WO2009034529A2

WO2009034529A2 - Kit for constructing a highchair

Info

Publication number: WO2009034529A2
Application number: PCT/IB2008/053649
Authority: WO
Inventors: Johan Nicolaas Buitendach
Original assignee: Jonibach Management Trust T/A Bumbo International
Priority date: 2007-09-10
Filing date: 2008-09-10
Publication date: 2009-03-19
Also published as: WO2009034529A3; CN101848663B; KR20100059963A; CN101848663A

Abstract

This invention relates to a collapsible highchair, and to a kit for constructing a collapsible highchair. The collapsible highchair comprises a baby chair, and a support structure for elevating and supporting the chair. The chair and the support structure have complementary engagement formations in order for the chair to be removably beatable on the support structure.

Description

HIGHCHAIR AND KIT FOR CONSTRUCTING A HIGHCHAIR

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

THIS invention relates to a collapsible highchair, and to a kit for constructing a collapsible highchair.

Persons who have raised children will be well aware of the fact that a highchair typically comprises a seat which is elevated from the ground with relatively long legs, thereby to facilitate relative ease in feeding a seated baby. A highchair typically also includes a tray on which a bowl containing a baby's food can be placed while the baby is being fed. The seat of the highchair is normally provided with restraining means for ensuring that the baby is secured to the seat and can not fall therefrom.

A disadvantage of conventional highchairs, however, is that they are relatively expensive and will generally only be used for a brief period of time when a baby is very young. Also, the seat sections of the highchairs are also generally not designed or adapted to being used separately as an independent baby seat.

It Ss an object of the invention to provide an alternative to conventional highchairs.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a highchair, and a kit for constructing a highchair, wherein the highchair can be assembled to a sturdy and comfortable operative position, and can be disassembled to a compact stowed position. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a collapsible highchair, including: a baby chair; and a support structure for elevating and supporting the chair; characterized therein that the chair and the support structure have complementary engagement formations in order for the chair to be removably locatable on the support structure.

There is provided for the chair to include a lower edge zone, and for the support structure to include a groove that is complementary profiled to the lower edge zone of the chair, in order for the lower edge zone to be locatabfe inside the groove.

There is also provided for the chair to include at least one aperture provided in a bottom surface thereof, and for the support structure to include at least one protrusion extending therefrom, in order for the protrusion to be receivable inside the aperture.

The collapsible highchair may also include a tray, the tray being removably securable to the support structure.

Preferably the highchair includes a restraining means suitable for securing a baby in the chair. More preferably the restraining means is in the form of a beit.

There is further provided for the chair to include a seat section and a support section extending substantially transversely from the seat section, wherein grooves are provided in the support section for receiving the legs of a baby sitting in the chair.

Preferably the chair is made of polyurethane. Preferably, the at least one aperture provided in the bottom surface of the chair is defined by at least part of the support section being hollow.

There is provided for the support to be collapsible to facilitate easy and compact packaging, stowage and transportation.

The collapsible support structure may comprise a base and a chair support, the chair support in use being removably locatable on the base. The base and chair support are preferably detachably connected to one another by way of a plurality of support pillars. Preferably both the base and the chair support have receiving cavities for receiving ends of the support piilars.

The base is in the form of a plurality of legs that are of unitary construction.

There is also provided for a cavity to be formed between the legs of the base, and for the baby chair to be locatable inside the cavity when the highchair is in a disassembled condition.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a kit for constructing a collapsible highchair, the kit comprising: a baby chair; and a support structure for elevating and supporting the chair; - the chair and the support structure having complementary engagement formations in order for the chair to be removably locatable on the support structure.

The kit may also include a tray having an anchor whereby the tray can be secured to the collapsible support structure.

