Abstract:
A multi-purpose child support device comprises a frame having a base for placement on a floor surface and a support section positioned above said base. A seat element is configured for receiving a toddler child in a sitting position and engaging the support section above the floor surface to form a high chair. The seat element is pivotally mounted to the frame and is operable for being selectively pivoted away from the support section such that the support section receives an infant child carrier for supporting an infant child carrier above a floor surface.

Description:
RELATED INVENTIONS 
     This patent application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/025,428, filed on Feb. 18, 1998, and now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,007. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the physical support of a child and specifically to a device for supporting children of different ages in a restaurant atmosphere. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When families go to a restaurant or other similar facility for dining, they often include small children. The children may be small toddlers or even smaller infants. Therefore, for a pleasurable dining experience for the entire family, and particularly for the adults of the party, the small children must be properly and safely accommodated at the table. 
     While larger children are often able to sit in regular adult chairs, some with the aid of a traditional booster seat, the smaller toddler and infant children require special arrangements. For example, traditional high chairs have long been available for toddler children who are able to sit up on their own, but who are yet too small to sit in an adult chair, even with a booster seat. Furthermore, high chairs are particularly suitable for rambunctious toddlers for whom a certain amount of containment is desired during a meal. High chairs provide certain restraints, such as belts, for a child placed therein, and therefore, provide peace of mind for the parents or caregivers during the meal. Additionally, the seating platform for the toddler child is generally smaller than in an adult chair, thereby helping the child to remain in an upright position. 
     While traditional high chairs have been suitable for toddler children who can sit on their own, they are entirely inadequate for infant children who do not yet have the motor skills to do so. Infants are generally brought to restaurants in an infant carrier, often referred to as a “pumpkin seat.” Infant carriers usually include a cradle-shaped base for comfortably carrying or supporting the infant. A pivoting handle is attached to the base so an adult may manipulate the carrier. When dining with an infant child, parents often have to place the infant carrier and infant on the table, on a chair (if large enough) or on the floor. All of those available options for placement of the infant carrier are undesirable. Not only is the carrier exposed to chances of falling, but oftentimes there is not sufficient table space for safely placing the infant carrier thereon. Furthermore, a chair may be too small to accommodate the carrier. Even if the chair is large enough, the awkward and cumbersome shape of infant carriers often requires that the chair and carrier be wedged against the table to ensure that the carrier does not fall off of the chair. This can present a precarious and, therefore, dangerous situation for the infant. Finally, placing the infant and carrier on a dirty, drafty restaurant floor is certainly an option to be avoided, even though it is often the safest of the available options. 
     One option, but one which is dangerous and discouraged or prohibited by many restaurants, is to turn a traditional high chair structure upside-down and place the infant carrier in the wide base of the chair. In doing so, the chair rests on the very narrow seat portion. Therefore, the upside-down chair is very likely to fall, which could injure a baby placed thereon. Furthermore, the restaurant could be exposed to legal liability for an injured child. While such an option is discouraged, parents will still choose to do so, and restaurants will allow them for the purposes of accommodation or lack of a more suitable option. 
     Attempts have also been made to develop a support device specifically for infant carriers. Many such structures are expensive and complicated and are only adapted to a specific carrier design. If a restaurant does not have a specific device for the family&#39;s infant carrier, the parents have to carry their own support device. As may be appreciated, it is very inconvenient and time-consuming to have to transport and set up such a device in a restaurant. 
     One type of device for supporting a variety of different infant carriers consists of a sling stretched between two support elements. The sling forms a hammock to receive the carrier. Such a device is usually suitable for the purpose of supporting the carrier above the floor, regardless of the shape of the carrier. However, such devices must be purchased and maintained by a restaurant in addition to their other separate high chair devices. 
     Another commercially available product purports to be suitable for both infants and toddlers. Essentially, the product is a traditional high chair which can recline for cradling an infant. However, such a product requires that the infant be removed from its carrier and placed in the plastic seat of the product. For a parent, such a scenario is not desirable. First, the plastic seat is hard and cold, and may even be dirty. Personal infant carriers usually have cushions on which the baby rests and the parents know that their carrier is clean. Therefore, the parents will be reluctant to switch the baby from their personal carrier to a public high chair device. Secondly, the infant may be nestled in blankets and other such covers, and may even be sleeping. Having to wake the infant and/or move all of the blankets to the public high chair device would further deter use of such a product. Finally, the parents or the restaurant staff are left with trying to store the bulky, empty infant carrier during the meal. 
     Therefore, it would seem that the only practical option for accommodating all ages of children is to maintain a large number of dedicated infant carrier support devices. A significant drawback, however, to any dedicated infant carrier support device, is that the restaurant must keep a number of such devices on hand, and also must obtain separate high chair structures for toddler children, and booster seats for older children. Available infant carrier support devices and high chairs are large and bulky, and therefore, require a substantial amount of valuable restaurant floor space. While some high chair structures are stackable, infant carrier support devices generally are not. 
