Abstract:
A baby walker allowing the child or baby moving and learning walking in a restrained area on the ground for improving safety is disclosed. The baby walker includes a top shelf, a seat assembly, a plurality of support columns and a base bracket. The seat assembly is rotatably mounted on the top shelf which is adjustably supported through the support columns on the base bracket with a suitable height. The base bracket includes a pivotal base and several wheels so as to limit the walker rotatably movable around the pivotal base.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       FIELD OF INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a baby walker, and more particularly relates to a baby walker in which the moving range can be restrained.  
           [0002]    Baby walkers or child walkers provide a convenient means for an infant to be entertained, before, during, and after the transition from crawling to walking. Walkers provide support for a child in a seated position, but are readily movable by the child in a standing position. Since the baby or child has no ability to control the moving direction of the walker when he or she just starts learning to move with the walker. The walker will be unintentionally moved by the baby in any direction that may cause injury or danger to the baby or child.  
           [0003]    A conventional walker generally includes a seat for holding the baby, a connection structure connected to the seat, and a frame for supporting the connection structure. A plurality of wheels are settled at the bottom of the frame. The number of the wheels may be four, six or more. The wheels are generally free to rotate without any limitation, nor any braking mechanism is provided. Therefore, it is quite dangerous for the infants that do not have ability to control the moving direction of the walker. Accordingly, conventional walkers are generally provided with instructions and warnings advising against the use of the walker without appropriate caregiver supervision. These instructions and warnings, although practical and effective when followed, are not always observed. As a result, accidents often happen.  
           [0004]    To solve the problem, as disclosed in the laid-open patent No. 363,375 of R.O.C., a baby walker including a curved bar with wheels at two ends was developed. The seat is fixed through a first support column to the curved bar. A second support column with a retractable wheel lets the walker movable only in the rotation area around the second support column. This structure is not firm enough, and the adjustment of leveling the seat on the support columns and retracting the wheel in the second support column may cause injury since the user has to push down buttons which are easy to harm the user&#39;s fingers.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    Accordingly, the present invention is to provide a baby walker in which the moving range can be restrained; the structure is stronger and the operation is safe enough.  
           [0006]    A baby walker according to the present invention includes at least a top shelf, a seat assembly, a plurality of support columns and a base bracket. The seat assembly is rotatably mounted on the top shelf which is adjustably supported through the support columns on the base bracket with a suitable height. The base bracket includes a pivotal base and several wheels so as to limit the walker rotatably movable around the pivotal base. 
       
    
    
       [0007]    The objectives, structure and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from detailed descriptions provided below, with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a baby walker of the present invention showing the components thereof;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention showing the baby walker assembled;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a partial assembly view of the present invention showing the seat assembly;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIGS. 4A and 4B are partial views of the present invention showing the height adjustment of the support column;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIGS. 6A and 6B are partial views of the present invention showing the function of the brake;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 is a functional view of the present invention showing the baby walker movable in a certain range; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIGS. 8A and 8B are functional views of another embodiment of brake members of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]    As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a baby walker according to the present invention includes a top shelf  10 , a rotary ring set  20 , a seat  30 , a plurality of support columns  51 ,  52 ,  53 , a base bracket  40  and brake members  61 ,  62 .  
         [0017]    The top shelf  10  is substantially a plate member formed with a central hole  101 . An annular groove  102  is furnished on the rim of the hole  101  for holding a plurality of steel balls  70  in the rotary ring set  20  which will described later. On top of the shelf  10 , there is a concave dish  104  for placing articles such as a tiny baby toy. Under the top shelf  10 , three sockets  105 ,  106 ,  107  are also formed for mounting the shelf  10  on the support columns  51 ,  52 ,  53 .  
         [0018]    Also referring to FIG. 3, the rotary ring set  20  includes an upper ring  21  and a lower ring  22 . The dimension of the upper ring  21  is almost the same as that of the hole  101 . An annular groove  211  corresponding to the annular groove  102  of the top shelf  10  is also furnished on the bottom of the upper ring  21 . So that the upper ring  21  is rotatably mounted on the top shelf  10  by holding the steel balls  70  rolling in the grooves  102  and  211 .  
         [0019]    The upper ring  21  is further formed with a plurality of locking holes  212  in the inner wall thereof and a plurality of screw holes  213 . The dimension of the lower ring  22  is almost the same as the hole  101 . A ring  221  thereof is smaller than the hole  101  for being fitted into the hole from the bottom of the hole  101 . There are a plurality of hooks  222  formed on the lower ring  22  each receivable in the locking hole  212  of the upper ring  21 , thereby securing the lower ring  22  to the upper ring  21 , and mounting the rotary ring set  20  on the hole  101 .  
