Infant activity center

• US 10,456,701 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SKIP HOP Incorporated (Carter's Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SKIP HOP Incorporated (Carter's Incorporated)
• Inventors: Healy, John, Bearsch, Benjamin, Villano, Janet, Diamant, Ellen
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Eugene L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hylinski, Alyssa M
• Application Number:
  US15/429,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20170232355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 1/008 with trays children's chairs combined with tables A47D3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 11/002 Children's chairs convertible into tables
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 3/001 surrounding the seat
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/006 Infant exercisers, e.g. for attachment to a crib

Abstract

A child activity center includes a tabletop having a top play surface and a bottom surface opposite the top play surface, and a central opening. A plurality of legs, are attached to tabletop and a lower platform is attached to the legs by a plurality of straps that are connected to the platform. A child seat is advantageously removably attached to the tabletop via over the central opening, in one form. Optional unique clips attach toys to the tabletop and one or more optional openings or windows in the tabletop allow an infant to see through the tabletop to the observe objects therebelow.

Claims

1. A child activity center, comprising:

a tabletop having a top play surface and a bottom surface opposite the top play surface, the tabletop defining a central opening and a window opening extending therethrough from the top play surface to the bottom surface of the tabletop;

a child seat removably disposed in the central opening;

a plurality of legs, each leg having a top end and a bottom end, wherein the top ends of each of the plurality of legs is attached to the tabletop;

a lower platform having a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and an edge; and

a plurality of straps each having a leg end and a platform end, wherein the leg end of each strap is attachable to one of the plurality of legs between the top end and the bottom end, and wherein the platform end of each of the straps is attachable to the lower platform,

wherein the tabletop includes a recess, and wherein the lower platform is insertable into the recess.

2. The child activity center of claim 1, wherein the tabletop further includes a wheel track surrounding the central opening, and wherein the child seat comprises:

an attachment ring having an underside and an internal opening, and configured to removably attach on the top play surface over the central opening of the tabletop to allow the attachment ring to rotate 360 degrees;

a plurality of wheels attached to underside of the attachment ring, wherein the wheels are in contact with the wheel track when the attachment ring is attached to the tabletop; and

a child seat fabric attached to the internal opening of the attachment ring and configured to receive a lower portion of a child when the attachment ring is attached to the tabletop.

3. The child activity center of claim 2, wherein the child seat fabric is at least partially comprised of an elastic material.

4. The child activity center of claim 3, wherein, when an infant is placed in the seat, the elastic material stretches and retracts in response to vertical movement of the child.

5. The child activity center of claim 1, wherein the child seat is attached to the tabletop by one or more elastic fabric components.

6. The child activity center of claim 1, wherein the leg ends of the plurality of straps are attachable to a plurality of locations on the legs.

7. The child activity center of claim 1, wherein the straps are comprised of an inelastic material.

8. The child activity center of claim 1, further comprising an interactive accessory removably attachable to the to play surface of the tabletop.

9. The child activity center of claim 8, wherein the interactive accessory is button accessory comprised of a plurality of buttons, each of the plurality of buttons, when activated, emitting a sound.

10. The child activity center of claim 1, wherein the window opening is covered by a transparent window.

11. The child activity center of claim 8, wherein the interactive accessory is attachable to the tabletop over the window opening.

12. The child activity center of claim 8, wherein the interactive accessory is attachable to the top surface of the lower platform.

13. The child activity center of claim 8, wherein the interactive accessory is attachable to a recess on the top surface of the lower platform.

14. The child activity center of claim 1, wherein the tabletop further comprises a lip, wherein the lip extends perpendicular to the top play surface and extends above the top play surface and below the bottom surface.

15. The child activity center of claim 14, further comprising:

a removable accessory secured to the child activity center, comprising;

a bracket having a mounting surface and an underside;

a suction cup mounted on the underside of the bracket opposite the mounting surface; and

a C-shaped hook attached perpendicular to the bracket;

wherein the suction cup adheres to the tabletop and the C-shaped hook surrounds the lip of the tabletop such that a top portion of the C-shaped hook mates with an interior facing surface of an upper portion of the lip extending above the top play surface and opposite a surface facing outwardly from the table top.