     Another drawback to maintaining a large number of such devices is the additional purchase and replacement costs for the devices. However, restaurants, and particularly family-type restaurants, desire to keep their family patrons not only satisfied, but also comfortable with the thought that their children will be safe during the dining experience. Therefore, they must assume the cost of purchasing and maintaining a large number of different devices to do so. 
     Another drawback to having a large number of separate high chairs and infant carrier support devices, is the cleaning required for such structures. Food is usually splattered all over by toddler children and may also be splattered by older infant children. Of course, parents do not want to place their child in a high chair or other device which is still dirty from the previous child. Therefore, the work loads of waitpersons, buspersons, and hosts are all increased to ensure clean high chairs and infant carrier support devices. 
     Therefore, it is one objective of the invention to accommodate dining families so that their children of all ages are safe and secure during the meal. 
     It is another objective of the invention to accommodate both toddler children and infant children during dining. 
     It is still another objective of the invention to reduce the costs to the restaurant owner and the work loads of the staff associated with such accommodation. 
     It is another objective of the invention to safely provide support to a child during a meal which is above the floor and off of the table. 
     Still further, it is an objective to provide such accommodation in a safe manner to reduce the liability exposure of a restaurant owner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The above-listed objectives and other objectives are addressed by the present invention which provides a multi-purpose child support device which can accommodate both a toddler child as well as an infant child who is resting in an infant carrier. The multi-purpose child support device of the present invention supports children of both toddler and infant age so that they are safe and secure during the meal. The child is supported above the floor and off of the table at a relatively low cost to the restaurant owner. Furthermore, since a single device is used for both toddler and infant children, the purchase and maintenance costs to the restaurant owner are reduced and the work loads of the various staff persons in the restaurant are also reduced. The safety of the device reduces the liability exposure of the restaurant owner. 
     The inventive child support device may be switched between a toddler mode and an infant mode and includes a frame having a relatively wide base which is placed on a floor surface and a support section above the base, for supporting the child. A seat element is configured for receiving a toddler child in the sitting position, and the seat element engages the support section of the frame above the floor surface for forming a high chair for a toddler child. Like a traditional high chair, the toddler child is maintained in a seated and upright position so that they may eat at a table and interact with other children and adults sitting at the table. 
     In the infant mode, the inventive child support device is adaptable for receiving an infant child carrier when a child with the family is too young to be able to sit up on their own and thus must remain resting in the infant carrier during the meal. To that end, the seat element is pivotally mounted to the frame and is operable for being selectively pivoted away from the support section. The support section, in turn, is configured to receive an infant carrier when the seat element is pivoted away therefrom, and is further operable for safely supporting the infant carrier above the floor surface. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the frame includes side members which have U-shaped portions with open upper ends for receiving the infant child carrier. As will be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art, the portions might also be characterized as C-shaped, depending upon how much of a cut-out section is provided at the top of the frame side members. The open ended, U-shaped portions of the side members form part of the support section of the frame and provide accommodation for the handle of the infant carrier so that the infant carrier rests securely in the support section. Preferably, the seat element is pivotally mounted to the frame within an elongated slot or channel which allows the seat element to be pivoted away from the upper support section and also slid downwardly on the frame to be suspended below the support section when the infant carrier is placed therein. To convert the child support device back to a high chair, or the toddler mode, the seat element is simply pivoted and slid upwardly and back into the support section. 
     The seat element includes a portion of the frame coupled thereto so that when in the toddler mode or high chair form, the U-shaped portion of the frame is modified to provide a completed look to the frame. Preferably, the frame is wood, plastic or metal, while the seat element is a suitable plastic material which may be easily wiped and cleaned. 
     The base of the device is larger than the support section for stabilizing the frame on a ground surface. Horizontal cross members spanning between the side members of the frame in the support section engage bottom and side surfaces of the infant carrier for supporting the carrier in an upright position when placed in the support section. Furthermore, the horizontal cross members engage indentations formed in the seat element for further stabilizing the seat element within the frame when the device is in the high chair form. 
     The inventive device thus provides a single child support device which safely accommodates children of all ages, including infant children within a carrier. The safety provided by the device reduces a restaurant owner&#39;s liability exposure. Restaurants only have to purchase one device to accommodate all children and thus do not have to maintain separate infant carrier support devices as well as traditional high chairs. Also, restaurant staff only have to maintain a single structure for all children. The inventive device provides a safe and secure place for children during dining. Furthermore, the inventive device in the infant carrier form may be utilized for supporting an infant carrier while parents wait to be seated at a table. This eliminates the need for a parent to hold the heavy infant carrier for a long period of time or place the infant carrier on a cold and dirty ground surface. Still further, a substantial amount of valuable restaurant space is conserved by eliminating separate high chair and infant carrier support devices. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the inventive child support device. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the inventive device showing removal of the seat element from the support section. 
