US20090206637A1

US20090206637A1 - Baby seating device

Info

Publication number: US20090206637A1
Application number: US12/033,023
Authority: US
Inventors: Feng-jung Lo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-02-19
Filing date: 2008-02-19
Publication date: 2009-08-20

Abstract

The baby seating device contains a seat member, a base member having U-shaped front and rear legs, and two connection members that are arranged between the front and rear legs. An end of each connection member is pin-joined to a sleeve member that could be slid up and down along an arm of the rear leg. The sleeve member has a pin for locking into one of a number of positioning holes along the arms of the rear leg. The baby seating device could be folded or unfolded by sliding the sleeve members to an upper or middle section of the rear leg. The baby seating device could become a rocking chair by sliding the sleeve member to a bottom section of the rear leg so that a curved body of the connection members touches the ground.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to baby seating devices, and more particularly to a baby seating device that could be folded/unfolded and turned into a rocking chair.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

FIG. 1 is a schematic profile diagram showing a conventional baby seating device. As illustrated, the baby seating device 10 contains a seat member 101 and a base member 102 raising the seat member 101 for an appropriate height. The base member 102 has two U-shaped legs 1021 and an adjustment element 40 for spreading apart and closing together the legs 1021.
FIG. 2 is partial perspective diagram showing the conventional baby seating device of FIG. 1. As illustrated, the adjustment element 40 contains a lateral beam 401 with a handle 402 across two arms of a rear leg 1021. The handle 402 controls a locking mechanism 403 inside the beam 401 to engage or disengage positioning holes 1022 on the rear leg 1021. By operating the handle 402 to disengage the locking mechanism 403 from the positioning holes 1022, the lateral beam 401 could be slid up and down along the arms of the rear leg 1021, so as to spread apart or close together the legs 1021. This is not a reliable design as it requires a user to guess where the positioning holes 1022 are and whether the positioning holes 1022 are properly engaged or not by the locking mechanism 403.
FIG. 3 is a sectional diagram showing the inside of the adjustment element of the conventional baby seating device of FIG. 1. As illustrated, inside the adjustment element 40, there is an electric motor 60 eccentrically engaging a connecting rod 601 which is connected to a ground piece 50. By the actuation of the motor 60, the adjustment element 40 and, thereby the seating device 10, are slid back and forth along the ground piece 50, so as to automatically rock the seat member 101. This design requires a large number of parts and therefore a high production cost. In addition, a considerable amount of electricity has to be consumed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel baby seating device. The baby seating device contains a seat member, a base member having U-shaped front and rear legs, and two connection members, each having a curved body arranged between the front and rear legs. An end of each connection member is pin-joined to a bottom end of an arm of the front leg. The other end of each connection member is pin-joined to a sleeve member that could be slid up and down along an arm of the rear leg.
Each sleeve member contains a tubular section, a chamber above the tubular section, and a handle resiliently residing in the chamber. The chamber has at least a resilient element inside that is engaged by the handle. The handle has a pin for locking into one of a number of positioning holes along the arms of the rear leg.
The baby seating device could be folded or unfolded by sliding the sleeve members to an upper or middle section of the arms of the rear leg. The baby seating device could become a rocking chair by sliding the sleeve members to a bottom section of the arms of the rear leg so that the curved body touches the ground.
The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a profile diagram showing a conventional baby seating device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective diagram showing the conventional baby seating device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional diagram showing the inside of the adjustment element of the conventional baby seating device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a profile diagram showing a baby seating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional diagram showing the inside of the sleeve member of the baby seating device of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional diagram showing the inside of the sleeve member when it is unlocked from the rear leg of the seating device of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a sectional diagram showing the inside of the sleeve member when it is locked to the rear leg of the seating device of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 shows an application scenario when the baby seating device is folded.

