Abstract:
A booster seat for children and infants and more particularly an improved feeding seat with telescoping and retractable arms extending from a base supporting a removable tray to facilitate feeding of a child. The feeding seat is reclinable and also foldable into a compact transportable unit separately from the removable tray for efficient use and compact storage and transport.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to seats for supporting children and more particularly to a new and improved booster seat which will also function as a feeding seat with telescoping and retractable arms supporting a removable tray to facilitate feeding of a child. The feeding seat is also foldable for efficient and compact storage and transport. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   A number of improvements have been made in the booster seat art in recent years. Early booster seats had a fixed seat and, therefore, were not adjustable for either the size of the child or a preferred seating orientation. Generally, such seats were designed only for use as a booster seat. More recently, improvements have been made in the field which have made the seats adjustable not only in seat height, but also reclinable so that they may accommodate very small children as well as to accommodate the preferred feeding position of a maturing child, and they have been made more versatile by providing them with trays which enable the booster seats to function as feeding chairs. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,638 shows such a booster seat wherein the back rest and seat panel may be moved back and forth, and up and down respectively, and the assembly includes a detachable tray. Another booster seat found in the prior art has an invertible seat panel which allows the seating surface to be raised or lowered depending upon which seating surface is utilized. That arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,747. Other prior art patents that show children&#39;s seats that are collapsible, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,739,366 and 4,603,903, while other adjustable child&#39;s seats are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. D330,842 and D314,674. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,019 and U.S. Pat. No. D424,312 disclose a tiltable seat for holding a child and a removable feeding tray. A back portion of the seat is joined to a bottom portion, which is supported on a base, and the seat has a number of selectable height adjustment positions relative to the back portion of the seat. A series of selectable tilt positions are also provided for the back and seat portion relative to the base. The feeding tray is adapted to be removably attached to both of the side arms of the seat frame and tilts in angular orientation cooperatively with the arms of the seat to which it is attached. This arrangement is an issue, because of the limited adjustment mechanism between the seat and the feeding tray. While in and out adjustment of the feeding tray, relative to the seat back, can be accomplished, it is difficult if not impossible to maintain the tray in a flat, horizontal orientation relative to the ground as the seat tilts. Although the base includes a pair of spaced apart slots for receiving a strap to secure the seat to a support, such as a chair, this seat is not easily transported since the seat comes apart in several large pieces, which are not foldable, and thus difficult to transport and store. 
   Similarly, published U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0151285 A1 discloses a seat which tilts on top of a base and which is also height adjustable relative thereto. The removable tray, which is adjustable in and out relative to the seat via a number of fixed notches in the seat, is provided with only one pair of notches that permits angular adjustment of the tray relative to the seat and thus, in many instances, the tray cannot be aligned horizontal or flat relative to the ground. Again, this seat is bulky, difficult to transport and severely limited in tray adjustment capabilities. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Wherefore, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the above mentioned shortcomings and drawbacks associated with the prior art. 
   The principle object of the present invention is to provide a feeding seat which is adjustable both for the size of the child as well as for a desired angle of orientation of the seat holding the child. 
   Another important object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible feeding seat which, when collapsed for toting or storage, is a compact package. 
   A still further object of the invention is to provide a feeding seat having a telescoping tray support which supports the tray independent of the angle of orientation of the adjustable seat. 
   A yet further object of the present invention is that a single actuator is used to perform both the functions of adjusting the recline angle of the seat and the aspect of folding the seat for storage and travel. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a feeding seat that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which, therefore, may be sold for a modest price while providing maximum convenience and versatility to its owner. 
   To accomplish these and other objects, the feeding seat of the present invention is made up of five major parts, namely, a base, a track, a back member, a seat member and a tray. The back member is pivotally connected to the seat member and are movable between an operative position, wherein they define a seat for a child and a collapsed position wherein the back member is folded down over the seat member. The seat member is supported on a curved track which provides for the seat member to be slid along the track so as to rotate the seat member and back member into a variety of different recline positions. 
   The base supports the track and the base is also provided with sidewalls extending upwards on either side of the seat member. The sidewalls are provided with a telescoping member, which is extendable out of each respective sidewall, to support and adjust the tray. The tray is removable from the arms and when the feeding seat is collapsed, the tray may be placed back on the arms after the back member has been folded over on top of the seat member. The height of the seat may be adjusted by raising and lowering the height of the track, and the tray may be adjusted towards and away from the infant or child by releasably locking it in one of several positions on the telescoping arms and also by raising and lowering the telescoping members in each sidewall of the base. A conventional strap arrangement may be provided to hold the child in the seat and additional straps may be used to secure the seat to a chair on which it is placed. 
