GB2472197A

GB2472197A - An infant car seat support assembly with a pivoting support bar

Info

Publication number: GB2472197A
Application number: GB0913006A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Wickham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-07-27
Filing date: 2009-07-27
Publication date: 2011-02-02
Also published as: WO2011012871A1; GB0913006D0

Abstract

An infant car seat support assembly comprising two pairs of legs 12 and a bracing member 21 which have a collapsed and expanded configuration, a support member 22 which extends substantially perpendicular to the legs for receiving the underside of a seat and a separate crossbar 36 which extends substantially parallel to the support member 22 and is pivotally connected, by means of a side arm 32, to another element of the frame and wherein the crossbar 36 is adapted for engagement by a rear side clip of a seat. The bracing member 21 and support member 22 may be a single component which is a tube or a flat panel. The pairs of legs may be U shaped elements and may abut each other. A carrying handle may also be provided.

Description

INFANT CAR SEAT SUPPORT ASSEMBLY

[0001] The present invention concerns a portable support assembly upon which a conventional infant car seat can be releasably mounted.

[0002] Infant car seats are widely used for conveying infants outside vehicles by use of a carrying handle which is moved into a carrying position. With the infant still secured in the seat it may then be placed upon the ground or on any other surface, such as a table, desk or armchair.

[0003] An object of the invention is to provide a specific support assembly upon which such a car seat can be releasably mounted at a suitable height above the ground. First, as the car seat would be secured to the assembly this would be safer than merely placing it onto any other surface above ground level. Secondly, if the height of the assembly is appropriately selected, the combination of the support assembly and the car seat once secured in position upon the assembly can be used in place of a high chair, thus obviating the need for a separate high chair.

[0004] Nowadays infant car seats have many features common to different manufacturers because of safety requirements and customer expectations. Many prams are now provided with a cross bar and the infant car seats produced by many manufacturers are provided at the rear with a clip and with a pair of curved rests for releasable engagement with that bar so that the car seat can be placed into the body of the pram and secured there as an alternative manner of supporting and conveying the infant to carrying him/her or seating him/her directly in the pram.

[0005] A support assembly in accordance with the present invention will preferably be adapted for engagement by such a car seat clip in a simple, safe and easy to achieve, yet easy to release manner.

[0006] US 6, 547, 195 discloses a support assembly for an infant car seat having a pair of pivotally connected support members, each support member comprising a pair of legs and a cross member extending between upper ends of the pair of legs, and bracing members or straps to limit the distance between the cross members when the apparatus is erected for use.

This is essentially the same structure as well-known luggage support assemblies provided in many hotels and guesthouses. One of the cross members is intended to be securely engaged by an infant car seat clip. However, with the cross members of the two support members being at substantially the same height in the at use position of this assembly, the infant car seat will be supported in a backwardly tipped inclined position, which is not the optimum position for feeding a baby seated in the seat.

[0007] A further object of the invention is to provide an infant car seat support assembly which is novel and of improved design compared to the aforesaid known assembly.

[0008] The present invention provides an infant car seat support assembly comprising two pairs of legs and a bracing member which are pivotably interconnected so as to be movable between an inoperative collapsed position, in which the pairs of legs lie generally flat against each other, and an operative open support position, in which the respective pairs of legs are splayed apart and the bracing member extends between them so as to brace them apart, and also comprising a support member, which extends substantially perpendicular to the legs of each pair of legs, and a cross bar which extends substantially parallel to the support member and is adapted for engagement by a rear side clip of the infant car seat when resting with its underside on the aforesaid support member, characterised in that the crossbar is a separate component which is pivotably connected by means of side arms to at least one of the pairs of legs and/or to the bracing member and/or to the support member.

[0009] In preferred embodiments of the invention the bracing member and the support member are respective portions of a unitary component. The unitary component is preferably pivotally connected to at least one of the pairs of legs, and is advantageously pivotally connected to both pairs of legs as this enhances the stability and rigidity of the support assembly.

[0010] The unitary component is preferably in the form of an open frame, typically of tubular metal or of moulded plastics material. However, it may alternatively be in the form of a substantially flat panel.

[0011] The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred practical embodiment of the infant car seat support assembly of the present invention in its operative, open position; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same embodiment as in figure 1 in its open position showing in broken lines the supported position of a conventional infant car seat when mounted upon the assembly; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same embodiment as in figure 1 in its collapsed position; Figures 4 and 5 are partial perspective views of the upper part of the same assembly as the previous figures, but from the rear compared to figure 1, showing in greater detail how the conventional infant car seat is engaged as it is mounted upon the assembly.

[0012] As shown, this preferred practical embodiment of the infant car seat support assembly of the invention comprises two pairs of legs, namely a first pair of legs 12 and a second pair of legs 14. Each pair of legs, 12, 14 is provided as substantially parallel side limbs of a respective U-shaped element 11, 13, typically of tubular metal form. The first pair of legs 12 are longer than the second pair of legs 14 and are connected at their upper ends by a central section 15 of the U-shaped element 11, which provides a carrying handle for the collapsed assembly, as shown in figure 3. Upper regions of the first pair of legs 12, which link to the central section 15, are bent at an angle relative to lower regions of these legs 12 so that the aforesaid central, handle providing section 15 is offset to the rear of the assembly in its open position and thereby provides space for the mounting of an infant car seat 40, as is evident in figure 2. The first pair of legs 12 are also connected to each other by a crosspiece 16 at a spacing from their lower ends. The second pair of legs 14 are connected at their lower ends by a central section 17 of the U-shaped element 13. In the open position of the assembly, as shown in figures 1 and 2, upper ends of the respective legs 14 abut locations on the bent upper regions of the respective first legs 12, thus providing effective stops which limit the divergent opening of the legs 12, 14 as they are pivoted from the collapsed position shown in figure 3 to the open position shown in figures 1 and 2.

[0013] The assembly also comprises a substantially rectangular frame 20, also of tubular metal, which is pivotally connected to both of the pairs of legs 12, 14. A front section of this frame 20 provides a support member upon which the infant car seat 40 rests when it is mounted onto the open assembly, as is evident in figure 2. This front section is fitted with a surrounding hollow cylindrical pad 22 of suitable resilient material, such as foam plastics. Side sections 21, 23 of the frame 20 serve as bracing members, which, in addition to the abutment of the tops of the second legs 14 against the first legs 12, limit the opening of the legs 12, 14 and brace them apart in the open position shown in figures 1 and 2.

[0014] The assembly also includes a separate crossbar component 30 which is pivotally connected to both the first and the second legs 12, 14 at each side of the assembly by means of respective side arms 32, 34. Thus, the frame 20 and the side arms 32, 34 of the crossbar 30 form a parallelogram linkage with the respective legs 12, 14 resulting in a particularly robust overall construction. The crossbar 30 is also of tubular metal form and it is flattened at three locations, namely at a central location 36 and at respective flanking locations 38, a short spacing away from the central location 36 at each side thereof in order to provide three locations for accurate and secure engagement by a central clip 42 on the rear of the infant car seat 40 and by respective curved locators 44 towards each side of the rear of the infant car seat 40, as shown in figure 5. More specifically, the flattening at the flanking locations 38 is in a different direction to the flattening at the central location 36. The flattening at the central location 36 is ideally relative to an axis which is inclined approximately 30° from the vertical towards the rear of the assembly in the open position of the assembly, whereas the flattening at the flanking locations 38 is ideally relative to an axis which is inclined approximately 30° from the vertical towards the front of the assembly in the open position of the assembly. This matches the orientation of the curvature of the clip 42 and of the locators 44, respectively and facilitates particularly stable and secure attachment of the infant car seat 40.

[0015] The crossbar 30 is also provided with respective encircling pads 37, 39, also of hollow cylindrical form and of suitable resilient material, such as foam plastics. These pads 37, 39 are positioned at each end of the crossbar 30, thus covering all of the bar except the central flattened location 36 where the clip 42 needs to engage. A mark, such as a coloured line (not shown), may be provided at the midpoint of the crossbar 30, marking the centre of the flattened location 36 as an additional indicator to assist a user connecting the clip 42 at exactly the centre thereof.

