Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates, in general, to baby chairs, and, in particular, to a device for bouncing baby chairs. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
   In the prior art various types of devices for bouncing baby chairs have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,806 to Maher discloses a device for rocking a chair comprising a crank arm and a strap member that extends from the crank arm to the top of the chair. As the crank rotates the strap pulls on the chair to rock it. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 3,186,008 to Fuller discloses a device for rocking a chair comprising a cam that rotates within a slot in a chair base. The base is positioned on an incline so the base will move up and down as the cam rotates. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,113 to Wu discloses a device for rocking a chair comprising a rotary arm driven by a motor and a shaft is connected to the arm at one end and to the chair at the other end so as the arm rotates the shaft pulls on the chair to rock it. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,080 to Hafele discloses a device for rocking a chair comprising a rotary arm driven by a motor and a shaft is connected to the arm at one end and to the chair at the other end so as the arm rotates the shaft pulls on the chair to rock it. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,774,589 to Sato et al discloses a device for rocking a chair comprising a solenoid for bi-directionally attracting a magnetic member on the chair. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,949 to Jantz discloses a device for rocking a chair comprising a drive means consisting of an eccentric mounted to the output of a drive unit and slidably connected to a lifting member which converts rotational energy of the drive unit to vertically reciprocating motion of the lifting member. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,343 to Kinslow, Jr. discloses for rocking a chair comprising a rotary arm driven by a motor and a shaft is connected to the arm at one end and to the chair at the other end so as the arm rotates the shaft pulls on the chair to rock it. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,428 to Li discloses a device for rocking a chair comprising an elastic cord attached at one end to the chair and attached to a pivoting arm at the other end, and the arm is rotated by a motor. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,381 to Wilson discloses a device for rocking a chair comprising a motor with an eccentric which provides motion for the seat. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,597 to Fox et al discloses a device for rocking a chair comprising a unit that attaches to the chair and provides a vibrating motion. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,095 to Adachi discloses a device for rocking a chair comprising a chair pivoted at one end to a U-shaped stand and a rocking mechanism for moving the chair about the pivot. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,966 to Thompson discloses a device for rocking a cot comprising a wheel which is driven by a motor and the wheel has a pin which engages a slot on the cot, so the revolving pin moves the cot up and down as it rotates. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a device for bouncing a baby chair. The device has a seat into which a baby can be placed. The seat is attached to a stand that provides a springy action to the baby seat. The stand has an adjustment mechanism so the stand can be adjusted to compensate for babies of different weights. 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved baby chair. 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved baby chair that can compensate for different size babies. 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved baby chair that is easily adjustable for different size babie 
   These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of a drive mechanism in one position of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the drive mechanism of  FIG. 2  in another position. 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of another drive of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the drive mechanism of  FIG. 4  in another position. 
       FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of the present invention with a different locking mechanism. 
       FIG. 7  shows a partial view of the locking mechanism of  FIG. 6 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to the drawings in greater detail,  FIG. 1  shows a baby seat or chair having a back rest  1  which is attached to a seat portion  2  which in turn is attached to a support portion  3 . It should be noted that the seat shown in  FIG. 1  is merely illustrative of a baby seat, and other shapes could be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
   The support portion  3  has a horizontal portion  4  which is secured, in any conventional manner, to a support block  10 , most of which has been removed from  FIG. 1  for clarity. The support block  10  receives and supports the horizontal portion  4  in any conventional manner. The chair has a second horizontal portion  13  which fits into the support block  10 , but is free to move with respect to the block. The top of the second horizontal portion  13  has a series of valleys  9  which form teeth  14  in between the valleys. In addition, the end of the second horizontal portion  13  has a stop  8  so the gear  6  can not move off the second horizontal portion  13 . The chair has a second support portion  11  and a third horizontal portion  12  which form the rest of the support for the chair. A control knob  5  is mounted for rotation to the block  10  in any conventional manner. The knob  5  is connected to gear  6  so that when knob  5  is rotated, gear  6  will also rotate. Gear  6  engages the teeth  14  on the top of the second horizontal portion  13  so when knob  5  is turned in one direction the first horizontal portion  4  moves toward the right in  FIG. 1 . When knob  5  is turned in the opposite direction the first horizontal portion  4  moves toward the left in  FIG. 1 . 
   The portions  11 ,  12 ,  13  of the support stand are made from a springy material so the upper leg  13  will move up and down with respect to the lower leg  12 . The adjustment mechanisms  5 ,  6 ,  9  and  14  are designed to compensate for different size babies. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the seat is adjusted to hold about a twenty pound baby. If the baby weighs more than twenty pounds, the adjustment mechanisms would be used to move the blocks  10  to the right in  FIG. 1 . Since the top leg  13  is essentially a cantilevered beam, this would reduce the moment arm of the beam making it more difficult for the leg  13  to move up and down. If the baby weighs less than twenty pounds, the adjustment mechanisms would be used to move the blocks  10  to the left in  FIG. 1 . Since the top leg  13  is essentially a cantilevered beam, this would increase the moment arm of the beam making it less difficult for the leg  13  to move up and down. Therefore, the adjustment mechanisms allow the present invention to be adjusted for virtually any size baby. 
   In order to move the upper leg  13  (and the seat secured to leg  13 ) up and down, a motor driven mechanism is attached to the back portion  1  of the seat by any conventional attachment means  26 . A motor  27  is provided with a first wheel  26  that will be driven by the motor. The wheel  26  engages a second wheel  15  which rotates about a pivot point  25 , so the wheel  27 , driven by the motor  13 , will cause wheel  15  to rotate. Wheel  15  has a weight  16  attached thereto by any conventional means. The weight  16  will throw the wheel  15  out of balance as it rotates, which will cause a vibration in attachment means  26 , through seat  1 ,  2 ,  3 , through block  10 , and eventually into arm  13 . Since the arm  13  is springy, the seat  1 ,  2 ,  3  will move up and down and, in so doing, will entertain a baby seated in the seat. 
   It should be noted that a framework will support motor  27 , and wheels  26 ,  15 , however it has been removed from  FIG. 1  for clarity. Also, any motor can be used in the present invention including, but not limited to, an AC motor, a DC motor, a battery operated motor, or a motor operated by a mechanical means such as a spring. 
     FIGS. 2 and 3  show a different operating means for the seat of  FIG. 1 . Wheel  15 ′ (which is essentially wheel  15  in  FIG. 1  without weight  16 ) has a cam  17  secured thereto which moves a follower  18  as the wheel  15 ′ rotates. The wheel  15 ′ is rotated by a motor (not shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 ) like the motor  15  in  FIG. 1 . The follower  18  is connected to a beam  19 , by any conventional means, which is pivoted at  23  on one end, and which has a weight  20  at the other end. As the cam  17  rotates from a down position, as shown in  FIG. 2 ) to an up position (shown in  FIG. 3 ) it moves the follower  18  which in turn pivots the beam  19  up. As the follower moves to the down position, the weight causes the beam  19  to move from the position shown in  FIG. 3  to the position shown in  FIG. 2 , thereby causing the wheel  15 ′ to vibrate which will vibrate the seat  1 ,  2 ,  3 . 
     FIGS. 4 and 5  show a different activation mechanism. Wheel  15 ″ (which is essentially wheel  15  in  FIG. 1  without weight  16 ) has a solenoid  21  secured thereto by any conventional means. The solenoid  21  can be operated by the same motor  13  or it can be operated by a separate motor. The solenoid  21  moves a shaft  22  up ( FIG. 5 ) and down ( FIG. 4 ) as the solenoid  21  is turned on and off. The shaft  22  is secured to the wheel  15 ″ in a way so the wheel will move up and down with the shaft  22 . In this way the wheel will vibrate which will cause the seat  1 ,  2 ,  3  to vibrate as in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 . Once the wheel, which is essentially just a weight, is started up and down by the solenoid it will continue in an up and down motion for a while even after the solenoid is turned off. 
     FIGS. 6 and 7  show a different securing means for adjustably attaching the seat  1 ′″ to the springy legs  13 ′″ which are supported on legs  12 ′″ in the same manner as legs  13  and  12  in  FIG. 1 . A bar  24  is secured, in any conventional manner, to the seat. The bar  24  has apertures that receive the legs  13 ′″. A set screw  23  is threaded into the bars  24 . In order to adjust the seat for different size babies, the set screw  23  will be loosened, the bar  24  will be moved to a new location, and then the set screw will be tightened to secure the bar in the new location. In all other respects, the device will operate in the same manner as the  FIG. 1  device. It should be noted that the motor and wheels have been removed from  FIGS. 6 and 7  for clarity. 
   Although the Baby Bouncer and the method of using the same according to the present invention has been described in the foregoing specification with considerable details, it is to be understood that modifications may be made to the invention which do not exceed the scope of the appended claims and modified forms of the present invention done by others skilled in the art to which the invention pertains will be considered infringements of this invention when those modified forms fall within the claimed scope of this invention.

Technology Category: 1