Patent Publication Number: US-7717504-B2

Title: Child seat apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   The present application claims priority to U.S. Ser. No. 60/959,408, filed on Jul. 13, 2007, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 

   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates generally to a child seat apparatus, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an improved child seat apparatus for preventing food and objects from falling to the floor. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   A family with small children, such as babies or toddlers, who go to a restaurant or other such facility for dining often utilize a standard restaurant high chair or child seat. Typically, the standard restaurant high chair or child seat is made from wood, plastic or other such material and only includes a place for the child to sit. The high chair provides restraints, such as a belt, to be placed around the waist of the child placed therein. The child is strapped in the high chair, and the high chair is typically positioned in proximity to the table so that the child utilizes a table surface for eating or performing other activities, such as playing with a toy, coloring, etc. 
   Typically, small children tend to throw or drop food, toys, or other such objects on the floor or ground while sitting at the table in a restaurant. The dropping of toys or food can disrupt a table conversation, creates noise and distraction, requires the parent or care giver to repeatedly pick the dropped toys off the floor causing frustration to both child and parent and also precludes re-use of the toy or food because of contact with the floor. 
   In addition, high chairs are normally not very clean having been dirtied by other children when dining at a restaurant. Typically, a child places their hands or mouth on the high chair surfaces, thus placing the child in contact with bacteria and other various disease-causing germs that may lead to illness. 
   To this end, although child seat covers of the existing art are operable, further improvements are desirable to enhance the use of a child seat apparatus which functions to prevent food, toys and other objects from falling to the floor, prevent child contact with the high chair and table surfaces, and extend the reachable playing surface for the child. It is to such a child seat apparatus that at least one embodiment of the present invention is directed. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   To overcome shortcomings of the known art, at least one embodiment of the present invention is directed to a child seat apparatus formed with (i) a seat portion that is sized and dimensioned to receive a child, and (ii) a tray portion adapted to provide a utility surface adjacent to the child for retaining objects within the child&#39;s reach and/or preventing the child from direct contact with a seat or table surface. 
   The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a child seat apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention, the child seat apparatus being disposed on a high chair. 
       FIG. 2  is an elevational, partial cross-section view of a seat portion of the child seat apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a child seat apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a child seat apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a pictorial representation of an embodiment of the child seat apparatus moved between an expanded position and a collapsed position. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the child seat apparatus in the collapsed position being disposed in a bag. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE OF THE INVENTION 
   Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It is emphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion. It is also understood that, for purposes of clarity, like reference numerals identify like structures in each of the figures. 
   Referring now to the drawings, shown therein is a child seat apparatus  10  constructed in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the child seat apparatus  10  being shown disposed on a high chair  12  ( FIG. 1 ). The high chair  12  has a seat  14 , shown in  FIG. 1 , and is a conventional high chair utilized in most restaurants and known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, no further description of the high chair  12  is believed necessary for one of ordinary skill in the art to understand and practice embodiments of the present invention. However, it should be understood that any variety of high chairs may be utilized with the child seat apparatus  10  as long as the child seat apparatus  10  functions in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Further, it should be understood that the child seat apparatus  10  may be adapted to be utilized with any other type of child seat, including but not limited to a car seat, stroller seat, booster seat, Bumbo style baby seat, and the like, for example. 
   The child seat apparatus  10  may be constructed from a light-weight foldable material to enhance portability. Suitable materials for construction include woven, non-woven fabric, flexible plastic film materials such as vinyl, plastics, polymeric materials, and composite materials. The material may be water-resistant or waterproof so that the child seat apparatus  10  may be easily cleaned and/or disinfected after use. However, the child seat apparatus  10  may be constructed from any washable material as well. In addition, the child seat apparatus  10  may be constructed from any disposable material, such as a disposable waxed or coated flexible paper or thin plastic. The child seat apparatus  10  may also be constructed in any of a variety of colors and patterns The child seat apparatus  10  material may also be formed of a mesh or net-like material, designed to catch solid objects but allow fluids to pass. Further, it will be appreciated that the child seat apparatus  10  can be sized and shaped from any suitable material, that (completely or partially) surrounds the child in a manner that prevents objects from escaping the child&#39;s reach, prevents child contact with other surface areas, extends the child&#39;s playing surface, and/or otherwise functions as described herein. 
   In one embodiment, the child seat apparatus  10  includes a body  16  having a seat portion  18  and a tray portion  20 . The seat portion  18  is sized and dimensioned to fit the seat  14  of the high chair  12 , or other suitable seat types. The seat portion  18  may be formed of a selectively expandable material adapted to receive the lower body portion or torso of a child. The seat portion  18  is provided with apertures  22  for allowing legs of a child to be positioned there-through. The apertures  22  are positioned in the seat portion  18  and oriented with the leg opening(s)  23  of the high chair  12 , as necessary, to receive the legs of the child. The seat portion  18  is also provided with apertures  24  for passage of straps  26  that form a high chair belt. Passage of the straps  26  through the apertures  24  allows the straps  26  to be positioned around the child&#39;s waist and fastened, if desired. Belt fasteners are generally known in the art and may include clips, snaps, hook and loop, buckles, and the like, so that the child is secured in the seat portion  18  of the child seat apparatus  10  and to the high chair  12 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the tray portion  20  substantially surrounds the seat portion  18  of the child seat apparatus  10  so as to provide a utility, play and/or eating surface or tray to prevent food, toys, pacifiers, etc., from falling to the floor during restaurant visits. The surface of the tray portion  20  prevents child contact with high chair or table surface areas, and may be sanitized with cleaning agents as desired It should be understood that the tray portion  20  may partially or completely surround the seat portion  18 . In alternative embodiments, however, the tray portion  20  surrounds only a portion of the seat portion  18 . The tray portion  20  may be permanently or removably connected to the seat portion  18 . The tray portion  20  is shown as substantially circular in shape, however, it should be understood that the tray portion  20  may be any shape, such as oval, square, rectangular, triangular, polygonal, quadrilateral, ellipsoidal and the like, for example. Top side restraint straps  32  may be attached to the front and sides of the tray portion  20  for holding toys or other objects within reach of the child to teethe on or play with during restaurant visits. Under side restraint straps (not shown) are optionally attached on the underside of the tray portion  20  or seat portion  18  to secure the child seat apparatus  10  to a child seat or other structure. Fasteners, such as suction cups  30  are optionally attached to the underside of the tray portion  20  for securing the tray portion  20  to a table  35  or other structure. 
   The child seat apparatus  10  includes a loop member  38  attached to the tray portion  20  at a position near the outer perimeter of the tray portion  20 . The loop member  38  keeps the tray portion  20  taut when the child seat apparatus  10  is in an extended position. The loop member  38  may be constructed or formed of any light weight, flexible, foldable or resilient material, such as steel wire, plastic, nylon, etc., that is sized and dimensioned such that the loop member  38  tends to return to such dimension after flexing or bending. The loop member  38  may also be formed of a malleable or impressionable material, such as copper wire, metal alloy or injection molded material that may be shaped and reshaped to achieve a desired dimension, which is useful when the child seat apparatus  10  is set up to rest upon support structures of different heights and sizes. The loop member  38  is flexed to collapse the child seat apparatus  10  into a smaller circular form for storage in a bag or simply for easier movement from one location to another when the child seat apparatus  10  is in a collapsed position (See  FIGS. 5-6 ). The loop member  38  may be covered with a piece of material to attach it to the body  16 , or disposed in a protective channel integrated with a rim  36  extending circumferentially circumferentially around the tray portion  20 , so as to enable the folding features of the child seat apparatus  10 . The protective channel may also prevent contact by a child or other individual with the loop member  38  (See  FIG. 2 ). The loop member  38  may also be removable from the child seat apparatus  10 . In an alternative embodiment, the loop member  38  is rigid so that the body  16  tends to retain a single shape. It should be understood that the shape of the collapsible child seat apparatus  10  may vary depending on the shape of the tray portion  20  of the child seat apparatus  10 . 
