support enabling child to sit upon the floor - Google Patents

Abstract

A child support 10 comprises a frame 12 carrying a cover 11, including a harness 21 which is adapted to restrain a baby therein in a generally upright position whilst enabling the child to be able to sit on the floor. The frame 12 may be adapted to allow positional adjustment of the cover 11 between a position between wherein the child sits on the floor and a position in which the child is elevated. The frame may consist of two orthogonally joined U-shaped components 13,14, such as one component 13 forms a base with the second component 14 extending generally vertically therefrom. The fabric cover 11 is supported upon the upright second frame component 14. The base component 13 is provided with outwardly projecting stabilising plates 15 on either side of the junction between the frame components 13, 14. In a further embodiment the side arms of the frame components are bent for added stability and avoids the need for the stabilising plates 15.

Description

CHILD SUPPORT The present invention relates to a child support in particular to a seat for supporting a child in a generally upright position.

Child seats or'baby bouncers', the terms are considered to be synonymous, are commonplace. Such seats support a baby off the ground in a generally reclining position. Some seats or bouncers have adjustable back rests to allow the reclining angle to be adjusted.

In its broadest sense, the present invention provides a child support comprising a frame carrying a cover including a harness adapted to restrain, in use, a baby placed therein in a generally upright position whilst enabling the child to sit upon the floor.

Preferably, the harness is a three-point or five-point harness and is formed within a fabric cover which fits over the frame.

Preferably, the frame is adapted to allow positional adjustment of the cover between a position wherein the child sits upon the floor and a position in which the child is elevated from the floor.

Preferably, the frame comprises a base component upon which are mounted generally U-shaped back-rest and foot-rest frame components upon which frame components is received the cover.

Preferably, a pair of parallel plates upstand from base component, each plate being provided with a vertical elongate aperture. The back-rest and foot-rest frame components include means engaging each elongate aperture and the frame includes means for securing the foot-and back-rest frame components to the plates of the base component at a desired position along the elongate apertures. Preferably, the upper end of each elongate aperture is formed with a downwardly directed dog-legged portion.

Preferably, each terminal end of the foot-rest and back-rest frame components is mounted into a respective component of a respective angular adjustment assembly, the components being mounted for rotation about a common axis and being positioned in a face-to-face relationship. Each opposing face may be provided with a plurality of intercooperating teeth which serve to lock the foot-and back-rest frame components with a desired angular separation. Locking is typically achieved by means of a threaded male in the form of a rod or bolt fixedly mounted within the foot-rest adjustment assembly component passing through an axial aperture provided in the back-rest adjustment assembly component and the elongate aperture of the base component plate and engaging a corresponding threaded female, typically a nut housed in an enlarged knob.

The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in further detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of a child support in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the frame of the embodiment of Figure 1 ; Figure 3 is a side perspective view of the frame of the embodiment of Figure 1; Figures 4 to 6 are corresponding views of a second embodiment of a child support in accordance with the present invention; Figure 7 is a plan view of a third and preferred embodiment of a child support in accordance with the present invention; Figure 8 is a side view of the child support of Figure 7, illustrating the multiple positioning of the back rest and the foot rest; Figure 9 is a side view of the child support of Figure 7 in an upright, lower or floor sitting position ; Figure 10 is a plan view of the child support shown in Figure 9; Figure 11 is a plan view of the child support of Figures 7 to 10 in a fully-folded or storage position; Figure 12 is a side view of the child support of Figure 11 (cover omitted); Figure 13 is a side view of the child support of Figures 7 to 12 in a lower, fullyunfolded, position (cover omitted); Figure 14 is an enlarged plan view of the locking and height adjustment mechanism of the embodiment of Figure 7 (cover omitted); Figure 15 is an enlarged side view of the mechanism of Figure 14, showing the mechanism in the lower sitting position; and Figure 16 is an enlarged side view of the mechanism of Figure 14, showing the mechanism in the elevated sitting position.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, there is shown a child support 10 comprising a fabric cover 11 mounted upon a frame 12. Frame 12 consists essentially of two orthogonally joined U-shaped components, such that the first component 13 can lie flat upon a surface such as a floor thereby forming a base for the frame with the second component 14 extending generally vertically upwards therefrom. The fabric cover 11 is supported upon the upright second frame component 14. The base component 13 is also provided with outwardly projecting stabilising plates 15 on either side of the junction between the frame components 13,14.

A modification of this embodiment of a child support 30 is illustrated in Figures 4 to 6. The frame includes an upright frame component 32 mounted with a slight rearward inclination upon a base frame component 33. The base frame component 33 is modified from that described above in that the side arms of the generally Ushaped component are bent inwardly at the point where the base and upright frame components joint. This provides additional stability and avoids the need for additional stabilising plates 15.

The frame is typically manufactured from resilient tubular materials such as mild steel, which may be plastics coated, powder coated or provided with some other form of protective coating. In the preferred embodiment shown, the base 13 and upright 14 components of the frame can be decoupled for ease of packaging or transportation. Alternatively, the components can be permanently joined, for example, by welding or gluing as appropriate.

The fabric cover 11 is positioned over the upright frame component 14 and includes a portion 20 which drapes upon the floor acting as a floor mat. The cover includes a 5-point harness 21 into which a baby can be secured. The straps 22 and waistband 23 are adjustable in a conventional manner and easy insertion and removal of the baby is facilitated by means of a zip fastening 24.

