GB2507833A

GB2507833A - An adjustable chair and harness arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2507833A
Application number: GB1303825.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nina Bains
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-11-10
Filing date: 2013-03-04
Publication date: 2014-05-14
Also published as: GB201303825D0; GB2507832B; GB2507832A; GB201303820D0; GB201303821D0; GB2507798A; GB201220301D0

Abstract

A harness and childs chair arrangement wherein the harness can be attached to the chair 100 at a plurality of different points 128 to alter its height such that a child can be secured in a sitting or standing position. A back portion of the chair 100 may have a number of attachment slits 128 at different heights to which the harness can hook 126 onto. The harness may have a crotch support and a waist support which are adjustable in length. The harness may be used with a high chair arrangement in which the high chair can be converted into a table and chair arrangement for a child.

Description

Adjustable Highchair Harness

Background of the Invention

[1] The present invention relates to a child's chair harness, and in particular an adjustable harness that allows a baby or child to stand while harnessed.

[2J Harnesses for securing a baby in a chair are widely known in the art. US2010038953 to Collins, US4871210 to Alexander, US7073866 to Berdahl, US4235474 to Rosenberg, 0S4702523 to Schrader and t3S201l062764 to Sanders show harnesses fitting over the backs of chairs, but intended for sitting only, with no mention of standing.

[3j Furthermore, multi-use harnesses are known in the art for securing a baby in multiple positions including standing. IJS2006282 947 to King and GB909523 to Poole disclose harnesses for supporting a child in a standing position, to be hung on a door or doorframe rather than over a chair. US6095613 to Ostrander discloses a harness for attachment to various types of apparatus including high chairs, and for attachment to a child while walking. The harness includes a torso band, a pair of shoulder straps, an inner crotch strap, an outer crotch strap, and underarm securing straps. The outer crotch strap is attached at the rear of the torso band and is used to secure the child to a seat by looping the free end underneath the seat so as to attach it to the chest portion of the torso band thereby securing the child to the seat.

Brief Snimnary of the Invention [4]. It can be seen from the forgoing that a need has arisen for a child's chair harness adaptable for the various and changing needs of growing babies and children. It would be advantageous to provide a child's chair harness comprising features that enable a baby or child to sit or stand based on preference and level of development.

[5] It would be further advantageous to provide such a child's chair harness that was easily adjustable but would neyertheless secure a child safely.

[6] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a flexible child's chair harness which enables a child to stand in the chair.

[7] To this end, a child's chair harness is disclosed wherein a height of said harness is adjustable such that said harness secures a child in a sitting or standing position.

[813 An advantage of a child's chair harness adjustable in this manner is that it will enable children to remain in the chair for longer, thereby facilitating better eating.

Brief Description of the Several Views of the Drawing [9] The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings, in which: [10] Figure 1 shows a harness of the present invention when mounted to a child's chair; [11] Figure 2 shows a view of the present invention, when mounted to the baby's highchair assembly of the preferred embodiment of the invention, when said assembly is in a highchair configuration; and [12] Figure 3 shows a view of the present invention, when mounted to the baby's highchair assembly of the preferred embodiment of the invention, when said assembly is in a table and chair configuration.

Detailed Description of the Invention

[13] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, shown in Figures 1-3 wherein like numerals refer to like components, a harness for a child's chair is disclosed wherein a height of said harness is adjustable such that said harness secures a child in a sitting or standing position. An advantage of this is that the harness adjusts to the changing needs of a growing child. The harness can be raised to allow supported standing, or lowered to allow sitting, and further adjusted between these positions to accommodate the changing needs and size of the growing child.

[14] In the preferred arrangement, the harness comprises at least a crotch support 131 and a waist support 130, and is mounted to a back portion of a child's chair as shown in Figure 2. The harness may be provided with harness receiving means which can be mounted to a specific chair or to any chair.

[15] Most preferably, the back side of the back portion of the chair comprises a multiplicity of slits 128, each at a different height, into which a hook 126 can be inserted.