   The present invention also relates to a feeding seat for facilitating the feeding of an infant or child comprising a base, a track supported on the base, a seat comprising a hingedly connected seat member and back member slidably supported on the track, a pair of extendable arms slidably attached to the base, a removable tray slidably supported on the extendable arms, and wherein the pair of extendable arms and tray are separate and independent from the slidable seat. 
   The present invention also relates to a feeding seat wherein the track comprises a first pair of concave rails supportably engaging a cooperating second pair of concave rails positioned on the seat permitting the seat to slide along the track and recline relative to the base. 
   These and other objects and features of the present invention will be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof, shown in the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a feeding chair of the present invention including the tray in an extended position relative to the base and the seat in a reclined position; 
       FIG. 1B  is a further perspective view of the feeding chair of the present invention with the telescoping arms retracted within the base and the seat positioned in a relatively upright orientation; 
       FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of the seat including a seat member and a back member connected and hinged in a substantially perpendicular orientation; 
       FIG. 2B  is a perspective view of the seat with the back member folded over and substantially parallel with the seat member; 
       FIG. 2C  is a perspective rear and bottom view of the back side and underneath surfaces of the seat member and back member; 
       FIG. 3A  is an exploded view of the feeding seat of the present invention detailing the individual parts making up the feeding seat; 
       FIG. 3B  is a perspective view of the feeding seat from a rear perspective detailing the engagement of the actuator locking the back member to the seat member and the base in a perpendicular relation or orientation relative to the base; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view showing the seat in a substantially upright orientation relative to the base and the tray and telescoping member extended; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the seat in a reclined orientation relative to the base and also with the telescoping member and tray extended; 
       FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of the base alone with the telescoping members retracted therein; 
       FIG. 6B  is a further perspective view of the base having the telescoping members extended therefrom, and 
       FIG. 7  is a bottom perspective view of the feeding seat detailing the undersides of the tray, track, base and rear surface of the back member. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Observing  FIG. 1A , a brief description concerning the various components of the present invention will now be briefly discussed. As can be seen in this embodiment, an infant feeding seat  1  is comprised of a number of features, in general, a seat  3  having a seat member  5  and a back member  7  which are hinged together and supported on a base  9 . The seat  3  is slidable with respect to the base  9  along a track  11  located underneath the seat member  5 . The seat  3  is slidable between an upright position seen in  FIG. 1B , and a reclined position as shown by  FIG. 1A . A tray  12  is removably supported on a pair of telescoping members  13  extending from the base  9  on either side of the seat  3  to hold food, utensils, etc. Importantly, the tray  12  is supported independently from the seat  3 , so that as the seat  3  is slidably rotated between the upright and any desired reclined position, the tray  12  remains substantially immovably fixed to the base  9 . 
   The tray  12  is removably attached, usually by a sliding horizontal engagement, to a top portion of both telescoping members  13  and can be adjusted horizontally towards and away from the seat. The telescoping members  13  can be pushed into the base  9  at an angle so as to bring the tray  12  into a desired lower and closer relationship with the seat  3  as seen in  FIG. 1B . Alternatively, the telescoping arms  13  may be pulled or extended from the base  9  to raise and distance the tray  12  from the seat  3  as in  FIG. 1A . In either event, because the tray  12  is independent of the reclinable seat  3 , the tray  12  is constantly maintained level to the ground or floor so that any food or utensils placed on the tray  12  will not slide or fall off the tray  12  when the seat  3  is moved. Consequently, the seat can be adjusted through a full range or reclinability without any necessity to adjust or realign the tray  12 . 
   As noted above, the seat  3  comprises the seat member  5  and the back member  7  which are hinged together by an integral hinge  15  rotatably interlocking the seat member  5  to the back member  7 . The hinge  15  is formed by slots  16  in the seat member  5  receiving a corresponding knuckle formed in the back member  7 , or vice-versa as best seen in  FIG. 3A . In any event, as such an integral hinge  15  could be formed in numerous ways known to those in the art, no further discussion is provided other than the hinge  15  permits the back member  7  to rotate about an approximate 90 degree angle between an operational perpendicular position and a folded storage or travel position as seen in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , respectively. 