   In another embodiment, a border  40  extends in a generally vertical direction a distance from the rim  36  so as to contain food, toys, pacifiers, or other objects that are thrown, dropped or might otherwise be dropped on the floor. The ability to contain food provides benefit to the public health by preventing excessive food scrap under high chars, which when quickly cleaned by staff, often leaves residue and crumbs which attract insects and vermin. The border  40  may be constructed out of the same or different material than that used to construct the tray portion  20 . The border  40  may be permanently or removably connected to the tray portion  20 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , an alternative embodiment is shown of a child seat apparatus  10   a  substantially similar to the child seat apparatus  10  except as described herein. The child seat apparatus  10   a  includes a first tray portion  20   a  and a second tray portion  50 . The second tray portion  50  is a flap having a first end  52  and a second end  54 . The second end  54  of the second tray portion  50  is selectively attachable to the first tray portion  20   a  of the child seat apparatus  10   a , or alternatively, to the seat portion  18  of the child seat apparatus  10   a  and extends out in a direction away from the seat portion  18  of the child seat apparatus  10   a . The first end  52  of the second tray portion  50  is selectively attachable to the table  35  by any suitable fastener known to one of ordinary skill in the art. The first tray portion  20   a  of the child seat apparatus  10   a  is selectively attachable under the table  35  by any suitable fastener known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Fasteners, such as suction cups, may be attached to a front portion of the first tray portion  20   a  or of the second tray portion  50  of the child seat apparatus  10   a  for securing the first tray portion  20   a  or the second tray portion  50  of the child seat apparatus  10  to the table  35 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 4 , another embodiment is shown of a child seat apparatus  10   b  constructed in accordance with the present invention. The child seat apparatus  10   b  includes a body  16   b  and a tray portion  20   b . The tray portion  20   b  is provided with an opening  60  that is sized and dimensioned to receive a lower body portion or a torso of a child. The opening  60  is provided with an edge  62  and may be constructed from an elastic or gathered material so that the child seat apparatus  10   b  may be positioned or fitted about the lower body portion or torso of the child. The edge  62  may also be sized and resized for a close fit to the child&#39;s body to seal out food, toys, other objects or debris. The tray portion  20   b  surrounds at least a portion of the opening  60  so as to provide a surface for preventing an object from falling to the ground. Optionally, a seat portion  18   b  may be connected to the edge  62 . The seat portion  18   b  may be formed of an elastic, gathered, or selectively expandable material that is adapted to size and resize according to the size and shape of a child. In addition, it should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that any means for securing one object to another known in the art, such as a belt, may be utilized with the child seat apparatus  10   b  for securing a child to the child seat apparatus  10   b  and child seat. It will be appreciated that the structures of  FIG. 4  are substantially similar or the same as structures identified by like reference numerals described elsewhere herein. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , in the collapsed position, the child seat apparatus  10  is twisted and folded to collapse the loop member  38  into a smaller diameter form. The seat portion  18  collapses with the tray portion  20  and a bag  56 , or other such portable carrying device, may be used to hold the collapsed child seat apparatus  10  in the collapsed position. The bag  56  may be constructed from the same material as the child seat apparatus  10 . Alternatively, the bag  56  may be constructed from a mesh-like material such as, for example, the mesh bags used to wash delicate fabrics, etc., such that the child seat apparatus  10  may be completely washable in the bag  56 . 
   In the expanded position, the collapsed child seat apparatus  10  is untwisted and unfolded so that the loop member  38  expands to spread out to the substantially circular child seat apparatus  10  such that the seat portion  18  extends down below the tray portion  20 . In the expanded position, the loop member  38  keeps the tray portion  20  taut. 
   Referring now to the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-3 , in use, at a restaurant, the seat portion  18  of the child seat apparatus  10  is positioned in the seat of the high chair  12 . The straps  26  of the high chair belt are passed though the apertures  24 . A child is placed in the seat portion  18  of the child seat apparatus  10  and the straps  26  of the high chair belt are fastened around the child. Toys and food are given to the child. When the toys or food are dropped, the toys or food are contained on the tray portion  20  of the child seat apparatus  10 , e.g., within the child reachable area of the tray portion  20 , thus preventing the toys or food from falling to the floor of the restaurant and extending the play surface. The child seat apparatus  10  may be brought to the restaurant by a family or may be provided to the family by the restaurant. In addition, although an example of use of the child seat apparatus  10  is given in a restaurant, it should be understood that the child seat apparatus  10  may be used anyplace with a high chair so as long as the child seat apparatus  10  functions as described herein. 
   Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.