         [0020]    The seat  30  includes an annular holder  301  and a cloth-type seat  302 . A plurality of holes  3011  are formed on the annular holder  301  for receiving the screws  80  that fasten the annular holder  301  to the rotary ring set  20 . So that the seat  30  is rotatable along with the rotary ring set  20  relatively to the top shelf  10 . The cloth-type seat  302  is fixed to the annular holder  301 . Two leg openings  3021 ,  3022  are formed in the seat  302  for the child to put his or her legs to the ground.  
         [0021]    As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, the base bracket  40  is formed with three sockets  41 ,  42 ,  43 , corresponding to the sockets  105 ,  106 ,  107  of the top shelf  10 , for receiving the support columns  51 ,  52 ,  53 . A plurality of cavities  44 ,  45 ,  46  are formed under the base bracket  40  in which two pivots  441 ,  451  and two primary wheels  90 ,  90 ′ are settled in the cavities  44 ,  45  respectively. The primary wheels  90 ,  90 ′ includes several radial spokes  901  which will be described later. Two secondary wheels  91 ,  91 ′, smaller than the primary wheels  90 ,  90 ′, are also settled under the base bracket  40 . The rolling direction of the wheels  90 ,  90 ′,  91 ,  91 ′ are all in circles centering on the cavity  46 . The cavity  46  is fixed with a pivotal base  461  and an auxiliary wheel  462  so that the base bracket  40  can pivotally rotate on the pivotal base  461 , or move in a small area by using the auxiliary wheel  462 . Two through holes  47 ,  48  are formed on the base bracket  40  near the primary wheels  90 ,  90 ′ for mounting the brake members  61 ,  62 .  
         [0022]    A plurality of support columns  51 ,  52 ,  53  are mounted between the sockets  105 ,  106 ,  107  of the top shelf  10  and the sockets  41 ,  42 ,  43  of the base bracket  40 , so as to support the top shelf  10  on the base bracket  40  with a suitable height for accommodating to the baby. Also referring to FIGS. 4A, 4B, each of the support columns  51 ,  52 ,  53  includes an outer tube  511  and an inner tube  512  slidably mounted with each other. The lower end of the outer tube  511  is fixed to the socket  41 ,  42  or  43  of the base bracket  40 . The upper end of the inner tube  512  is fixed to the socket  105 ,  106  or  107  of the top shelf  10 . The diameter of the inner tube  512  is a little smaller than that of the outer tube  511 . A latch  5111  is formed on the outer tube  511 , which is selectively engageable to one of a plurality of holes  5121  formed on the inner tube  512  so as to adjust the relative position of the tubes  511 ,  512  and adjust the height of the support columns  51 ,  52 ,  53 .  
         [0023]    As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6A,  6 B, the brake members  61 ,  62  are movably mounted in the through holes  47 ,  48  of the base bracket  40 . Each of the brake members  61 ,  62  is formed with a mounting portion  611  in which a slot  6111  is formed. The pivot  441  (or  451 ) passes through the slot  6111  and a center hole of the wheel  90  ( 90 ′) for pivotally mounting the wheel  90  ( 90 ′) in the cavity  45  ( 44 ). The slot  6111  is a longitudinal hole with a narrower portion in the middle so that the brake member  61 ,  62  can be selectively placed in two positions, as a releasing position and a locking position, relative to the pivot  441 ,  451 . That is, when in the releasing position, a stopper  612  formed at the back of the brake member  61 ,  62  will be released from the spokes  901  of the wheel  90 ,  90 ′ to allow the wheel to rotate; and, when in the locking position, the stopper  612  will move into the spokes  901  of the wheel  90 ,  90 ′ for braking the wheel  90 ,  90 ′. A handle with a push portion  613  and a pull portion  614  is formed on the brake members  61 ,  62  for an easier operation.  
         [0024]    As shown in FIG. 7, the baby walker is movable in an area centering on the pivotal base  461  of the base bracket  40  by rotation of the primary and secondary wheels  90 ,  90 ′,  91  and  91 ′. So that the moving range of the baby walker is suitably limited to ensure safety of the baby.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate another embodiment of brake members of the present invention. The brake members  61 ′,  62 ′ are movable elements each can be selectively positioned in a storage position and a stand position. In the stand position as shown in FIG. 8A, the brake members  61 ′,  62 ′ lift the base bracket  40  off the ground so as to prevent the walker from moving. In the storage position as shown in FIG. 8B, the brake members  61 ′,  62 ′ are lifted up to the bottom of the base bracket  40  to make the walker movable on the ground.  
         [0026]    While the invention has been described in its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than limitation and that changes within the purview of the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention.