Patent Publication Number: US-2022211191-A1

Title: Highchair with an automated tray

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/134,706 filed on Jan. 7, 2021 the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present invention relates to the field of highchairs for children, and, more particularly, to a highchair with an automated tray. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Highchairs provide a raised seat for children so that they are at the same height as a table. A removable eating tray is often used so that the child does not eat directly off the table but from his or her own tray. 
     While the tray has been a beneficial attachment and improvement to highchairs, the tray can also be an impediment. For example, when the adult is placing the child into the highchair, the tray must be up. However, often times the tray may be down and the adult has their hands full holding the child. The adult has to then place the child down, move the tray up, and pick the child back up in order to place them into the highchair. This can be a disruptive process to the child and physically straining to the adult. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a highchair that has an improved tray configuration and that is easy to use for adults. 
     SUMMARY 
     A highchair for seating a child is disclosed. The highchair includes a seat configured for a child to sit, and a frame having a first side and a second side. The frame is attached to and supporting the seat at a height. A tray is rotatably secured to the first side of the frame, and an electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism is coupled to the tray and configured to rotate the tray from a down position over the seat to a raised up position. In addition, the highchair may include a pedal coupled to a lower portion of the frame and configured to be pushed by a foot, where the pedal is in electrical communication with the electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism and causes the tray to alternately rotate between the down position over the seat to the raised up position when pushed. The electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism may also be actuated by a voice command and comprise a motor coupled to a linear actuator. In a particular aspect the motor comprises a stepper motor. 
     The highchair may include a bracket secured to the tray, and the bracket may have a spindle passing therethrough. A connector may be coupled between the electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism and the bracket, where the connector is configured to be retracted by the electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism to cause the tray to rotate about the spindle to the raised up position. Similarly, the connector is configured to also be extended in the opposing direction by the electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism to cause the tray to rotate to the down position over the seat. 
     A battery may be used to power the electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism or an alternative source of power such as a wall outlet may be used. The connector may comprise a cable or rod, for example, and be relatively rigid. The frame of the highchair may have four legs that are configured to be collapsed together for storing the highchair and the tray may also be removable from the frame. The electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism may be secured under the seat of the highchair or in any other suitable location. 
     In another aspect, a highchair for seating a child includes a seat configured for a child to sit, a frame having a first side and a second side, where the frame is attached to and supporting the seat at a height, and a tray is rotatably secured to the first side of the frame. The highchair also includes an electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism comprising a motor where the electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism is coupled to the tray and configured to rotate the tray from a down position over the seat to a raised up position. 
     In another aspect, a highchair for seating a child includes a seat, a frame having a first side and a second side, where the frame is attached to and supporting the seat, and a tray rotatably secured to the first side of the frame. The highchair includes a tray adjustment mechanism comprising a motor, a bracket secured to the tray, and a connector coupled between the tray adjustment mechanism and the bracket. The connector is configured to be extended or retracted by the motor to adjust a position of the tray over the seat. 
     In addition, the tray adjustment mechanism may include a receiver so that the tray can be activated using a wireless signal such as Bluetooth, wi-fi, or Alexa, for example. 
     Other aspects, advantages, and features of the present disclosure will become apparent after review of the entire application, including the following sections: Brief Description of the Drawings, Detailed Description, and the Claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a highchair with an automated tray in which various aspects of the disclosure may be implemented; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the highchair of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the highchair of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is s bottom perspective view of the highchair of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom perspective view of a tray of the highchair of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a top perspective view of the highchair of  FIG. 1  having the tray in a raised up position; 
         FIG. 7  is a detailed view of an electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism of the highchair of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of the highchair of  FIG. 1  with the tray in the raised-up position; and 
         FIG. 9  is an elevational view of the highchair of  FIG. 1  in a stowed position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-3 , a highchair with an automated tray, generally designated  100 , includes a frame  102 , a seat  104 , and a tray  106  rotatably coupled to the frame  102 . The frame  102  provides the structural support for the seat  104  that holds the child. In a particular aspect, the frame  102  comprises four legs  108   a ,  108   b ,  108   c ,  108   d.    
     A pedal  202  is secured to one of the legs (e.g.  108   d ) of the frame  102  and is configured to activate the movement of the tray  106 . The pedal  202  is positioned so that it can be pushed with a foot of an adult while holding a child. The pedal  202  is in electrical communication with an electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism  302  that causes the tray  106  to alternately rotate between the down position to the raised up position when pushed. The child can be placed in the seat  104  of the highchair  100  when the tray  106  is rotated to an up position. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism (“tray adjustment mechanism”) is shown secured under the seat  104 .  FIG. 5  illustrates the tray  106  having a lower cover removed so that a bracket  310  secured to the tray  106  is visible. The bracket  310  has a spindle  316  passing therethrough as best seen in  FIG. 7  and allows one side of the tray  106  to serve as the pivot location about which the tray  106  rotates. Also, the tray  106  includes a pair of friction fit receivers  312   a ,  312   b  that are used to clamp each side of the tray  106  to the frame  102  of the highchair  100 . 
     A connector  305  is coupled to the bracket  310  as shown in  FIG. 5 , and to the electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism  302 . The connector  305  is configured to be retracted by the electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism  302  that is located under the seat  104  to cause the tray  106  to rotate about the spindle  316  to the raised up position as shown in  FIG. 6 . Likewise, the connector  305  is configured to be extended by the electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism  302  in the opposing direction to cause the tray  106  to rotate to the down position over the seat  104 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , the tray adjustment mechanism is coupled to the connector  305 . In particular, the connector  305  is coupled to a motor  306 . As explained above, the electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism  302  causes the tray  106  to rotate up when the pedal  202  is pushed by retracting the connector  305 . Thus, moving the tray  106  to the up position in a hands free operation and allows the adult to hold the child with both hands to place the child in the seat  104 . In addition, the electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism  302  may include a receiver  320  so that the tray  106  can be activated using a wireless signal or audio command such as Bluetooth, wi-fi, or Alexa, for example. 
     The connector  305  has a top end that is connected to the bracket  310  of the tray  106 . The bracket  310  includes a top portion  314  that is secured to the tray  106  and also to the top end of the connector  305 . A bottom end of the connector  305  is connected to a linear actuator  308  of the electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism  302 . The connector  305  may be a cable or rod, for example, and rigid in its longitudinal direction. 
     The electrically driven tray adjustment mechanism  302  is shown in more detail in  FIG. 7  and includes a case  307 . In particular, the tray adjustment mechanism  302  includes a battery  304  that is in electrical communication with an electric motor  306 . The battery  304  may be recharged using the charge port  315 , and an on/off switch  318  may also be configured to switch the tray adjustment mechanism  302  on and off. The electric motor  306  may be configured to drive the linear actuator  308  that is connected to the bottom end of the connector  305 . Accordingly, when the connector  305  is retracted by the linear actuator  308 , that in turn causes the tray  106  to rotate to the raised up position as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     Likewise, when the connector  305  is extended by the linear actuator  308 , that in turn causes the tray  106  to rotate to the down position. As those of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate, the connector  305  may be retracted and extended using different configurations of elements and type of motors. Accordingly, the description provided herein is exemplary in nature rather than limiting. The motor  306  may be a stepper motor, for example. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , the highchair  100  is shown with the frame  104  in a folded and stowed position. The four legs  108   a ,  108   b ,  108   c ,  108   d  are configured to collapse the four legs together for storing the highchair. The tray  106  can also be removed and snapped to one of the legs of the frame  102 . Accordingly, the highchair  100  is compact and is easily stored. 
     The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosed embodiments. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope possible consistent with the principles and novel features as defined herein.