GB2414388A

GB2414388A - High chair with tray attached with keyhole stud fixing

Info

Publication number: GB2414388A
Application number: GB0411885A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chih-Wei Wang
Original assignee: Adora Business Co Ltd
Current assignee: Adora Business Co Ltd
Priority date: 2004-05-27
Filing date: 2004-05-27
Publication date: 2005-11-30
Also published as: GB0411885D0

Abstract

A high chair includes a support leg unit (30) for supporting a seat body (31), a side tray (43) having a lug member (48) which extends from a peripheral edge of a tray body (45) in an upright direction and which is configured to detachably anchor and to be movable relative to the support leg unit (30) in the upright direction, and a fastening unit (47) including a retaining stud (41) and a retaining bore having a keyhole shape (44) which are disposed on the support leg unit (30) and the lug member (48). An enlarged head (412) of the stud (41) is extended through an access portion (50) of the bore (44), and a shank (411) of the stud (41) is then moved to a retaining portion (49) of the bore (44) to be in a snap-fit engagement with the retaining portion (49), thereby securing the side tray (43) to the support leg unit (30).

Description

1 2414388

HIGH CHAIR WITH A SIDE TRAY

This invention relates to a high chair, more particularly to a high chair with a side tray detachably secured to a support leg unit thereof.

Referring to Figs. 1 to3, a conventional child high chair 11 is shown to include a support leg unit with four legs 14 for supporting a seat body 12, a backrest 13 extending upwardly from the seat body 12, a food tray 16 disposed forwardly of the seat body 12 for placement of food thereon, and two side trays 17 detachably mounted on the legs 14 for holding dropped food from the child. Each of the side trays 17 has front and rear lug members 18, each of which has a clamping end 19 to clamp tightly the respective leg 14, and a T-shaped insert end 20 which is frictionally engaged in a groove 21 formed in the side tray 17.

Since the side tray 17 is secured to the support leg unit by the cla,m,, ping action of the clar,ping end 19, the securing force in the upright direction is not sufficient, and the clamping end 19 tends to break afterlong-term use. Moreover, frictional engagement of the insert end 20 with the groove 21 causes inconvenience during assembly and disassembly of the side tray 17.

The object of the present invention is to provide a high chair in which a side tray is assembled to a support leg unit conveniently and firmly.

According to this invention, the high chair includes a support leg unit havingleft and right frames which are spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction. Each of the left and right frames has a lower leg end, an upper leg end opposite to the lower leg end in an upright direction, and a middle portion disposed between the upper and lower leg ends. A seat body is disposed between the upper leg ends of the left and right frames. A side tray includes a tray body with a peripheral edge, and a lug member which extends from the peripheral edge in the upright direction. A fastening unitincludesa retaining stud and a retaining bore.

The retaining stud has a shank which is disposed on and which extends in the longitudinal direction and outwardly from one of the lug member and the middle portion to terminate at an enlarged head. The retaining bore is disposed in the other one of the lug member and the middle portion, and includes an access portion which is dimensioned to permit passage of the enlarged head, and a retaining portion which is cor.,munlcatedwiththe access pi Lion, andwhichisconfig-ured such that relative movement of the shank to the retaining portion will place the shank in a snap-fit engagement with the retaining portion, thereby securing the side tray to the support leg unit.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional high chair; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the conventional high chair, taken along line 2-2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is asectionalviewof a portion of the conventional high chair, taken along line 3-3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a high chair according to this invention when unfolded; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view showing a side tray of the preferred embodiment; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of a fastening unit of the preferred embodiment; Fig. 7 is a side schematic view of the side tray of the preferred embodiment; and Fig. 8 is a side view of a modified embodiment of the high chair of this invention.

Referring to Fig. 4, the preferred embodiment of a high chair according to the present invention is exemplified as a child high chair 300, and is shown to comprise a support leg unit 30 having a left frame with left front and rear legs 36,37 and a right frame with right front and rear legs 38,39.

The left front and rear legs 36,37 are spaced apart from the right front and rear legs 38,39 in a longitudinal direction.

Front and rear connecting shafts 40 interconnect lower leg ends of the left and right front legs 36,38 and lower leg ends of the left and right rear legs 37,39, respectively, for supporting the child high chair 300 on the ground. A seat unit 33 includes left and right guarding members 34 which are respectively connected to upper leg ends of the left and right front legs 36,38 opposite to the lower leg ends in an upright direction, a seat body 31 which is disposed between the left and right guarding members 34, a backrest 32 which extends upwardly from a rear side of the seat body 31, and left and right armrests 35 which are respectively coupled with upper ends of the left and right guarding members 34.

A food tray 51 is detachably mounted on the left and right armrests 35.

