Driven infant seat

• US 9,033,415 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thorley Industries LLC
• Original Assignee: Thorley Industries LLC
• Inventors: Hopke, Frederick Karl, Thorne, Henry F., Daley, Robert D., Walker, John J., Pavkov, Aaron S., Joseph, Suraj
• Primary Examiner(s): MCPARTLIN, SARAH BURNHAM
• Application Number:
  US14/211,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20140265490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 297/250.1, 297/258.1, 297/260.1, 297/260.2, 297/261.1, 297/261.2
• US Class Current: 297/260.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 13/10 Rocking-chairs; Indoor Swings ; Baby bouncers
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 13/105 pivotally mounted in a frame
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 9/02 with rocking mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 9/057 driven by electric motors

Abstract

An infant rocking seat includes a base; a track provided on the base having a first arc-shaped portion and a second arc-shaped portion meeting at a crest; a carriage having a body portion, a first pair of wheels positioned at a first end of the body portion, and a second pair of wheels positioned at a second end of the body portion; and a drive mechanism configured to move the carriage along the track. The carriage is positioned within a central portion of the base and is configured to ride along the track. A distance between the first pair of wheels and the second pair of wheels is less than a distance between centers of curvature of the first arc-shaped portion and the second arc-shaped portion.

Claims

1. An infant seat comprising:

a base;

a track provided on the base having a first arc-shaped portion and a second arc-shaped portion meeting at a crest;

a carriage comprising a body portion, a first pair of wheels positioned at a first end of the body portion, and a second pair of wheels positioned at a second end of the body portion, the carriage positioned within a central portion of the base and configured to ride along the track; and

a drive mechanism configured to move the carriage along the track,

wherein a distance between the first pair of wheels and the second pair of wheels is less than a distance between centers of curvature of the first arc-shaped portion and the second arc-shaped portion.

2. The infant seat of claim 1, wherein the carriage supports a seating portion.

3. The infant seat of claim 2, wherein the seating portion comprises:

a seat support tube coupled to the carriage; and

a substantially elliptical seat coupled to a first end and a second end of the seat support tube.

4. The infant seat of claim 2, wherein the seating portion further comprises a toy bar.

5. The infant seat of claim 1, further comprising a controller mounted within the base.

6. The infant seat of claim 5, wherein the controller includes a user interface configured to receive input from a user for controlling the drive mechanism and a device for communicating to the user information relating to operating parameters of the infant seat.

7. The infant seat of claim 1, wherein the distance between the centers of curvature of the first arc-shaped portion and the second arc-shaped portion is less than a track diameter.

8. The infant seat of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the track is between about 16 inches and about 48 inches.

9. An infant seat comprising:

a base;

a track positioned on a surface of the base;

a carriage configured to move along the track; and

a drive mechanism positioned on the surface of the base for driving the carriage to move along the track, the drive mechanism comprising;

a motor;

a drive shaft driven by the motor;

at least one spindle positioned to rotate on the drive shaft; and

a string connected between the spindle and the carriage,

wherein rotation of the drive shaft in a first direction pulls the carriage forward and rotation of the drive shaft in a second direction opposite to the first direction releases the carriage.

10. The infant seat of claim 9, wherein the drive system further comprises a pulley connected to the motor wherein the motor turns the pulley causing rotation of the drive shaft.

11. The infant seat of claim 10, wherein the pulley is centrally located along the length of the drive shaft.

12. The infant seat of claim 11, wherein the drive system comprises a first spindle positioned at a first end of the drive shaft and a second spindle positioned at a second end of the drive shaft.

13. The infant seat of claim 12, wherein the string has a first end connected to the first spindle, a length that extends along a first side of the carriage, through a central portion of the carriage, and along a second side of the carriage, and a second end connected to the second spindle.

14. The infant seat of claim 9, wherein the string is a high tensile strength ultra high molecular weight polyethylene.

15. The infant seat of claim 9, wherein the carriage supports a seating portion.

16. The infant seat of claim 15, wherein the seating portion comprises:

a seat support tube coupled to the carriage; and

a substantially elliptical seat coupled to a first end and a second end of the seat support tube.

17. The infant seat of claim 15, wherein the seating portion further comprises a toy bar.

18. The infant seat of claim 9, further comprising a controller mounted within the base.

19. The infant seat of claim 18, wherein the controller includes a user interface configured to receive input from the user for controlling the drive mechanism and a device for communicating to the user information relating to operating parameters of the infant seat.

20. The infant seat of claim 18, further comprising a plurality of sensors to provide feedback from the carriage and components of the drive system to the controller.