Child walker

• US 6,863,287 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kolcraft Enterprises Incorporated (Hasbro Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kolcraft Enterprises Incorporated (Hasbro Inc.)
• Inventors: Myers, Peter Jonathan, Bedja, Abdelkrim, Koltun, Thomas N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHRIVER II, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US10/159,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20030222421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 280/87.051, 280/648, 280/650, 280/658, 280/47.36, 280/47.371, 280/47.38, 135/66, 135/67, 135/74, 297/6, 297/118, 297/183.3, 446/451, 446/470, 446/471, 482/67, 482/68, 482/69
• US Class Current: 280/87.051
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 13/043 Baby walkers with a seat

Abstract

A child walker is provided that includes a frame having a plurality of wheels. The walker includes a handle that is positionable in a first position and a second position. A seat is attached to the frame when the handle is in the first position. When the handle is in the second position, it is positioned to be gripped by a standing child.

Claims

1. A child walker comprising:

a wheeled base;

an upper frame supported by, and spaced from, the wheeled base, the frame having a first end, a second end spaced from the first end, and an opening between the first and second ends; and

a handle positionable between the first and second ends, wherein the handle is adjustable relative to the upper frame between a first position wherein a grip of the handle is located behind a location for a seat and a second position wherein the grip of the handle is located in front of the location for the seat.

2. A child walker as defined in claim 1 wherein the handle is positioned to be gripped by a standing child when the handle is located in the second position.

3. A child walker as defined in claim 1 wherein the handle is resilient and biases the first and second ends away from one another.

4. A child walker as defined in claim 2 further comprising a seat mounted to the upper frame in the seat location for supporting a child in a suspended upright seated position.

5. A child walker as defined in claim 4 wherein the seat is positioned distally to the handle when the handle is in the first position.

6. A child walker as defined in claim 4 wherein the seat is at least one of removable and collapsible.

7. A child walker as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper frame includes a tray.

8. A child walker as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the wheeled base and the upper frame is U-shaped.

9. A child walker comprising:

a wheeled base;

an upper frame supported a distance above the wheeled base;

a seat removably mounted to the upper frame to support a child in a suspended upright seated position;

a handle positionable in a first position on the upper frame and a second position on the upper frame, the handle being located behind the seat when the handle is in the first position and the seat is mounted to the upper frame in a seat location, the handle being located in front of the seat location when the handle is in the second position and the seat is removed from the seat location, and the upper frame being supported by the wheeled base when the handle is in the first position and when the handle is in the second position.

10. A child walker comprising:

a wheeled base;

an upper frame carried by, and separate from, the wheeled base;

a seat removably coupled to the upper frame in a seat location to support a child in a suspended upright seated position; and

a handle having;

(1) a forward position wherein the handle is positioned forward of the seat location to be gripped by a child standing within the base with the seat removed from the upper frame, and (2) a rearward position wherein the handle is positioned behind the seat.

11. A child walker comprising:

a wheeled base;

an upper frame supported by, and separate from, the wheeled base;

a tray associated with the upper frame;

a seat; and

a handle having a first position behind the seat wherein the handle, the tray, and upper frame encircle the seat and a second position in front of a use location of the seat wherein the handle, the tray, and the upper frame form an open ended shape when the seat is not in the use location.

12. A child walker comprising:

a tray;

a seat positioned to orient a seated child toward the tray;

a wheeled base defining an enclosure and having a first removable section; and

an upper frame joining with the tray to define an enclosures, the upper frame being supported a distance away from the wheeled base, the upper frame having a second removable section located opposite the tray, wherein when the first and second removable sections are removed, the wheeled base and the upper frame are open ended and aligned such that a child may walk into the wheeled base and the upper frame.

13. A child walker as defined in claim 12 wherein the seat is removably mounted to the upper frame.

14. A child walker comprising:

a seat;

a wheeled base;

an upper frame supported a distance away from the wheeled base; and

a handle pivotably coupled to the upper frame to define an upper closed enclosure when the handle is in a first position and to define an open sided enclosure when the handle is in a second position.

15. A child walker as defined in claim 14 wherein the seat is at least one of foldable and removably mounted to the upper frame.

16. A child walker comprising:

a seat;

a wheeled base; and

an upper frame defining an enclosure and supported an adjustable distance above the wheeled base by height adjustable support members, the upper frame having a removable section, wherein when the removable section is removed, the upper frame is open ended.

17. A child walker as defined in claim 16 wherein the upper frame comprises an integral handle located at an edge of the upper frame.

18. A child walker comprising:

a frame having a plurality of wheels;

a convertible member attached to the frame for movement between a first position and a second position; and

a seat adapted to be removably attached to the frame when the convertible member is in the first position, wherein when the convertible member is in the second position, the convertible member is positioned to be gripped by a standing child, wherein the convertible member has two ends, and wherein the frame includes two hubs adapted for receiving the two ends of the convertible member and two locking members disposed at the hubs and adapted to lock the convertible member to the frame when the convertible member is located in the first position and when the convertible member is located to the second position.