Preferably the kit of the invention includes restraining means for securing a baby to the baby chair. Preferably the chair, collapsible support and tray are of the type as described hereinbefore.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1a shows a perspective view of a highchair constructed with a kit for constructing a highchair in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 1b shows a cross-sectionai side view of a baby chair used in the highchair of figure 1 ;

Figure 2 shows a front view of the highchair of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of an erected support structure for use in the kit of the invention;

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a base of the support structure;

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a chair support of the support structure;

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a support pillar for connecting the support structure with the chair support;

Figure 7a shows a perspective view of a foot structure of the support structure; Figure 7b shows a perspective view of one of the feet forming part of the foot structure of figure 7a;

Figure 8 shows an exploded perspective of a tray of the kit of the invention; and

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a highchair constructed with a kit in accordance with the invention.

DESCRIPTION QF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 a and Figure 2 show an erected highchair constructed from a kit in accordance with the invention, generally indicated with the reference numeral 10. The highchair 10 comprises a baby chair 12 which is supported on a collapsible support structure 14 having a tray 16,

The baby chair 12, shown in cross-section on figure 1 b, is of the type described in the specification of the international patent application published under the number WO 00/65965, the content of which is incorporated herein by way of reference. In particular the baby chair 12 comprises a seat 18, a trunk support 20, a front support 22 and between the front and trunk support two leg grooves 24.1 and 24.2 from which the legs of a baby can project outwardly from the seat 18. It is pointed out that the front support 22 defines a cavity 19 due to the hollow configuration thereof. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that similar cavities are defined by the hollow trunk support as well.

As shown, the seat 18 is located at a ievel which is lower than the level of the bottoms of the two leg grooves 24.1 and 24.2. This feature will ensure that the baby is supported in an upright position and will not fall forward. The baby chair 12 is made of polyurethane. The polyurethane will provide a degree of softness to touch as well as sufficient structural stability to support a baby. As persons familiar with the characteristics of polyurethane will know, it moulds with a closed outer skin but an inner region of porous nature. This skin will enable the baby chair 12 to be cleaned effectively while the inner porous structure will confer a yielding property to the outer surface to provide comfort to a baby seated in the baby chair 12.

The baby chair 12 is particularly useful for supporting babies, typically between the age of six to seven months, which can not sit up without assistance.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the collapsible support structure 14 of the invention. The support structure 14 comprises a base 26, a chair support 28 on which the baby chair 12 can be placed, a number of support pillars 30 as well as a number of feet 31 forming part of a foot structure 70.

As shown in Figure 4, the base 26 comprises a number of legs 32 which are of unitary construction. The base 26 further includes a number of support pillar cavities 34 which are spaced about the base 26 as shown and in which bottom portions of the support pillars 30 can be held. A perspective view of one of the support pillars 30 is provided in Figure 6 of the drawings.

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the chair support 28 which is shaped as shown. Referring also to Figure 3, the chair support 28 includes a baby chair holding formation 36, in the form of a continuous groove, in which bottom edges 50 of the baby chair 12 can be located. The chair support 28 is also provided with support pillar cavities 38 in which top portions of the support pillars 30 can be held.

The chair support 28 is further provided with a protrusion 29 which is complementally sized to the cavity 19 in the front support 22 of the baby chair 12 such that when the baby chair 12 is placed on top of the chair support 28 the protrusion 29 can be held inside the cavity 19. This feature will assist in the baby chair 12 being held securely by the support structure 14. Likewise, a further protrusion 29.1 is provided for engaging further cavities provided in the bottom of the chair.

Figure 7a shows the foot structure 70 that is securable to the support structure 14 in more detail. The foot structure 70 includes a plurality of feet 31 , each of which includes a holding formation 40 for holding an end portion of one of the legs 32 of the base 26. The feet 31 are disconnectably interconnected by way of cross-braces 71 that extend between adjacent feet 31 of the foot structure 70. As can be seen in Figure 7b, there is also provided for wheels 72 to be provided on the feet 31. The wheels serve to increase the stability of the highchair, by ensuring that the highchair does not fall over when a lateral force is applied thereto. Extensions 73 extend from the feet 31 , and are suitably configured and dimension to siidingly receive the cross-brace 71 of the foot structure 70.

