Handle for infant carrier

• US 7,971,933 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARRETT, ERIKA P
• Application Number:
  US11/778,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20080018145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 297/250.1, 297/256.1, 297273-281, 2971831-1837, 297/256.12, 297/256.16, 472188-121
• US Class Current: 297/256.16
• 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 a top plate having an upwardly extending mounting protrusion located generally centrally thereon and a base shell meeting said top plate at an arcuate interface defining a track, said mounting protrusion including a latch member;

a seat carrier having a receiver structure formed generally centrally 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, said receiver structure including a latch opening engagable by said latch member to secure said seat carrier to said base member, said seat carrier and said attached top plate being movable along said track in a fore-and-aft direction relative to said base shell to allow said seat carrier to be oriented in a selected recline position; and

a latch actuation mechanism on said seat carrier including;

an external actuation member accessible on an 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.

2. The child swing of claim 1 wherein said latch member is spring-loaded for extension outwardly from said mounting protrusion for engagement into said latch opening.

3. 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.

4. The child swing of claim 3 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.

5. The child swing of claim 4 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.

6. In a child swing having 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, the improvement comprising:

a base member having a generally centrally positioned mounting protrusion projecting upwardly therefrom, said base member being mounted on a distal end of said hanger apparatus;

a seat carrier defining a receiver structure formed generally centrally on a lower portion of said seat carrier to mate with said mounting protrusion and permit said seat carrier to be detachably mounted on said base member for reciprocal movement with said base member and said hanger apparatus, said receiver structure including a latch opening, said mounting protrusion including a latch member engagable into said latch opening to secure said seat carrier to said base member; and

a latching 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 a spring bias exerted thereon to engage said latch member and cause deflection thereof out of said latch opening, said actuator abutting against said latch member when said latch member is engaged in said latch opening and being operable to push said latch member out of said latch opening.

7. The child swing of claim 6 wherein said latch member is spring-loaded for extension outwardly from said mounting protrusion for engagement into said latch opening.

8. The child swing of claim 6 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 in a fore-and-aft direction relative to said base shell.

9. The child swing of claim 6 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.

10. The child swing of claim 9 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.

11. The child swing of claim 10 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.

12. A child swing comprising:

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

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

a base member mounted on a distal end of said hanger apparatus, said base member including a top plate formed with an upwardly extending mounting protrusion located generally centrally on said base member, said base member also including a base shell meeting said top plate at an arcuate interface defining a track;

a seat carrier having a receiver structure formed generally centrally 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, said seat carrier and attached top plate being movable in a fore-and-aft direction relative to said base shell to allow said seat carrier to be oriented in a selected recline position; and

a latch mechanism including a latch opening, a spring-loaded latch member engagable with said latch opening, and a latch actuator operably connected to said latch member for selectively securing said seat carrier to said base member, said latch actuator 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.

13. The child swing of claim 12 wherein said latch opening is located in said receiver structure and said latch member is located on said mounting protrusion.

14. The child swing of claim 13 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.

15. The child swing of claim 14 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.

16. The child swing of claim 15 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.

17. A child swing comprising:

a frame assembly operable to induce a reciprocal movement;

a hanger apparatus connected to said frame assembly so as to be movable in a reciprocal manner relative to said frame assembly;

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, said base member including 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 in a fore-and-aft direction relative to said base shell, to allow said seat carrier to be oriented in a selected recline position; and

a latch actuation mechanism including;

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

an actuator mounted within said receiver structure adjacent a latch opening formed in said receiver structure, 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 a latch member on said mounting protrusion and cause deflection thereof out of said latch opening.