Patent ID: 12256848

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

InFIG.1is shown a perspective view of a child's chair or highchair1according to an embodiment of the present invention. The chair1comprises a seat2and four legs3. The four legs3are removably attached to the seat2by means of leg frame4which includes four sockets9into which an upper end of each leg3is located and connected. Each leg extends at an inclined angle outwardly downwards and at the opposite, lower end of each leg3feet8are provided which each have an external surface corresponding to the inclined angle of the leg so that the chair1rest stably on a flat floor. The chair1also comprises a support frame5, a footrest6and a removable table7.

The seat2has an open construction possibly made in a single moulded form and having a rear back support24and extending forwardly therefrom inclined sides25which meet a seat base26.

Referring now toFIG.2andFIG.3the chair is shown during the early steps of assembly by a user and it can be seen that the legs3are insertable into the sockets9of the leg frame4. Once in place the legs are secured in position by suitable screws or bolts10which are located in corresponding holes11,12in the socket9and leg3respectively. In the embodiment shown inFIG.2spring loaded bolts10are shown in the top part of the legs3so that when aligned with the hole11in the socket the leg can be pressed home in the socket and the bolt is pressed inwardly against a spring (not shown) and automatically pops out of the hole11as soon as the leg3is in the correct position in the socket.

FIG.3shows a further aspect of the invention in which the legs3have been removed and short legs13have been fitted into the sockets9. In this embodiment the short legs are secured in the sockets by means of screws14which engage with threaded holes15in the short legs13when they are located in the fitted position. The short legs13also have angled support surfaces16at each lower end which together lie in the same flat plane.

Referring now toFIG.4a base plate17is shown which comprises four base feet18, one in each corner each having a through hole which is aligned with corresponding threaded holes21in the base of each short leg13. The base plate17is secured to the short legs13by means of screws22being fitted into threaded holes21at the base of each short leg13forming the complete child's chair31as shown inFIG.5. The feet18provide a secure and stable support for the chair31and are preferably made from an elastomeric or rubber-like plastic material which does not slide on smooth surfaces. As shown inFIG.4the base plate17also include a buckle20and strap adjuster19, which together with the strap19awhich may be passed through slots20a,20bin the base plate17to secure the chair31to a pre-existing chair, or stool, so the chair31can be used as a booster seat.

Referring now toFIG.6a perspective view from above is shown of the short-legged child's chair31. A cross piece23is provided which two wing parts27, a front rail28and a central support29. The cross piece23is attached to the seat2by each wing part27attaching at each seat side25and the central support29attaching to the seat base26. The attachment means are by suitably shaped slots30a,32ain the seat side25and seat base26into which spring biased detent clips30,32are inserted so that when the clips are pressed into the corresponding slots30a,32athe detent parts spring back behind the seat side or base respectively holding the cross piece23firmly in place. The cross piece may be removed by a user pinching together the clips30,32and releasing the detent and pushing the clips30,32back through the slots30a,32a, there being sufficient elastic movement in the cross piece for this to occur.

Referring now toFIGS.7and8the support frame5and footrest6are shown in more detail. The support frame5is shown from the underside and comprises four support arms33spaced at 90 degrees from each other and is moulded in a hollow construction with each support arm33having a top wall34and two side walls35and open on the underside. Each support arm33also has an end wall36comprising a through hole37through which securing screws are inserted to secure the support frame5to each leg3. At least two of the support arms33also comprise receiving holes38for receiving attaching screws39for the footrest6. The footrest6is a wide U-shaped form with two side wings40joined by a foot rest plate41extending between them. Each side wing40comprises attaching tabs42which include through holes43through which attaching screws39pass to attach the footrest to the support arms33of the support frame5. The foot rest6can be attached to the support frame5in two different orientations, a first orientation as shown inFIG.7in which an inside surface44of the foot rest plate41is facing upwards and serves as the rest for the child's feet, and a second orientation as shown inFIG.8in which an outside surface45of the foot rest plate41is facing upwards and serves as the rest for the child's feet.

In this way the distance between the footrest and the seat of the child's chair or highchair can be adjusted according to a height or legs' length of a child, so that the child can put feet on the footrest comfortably when sitting on the child's highchair. The second orientation for a small child and the first orientation for a larger child.

The child's highchair1is shown inFIG.9with the footrest6fitted in the first orientation with the footrest plate41in the lower setting for a larger child.

Referring now toFIGS.10to15details of a further aspect of the invention are described relating to the detachable table7.FIG.10shows the table7comprising a flat main table surface46and two lateral elongate extensions47formed on each side which together with a rear edge48of the table form an engaging profile which corresponds with the shape of the cross piece23. Furthermore, at the end of each elongate extension47there are disengageable engagement means55which automatically engage with corresponding engagement catches49on the cross piece23so that when the table7is moved towards the cross piece23in the direction of arrow A as shown inFIG.11the table7automatically connects to the cross piece23and is securely fixed in the fitted position as shown inFIG.12.

FIG.13shows the underside of the table7and cross piece23with the table7in the fitted position andFIGS.14and15show the table7and crosspiece23respectively in the unfitted position. The engagement means55is in the form of an elongate resilient leaf spring with a ramped tongue50including a ramped surface51at the remote end and an oblique surface52at the proximal end such that when the user pushes the table7to the cross piece23the engagement means55passes over the engagement catch49on the cross piece23and the engagement catch49rides along the ramped surface51pushing the engagement means55outwards until the end of the ramp51is reached and the ramped tongue50of the engagement means55snaps into place with the oblique surface50abutting the engagement catch49.

Mutual locating means are provided53,54in the central portion of the rear edge48of the table7and the cross piece respectively which serve to accurately locate the table7in position with respect to the cross piece23as the user is fitting the table7to the cross piece23, so that each elongate extension47of the table7is correctly aligned with the wing parts27of the cross piece23and the engagement means55and engagement catches49are correctly aligned so they snap into place automatically.

The locating means53on the rear edge48includes a V shaped guide56which serves to guide the plate shaped locating means54of the cross piece23which enables the automatic attachment of the table7, even when the user inaccurately locates the table to the cross piece23.

Referring now toFIGS.16,17and18one of the highchair legs3is shown in further detail and in particular the spring lock mechanism.

Reference is made in particular toFIG.16in which the high chair leg3is shown which is made from wood in this embodiment and comprises on leg top section112which is of reduced diameter compared to the main portion of the leg3and is achieved typically by turning honour lays in a known manner. Although leg3is made from wood in this embodiment, it could be made of a plastics material and in particular a recycled plastics material or other material that can be formed in this cylindrical elongate shape with a reduced diameter leg top section112. The leg top section112of the leg3also includes a through hole111which passes entirely through the upper end portion from one side to the other. The locking mechanism includes the engaging bolt101a retaining bolt102and a spring108arranged between them is located in the through hole111. A sleeve107is also provided and is a hollow cylindrical section typically made from a suitable metal such as stainless steel, aluminium or Chrome plated steel is provided which has an internal diameter sufficiently large to slide over the leg top section112and an outside diameter which corresponds approximately to the outside diameter of the main portion of the leg3. The sleeve107includes diametrically arranged holes12a,12b, which are positioned such that when the sleeve is fitted on the leg top section112the holes12a,12bare aligned with the through hole111. The engaging bolt101includes an engaging peg103formed on an engaging bolt base105of larger diameter, and the retaining bolt102includes a retaining peg104formed on a retaining bolt base106of larger diameter. The corresponding diameters of the engaging peg103and retaining peg104as well as the retaining bolt base106and the engaging bolt base105being such that the engaging peg103and the retaining peg104can pass through the through hole111and the sleeve holes12a,12bwhereas the retaining bolt base106and the engaging bolt base105cannot. This when the locking mechanism is fitted in position with the sleeve107arranged over the leg top section112, the retaining peg104extends through the sleeve hole12bon one side and the engaging peg103what are three extends through the sleeve hole12aon the opposite side. The retaining peg104is somewhat shorter than the engaging peg103and is sufficient in length to correspond to the thickness of the sleeve107such that the retaining peg104does not extend outwardly from the sleeve107but merely occupies the sleeve hole12band prevents accidental, or deliberate removal by a child, of the sleeve107in the event that the engaging peg103is pressed in too far. The engaging peg103, being significantly longer than the retaining peg104, extends through the sleeve hole12aand protrudes further beyond the external surface of the sleeve107so that it may engage the socket hole11of the socket9to securely fix the leg3to the base of the chair2.

In this embodiment shown inFIG.16there is furthermore optionally provided a shim109which is arcuately shaped to correspond to the diameter of the leg top section112and which extends partially around the circumference of the leg top section112.

The shim109may be made from deformable plastic material comprises a shim hole110. The shim109serves to more firmly fix the sleeve107to the leg top section112to take account of variations in the tolerances in the diameter of the leg top section112and the internal diameter of the sleeve107. Processing wood to consistently very tight tolerances is very difficult to achieve. In order to produce a satisfactory tight interference fit with the sleeve107the maximum tolerance for the leg top section is plus or minus nought 0.2 millimetres. Typically the tightest tolerance that is achievable in machining natural wood taking into account changes in temperature and humidity in this stored environment is 0.4 millimetres. Tolerances are generally normally distributed statistically, and this typically results in 20% of legs being out of specification. By means of the use of one or two shims each having a thickness of 0.1 millimetres, selectively utilising the shims for those legs having the smaller diameter top leg section, it is possible to include all of the supplied legs within the specification and none need be rejected or wasted.

Thus during assembly, the shim109is fitted around the leg top section112with the shim109aligned with the through hole111and the sleeve107is slid over the shim109and leg top section112to produce a tight interference fit. This tight interference fit is required to securely attach the sleeve107to the leg top section112. During normal manufacture of the legs3and sleeve107the internal diameter of the sleeve107, but in particular the external diameter of the top leg section112of the leg3, which is made from a natural wood material and therefore tends to exhibit unpredictable levels of shrinkage or expansion during the manufacturing or storage process, are subject to variations diametrical dimension. This is accommodated by the shim109to ensure that the desired interference fit is always achieved.

Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.

COMPONENT LIST

Child's chair or highchairSeatLegsLeg frameSupport frameFootrestRemovable tableFootSocketScrews or boltsSocket hole12a,12bSleeve holesShort legScrewThreaded holeInclined surfaceBase plateBase feetStrap adjuster19aStrapBuckle,20aSlot,20bSlotThreaded holeScrewsCross pieceRear back supportInclined sidesSeat baseWing partFront railCentral supportDetent clip,30aslotShort legged child's chairDetent clip,32aslotSupport armsTop wallSide wallEnd wallThrough holeReceiving holesAttaching screwsSide wingsFoot rest plateAttaching tabsThrough holesInside surfaceOutside surfaceTable surfaceElongate extensionRear edgeEngagement catchesRamped tongueRamped surfaceOblique surfaceLocating meansLocating meansEngagement meansV-shaped guide101. Engaging bolt102. Retaining bolt103. Engaging peg104. Retaining peg105. Engaging bolt base106. Retaining bolt base107. Sleeve108. Spring109. Shim110. Shim hole111. Through hole112. Leg top section