FIG. 9 shows an application scenario when the baby seating device is turned into a rocking chair.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
A baby seating device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 4. As illustrated, the baby seating device 1 contains a seat member 2 with two connectors 3 at two lateral sides of the seat member 2, respectively, and a base member 4 having U-shaped front and rear legs 42. Each leg 42 has a left arm and a right arm. The left arms have a top end hinged to a joining element 41. The right arms have a top end hinged to another joining element 41. The two connectors 3 of the seat member 2 are joined to the left and right arms of the front leg 42, respectively.
Two connection members 5, each having a curved body 51, are arranged between the front and rear legs 42 at the lateral sides of the seat member 2, respectively An end of the body 51 of a left connection member 5 is pin-joined to a bottom end of the left arm of the front leg 42. The other end of the body 51 of the left connection member 5 is pin-joined to a sleeve member 52 that could be slid up and down along the left arm of the rear leg 42. Similarly, an end of a right connection member 5 is pin-joined to a bottom end of the right arm of the front leg 42. The other end of the right connection member 5 is pin-joined to another sleeve member 52 that could be slid up and down along the right arm of the rear leg 42.
Each sleeve member 52 contains a tubular section 521, a chamber 524 above the tubular section 521, and a handle 522 resiliently residing in the chamber 524 via a channel 525. As further shown in FIG. 5, the chamber 524 has at least a resilient element 5223 inside (such as a helix spring). Each resilient element 5223 is engaged and threaded over a block 5224 of the handle 522. The handle 522 further has an elongated opening 5221 whose aperture is larger than the left or right arm of the rear leg 42 to allow the left or right arm of the rear leg 42 to thread through. The handle 522 also has an arc section 5222 allowing a user to depress the handle 522. Opposite to the arc section 5222, a pin 523 radially sticks into the opening 5221 for locking into one of a number of positioning holes 43 configured along the left and right arms of the rear leg 42.
As shown in FIG. 6, when the arc section 5222 is depressed by a user and the handle 5222 compresses the resilient elements 5223, the pin 523 is released from a positioning hole 43 and, therefore, the sleeve member 52 could then be slid up and down to an appropriate location along the left or right arm of the rear leg 42. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, when a desired location is reached and the pressure on the arc section 5222 is removed, the handle 522 is restored by the resilient elements 5223 and the pin 523 locks into a positioning hole 43.
As shown in FIG. 8, the baby seating device 1 could be folded by sliding the sleeve members 52 to an upper section of the left and right arms of the rear leg 42. As the sleeve members 52 could be locked to positioning holes 43 of the rear leg 42, the baby seating device 1 could be reliably maintained in the folded configuration.
As shown in FIG. 4, by locating and locking the sleeve members 52 to a middle section of the left and right arms of the rear leg 42, the baby seating device 1 could be reliably maintained in an unfolded configuration.
As shown in FIG. 9, the baby seating device 1 could become a rocking chair by sliding the sleeve members 52 to a bottom section of the left and right arms of the rear leg 42 so that the curved bodies 51 touch the ground.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A baby seating device, comprising:

a seat member having two connectors at two lateral sides of said seat member;

a base member having U-shaped front and rear legs, each of said front and rear legs having a left arm and a right arm, said left arms having a top end hinged to a joining element, said right arms having a top end hinged to another joining element, said two connectors of said seat member being joined to said left and right arms of said front leg, respectively, a plurality of positioning holes being positioned along said left and right arms of said rear leg;

a left connection member having a curved left body, an end of said curved left body pin-joined to a bottom end of said left arm of said front leg, the other end of said curved left body pin-joined to a left sleeve member slidably positioned along said left arm of said rear leg;

a right connection member having a curved right body, an end of said curved right body pin-joined to a bottom end of said right arm of said front leg, the other end of said curved right body pin-joined to a right sleeve member slidably positioned along said right arm of said rear leg;

wherein each of said left and right sleeve members has a locking means for locking into one of said positioning holes on said left and right arms of said rear leg, respectively.

2. The baby seating device according to claim 1, wherein said baby seating device is folded by sliding said left and right sleeve members to an upper section of said left and right arms of said rear leg.

3. The baby seating device according to claim 1, wherein said baby seating device is unfolded by sliding said left and right sleeve members to a middle section of said left and right arms of said rear leg.

4. The baby seating device according to claim 1, wherein said baby seating device is pendulous by sliding said left and right sleeve members to a bottom section of said left and right arms of said rear leg so that said curved bodies of said connection members touch the ground.

5. The baby seating device according to claim 1, wherein said locking means comprises a tubular section, a chamber above said tubular section, and a handle resiliently residing in said chamber; said chamber has at least a resilient element inside engaged by said handle; said handle has an elongated opening whose aperture is larger then said left or right arm of said rear leg to allow said left or right arm of said rear leg to thread through; and said handle has a pin radially sticking into said opening for locking into one of said positioning holes.

6. The baby seating device according to claim 5, wherein each resilient element is engaged and threaded over a block of said handle.