Abstract:
A collapsible open top swing that is free of cross supports between upper side portions of the frame to maximize access to the baby in the swing. The open top swing has a broad base by virtue of the sweeping rear legs, yet the open top swing is collapsible by swinging the rear legs toward the front legs. This swinging takes place at a leg axis that is offset from a swing axis for the swing. The front leg engages a first unit for the leg axis at a first location and engages a second unit for the swing axis at a second location rearwardly and upwardly from the first location to mechanically and visually separate the axis from each other. The front and rear legs are the same length and same shape between their proximal and distal ends to minimize manufacturing costs, yet when in a closed position the distal ends of the rear legs project beyond the distal ends of the front legs.

Description:
[0001]    The present invention relates generally to baby swings, particularly to open top swings, and specifically to open top swings that have front and rear legs that are swingable relative to each other such that the open top swing is collapsible from an open position to a closed position.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    An open top swing is a baby swing having no crossbar or cross support over a top portion of the swing. The open top of the open top swing provides a convenient and safe way to pick up an infant or toddler. The open top is convenient because the caregiver can approach the infant easily to provide care. The open top is safe because, without a crossbar across the top of the swing, placing the infant or toddler in the baby seat and taking the infant or toddler out of the baby seat can be done easily and without a struggle. For example, the feet of a toddler or infant may get caught in a portion of the seat, especially the feet of a struggling toddler or a sleeping infant. With a conventional baby swing having a top extending crossbar, a struggling toddler or sleeping child would be lifted a slight way up so that his or her feet would clear the seat and then lifted horizontally across the baby seat so as not to hit the head of the child on the underside of the crossbar. However, with an open top swing, the horizontal lifting or the back-straining lift change from a vertical lift to a horizontal lift is unnecessary because the child may be lifted straight up out of the seat.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    A feature of the present invention is an offset between a leg axis and a swing axis. The leg axis is an axis where a front leg of the swing is hinged to a rear leg of the swing. The swing axis is where hangers extending from the seat of the open top swing engage in a swinging fashion side portions of the frame. By offsetting the leg axis from the swing axis, the mechanics of the axis is simplified and a broader base can be provided for the open top swing.  
           [0004]    Another feature of the present invention is the front leg engaging a unit for the leg axis and the front leg further engaging a unit for the swing axis. The unit for the leg axis is mounted at a first position on the front leg. The unit for the swing axis is mounted at a second position rearwardly and upwardly relative to the first position where the leg axis is mounted.  
           [0005]    Another feature of the present invention is a front leg and a rear leg having the same length and the same shape to minimize manufacturing and assembly costs and to provide for an aesthetic swing.  
           [0006]    Another feature of the present invention is to provide, in the open position, a broad base with sweeping long rear legs and, in the closed position, a configuration where the front and rear legs lie parallel to each other and where the distal ends of the rear legs project beyond the distal ends of the front legs.  
           [0007]    An advantage of the present invention is safety. Features that provide this advantage are the broad base having the sweeping long rear legs, a U-shaped cross support between lower portions of the front legs, and a mechanical separation of the leg axis from the swing (or seat) axis.  
           [0008]    Another advantage of the present invention is convenience. The open top swing is collapsible via the leg axis to draw the open top swing into a more compact configuration that is easier to store in a car, van or closet.  
           [0009]    Another advantage of the present invention is aesthetic. Features that provide this advantage are the long sweeping rear legs and the substantial match in shape and size between the front and rear legs.  
           [0010]    Another advantage of the present invention is cost and simplicity. The open top swing is inexpensive and simple to manufacture, assemble, operate, maintain and repair. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present open top swing.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2A is a side elevational view of the open top swing collapsed to the closed position for storage.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2B is a side elevational view of the open top swing swung open to the open position.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is a top view of the open top swing and shows both units that house the swing axis about which the baby seat swings.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a side detail view of the unit that houses the leg axis about which the front and rear legs swing. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]    As shown in FIG. 1, the present open top swing is generally designated by reference numeral  10 . The open top swing  10  includes a swing or seat axis  12 , a leg or frame axis  14 , a baby seat  16 , hangers  18 , a pair of front legs  20 , a pair of rear legs  22 , a drive unit or drive housing  24 , and a passive unit or passive housing  26 .  
         [0017]    More specifically, the open top swing  10  includes a frame  28 . The frame  28  includes the front leg  20 . Front leg  20  is curved continuously from a proximal or upper end  30  to a distal or lower end  32 . Front leg  20  is tubular and is preferably a metal. The preferred metal is aluminum. Near the proximal or upper end  30 , the front leg  20  mounts and supports a unit  34  that houses the leg axis  14 . The unit  34  is plastic and includes a channel to receive the front leg  20 . The unit  34  is fixed to the front leg  20  pin connectors such as rivets or screws (as shown in FIG. 4). The unit  34  is slid onto the front leg  20  such that the proximal or upper end  30  of the front leg  20  is exposed. After the unit  34  is engaged at a first position on the front leg  20 , the proximal or upper end  30  is engaged with a female receiver  36  of one of the units  24 ,  26  via a quick connection, such as a resilient or spring biased ball or button catch, where the ball or button is housed in the proximal end  30 , then is depressed when the end  30  is slid into the female receiver  36 , then pops out into an aperture formed in female receiver  36  to lock the front leg  20  to one of the units  24 ,  26 . At its lower or distal end  32 , the front leg  20  is integral with a first support member  38  and a second support member  40 . First and second support members  38 ,  40  are tubular and are formed of a metal such as aluminum. First and second support members  38 ,  40  form a general U-shape. First support members  38  extend rearwardly and inwardly from their respective front legs  20 . Second support member  40  is integral with first support members  38  and extends tranversely to the first support members  38 . Second support member  40 , as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, lies vertically directly underneath a middle portion of the baby seat  16 . Lower or distal end  32  of front leg  20  includes a plastic guard  42 . Guard  42  may snap over a front portion of the front leg  20  and underneath a front portion of the first support member  38 . Guard  42  includes a nonslip or antiskid protrusion  44 . If desired, each of the front leg  20 , first support member  38 , and second support member  40  may be a separate tubular piece. The separate tubular pieces  20 ,  38  and  40  may engage each other via resilient or spring biased ball or button catches and male/female connections.  
         [0018]    The frame  28  further includes the rear leg  22 . The rear leg  22  is tubular and is preferably a metal. The preferred metal is aluminum. The rear leg  22  includes a proximal or upper end  46  and a distal or lower end  48 . The rear leg  22  continuously curves from the upper end  46  to the lower end  48 . The upper end  46  is hingedly fixed in the unit  34  via a pin connector at the leg axis  14 . The upper end  46  of the rear leg  22  swings in the unit  34  from a side portion  50  of the unit  34 , where the upper end  46  engages a thumb actuated spring biased tab catch or lock  52 , to generally a middle portion of unit  34 , where the upper end  46  engages another thumb actuated spring biased tab catch or lock  54 . When the upper end  46  engages the thumb actuated spring biased tab catch or lock  52 , the open top swing  10  is locked in an open and operating position. When the upper end  46  engages the thumb actuated spring biased tab catch or lock  54 , the open top swing  10  is locked in a closed and stowable position. The pin connector or leg axis  14  is the same distance from front leg  20  as the thumb actuated spring biased tab catch or lock  54  such that the rear leg  22  and front leg  20  are closed to a configuration where the front and rear legs  20  and  22  are parallel to each other. When the open top swing  10  is in such closed position, the cross or second support member  40  and portions of the first support members  38  protrude between legs  22  and beyond, as shown in FIG. 2A. Rear legs  22  further include a cross support member  56  integral with the rear legs  22  and extending between the distal ends  48  of the rear legs  22 . Or, if desired, to provide for shipment and storage of the open top swing  10  in a compact form, cross support member  56  may be a separate piece from legs  22  and a connection between the distal ends  48  and ends of the cross support member  56  may be a male/female connection with resilient button catches to lock the legs  22  and cross support member  56  to each other. A plastic guard  58  may snap over a portion of lower end  48  and a portion of cross support member  56 . Guard  58  includes a nonslip or antiskid protusion  60 .  
         [0019]    The frame  28  includes unit  34 . Unit  34  is shown in greater detail in FIG. 4. Here three pin connectors  62  are shown. Pin connectors  62  rigidly mount unit  34  on front leg  20 . Further, it can be appreciated that side portion  50  of unit  34  extends over a sufficient distance to act as a stop for the rear leg  22  such that thumb actuated spring biased tab catch or lock  52  bears little if any of the weight of the baby in the baby seat  16  and such that the weight of the baby in the baby seat is borne by the structural housing of unit  34 , and the front and rear legs  20 ,  22 . Unit  34  further includes a pocket  64  to accommodate and receive the absolute terminus of end  46  as rear leg  22  swings between the open and closed positions.  
         [0020]    The frame  28  further includes drive unit  24  and passive unit  26 . Each of the units  24 ,  26  is plastic and is two piece, with the two pieces fixed together with pin connectors. Drive unit  24  houses a drive mechanism for swinging the hanger  18  depending from drive unit  24 . As to the drive mechanism, U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,136 issued to Wu on Dec. 8, 1998 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Such a drive mechanism rotates an axle on axis  12 , which swings a hanger mount  66 , which swings its respective hanger  18 , which swings the baby seat  16 . The passive unit  26  does not include a drive mechanism, but includes axis  12 , hanger mount  66  and hanger  18 , which is fixed to the other side of the baby seat  16 .  
