Detachable child seat

A detachable infant seat includes a flat base board with a central aperture formed therethrough and a flexible fabric seat attached to the perimeter of the aperture and projecting downwardly therethrough to support an infant. The base board has an upright wall extending along the opposing side edges and the rearward edge of the board, and a back board pivotally connected to the rearward wall of the base board. The back board includes a pair of operable brackets connected between the back board and the base board to selectively retain the back board in an open position extending from the base board and generally parallel thereto, an upright position orthogonal to the base board, or a closed position pivoted over the top and proximal to the base board. A pair of straps are attached to the base board and extend around the arms of a wheelchair and are fastened to the base board, in order to detachably mount the base board to the arms of a wheelchair. Hook and loop fasteners on the back board permit the attachment of various accessory items to the back board.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention relates generally to detachable seats for infants, 
and more particularly to a portable board which is detachably mounted on a 
wheelchair to aid a wheelchair bound person in the care of a baby. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In the past, it has been quite difficult for a wheelchair bound person to 
care for a baby for anything more than a very short period of time. This 
is because it is difficult for the wheelchair rider to both hold the baby 
and operate the wheelchair, or perform other tasks. While the prior art 
discloses various types of child's seats which may be detachably mounted 
on a wheelchair, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,076, 
typically such seats are mounted rearwardly of the rider, or with the 
child facing forwardly in front of the wheelchair rider. In both 
instances, it is difficult, if not impossible for the wheelchair rider to 
tend to the needs of the child. 
in addition, infant seats for attachment to wheelchairs do not provide 
sufficient area for changes an infant's diaper, or for the attachment of 
various necessitates, such as a baby bottle or toys. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an 
improved detachable infant seat for a wheelchair. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a detachable infant 
seat which is easily folded for portability. 
Still another object is to provide a detachable infant seat for wheelchairs 
which provides expandable space for changing a baby's diaper, or 
attachment of accessory items. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a detachable 
infant seat which is easily mounted and removed from a wheelchair. 
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those 
skilled in the art. 
The detachable infant seat of the present invention includes a flat base 
board with a central aperture formed therethrough and a flexible fabric 
seat attached to the perimeter of the aperture and projecting downwardly 
therethrough to support an infant. The base board has an upright wall 
extending along the opposing side edges and the rearward edge of the 
board, and a back board pivotally connected to the rearward wall of the 
base board. The back board includes a pair of operable brackets connected 
between the back board and the base board to selectively retain the back 
board in an open position extending from the base board and generally 
parallel thereto, an upright position orthogonal to the base board, or a 
closed position pivoted over the top and proximal to the base board. A 
pair of straps are attached to the base board and extend around the arms 
of a wheelchair and are fastened to the base board, in order to detachably 
mount the base board to the arms of a wheelchair. Hook and loop fasteners 
on the back board permit the attachment of various accessory items to the 
back board.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings, in which similar or corresponding parts are 
identified with the same reference numeral and more particularly to FIG. 
1, the detachable infant seat of the present invention is designated 
generally at 10 and includes a generally flat base board 12 with a back 
board 14 operably connected to a rearward edge of the base board, to 
permit movement between an upright position and a folded storage position. 
Base board 12 includes an upper surface 12a and a lower surface 12b (shown 
in FIG. 2), with a forward edge 16, rearward edge 18 and opposing side 
edges 20 and 22 respectively. A first upright wall 24 extends along the 
length of side edge 20, and projects upwardly beyond the upper surface of 
base board 12, and downwardly below the lower surface 12b of base board 
12. A second wall 26 extends along the length of second side edge 22, and 
projects beyond the upper and lower surfaces of base board 12, in a 
similar manner. A third wall 28 extends along the rearward edge of base 
board 12 and projects beyond the upper and lower surfaces of the base 
board 12 similar to the first and second walls. It can be seen that walls 
24, 26, and 28 are connected to form boundary walls along the side edges 
and rearward edges of base board 12 to prevent toys or other items from 
sliding off of the base board. 
A large central aperture 30 is formed through base board 12 which will 
receive a conventional fabric seat 32 therein for supporting a baby. Seat 
32 includes a pair of leg holes 34, and is fastened around a peripheral 
edge 36 to the circumference of aperture 30. A padded headrest 38 may be 
mounted along the rearward edge of seat 32 in a conventional manner. 
Back board 14 is shown in the upright position in FIG. 1, and includes a 
forward surface 14a and rearward surface 14b, as well as an upper edge 40, 
lower edge 42, and opposing side edges 44 and 46. Back board 14 is 
pivotally connected along its lower edge 42 along the upper edge of the 
third upright wall 28 of base board 12, by a piano hinge 48. 
A pair of side walls 50 and 52 are attached to side edges 44 and 46 of back 
board 14 and project forwardly and rearwardly beyond the forward and 
rearward surfaces of back wall 14. A pair of curved guide arms 54 have one 
end pivotally connected to a bracket 56 fastened to a forward edge of side 
walls 50 and 52, and project forwardly and downwardly therefrom. A 
receiver bracket 58 is mounted on the outer surface of each of first and 
second walls 24 and 26, with the second end of guide arms 54 slidably 
journaled therethrough. Receiver brackets 58 include a set screw 60 which 
may be tightened to fix guide arm 54 in the desired position in receiver 
bracket 58, and thereby retain back board 14 in the desired pivotal 
position relative to base board 12. Preferably, back board 14 may be 
pivoted 180.degree. from a folded position in abutting contact with the 
upper edges of side walls 24, 26, and 28 (as shown in FIG. 2) to an 
extended position extending forwardly generally parallel to base board 12. 
The extended position provides additional surface area for changing 
diapers and the like. 
A plurality of patches 62 of hook and loop fastener material are mounted to 
the forward surface 14a of back board 14 for the selective attachment of a 
diaper bag 64, a baby bottle 66, and/or various toys 68. 
A pair of elongated straps 70 and 72 have a first end fastened to the upper 
surface 12a of base board 12 adjacent the forward edge 16 thereof. The 
second end of straps 70 and 72 may then be wrapped around the arms 74 and 
76 of a wheelchair 78, as shown in FIG. 3, to secure the board in a 
generally horizontal position over the seat 80 of the wheelchair 78. The 
free ends of straps 70 and 72 have hook and loop fastener material 80 
thereon for selective securement to corresponding hook and loop fastener 
material 82 on the first ends of the straps, where fastened to the base 
board 12. In this way, straps 70 and 72 may be tightened to fit the 
wheelchair arms. 
Preferably, the forward edge 16 of base board 12 is curved to form a notch 
extending inwardly into the base board, thereby providing more room for 
the wheelchair rider. 
Referring once again to FIG. 2, a handle 84 is mounted on the rearward edge 
of base board 12 and projects therefrom. When back board 14 is folded to 
the storage position shown in FIG. 2, handle 84 permits easy 
transportability of the detachable infant seat 10. 
Whereas the invention has been shown and described in connection with the 
preferred embodiment thereof, many modifications, substitutions and 
additions may be made which are within the intended broad scope of the 
appended claims.