Portable unit for changing clothes to babies or carrying out personal hygiene of same

Abstract: A portable unit for changing clothes to a baby comprises a substantially stiff base body (2) adapted to support the body of a lying baby and a pair of movable wings (5) rotatably engaged on opposite sides of the base body (2) and shiftable between a closed position in which the movable wings (5) are superposed on the base body (2) and an operating open position in which the movable wings (5) are disposed externally of said base body.

Description: The present invention relates to a portable unit for changing clothes to a baby or carrying out personal hygiene of same. It is known that for facilitating nappy-changing operations in a baby, conveniently equipped units can be used which substantially consist of a preferably padded rest shelf, adapted to support the lying baby's body and delimited by side panels, at least laterally. These equipped units, if they are of the portable type, generally have the appearance of a bag made of flexible plastic material for example, which is opened for use so as to provide, in addition to object-carrying compartments, a non-rigid flat portion intended for forming the rest surface. An example of this kind of units is described in patent No. US 4,781,277. Use of a portable bag-shaped unit of the above mentioned type needs provision of an appropriate support surface because, due to the flexibility of the materials forming it, it must be supported over the whole lower surface thereof when extended in the operating open position. The required availability of said support surface may often constitute under particular situations, on a journey for example, an insurmountable hindrance greatly limiting practical and widespread use of these portable units. In addition, at all events, although the above described equipped units are provided with a support surface, they may not be quite safe as they are subjected to dangerous displacements over the support surface itself, due to the baby's movements. It is also known from patent US 5,299,336 a portable diaper changing station for enabling changing of a baby's diaper on a surface having a protruding portion. This device includes a non bendable rigid member and two foldable flap members secured on opposite sides of the rigid member. It is also known, from patent FR 1.063.401, a foldable cushion for changing a baby. His cushion comprises a foldable base member provided with two inclined lateral walls for delimiting laterally the cushion thus preventing the baby from falling. Also known are facilities for changing clothes to a baby which are of a non-portable type and consist of stiff structures to be placed astride the sides or edges of a cot or a small bath or to be secured to an appropriate stand. The last-mentioned facilities, while being practical and steady, are not adapted for transport due to their bulkiness. In addition, they are not generally provided with spaces or compartments to keep all objects normally used for changing clothes to a baby in an orderly and gathered manner. Under this situation, it is a general aim of the present invention to devise a portable unit for changing clothes to a baby or carrying out personal hygiene of same capable of overcoming the limits of portable units of known type and non-transportable facilities. Within the scope of this general aim it is an important object of the present invention to devise a handy portable unit of practical and safe use. The specified aim and object are achieved by a portable unit for changing clothes to a baby or carrying out personal hygiene of same, as defined in claim 1. Description of a preferred embodiment of a portable unit for changing clothes to a baby in accordance with the invention is now given hereinafter by way of non-limiting example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the unit in accordance with the invention in a completely open position; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the unit in Fig. 1 in a closed position; Figs. 3 and 4 show two intermediate opening steps of the unit, before fastening to a bathtub; Fig. 5 shows means for anchoring the unit in Fig. 1 to a bathtub or the sides of a cot; Fig. 6 is a section taken along plane VI-VI in Fig. 5 with the unit applied to the bathtub; Fig. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the anchoring means; Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the anchoring means of the unit in Fig. 1 applied to a cot's sides. With reference to the drawings, the portable unit for changing clothes to a baby in accordance with the invention has been generally identified by reference numeral 1. It comprises a substantially rigid and flat base body coated on top with a padding or a removable mat 3 and having sizes adapted to support a lying baby weighing 15 kg at most, for example. Rotatably in engagement with the base body 2, around rotation axes 4 (Fig. 3) disposed at the longitudinal sides 2a of the base body 2 itself, are two movable wings 5 shiftable between a closed position in which they are superposed on said body (see Fig. 2) and an operating open position (see Figs. 1 and 3) in which they are disposed externally of the base body 2 so as to define a pair of lateral-containment side panels. More particularly, the movable wings 5 have inner faces 5a suitably coated with a padded cover and superposed on mat 3 in a closed position, being inclined at an obtuse angle relative to the surface defined by the base body 2 when the movable wings 5 are in said operating open position. In addition, the movable wings 5 are completely hollow so that object-holders 6 to be closed by doors 7 can be provided, which are adapted to house the material habitually used for baby-changing operations. Preferably, each of the movable wings 5 has a transverse profile 8 substantially shaped in the form of a right-angled trapezium comprising a major base 8a corresponding to the inner face 5a and a vertex 8b corresponding to the intersection between the major base itself 8a and the oblique side 8c, substantially disposed at the rotation axis 4. The angle formed by the oblique side 8c defining an outer face 5b (Fig. 2) with the major base 8s is to be suitably selected so that, when said outer face 5b is aligned with the plane defined by the base body 2, the inner face 5a is inclined to the latter at the desired obtuse angle. In addition, disposed close to side 8d orthogonal to the trapezium base is door 7. Thus, the above described unit can be used for clothes changing or personal hygiene of a baby by merely laying it down on a table or another appropriate support. Advantageously, also provided is anchoring means 9 for the base body 2 and a support 10 employed during use for holding up an end portion 2b of the base body itself. Practically, the support 10 can be defined, for example, by the front vertical wall of a bathtub on the upper edges of which unit 1 bears, forming a bridge over it, in such a manner that the rear edge 2c of the base body 2 abuts against a surface 11 of the wall to which the bathtub is applied. The anchoring means 9 comprises an abutment element 12 to be operatively disposed at a position projecting from the lower surface 2d of the base body 2 and adapted to abut against a vertical region 10a of support 10. In addition, the anchoring means 9 comprises adjustment members 13 for the abutment element 12 adapted to fasten the latter to a plurality of positions distributed along the longitudinal-extension direction of the base body 2, so that the abutment element itself 12 can be always disposed close to said vertical region 10a of support 10 irrespective of the distance of the support from the abutment surface 11. More specifically, the abutment element 12 has a substantially fork-shaped conformation comprising a crosspiece 12a and two tailpieces 12b insertable in a pair of longitudinal slits 2a formed in the base body 2. The adjustment members 13 comprise a plurality of seats 13a made up of two elements having rectangular teeth 13b, integral with the base body and disposed sideways with respect to slits 2e. The shape of seats 13a matches that of the section of the crosspiece 2a, so that the latter is locked when fitted in said seats. In accordance with an alternative embodiment of Fig. 7, the abutment elements 12 may consist of pins 12c, possibly joined by the above mentioned crosspiece 12a, whereas the adjustment members 13 may consist of holes 13c formed in the base body 2. Advantageously, for a finer adjustment and better adaptation to the bathtub, holes 13c may be arranged in echelon formation. Finally, with reference to Fig. 8, the portable unit 1 is provided with dual anchoring means 9 to enable application to a cot. In this case support 10 is embodied by the opposite sides 14 of the cot. Use of a portable unit for changing clothes to a baby, described above mainly as regards structure, is as follows. For transportation, the movable wings 5 are placed in superposed relationship with the base body 2 so that the unit becomes an object of reduced and handy bulkiness. When the unit is to be used, availability of a true support surface is not required because, due to the base body stiffness, it is sufficient for said base body to be supported at two end portions. For instance, the base body may be advantageously placed on the upper edges of a bathtub pushing the rear edge 2c thereof against the abutment surface 11 of the wall adjoining the tub (see Fig. 6), or on the opposite sides 14 of cot. Afterwards, for unit opening, the movable wings 5 are rotated until their outer faces 5b are brought in abutment against said upper edges of the tub and therefore in alignment with the plane defined by the base body 2 (see Fig. 3). Subsequently, the anchoring means 9 is set up by fitting the abutment element 12, after partly raising mat 3, into the longitudinal slits 2e, taking care to choose those seats 13a of the crosspiece 12a that are adapted to position tailpieces 12b as close as possible to the vertical region 10a of the bathtub front wall acting as a support (see Figs. 5 and 6). Alternatively, fastening of unit 1 can be obtained by fitting pins 12c into corresponding holes 13c. When this quick and simple preparatory step has been completed, the unit is ready for baby-changing operations. The invention achieves important advantages. In fact, first of all the above-described equipped portable unit is very versatile as it can be used without particular rest surfaces being available but merely making use of the edges of a bathtub or the sides of a cot, for example. In addition it is very steady and it is not subjected to displacements during the baby-changing operations as it can be easily fastened to the support on which it rests. Finally, the unit in accordance with the invention, due to its folding movable wings, enables a reduced bulkiness to be obtained, when closed, as compared with units of rigid structure of the non-transportable type, the dimensions of the base body rest surface being the same.

Claims: A portable unit for changing clothes to a baby or carrying out personal hygiene of same, comprising: a substantially flat base body (2) and a pair of movable wings (5) rotatably in engagement, on opposite sides, with said base body (2) and shiftable between a closed position and an operating open position in which the movable wings (5) are disposed externally of said body, said movable wings (5) being rotatably engaged around rotation axes (4) disposed at the longitudinal sides (2a) of the base body itself in a manner adapted to define, in said operating open position, a pair of lateral-containment side panels, characterized in that : said base body (2) is substantially stiff and adapted to support the body of a lying baby, and in that : in said closed position said movable wings (5) are superposed on the base body, each of said movable wings (5) having an inner face (5a) substantially superposed on said base body (2) and in said operating open position said inner face (5a) is inclined at an obtuse angle relative to the surface defined by the base body. A unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said movable wings (5) are provided with at least one closable object-holding space (6). A unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises anchoring means (9) of said base body (2) and a support (10) to be employed when the unit is in use, for bearing an end portion 2b of the base body itself thereon. A unit as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that said anchoring means (9) comprises an abutment element (12) to be operatively disposed in a position at which it projects from the lower surface (2d) of said base body (2) and adapted to abut against a substantially vertical region (10a) of said support (10). A unit as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that said anchoring means (9) comprises adjustment members (13) for said abutment element (12) adapted to fasten said element to the base body (2) in a plurality of positions distributed along the longitudinal-extension direction of the base body itself. A unit as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that said abutment element (12) has a substantially forkshaped conformation comprising a crosspiece (12a) and two tailpieces (12b) insertable in a pair of longitudinal slits (2e) formed in the base body (2). A unit as claimed in claims 5 and 6, characterized in that said adjustment members (13) comprise a plurality of seats (13a) adapted to house and lock said crosspiece in said plurality of positions. A unit as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that said abutment element comprises pins (12c) intended for fitting into holes (13c) formed in the base body (2) and constituting said adjustment members (12). A unit as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that said holes (13c) are arranged in echelon formation. A unit as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each of said movable wings (5) has a transverse profile substantially in the form of a right-angled trapezium.

Inventors: ERLI PIERANGELO, ERLI, PIERANGELO
Applicants: STAMP SRL, STAMP S.R.L.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: A47D5
IPC codes: A47D5, A47D15