Abstract:
A child interaction device that is placed over the back of a chair or other article of furniture having at least one article of entertainment attached to its face. The device is positioned so that the article of entertainment is displayed on the front of the seat back so that a person sitting in the chair will face forward while the child held by that person will face rearward and therefore face toward the child interaction device, enabling the child to interact with the at least one article of entertainment.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to entertainment and methods therefor and, more particularly, to a child interaction device that is connected to a chair or other piece of furniture and that is used by the child while being held by a person sitting on a chair or other piece of furniture. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Various child interaction devices have been invented to entertain children. This is due to the recognized benefits of occupying a child&#39;s mind. There is both a long tern benefit of improving the mental development of a child and an immediate benefit of placating an upset or restless child. However, the child interaction devices created heretofore have rarely been integrated with a device used by the adult holding the child. Benefit may be obtained in making such integration, in that the adult holding the child does not have to concurrently hold the child interaction device as well as the child, and in that the adult would receive an additional benefit or use from the integrated device, such as sitting comfortably. 
         [0003]    The present invention solves the aforementioned problems by integrating a child interaction device with a chair or other article of furniture, thereby allowing a person holding a child to sit while the child is entertained or occupied by the child interaction device while at the same time allowing the person holding the child to entertain or occupy the child without having to hold the child interaction device. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a child interaction device used in connection with a chair or other piece of furniture, so that a person holding a child may sit facing forward in the chair while the child can view the front of the chair back over the shoulder of the person and thereby interact with the child interaction device coupled to the chair. 
         [0005]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a child interaction device used in connection with a chair or piece of furniture that has a multitude of mechanisms for child interaction, the multitude of mechanisms being integrated into the device in such a manner to allow for different mechanisms to be revealed to the child in different forms or at different times without having to remove and/or replace the child interaction device altogether. 
         [0006]    A consequential benefit is also obtained by the present invention in that the child interaction device will protect the material of the chair or other piece of material from baby spit up while being easily removed from the chair and washable. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0007]    A child interaction device is disclosed, comprising, a furniture cover dimensioned to cover at least a portion of an article of furniture, and at least one article of entertainment coupled to the furniture cover and dimensioned to provide entertainment. 
         [0008]    A child interaction device is disclosed, comprising, a furniture cover having an exterior surface and an interior surface and a closed end and an open end, the open end dimensioned to be placed over at least a portion of an article of furniture with at least a portion of the interior surface proximate at least a portion of the article of furniture, the open end defines a channel dimensioned to allow one of a string and an elastic band to pass through the channel in order to secure the furniture cover about at least a portion of the article of furniture, and at least one article of entertainment from a group of a picture, a drawing, a story page, a tactile object and a display device coupled to the exterior surface of the furniture cover and dimensioned to provide entertainment. 
         [0009]    A method of entertaining a child is disclosed, comprising, providing an article of furniture, providing a furniture cover, covering at least a portion of an article of furniture with the furniture cover, providing at least one article of entertainment coupled to the furniture cover, and positioning a child in front of the furniture cover facing the at least one article of entertainment. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the child interaction device of the present invention, showing a top sheet or page containing a variety of articles of entertainment of the child interaction device, the various geometric figures constructed by dotted lines representing the variety of toys, exercises, or designs that constitute the child interaction mechanisms; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the child interaction device of  FIG. 1 , showing the main body of the child interaction device partially revealed underneath the aforementioned top sheet or page; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the child interaction device of  FIG. 1  coupled to a chair and having a top sheet/page resting on the front side of the device in its ready-to-use position, the individual sheet/page having a variety of articles of entertainment attached thereto; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a rear view of the child interaction device of  FIG. 1  coupled to a chair; 
       
    
    
       [0014]    Common reference numerals are used throughout the drawings and detailed descriptions to indicate like elements. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0015]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , one embodiment of a child interaction device  10  is disclosed. It should be noted that the preferred embodiment described below can be performed with different chairs as well as other types of furniture, such as couches. The child interaction device  10  comprises a furniture cover  12  dimensioned to cover at least a portion of an article of furniture, such as a chair  14  (shown in  FIGS. 3-4 ). While, in the preferred embodiment, the article of furniture is a chair  14 , it should be clearly understood that substantial benefit could be derived from an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which the article of furniture is a couch or some other piece of furniture. The furniture cover  12  preferably is dimensioned to be slid over the back  15  (shown in  FIGS. 3-4 ) of a chair  14 . In the preferred embodiment, the furniture cover  12  comprises a closed end  16  and an open end  18  (shown in  FIGS. 1-2 ). The open end  18  preferably defines a channel  20  (shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ) that is dimensioned to allow either a draw string  22  (elastic band or some other securing mechanism) to pass through the channel  20  in order to secure the furniture cover  12  about at least a portion of the chair  14  (or other article of furniture). 