19. A walker as defined in claim 18, wherein the convertible member is moveable between the first and second positions without detaching the convertible member from the frame.

21. A walker as defined in claim 18, wherein the convertible member is located adjacent a rear of the seat when the convertible member is in the first position and the seat is attached to the frame.

23. A walker as defined in claim 18, wherein the convertible member is generally U-shaped.

24. A walker as defined in claim 18, wherein the frame is generally U-shaped.

25. A walker as defined in claim 24, wherein the convertible member is located within the U-shape of the frame when in the second position to enable a child to grip the convertible member when located within the U-shape of the frame.

26. A walker as defined in claim 18, wherein the convertible member is located in proximity to the tray when in the second position.

20. A child walker comprising:

a frame having a plurality of wheels;

a convertible member attached to the frame for movement between a first position and a second position; and

a seat adapted to be removably attached to the frame when the convertible member is in the first position, wherein when the convertible member is in the second position, the convertible member is positioned to be gripped by a standing child, wherein the frame further comprises;

a lower section coupled to the plurality of wheels;

an upper section including a tray, the tray being accessible from the seat, the seat being removably attached to the upper section; and

a plurality of support members connecting the lower section to the upper section, wherein the support members are adapted to provide height adjustment of the upper section relative to the lower section.

22. A walker as defined in claim 20, wherein the convertible member comprises two ends adapted for attachment to the frame.

27. A child walker comprising:

a generally U-shaped lower frame section having a plurality of wheels;

a generally U-shaped upper frame section having a tray;

a convertible member mountable to a rear portion of the upper frame section for movement between a first position and a second position, wherein the convertible member is lockable in the first and the second positions;

a plurality of support members connecting the lower frame section to the upper frame section, wherein the support members are adapted to provide height adjustment of the upper frame section relative to the lower frame section; and

a seat removably attached to the upper frame section and positioned adjacent the tray wherein removing the seat from the upper frame section, moving the convertible member to the second position, and locking the convertible member in the second position provides support for the child when standing within the U-shaped lower frame and gripping the convertible member.

28. A walker as defined in claim 27, wherein the convertible member is moveable between the first and second positions without detaching the convertible member from the upper frame section.

29. A walker as defined in claim 27, wherein the convertible member is located adjacent a rear of the seat when the convertible member is in the first position and when the seat is attached to the upper frame section.

30. A walker as defined in claim 27, wherein the convertible member comprises two ends adapted for attachment to the upper frame section.

31. A walker as defined in claim 30, wherein the upper frame section includes two hubs adapted for receiving the two ends of the convertible member and two locking members disposed at the hubs for locking the convertible member to the upper frame section.

32. A walker as defined in claim 27, wherein the convertible member is substantially U-shaped.

33. A walker as defined in claim 27, wherein the convertible member is located within the U-shaped upper frame section when in the second position.

34. A walker as defined in claim 27, wherein the convertible member is located in proximity to the tray when in the second position.

35. A walker as defined in claim 27, wherein the upper frame section further includes a basket attached beneath the tray, the basket being accessible through an opening defined in an upper surface of the tray.

36. A method of converting an infant walker from a first operating mode wherein the walker is adapted for use by a child who cannot stand, to a second operating mode wherein the walker is adapted for use by a child who is learning to walk, the method comprising:

removing a seat from the walker;

without separating a convertible member from a frame of the walker, moving the convertible member relative to the frame of the walker from a first position to a second position wherein the convertible member is positioned to be gripped by a standing child; and

locking the convertible member in the second position.

37. A method of converting an infant walker from a first operating mode wherein the walker is adapted for use by a child who can stand, to a second operating mode wherein the walker is adapted for use by a child who cannot stand, the method comprising:

releasing a convertible member for movement from a first position to a second position relative to a frame;

without separating the convertible member from the frame, moving the convertible member from the first position wherein the convertible member is positioned to be gripped by a standing child, to a second position; and

securing the seat to the frame.

38. A child walker comprising:

a seat;

a wheeled base; and

an upper frame supported a distance away from the wheeled base, the upper frame having a first section and a second section which is removable from the first section, wherein the first section comprises an integral handle which is exposed for gripping by a standing child when the removable section is removed, and the second section at least partially supports the seat.

39. A child walker as defined in claim 38 further comprising a braking mechanism including a floating brakepad pivotably attached to an underside of the wheeled base.

40. A walker comprising:

a wheeled base;

an upper frame;

an adjustable support to hold the upper frame an adjustable distance above the wheeled base;

a seat removably attached to the frame and adapted to provide support for a child sitting therein;

a handle coupled to the upper frame to support a child when not seated in the seat, the handle being movable between a first position in which the handle at least partially supports the seat and a second position in which the handle does not support the seat and is positioned to be gripped by a child standing within the frame and the wheeled base;

a lock to lock the handle in at least one of the first and second positions.