[0016] Use of the support assembly just described is readily apparent by reference to the drawings. Firstly, the support assembly is opened to the position shown in figure 1 from the collapsed storage position of figure 3. The arrangement of the support frame 20 and the crossbar 30, namely the relative spacing and dimensions of same are such as to enable the infant car seat 40 to be mounted as shown in figures 2, 4 and 5. As the car seat 40 is being placed onto the pad 22 of the support frame 20, the clip 42 is engaged below the central flattened location 36, and the curved locators 44 then rest upon the pads 37, 39 at the locations of the underlying flanking flattened portions 38. The infant car seat 40 is thereby held at the most favourable sloping orientation for seating an infant, particularly for feeding purposes. This orientation is also indicated by a gravity indicator device, typically compromising circular disc with a sector cut out, provided on the side of many conventional car seats to show the best angle for mounting such an infant safety seat on to a car seat.

[0017] The length of the legs 12, 14 and the height of mounting of the support frame 20 and crossbar 30 enable the support assembly to be used with the infant car seat 40 in place of a high chair. In any event, it is safer to mount an infant car seat on to the assembly in the secure manner just described than to place the infant car seat 40 with infant therein on an unsecured raised surface in a domestic or other setting.

[0018] Other embodiments of the infant car seat support assembly of the invention may be envisaged in which the pivotal interconnection of the pairs of legs differs from the specific illustrated embodiment described above. For example, in place of the support frame 20, a support platform in the form of a flat panel may be provided which also serves to brace apart the pairs of legs. In other embodiments, a support member maybe provided which is separate from the bracing member or members. For example, the support member may be in the form of a further simple crosspiece extending between respective legs at the front of the device in the open position and the bracing member or members may separately be pivotally connected to the other legs at the rear of the device, and connectable to the support member only in the open position, for example by suitable hook-like clip means in order to brace the legs apart.

This arrangement could also be reversed, for example with integral or connected support member and bracing means pivotally connected to the legs at the front of the device with the bracing member or members being attachable in the open condition to a crosspiece extending between the legs at the rear of the device. Other variants are possible, such as the crossbar side arms being attached onto the support frame, or onto any separate support member or bracing member, instead of on to the legs. Also, in place of tubular metal and other metal components, components fabricated by moulding from plastics materials could be used for construction of the support assembly of the invention.

[0019] Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words "comprise" and "contain" and variations of them mean "including but not limited to", and they are not intended to (and do not) exclude other components. Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular, where the indefinite article is used, the specification is to be understood as contemplating plurality as well as singularity, unless the context requires otherwise.

[0020] Features described in conjunction with a particular embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to any other embodiment or example described herein unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features are mutually exclusive. The invention is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An infant car seat support assembly comprising two pairs of legs and a bracing member which are pivotably interconnected so as to be movable between an inoperative collapsed position, in which the pairs of legs lie generally flat against each other, and an operative open support position, in which the respective pairs of legs are splayed apart and the bracing member extends between them so as to brace them apart, and also comprising a support member, which extends substantially perpendicular to the legs of each pair of legs, and a cross bar which extends substantially parallel to the support member and is adapted for engagement by a rear side clip of the infant car seat when resting with its underside on the aforesaid support member, characterised in that the crossbar is a separate component which is pivotably connected by means of side arms to at least one of the pairs of legs and/or to the bracing member and/or to the support member.
2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bracing member and the support member are respective portions of a unitary component.
3. An assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the unitary component is pivotally connected to at least one of the pairs of legs.
4. An assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the unitary component is a frame of tubular metal or moulded plastics material.
5. An assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the unitary component is in the form of a substantially flat panel.
6. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a first one of the pairs of legs is longer than a second one of the pairs of legs such that upper ends of the legs of the second pair abut locations on the respective legs of the first pair in the open position of the assembly.
7. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein at least one of the two pairs of legs is provided as substantially parallel side limbs of a U-shaped element.
8. An assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein a carrying handle for the assembly is provided by a central section of the U-shaped element.
9. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the crossbar is pivotably connected by means of side arms to both of the pairs of legs.
10. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bracing member is pivotally connected to only one pair of legs and is engageable in the open position of the assembly with a crosspiece which extends between the other pair of legs.
11. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support member is connected between the respective legs of one of the pairs of legs.
12. An infant car seat support assembly substantially as a hereinbefore described with reference to and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.