GB2478041A

GB2478041A - A baby walker with a height adjustment mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2478041A
Application number: GB1102384A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hung-Chung Hou; Cheng-Chou Lu
Original assignee: LERADO
Current assignee: LERADO
Priority date: 2010-02-11
Filing date: 2011-02-11
Publication date: 2011-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 2031-02-11
Also published as: GB2478041B; FR2956036B3; FR2956036A3; CN201664119U; GB201102384D0

Abstract

A baby walker has a pair of height adjustment mechanisms for adjusting the height of an upper support member [2, Fig. 3] above a base [3, Fig. 3] . Each height adjustment mechanism of the baby walker comprises: an upper side support member 52; a sliding block 61 slidably mounted within the side support member 52 and having a toothed portion 67; a rotating driving rotor 64 which engages the toothed portion; a positioner 65 for locking movement of the toothed portion; and a knob 63 for rotating the driving rotor. The positioner 65, which may be spring biased, has a protruded portion for releasably engaging with the toothed portion 67 whilst each of the driving rotors 64 has a first pole land a second pole 8 capable of releasably engaging with the toothed portion 67. When a user rotates the driving rotor 64, one of the poles 7 pushes the positioner 65 away from the toothed portion 67, and the other pole engages with the toothed portion 67 to move the sliding block 61 upward or downward. Each knob 63 has one end connected with a driving rotor 64, and another end exposed on one side of the baby walker. By turning the knobs 63, the user can easily change the height of the baby walker.

Description

A BABY WALKER WITH A HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM

[001] The present invention relates generally to a baby walker with a height adjustment mechanism, and especially to a height adjustment mechanism available for adjustment by turning a knob.

[002] A baby walker is generally used for baby who has not yet developed the ability to walk. As the baby occupant is growing day by day, the walker needs to be adjustable on the height to meet the needs of the different baby growing stages.

[003] An example of a height adjustment mechanism for a baby walker is shown in Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 363,375, and comprises a pair of retractable tubes formed with a plurality of positioning orifices. A spring biased positioner is reteasably engaged in one of the positioning orifices for locking the retractable tubes in a selected length. The spring biased positioner can be unlocked by pressing a button. However, when a user accidently presses the button, the upper portion and the seat falls down suddenly due to gravity, and can pinch and hurt the user's finger.

[004] To solve such a finger-pinching problem, the present invention provides a baby walker with a height adjustment mechanism. The baby walker provides a pair of knobs on both sides capable of adjustment by turning the knobs. The baby walker includes an upper support member, a base and a pair of height adjustment mechanism. The height adjustment mechanism is retractably adapted for interconnecting the upper support member and the base for adjusting the height of the upper support member relative to the base and ground.

[005] The height adjustment mechanism comprising a pair of side support members, a pair of sliding blocks, a pair of driving rotors, a pair of positioners and a pair of knobs. The pair of side support members are mounted on both sides of the baby walker; each of the sliding blocks is slidably mounted within one of the side support members and having an toothed portion. Each of the positioners has a protruded portion for releasably engaging with the toothed portion so as to lock the sliding blocks in a height automatically. Each of the driving rotors has a first pole and a second pole capable of releasably engage with the toothed portion.

[006] Each of the knobs has one end connected with one of the driving rotors, and another end exposed on one side of the baby walker. When rotating the driving rotors by the knobs, one of the poles pushing the positioners away from the toothed portion, and another poles engaging with the toothed portion and driving the toothed portion to move upward and downward. By this way, turning the knobs, the user can adjust the height of the baby walker.

[007] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. Tn the drawings: [008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a baby walker according to the present invention; [009] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of an adjustment mechanism according to the present invention; [010] FIG. 3 another exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the adjustment mechanism according to the present invention; [011] FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the relations between a sliding block, driving rotor, and positioner of the adjustment mechanism according to the present invention; [012] FTG. 5 is a side view showing the relations between the sliding block, driving rotor, and positioner of the adjustment mechanism according to the present invention; [013] FIG. 6 is a side view showing the relations between the sliding block, driving rotor, and the positioner of a modified adjustment mechanism according to the present invention; and [014] FIG. 7 is a side view showing the operation of the adjustment mechanism according to the present invention.

