Infant bouncer

• US 8,746,794 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tiny Love Ltd. (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Tiny Love Ltd. (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Oren, Shoshana, Avigdor, Amit, Shachal, Giora, Harduff, Hagai
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US13/419,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20120235450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 2972501-25616, 297/274, 297/354.12, 297/354.13, 297/118, 297/130, 297/258.1, 297/271.6
• US Class Current: 297/274
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 1/006 dismountable
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 1/08 convertible to a rocking chair
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 11/005 Convertible children's beds
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 13/102 with curved rocking members resting on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 9/005 foldable
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 9/008 dismountable
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 9/053 with curved rocking member

Abstract

An infant seat comprising an upper torso support, a lower torso support pivotally articulated to the upper torso support and a seat supporting structure; at least one of the upper torso support or the lower torso support is pivotally articulated to the seat supporting structure, the seat further comprising a converting mechanism for converting the seat between at least an angular position in which the upper torso support is inclined with respect to the lower torso support, and a planar position in which the upper torso support and the lower torso support are substantially co-planar.

Claims

1. An infant seat, comprising:

an upper torso support;

a lower torso support pivotally articulated to the upper torso support;

a seat supporting structure, at least one of the upper torso support or the lower torso support is pivotally articulated to the seat supporting structure; and

a converting mechanism configured for converting the infant seat between at least an angular position in which the upper torso support is inclined with respect to the lower torso support, and a planar position in which the upper torso support and the lower torso support are substantially co-planar, the converting mechanism defining a plurality of discrete positions each of which is associated with at least one of the angular position or the planar position of the infant seat, the converting mechanism further including a first portion associated with the upper torso support and a second portion fixed to the seat supporting structure, the first portion configured to be slidingly displaced with respect to the second portion when the seat is converted between different positions thereof.

2. The infant seat according to claim 1, wherein the first portion is a handle lever slidingly received within the upper torso support and the second portion is a housing fixedly attached to the seat supporting structure.

3. The infant seat according to claim 2, wherein the handle lever is associated with a locking mechanism configured for arresting the seat in one of the angular position or the planar position, thereby preventing the seat from unintentionally converting to another position.

4. The infant seat according to claim 3, wherein the upper torso support is formed with a receiving channel extending longitudinally along at least a portion thereof and configured for slidingly receiving therein the handle lever.

5. The infant seat according to claim 4, wherein the seat is configured for converting between different positions thereof by first slidingly displacing the handle lever along the receiving channel of the upper torso support so as to release the locking mechanism and then slidingly displacing the upper torso support with respect to the seat supporting structure so as to bring the seat to the desired position.

6. The infant seat according to claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a pair of locking pins and a plurality of pairs of recesses within the housing, each of the plurality of pairs of recesses is configured for arresting the pair of the locking pins, so that when the pair of locking pins are spaced from the recesses the handle lever can be displaced along the receiving channel and the upper torso support can be slidingly displaced with respect to the seat supporting structure, and when the seat is brought to the desired position the pins are released to be arrested within a corresponding pair of recesses associated said desired position of the seat.

7. The infant seat according to claim 1, wherein the upper torso support comprises two generally opposite pivoting brackets articulated thereto and, in turn, pivotally attached to the seat supporting structure.

8. The infant seat according to claim 1, wherein the lower torso support is configured for sliding displacement with respect to the seat supporting structure.

9. The infant seat according to claim 8, wherein the sliding of the lower torso support is caused by the pivotal displacement of the upper torso support with respect to the seat supporting structure due to the pivotal articulation between the upper torso support and the lower torso support.

10. The infant seat according to claim 1, wherein the upper torso support engages the lower torso support only at areas of pivotal articulation therebetween.

11. The infant seat according to claim 1, wherein the lower torso support comprises a limiting arrangement configured for limiting the sliding displacement of the lower torso support with respect to the seat supporting structure.

12. The infant seat according to claim 1, further comprising a fabric frame assembly configured to be detachably attached thereto.

13. The infant seat according to claim 12, wherein the fabric frame assembly comprises a front fabric frame, configured to be displaced in correspondence to the displacement of the upper torso support with respect to the seat supporting structure and a rear fabric frame, stationary with respect to the seat supporting structure.

14. The infant seat according to claim 13, wherein the fabric frame assembly is spaced from the upper and the lower torso support at least when the seat is in its planar position.

15. The infant seat according to claim 14, wherein the fabric frame assembly constitutes together with a fabric cover fitted thereover fabric walls for wrapping the seat.

16. The infant seat according to claim 1, further configured for converting into one or more distinct angular positions, each defined by a different angle between the upper torso support and a lower torso support.

17. The infant seat according to claim 1, configured for detachably attaching to a base structure, the base structure configured for providing the infant seat with a motion effect and a mechanism for controlling the motion effect.

18. The infant seat according to claim 1, constituting part of a cradle, a bouncer, a chair, a car safe seat, a swing, a stroller, or a plane seat/bassinet.