Child's high chair that rotates as a unit to present a rocker or a desk

• US 7,152,918 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2005
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas Berkes
• Original Assignee: Thomas Berkes
• Inventors: Berkes, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US11/066,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20060192414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 297/1, 297/3, 297/153, 297/148, 297/152, 297/258.1, 297/271.5, 297/271.6, 297/130, 297/118
• US Class Current: 297/3
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 1/04 convertible from a high chair to a low one , e.g. by reversing
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 1/08 convertible to a rocking chair

Abstract

A furniture unit for supporting the weight of a child in various selectable seated positions may be rotated as a unit about a horizontal axis to present any one of three available occupant supporting surfaces. The primary occupant supporting surface is a child'"'"'s high chair, preferably having a fixed tray. When tipped backward from the high chair position, the unit presents a previously inaccessible chair which is convexed on its lower surface to permit it to sway back and forth as a rocker. Alternatively, the unit may be tipped forward from the high chair position to present a previously inaccessible desk chair, with desktop, that is uniquely spaced from the floor by the fixed tray. The unit will most preferably slide up to a dining table while in the high chair position such that the fixed tray may be positioned just over the surface of the dining table. Additionally, the unit may include a storage compartment located behind the back of the high chair, a crotch strap or post for the high chair, and modular game boards that are interchangeably mounted over the desktop.

Claims

1. A child'"'"'s furniture unit having multiple occupant supporting surfaces comprising:

a high chair presentation having a fixed tray;

a rocker presentation that is convexed on its lower surface to permit it to sway back and forth;

a desk presentation having a desk chair and a desktop that are at least partially spaced from a floor surface by the fixed tray; and

wherein rotation of the unit about a horizontal axis will present an occupant supporting surface of one of the presentations.

2. The child'"'"'s furniture unit of claim 1 wherein, when the unit is in the high chair presentation, a distance from an underside of the fixed tray to the floor surface is at least 750 millimeters such that the fixed tray may be positioned just over a dining table.

3. The child'"'"'s furniture unit of claim 2 further comprising high chair feet extensions that increase the distance from the underside of the fixed tray to the floor surface.

4. The child'"'"'s furniture unit of claim 1 further comprising a storage compartment in the rear of the unit just behind the occupant supporting surface of the high chair presentation.

5. The child'"'"'s furniture unit of claim 1 further comprising a crotch strap that extends from the occupant supporting surface of the high chair presentation to the fixed tray.

6. The child'"'"'s furniture unit of claim 1 further comprising a crotch post that extends perpendicularly from the occupant supporting surface of the high chair presentation.

7. A child'"'"'s furniture unit having multiple occupant supporting surfaces comprising:

a high chair presentation having a tray;

a rocker presentation that is convexed on its lower surface to permit it to sway back and forth;

a desk presentation having a desk chair and a desktop that are at least partially spaced from a floor surface by the tray;

a perimeter frame that is secured to the desktop; and

wherein rotation of the unit about a horizontal axis will present an occupant supporting surface of one of the presentations.

8. The child'"'"'s furniture unit of claim 7 further comprising a modular game board that interchangeably mounts over the desktop.

9. The child'"'"'s furniture unit of claim 8 wherein the game board is a puzzle board having puzzle pieces.

10. The child'"'"'s furniture unit of claim 9 wherein the puzzle board is spaced from the desktop such that each puzzle piece, when dropped into an appropriate cutout on the puzzle board, falls through the puzzle board onto the desktop where the puzzle pieces can easily be collected once the puzzle board is removed from the desktop.

11. The child'"'"'s furniture unit of claim 8 wherein the game board is a magnetic surface that magnetically attracts magnetic toys.

12. The child'"'"'s furniture unit of claim 8 wherein the game board is a contoured surface that is suitable for connecting and holding toy building blocks.

13. A child'"'"'s furniture unit that may be rotated about a horizontal axis to present different occupant supporting surfaces comprising:

two side frames having convexed rear edges;

a high chair presentation having a high chair back and a high chair bottom;

a rocker presentation having a rocker back and a rocker bottom;

a desk presentation having a desk chair, including a desk chair back and a desk chair bottom, and a desktop;

a high chair tray, wherein the high chair tray functions as a broad rear leg that partially supports the desk presentation

wherein the construction of the unit is such that all of the backs and bottoms are substantially perpendicular to the side frames; and

wherein a triangularly shaped void is formed using the high chair bottom, the desk chair back;

the high chair tray and the rocker bottom such that the void absorbs undesired acute angles that would otherwise negatively affect the comfort of one of the presentations.

14. The child'"'"'s furniture unit of claim 13 wherein the high chair tray is fixed with fasteners to horizontal support ledges that are substantially on the top of the side frames.

15. The child'"'"'s furniture unit of claim 14 further comprising notches that extend from the upper most parts of the convexed rear edges of the side frames, the notches further fixing the high chair tray to the side frames.

16. The child'"'"'s furniture unit of claim 13 wherein the high chair tray is pivotally fixed to the side frames, and wherein at least one latching device is provided for securing the high chair tray for use as the broad rear leg.

17. The child'"'"'s furniture unit of claim 13 wherein, when the unit is in the high chair presentation, a distance from an underside of the high chair tray to the floor surface is at least 750 millimeters such that the high chair tray may be positioned just over a dining table.

18. The child'"'"'s furniture unit of claim 13 further comprising a storage compartment in the rear of the unit, just behind the occupant supporting surface of the high chair presentation.

19. The child'"'"'s furniture unit of claim 13 further comprising a modular game board that interchangeably mounts over the desktop.