[015] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[016] Referring to HG. 1, a baby walker 10 includes an upper support member 2, a base 3 and a height adjustment mechanism 6. The height adjustment mechanism 6 is retractably adapted for interconnecting the upper support member 2 and the base 3 and adjusting the height of the upper support member 2 above the base 3 and ground.

[017] The upper support member 2 includes a seat 21, a tray 22 and a pair of downward extension sections 51 for connecting with a pair of side support members 5. The seat 21 may be formed integrally with the tray 22. However, it can alternatively be embodied as an independent part removably attached to the upper support member 2. As will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, the seat 21 may be constructed in any shape or with any material so long as it provides adequate and safe support for a child when seated therein.

[018] The tray 22 may be used as a food serving tray or table for a baby occupant playing with toys thereon. When used for serving food, the tray 22 may prevent food items and liquids from falling or spilling on the floor.

[019] To provide travel of the baby walker 10 on ground, the base 3 may be supported by a number of wheels (not shown). It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that at least three wheels are required to provide balanced movement of the baby walker 10 on a surface. However, in the preferred example, the base 3 is supported on four wheels, with each wheel positioned as far as possible from an adjacent wheel so as to provide a highly stable platform for the baby walker 10.

[020] For providing more entertainment and stimulation, a toy tray 31 may further be mounted on the base 3. The toy tray 31 has a variety of music and lighting toys (not shown) each can be actuated by a corresponding touching switch. When the baby occupant is sat on the seat 21, their feet may sometimes accidentally touch the switch, actuating the music and lighting toys.

[021] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 7, the height adjustment mechanism 6 may comprise at least a pair of side support members 5, a pair of sliding blocks 61, a pair of driving rotors 64, a pair of positioners 65 and a pair of knobs 63.

[022] The pair of side support members 5 is mounted on both sides of the baby walker 10. Each of the support members 5 includes a support shroud 52 for reciprocally receiving a respective sliding block 61 and a cushion member 62 which may comprise a pair of compression springs (see Figs. 2 and 7).

[023] The upper end of the support shroud 52 is connected with a lower end of the downward extension section 51. When the support shrouds 52 are driven by the sliding blocks 61, the downward extension sections 51 follow and carry the seat 21 and tray 22 to change the height thereof relative to the base 3 and the ground.

[024] The sliding blocks 61 can be constructed to abut or connect to an upper end of the support shroud 52 directly. However, if done this way, it may not be comfortable for the baby occupant sat on the seat. In order to provide more comfort to the occupant, the height adjustment mechanism 6 may further includes a pair of said cushion members 62 for cushioning between the pair of sliding blocks 61 and the support shroud 52 of each side support member 5.

[025] Each of the sliding blocks 61 is slidably mounted within a respective support shroud 52 and is formed with a toothed portion 67. The sliding blocks 61 are driven by the driving rotors 64, so as to abut the support shrouds 52 in order to move the downward extension sections 51 upward, so as to increase the height of the upper support member 2.

[026] Each of the positioners 65 has at least a protruded portion 68 for releasably engaging with the toothed portion 67, thereby locking the sliding blocks 61 automatically and resisting the gravity of baby occupant and the upper support member 2. Preferably, each of the positioners 65 is formed with two protruded portions 68, and biased by a resilient member towards the toothed portion 67, sO as to engage with the toothed portion 67 evenly and firmly.

[027] Referring to FIG. 5, an exemplary resilient member is embodied as a biasing tab 69 formed integrally with the positioners 65. The biasing tab 69 functions in a spring-like manner to keep the protruded portions 68 in engagement with the toothed portion 67.

[028] Referring to FIG. 6, the resilient member may have another embodiment.

Instead of the biasing tab 69, the resilient member includes a pair of compression springs 66 to keep the two protruded portions 68 in engagement with the toothed portion 67.