     FIG. 3 is a side view showing an infant carrier supported by the inventive device after removal of the seat element. 
     FIG. 4 is a front schematic view of the inventive device. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the child support device of the present invention in the toddler mode for supporting a toddler child. Child support device  10  includes a frame  12  having a base  14  and a support section  16  positioned above the base. Frame  12  includes two side members  18   a ,  18   b  which taper in their width dimension W from base  14  up to the support section  16 . In the base of frame  14 , horizontal cross members  20   a ,  20   b  extend between the two side members  18   a ,  18   b . The wide bottom portions of the side members  18   a ,  18   b  and the cross members  20   a ,  20   b  collectively form the base  14  of frame  12 . The side members  18   a ,  18   b  taper inwardly proceeding from the base  14  to the support section  16  to have a generally triangular shape. Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the side members are tilted inwardly in the direction of arrows  21  such that the cross-sectional dimension of the frame base  14  is larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the support section  16 . In that way, the wide base  14  provides a suitable platform for supporting a child in the child support device  10 . In support section  16 , additional cross members  22   a ,  22   b  extend between the side members  18   a ,  18   b  for further securing the various members together to form the device frame  12 . In a preferred embodiment of the invention, frame  12  is made of wood to give a warm and appealing appearance to a restaurant patron. The various frame elements may be held together by glue, nails, or any other suitable fastening structures. 
     In accordance with the principles of the present invention, device  10  further includes a seat element  26 , which includes a back  27 , two sides  28   a    28   b , and a seat surface  30 . The seat element is configured for receiving a toddler child (not shown) in a sitting position. Seat element  26  might also include a cross-bar  32  to prevent the child from sliding forward and out of the seat element. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the seat element engages the support section  16  of frame  12  above the base and above a floor surface on which the base rests. In that way, the invention in the form illustrated in FIG. 1 forms a high chair for a toddler child. Preferably, seat element  26  is formed of a suitable plastic material which may be easily cleaned after each use. In a preferred embodiment, safety straps  34  are coupled to frame  12  by a suitable fastener  36 . The safety straps may be wrapped around the waist and legs of a toddler child sitting in the seat element  26  to further secure the child in the high chair structure To that end, the safety straps  34  include a buckle  37 , or other suitable fastening structure, such as hook and loop fasteners, for coupling the two safety straps  34  together across the legs and/or waist of the child. The seat surface  30  of seat element  26  may be conformed to the seat and legs of a child, such as by placing a raised portion  38  in the seat surface  30 . Suitable side openings  40  in the seat element  26  allow the safety straps  34  to extend inwardly to the seat surface  30  for securing the toddler child in the seat element  26 . 
     As seen in FIGS. 1,  2 , and  3 , seat element  26  has an upper annular flange  25  which sits on an upper edge  29  of the frame support section. The seat surface  30  rests on cross members  22   a ,  22   b.    
     Turning to FIG. 2, seat element  26  includes portions  12   a  of the frame coupled thereto around the top edge of the seat element. Specifically, frame portions  12   a  are coupled to the side sections of the annular flange  25  as shown in FIG.  2 . The seat element  26  is moveably mounted with respect to frame  12 , as discussed further hereinbelow, and when the seat element  26  is engaged by the support section  16 , as shown in FIG. 1, the support section  16  is configured to receive the frame portions  12   a  to form a completed frame  12 . 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the vertical side members  18   a ,  18   b  include portions  40   a ,  40   b  which have an open upper end  42  provided by a cut-out section of the side members. The portions  40   a ,  40   b  could be characterized as U-shaped or C-shaped, depending upon how much of a cut-out section is provided. The portions  40   a ,  40   b  of the side members  18   a ,  18   b  form part of the support section  16  of the frame  12 . When the seat element  26  is received by the support section  16 , the frame portions  12   a  attached thereto are received by the U-shaped portions, generally at the upper end thereof, to close the open end  42  and provide a completed frame as shown in FIG.  1 . The frame portions  12   a  which are secured to the seat element  26  such as by glue or appropriate fasteners (not shown), further align the seat element  26  within the support section  16  for a sturdy construction and for securing the seat element  26  to the frame  12 . Additionally, when in the toddler mode or high chair form, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the frame portions  12   a  interact with the portions  40   a ,  40   b  and provide the appearance of a solid frame structure. 
     Seat element  26  preferably includes suitable indentations  56 ,  58  on the bottom side of seat surface  30  which receive the cross members  22   a ,  22   b  when the seat element  26  is seated within support section  16  as illustrated in FIG.  2 . In that way, the indentations further help to secure the seat element  26  within support section  16  so that the seat element does not slide around or rattle on the frame  12  of device  10 . 
