Patent Publication Number: US-7905549-B2

Title: Highchair

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present application relates generally to a highchair with a foot part and a seat element mounted thereon. 
     Such a highchair is known for example from GB 2 407 487 A. This construction, however, has disadvantages in that the foot part is made up of many individual elements. In addition, narrow limits are placed on the adjustability of the highchair. 
     SUMMARY 
     In various embodiments, disclosed herein is an improved highchair, distinguished by a simple, clear, and at the same time secure construction and easy adjustability. 
     In a first aspect, a highchair with a foot part and a seat element mounted thereon includes a single vertically arranged, length-adjustable gas-filled strut that provides support and height adjustment of the seat element between foot part and seat element. In addition, the gas-filled strut is provided with two-handed safety operation. The seat element is preferably held on two lateral support arms, on each of which an actuating element of the two-handed safety operation is arranged. Each actuating element can be connected by a wire or rope pull to a pressure element acting on an actuating projection of the gas-filled strut. 
     In another aspect, disclosed herein is a highchair with a foot part and a seat element mounted thereon, wherein the seat element can be pivoted and secured about a horizontal transverse axis backwards and forwards in a tilting position. The seat element is appropriately swivel-mounted on two lateral support arms and the transverse axis, whereby an inclination catch is provided on at least one support arm. The inclination catch preferably has a rotary locking element acting between a spindle of the seat element and a support arm, which can be brought into a locked or release position by means of an actuation cam. 
     The rotary locking element can cooperate with the spindle in a torque-proof manner and shift longitudinally via a longitudinal groove or wedge teeth. The rotary locking element may have radially or axially aligned locking teeth, which can be engaged with corresponding locking teeth, connected solidly to the support arm. An actuating element can be arranged on a rear side of the seat element and be connected to a wire or rope pull cooperating with the actuation cam. 
     A table can be held horizontally on the lateral support arms, whereby a telescopic safety support is arranged to shift lengthways between a leading edge of the seat element and the table. Furthermore, the safety support may be held on the seat element by a fixing mechanism detachable by hand. A detachable snap-in connection can be provided by means of pressure actuation. The table can be held detachably with two snap-in fixing catches on the support arms. 
     In a further aspect, disclosed herein is a highchair with a foot part and a seat element mounted thereon, wherein the seat can be pivoted and secured about a vertical axis relative to the foot part. The seat element can be rotated through 360°. A cylindrical lifting lug of the seat part is mounted effectively in a hollow-cylindrical recess of the foot part. The recess can be provided with a C-shaped clamp ring enclosing the lifting lug. The clamp ring can be tensed and detached by means of a knee lever mechanism engaging on at least one of its free ends. It can also be provided for the knee lever mechanism to have a detaching safety device acting in a closed state. 
     Additionally, disclosed herein is a height-adjustable footrest that is held on the seat part, which can be adjusted by means of actuating a knob. A table can be held detachably and horizontally on the lateral support arms. A substitute table top, for example a table top that is larger or differently shaped or provided with another surface, can be detachably snapped onto the table. 
     The foot part may have an annular part with a central transverse element on which the seat element is held. The transverse element can be designed monobloc with a hollow-cylindrical recess for a lifting lug of the seat element or respectively a gas-filled strut. The transverse element can be designed as a plastic molded article. 
     The foregoing summary introduces a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to specify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further advantages and characteristics of the invention will emerge from the following description of an embodiment, whereby reference is made to the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  and  FIG. 1   a  to  1   g  show an inventive highchair and its associated components, 
         FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 2   a  and  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 3   a  illustrate height adjustment of the highchair according to  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIGS. 6   a  to  6   d  illustrate the tilt adjustability of the highchair according to  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 7  and  FIGS. 7   a  to  7   f  illustrate the turning range of a highchair according to  FIG. 1  about a vertical axis of rotation, 
         FIG. 8  and  FIGS. 8   a  to  8   d  illustrate the fixing of a table to the highchair, and 
         FIG. 9  and  FIGS. 9   a  to  9   d  illustrate the fixing of a safety support to the seat element. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference is first made to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 1   a  to  FIG. 1   g , in which the basic structure of an embodiment of the inventive highchair is illustrated. The highchair  1  has a foot part  2  and a seat element  4 , interconnected rotatably and height-adjustably by a gas-filled strut  6  arranged therebetween. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the foot part  2  is built substantially from a ring  8  made of bent metallic tubing and a plastic transverse element  10  connected firmly to the latter, on which a holding part  12  with a cylindrical receiving opening  14  is centrally arranged for receiving a lower end section of the gas-filled strut  6 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the seat element  4  is built substantially from a seating shell  20  with a backrest  22  contained therein, whereby the seating shell  20  is laterally held on two support arms  24  bent approximately into a quarter circle shape. The support arms  24  are interconnected by a connector  26  that serves at the same time to connect to an upper end section of the gas-filled strut  6 . A footrest  30  is detachably affixed to the seating shell  20 . 
