Abstract:
An infant support and stabilization cushion seat to provide a safe and secure containment and retainment of an infant in a sitting position. The support cushion seat is formed of a resilient shape retaining foam core with a yielding encapsulating surface cover material defining a contoured child receiving area therewithin. An integrated access retainment tray portion overlies a portion of the child receiving area and is deflectable for child placement and retrieval returning to the original orientation, once released.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This device relates to an infant and child support and stabilization containment cushion that securely confines and supports a child in a desired position. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art devices of this type have been directed towards cushion configurations oriented to hold or support an infant, caregiver or adults in engaging manner, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,183,311, 5,519,906, 5,661,861, 6,626,487, 6,685,024, 6,810,545, and Design Pat. D450,517 and D450,516. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,311 discloses a portable highchair/booster seat having parallel spaced arms on which a detachable tray is secured. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,861 a support pillow is illustrated that is positioned about the upper torso of a user so that the arms can rest thereon in a sitting position. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,487 illustrates a baby chair having a contoured integrated one-piece seat, backrest and side supports with tray mounting openings therewithin. A front support defines spaced front openings for the legs with an upright frontal support structure therebetween. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,024 shows a support pillow and method of use in which a horseshoe shaped pillow is configured defining a circular opening well within. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,810,545 is directed towards an infant support pillow and method of assembly in which a pillow body has two contoured arms extending from a media region in spaced parallel relation in a U-shaped form. 
     Design Pat. D450,519 is directed to an infant support pillow having a general horseshoe configuration and Design Pat. D540,516 is an ornamental design wherein an infant support pillow is described in U.S. Patent above ending in 545. 
     Finally, applicant&#39;s own U.S. Pat. No. 7,356,861 discloses an infant support seat cushion having multiple pairs of oppositely disposed depending sidewalls with an opening formed in the front wall defined by a pair of abutting arm portions hooked together with fasteners. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An infant support and entertainment cushion chair in which a soft resilient contoured body member is defined with an infant receiving opening centrally located therewithin. The support cushion chair rests on the floor having a wide stable base with the infant positioned therewithin in a seating position. The seat access portion is defined by a flexible integral tray restraint extending over and defining a leg receiving opening between the arm support surrounding portions with upper surfaces and activity recess openings therewithin. Auxiliary strap retaining and positioning slots and receiving recess define safety strap alignment for an infant, if used. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the infant support cushion chair. 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevational view thereof showing an infant positioned therewithin. 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the infant cushion support chair. 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom plan view thereof. 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view on lines  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a rear elevational view thereof. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an alternate form of the infant support cushion chair. 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view on lines  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-5  of the drawings, an infant support cushion seat  10  of the invention can be seen having a main monolithic resilient foam core body member  11  of a generally triangular configuration with upper flat arm surfaces  12  and  13 , an upstanding contoured back portion  14  and oppositely disposed inclined depending sidewalls  15  and  16 . Interconnecting inclined back sidewall  17  and oppositely disposed inclined front sidewall  18 . Arm portions  19  and  20  are defined by the arm surfaces  12  and  13  and respectively depending sidewalls  15  and  16 . The front depending sidewall  18  has a rectangular access opening  21  within extending to and in communication with a central circular contoured opening at  22  within the main body member  11  between respective arm portions  19  and  20  and respective depending sidewalls  15  and  16 . 
     A tray portion  23  extends integrally from the arm portion  19  to the arm portion  20  over the leg access opening  21  within the front sidewall  18  as best seen in  FIG. 1  of the drawings. 
     The tray portion  23  has a recessed area  24  in its top surface  25  defined by a contoured rectangular wall edge surface  26  thereabout. The free end of the tray portion at  27  rests on a support ledge  28  formed in the opposing arm portion  20  along the hereinbefore defined leg access opening  21  within the front wall  18 . Given the tray portion  23  reduced dimensional thickness, it can be deflected integrally as a unit from its “at rest” horizontal orientation upwardly as seen in broken lines in  FIG. 1  of the drawings and in solid lines in an alternate form of the invention illustrated in  FIG. 8  as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. 