         [0021]    Baby seat  16  includes a back portion  68 , a seat portion  70  and a removable tray  73 .  
         [0022]    Open top swing  10  includes an open top  72 , as seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4. In other words, frame  28  includes one side portion defined by one front leg  20 , the respective rear leg  22 , the respective unit  34  mounting the legs  20 ,  22  to each other, and the passive unit  24 . Also, the frame  28  includes the other side portion defined by the other front leg  20 , the respective rear leg  22 , the respective unit  34  mounting the legs  20 ,  22  to each other, and the passive unit  26 . There is no cross support member extending between such the uppermost section of such side portions of the frame  28 . For example, there is no cross support members extending between the uppermost sections or peaks of the units  24 ,  26 . There is no cross support member extending between the upper ends of the front legs  20 . There is no cross support member extending between the upper ends of the rear legs  22 . There is no cross support member extending directly above the seat  16 , including the back portion  68  and the seat portion  70 . The hangers  18  do not directly extend to each other. The hangers  18  extend rearwardly from the units  24 ,  26  when the seat  16  is at rest, as shown in FIG. 1. Then the hangers  18  extend downwardly and subsequently forwardly to be fixed to a rear portion of the seat  16  such that the hangers  18  contribute to an open top for the swing  10 . The only true cross support members for the swing  10  are 1) the combination of support members  38  and  40  between the lower ends  32  of the front legs  20  and 2) support member  56  between the lower ends  48  of the rear legs  22 .  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 2A shows the open top swing  10  in a closed position, where rear leg  22  has been swung to a position parallel to front leg  20 . In this position, the distal or lower end  48  is disposed beyond the distal or lower end  32  of front leg  20 . Also in this position, the upper or proximal end  30  of front leg  20  is disposed beyond the upper or proximal end  46  of rear leg  22 . Such a configuration permits the legs  20 ,  22  to be manufactured in the same size and shape, provides a long sweeping disposition for the rear legs  22  when in the open position as shown in FIG. 2B, and permits the leg axis  14  to be offset from the swing axis  12 .  
         [0024]    In operation, assembly may be the first step. The open top swing  10  may arrive unassembled in a shipping carton. That is, the hanger mounts  66  are removably engagable with the hangers  18  and with their respective units  24 ,  26 . The hangers  18  are removably engagable with the seat  16 . Units  24  and  26  are fixed to their respective front legs  20  with a quick connection. Unit  34  is removably engagable from front leg  20  with pin connectors. Unit  34  is removably engagable from rear leg  22  with a pin connector. Support members  38  may be fixed to legs  20  with quick connections. Support members  38  may be fixed to cross support member  40  with quick connections. Cross support member  56  may be fixed to the lower ends  48  of rear legs  22  with quick connections. Guards  42  and  58  snap off their respective legs and support members.  
         [0025]    After assembly, rear legs  22  may be swung between open and closed positions as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. In the open position, the drive mechanism may be operated to swing the seat  16 . In the open position, access to the baby in the seat  16  is without interference. In the open position, the rear sweeping legs  22  provide a relatively broad base for the swing  10  because the upper ends of the rear legs  22  are fixed relatively low on the front legs  20 . In the open position, the side portions  50  of the units  34  transfer load from the units  34  to the rear legs  22 .  
         [0026]    To place the swing  10  in the closed position, thumb actuated spring biased tab catch or lock  52  is operated by the thumb so as to release rear leg  22 . Rear leg  22  is then swung and automatically engages and automatically locks with thumb actuated spring biased tab catch or lock  54 . To place the swing  10  back into the open position, thumb actuated spring biased tab catch or lock  54  is operated by the thumb so as to release rear leg  22 . Rear leg  22  is then swung and automatically engages and automatically locks with thumb actuated spring biased tab catch or lock  52 , with a relatively long portion of upper end  46  coming into contact with an inside of unit  34 , specifically edge portion  50 .  
         [0027]    It should be noted that the open top swing  10  may be stored with simply the rear legs  22  in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 2A. Or, if desired, the swing  10  may be taken apart piece by piece so as to separate cross support member  40  from support members  38 , support members  38  from front legs  20 , front legs  20  from unit  34 , unit  34  from rear legs  22 , rear legs  22  from cross support member  56 , and units  24 ,  26  from the front legs  20 . Further, if desired, hangers  18  may be seperated from seat  16  and from their hanger mounts  66 . Or the hanger mounts  66  may be remain on the hangers  18  and the hanger mounts  66  may be separated from the units  24 ,  26 .  
         [0028]    It should be noted that the leg axis  14  and the swing axis  12  are preferably parallel to each other, but are not co-axial to each other.  
         [0029]    Thus since the invention disclosed herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or general characteristics thereof, some of which forms have been indicated, the embodiments described herein are to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is to be indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalents of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.