Patent Publication Number: US-6334647-B1

Title: Infant regurgitation measuring chair

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to chairs for infants and more particularly pertains to a new infant regurgitation measuring chair for collecting and measuring the quantity of regurgitation from an infant. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of chairs for infants is known in the prior art. More specifically, chairs for infants heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,045; U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,039; U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,767; U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,220; U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,922; and U.S. Pat. No. 365,936. 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new infant regurgitation measuring chair. The inventive device includes a chair, a tray assembly removably coupled to the chair, and a collection container adapted for receiving the regurgitation of an infant. 
     In these respects, the infant regurgitation measuring chair according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of collecting and measuring the quantity of regurgitation from an infant. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of chairs for infants now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new infant regurgitation measuring chair construction wherein the same can be utilized for collecting and measuring the quantity of regurgitation from an infant. 
     The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new infant regurgitation measuring chair apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the chairs for infants mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new infant regurgitation measuring chair which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art chairs for infants, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a chair, a tray assembly removably coupled to the chair, and a collection container adapted for receiving the regurgitation of an infant. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new infant regurgitation measuring chair apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the chairs for infants mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new infant regurgitation measuring chair which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art chairs for infants, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new infant regurgitation measuring chair which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new infant regurgitation measuring chair which is of a durable and reliable construction. 
     An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new infant regurgitation measuring chair which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such infant regurgitation measuring chair economically available to the buying public. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new infant regurgitation measuring chair which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new infant regurgitation measuring chair for collecting and measuring the quantity of regurgitation from an infant. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new infant regurgitation measuring chair which includes a chair, a tray assembly removably coupled to the chair, and a collection container adapted for receiving the regurgitation of an infant. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new infant regurgitation measuring chair that provides support for an infant while seated, while the infant&#39;s head is reclined, and during regurgitation. 
     Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new infant regurgitation measuring chair that can be quickly disassembled and cleaned. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a new infant regurgitation measuring chair according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic detail view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the present invention taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic detail view of the back adjustment assembly of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5 thereof, a new infant regurgitation measuring chair embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the infant regurgitation measuring chair  10  generally comprises a chair  20 , a tray assembly  40 , and a collection container  50 . 
     The chair  20  includes a back portion  22 , a seat portion  30 , and a pair of selectively removable leg assemblies. 
     The back portion  22  includes a backing member  24  and a pad member  26  covering a front face of the backing member  24 . 
     The pad member  26  extends over an upper edge of the backing member  24 . Thus an upper portion of the pad member  26  is designed for supporting a head of an infant when the infant&#39;s head it tilted back toward the back portion  22 . 
     A front surface of the pad member  26  includes a substantially vertical depression extending between an uppermost edge of the pad member  26  and a lowermost edge of the pad member  26 . Thus the depression is designed receiving the back of the infant for holding the infant in an upright orientation while the infant is seated in the chair  20 . 
     In an embodiment each of the leg assemblies includes a pair of legs  60  and a cross member  62  extending between the legs  60 . 
     Each of a plurality of rubber foot pads  64  is coupled to a distal end of an associated one of the legs  60 . Thus the legs  60  are designed for preventing slippage of the distal ends of the legs  60  along a supporting surface. 
     A pair of back adjustment assemblies  28  is coupled between a lower end of the back portion  22  and a rearward end of the seat portion  30 . Each the back adjustment assembly  28  includes a pair of pivoting arms  27  for facilitating tilting of the back portion  22  relative to the seat portion  30 . 
     Each of the back adjustment assemblies  28  includes a back adjustment locking member  29  for selectively engaging the pivoting arms  27 . Thus the pivoting arms  27  are held in a static position relative to each other. 
     Each of a pair of strap members  32  includes a proximal end coupled to the seat portion  30  of the chair  20 . Each of the strap members  32  includes a distal end. The distal ends of the strap members  32  are couplable to each other. Thus the strap members  32  are designed for securing the infant to the seat portion  30 . 
     A pair of arms  34  is coupled to the seat portion  30  of the chair  20 . 
     Each of a pair of the tray connecting members  42  is coupled to an associated one of the arms  34 . Each of the tray connecting members  42  is cylindrical. 
     A tray assembly  40  is removably couplable to the chair  20 . The tray assembly  20  includes a pair of generally L-shaped connection arms  44 . Each of the connection arms  44  includes a first flange and a second flange. The first flange is slidably insertable into an associated one of the tray connecting members  42 . 
     Each of the tray connecting members  42  includes a tray assembly locking aperture. Each of a pair of tray assembly locking members  46  is threadedly insertable through the tray assembly locking aperture of an associated one of the tray connecting members  42  for permitting adjustable securement of the tray assembly  40  to the chair  20 . 
     The tray assembly  40  includes a tray  48  with a spillway designed for receiving regurgitation of the infant when the infant is seated in the chair  20 . 
     The tray  48  is pivotally coupled to each of the connecting arms  44  for permitting tilting of the tray  48  relative to the connecting arms  44 . 
     The tray assembly  40  includes a pair of tray locking members  46 . Each of the tray locking members  46  is coupled to an associated one of the connecting arms  44  for selectively frictionally engaging the tray  48  for facilitating locking of the tray  48  in a static position relative to the connecting arms  44 . 
     The tray assembly  40  further includes a collection container  50  positioned such that the collection container  50  is designed for receiving the regurgitation. The collection container  50  is transparent for permitting visual inspection of an upper surface level of the regurgitation collected in the collection container  50 . The collection container  50  includes a plurality of graduated indicia for permitting measurement of an amount of the regurgitation collected in the collection container  50 . 
     The collection container  50  is selectively removable from the tray assembly  40  for facilitating cleaning of the collection container  50  and disposal of the regurgitation collected in the collection container  50 . 
     The tray assembly  40  includes a bearing surface  45  positioned to face the back portion  22  when the tray assembly  40  is coupled to the chair  20 . Thus the bearing surface  45  is designed for supporting a torso of the infant when the infant is regurgitating. 
     In use, an infant is placed in the infant regurgitation measuring chair. The infant is strapped into the chair using the strap members connected to the seat portion. When the infant regurgitates the regurgitation flows down the tray and into the collection container where the regurgitation can be measured. 
     As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.