An exploded view of the tray 16 is shown in Figure 8 of the drawings. The tray 16 comprises an anchor 42 and a support surface 44. The anchor 42 includes a connecting formation 46, here in the form of two protrusions 48, which can cooperate with a complementai connecting formation, here in the form of two slots which are not shown, at the bottom of the support surface 44 for securing the anchor 42 to the support surface 44. At its bottom the anchor 42 includes a lip 50 which can grip the bottom of the chair support 28 such that the tray can be secured in position when the bottom of the support surface 44 rests on a top surface of the front support 22 of the baby chair 12 and the lip 50 anchored below the chair support 28.

Figure 9 shows an alternative embodiment of a highchair in accordance with the invention, generally indicated with the reference numeral 52, and having feet 54 as shown. The highchair 52 includes restraining means 56 for securing a baby to the baby chair 12. In this embodiment of the invention the restraining means 56 is provided in the form of a belt 58 having a connector 60. It will also be appreciated that many different feet designs can be utilized. The highchair and the kit of the invention provides a useful alternative to existing highchairs specifically in that the baby chair 12 can be used on its own without the support structure for supporting a baby which is unable to sit upright without assistance. The kit is also useful and advantageous in that is has specifically been designed to be compact when disassembled. For example, the chair can fit into a cavity formed between the legs of the base, thus substantially reducing the space taken up by the disassembled highchair.

Claims

CLAiMS:

1. A collapsible highchair, including: a baby chair suitable for receiving a baby; and a support structure for elevating and supporting the chair; characterized therein that the chair and the support structure have complementary engagement formations in order for the chair to be removably beatable on the support structure

2. The highchair of claim 1 wherein the chair includes a lower edge zone, and wherein the support structure includes a groove that is complementary profiled to the lower edge zone of the chair, in order for the lower edge zone to be locatable inside the groove.

3. The highchair of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the chair includes at least one aperture provided in a bottom surface thereof, and wherein the support structure includes at least one protrusion extending therefrom, in order for the protrusion to be receivable inside the aperture.

4. The highchair of any one of the preceding claims including a tray, that is removably securable to the support structure and/or the baby chair.

5. The highchair of any one of the preceding claims including a restraining means suitable for securing a baby in the baby chair.

6. The highchair of any one of the preceding claims wherein the baby chair includes a seat section, and a support section extending substantially transversely from the seat section, wherein grooves are provided in the support section for receiving the legs of a baby sitting in the chair.

7. The highchair of any one of the preceding claims wherein the baby chair is made of polyurethane.

8. The highchair of any claim 6 wherein the at feast one aperture provided in the bottom surface of the chair is defined by at least part of the support section being hollow,

9. The highchair of any one of the preceding claims wherein the support structure is collapsible to facilitate easy and compact packaging, stowage and transportation of the disassembled highchair.

10. The highchair of claim 9 wherein the coϋapsibie support comprises a base for abutting a surface on which the highchair is to be used, and a chair support for receiving the baby chair, the chair support in use being removably beatable on the base.

11. The highchair of claim 10 wherein the base and the chair support are detachably connected to one another by way of a plurality of support pillars.

12. The highchair of claim 11 wherein both the base and the chair support have receiving cavities for receiving ends of the support pillars.

13. The highchair according to any one of claims 10 to 12 wherein the base is in the form of a plurality of legs that are of unitary construction.

14. The highchair of claim 13 wherein a cavity is formed between the legs of the base, in order for the baby chair to be locatable inside the cavity when the highchair is in a disassembled condition.

15. A kit for constructing a collapsible highchair, the kit including: a baby chair; and a support structure suitable for elevating and supporting the chair; the chair and the support structure having complementary engagement formations in order for the chair in use to be removabiy locatable on the support structure.

16. The kit of claim 15 including a tray having an anchor whereby the tray can be secured to the collapsible support structure or the baby chair.

17. The kit of claim 15 or claim 16 including restraining means for securing a baby to the baby chair.