Patent Publication Number: US-9420899-B2

Title: High-chair with tray easily connectable to support legs of its structure when the tray is not in use

Description:
The present invention relates to a children&#39;s high-chair in accordance with the introduction to the main claim. 
     A usual high-chair is known to comprise a support structure for a seat, said structure comprising a pair of spaced-apart arm rests arranged to removably support a tray. Said tray can be easily used to support toys or plates or cups for feeding a child positioned in the seat. 
     It is known to separate this tray, for example to enable the child to be brought close to a table. In that case, it is also known to associate said tray with the high-chair rear legs, to enable it to be always maintained associated with the high-chair structure when not in use. For this purpose, different methods are available for coupling the tray to said legs, methods which however present various problems, for example related to the possible separation of the tray from said legs when the high-chair is moved, or the difficulty of coupling said tray to the legs. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a high-chair presenting a removable tray which can be easily coupled to the high-chair legs when separated from the high-chair. 
     Another object is to provide a high-chair of the stated type having a tray which is easy to couple to and separate from the high-chair. 
     Another object is to provide a high-chair the tray of which is of simple construction and use. 
     These and other objects which will be apparent to the expert of the art are attained by a high-chair in accordance with the accompanying claims. 
    
    
     
       The present invention will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings, which are provided by way of non-limiting example and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a high-chair according to the invention with a tray in its position of use; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a high-chair with the tray in its separated non-use position; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the step of coupling the tray of  FIG. 2  to the high-chair structure; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial perspective near view of a part of the high-chair during its coupling to the tray; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the tray of the high-chair of  FIG. 1  seen from above, with a part removed for greater clarity; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the tray of  FIG. 5  seen from below; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of a part indicated by A in  FIG. 5 ; and 
         FIG. 8  is a partial perspective view of the tray during its coupling to the high-chair into its position of use. 
     
    
    