[029] Each of the pair of knobs 63 has one end connected with one of the pair of driving rotors 64, and another end exposed and accessible on the side of the baby walker 10.

Preferably, the driving rotors 64 may be formed integrally with the knobs 63 in order to simplify the assembly. Each driving motor 64 has a first pole 7 and a second pole 8 for releasably engaging with a respective toothed portion 67.

[030] Referring again to FIGS. 5 and 6, the protruded portions 68, and the first pole 7 and the second pole 8 are engageable with one of the pair of sliding blocks 61 simultaneously, before the driving rotors 64 are driven by the knobs 63.

[031] Referring to FIG. 7, when the driving rotors 64 are driven by the knobs 63, one pole 7 of each driving rotor 64 pushes a respective positioner 65 away so as to disengage from the toothed portion 67, and the other pole 8 engages with and drives the toothed portion 67 so as to cause the respective sliding block 61 to move upward. As each sliding block 61 is associated with the support shroud 52 by a respective cushion member 62, and each support shroud 52 is connected with a respective downward extension section 51, the height of the upper support member 2 can then be adjusted by turning the knobs 63.

[032] When the user's hands leaves the knobs 63, the biasing force from each resilient member (i.e. the biasing tab 69 or the compression springs 66) urges the respective protruded portions 68, first pole 7 and second pole 8 to engage with the respective toothed portion 67 automatically at the same time, thereby to lock the upper support member 2 at a new selected height relative to the base 3 and the ground.

[033] While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications are possible that will achieve the same goals by substantially the same device, and where those devices still fall within the scope of the invention disclosed.

Claims

Claims: 1. A baby walker with a height adjustment mechanism, has an upper support member, and a base, and the height adjustment mechanism is retractably adapted for interconnecting the upper support member and the base for adjusting the height of the upper support member; wherein the height adjustment mechanism comprises: a pair of side support members, mounted on both sides of the baby walker; a pair of sliding blocks, each formed with a toothed portion and slidably mounted within one of the side support members for associating with the side support members and moving the upper support member upwardly; a pair of positioners, each having a protruded portion for releasably engaging with the toothed portion; a pair of driving rotors, each having a first pole and a second pole for releasably engaging with the toothed portion; one of the poles of each driving rotor being arranged to push a respective positioner away from a respective toothed portion, and another one of the poles being arranged to engage with the toothed portion and drive the toothed portion to move upward or downward when the driving rotor is rotated; and a pair of knobs, each having one end connected with one of the pair of driving rotors, and another end exposed on one side of the baby walker.
2. The baby walker with a height adjustment mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the upper support member has a pair of downward extension sections for connecting with the pair of side support members.
3. The baby walker with a height adjustment mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the pair of positioners is formed with two protruded portions for engaging with a respective one of the pair of sliding blocks simultaneously.
4. The baby walker with a height adjustment mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the protruded portions, the first pole and the second pole are arranged to be engageable with one of the pair of sliding blocks simultaneously, before the respective driving rotor is rotated by the knob.
5. The baby walker with a height adjustment mechanism according to any preceding claim, wherein the height adjustment mechanism further comprises a pair of cushion members for cushioning between the pair of sliding blocks and the side support members.
6. The baby walker with a height adjustment mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the pair of side support members each includes a support shroud for reciprocally receiving the pair of sliding blocks and the pair of cushion members therein.
7. The baby walker with a height adjustment mechanism according to claim 5 or 6, wherein each cushion member comprises a pair of compression springs.
8. The baby walker with a height adjustment mechanism according to any preceding claim, wherein each of the driving rotors is formed integrally with one of the knobs.
9. The baby walker with a height adjustment mechanism according to any preceding claim, wherein each of the pair of positioners is biased by a resilient member toward the toothed portion.
10. The baby walker with a height adjustment mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the resilient member is a biasing tab formed integrally with the positioner.
11. The baby walker with a height adjustment mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the resilient member is a compression spring.