   In the operational position, the back member  7  is rotated about the hinge  15  to a position wherein the back member  7  and the seat member  5  are substantially perpendicularly aligned as seen in  FIG. 2A . An actuator  17 , attached to the rear side of the back member  7  as shown in  FIG. 2C , is responsible for locking the seat member  5  and back member  7  together into the perpendicular alignment and maintaining the same. When the actuator  17  is appropriately actuated, the back member  7  may be released from the locked engagement with the seat member  5  and rotated about the hinge  15  and into a substantially parallel planar orientation with the seat member  5 . A further description of the actuator  17  will be provided below in conjunction with the locking feature of the seat and also with the recline and sliding feature of the present invention. 
   In the operational position, the back member  7  is extended into a substantially vertical relation, i.e., perpendicular, to the seat member  5 , as shown in  FIG. 2A , so that an infant or child can sit in the seat  3 . Neither the seat member  5  nor the back member  7  has a surface which is entirely flat. A lip  19  is provided around the sides and top of the back member  7  creating an ergonomic back depression shaped surface to accommodate and maintain an infant&#39;s or child&#39;s back comfortably therein. Similarly, the sides of the seat member  5  are provided with a raised lip  19  so as to maintain a childs&#39; legs and hips within the seat member  5 . A front edge  21  of the seat member  5  is provided with a down turned lip  20  so that an infants&#39; or childs&#39; legs may comfortably extend or hang over the front edge  21  of the seat member  5 . 
   A raised center pylon  23  may be formed along the front edge  21  of the seat member  5  generally centrally located in order to ensure that a child, whose legs extend on either side of the crotch restraint  23 , does not slide bodily forward and out of the seat  3 . This crotch restraint  23  may be any height, but is generally in the range of 2–6 inches high and preferably about 3–4 inches high. It is to be appreciated that the surfaces of the seat  3  and back member  7  may be provided with other ergonomic indentations in order to make the seat  3  more comfortable or in better conformance with a human body. 
   Turning to  FIG. 3A , as best seen in the exploded view, the seat  3  is supported on the base  9  by the downwardly curved, i.e., a concave, track  11  comprising a pair of side rails  25  on either side of a center slot  27  including a series of engagement holes  29  formed therein. The rails  25  on the track  11  interact with a corresponding curved rail engagement portion  26  on an underside of the seat member  5 , best seen in  FIG. 2C . The rails  25  and rail engagement portions  26  slidably interlock or engage so that the seat  3  is restrained in a side-to-side, i.e., lateral manner, and in a vertical, up and down manner, but the interlocking of the rails  25  with the engagement portions  26  on the underside of the seat member  5  allow for the seat  3  to be slidably rotated along the arcuate length of the track  11 . The seat  3  may be slid between a substantially upright position wherein the back member  7  is about vertical, as seen in  FIG. 4 , and a reclined position, as seen in  FIG. 5 , wherein the back member  7  is reclined at about a 30–40 degree angle A from the vertical. 
   Again observing  FIG. 3A , the track  11  also has pair of outside edge slots  31  for accepting a mating lower edge  33  of the seat member  5 . The edge slots  31  and lower edge  33  are, like the rails  25 , concavely curved downward so that the seat member  5  rotatably slides along the outer edge slots  31  when it is maneuvered between recline positions. The track  11  is supported directly by the base  9  in any number of height adjustable positions. A pair of catches  35  is provided on the front of the track  11 , which are accepted into respective notches  37  on the front inner wall of the base  9 . The catches  35  may be removable from the notches  37  but, in general, are movably fixed therein so as to allow some relative adjustment of the track height relative to the base  9  as discussed in further detail below. 
   Turning to  FIG. 3B , the rear of the track  11  is provided with a pair of opposed locking tabs  39  which engage in a series of ledges  41  formed on a rear edge  49  of the base  9 . This permits the track  11  to be adjusted in height, and thus accordingly the seat  3  as well. The locking tabs  39  are biased by their molded shape so as to frictionally engage in a respective ledge  41  formed in the base  9 . When a user pulls on the outer edges  43  of the opposing locking tabs  39  on each side of the track  11 , the locking tabs  39  can be disengaged from the respective ledges  41  and the track  11  can be raised or lowered so that the locking tabs  39  are brought into engagement with higher or lower located ledges  41  on the base  9 . 
     FIGS. 6A and 6B  show the base  9  of the feeding seat  1  is provided with opposing sidewalls  45  each having a front edge  47 , the rear edge  49  and a top arm rest surface  51 . The arm rest surface  51  is substantially flat and part of the surface is comprised of a corresponding top surface of the telescoping arm  13  in each sidewall  45 . The rear edge  49  of the sidewalls  45  is provided with the series of ledges  41 , as discussed above, for engaging the locking tabs  39  and adjusting the height of the track  11  and seat  3 . The sidewalls  45  are hollow and each slidably houses the telescoping member  13  inserted therein through an opening formed in the top arm rest surface  51  of the sidewalls. 
   It is to be noted that the sidewalls  45  of the base  9  are joined by an integral front cross member  53  and a rear cross member  55 . The front and rear cross members  53 ,  55  are connected to and located on a lower portion of the sidewalls  45  and form a portion of the bottom most support surface of the base  9 . The front cross member  53  may also be provided with a ledge  52  for receiving and supporting a front edge of the track  11  thereon. 
   The telescoping arms  13  have a retracted position where the top surface of the telescoping arms  13  are flush with the top arm rest surface  51  of the sidearms, as seen in  FIG. 6A . At least a pair of side openings  54  are provided in an outer wall  59  of each sidewall  45  in the base  9  to receive a detent button  61  connected to the telescoping arms  13 . With the telescoping arms  13  in the retracted position, the lower side opening  54  is engaged by the detent button  61 . As can be appreciated, when the detent button  61  is pressed inwardly, relative to the lower opening  57 , the telescoping arms  13  are free to be raised from the retracted position to at least a second extended position wherein the top surface of each telescoping arm  13  is raised above and forward of the sidewalls  45 . 
   At the extended position shown in  FIG. 6B , the detent button  61  automatically engages the second higher side opening  54  in the sidewall  45  so as to lock the respective telescoping arm  13  in place. It is to be appreciated that any number of side openings  54  may be provided in the sidewalls  45  to provide substantially different positions to which the telescoping arms  13  extend from the sidewalls  45  of the base  9 . 
   The telescoping arms  13  are further provided with a slide  63  along a top edge for receiving and supporting the tray  12  on the telescoping arms  13 . The slide  63  extends substantially the width of the telescoping arm  13  and is defined by a slot  65  in the telescoping arms  13 . The slot  65  is provided with a series of spaced apart notches  67  in a base portion of the slot  65  to receive an engagement latch  69  connected to or supported on the tray  12 . The latch  69  is spring biased towards the notches  67  so that when the tray  12  is engaged with the telescoping arms  13 , the latches  69  can fit securely into a desired notch  67  as thus securing the tray  12  to the telescoping arms  13 . The spaced apart notches  67  permit the latches  69  to be adjusted to different horizontal positions relative to the telescoping arms  13  and hence the tray  12  can be slidably adjusted along the top surface of the telescoping arms  13  to either bring the tray  12  closer to the infant or child in the seat  1  or farther away therefrom. 
   As seen in  FIG. 7 , the tray  12  is provided for being supported on the telescoping arms  13 , as described above. The tray  12  is removably affixed to the telescoping arms  13 , in particular the slide  63 , via the latch  69 . The latch  69  may be an integral piece or a separate piece connected to an underside of the tray  12  and the latch  69  is springably biased so as to maintain the latch  69  in the desired notches  67  in the slide  63 . In order to secure the tray  12  onto the arms, an operator squeezes the latch  69  against the springable bias of the latches  69  on either side of the tray  12  and aligns the tray  12  along the slides  63  both telescoping arms  13  in a desired horizontal position. The tray  12  is secured by the operator releasing the finger lever so that the spring biased latches  69  directly engage the notches  67  in the slide  63 . Again, the latch  69  and the notches  67  engaged thereby in the slides  63  of the telescoping arms  13  affixes the tray  12  so that the tray  12  may be moved laterally inwards and outwards, i.e., towards and away from the seat back member  7 . 
   This particular configuration wherein the chair  3  slidably pivots on the base  9  independently from the tray  12 , which is separately mounted on the base  9  by way of the telescoping arms  13 , as described above, allows the tray  12  to remain in its horizontal position throughout the entire reclining range of the seat  3 . This enables the caregiver to utilize the tray surface during feeding in the reclined positions as well as the upright positions even if the seat  3  is moved. 
