Infant care apparatus

• US 8,967,716 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wonderland Switzerland AG
• Original Assignee: Wonderland Nurserygoods Company Limited
• Inventors: Mountz, Jonathan K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, David R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brindley, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US13/783,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20130229040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 297/256.12, 297/256.16, 297/260.1, 297/260.2, 297/259.1, 297/261.1, 297/261.2, 297/261.3, 297/258.1, 297/272.3
• US Class Current: 297/256.12
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 9/02 Office stools not provided for in main groups A47C1/00, A47C3/00 or A47C7/00; Workshop stools
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 13/10 Rocking-chairs; Indoor Swings ; Baby bouncers
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 9/057 driven by electric motors

Abstract

An infant care apparatus capable of providing various swing motions is disclosed. The infant care apparatus includes a base, a sliding mount, and a seat frame. The base has a concave surface. The sliding mount has a convex surface matching with the concave surface and disposed opposite to the concave surface. The sliding mount slides above the concave surface by the convex surface. The seat frame is fixed on the sliding mount to be moved together with the sliding mount. Thereby, the seat frame together with the sliding mount can swing relative to the base in two dimensions. The infant care apparatus can provide various swing motions without any pendulum arm to child sitting thereon. Besides, the infant care apparatus can be assembled in a compact size facilitating transport.

Claims

1. An infant care apparatus, comprising:

a base, having a concave surface;

a sliding mount, having a convex surface matching with the concave surface and disposed opposite to the concave surface, the convex surface being disposed apart from the concave surface by a distance, the sliding mount sliding above the concave surface by the convex surface;

a seat frame, fixed on the sliding mount to be moved together with the sliding mount; and

a bearing mechanism, disposed between the base and the sliding mount, so that the sliding mount slides above the concave surface by the convex surface in a friction-reducing way, the bearing mechanism comprising a plurality of fluid outlets formed through the concave surface and a fluid pressurization device for pressurizing a fluid through the fluid outlets to form a fluid film between the concave surface and the convex surface, the sliding mount floating on the fluid film.

2. The infant care apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bearing mechanism comprises a plurality of recesses formed on the concave surface and a plurality of rolling balls disposed in the recesses correspondingly, and the sliding mount slides on the rolling balls.

3. The infant care apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a retaining part disposed inside the base opposite to the sliding mount relative to the concave surface, the base having an opening formed on the concave surface, a profile of the retaining part being larger than the profile of the opening, the retaining part being connected through the opening to the sliding mount so that the retaining part slides together with the sliding mount.

4. The infant care apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a driving mechanism connected to the sliding mount for driving the sliding mount to slide above the concave surface.

5. The infant care apparatus of claim 4, wherein the driving mechanism comprises two driving motors, two driven wheels, two link arms, and a connection part, the two driven wheels are pivotally connected to the base, the two driving motors are dynamically linked to the two driven wheels respectively, the two link arms are pivotally and eccentrically connected to the two driven wheels respectively and pivotally connected to each other, and the connection part is disposed on the two link arms and connected to the sliding mount for moving the sliding mount.

6. The infant care apparatus of claim 5, wherein the two motors are controlled individually to drive the two wheels so as to move the connection part in a specific motion path.

7. The infant care apparatus of claim 6, wherein each motor has a rotation direction and a rotation speed, each motor is controlled by setting the rotation direction and the rotation speed so as to drive the corresponding wheel to rotate.

8. The infant care apparatus of claim 6, wherein the specific motion path is a front-to-back motion path, a figure-8 motion path, a circular motion path, or a combined motion path of at least two of the above motion paths.

9. An infant care apparatus, comprising:

a base, having a concave surface;

a sliding mount, having a convex surface matching with the concave surface and disposed opposite to the concave surface, the sliding mount sliding above the concave surface by the convex surface;

a seat frame, fixed on the sliding mount to be moved together with the sliding mount; and

a driving mechanism, connected to the sliding mount, for driving the sliding mount to slide above the concave surface, the driving mechanism comprising two driving motors, two driven wheels, two link arms, and a connection part, the two driven wheels being pivotally connected to the base, the two driving motors being dynamically linked to the two driven wheels respectively, the two link arms being pivotally and eccentrically connected to the two driven wheels respectively and pivotally connected to each other, the connection part being disposed on the two link arms and connected to the sliding mount for moving the sliding mount.

10. The infant care apparatus of claim 9, wherein the convex surface is disposed apart from the concave surface by a distance.

11. The infant care apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a bearing mechanism disposed between the base and the sliding mount, so that the sliding mount slides above the concave surface by the convex surface in a friction-reducing way.

12. The infant care apparatus of claim 11, wherein the bearing mechanism comprises a plurality of recesses formed on the concave surface and a plurality of rolling balls disposed in the recesses correspondingly, and the sliding mount slides on the rolling balls.

13. The infant care apparatus of claim 11, wherein the bearing mechanism comprises a plurality of fluid outlets formed through the concave surface and a fluid pressurization device for pressurizing a fluid through the fluid outlets to form a fluid film between the concave surface and the convex surface, and the sliding mount floats on the fluid film.

14. The infant care apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a retaining part disposed inside the base opposite to the sliding mount relative to the concave surface, the base having an opening formed on the concave surface, a profile of the retaining part being larger than the profile of the opening, the retaining part being connected through the opening to the sliding mount so that the retaining part slides together with the sliding mount.

15. The infant care apparatus of claim 9, wherein the two motors are controlled individually to drive the two wheels so as to move the connection part in a specific motion path.

16. The infant care apparatus of claim 15, wherein each motor has a rotation direction and a rotation speed, each motor is controlled by setting the rotation direction and the rotation speed so as to drive the corresponding wheel to rotate.

17. The infant care apparatus of claim 15, wherein the specific motion path is a front-to-back motion path, a figure-8 motion path, a circular motion path, or a combined motion path of at least two of the above motion paths.