Baby carrier

• US 4,634,175 A
• Filed: 11/08/1983
• Issued: 01/06/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Graco Children's Products, Inc. (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gerber Baby Products
• Inventors: Wise, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Binder, Mark W.
• Application Number:
  US06/550,261
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 297/377, 297/183, 297/366-372, 297/188, 297/192, 297/191, 297/363-365, 224/275, 224/42.42
• US Class Current: 297/183.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 1/002 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 13/025 for carrying children in seated position
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 13/027 Baby-carriers with rigid frames
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32254 Lockable at fixed position
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32336 Engaging notch or recess in outer periphery of component

Abstract

A baby carrier 10 having on its underside an integral pair of rockers 12 with a wedge shape pouch 13 detachably secured between the rockers, and having a support handle 14 rotatably connected to the sides of the carrier by a pair of pivots 15 which can be locked in various positions for use of the carrier to carry a baby, as a rocker, or as a chair.

Claims

1. In a baby carrier having a shell seat with sides and a rotatable handle, all bilaterally symmetrical about a lengthwise plane, an improved handle support pivot comprising:

an outwardly extending cup portion formed integrally with the shell side and including a series of tabs;

a generally cylindrical hub gear having a hub axis perpendicular to the plane, the hub gear including;

a disc-like member arranged generally perpendicular to the hub axis and having an outwardly facing first planar area and an inwardly facing second planar area, the inwardly facing planar area facing the shell side;

a first rim extending axially outwardly from the disc-like member a first distance from the first planar area, the first rim having an inner circumferential surface in which a plurality of spaced apart notches are formed;

a cylindrical shaft, concentric with hub axis, extending a second distance outwardly from the first planar area, the second distance being greater than the first distance; and

a second rim extending axially inwardly from the disc-like member toward the shell side, the second rim sized for mating engagement with the cup portion, the second rim including a series of parallel slots for receipt of the tabs to prevent relative rotary motion of the hub gear and cup portion;

a hub cap at the end of the handle including a drum portion for rotatable engagement about the first rim and an end face, the drum portion including a plunger opening;

a compression spring; and

a radially extending plunger including;

an outer portion extending through the plunger opening;

an inner portion, the inner portion including a radially extending slot having a first slot portion through which the cylindrical shaft extends and a second slot portion housing the compression spring between an outer boundary surface of the second slot portion and the cylindrical shaft; and

a plunger peg positioned for mating engagement with the notches in the first rim.

2. A handle support pivot as in claim 1 wherein said series of parallel slots are not all spaced an equal distance apart, whereby said hub gear can only be fixedly united with said cup portion at predetermined orientations.

3. A handle support pivot as in claim 1 wherein said hub gear shaft has a hub axle hole running through it, and said cup portion has a cup shaft with a cup axle hole which penetrates said shell and which is coaxial with said hub axle hole when said hub gear is fixedly united to said shell, and further comprising an axle pin, slidingly disposed through said hub cap, said hub axle hole, and said cup axle hole, and having heads at either end to hold said cap, hub gear, and shell together.