This hook and slit arrangement thus comprises the height adjustment means [16] Alternatively the back portion of said chair may comprise a multiplicity of harness receiving means of any type, at a multiplicity of heights, whereby said harness can be mounted at a multiplicity of heights. The harness receiving means may be any slot, hook, protrusion, indentation or any means capable of substantially securely receiving a harness and may be an integral part of the chair or an additional component.

[171 Alternatively there may be only two slits, one for a standing and one for a sitting position. The harness is attached to the hook and positioned over the top of the back portion of the chair, thus by raising and lowering the position of the hook on the rear of the chair, the position of the harness is lowered and raised respectively. Means may be provided for retaining the harness in position over the top of the chair. The hook is preferably designed such that the weight of the child pulls against the slit to further secure the hook in the slit. An advantage of this is that the design is very simple and can be adjusted easily and quidkly, even with one hand. Furthermore, other means for attaching-the harness to the slits may be used.

Alternatively other means for adjusting the height of the harness as a whole may be used as known in the art.

[18) An advantage of having at least a crotch support and a waist support is that the crotch support can take some of the weight of the child while standing, while the waist -support can prevent some sideways movement when standing.

These are helpful in assisting and supporting a child who is just learning to stand or can as yet only stand with 4 -support. Furthermore, shoulder restraints or other supports, straps or restraints may be provided as known in the art.

[1911 An advantage of adjusting the height of the entire harness is that it is a simple and quick way to change the position of the child while the rest of the harness remains the right size for the child.

[201 However, the height of the child may be adjustable by adjusting only a part of the harness rather than the entire harness. For example, the harness nay comprise means for adjusting the length of the crotch support, or of shoulder straps, or any other part of the harness independently from the rest, both to alter the height of the child with respect to the chair, and to alter the harness to fit children of different sizes.

1211 It will be appreciated that a wide range of child harnesses for chairs are known in the art and any of these types of harness may be used herein, the defining feature of the harness of the present invention being its height adjustability with respect to the chair to allow the child to sit or stand at least two different heights, and preferably at a multiplicity of heights to accommodate the changing needs of the growing child.

[22] The harness may be provided with harness receiving means which can be mounted to a specific chair or to any chair. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the harness is mounted to a baby's highchair assembly that is able to be turned into a table and chair for a child, on which a child can safely sit or stand. Such a baby's highchair assembly is shown in Figures 2 and 3 comprIsing: a low chair 100; a frame 102 having a longest side 106 and an opening 108 in a plane of said longest side, the opening being wide enough to at least partially admit the low chair; and a removable table surface 104. The assembly can adopt at least two positions.

[231 With said frame in a first position wherein the longest side is substantially vertical, and said chair affixed to an upper surface 110 of said frame, a highchair is formed as shown in Figure 3.

[24] With said frame in a second position wherein the longest side is substantially horizontal, and said chair removed from said frame, a table and chair configuration is formed as shown in Figure 3.

[251 Thus the longest side 106 is used for both the height of the frame in the first position and the width of the table in the second position. An advantage of this is that the longest side of the frame is used advantageously in both positions -to provide height for the highchair and width for the table as required. An advantage of this is that it enables a table of a large usable surface area to be provided by the same frame which supports a highchair with a small, space-saving footprint, thus adapting the device to the changing needs of a growing child.

[26] An advantage of the harness being mounted to said baby's highchair assembly is that the child is able to sit or stand in any of the abovementioned baby's highchair assembly positions. Thus, the child enjoys relative freedom of movement and is likely to remain in the assembly for longer thereby facilitating better eating.

Claims

Claims l.A harness for a child's chair wherein a height of said harness is adjustable such that said harness secures a child in a sitting or standing position.
2. The harness of claim 1 wherein said harness is mounted to a back portion of a child's chair.
3. The harness of claim 1 wherein said back portion of said chair comprises a multiplicity of harness receiving means at a multiplicity of heights, whereby said harness can be mounted at a multiplicity of heights.
4. The harness of claim 1 wherein said harness comprises at least a crotch support and a waist support.
5. The harness of claim 2, wherein said child's chair is a baby's highchair assembly that is able to be turned into a table and chair for a child, on which a child can safely sit or stand.