     In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the seat element is movably mounted to frame  12  so that the device  10  may be converted to the infant mode. More specifically, the seat element is pivotably mounted to the frame  12 , and to that end includes a pivot axis  44  which engages an aperture  46  formed in the frame, and specifically, formed at a front end thereof on the inside of the side members  18   a ,  18   b . As illustrated in FIG. 2, the seat element may be pivoted on axis  44  out of and away from the support section  16 , and more specifically, out of and away from the portions  40   a ,  40   b  of the side members  18   a ,  18   b . Seat element  26  pivots at one end out of the support section and is suspended below the support section  16  by frame  12 . In that way, the seat element is moved out of the way and the device  10  of the invention is now in a form for supporting an infant child carrier, as illustrated in FIG.  3 . The pivot axis  44  in slot  46  suspends the seat element from frame  12 . 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, aperture  46  is formed in the shape of an elongated slot such that the axis  44  of seat element  26  may not only pivot within the slot  46 , but also slides down the length of the slot to its bottom-most end. In that way, as shown in FIG. 3, the seat element  26  may be moved completely out of the way of the support section  16  to hang below the support section so as not to hinder or obstruct the use of device  10  with an infant carrier  50 . Axis  44  may be formed of metal or plastic or any suitable material which is rigid enough to support the weight of seat element  26  after it has been moved away from the support section  16  of frame  12 . In the form as illustrated in FIG. 3, the portions  40   a ,  40   b  are exposed and the support section  16  is configured to receive an infant child carrier  50  to support the infant child carrier  50  and an infant therein above a floor surface on which base  14  rests. Infant child carriers  50 , also commonly referred to as “pumpkin seats,” generally include a cradle section  52  and a pivoting handle  54 . The portions  40   a ,  40   b  of frame  12 , and specifically the open upper ends  42  of the portions, accommodate the handle  54  to thereby prevent child carrier  50  from sliding forward and backward in the direction of arrow  55 . The cross members  22   a ,  22   b  support the bottom and side surfaces of the infant child carrier  50  so that when placed in the device  10 , the infant child carrier is generally in an upright position, as illustrated in FIG.  3 . Finally, the side member portions  40   a ,  40   b  essentially prevent carrier  50  from sliding side-to-side in frame  12 . Of course, slight movement of the carrier in a particular direction is acceptable as long as the carrier does not slide off of the frame. 
     If desired, the safety straps  34  might be wrapped around the infant child carrier to further secure it to device  10 . To that end, the safety straps are dimensioned in length to do so. However, the weight of the infant child carrier  50  and infant is generally suitable for securely maintaining the carrier within the support section  16  of device  10 . 
     While a preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes portions  40   a ,  40   b  which have open upper ends  42  for accommodating the handle  54  of carrier  50 , a support section without an open upper end might also be utilized wherein the top of the support section extends, unbroken, completely across the top of the frame, similar to the illustration in FIG. 1, without a separate frame portion  12   a  on the seat element  26 . That is, the handle may simply rest on a top edge of the frame, rather than being received by and within the frame as illustrated in the Figures. 
     For easy movement of seat element  26 , the seat element is preferably dimensioned to be no wider at its base than at its top. Referring to FIG. 4, a schematic front view of the invention is shown wherein the inward tilt of the side members  18   a  is shown along lines  21 . The support section  16  of frame  12  has its narrowest or minimum width W at the top thereof due to the inward tilt of the side members  18   a . The seat element preferably has a base width W B  which is no greater than the top width W T . The maximum width W T  of the top of seat element  26  is less than width W. In that way, the seat element  26  may be easily lifted, tilted or slid out of the support section  16  without catching on a portion of the frame  12 . 
     The inventive device  10  thus provides a single child support device which may accommodate children of all ages, including infant children within a carrier and toddler children. Restaurants only have to purchase one device to accommodate all children and thus do not have to maintain separate infant carrier structures as well as traditional high chairs. The inventive device provides a safe and secure place for children during dining. Furthermore, the inventive device, in the infant carrier form, may be utilized for supporting an infant carrier while parents wait to be seated at a table. This eliminates the need for a parent to hold the heavy infant carrier for a long period of time, or to place the infant carrier on a cold and dirty ground surface. Still further, the dual function of the invention conserves a substantial amount of valuable restaurant space which is usually dedicated to separate high chair and separate infant carrier support structures. The invention safely and securely supports an infant carrier and eliminates the need for a restaurant customer to dangerously flip a traditional high chair structure to place the infant carrier in the wide base thereof. As such, the present invention will limit the liability exposure of restaurants. 
     While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of the embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details representative apparatus and method, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departure from the spirit or scope of applicant&#39;s general inventive concept.