With reference to Figs. 5 to 7, a side tray 43 includes a tray body 45 with a peripheral edge, a peripheral rim 46 which extends in the upright direction from the peripheral edge, and an arcuate lug member 48 which extends from the peripheral rim 46 in the upright direction and which is configured to detachably anchor and to be movable in the upright direction relative to a middle portion of one of the legs 36,37,38,39 (i. e. the middle portion 371 of the left rear leg 37 in this embodiment) which is between the upper and lower leg ends.

A fastening unit 47 includes upper and lower fastening members 42, each of which includes a retaining stud 41 and a retaining bore 44. The retaining studs 41 of the upper and lower fastening members 42 are disposed on and are integrally formed with the middle portion 371 of the left rear leg 37, end are spaced apart from each other in the upright direction.

The retaining bores 44 are formed in the lug member 48 and are spaced apart from each other in the upright direction.

Each of the retaining studs 41 has a shank 411 which is disposed on the middle portion 371 and which extends in the longitudinal direction from the middle portion 371 to terminate et en enlarged head 412. Each of the retaining bores 44 includes a larger access portion 50 which is dimensioned to permit passage of the enlarged head 412 of the respective retaining stud 41, and a retaining portion 49 which is communicated with the access portion 50 in the upright direction, and which is configured such that relative movement of the shank 411 of the respective retaining stud 41 to the retaining portion 49 in the upright direction will place the shank 411 in a snap-fit engagement with the retaining portion 49, thereby securing the side tray 43 to the support leg unit 30.

Therefore, in use, the enlarged heads 412 are respectively extended through the access portions 50 to permit insertion of the shanks 411 into the access portions 50. The side tray 43 is then moved downwardly to enable the shanks 411 to engage the retaining portions 49 in a snap-fit so as to secure the side tray 43 to the support leg unit 30, thereby preventing downward movement of the side tray 43 even when a large downward force is applied thereto.

Although two retaining studs 41 and two retaining bores 44 are provided in this embodiment, the number of the retaining studs 41 may be more than that of the retaining bores 44 such that the retaining bores 44 can engage suitable ones of the retaining studs 41 so as to enable the side tray 43tobe securedtothesupportlegunit30atadesiredheight.

Alternatively, in order to more firmly secure a larger side tray 43' to the support leg unit 30, referring to Fig. 8, the side tray 43' may include front and rear lug members 48 which are disposed to respectively and detachably anchor the middle portions 361,371 of the left front and rear legs 36,37. In addition, front and rear fastening units 47, each including two retaining studs and two retaining bores, are respectively disposed on the middle portions 361,371 and the lug members 48 in a manner as described hereinbefore.

Alternatively, each of the front and rear fastening units 47 may include only one retaining stud and only one retaining bore.

It is noted that the retaining stud 41 and the retaining bore 44 may be disposed on the lug member 48 and the middle portion of the support leg unit 30, respectively, and that the number of the retaining studs 41 and the retaining bores 44 can be varied. Moreover, the high chair of this invention isnotlimitedLo the childhighchair300exeimpliFiedhe--ein, but may be a high stool (not shown) including a seat body, a support leg unit for supporting the seat body, and a side tray secured to the support leg unit for holding a handbag or the like, or for serving as a footrest.

Claims

CLAIMS: l. A high chair comprising: a support leg unit having left and

right frames which are spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction, each of said left and right frames having a lower leg end, an upper leg end opposite to said lower leg end in an upright direction, and a middle portion disposed between said upper and lower leg ends; a seat body disposed between said upper leg ends of said left and right frames; a side tray including a tray body with a peripheral edge, and a lug member which extends from said peripheral edge in the upright direction; and a fastening unit including a retaining stud having a shank which is disposed on and which extends in the longitudinal direction and outwardly from one of said lug merriest and said middle portion to terminate at an enlarged head, and a retaining bore disposed in the other one of said lug member and said middle portion, said retaining bore including an access portion which is dimensioned to permit passage of said enlarged head, and a retaining portion which is communicated with said access portion, and which is configured such that relative movement of said shank to said retaining portion will place said shank in a snap-fit engagement with said retaining portion, thereby securing said side tray to said support leg unit.
2. A high chair according to Claim 1, wherein said lug member is configured to detachably anchor and to be movable relative to said middle portion of one of said left and right frames in the upright direction.
3. A high chair according to Claim 1, wherein said access portion is disposed opposite to said retaining portion in the upright direction.
4. A high chair according to Claim 1, wherein said retaining stud is disposed on and is integrally formed with said middle portion, and said retaining bore is formed in said lug member.
5. A high chair according to Claim 1, wherein said side tray has a peripheral rim which extends in the upright direction from said peripheral edge.
6. A high chair according to Claim 1, wherein said fastening unit includes upper and lower fastening members, each of whichincludes said retaining stud end said retaining bore, said retaining studs of said upper and lower fastening members being disposed on said middle portion and being spaced apart from each other in the upright direction, said retaining bores of said upper and lower fastening members being formed in said lug members and being spaced apart from each other in the upright direction.
7. A high chair substantially ashereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 4 to
8.