Patent Publication Number: US-2011057484-A1

Title: Ride-on children&#39;s toy

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a ride-on children&#39;s toy, in particular a bicycle or tricycle, with a removable seat, wherein the seat has a retention device which is configured to fasten the seat removed from the children&#39;s toy on a table top. 
     Ride-on children&#39;s toys which can be mounted on a rocker are known from the publications EP 0 906 861 B1, EP 1 308 381 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,847, U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,411 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,499,531. 
     Further known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,842 is a multifunctional children&#39;s toy which can be converted as desired into a scooter, a rocking horse, or a tricycle. 
     Infant seats which can be detachably fastened to table tops of tables are known, for example from the publications DE 846 778 C or DE 105 26 50 B. 
     DE 930 708 B discloses a child seat suitable for various usage purposes which can, for example, be suspended on cords on a swivel arm. 
     Known from DE 198 42 294 C2 is a seat for children which can be detachably fastened on the longitudinal bar of a bicycle. However, the seat can also be placed on the seat surface of a conventional chair and secured by means of arrester hooks. 
     DE 210 00 439 U1 describes a tricycle with a removable child seat, wherein the removable child seat can be fixed to a table top with the aid of a clamping device. The seat has a circumferential safety bar and a retention device fastened thereon. 
     DE 32 12 840 A2 discloses a children&#39;s shell seat which can be fastened to a table top and to a bar of a bicycle frame. 
     A multifunction seat for children which can be fastened to a table top and to a bicycle is also known from the publications CN 101438906 A and CN 201115552 Y. 
     DE 298 22 874 U1 discloses a children&#39;s toy with a receptacle for the attachment of a multifunctional push bar. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of the invention to provide a multifunctional toy having practical possibilities for usage. 
     According to the invention, this is achieved by the seat being detachably connectable to an adjustable-height base plate of the children&#39;s toy, wherein the base plate preferably forms a further seat surface. As a result of the further seat surface, the children&#39;s toy can also be used as a first bike by children who have grown out of the infant seat. 
     The seat can be firmly connected to the children&#39;s toy configured as a children&#39;s vehicle by means of a clamping or screw device. In the state connected to the children&#39;s toy, the seat is located at the driver&#39;s position of the children&#39;s toy. The infant, sitting in the child seat, can therefore actively steer the children&#39;s toy. If desired, a guide rod can be detachably fastened in the area of the backrest of the seat, by which means an adult can guide the children&#39;s toy. Since the seat has a seat plate and a circumferential safety bar located at a distance therefrom, it is already suitable for infants from one year old. A high practical value arises from the possibility of separating the seat from the children&#39;s toy with a few hand movements and fastening it detachably to a table top of a table by means of the retention device. This double functionality of the seat has the advantage that, for example, on excursions with an infant using the children&#39;s toy, no separate infant seat is required for rests since the multifunctional seat forming an infant seat is part of the children&#39;s toy. In order to avoid obstruction or injuries in the mounted state on the children&#39;s toy, the retention device can be pivoted or displaced between a rest position and an operating position. 
     A simple adaptation to the size and age of the child can be achieved if the base plate is connected to the frame of the children&#39;s toy by means of a four-bar linkage comprising a connecting link and two opposite arms. In this case, the base plate can form the connecting link of the four-bar linkage. 
     A further possible use of the seat is afforded if suspension devices for supporting cords of a suspended swing are provided in the area of the safety bar. Thus, the seat can easily be converted into a child&#39;s swing. 
     In a further embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the children&#39;s toy can be detachably connected to a rocker device. By this means the children&#39;s toy can thus be converted very rapidly into a “rocking horse”. 
     In order to ensure high robustness and child safety, the children&#39;s toy consists at least predominantly of wood. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is explained in detail hereinafter with reference to the figures. In the figures 
         FIG. 1  shows a children&#39;s toy according to the invention with mounted seat in a side view; 
         FIG. 2  shows a seat removed from the children&#39;s toy and usable as a child&#39;s swing; 
         FIG. 3  shows a seat of the children&#39;s toy fastened to a table top; 
         FIG. 4  shows the children&#39;s toy with the seat dismounted; and 
         FIG. 5  shows the children&#39;s toy in a state mounted on a rocker device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILLED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The children&#39;s toy, formed in the exemplary embodiment by a bicycle  1  with handlebars  1   a , wheels  2  and stabilizers  2   a , has a four-bar linkage  7  connected to a frame  4  comprising a connecting link  5  and two opposite arms  6 , wherein the connecting link  5  is formed by an adjustable-height base plate  8 . A seat  11  comprising a seat plate  9  and a circumferential safety bar  10  is detachably fastened on the adjustable-height base plate  8 . The fastening is accomplished, for example, by spring clips not shown in further detail. A guide rod  13  can be detachably fastened to the seat  11  in the region of the backrest  12 . The children&#39;s toy  3  can be pushed and guided, for example, by an adult via the guide rod  13 . 
     If necessary, the seat  11  can be released from the base plate  8  with a few hand movements and can be supplied to another function. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the seat  11  can have suspension device  17  for supporting cords  18  of a child&#39;s swing  19  formed by eyes or the like, wherein the suspension device  17  are advantageously arranged on the circumferential safety bar  10 . 
       FIG. 3  shows as an example the seat  11  detachably fastened to a table top  14  of a table  15  by a retention device  16 . The retention device  16 , which can be configured for example as a clamping device, can be pivoted or displaced between an operating position shown in  FIG. 3  and a rest position apparent from  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  shows the children&#39;s seat  3  with the seat  11  dismounted. With the seat  11  dismounted and stabilizers  2   a  possibly dismounted, the children&#39;s toy  3  can also be used for older children as a first bike, wherein the base plate  8  functions as a further seat surface and a bicycle saddle can be subsequently formed thereon. The position and height of the base plate  8  can be broadly adjusted by means of the four-bar linkage  7 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the children&#39;s toy  3  can be fastened on a rocker device  20  and thus used as a rocking horse. For this purpose the frame  4  has suitable working surfaces  21  for a fastening apparatus  22  of the rocker device  20 .