16. The child activity center of claim 1, wherein the tabletop includes a plurality of additional window openings extending therethrough.

28. The activity center of claim 1, wherein when the lower platform is inserted into the recess, the lower platform and the tabletop form a substantially flat surface.

17. A child activity center, comprising:

a tabletop having a top play surface, a bottom surface opposite the top play surface, and a rim on its outer perimeter, the rim being substantially perpendicular to the top play surface and extending below the bottom surface; and

a removable tabletop accessory secured to the child activity center with a clip, the clip including

an accessory end portion having a suction cup facing the play surface and being removably attached to the top play surface with the accessory attached to the accessory end portion facing away from the play surface, and

a bracket extending downward from the accessory end portion and terminating in a lower portion made of a resilient materials which allows the lower portion to snap onto the rim of the tabletop, allowing secure placement of the accessory to the top play surface without through holes in the top play surface.

18. The child activity center of claim 17, wherein the accessory is a toy attached to the accessory end portion of the removable tabletop accessory.

19. The child activity center of claim 17, wherein the bracket has a C-shaped hook which engages the rim of the tabletop.

20. The child activity center of claim 17, wherein the tabletop is comprised of a rim play area devoid of openings and indentations.

21. A child activity center, comprising:

a tabletop having a top play surface and a bottom surface opposite the top play surface, the tabletop defining a central opening and a window opening in front of the central opening with the top play surface defining a recess that surrounds and is spaced apart from both the central opening and the window opening;

a child seat configured to be disposed in the central opening of the tabletop;

at least one toy having a foot print substantially the same size as the window opening allowing the at least one toy to be removably disposed within the window opening to prevent the at least one toy from sliding; and

a moveable platform configured to be disposed below the tabletop in a first configuration and positioned within the recess of the top play surface of the tabletop in a second configuration;

wherein, when the platform is in the second configuration, the platform covers the central opening and the window opening of the tabletop,

wherein, the window opening is of a sufficient size such that, when the at least one toy is not disposed within the window opening, a child seated in the seat can see his or her feet and/or toys located below the tabletop through the window opening.

22. The activity center of claim 21, further comprising a transparent member in the window opening.

23. The activity center of claim 21, wherein the tabletop has at least one second window opening of sufficient size so that a child, placed in the seat can see his or her feet and/or toys located below the tabletop through the at least one second window opening.

24. The activity center of claim 21, wherein, the at least one toy is also configured for removable attachment to the platform such that, when the platform is in the first configuration with the at least one toy attached to the platform, a child placed in the seat can see the at least one toy through the window opening.

25. The activity center of claim 24, wherein the at least one toy is an interactive toy which responds to actions of a child placed in the seat.

26. The activity center of claim 25, where the platform has a recess with a footprint dimension substantially the same as the window opening allowing the toy to be selectively placed within the recess of the platform, preventing the toy from sliding on the platform.

27. The activity center of claim 21, wherein the window opening is elongated circumferentially around the tabletop.

29. A child activity center, comprising:

a tabletop having a top play surface and a bottom surface opposite the top play surface, the tabletop defining a central opening and a window opening extending therethrough from the top play surface to the bottom surface of the tabletop, the tabletop having a lip, wherein the lip extends perpendicular to the top play surface and extends above the top play surface and below the bottom surface;

a child seat removably disposed in the central opening;

a plurality of legs, each leg having a top end and a bottom end, wherein the top ends of each of the plurality of legs is attached to the tabletop;

a lower platform having a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and an edge;

a plurality of straps each having a leg end and a platform end, wherein the leg end of each strap is attachable to one of the plurality of legs between the top end and the bottom end, and wherein the platform end of each of the straps is attachable to the lower platform; and

a removable accessory secured to the child activity center, comprising;

a bracket having a mounting surface and an underside;

a suction cup mounted on the underside of the bracket opposite the mounting surface; and

a C-shaped hook attached perpendicular to the bracket;

wherein the suction cup adheres to the tabletop and the C-shaped hook surrounds the lip of the tabletop such that a top portion of the C-shaped hook mates with an interior facing surface of an upper portion of the lip extending above the top play surface and opposite a surface facing outwardly from the table top.