     The flexibility and material memory of the tray portion  23  is due to the construction design and materials of choice in which, as noted, the body member is formed of a resilient synthetic resin foam core of a shape retaining density sufficient to provide yielding support to the infant placed within the central opening  22  of the cushion chair seat of the invention. A synthetic foam core is preferably encapsulated in a flexible synthetic covering for ease of maintenance and cleaning as will be evident to those skilled within the art. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  5  and  6  of the drawings, an elevated back rest portion  28  is defined by the back sidewall  17  so as to provide support to an infant I and has a contoured back support protrusion  29  on its lower inner surface  30  which when combined with a recessed contoured seat bottom  31 , best seen in  FIG. 5  of the drawings will provide a superior stabilized seating position for the infant I. The front wall opening  21  is in spaced relation to the ground engagement surface of the body member  11  affording therefore an elevated contoured infant leg support surface  32 . 
     Each of the arm portions  21  and  22  have respective annular receptacles  33  extending within their upper arm surfaces  12  and  13  to provide for use by the infant placement and positioning of items therewithin for ease of access and use. 
     It will be evident from the above description that the infant&#39;s arms A will be well above the upper surface  12  and  13  of the arms  21  and  22  and the tray portion  23  allowing for free use thereof as described. 
     A pair of respective angular guide slots  34 A and  34 B are formed in a transition area defined between the arm portions  21  and  22  and contoured back support area and have an interconnecting shallow strap guide channel  35  extending horizontally therebetween on the outside back surface to receive an optional infant retaining strap assembly  36  illustrated in broken lines which may be required in a user determined situation, as seen in  FIG. 5 . 
     Typically, the inner seat engagement contours generally indicated at SC, best seen in  FIG. 5  of the drawings may be sufficient to support and contain the infant therewithin without the additional strap restraints, as noted above. 
     A pair of oppositely disposed handgrip engagement openings  37 A and  37 B are formed within the respective inclined sidewalls extending upwardly from the ground engagement base defined surface to afford a user the ease of movement and transport as best seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  5  of the drawings. 
     It will be evident that the dimensions of the infant support cushion chair seat  10  are such as to provide adjustable engagement with the infant I within a certain early age group associated with primary motor skill development such as sitting. The cushion configuration of the invention will also serve as a comfortable confinement placement device assuring a safe and stable entertainment upright environment for the infant and affording a hands off orientation action for the parents or caregiver, not shown. The dimensional aspects of the infant cushion of the invention  10  is defined by the height of the main body member arm portions  20  and  21  being such that the infant&#39;s arms A will always be above the arm portion surfaces  12  and  13  allowing for easy access to the hereinbefore described item receiving recesses therewithin. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 7 and 8  of the drawings, an alternate form of the invention  38  can be seen having essentially all of the primary elements of the hereinbefore described primary form of the invention  10  with the added element of a contoured upstanding support knob  39  extending from the base of the seat portion&#39;s elevated leg support within the front wall opening  18 . The support knob  39  is centered within the seat defined interior surface with a rounded top portion  40 , contoured depending tapered annular side  41  as best seen, as noted, in  FIG. 7  of the drawings. 
     The support knob  39  so positioned provides additional infant restraint by preventing the infant I from sliding outwardly leg first as indicated by slide indication broken arrows SA in  FIGS. 7 and 8  of the drawings. 
     The alternate form as hereinbefore described will also have a bendable tray  42  which can be deflected or bent upwardly allowing ease of access in placing and removing the infant I (not shown) from therewithin. 
     Should the infant strap retainment assembly  36  be required, strap elements indicated by directional arrows SE would extend through the respective strap guide slots  34 A and  34 B around the back wall within the guide channel  35 . A crotch engagement plate  43  having a pair of straps S extending from with a central opening  44  all indicated in broken lines would be provided so as to loop out over the infant and then across and through the hereinbefore described guide slots in either form of the invention hereinbefore described. 
     It will be evident that such a strap configuration would have registration clips  44  so as to provide adjustable confinement of the infant dependent on infant size and placement therewithin. 
     It will thus be seen that a new and novel infant support seat cushion chair has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore I claim: