Patent Publication Number: US-7722118-B2

Title: Repositionable child support device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/778,065, filed Mar. 2, 2006 and entitled “Repositionable Child Support Device”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in it entirety. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed toward a child support device and, in particular, to an infant glider including a repositionable seat. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Child receiving seats are often used to soothe a restless child. For example, bouncers and swings provide a gentle rocking motion to the seat, comforting the infant positioned therein. Similarly, infant gliders include a seat that moves back and forth along a base to provide a continuous, oscillating motion that comforts a child positioned in the seat. Current gliders, however, are unidirectional—the seat is capable of being positioned in only one direction with respect to the direction of seat oscillation. Consequently, as the glider moves, the child faces only one direction (e.g., the child faces forward as the seat glides in a back to front motion). It would be desirable to provide a glider with a seat that is capable of multiple orientations, wherein a child can face multiple directions during the motion of the toy to heighten the soothing experience. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention generally relates to a repositionable child support device and, more specifically, to an infant glider including a base, a carriage moveable with respect to the base (in an oscillating, gliding motion), and a seat supported above the base capable of being rotated from a first seat facing position to a second seat facing position, and vice versa. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a repositionable child support device according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the seat of the child support device oriented in a side facing position. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of the child support device shown in  FIG. 1 , with the soft goods material removed to reveal the seat frame. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of the child support device shown  FIG. 2 , with the upper part of the seat frame seat removed. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a bottom view of the child support device shown in  FIG. 1 , showing the motor-driven, oscillating glider carriage. 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate close-up views of the glider carriage of  FIG. 4 , showing the driving mechanism operable to move the carriage from a first carriage position to a second carriage position. 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate schematic diagrams of the electronics assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates an exploded view of the base and carriage of the child support device of  FIG. 1 , showing the seat reorientation mechanism. 
       FIGS. 9-10  illustrate perspective views of the child support device of  FIG. 1 , showing engagement of the seat reorientation mechanism to reorient the seat from a first seat facing position to a second seat facing position. 
   

   Like reference numerals have been used to identify like elements throughout this disclosure. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   In accordance with the present invention, a child support device is disclosed.  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the child support device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the child support device  10  includes a child-receiving or seat portion  100  and a base portion  200 . The seat portion  100  comprises a structure operable to support an infant above the base  200 . The seat portion  100  may include soft goods material  105  draped over a frame  110  (the frame is best seen in  FIG. 2 ). The frame  110  may be formed from generally rigid material including, but not limited to, metal and plastic. The soft goods material  105  (e.g., a soft fabric formed from natural or synthetic materials) is typically draped over the sections of the frame  110  to provide a seating region capable of supporting an infant in a seated and/or a supine position. The soft goods material  105  may be designed to fit securely and snugly onto the sections of the frame  110 . The soft goods material  105 , moreover, may be removable and washable. 
     FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the child support device  10  with the soft goods material  105  removed from the frame  110  for clarity. As illustrated, the frame  110  may include an upper section  120  and a lower section  130 . The upper frame section  120  may comprise a U-shaped bar including a first end  122 , a curved intermediate portion  124 , and a second end  126 . Similarly, the lower frame section  130  may comprise a U-shaped bar including a first end  132 , a curved intermediate portion  134 , and a second end  136 . One or both of the frame sections  120 ,  130  may further comprise a slight downward bend along its curved intermediate portion  124 ,  134  (i.e., along the bend of the “U”). That is, the intermediate portions  124 ,  134  may be canted (bent) slightly downward (toward the base  200  and/or supporting surface  205 ). For example, the intermediate portions  124 ,  134  may be canted at an angle of approximately 30° with respect to the ends  122 ,  126 ,  132 , and  136 . This configuration provides a deeper seat pocket (created by the soft goods  105  on frame  110 ) when compared to conventional child seats (without the canted frame sections), thus providing a more comfortable resting place for a child. Additional details regarding the canting of the child seat are provided in U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2004-0217643 (Piwko et al.), the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
   Each frame section  120 ,  130  couples to a pair of connection members or hubs  140 ,  150 , which, in turn, couples the frame  100  to the base  200 . The hubs  140 ,  150  include receptacles operable to receive and secure at least a portion of each of the ends  122 ,  126 ,  132 , and  136  therein. Specifically, the first ends  122 ,  132  are received by a first hub  140  and the second ends  126 ,  136  are received by a second hub  150 . The upper and lower sections  120 ,  130  of the frame  110  may be secured to the hubs  140 ,  150  in any conventional manner (friction fit, spring biased tabs, fasteners, etc). When secured to the hubs  140 ,  150 , the upper section  120  of the frame  110  may be positioned such that it is tilted from a generally vertical axis, while the lower section  130  may be positioned generally parallel to the supporting (horizontal) surface  205 . With this configuration, the upper section  120  of the frame  110  forms the support for the head and torso of a child, while the lower section  130  of the frame  110  forms a support area for the legs and feet of a child. 
     FIG. 3  is perspective view of the base  200  with the frame  110  removed for clarity. The base  200  includes a structure operable to support the seat portion  100  above a supporting surface  205 . In the embodiment shown, the base includes a housing  210  and a carriage or platform  300  adapted to move with respect to the housing. The housing  210  and carriage  300  may be formed from any suitable materials including, but not limited to, plastic, metal, wood, etc. The housing  210  may be of any size and/or shape; however, by way of example only, the housing  210  is illustrated herein as having a substantially rectangular shape with a top surface  220  and four generally vertical sidewalls—a front wall  230 A, a rear wall  230 B, a first side wall  230 C, and a second side wall  230 D. A switch plate  250 , housing the various operational switches (discussed in detail below), is incorporated into the front wall  230 A of the housing  210 . The seat portion  100  is fixed to the carriage  300 , which, in turn, is movably coupled the housing  210 . Specifically, a pedestal assembly  310  extends from the upper surface of the carriage  300  and through an opening  240  formed into the top surface  220  of the housing  210 . The opening  240  defines the general limits through which the seat portion  100  may travel with respect to the housing  210  (i.e., the opening defines the predetermined travel path of the seat portion  100 ). The pedestal assembly  310  is connected to the seat portion  100  via one or more connection rods  160 . 
   As indicated above, the carriage  300  is adapted to move with respect to the housing  210  (and thus the supporting surface  205 ).  FIG. 4  is a bottom plan view of the base  200  illustrated in  FIG. 3 . As shown, the housing  210  contains a first track  250 A and a second track  250 B spaced in parallel relation and extending from the front wall  230 A to the rear wall  230 B. The carriage  300 , moreover, includes a first pair of wheels  320  and a second pair of wheels  330 . The first pair of wheels  320  is adapted to move (roll) along the first track  250 A; similarly, the second pair of wheels  330  is adapted to move (roll) along the second track  250 B. The carriage  300  is driven along the tracks via a drive assembly. The drive assembly may include a motor  350  disposed proximate the center of the carriage  300 . The motor  350  may comprise any motor operable to generate suitable motion of the carriage. By way of specific example the motor may comprise a normal magnet motor (RF-500TB motor, available from Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd., Troy, Mich. (www.mabuchi-motor.co.jp)). The motor  350  rotates a generally vertical shaft  360  coupled to a crank  370 . The crank  370  has one end fixed to the shaft  360  and its other end pivotally connected to a rod  380  at point  385 . The rod  380 , in turn, is pivotally connected to the housing  210  along the inner surface of the rear wall  230 B at point  410 . In operation, the motor  350  rotates the shaft  360 , causing a corresponding rotation in the crank  370  about the shaft. 