     With reference to said figures, a high-chair is indicated overall by 1 and comprises a structure  2 , preferably foldable, supporting a seat  3  in known manner. The structure comprises a pair of front legs  4  and  5  and a pair of rear legs  6  and  7 , the legs  4  and  5  slidingly supporting the seat  3  in known manner, which can hence be positioned at different heights along said legs  4  and  5  from a support surface for the high-chair. 
     The seat  3 , of known type, comprises two arm rests  11  and  12  positioned spaced-apart and adapted to support a tray  15  which can assume a working position ( FIG. 1 ) in which it is associated with said arm rests ( FIG. 1 ) and a rest or “put-away” position ( FIG. 2 ) in which it is associated with the rear legs  6  and  7  of the structure  2 . 
     More particularly, the tray  15  comprises a body  20  having an upper surface  21  and a lower surface  22 . These surfaces pertain to corresponding portions  23  and  24  of the body  20 , they being coupled together in known manner to define an internal cavity  26  of the tray  15 . Two pairs  28  of shoulders  29  and  30  branch from the lower surface  22  of the tray to define a seat  31  for the corresponding arm rest which is relatively disposed in this seat when the tray is in its position of use. Coupling elements  36  project from a wall  32  of the shoulder  30  of each pair of shoulders  27 , to cooperate with seats  37  provided in the corresponding arm rest  11  or  12 , to hence enable the tray  15  to be fitted to these latter. 
     At least one coupling element  41  projects from a seat  40  of the shoulder  29  of each shoulder pair  28  on a side  29 A thereof external to the seat  31 , and is movable within said seat  40  to cooperate with a counter-element or recess  42  made in a corresponding rear leg  6  and  7  of the structure  2  of the high-chair  1 , to enable the tray to be coupled to these latter when not in use (see  FIG. 2 ). 
     At least the coupling elements  41  and preferably and advantageously also the coupling elements  36  are associated with corresponding supports  45  inserted into the cavity  26  of the tray  15  and translating on the portion  24  under the guidance of lateral shoulders  47  and  48  and of a central shoulder  49  of C-shaped cross-section. More particularly, each support  45  has a substantially hollow (at  56 ) annular shape of rectangular perimeter. Recesses  50  are provided in opposing lesser-length sides  49 A,  49 B in the support  45 , into which the shoulders or projections  47 ,  48  jutting from the portion  24  in said cavity  26  are inserted. These projections laterally guide the movement of the support  45  along a face  54  of the portion  24  inside the cavity  26 . 
     Each support also presents two projecting parts  60  and  61  on the two major-length sides  57  and  58 . The projecting part  60  defines a recess  60 A, open towards the interior of the support  45 , which houses a first end  63  of a spiral spring  64  the other end of which is inserted into the C-shaped shoulder  49  open towards the part  60 . This shoulder  49 , rising from the face  54  of the portion  24 , is of lesser width than the recess  60 A and can penetrate into this latter following a movement of the support  45  on the face  54  of the portion  24 , this translatory movement being guided by said projections  47 ,  48  and by the part  60  itself. 
     The other projecting part  61  of the support  45  extends outwards from this latter and presents a projection  70 , mounted on which there is the end  71  of a flexible element  72  (inserted in a channel  90 ) rigid with a handle  73  slidingly associated with the tray  15  and movable therein in a guided manner (by pins  75  inserted into a recess or slot  76  of the handle  73  from the face  54 ). The handle projects from the lower surface  21  of the tray  15  in grippable manner (see  FIG. 3 ). 
     The movement guided by the handle relative to the pins  75  enables the supports  45  to be moved (by pulling the flexible elements or linkages  72 , see arrow F in  FIG. 5 ) against corresponding springs  64  and hence cause the coupling elements  36  and  41  rigid with said supports to enter the corresponding seats. On releasing the handle, said elements again leave the respective seats as the springs  64  urge the supports into their rest position (in which these elements project from the seats). In this manner, by applying a traction force (arrow W of  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) to the handle  73 , the coupling elements  36  leave the seats  37  of the arm rests while the tray  15  is in cooperation with these latter, so that it can overcome them and be associated with the legs  6  and  7 . Vice versa, when the tray is in this rest position, operating the handle  73  (arrow W) causes the elements  41  to emerge from the recesses  42  of the legs  6  and  7 , enabling the tray to be separated from them and be associated with the arm rests. 
     It should be noted that the (movable) elements  36  and  41  present, when at rest (i.e. with the supports  45  thrust to their limit position by the springs  64 ), a portion  85  projecting from the corresponding seat  40  and  35  (respectively) and having a shape which tapers towards a free end  86 , with its inclined surface extending towards the lower surface  22  of the tray  15 . This portion also comprises a flat zone  87  terminating at said end  86  which faces and is substantially parallel to the surface  22 . This means that when the tray is rested on the legs  6  and  7  with the elements  41  at the recesses  42  or close to them (by being slid along these legs as far as the recesses), these elements enter their seats  40  by being relatively thrust by the legs  6 ,  7  which slide relative thereto on the inclined surface portions  85 ; this is achieved without operating the handle  73 . When these elements have completely (or substantially totally) entered said seats, they can be moved exactly in front of the recesses  42  such that they can enter these latter. 
     This movement of insertion into said recesses takes place totally automatically by virtue of the presence of the springs  64  acting on the supports  45 . 
     This occurs in the same manner for the elements  36  with regard to the seats  37 . The arrangement of these latter along each arm rest enables the position of the tray  15  to be adjusted along it, such as to approach the child seated in the seat to a lesser extent. 
     In the same manner, with the elements  36  inserted in the seats  37  or with the elements  41  inserted in the recesses  42 , the tray  15  can be separated from the arm rests  11 ,  12  or from the legs  6  and  7  of the structure  2 , respectively. This is achieved by forcing (or pulling) the tray away from the structure (with one or two hands); this action and the relative action of the arm rests or of the legs on the movable elements  36  and  41  causes these latter to enter the respective seats against the action of the corresponding springs and enables the tray  15  to be separated from the structure  2 . 
     The invention is very easy to use, as is apparent from the aforegoing, and is of simple construction. It presents a small number of components, enabling product costs to be reduced. 
     A preferred embodiment of the invention has been described. Others are however possible and are to be considered as falling within the scope of the invention.