Handle for Infant Carrier

• US 20080018145A1
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wonderland Nurserygoods Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Wonderland Nurserygoods Company Limited
• Inventors: Tuckey, Peter R., Gillett, Sharon A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,971,933 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/183.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 1/10 capable of being suspended from, or attached to, tables or other articles
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 13/02 Baby-carriers; Carry-cots
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 13/027 Baby-carriers with rigid frames
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 13/105 pivotally mounted in a frame

Abstract

An infant swing has a base member supported by hanger members for reciprocal movement. The base member is formed with an upwardly extending mounting protrusion that nests into a mating receiver structure formed on the bottom of the seat carrier. A latch mechanism carried by the seat carrier is selectively operable to disengage a pivoted, spring-loaded latch member mounted on the base member mounting protrusion. The seat carrier is formed with a pivoted lift handle that provides a dual lift function, including the normal lift function associated with the lift handle being raised into the upright operative position. The lift handle is formed with grip openings adjacent the pivot connection of the lift handle such that the grip handles are rotated for access when the lift handle is lowered to the folded position to enable the seat carrier to be lifted by grasping the two transversely spaced grip openings.

Claims

1. A child swing comprising:

a frame assembly operable to induce a reciprocal movement relative to said frame assembly; and

a seat assembly including a hanger apparatus connected to said frame assembly so as to be operable to move in a reciprocal manner relative to said frame assembly, said seat assembly including;

a base member mounted on a distal end of said hanger apparatus, said base member including an upwardly extending mounting protrusion; and

a seat carrier having a receiver structure formed on a lower portion thereof to mate with said mounting protrusion to permit said seat carrier to be detachably mountable on said base member for reciprocal movement with said base member and said hanger apparatus.

2. The child swing of claim 1 wherein said receiver structure includes a latch opening, said mounting protrusion including a latch member engagable into said latch opening to secure said seat carrier to said base member.

3. The child swing of claim 2 wherein said latch member is spring-loaded for extension outwardly from said mounting protrusion for engagement into said latch opening.

4. The child swing of claim 3 wherein said seat carrier includes a latch actuation mechanism including:

an external actuation member accessible on a exterior side of said seat carrier;

an actuator mounted within said receiver structure adjacent said latch opening, said actuator being spring-biased away from said latch opening; and

links connecting said actuation member and said actuator such that a manipulation of said actuation member can affect movement of said actuator against the spring bias exerted thereon to engage said latch member and cause deflection thereof out of said latch opening.

5. The child swing of claim 4 wherein said base member includes a top plate carrying said mounting protrusion for engagement with said receiver structure on said seat carrier, and a base shell meeting said top plate at an arcuate interface defining a track along which the seat carrier and attached top plate can move relative to said base shell.

6. The child swing of claim 1 wherein said seat carrier includes a lift handle pivotally connected to said seat carrier and being pivotally movable between an upright overhead position and a lowered folded position.

7. The child swing of claim 6 wherein said lift handle is pivotally connected to said seat carrier by a pivot located on laterally opposing sides of said seat carrier, said lift handle being formed with a grip opening adjacent each said pivot.

8. The child swing of claim 7 wherein said grip openings are formed with a portion thereof located forwardly of said pivot and below a top edge of said seat carrier when said lift handle is in said upright overhead position, the pivotal movement of said lift handle into said lowered position rotating said grip openings such that said portion is located above said top edge of said seat carrier for access in lifting said seat carrier.

9. A lift handle for an infant seat carrier having opposing lateral sides defining a top edge, said lift handle being movable between an upright overhead position and a lowered folded position, comprising:

an inverted U-shaped handle member having two laterally spaced terminal ends, each said terminal end carrying a pivot for connection of said handle member to said opposing lateral sides of said seat carrier,

each said terminal end incorporating a grip adjacent the corresponding said pivot and having a portion thereof located forwardly of the corresponding said pivot when said lift handle is in said raised overhead position, the pivotal movement of said lift handle to said lowered folded position re-orienting said grip so that said portion is positioned above the corresponding said pivots.

10. The lift handle of claim 9 wherein said grips are located below said laterally spaced top edges of said seat carrier when said lift handle is in said upright overhead position such that said portions of said grips are substantially inaccessible when said lift handle is in said upright overhead position.

11. The lift handle of claim 10 wherein said grips are located above said top edges of said seat carrier when said lift handle is lowered into said folded position to provide a two-hand lift function.

12. The lift handle of claim 11 wherein said grips are formed as openings passing through said terminal end of said lift handle.

13. The lift handle of claim 9 wherein said grips are formed as openings that extend both forwardly of the corresponding pivot and above said corresponding pivot so as to be accessible whether said handle is in said raised overhead position or in said lowered folded position.

14. An infant seat carrier defining a seat on which an infant can be located for movement from one application to another, each said application including a base member on which said seat carrier can be mounted, comprising:

an exterior shell supporting said seat and defining laterally opposing sides terminating in top edges;

a receiver structure formed on a lower portion of said exterior shell to mate with a mounting protrusion on said base member;

a latch mechanism operable to detachably connect said receiver structure to said mounting protrusion; and

a lift handle pivotally connected to each said lateral side of said exterior shell for movement between a raised overhead position and a lowered folded position, said lift handle being formed with a grip adjacent each said pivot on the laterally opposing sides of said exterior shell, each said grip having a portion being located forwardly of said pivot when said lift handle is in the raised overhead position.

15. The seat carrier of claim 14 wherein said grips are positioned forwardly of the corresponding pivots and below said corresponding top edges of said lateral sides when said lift handle is in the raised overhead position, the pivotal movement of said lift handle into said lowered folded position re-orienting said grips above said top edges to permit access thereto and allow a two-hand lift function for said seat carrier.

16. The seat carrier of claim 15 wherein said grips are formed as grip openings passing through said lift handle.

17. The seat carrier of claim 16 wherein said grip openings are arcuately shaped to wrap around a circumferential portion of said pivot.

18. The seat carrier of claim 15 wherein said grip openings are formed to extend both forwardly of the corresponding pivot and above said corresponding pivot so as to be accessible whether said handle is in said raised overhead position or in said lowered folded position.

19. The seat carrier of claim 18 wherein said grip openings are generally semi-circular in shape and wrap approximately 180 degrees around the corresponding pivot.

20. The seat carrier of claim 14 wherein said receiver structure includes a latch opening to receive a latch member on said base member that connects said seat carrier to said base member, said latch mechanism including:

an external pull member accessible on an exterior side of said exterior shell;

an actuator pivotally mounted within said receiver structure adjacent said latch opening; and

linkage interconnecting said pull member and said actuator such that a manipulation of said pull member can affect a pivotal movement of said actuator to engage said latch member and cause deflection thereof out of said latch opening.

21. The seat carrier of claim 20 wherein said actuator is spring-biased away from said latch opening, the movement of said pull member pivoting said actuator against the spring bias exerted thereon.

22. An infant seat comprising:

a frame supporting an infant seating structure, said frame having opposing lateral sides defining a top edge; and

a handle having two terminal ends respective pivotally connected to said laterally opposing sides of said frame, a middle part extending between said terminal ends, and a pair of grips located at the two terminal ends respectively,

wherein said handle is movable between a raised overhead position in which said middle portion of said handle is positioned above said frame to provide a one-hand lift function and a lowered folded position in which said middle portion of said handle is positioned adjacent said frame such that said grips provide a two-hand lift function when said handle is in said lowered folded position.

23. The infant seat of claim 22 wherein said grips are located below said laterally spaced top edges of said seat carrier when said lift handle is in said raised overhead position such that said grips are substantially inaccessible when said lift handle is in said raised overhead position, said grips being located above said top edges of said seat carrier when said lift handle is lowered into said folded position to provide said two-hand lift function.

24. The infant seat of claim 22 wherein said grips are formed to extend both forwardly of the corresponding pivot and above said corresponding pivot so as to be accessible whether said handle is in said raised overhead position or in said lowered folded position.

25. The infant seat of claim 24 wherein said grips are formed as openings passing through said terminal ends of said lift handle, said openings being generally semi-circular in shape and wrap approximately 180 degrees around the corresponding pivot.