GB2420705A

GB2420705A - Child's high chair

Info

Publication number: GB2420705A
Application number: GB0601459A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Church
Original assignee: Armon Ltd
Current assignee: Armon Ltd
Priority date: 2006-01-25
Filing date: 2006-01-25
Publication date: 2006-06-07
Also published as: GB0601459D0

Abstract

A high chair comprising a support frame, a seat of flexible material, and at least one attaching means for attaching the seat to the support frame, the attaching means comprising an elongate member and a corresponding groove in the support frame, the elongate member being attachable to the seat and receivable in the groove. Preferably the elongate member comprises an enlarged part, receivable in the groove. Preferably the groove has an opening, the width of the opening being narrower than the cross-section of at least part of the elongate member such that at least part of the elongate member is retained in the groove.

Description

Child's High Chair The present invention relates to high chairs for

children.

High chairs for children are well known. A high chair typically comprises a chair with a relatively small and high seat; the small size of the seat makes it suitable for children, and its height brings the child up to the typical height of a seated adult. The chair typically has a back and side arms to keep the child in the seat.

Traditional high chairs are rigidly constructed of wood. However, such chairs are heavy, and are also bulky, making them difficult to store away or to transport when the child is taken on a trip. Folding chairs, typically of light metal, are therefore also well known. Many folding high chairs fold in a single dimension, so that on folding, typically the side-to-side width of the chair remains unchanged but the chair is collapsed front-to-back. (The height also typically remains unchanged.) Some high chairs, however, fold in 2 dimensions, ie side-to- side as well as front-to-back (an arrangement sometimes termed "umbrella fold").

High chairs usually have a rigid seat, however it is also known to provide a seat of flexible material such as canvas. To attach a canvas seat to the frame the seat usually has an elongate tube of fabric attached along its side edges, each fabric tube receiving a strut from the support frame. Alternatively the fabric may be fixed to the framework using fixings such as press studs.

According to the invention there is provided a high chair comprising a support frame, and a seat of flexible material, and at least one attaching means for attaching the seat to the support frame, the attaching means comprising an elongate member and a corresponding groove in the support frame, the elongate member being attachable to the seat and receivable in the groove.

A high chair embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the support frame of the chair; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the chair including the seat panels; Fig. 3 is a cross-section view of a vertical support bar of the chair framework.

Figure 1 shows the support frame of the high chair. The high chair is foldable in two dimensions. The frame comprises four legs 10-13, eight cross- members 14-21, and a pair of side arms 22, 23. The two legs 10 and 11 form the front legs of the chair, and the two legs 12 and 13 form the rear legs of the chair.

The rear legs are longer than the front legs, with their upper sections forming back supports 40, 41 for back part of the chair (ie the part against which the back of the child rests). The back supports 40, 41 may be integral with the rear legs 12, 13 or may be separate and detachable from the rear legs 12, 13.

Figure 2 shows the chair with a canvas seat 50 attached to the frame (the term "canvas" is of course used for any suitable form of cloth or other flexible material). The seat 50 comprises four major portions: a back panel 51, two side panels 54, 55, and a base 58 attached to each other as shown. The side edges of the back panel 51 are attached to the back supports 40, 41.

Figure 3 shows one side of the back panel 51 of the chair, attached to the one of the back supports 40 (the other side of the chair will of course be the same).

The back support 40 is hollow and cylindrical in shape, and is made of a suitable light but strong material, such as extruded aluminium. The back support 40 has a groove 102 running along one side. Referring to figure 2, the back supports 40, 41 are arranged such that the grooves 102 (not visible in figure 2) face inwards, towards each other.

As shown in figure 3, to secure the back panel 51 to the back support 40, a cord 101 is attached along the vertical side edge of the back panel 51, and inserted in the groove 102. The cord 101 is a flexible, fibrous cord or rope. A flexible rod of plastic, such as polyethylene, could be used in place of a cord.

The cord 101 is wrapped in a cover 103, the cover comprising an elongate strip of material. The length of the cover 103 matches the length of the vertical side edge of the back panel 51, and the cover 103 is wide enough to be wrapped around the cord 101, leaving overlapping edges. The overlapping edges of the cover 103 are secured to the back panel 51 by stitching 104, the cover 103 forming a sleeve enclosing the cord 101. The cover 103 may be made of any suitable form of cloth or other flexible material, and may be made of the same canvas as used for the seat panels. The inside of the cover 103 may be glued to the cord 101, or the cover 103 may simply be wrapped around the cord 101. Instead of using a separate cover 103, the vertical edge of the back panel 51 may be bent back on itself and stitched onto the panel 51, forming an elongate sleeve to receive the cord 101.

The groove 102 has a circular cross-section, the cross-sectional diameter being just larger than the diameter of the covered cord 101 so that the covered cord 101 fits tightly in the groove 102. The width W of the opening of the groove 102 is narrower than the cross-sectional width of the cord 101. The cord 101 can therefore be inserted in the groove 102 at one end of the back support 40, and is retained by the opening.

To attach the back panel 51 to the frame, one end of the covered cord 103 is inserted into the groove 102, at the top end of the back support 40, and the covered cord 101 is fed along the groove 102.

Other panels of the seat 50, such as the side panels 54, 55 and base 58, may be attached to support bars in the frame using similar cord and groove attaching means as described above.

The cord and groove attaching means described here for attaching the seat panels to the chair support members can of course be used with other high chair frame designs, including high chair frames which fold in only one or two dimensions and also non-foldable high chairs.

Claims

Claims 1. A high chair comprising a support frame, a seat of flexible

material, and at least one attaching means for attaching the seat to the support frame, the attaching means comprising an elongate member and a corresponding groove in the support frame, the elongate member being attachable to the seat and receivable in the groove.
2. A high chair according to any preceding claim wherein the elongate member comprises an enlarged part, receivable in the groove.
3. A high chair according to any preceding claim wherein the groove has an opening, the width of the opening being narrower than the cross- section of at least part of the elongate member such that at least part of the elongate member is retained in the groove.
4. A high chair according to any preceding claim wherein the elongate member is rod-shaped.
5. A high chair according to any preceding claim wherein the seat comprises at least a back part and a base part.
6. A high chair substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.