     A table  32 , having, in one embodiment, a detachable substitute table top  33 , is also detachably attached to upper end sections of the support arms  24 , from which a safety support  34  extends downwards to a front edge of the seating shell  20  and is detachably connected to the latter. 
       FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  illustrate the height adjustability of the highchair  1  in greater detail. Standing upright on the gas-filled strut  6  on its upper end section is an actuating projection  40  ( FIG. 2   a ), which enables height or respectively length adjustment of the gas-filled strut  6  in the low-pressure state ( FIG. 3   a ). Provided for this purpose is an angled pressure element  42  acting on the actuating projection  40 . The angled pressure element  42  rests on the actuating projection  40  with a horizontal central section  44  and has two end sections  46  angled downwards. Arranged displaceably on each support arm  24  is an actuating element  48  connected to an end of a rope or wire pull  50 , which is in each case connected at its other end in the region of the pressure element  42  to a wedge-shaped slide element  52 . 
     Whenever both actuating elements  48  are pulled up at the same time, as indicated by arrows  54  in  FIG. 3 , the slide elements  52  are drawn to each other by the wire pulls  50  in the direction of the middle section  44  of the pressure element  42 . The slide elements  52  press down the pressure element  42 , as indicated by arrow  58 , since the slide elements  52  are supported in the vicinity of their top side on a flat guide face  56 . 
     Two-handed safety operation is obtained by using two separately acting wire pulls  50  and an angled pressure element  42 , which prevents the height adjustment from being activated unwantedly by a small child sitting in the child seat. Actuation of only one wire pull is not enough. 
       FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  further show the mounting of the upper end section of the gas-filled strut  6  in the connecting part  26  of the seat element  4 . Arranged in the connecting part  26  are two bearing bush-like receiving elements arranged at a mutual distance  60 , whereof the inner diameter corresponds to the outer diameter of the gas-filled strut  6 . A fixing screw  62  fitted with a handgrip can be tightened laterally against the gas-filled strut  6  to brace and fix the position of the seat element  4  relative to the gas-filled strut  6 . 
       FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5  illustrate the possibility of pivoting the seat element  4  or respectively the seating shell  20  about a horizontal transverse axis  70  and in this way setting the tilt of the seating shell  20 . A hand-activated actuating element  72  is arranged on the back of the seating shell for this purpose. 
       FIG. 6  and details according to  FIG. 6   a  to  FIG. 6   d  illustrate the locking of the seating shell  20  at a preferred tilt. The seating shell  20  is fitted with two lateral spindles  74  fixing the transverse axis  70 , in which longitudinal grooves  76  are designed. Arranged axially and displaceably on each spindle  74  is a rotary locking element  78  which engages with radially inwardly aligned projections in the longitudinal grooves  74 , so that the rotary locking element  78  is connected torque-proof to the spindle  74 . The rotary locking element  78  is also fitted with locking teeth  80 , with which it can positively engage with complementary locking projections or teeth, which are designed on the inside in a bearing bushing  82 , in turn connected firmly to the respective support arm  24 . Arranged between the rotary locking element  78  and the bearing bushing  82  on one side is a screw-shaped reset spring  84  and on the other side a rotary cam element  86 , which is provided with three wedge-shaped rising cams or guide faces  88 , arranged distributed over its periphery. The rotary locking element  78  is fitted with counter-faces (not illustrated here), which cooperate with the cams  88 . 
     The rotary cam element  86  is arranged rotatably on the spindle  74  and is connected to the operating element  72  by suitable actuation means, in this example by a wire pull  90 . The rotary locking arrangement shown in  FIG. 6   a  to  FIG. 6   d  is appropriately present similarly on both sides of the seating shell  20 . 
     When the actuation element  72  is activated in the direction of the arrow  92 , the rotary cam element  86  is rotated through a preset angle, and in the process moving the rotary locking element  78  guided torque-proof on the spindle  74  against the force of the reset spring  84  outwards in the direction of the arrows  94 . The locking teeth  80  of the rotary locking element  78  disengage from the locking teeth of the bearing bushing  82 , so that the seating shell  20  can be pivoted freely about the transverse axis  70 . When a preferred inclination is reached, the operating element  72  is released and the reset spring  84  brings the rotary locking element  78  back into locking engagement with the bearing bushing  82 , so that both the spindle  74  and the seating shell  20  are held opposite the support arms  24  such that they cannot rotate. 
       FIG. 7  and  FIG. 7   a  to  FIG. 7   f  illustrate how the seat element of the highchair opposite the foot part is held rotatable and fixed about a vertical axis  96 . For this purpose, a C-shaped clamp ring  100  is provided in or respectively on the holding part  12  of the foot part  2 , whereof opposing ends can be tensed by means of a knee lever or over-dead point lever arrangement in the direction of one another. In the illustrated embodiment, the knee lever arrangement is built from a tension lever  102  and an actuation lever  104 , which are connected to the clamp ring  100  and to each other. 
     In the position illustrated in  FIG. 7   a ,  FIG. 7   b ,  FIG. 7   d , and  FIG. 7   e , the clamp ring  100  is tensed firmly on the lower end section of the gas-filled strut  6 , so that the latter and the seat element  4  cannot rotate relative to the foot part  2 . If the actuating lever  104  is loosened ( FIG. 7   c ,  FIG. 7   f ), the clamp ring  100  releases the gas-filled strut  6 , and the seat element  4  can be rotated. 
     A safety slide  106 , which can move in a peripheral direction, assumes a spring-loaded starting position as illustrated in  FIG. 7   a  and  FIG. 7   d , in which the actuating lever  104  cannot be gripped from behind, thus preventing accidental actuation by children. Only moving the safety slide  106  back in the direction of arrow  108  ( FIG. 7   b ,  FIG. 7   e ) allows the actuating lever  104  to open. 
       FIG. 8  and  FIG. 8   a  to  FIG. 8   d  illustrate the fastening of the table  32  to the support arms  24 . As  FIG. 8   c  shows, the table  32  has two hook-shaped fixing catches  120  that are fitted on the inside with two locking lugs  122  and, opposite these, with a locking recess (not illustrated in detail), the position of which is designated by  124 . The bearing bushings  82  held on the upper ends of the support arms  24  are fitted on the outside with groove-like depressions  126 , in which the fixing catches  120  are inserted. 
     In each bearing bushing  82 , a spring-loaded latch element  130  ( FIG. 8   b ) is slidably mounted and bears a latching lug  132 . The spring-loaded latch element  130  can be actuated by a pushbutton  134  from the outside so that the latching lug  132  in the bearing bushing  82  can be moved back. 
     When the fixing catch  120  is set on the bearing bushings  82  or respectively in the depressions  126 , the locking lugs  122  engage in corresponding depressions (not shown) in the bearing bushing  82 , and the latching lugs  132  snap into the locking recesses  124 , so that the table is held firmly on the support arms  24 . To release the table  32 , the pushbuttons  134  are actuated so that the latching lugs  132  pull back and the fixing catches  120  can be released. 
       FIG. 9  and  FIG. 9   a  to  FIG. 9   d  illustrate the fixing of the safety support  34 , which can be fixed with a snap-in foot  140  in a latching recess  142  of the seating shell. As  FIG. 9   d  shows, a spring-preloaded pushbutton element  144  is provided, which is locked in the illustrated starting position and protrudes from the snap-in foot  140  with two lateral end sections  146 . An approach bevel  148  in the latching recess  142  designed with a latching depression  150  arranged behind it enables automatic locking of the snap-in foot  140  when pushed into the latching recess  142 . Pressing down on the pushbutton element  144  loosens the end sections  146  from the latching depressions  150 , and the snap-in foot  140  can be withdrawn from the latching recess  142 . 
     Since the table  32  remains horizontal independently of the respectively set angle of inclination of the seating shell, the safety support  34  is appropriately designed to move lengthways, achieved by a telescopic structure. Alternatively, an elastic material could be provided. 
     The footrest  30  is likewise designed to shift lengthways, appropriately by two mutually engaging, telescopically displaceable parts. Here also, clamping or snap-in means can be effective for fixing a selected length. 
     The features of the invention disclosed in the above description, in the claims and in the drawings can in their different embodiments be present both individually and in any combination required in order to realise the invention. 
     While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.