It is intended that the present invention will find particular use as a child support at that stage in a baby's development when they are just beginning to be able to sit upright and hold their heads upright. As, at this stage, the back and neck muscles are not fully developed or strengthened, it is advantageous for the harness to be made from of a sheet fabric to give good all round support, rather than being made purely of fabric strips as would be conventional for a 5-point harness in, for example, a push chair or buggy.

The lower fixing point of the harness is positioned such that a baby in the harness is actually sitting on the floor.

As shown most clearly in Figure 3, in the first embodiment, the upper section of the upright frame component 14 includes slightly backwards directed bends on each leg thereof such that a child secured into the harness reclines slightly. Alternatively or additionally, such a slight inclination can be achieved in the construction of the fabric cover or the means for coupling the upper and base frame components may be adapted to introduce the rearward inclination as is shown in Figure 6 illustrating the second embodiment.

In an alternative embodiment, not shown, the base component 13 of the frame includes a front bar closing the U-shape of the component into a generally rectangular shape. In a further alternative embodiment, also not shown, the base component may be formed from a sheet material, such as painted or powder coated mild steel plate. Resilient plastics materials will also be appropriate.

A preferred embodiment is illustrated in Figures 7 to 16 and allows the seat to be raised off the ground such that this embodiment also functions as a more conventional baby bouncer. The chair 110 has a fabric cover 111 on a frame 112.

The frame 112 includes a generally U-shaped base component 113 having outwardly extending terminal portions 114 providing additional stability. The cover 111 is carried by two independently adjustable frame components, a foot-rest frame component 120 and a back rest frame component 121, both generally U-shaped and received in corresponding pockets in the reverse side of the fabric cover 111. As is most clearly shown in Figure 10, back rest frame component 121 is preferably arcuate in profile. Foot rest component 120 may be similarly shaped.

Each terminal end of the foot rest 120 and back rest 121 frame components are mounted into respective components 130,131 respective angular adjustment assemblies 125, shown most clearly in Figure 14. The angular adjustment assembly components 130,131 are mounted for rotation about a common axis and are positioned in a face-to-face relationship each opposing face being provided with a plurality of intercooperating teeth 132,133 which serve to lock the foot-and backrest frame components 120,121 with a desired angular separation (as illustrated in Figure 8). Locking is achieved by means of a threaded male in the form of a rod or bolt (not shown) fixedly mounted within the foot-rest adjustment assembly component 130 passing through an axial aperture provided in the back-rest adjustment assembly component 131 and engaging a corresponding threaded female, typically a nut housed in an enlarged knob 134.

The back-rest and foot-rest frame components are mounted upon the foot component 113 by means of the threaded male of each angular adjustment assembly passing through an aperture 140 provided in a plate 141 upstanding from foot component 113. As knob 134 is tightened against the threaded male, it becomes held securely against plate 141.

As is illustrated most clearly in Figures 15 and 16, aperture 140 in plate 141 is vertically elongate. This allows vertical adjustment of the angular adjustment assembly between a lower sitting position, as shown in Figures 9,10,12,13 and 15, where the foot rest frame component 120 rests on the floor, such that a child in the seat also sits on the floor; and an elevated sitting position as shown in Figures 8 and 16. The upper end of the elongate aperture 140 is formed with a downwardly directed dog-legged portion 142 to engage the threaded male to more securely hold the foot and back-rest frame components when in the elevated sitting position.

As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the foot-rest frame component 120 can be folded backwards into the back-rest frame component 121 for very compact storage of the child support. Such compactness has not been achieved to the applicant's knowledge in any existing child seat or baby bouncer.

The child support seat of the present invention provides advantages over those of the prior art in several ways. In particular, the seat allows the baby to sit on the floor so that as it plays with its toys, those that it drops can be retrieved by the baby. If the baby is elevated off the floor that is not possible. In addition, the seat, by allowing the baby to sit in a more upright position than in conventional seats the present invention encourages the development of stronger back and neck muscles.

Claims (9)

1. CLAIMS 1. A child support comprising a frame canying a cover including a harness adapted to restrain, in use, a baby placed therein in a generally upright position whilst enabling the child to sit upon the floor.
2. 2. A child support as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the harness is a three-point or five-point harness and is formed within a fabric cover which fits over the frame.
3. 3. A child support as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the frame is adapted to allow positional adjustment of the cover between a position wherein the child sits upon the floor and a position in which the child is elevated from the floor.
4. 4. A child support as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein the frame comprises a base component upon which are mounted generally U-shaped back-rest and foot-rest frame components upon which frame components is received the cover.
5. 5. A child support as claimed in Claim 4 wherein a pair of parallel plates upstand from base component, each plate being provided with a vertical elongate aperture and wherein the back-rest and foot-rest frame components include means engaging each elongate aperture and the frame includes means for securing the footand back-rest frame components to the plates of the base component at a desired position along the elongate apertures.
6. 6. A child support as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the upper end of each elongate aperture is formed with a downwardly directed dog-legged portion.
7. 7. A child support as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 6 wherein each terminal end of the foot-rest and back-rest frame components is mounted into a respective component of a respective angular adjustment assembly, the components being mounted for rotation about a common axis and being positioned in a face-to-face relationship and being locatable at a desired angular adjustment by means of a threaded male mounted within the foot-rest adjustment assembly component passing through an axial aperture provided in the back-rest adjustment assembly component and the elongate aperture of the base component plate and engaging a corresponding threaded female.
8. 8. A child support as claimed in Claim 7 wherein each opposing face of the components of each angular adjustment assembly is provided with a plurality of intercooperating teeth serving to lock the foot-and back-rest frame components with a desired angular separation.
9. 9. A child support substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.