         [0016]    Still referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , the furniture cover  12  also preferably comprises an exterior surface  23  and an interior surface  24  (shown in  FIGS. 1-2 ) that is proximate at least a portion of the chair  14  or other article of furniture. At least one article of entertainment  26  (shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ) is coupled to the exterior surface  23  of the furniture cover  12  and dimensioned to entertain a child. Preferably, the article of entertainment  26  is either a picture, a drawing, a story page (e.g., a page reproduced from a book), a tactile object (e.g., a button or yarn), a display device (e.g., LED or OLED screen), or some combination thereof. While, in the preferred embodiment, the furniture cover  12  has an open end  18  and a closed end  16 , it should be clearly understood that substantial benefit could be derived from an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which the furniture cover is more of a blanket that is draped over at least a portion of a chair  14  or other article of furniture. It should also be clearly understood that substantial benefit could be derived from an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which the article of entertainment  26  is some other object or graphical representation (e.g., brail) so long as it is capable of entertaining a child. 
         [0017]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the child interaction device  10  preferably comprises a plurality of sheets  28  coupled to the furniture cover  12  with at least one article of entertainment  26  coupled to each sheet  28 . In this way, the child interaction device  10  could act as a book with pages that could be flipped by the child or the caregiver. In one embodiment of the present invention, the at least one article of entertainment  26  could be detachable or interchangeable with other articles of entertainment  26 , although it should be clearly understood that substantial benefit could be derived from an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which the articles of entertainment  26  are fixed and immovable, such as the graphical representations found on the pages of a book, or a sewn button. The at least one article of entertainment  26  has the specific function of entertaining, distracting, or calming a child. The sheets  28  are capable of being placed in front of other sheets/pages  28  thereby covering the articles of entertainment  26  attached to the other sheets/pages  28  or the exterior surface  23  of the furniture cover  12 . The sheets/pages  28  are also capable of being flipped over the top of the chair  14  (or other article of furniture) to which the furniture cover  12  is covering, thereby exposing either the front exterior surface  23  of the furniture cover  12  or the front side of the next sheet/page  26  underneath it. The child interaction device  10  would also be capable of being removed from the chair  14  for storage or washing purposes. 
       Statement of Operation  
       [0018]    In accordance with one embodiment of the child interaction device  10 , the furniture cover  12  is placed over the back of a chair  14  (or other article of furniture), or otherwise coupled to the front side of a chair  14 , with its front exterior surface  23  facing a user. The holder of the child that will interact with the child interaction device  10  then sits on the chair  14  facing forward with the child facing rearward (i.e. toward the chair back  15 . The child interaction device  10  comprises at least one article of entertainment  26  on at least the exterior surface  23  of the furniture cover  12 . Preferably, the furniture cover  12  will have at least one additional sheet/page  28  coupled thereto, with each sheet/page  28  having at least one article of entertainment  26 , such as a toy, design, graphical representation or other item. In this way, the caregiver or child can flip the pages  28  of the child interaction device  10  in order to vary the entertainment. Accordingly, when it is desired to allow the child to interact with articles of entertainment  26  attached to the additional sheets/pages  28 , the additional individual sheets/pages  28  may be flipped over the top of the furniture cover  12  of the child interaction device  10 , thereby resting on the backside of the chair back  15 , and thereby exposing a different sheet/page  28  with a different set of mechanisms for child interaction. If the child grows uninterested with a particular sheet or page  28 , it may be flipped over, thereby exposing a new sheet or page  28  and a new source of entertainment for child interaction.