     FIGS. 5A and 5B  are close-up views of the motor  350 , showing the rotation of the crank  370  by the shaft  360 . As the motor drives the crank  370  (indicated by arrow R in  FIG. 5B ), the crank applies a pushing/pulling force to the rod  380 , causing the wheeled carriage  300  to be pulled along the tracks, i.e., the rod  380  pulls the carriage  300  toward the rear wall  230 B or pushes the carriage away from the rear wall (and toward the front wall  230 A). In this manner, the carriage  300  is driven such that it rolls along the tracks  250 A,  250 B of the housing  210  in a back-and-forth, gliding motion. As explained above, the seat portion  100  connects to the carriage  300  via the pedestal  310 ; consequently as the carriage  300  moves, the seat portion  100  oscillates (front to back) with respect to the housing  210  (discussed in greater detail below). 
   The housing  210  may further include an electronics assembly  400  adapted to control the motor  350 , as well as to generate sensory stimulating output.  FIGS. 6 and 7  collectively represent schematic diagrams of the electronics assembly  400  according to an embodiment of the present invention. Generally, the electronics assembly  400  may include a control unit having one or more switches or actuators that correspond to the various interactive features of the child support device  10 . Each switch may comprise, but is not limited to, a mechanical switch (pressure sensitive, contact, push, pivot, and slide), an electrical switch, a magnetic switch, an optical switch, etc. The number of switches is not limited that that which is illustrated herein. By way of example, as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the electronics assembly  400  may include a first switch  410  (SW 1 A/SW 1 B), a second switch  420  (SW 2 A/SW 2 B), and a third switch  430  (SW 3 ), each in communication with a control unit  440 . 
   The first switch  410  (comprising switch poles SW 1 A and SW 1 B), may be configured to provide power to the control unit  440  of the child support device  10  (i.e., to turn the device  10  on and to provide power to speaker, etc.), as well as to control the parameters of the motor  350 , e.g., to set the speed at which the motor  350  rotates the post  360  and, as such, the oscillatory speed of the carriage  300  and the seat portion  100 . By way of example, the speed control unit can be any suitable control circuit capable of varying the current to the motor  350 , such as a pulse width modulation control, a rheostatic control, etc. The second switch  420  (comprising switch poles SW 2 A and SW 2 B) may be configured to alter the sensory output of the child support device  10 , e.g., by changing the type of music generated by the control unit  440 . The third switch  430  (SW 3 ) may be configured to adjust the output volume of the speaker  450  (hi/lo). The child support device  10  may also include sensory output generating devices including, but not limited to, a speaker  450  (e.g., a 0.25 W, 50 mm, 16 ohm speaker and lights  460 ) and lights (e.g., grain of wheat (GOW) or light emitting diodes (LEDs)). The electronics assembly  400  of the child support device  10  may further include a power source  470 . The power source may comprise a direct current source or alternating current source (e.g., a standard outlet plug or four “D-cell” batteries). 
   The motor  350 , each of the switches  410 ,  420 ,  430 , the speaker  450 , the lights  460 , and the power source  470  are each operatively connected to the control unit  440 , which is capable of producing switch-specific electronic output. The type of control unit  440  is not limited to that which is illustrated herein, and may include microcontrollers, microprocessors, and other integrated circuits. By way of specific example, the control unit  440  may comprise a speech and melody processor (e.g., the W567S120 processor, available from Winbond Electronics Corporation of America, San Jose, Calif. (www.winbond-usa.com)). The control unit  440  recognizes and controls signals generated by the various switches  410 ,  420 ,  430 , as well as generates and controls operational output directed through various sensory generating devices (e.g., the motor  350 , the speaker  450 , and the lights  460 ). The control unit  440  continually monitors the electronic status of the various switches, generating and altering the sensory output (e.g., movement, sounds, and/or lights) accordingly. 
   In addition to being configured to move with respect to the base, the seat portion  100  of the child support device  10  is further configured for reorientation. Specifically, the seat portion  100  is adapted to rotate from a first seat-facing position to a second seat-facing position, and vice versa.  FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the base  200  and pedestal assembly  310  of the child support device  10 , showing the seat reorientation mechanism in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As illustrated, the pedestal assembly  310  includes a generally annular collar  315  coupled to a cap  325  such that the connection rods  160  extending from the hubs  140 ,  150  are captured therebetween. The cap  325  may couple to the collar  315  in any conventional manner (fasteners, etc.). By way of specific example, a retainer  327  may be disposed within the collar to receive fasteners that secure the cap  325  to the collar  315 . 
