Abstract:
A plastic cover is provided for covering and enclosing the tray of a child&#39;s high chair, while the tray is disposed over the arms. The cover preferably comprises a water resistant material forming an enclosure, which has an open end and an interior which is accessible through the open end. The tray is disposed within the interior of the enclosure. Use of the plastic tray cover prevents soiling of the tray, simplifying significantly the clean-up process. After use, the cover is removed from the tray and easily washed, or discarded.

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/603,164, entitled Protective Cover for High Chair, filed on Jun. 26, 2000, and now abandoned, which is commonly assigned herewith. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for maintaining the cleanliness of a child&#39;s high chair, and more particularly to a cover for protecting the tray of such a high chair from soiling during the inevitably messy process of feeding an infant or toddler. 
     Because infants and toddlers are not sufficiently motor-coordinated to sit up at a dining table, it is, of course, well known to provide for them a high chair, which typically comprises a seating portion, a back rest, a pair of arms, and a tray which is disposed over the arms and secured thereto. The tray functions as an eating surface for the child, and also serves to help restrain the child in the chair. Typically, for safety purposes, particularly for young infants incapable of sitting up on their own, a seat belt is also provided to secure the child in position in the chair. 
     As any parent is well aware, the process of feeding a child or infant is an exceedingly messy one. In the case of a very small infant, the parent or caregiver typically initiates the feeding, but there is frequently a struggle to successfully get food into the infant&#39;s mouth, or the infant spits out food which is in the mouth, creating a very messy tray surface. For older children, who are learning to feed themselves, there is usually substantial spillage of food and drink onto the tray surface as well, necessitating a significant clean-up process. 
     What is needed, therefore, is a system for protecting the tray surface of the high chair, so that it is not repeatedly impacted by the food and drink spillage which inevitably occurs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention solves the foregoing noted problems by providing a convenient cover for a tray of a high chair. The cover comprises a thin, flexible water resistant plastic material which forms an enclosure. The enclosure has an open end and an interior which is accessible through the open end, which interior is sufficiently large to contain the tray therein, such that a top side and a bottom side of the tray are both substantially enclosed by the cover. 
     Advantageously, a portion of the material which defines the open end is elastomeric, such that the open end of the enclosure may be expanded by pulling outwardly on the material portion, in order to place the tray into the enclosure. However, it is important that the open end returns to its original smaller size when the pulling force is released. The cover is not pre-formed into any particular shape, but is sufficiently flexible to conform freely to a shape of any tray to be covered. 
     Preferably, the aforementioned elastomeric material comprises an elastic band disposed on the flexible water resistant material circumferentially about the open end. The flexible water resistant plastic material is preferably transparent, in order to provide more pleasing aesthetics. The cover is preferably of a unitary construction, having no separate fastening structure for securing the cover to a high chair tray. 
     In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a child&#39;s high chair, which comprises a seat including a bottom portion, a back rest, and a pair of arms, as well as a tray placeable over the arms to provide an eating surface for the child, which has an upper surface and a lower surface. According to the principles of the invention, a cover is disposed over the tray, while the tray is disposed over the arms. The cover preferably comprises a water resistant material forming an enclosure, which has an open end and an interior which is accessible through the open end, and no pre-formed shape. The tray is disposed within the interior of the enclosure, so that both the upper surface and the lower surface of the tray are substantially more than one-half enclosed by the cover. 
     Again, it is preferred that a portion of the material which defines the open end be elastomeric, such that the open end may be expanded by pulling outwardly on the material portion. Thus, the tray is placeable into and removable from the interior, wherein the open end returns to its original smaller size when the pulling force is released, so that the cover fits tightly about the tray. Importantly, the high chair needs to be usable as an eating surface while the cover is in place, so a snug fit is required. To attain this snug fit, it is advantageous if the open end can be drawn to a very small size by tightening the elastomeric material. The cover is secured to the tray without the use of any separate fastening elements. 
     In still another aspect of the invention, there is disclosed a method for protecting the tray of a child&#39;s high chair while a child is eating thereon. The method comprises a step of placing a cover which includes an enclosure defined by a flexible water resistant plastic material over the tray while the tray is detached from a remaining portion of the high chair, by passing the tray through an open end of the enclosure until both a top and a bottom surface of the tray are substantially completely within the enclosure. Then, the shape of the cover is conformed to approximate the shape of the tray, after which the tray is attached to the remaining portion of the high chair, so that the tray extends over a pair of arms on the high chair, in an orientation suitable for its intended use. 
     Preferably, the placing step includes a further step of making the open end substantially smaller once the cover is placed over the tray, so that the cover fits snugly on the tray. 
     After use of the high chair, the inventive method includes a further step of removing the cover from the tray, and then either washing the cover for reuse, or discarding it. 
     In still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a tray for a child&#39;s high chair, which comprises an upper surface, a lower surface, and attachment hardware for attaching the tray to a high chair. A flexible plastic cover is disposed over both the upper and the lower surface of the tray, such that the tray is substantially entirely enclosed within the cover. 
     In yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a protective member for a tray of a high chair, which member comprises a thin, flexible plastic material of sufficient size that a top side and a bottom side of the tray are both substantially covered by the protective member. The protective member, or tray cover, also preferably includes an adhesive tab disposed on a portion of the protective member, for securing the protective member to the tray. 
    
    
     The invention, together with additional features and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying illustrative drawing. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical child&#39;s high chair, with the tray detached; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cover fabricated in accordance with the principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tray usable with the high chair of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the high chair of FIG. 1, with the tray of FIG. 3 attached thereto and disposed within the cover of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is perspective view similar to FIG. 2 of a modified tray cover embodiment; and 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of the underneath surface of a high chair tray such as that shown in FIG. 3, illustrated with the tray cover of FIG. 5 disposed thereon. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a typical child&#39;s high chair  11  of the prior art, which comprises a seat  13 , including a bottom portion  15 , a back rest  17 , and a pair of arms  19  and  21 . The seat  13  is supported on a stand  23 , which may include castors  25  for facilitating movement of the high chair  11 . On the arms  19 ,  21 , tray receiving brackets  27  (only the bracket  27  of the arm  21  is shown) of known construction are provided for receiving a tray  29  (FIG. 3) thereon. These receiving brackets  27  may be of any known type, and typically include both a guide channel for slidably receiving a corresponding attachment bracket  31  on the tray therein, and perhaps an aperture for receiving a mechanical fastener, such as a pin  35  therein, provided on the tray bracket  31 , for example, to secure the tray fixedly on the chair  11 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, and, of course, well known in the art, the tray  29  includes a flat eating surface  37  thereon, to accommodate the child&#39;s eating utensils thereon. This surface  37  often becomes extremely soiled during the course of the child&#39;s meal, due to the child&#39;s typically immature eating habits and undeveloped manual dexterity. 
     Referring now particularly to FIG. 2, there is illustrated one embodiment of the inventive tray cover  39 , constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. The cover  39  is preferably fabricated of a flexible, thin, water-resistant material, typically plastic which forms an enclosure having an outer wall  41  and an interior  43 . The enclosure includes an open end  45  which provides access to the interior  43 . Preferably, an elastomeric material  47  is provided about the circumferential edge of the open end  45 , so that the size of the open end can be increased by pulling outwardly on the walls defining the open end, but its size will decrease once the pulling force is ceased. In fact, it is within the scope of the invention to provide the elastomeric material, which preferably comprises an elastic band or drawstring fixedly attached to the material in the vicinity of the open end  45 , so that the open end can be drawn substantially closed. In one preferred embodiment, the construction of the cover  39  is closely akin to a greatly enlarged shower cap. 
     Now with reference to FIG. 4, there is shown the high chair  11  of FIG. 1, wherein the tray  29  of FIG. 3 has been installed thereon, in known fashion. According to the inventive method, while the tray  29  is yet detached from the chair  11 , the cover  39  is installed thereon, by expanding the open end  45  of the cover and inserting the tray  29  into the interior  43  of the cover. Once fully inserted, the open end  45  of the cover  39  is drawn down into as small an opening as possible, and the cover  39  itself is fitted as snugly as possible over the tray  29 . Then, the tray  29  is installed onto the chair  11 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the cover  39  is made of a transparent material, so that the tray is fully visible within the interior  43  of the cover, as is illustrated in FIG.  4 . 
     Further in accordance with the inventive method, once the child has completed his or her meal, and has been removed from the chair  11 , the tray and cover can be removed from the chair, and the cover further removed from the tray, by increasing the size of the open end  45  and pulling the tray outwardly therethrough. Then, the cover  39  may be cleaned for reuse, or discarded, for a very easy cleanup, as desired. 
     It should be noted that, in order to simplify the attachment of the tray to the high chair, with the cover inserted over the tray, access openings in the cover  39 , for permitting engagement of the bracket  31  on the tray with the bracket  27  on the chair, may be necessary, and are easily put into the outer wall  41  of the cover  39 . The access openings may be pre-fabricated, or simply cut or torn into being by the consumer. 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a modified embodiment of the inventive tray cover, wherein like elements to those illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 are identified by like reference numerals, preceded by the numeral  1 . Thus, there is shown a cover  139 , formed similarly to the cover  39  of FIG. 2, except that, instead of elastomeric material  47 , a plurality of adhesive tabs  175  are disposed on the interior surface  143  of the cover  139 , proximate to the opening  145 . Two such adhesive tabs  175  are shown, although any number of tabs may be employed. In FIG. 6, the adhesive tabs  175  are shown in phantom, since they are within the cover  139 , and thus would not normally be visible in that view. The adhesive tabs  175  are preferably of the type having a removable backing thereon, to prevent the adhesive surface from inadvertently and prematurely contacting and adhering to another surface. Alternatively, the adhesive tab may have an inactive adhesive surface, which may be activated by applying a substance, such as water, thereto. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6, when it is desired to place the cover  139  on the tray  129 , the tray  129  is disposed through the opening  145  and into the interior of the cover  139 . Then, with the cover  139  covering more than one-half of the lower surface of the tray  129 , and the upper surface of the tray being completely covered by the cover  139 , the cover is secured in place by removing the removable backing from the adhesive surface on each adhesive tab  175 , and then applying the adhesive surface to the lower surface of the tray, so that the cover is immovably secured to the tray. 
     Accordingly, although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that all the terms used herein are descriptive rather than limiting, and that many changes, modifications, and substitutions may be made by one having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.