   The curved track  11  facilitates the reclining movement of the seat  3  which is supported thereon as well as the raising and lowering of the seat  3  relative to the base  9 . The reclining function of the seat  3  is accomplished by actuation of the spring biased actuator  17  as discussed above. Additionally, the spring biased actuator  17  is also responsible for securing the seat  3  in the operational position, and the folding of the seat member  5  and the back member  7  relative to one another for storage or travel. When the spring biased actuator  17  is properly actuated, the back member  7  can be moved from the substantially 90 degree alignment with the seat member  5  to a substantially parallel planar alignment, i.e., folded over and on top of the seat member  5 , in order to collapse the seat  3  into a smaller, more compact package for travel purposes. 
   The reclining positions, as well as the folding feature of the seat member  5  and back member  7  of the above described invention are all facilitated by the single actuator  17  which is slidably affixed to the rear side of the back member  7 , as shown in the cross-sections of  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The actuator  17  is slidably held in a track formed on the rear side of the back member  7 . The actuator  17  is also biased by a spring  76  into a downward position wherein a lower edge  33  of the actuator  17  extends downward a desired distance below a lower edge of the back member  7 . When the spring bias is to be overcome, an operator merely pulls upward on a handle  78  of the actuator  17  in the direction of arrow U in  FIG. 4  and the elongate member is moved upwards relative to the back member  7 . 
   This movement permits two operational states, the first state being the ability to slidably rotate the seat  3  relative to the base  9  and track  11 . As can be observed in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the very lower end  33  of the actuator  17  extends into and through the engagement holes  29  in the center slot  27  of the track  11 . When it is desired to slide the seat  3  along the track  11  relative to the base  9 , the operator pulls up a first amount on the handle  78  against the downward bias of the elongate member and the far end of the actuator  17  is retracted from a respective engagement hole  29  in which it was inserted, which frees the seat  3  to be slidable along the track  11  within some range of recline. Once a desired angle of recline is determined by the operator, the operator releases the handle  78  and the spring  76  pushes the actuator  17  and hence the far end  33  thereof into a desired engagement hole  29  in the track  11  so that the seat  3  is held affixed to the track  11 . 
   A second state is attained whereby the actuator  17  permits the back member  7  to be folded over on top of the seat member  5 . This happens by the operator pulling up on the handle  78 , a second amount generally greater than the first amount to not only retract the far end  33  from the engagement holes  29  in the track  11 , but also disengaging the actuator  17  from engagement with the receiving slot in the seat member  5 . The different states can be observed in  FIG. 7  where on the rear surface of the back member  7  a series of diagrammatic drawings D are shown which instruct the operator to pull up or raise the actuator  17  of the actuator  17  from the locked position to attain either the first state enabling adjustment of the recline angle of the seat or the second state wherein the seat  3  can be folded as described above. 
   In regards to the interlocking of the seat member  5  and back member  7  into a substantially perpendicular alignment, as seen in  FIG. 2C , when in this downwardly biased position, the actuator  17  extends downward and through a receiving hole  75  in the seat member  5 . The seat member  5  is thus locked into position by a relatively snug engagement of this receiving hole with the actuator  17 . 
   This arrangement secures the seat member  5  and the back member  7  into the appropriate perpendicular alignment until such time as an operator pulls up on the actuator  17  and releases the actuator  17  from engagement with the receiving hole  75  in the seat member  5 . Once this occurs, the seat and back member  5 ,  7  may be hingedly folded about one another around axis  15  as discussed above. 
   Returning to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , which also show the actuator  17  and actuator  17  in cross-section, it is readily apparent that the spring  76  biases the actuator  17  downwards to such an extent that the actuator  17  not only passes through the receiving hole  75  in the seat member  5 , but also continues downward to engage the center slot  27  of the track  11 . A lower edge  33  of the actuator  17  is further received in one of the engagement holes  29  in the center slot  27  which locks the seat  3  into a desired recline position relative to the track  11  and hence the base  9 . As seen in  FIG. 4 , the actuator  17  is biased by the spring  76  into a rear most engagement hole in the track slot  65  to attain an upright or nearly upright position, and  FIG. 5  details the actuator  17  being biased into one of the forward most engagement holes in the track  11  thus the seat  3  attains a more reclined position relative to the base  9 . A stop mechanism  77  may be incorporated into the track  11  and seat  3  so that it becomes difficult to over rotate the seat  3  relative to the track  11 . 
   Since certain changes may be made in the above described improved infant and child feeding seat  1  without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all of the subject matter of the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted merely as examples illustrating the inventive concept herein and shall not be construed as limiting the invention.