   The collar  315  is configured to extend through the opening  240  of the housing  210  and slidingly engage a boss  340  extending up from the upper surface of the carriage  300 . A washer  345  may be captured between the collar  315  and the boss  340 , providing a desired degree of friction between the boss  340  and the collar  315 . With this configuration, the collar  315  may be rotated about the boss  340  in any degree of rotation (0° to 360°) by simply applying a rotary force to the collar  315  (via application of rotational force to the seat portion  100 ). The amount of friction between the collar  315  and the boss  340  should be sufficient to maintain the collar stationary until the amount of rotational force necessary to overcome the weight of the child in the seat portion  100  is applied. 
     FIGS. 9 and 10  are front perspective views of the child support device  10  of  FIG. 1 . With the above-described configuration, the orientation of the seat portion  100  of the child support device  10  may be altered. For example, the seat portion may be moved from a first seat-facing position, in which the seat portion  100  faces forward (e.g., toward the front wall  230 A of the housing  210  as illustrated in  FIG. 9 ), to a second seat-facing position, in which the seat faces sideways (e.g., toward second side wall  230 D of the housing  210  as illustrated in  FIG. 10 ). This seat reorientation enables a parent to position a child supported on the seat portion  100  in any desired direction. Thus, when the seat portion  100  is positioned such that the child faces forward and the motor is activated, the child will experience a front-to-back motion (as in  FIG. 9 ). Alternatively, when the seat portion  100  is positioned such that the child faces sideways ( FIG. 10 ), the child will experience a side-to-side motion (as in  FIG. 10 ). 
   In this manner, the seat portion  100  may be reoriented with respect to the base  200  while coupled thereto; furthermore, the drive assembly may be engaged to drive the seat portion along its travel path, regardless of the orientation of the seat. The child support device  10  of the prevent invention further permits a parent to easily position a child such that the parent can see him/her, providing not only for the child&#39;s comfort, but assisting a parent in monitoring the child. 
   While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. For example, the child support device  10  can be of any size and shape. Any seat suitable to support a child may be used. The material comprising the frame  110  is not limited to that illustrated herein, and may include tubes comprising metal (e.g., aluminum or steel). The electronics assembly  400  in accordance with the present invention may include any combination of sensors, switches, lights, speakers, animated members, motors, and sensory output generating devices. The control unit  440  may produce any combination of audio and visual effects including, but not limited to, animation, lights, and sound (music, speech, and sound effects). The output pattern is not limited to that which is discussed herein and includes any pattern of music, lights, and/or sound effects. The electronics assembly  400  may also include additional switches or sensors to provide additional sensory output activation without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
   The seat portion  100  may be rotationally reoriented about an axis generally perpendicular to the base  200  (as described above) in any desired degree including, but not limited to, 360° of rotation. For example, the seat portion may rotate about a generally vertical axis, rotating approximately 90° from the first seat facing position to the second seat facing position. Although first and second seat facing positions are illustrated, the device  10  may be configured for additional seat facing positions. Additionally, the seat portion  100  may be adapted to pivot about a generally horizontal axis to provide a seat recline feature. 
   The type of seat position reorientation mechanism is not particularly limited to that depicted herein, and includes mechanisms operable to permit the repositioning of the seat about an axis generally perpendicular to the base. The rotation of the seat portion  100  may be secured via friction (as described above), or may be secured by a lock mechanism operable to secure the seat in any desired position (e.g., with the seat portion  100  facing the front, side, or back walls of the housing  210 ). With regard to the disclosed embodiment, the boss  340  and collar  315  may comprise any size and shape sufficient to permit the reorientation of the seat portion  100  with respect to the base  200 . 
   Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. For example, it is to be understood that terms such as “left”, “right” “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “rear”, “side”, “height”, “length”, “width”, “upper”, “lower”, “interior”, “exterior”, “inner”, “outer” and the like as may be used herein, merely describe points of reference and do not limit the present invention to any particular orientation or configuration.